The Ranger by Ace Atkins

The Ranger by Ace Atkins - 368 pages

After years of war Army Ranger Quinn Colson comes home to northeast Mississippi to bury his Uncle, the longtime county sheriff.  Colson is told its a suicide but others suggest it was murder.  An action packed week of investigation leads Colson to confront harsh truths about his Uncle, his childhood heroes, and himself.  Fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Elmore Leonard's Raylan Givens will find Quinn Colson to be cut from the same cloth and equally as enjoyable of a read.

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman - 336 pages

Fans of the Percy Jackson series will enjoy this book.  It's a nice melding of fairy tale background with a real world plot.  Elizabeth is facing a new school with the challenges of making new friends when she gets a new job at the New York Circulating Material Repository.  The Repository is a library for magical and esoteric objects that can only be checked out by a select few.  Elizabeth and her new friends at the Repository face danger from many fronts while trying to solve the mystery of who is stealing items from the Grimm collection.

Dark Horse by Craig Johnson

Dark Horse by Craig Johnson - 368 pages
Walt Longmire Mystery #5

Mary Barsad is being housed in the Absaroka County jail as she awaits trial.  Longmire has doubts about her guilt and goes undercover in the neighboring county to try and ferret out the truth.  The tiny town of Absalom features very eccentric characters that both help and hinder the investigation.  Readers get a peek into Walt's childhood and a better sense of what helped mold the man he becomes.  Johnson does a good job and melding the mystical with the everyday when he incorporates Native American spiritualism into his literary noir mystery series.  

Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson

Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson - 336 pages

The fourth entry into the Walt Longmire series continues putting a noir twist on crime in rural Wyoming.  A dead young Vietnamese woman is found in a ditch in rural Wyoming along with a picture of Longmire from Vietnam which opens up memories and rumours about the past.  The investigation into her death ties to both a California human trafficking ring and Walt's time in Vietnam.  The dialogue in these books is reminiscent of Robert Parker at his best.  Longmire doesn't say much but what he does say reverberates. 

Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson - 336 pages

The third book in the Longmire series takes the sheriff back East to Philadelphia to visit his daughter Cady.  Cady is injured and her boyfriend found dead which leads Longmire into the seamy underside of big city politics and into the worst fears that a father can have for his child's safety.  Deputy Vic's extended family in Philly assists Longmire in staying out of jail and finding out the truth about what happened to Cady.  I enjoyed seeing Longmire out of his element in the city but look forward to seeing Absaroka County Wyoming take center stage in the next book. 

Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Infamous: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 480 pages

This is book 3 in the Chronicles of Nick which is marketed as a Teen series.  Nick faces all the normal teenage drama of school bullies, keeping his girlfriend hidden from his mom, and trying to learn to drive.  But Nick also faces a terrible dark fate and has to fight attempts on his life from his own family as he struggles to balance the light and the darkness within.  Fans of Kenyon's adult Dark Hunters books will enjoy seeing Acheron and the others through Nick's eyes and getting another perspective on events detailed in the Dark Hunters series.  Teens who liked the Vladimir Tod books will find another kindred spirit in Nick Gautier.    

Death Without Company by Craig Johnson

Death Without Company by Craig Johnson - 320 pages

The second entry in the Longmire mystery series continues to meet the high standard set by the first one.  The mystery opens with the death of Mari Baroja at the assisted living home which sets off a chain of events that leads Longmire to confront a fifty year old tragedy and attempt to make it right for the survivors.  A new deputy Santiago Saizarbitoria joins Vic and Henry in helping Longmire make sense of the tangled web of lies touched off by Baroja's death.  I finished this book and started immediately on the next one.  It's interested to see what characters and plots are carried over into the Longmire TV series and to see what has been changed. 

The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson - 400 pages

This is the first novel in the Walt Longmire mystery series that has been turned into the TV show Longmire on A&E.  A young man is found dead and this reopens old wounds related to suspended sentences given in the rape of a young girl.  Johnson makes rural Wyoming come to life so vividly you can see the landscape in your mind as you read.  Great original characters add depth to the story and help illuminate Longmire's back story.  Fans of James Lee Burke and C.J. Box will love this series for its very detailed and literary sense of place.   

The Might Have Been by Joseph Schuster

The Might Have Been by Joseph Schuster, 352 pages

St. Louis native Schuster's debut novel is filled with hopes, destinies and ultimately dreams deferred to live an unplanned for life.  Edward Everett Yates is on the path to the major leagues and his dream is realized during a call up by the Cardinals.  But split second actions and decisions change lives and Yates' life is put on a different path abruptly by the actions of one moment.  Life is all about choices and opportunities and Schuster's work is an excellent study of how what you think your life should be isn't necessarily what your life ought to be.  Baseball is used throughout the book as a mirror for Yates' path through life which makes the book extra appealing to a baseball fan.  

Stolen Prey by John Sandford

Stolen Prey by John Sandford, 416 pages

Lucas Davenport has seen some horrible crime scenes but the horror found in the house of upscale family is the worst.  A whole family was wiped out brutally down to the pets.  The investigation includes the cast of characters from the previous Prey novels, even that f'***** Flowers.  Davenport is more introspective than he's been in recent books and I think that's a good sign of how the character is evolving as he ages.  Davenport is forced to examine his life and focus on what he really needs to protect.  Sandford is always a quick read that comes across like a movie.  Don't start this book if you have somewhere to be in the near future as you won't put it down.      

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead, 400 pages

The fourth book in the Dark Swan series is a good addition to this urban fantasy series which is increasingly becoming more and more straight up fantasy.  Shaman for Hire / Queen of two Realms Eugenie Markham tries to keep the mortal world safe from invaders from the faerie realms.  Faerie realms who won't ally with a despot have been afflicted with a terrible blight that is forcing people to starve and die in the harsh winter. Eugenie's love triangle between King Dorian and her ex-lover Kiyo grows ever strained.  Can Eugenie trust that Dorian has her best interests at heart when he supported her unborn son's destiny to rule the mortal world?

