Audio Book Review: Death Cloud by Andrew Lane

This is another fun Sherlock ‘spinoff’ listen.

DEATH CLOUD
by Andrew Lane
Narrated by Dan Weyman

7 hrs.
Unabridged
Macmillan Audio © 2010
Genre: Detective, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult Ages 12+
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 5.0.

This bold depiction of a 14-year-old Sherlock Holmes succeeds splendidly. He's as fascinating as Doyle's brilliant creation. Holmes's fans will see how he acquired his vast knowledge and developed into the man he became. Narrator Dan Weyman excels in introducing an intelligent, warm yet shy boy. Sherlock's streetwise friend, Matty, is tough yet sweet, perfectly complementing him. The best character is the American tutor, who sounds like an actual American, as does his daughter, who piques Sherlock's interest. Weyman captures emotion and action in a breathtaking manner that adds to the sheer pleasure. The characters unravel a complex mystery led by a dastardly villain who's also artfully portrayed. High praise is simply insufficient to do full justice to this outstanding work. Please, those of all ages, listen to it for yourselves! S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2011].

Review:
Sherlock Holmes is sent to spend the summer with an Aunt and Uncle in the country. They are mostly uninterested, and the housekeeper is openly hostile. Sherlock is frustrated by his situation and starts to wander the countryside and local village. Sherlock meets another young teen, Matty, an orphan who has learned to survive on the streets. Shortly into the summer, a tutor, recommended by Sherlock’s brother Mycroft, arrives. Amyus Crowe is a mysterious American who soon brightens Sherlock’s days as he challenges the boy with math queries and puzzles.

Matty stumbles upon a death in the alleys and Sherlock stumbles upon one in the woods. Both men died with swollen pustules on their faces and the boys observed a ‘death cloud’ rising from the bodies. Sherlock becomes involved in unraveling the mystery behind the deaths and behind the strange, pale, man whom he glimpsed in a carriage one day.

Amyus’ brave daughter, Virgina, makes friends with Sherlock and soon the three teens and Amyus are all facing danger as they investigate. Sherlock will be kidnapped and beaten on the way to solving the diabolical threat.

All the characters are wonderfully developed, and I was fully engaged in the mystery, which involves bees. Sherlock is presented as a shy, intelligent young man who is just beginning to develop his propensities for detailed investigation. I honestly didn’t recall Sherlock’s hobby of beekeeping but admittedly it’s been years since I read the original stories. The audiobook I listened to last week, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, displayed this hobby too. I highly recommend this series to mystery and  Sherlockian fans.

Audio Notes: Daniel Weyman’s narration brings these characters to life. He provides fitting accents and wonderful energy. I totally enjoyed this work.

SYNC August 1 – August 7, 2013. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Audible Book Review: The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized) by Oscar Wilde

This was more fun then I expected.
The Importance of Being Earnest (Dramatized)
By: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: James Marsters, Charles Busch, Emily Bergl, Neil Dickson, Jill Gascoine, Christopher Neame, Matthew Wolf

Length: 1 hr and 58 mins
Performance
Release date: 11-12-09
Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works
Genre: Drama, Humor, Theater, Victorian
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

 
Publisher's Summary
This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, "that name which inspires absolute confidence". Wilde's effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.
Includes an interview with director Michael Hackett, professor of Theater in the School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA.
An L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring:
James Marsters as Jack
Charles Busch as Lady Bracknell
Emily Bergl as Cecily
Neil Dickson as Lane and Merriman
Jill Gascoine as Miss Prism
Christopher Neame as Chasuble
Matthew Wolf as Algernon
Sarah Zimmerman as Gwendolen
Directed by Michael Hackett. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.
©2009 L.A. Theatre Works (P)2009 L.A. Theatre Works

Review:
Jack and Algernon are two Victorian gentleman who are wooing young ladies who think their name is “Earnest”, a name which inspires these rather frivolous women. The witty dialogue is like watching a tennis match – lobs back and forth. There is mockery of courtship and societal expectations that make it fun listening.

