Month: April 2022

Review: The Maid by Nina Prose

~ megs14malloy

The MaidThe Maid by Nita Prose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Twenty-five year old, Molly Gray, works as a maid at the Regency Grand Hotel.

Like her Gran before her, Molly takes her profession seriously. It’s up to her to leave each room in a state of perfection for the guests of the hotel. There’s really nothing more important.

After all, the room is the point of staying at a posh hotel. There’s no better feeling than slipping under those pristine sheets at the end of a long day. Maybe gorging yourself on room service, champagne; it’s a whole vibe.

Molly is happy to do her part ensuring the Regency Grand never waivers on its standards.

As is common in hotels of this type, they have guests who stay with them quite frequently. Mr. Charles Black and his second wife, Gisele, are two of these esteemed visitors.

Despite their socio-economic difference, Molly has built a special relationship with Gisele; some may even call them friends. Gisele is blunt and no-nonsense, often helping Molly, who has a difficult time navigating social situations.

Molly’s Gran used to help her with such things, but Gran’s been gone for a few months now, leaving Molly on her own. Molly still uses a lot of the things Gran taught her in her interactions with others, but it’s not the same. She misses her a whole lot.

When Molly stumbles upon Mr. Black, dead in the bed of his hotel suite, she can hardly believe what she is seeing. The room is a state of disarray, the likes of which she hasn’t seen from the couple before. Who would do this to Mr. Black?!

Unfortunately for Molly, her quirky mannerisms and behavior lead the police to consider her a main suspect. Adding insult to injury, other players in the hotel scene may have taken advantage of Molly and aided in her ending up in this position. It’s a tangled web, indeed.

I really enjoyed the audiobook for The Maid. Molly was a unique character and I liked getting to know her, even though at times I felt it difficult to read smarmy characters taking advantage of her. It made sense in terms of the narrative, but it was a difficult pill to swallow.

Personally, I could have handled this being a bit cozier even. It was actually quite serious in certain segments and I don’t think I was emotionally prepared for that.

I expected something different than what I got, but this is an excellent debut Mystery. I actually appreciate the nuance Prose brought to this tale. It’s definitely deeper than I was planning for.

The Mystery itself was fun though. I love drama in families and apparently, now drama in the workplace is my thing; fictional only, please. The setting of the hotel was vivid and realistic to me. I felt like I could picture it all playing out.

The pace did slow down a couple of times, but those quieter moments were really just times where we were offered the opportunity to deep dive into Molly’s background. She was such an interesting character that I didn’t even mind those moments that much.

Overall, I think this is a great story, a fun Mystery, and a superbly promising debut. I look forward to reading whatever Prose has in store for us next!!

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Review: When the Corn is Waist High by Jeremy Scott

~ megs14malloy

When the Corn is Waist HighWhen the Corn is Waist High by Jeremy Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

When the Corn is Waist High is confounding to me. I have had the most difficult time trying to determine what my final rating will be. Jeremy Scott, you have left me confused, surprised and at a loss for words.

This story follows our narrator, Solomon Lancaster, who is a Catholic Priest, as well as the Sheriff for his Indiana County.

Although Lancaster seems slightly unprepared to run a murder investigation, he’ll be the first to remind you that the Sheriff is in fact an elected position.

He’s not actually a trained criminal justice professional. He’s definitely more comfortable in his role listening to the confessions of his congregation.

So when bodies start dropping in his community of Crooked Creek, he begins bumbling around like a cowboy at his first rodeo. While the initial body was surprising enough, after the second and then the third, it’s clear the community has an active serial killer on their hands.

The FBI gets called in and they aren’t impressed by Lancaster’s skill set. Nevertheless, he manages to keep himself involved in the investigation.

This book was interesting. I listened to the audiobook and appreciated the narrator’s classic storytelling voice, as well as Scott’s no-nonsense writing style.

I made it through the story in a day and had some highs and lows, but I was never bored. I was definitely intrigued, with one major twist dropping my jaw and having me question everything I thought I knew.

After that point, the intensity continued to climb for me as I began to see things in a whole new light. In my opinion, that was really well played by Scott.

I loved how I was sort of lulled into a sense of complacency, feeling like this was just a normal Police Procedural, but it’s sure as heck not!

Additionally, I did love the ending of this. It left me with that devious little smile on my face I love so much; more than satisfactory. I am wondering if this will be the start to a series, or if this is where Scott is going to leave it?

