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1973 USSR Anya is the daughter of a ballerina who left her and her father suddenly years ago. Anya is very talented in gymnastics and wants nothing more than to be the next Olga Korbut. Her coach sees something in her and pushes her more than anyone should be pushed. Like prized racehorses these girls are verbally and physically pushed, prodded, and shot up with drugs to deaden the pain and keep them in perpetual childhood. While the program doesn't care if these girls have friends or attend school, Anya does develop a close friendship with Elena an older gymnast who becomes her roommate. These are the children of the new regime whose parents only know the new fear after war, imprisonment and doing everything for the good of the motherland. It is a brutal look at what it takes to create a champion in a country where you are lucky to get one chance and never given a second one. A second story connects the back story of Anya's mother and her struggles at taking her chance through the memories of a neighbor and friend. 4 stars 
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The murder of a former classmate at a reunion is not what Cassie needs especially when the person handling the case is her boss, the new D.I. Harbinger Kaur. It is also not the picnic that D.I. Harbinger had in mind as her first case on the new job. It is hard enough to prove yourself and she is all too aware that as a woman of color whom some feel is inexperienced that there will be a lot of scrutiny thrown her way. Like it or not these two will be totally involved in a complex police cat and mouse game where a tight group of school friends are keeping some important secrets held well after graduation. As the alums start dropping the list of suspects gets more interesting until you get the "punch in the gut" ending. Chockfull of jealousy, political fallout and secrets that can no longer be kept hidden. Love this author's no nonsense writing style complete with a fast moving plot and believable characters. 4 stars  Book two of the well crafted fantasy that combines Asian mythology with political backstabbing the likes of GAME OF THRONES. This world matches mortals and immortal gods and goddesses in addition to fantastic mythical creatures. Xingyin is back home with her mother the moon goddess in the clouds when they fall under attack and her mother is trapped for her magic. She will be tested not only on her strength and bravery but she is splintered learning more about her parent's story as much as she is splintered in her love and trust issues of two men whose help she will need. Graceful and wise dragons, adventure, epic battles with mythical creatures, political upheaval, proud warriors and a touching love story - who could ask for more? In Xingyin we see a fierce warrior, skilled in magic and archery who is devoted to her family and longs for peace but is also very willing to fight for it. Sue Lynn Tan has created a well rounded world that will appeal to both readers who want character driven stories and epic adventure on a grand scale. 4 stars  Former detective Daniel Hawthorne and author Anthony Horowitz have severed their rocky work relationship. Anthony has moved on to writing a play that has just opened in London but sadly did not get rave reviews. To twist the knife stabbing his writing career further the theater critic who delivered the killing review was herself murdered with Anthony as the lead suspect. If only he had a friend in the police department who could help him find the real murderer? So now Hawthorne comes back to lend a hand in Horowitz clearing his name and much chaos ensues. This is one odd couple relationship that works well on paper. Daniel Hawthorne is secretive and keeps things close to his chest whereas Anthony Horowitz is not afraid to poke fun at himself and at the insecurities of mystery authors everywhere. Fun with an easy writing style but with a solid mystery that moves at a fast pace, this series is a favorite of librarians and lighter mystery readers everywhere. 4 stars  The continuing story of Irish brothers Tom and Michael and the half-Native American woman Sara on the run for crimes they did not commit. They are living off the land in the wilds of the Dakota Territory. Trying to stay one step ahead of those who are looking for them, the violence of war and steer clear of future violence, the group is near starvation and struggling to survive winter. The brutal but beautiful landscape of the mountains suits the gentle nature of the three until others invade and push them too far. A story of adventure, the violence of the old West and the intimate bond between the two brothers and the woman they both love. This is perfect for fans of LONESOME DOVE, TRUE GRIT and NEWS OF THE WORLD. 4 stars  One of the joys of reading Alice Henderson is that I always learn something new about vanishing animals and habitats while being scared out of my seat with a dangerous cat and mouse style thriller. This time we join our favorite wildlife biologist in the wilds of Washington state tracking down what may be an illusive mountain caribou. It wouldn't be an interesting adventure if she wasn't plagued by angry loggers, protestors living in the tall trees as well as strange alien lights and missing hikers. A beautiful mix of peaceful nature and majestic scenery with dangerous people screwing it up and not taking kindly to Alex being in the middle of it. Another solid addition to this growing series and a good pick for those armchair explorer/detectives who like the Joe Pickett books by C.J. Box or those by Paul Doiron. 4 stars  Earl sees the world differently and this makes him a loner and easy to take advantage of in the little town of Stovall Texas. As a teen in the 1970's a potential girlfriend talks him into a roadtrip to Austin that ends in tragedy and Earl is sent away to prison. After 44 years he is released into a world he knows nothing about and must begin again in Oregon. He is helped by a kindly librarian, her boyfriend and mom. This allows him to begin trusting again and feel like he finally belongs. But sometimes you just can't escape your past. The writing forces you to see things from Earl's perspective and it takes a few chapters to get into the rhythm but once you do -you are hooked. Gritty, heartfelt and poetic in the juxtaposition between the violence in his past and his quiet calm demeanor, this is one beautiful and tearful read. Readers of RAZORBACK TEARS and GREEN MILE will find much to love. 4 stars  Two sisters take an unscheduled roadtrip to find the mother who left suddenly years before. Zadie is the older one and usually the stable one but now is unsettled being newly pregnant and has just left the baby's father. While Zadie is sensitive and a psychic she tends to keep those premonitions to herself unlike her sister Finn who reads echoes of other's memories. This is the first time Finn has picked up an echo of their mom. As they journey following the echoes the storyline jumps back to their mom's erratic behavior just weeks before she left. Zadie is trying to fit in what she remembers but is still really angry and Finn just wants to find her mom even if it feels like a wild goose chase. The sisters push and pull looking to make up for their separation in the past and find a new common ground while they look for answers. A stunning blend of family, loss and connection with a touch of the mystical for good measure. 4 stars  At 16 Frankie wants to be a mystery writer and mostly left alone by her mom and older triplet brothers but when Zeke moves to their small town her life and everything in it changes. Frankie and Zeke become unlikely friends deciding to spend the summer creating something wonderful. They share their awkwardness, teen angst and feeble attempts at young love to create a poster which they plaster throughout the town and beyond. Their creation and the rumors surrounding it spread like wildfire and leads to panic with disastrous results. Twenty years go by and Frankie wants to believe that summer is long gone with her secret safe until a savvy reporter approaches her and forces her to give her the truth. Witty and remarkably human, this coming-of-age story speaks to all of us as teens on the threshold of something great if only we could figure out what it is. Kevin Wilson brings us characters that are far from perfect and we love that vulnerability and truth. We are the fugitives! His many fans will delight in this story as will readers of coming of age stories. 5 stars  A resort sits on a large lake that borders both Wales and England. When a high end developer of the resort ends up facedown on the Welsh side of the lake the day after a huge party, both Wales and England send in detectives. Ffion and Leo actually met right before coming on the case and are trying to sort through an uncomfortable partnership. The suspect list is almost everyone living at the resort and in the village with everyone hiding something. A clever plot that will delight armchair detectives because with so many layers of secrets and a never-ending suspect list it is almost impossible to figure out the culprit until the end. This would make a killer BBC series. The tense banter between Ffion and Leo is wonderful and we see the difficulties between the two cultures (language alone is challenging) and the plight of the small village who were opposed to the resort but need it for the economy and the developers who are desperate to make a killing. So many layers of deception to happily uncover makes for another hit for this author. 4 1/2 stars  |
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