This is a satirical play written in Victorian time. Wilde clearly makes fun of the two-faced shallowness through the Victorian characters. The introduction and interview add some interest. It is a quick read/listen and makes an easy classic read.

Audio Notes: This is a dramatization which makes it a fun listen. I did have to adjust to the voices, accents and background additions, but once I settled in and thought of it as a play/drama, the performance became a fine couple of hours of entertainment.

Source: 3/2012 Free Audible. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway August 30, 2019

Happy Friday! I should have looked at the date before saying we would do mail outs this week. This is month end and we are swamped with closings. The books are pulled and ready for mailing next week.

TO ENTER FRIDAY PICK

US Entrants: Leave a comment and tell me WHICH BOOK you would like to get from the Friday Pick lists.

INTERNATIONAL: Leave a comment indicating "Gift Card" (see further comments near the end of the post.)

CUT OFF TIME IS THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 9:00 PM CENTRAL so I do not have to stay up too late to do the winner post! I will randomly pick two winners to announce Friday mornings with the next Pick post.

Thank you to all who entered the August 23, 2019 Pick. There were two automatic wins this week. Automatic wins are those who requested the book four times without other people asking for that book during those weeks. There were no titles blocked.
BN100 gets the James Patterson Pair
ELIZABETH gets The Maverick Preacher.

CONGRATULATIONS
to Random.org picked Winners from August 23, 2019 Pick:
ASHFA gets a GC
and
MYSTICA gets a GC.

All winners please fill in the Winner's Acceptance Form or email me to confirm your win, send your snail mail address information and let me know if you would like bookmarks - sensual, sexy or sweet bookmarks. {The form is new because Google changed their forms and the old one wasn't letting me print out the responses.}

Read alouds sound fun to me!
Image found at Teachers Love Lists.

New Book Group #87 August 23, 2019

PAIRS:
Joan Johnston The Bodyguard and The Bridegroom
Nora Roberts: The MacGregor Grooms (1998) and The MacGregor Brides (1997)
SINGLES:
Siren's Song by Trish Albright (personally autographed)
Dawn Encounter by Jennifer Blake
Flame Lily by Candace Camp (spine creasing)
The Wedding Promise by Carolyn Davidson
The Devil's Daughter by Lara Drewry
Touch of Texas by Tracy Garrett (now Texas Gold)
Captain's Paradise by Kay Hooper
Open Season by Linda Howard AUDIO CASSETTES
Innocent as Sin by Elizabeth Lowell (hardback)
Tempt Me by Lucy Monroe
Abandon by Carla Neggers
The Perfect Gift by Christina Skye


New Book Group #86 June 7, 2019
Another group of variety from my shelves.

SINGLES:
Forged in Steel by Maya Banks
The Scam by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg
A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett
Eco-Sisters: The Car by P. Ryan Hembree and Mary Ann Gustin
Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze
Preaching to the Corpse by Roberta Isleib
Show No Fear by Marliss Melton
Pursuit by Karen Robards
Murder at Granite Falls by Roxanne Rustand
A Question of God's Balance (Vol 1) by Joseph Thek
King by Right of Blood and Might by Anna L. Walls


New Book Group #85 March 22, 2019
A variety from my shelves.

Roxanne Becknel: When Lightning Strikes
SINGLES:
Summer Skies by Judith Christenberry
Windfall (two stories) by JoAnn Ross
Daddy's Little Cowgirl (two stories) by Judith Bowen and Kimberly Raye
Almost Forever by Linda Howard
The Forever Year, Cold Pursuit, Lover's Lane and Temporary Sanity (Reader's Condensed)
ToxiCity by Libby Fischer Hillmann

New Book Group #84 December 15, 2018
Here are some Christmas titles to pick from.

