Con and Conjure-Lisa Shearin

Con and Conjure

Lisa Shearin

Ace, Mar 29 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780441020188

Raine Benares has always been the black sheep of her family as the seeker of the lost while her blood relatives are thieves; in fact her kin are the most infamous criminal clan in the seven kingdoms.  However, Raine turns to her family for help after she and the Saghred soul-stealing stone bond; not to de-link them but to help her pull off a necessary con to end the stalking by elves and goblins who want the power of the rock.

The King of the Goblins Sathik Mal’Salin and the darkest mage Sarad Nukpana each plans to use the Saghred for personnel gain at the cost of the kingdoms.  The elven leaders Taltek Balmorlan and Magus Carnades Silvanus send her former fiancé Rache Kai the elven assassin to hunt her down as her powerful enemies have no monetary problems.  With her allies Mychael and Tam and her con artist family, Raine sets in motion a diabolical counter scheme.

The fifth Benares fantasy is a terrific tale that moves forward the overarching saga theme of the apocalypse soon seemingly a certainty.  The story line is fast-paced and filled with action while the wise cracking heroine learns the depth of her power at the same time eluding a horde of foes who want to use her to use the stone.  Series fans will enjoy the latest entry (see Bewitched and Betrayed and The Trouble With Demons) as Con and Conjure is a sly family affair stone included.

Harriet Klausner

Montecore-Jonas Hassin Khemeri

Montecore

Jonas Hassin Khemeri

Knopf, Mar 8 2011, $26.95

ISBN: 9780307270955

Abbas left Tunisia to settle in Stockholm. Over eight years ago, he vanished.  An email from Kadir of Tunisia to first time published novelist Jonas Khemiri offers an intriguing proposition.  Kadir claims to have been Abbas’ best friend at a Tunisian orphanage while Jonas is Abbas’ adult son.  The former wants to collaborate with a latter on Abbas’s biography.

Abbas came to Sweden without a krona to his name or an identity beyond orphan as he fell in love with a flight attendant.  With money lent from Kadir, Abbas follows his beloved to Stockholm, where like a Cinderfella they marry and raise a family.  However, the North African fails to adapt to life in Sweden and worse is unable to support his family as a photographer as xenophobic Swediot bigots vandalize his studio.  Frustrated in his attempts to fit in while his son taunts him, he gave up and disappeared only to become world recognized as a superstar in New York.

 

This is an excellent look at modern Swedish society’s so called melting pot in which one prime ingredient is acceptable in the stew; though this could be just about anywhere with few true international cities.  The story line is driven by Kadir and Jonas who share commentary on Abbas.  However, what makes the novel superior is the Tunisian-Swedish dialect (incredibly translated into English by Rachel Willson-Broyles) as readers will believe Abbas is a real person whose journey from frightened child to world accolades starts in Tunisia, goes to Sweden and ends in New York.

 

Harriet Klausner

Spinning-Michael Baron

Spinning

Michael Baron

The Story Plant, Apr 5 2011, $16.95

www.thestoryplant.com

ISBN: 9781611880052

Twenty-nine years old Manhattan Mason, Brand and Partners executive Dylan Hunter seems to have everything.  Women want him; his apartment is the best in New York; his work has made him the top gun and kept his plan to retire at forty viable.  A friend of his Billie works at the same firm.  She is the female Dylan, but because she is a woman society considers her a ruthless bitch who is ambitious and aggressive while applauding Dylan for the same tactics.

Dylan’s former girlfriend from his Chicago days a century ago, Diane has arrived accompanied by her three years old daughter Spring.  She explains he is all she knows in the Big Apple as she plans to start anew.  Diane asks if they can stay at his place for now; even he cannot understand why he said yes.  Spring turns his life around as she draws on his perfectly painted walls, introduces him to the animals at the zoo and dines on a gourmet macaroni and tofu with cheese.  When an accident occurs, Dylan continues to care for Spring by allowing some of the plates he spins in his previous hedonistic life to crash.  He enjoys every minute with her; as does Billie, but knows the court will soon intervene.

This is an enjoyable extended family drama as Dylan and Billie learn what life is all about from a precocious (perhaps too precocious) little girl.  The cast is solid especially the lead trio, but also those at the office, his best friend Jimbo and case worker Mrs. Eckleberg.  Readers will enjoy this poignant tale as Michael Baron provides a deep message that to lead a fulfilling life, one must spin various plates including the care and nurturing of others.

