CRIMINAL CONFECTIONS - Colette London

Hayden Mundy Moore is a chocolate whisperer.  Traveling the globe, she is hired by the most elite of chocolate artisans to "fix" any problems they may have, from profits losses to troubleshooting their newest recipes and lines.  She works in complete confidentiality, and has recently come to a high-end chocolate retreat at the chocolate-themed Lemaitre resort spa, courtesy of new owner Christian Lemaitre who has recently ousted his own uncle - Bernard, the "grandfather of chocolate" - from the company.  With her best friend, the burly security expert Danny Jamieson, in tow, Hayden finds herself potentially in need of his professional services when head Lemaitre chocolatier Adrienne Dowling - Hayden's friend - suffers a sudden death the authorities put down to an "accidental overdose" that Hayden's just not buying.  She begins searching for a potential killer, turning over enough rocks to reveal some very ugly secrets, betrayals and lies within the company and possibly endangering her own life ... in this first-in-a-series that I found to be just "okay" due to the not-always-likable sleuth.  Whether reminding readers of her many travels or inherited wealth, or "breaking the fourth wall" by constantly addressing the reader directly (usually in a tongue and cheek manner that becomes a bit grating), between Hayden and a final confrontation between sleuth and killer that wraps up all too quickly and neatly, this is a first mystery that, sadly, doesn't have me leaping too quickly to read the second.  **1/2

Note: I received a free ARC of this book via NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS - Kevin Kwan

One of my favorite books of recent years is a decadent, sumptuous platter of excess from first-time novelist Kevin Kwan, that reminded me of why - many years back - I loved nighttime soaps like "Dynasty" in the first place.  Crazy Rich Asians might have been the simple story of a handsome, successful Chinese guy named Nicholas Young, living in NYC but originally from Singapore, who finally invites his ABC (American-born Chinese) finance, Rachel Chu, on an extended trip to Asia for the summer to meet his family. Nervous about such a big step, Rachel has ZERO idea what she is in for ... because what Nicholas hasn't told her is that he is the first-in-line heir to one of the biggest fortunes in Singapore - and before they even arrive three upper class, disgustingly rich super-families are already gossiping, spying, and preparing to break up the relationship.  Funny, outrageous, decadent, and a vivid depiction of social class and old-vs-new money among Asia's wealthiest families, Crazy Rich Asians is an impressive debut from Kwan that I hope leads to many more books from this talented writer.  ****1/2

ZOM-B BABY - Darren Shan

With apologies for the gruesome cover art, but I chose this image on purpose because - though marketed toward teen/YA audiences - Shan's Zom-B series has been quite mature in subject matter from book one.  Zom-B Baby is fifth in the bestselling series, and while still having its moments of violence and gore, overall this short novel takes a more introspective and spiritual tone, as "B" (the lead character) struggles with a tough decision - staying in London as a member of Dr. Oystein's "angels" and training to fight Mr. Dowling, his mutants and the Owl Man for the future of the human race ... or to believe the good doctor is really a madman after all; one who believes God has chosen him to lead, but in the end may just be a lunatic who gets them all annihilated.  B, already dead, still contends with issues of God, trying to see His hand in this new world of death and destruction and the rising of the undead, and remains in this novel a wonderful, complex lead character you can both root for and identify with.  And then there's the baby.  Holy crap, that baby.  ***1/2   

THE TELL-TALE START (THE MISADVENTURES OF EDGAR & ALLAN POE #1) - Gordon McAlpine

Ever since J.K. Rowling made it cool for adults to read kids and YA literature, adults have become even more aware of just how good "children's fiction" continues to get.  The Tell-Tale Start - designates for reader eight years and up - creates interest for kids and adults alike by bringing to life the great-great-great-great grandnephews of literary legend Edgar Allan Poe, orphaned identical twins Edgar and Allan who live in present-day Baltimore with their caring aunt and uncle.  The psychic bond between Edgar and Allan is almost supernatural; even when not together, one sees and feels and reacts to what is going on with the other, their minds virtually one - and while it's elevated both their intelligence and crafty senses of humor to levels adults can't begin to understand, it's also made them the target of a sinister scientist who kidnaps their best friend and cat, Roderick Usher, in order to lure the twins into his own experiments.  Fun, a bit macabre, and with enough Poe references (including a few cameos from the great writer himself) to both entertain adults and get kids curious about the literary legend, The Tell-Tale Start (which includes wonderful illustrations by Sam Zuppardi) is a nice intro to a unique series.  ****

