The Daemoniac by Kat Ross ~ Review

Title: The Daemoniac (Dominion Mysteries #1)
Author: Kat Ross
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Length: 334 pages
Publisher: Acorn
Release Date: October 12, 2016
Source: Review Request
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

It's August of 1888, just three weeks before Jack the Ripper will begin his grisly spree in the London slum of Whitechapel, and another serial murderer is stalking the gas-lit streets of New York. With taunting messages in backwards Latin left at the crime scenes and even more inexplicable clues like the fingerprints that appear to have been burned into one victim's throat, his handiwork bears all the hallmarks of a demonic possession.

But consulting detective Harrison Fearing Pell is convinced her quarry is a man of flesh and blood. Encouraged by her uncle, Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry hopes to make her reputation by solving the bizarre case before the man the press has dubbed Mr. Hyde strikes again.

From the squalor of the Five Points to the high-class gambling dens of the Tenderloin and the glittering mansions of Fifth Avenue, Harry and her best friend, John Weston, follow the trail of a remorseless killer, uncovering a few embarrassing secrets of New York's richest High Society families along the way. Are the murders a case of black magic—or simple blackmail? And will the trail lead them closer to home than they ever imagined?

**********

The Daemoniac moved a little slow for me, even though there was a lot going on. I felt like the mystery was overly convoluted. There was so much running around that it seemed fairly aimless at times, with nothing to show for their trouble. When the mystery is finally solved, it was somewhat anticlimactic. I expected something massive and huge, and it just seemed to fizzle in my opinion.

The characters were a lot of fun though. Harry, the younger sister of a famous detective, takes on a case, enlisting the help of her friend, John Weston. The banter between these two characters is great. I looked forward to their conversations, both about the case and not. 

I don't think I'll be continuing the series. However, the book is very well written with excellent characters. If you enjoy a more drawn out mystery, this may be one for you.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

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The Trouble with Mirrors by Charlotte Elkins and Aaron Elkins ~ Review

Title: The Trouble with Mirrors (Alix London #4)
Author: Charlotte Elkins, Aaron Elkins
Genre: Adult, Mystery
Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Source: Goodreads
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Alix London, the art restorer and FBI consultant renowned as the Art Whisperer, can spot a counterfeit masterpiece before the paint even dries. What she can’t see is why an elite European art dealer would offer her big money for a little mirror that’s no more than a homemade gift from her beloved uncle Tiny. Not that Alix would part with it at any price. But when the mirror is abruptly stolen from her home, she realizes that someone sees more in the looking glass than mere sentimental value.

When her uncle Tiny disappears mysteriously just after the mirror is stolen, the simple art theft becomes a personal and professional challenge Alix can’t ignore. With backup from her friends in the FBI, her game-for-anything pal Chris, and an aging-but-dogged Italian police detective, she delves into the puzzling case, only to find that there is much more to this theft than meets the eye. Once the Mafia shows up on the scene, Alix’s mission becomes a do-or-die race to find the one possible man with all the answers.

**********

The Trouble with Mirrors ties up a lot of loose ends in Alix London's life - many of which revolve around her "Uncle" Tiny. When a treasured mirror that Tiny had gifted her is stolen, it opens a door to an old international art scandal. Leave it to Alex to find herself right in the middle of it all.

Using her "Art Whisperer" intuition and her extensive knowledge of everything art related (which was a bit over the top because you can't be an expert in all of it - there's just too much.) This was far more exciting and thrilling than the past books in the series. There's mafia, Italian police, FBI, and all of Alix's crew back home. Each group with their own objectives and ways to accomplish them.

In the end, we have a tad bit rushed reveal and another case solved by Alix and her friends. This book stood out more as a group effort to solve the case, involving all of Alix's friends and family. This appears to be the last book in the Alix London series so far, but I'd definitely read more if they are written.

