Rumor Has It by Jill Mansell

(I bought this book.)


Back of the Book Blurb:

Would you be tempted?

Newly single, Tilly Cole impulsively accepts a job offer in a small town as a "Girl Friday." Fun job, country house, fresh start, why not? But soon she finds herself in a hotbed of gossip, intrigue, and rampant rivalry for the town's most desirable bachelor-Jack Lucas.

Rumors of Jack's "love 'em and leave 'em" escapes abound, and Tilly decides to do the mature, sensible thing... avoid Jack at all cost. But the more time Tilly spends with Jack, the more the rumors just don't make sense. Tilly doesn't know what to believe... and Jack's not telling.

Review:
I think I've been living under a rock, because this is the first book I've read by Jill Mansell, and it's the first I had ever heard of her.  Shocking!  Because this is easily one of the most sparkling, witty, delightful, engaging and every other happy, bubbly descriptor out there.  It's the mimosa of books - bubbly, fizzy fun, with some quality writing thrown in.
Tilly is a rather aimless twenty eight year old, who is dumped by her boring boyfriend.  She heads off to quiet little Roxborough to spend the weekend with her best friend Erin, and impulsively ends up taking a job as a "Girl Friday" to Max, a divorced interior designer with a teenage daughter.  Tilly is definitely aware of local hottie Jack Lucas, and it turns out he is Max's best friend.  But Tilly is determined not to become another notch on Jack's bedpost, and does her best to ignore their mutual attraction.  As Tilly adapts to her new job and life in quaint Roxborough, she realizes small town life is anything but boring.
While reading Rumor Has It, I was completely sucked in by the zippy narrative and quick-witted dialogue of all the characters.  Mansell really has a gift for writing conversations that come alive and feel spontaneous, engaging the reader in the moment.  Her secondary characters are just as interesting as Tilly, Jack and Max.  Max's ex-wife Kaye is a Hollywood actress who comes home to hide after a paparazzi nightmare, Erin is having a love affair with Stella's estranged husband Fergus, and Stella herself is a bitchy, vindictive force of nature.  There is a lot going on in this book besides Tilly and Jack's developing relationship, all of it interesting.
My only issue with this otherwise wonderful book is that, after I finished it, I realized I still had no real sense of Tilly.  I couldn't really picture her in my head (physical descriptions are minimal for the most part), and never felt as if I knew her.  She felt like an acquaintance and I had a window into her life, keeping me as the reader at a distance and not emotionally engaged.  Entertained yes, but not personally engaged.  During the reading of this book I didn't feel disconnected at all, because there was so much else going on plotwise.  But after I had finished, rather than feeling intense satisfaction, I felt as if something was missing.  It's the same feeling I get when I go see a Hollywood blockbuster-action-type movie, and I am thoroughly entertained for 90 minutes but once I leave the theater my brain's already starting to forget what I just watched.  Which is not a bad thing:-) 
Overall a delightful escape  - and who doesn't need that in their life?





Check out the author's website at: http://www.jillmansell.co.uk/


Holy Cover Continuity, Batman!  Check these out:

The Grilling Season (Culinary Mystery Series #7) by Diane Mott Davidson

(I bought this book.)

Back of the Book Blurb:
A chilly reception....

Caterer Goldy Schulz has been hired to host a hockey party. But the proceedings won't be all fun and games. Unfortunately, her client won't be satisfied until Goldy adds a hefty serving of revenge.

An ex-husband from hell....

Patricia McCracken is certain that her obstetrician and her penny-pinching HMO are responsible for the loss of her baby. Now she is suing both, and she wants Goldy's advice on coming out on top. For Dr. John Richard Korman, aka the Jerk, is none other than Goldy's abusive ex-husband. Goldy knows all about John Richard's secret life--but even she is shocked when he's arrested for the murder of his latest girlfriend.

A dish best served cold....

As much as Goldy would like to see her ex get his just desserts, could he really be a killer? Soon she will find herself sifting through a spicy mix of sizzling gossip for clues to a mystery that threatens her catering deadline, her relationship with her son and new husband... and even her life.

