SHERLOCK SAM AND THE MISSING HEIRLOOM IN KATONG - A.J. Low

Straight up, I love Sherlock Sam.  Almost immediately, this book reminded me of the Encyclopedia Brown books I devoured as a kid (though this is a full-length book, as opposed to a collection of short mysteries) - and if this first-in-the-series is any indication, Sherlock Sam is just as deserving of as much fame and attention from fans around the world.  The story: Samuel Tan Cher Lock (aka Sherlock Sam), lover of maths and mysteries, is a stocky/slightly chunky young boy in Singapore who, along with his newly-created (and often sarcastic) robot named Watson, fancies himself a detective ... who soon gets his first case when Auntie Kim Lian's heirloom cookbook, in her family for generations, disappears.  Following clues and logic with equal measure, Sherlock Sam and Watson - along with Sam's sister Wendy and his schoolmate Jimmy - set out to find the precious heirloom so Auntie Kim Lian can keep making the delicious dishes Sam so loves to eat.  The mystery and Sam's detection are logical and easy for young readers to follow along with, and the book's cast of characters are easy to like.  The fact the books are to be set in Singapore, with an Asian lead/characters populating them, was a first for this reader and hugely appreciated; there's even an index in the back, complete with definitions, for words and phrases (English or not) used in the book, educating the reader about a different culture and customs, as well.  A warm, welcomed and lighthearted addition to the children's section of any bookstore.  ****1/2

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

YARNED AND DANGEROUS - Sadie Hartwell

Josie Blair works as a low-level fashion designer in New York City, her dream job since childhood even though her current boss is a bit of a cad who's recently fired her ... just in time for Josie's mother to request a favor.  Back in Dorset Falls, Connecticut - where Josie lived for a number of years as a teen - her great uncle Eb has just lost his wife in a car accident that also left him laid up in a wheelchair.  As Josie's mom is heading off to a pre-planned cruise, it falls to Josie to return back to the town she was glad to leave, and not only help Eb but also aid in shutting down the downtown Dorset Falls yarn store she owned, Miss Marple Knits.  As suspected, her old hometown hasn't exactly prospered any more in recent years, leaving Josie anxious to just get the shop closed and get her uncle well so she can go home to the big city - but almost soon as she arrives, the dead body of a member of the local women's knitting group is found in the shop, pulling Josie into the local drama and mysteries both big and small.  It was tough for me to get into this first-in-a-series novel for about twenty pages, but once in and meeting more of the characters in the small town, I really grew to like Josie and company quite a bit, as well as find myself drawn into the mysterious goings on.  As is the case with me and many cozies lately, however, I found the ending very anticlimactic; the solution, I feel, was presented too early - or, at least, things should have been wound up faster once the murderer was revealed.  That said, I do look forward to giving Josie and Dorset Falls another try, because Hartwell does well in creating characters you care about.  ***1/2

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

TACO EL GATO #1 - Candy Briones

Those old enough to remember films like Fritz the Cat or the animation of Ralph Bakshi might find issue one of the comic Taco El Gato almost nostalgic.  Set in the tough, rundown Ditz City, where animals rule but cats and dogs are practically warring gang factions, Taco Fluffy - adopted as a youth - is an equally run-down, streetwise, sharp-tongued cat with the soul of a dog and the slickness of a Siamese.  Issue one sets up the characters and Taco's backstory, including a biological father who sets out to look for him, as well as Taco's run-in with a tough dog gang determined to take him out.  Not much of a story to start, but there are hints of much more, the artwork is 1970's crazy and I liked Taco's niece and the bad dog posse.  Worth seeking out future issues, and worth a read.  ***

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

TO LOVE A TRAITOR - JL Merrow

It's winter in England, WWI barely over, and a young law clerk named George has just taken a room in a private boarding house as he starts his new job.  Only George's real name isn't George, and he's not living there by chance; he's there to gain the trust and confidence of the other lodger of the home, war veteran Matthew Connaught.  George, a conscientious observer who - after a stint in prison for refusing to fight - went to work at a desk job for his government, is there to learn what really happened on the day his older brother died ... and whether Matthew Connaught, who served in his brother's company, was the traitor responsible.  But as George grows closer to Matthew in his search for the truth, he also finds himself physically and romantically drawn to the exuberant, life-loving man he is growing to call a friend ... who may also be his brother's (and England's) betrayer.  I've never read what could be deemed a full "romance" novel - much less a male/male one - but was really impressed with author JL Merrow's use of words to create a genuine sense of place and time; am no expert, but while reading To Love a Traitor I really felt transported back to post-WWI England; everything from George's complex emotions to the characters' dialogue and actions and manner of living feeling very, very genuine.  Also pleasing was to find what felt like a genuine romance growing in the novel, as opposed to coarsely-described sex scenes filled with passion over emotion, the book relying more on shock value than characters and story.  A couple surprises along the way, otherwise a straightforward and well-told love story that happens to be between two men - one of whom deeply conflicted between what his mind wants to believe, over what his heart is telling him must be true.  ****