*I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book*

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The Art Whisperer by Charlotte Elkins and Aaron Elkins

Title: The Art Whisperer (Alix London #3)

Author: Charlotte Elkins, Aaron Elkins

Genre: Adult, Mystery

Length: 260 pages

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Source: Purchased

Reviewed by: Jasmyn

When art conservator Alix London spots a forgery, she knows trouble will follow. So she’s understandably apprehensive when her connoisseur’s eye spots something off about a multimillion-dollar Jackson Pollock painting at Palm Springs’s Brethwaite Museum—her current employer.

Alix is already under fire, the object of a vicious online smear campaign. Now the Brethwaite’s despicable senior curator, obsessed with the “maximization of monetized eyeballs,” angrily refuses to decommission the celebrated Pollock piece. But it’s only when a hooded intruder attacks Alix in her hotel room that the real trouble begins. And when FBI Special Agent Ted Ellesworth—with whom Alix had inadvertently, but thoroughly, botched a budding relationship just a year prior—turns up to investigate the Pollock, Alix knows she’s about to have her hands full.

In her third mystery, Alix London must see through mirages in the desert to uncover the knotted history of the painting—and save herself in the process.

**********

Alix London is making a reputation for herself as the "Art Whisperer," capable of telling if a painting is authentic or not by just looking at it. And her intuition is never wrong, it might just take her a little while to prove it. This reputation is getting her in trouble this time. She's being targeted online by a smear campaign, and it's strangely tied to her new job at a small museum.

She's determined to save her reputation and find out who is behind the attacks. But she'll end up needing some help on this one, and she's not sure exactly what her relationship with FBI Agen Ted Ellesworth is anymore. Which is another minefield that she will need to navigate.

I really enjoy how the mysteries in the series build off each other. The characters are dynamic from book to book, and their growth and development adds to the storyline and enhances the mystery and sleuthing as we go on. I'm also learning a bit about art, and I love how the authors tie it all together is such great stories.

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Tangled Lines by Bonnie J Doerr

Title: Tangled Lines

Author: Bonnie J Doerr

Release Date: August 15, 2016

Genre: Middle Grade Eco-Mystery

High school changes everything for Kenzie Ryan and Angelo Sanchez—especially their relationship. After spending all summer cracking crimes against endangered wildlife in Big Pine Key, Florida, now they barely see each other. Angelo hangs out with a Porsche-driving quarterback and a stunning local “Conch princess” and Kenzie struggles with being a newbie among the Key West cliques. 

But high school drama gets over-shadowed when horrific numbers of pelicans are found tortured near the islands where they live. Kenzie begs Angelo to help stop the slaughter, but he refuses until a stunning family secret is revealed. 

When a Sanchez Fish House employee falls under suspicion, the list of suspects explodes, and the discovery of illegal activity exposes Angelo and Kenzie to the same deadly risk faced by the pelicans they are trying to save...

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

About Bonnie J Doerr:
Bonnie J. Doerr, an avid traveler, gardener, and nature lover, is the acclaimed author of eco-mystery novels for tweens. For over thirty years, she taught reading and writing skills to students of all ages—from kindergarten to college. Ms. Doerr enjoys sharing her ecological research, writing experiences, and educational insights with adults and children. Her work has been described as a “mashup of Jean Craighead George and Carl Hiaasen” by some and as a “teen detective series inspired by Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys by others. Her work has been honored by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) with a grant for its use in environmental education and has been included in Milkweed Editions literary field guides. She lives in a log cabin on the edge of a historic park in North Carolina.

Learn more about Bonnie at www.BonnieDoerrBooks.com.

Follow Bonnie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Tangled Lines by Bonnie J Doerr - Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Title: Tangled Lines

Author: Bonnie J Doerr

Release Date: August 2016

Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery

High school changes everything for Kenzie Ryan and Angelo Sanchez—especially their relationship. After spending all summer cracking crimes against endangered wildlife in Big Pine Key, Florida, now they barely see each other. Angelo hangs out with a Porsche-driving quarterback and a stunning local “Conch princess” and Kenzie struggles with being a newbie among the Key West cliques. 

