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Trixie Belden and the Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road by Kathryn Kenny

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I managed to knock back The Mystery Off Old Telegraph Road yesterday. It's the 20th installment in the "Trixie Belden" series of young adult mysteries, starring intrepid teenage sleuth, Trixie.

When the high school holds an art fair to raise money for the art department, Trixie is dismayed to see how few entries there are. She learns that the art department is vastly underfunded. In an effort to help, Trixie enlists the Bob-Whites to hold a bikeathon to raise money. Things are going well, until menacing phone calls threaten to derail the bikeathon. Trixie can't help but wonder if it's connected to her friend Honey's dastardly cousin, Ben, or to the charred piece of a forged Deutsche mark she finds near the abandoned house on Old Telegraph Road. Although her friends and family warn her to leave well enough alone, Trixie can't help but stick her nose into things, endangering not only the bikeathon, but herself as well.

The story was enjoyable enough. Not my favorite Trixie Belden book, nor my least favorite. The tension introduced between Trixie and Honey was new. Usually these books include plenty of Trixie and her friends just being kids, but this one focused mainly on the mystery and Trixie's investigation.

Favorite line: "We don't dare fight anymore. It's too dangerous!"

'Holding breath' line: It was only then that she realized she'd been holding her breath.

Fun enough story, but just average for a Trixie Belden book; thus, it gets an average score of three.

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I knocked back Soul Taken, by Patricia Briggs, in 24 hours. Woo! This is the 13th installment in the "Mercy Thompson" urban fantasy series, starring our favorite coyote shifter, Mercy. Story is told in Mercy's first-person point of view, except for one chapter that was in Adam's third-person pov. I didn't see the need for that, and it sort of jarred me out of the narrative. Moving on.

There is turmoil in the pack when damaged wolf Sherwood regains his memories and it turns out he's more dominant than Adam. Neither wolf wants a fight, but the situation must be settled between them. During their cautious negotiations, Marsilia, the mistress of the local vampires, appears to warn Mercy and Adam that Wulfe, her damaged vampire, is missing. Mercy is worried, because what could take down a vampire as dangerous as Wulfe? Not long after, the pack is apprised of a potential serial killer in the area--a supernatural serial killer. One who seems to have drawn from a local legend, the Harvester, who kills with a cursed sickle. Since Adam's pack has claimed the entire Tri-Cities as their territory, it falls on them to investigate and eliminate this new threat. Mercy's ability to scent and parse magic, along with her hit-or-miss immunity to magic, makes her a valuable asset in this endeavor...until the Soul Taker sets its sights on the daughter of Coyote.

The book was pretty much pedal to the metal the entire way through. Mercy and Adam are pulled in so many different directions that I was exhausted for them. Add to that the issue with Sherwood, Zee's covetous desire for the cursed sickle, the disappearance of not only Wulfe but all the vampires in the seethe, and Warren's personal problem that left him snappish and very un-Warren-like, and I had difficulty setting the book aside. Characterizations were flawless, as always. The pacing was frantic with only brief, quieter interludes to allow a breather. Descriptions were vivid. The author hinted at what may be involved in the next "Alpha and Omega" book, much as the most recent "Alpha and Omega" book hinted at what would happen with Sherwood in this series. A cruel, yet brilliant ploy!

Favorite lines:
♦ Stories like to grow as they are passed around, becoming more exciting and less likely.
♦ "I'll find time to gibber in a corner with fear as soon as we're all safe."

I loved the book, but the ending was just a tad (Tad? Hah!) disappointing. Giving this one a score of four.

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I started reading Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs yesterday. It's the 12th installment in her "Mercy Thompson" series. I could have stayed up longer to finish it last night, but I opted to finish it this morning.

When Underhill opens a doorway to itself in Mercy and Adam's backyard, it's for certain that nothing good will come of it. Mercy's suspicions are proven correct when they learn that something has escaped from Underhill via the doorway--something that can take a person over and assume their form with a single bite. It could be anyone or anything, and when it begins targeting those closest to Mercy, she starts calling on her contacts to learn how to stop it.

