The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Potzsch
This is the latest book in the Hangman's Daughter series.
I think this is a great series of historical fiction and Potzsch ends his books with a tour guide of the town (or locale) where the book takes place. He points out the buildings that still stand that were featured in his novel and gives you good insight into the historical events that transpired.
This book takes place in 1666 at and around the monastery at Andechs. As always, he covers what passed for medicine at the time but also gives us insight as to the advancements in science and the experiments that were being done at the time. We also get to meet an automaton which were apparently all the rage in the more cosmopolitan areas of the era.
I highly recommend this series but start at the beginning so you get the full benefit of the character development over the course of the four books.
Showing posts with label murder mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label murder mystery. Show all posts
Friday, August 1, 2014
The Seventh Child
The Seventh Child by Erik Valeur
What is it about the Swedes, Danes and Norwegians that they can write about horrific deaths as they were commonplace fender benders in life?
This book is part mystery, part murder mystery. Being an adoptive parent, there were aspects of this book that were difficult. The author, himself and adoptive child, wrote often of how many adoptive children felt like they didn't belong and how they were broken or discarded. Granted, in this book the children were pretty much all told about their adoption around the age of 13 or 14 which made them feel as though they had been lied to by their parents all this time. This made them question what else had been a lie, their love for the child? Anything else they were lying about? In one situation, the child was an adult and had never been told and only just learned as he helped solve a mystery involving these other people.
This was a pretty good book although a bit on the creepy side. If you like creepy murder mysteries, I think you might like this.
What is it about the Swedes, Danes and Norwegians that they can write about horrific deaths as they were commonplace fender benders in life?
This book is part mystery, part murder mystery. Being an adoptive parent, there were aspects of this book that were difficult. The author, himself and adoptive child, wrote often of how many adoptive children felt like they didn't belong and how they were broken or discarded. Granted, in this book the children were pretty much all told about their adoption around the age of 13 or 14 which made them feel as though they had been lied to by their parents all this time. This made them question what else had been a lie, their love for the child? Anything else they were lying about? In one situation, the child was an adult and had never been told and only just learned as he helped solve a mystery involving these other people.
This was a pretty good book although a bit on the creepy side. If you like creepy murder mysteries, I think you might like this.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Midnight Crossing
Midnight Crossing by Charlaine Harris
This is the first book in a new series by Harris.
Our main character appeared briefly in the Harper Connelly series, I believe. Manfred Bernardo was born with psychic powers like his grandmother. Since his grandmother has passed away, Manfred has decided it is time to buckle down and focus on work. Work being his many internet psychic sites. Manfred has decided that moving to the extremely small, back-water town of Midnight, Texas will allow him to focus on his work. He is partly right.
Midnight apparently attracts those who are trying to disappear a bit and live a quiet life. Unfortunately, a missing person becomes a murder mystery and only Manfred is safe from suspect.
I am looking forward to the rest of this series as well as anything else Ms. Harris writes. Her writing style is fun and easy and her characters are quirky but believable.
This is the first book in a new series by Harris.
Our main character appeared briefly in the Harper Connelly series, I believe. Manfred Bernardo was born with psychic powers like his grandmother. Since his grandmother has passed away, Manfred has decided it is time to buckle down and focus on work. Work being his many internet psychic sites. Manfred has decided that moving to the extremely small, back-water town of Midnight, Texas will allow him to focus on his work. He is partly right.
Midnight apparently attracts those who are trying to disappear a bit and live a quiet life. Unfortunately, a missing person becomes a murder mystery and only Manfred is safe from suspect.
I am looking forward to the rest of this series as well as anything else Ms. Harris writes. Her writing style is fun and easy and her characters are quirky but believable.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Killing Ruby Rose
Killing Ruby Rose by Jessie Humphries
One of the benefits of having Amazon Prime is a thing called Kindle First. Once a month you can choose from 4 books and get one for free. I am all for free.
This is a Young Adult novel that is pretty much a girl power book.
Ruby Rose is a girl whose dad, a SWAT officer, was killed in the line of duty and her mom, the DA, works too much. Ruby was trained in self defense by her dad but sometimes has problems with a lack of control.
Ruby Rose finds herself in a bit of a pickle but with the support of her new boyfriend and the help of some unlikely sources, everything turns out alright.
I would be interested in reading another book in this series. This book was fun, had some unexpected twists and the characters didn't bug the crap out of me.
One of the benefits of having Amazon Prime is a thing called Kindle First. Once a month you can choose from 4 books and get one for free. I am all for free.