But high school drama gets over-shadowed when horrific numbers of pelicans are found tortured near the islands where they live. Kenzie begs Angelo to help stop the slaughter, but he refuses until a stunning family secret is revealed. 

When a Sanchez Fish House employee falls under suspicion, the list of suspects explodes, and the discovery of illegal activity exposes Angelo and Kenzie to the same deadly risk faced by the pelicans they are trying to save...

Goodreads 

About Bonnie J Doerr:
Bonnie J. Doerr, an avid traveler, gardener, and nature lover, is the acclaimed author of eco-mystery novels for tweens. For over thirty years, she taught reading and writing skills to students of all ages—from kindergarten to college. Ms. Doerr enjoys sharing her ecological research, writing experiences, and educational insights with adults and children. Her work has been described as a “mashup of Jean Craighead George and Carl Hiaasen” by some and as a “teen detective series inspired by Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys by others. Her work has been honored by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) with a grant for its use in environmental education and has been included in Milkweed Editions literary field guides. She lives in a log cabin on the edge of a historic park in North Carolina.

Learn more about Bonnie at www.BonnieDoerrBooks.com.

Follow Bonnie on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt - Review

Title: Remember Mia
Author: Alexandra Burt
Genre: Adult Mystery, Thriller
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Rating: 5
Source: Amazon Vine Program

Like Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, Remember Mia is a riveting psychological suspense, exploring what happens when a young mother’s worst nightmare becomes devastatingly real…

First I remember the darkness.
Then I remember the blood.
I don’t know where my daughter is.

Estelle Paradise wakes up in a hospital after being found near dead at the bottom of a ravine with a fragmented memory and a vague sense of loss. Then a terrifying reality sets in: her daughter is missing.

Days earlier, Estelle discovered her baby’s crib empty in their Brooklyn apartment. There was no sign of a break-in, but all traces of seven-month-old Mia had disappeared. Her diapers, her clothes, her bottles—all gone. 

Frustrated and unable to explain her daughter’s disappearance, Estelle begins a desperate search. But when the lack of evidence casts doubt on her story, Estelle becomes the number one suspect in the eyes of the police and the media.

As hope of reuniting with Mia becomes all she has left, Estelle will do anything to find answers: What has she done to her baby? And what has someone else done to her?

This is one of the best books I've read all year. It's probably the best mystery/thriller I've read ever. It grips you from page one and takes you for a ride that you will never forget. I went from being suspicious of Estelle, to feeling pity for Estelle, to being convinced she was a murderer, and back through it all over again. 

We watch the mystery unfold as Estelle slowly begins to remember what happened to her daughter. This is not one you will be able to solve on your own. You don't have all the information, just like Estelle doesn't have all the memories. So I was very excited every time she had even a small break through and I found out a little bit more about what happened to Mia.

This isn't just a psychological book. There are some serious more physical moments that we re-live with Estelle as she remember them. My heart races, I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to give her a hug and tell her to keep fighting and not give up.

It's been a very long time since I was so emotionally involved in a story. You do not want to miss one!!!

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Review: Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

Title: Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage (Nick and Tesla #2)
Author: Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery
Release Date: February 4, 2014
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

In this second novel of the Nick and Tesla series, the precocious brother-and-sister duo find themselves solving another baffling mystery.  As the story opens, their Uncle Newt takes a consulting gig at a cut-rate amusement park, engineering animatronic figures for a cheap Hall of Presidentsknockoff.  One perk of the job is that Nick and Tesla have unlimited access to the amusement park all summer long—but the kids quickly discover that one of the park employees has a sinister plan.  They’ll have to build a few robots of their own to foil him! Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects. Learning about science has never been so dangerous—or so much fun!

Review of Book One: Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab

Another great adventure for Nick and Tesla's - this time involving more of what every kid loves - Robots!  Even I loved the ideas and designed they talked about in the book.  They sounded like so much fun.  While the projects in this book are more complicated than the ones in book one, the instructions are much more detailed as well.  They set off to find out who is responsible for a string of thefts in their little town, starting with a rare comic book from their friend's parents.