One PAIR:
Susan Wiggs: Snowfall and Fireside
SINGLES:
A Family for Thanksgiving
On this Holy Night
A Rancher for Christmas
Christmas Haven
Christmas Homecoming
King Harold's Snow Job


New Book Group #83 November 30, 2018

(Starting bottom left and continuing up then down)
SINGLE
Seductive Secrets by Lynne Connolly
Seven Up by Janet Evanovich - Audio Cassettes
A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein Audio Cassettes
Three Reader's Digest Condensed Books - each hardback:

Cold Harbour and The Courtship of Peggy McCoy
The Things We Do for Love, Three Weeks With My Brother, The Murder Artist and Night Train to Lisbon
Follow the Stars Home, Hunting Badger, The Quiet Game and Second Wind

New Book Group #82 November 9, 2018

Stella Cameron: Key West
SINGLES:
Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
Killing Time by Linda Howard
Countess of Scandal by Laurel McKee
The Wedding Night by Barbara Dawson Smith

New Book Group #81 August 17, 2018

There are three audios at the top:
Kisscut is Cassettes
SINGLES
Best Laid Plans by Allison Brennan
Darkness Tell Us by Richard Laymon
Cooking Most Deadly by Joanne Pence


New Book Group #80 August 17, 2018

Note: The Final Judgment and
The Book of Fate are Audio Cassettes
PAIRS
James Patterson NYPD Red 2 and NYPD Red 3
SINGLES:
Summer’s Moon by Lacey Baker
The Final Judgment by Richard North PattersonAudio Cassettes
Firebird by Janice Graham
No Getting Over a Cowboy by Delores Fossen
The Book of Fate by Brad Meltzer Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #79 July 13, 2018
I found this box of books buried under some other boxes.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lenox by Maggie O’Farrell
P.S. by Helen Schulman
Her Sexiest Surprise by Dawn Atkins (personally autographed)
The Maverick Preacher by Victoria Bylin (personally autographed)
Dakota Child by Linda Ford
Calling the Shots by Ellen Hartman
Promises, Promises by Amber Miller
This Time for Keeps by Jenna Mills
A Daughter’s Legacy by Virginia Smith
Another Man’s Baby by Kay Stockham


New Book Group #78 April 27, 2018

SINGLES
Blackberry Bush
Breaking Point
A Tangled Affair
To Wicked to Love
Roses are Red Audio Cassettes


New Book Group #77 February 16, 2018- All gone

New Book Group #76 November 3, 2017
13 books remain of the original 37:

I finally Have them Listed!
Boots & Booties by Kristine Rolofson
Saucer the Conquest by Stephen Coonts
The Scorpion Seducer by Bonnie Vanak
Hell On Earth by David L. Porter
White Night by Jim Butcher
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey
The Glimpses of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Crisscross by Harmon Henkin
Maelstrom by Anne McCaffrey
Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker
101 Commonsense Rules for the Office by John R. Brinkerhoff


This shelf of 35 books are what is left from Groups #1 (11/27/09) through Group #75 September 29, 2017

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 14 titles.)
Rehabilitation
Secret Blessing
Named of the Dragon
Daring by Jillian Hart
Aunt Erma's Cope Book
JoAnn Ross: Confessions
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Bound by Destiny by Rayka Mennen
Rainbow Mars by Larry Niven

(Title list reads left at bottom to right at top - 21 titles.)
Plan of Attack by Dan Brown
(*Three more very old books from my Gothics box.)
*The Man in the Garden by Paule Mason (1969 - yellowed)
Fire Dancer by Ann Maxwell
*Four books are very old; pulled from a box of gothic novels I found.
*Maggie – Her Marriage by Taylor Caldwell (1953 very old, yellowed pages, some stain damage doesn't effect reading)
First Things First by Stephen R. Covey- Audio Cassette
Trilogy Of Mysteries Audio Book Shadow Prey, There Was A Little Girl, Smokescreen Audio Cassettes (NOT CDs)
Raintree Haunted by Linda Winstead Jones (spine creases)
The Shadowing by Joan Overfield
The Sweetheart Dance by Patti Ann Colt
BOX 4 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 47-53)
Undateable by Ellen Rakieten & Anne Coyle
Jezebel by Katherine Sutcliff
The Hidden Truth of Cytech's Randall Forty by Vickie Kennedy
Breakfast in Bed by Sandra Brown - Audio Cassette Tapes (link is for mass media version)
BOX 3 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 39- 47)
Shetland Summer by Janet Lynnford
BOX 2 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 24- 38)
The Trailsman: Texas Lead Slingers by Jon Sharpe
A Courtesans Guide to Getting Your Man by Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley -- NOTE This book has dog bite damage; it is missing half back cover and the edges of pages in the back third of the book... it does not effect the text but I will understand if no one wants this one
An Honorable Man by Rosemary Rogers (spine creases)
The Willful Widow by Valerie King (spine wear)
Foundation (Foundation Novels) by Isaac Asimov
BOX #1 2015 (reboxed from Boxes 1- 23)
Ghost Writer (Shivers #3) by M.D. Spenser
Alien Chronicles - The Crimson Claw by Deborah Chester