In addition to a fae of unknown origin in their territory, a small pack of werewolves has begun encroaching. Dealing with them should be a minor matter to a pack of Adam's size and strength, but these wolves have witchcraft on their side.

Compounding these problems is the fact that Adam has withdrawn from Mercy, keeping her at arms length as if to protect her from himself. Mercy is having none of it. Everything in the Tri-Cities is in chaos, but Chaos is Mercy's forte, and if anyone can restore the balance, it's this coyote shifter.

As with all books in this series, characters are vibrant and alive. There are some I would have liked to have seen more of, but others that had been fringe players before came to the forefront in this one. In that respect, it was refreshing to learn more about them. Best of all, a favorite character of mine put in a return appearance, much to my delight. The plot, although it pelted along at breakneck speed, still managed to flow smoothly. Fight scenes were different than usual, in that they were less physical and more metaphysical. It was odd, but not in a bad way.

Favorite lines:
♦ If I'd known how much better I'd feel with new carpet, I'd have hunted down a zombie werewolf to disembowel a long time ago.
♦ "I have decided to be amused by the whole thing."
♦ It just wasn't useful to run around shrieking in fear.
♦ Cats are good company when you are sad or worried.

Excellent story, jarring in some places, and soothing in others, with some hints dropped at what may come in future books. Five stars!

Sinking of the Titanic: The world's greatest sea disaster by Thomas Herbert Russell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Last night, I finished reading Sinking of the Titanic - The World's Greatest Sea Disaster, by Thomas H Russell. The book was published in September of 1912, mere months after the Titanic disaster, and it was comprised mostly of random accounts of that night, passenger bios, and coverage of the Senate hearing that followed.

The story was not entertaining, per se, but it was informative, well-written, and thought provoking. Much of the narrative covered the heroism of those who stayed behind to go down with the ship, allowing others to live. It was interesting to learn that most of the survivors didn't recall any great jarring when the ship collided with the iceberg, and most of them had no idea of the true danger they were in, because the Titanic was built to be unsinkable. Many who took to the lifeboats did so, believing it was merely a precaution and that they would return to the ship in an hour or two and continue on their journey. It was surprising, too, to learn that the great ship went down rather quietly, without a great amount of suction. Survivors claim it simply slipped out of sight.

With the anniversary of the tragedy nearing, I wanted to read this, and I'm glad I did. It was both sobering and uplifting.

Favorite line: These murdered hundreds were merely another instance of the innocent sacrifices offered to the god of commercial profit. Some day, it is written, we shall cease this heathen worship; we shall demand proper precautions for our people, even though it be at the expense of a few paltry dollars. The time is now.

That paragraph still resonates today, especially in light of the recent fire at Trump Towers, in which a man lost his life. The building was not outfitted with a sprinkler system, because the ownership successfully argued it would be too expensive to install.

A somber reminder, and a satisfying read. Four stars:

****

After reading one Mercy Thompson novel, I was compelled to dive into another. Last night, I read Fire Touched cover-to-cover. Good thing I have Good Friday off! This is the ninth book in Patricia Briggs' series about skinwalker Mercedes Thompson and her husband, Adam Hauptman.

Local police call on the werewolves for assistance when a troll takes up residence on a bridge over the Columbia River. Mercy and Adam are among the first responders, and they manage to take the troll down. However, they also find themselves giving sanctuary to a boy who is seeking shelter from the fae. By taking him in, the Columbia River Basin pack has made enemies of the fae, causing the leader of all North American wolves to repudiate them. On their own now, it's up to Mercy, Adam, and the rest of their pack to negotiate where they can and fight where they must.

Very compelling read. Not as action-packed as others, but there was more of pack dynamics, which I always enjoy. New, interesting characters were introduced, and former, secondary characters were fleshed out more, which I also appreciate. Through it all, the bickering and bantering between Mercy and Adam added a lighter note and provided some comic relief.

Favorite line: "Take happiness where you can," he said. "It seldom lasts--'course, neither does sorrow, right?"

Excellent book! Five stars!

*****

Just finished reading Love, Greg & Lauren, by Greg Manning. It's the gut-wrenching account, told via emails to family and friends, of Lauren Manning's fight to survive the injuries she sustained at the World Trade Center on September 11.

