Book Review: Reese's Leap by Darcy Scott

"Brit said they come out here every year - same women, same week in July."

Good old Brit. "I wouldn't know." Nor do I care. Once around with this shit's more than enough for me; besides, I desperately need to keep the sun from hitting my retinas just now. Shades, I think. I pat my pockets.

"Earl was killed the week they were here. July 21st."

My comments: Botanist Gil and his pal David Duggan think they are invited to an all women's week-long party on Mistake Island, Maine, but find themselves unwelcome guests when they arrive on the island. The five women at the party really want to be alone to enjoy the beauty and quiet and seclusion of the heavily forested island. Heavy fog, sabotage and other strange events prevent the two men from leaving the island, and they stay to protect the women when unusual occurrences and a strange man intrudes to threaten the group.

Intense in parts, bucolic in others when Gil wanders the island, appreciating its beauty and uniqueness, the story becomes quite suspenseful as events spin out of control for the women, who don't know the reason for being targeted by the strange intruder.

A good plot, though just slightly improbable in parts, fuels the novel, as do the descriptions of the island and the history of Malaga Island. Malaga is a real island off the Maine coast which was once inhabited by a mixed-race community that was forced to leave the island in the early 20th century.

I am curious about the first in the series, Matinicus, and the third that will soon be published, Ragged Island. For more reviews, see the tour schedule at Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Title: Reese's Leap: An Island Mystery by Darcy Scott
Published by: Maine Authors Publishing, March 23, 2013
Source: review copy from author
Objective review: 4/5

DARCY SCOTT is a live-aboard sailor and experienced ocean cruiser who’s sailed to Grenada and island-hopped through the Caribbean. Her favorite cruising ground remains the coast of Maine, and the history and rugged beauty of its out-islands inspires her Maine Island Mystery Series, the award-winning "Matinicus" and "Reese’s Leap." Book three, "Ragged Island," is currently in the works. Her debut novel, "Hunter Huntress," was published June 2010. Visit her at http://www.darcyscott.net or http://www.Facebook.com/Author.Darcy.Scott, and http://twitter.com/Darcy_Scott

GIVEAWAY: The author is offering an e-book copy to a reader. Please leave a comment by Sept. 18 to enter the contest.
UPDATE; Congratulations to Pat@Posting for Now, the winner of the e-book contest!

Book Review: The Sound and the Furry by Spencer Quinn

Also submitted to: Teaser Tuesdays hosted by MizB; choose sentences from your current read and identify author and title for readers.  First Chapter, First Paragraph is hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea.

Opening paragraphs:

"One thing's for sure," the lawyer said, handing Bernie our check," you earned every cent."

Bernie tucked the check in - oh, no - the chest pocket of his Hawaiian shirt, just about his nicest Hawaiian shirt, with the hula dancers and the trombones, but that wasn't the point. The point was we'd had chest pocket problems in the past, more than once. And possibly more than twice, but I wouldn't know, since I don't count past two. What I do know is that checks have a way of falling out of chest pockets.

"What's he barking about?" the lawyer said.

My comments: That's Chet talking, the 100-pound plus dog who, with his human partner, Bernie, make up the detective duo, Chet and Bernie. Chet narrates the stories and we see his limitations and also his strengths in the partnership. He can't communicate in words with Bernie but he is astute, a great sniffer, and knows lots of things Bernie doesn't. With Bernie's human smarts, together they make good PIs.

In The Sound and the Furry, the pair are asked to find a missing inventor, Ralph, the reclusive brother of a criminal Chet and Bernie have put behind bars. They leave the dry desert Chet is familiar with and head down to Louisiana and the bayou. It takes some getting used to for Chet, all that water, but he takes it in stride, even swimming in the bayou a couple of times.

And what I had feared happened. Chet gets into big trouble in that bayou, and I won't say how, but it's spectacular and nail-bitingly suspenseful. The big dog meets more than his match. The duo solve the mystery though, with Bernie getting involved in more than he had bargained for. But as Chet explains about Bernie being able to figure things out,
" Bernie handles the so therefores. I bring other things to the table."

