Haunted is Always in Fashion

Haunted is Always in Fashion is the fourth book in the Haunt Vintage Mystery Series.

Once again a ghost has attached herself to Cookie Channel. While on her way to meet with a young woman who is writing about vintage clothing Cookie sees the police surrounding a car. Shockingly the woman, Juliana, has been shot and wants her murder solved. Urged on by the ever faithful Charlotte Cookie once again finds herself in over her head as she attempts to catch a dangerous murderer.

I was pleasantly surprised at how much Rose Pressey's writing has evolved it reads far smoother and the mystery fit together better then previous ones.  It is always entertaining to have Cookie explain why she is talking to herself since no one else can see the ghosts around her. The teaser for If the Haunting Fits, Wear It has me wanting to continue on with the series.

Explosive Alliance

Explosive Alliance was passed to me by a friend who said it was alright. Normally I like the Love Inspired Suspense stories since they are a fast read with a fun mystery. Sadly this was the weakest of the few I have read over the years.

Krista just wants to forget everything bad that happened and having spend four years away from her beloved Opa who is fighting cancer. Hoping changing her name will be enough Krista decides to return home. While at a sporting event with her Opa Krista notices that a man in a hoodie leaves behind a backpack. Fear fills her when she finds a bomb inside. With the bomber knowing who Krista is she has to look over her shoulder constantly to make sure she will not be the next victim.

The story was just okay, I was able to put the book down which has not happened with others in this genre before. I did not figure out the mystery but I also feel like no evidence was really given to let you figure out the mystery which was a let down. It is a fast read though and kept me occupied for a couple hours.

Ten Days in a Mad-House

Ten Days in a Madhouse was a free book I found through the Nook app. I was in the mood for something historical that I had not read before.

The year is 1887 and Nellie Bly is accepting a task from a publisher who wants to know what it is really like inside an insane asylum. The rumors of the horrors of Blackwell's Island cruelty were not exaggerated. Given inedible food, forced to deal with extreme cold in the building and ice bathes along with nurses who did not care if patients lived or died Nellie faced true horror for ten days.

Ten Days in a Mad-House is a short read and to the point. No fluff is provided nor is it an easy read emotionally. Nellie left out no details of the treatment of the patients nor did she stop trying to get the poor women help.

The One-in-a-Million Boy

The One in a Million Boy was in a box of books from a friend and I liked the cover. It sounded interesting and different from other stories I have read. The story moved super slow and jumped around a lot. I did get bored with parts and skim a few areas.

This is not an easy review to write since the story is different from what I have ever read before. I knew right away the boy was different (he is never named) and that he had some sort of un-diagnosed medical disorder but I could not help but like the kid. Ona was an awesome character full of life despite her age and I loved how she was having things her way. The boys father, Quinn, has no idea how to deal with the death of his son nor did he know how to deal with the child when he was alive. Belle, the boy's mother, is just broke and seems to not exist. Even though she was not a focus of the story she did come across as overly believable to me. I am not sure I would seek out another book by Monica Wood since the writing style is so unique and I did not overly care for it.

The Dark Army

The Dark Army is the second book in The Starblade Chronicles.

Thomas Ward is the local spook since his master died and having taken on an apprentice he is determined to protect the country from the dark. All the changes when he dies though and then is risen from the dead by his former friend Alice and her ally the dark Mage. Even though the end of A New Darkness left me desperate to know what was happening I did not rush into reading The Dark Army when it came out. That is mostly due to Jenny, Tom's apprentice, Jenny drives me wacky. She is whinny, annoying, and seems to care little to do Spook's work. I had hoped she would grow up some as the story progressed but I have yet to see that. I do plan on reading The Spook's Assassin but I am in no hurry to get to it.

The Golden Son

The Golden Son was another gift in the giant box of books I got from a friend. I choose one at random. I almost gave up after a couple chapters but I am glad I did not.

Anil is the favorite son of his father and treated like a golden boy. Provided with best education growing up it is clear Anil will become a doctor who studies in America. Honored and blessed to have the chance to study in America Anil is beyond excited to start this new journey in his life. Used to being the top student from medical school in India Anil is in for a shock when it becomes clear he is not a favorite in America or even really noticed. Struggling with learning to live in a foreign country while keeping his heritage from India Anil learns to walk a fine line as he progresses in his education.

A really slow start into the story, it takes time to build up the characters and to get to know the plot line. Once I had a feel for the characters I really started to enjoy them and immerse myself into their lives. Never having living in a different country it was interesting to see the point of view for Anil as he adjusted to America's pace of life and imagine how he felt when he decided he did not belong in India or America at several points in the story. While I would not actively seek out another book by Shilpi Somaya Gowda I would not say no if one happened to come my way.