Song of the Spirits is a large (600 pages) novel about 1890s New Zealand. This was more of a romance novel than historical fiction that I was hoping for but an enjoyable read nonetheless. I am going to New Zealand in December so have been eagerly reading books that take place there. I happened to read the first of Sarah Lark's books on NZ just before receiving this book. Reading that one first provided a better back story of the characters, their intertwined relationships and why things are the way they are. Sarah Lark's books are often "landscape novels" according to the brief bio in the book and this does give one a fair sense of the overall landscape of 1890's New Zealand. As the title suggests, there are both positive influences as well as tensions with the Maori. The "song of the spirits" fascinate some and drive others mad.

I hadn't read anything by Jeffrey Small and I was a bit leery of anything too religiously based but I did enjoy the thriller aspects of this book. I did have to go back and forth after the first few chapters to make sure I knew who was who and where I was. The book does remind me of Dan Brown's books. It had some clever ideas such as the "monastery" in the desert. It was good entertainment.

I enjoyed parts of The Forgetting Tree but struggled through other parts. I was attracted to the book having lived in Southern California and liked the ranch descriptions, the characters like Octavio, and the back story of the characters in the family. I did not enjoy the unrealistic reactions of those around Claire during her illness - for example, I can't imagine that her ex-husband would not come in person when the ranch and crop were threatened. I was intrigued with Minna's story in Part 3 especially because I did not like or believe in some sections of Part 2. Frankly, I was glad to get to the end of Part 2. The premise of the lemon tree and tragedies that befell the family were strongly related throughout the book but it had sections that were not so believable as well. If I could, I'd rate this at 3.5.

Overall, I enjoyed this book though I would not put it into the same category as Major Pettigrew's Last Stand which I loved. Suzanne Joinson has created two interestingly interconnected stories stretching from 1923 in Kashgar to present day London. Both tales were engaging though I liked the present day one better. I think Joinson could have developed the Kashgar tale more fully - I did not engage with all of the characters. I also would have liked to have the map which was not in the ARC edition.

I've been a fan of Peter Robinson for sometime having read almost all of the Inspector Banks novels. The setting was familiar - Yorkshire, but the main character (Chris Lowndes) is quite different from Insp. Banks though charming, thoughtful and a musician. The alternating story lines of the present day and the past (around WW II) work very well. I particularly liked the use of Grace's journal to reflect her WW II experiences (horrendous) as a nurse and her thoughts. The plot builds slowly but satisfyingly. I was engaged from the first few pages.

The Armand Gamache series has been consistently strong - writing, characters, sense of place whether Montreal, Quebec City or Three Pines. These books have delightful people whose lives you care about. I found that I was a couple of books behind in the series so I read #5 & 6 before A Trick of the Light. Armand Gamache is a very different sort of Detective Inspector - he is and has been a strong mentor for his staff. He has a solid marriage. In the books just before this one, there was a major incident that he and his second, Beauvoir, are still trying to recover from. The incident continues to play a major role in the story while the focus is on one of Three Pines’ residents, Clara, who has finally had her solo art show and yet of course a body appears in the garden. The books do stand alone but you will miss a great deal if you don’t devour all of them in order. Bring on #8.

Trinity Six is the 3rd Charles Cumming that I've read and each one has been enjoyable and well done. I loved the premise of a possible 6th spy at Cambridge. I started with the book slowly but mostly due to short periods of time in which to read. Once I sat down with it, I was engaged with the story and the characters. Cumming does a great job with twists and turns and while people do get shot and killed, there is no emphasis on the violence or gore. It was another great spy read from him. I'll look forward to more.

I've enjoyed many Tess Monaghan books and this lived up to Laura Lippman's usual success. My only complaint was that it was so short. The premise of having Tess confined to bed and linked only via window (rear or not) and electronic devices was cleverly done. Now I need to go read the one right before this because I think I've missed one!

I was anticipating liking this book as I've enjoyed a number of books set in various parts of Africa. Though I've not been to Kenya, I have been to other countries in southern Africa. The topic and setting were appealing. I found the first half of the book to be slow - a mix of historical fact, good description of the countryside, interesting views on politics and archaeology, and eventually a love story - but it could have moved a bit faster. Some of the characters are strongly developed though you are left wanting more about others. The trial near the end talked about the passion at the gorge but I think there could have been more about which to be really passionate. It was a good summer read. I liked it but didn't love it.

I really enjoyed this book. Michael White is a new author for me but I will definitely try another one of his books. "The Beautiful Assassin" had an interesting premise though I wasn't sure how it would work. It starts slowly but very quickly becomes an intriguing war/spy story. White uses some real historical characters as well as many fictional characters in a story that is captivating and exciting.

I was initially intrigued by the subject matter since I knew nothing about the "casket girls" but it took awhile for me to get into the book. There are interesting historical descriptions that create a vivid background for the story but the story itself seemed slow for the first half though it did speed up later on. The reader does feel for the women in the book as they truly had to put up with very difficult times. There were many parallel stories that were alluded to but were just on the periphery. I think the book could have been a much larger one with more intertwined stories, and more characters about whom I cared more deeply. I really wanted to see the map that will be in the published edition as I'm familiar with the area. Not a great read but not awful either.

Though I enjoyed this book, I had mixed feelings as I read it. The writing seemed uneven - it was slow at the beginning though the end of the story tears along. It made it hard to pick between good and average when rating this one.

The topic was appealing - a daughter of a Vietnam vet goes to Vietnam with her Iraq War injured friend to complete a project that her father (the vet) had started before his death. The project is to create a residence/school for street children. The author does a great job of describing Ho Chi Minh City, the street children and the surrounding area. The children are the strongest characters - from their meager existence/threats from adults/limited prospects for the future to discovering that they did have options and people do actually care about what happens to them. The other Vietnamese characters - the assistant at the Center, the policeman with bad eye sight but hopes for his country, even the nasty, opium smoking Loc - were developed sympathetically so that you really are interested in what happens to them. Other parts of the story less imaginative.

I do appreciate that the author plans to donate funds from the book to the Blue Dragon Children's Foundation.

This book captured my attention immediately. I've read books taking place in other African countries but not Sierra Leone - the author has done an excellent job of making you feel as if you are there - the heat, destructive forces of many types, the people - both powerful and powerless, the stress of wartime and the awful use of children in war, but also romance and friendship. The book is exciting and terrifying at the same time. I will look forward to other books by Paul Harris.

Palace Circle was a quick, enjoyable read but I had expected greater characters and more depth. The story could be told in a much longer version to take advantage of the settings and times. The first half went a bit more slowly for me. I enjoyed the latter part in Egypt though it was a setting used somewhat superficially. A fun read but does not make me waiting eagerly for the next book by this author though I would consider reading it.

Though the book started a bit slowly, it engaged me with a decent mystery and a very good feel for Mykonos. Jeffrey Signer obviously knows the people and terrain and it makes a great setting for this novel. I got a better feel for the male characters than the women who were the victims. The males seemed more fully developed as characters though not always sympathetic ones. I would read another mystery by Siger.