mystery

REVIEW:  The Only Gold by Tamara Allen

REVIEW: The Only Gold by Tamara Allen

  Dear Ms. Allen, This review is long overdue. I loved this book when I read it last year, so much that I put it on my Best of 2011 list. But I didn’t get the review written in proper time, and then the Dreamspinner Press debacle happened and Sarah and I stopped reviewing DSP’s(…)

REVIEW: The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

REVIEW: The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

Dear Ms. Stevens, I enjoyed your previous novel, The Restorer, about the self-styled Graveyard Queen, Amelia Gray. It’s a morbid name but a fitting one. Amelia is a cemetery restorer, as well as the owner of a niche, but popular, blog. What few people know, however, is that she can also see ghosts. Because I(…)

GUEST REVIEW: Requiem for Ashes by David Crossman

GUEST REVIEW: Requiem for Ashes by David Crossman

Dear Mr. Crossman: You had me at “Your head’s on fire.” The first time I read Requiem for Ashes was under its original 1994 title, Murder in a Minor Key. I was working at the now-closed and much mourned Scotland Yard Books in Winnetka, Illinois, where I’d earned a reputation for liking books with quirky(…)

REVIEW: Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

REVIEW: Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Dear Ms Briggs, I’m not just an avid reader of your Mercy Thompson series and your Alpha & Omega series, I’m the sort of fan who counts off the days until your next book like a kid counting the days until Christmas. But the problem with Christmas is that the wait can make even good(…)

What Sunita was reading in February

What Sunita was reading in February

January was kind of a bust for me, but I caught up in February. I’ve been trying to read further afield, going past the usual m/m and category and trying more historical romance. They didn’t all work perfectly, but I’ve no regrets in this batch. Twice Fallen: Ladies in Waiting by Emma Wildes. I discovered(…)

Friday Film Review: Devil in a Blue Dress

Friday Film Review: Devil in a Blue Dress

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) Genre: Noir Mystery Grade: B Easy Rawlins: A man once told me that you step out of your door in the morning, and you are already in trouble. The only question is are you on top of that trouble or not? I hesitated a bit about reviewing this movie(…)

Friday Film Review: The Draughtsman’s Contract

Friday Film Review: The Draughtsman’s Contract

The Draughtsman’s Contract (1982) Genre: Drama/Period Piece Grade: B “There’s sex, snotty people and flamboyant costumes. What more could you want.” – Spanky and John Go to the Movies. I’m almost hesitant to recommend this film just because I know a lot of people probably won’t like it. Note I’m not saying you won’t get(…)

REVIEW: Gnome on the Range by Jennifer Zane

REVIEW: Gnome on the Range by Jennifer Zane

Dear Ms. Zane: I am trying to a) read more self published books in hopes of finding overlooked gems and b) respond positively to more of the authors who take the time to write us and ask for a review.  Part of the review query process requires requesting authors to send in an excerpt, usually(…)

REVIEW: Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow

REVIEW: Wight Mischief by J.L. Merrow

Dear Ms. Merrow. It’s no secret that I love your very British voice, your brilliant characters, all completely different from each other, and your wonderful stories. So I was excited to see you had another story out. And part of me thinks this one is different from your others, but then, I don’t think you(…)

REVIEW: India Black and the Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr

REVIEW: India Black and the Widow of Windsor by Carol K. Carr

Dear Ms. Carr, I read your debut novel, India Black, earlier this year and enjoyed it a great deal. While I can see why some people would be put off by the voice, I adored the protagonist, a brothel-madam-turned-reluctant-spy, and her unrelenting cynicism and jaded pragmatism. It was refreshing. Combined with a caper sensibility, it(…)

HALLOWEEN 2-in-1 REVIEW : I Fell In Love With A Zombie by Sean Kennedy and Mummy Dearest by Josh Lanyon

HALLOWEEN 2-in-1 REVIEW : I Fell In Love With A Zombie by Sean Kennedy and Mummy Dearest by Josh Lanyon

I am not a big fan of Halloween, except for the seeing the small fry in costume, of course, but I do enjoy a zombie, ghost, or other creature-centric story around this time of year. When I saw that Josh Lanyon had just released a novella called Mummy Dearest, I couldn’t resist, and I thought(…)

REVIEW: Bad Karma by Theresa Weir

REVIEW: Bad Karma by Theresa Weir

Dear Ms. Weir: I have been slowly working my way through your backlist titles, so when I came across the re-released, reasonably-priced digital edition of Bad Karma at the Kindle store, it shot to the top of my TBR list. I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the “psychic heroine” trope,(…)

Sunita’s 2011 TBR Challenge Review: Among the Living (PsyCop #1) by Jordan Castillo Price

Sunita’s 2011 TBR Challenge Review: Among the Living (PsyCop #1) by Jordan Castillo Price

Dear Ms. Price, I’ve heard your name mentioned whenever readers talk about their favorite m/m mysteries and paranormals. You’ve even been the subject of an If You Like column here at Dear Author. But although I’ve read your first two sets of Petit Morts stories, I never read any of your own series or standalone(…)

What Sunita is Reading in late September and early October

What Sunita is Reading in late September and early October

I’ve been reading for review,  trying out new authors and trying to find more self-published work. I seem to be partway through an awful lot of books. It’s a mixed bag in terms of content and quality. Reckless Runaway At the Racecourse, by Ros Clarke. Ros and I follow each other on Twitter and she offered(…)

REVIEW: A Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C.A. Belmond

REVIEW: A Rather Remarkable Homecoming by C.A. Belmond

Dear Ms. Belmond, Before I started this book, I hoped that my reading experience wouldn’t continue the pattern of the previous three books – loved “Inheritance,” thought “Engagement” was just okay, enjoyed “Invitation.” In other words, up then down then up then maybe down again. Well, I liked “Homecoming” but definitely not as much as(…)