This is a Young Adult novel that is pretty much a girl power book.
Ruby Rose is a girl whose dad, a SWAT officer, was killed in the line of duty and her mom, the DA, works too much. Ruby was trained in self defense by her dad but sometimes has problems with a lack of control.
Ruby Rose finds herself in a bit of a pickle but with the support of her new boyfriend and the help of some unlikely sources, everything turns out alright.
I would be interested in reading another book in this series. This book was fun, had some unexpected twists and the characters didn't bug the crap out of me.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Long Knives
Long Knives by Charles Rosenberg
Jenna James is an attorney turned UCLA Law professor. A quick 15 minute meeting with a student early one morning turns into a total nightmare in which Jenna is a suspect in a murder but also convinced that she was the intended victim.
Jenna does a few things that are stupid and you know that they will come back to bite her in the butt - and they do. All in all though, the portrayal of Jenna seems to be realistic. There are times that I believe that she really does know her stuff in the legal world. Her actions, however, often belie that fact.
A big part of the mystery surrounds sunken treasure and maritime salvage laws. I really felt like Jenna's character was knowledgeable in the realm of maritime law. Rosenberg could have been making it all up but it sounded plausible and I had no problem believing that the character had developed a love for this type of law.
All in all, this was a fun murder mystery and the whodunit reveal went right to the very end.
By the way, I got this book as a Kindle First. This is an offer that Amazon Prime members get where they get to choose a free book each month from a selection of four different books. I have no idea what the general availability is at this time.
Jenna James is an attorney turned UCLA Law professor. A quick 15 minute meeting with a student early one morning turns into a total nightmare in which Jenna is a suspect in a murder but also convinced that she was the intended victim.
Jenna does a few things that are stupid and you know that they will come back to bite her in the butt - and they do. All in all though, the portrayal of Jenna seems to be realistic. There are times that I believe that she really does know her stuff in the legal world. Her actions, however, often belie that fact.
A big part of the mystery surrounds sunken treasure and maritime salvage laws. I really felt like Jenna's character was knowledgeable in the realm of maritime law. Rosenberg could have been making it all up but it sounded plausible and I had no problem believing that the character had developed a love for this type of law.
All in all, this was a fun murder mystery and the whodunit reveal went right to the very end.
By the way, I got this book as a Kindle First. This is an offer that Amazon Prime members get where they get to choose a free book each month from a selection of four different books. I have no idea what the general availability is at this time.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
The One You Love
The One You Love by Paul Pilkington
This was a pretty good thriller. The protagonist, Emma Holden, has a tendency to make stupid decisions which are really annoying but it seems that this is a requirement for most thrillers.
It was a super bargain at $1 on the Kindle so I figured I'd give it a try. There are more books by this author and I would be willing to read them. Not a rousing thumbs up but not a thumbs down either.
This was a pretty good thriller. The protagonist, Emma Holden, has a tendency to make stupid decisions which are really annoying but it seems that this is a requirement for most thrillers.
It was a super bargain at $1 on the Kindle so I figured I'd give it a try. There are more books by this author and I would be willing to read them. Not a rousing thumbs up but not a thumbs down either.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Dark Monk
The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch
This is the second book in the Hangman's Daughter series. There is a third book and I will be reading it.
This is really fun historical fiction. Potzsch began his story with his own geneology. His ancestor Jacob Kuisl who was the hangman of Schongau in Bavaria. His own family had many generations of hangmen from which he could draw information.
This book begins in 1648. Potzsch has once again created a great murder mystery while combining the historical information of the area, some of the people who actually lived then and there as well as what life would have been like during that time.
At the end of the book, Potzsch lets his readers know which characters and scenes are historical and which are fiction. He also gives us a walking/biking tour of the region and the settings in the book. If I ever get to Bavaria, I will definitely check it out.
This is the second book in the Hangman's Daughter series. There is a third book and I will be reading it.
This is really fun historical fiction. Potzsch began his story with his own geneology. His ancestor Jacob Kuisl who was the hangman of Schongau in Bavaria. His own family had many generations of hangmen from which he could draw information.
This book begins in 1648. Potzsch has once again created a great murder mystery while combining the historical information of the area, some of the people who actually lived then and there as well as what life would have been like during that time.
At the end of the book, Potzsch lets his readers know which characters and scenes are historical and which are fiction. He also gives us a walking/biking tour of the region and the settings in the book. If I ever get to Bavaria, I will definitely check it out.
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