Audiobook Review: Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs

This is another engaging mystery from a solid series with forensic focus and a strong female lead.
Bones Are Forever: A Novel (Temperance Brennan)
Kathy Reichs (Author), Linda Emond (Reader) 

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio; Unabridged edition (August 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 144234900X
• ISBN-13: 978-1442349001

Genre: Forensic Mystery
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Release Date: August 28, 2012 | Series: Temperance Brennan
Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author and producer of the Fox hit series Bones, is at her brilliant best in a riveting novel featuring forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan—a story of infanticide, murder, and corruption set in the high-stakes, high-danger world of diamond mining.

Temperance Brennan has been asked to examine the corpses of three dead babies in Montreal. It’s a difficult assignment, complicated further by the fact that her long-time flame Detective Ryan is investigating the infants’ mother, a former (and possibly current) prostitute. When the woman flees to Edmonton, the investigation is joined by Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant with whom Tempe had an ill-advised fling over a decade earlier. The dissonant team heads to remotest Yellowknife—mining country—to pursue an ever more sinister trail.

     With the Fox series Bones in its seventh season and her popularity at its broadest ever, Kathy Reichs reaches new heights in storytelling and suspense-building. Bones Are Forever shimmers with sexual tension, crackling dialogue, and the thrilling twists Reichs delivers so well.

Review:
This is book 15 of the Temperance Brennan series. Tempe is a forensic anthropologist who spends much of her time consulting on crime scenes when bodies are found that are so degraded that they need her special expertise to sort through the bones, the dirt, the bugs and other details that can help to identify the age and gender of the body and the time and cause of death. Each book describes crime scenes that Tempe is called in on and then she digs in and pursues the clues with the help of the police until she solves the crime. Most of the time Tempe works along side Detective Ryan with whom she had a long, up and down, relationship through the series.

In this volume three abandoned infants are discovered. Tempe sets off to hunt down the murderous mother with Ryan and Oliver, a Canadian Detective with whom Tempe had a post divorce fling ten years before.  Although there is jealous posturing and denigrating between the men, there is no romance in this episode. The hunt for the mother of the dead babies takes the three across Canada to Edmonton and the remote mining country of Yellowknife.  Tempe pushes the investigation, getting a few bumps and bruises along the way. New murders follow her inquiries, and the trail leads to what appears to be a conflict between caribou  conservationists and diamond mining interests. Tempe (and the reader) is given quick, but detailed, lessons on diamond mining. Ryan and Oliver are pulled off to other tasks just as Tempe unravels the mystery and is kidnaped by the killers.Will anyone find her before it's too late or will she be able to fight her way out?

Ms. Reichs writes with crisp details, including the dirt, the maggots and the deteriorating bones.  Tempe, as usual, goes beyond her basic duties to embroil herself in the investigation. As soon as I started listening to the Audio I remembered how much I enjoyed Tempe’s persistent character and her unique, vivid description of the crime scene and the forensic process. The narrator, Linda Emond has done the past several books and she has a good grasp of the crisp attention to detail as well as the sometimes weary tone for the characters who face so much frustration in the cruel crimes they investigate. Ms Emond does a beautiful job with the French words that go along with the Quebec setting.  Although I didn't find this episode to be overly exciting, the steady narration helps to keep the listener engaged through the suspenseful ending.

This series is a great one for readers who like mystery, strong female characters and aren’t too squeamish to be put off by the nitty-gritty forensic detail.  I had read or listened to books 1 through 12 so I knew the background of the characters and was only missing the latest fall out between Tempe and Ryan. I think this particular book could be read as a stand alone as it has less personal complications and emotions than many of the prior books. However, I do recommend the whole series, listened to or read in order.



Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing this Audio to review through Audiobook Jukebox.
I will add this to my Audio and Mystery Challenge lists.

A Surprise Book Signing While on Vacation!

I have finally gotten to start sorting the 600+ pictures from our Alaska trip.  I can't believe I didn't post this one as soon as we got home!

After our Alaskan cruise we stayed several days in Seattle at the very nice Paramont Hotel. They had a print out of events and activities for the week. Imagine my delight when I saw that a favorite author was doing a book signing at Seattle Mystery Bookshop! So we hopped on a bus and I got to buy a couple of books:

and have my picture taken with the very lovely and charming 

Jayne Krentz aka Jayne Castle (she has the lovely red hair)

I am planning to read Canyons of Night in October and I'll be hosting a Giveaway then for the autographed copy. Apparently Canyons is the third book of one trilogy but it introduces the setting and characters for the latest release, The Lost Night. Watch the Blog for the Review and Giveaway! And thank you to Ms. Krentz for being so gracious.

Interview with Bec McMaster and Giveaway of Kiss of Steel

Please welcome Bec McMaster, Author of Kiss of Steel. 
See Below to enter the Giveaway for a print copy.

Q1.  What inspired you to write this genre?

