The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood

In jazz 1920s Melbourne, the Green Mill is the hottest dance hall in town. But the glamourous Miss Phyrne Fisher finds there are hidden perils in dancing the night away. Like murder, blackmail, young me who vanish. And an overbearing mother whose motives for wanting her sons found looks decidedly suspicious.

Phyrne Fisher's fifth adventure leads to smoke-fill clubs, a dashingly handsome band leader, and some fancy flying indeed across the Australian Alps.

This is the fifth book in the Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood, and follows on from Death at Victoria Dock. Having read this many books in the series, there are a number of things that are a given. Phryne lives a very decadent lifestyle in many ways. There will be handsome young men, there will be some shocking (for the day) behaviour and she will of course find her man!

There were however some differences in this case. The story opens with Phryne dancing the night away at the Green Mill dance hall, at the end of a dance off. Things turn deadly however when one of the remaining dancers is murdered right in the middle of the dance floor it is a bit puzzling as to how it can possibly have been done. There were many witnesses, and no one saw anything. More puzzling is why Phryne's companion for the evening has done a runner!

Whilst solving the murder whilst undertaking a flirtation with one of the band members is on Phryne's agenda, it really is the search for her companion, Charles Freeman that is Phryne's paid assignment. What she find is that the seemingly upright family is full of secrets, and eventually leads her to search for Charles' brother Vic, who has chosen to live high in the Australian Alps as a virtual hermit.

What having Vic living in this location did allow is for Phryne to take her plane and fly up into the Alps, something that I found quite fascinating. The idea that to fly somewhere that takes five or six hours to drive to would have taken two refuels, whilst not surprising I guess, was quite eye opening because we take for granted that you can fly to Sydney in an hour from Melbourne!

This wasn't the strongest of the mysteries so far, but the book was still entertaining enough read. Onto the next one in the series!

Rating 4/5

The Bride Finder by Susan Carroll

Anatole lives on the steep crags of Cornwall, trapped in isolation by his legacy and powers. Surrounded by only a handful of servants and his dogs, he has never ventured far from the thick stone walls of his castle. Now, as part of timeless tradition, Anatole must turn to his former tutor and distant cousin, Septimus Fitzleger, also known as the Bride Finder, a man blessed with the power to find the one woman who is Anatole's destiny.

Madeline Breton is that chosen bride and has come to Cornwall to meet her new husband. I know you are all Anatole St. Leger could ever want, Septimus had told her. And sensible Madeline had begun to dream. But, now that she has reached her strange destination, the dream is diffusing quickly in the shadow of the dark and ominous Castle Leger. Her husband is hardly the gentleman she had envisioned. He looks more like a fierce Celtic warrior, one whose wild, ebony hair and brusque manner hint of stranger, mysterious gifts. What unknown forces are at work at Castle Leger? Why do the servants and the villagers both respect and fear her husband? Anatole knows only too well the legacies that to him have been more curse than gift. But as Madeline embarks on an odyssey both otherworldly and undeniably real, she and her husband fall hopelessly in love - until she also sees the haunting vision of murder in the crystal of the St. Leger sword and vows never to let this dire portent come to pass. Then, into this hypnotic world, a sudden, terrifying enemy emerges to threaten both their lives.

Once every so often a novel comes along that takes your breath away. From its mesmerizing first page to its unforgettable last, Susan Carroll spins a sweeping, spellbinding tale of magic, romance and legend - a beautifully written, utterly gripping epic that illuminates the undying power of love.

Ever since I read the Faire Isle trilogy by this author, I have been intending to read her backlist. So when it was my turn to choose author of the month in the Historical Romance Chat Yahoo group, I chose Susan Carroll, and decided to read the first book in the St Leger trilogy. The main reason for choosing this book was that The Huntress wasn't quite out yet (which I still haven't managed to read) and I wanted to get to her other books in due course anyway.

Straight off the bat, I want to say that I loved this setting - 1800's in a haunted castle in Cornwall - can it be anymore gothic? Add to the setting the fact that the hero is afflicted with a terrible curse, and I am totally there!

When Anatole sends his cousin and bride finder to London to find him a wife he gives him a very strict list of requirements. It's no wonder he didn't recognise his intended because Madeline Breton is pretty much everything he doesn't want in a bride! His dreams have foretold what is to happen and he now can't stop those events from coming to fruition, and it could mean the end of the line for his family!

With a cast of kooky and a little bit spooky characters, lots of paranormal activity (not werewolves and vampires - more ghosts and strange events) and a bit of suspense this was a cracking read.

Of the books that I have read by Susan Carroll so far, I am yet to read a dud. I will definitely be reading more of this trilogy.

Rating: 4.5/5

Othere Blogger's Thoughts:

The Eclectic Reader

The down side of library books

There is a down side to not buying books.

As a result of the blog war that I mentioned in my last post, I was thinking it would be really nice to skim through both books and just read some of my favourite passages. Only problem is that I borrowed both of those books from the library so I don't have them!

Darn it!

Duck and cover!

It's a blog war!


KristieJ's passion for Derek Craven from Dreaming of You is well known throughout blogland, but chances are that she's met her equal in Sybil who just lurves Sebastian St Vincent from Devil in Winter.

Now the battle lines have been drawn and you have to pick a side!

So....Derek or Sebastian?


I will keep it simple.....Sebastian all the way!

Typography

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

You may or may not have seen my post at Punctuality Rules Tuesday, about a book I recently bought that had the actual TITLE misspelled on the spine of the book. A glaring typographical error that really (really!) should have been caught. So, using that as a springboard, today’s question: What’s the worst typographical error you’ve ever found in (or on) a book?

