Snowdrift by Helene Tursten, Marlaine Delargy (Translated by) Series: An Embla Nyström Investigation

Embla gets a phone call that makes her head spin.  It's from her best friend of fourteen years ago and she thought she was dead...

Soho Crime and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published on December 8th.

She doesn't talk long and doesn't say where she is.  Embla wishes she could find her but she's got a case to deal with.

Embla gets a phone call from one of her relatives telling her there is a murdered man in one of the cottages they rent.  When she gets there she finds she knows him.  The local cop shows up and thinks she may be the killer.  She has no ID, so it's not apparent she's a cop, too.

The victim is a gang member.  He's the leader.  Then they find one of his brothers shot outside a bar.  Where is the third brother?

As they search for the third brother, they find he has been left in a house that burned and is dead also.  Zagreb killers were taking over their territory.

She finally finds her friend but she's not very friendly.  She was married to the youngest brother.

As Embla works the case with the other cop, they begin to grow fond of each other.  Maybe the next book will have more romance in it.

They end up in a showdown with the Zagreb killers and you aren't sure how that's going to work out...

This Magnificent Dappled Sea by David Biro

This is a story of a time of war and a baby that was adopted  and grew up in a small Italian village.  He was raised Catholic but he when he gets leukemia and they have to find a bone marrow donor, he finds he's Jewish.

EB PR sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

The only match they can find is a Rabbi in Brooklyn, New York.  His marrow helps Luca get well.  But it raises a lot of questions, too.  His father said he got the baby from a convent of sisters.  That was not true.  He rescued him when the firefight took place and his parents died.

A nurse takes a great liking to Luca and spends time with him.  Eventually, she'll take him to meet his donor.  As Luca grows, he asks more questions.  The answers are not usually happy.  He finds a cousin through Nina, the nurse.  When he goes to see him, he doesn't like him.

As things from his past start lining up with what happened, he learns that many people helped keep him alive.  And he grows fond of Nina.  

This is a time of war, secrets buried everywhere, but the most amazing fact is the despite the odds against him, Luca stays alive and goes on with his life.

Stories for the 12 Days of Christmas Two Good Feet Book 1 by Linda Mansfield

These stories are real.  No fantasy characters.  Some are sad but most are happy.  The stories are short and memorable.

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published so you can get a copy now.

This isn't a feel good book, things don't magically happen, but it sounds like some of the Christmases I've been at.

I liked the one that featured a horse, and several others.  Give it a try, you'll find some that you can relate to, I'm sure.

Black Lotus 2 The Vow by K'wan

Kahllah takes it personally when someone murders a cop and then puts a black lotus to be found with him.  That's her trademark and she hasn't killed for a while now.  She'll have to see if she can find the killer.

Akashic Books aent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It was published yesterday.

She used to work for the brotherhood but no more.  As she asks questions and is searching for answers, she finds someone is after her, too.  Anybody involved in the pot seems to turn up dead.  Dead people don't answer questions.

This story of full of fights, filled with bad cops, gang members, and people it's almost impossible to stop.  It's an intensive read.  And the ending is a shock to her.  Things aren't always like they seem. 

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone.  There will be more...

The Preserve by Ariel S. Winter

This is an interesting tale.  There are more robots than humans...

Atria and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you.).  It will be published November 3rd.

The police chief in the preserve is human and took this position to get away from serious crimes.  He mostly deals with drunks.  But when he takes a phone call he finds murder has struck even in his safe haven.  The murdered man was part human, part cyborg.  He has no suspects, so he sends his officers out to ask questions.

Then he learns that someone is killing robots.  Now it's really turning into a difficult case.  He calls in his old partner and asks for his help.  He's a robot. 

They try to follow up on people and robots both.  The deaths of the robots are making the survivors wonder if they need the humans.

There are a lot of politics involved, illegal activities and more as they keep digging.

Will he be able to keep his wife and child safe?  What about him and his partner?

This is a look at how the world could be in the future and it's chilling.  One thing this book isn't:  boring!

Poisoned by Jennifer Donnelly

Sophie went out for a ride into the forest with the huntsman.  He said he had some place special to show her.  What he showed her was his knife.  Her stepmother had ordered her death.  He cuts her heart out and goes back to the queen.

Scholastic Press sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).It was published October 20th.

Sophie's father, the King, died in the war and she was to be the next queen when she came of age.  Her stepmother thinks she's too weak in spirit for it so she gets rid of her.

Woodsmen find her and take her to their cottage.  There one of them makes a mechanical heart and she comes back to life.  She stays with them and waits for her prince to come rescue her but he never shows.  The stepmother said Sophie was attacked by wolves.

There are two more attempts at killing her but the woodsmen save her.  Then she goes back to the castle to claim her crown.  She doesn't go alone.  The people in her kingdom, including trolls, admire her kind ways so they escort her.

Will she recover her crown or will the stepmother and the crow king (in human form) or maybe the false prince who claimed he loved her finally succeed in killing her?  

Read it and see.  It's a good read for those who like fairy tales.

In the Study with the Wrench : A Clue Mystery, Book Two by Diana Peterfreund

The Headmaster of the school was murdered and many students didn't return.  Of those that did, the schoolwork goes on.  Orchid, Vaughn, Scarlett, Peacock, Plum, and Mustard returned and the other students call them the murder crew because they found his body.  Mrs. White has been jailed as a killer.

Amulet Books and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It has been published and you can get a copy now.

Then there is another staff murder and the mystery crew decides they better investigate.  One of them is an actress who is hiding under a false name.  She has a stalker after her.  Everybody in the crew has some sort of secret.  As they work with each other, they find their weaknesses.  They know they didn't kill anyone even if the question gets asked every now and then.  There are romantic attachments growing.

When Orchid starts finding things missing from her room and then being there later, she's pretty sure her stalker is there.  She's right and she has a final showdown with him.  Who will win, Orchid or her manager who is stalking her?