By The Grace Of Todd-Louise Galveston

By The Grace Of Todd Louise Galveston Razorbill, Feb 27 2014, $16.99 ISBN 9781595146779 The victim of bullies, BFFs Todd and Duddy pray they live through their sentencing as sixth graders at Wakefield Middle School. While cleaning up his environmentally hazardous room with help from his home schooled neighbor Lucy, Todd finds a colony of pint-sized humanoids thriving on one of his smelliest socks. Lucy the scientist congratulates Todd for creating life through the cosmic cesspool of the most fundamental building block: grossness. At school, Todd’s prime tormenter Max learns of the existence of the “Toddlians” and decides to use them in a science project that would most likely leave the new species extinct. The Toddlians trust that their creator “the Great Todd” will keep them safe from mad Max, but their adulation may not be enough for him to say no to the bully. With a nod to The Borrowers (by Mary Norton and illustrated by Joe & Beth Krush), By The Grace Of Todd is a wonderful satirical middle school tale. Rotating between Todd and Toddlian Lewis, the character-driven story line focuses on the tweener victim of bullying who knows he must stand up to his tormenter to keep the little people who believe in him safe. Although the two subplots don’t blend smoothly together, tweener fans will appreciate the journey. Harriet Klausner

You Should Have Known-Jean Hanff Korelitz

You Should Have Known Jean Hanff Korelitz Grand Central, Mar 18 2014, $26.00 ISBN: 9781455599493 In New York, psychologist Grace Reinhart Sachs loves her life as she enjoys her working with her patients, and adores her pediatric physician husband Jonathan and their son Henry. Wanting nothing to change, Grace still lives in the same apartment she resided in as a child and sends Henry to her elementary school alma mater. Based on her therapy sessions with female patients in denial until slapped in the face with the truth, Grace takes a chance on a new project by writing You Should Have Known; a self-help book encouraging women to treat selecting a life partner with a lot more analysis than picking candy bars. Ironically when Grace met Jonathan, she knew at first sight he was her soul mate without any further thought. However, just before the release of her book, Jonathan vanishes as Grace’s perfect life implodes with a deadly scandal in which her paragon mate is at the center. You Should Have Known is an intriguing character study that looks deeply into a seemingly perfect family before, during and after “… the statue on the pedestal comes crumbling to the ground” (Blessed Is The Rain by Tony Romeo and Brooklyn Bridge). The insightful storyline focuses on the Admissions to herself by the successful therapist and wife-mother that she should have known while coping with the shattering of her loving idealistic façade. Harriet Klausner

A Taste Fur Murder-Dixie Lyle

A Taste Fur Murder Dixie Lyle St. Martin's, Feb 25 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9781250031075 Near New York City, Deirdre “Foxtrot” Lancaster works as the “Gal Friday” to affluent and certifiable (eccentric to her face) Zelda “ZZ” Zoransky. She adores her boss but also worries about ZZ going over the top of insanity. One of Foxtrot’s most important and insane tasks is to put together ZZ’s weekend salon soirees, which means acting as the chaos wrangler and needed mental visits to the only peaceful place on the estate, the pet cemetery. However, this calming visit takes a strange twist when Foxtrot thinks she sees her deceased cat Tango, but writes it off as overactive nerves. At her home a few miles away from ZZ’s estate, the reanimated Tango and Tiny the ghost dog join a stunned Foxtrot who panics over her sanity. When a murder occurs at ZZ’s estate, Foxtrot and her companions investigate to insure the cops do not arrest her beloved lunatic employer. The first Foxtrot-Tango paranormal cozy is a lighthearted zany whodunit due to the beleaguered heroine and a fascinating albeit underdeveloped support cast (animal, ghost and human). Sub-genre readers will enjoy A Taste Fur Murder as the unlikely three amateur sleuths, using supernatural and admin assistant skills, farcically fumble, bumble and stumble their murder inquiry. Harriet Klausner

