Review: The Executioners Three

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Freddie was just calling the cops for help after she heard screams from the woods nearby.  The end result was half of the students from her rival school being arrested.  Unfortunately, the next day, a body was found.  Some say it was suicide, but Freddie believes otherwise.   She loves the X-Files and trusts she can discover what is really going on.  What secrets will Freddie uncover about her family and her town?

The Executioners Three is a stand-alone mystery that requires readers to suspend their disbelief somewhat.  This book takes place in 1999, so the characters must use their critical thinking skills differently than present-day people since the Internet and smartphones were not what they are now.  I enjoyed this mystery and looked forward to getting back to my book during the reading process.

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Review: Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure

Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ellie has been married for thirty years when her husband announces he wants a divorce.  Initially, she wonders what to do, but then she seeks advice and leaves the marriage with a nice settlement.  She has no intention of staying around with all the looks of sympathy.  She is going to the south of France for a vacation … maybe longer.  She doesn’t make it to her destination because her car breaks down, and she decides to stay in the small fishing village.  With a war looming over the country, what can Ellie expect of her time in Saint Benet?

Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure is a stand-alone historical fiction story that includes World War II at its edges but is not about the war.  Once again, Bowen has crafted a wonderful story of loss and new beginnings and included vibrant characters and rich historical details.  I am glad that WWII was just a small part of the story because I wanted to lose myself in the story of a woman remaking her life.  

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Review: Bones at the Crossroads

Bones at the Crossroads by LaDarrion Williams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It is finally time for Malik to start his freshman year of college.  After the trials endured during the summer session, he is hoping for just a normal experience.  Since he is attending Caiman University, an HBCU for magical students, that will not be possible.  At first, he just wanted to find his mother, but now that he has learned she is a greater danger to him than those he thought were his enemies, he doesn’t know whom he can trust.

Bones at the Crossroads is the second book in the Blood at the Root series.  The story picks up shortly after the conclusion of the first book, weaving together magic and mundane life.  I enjoyed the magical component and the aspects where the main character learns more about who he wants to become, but some of the day-to-day portions of the story just slowed everything down.  Readers must read the first book to enjoy this continuation.  

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