Bibliophile Support Group

Psych: A Mind is a Terrible to Read is a contemporary mystery based on the USA television series and written by William Rabkin. Brilliantly showing up a detective in court by causing someone other than the defendant to confess to a murder, therefore throwing out the whole case, is not the best way to get in someone’s good graces. Though Shawn, man-child of excellent deduction skills who has convinced most of Santa Barbara that he is actually psychic, may be convinced that the end justifies the means in this case, the detective in question is not so sure. In fact, he’s so irritated that he gets Gus, Shawn’s best friend since childhood, and Shawn’s car impounded over something as silly as eighty-seven parking tickets. Petty man! But when the duo go to pick up the car, they find they’ve stumbled across a criminal conspiracy and nearly get run over by a Mercedes. Not that surprising, really. Once Gus wakes up in the hospital, not only does he find himself in the...

Scarlett Undercover is a YA contemporary mystery by Jennifer Latham. Independent, shrewd fifteen year old Scarlett finished high school two years early and now spends her time as a private investigator. When she agrees to investigate the concerns of a little girl after her older brother seems to be “off” following a friend’s suicide – she doesn’t expect it to be a long investigation, more of a feel good case for a kid. Yet when it becomes clear the suicide may have actually been murder, Scarlett finds herself getting entangled in a world of cults, curses and secrets that may tie into her own family tragedy… Scarlett Undercover is trying to be a lot of things. It is trying to be diverse, by bringing a biracial, non-traditional Muslim main character into the limelight. It is trying to be clever and sassy, with a Veronica Mars angle with the teenage detective plot and droll protagonist dealing with a personal, unsolved crime. It’s trying to be slyly supernatural in a magical...

The Dead House is a YA contemporary psychological thriller by debut author Dawn Kurtagich. Two decades ago there was a fire at Elmbridge High, leaving dead and missing students. So much was unknown at the time, though fascination and mystery surround the now abandoned, condemned former boarding school. Then a diary is found among the rubble. It is not that of Carly Johnson, a primary focus in the initial investigation – a student who vanished without a trace. Instead it was written by Kaitlyn Johnson. Who is she? How is she related to Carly? Did she truly exist? This new information reopens the case – and an examination of the diary alongside gathered psychiatric reports, video footage, text message and emails creates a far more disturbing account than anyone expected… The Dead House is CREEPY. It’s been a while since I read a book that left me a bit unsettled each time I put it down to go to bed, go about my daily tasks, etc. But this one did it. Uh huh. CREEPY. ...

Through Waters Deep is a Christian historical WWII era romance by Sarah Sundin. It is the first book in her Waves of Freedom series. In 1941 Massachusetts, Mary Stirling enjoys her position as Boston Navy Yard secretary – she excels at it but happily can avoid any particular attention in her role. There’s nothing she likes less than attention… When naval officer Ensign Jim Avery comes to Boston on a new assignment, they recognize each other as childhood friends – in fact, Mary clearly remembers Jim’s infatuation with her best friend. As their friendship and camaraderie grows, events take a darker turn – someone seems to be sabotaging the USS Atwood . Tensions are growing regarding the divided opinion on potentially entering into the new war… This is a dangerous time on the Boston shipyards… I have previously enjoyed Sarah Sundin’s Wings of Glory series, as they have a rich historical background with WWII. Unlike some other historical fiction romances that brush over detail...

The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts is a YA paranormal contemporary novel and the first in The Unbelievables series by K. C. Tansley. As a child, ghosts were normal to Kat. They were around often, taught her about ghosts and how they came to be – and they were her friends. But when a frightening series of events made ghosts a greater threat to Kat, she had to consciously decide to no longer believe in them. If you don’t believe in ghosts you cannot be hurt by them. Now in her junior year at McTernan Academy, Kat has been kept safe by her strident disbelief – making sure to surround herself with other unbelievers to stay strong. However, a research project she is assigned to threatens to ruin all of the protections she has put in place for years. Once she is sent to a private island off the coast of Connecticut to investigate the details of the shocking murder of newlyweds in 1886, and the rumored resultant ancestral curse, Kat is in a poor position to continue to ignore her connection...