Review:
Over the years I've read several books in Diane Mott Davidson's delightful Culinary Mystery Series, but somehow missed this one.  Published in 1998, this is the 7th book in the series about caterer Goldy Schulz and it is as delightful and fun as the rest of the series.  If Nancy Drew grew up and became a foodie, she might be Goldy.  As always, Goldy is juggling her catering gigs (recipes are included!), demanding clients, and the dead bodies she constantly stumbles over.  Although I find her nosiness and willingness to ask  incredibly snoopy questions to be a bit much, the solidly crafted mysteries, intricate small-town relationships and inter-mingled histories make such a wonderful tapestry of plot it is easy to overlook.
The Grilling Season give the reader much more of the backstory about Goldy's first, abusive marriage with the handsome and scummy John Richard.  The abuse is not sugar-coated or related in euphemisms, and it provides a gritty sense of reality to the current murder Goldy is caught up in.  Her friendship with The Jerk's second ex-wife is solid and funny and supportive, providing comic relief.  Goldy's husband Tom is strong and supportive as always, grounding Goldy.  But, as with the other books in the series, Goldy is always struggling with her ability to remain in the present, to remember she  is strong and resilient and a survivor.  And I think that is one of the most appealing aspects to Goldy and this series (well, that and the really lovingly and deliciously described foods!) - Goldy feels real and that makes me care about her.
When she discovers the beaten body of her husband's current girlfriend, her past crashes down on her.  But that is not enough to stifle Goldy's natural curiosity.  Add to that the fact that her son begs her to help prove that John Richard is innocent of murder, and Goldy is back in action.  A quick, fun and satisfying read!





Here is a list of the Culinary Mystery Series from Wikipedia:

1. Catering to Nobody (1990)
2. Dying for Chocolate (1993)
3. The Cereal Murders (1994)
4. The Last Suppers (1995)
5. Killer Pancake (1996)
6. The Main Corpse (1997)
7. The Grilling Season (1998)
8. Prime Cut (2000)
9. Tough Cookie (2001)
10. Sticks and Scones (2002)
11. Chopping Spree (2003)
12. Double Shot (2005)
13. Dark Tort (2007)
14. Sweet Revenge (2008)
15. Fatally Flaky (2009)
16. Crunch Time (2011)

Haven (Bishop/Special Crimes Unit Series#13) by Kay Hooper

(I bought this book.)

Back of the Book Blurb:

After years away, Jessie Rayburn has finally returned home—unwelcomed—to a town of menacing whispers: Baron Hollow, North Carolina. It’s as though she never left. That’s why she’s so afraid.

She left behind her estranged sister, Emma, who has her own secrets to protect. But Emma is afraid to reveal what’s really troubling her and keeping her awake—strange dreams of women being murdered, brutally, viciously. Now, in this conspiracy of silence, Emma’s bad dreams are becoming more real than ever.

Even with the help of Noah Bishop, cofounder of Haven, the group of psychic investigators that Jessie works for, Jessie and Emma fear they won’t be able to outrun the secrets buried in Baron Hollow—or the evil targeting them one last time.

Review:

Love, love, love the Bishop/Special Crimes Unit series, and fans of this fantastic series will not be disappointed with the latest installment.  Jessie is a bit of a lone wolf, who has returned to her childhood home to try and remember what happened fifteen years ago, because it was an event so traumatic she has blocked it from her memory almost completely.  And when she left her hometown she left her little sister behind as well as her inheritance from their wealthy father.  Returning is terrifying to Jessie, but she feels it's time to remember, and that the trauma is blocking her psychic abilities.
Jessie is an interesting heroine.  She is smart, capable and independent, but also incredibly selfish and stubborn.  She refuses to share anything of the last fifteen years with Emma, and makes no real effort to reestablish a relationship with her sister.  Pretty soon she is on the trail of evil itself, a hometown serial killer who may be connected to Jessie's painful past, and instead of sharing this information with Emma, she retreats, heading off into the forest every day to hunt.  As an excuse to herself, she believes she is protecting Emma, that what Emma doesn't know won't hurt her.  Which has got to be one of the lamest excuses ever.  A local man has been hunting and killing people for over fifteen years, and Jessie doesn't think Emma should know?  Jessie checks in with Maggie at Haven, but gives her almost no information. either.  So Maggie sends in Nathan Navarro undercover to keep an eye on Jessie, and to also use his unique ability, which is finding the dead. Turns out Navarro and Emma had met before and have unfinished business between them, adding a touch of romance to this mystery.
From this point on the book is pure suspense, a story of predator and prey, and Hooper does this better than almost anyone else.  The story unfolds in alternating points of view, between the killer, Jessie, and Navarro.  The killer's perspective is chilling and scary, as he makes plans to take his next victim and as the reader we know it's coming but can't do anything but keep reading!  As with most of these stories, I was never completely sure who the bad guy was until very close to the end. One of the most marvelous aspects of Hooper's writing, at least for me, is her lack of sentimentality when it comes to her characters.  People who do stupid things pay for those actions.  This heightens the suspense for me as the reader, because there are no guarantees.
Highly recommended - Kay Hooper is a must-read author for me.