Generally, I am not a huge fan of religious elements being involved in my stories, and I know others may be turned off by that, but I really don’t see how this story could have worked otherwise.

Thank you to the publisher, Turner Publishing and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. This was my first novel by Scott and I look forward to picking up more in the future!

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Review: Shinji Taskahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa

~ megs14malloy

Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl (Fiction - Middle Grade)Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Julie Kagawa never fails to completely capture my attention with her stories. Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl is no exception. This Middle Grade Adventure story was an absolute blast to read!

When he was very young, Shinji Takahashi lost both of his parents in a devastating house fire. Since that time, he has lived with her Aunt Yui.

Aunt Yui and Shinji travel the world in their boat, The Good Tern, searching for rare treasures for her business. In a way, they’re real life treasure hunters. It’s an interesting life; Shinji can’t complain, even though he is a bit surly at times.

While in Africa, they visit the small village of Abenge. Shinji goes exploring while his Aunt does some work. She gives him a bit of cash, so he can pick out a treasure of his own.

In a dusty old shop, he comes across an idol that will change the course of his life. A magical object that binds itself to Shinji and tattoos the Mark of the Coatl on his arm.

Almost as soon as he has the object in his hot little hands, a pair of menacing men approach Shinji and try to get the object from him. When Shinji refuses, it looks like things may turn violent and Shinji decides to run for it.

He’s not sure what exactly he has, but obviously it’s valuable as heck because these dudes aren’t giving up.

Before he can even make sense of it, Shinji is captured and whisked away to an unknown location. Once there, he is able to befriend a girl named, Lucy. She fills him in a bit on the people behind his capture, the mysterious Hightower Corporation.

Lucy seems to be some sort of tech prodigy and Shinji likes her right away, but can he trust her?

It seems Lucy is an ally. She aids in his escape from Hightower and leads him to some people who she thinks will be able to help and protect him: The Society of Explorers and Adventurers, better known as SEA.

It seems the tattoo on Shinji’s arm, the Mark of the Coatl, is actually a curse of sorts. In order to break it, Shinji must return to the source of the magic’s power and return it.

A team from SEA is assembled, made up of Oliver Ocean, Maya Griffin, Professor Carrero and Zoe Kim, participating via her drone, to help Shinji and Lucy on their quest.

Along the way, the group faces many obstacles, both natural and magical. They’re forced to face human villains, as well as creatures of legends. It’s a wild ride!

This was such a easy story to get into. Kagawa is a gifted storyteller and this one drew me in from the very start.

I loved Shinji so much. He truly embodies all of the characteristics needed in a hero. Additionally, I loved learning more about the secret organization of SEA. Hardcore Disney fans will find some Easter Eggs in this one. That made it extra fun, but really this story can be enjoyed by anyone.

The intensity builds in a nice, steady pace throughout the story, all leading to an epic showdown in the temple of the Coatl.

There were some scenes where I was biting my nails, edge-of-my-seat, praying for my favorites. Kagawa did a fantastic job of incorporating various folklore from around the world into this, as well as providing a strong message on the importance of protecting the world’s cultural artifacts.

This ended in such a great spot for the continuation of the series. I have no idea how many books are slated to be included in this series, or even if there will be multiple authors contributing. Either way, I am in for the long haul.

Bring on more SEA!!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was an excellent start to another fantastic Middle Grade series!!

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Review: The Shadow House by Anna Downes

~ megs14malloy

The Shadow HouseThe Shadow House by Anna Downes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fleeing a toxic relationship, Alex, a single-mother of two, moves with her children, teenage-son, Ollie and infant-daughter, Kara, to the remote eco-village of Pine Ridge.

Alex dreams of a fresh start for them. Things had gotten pretty bad in their old life, with Ollie even having been expelled from school due to of a bit a scandal involving some classmates.

Determined to make it work, Alex signs on to a 3-month commitment at Pine Ridge. They need this. They have to give it a fair shot.

Once arriving, Alex begins meeting current residents of the village, who try to clue her in to the ways of the community. This includes Kit, their charming and charismatic leader.

As much as she wants to fit in, however, there’s something about the place that makes Alex feel unsettled. It’s not just the rumors of the witch who lives in the woods and steals children, but things start to happen to them as well.

Mysterious, ominous packages, strange drawings; it’s all a bit overwhelming. Add to this Ollie’s temperamental and moody behavior, Alex finds herself close to the end of her rope.

