In the month of October I had one of the worst reading slumps of 2018 after trying to read two books with heavier themes such as PTSD (
The Phoenix Empress and
Lethal White). I tried to struggle through them but after several weeks I ended up putting them down for the moment and picked up the proven slump breaking genres of Middle Grade and Young Adult.
The four books I read in the month of October include one adult mystery, two middle grade novels, and one YA novel. Of the two middle grades one is a mystery that any animal lover will adore and the other is a comical paranormal demon adventure. The four books I finished this month were all solid four star ratings and brought my books finished in 2018 to 91.
Happy reading!
Title: The Black Tower
Author: Louis Bayard
Page Count: 368
Rating: B
Format Read: Audiobook
Genre: Historical Fiction Mystery
Keywords: Medicine, Disguise, Identity
Kid Appropriate: No
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Vidocq. The name strikes terror in the Parisian underworld of 1818. As founder and chief of a newly created plainclothes police force, Vidocq has used his mastery of disguise and surveillance to capture some of France’s most notorious and elusive criminals. Now he is hot on the trail of a tantalizing mystery—the fate of the young dauphin Louis-Charles, son of Marie-Antoinette and King Louis XVI.
Hector Carpentier, a medical student, lives with his widowed mother in her once-genteel home, now a boardinghouse, in Paris’s Latin Quarter, helping the family make ends meet in the politically perilous days of the restoration. Three blocks away, a man has been murdered, and Hector’s name has been found on a scrap of paper in the dead man’s pocket: a case for the unparalleled deductive skills of Eugène François Vidocq, the most feared man in the Paris police. At first suspicious of Hector’s role in the murder, Vidocq gradually draws him into an exhilarating—and dangerous—search that leads them to the true story of what happened to the son of the murdered royal family.
Officially, the Dauphin died a brutal death in Paris’s dreaded Temple—a menacing black tower from which there could have been no escape—but speculation has long persisted that the ten-year-old heir may have been smuggled out of his prison cell. When Hector and Vidocq stumble across a man with no memory of who he is, they begin to wonder if he is the Dauphin himself, come back from the dead. Their suspicions deepen with the discovery of a diary that reveals Hector’s own shocking link to the boy in the tower—and leaves him bound and determined to see justice done, no matter the cost.
In The Black Tower, Bayard deftly interweaves political intrigue, epic treachery, cover-ups, and conspiracies into a gripping portrait of family redemption—and brings to life an indelible portrait of the mighty and profane Eugène François Vidocq, history’s first great detective.
My Review:
If you've ever just had a hankering to read about a foul-mouthed, French Sherlock then this is definitely the book for you.
Yes, this is based off of the real Vidocq who was indeed a French criminal that inspired many of our most beloved fictional detectives. This fictionalized version of his life was a good mix of adventure, humor, and mystery that kept me reading as well as adding the comfortable familiarity of the relationship between a brilliant detective and his sidekick who is just a bit slower on his comrade's plans. I also found the twist on history a bit fun. Due to language and sexual content I would recommend not giving this to kiddos. Stick with Sherlock for them.
I primarily picked this up during an Audible sale because I saw that one of my favorite narrators, Simon Vance, was reading.
If you are looking for a new mystery that will give the nostalgia of Sherlock Holmes with a touch less refinement then I absolutely recommend this enjoyable read.
Title: Kat Wolfe Investigates
Author: Lauren St. John
Page Count: 304
Rating: A-
Format Read: e ARC
Genre: Middle Grade
Keywords: Mystery, animals, adventure
Kid Appropriate: Yes
Release Date: October 9, 2018
Synopsis from Goodreads:
When twelve-year-old Kat Wolfe starts a pet-sitting agency, she soon finds herself unraveling a mystery, in this first book of a new middle-grade series from award-winning author Lauren St. John.
After a break-in at their London home, Kat Wolfe and her veterinarian mum decide it's time to move to the country. Dr. Wolfe's new job on England's Jurassic Coast comes with a condition: They have to adopt Tiny, a huge Savannah who resists Kat's best attempts at cat whispering. Kat starts a pet-sitting agency to make pocket money, but then the owner of her first client, an Amazon parrot, vanishes from his gadget-filled mansion. Only one person shares Kat's conviction that he's the victim of foul play: Harper Lamb, an American girl laid up with two broken legs thanks to her racehorse. Kat and Harper team up, but what starts out as mystery-solving fun turns deadly for the duo. When all clues point to a nearby army base, can they count on their unruly animal friends to save the day--and their lives?