BM: I have always had a love of science and a curiosity about the world and how it works – I studied two years of biology at University before deciding it wasn’t for me – so a lot of movie or books with a science base have always appealed. And the more outlandish the inventions or ideas, the more I like them. I remember my Dad taking me to see Wild, Wild, West when it first came out and we loved it. Then of course it started infiltrating a lot of the genres I read and my mind started racing. The story and world practically built itself.

Q2.  Do you do anything especially helpful for your world building? (Notebook, Bulletin board, etc.?)

BM: I stare out the window a lot. Kidding. Keeping track of it is hard, and I have started keeping detailed records, but honestly a lot of it is in my head. I have entire worlds and plots in there and I can recall most of it off the top of my head. It’s the names I need to keep track of mostly.

Q3.  Do your work career/hobbies/interests influence your writing?

BM: Everything I see, do or read influences my writing in some way. I’m particularly interested in travel, so I love setting my books in places I’ve been to or want to visit. It’s the next best thing to being there, and I love researching travel blogs and weird little facts about the places I set my books so that it truly feels like you’re there. I spent several months living in London four years ago, so a lot of that went into creating Kiss of Steel. London has such an atmosphere and a weight of history about it. I spent hours walking down random streets and staring at all the houses or little museums and pubs that were everywhere. Or absorbing all the little details of costumes at the Victoria & Albert museum. They’re amazing!
 
Q4.  Did you find anything “hands on” or unusual required when researching these books?

BM: Again, it’s a combination of experiences over the years popping up in the stream of my sub-conscious. For example, I did a junior pentathlon once, so we studied fencing, which came in handy for certain scenes. And my step-sister’s boyfriend is English so I spent a lot of time listening to him and the way he speaks. Not that he probably knows that.
 
Q5.  What is one thing you struggle with in your writing?

BM: Adverbs. They’re everywhere. Luckily I give the manuscript a good prune with the editorial scissors before anyone else lays eyes on it. I remember my critique partner highlighting them in a page once, just to show me. There was a lot of yellow.
 
Q6.  Please share your most rewarding experience since being published. 

BM: It actually happened two nights ago. I had my local book launch at the library in town and 120 people showed up, which is pretty good for a small town. The level of local support has been amazing, and people have been really, genuinely excited about hearing what has happened. I’ve always been a private person – in fact a lot of my friends weren’t even aware I wrote until a few years ago – so it’s been an eye-opening experience for me.

Q7.  If you could ask readers a question, what would it be?

BM: If you could create an invention to do anything you wanted, what would it be? (I must admit, I want the Tardis).

 

KISS OF STEEL BY BEC MCMASTER 

IN STORES SEPTEMBER 2012

 

A brilliantly creative debut where vampires, werewolves, and clockwork creatures roam the mist–shrouded streets of London...

When Nowhere is Safe…

Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?

Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.

When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. For more information, please visit http://www.becmcmaster.com/ or follow her on Twitter, @BecMcMaster.

GIVEAWAY ONE PRINT COPY OF Kiss of Steel

Thank you to Sourcebooks for allowing me to host a giveaway!
TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for Print Copy from Sourcebooks:

ENTER HERE

For 3 Extra Bonus entries: Visit the author's website and tell me something you find of interest.
For 3 Extra Bonus entries: Comment on this Interview and/or Answer the Author's Q7 above in pink.
For 2 Extra Bonus entries: Comment on my review (the previous post).

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on October 5, 2012.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on October 6, 2012.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.   

Book Review: Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

I really enjoyed this fast paced steampunk version of a not quite Vampire tale.

Kiss of Steel
by Bec McMaster

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (September 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402270275
• ISBN-13: 978-1402270277

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Steampunk
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Release Date: September 1, 2012
"Action, adventure, steampunk, and blazing hot seduction...Bec McMaster offers it all."—Eve Silver, author of Sins of the Flesh
A brilliantly creative debut where vampires, werewolves, and clockwork creatures roam the mist–shrouded streets of London...
When Nowhere is Safe
Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven. But at what price?
Blade is known as the master of the rookeries—no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.
When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel—or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

Review:
This 'vampire' story has a different bite. It is set in a wonderfully steampunk Victorian England with strong characters and a good action plot.

In Honoria's world the upperclass are the infected Blue Bloods, the ruling houses of the Echelon who are allied with the Queen. They have their armies of metaljackets and the specially trained Nighthawk warriors. Honoria was once a 'lady' with expectations of becoming a respected "thrall" to one of the Blue Blood families. Her father was a brilliant scientist who was experimenting to develop a cure or at least a vaccine against the blood craving virus that will first give a man strength and heightened abilities but eventually degenerates into the bestial vampires that are executed at first signs of deterioration. Honoria was her father's research assistant and kept a diary almost as good as his.

When her father is murdered by his cruel and vicious patron, Lord Vickers, Honoria flees with the diaries and her younger sister and brother. They are in hiding in Whitechapel which is full of dangers and under the control of the infamous Blade. Honor has caught the eye of Blade and although she resists his interest she is soon desperate with nowhere else and no one else to turn to for help.