If you saw the pictures posted of my bookshelves and boxes you know I do have lots of books! And that doesn't include the other eight or so boxes at my office!! And more books as I find deals too good to pass up! I am sharing my book bounty by these Friday Pick Giveaways.

I started Friday Pick on November 27, 2009 and in almost EIGHT years I have posted 82 groups of 16 plus an additional 21 totaling 1,333 books to find new homes! (as of November 9, 2018).

I am happy to say that so far about 1,268+ books have found new homes through this feature! YAY. [A year or so ago I posted I had reached 2000 books given away. As I calculated the numbers 11/2/17 I realized that had to be an error. I realized I went from 1098 to 2001 instead of 1101. Guess I was tired; sorry for the error.] I have to update my print out to check the exact number sent out - a few were never claimed. I periodically update the lists - deleting those won. You can still go to the Friday Pick list link to see older posts and the older lists book pictures if you want!

Note rules here regarding international entries.

Because postage to overseas can be prohibitive I am willing to give a $5.00 book certificate to international winners - Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, ARe, TWRP, ClassAct Books, eTreasures, Desert Breeze, etc....you tell me where and I'll set it up. So for my overseas visitors your comment may indicate a smaller book and I'll check postage or note your choice of gift card.

I learned that The Book Depository does not ship to everywhere. The postage for some of the books to far away places runs between $7.00 and $10.00 and up. Since I would award $5.00 for The Book Depository to an international winner, as an alternative you may choose a smaller book and we will hope the postage will not exceed $6.00. If the postage is more, or if you want to pick a larger book and you are willing to pay any extra postage beyond the $6.00 I will work with you on that. This may not make a difference to many but if it helps one or two of you to give one of my books a home that will make me happy too. :o)

Repeating this helpful blog tip: You can right click on a link and you will be given the choice to open the link in a new window or tab so you do not navigate away from the screen you are on!! I use this all the time!

Audible Book Review: The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1) by Laurie R. King

This was very engaging and fun!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice
(Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1)
by Laurie R. King
Narrated by: Jenny Sterlin

Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
Published July 1st 2005 by Recorded Books
(first published January 15th 1994)
Genre: Detective Mystery, Historical Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes' pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

Review:
Mary Russell has lost her family and is living in her country home with her difficult Aunt. Mary spends most of her time with her nose in a book… even as she walks the meadows. She is surprised to stumble upon a man in the pasture who is studying bees. When she realizes the neighbor is none other than the renowned Sherlock Holmes, Mary is intent on becoming his pupil.

Holmes has become mostly reclusive and didn’t expect to take on a pupil/protégé – especially a young female! He helps hone Mary’s abilities especially during the summers and holidays when she leaves her school in Oxford to visit her friend in the country.

Holmes and Russell team together to rescue a kidnapped child. Several years into their relationship, Holmes and Russell find themselves dodging bomb attacks. They have to go into hiding to gather the evidence to uncover and fight the assailant.

I totally enjoyed this story told from the view of Mary Russell as a brilliant mind jousting with the legendary acumen of Sherlock Holmes. I admit it has been some years since I read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (once as a teen/college student and again as a mature adult over 40), but I remember always loving the details and the plodding discovery of clues and deductive reasoning towards solving each mystery. I liked that Ms. King’s retired Sherlock is not quite as tainted or drug loving as he was when younger. His mind is just as keen and sharpened by the perceptive intelligence of young Mary. I am inclined to pick up more books in the series. This was an engaging read/listen and I highly recommend it to Sherlockian fans.