They make a few mistakes along the way, but in the end they have a lot of fun, learn a lot about robots, and of course catch the bad guy and save the day.  This is another great book for kids that teaches them a bit about science and building while having fun.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Review: Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith

Title: Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Danger Lab: A Mystery with Electromagnets, Burglar Alarms, and Other Gadgets You Can Build Yourself (Nick and Tesla #1)
Authors: Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Middle Grade, Mystery
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Nick and Tesla are bright 11-year-old siblings with a knack for science, electronics, and getting into trouble. When their parents mysteriously vanish, they’re sent to live with their Uncle Newt, a brilliant inventor who engineers top-secret gadgets for a classified government agency. It’s not long before Nick and Tesla are embarking on adventures of their own—engineering all kinds of outrageous MacGyverish contraptions to save their skin: 9-volt burglar alarms, electromagnets, mobile tracking devices, and more. Readers are invited to join in the fun as each story contains instructions and blueprints for five different projects.

In Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab, we meet the characters and learn how to make everything from rocket launchers to soda-powered vehicles. Learning about science has never been so dangerous—or so much fun!

I love finding books that I can get into with my daughter.  Nick and Tesla is one of those books that parents and children (boy or girl) can love to read.  Nick and Tesla are great characters that are extremely intelligent and inventive.  They use their brains and whatever they can find in their Uncle's lab to create some really fun gadgets.  The mystery was fairly straight forward and perfect for the pre-teen age group.  I even enjoyed waiting to find out who the bad guys were and just what they were up to.

The projects in the book had fairly simple supply lists.  The items I didn't have around the house (Mentos and PVC pipe and caps) would be fairly easy to come by and not very expensive.  Since the projects need to be done outside, we haven't had a chance to do them yet in this cold December weather, but the instructions are very straight-forward with some well-placed diagrams to help.  We are thinking of trying the robo-cat this spring.

*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*

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Cover Reveal: Gravediggers by Cindy M. Hogan

Designed by Steven Novak

Gravediggers by Cindy M. Hogan
Publication date: Fall, 2013
Genres: Mystery, Young Adult

Seventeen-year-old Billy thinks his father’s murder will never be solved—until he stumbles across an old ammo box while digging a grave in his small-town Tennessee cemetery.

What he finds leads him to question everything he knows, and his search for answers will uncover more than he bargained for: lies, secrets, and conspiracies—and behind them all, a dangerous truth.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18302502-gravediggers

Pre-order: http://www.amazon.com/Gravediggers-Cindy-M-Hogan/dp/0985131845/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380292233&sr=1-1&keywords=Gravediggers+by+cindy

AUTHOR BIO

Cindy M. Hogan graduated with a secondary education teaching degree and enjoys spending time with unpredictable teenagers. More than anything she loves the time she has with her own teenage daughters and wishes she could freeze them at this fun age. If she's not reading or writing, you'll find her snuggled up with the love of her life watching a great movie or planning their next party. She loves to bake, garden and be outdoors doing a myriad of activities.


Author links:

Blog: http://cindymhogan.blogspot.ca/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/watched1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4858618.Cindy_M_Hogan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Watched-The-Book-By-Cindy-M-Hogan/185737298139932

Book Blitz: The Road to you b y Marilyn Brant

The Road to You by Marilyn Brant
Publication date: October 3rd 2013
Genres: Mystery, New Adult, Romance

Sometimes the only road to the truth...is one you’ve never taken.

Until I found Gideon’s journal in the tool shed — locked in the cedar box where I’d once hidden my old diary — I’d been led to believe my brother was dead. But the contents of his journal changed all that.

The Road to Discovery...
Two years ago, Aurora Gray’s world turned upside down when her big brother Gideon and his best friend Jeremy disappeared. Now, during the summer of her 18th birthday, she unexpectedly finds her brother’s journal and sees that it’s been written in again. Recently. By him.

