Review of "New Math is Murder"

Afternoon, dear readers!  Have I got a treat for all of you mystery/humor lovers.  I'm happy to bring to you a review of fellow indie Jo-Ann Reccoppa's New Math is Murder.

Book Blurb:
Newspaper stringer Colleen Caruso thinks she has it all – a great job as a freelance journalist, two nice kids, and an orderly suburban life. Her perfect world is shattered when her husband leaves her for a younger woman, she trips over the body of her daughter’s dead teacher on a morning jog, and she and her best friend become prime suspects in a murder investigation.

My Review:
Colleen Caruso's life is the perfect example of Murphy's Law - if something is going to go wrong, it's going to go wrong with her life.  Her self-centered husband leaves her for a younger woman and hides their assets, leaving Colleen in financial limbo.  Sara, her teenaged daughter, - well, need I say more? - is flunking Algebra after acing it the year before.  And Bobby, her ten-year-old, just wants his dad to come watch him lose another Little League game.

Not to mention her nosy parents who live behind her just across the alley, the pittance of freelancing for the local newspaper, the barely-out-of-college editor who loves giving Colleen the snooze-fest assignments, a best friend who's been keeping waaaay too many secrets, and a boss who won't keep his shirt on.

Did I mention her finances?

Throw in discovering the dead body of her daughter's Algebra teacher, and Colleen is one foot from the funny farm.

As regular readers know, I'm not very good with dry humor.  But I found New Math is Murder to be a witty delight with several chuckles and laugh-out-loud moments.  I could really relate to the mess Colleen has found herself in - especially after the hilarious beginning scene.  I too hate my alarm clock!

We stayed firmly in Colleen's point-of-view throughout.  We get a really good sense of who she is without being spoon-fed every teeny tiny tidbit.  I could relate to her as a human being with internal motivations.  Good with the showing and not too much of the telling.  Most everything had a purpose and a point and wasn't just thrown in as fluff and fodder to make the book longer (by the way, the length was perfect).

The mystery wasn't complicated and was easy to unravel, but the mystery wasn't so much the main focus of the read - it was just fun riding along to get to that "ah-ha" moment when everything fell into place for our characters.

Was every aspect of Colleen's life tied up in a pretty little bow by the end?  Nope - and I liked that!!!  Life doesn't get tied up in rosy bows, and it left everything with a great sense of realism among the laughs.  It also left room for follow-up mysteries for Colleen to solve.  And I look forward to reading more of her exploits and explorations.

I give New Math is Murder a solid four-and-ahalf stars and recommend for teens through adult.  I can't even remember if there was a single cuss word!  My mother would love this book.  Pick up a copy today if you want a good book for a cold weekend.

http://www.amazon.com/Math-Murder-Jo-Ann-Lamon-Reccoppa/dp/1939403243/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392469267&sr=8-1&keywords=new+math+is+murder

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/new-math-is-murder-jo-ann-lamon-reccoppa/1118231354?ean=2940148186908

 

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=New+Math+Is+Murder

 

http://www.cupofteabooks.com/jo-annlamonreccoppa

Author Bio:

Jo-Ann Lamon Reccoppa lives in New Jersey and draws on her experience as a freelance correspondent to create oddball characters and unusual scenarios. She has published over 400 articles. She has never tripped over a dead body while running in the woods, but eagerly awaits the day it will happen . . . if she should ever decide to take up jogging.

In addition to her endless reading and writing, Jo-Ann is the self-proclaimed most devoted Devils fan in New Jersey. She wishes to be buried in her No. 4 Scott Stevens jersey, though not too soon. She has much more to write, many books left to read, and a million more games to attend at The Rock!

New Math Is Murder is her first novel.

For Fantasy Lovers - Healer's Touch by Deb Howell

Good afternoon on a cold and snowy day!

While trapped indoors this week, I opted to check out the freebie downloads currently available for my Kindle.  It's been awhile since a fantasy novel passed by, so I picked up one that I thought I'd give a little recommendation for here at the blog.  For those who like a simple but promising fantasy series, check out Deb E. Howell's Healer's Touch.

Book Blurb (from Amazon): 

Llew has a gift. Her body heals itself from any injury - but at a cost to anyone nearby.