Check out the author's website at: Kay Hooper

Coming in November 2013 is the next installment in the series:

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

(I bought this book.)

Back of the Book Blurb:
In their six years of marriage, Elizabeth and Darcy have forged a peaceful, happy life for their family at Pemberley, Darcy’s impressive estate. Her father is a regular visitor; her sister Jane and her husband, Bingley, live nearby; the marriage prospects for Darcy’s sister, Georgiana, are favorable. And preparations for their annual autumn ball are proceeding apace. But on the eve of the ball, chaos descends. Lydia Wickham, Elizabeth’s disgraced sister who, with her husband, has been barred from the estate, arrives in a hysterical state—shrieking that Wickham has been murdered.  Plunged into frightening mystery and a lurid murder trial, the lives of Pemberley’s owners and servants alike may never be the same.


Review:
I've been a Jane Austen and P.D. James fan for a very long time, so to see the two combined in this delightful novel made me very, very happy.
This was a beautifully integrated novel, combining Austen's razor-sharp wit, sparkling dialogue and social commentary, with James' intricately crafted mystery and knowledge of historical English law.  The prologue catches the reader up with the last six years, preparing us for the story and reacquainting us with these beloved characters.  The main characters felt true to Austen's creation, as if they stepped off the pages of Pride and Prejudice and just kept on walking onto the pages of Death Comes to Pemberley.  Reading about Jane and Bingley, Mr. Bennett, Lydia and Wickham, and others was like catching up with old friends, but this book easily stands alone as well, because the prologue readily brings one up to speed.  One of the wonderful aspects of this book was the fleshing out of the lesser characters.  Colonel Fitzwilliam and Georgiana take a  more prominent role, displaying aspects of their personalities not seen before.
Reading this felt like reading Austen, and by that I mean the prose is dense and rich, full of witty treasures and telling remarks.  This is not a book to quickly skim, but rather is one to savor.

In the end, though, this was Darcy's story.  Most of it is told from his perspective.  His great love for Elizabeth and their children has come with a price, because he has married beneath his class and simultaneously married into the family that now must call Wickham a son and brother.  The irony of the situation is not lost on Darcy. As James so succinctly puts it,"The price he had paid in bribing Wickham to marry Lydia had been the price of Elizabeth."
Darcy struggles with doing the right thing by Wickham in terms of societal and class conventions.  The scandal associated with Wickham's murder charge is a taint that spreads to his entire family, both by blood and marriage.  Darcy is honor-bound to once again pay large sums of money on behalf of Wickham, this time in order to support his "brother" (by marriage) during his time at the Old Bailey.  

 The epilogue is a highly satisfying section, taking place over a single morning of conversation between Darcy and Elizabeth, as they finally speak of the events of the last year, as well the events that brought them together six years ago.  Darcy offers a detailed explanation of his thoughts and motivations, as well as a more fleshed-out version of Wickham's attempted seduction of Georgianna.

And how about compliments for the cover art?  I absolutely love the PBS Mystery!/Edmund Gorey feel to the artwork!