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

PURE DEAD MAGIC - Debi Gliori

It's hard to really describe the events of this children's book for ages ten and up ... mainly because so, so much is going on throughout it.  The residents of the Strega-Borgia mansion are not having much good luck lately; mom and dad had a fight, leading to dad's storming out of the house - and then getting summarily kidnapped by some thugs working for his evil brother, as Signora Strega-Borgia wigs out and tries to pretend things are business as usual, including going off to her witchcraft classes.  Older children Titus and Pandora both enjoy torturing each other, even as both also join forces in resenting the new nanny recently come to the home.  Baby Damp, in fact, seems to be the only one happy - that is until, following a hoard of rats, she's shrunk and sucked up into her brother's computer.  Oh yeah, and a dragon, Bigfoot-like monster, and griffin live downstairs, not to mention the crocodile in the moat who hasn't had a good meal since the previous nanny.  Add a talking spider, a thug in a bunny suit, and a rescue mission conducted on the lanes of the superhighway of the worldwide web, and it all makes for a (needless to say) busy novel that isn't necessarily badly-written, but just has too much going on to really be able to focus on anything.  Sadly, that extends to the characters, who never come off fully real or sympathetic.  Well-written and kids might like the comic book-like events throughout, but I could never find myself buying into the story (storIES) or characters.  **

GOTHAM ACADEMY VOL. 2: CALAMITY - Becky Cloonan & Brenden Fletcher (illustrated by Karl Kerschl & Mingjue Helen Chen)

This second collection from DC Comics (following Gotham Academy Vol. 1: Welcome to Gotham Academy) begins with student Olive Silverlock attending the funeral of her mother.  Once back at school and with her Scooby-Doo-like gang of friends, the group finds a ready-made mystery not only in the form of not only a magic quill and seemingly possessed ravens ... but soon Olive finds herself seeing what appears to be the ghost of her mother on campus - a ghost who reveals its true nature, and Olive's true heritage, to the frightened young girl.  For the most part this graphic novel collection was a hit with me; even though I hadn't read the previous volume, I kind of like the old-school Scooby-Doo vibe of the friends (even though I think Olive herself was shunted too much to a background player, and while I love Maps I would have liked to delve more into the other characters, too).  There are a whole lot of subplots going on here, surrounding the main plot, but even an appearance by Damian Wayne (son of Bruce!) keeps your interest peaked.  While I found the first story, about the magic quill, a bit confusing in relation to the rest of Olive's tale, Gotham Academy Vol. 2: Calamity is beautiful to read in its artwork, and fun enough to read if you don't take it all too seriously, when the villain by the end practically needs to stand up and say "And I would have gotten away with too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"  Gotta go back and pick up volume one, now.  ****

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

THE LISZTS - Kyo Maclear (illustrated by Julia Sarda)

Admittedly, it's been decades since I read a picture book geared for kids of kindergarten age to age four, but as a compulsive list maker myself the description of Kyo Maclear's latest, The Liszts, was intriguing.  Wonderfully (and perfectly) illustrated by Julia Sarda, Maclear depicts the Liszt family - mother, father, their three kids and a grandfather - who spend all their days and nights making lists of everything from their favorite sports figures to ranking their favorite musical artists and even those they admire or who admire them.  Lists, lists, the house is filling up with lists to the point of overflowing ... and when a stranger arrives on their doorstep he finds himself hopelessly rejected because - what else - he's not on the lists!  A story of getting so caught up in keeping your life organized, you leave no room for spontaneity, The Liszts is a lyrical, whimsical and wonderfully-written tale featuring beautiful artwork that will keep kids turning the pages, if not turn them back again for the almost gothic look of the Liszts's colorful world.  ****1/2

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

BOB'S BURGERS: WELL DONE - "Various"

Containing art, writing, and even illustrations from some of the writers, artists and more creative fans of the hit FOX animated series "Bob's Burgers", this funny and well-done compendium of issues 5-8 of the popular comic book series will please any fan of the show (including me).  Between artists renderings of various covers from the different comics, as well as of the family, the ongoing stories include "Gene's Rhymey Rhymes That Could One Day Be Songs" (the Peter Pan tribute is the best), "Louise's Unsolved Mysteries and Curious Curiosities" (even though this collection only contains part one of the wonderful "X-Files" riff, leaving readers hanging!), and - by far the best - "Tina's Erotic Friend Fiction" which features Tina finally going after Jimmy Jr. in a "Romeo & Juliet" motif, as well as a wonderfully silly Casablanca parody that opens the book (if you're a big Tina fan, these will probably be your favorite parts, as well).  A quick, fun read to keep you going in between episodes, Bob's Burgers: Well Done is a very tasty collection featuring the Emmy-winning Belchers from one of the best (and funniest) animated series to ever hit the air.  ****