In a country fearful of magic, freeing yourself from the hangman's noose by wielding forbidden power brings dangers of its own. After dying and coming back, Llew drops from the gallows into the hands of Jonas: the man carrying the knife with the power to kill her - permanently.

The last of his warrior race, Jonas is haunted by memories of his loved ones. At his side, the cursed knife that took their lives acts as a cruel reminder of his pain. Jonas has learned the hard way that caring for others means their death.

Jealous of his half-brother's celebrated strength and speed, Braph has created the device that gives him the power to perform magic, any magic. But it needs fuel - the blood of a healer...

My Review:
There were several things I liked about this novel and several things I believe could be strengthened.

This is really a fantasy novel in a fantasy world, not a wild-west or steampunk setting. I understand the western themed moniker to give it a semblance of time and setting, but I think that reference in the book blurb (on GoodReads) is misleading. There are characters with special powers I found very interesting, particularly the healer's touch component that our protagonist, Llew, possesses.

Llew is a teenaged orphan, living on the streets of Cheer (a misnomer) as a boy since her father disappeared. One night she is attacked when a man realizes she is a woman. When Llew tries to fight him off, he starts slashing at her with a broken bottle. However, each time he slashes at her and she touches him to fight off the attack, a transfer of life occurs and Llew is healed. Eventually she passes out, realizing the connection she maintained with the man sucked the life out of him to heal her - and his lifeless body lay beside her.

When the townspeople of Cheer realize a murdering witch is in their midst, Llew is forced to flee into the unknown. Along the way, she encounters a group of wealthy adventurers escorting a young woman to another land to meet her betrothed. They agree to take her on as another protector - and for the time being Llew's secret is safe. But the traveling troupe has many secrets of their own, the warrior Jonas being more than a distraction.

This wasn't a story that kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning, but it was one that kept me coming back over the course of several days as I had availability. So without giving away too much, here we go. The first third of the book was interesting as I got to know Llew and her predicament, her strong and determined personality, and as she grew more aware - and sometimes frightened - of her strange power. The last third was both exciting and heartbreaking as Llew fought for her freedom, her life, and for the lives of others.

The main problem I had was with the middle third, as it got bogged down and at times felt as if the author had lost direction. The characters even changed in odd ways and didn't stay true to what they were at the beginning and end. One of the most irritating was the changing speech patterns of several characters, in particular Jonas. He had disappearing and reappearing accents that varied throughout the story. In the beginning he carried a normal speech pattern, and then suddenly he sounded like a southerner from Texas, then the Bayou, and then back to no discernible accent. The middle could be cut waaay back without losing any significant aspect of the story.

Then, besides Llew, there was little development of any other character to give the reader a sense of depth, motivations, and more than one-dimensional representation. I think this would have helped the middle section from feeling so wooden and would have also made our antagonist feel more like a flesh and blood man instead of a spoiled brat throwing a temper-tantrum.

There were very few editing errors and point-of-view stayed fairly strong without jumping around from character to character in the midst of a scene (bravo and thank you, Ms. Howell!!!). In the end, I think the story ended on an appropriate note and made me interested in continuing with the next leg of Llew's journey.  This would've rated a four star if not for the issues mentioned above, but it has much promise in regard to Llew and the created fantasy world elements.  Thus I'll settle with three and a-half stars for this first outing in the series.  

Healer's Touch is still a freebie under all eBook outlets if fantasy tickles your fancy.  Due to some disturbing elements (rape, hanging, bloody battle sequences and death) I'd only recommend for 18+.

Stay Out of the Rain - A Killer is Loose!

"Sunshine...on a cloudy day."

Or wait - I guess I'm talking about a rainy, cloudy day on a sunny day.  Hmmm.  So much for my feeble attempts at humor.  There is little humorous about a serial killer stalking unsuspecting women across the United States.  That's what we have here today, dear readers, from Michael J. McCann's The Rainy Day Killer.

Book Summary:
A man in a business suit offers the protection of his umbrella to an unsuspecting woman, and several days later she turns up dead on a river bank, raped and strangled. The terrifying serial killer known in the press as the Rainy Day Killer is now hunting new victims in the city of Glendale ... whenever it rains.