Lauren worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. As many of you may recall, the first plane hit directly where Cantor Fitzgerald's offices were located, and nearly 700 of their employees were lost that day. Lauren was running late and had just entered the lobby of the WTC when a fireball exploded from the elevator shaft. She managed to run from the building, where a passerby helped put out the flames and got her loaded in an ambulance. Lauren was the first person to be evacuated.

When her husband, Greg, finally found her at St Vincent's hospital, Lauren was still alert enough to insist that he get her to a burn center immediately. She also told him she had, at first, prayed to die, but then decided to live for him and for their 10 month-old son Tyler. By 5:00 that evening, Lauren arrived at the Burn Center at NY-Presbyterian.

Greg began updating friends and family of her condition, in a series of emails that he closed with "Love, Greg & Lauren". The book was comprised of these daily messages, which included the extent of Lauren's injuries, the surgeries she endured, the drug-induced coma she spent several weeks in, the infections she battled, and the unrelenting devotion of the team of dedicated doctors, nurses, and therapists who fought to keep Lauren alive. Greg also included his own thoughts and feelings regarding the events of September 11, along with accounts of the many memorial services he attended. He wrote eloquently of the bonds forged with the families of the other burn victims from the WTC, as they sat and kept vigil in the waiting room.

Interspersed were stories of their son Tyler's first steps and his first birthday party, all of which Lauren missed while she was fighting for her life in the Burn Center's ICU. The story was gripping, but there were times I'd have to set the book aside and do something else, simply because it was such an emotional read. I learned things about burn care that I found interesting. A burn patient's chances of survival are in direct proportion to the extent of the burn. For example, someone who is burned over 60% of their body has a 40% chance to survive. Lauren was burned over 82.5% of her body, meaning she had a less than 20% chance of survival. Too, the number of days a patient is expected to remain in the Burn Center's ICU is also based on the percentage of their burn. In fact, the number of days tends to equal the percentage of the burn. Thus, someone burned over 30% of their body could expect to spend 30 days in the ICU.

Favorite lines:
♦ We know the outcomes we want, but all we can do is watch, wait, and hope for the best.
♦ Her body is there, but not her voice. Her injuries sent her on a journey far away; we have been trying to get her back, and she has been struggling to come back, ever since. I am looking very much forward to her fond return.
♦ ...you can sometimes tell the truth of your own mood just by what you choose to notice.
♦ We can learn to tolerate anything if we can change it enough to make it survivable. And in the chinks of those changes, joy will seep through.
♦ I had no sooner despaired of assistance than a New York City bus was sent to pluck me from the night and get me to my destination (if not God in the details, then certainly a Harry Potter moment from Prisoner of Azkaban).

The story was inspiring, not just in Greg's devotion to his wife, but also in how hard she fought to live. It was not an easy book to read, but it was certainly thought-provoking and engaging. I highly recommend it.

Five stars:

*****

Once again, I stayed up too late last night to finish a good book, but finish it, I did! The book was Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs, and it is the 7th installment in her "Mercy Thompson" urban fantasy series. I love these books, and this one was no exception.

When Mercy is out shopping Black Friday with her stepdaughter Jesse, she intuits that something is wrong with her mate Adam and the Pack. Mercy returns to her work shop, where she meets up with Ben, a Pack member, who tells her that sketchy federal agents took the entire Pack into custody. Now, it's up to Mercy and a ragtag bunch of allies (including vampires, Fae, good cops, humans, and one decent agent) to keep Jesse safe, retrieve the Pack, and get even with the perpetrators. In doing so, Mercy discovers that the kidnapping of the Pack was only a small piece of a large, sinister puzzle.

This series is typically told in first-person pov, from Mercy's perspective, but this one contained some chapters in third-person pov, from Adam's perspective. It was different, but not so as to jar me out of the narrative. The only thing I didn't like was at the end, when the story vacillated between what was going on now, and things that had occurred earlier. Now that was a tad jarring. Nevertheless, giving this one a top rating of five!

♦♦♦♦♦



Favorite line: "There are some things you never name out loud, like Macbeth, the IRS, and Voldemort."