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

DEATH CRASHES THE PARTY - Vickie Fee

The first in the "Liv and Di in Dixie" cozy mystery series opens with Dixie, Tennessee party planner Liv McKay, inspecting an upscale Victorian home where she is planning an anniversary party for the snooty Erdmans, when she discovers the bodies of two brothers who've been shot to death - one of them dressed in the uniform of a Civil War soldier.  Things get even hotter when the investigation of the deceased siblings - both of whom worked as mechanics for the trucking company co-owned by Liv's husband and father-in-law - uncovers a drug smuggling ring apparently going on at McKay Trucking, right under the owners's noses.  Determined to help, Liv - with the aid of her best friend Di - gets herself into all kinds of trouble with the police, the FBI, and several of the more shady characters who live in Dixie, in this nicely-plotted first novel by author Fee - who even reserves a very nice little plot twist/surprise for the end.  Liv and Di are both likable, very real women who have their flaws, but are at heart there for each other and their town; the contrast between Liv's strong marriage to devoted husband Larry Joe and single Di's blooming romance with the sheriff, Dave, gives the friends even more depth and authenticity.  Very often you have to leave a little leeway when it comes to reviewing the first of a mystery series; more often than not, the first book suffers from "growing pains" as the author tries to find both his or her voice with the characters, as well as the fleshing out of the characters themselves.  Here, you can feel those vibes but - for me, anyway - not as obviously as many first novels; Vickie Fee seems to not only know but like her characters very much, and it shows.  I would liked to have seen more of the party planning aspect of Liv's life, in direct relation to the mystery especially (though it sounds like that's coming in book two - and I thought the touches of humor in this book, particularly with how the Erdman party turned out, were terrific), and I did struggle with what I call the breaking of one of the "writer's commandments" - of not giving a number of characters similar names, to the point your readers may confuse them (Rudy? Ray? Ralph? I found myself going back, at first, to remind myself who was who a few too many times).  But those are minor tweaks; I really enjoyed Liv and Di, hoping for more Di in future volumes to share the spotlight (this one was focused more on Liv as the central character), but either way heartily do look forward to delving more into these characters and this series.  ****

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

PRINCE OF THE ELVES (AMULET #5) - Kazu Kibuishi

Each volume of the Amulet series of graphic novels seems to fall into one of two categories, overall; either a story of action and plot advancement, or (in between) a bridge - even a break between - the action, literally taking you from one plot point of the story into the next.  Book five feels like one of the "bridge" books, but at heart stands out as it also starts to delve more into the history of its characters - in particular Trellis, the Elf Prince, as well as the history of the elves and how they came to be "the bad guys".  Meanwhile, thanks to the events of book four the evil Elf King (Trellis's father) has control of the mother stone, and plans to forge new amulets from it that will enable him to conquer anyone who stands in his way at last, even if it includes his own son who is now seemingly on the side of the good guys.  Meanwhile, Emily's amulet is no longer speaking to her but outright challenging her, implying it's only a matter of time before it takes control, leading her down a dark and inescapable path.  You really get the sense, with this one (volume five of a seven-book story), that the series is drawing ever-closer toward its final confrontation between good and evil; setting up the players on the chessboard, so to speak, for the last match.  And it promises to be a doozy.  ****

ARAMINTA SPOOKIE 4: VAMPIRE BRAT - Angie Sage

Araminta Spookie is in for a double dose of trouble in book four of the popular children's series; not only has she discovered what appears to be a werewolf hiding deep in the basement of Spookie House - almost worse, she is forced to deal with a visit by her Uncle Drac's nephew Max, a tiny, creepy little suck-up with stiletto-sharp fangs coming out the corners of his mouth, who seems to win over her entire family - even Wanda! - with his over-the-top, syrupy, obviously (to Araminta) butt-kissing ways!  So what's a girl to do but come up with a combination Werewolf and Vampire Trapping Kit, which Araminta is determined to use to catch Max doing something evil, as well as prove to her family and Wanda that there's a werewolf loose in the house.  Though I felt the ending was a bit weak with this one, everything is in place regarding the humor, story, and mystery of this entry in the series to keep readers happy.  And again, there's just something so darned endearing about Araminta; so much so, I have only one more to read before completing the series to date ... and will be sorry to have it done.  ****