Homicide Lieutenant Hank Donaghue leads the investigation as the killer begins to communicate directly to him through phone calls and grisly packages containing body parts of his victims. Assisted by FBI profiler Ed Griffin, Donaghue and Detective Karen Stainer pursue an elusive predator who leaves no physical evidence behind.

The timing couldn't be worse, however, as Karen Stainer's attention is divided between the investigation and preparations for her upcoming wedding. Distracted and uncertain about her future, Stainer is furious when she learns that the Rainy Day Killer has followed her to Virginia, where the wedding will take place, and that he intends to make her his next victim!

My Review:

Hank Donaghue is a square peg in a round world.  He's a smart and savvy homicide detective, only saying something that's worth saying and yet constantly chewing on his cases like a dog trying to obtain the last edible morsel from a bone.  Precinct politics don't interest him, and he works hard to stay out of the fray after several hits against his character that continue to haunt him (though charges were baseless and from which he was exonerated).  Still, with the support of his team and the entire homicide division, he's forced to weigh the possibility of a move up the food chain, if only to protect the integrity and the very lives of those beneath him.

Hank's been hand-picked by a serial killer to be his spokesman.  The killer has moved around the country and is now taking up space in Hank's town.  Hank will play his game, if only to get him closer to a killer who thinks he's way too smart for anyone to catch - and he has been thus far.  Now the killer is upping the ante, because Hank is proving to be a more worthy opponent.  

I really liked the character of Hank.  When it came to the d--- measuring of office and city politics, I could sooo relate to his desire to keep his head down and do his job to the best of his ability and avoid too much notice from higher-up's.  Unfortunately, doing a good job tends to get one noticed - and sometimes by the wrong people.  Then he has to put up with the short-term interim captain, Helen Cassion, as inept, head-strong (not in a good way), and self-centered, knee-jerk reactionary woman as I've (almost) ever seen.  McCann did a very good job in playing the dichotomy of these characters and their abilities - and lack thereof - against each other.

Karen Stainer - I want to know more.  I like her tough-girl, take-no-prisoners attitude.  She's a woman with tragedy somewhere in her past.  We get just a sniff of it here, but it is never really addressed.  That bothered me because I think knowing her a little deeper would have helped me connect with her on some other level.  Perhaps this was dealt with in a previous book, but coming into the series mid-stream, I'd have liked getting more of this part of her than what was offered here.  It left me feeling like she was not quite fully fleshed-out.

Though I love the interplay between her rough and tumble, street-smart cop attitude (with a vocabulary to boot) and her almost southern belle, wealthy and refined with all the right connections soon-to-be mother-in-law.  When the killer sets his sights on Karen as his next victim on the eve of her wedding (and before I forget, the to-die-for wedding dress shopping scene - you'll know it when you read it), the cake flies between Karen's actions to prove she can protect herself and those around her and the mother-in-law.  The only, truly laugh-out-loud moment in an otherwise serious novel.

The mystery itself isn't too complicated.  I had no trouble "seeing" the killer when he'd make appearances.  This frustrated me somewhat because it was too easy to spot the issues early on and I didn't expect it would take so long for the detectives to put so many of the elements together, though I do understand that there would not have been a story otherwise.

From the first few pages, there were so many names and characters tossed into the fray that I had trouble keeping track so much of the time.  There were several points throughout the story where fully named characters were thrown in but really didn't have much to do with the story.

I also felt that probably a hundred pages could have been culled from the story.  So much of the book got into rather unnecessary description of procedure and too detailed of scene that it really slowed the pace to a crawl at times.  There was an awful lot of telling rather than showing.  Showing allows the reader to be in the immediacy of a scene while it is happening.  Telling just explains to us what happened after the fact, like more of an omniscient point-of-view post event.  Being in the midst of the action, while it is happening (showing), increases pacing and speeds the story up in order to get the reader's heart pounding.  Hurry!  You've gotta find the killer and fast!  At the end I did get a sense of immersion in the action.

Which brings me to my last issue - really more of a personal one.  I admit, I'm rather a purist when it comes to point-of-view, as it helps the reader truly feel immersed in the story and the character as if they are living it right there inside the character's head.  Because there was so much telling of events after the fact, in many scenes it was difficult to know which character's head I was supposed to be in.  But again, this is a big issue for me since I typically read thrillers.

