Hope Rearmed-David Drake and S.M. Stirling

Hope Rearmed David Drake and S.M. Stirling Baen, Mar 4 2014, $14.00 ISBN: 9781476736303 “The Anvil.” Civil Government Governor Barholm Clerett fears popular General Raj “Savior of the State” Whitehall will overthrow him in a coup. At a council meeting to discuss invading the Brigade lost territories, Chancellor Robert Tsetzas wants to delay military action due to costs accrued by the previous action. Thus when Raj asks for forty thousand troops, he receives eighteen thousand. Accompanied by his wife Suzette who runs the civilian side of the invasion, Raj leads his troops to Stern Isle where he expects little resistance until the assault on Wager Bay, a powerful impenetrable fort. “The Steel.” Whitehall’s troops take back Crown Peninsula and Lion City, but he knows they face overwhelming odds as the Brigade army outnumbers his forces by 5 to 1. Still they march forward destroying Brigade defenses and freeing towns on the road to Old Residence. The Brigade forces led by Ingreid Manfrond, with Howyrd Carstens providing the brains behind the counter operation, also head towards Old Residence. As the battle begins, a betrayal leaves Whitehall and his army in peril. Hope Rearmed is an exciting reprinting of books 3 and 4 in the thrilling General science fiction saga (see Hope Reborn for the opening tales The Forge and The Hammer). The terrific blending of nineteenth and twentieth century technology within a feral Holy Roman Empire feudal society on a divided world makes for a strong background. However, it is the grim dark realism of war (in spite of comic book heroics by Raj) and the worship of the silent Computer who abandoned the people but left behind the bible (manuals) that make for a fabulous read. Harriet Klausner

City Of Jasmine-Deanna Raybourne

City Of Jasmine Deanna Raybourne Mira, Feb 25 2014, $14.95 ISBN: 9780778316213 Aviatrix Evie Starke receives a photo of her husband Gabriel; on the back is written Damascus 1920. Though believing it to be a cruel hoax, Evie needs to know for sure why a photograph of her spouse claims to have been taken five years after he died on the German sinking of the USS Lusitania. Clues lead Evie to Constantinople. Not long afterward, Gabriel arrives at her hotel room. Barely restraining herself from shooting him, Gabriel explains to his irate wife that he searches for an artifact. He persuades her to join him on an adventure into the desert where they find and lose the artifact, but Evie resolutely vows to recapture it at the same time remind her wandering mate what he loses once this adventure ends. This is an entertaining action-packed historical thriller in which the romantic subplot plays a minor role to the deep look at 1920 Middle East. Fast-paced with an intriguing cast led by the intrepid sarcastic heroine and supported by the beguiling Aunt Dove (in early chapters), Gabriel and Bedouin and others; fans will appreciate this exhilarating post WW1 escapades in the desert. Harriet Klausner

House of Glass-Sophie Littlefield

House of Glass Sophie Littlefield Mira, Feb 25 2014, $14.95 ISBN: 9780778314783 In Minnesota, Jen Glass believed she was Cinderella when she married Ted; as she escaped poverty and her recently deceased abusive father. However, her idyllic life proves far from perfect especially since Ted lost his good-paying finance position but continues his affair; while their teenage daughter Livvy treats her with scorn and their four year old son Teddy for the most part never speaks. Two armed men (Dan and Ryan) invade the Glass suburban home. They lock the family of four in the basement. Jen prays they just rob and leave them unharmed, but also she wonders how these thugs know so much about her and her family, and why they assaulted her perfect home. However her prayers are unanswered when the Glass quartet become hostages so like any mama protecting her cubs, Jen vows to keep her kids safe. House of Glass is a thrilling suspenseful family drama with a solid character core engaging the audience even as we know what is coming next. Fast-paced from the moment the house invasion begins, readers will believe they are locked in the basement with the frightened Glass family. Harriet Klausner

Evening Stars-Susan Mallery

Evening Stars Susan Mallery Mira, Feb 25 2014, $14.95 ISBN: 9780778316138 On Blackberry Island in Puget Sound, aware of how guileless her mom Bonnie is and how impulsive her sister Averil is, Nina the nurse accepts her role as the responsible adult in the Wentworth family. She assumes she will never marry and have a family of her own as caring for Bonnie (and occasionally married Averil) is a full time emotional occupation. Still she dreams of having a life, which also makes her feel guiltily cruel; as Nina knows that means abandoning her beloved constant screw-up relatives when her mom can’t even get the roof fixed when it leaks and her sister can’t accept she is married to a wonderful man Kevin by taking marital time outs to come home. To her surprise, two men Kyle and Dylan compete for Nina’s affection as both males make it clear they want her. She likes both of them, but continues to put family responsibility ahead of her personal needs and desires. The third Blackberry Island contemporary (see Three Sisters and Barefoot Season) is an enjoyable character-driven tale starring a family with crippling codependency as Nina is an enabler allowing her mom and sis to rely on her. Although readers will be frustrated with the behavior of the Wentworth females, Susan Mallery provides a profound portrayal of abnormal caretaking relationships with the romantic subplots enhancing the psychological drama. Harriet Klausner

When Shadows Fall-J.T. Ellison

When Shadows Fall J.T. Ellison Mira, Feb 25 2014, $24.95 ISBN: 9780778316046 Needing to leave the perilous law enforcement field work behind, Samantha Owens accepts a position to chair and teach at Georgetown University Medical School’s Forensic Pathology Department. However, she becomes intrigued by a letter addressed to her from Timothy Savage; in which he pleads with her to investigate his homicide. Initially planning to ignore the death bed request, Sam learns that someone also murdered Savage’s lawyer and that the Lynchburg, Virginia police ruled Savage’s recent death as a suicide. An autopsy affirms the deceased’s assertion that he was killed. With her boyfriend retired Army Ranger Xander Whitfield, and DC PD homicide detective Darren Fletcher helping her, Sam makes inquiries into Savage’s life. Their investigation leads her to the FBI as Savage was an undercover agent infiltrating a dangerous cult to rescue a child and the conclusion that more deaths will follow. With a nod to the movie DOA, the third Samantha Owens investigation (see A Deeper Darkness and Edge of Black) is a superb complicated whodunit due to the myriad of nasty people with various motives that range from the bad to the ugly. Readers will appreciate J.T. Ellison’s latest greatest thriller. Harriet Klausner

The Chance-Robyn Carr

The Chance Robyn Carr Mira, Feb 25 2014, $7.99 ISBN: 9780778315995 Following a near fatal undercover assignment inside an Oregonian cult for over six months, FBI agent Laine Carrington tried to stay in her family’s Boston home for her wounded shoulder and mind to heal. However, her disapproving always critical father makes recuperation impossible so she flees him and the East Coast for Thunder Point, Oregon. Trying to start over following serving time in prison, Eric Gentry recently opened up an auto body shop in Thunder Point after learning he has a daughter he never knew about living there. When Laine and Eric meet for the first time, both feels the strong attraction even as each remains wary of relationships. As they fall in love, her father arrives in Thunder Point with desperate stunning news that shakes Laine’s equilibrium as much as taking that bullet in one of her wings almost left her bleeding to death. The fourth Thunder Point leisurely-paced relationship drama (see The Hero, The Newcomer and The Wanderer) is an engaging character study. The warm romance between the on leave agent and the ex-convict supports the underlying premise of second chances as part of family and community obligations but when to draw the line to care for oneself remains complicated. Harriet Klausner

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