Watching the Dark (Inspector Banks #20) - Peter Robinson

I had the idea to read this author because I started watching DCI Banks on Netflix.  I noticed the show was based on books by this author, so I added him to my watch list on ereaderIQ and waited.  This was the first one that popped up at my price point, and it wasn't related to one of the episodes available to watch, so I picked it up.

Since this is book 20, I suspect I've missed a lot of Banks' personal life.  And by the events in his recent life that were referenced while reading the book, I'm pretty sure I'm right.  Even with that, I didn't have any issues keeping up with what was going on.

Banks is called out to the murder of a man who's been killed by a crossbow.  Since he's dealing with a cop, the case ends up making Banks work with Professional Services.  He's not happy about it, especially since his partner, Annie, is coming back after recovering from a serious injury.

As the case progresses, Banks discovers that this isn't just a murder investigation. There's also a missing girl, blackmail, immigrants who are being mistreated, and corruption. Banks believes the murder and the disappearance of the girl are connected, but he has some trouble getting others to agree with him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  It's a little on the long side, and like most books I read that are this length, it could have been shorter.  With it's length and the amount of twists and turns, it's no wonder that every case on the TV series is two episodes long!  I found that the length didn't bother me, though.  There is some minimal language and references to sex and rape in there.

For me personally, I liked the story.  Would I read more in the future?  Maybe.  The things that would prevent me are the length and the amount of detail that didn't necessarily need to be in there.  There's a lot of brand name dropping and Banks' style of music isn't something that I listen to, so all the details of what he was listening to (which pops up a lot) kinda lost me.  Even though I don't plan on reading more of these, I still want to give it a Good Book! review for a well written and thought out story.

The Codex (Armour of God #2) - Daniel Patterson

I picked this up as my Kindle Unlimited book for the month.

This is the second book in the series.  Before this, you're introduced to Zack’s character in The Tyndale Code.  As far as I can tell, that’s all there is at present.

This time, Zack is off to Greenland.  A lot of the ice that covers the country has melted, and new opportunities have opened up for Zack to look for artifacts.  He has an unwanted sidekick this time, Sydney, and does his best not to become attached to her.

When they reach Greenland, they find their expedition isn’t going to be as smooth as they hoped.  There are a lot of other research teams, and even worse, Zack and Sydney’s lives are at stake when they get trapped beneath the surface.

This is a pretty decent book.  The writing is kind of rough at times, but overall the story had a lot of potential.  The epilogue leaves you with a cliffhanger, but I couldn't find evidence of the next story.

I'm not sure what's going on with this author overall.  I saw he also has two other books, but they're showing as book 1 of a series.  Two separate series.  I can't tell much from the release dates, so I can't tell if this author just starts series and doesn't finish them or is working on it or what.  I feel like I'm left with a cliffhanger as to whether or not he'll keep going.  I think I might be done.

By Your Side (Crisis Team #1) - Candace Calvert

This is the first book in the series.  The second is called Step by Step.

Macy is a nurse with a troubled past and just wants to find a place where she feels like she belongs.  She tries to hide her past and is determined not to touch the money her "father" gave her.  A traffic accident throws her in the path of Fletcher, a cop from Houston.  When bullets start to fly, he protects her.

Fletcher is only in California until his mother is better.  She's beaten cancer once, but it seems like it's come back, and he's willing to do anything to save her.  He's intrigued by Macy and finds himself wanting to spend time with her.  He also has some unresolved feelings about a woman back home.

There's a lot going on in this book.  In the first half, we read about the effects of leukemia, a recent widow, a sniper who is determined to kill, the death of a dog (sorry I hate those!), making a decision about life support, a car accident involving a pregnant woman, and a character with a drug problem and a rape.  And this is just in the first half.

To me, this was a lot of trauma, especially for the first half of a book.  Every character seems to be dealing with some sort of tragic experience (past or present), and if they don't, then by golly, the author gives them one.  I know everyone has their own problems and things they deal with, but for ALL these people to have something so major going on at the same time was a bit unrealistic.

