Medicus by Ruth Downie

Medicus by Ruth Downie

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

Divorced and down on his luck, Gaius Petreius Ruso has made the rash decision to seek his fortune in an inclement outpost of the Roman Empire, namely Britannia. In a moment of weakness, after a straight thirtysix-hour shift at the army hospital, he succumbs to compassion and rescues an injured slave girl, Tilla, from the hands of her abusive owner. Now he has a new problem: a slave who won't talk and can't cook, and drags trouble in her wake. Before he knows it, Ruso is caught in the middle of an investigation into the deaths of prostitutes working out of the local bar. Now Ruso must summon all his forensic knowledge to find a killer who may be after him next. With a gift for comic timing and historical detail, Ruth Downie has conjured an ancient world as raucous and real as our own.

My Review:

I fell in love with the characters of Medicus--but it took some time. They developed slowly, along with the plot. Meanwhile, the mystery here seemed to play second fiddle to the Roman milieu, and the growing attraction between Ruso and Tilla.

But I stuck with the book and became more and more absorbed. The author may take a long time to tell a small story, but the three primary characters are so engaging and addictive that I can't wait to read the next installment.
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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Part of the Bargain by Linda Lael Miller

Part Of The Bargain by Linda Lael Miller

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

Libby kincaid has returned to the ranch where she grew up to heal the wounds that a broken marriage and the death of her beloved stepson have left. But instead of the solace she craves, she finds jess Barlowe.

My Review: 

An easy read set in contemporary Montana, with fun but unmemorable characters. This won't make my list of favorite comfort reads, but it's great for vacation.
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A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

Celebrate the holidays with the Creed forefathers--Montana men who built the family homestead and established a legacy of love...

In the unforgiving Montana wilderness of 1910, widowed rancher Lincoln Creed is up against more than rustlers, wolves and the coming winter storms. His young daughter has needs beyond the beans and bacon he can barely cook. Lincoln must find little Gracie a governess, a lady who can teach and cook--yet won't set her sights on him. Disowned for her refusal to marry, twenty-five-year-old Juliana Mitchell shares the love in her heart with her young students at the underfunded Indian school. When she meets Lincoln and Gracie, her response to the handsome rancher makes her realize she's not against marriage after all.

She longs to help, yet the two orphaned brothers in her care need her. But in the season for miracles, Providence just might find a way to bring Juliana, the boys and the Creed family together for Christmas Eve....

My Review:

It's Christmas 1910 in Stillwater Springs, Montana--one of Linda Lael Miller's favorite states. We revisit the Creeds in a sweet holiday story that brings a dedicated school marm and rancher together. It's an easy read with a satisfying happy-ever-after.

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Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

Port Mortuary, the title of Patricia Cornwell's 18th Scarpetta novel, is literally a port for the dead. In this fast-paced story, a treacherous path from Scarpetta's past merges with the high tech highway she now finds herself on. We travel back to the beginning of her professional career, when she enlisted in the Air Force to pay off her medical school debt and found herself ensnared in a gruesome case of what seemed to be vicious, racially motivated hate crimes against two Americans in South Africa. Now, more than twenty years and many career successes later, her secret military ties have drawn her to Dover Air Force Base, where she has been immersed in a training fellowship to master the art of CT-assisted virtual autopsy--a procedure the White House has mandated that she introduce in the private sector.

As the chief of the new Cambridge Forensic Center in Massachusetts, a joint venture of the state and federal governments and MIT, Scarpetta is confronted with a case that could shut down her new facility and ruin her personally and professionally. A young man drops dead, apparently from a cardiac arrhythmia, eerily close to Scarpetta's new Cambridge home. But when his body is examined the next morning, there are stunning indications that he may have been alive when he was zipped inside a pouch and locked insider the Center's cooler. Various 3-D radiology scans reveal more shocking details about internal injuries unlike any Scarpetta has ever seen. These suggest the possibility of a conspiracy to cause mass casualties. She realizes that she is fighting a cunning and cruel enemy that is invisible as she races against time to discover who and why before more people die.

In Port Mortuary, Patricia Cornwell brings Scarpetta together with Marino, Benton, and Lucy in an intimate way that is reminiscent of the early novels, and we welcome a voice we haven't heard in years. The point of view is Scarpetta's, and this is her story.

My Review:

Kay Scarpetta goes down a dark path here, seeing everyone--including her loved ones--as set against her. Each of her relationships seems suspect to her, and this paranoid feeling overshadows the mystery.