Harriet Klausner

Breaking the Rules-Suzanne Brockmann

Breaking the Rules

Suzanne Brockmann

Ballantine, Mar 22 2011, $26.00

ISBN: 9780345521224

Navy SEALs Izzy Zanella and Danny Gilman have a long standing grudge.  When the former met the latter’s sister Eden, he fell in love.  She became pregnant with someone else’s child, but he stepped to the plate and married her.  When she miscarried, she also gave up on a heartbroken Izzy.  Danny blamed Izzy for his sibling’s unhappiness

Meanwhile Danny and Izzy work a mission in Afghanistan in which the former is wounded and the latter saves his life but almost dies doing so.  After a hospital stint in Germany, they come home to learn Eden is trying to rescue her teenage younger brother Ben from their abusive stepfather Greg and his mother Ivette.  They head to Vegas along with Danny’s on again and off again girlfriend Jennilyn LeMay to help Eden.  When Ben rescues Neesha from a child prostitution ring, Eden and Izzy protect her as the mobsters come for their merchandise, but snatch Ben instead. 

The latest Troubleshooters romantic suspense is a double dose of second chance at love inside of a family affair.  The story line is action-packed in Nevada and Afghanistan, but it is the cast that makes this so much fun as the Gillman crew play first violin in a wonderful thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Shady Lady-Ann Aguirre

Shady Lady

Ann Aguirre

Roc, Apr 5 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451463258

Corine Solomon has the parapsychological skill of touching an object and learning its past.  Following the Kilmer, Georgia visit home fiasco (See Hell Fire), Corine is euphoric to be back at her pawnshop in Mexico.  She is about to touch the salt half of a salt and pepper shaker starring Eros and Psyche respectively.  However, Kel Ferguson, who seemingly can’t be killed, enters her store and tells her not to touch Eros as it is hexed.  Drug lord Montoya sent her the cursed object that would have killed her if Kel Ferguson had not intervened.

Corine knows that once again she owes her life to God’s Hand as this warrior, who believes if the Lord had given him the assignment he would have prevented the Holocaust, explains he is to protect her but must not interfere with free will.  Corine wonders how much celestial debt she owes between Kel and Maury the demon who saved her soul.  Kel explains Montoya is coming for her with everything in his arsenal, which includes warlocks and voodoo practitioners while she and the three males (Kel, Chance and Jesse) in her life must fight back to keep her loved ones safe.

The latest Solomon urban fantasy (See Blue Diablo) is a fabulous action-packed thriller that hooks grateful (except for the lack of sleep) sub-genre fans from the moment Kel rushes into Corine’s store and never slows down until the final confrontation with the Montoya mob of hit men and magical mobsters.  Fast-paced, readers will fully enjoy Corine becoming mob enemy numero uno when all she wants is to go back to being a touchy feely proprietor.

Harriet Klausner

Magic on the Hunt-Devon Monk

Magic on the Hunt

Devon Monk

Roc, Apr 5 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451463913

Having done the impossible when they escaped death’s realm through the gate (see Magic at the Gate) lovers Allie Beckstrom and Zayvion Jones desperately need some R&R.  However, being back in Portland does not denote safe recuperation.  Instead Authority leader Sedra’s top assistant Dane Lanister arrives with weapons aimed to kill. 

He threatens killing Jones and tearing Allie apart limb by limb until she informs him where Jingo Jingo took the kidnapped Sedra as he believes her father’s consciousness inside of Allie’s brain will know.  At the same time, Dane threatens torture and death, magic practitioner Leander escaped from death’s realm, but needs a body to host his essence and believes he has found one in a prisoner locked in the Authority’s jail.  No time for the weary as Beckstrom and Jones must find Sedra and prevent Leander from causing hell to come to Portland.

The sixth Magic urban fantasy is a superb tale that has the heroic duet running around trying to prevent two disasters from occurring.  Without Sedra, the Authority Council will not just fall apart, but will fight for control.  Leander poses a different but as dire a threat at a time when the Council is internally headless.  Readers will enjoy trekking the streets of Portland with Beckstrom and Jones who believe they must have brought a bit of death back with them.

Harriet Klausner

Surrender the Dark-L.A. Banks

Surrender the Dark

L.A. Banks

Pocket, Mar 29 2011, $7.99

ISBN: 9781451607789

Besides being a chain smoker Celeste Jackson is a chain drinker and a constant abuse victim.  However, in her mind, she believes she deserves punishment as she suffers from schizophrenia.  Her mental illness culminates when her abusive boyfriend Brandon threatens to kill her and Celeste sees a demon residing inside him that he commands to leave; as the horned figure flees the human host, Brandon crumbles in death.

Fleeing for her life, Celeste does what she always does when she hallucinates; she stops at a bar for a drink or ten and a pack of Newports.  Her thoughts are she has to get out of this place as Philly is not a safe haven for her.  Azrael the Angel who left the Light to protect Celeste meets her at the bar.  She thinks he is crazier than she is, which says a lot as he explains who she is and why opposing sides recognize she is critical in the war over humanity.  She feels safe with him and he tries to obtain her trust. Celeste must serve as a rallying cry to gather her hybrid angelic-human peers the Remnant and other sensitive receptors to stop the evil dark from continuing their rule over humanity.  However, Azrael’s attraction to his ward could cost him his wings and mankind their last chance for salvation; only Celeste’s addictions may prevent his obsession leaving him wingless forever.

This is a terrific urban fantasy with a throwback feel to when authors used the genre to spotlight social issues.  The story line is fast-paced from the moment Celeste orders the demon out of Brandon and never slows down even while L.A. Banks looks deeply at what ails the country.  Readers will appreciate the battle for humanity between angels and demons as a schizophrenic addict serves as the pivotal essence in a war for eternity.

Harriet Klausner

Deathless-Catherynne M. Valente

Deathless

Catherynne M. Valente

Tor, Mar 29 2011, $24.99

ISBN 9780765326300

The city has changed names several times over the past century, but currently is called St. Petersburg as everything goes full circle.  On Gorokhovaya Street, Marya Morevna was six years old when she saw the bird turn into Lieutenant Gratch of the Tsar’s Personal Guard who came to take away her older sister Olga with him.  Three years later Lieutenant Zuyok of the White Guard also changed as he came for Tatiana.  Finally when Marya was twelve Lieutenant Shulan of the Red Army arrived for the third daughter Anna.  Watching the birds change to men come for her older sisters leaves Marya musing over the type of bird her mate will be.

Koschei the Deathless Tsar of Life arrives for his woman, Marya.  However, she must prove herself worthy as Koschei’s mate.  In that regard Baba Yaga tasks Marya with three impossible assignments; failure to compete all three proves she is not the mate of the Deathless Tsar of Life.  Marya begins her Herculean tasks, Marya starts to lose her humanity until she meets the innocent Ivan “The Fool” Nikolayevich, who pulls her back to Mother Russia; leaving her confused with one foot in Koschei’s realm and one in the land of her ancestors.

This is a terrific complicated retelling of a Russian folktale that uses The Revolution era as a backdrop to the saga; in fact Marya becomes a Major-General in the Red Army.  Fast-paced with a strong protagonist who keeps the engaging story line focused; readers will appreciate this intriguing look at Bolshevik Russia through a fantasy lens.

Harriet Klausner

You Don’t Love This Man-Dan DeWeese

You Don’t Love This Man

Dan DeWeese

Harper, Mar 1 2011, $14.99

ISBN: 9780061992322

Bank manager Paul is the father of the bride as his daughter Miranda will marry his former best friend Grant.  The morning of the wedding Catherine at the bank calls Paul informing him they were robbed and the cops had arrived.  Catherine tells him to enjoy his day as everything is under control; he wonders why call him if that is so. 

When he learns Miranda is missing, Paul thinks back over two decades ago when he was with his then three years old daughter trick or treating only to lose her temporarily.  He is frustrated by his ex-wife Sandra who is unconcerned as well as her brother Bradshaw of the big vocabulary.  Paul tries to find his daughter just like he tried the first time she vanished.  Adding to his bewilderment is learning the robber was the same thief who robbed the bank over twenty years ago.

You Don’t Love This Man is a terrific character study of a person who believes his life was futile but looks back anyway.  This leads to Paul reexamining who matters and why to him and him to them.  With a nod to It’s A Wonderful Life (without Clarence), readers will empathize with the protagonist who begins to understand relationships 101; as he concludes that having someone’s number in his cellphone does not mean they will answer his call.

Harriet Klausner

State of the Union-Douglas Kennedy

State of the Union

Douglas Kennedy

Atria, Mar 15 2011, $16.00

ISBN: 9781451602098

In 1969, eighteen years old Hannah Latham has A Special Relationship with her parents; dysfunctional.  Her father is a radical activist protesting anything; while her mother is an artist with mental issues.  To them she is a major disappointment as she ignores the rebellion of her peers against authority.  Instead Hannah wants out of the frantic family soap opera; so she marries medical student Dan Buchan; becomes pregnant; and moves to rural Maine.  She becomes a librarian-housewife until her father’s radical friend Tobias Judson arrives in Maine.

In 2003, Hannah feels her world imploding.  Her college age daughter Lizzie vanishes after mentally breaking when she learns an inconvenient truth.  Hannah’s BFF is dying so she cannot turn to her for solace as she must provide comfort.  Finally Toby reappears on national TV as her secret transgression from over three decades ago becomes known to all.

This is a profound character study as Hannah learns sometimes you get what you wish for only to regret you made the wrong wish.  Although the issues seem relatively minor, the cast is solid especially the lead female who on any page seems over the edge of the emotional cliff.  Through Hannah and her cohorts, Douglas Kennedy takes a close look at the hypocrisy of family values; pointing out that values can be negative and cherry-picking convenient; for instance the previous indiscretions of a born again are ignored by his or her peers regardless of what they might have been. 

Harriet Klausner