Darlene's Digest

The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick My rating: 4 of 5 stars Amanda Quick, best known for her Regency and Victorian historical romance moves into the 20th century with this engaging novel. It's hard to think of the 1930s as being a period for historical romance, but that seemed the most appropriate shelf, and the historical details made this even more fun. Ace cub reporter Irene Glasson finds a dead woman in the bottom of a swimming pool at a swanky resort, the very woman she was supposed to meet. But that's not the worst of it. Someone tries to kill Irene, she has her own dark secrets to keep hidden, and the enigmatic owner of the swanky resort is far too interested in her. It's typical JAK/AQ, which means the hero and heroine are cut from familiar cloth, but the Hollywood and California setting, the speedy roadsters, smart dames and mysterious gentlemen make it an engaging read and a good summer choice. View all my reviews

Over Your Dead Body by Dan Wells My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another engrossing John Wayne Cleaver, Boy (would be) Serial Killer story. John's still hunting demons, putting his special sociopath skills to work to find the monsters. His relationship with the body inhabited by the demon Nobody and two of his previous friend/girlfriend grows, and he steps up to new responsibilities. I can't wait for the next volume! View all my reviews

She asked him once if the privateers made a difference for America. He looked at her blankly for a moment, then said, “Bear in mind, Doctor, we are not the Royal Navy with hundreds of years of ships at our beck and call. The United States is young, but we are strong because we put everything we have into the fight, especially at sea. Yes, our privateers make all the difference in this war. Every ship we capture is another blow to Britain and its allies.” --Sea Change June 18 is the anniversary of the start of the War of 1812. It's often overlooked in American history classes, but this conflict was pivotal in proving that the United States was a nation to be reckoned with. Some refer to it as "The second war of American independence", and the US privateers played a key role in the battle with Britain. If you'd like to know more about the US privateers in 1812 or you're just looking for a great beach read, try Sea Change , available again in print and ebook . ...

“You underestimate the will of the American people, Doctor,” he poked his finger in the air for emphasis. “When you push us, we push back. Hard. John Bull cannot bully America into surrendering now any more than you could 40 years ago. Have you already forgotten the lesson of Fort McHenry?” He rummaged in his desk and pulled out a tattered newspaper, much folded and creased. “My mother sent this to me with the letters, a newspaper from home. A Mr. Key wrote a poem about the battle, Doctor, titled ‘The Defence of Fort McHenry’. Look here–‘the land of the free and the home of the brave’. That’s America, Charley!" --- SEA CHANGE June 14 is #FlagDay, the day the United States honors our nation's star spangled banner.  If you've got a flag, fly it proudly!

Moses: A Human Life by Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg My rating: 5 of 5 stars Another deep and thoughtful book from Dr Gottlieb Zornberg that will have you dwelling on the subject long after you close the cover. I read the book over the course of months, because there was so much to absorb and think about that I couldn't do it in one or two sittings. I was especially impressed by the author's writing on the role of women in Moses' life, from before he's born until late into the wanderings in the wilderness. It's said in Judaism that the Exodus from Egypt came about because of the women who took action, and Avivah Gottlieb Zornberg brings that to life in her book. Highly recommended for a serious reading of the life of the man most revered in Judaism. View all my reviews

Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt My rating: 4 of 5 stars I would have tagged it "'The Fugitive' meets 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'" but what do I know? Regardless of how it's pitched, it's an exciting, fast paced read full of blood and gore, and even some romance. Dr. Catherine Bennett is a surgeon in a man's world, forced to flee NYC when she's falsely accused of murder. She heads west hoping to reinvent herself and practice medicine far from people who know her, but ends up surviving an Indian attack only to be at risk of discovery by bounty hunters and people from her past. There were a couple too many coincidences for me to be completely enamored of the story, but the action kept me turning pages and I look forward to reading the sequel. View all my reviews

Hunted by Meagan Spooner My rating: 5 of 5 stars I've read a lot of Beauty and the Beast stories over the years, and I'd put this one in the top five. Yelena, nicknamed "Beauty", is a hunter like her beloved father. When the family suffers a reversal of fortune the father and daughter depend on their hunting skills to keep the family alive. This Beauty is bookish, yes, but also an athletic outdoorswoman, skilled with her bow. It's a refreshing change from the usual B&B fare. We also have two sisters who, rather than being greedy and hating Beauty, love and support her, another refreshing change. The Beast is...the Beast. We know he's got a prince inside of him, but he is sufficiently beastly to Beauty to help us buy into the entire tale. Finally, using Russian folklore and setting for the tale helps give it a fresh twist, and works well with the narrative. I'm almost sorry it's shelved as a YA novel. Had I not read such glowing reviews from fel...

The Devil's Only Friend by Dan Wells My rating: 4 of 5 stars Teenage serial killer wannabe John Wayne Cleaver is back, hunting demons both real and personal. I'd recommend starting the series with I Am Not A Serial Killer , but if you're hooked like I was you'll want to keep up with his adventures. There's a high gore and body quotient, but fans of Dexter are likely to enjoy these novels as well. View all my reviews

We were in Baltimore over Memorial Day, enjoying a relaxing weekend with friends at Balticon51, an area science fiction convention. It was my first visit to the city since Worldcon in '98 when I came down with mono. My memories remain mostly fuzzy about that time period. This time though it was all good. Even though we were there primarily to catch up with good friends (I'd list them all but I'm afraid I might leave someone off--they know who they are), it was also a very enjoyable convention. I volunteered for a Green Room shift, because cons run on volunteer power and as a Green Room manager at numerous Worldcons I knew exactly how important it was to have the room well staffed. However, Manager Eileen did a bang-up job and only needed me for a couple hours, so I was free to hang out and visit with people. I even attended some program items, including a valuable one on how to hand-sell your books. I also took time to see some sights. Baltimore, of course, is a his...

No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Jack Reacher Short Stories by Lee Child My rating: 4 of 5 stars Hardcore Reacher fans will want this collection of short stories, some of which were originally published elsewhere. We see young Jack Reacher (not John, no middle name), whose own family calls him "Reacher" from the time he's a toddler. Most of the stories deal with Reacher while he was a young man or still in the Army, but there are some post-Army tales as well, and of course, there's coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. The collection may not make sense to people not fans of the series, but for the rest of us, it's a delightful summer read. View all my reviews

The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva My rating: 5 of 5 stars For years I've heard wonderful things about this series, but I put off starting it, partly because I knew if I liked it I'd want to glom the whole series right away. That would make my other books feel neglected. Ah well, they'll just have to get used to it. The complicated story of Gabriel Allon, Israeli assassin and art restorer is the best kind of spy story. Complicated people living lives where morality is awash in gray tones and one's values and choices are subject to the worst kinds of compromise. Of course I'll start reading the next book right now. View all my reviews

So Wild the Heart by Geoffrey Trease My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love a good story with a hero so beta he's way over into gamma, delta and epsilon territory. Adam is a young man from a poor background with a bright mind, who's focused on achieving success at Oxford. He's obsessed with creating the definitive translation and history of an obscure Roman poet...who may be obscure for a good reason. He's finally pulled away from his studies for a summer trip where he can do some research in Italy, and suddenly his life begins to get interesting. A sweet and gentle romance is wrapped around this coming of age story set in the Regency period. I didn't label it a romance, but it's been recommended to me by other romance authors and it will satisfy people looking for that romantic element that makes us smile while we're reading. View all my reviews