BANGKOK 8 - John Burdett

A unique mystery-thriller unlike anything I have ever read, Bangkok 8 is the first of a series starring Royal Thai Police Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, who in the opener is following, with his cop partner Pichai, a shady American marine sergeant in Bangkok, when the marine is - right in front of them, in a car bolted shut - slaughtered by a nasty nest of cobras trapped with him in his Mercedes.  When Pichai is also killed in the ensuing chaos, Sonchai - a devout Buddhist arhat - makes it his life's mission to not only find out what happened, but to himself kill Pichai's murderer to avenge his partner's death.  But the deeper Sonchai digs, even with the help of attractive FBI agent Kimberley Jones, the more the increasingly twisted trail seems to lead toward an American jeweler with untold wealth and influence - influence that extends even over Sonchai's own superiors in the police force.  As said, I have never read a novel like Bangkok 8; never read a piece of fiction that so solidified in me the essence of a people, culture, way of life - even religion - as this novel does of Thailand, tying it all into not just Sonchai and those he encounters and where he goes, but even the mystery itself.  It's a book that makes you think deeply, yet also has touches of dark humor and plenty of thrills; even conversations between characters, at length, never come off boring or as filler, as the characters are so exceptionally well-drawn - what they have to say so revealing of them or the story - you must read word for word.  Sorry for the gushing, but yet again: have simply never read anything like Bangkok 8.  And I certainly can't remember when I was last so absorbed in a book that, while reading it, I completely forgot about the real world surrounding me.  *****

ARAMINTA SPOOKIE 3: FROGNAPPED - Angie Sage

I usually try children's fiction on occasion, but something about Angie Sage's Araminta Spookie and Wanda Wizzard (and the other characters) keeps me coming back for more.  Probably my favorite in the series, Frognapped finds Araminta - think Wednesday Addams, but with more personality and droll sarcasm - finds herself under suspicion when the trained acrobatic frogs of Barry Wizzard - Wanda's father - go missing.  Known for her practical jokes, this was one Araminta didn't pull off, so forming a detective agency with Wanda, the two young girls follow a lead in the form of a lady massage therapist, trailing her to Old Morris's mushroom farm - now interestingly turned into a marine park featuring a killer shark and - you guessed it - acrobatic frogs.  I really loved that book three took the readers out of Spookie House more, showing off Araminta's surroundings and even more colorful characters from the neighborhood.  The book (the entire series, actually) is genuinely funny, too, with an action-filled, very satisfying ending that satisfies.  Again, maybe my favorite of a series that can be read - and enjoyed - by anyone of any age.  ****1/2

THE LAST COUNCIL (AMULET #4) - Kazu Kibuishi

Book four in the bestselling seven-book graphic novel series ramps up the action and danger, as newly-minted stonekeeper Emily and her family arrive in Cielis, the city in the sky ...where it immediately feels like something is "off".  Seems the townspeople - the few that can be found - fear something so badly it's practically keeping them prisoners in their own homes, and immediately upon landing the two elves in Emily's crew are, unbeknownst to their friends, taken prisoner and treated with veiled threats of death.  Even Emily, in Cielis to get answers, is instead treated like an interloper herself, forced in fact to compete for a place in the Guardian Council, an "honor" she doesn't want in the first place.  Betrayal, hidden secrets revealed, and a tense finale make this one of the best in this enthralling series.  Even aside from the usual take-your-breath-away artwork from artist/writer Kibuishi, part four of this brilliant series - which made this reader, who'd never read a graphic novel before, an instant fan - boasts a cliffhanger that should have you careening on to book five.  ****1/2   

THE UNEXPECTED INHERITANCE OF INSPECTOR CHOPRA - Vaseem Khan

Forced into early retirement due to a recent heart attack, the incorruptible and by-the-book Inspector Ashwin Chopra marks his last day on the force with two surprises: 1) he inherits a baby elephant, Ganesha, from a favorite and long-revered (though long-absent) uncle; and 2) the final case of his career to (technically) come across his desk is the "accidental" drowning of a young man that sets Chopra's spidey sense a-tingling, alerting him it may be something more.  But in his beloved city of Mumbai, overcrowded and under-funded and sprinkled liberally with corruption, Chopra's colleagues are more than willing to solve the case by declaring it an accident and chalking up as closed - especially for a young man from one of the poorest neighborhoods of the city.  But something about the boy - about the grieving mother who has already given up hopes of learning the truth about what happened to her son, because no one cares about the poor - spurs Chopra on to find the truth, as the trail of clues leads him further into the corruption of Indian politicians and lawmakers, and to a shocking truth that will turn Chopra's entire life around, even as getting closer to that truth puts his own life in danger.  But with the help of ex-colleagues he can trust, a wife determined to stick by her husband, and one incredible baby elephant, Chopra is determined to crack the case - even if it's his last.  The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra is my favorite book of 2015; in fact, one of my favorite novels of all time.  Beautifully written, the characters of Chopra, his wife Poppy, the heroic baby Ganesha - even the minor characters - breathe fully of life on the page.  At times humorous, suspenseful as hell, and even charming, the novel also provides a real feel for India - of Mumbai today - in all its conflicted beauty, always pulsating with life, and it's one of those books you will be a little sad for having finished ... with the second in the series not even due until June 2016!  Even writing this, I miss Chopra and Poppy and their friends and colleagues already, even wishing I had my own Ganesha in the backyard, frolicking in muddy waters under a mango tree.  A well-written mystery, and a marvelous start to what promises to be an endearing, original and beloved series.  *****