MY GRANDMA'S A NINJA - Todd Tarpley

Ethan is your average school kid.  A bit on the quiet side, with his core group of friends but not exactly popular, all that changes when his grandma comes to visit and Ethan discovers she's a ninja!  They take a zipline to school the next day, astounding all the kids, and suddenly Ethan is super-popular, his classmates wanting to learn ninja moves from grandma when Ethan presents her for show and tell.  All goes well ... until grandma accidentally lands on (and deflates) Ethan's soccer team's only ball!  My Grandma's a Ninja is a cute story for younger readers (ages 4-8), simply and sweetly illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou (the illustrations reminded me of the more simply-drawn cartoons I watched on television growing up, making me wax nostalgic), about a boy and his grandma, whom he obviously loves no matter what.  I wanted to read this with my two great-nephews, Adrian and Julian, in mind - and I think they'd love it.  ****

Note: I received a free ARC of this book via Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.  The book releases 1 March 2015.

WHO ASKED YOU? - Terry McMillan

Bestselling author McMillan expertly crafts a multi-generational novel about family, at the center of which are three middle-aged sisters - no-nonsense BJ (Betty Jean), dutiful, God-centric Venetia, and angry, judgmental Arlene, as they navigate Los Angeles while raising kids and grandkids and trying to be there for each other (often within a family that talks more ABOUT each other than TO each other).  When BJ's drug-addicted daughter, Trinetta, drops her two young sons off at Betty Jean's for what appears to be for good, the part-time hotel room service worker, already trying to deal with a husband slowly succumbing to Alzheimer's, must try to keep her grandsons from the lure of the streets ... while Venetia, giving so much to her husband and two kids, can't even see how much she's neglecting herself ... and Arlene, after nearly thirty years of single motherhood spent smothering her overweight son, feels the frustration and betrayal of his finally breaking free.  McMillan juggles multiples points of view (each chapter in the "voice" of a different character) quite well; you grow to care for, and about, what happens to them ... as well as identify with the storm-ravaged waters of dealing with both siblings and family.  ****

SHIRLEY, I JEST! A STORIED LIFE - Cindy Williams (with Dave Smitherman)

While never particularly enamored with "Happy Days", to this day I can quote entire passages of dialogue from the hilarious, charming, and wholly re-watchable "Laverne & Shirley" - and to this day as well, wish I still had my own Boo Boo Kitty!  Shirley was always my favorite, so when I saw Cindy Williams had a memoir coming out, I was anxious to find out more about her ... and while Shirley, I Jest! is far from a biography (it's really more anecdotal notes and stories that Williams recalls from her life and work, more or less in chronological order), you can still feel a bit of Shirley Feeney on every page as Williams humbly discusses growing up with an alcoholic father, her first obsessions with TV and acting, and how - after achieving success with films like American Graffiti and The Conversation, a downturn in her career (along with a seemingly unreliable Penny Marshall) nearly caused her to turn down the role of Shirley Feeney.  While this reader would have liked more of a biography - Williams touches on her grandma's death, her hippie days, and marriage to Bill Hudson with zero detail, for example - when I settled into the idea that this brief (200 pages) memoir was more like sitting with Cindy as she tells you tales from her life, the book was a treat and Williams comes off both grateful and even almost surprised by what she's achieved.  Boo Boo Kitty would be proud.  ***1/2

Note: I received a free ARC of this book via Netgalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

THE STEPFORD WIVES - Ira Levin

At just under 150 pages, Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives remains one of the most taut, suspenseful thrillers ever written, over forty years after its initial publication in 1972.  If you've seen the original film you know the story, but the book still deserves a read for its brilliance.  The story: Joanna and her husband Walter, the latter fed up with trying to raise their kids in the dirty, congested and crime-riddled New York City, leave the Big Apple for the bucolic suburbs of Stepford. Here, not only are the trees trimmed, lawns mowed, and houses perfectly maintained - so, Joanna soon learns, are the women, nearly all of whom (in an age where feminism was hitting its stride) seem perfectly content with doing housework, raising their children, and taking care of their hardworking husbands.  Most of the men, meanwhile, belong to a private and secretive Men's Association that Joanna grows more and more curious about - and as she pokes more into the club, and the lives of the residents of this "perfect" little community, she discovers true horror hiding behind the smiling faces and perfect bodies of these extraordinarily old-fashioned women.  The book has come under fire over the years, many speculating whether it was Levin's way of spotlighting or poking fun at the feminist movement ... but what the novel is, first and foremost, is a hell of a creepy ride.  ****1/2