Audio Notes: Jenny Sterlin does a great job with the narration. She provides distinct voices with accents that fit the story and characters. Her narration helped me become immersed in the story.

Source: September 2011 Audible purchase. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

#NetGalley Book Review: The Ethereal Squadron: A Wartime Fantasy (The Sorcerers of Verdun)

I totally enjoyed this alternate history military fantasy.
The Ethereal Squadron: A Wartime Fantasy (The Sorcerers of Verdun)
by Shami Stovall

File Size: 3713 KB
Print Length: 327 pages
Publisher: TCK Publishing (December 26, 2018)
ASIN: B07KWT5BHK
Genre: Action, Historical Fantasy, Historical Military
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

SOLDIERS, SORCERERS, AND MONSTERS...THIS IS WORLD WAR ONE LIKE YOU’VE NEVER IMAGINED IT.
It’s 1916, and the world is on fire.
The Great War has already consumed much of the globe, but a second, secret war between sorcerers threatens to crack it in two. The ruling families of Germany and Austria-Hungary, those with the chill of magic in their blood, will stop at nothing in their quest for power, and they’ve drawn the entire world into a bloody war because of it.
But Florence Cavell—codename Geist—means to stop them. She had to defy her family, cut her hair, and disguise herself as a man to join the legendary Ethereal Squadron: a joint US-UK division of the allied powers’ mightiest sorcerers. Armed with her powerful specter sorcery, which allows her to “ghost” through bullets and barbed wire alike, Geist fights a tireless battle to end the war once and for all.
But then the Germans unleash the Grave-Maker Gas, a concoction so deadly it destroys everything it touches and transforms even the strongest sorcerers into terrible monsters. Even her ghostly magic can’t resist the gas’s corrosive power, and it costs Geist everything she loves—her team, her friends, even the use of an arm.
This is the new weapon that could end the war—and give the Germans the world.
Now Geist must risk it all to lead a new team deep into hostile territory to discover the source of this terrifying new technology before the enemy sets it loose upon the world. Will she be able to stop the Grave-Maker Gas before it’s too late...or will the secrets of her past finally catch up with her?

Review:
Florence Cavell has special specter sorcery skills that come in handy by allowing her to “ghost” through bullets, barbed wire and more. This gained her the code name ”Geist”. All of her Ethereal team mates are named after their powers, and each one has a special skill that helps them succeed as a team. Geist returns from a devastating battle where she learned of a horrendous new weapon in use by the Germans and lost members of her team to the corrosive, skin eating gas.

At first it is hard for even her superior to believe and understand the horror of the Grave-Maker Gas. It is crucial to find a way to combat or stop the gas. She is assigned to lead her new team, including a mysterious man she rescued from the German dungeon, to go behind enemy lines to get more information. Every step they take puts them in danger and challenges their skills. And soon they are facing monster soldiers created through experimentation with blood stolen from other sorcerers.

Initially only one person at the base knows Geist’s true nature but the closer she grows with the team the harder it is to hide not only her sex but also her family background. She is afraid everyone will reject her leadership, if not condemn her, when they discover her secrets.

I very much liked Geist’s character. She is loyal, brave, determined and caring, in addition to being a skilled warrior. Her newest team member, Vergess (Vergessenheit or Oblivion), discovers her secret and it becomes clear that he plans to try to protect her whenever he can. He has secrets of his own and I really liked his strengths and his gentlemanly attitude toward Geist. The team has to work through suspicion and tension while trying to stay alive.

The characters are well defined with their histories shared as the danger ramps up. The story is set in an alternative wartime 1916 Europe. It is creative and action-packed. I was pulled in by the opening action and remained engrossed as the suspense and the emotional and interesting interactions continued. I sort of wish there would be more stories with these characters.  I recommend this to readers who enjoy a strong alternative military fantasy.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2019NetGalley goal.