Kay's depression wears her down throughout the book--and it wore me down too. This is a difficult, angst-ridden installment and the first one I didn't enjoy reading. (And I've read them all.)

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Fair Game by Josh Lanyon

Fair Game by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

A crippling knee injury forced Elliot Mills to trade in his FBI badge for dusty chalkboards and bored college students. Now a history professor at Puget Sound university, the former agent has put his old life behind him-but it seems his old life isn't finished with him.

A young man has gone missing from campus-and as a favor to a family friend, Elliot agrees to do a little sniffing around. His investigations bring him face-to-face with his former lover, Tucker Lance, the special agent handling the case.

Things ended badly with Tucker, and neither man is ready to back down on the fight that drove them apart. But they have to figure out a way to move beyond their past and work together as more men go missing and Elliot becomes the target in a killer's obsessive game...

My Review:

I enjoyed this. The mystery kept me guessing and I found myself hoping that Elliot would make peace with the injury that caused him to leave the FBI. I was also rooting for him to allow his ex, Tucker (who is still with the Bureau), back into his life.

I didn't think Fair Game was quite on par with the Adrien English series (also by Josh Lanyon)--especially since I just finished those books and I'm missing Adrien! But this was still a fun read, and I'd be happy to spend more time with Elliot and Tucker in a sequel.

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The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon

The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

As if recovering from heart surgery beneath the gaze of his over-protective family wasn’t exasperating enough, someone keeps trying to break into Adrien English’s bookstore. What is this determined midnight intruder searching for?

When a half-century old skeleton tumbles out of the wall in the midst of the renovation of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore renovation, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan -- now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective.

Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien’s past than either one of them expects -- and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake’s own heart.

My Review:

When Adrien finds a decades-old corpse boarded up under his floor, he just can't bring himself to leave it for the police to solve alone. So he turns to Jake, who's out of the closet now and working as a P.I. For the first time, it seems like these two have a chance to build a lasting relationship. But only if they can come to terms with their past.

Adrien and Jake track down witnesses in this cold case, keeping me guessing till the end. At the same time, they try to figure out where they stand with each other. But Adrien's mother and step family are there to help, and Guy, Mel and Angus all play a part.

The Dark Tide provides plenty of closure, but don't read it by itself! Start from the beginning of the Adrien English series.

I was apprehensive when I started this series; I loved mysteries, but I had never read a gay romance before. I didn't know how I'd handle the explicit scenes. Well, I only keep my eyes half-closed now. (And they don't dominate the book anyway.) And after this satisfying finale, all I can think about is how much I'll miss Adrien!

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Death of a Pirate King (Adrien English Mystery) by Josh Lanyon

Death of a Pirate King by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

#4 in the acclaimed Adrien English Mystery Series by award winning author Josh Lanyon. Gay bookseller and reluctant amateur sleuth Adrien English's writing career is suddenly taking off. His first novel, Murder Will Out, has been optioned by notorious Hollywood actor Paul Kane. But when murder makes an appearance at a dinner party, who should be called in but Adrien's former lover, handsome closeted detective Jake Riordan, now a Lieutenant with LAPD -- which may just drive Adrien's new boyfriend, sexy UCLA professor Guy Snowden, to commit a murder of his own!

My Review:

Adrien is in transition here, coping with his new step-family, a turn in his writing career, and his deepening relationship with Guy. Not the best time to witness another murder--or to try solving it with his ex, Jake Riordan. Adrien may have been keeping his distance from the closeted, married cop, but it's clear the man is still under his skin . . . and that kept me turning the pages just as much as the mystery!

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The Hell You Say (Adrien English Mystery) by Josh Lanyon

The Hell You Say by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

The long anticipated third novel in the Adrien English series finds the "ill-starred and bookish" mystery writer and bookseller battling demons-maybe literally.
After bookstore clerk Angus flees following terrifying death threats, Adrien must contend with a mysterious Satanic cult, a hot and handsome university professor, and his on-again/off-again relationship with closeted LAPD Homicide Detective Jake Riordan.

My Review:

Angus's odd lifestyle plunges Adrien into another mystery, but The Hell You Say seems more character driven than plot-driven. Even a cultic murder takes a back seat to the changes in Adrien's life; but since I'm sold on Adrien, that's fine. His story moves forward as his mother makes a startling announcement and his problems with Jake come to a head, creating a make or break moment in their relationship.