The author's official website is here:  http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pdjames/.  The following is from this website:
Biography: P. D. James is the author of twenty books, most of which have been filmed and broadcast on television in the United States and other countries. She spent thirty years in various departments of the British Civil Service, including the Police and Criminal Law Department of Great Britain's Home Office. She has served as a magistrate and as a governor of the BBC. In 2000 she celebrated her eightieth birthday and published her autobiography, Time to Be in Earnest. The recipient of many prizes and honors, she was created Baroness James of Holland Park in 1991. She lives in London and Oxford.

Awards: International Crime Writing Hall of Fame 2008; Grand Master Award from Mystery Writers of America, 1999; Diamond Dagger from British Crime Writers' Association, 1987

Casted by Sonya Loveday (A Cover Reveal!)

Look at this lovely, ethereal cover!

Book Blurb from the author's website:
“My mind absorbed everything in the spell book I clutched tightly to me. Pages ruffled inside of my head, urging me to remember things and then to forget them. Voices chanted with tempo rising at the breaking points of pain until the book vanished and words to an ancient spell scribed across my arms. Each stroke brought blood to the surface, imprinting words I could not read; words that would forever change who I was.”
Jade had spent the majority of her life running from the Triad. The Triad are a powerful group, who would stop at nothing to obtain Jade and the missing spell book for leader, Lorenzo’s, nefarious plans. And now that she has absorbed the highly coveted magic contained inside the missing book, there is nowhere left for her to hide.
With the help of her friends, Jade steps out from the shadows and learns how to fight back. But no one is prepared for Elinor-the woman bound inside of the book that’s trapped in Jade’s mind. Now she not only needs to protect herself from the Triad, but from what’s hiding inside her mind as well.
Jade never expected the answer to it all would revolve around love.
Edge is dark, mysterious, and a sworn member of the Triad. He also hides a secret past that threatens the thin line he walks between good and evil. Lives are at stake when Jade and Edge’s two worlds collide. Can Jade learn to trust him when he says he is her pre-ordained and vows to do everything he can to protect her?  But more importantly, can she trust herself and the woman in her mind?

Release date: June 7th, 2013. This date is pending edits and formatting. Casted will be available for both e-book and print


Check out the link for more information!

Casted by Sonya Lovelady Cover Reveal

Trashy Chic (A Bertie Mallowan Mystery) by Cathy Lubenski

(I bought this book.)

Back of the Book Blurb:

Reporter Bertie Mallowan has drifted away from hard news stories and into the shallows of "fluff" features, the kind you find buried in the back of the newspaper. Writing about preschool fashion shows and the latest in designer garbage bags bores her so she amuses herself by inventing naughty passwords for her computer and pushing the envelope when it comes to creative lying to management types.
 When she interviews greedy, nasty Robert Bellingham, the king of must-have luxury items for the rich of Southern California - like monogrammed airbags for "The Crash with Panache" and mink coats pre-streaked with red paint to foil PETA kamikazes. Over the years, his products have become de rigueur for the class that has two of everything and is seeking the one and only of something else. He's made a lot of money and a lot of enemies.

 Two days after Bertie's interview, Bellingham's body is found on the floor of the foyer in the family mansion; someone has aerated his skull with the stereotypical blunt object. Thanks to her interview, Bertie has inside information about the life and times of a rich and powerful murder victim and is thrust into a big story again. Bertie is convinced that the family's bizarre emotional ticks make them all uniquely capable of committing murder. A second murder and an attack on Bertie herself brings her face-to-face with the kind of danger she's only ever written about, never experienced first-hand.

A Quickie Review: 
Trashy Chic is a satisfying, whodunnit laced with tongue-in-cheek humor, set in the trashy Kardashian/Real Housewives version of Southern California.
Bertie is the kind of gal I want to hang out with - she is smart, unappreciated, pissed-off and stubborn, kind of like an older, wiser, disillusioned, and sarcastic Nancy Drew.  When Bellingham is murdered, Bertie is determined not to lose the opportunity for a serious story, but the problem is, Bertie has become a target herself.  Because the murder victim was so incredibly wealthy and tacky, nobody is exactly sad to see him gone.  There is no shortage of legitimate suspects, from a greedy younger wife, to an inept son and bizarre daughter, and even the family gardener.  Bertie's adventures veer off into the madcap, but the mystery of the murderer's identity and the fast pace kept me reading until the end.

