Saturday 12 February 2022

SHADOWS IN DEATH


SHADOWS IN DEATH by JD Robb (US cover)
Shadows In Death by JD Robb
Book 51 of the In Death series
Narrated by Susan Ericksen
Genre: scifi crime fiction
Format: ebook & audiobookAudible Books


About Shadows In Death:
Lt. Eve Dallas is about to walk into the shadows of her husband's dangerous past.

As it often did since he'd married a cop, murder interrupted more pleasant activities. Then again, Roarke supposed, the woman lying in a pool of her own blood a few steps inside the arch in Washington Square Park had a heftier complaint.

When a night out at the theatre is interrupted by the murder of a young woman in Washington Square Park, it seems like an ordinary case for Detective Eve Dallas and her team. But when Roarke spots a shadow from his past in the crowd, Eve realises that this case is far from business as usual.

Eve has two complex cases on her hands - the shocking murder of this wealthy young mother and tracking down the shadow before he can strike again, this time much closer to home. Eve is well used to being the hunter, but how will she cope when the tables are turned? As Eve and the team follow leads to Roarke's hometown in Ireland, the race is on to stop the shadow making his next move . . .
Source: Info in the "About Shadows In Death" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49127524-shadows-in-death on 16/06/2020.

Buy Link(s):
  Audible Books


SHADOWS IN DEATH by JD Robb (UK cover)
Review:
The bad news is, that there is no Bella. The good news is that the staying power of JD Robb's story telling quality is still going strong!

The readers are told exactly who the perpetrators are, right at the outset. So this book is not so much as looking for who the murderer is, but, how the investigation was carried out to bring down the murderers with side stories on the way, like, Roarke's past coming to the fore.

I probably have said everything I have to say about this book in my reviews of previous books in this series. However, that doesn't make it any less true that the story telling quality is compelling. The character development is wonderful. The world building is beautiful! 51 books down the line and I am still a fan! Even though Shadows In Death is not the greatest book in the series, it is still an enjoyable read!


Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (10 hrs & 59 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries



FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

Saturday 5 February 2022

SHIELD OF WINTER


Shield Of Winter by Nalini Singh
Book 13 of the Psy-Changeling series
Narrated by Angela Dawe
Genre: adult urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook


About Shield Of Winter:
Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he's done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch - if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake...

Having rebuilt her life after medical 'treatment' that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she'll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption.

But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy's fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness...
Source: Info in the About Shield Of Winter was taken from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20703002-shield-of-winter on 04/03/2018.

My Thoughts:
In the previous book I wondered if there would be a Vasic book, and I'm glad that he does. He just seem so hopeless... and did I say that I'm a sucker for angsty heroes? Well, Vasic is that... and more...

I still, so am not very fond of Angela Dawe's singsong narration. It seems to have gotten worse with this book.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story Telling Quality = 4
World Building = 4
Character Development = 4
Writing Style = 4
Plot = 3
Pace = (15 hrs and 47 mins listening time)
Story Itself = 3
Ending = 4
Narration = 1
Cover Art = 3

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Psy-Changeling Series:


Wednesday 19 January 2022

KATE


Kate by Sherry Foster
Book 3 in the Safe Haven Wolves series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook


About Kate:
They call her a guest.

She knows she’s a prisoner.

With females being so scarce some feel they should be collected and parceled out to males who deserve them. Others think they should be protected and given the choice of who they will call mate.

Kate watched as her guardians were murdered. The killers don’t know she saw them. Claiming to rescue her they take her to a guarded location. They made one serious error, Kate isn’t what she seems. She is so much more.

The only thing saving her from an unwelcome mating bond is her scent. The rogues believe her to be still underage. She isn’t.

Now, in a desperate race against time, Kate must find a way to free herself and the others before anyone finds out her secret. She will have all the help she needs- if they can only locate her.

But one male could change everything when he stumbles upon the prison where Kate is being held. Will he go for help or listen to his wolf and go for his mate he feels inside the prison? And what will he do when if he finds out her true nature?

Grab your copy today and find out what happens to Kate and the others when the rogue faction takes the wrong female.
Source: Info in the About Kate was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41740225-kate on 03/11/2019.

Kate's wolf
My Thoughts:
The intro into this book is not a catch you by the throat and drag you away with the story. However, it is more like of a small build up to a satisfying crescendo. And the ending, although a cliffhanger, it managed to close the book's plot. Even though there were no twists nor surprises in the plot, it still managed to tell a full story. After three books into the series, the world building has bloomed into something even more beautiful than it seemed at first glance. Or with the first book. What I didn't like was the clerical errors in the text. There were so many of them that it gets really annoying. The editor needs to be fired!

Image to the right is the closest golden wolf I can find to match Kate's wolf!

This book is the fastest read in the series thus far. However, for 117 pages long, it is a short and sweet read! Still, you gotta give the author's story telling quality some kudos for that! And with this book, this series has gained another worshipful fan in me!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 3.5
Pace = 5
Plot = 3.5
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Meet The Author

About Sherry Foster:
Sherry fell in love with reading when she was young and never lost her love of words on a page. She enjoys fantasy and science fiction along with a few other genres. She has two grown children and eight grandchildren who keep her on her toes.

She writes fantasy but has plans to branch out into other genres eventually.




FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.