My Review:
This one had a bit of a slower start but it wasn't long before we were following along on a great mystery filled with a whole host of interesting animals and humans alike. While I may be an adult now, I still enjoyed this start to a new series and absolutely would have adored it when I was a child obsessed with the likes of Animal Planet and
Crocodile Hunter dreaming of maybe one day being a vet.
I enjoyed the complex and diverse family dynamics that were witnessed in this novel as well as the fact that they were not presented in a way that children may not grasp immediately.
The mystery was great and will be a joy to students before they graduate to older books such as
Truly Devious, A Study in Charlotte, or
Sherlock Holmes.
I would not give this to my younger cousins that are about first grade reading level but I would give it to family friends' children between the ages of 8 and 14.
Title: The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Page Count: 362
Rating: B+
Format Read: Hardcover
Genre: Middle Grade
Keywords: Misfits, Family, Demons
Kid Appropriate: Yes
Synopsis from Goodreads:
I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness.
Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type.
The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.
Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.
My Review:
This cute middle grade novel was great fun and perfect for the Halloween season! Demons (called fiends), witches, and family curses populate this novel following the stereotypical misfit boy with floppy dark hair. The setting of Redford and Salem, Massachusetts offer a great landscape for the supernatural elements of this book.
Prosper is a relatable misfit and this middle school environment was fairly realistic from what I can remember as a student. Kids will definitely like his antics while parents will like the message of loyalty to family and always doing what is right.
My favorite aspects of this novel was the goofiness reminiscent of Rick Riordan as well as the sidekick characters. Toad, a bat cat fiend, made me smile as did the hob. They add a fun element similar to animal companions, which is easily one of my favorite book tropes.
I will say that if this is being given to a child beware that some of the horror scenes would be a bit much for very young children or kids that are not fond of supernatural horror.
I enjoyed this one and highly recommend it!
Title: Escaping From Houdini
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Page Count: 449
Rating: A-
Format Read: Barnes & Noble Exclusive Hardcover
Genre: YA Mystery
Keywords: Magic, Ship, Love
Kid Appropriate: Tweens and older
Synopsis from Goodreads:
In this third installment in the #1 bestselling Stalking Jack the Ripper series, a luxurious ocean liner becomes a floating prison of scandal, madness, and horror when passengers are murdered one by one…with nowhere to run from the killer. .
Audrey Rose Wadsworth and her partner-in-crime-investigation, Thomas Cresswell, are en route to New York to help solve another blood-soaked mystery. Embarking on a week-long voyage across the Atlantic on the opulent RMS Etruria, they’re delighted to discover a traveling troupe of circus performers, fortune tellers, and a certain charismatic young escape artist entertaining the first-class passengers nightly.
But then, privileged young women begin to go missing without explanation, and a series of brutal slayings shocks the entire ship. The strange and disturbing influence of the Moonlight Carnival pervades the decks as the murders grow ever more freakish, with nowhere to escape except the unforgiving sea. It’s up to Audrey Rose and Thomas to piece together the gruesome investigation as even more passengers die before reaching their destination. But with clues to the next victim pointing to someone she loves, can Audrey Rose unravel the mystery before the killer’s horrifying finale?
My Review:
I have a great love for this series due to the witty banter between all of the characters, the sweet (aka not overly complicated) romance, and our strong protagonist Audrey Rose. Her love of forensic science and generally inquisitive mind are easy to connect with.
Most of the elements I love were present in this novel: forensic science, travel scenes, mode of travel that cannot be escaped, sweet romance, and adventure.
However, it was the presence of a love triangle in this novel that kept me from giving Escaping from Houdini a full five star or A rating in the end. The other suitor was certainly dashing and even interesting, but the way that it was handled on the part of Audrey Rose that felt out of character for her somehow. It was a bit reckless and hurtful for Thomas.
Due to this feeling that there was too much of a focus on romance and less of the adventure and science that I have grown accustomed to in earlier books in the series I would say that this is my least favorite book in the series so far with Hunting Prince Dracula being my favorite.
Aside from this small annoyance, I highly recommend this series and enjoyed my time reading this book.
Title: Empire of Sand