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

FLIPPED FOR MURDER - Maddie Day

Up until the last ten pages, Flipped for Murder - first in a new mystery series - was one of the best cozies I've read in some time.  The genre is formulaic by nature (smaller town, PG-rated themes and language at most, lead amateur sleuth recently relocated to town, quirky townspeople/supporting characters), so it was refreshing to come across a character like Roberta Jordan, a divorcee recently moved back to her deceased mom's hometown of South Lick, Indiana from California, to open up a combination country restaurant/store.  Robbie Jordan is extremely likable, and we first meet her on the grand opening day of Pans 'n Pancakes, along with other vivid, well-drawn characters like her Aunt Adele and even the town's new mayor, Corinne.  It's Corinne's unlikable assistant, Stella, who soon is found shot dead in her home later on, and even though the murder happens "off-stage" the story still develops not only into a decent murder investigation where Robbie herself is framed as a suspect ... there is also a very cool, very real subplot in which Robbie, in wanting to learn more about her mom's past, accidentally discovers something about her biological father.  The characters and story both draw you in here, in a well-written novel where the characters come alive on the page (though I was raised in northern Indiana, and in no way recognized the way some of the characters talked; must be a southern Indiana thing?), and the more I read the more I loved Robbie and the book ... until those last ten or so pages.  Hard to explain and remain spoiler-free, but suffice to say even with the "confession" of the murderer in the end, what the killer says was his/her motive completely contradicts what the police go over, as the motive, later on.  There is also another incident, with Robbie, that happens in the novel that has, possibly, the weakest, most lame explanation behind it, in the end, that I've ever read in a novel.  I even went back to re-read, from where the killer is revealed on, and to this minute feel so confused and contradictory about the killer, I am wondering if the second novel will reveal this person from the first book wasn't really the killer at all.  A 4-1/2-star book until I got to those last ten pages, sadly - though I like the characters enough to, for sure, look forward to the sequel (I only hope the reveal is better handled in book two).  ***-1/2

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

BREAM GIVES ME HICCUPS & OTHER STORIES - Jesse Eisenberg

Long a fan of actor Jesse Eisenberg, I was truly looking forward to this short story collection; Eisenberg's sense of humor, while at times left-of-center (one of the reasons I like him), is also often intelligent, very funny, and on-target.  And for about the first third of the book, in particular a wonderful story about a boy and his dysfunctional relationship with his mother - which the kid recounts by rating various places they go together (the gem of the collection) - I was hooked.  But the middle third became, I felt, pretentious and trite, more like streams of consciousness (often by people with some real emotional issues) than anything resembling short fiction, and sad to say this "theme" continued through a huge chunk of the book, so much so I had a hard time slogging through it up until things got interesting again, maybe the last twenty pages or so.  In that huge rough patch, it was just too many characters in a row who were, essentially, slightly altered versions of the same emotionally messed-up, often angry-to-the-point-of-sociopathic people (the gal in college, constantly writing letters to her old high school counselor, is particularly intriguing yet annoying at the same time) with the same failed views (and histories) of bad relationships, that Eisenberg tries fashioning around different scenarios or (wink-wink) clever set-ups that never fully get off the ground.  Hard to explain, but oh-so disappointing (and I really - really - wanted to like this, too) ... though I'd go back and re-read the first few stories anytime.  **

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

THE CLOUD SEARCHERS (AMULET #3) - Kazu Kibuishi

In part three of the vivid, beautifully-drawn Amulet series of graphic novels, Emily and company go in search - Star Wars-style - of a captain and ship to help them find Cielis, the city in the clouds, dismissed long ago as a myth, where the surviving stonekeepers retreated when the elves attacked.  Coming along for the ride is their former fiercest enemy, Prince Trellis - son of the Elf King, he was originally sent to turn Emily's powers to their advantage, but now works against his father (or does he?) - even while the gang is pursued by a new enemy determined to follow them on their quest ... and not only hunt them down, but destroy Cielis if and when its found.  I have to say (aside from the grade-A artwork, as always), whereas I found book two full of action and progressing the story nicely, this volume felt full of fluff and like an elongated TV episode instead of a fully-rounded story.  A fast read, as always, but it was a bit jarring to find myself not caring as much for the characters, and finding the build-up to the action sequences a letdown when said build-up didn't fully follow through.  Not done with the series, by any means; just wish this one had been ... more.  And more exciting.  **1/2

