Rocket Robinson and the Secret of the Saint by Sean O'Neill

Rocket, Nuri and Screech are in Paris with Rocket's Dad, seeing the sights and learning history.  They also have the opportunity to see Nuri's Uncle play in a band and let her have a short visit.  When they visit the museum to see the Mona Lisa, Rocket notices another painting that seems to be more interesting.  It's of a Bishop of long ago.

BoilerRoom Studios sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can order a copy now.

When Nuri's Uncle is framed for a theft, they attempt to explain to the police he didn't do it.  They saw him that night but it seems the theft was earlier so he could have done both.  Nori knew he didn't.  Now how are they going to prove it?

The story involves the Knights of Templar and the Nazis.  The bad guy's goal is to recover the treasure that was stored away and use it for his own use.  The kids know nothing of this, they are just trying to prove her Uncle wasn't guilty of the theft.

The actual thief tries to kill them more than once, one of the cops is a Nazi and traitor, and the whole adventure is fast paced, dangerous, and requires some quick thinking.  My favorite part of the story is Screech.  He's an adept little money that can slither in and open locked doors and always manages to keep them out of direct trouble.  How can you not like a little troublemaker that can be a hero?

Go ahead and give it a read.  You won't be bored.

A Most Extraordinary Pursuit by Juliana Gray

Miss Truelove was the personal secretary of the Duke of Olympia.  After his unfortunate death, his wife sends her on the hunt for the heir.  He must return and take over his duties but he seems to be missing.  The dead Duke and his wife have had a strong faith in Miss Truelove and believe with her intelligence, she'll be able to run him down.  She even sends Lord Silverton with her.  That makes Truelove nervous...

Berkley sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published tomorrow, so you can grab a copy now.

This was a very interesting read.  It's set in Victorian days.  There is a mix of mythology in the story.  Lord Silverton is a rake and Miss Truelove keeps resisting him.  They get shot at, beat up, and the trail isn't getting any clearer.  What they find creates more questions.  It doesn't help when Truelove can't speak Greek or other foreign languages.  Silverton can and he translates as necessary.

It's an exiting adventure with several stops around the islands.  They come close to death more than once.  And when they do find the heir, there's even more trouble facing them.  The woman he's with is in more danger than he was!

My only disappointment was that, at the end, when Silverton finds out Truelove is not "untouched", he takes off and leaves her standing there.  Like he has any cause to throw stones!  However, I won't panic because the new Duke is giving her a job and I'm pretty sure those two will be meeting up again.  One thing about it, you never know what direction this author's story is going to go!

A Tail of Camelot (Mice of the Round Table #1) by Julie Leung

I must have watched the movie "Camelot" about five times as a teen.  I was entranced by the medieval costumes and the knights and Guinevere and Lancelot and, oh, just all of it.  So when I saw this book offered, I thought it would be a perfect read for me.  It was and I'll tell you why...

Harper Collins allowed me to read an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It will be published tomorrow, so you can grab a copy then.

This is really the story of a young boy that grew up in orphanage and a small, timid mouse that came from a long line of heroes.  The boy is Lancelot's son but he never sees his father.  Calib lost his father in the last big fight.  And it appears there's another big fight coming up.

When Calib's grandfather is killed, he can't see who did it but he knows it wasn't the person that got accused.  Someone is trying to start a fight between the Darklings and the mice.  Calib tries to mount a campaign to join forces together to be a stronger unit to fight the invaders but not many are listening and most don't believe him.  There's a traitor in their midst.

Galahad is trying to train to be a squire but the other boys don't like him much and it isn't long until he's sent to the kitchen staff.  It's while he's serving the meal that he meets the mouse, Calib.  Calib leaves him a message.  He's going to need the strength that message gives him because the war is going to come to him.

This is a well written adventure that keeps you reading and hoping that things will come together for them.  They do but not without cost.  I found it entertaining and I didn't even get to see Lancelot this time!  

Archie Greene and the Alchemists' Curse by D. D. Everest

Archie Green is back and things aren't getting easier for him.  He's lost his parents, his grandmother is away and he's staying with his cousins.  He's also going to magic school.  It was okay until odd things started happening...

Harper Collins and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 1st.

The first odd thing that happens is that a golden light comes out of the magic flame and marks Archie's hand.  That's the sign of an alchemist and it hasn't been seen for three hundred years.  If that's not enough to mystify everyone (including his teachers) when his cousins and a friend get them, too, they have the magic number of five.  The same number as the alchemists of the past.  The bad news was that the group from the past let the magic get out of control and most of them died.  It takes a bit before they decide they died from a curse.  And that curse is still alive.