The Big Fix is the third book in the Ciel Halligan urban fantasy/mystery series by Linda Grimes. As with any other series, it is best to read the novels in order for the most fulfilling reading experience. Therefore, please find links to the prior book titles and my reviews of them here: In a Fix Quick Fix For those of you who have already read these books, feel free to read on. For those of you who haven’t, there could be minor spoilers of the first two books – you’ve been warned!!! Ciel Halligan, aura adaptor, is still determined to make her business work and be self-sufficient. Just because her hot boyfriend wants to help her out financially doesn’t mean she would ever accept. But she WILL accept his referral for a new client, since she so desperately needs one. Plus, this job is a fun one! Getting a chance to take on famous action star actor Jackson Gunn’s aura for a snake handling scene (he’s apparently terrified of snakes, who knew?!) should be a fast way to make a...

Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron is the tenth historical mystery in the Jane Austen Mystery series by Stephanie Barron. As I said last week regarding Jane and the Barque of Frailty , these are really books best read in order to get the full impact and understanding of relationships and such. However, I believe they could potentially work as stand-alone stories, as well. When Henry’s adored, animated wife Eliza passes away from illness, Jane and Henry mourn her deeply. Calling on the recuperative, distracting power of the ocean and sea air, the pair head to Brighton to enjoy the teeming, dazzling resort life favored by so many. It is not long before Jane’s path crosses with the famous, possibly mad, undeniably magnetic poet and seducer of women: Lord Byron. His reputation is known to Jane, but even she cannot help but be shocked by the circumstances in which she meets him. So, when a beautiful young girl barely out in society is found murdered and placed in Lord Byron’s be...

Jane and the Barque of Frailty is the ninth in Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen Mystery series. I thoroughly recommend reading this fantastically imagined, Regency whodunit series from the beginning. You would want to start with Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor . I’ve been a huge enthusiast of this series from the beginning as a fan of both Jane Austen and mysteries! It’s 1811 in London and Jane Austen is enjoying a month-long visit with her brother Henry and his lively wife Eliza. She’s awaiting publication of her first novel, Sense and Sensibility and spending her free time socializing during the height of the Season. When a mysterious, exiled, lovely Russian princess is found dead outside of the abode of a notorious Tory minister, though – even Jane is surprised. The determination of self-murder does not sit right with Jane, and she is happy to investigate further. What is more surprising, however, is that Jane and Eliza manage to thrust themselves into the ca...

When You Lea ve is a YA contemporary mystery novel by Monica Ropal. Skater girl Cass doesn’t plan on becoming friendly with anyone at her new private high school. After all, her experience with getting close to people is not a positive one. Her recent change of lifestyle is due to her mother’s remarriage to a wealthy man, when it was her mother’s previous husband – Cass’s father – that left them high and dry in near financial poverty. It’s an adjustment. One of her only constants is her best friend – whom she almost lost to cancer. All in all, not the best situations to build trust in relationships… But despite concealing her skater girl personality under the preppy plaid skirts, Cass’s good-looking, popular locker neighbor, Cooper, notices her. Oddly enough, he’s interested in her – and against her better judgement, she begins to be interested in return… Yet just as Cass begins to let him in, Cooper is murdered. Stunned, the news only gets worse when one of Cass’s closest ...

Seeker is a YA futuristic fantasy novel by Arwen Elys Dayton. After years of training, Quin Kinkaid and her two fellow trainees, Shinobu and John, they are finally ready to take the Oath that will officially make them Seekers – protectors of the weak and wronged. Yet – once the Oath is taken, Quin finds the truth is much darker. After centuries of nobility, the life of a Seeker now is not what it once was. Everything has changed. Nothing is what she thought – her family, the boy she loves, the life she’s been preparing for since a little girl. And it’s too late. Seeker looked kind of cool and interesting, so I went ahead and put it ahead of some other books on my shelf. Sadly, that was not a correct choice. First off, trying to get a handle on the period we are in is very difficult – I finally landed on some sort of futuristic world with a medieval Scottish highlands vibe. Sort of odd. Seeker starts with an action sequence featuring an oily weapon that can change sha...