CANDY CORN MURDER - Lucy Meier

Halloween is fast approaching, and the good folks of Tinker's Cove, Maine have gone a little batty with preparations for the upcoming Giant Pumpkin Fest, which will include jack-o-lantern and pumpkin diorama contests, a boat regatta on the cove where all the boats are made of hollowed out pumpkins ... and the event reporter Lucy Stone's husband has been working on for months: a giant pumpkin catapult, adapted right from the Middle Ages, that Bill and his ne'er-do-well buddy, local yokel Evan Wickes, are sure will win the contest.  Lucy has no use for Evan - "Ev" - whom she feels is pretty much around to drink Bill's beer and be a bad influence on her visiting grandson ... but when she finds Ev's body in the trunk of a car, head bashed in, and Bill becomes the #1 suspect, it's up to Lucy to set things - and the state cops - straight.  This was my first Lucy Stone novel, even though it's 22nd in the series; I have book one on my Kindle but it's on a very long TBR list, and when I realized this edition hearkened back in time to reference the murder in book one, I was worried author Meier might reveal spoilers here.  Thankfully not; I finished Candy Corn Murder in a sickbed that felt more like a deathbed, and even though the murder didn't occur unto over halfway in the book (a BIG no-no for me, normally), I enjoyed Lucy (so nice to find an amateur sleuth in a cozy who's a grandma!) and her family and the very real feeling of Tinker's Cover and its citizens.  It's a well-constructed mystery that keeps you reading, and though I guessed a few things early on it was refreshing to find I wasn't totally right in my assumptions, after all.  Great fun from Ms. Meier, now more than ever anxious to revert back to book one and start from the beginning.  ****1/2

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

ARAMINTA SPOOKIE 2: THE SWORD IN THE GROTTO - Angie Sage

I gotta say, as a grown man I am sort of grooving on Araminta Spookie.  Book two in the successful kids' series by Angie Sage makes me wish Araminta had been around when I was a kid; her adventurous, bossy personality, mixed with that of her mousy but spunky-when-she-needs-to-be best friend Wanda meshes perfectly, and here gets both girls into trouble when Araminta is determined to get Sir Horace - one of two ghosts in the house, the one who inhabits an old suit of armor - a gift for his upcoming 500th birthday.  A chance outing to a mushroom farm, where Araminta and Wanda spot a rusty old sword in a cave that starts Araminta plotting to come back and retrieve it for Sir Horace, gets the girls into all sorts of problems when they find themselves trapped in a dark, dank cave ... slowly filling with water as high tide comes in.  Without putting my finger on it, there is just something charming about the girls, Aunt Tabby, Uncle Drac, and the wacky mansion they all live in, combined with Araminta's thirst for adventure, that make these "kids" books as much fun for adults to read, as well.  Recommended, for either your young ones or the young one in you.  ****

GARGOYLE HALL: AN ARAMINTA SPOOKIE ADVENTURE - Angie Sage

Having read and liked the first in this series, My Haunted House, when receiving an ARC of this title I was curious to see how the series had perhaps grown or changed in the books since.  While I did like the first book, it also felt like the author was still trying to grow into her characters and setting ... and happily, with Gargoyle Hall, author Angie Sage seems to have embraced the Spookie world indeed.  Here Araminta is in full "detective mode," trying to figure out the recent strange behavior of her Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drac - not to mention Drac's bats - and in trying to investigate with her sidekick/best friend Wanda (one of the most lovable ditzes in kids' literature) gets herself into enough trouble that visiting great-Aunt Emilene actually talks Tabby and Drac into shipping her off to boarding school.  But upon her arrival at Gargoyle Hall, Araminta finds even bigger mysteries to solve; can she and stowaway Wanda learn the secrets behind the Beast of Gargoyle Hall in time to save the school?  I LOVED this book, Araminta and Wanda are a great duo kids and adults alike can embrace, the spookiness not scary enough to frighten younger readers but nicely dark and mysterious for kids.  Touches of humor make it enjoyable even for the "big kids" reading it as well, but most of all it's great to see that Sage has really grown into this world and her characters; I liked Araminta after the first book, but with this one I just think she and Wanda both are nothing short of awesome.  ****1/2

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

THE STONEKEEPER'S CURSE (AMULET #2) - Kazu Kibuishi

Having enjoyed the set up of young Emily and her fated role as the new stonekeeper in the first of the Amulet series, what a pleasure to find out even that highly-entertaining graphic novel was merely a prologue compared to the amped-up pacing, story, and settings of book two.  The Stonekeeper's Curse picks up where book one left off, with Emily and her brother and new friends journeying to a land where they can find a cure for the kids' mother, who is dying from a slow-acting poison.  But even more than that, Emily's role as stonekeeper - and the curse that goes with its responsibilities - is brought more to light here, as well as the heightened threat over Emily and her family as the Elf King sends his second-in-command out to destroy her.  As in the first book, the artwork here is breathtaking - putting you right into the story and its characters' heads - but its the ramping up of pacing, characters, and plot that make this one a richer, fuller read.  Can't wait for book three.  ****1/2