Alex has always had a hard time accepting help, but as one of her neighbors reminds her, sometimes it takes a village. Slowly, she begins to lean into the experience, growing closer to some of the others.

It’s unclear who she can trust though. Soon people Alex thought were friends are talking behind her back; it seems trying to push her out. Is this whole scheme some sort of sham?

In addition to Alex’s perspective, the Reader also gets the historical perspective of a woman named, Renee.

Renee once lived in a farmhouse on the grounds of which the eco-village now sits. Years earlier, Renee’s teenage-son, Gabriel, went missing. His disappearance was never solved.

As you learn more about Gabriel from Renee, you see that he has a lot of similarities to Alex’s son, Ollie. Additionally, strange things about Gabriel’s case mirror things currently happening to Alex and Ollie.

Could the two cases be related? Is Ollie in danger, as he fears? Is there a witch in the woods snatching children?

Alex begins investigating.

She needs to find answers before it’s too late, but with no clue who she can trust, the odds seem stacked against her.

The Shadow House is hard to categorize. I wouldn’t stick it in a strict Mystery, Thriller or Suspense category. I think if you go into it expecting that, you may be disappointed.

It feels Dark General Fiction, or Dark Domestic Drama to me, with a slight Mystery. Regardless, I really enjoy Downes storytelling. I was intrigued by her first book and even more with this one.

I loved learning about the eco-village; how it was run, it’s history and the lore surrounding the area. The characters were vibrant and believable.

I also really enjoyed the way Downes used the two perspectives to build the story out. It’s definitely a slow burn, but I was happy with the conclusion and the length of time it took for all of the pieces to fall into place.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was excellent. I felt like their accent attributed a sense of place to the overall story. It was a great listen!

There was a romance subplot that I personally could have done without, but I get it. I understand why Downes included it. I just may have enjoyed it a bit more if Alex had embraced her time finding herself and growing with her children on her own.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this. The atmosphere was fantastic. I loved the build and how it began to feel a bit claustrophobic.

I found certain aspects of it to be unsettling and I did start to feel a real sense of desperation towards the end. The whole is it supernatural, is it not supernatural-vibe; I thought it was very well done.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I appreciate it so much.

This is the second book that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed from Downes. I am certainly looking forward to more!

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Review: This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel

~ megs14malloy

This Might HurtThis Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Hoping for a fresh start, Kit Collins signs up for Wisewood, purportedly a Wellness Retreat, set on a remote island off the coast of Maine. This could be just what she needs to get her floundering life in order.

Initially, her stay was to be 6-months, where she would be completely cut off from the outside world, including from her older sister, Natalie.

Natalie, pretty much her younger sister’s opposite, is a successful business woman with a fairly structured life.

All that gets thrown for a loop, however, on the day Natalie receives a seemingly threatening email stemming from Wisewood: We know what you did. Would you like to come tell your sister – or should we?

That’s enough convincing for her. Natalie packs her bags and off she goes on a mission to save Kit; and let’s be honest, to save her secret too.

Over the course of this story, we follow both Natalie and Kit’s perspectives, but we also get a historical perspective from an unknown third character.

Eventually, the person’s identity is revealed, but basically, this perspective is following a charming little girl being psychologically abused by her domineering Father.

Most interesting to me was following along with Natalie as she arrives at Wisewood and slowly deciphers what it is all about. The whole-vibe is quite cultish and I feel like Wrobel did a nice job with that.

I also really enjoyed the historical perspective of the little girl, growing up the way she did and what she chose to do with her life.

In other areas though, this fell short of my expectations. The pace was quite uneven for me, with my interest level waxing and waning heavily throughout. By the end, I really couldn’t be bothered to care anymore.

I finished this 2-weeks ago and already have completely forgotten what the big secret was. That’s not a great sign.

Wrobel definitely has a knack for exploring complicated familial relationships. They certainly abound in this story.

Truthfully, some of the circumstances are difficult to read, so if you feel like you could be sensitive to any plot involving significant mental abuse, and at times physical danger, you may want to proceed with caution.

Overall, I personally could have used higher stakes with a lot more suspense and intrigue. This is still a solid story, if a bit lackluster. With this being said, I’m sure many Readers will enjoy it. Sadly, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Please don’t take my word for it though. As we all know, reading is highly subjective. If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, pick it up and give it a go!

