Category: Book Review

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Gold Pawn (Art Deco Mystery #2) by L.A. Chandlar

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Gold Pawn (Art Deco Mystery #2) by L.A. Chandlar

This was a series that I hadn’t heard anything about. The author and the series were completely new to me but I fell in love with the cover and was eager to see what it was about.

I am always on the look out for new historical mysteries and Kensington Books have a slew of authors that I have come to enjoy over the years.

November 1936. Mayor La Guardia’s political future buckles under a missing persons case in New York City. Simultaneously, Lane unravels devastating secrets in the outskirts of Detroit. As two crimes converge, judging friends from enemies can be a dangerous game . . .

Finally summoning courage to face the past, Lane Sanders breaks away from her busy job at City Hall to confront childhood nightmares in Rochester, Michigan. An unknown assailant left Lane with scattered memories after viciously murdering her parents. However, one memory of a dazzling solid gold pawn piece remains–and with it lies a startling connection between the midwestern tragedy and a current mystery haunting the Big Apple . . . Continue reading “Review: The Gold Pawn (Art Deco Mystery #2) by L.A. Chandlar” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye

The first thing I said when I saw this book was—-finally a cool interesting book set in Portland!

Living in Oregon, there isn’t an abundance of cool books set here. Sure we have a number of writers from Oregon that have made it into the ‘big time’, but for the most part Oregon isn’t exactly the hippest place to set  your novel in.

In recent years though I have seen a lot of writers—both from Oregon or the PacNW and not—set their books here in my lovely state but it’s still not as popular as say New York or L.A.. I’ve read a few of Faye’s novels and have fallen in love with her writing so besides the fact that this book has Oregon ties, I wanted to read it because she wrote a new book!

The year is 1921, and “Nobody” Alice James is on a cross-country train, carrying a bullet wound and fleeing for her life following an illicit drug and liquor deal gone horribly wrong. Desperate to get as far away as possible from New York City and those who want her dead, she has her sights set on Oregon: a distant frontier that seems the end of the line. Continue reading “Review: The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Omega Objection (San Andreas Shifters #2) by G.L. Carriger

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Review: The Omega Objection (San Andreas Shifters #2) by G.L. Carriger

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, I have been a fan of Gail Carriger for at least the last seven years. I fell in love with her writing and quirky humor with Soulless, the first in The Parasol Protectorate series and from there it was all history!

Her world building and character development is on point and I love that she writes diverse stories. I have read a few of her LGBTQ novels and loved how beautifully she portrays romance between people, not just romance between man and woman—-or werewolf and a soulless.

I don’t read a ton of LGBTQ romances or novels for that matter, but I love Carriger’s ability to world build and create interesting romances so when this second book in the San Andreas Shifters series came up, I was happy to review it.

A werewolf walks into a bar. Continue reading “Review: The Omega Objection (San Andreas Shifters #2) by G.L. Carriger” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: Melmoth by Sarah Perry

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: Melmoth by Sarah Perry

She’s watching you. Melmoth the witness. Always watching and always lonely. This book was on my radar since I’m a huge fan of gothic literature.

I have Perry’s novel, The Essex Serpent, to read and have heard rave reviews about it. With October in full swing and this book being released, I decided to start with this book before I read The Essex Serpent.

I have never heard the tales of Melmoth the witness but I love Prague and with this novel being set there, I could barely get the box unwrapped before I started reading this one.

It has been years since Helen Franklin left England. In Prague, working as a translator, she has found a home of sorts—or, at least, refuge. That changes when her friend Karel discovers a mysterious letter in the library, a strange confession and a curious warning that speaks of Melmoth the Witness, a dark legend found in obscure fairy tales and antique village lore. Continue reading “Review: Melmoth by Sarah Perry” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Man She Married by Cathy Lamb

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Man She Married by Cathy Lamb

I always love meeting new to me authors in roundabout ways. Earlier this year I happened to be invited to book blogger week over at Tall Poppy Writers and found an outstanding community of authors who are dedicated to interacting with their audiences.

I have read and reviewed a number of authors from this group, but at the time I didn’t know they were part of this amazing community…..in fact I only just discovered the group a few weeks ago as I mentioned, and I had been reading a number of Poppy Writers for years!

Anyway, so I participated in their book blogger week met a number of new to me authors, one of which was Cathy Lamb, who also happens to live in the Portland, OR area which is about 45 min north of where I live. Small world!

She asked if I would be interested in reading her latest book, The Man She Married, and I was happy to do so. I didn’t really know much about the book or the author, but I was at least willing to support a fellow Oregonian by reading the book…..but was I in store for something that was not only interesting, but also different that I hadn’t been expecting. Continue reading “Review: The Man She Married by Cathy Lamb” →