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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Review: I Will Find You

I Will Find You by Jessica Huntley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bonnie is on a hike through the Alps with a plan to find her brother’s remains after he died on a different hike the year before.  When a storm hits them quicker than anticipated, they take shelter in a cabin with a woman named Annalise.  Bonnie soon begins to wonder if they can trust Annalise and then learns her husband has been keeping secrets too.  Will this couple make it out of the cabin and off the mountain?

I Will Find You is a stand-alone psychological thriller that was enjoyable even though I knew nothing about mountain hiking.  Huntley created believable characters and situations that were plausible.  I found myself wondering what I would do in any of these situations.  There are two different points of view and a few different timelines, so readers must pay attention when chapters switch.  I Will Find You is an enjoyable read for all thriller fans.

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Review: Not Quite Dead Yet

Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jet is twenty-seven years old and still doesn’t know what to do with her life.  After being attacked after a Halloween party, she has a life goal … solve her own murder.  How is that possible?  Her head injury caused an aneurysm that will burst within 7 days.  She decides to use that time to discover who did this to her.  Will she uncover the truth?  What other secrets is this family hiding?

Not Quite Dead Yet is a stand-alone mystery that includes many twists, turns, and misdirections.  Jackson has created a story that breaks through the standard mystery story and gives readers a new and exciting adventure.  I was rooting for Jet as I also wondered what I would be doing if I had a week left to live.  Not Quite Dead Yet is perfect for all readers.

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Review: Fateless

Fateless by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sparrow is a willing participant in the Thieves Guild and will do what it takes to be successful.  She is offered a mission from the Circle and if she is successful, her position will be secure.  She is now on her way to the forgotten city of the Deathless King with a team that isn’t trustworthy and a quest with ancient forces no one was expecting.  What will Sparrow learn during this quest?  Will everyone make it out alive?

Fateless is the first book in the series with the same name.  This young adult fantasy takes readers into a new world with characters and obstacles that are breathtaking in their execution.  Kagawa wove together her world-building and character development into a story that readers will be clamoring for the sequel.  There is no cliffhanger, but the ending leaves no doubt that more is on its way.

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Review: Human Rites

Human Rites by Juno Dawson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The coven is back together, but it isn’t whole.  Lucifer chose Niamh, Ciara, Leonie, Elle, and Theo to fulfill a prophecy and they have been changed in different ways.  Each of these witches must overcome what was broken to discover the strength they need to help the prophecy end in the witches' favor.  What will each of these women endure along the way? 

Human Rites is the third and final book in Her Majesty’s Royal Coven series.  My thoughts about this book are mixed.  The overarching story was interesting, yet it felt like Dawson had a checklist (or a story bingo card) that she was trying to cover along the way.  The story was also hard to follow with the different points of view and time travel interspersed.  I would have given it a higher rating if the extraneous items were removed and the story more concise.  

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