ARAMINTA SPOOKIE 1: MY HAUNTED HOUSE - Angie Sage

Having received an ARC of a more recent book in this series via NetGalley, I decided to start with the first in the series to at least get an idea of the characters.  Araminta Spookie lives in Spookie House with her Aunt Tabby and Uncle Drac - a huge, rambling old home that, quite frankly, Aunt Tabby is getting tired of maintaining (she hates the boiler; OMG, do not get her started on the boiler).  So while it shouldn't come as a surprise when she decides to sell the house, a startled Uncle Drac (who sleeps in a sleeping bag hung suspended in a turret of the home that houses his bats) and obstinate Araminta don't want to go ... and it's Araminta who formulates a series of plots - including spreading word that the house is haunted - in order to save her home.  Though very light on plot, this first-in-the-series has a likable young heroine as its star, and blends the right elements of spooky fun and humor without being too scary for the youngest of readers at all.  Also kudos to what could have been an entirely predictable ending that, instead, ends up being kind of funny and sweet, setting readers up for the next book, as well as some nice, gothic-style illustrations via artist Jimmy Pickering.  ***1/2

GILT BY ASSOCIATION - Karen Rose Smith

Though the third in the Caprice De Luca home staging mysteries, this was my introduction to the Kismet, Pennsylvania amateur sleuth whose obsessions include 1960's fashion, rescuing animals, and her business of staging upscale houses going up for sale.  Here the murder comes close to home when Caprice discovers the body of her latest client, Louise Downing (also her mother's best friend), shot to death in the Downing greenhouse.  A relatively private but popular society matron in town, Louise's murder, Clarice learns after a bit of digging, provides no shortage of suspects - the cheating husband, his potential mistress, a disgruntled maid who'd been fired? - but it's the discovery of an incident buried in Louise's past that may put Caprice in the murderer's sites at last.  Caprice, her family, and the residents of Kismet (both human and animal) aren't without their charms in this nicely-written cozy, and author Smith builds up genuine suspense toward the end ... which, to me, disappointed a bit as it wasn't so much about Caprice figuring things, out as it was about her showing up at the right place at the right time - and included a murderer's confession that felt right out of a B-movie from the 1940's.  But even with the slight letdown in the end, Caprice and company were worth the visit, and overall the novel packed enough suspense, humor, mystery, and just a hint (thankfully) of romantic triangle to pick up the first two - or next one - in the series, as well.  ***1/2

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

THE STONEKEEPER (AMULET #1) - Kazu Kibuishi

Over time I've delved into various forms of either manga or graphic novels, trying to figure out what all the passion was about, but never fully stayed with one until I came across Book One of the Amulet series.  I "discovered" author/artist Kazu Kibuishi via the documentary Stripped, and what I could see of his work intrigued me ... yet I wasn't prepared for the breathtaking work I saw in the pages of The Stonekeeper.  The story of young Emily and her brother Navin, who move with their mother back to her childhood home after the tragic death of their father only to discover their late great-grand-dad's home has some magical secrets hidden within, feels like a prelude to a bigger tale as the family is drawn into a world of talking animals, spectral demons, and terrifying monsters in which Em is put in charge of a stone that could either help them all escape - or destroy everything.  The beauty of the art if spellbinding, the story laying everything out for a rocking finale that hurtles you right into book two.  Beautifully done by a brilliant artist, thanks to whom I am now more than anxious to dive into the sequel.  ****

THE PET AND THE PENDULUM (THE MISADVENTURES OF EDGAR & ALLAN POE #3) - Gordon McAlpine

The conclusion of McAlpine's trilogy, about twins Edgar and Allan Poe, also happens (yay!) to be the best of the series.  Well-written, funny, exciting (nice finale, in this one), with lots of puns and Poe references to keep adult readers happy, here the Poe twins have returned home to Baltimore, now local celebrities from their acting debuts as well as all they did in helping others and thwarting nefarious villains (no spoilers here, sorry) from the previous novel.  But not all is rosy; not only is a satellite their now-deceased parents were responsible for sending into space about to crash-land on earth, potentially killing many people ... but Professor Perry, who has snuck back into the country, has found a new and even more insidious way to capture the boys for his latest diabolical plot (one that will utilize the torture device mentioned in this book's title) - by using their own beliefs and intelligence against them!  This is a great adventure, for young and old alike, that digs a little deeper than its two predecessors, finishing up the trilogy with unexpected heart you can feel coming through McAlpine in the writing.  A terrific conclusion; enough so, it makes this reviewer sorry the series is over.  ****1/2

ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT EERIE (THE MISADVENTURES OF EDGAR & ALLAN POE #2) - Gordon McAlpine

The sequel to McAlpine's The Tell-Tale Start finds the single-minded twins, Edgar and Allan Poe (the great-great-great-great grandnephews of the legendary writer) in New Orleans, where they find themselves with roles in a film about their famous ancestor.  With their evil nemesis, Professor Perry, in hiding from the law, the boys think all is well ... but don't count on the mad professor's daughter, posing as a crew member, with her own plans for the dynamic duo.  With the help of their clever cat Roderick, as well as a set of twin girls - Em and Milly Dickinson, descendants of the famous poet who are as quirky in their own right as the Poe boys - Edgar and Allan aid a pair of ghosts, hunt for buried treasure, and go undercover at a cheesy, low-budget Wizard of Oz theme park in order to escape the clutches of evil - in a smart, funny, nicely-done (and simply, beautifully illustrated by Sam Zuppardi) sequel very nearly as good as the original.  ****

SHAKESPEARE'S LANDLORD - Charlaine Harris

Though a "True Blood" fan, this was my first time reading Charlaine Harris, and (admittedly) I probably started here because the premise of this series seemed so intriguing.  Lily Bard is a "lone wolf" - a single woman of about thirty who lives by and keeps to herself in her newly-adopted town of Shakespeare, Arkansas.  She cleans houses for a living, is quiet and makes no friends ... and one late night on the way home, spots a furtive figure sneaking into a park across the street from her building, pushing the large trash can she keeps under her carport.  As she watches, the unidentifiable figure dumps something in a huge trash bag there, then returns the can empty - and when Lily checks out the bag, she finds the body of her former landlord from next door.  As Lily starts poking around, we not only learn about her neighbors and the tenants of the murdered man's building, but also the horrifying reason behind why Lily keeps to herself, trusts no one, and is obsessed with learning self-defense.  While by no means a typical one-dimenstional "cozy" mystery (in fact, most of the negative reviews you will read of this title tend to be from people who thought it was, and take exception with both author and Lily with what amounts to the reader's errror), Harris has instead crafted both a story and especially heroine/detective who, though rather solemn, comes off strong, complex and wholly three-dimensional on the page.  ****1/2

THE STRANGER - Harlan Coben

Over the years I'd heard so many great things about thriller writer Harlan Coben, yet The Stranger was my first try at reading him.  The novel opens in upper-middle class New Jersey, where attorney Adam Price leads an ideal life with his daughter Corinne and their two sons ... until a man - a stranger - approaches Adam in the local American Legion, revealing a dark secret Corinne has supposedly been keeping from her husband; a secret that hangs obsessively over Adam like a noose and will prove to change his life forever.  As Adam deals with his dilemma, we learn Adam isn't the stranger's only victim, and when Corinne disappears and Adam starts snooping around, the bodies begin to pile up and a more sinister meaning behind all that's going on slowly emerges.  An okay premise, potentially, but I was truly disappointed in The Stranger.  Adam Price, as the lead, isn't fleshed out very well as a character - to the point I found myself unable to emotionally connect with him on any more than a superficial level - and the plotting felt equally thin, as well as unrealistic (also beware of plot-holes!).  Even the ending, which I hoped would be a high-octane nail-biter, instead came off rushed and poorly written.  I'd like to try Coben again, for sure ... am just sadly disappointed this was the one I started with.   **

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

WONDER - R.J. Palacio

A blessing of a debut novel, Wonder tells the story of August "Auggie" Pullman, a young boy in New York born with a set of craniofacial anomalies that have left his facial features radically distorted.  Only ten years old, he's already dealt with multiple surgeries since infancy, having to eat and breath through tubes prior to some of those surgeries, and spending his entire life homeschooled due to his many doctor and hospital visits.  But all that's changed now, for the fifth grade Auggie is finally going to a real school - Beecher Prep - and he's terrified of what life among other children (whom he already knows can be incredibly cruel) will be like.  Told through various narrative viewpoints - Auggie (mostly), a couple of his new friends, his sister, and more - Wonder chronicles perfectly Auggie's hopes, fears, insecurities, dreams, determination, frustrations, and his desire to simply be normal in a world that views him as anything but.  Beautifully written, touching and real and a book every parent and teacher needs to read, upon publication Wonder - the incredible story of an unaccountably brave little boy - became a #1 bestseller, inspired an entire "Choose Kind" movement, and raised awareness around the world.  There are legions of fans who even, because of this book, celebrate Auggie's birthday every year; now that is a powerful novel.  *****