In the end, overall I liked The Rainy Day Killer.  It has some interesting aspects to the story, but mostly because I enjoyed the main characters, particularly Hank.  I also really liked the cover and the rather sepia blue effect.  Really cool.  I'm also considering checking out some of the earlier works in this series to see if I can get to "know" Karen a bit better.  The hint of a back story intrigues me.

I'd give it three and a-half stars.

Prices/Formats: $3.99 ebook, $19.99 paperback
Pages: 290
ISBN: 9780987708786
Publisher: Plaid Raccoon Press
Release: August 30, 2013

Kindle ebook buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EWQT8Z6?tag=tributebooks-20

Amazon paperback buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0987708783?tag=tributebooks-20

Barnes and Noble buy link
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-rainy-day-killer-michael-j-mccann/1117105043

iBookstore buy link
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/the-rainy-day-killer/id723233597?mt=11

Sony buy link
https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/michael-j-mccann/the-rainy-day-killer/_/R-400000000000001138555

Kobo buy link
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/the-rainy-day-killer

Smashwords buy link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/363571

Author Bio:

Michael J. McCann was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He earned a B.A. (Hons.) in English from Trent University and an M.A. in English from Queen's University. He has worked as an editor and a project and training consultant and manager with the federal government. He is an author of crime fiction and supernatural thrillers. His Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series includes Blood Passage, Marcie's Murder, The Fregoli Delusion, and The Rainy Day Killer. He is also the author of the supernatural thriller The Ghost Man and is currently working on another supernatural novel.  Visit his website at http://www.mjmccann.com/


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Wishing You a Merry Christmas

This time every year I dream of one thing - a white Christmas.

The air with a hint of bite that tickles the nose.  The leaden gray sky pregnant with a promised gift.  The wet flakes swaying in a slight breeze as they fall.  They grow heavier.  And larger, until they look like hundreds of thousands of cotton ball puffs.

The crunch of tires driving by.  The laughter of children making snow angels and snowmen.  An impromptu snowball fight.

The hush of being wrapped in a cocoon as darkness falls.  The bright sparkle of Christmas lights against an outline of unspoiled white.  The beauty of stillness.  And wonder.

This year I received my wish.  It's like that promised gift.  I am in awe to welcome a white Christmas.

So from our home to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Take a Walk on the Dark Side

There are days in life where everything falls into place and all is good.  But then some days it all seems to crumble at our feet.  It's in those moments when the &%#@ hits the fan that we find out who we really are - when we take a walk on the dark side.

Join me in that walk today as we explore Scott Lerner's Ruler of Demons.

Book Summary:
Only eleven shopping days till Christmas. And less than a week to save the world.

Three nuns—in Chicago, Paris, and Jerusalem—have been killed in a religious ritual. The choice of victims and the macabre details of their deaths indicate that someone is following a recipe provided on an ancient text—a recipe to unleash the forces of hell on earth. The final sacrifice must occur on the Winter Solstice.

Samuel Roberts, a small-town attorney in Urbana, Illinois, knows a bit about the supernatural, having triumphed at least once over the forces of evil. Thanks to a friend who is aware of Sam’s little known previous efforts on behalf of mankind, Sam is hired by a big Chicago law firm to take on a sensitive case. His mission? Nothing less than halting the impending apocalypse.

Sam and his good buddy Bob travel first to Jerusalem then Paris in a desperate race to save mankind.

My Review:
Ruler of Demons was fast-paced, full of dry humor and took me on a whirlwind tour through Chicago to Israel and then France.

Sam Roberts takes a very light view of life.  As an attorney, he's not out pounding the pavement searching for his next client.  Circumstances - I'm assuming from the previous book, which I did not read - have allowed him to relax and not worry so much about how he's going to pay the bills.  And he takes advantage of that.

Until he's offered a very unusual case by a large, well-financed firm.  The harried friend who works at said firm urges him to leave the case alone.  But Sam is intrigued - or has a death wish.  So after meeting with Alexy Smart, the last surviving founder of the firm, and official representatives of the Catholic Church and witnessing first-hand the human flesh scroll authored by the Prince of Darkness, Sam decides to accept the case.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt matters that someone left him a human tongue on his kitchen table.

I must admit, I had mixed feelings about this book.  Dry humor isn't my forte, but I found the beginning to be intriguing and it pulled me into the story.  I was curious about the deaths of the nuns and how it all tied together.  I like a book that makes me think and surprises me.