Blade is the most famous infected being who escaped the clutches and experiments of the Echelon. He now rules in Whitechapel with the aid of a mixed group of henchmen including a 'verwulfen' and some mechanically strengthened humans.  In addition to her beauty, Blade is interested in Honoria because he knows that Vickers has a price on her head. Blade has a personal score to repay for his own tragic loss brought about by Vickers.

Blade bargains with Honoria and her reluctance falls under his odd form of courtship. She discovers she can trust his gentleness as she has a way of bringing out his more honorable traits and even calming the beast within.

Blade has to cooperate with one of the Blue Blood lords, Barrons, who has some connection to Honoria. He doesn't want to be jealous but he doesn't like the secrets that keep Honor at arms length. As Blade and Barrons battle a rogue vampire a trap is set to capture Honor. Will Blade be able to save Honor from Vickers before he does harm? Will Honor be able to find a cure before Blade's disease progresses out of control?

I really loved Honor and Blade and their cautious courtship that finally blossoms with their passion. Their romance is sensual and steamy without ever seeming vulgar. Ms. McMasters does a grand job with world building a setting that is different and fascinating, especially since I enjoy steampunk features. The plot is believable and provided fast paced action and suspense. The secondary characters are drawn with appropriate depth to make them likeable or horribly villainous. I recommend this to readers who enjoy strong, romantic characters who face dangerous odds. Even if you aren't a big fan of vampire stories you might enjoy this steampunk version with its twisted bite.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blade's sad thoughts:

A blue blood had no personal scent. No warmth. Sometimes he felt as tough he were slowly turning to marble, devoid of any of the touches of humanity that surrounded him. Until nothing but the hunger remained. Page 51.

What Honoria wants:

Someone to love her. Someone to hold her in his arms, to tell her that she was the center of his world. That he would look after her. Someone to trust. Someone to love back. Page 223

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Ms. McMaster for providing the book to review, sharing in Interview and providing Giveaway copy! See the Giveaway and Interview post next.

I will add this title to my New Author and ARC Challenges as well as Steampunk list.

Audible Book Review: The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

This is a fine fantasy for YA and older audiences, but not quite what I expected.
 
The Lost Gate: Mithermages, Book 1

UNABRIDGED

by Orson Scott Card

Narrated by Stefan Rudnicki, Emily Janice Card

  Series: Mithermages, Book 1

LENGTH: 12 hrs and 21 mins
AUDIBLE RELEASE DATE: 01-04-11
PROGRAM TYPE: Audiobook
PUBLISHER: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 3.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different - and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an "outself".

He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.

There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English - but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.

Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family.
Orson Scott Card, a New York Times best-selling author, has won several Hugo and Nebula Awards for his works of speculative fiction. He lives with his family in Greensboro, North Carolina.

©2011 Orson Scott Card (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Review:
Danny at first appears to be a “drekka” or un-magical human. He can’t do a lot of the magic that his cousins can do but he is an excellent student and he is great at languages. At eleven years old he begins to worry that his family may decide he is useless. Then one day he discovers he is a gate maker -- he can think himself to places he has been and suddenly he is there. A gatemage is one of the most powerful and wonderful magics except that it is forbidden! His elders will surely kill him if they discover this so he must leave to hide in the world of outsiders.

Danny makes some awkward friends in the human world as he tries to learn more about his powers. As we follow Danny’s adventures–or misadventures–there is another gatemage introduced in a far away world. After he wanders into a castle “Wad” is adopted by the King’s cook who thinks perhaps Wad has lost his gating abilities to the Gate Thief. Wad has not lost his abilities but keeps that secret. He has a very old past that he can’t remember but he begins to hope for a future. Wad believes he has everything under control until he becomes caught up in political intrigue of the King, Queen, allies and enemies. There is a connection between Wad and Danny that the reader will suspect but it won't be disclosed until near the end of the book.

I liked Danny a lot and loved the mystery of the gate making. I enjoyed the friends he met who ultimately became his family and helped him to learn the secrets of locking and unlocking the gates. There is a lot of the magic but there was repetition in the process of learning the secrets of the gates and that dragged things along more than needed. I have to admit that by the end of this book I'm undecided about seeking the next one in the series.

The reading was done well with a good modulation for the voices and emotions. The gate building might have been a bit clearer in a print version but a listener can get the import of it fine without hurting the story.  This is a story I might not have picked up if it wasn’t offered in Audible, but that is more a personal choice. 

I liked the concept of this story and thought it would be good to listen to on a long drive with my daughter and eight year old grandson.  I am glad that my grandson was busy playing on his Xbox because this would not have been appropriate for him.  There is some bad language and there is some minor sexual interaction  involving a 13-14 year old boy that my daughter and I thought was totally unnecessary. I think my disappointment in the tale resulted from my incorrect expectation that the material would be acceptable for a younger audience level.  As long as you are reading this for older teens (YA) and above then I think it is a fine fantasy story.

 This was from my own Audible Library shelf.  

I will add this to my Audio Challenge List.