The relationship between Macy and Fletcher is an okay story, but it didn't draw me in as much as I had hoped.  With all the other "stuff" going on, I found myself almost reluctant to pick the book back up to see what would happen next.  At the end, even with many of the threads wrapped up nicely, I wasn't as satisfied as I had hoped.  Overall, it was okay.  3.5 stars.

No Other Will Do (Ladies of Harper's Station #1) - Karen Witemeyer

I always look forward to another book from Karen Witemeyer.  She has such a great writing style.  I was happy to get the chance to read this one.

Malachi has answered his angel’s call for help.  Leaving his demolition job for the railroad, he heads to Harper’s Station, a women’s colony.  There he finds that his angel, Emma, has been having trouble with someone threatening their home.  She called for him after a man shot into the church where the women were gathered, and Mal came running.

Emma and Mal have loved each other for years, but Emma knows the high walls that Mal has built around his heart and knows that she’s going to have to take those down before he’ll admit his love for her.  They also have to deal with the threat to the women of Harper’s Station and, now it seems that one of the women she’s offered shelter to might be helping the outlaw.

The characters in this book are well developed and the writing style is easy to read.  I really loved Emma’s style and her courage.  She was willing to fight for what she wanted and wasn’t willing to take no for an answer.  Malachi is a character you just want to hug, even though he wouldn’t like it.  I also liked the supporting characters and hope to read more about Tori and Benjamin Porter.  Overall, this is a great read and I recommend it!  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Ringmaster's Wife - Kristy Cambron

Rose longs for freedom.  Being Lady Easling isn’t the life she wants, so she takes a chance and boards a train with her prize Arabian, headed for the circus.  Colin works for the Ringling Bros. and sees talent in Rose.  The original intention is for Rose to accompany her horse to Florida and then head back home to England.  When she gets a taste for circus life, her plans change.

Mable comes from humble roots and ends up meeting the man of her dreams.  Originally, she meets him quite briefly and then he disappears for a long time.  When they meet up again, the connection is unmistakable.  She discovers that he’s John Ringling, the king of entertainment.

You read both these stories, switching back and forth between the two.  It fractures the story a bit, getting involved in one set of people and then switching back to the others, but the story is well written and the descriptions make you feel like you can smell the popcorn and hay.  There is some drama toward the end that draws you in, but most of the story is following Rose’s experience in the circus and important moments in Mable’s life.  A decent read, 3.5 stars.

I read both books in Cambron’s Hidden Masterpiece series and noticed this same jumping around in history, back and forth between character stories.  I was able to get past the jumping around in the other books, but I can’t help thinking that all her books are going to follow this same style.  It’s so disruptive, I don’t think I’ll read anything else by this author.  I don’t think she writes a bad story, the style just isn’t for me.  Overall, it’s the last thing I’ll read from this author.  I’m disappointed, because I enjoy the subject matter the author chooses, I just don’t enjoy the style.

*I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From This Moment - Elizabeth Camden

There's a novella that goes along with this book called Summer of Dreams.  It's not necessary to read it before reading this book.

Stella is in Boston to find out what happened to her sister.  The police claim the death was an accident, but Stella decides to take a stenographer job at City Hall and perform her own investigation.  At a meeting, she meets Romulus, a man who has been after her to create beautiful pictures for his magazine.  She’s trying to keep a low profile, but uses his connections on a number of occasions.

Romulus has claimed that he’s waiting until he’s forty to get married, but in reality, he’s petrified of marriage.  He is attracted to Stella, but her quest on behalf of her sister has him neglecting his duties at the magazine, much to her chagrin.

I was irritated at these two for most of the book.  They both have huge egos, but they also find some common ground.  Stella is honest about her main focus being her sister’s death, and Romulus is honest about not wanting a relationship, but then they both get irritated at each other for those very reasons!  On a more positive note, I liked Evelyn and Clyde’s characters, and their part of the story is very sweet.  This is a well written book, not my favorite by this author, but it still gets a Good Book! review.

*I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.