A Perfect Blood by Kim Harrison

A Perfect Blood - Kim Harrison, 438 pages

Harrison's "Hollows" series is set in a future where a fourth of humanity has been wiped out by a plague accidentally introduced by genetically engineered tomatoes.  No luck getting a pizza in this future!  Since humanity was thinned so much supernaturals like witches, vampires, and werewolves "came out" because they were much more visible.  Over the ten books in the series so far witch Rachel Morgan has fought demons, rescued elves and vampires, lived with a pixy and been transformed into more than one animal.  Rachel is conflicted over who she has become and her love / hate relationship with her childhood friend Trent (the rescued Elf) adds a whole other layer of drama.  Plus plenty of murders and magical mutilations to boot!

I Wish I Were Engulfed in Flames by Jeni Decker

I Wish I Were Engulfed In Flames: my insane life raising two boys with autism - Jeni Decker, 218 pages.

Decker presents a crazy life filled with joy and heartbreak with a searingly funny wit and a great use of language.  Autism touches so many lives in so many ways and can have a huge impact on family dynamics.  Decker's memoir is a strong endorsement that whatever path works for you is the right path for you.  I found myself laughing out loud and occasionally cringing at Decker's "insane life."  In the end, it's an inspiring look at how different isn't bad and that normal is boring.      

Breakdown by Sara Paretsky

Breakdown by Sara Paretsky - 448 pages

Intrepid Chicago PI V.I. Warshawski becomes enmeshed in the affairs of powerful families while trying to do a favor for her cousin.  Young girls from her cousin's book group who are enamored with a paranormal fiction heroine practice a ritual in a cemetery on a rainy night and accidentally stumble onto a murder.  Warshawski tries to herself and the girls safe while unraveling a web of hidden agendas and lies ranging from the halls of power to halls of the state institution for the criminally insane.  The familiar characters from the series all have a chance to shine in this quick and entertaining read.

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse by Troy Denning

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Apocalypse by Troy Denning - 496 pages

There can be no surrender.
There will be no mercy.
It’s not just the future of the galaxy at stake—
It’s the destiny of the Force.

The finale of the 9 book Fate of the Jedi series does not disappoint.  Jedi and Sith face off—with Coruscant as their battlefield. The Sith fight to regain leadership of a galaxy that left them behind and forgot them.  For Luke Skywalker and the Jedi, it is a fight to eradicate the Sith's new monstrous master Abeloth and to restore balance to the Force along with preventing galactic war. If you've only seen the movies, there is a wide world of Star Wars books out there and the Fate of the Jedi series is some of the best.  For a full list of Star Wars books: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Star_Wars_books#Fate_of_the_Jedi  

Stolen Souls by Stuart Neville

Stolen Souls by Stuart Neville - 354 pages

This is the second mystery featuring Detective Jack Lennon of the Northern Ireland Police Service.  Fans of dark Irish noir such as the works of Ken Bruen will enjoy Neville's work.  The story follows Galya Petrova who travels to Ireland on a promise that she will work for a nice Russian family, teaching their children English. Instead, she is dragged into the world of modern slavery, sold to a Belfast brothel, and held there against her will.  She escapes but with a terrible cost and encounters even more human depravity on her quest to simply return home.  Detective Lennon faces his own demons while trying to solve four murders tied to Petrova's actions and subsequent escape.  The book has a lot of violence and is not for the squeamish.  There is a slight paranormal element at work with Lennon's daughter Ellen that hearkens to the work of John Connolly and Stephen King's The Shining. 

Force of Nature by C.J. Box

Force of Nature - C.J. Box, 385 pages

In the latest Joe Pickett mystery, Joe is actually more of a supporting character.  Joe's friend, the outlaw Nate Romanowski, takes center stage and we actually get to know his troubled past while serving in the Special Forces.  Box captures the sense of place so well in his books that you can feel the wind through the trees and just see the open canyons of Wyoming.  Nature is as strong of a character as any of the people in the story.  This book will be best if you read the earlier books in the series. 

Collusion by Stuart Neville

Collusion by Stuart Neville, 354 pages

The sequel to Neville's debut novel, The Ghosts of Belfast, does not disappoint.  An assassin is stalking Belfast and Detective Inspector Jack Lennon has to unravel a conspiracy that lead both into the police department and into his own troubled past.  Neville writes the Irish noir police procedural at its best.  This isn't a cozy mystery that will warm your heart.  It's one that keeps you turning the pages in hope that there is some redemption for Lennon somewhere.  If you like Ken Bruen, this book is for you.

Victims by Jonathan Kellerman

Victims by Jonathan Kellerman, 352 pages

The latest entry in Kellerman's long running Alex Delaware series is a throwback to the suspense and psychological angst of the the beginning of the series.  The last several books have been disappointing but hopefully this book is the beginning of a return to form.  Grisly murders in LA find Alex helping his friend Detective Sturgis try and catch an elusive killer and find the connections and motives behind the crimes.  Some of Alex's backstory comes into play which helps add depth to the character.  By the end I was starting to wonder if the series might be winding down as Alex seems to be getting pretty burned out by the violence and depravity. 

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, 918 pages

I finally gave in and read it to see what all the fuss was about.  Is there really anything left to say about it?  My best description of the series is George Orwell meets Survivor if instead of getting voted of the island you get killed by your fellow competitors.  I found them an enjoyable read.  I appreciate that the books feature a teen girl hero that isn't all about clothes and social climbing.