Seed is a YA contemporary novel by debut author Lisa Heathfield. Growing up in Seed, fifteen year old Pearl knows that it is paradise. She has never been anywhere else – but she does not need to. Among their insulated small family community, they sow and reap the rewards of the land, live their simple lives under the watchful eyes of their leader Papa S. and Pearl and the other young girls look forward to the day they can be Papa S.’s companion. Yet when a newcomer is allowed into their community, a teenage boy Pearl’s age that has lived Outside his entire life, he brings with him incredulity of their way of life. He asks questions that prod Pearl toward moments of doubt about their utopia. He says Papa S. is only a man. What is the truth when Seed is all you’ve ever known? Wow, Seed left a lasting impression. It is instantly intriguing – initially so grounded and subtle that though you know, as the reader, that Pearl is growing up in a cult, it doesn’t immediately see...

The Dresden Files: Grave Peril is the third book in the adult urban fantasy series by Jim Butcher. To get the maximum reading enjoyment, I suggest reading these books in order – therefore reading Storm Front first and then Fool Moon . I wouldn’t say that this review will really spoil anything from the first two books, but you can never be too careful!!! Ghosts are going haywire lately. Becoming more menacing, more violent and more… more … Harry has his work cut out for him lately. Unfortunately it’s not the paying kind – it’s the moral wizard responsibility kind. But when Harry and Michael – a knight, literally – attempt to rid yet another location of an unruly ghost, it becomes clear that someone is causing this. Someone is stirring up trouble purposely. And the fact that many of the victims have ties to Harry cannot be ignored… As I’ve said before, I loved the TV show The Dresden Files – based on this book series. I’m still not feeling as much love for the book se...

The Season is a YA Regency-era romantic mystery by Sarah MacLean. It is time for seventeen-year-old Lady Alexandra Stafford’s first season – and she is not pleased about it. Less than thrilled about dress fittings, balls and the generally encouraged feminine pursuits, Alex’s opinionated independence sets her apart. And she is not in the slightest bit interested in finding a husband. However, she and her close friends Ella and Vivi are thrust into the London season and manage to keep each other amused enough to prevent from being bored to death by the safe, respectable suitors being pressed upon them. Yet behind the scenes of the glamorous gowns, dances and dinner parties, there is espionage and murder occurring. Unintentionally finding themselves caught up in the intrigue, Alex, Ella and Vivi find their season turning far more interesting – and dangerous. And most unexpectedly yet – perhaps some true romance is around the corner also… The Season was a fun read! It’s ...

The Well of Lost Plots is the third book in the book lover’s fantasy series Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde. Though it’s been said that these books stand well on their own – I still STRONGLY recommend reading them in order. That means The Eyre Affair first, Lost in a Good Book second and THEN The Well of Lost Plots . To avoid any potential spoilers for the first two books, I also recommend not reading this review unless you’ve read the prior novels. Deal? After burning some serious bridges at her Spec Ops-27 Literary Detective job, being pursued by the power-mad Goliath Corporation and continuing to carry the child of a husband that no longer exists, Thursday had to get away. Where better to get away than inside a book? Being one of the rare individuals that has entered BookWorld as a non-fictional character, Thursday has been granted permission to participate in the Character Exchange program – allowing a character in the unpublished Caversham Heights go on holiday while T...

Lost in a Good Book is an adult fantasy, sci-fi, bibliophile’s dream by Jasper Fforde. It is also the second book in the Thursday Next series – the first of which was The Eyre Affair , read my review here . Truly these books transcend genres and are just stunning achievements in creativity and surrealism. I strongly, strongly recommend reading The Eyre Affair before Lost in a Good Book . Deal??? Thursday – renowned Special Operative in literary detection - is happily married and resting after a duel to the death with dangerous criminal and murderer Acheron Hades. Yet the massive Goliath Corporation – with far too many strongholds in the government – has not forgotten how Thursday entered Jane Eyre to accomplish her feat. Nor have they forgotten to pursue the means of doing so themselves. In order to blackmail Thursday into releasing one of their errant employees – Jack Schitt – from the The Raven, Goliath eradicates someone Thursday loves dearly – leaving her as the only r...

