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This is not just a story of a train crash but a deep dive into the characters of everyone on the train. From the seven year old boy traveling alone to a would be anarchist as well as all the workers and the higher class passengers, the story brings all of them together from all walks of life and backgrounds. Like the train itself speeding along to disaster the reader can only get pulled into their stories and hope for the best. Well researched with wonderful notes at the end for further study. 4 stars 
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While I enjoyed the masterful writing of this epic western horror, it did take me more time than I had given to read it. The American West of 1912 was already a horror story especially for the indigenous tribes who were being relocated (robbed of their land), reeducated (robbed of their culture), hunted and starved. Add a vampire tale to this and it really was a horror. I loved the relationship between the pastor and the old Indian gentleman who comes to share his tale or confess. 4 stars  Happy book birthday to KILLER POTENTIAL by Hannah Deitch Evie is an over educated SAT tutor to a wealthy family. One day she shows up at their mansion for work and finds the parents murdered, the daughter unconscious as well a traumatized woman tied up. She and the woman do the only logical thing - they run. Pinned for a crime they didn't commit and out on the lam they steal, lie and break into whatever they can to keep ahead of the law. Along the way Evie and the quiet Jae begin to trust and fall for each other. A full throttle Thelma and Louise police chase by land and sea that plays on your emotions. Are they innocent or have they been driven to do these things out of desperation? A debut killer thriller with loads of potential. 4 stars  An Indiana Jones style treasure seeking adventure through time to 6th century Constantinople. Dr. "Rabbit" Ward jumps back to snatch a priceless menorah and right a wrong only to find a competitor and a near political coup erupting. Helen is a no-nonsense treasure hunter with unclear motives but circumstances force them to team up to get back in one piece. I enjoyed the fast pace, story and characters but a tiny hiccup for me was the modern language used by the guards. This is a promising series debut featuring time travel, politics, moral dilemmas, a smattering of romance and non-stop action. Time travel fans who enjoy Kelley Armstrong's police detective in Scotland, Outlander and Connie Willis WWII time travel books will leap right in. 3 1/2 stars  Florence almost made it big as a pop star and she holds out hope that she is just a phone call away from fame. The reality is that she is an American living in London and sharing custody of her 10 year old son Dylan with her ex. She gets the evil eye from the moms at Dylan's prep school and it just gets worse when a school field trip comes back one student short and Dylan was the last one to see him. Flo with the help of her new expat friend work together to find the missing boy and clear Dylan's name. Mom minivan amateur sleuthing means a series of near misses, wrong turns and never being able to return to the hardware store zigzagging until the crazy conclusion. For fans of the FINLAY DONOVAN series and Janet Evanovich with a touch of DEFENDING JACOB, this is one mom who will do anything to protect her son. Lots of fun despite the serious subject. 4 stars  Fantastic historical story that borders on sorrow from loss of family , property and spirit during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression in Nebraska. Chapters alternate between a prairie witch who acts like a secret bank for the townspeople; a farmer and his niece who plays basketball to forget but becomes an apprentice to the prairie witch. Despair gives way to unusual connections. Masterful and powerful writing that ties history to what could be our tragic future. 4 stars  They say that war makes for strange bedfellows and in this story they would be right. Libby is keeping her homestead and mill going along with two freed slaves and young niece. With her Confederate husband captured and considered missing or dead she is not prepared to take in a wounded Union Captain that has been left for dead. It is the decent thing to do even if it means putting her family at risk of prison or death. As he recovers from severe injuries Libby and the others get to know him and realize that he is a person not a jackal and now a friend instead of the enemy. The story around this unusual friendship illuminates the hardships and moral dilemmas that so many faced in the Civil War. In the end grief, loss and sorrow takes a toll on both sides leaving them hollow. Chris Bohjalian once again regales us with his extraordinary storytelling. Fans of COLD MOUNTAIN and WHEN THE JESSAMINE GROWS will be moved by this. 4 1/2 stars  Those lovely ladies of a certain age have been called to kill again. After taking a break their skills don't appear to be rusty but they do run into less than a clean job and once again there is someone after them making staying alive that much harder. I love the banter, energy and the appreciation for wisdom of people of a certain age. This is so much fun and fans of the THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman and Benjamin Stevenson books will jump on this speeding train. I would happily read anything Deanna Raybourn writes - even an instruction manual! 4 stars  Those lovely ladies of a certain age have been called to kill again. After taking a break their skills don't appear to be rusty but they do run into less than a clean job and once again there is someone after them making staying alive that much harder. I love the banter, energy and the appreciation for wisdom of people of a certain age. This is so much fun and fans of the THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman and Benjamin Stevenson books will jump on this speeding train. I would happily read anything Deanna Raybourn writes - even an instruction manual! 4 stars  A look at the powers and events that came to a head and a transfer of power on the island of Manhattan and helped shape the mega city of New York. What once belonged to the indigenous people of New York which was then sold/given to the Dutch colonists is about to be transferred once more to the British. Richard Nicolls arrives with his group of war ships ready to lay siege to New Amsterdam on behalf of King Charles. Once Nicolls meets and begins to speak with the Dutch leader Peter Stuyvesant they begin to work out a solution that is favorable for both. The Dutch society was much more tolerant of race, religion and female entrepreneurs than the British yet both used the slave trade to full advantage. Russell Shorto does a wonderful job of painting a picture not only of both these leaders but the economy and favorable system of the Dutch city. Kings will always want to go to war and are not open to new ways of doing things - this story is proof of that. Shorto's writing style makes a lot of information easier to take in and the limited timeframe lets you absorb the full story. 4 stars  |
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