Unfortunately I discovered few surprises here.  As usual, the priests, church, and military personnel were easy targets to spot early on, as they are utilized as the "bad guys" throughout so many novels these days.  I'd actually hoped to be surprised that maybe they were going to be the red-herrings but was disappointed to find this wasn't the case.  Plus Sam internalizes over and over again throughout the story how he doesn't believe in God/religion, which presents quite the dichotomy since he's dealing with demonic and supernatural forces here.  Logic says if there is evil then there must be good.  I don't mind an agnostic or atheistic character, but the fact that it gets brought up constantly leaves nothing to guess who the baddies are going after.  All-in-all these factors made it just too darn easy to figure out and left nothing to guess.

Then there are the travel moments.  I was looking forward to Sam and Bob's visit to Jerusalem and the dig site, but it felt like they were in and out so quickly, I as the reader didn't get to experience "being there" or anything.  Same thing with their jump over to France.  Yes, it answered some questions in the overall story and fit some puzzle pieces together, but it was like "poof" they're in and then "poof" they're out.

The story also lacked any real emotional connection to the characters or events.  When faced with a demon, Sam and Bob rather brush it off like it is an everyday occurrance and no big deal.  There was no fear or concern.  This also played into lack of internal motivation for why they did anything or went anywhere.  The overall lack of emotion and internal motivation made the characters and the story feel very wooden and somewhat disjointed.

I hate to say it, but after muddling through I felt as if I'd been offered an entire loaf of melba toast with nothing to drink.  It was a struggle for me to finish Ruler of Demons.  But perhaps if you like and understand very dry humor, you might consider checking out the book for yourself.  There were a few moments that offered up a chuckle even to someone like me.

And don't forget to sign up for the giveaway below!

Prices/Formats: $4.95 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Pages: 202
ISBN: 9781603819053
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: December 15, 2013

Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Scott-A.-Lerner/e/B008WXJWSS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Author Bio:

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of criminal law and family law. Mr. Lerner lives with his wife, their two children, and their cat Fern. Lerner collects unusual antiques and enjoys gardening, traveling, reading fiction, and going to the movies. His first novel, Cocaine Zombies, won a bronze medal in the mystery/cozy/noir category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Awards.

Check out his website http://scottlerner.camelpress.com/ and for a taste of his writing, check out the excerpt http://www.scribd.com/doc/181544210/Ruler-of-Demons-by-Scott-A-Lerner-Chapters-1-4

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Review of Piercing the Darkness

Hello again, dear readers!

Thanks ever so much to Nora over at Only God Writes Trees for her astonishing review of Piercing the Darkness, the second installment of my "Deepest Darkness" series.  Even though I still don't like the cover of the book (yes, I have plans to revise both by the time Rising comes out), she was able to look past its cheesy appearance to dig deep into the heart of the story.  Sorry to have made you cry, Nora!!! :-)

So if you'd like to see what she has to say, run over to her blog post and take a gander http://onlygodwritestrees.blogspot.com/2013/12/review-piercing-darkness-by-da-bale.html

And don't forget that Running into the Darkness is available free until the end of the year.  Be sure to pick up your copy at any eBook outlet of choice.

Stay tuned!  Someday I'll have the opportunity to finish the final installment.

Reviewing the "Ruby Heart"

It may be a cold day outside, but inside I'm warm and toasty.  Winter is here.  Christmas is coming.  My heart is full.

Heart did I say?  Well yes, because today we're gonna talk about hearts.  Not warm hearts.  Not cold hearts.  But ruby hearts.  Cristelle Comby has released the latest in the Neve & Egan series - Ruby Heart - and it approaches one of my most favorite history topics, World War II.

Ruby Heart Book Summary:
When elderly client Doris Hargrave informs private investigator Alexandra Neve that her beloved antique ruby heart necklace has gone missing for the second time in a period of over sixty years, Alexandra knows this is no ordinary jewellery theft. The ruby heart is a family heirloom and the only thing that connects an ailing Mrs Hargrave to her parents, who were murdered during the Holocaust.