The Road to Danger...
There are secret messages coded within the journal’s pages. Aurora, who’s unusually perceptive and a natural puzzle solver, is hell bent on following where they lead, no matter what the cost. She confides in the only person she feels can help her interpret the clues: Donovan McCafferty, Jeremy’s older brother and a guy she’s always been drawn to — even against her better judgment.

The Road to You...
Reluctantly, Donovan agrees to go with her and, together, they set out on a road trip of discovery and danger, hoping to find their lost brothers and the answers to questions they’ve never dared to ask aloud.

In that expectant space between silence and melody, our trip began...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18241997-the-road-to-you?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

AUTHOR BIO

Marilyn Brant is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She wrote the new adult/humorous paranormal novel ACCORDING TO JANE (2009), the women’s fiction relationship drama FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE (2010), and the romantic travel adventure A SUMMER IN EUROPE (2011), all published by Kensington Books. She's also a #1 Kindle and #1 Nook bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty romantic comedies, including ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE (2011) and PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH (2013). Her coming-of-age romantic mystery, THE ROAD TO YOU, will be available in October 2013.

Marilyn is a lifelong music lover and a travel junkie. She’s visited 46 states and over 30 countries (so far—she's not done yet!), but she now lives in the Chicago suburbs with her family. When she isn't rereading Jane Austen's books or enjoying the latest releases by her writer friends, she's working on her next novel, eating chocolate indiscriminately and hiding from the laundry.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.marilynbrant.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.brant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marilynbrant
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2978367.Marilyn_Brant

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Cover Reveal: The Road to You by Marilyn Brant

Designed by Okay Creations
The Road to You by Marilyn Brant
Publication date: October 3rd 2013
Genres: Mystery, New Adult, Romance

Sometimes the only road to the truth...is one you’ve never taken.

Until I found Gideon’s journal in the tool shed — locked in the cedar box where I’d once hidden my old diary — I’d been led to believe my brother was dead. But the contents of his journal changed all that.

The Road to Discovery...
Two years ago, Aurora Gray’s world turned upside down when her big brother Gideon and his best friend Jeremy disappeared. Now, during the summer of her 18th birthday, she unexpectedly finds her brother’s journal and sees that it’s been written in again. Recently. By him.

The Road to Danger...
There are secret messages coded within the journal’s pages. Aurora, who’s unusually perceptive and a natural puzzle solver, is hell bent on following where they lead, no matter what the cost. She confides in the only person she feels can help her interpret the clues: Donovan McCafferty, Jeremy’s older brother and a guy she’s always been drawn to — even against her better judgment.

The Road to You...
Reluctantly, Donovan agrees to go with her and, together, they set out on a road trip of discovery and danger, hoping to find their lost brothers and the answers to questions they’ve never dared to ask aloud.

In that expectant space between silence and melody, our trip began...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18241997-the-road-to-you?ac=1

AUTHOR BIO

Marilyn Brant is a national bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary fiction, and she was recently named the 2013 Illinois Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English.

She wrote ACCORDING TO JANE, the story of a modern woman who receives dating advice from the spirit of Jane Austen (October 2009); FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE, a tale about three suburban moms, their marriages and what happens a decade or two after the "Happily Ever After" (a Doubleday Book Club and Book-of-the-Month Club pick in 2010); and A SUMMER IN EUROPE, a novel about a woman's journey of self discovery as she travels through Europe with her adventurous aunt's Sudoku & Mahjongg Club (a Literary Guild and BOMC2 featured alternate in 2011, and a Rhapsody Book Club Top 20 Bestseller in "Fiction & Literature" in 2012), all women's fiction releases from Kensington Books.

She's also a #1 Kindle Bestseller and has written a series of fun and flirty contemporary romantic comedies, available as original ebooks. Both ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE and PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH were Top 100 Bestsellers on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. DOUBLE DIPPING was a 2012 International Digital Awards Finalist for Best Contemporary Novel and HOLIDAY MAN was a RONE Award Contestant. Her next novel, THE ROAD TO YOU, is a coming-of-age romantic mystery and will be out in October 2013.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.marilynbrant.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.brant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marilynbrant
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2978367.Marilyn_Brant