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Adrien English Mysteries: Fatal Shadows and A Dangerous Thing by Josh Lanyon

Adrien English Mysteries: Fatal Shadows and A Dangerous Thing by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

Relationships can be murder. Bookseller and mystery author Adrien English is looking for love in all the wrong places--and, according to hot and handsome LAPD detective Jake Riordan, it's liable to get him killed.

My Review:

Fatal Shadows and A Dangerous Thing are the first two books of the Adrien English series, sold together as one book for Kindle. This mystery romance was my first M/M book, and though I skipped over the explicit scenes, I fell for Adrien and his snappy narration.   I enjoyed the other characters as well, including Adrien's over-protective mother, his closeted love interest and his slightly spooky assistant.

Despite his uncanny ability to get tangled up in murder mysteries, Adrien's not a private eye or a cop. He's just a mystery book store owner who's trying to make it through the day and find acceptance and love . . . preferably without discovering any more bodies along the way. 

This book came highly recommended and did not disappoint. In fact, I'm already devouring the third book in the series. Explicit scenes aside--which are not my thing--this is a four star read!

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Martin Luther King Jr: "I Have a Dream"

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Murder, She Wrote: A Fatal Feast by Jessical Fletcher & Donald Bain

The townsfolk of Cabot Cove: William Windom as Dr. Hazlitt, Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher, and Ron Masak as Sheriff Metzger

Murder, She Wrote: A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

The newest novel in the USA Today bestselling series finds Jessica Fletcher cooking up a heartwarming holiday dinner-and a fresh serving of trouble...Jessica Fletcher would like nothing more than to sit back and relax as Thanksgiving comes to Cabot Cove. But this year, she's already got more on her plate than she can handle.

Jessica is suffering from a rare case of writer's block, and the deadline for her new novel is fast approaching. Also, her friend, Scotland Yard Inspector George Sutherland, is coming from London to experience the American holiday. But most distressing of all, Jessica is hosting a bountiful Thanksgiving dinner for a guest list that is growing by the day. Jessica carries on toward her culinary conquest, and she couldn't be more thankful about the results. Until she and George take a post-turkey stroll and stumble upon the body of a man with a carving knife stuck in his chest...

My Review:

A pleasant way to spend a wintry afternoon: catching up with old friends in Cabot Cove! All the regular townsfolk are on hand as Jessica Fletcher celebrates Thanksgiving and solves a murder. An enjoyable cozy mystery, especially for fans of the show.

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Willow by Linda Lael Miller

Willow: A Novel by Linda Lael Miller

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

Montana was a wide-open, lawless land when the golden haired Willow married Gideon—a railroad magnate turned U.S. Marshal. Their union was tempestuous and passionate, a mating of two fiery, strong-willed souls destined for each other.

But Willow's love for her husband was matched by her devotion to her outlaw brother, a renegade pursued by a man sworn to hunt him down—Gideon! Willow had to choose...she could betray her own kin, or risk everything—even the love she had dreamed of all her life—to save him.

My Review:

This historical, old West romance is a pleasant, easy read with likeable characters, clever dialogue and a predictable plot. A nice way to spend a few hours.

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Naked Heat by Richard Castle

Naked Heat by Richard Castle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

In the sequel to the New York Times bestselling Heat Wave, Richard Castle does it again with his thrilling new mystery. Tough, sexy, professional, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. In what's sure to be another smash sensation by blockbuster author Richard Castle, readers will once again follow Nikki Heat and hotshot reporter Jameson Rook as they trade barbs and innuendos all while on the trail of a murderer!
My Review:

Like Heat Wave, this is another light, enjoyable mystery with Richard Castle, the TV character, as the alleged author. The banter among the characters is just as much fun as it is on the show and the mystery kept me guessing. Again, you can enjoy this even if you don't watch Castle, but you'll miss half fun!

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Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Blurb:

A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the dirty little secrets of the wealthy. Secrets that prove to be fatal. Secrets that lay hidden in the dark until one NYPD detective shines a light.

Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. PulitzerPrize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them. The one called heat.

My Review:

This book can stand alone as an enjoyable mystery, but it's so much more fun if you're a fan of the TV show Castle. I love the lengths the book goes to in order to present Castle as a real author who writes about Jameson Rook! Better yet, just as in the show, New York City is a lively presence in its own right.
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2011 Georgette Heyer Challenge

I've signed up to be 'fascinated' by Georgette Heyer in 2011 by accepting this challenge on Books are a Girl's Best Friend. I've already devoured her Regency and Georgian romances, so I'm going to read five of her mysteries this year.

Happy New Year!