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Even though this one didn’t quite knock it out of the park for me, I still enjoy Wrobel’s writing and ideas. I would definitely pick up future works from her.

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Review: Dead Wind (Shana Merchant #3) by Tessa Wegert

~ megs14malloy

Dead Wind (Shana Merchant, #3)Dead Wind by Tessa Wegert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Dead Wind is the third book in Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series. I really enjoyed the first two books of the series and am happy to report this installment is my favorite yet!

Following Senior Investigator, Shana Merchant, and her partner, Tim Wellington, this series delivers solid Police Procedural action and intrigue.

The setting is the Thousand Lakes region of upstate New York, which sits on the border to Canada. In fact, in Dead Wind, the body that kicks off our mystery is actually found on Wolfe Island in Canada, at the base of a wind turbine.

Shana has an uneasy feeling about the case from the start. When it turns out that the victim is actually from their own community, it starts to hit real close to home. They need to solve this one.

Both Shana and Tim are concerned that the monster from Shana’s past, serial killer, Blake Bram, may be back to playing his old games. It’s far from cut and dry though, there’s a lot of other possibilities.

I was so happy to be returning to this series. Wegert always does a great job of pacing her mysteries and this one is no exception. I was interested and engaged from start-to-finish.

These books are layered as well, which I appreciate. There’s always the main crime that is being investigated, but additionally, Shana has a super intriguing past and that has been incrementally revealed over the course of these first three books.

This one had some local politics involved, hidden secrets and family drama. What elevates it for me though, is the shadow of Blake Bram lurking around every corner. That element ups the stakes and makes it all feel a bit more dangerous.

While I would normally say that most Adult Mystery series can be read in any order, or even as standalone novels, I would highly recommend reading this series in order. I feel that’s the most impactful way to take these stories in.

Shana and Tim are both fantastic main characters to follow. I am hoping this series lasts for a long time, but I’m not sure how many books are actually slated for the series.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Severn House, for providing me a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity!

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Review: The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart

~ megs14malloy

The Paradox HotelThe Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

January Cole is head of security for the Paradox Hotel, a rest stop and playground for wealthy time travelers. Think of it as like a Four Seasons at the airport.

January has worked as a detective in the time travel space for years, traveling back to various time periods thwarting people from changing past, and therefore, future events.

Because of all the travel, January’s brain is starting to ‘skip’, a very serious repercussion of the job. It’s a major health concern and it’s getting worse. There are moments where it is hard for her to determine what is real and what is not.

There’s a lot going on at the hotel, as it is being switched from a government-run entity to a private one. Trillionaires begin popping up, anxious to make bids and secure the hotel for themselves and their interests.

January and the other employees of the hotel are anxious about what may become of their home. So, there’s that. Then there’s bad weather, people get stuck, and there’s a possible murder only January can see.

Oh, and let’s not forget the baby velociraptors that someone let loose. They’re wrecking absolute havoc!

The Paradox Hotel was a very fun read. It was interesting as heck and contained many aspects that I truly enjoyed.

January was a fantastic main character; she was snarky, multi-faceted and someone I truly enjoyed going along with.

She had suffered a personal loss that was continuing to effect her life and interactions with others. I liked the way that aspect of her life was used to build out her character.

I also really enjoyed the evolution of this story and the exploration of time, however, I will say I was confused roughly 60% of the time.

It had the tendency to be almost too rapid fire, switching settings, scenerios, characters, etc. Hart left me in the dust!

Overall, though it was more fun than frustrating. I really did enjoy my time with this book and look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I have heard a lot of great things about The Warehouse, so definitely plan to check that one out.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my opinion!

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Review: Queen’s Hope (Star Wars Canon) by E.K. Johnston

~ megs14malloy

Queen's Hope (Star Wars)Queen’s Hope by E.K. Johnston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Queen’s Hope is a YA-Star Wars Canon novel mainly following Senator Padme Amidala. To put it in timeline perspective, this novel falls concurrently with some of the events of Attack of the Clones and directly thereafter.

This is also a time of upheaval in the galaxy as the Clone Wars are raging.

Padme and Anakin have decided to take their relationship to the next level, even though they have to keep it 100% secret.

They are a committed to one another, completely in love and want to make that commitment binding. There’s no doubt there will be some challenges, but they really want to give it a try as husband and wife, so they do.