For more information check out the author's website at Trashy Chic Book 

 

The Kingdom and The Prophet (The Graveyard Queen Series #2 and #3) by Amanda Stevens

    
(I bought these books.)

The Kingdom Back of the Book Blurb:

Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town…

My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I've been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I'm coming to think I have another purpose here.

Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I've discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

The Prophet Back of the Book Blurb:

My name is Amelia Gray.

I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I've broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back.

In order to protect myself, I've vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar.

Now I'm faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart.

Review:
If you haven't discovered the deliciously eerie Graveyard Queen series yet, you are in for a literary treat.  Amanda Stevens has created a  heroine who is complicated, lonely, driven and absolutely fascinating in cemetery restorer Amelia Gray.  It would be easy to call Amelia a haunted woman - she is haunted by her past, by the ghosts she sees, by the life she cannot live.  But after reading these books you realize that the word "haunted" has a new meaning, because in Amelia's world, ghosts are parasitic energy suckers, and to acknowledge a ghost's presence is to invite it to haunt you.  Amelia can see ghosts, but must go through her life ignoring their existence, pretending not to feel their icy cold presence, living in her beloved apartment built on hallowed ground which is supposed to keep the ghosts away.  The irony is that following her beloved father's rules in order to make a life for herself, has resulted in her living a half-life.  Amelia exists in the world of the living, yet her job is taking care of the dead.  She has minimal relationships with the living because of the danger from the dead who walk among them.
In The Kingdom Amelia takes a job in a remote town, happy to get the job as an excuse to put space between her and John Devlin.  She is emotionally drained and in desperate need of a break.  From the moment of her arrival strange things begin to happen. She finds herself drawn to a handsome local man named Thane Asher, and Amelia gets to know his powerful family, and they seem to have an unusual interest in her.  She soon realizes that this little town is hiding dark and unnatural secrets.  Secrets that are kept with blood, and provide youth, wealth, and beauty to those who make offerings.  Coincidences pile up, along with omens and dangerous incidents.  Amelia realizes that the strange feelings she has for the mountain are due to her connection to it, and as her relationship with Thane intensifies she feels something more coming through her as well, and it's not a ghost.  Amelia befriends a horribly abused dog who rapidly becomes her companion, and he acts as a touchstone to what is real and important.  The horrific and sad secrets of the past that are revealed at the end explain quite a bit about Amelia's mysterious past.

In The Prophet, Amelia's unique ability to see ghosts makes her vulnerable to the entreaties of a murdered cop, who can't remember who killed him.  He begs, bullies and kind of blackmails Amelia into helping him discover who killed him and why. While investigating his death she is also learning more about Mariama, Devlin's dead but very-much-still-around wife.  Mariama was one intense woman, so intense that death barely slowed her down, and Amelia discovers her ties with voodoo and one very scary and powerful man in Charleston.  Throw in some really freaky and horrifying drugging and kidnapping, and Amelia is once again in more danger from the living than the dead.  As if she doesn't have enough to deal with, she is also trying to figure out her unsettling relationship with Devlin.  Although in love with him, their relationship is so uncomfortable and tentative it made me feel awkward just reading it.  Devlin is a complicated man, and his dead wife Mariama is still the center around which he orbits, even if he doesn't realize it.

I absolutely love this series- it's the perfect blend of creepy, eerie, dark and mesmerizing.  Each of these books has haunted me long after I read the last page.  Just as Amelia lives in limbo between the worlds of the living and the dead, reading these books will transport the reader to a between the worlds state as well.

To see my reviews of The Restorer and The Abandoned, check out the Labels to the right of this post.

For more information, and for a preview of The Visitor (Graveyard Queen Series #4), check out the author's website at:  Amanda Stevens

Link to The Prophet:

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Link to The Kingdom:
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See my previous reviews on The Restorer (Book #1) and the prequel novella The Abandoned: