Book Review: "The Spore Queen" by Debra Castaneda

 

Forest. Fungi. Family secrets.

Reporter Maria Hart ventures into the depths of Nils Forest chasing a news story about a violent storm, but she never returns. Within months, four other people will also disappear in the woods.

Tech mogul David Eager lives at the forest’s edge. He is haunted by Maria’s disappearance, and something more. Fungus is common in the foggy woodland, but now it’s behaving in unnatural ways, creeping onto his property and into his dreams.

Maria’s friend, Amy Matthews, hears strange rumors about Nils Forest and, motivated by a dark secret, decides to investigate for herself. It’s no easy task. The terrain is notoriously rugged. But Amy is cunning and determined to find her former roommate, dead or alive.

Amy’s not alone. Maria’s mother, desperate for answers about her daughter, joins the search.

Together, they journey into the heart of Nils Forest where they make a chilling discovery—there’s a new fungus in these woods, and it has transformative powers. As they push deeper into the trees, they uncover a terrifying, mind-bending force. Her name is The Spore Queen. - from Booksirens.com 

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I giving an unbiased review.

This is another installment into the 'Dark Earth Rising' books from this author. Admittedly, after having read the others, I was a bit disappointed in this particular novel. Though the story follows the general idea of the Earth retaliating in a strange fashion against humans, this one didn't feel the same. The ending was different, as to events that happened that leads one to believe a mysterious disappearance (or possible destruction) of the malignant force of nature, whereas this time, it was not only supported by followers, but assisted in flourishing. Does this mean a possible follow-up novel, that expands on this particular storyline? Not sure, but would be interesting to find out.

Book Review: "Disturbing the Dead" by Kelley Armstrong

 

Disturbing the Dead is the latest in a unique series with one foot in the 1860s and the other in the present day. The Rip Through Time crime novels are a genre-blending, atmospheric romp from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. Though inhabiting someone else’s body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she’s not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray, and is developing true friends—and feelings—in this century.

So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn't that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped, but a much more modern body. - from Netgalley.com 

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I giving an unbiased review.

This is the third book (not counting novellas) int his series, and follows the story of Mallory, a modern day detective, that gets transported back in time to another body in Victorian Scotland. There, luckily she is the housemaid of a 'surgeon' and basically creates herself an assistant position with him as he assists the police in studying dead bodies. It's somewhat convoluted and far-reaching in how a female in that era could do such.

Anyways, though I do, and have, enjoy(ed) many books from this author, and was anxiously awaiting this one to be available, I just could not get into it. I tried setting it aside, and picking it up days later, but still no luck in getting interested. I would love to try to read it again at a later date, as the twist in the plot synopsis intrigues me.

Book Review: "The Mountain Mystic" by Russell W. Johnson

 

Since succeeding her dearly departed husband, Bill, to become Jasper County’s first female sheriff, Mary Beth Cain has closed more cases than any three of her male predecessors combined. But nobody bats a thousand in the cop game. Nobody. And, ovaries aside, Mary Beth knows she’s no different. There’d been a handful of unsolveds during her tenure, victims and families denied their justice, and each and every one of them gnaws at her soul. She thinks about them late at night as she sips her whiskey, counting regrets like sheep.

But the case that haunts Mary Beth most is one that went cold before she was even on the force: the long-ago disappearance of a family friend, named Maria Ruiz. So when a country psychic’s vision leads to the discovery of Maria’s body, Mary Beth isn’t willing to chalk it up as genuine clairvoyance and goes all in on an investigation that cuts close to home. - from Netgalley.com 

This eARC was received from Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is a second book following the story of Sheriff Mary Beth Cain of Jasper County, Kentucky. This could be read as a stand-alone, but I always feel better recommending reading in order, though it is not really listed as a series.

I enjoyed the perspective of writing about a female sheriff in a crime-ridden area of 'backwoods Kentucky'. Our MC having family ties to the alleged KY Mafia, and just her own mother being a 'crime boss' says a lot about integrity when it comes to law enforcement work. Granted Mary Beth's way isn't always straight legal either. Storyline is easy to follow, even as it references events that happened years before the current story. Reads as a possible realistic story and comes to a nice conclusion. Would like to see more books like this one.