I feel for Archie.  Not only does he have to eat his aunt's food (she thinks adding fish to dishes enhances the flavors), now he's dealing with a curse and trying to keep his friends and himself alive.

There are odd creatures, strange books, and Archie has powers he didn't know were there.  He'll need all he knows and all he can find out before this story is done.  A fortune teller informs him he's facing a forked future.  He can go one way or the other, he has to decide.  He could become a dark wizard if he's not careful.  He doesn't want to do that but he's not sure how to prevent it happening.

It's really a good thing that Archie has some luck on his side.  He needs that to keep alive.  This is the second book in this series and it was also excellent.  I wonder what new things we will learn about Archie in the next book and what his next adventure will be.  I'll be reading it.

The Cornish Coast Murder: A British Library Crime Classic by John Bude

Reverend Dodd loved to read mystery stories.  (I do, too!)  He just never expected to be asked to help with a murder case...

Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 4th.

The man fought with everybody.  He lorded his control over his niece and refused to let her get married.  He had his ways, his routines and everybody else could just put up with it.  When his niece notices the window shade is pulled in his study (he always kept it closed), she wondered why.  When she goes in to see, she finds him dead!  He's been shot.

The policeman in charge has lots of theories and makes the facts fit with the murder.  But somehow the case keeps falling apart.  Another witness, another comment and his imaginary cases fall to bits.  He depends on Reverend Dodd to give him background on the people involved.  Dodd often is the one that shoots his theory down.  But neither one quite has it right yet.

When a missing man shows up and tells his story and an estranged brother comes back to bury the murdered man is when all the facts line up and tell a story that only Dodd can see.  Murder is never a good thing but I can sympathize with the killer.  He had a good reason.  Her uncle was not a good man and he paid the ultimate price.

This is another good mystery in this series and was an enjoyable read.  I was worried about the young couple but that worked out OK and I'm glad.

The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid

This story is set in the future when the leaders of the world are slightly crazy.  (Even more so than today.)  They assassinate their relatives, bomb other planets, have pushed the regular humans off the current planet to another world as "Excess", and they are vying for even more power.  To keep their children safe, they buy a "Diabolic".  That's a human looking guardian who will kill anyone who tries to harm the person they are guarding.  They would rather die than lose their human.  Everyone thinks of them as machines but they're not...

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published November 1st.

No one trusts anyone in this world, especially not your relatives.  The political ploys are far reaching and there are two factions in the world.  Those who believe they need to go back to science and learn more about their world to survive and those who believe in the god they have created and see no need to do so.  Since the emperor is the religious kind, he wants to get rid of all his opponents.  He accuses them of heresy.

The story moves a bit slowly but every little piece you read is important.  Without being obvious about it, the emperor has moved all the children to his world to live with him.  That way he can control them and promote them to the new positions when the parents die.  

The emperor has an evil mother.  She killed all her other children so that the one she wanted would become the emperor.  Now she has an eye on the upcoming nephew and is thinking of getting rid of the present emperor.  To be honest about it, he's thinking about killing her, too.  These families are blood thirsty and sadistic.

When the girl is called to the emperor's world, the guardian goes in her place.  Trying to act human, feel emotions, and keep her secret identity is hard.  It gets even harder when the nephew asks her to work with him to overthrow his uncle and grandmother.  Especially when she begins to have feelings for him.

It isn't until the very end of the book you see how it's going to turn out.  The ending is totally ironic and I loved it.  I'm just hoping that the new world will be better than the old.

Mystery in White: A British Library Crime Classic by J Jefferson Farjeon

Strangers on a train headed home for Christmas find themselves snowbound.  It's snowing too much for the train to safely follow the tracks, so they're stuck.  But when they find out another station is only five or six miles away, they decide to walk.  Not all of them come along but off they go.  And then they get lost...

Poisoned Pen Press and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published October 4th.

You have a girl and her brother, a chorus girl, a young man already running a fever, and an old man who fancies himself a paranormal investigator.  They walk and walk and almost despair before they find a house.  The lights are on but no one answers the door.  When they try the doorknob, it's not locked.  The fires are going, the tea kettle is on, and the table is laid out.  But for whom?  There's no one there.

There is someone there but they are hiding.  Another train stranger wanders in.  As they eat and drink tea, they talk about where they were going and what could have happened to the people who live here.  When another stranger arrives, he clashes with one of the men.  He eventually grabs a knife and takes off out a window.

From frantic antics in the snow to rescues right and left and the knowledge that someone on the train killed a man in another car, the story is suspenseful and has the flavor of an Agatha Christie novel.  The older man with the interest in paranormal is smart and eventually reasons out what must have happened.  

The story is just the right length and keeps your attention all the way through.  This was a good read of an old classic tale.