Four Weddings And A Fireman-Jennifer Bernard

Four Weddings And A Fireman Jennifer Bernard Avon, Feb 25 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9780062273673 San Gabriel firefighter Derek “Vader” Brown is a big powerful person. He has three loves: weightlifting, firefighting and Cherie Harper. Vader feels successful at the first two and a failure at persuading his Cherie to end their see-saw relationship and commit to their being an entry. Cherie fears she loves Vader, who’s the kindest man she knows especially with her and his wheelchair bound mom, but knows they have no future as one day soon the person who has her running will arrive in San Gabriel. When her sister Trixie comes to town, Cherie knows evil will follow. However, before she chooses flight, Vader insists together they choose fight. The latest Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel (see Desperately Seeking Firemen and How to Tame a Wild Fireman) is a heated romantic suspense starring an interesting woman in peril and a gentle giant. The secondary characters add depth though the audience will not realize that until a late twist to the exciting storyline. Four Weddings And A Fireman is a thrilling taut tale. Harriet Klausner

The Cottage On Juniper Ridge-Sheila Roberts

The Cottage On Juniper Ridge Sheila Roberts Mira, Feb 25 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9780778314547 In Seattle, Jen Heath feels overwhelmed with no time for herself between her job as office slave at Emerald City Promotions and selling Soft Glow Candles to pay her credit card debt, car payments and mortgage. When she reads Muriel Sterling’s Simplicity, Jen decides to heed the self-help book advice by simplifying her life. Jen leaves Seattle and moves to Sterling’s hometown Icicle Falls. The newcomer quickly makes friends especially after joining the book club and finally to her amazement finds time for her family. She becomes a role model to the other Icicles and her wired sister Toni seeking to simplify their existence in order to enjoy life with loved ones a little more. The fourth Life in Icicle Falls contemporary (see Better Than Chocolate, What She Wants and Merry Ex-Mas) is a warm character study with the profound message of the not so simple ridding oneself of clutter in order to appreciate life; as there are no do-overs. The cast is solid but it is at the end of her rope Jen diving head first into the snow to accept “Life moves pretty fast; If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) who makes for a fun tale. Harriet Klausner

Come A Little Bit Closer-Bella Andre

Come A Little Bit Closer Bella Andre Mira, Feb 25 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9780778316084 Internationally renowned actor and box office top gun Smith Sullivan feels a need to expand his artistic horizons. He wrote the screenplay to the movie that he directs as well as starring as the leading man and selects Tatiana Landon as his co-star. Everything is going perfect except for Tatiana’s overly protective business manager, her older sister Valentina. For the past decade Valentina has kept the Hollywood rat packs away from Tatiana as a reaction to their mother’s serial dating of performers. She stands vigil as she distrusts Smith though she knows this role will turn her sibling into a superstar. The A-list actor and the necker checking chaperone are attracted to each other, but Valentina distrusts Hollywood while Smith being anchored by his family and his love for his vocation wants much more than a film fling. The eighth Sullivan family drama is an entertaining Hollywood romance due to the engaging changing relationship between the lead couple. The secondary connections by him to her sister and her to his sister enhance the tender storyline; as once again Bella Andre provides a winner while keeping each Sullivan’s personality consistent with previous entries (see From This Moment On, Let Me Be The One and Kissing Under The Mistletoe). Harriet Klausner

The Clockwork Wolf-Lynn Viehl

The Clockwork Wolf Lynn Viehl Pocket, Feb 25 2014, $7.99 ISBN 9781476722375 In Toriana, Deathmage Lucien Dredmore asks, demands being more accurate, that Disenchanted & Co. dispeller Charmian “Kit” Kittredge interview and protect wealthy widow Lady Eugenia Bestly. The president of the Rumsen Ladies Decency Society, Bestly needs protection from those who will come after her once the media releases the news that she is the affluent arrogant surviving spouse of the savage Wolfman. Ironically, Kit is one of those less fortunate Lady Bestly tried to destroy for being indecent. Lady Bestly insists someone used magic to turn her docile caring husband into the vile lethal Wolfman. Kit makes inquiries into the creation of these feral wolf-men with assistance from her BFF brothel owner Carina Eagle, her longtime buddy and self-anointed protector police Chief Inspector Tommy Doyle, and Harry her grandfather the ghost; also accompanying her while ordering her about is the dreaded deathmage Dredmore. At the same the creator observes her progress and prepares to destroy this interfering dispeller and her allies. The latest Her Ladyship's Curse steampunk adventure (see Disenchanted & Co.) is an exciting alternate vision of America in which M&M is not candy or the 1960’s Yankees, but instead magic and mechanical gizmos. Fast-paced with a fascinating emerging romantic threesome, fans will enjoy Kit’s tour of Lynn Viehl’s dark San Francisco (Rumsen) though the excessive cast makes it difficult to keep track as to who’s who especially early on. Harriet Klausner