The Rules of Survival is a YA contemporary novel by Nancy Werlin. A life of tension and walking on eggshells is all Matt and his younger sisters are used to as their daily lives dramatically shift with their mother’s violent, startling mood swings. As the oldest, Matt has learned to attempt to pull the attention on him when their mother turns more erratically aggressive, but it does not always work. Sometimes Callie or the little one Emmy end up being the victims – either when he’s not there to stop her… or when she’s too determined to be distracted. It’s a life of fear and survival – every second of every day. When Matt sees a man named Murdoch protect a young child from an abusive father in a public place, a part of him soars with a hope he long thought was dead. Could this man – this man that had the courage to stand up to that steely-eyed father – help them too? Matt knows it’s time to take action… It’s been a while since I’ve read a Nancy Werlin novel but my prior e...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! To celebrate, what is more appropriate than a ghost story?! Famous Last Words is a YA contemporary murder mystery –slash- ghost story by Katie Alender. Still haunted by the circumstances surrounding her dad’s death two years ago, Willa is struggling to adapt to a new life – after all, she’s still trying to return to the person she once was before her dad’s death. With a successful Hollywood director as her new stepdad, Willa and her mom have moved into a mansion that used to be the abode of 30s starlet Diana Del Mar. Overall things are going okay – if a bit awkward and strained – but the fact that there is a serial killer targeting young, burgeoning actresses on the loose makes the move hard to swallow. When Willa begins to have strange visions – and begins to get the sense that either she’s crazy or this house is haunted – she has no one to turn to. Until she meets Reed – a guy at her school that is obsessed with the Hollywood Killer. But – is that ...

The Bride Wore Size 12 is an adult contemporary mystery humor novel by Meg Cabot – and the fifth book in the Heather Wells series. To fully enjoy the series in order read the books as such: Size 12 is Not Fat Size 14 is Not Fat Either Big Boned Size 12 and Ready to Rock The Bride Wore Size 12 Got it? Now, if you haven’t read books one through four yet – don’t read this review! It’ll contain spoilers of the earlier books!!! Established Heather Wells fans, read on: Preparing for incoming freshman at New York College as the assistant director of Fischer Residence Hall – a.k.a. Death Dorm – is almost as exhausting as planning a wedding at the Plaza. Heather wants nothing more than for everything to go smoothly. Then an attractive junior turns up dead in her room. Tragic? Absolutely. Murder? Heather certainly hopes not. Yet Heather’s rather skilled observational talents and nose for trouble is starting to wonder… In the meantime, Heather’s mother shows up - the m...

The Cuckoo’s Calling is a private detective crime novel by Robert Galbraith, a.k.a. J. K. Rowling. That’s right – J. K. ROWLING!!! You know, author of my favorite series EVER? Anywho… The story was in the media for quite some time: Lula Landry, gorgeous young supermodel, plummeted to her death from her balcony. Yet once the fervor calmed down and the police deemed it a suicide, it quietly became less and less of a scoop. For Cormoran Strike – missing a leg from his time in Afghanistan, freshly and painfully separated from his longtime girlfriend, and barely getting by as a private investigator – the buzz around Lula never registered much. He had enough of his own problems. But when Lula’s brother steps into Cormoran’s office – desperate to find someone willing to investigate further – it becomes front and center. Lula’s brother is convinced Lula did not commit suicide – and he’s willing to pay Cormoran handsomely to look into it. Diving into the scintillating world of fa...

Death Takes a Ride is the third book in the Christian humorous mystery series The Cate Kinkaid Files by Lorena McCourtney. For your fullest enjoyment, I recommend read Dying to Read first and Dolled Up to Die second and THEN Death Takes a Ride . There won’t be terrible spoilers in this review for the first two books, but I still recommend waiting until you’re caught up with the series! On the crest of receiving her P. I. license, Cate should be feeling more capable than ever in her new career, right? Well, when a non-job related task brings her to H & B Vintage Auto Repair one evening and the night ends with one man wounded and another dead, shot in self-defense… she really wonders. But the case is cut and dry, no need for investigating on her end! Or so she tells herself. That is, until she digs a little deeper – the curse of the curious! – and starts to notice oddities that lead her to believe the shooting may not be so simple… The Cate Kinkaid Files is a fun...