To solve the case, Alexandra and her business partner, blind history professor Ashford Egan, must sift through obscure Holocaust documents to find out the truth. It’s that way that they learn of a secret World War II-era love affair which could hold the key to all the answers they are looking for. Meanwhile, Egan is under immense pressure from the university to quit his private investigating business, and Alexandra is afraid that a man she trusts will leave her. Again.

When Alexandra begins to receive anonymous threats and her flat is vandalised, this all becomes personal. Knowing that there is someone out there to hurt her, Alexandra vows to find that elusive ruby heart if it’s the last thing she ever does.

My Review:
First off, I'm finding the Neve & Egan series to be quite charming.  The first book, Russian Dolls, was offered to reviewers to obtain the introduction to this unlikely sleuthing pair.  However, I think Ruby Heart gives enough backstory to be able to follow it without having first read Russian Dolls, though I would still recommend reading the series as a whole just because it is good.

After the events of the first book, including the loss of her best friend, and the subsequent media frenzy, Alexandra - or Lexa to her friends - decides to leave the university life behind for the life of a PI.  Part-time university history professor and her blind business partner, Ashford Egan, is a prickly character to both students and faculty alike.  But Lexa is able to see beyond the candy-coated shell to the soft chocolate center.  Thus the friendship and business relationship begins.

At first I was worried this would devolve into a middle-aged professor meets much younger student - you get the picture.  But I've been very pleased to see the relationship grow more like a father/daughter scenario (Lexa's father died years before) and it's very sweet to "see" played out in the pages.  Ash gets onto Lexa when she lets her frustration and mouth get the better of a situation (I can sooo relate to her that way), and Lexa helps Ash to express emotion and better relate to others.  Plus in their business relationship, Lexa can explore where Ash can't, and Ash's other senses are heightened due to his blindness and can detect intentions and what isn't being said by the people they interview.

So getting back to Ruby Heart.  Lexa is visited by Doris Hargrave, an ailing, old woman with an urgent plea.  Mrs. Hargrave emigrated to England in the nineteen-thirties as a young child from a wealthy German family of jewelers - and they were Jewish.  During the events of the Holocaust, she lost her entire family and a precious family heirloom, a pendant made from the finest rubies and diamonds and fashioned into the shape of a heart.  The pendant turned up recently when a home in Italy was demolished, returned to it's rightful owner, and subsequently stolen from Mrs. Hargrave once again.  Now she's desperate to recover it to pass on the hope of a happy marriage to her beloved granddaughter.

If a half-century old mystery isn't enough pressure for Lexa, Ashford is being forced to decide between being a blind detective or remaining with the university (and guaranteed income).  Lexa knows what Ash should do and is torn by what she wants him to choose.

To discover the reason for the current theft, Lexa and Ash have to follow a cold trail that forces them to explore the horrors of the Holocaust through the pages left over from the path through Germany to Italy - and possible ties to the Mafioso. 

At times, just when they have no further leads to go on, something pops up to turn them in the right direction.  A time or two this almost felt too easy and contrived, but since I was already invested in the characters and the story, I didn't let it bother me too much. 

I liked the bit of play between Lexa and Stensen, a young officer she's worked with on her cases, and I suspect a bit of foreshadowing of a possible relationship building for later in the series (wink-wink).  Then there's the fact that those with whom Lexa is close seem to be getting hurt - namely in this one, her mother.  But one thing I find interesting is that even though it is Lexa and Ash doing the investigating, Lexa's home is the only one that seems to get invaded.  The bad guys never seem to know where Ash lives so that feels a bit odd to me.  I've just chalked it up to the fact that Lexa seems to be the one doing the majority of the footwork.

Through the series, I really enjoyed the variety of characters Ms. Comby has created in this series.  Ashford's "friend", Dimitri, provides a little more backstory on how he came to be indebted to Ash - very interesting.  And I'm especially liking this mysterious underworld character who we never see but who is lurking in the shadows behind the series.  Oh, and this character is the one REALLY responsible for Lexa's best friend's death in book one.  His only name?  The Sorter.

Ooooo!  So if you're looking for a mystery series that isn't too deep (but has the promise to be), has some action, and threatens to teach you a bit about history, pick up Ruby Heart.  Better yet, just start with book one of the Neve & Egan series.  You'll be glad you did.

Author Bio:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Ruby Heart is her second new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.  Check out her website http://cristelle-comby.com/

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