Mutt Cafe

Tangled Web A Deadly Curiosities Novel by Gail Z. Martin SOL Publishing Mystery & Thrillers , Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 13 May 2018 Review I have mixed feelings about Tangled Web. The plot is complex, with quite a few interesting twists. I was intrigued by Charleston as a hub of spiritual activity, and I did like how Gail Z Martin blended types of myth and magic. What threw me off, was how every time Cassidy met one of the central characters she went into an expositi

Probable Claws A Mrs. Murphy Mystery by Rita Mae Brown Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Bantam Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 29 May 2018 Review It is never easy to keep a long running series fresh and interesting. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of repetition. Rita Mae Brown’s success as an author is a testament to her ability to move forward and allow her characters- both human and animal, to develop with time. As in her previous novel, Probable Claws has

A Passion for Haunted Fashion by Rose Pressey Kensington Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 29 May 2018 Review I have mixed feelings about A Passion for Haunted Fashion. Cookie Chanel’s haphazard and somewhat neurotic approach to investigating is painful to watch and funny simultaneously. The nonstop chatter of her ghosts, Charlotte and Peggy, is more of a hindrance than a help, and is often distracting. It is easy to understand why Cookie isn’t completely “with it”. At

The Otter of Death A Gunn Zoo Mystery #5 by Betty Webb Poisoned Pen Press Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 02 May 2018 Review Betty Webb’s newest Gunn Zoo mystery is frighteningly pertinent in the current commercial environment that pits lovers of nature against those in search of profit despite potential ecological cost. It also tackles the issue of sexual harassment. Despite its weighty background, The Otter of Death is still a cozy, and an appealing, well written one at

IT TAKES DEATH TO REACH A STAR by Stu Jones & Gareth Worthington Vesuvian Books Literary Fiction , Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 22 May 2018 Review It Takes Death to Reach a Star depicts a dystopian future where the last of society is divided between the Graciles, genetically engineered individuals who live in luxury above, and the Robusts, the plague survivors who struggle in the frozen habitats below. The Robust population of Eytom is divided into walled segments according

Lestrade and the Giant Rat of Sumatra by M. J. Trow Thistle Publishing General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 24 May 2018 Review The first word that comes to mind when considering Lestrade and the Giant Rat of Sumatra is “weird”. It is an unusual book that has its own distinctive charm. Set in the early years of the 20th century, this quirky police procedural is both funny and disturbing at once. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Chief Inspector Wal

FIRE ON THE FENS by JOY ELLIS Joffe Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 30 May 2018 Review Joy Ellis’s newest novel Fire on the Fens demonstrates why she is one of the foremost authors of British police procedurals. The cases that challenge Nikki Galena and her team are believable but never formulaic or repetitive. As you read the Nikki Galena novels and come to know her, Joseph Easter and the rest of her team, they become like family. They care about their job and reade

Reborn by Lance Erlick Kensington Books Rebel Base Books Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 01 May 2018 Review Reborn’s writing may not be perfect, but the story is a good mix of entertaining and thought provoking. In essence, it is the story of two journeys. One, of an artificial being’s evolution of independent thought and feeling. The other of a man’s descent through obsession and the need to possess and control. There is the overarching issue of women’s treatment in the workplac

Pick and Chews A Barkery & Biscuits Mystery #4 by Linda O. Johnston Midnight Ink General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 08 May 2018 Review Linda O Johnston’s novels are always a safe bet for lovers of animal cozies. While not the most innovative, Her books are entertaining, and pets, dogs in particular, play a central role. Pick and Chews is a good, solid cozy that makes for a pleasant afternoon read. Carrie Kennersly, vet tech and pet baker extraordinaire,

Armistice Book 2 in the Amberlough Dossier by Lara Elena Donnelly Macmillan-Tor/Forge Tor Books Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 15 May 2018 Review Armistice is not the easiest book to delve into if you haven’t read its predecessor Amberlough. It is a complex, politically driven novel with hard bitten characters focused on their own agendas. There are no clear “good” guys. All sides were grey. I expected more action. Instead, there was a lot of double dealing discussed and a