The honeymoon period is but the blink of an eye, however, as Anakin, a Jedi Knight, is called forth to actively fight in the Clone Wars.

Padme’s involvement in the Wars is more subtle, but no less important. In fact, as Padme is prone to do, she ends up getting herself way more involved in the political investigations than the average government official would; as in willingly puts herself in harms way.

During the time Padme is off on a secret mission, one of her most loyal and best handmaidens, Sabe, takes over the role of Senator Amidala.

Sabe makes her own discoveries during her time posing as Amidala. The halls of leadership aren’t as copacetic as they would lead you to believe.

And of course, looming quietly on the fringes of this narrative is Chancellor Palpatine, like a dark cloud hovering over a picnic.

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. In a way, it felt like I was adding some behind-the-scenes substance to the content I have previously read and watched. That’s always what I am looking for with Star Wars novels and why I continue to pick them up.

I love the feel of continuously building-out this world that has been a part of my life for practically my whole life.

Before I started really getting into Star Wars novels, it was just a fun, nostalgic movie and t.v. franchise that I enjoyed. Having the boosted content of the novels has elevated my fan status to a whole new level.

If you enjoy Star Wars films, or any of the t.v. shows, or comics, I highly recommend checking out some of the Canon novels. In my opinion, you can really start anywhere, pick a timeline era you find interesting and just dive in!

I personally have been absolutely loving all of the content that has been released over the past few years. There’s a great list of contributing authors and the stories are so well done!

Padme is a fascinating character to me, so I have loved having this trilogy from E.K. Johnston. It has really enhanced my understanding of her, particularly being able to see and understand her relationships with her handmaidens in a different light.

I was slightly disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Padme and Anakin’s relationship in this one, but I do understand they really didn’t have much of one at this time, due to them both being pulled in different directions during the Clone Wars.

So, it does make sense, but I still would have liked to have gotten a little more of them together.

Overall, I think this is a great book. The audiobook is freaking fantastic, with the sound effects included really adding to the intensity. You can’t go wrong with Star Wars audibooks!! 10/10 recommend that format.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Disney LucasFilms Press and Disney Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I had a blast with this one and look forward to more Canon content in the future!!

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Review: Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2)Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Four Aunties and a Wedding is the follow up to Jesse Q. Sutanto’s hilariously over-the-top 2021-release, Dial A for Aunties.

In this second installment, Meddy and her fantastic Ma and Aunties are back, doing what they do best; getting into trouble, causing chaos and steadfastly supporting one another through it all.

Meddy’s Ma and Aunties are wedding planner extraordinaires, but when it’s Meddy’s turn to take the walk down the aisle, she wants them to attend as her most valued guests, not as the planners.

Therefore, they decide to hire out the jobs they would normally handle. They’re pleasantly surprised when they are able to find another Chinese-Indonesian family-run wedding planning business to help them. What are the odds?

Meddy can’t believe her luck. That is until she catches the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who she has grown close to over the months of planning, discussing taking a hit out on someone at the blessed event.

Oh yeah, this seems more like Meddy’s luck; terrible. As it turns out, the whole family of wedding planners they hired are part of the Mafia and plan to use Meddy’s wedding as the backdrop to their next assassination, but who is their target?

Now it is up to Meddy, her Ma and Aunties to protect all of their guests, while simultaneously taking the mafioso down and keeping everyone else, including the groom, in the dark.

If this sounds like the wackiest set-up to you, you’re not wrong. It is wacky, wildly outrageous and an absolute blast to read!

I love Meddy and her relationships with her family, especially with her Ma.

All the Aunties and Ma love Meddy so much, she’s almost drowning in their support. Sometimes their best intentions overshoot the mark a bit, but what are families for, if not to embarrass you every now and again.

This had some adorably played out drama, however, I will say that I wished there had been a bit more mystery to it. I know it isn’t necessarily a Cozy Mystery, but it feels like it wants to be.

There’s so much about this to love, but I didn’t really feel like their were any stakes involved. I know there was the hit they were preventing but, that almost seemed back burner compared to the slapstick hijinks.

With this said, I still found this to be super cute and fun. For me, this is the ideal type of book to bring on vacation, or to binge in a weekend when you want to forget about real life for a while.

I love these characters so much and hope there’s more to this series. From the ending of this one, it sounds like there definitely could be. I would 100% be on board.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m definitely a Sutanto fan!!

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