My take: Entertaining, suspenseful, good writing. An excellent read.

By the way, this is the sixth book in the series, but they can be read in any order.

Book description:
Chet and Bernie head to Louisiana after they run into an old criminal friend they helped send to prison, Frenchie Boutette. Frenchie needs Bernie and Chet’s help to find his missing brother, Ralph, who has disappeared from his houseboat. A reclusive inventor, Ralph is the only law-abiding member of his family. The Boutette family has a long running feud with the no-good Robideaus and it seems as if Ralph’s disappearance is connected to a dispute over a load of stolen shrimp. But when Chet uncovers a buried clue, the investigation heads in a dangerous direction and a conspiracy involving the oil business. Visit Chet's website: Chet the Dog.

Title: The Sound and the Furry: A Chet and Bernie Mystery #6 by Spencer Quinn
Published September 10, 2013; Atria Books
Source: review book provided by the publisher'
Objective rating: 4.5/5

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It's Monday: What's in Your Mailbox?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.
Yolanda of Notorious Spinks Talks Books hosts Mailbox Monday this month.

Received last week: This one reminds me of the real-life scandal surrounding the Bolshoi Ballet not too long ago.

Title: Dancer Daughter Traitor Spy: A Novel by Elizabeth Kiem, August 13, 2013; Soho Teen.
Book description: "A new breed of spy novel combines classic thrills, Bolshoi intrigue, and elements of the paranormal.

Marina is born of privilege. Her mother, Sveta, is the Soviet Union's prima ballerina and an international star. But Sveta is afflicted with a mysterious second sight and becomes obsessed with exposing a horrific state secret. Then she disappears.

Fearing for their lives, Marina and her father defect to Brooklyn, where Marina is a dancer at Juilliard. But her enigmatic partner, Sergei, makes concentration almost impossible, as does the fact that Marina shares her mother's “gift,” and has a vision of her father’s murder at the hands of the Russian crooks and con artists she thought they'd left behind. Now Marina must deal with her mother's disappearance, her ability, and exactly whom she can—and can't—trust." (publisher)

I have been receiving a few teen novels recently and must admit, this one does look good, as does this other from last week,

Relic by Heather Terrell, to be published October 29, 2013 is a combination of fantasy and dystopia about a "civilization built on lies and the girl who single-handedly brings it down."

Current reads include
Old Man River: The Mississippi River in North American History, "an account of how the Mississippi shaped America,"
Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd.
I finished last week:
Reese's Leap: An Island Mystery by Darcy Scott, for a book tour this week.

What are you reading and what arrived in the mail last week?

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Sunday Salon: Nobel Prize for Literature 2013

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! And visit The Sunday Post hosted by The Caffeinated Bookreviewer!

I just counted about nine books which I must read for book tours for the rest of the year. After that, I plan to quit book tours for a while and read books from my own TBR pile.  I notice I've been getting grouchy in my reviews lately, so it must be time to move on.

More nonfiction book are on my reading list, too.

By the way, who are you rooting for to win the Nobel Prize for Literature this year? My bet is on Murakami, whose novel 1Q84 with its magical realism and social commentary blew me away, even though it was almost 1,000 pages long. (Click on the link to see my thoughts on that book).

This from the Guardian: "Other favoured contenders include US author Joyce Carol Oates, Hungarian writer Peter Nádas, South Korean poet Ko Un  and Alice Munro, the short story writer from Canada."

I've heard Philip Roth's name bandied about too.

Who's your choice?

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Book Feature: The Sensory Child Gets Organized by Carolyn Dalgliesh

Title: The Sensory Child Gets Organized: Proven Systems for Rigid, Anxious, or Distracted Kids
Author: Carolyn Dalgliesh
Published September 3, 2013; Touchstone

This seems to be a valuable source of practical ideas for teachers as well as families with distracted kids.

Publisher description:
"Every year, tens of thousands of young children are diagnosed with disorders that make it difficult for them to absorb the external world. Parents of sensory kids—like those with sensory processing disorder, anxiety disorder, AD/HD, autism, bipolar disorder, and OCD—often feel frustrated and overwhelmed, creating stress in everyday life for the whole family.

Author Carolyn Dalgliesh knows firsthand the struggles parents face in trying to bring out the best in their rigid, anxious, or distracted children. She provides solutions that help these kids thrive at home and in their day-to-day activities, and describes how to
- Understand what makes your sensory child tick 
- Create harmonious spaces through sensory organizing 
- Use structure and routines to connect with your child 
-  Prepare your child for social and school experiences 
- Make travel a successful and fun-filled journey 
 An easy-to-follow road map for the entire family."

Carolyn Dalgliesh is the founder and owner of Systems for Sensory Kids and Simple Organizing Strategies, which helps families, individuals, and businesses get organized. She lives in Rhode Island.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book.
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Book Review/Tour: Going Through the Notions by Cate Price

Title: Going Through the Notions: A Deadly Notions Mystery by Cate Price
Publication: September 3, 2013; Berkley
Genre: cozy mystery, new series
Source: review copy from publisher

Book description:
Retired schoolteacher Daisy Buchanan has found her calling in the quaint village of Millbury, Pennsylvania. While her husband renovates their old house, Daisy presides over Sometimes a Great Notion, her quirky shop that sells sewing bits and bobs, antiques, and jewelry. At a local auction her friend and mentor, auctioneer Angus Backstead, is arrested, accused of killing his drinking buddy who had stolen a set of expensive fountain pens. Daisy’s sure the sprightly old-timer couldn’t have done it and sets out to find the truth. (publisher)

My comments: Readers get involved with Kate's friends and her customers in the notions shop, a setting apart from the mystery plot, which involves her looking out for her friend Angus, whom she is determined to prove innocent of a murder. Lovers of notions and antiques will like the characters and the quaintness of the small shop. The murder plot is only half of the novel. I was often a bit impatient to get away from the notions, auctions, and yard sales, and back to the mystery, but found overall the novel was a good effort and good beginning for this new series.

About Cate Price
Cate Price was born in England and came to the U.S. when she was sixteen. She enjoys walking her two rescue dogs, and enjoys gardening, yard sales, and cooking with friends. Her previous (unpublished) books have finaled in numerous contests, including the Daphne Du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America.

Writing the first book in the Deadly Notions mystery series proved an expensive project, because while researching auction houses, she became addicted to bidding on box lots. She is at work on the next book in the series, A DOLLHOUSE TO DIE FOR. Cate loves to connect with readers at her website, http://cateprice.com/ on Facebook at www.facebook.com/catepriceauthor or Goodreads at www.goodreads.com/cateprice

Visit the book tour schedule for more reviews, hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

Nonfiction Books: Old Man River; Good Prose

I requested this new book from the publisher as my husband and I have both had a love for this river through the books, the songs and music, and the movies made about it. The river runs north and south right through the country, and am looking forward to reading Paul Schneider's book about the length and breadth of its history.

Old Man River: The Mississippi River in North American History, "an account of how the Mississippi shaped America," was published September 3 by Henry Holt and Co.,  my birthday, by the way, and I say that's auspicious for my enjoying it! It is divided into seven books, each book detailing the river's history from prehistoric times to the present.

The other nonfiction I'm currently reading is Good Prose: The Art of Nonfiction by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd, two writers known for their nonfiction and portraits of American life. The hardcover edition was published by Random House in January this year and the paperback edition just came out August 7.  I started reading it in the bookstore and had to buy it.

I have never read a how-to book on writing straight through before, but I'm enjoying this one and am reading it like a novel, from cover to cover. The writers' observations, comments, and tips can apply to fiction as well as nonfiction. I liked the section on writing memoirs quite a bit.  It made me determined to dust off my notes and keep going on that family history project I started.

I hope to write more about these two books after I've finished them.

What nonfiction books have you been reading?