I do notice spelling mistakes in books, but not enough to be able to remember so that I can answer this question.

Instead, I thought I would mention one name that I think is spelt incorrectly every time I see it and that is the name of the main character in Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series. On her website, it is very clearly stated that the name is pronounced Fry-knee (as in to rhyme with Briny) but every time I see it I want to pronounce it Fern, which I would think would be spelled Phyrne! One of these days the correct name will stick in my head.

I know...not exactly the intention of the question, but at least I managed to post on time this time. Last week's answer is still sitting in draft!

Booker Prize 2007 Winner

So the winner of the 2007 Man Booker prize was The Gathering by Anne Enright.

This book doesn't seem to be available here at all. Wonder how quickly it will get published here now that it has been declared the winner!

I will have to keep a look out next time I am in the bookstore!

An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer

This review cross posted at Historical Tapestry

IN THE SUMMER OF 1815, with Napolean Bonaparte marching down from the north, Brussels is a whirlwind of parties, balls and soirees. In the swirling social scene surrounding the Duke of Wellington and his noble aides de camp, no one attracts more attention than the beautiful, outrageous young widow Lady Barbara Childe. On their first meeting, dashing Colonel Charles Audley proposes to her, but even their betrothal doesn't calm her wild behavior. Finally, with the Battle of Waterloo raging just miles away, civilians fleeing and the wounded pouring back into the town, Lady Barbara discovers where her heart really lies, and like a true noblewoman, she rises to the occasion, and to the demands of love, life and war...

Just under a year ago I went to the local romance bookstore, and was talking to the girl who worked about authors she recommended. After going through a few different options, she asked me whether I had ever read Georgette Heyer? My response was no, but that I wasn't overly keen to try. After she gushed for about 10 minutes about how fabulous Heyer was, I ended up walking out of the store having bought Venetia. I still haven't read it.

It wasn't so much that I wasn't interested in reading Heyer's books really. It was more that there were so many that I wasn't really sure where to start, and there were so many other books that I KNEW that I wanted to read. Then I was offered An Infamous Army and I figured that it would be just the encouragement I needed to try this author, and then one way or the other I would know whether I wanted to read more or not!

Whatever it was that I was expecting when I started reading this book, it's not what I got! I will confess that I was expecting lots of bodice heaving, and purple prose, but instead what I got was a lovely romance which was set against the much larger portrayal of the Battle of Waterloo. The detail in the book about the movement of troops and the actual battles was impressive, but yet not so overdone that it became monotonous and boring. The colour and pageantry of the various parts of the army that was massing to face Napoleon was impressively depicted and the almost crazed atmosphere of the English in Brussels who seemed to be partying like there was no tomorrow was very finely tuned. The fact that there literally was no tomorrow for many of them only adds to the poignancy of the novel.

The action of the story moved from the ballroom, to the salon, to reviewing the troops and trips on picnics to the countryside adeptly, and yet with all the details about the looming battle and the actual battle, Heyer didn't forget to develop the blooming relationship between our hero and heroine.

I have to confess that at the very beginning of the book I was somewhat concerned at where the journey was going to lead. When Colonel Charles Audley, who works on the staff of the Duke of Wellington, enters into a crowded ballroom and sees the beautiful but somewhat notorious Lady Barbara Childe he instantly falls in love and before too long she is in love with him. Almost immediately, Charles proposes to Babs and she accepts, much to the shock of much of Brussels, including his sister, and to the delight of the gossip mongers, for whom Babs has long been a favourite talking point. Love at first sight....not really my cup of tea.

Babs give Charles a bit of a run around, but her true strength comes to the fore when it is needed as the battle rages. And in the end, it turns out that she is not the only one in her family who might have shocking secrets.

And yet, despite that initial reservation, gradually I found myself fascinated by all the characters, including our lovers. Many of the characters are actual historical figures who were involved in the Battle of Waterloo, and I found myself searching the web looking for websites related to the battle to try and figure out things like exactly how far out of Brussels is Waterloo. I think that if a historical novel that you are reading prompts you to go and find out more information about the events you are reading about, then it's a pretty good sign.

With lively characters, plenty of historical details and a good love story, this is one Heyer that I am definitely glad that I found time to read, and I will be reading more!

Rating 4/5


Thanks to Sourcebooks for the review copy of this book!


Other blogger's thoughts:

Chris @ Book-a-rama

Long Day!

It's been a long one today!

I left work half an hour earlier than I usually do so that I could get my son to basketball training on time, but the trains were terrible...so bad that I ended up getting to where I pick him up from 10 minutes later than normal! So frustrating, even though it did mean that I got a bit more read of my book!

In other news, I have posted a review of The Observations by Jane Harris over at Historical Tapestry

Further Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes

Slide further under the duvet, get yourself comfortable and let Marian take you places where you have never been before...

Places like the Irish air-guitar championships, a shopping trip to Bloomingdale's with a difference and Cannes with a chronic case of Villa-itis. Along the way you'll encounter knicker-politics, fake tans, sticky-out ears and passionate love affairs both with make-up and with Toblerones. And of course, agony aunt Mammy Walsh is on hand to solve all your problems.

Hilarious and poignant, Marian's long awaited second volume of journalism and previously unpublished writing, including several short stories, is the modern woman's perfect companion. So put the kettle on and grab that Kit Kat Chunky - everything else will wait.

One thing that you can almost be guaranteed when you read Marian Keyes is that you will be entertained. Whether she is talking about charity trips to remote locations, her love affair with make up, or her husband (affectionately known to the reader as Himself) or fighting her battle against alcholism, Keyes delivers laughs but without sacrificing depth.

Many of the articles in the book were actually originally published in various newspapers and magazines, but there were also some original articles, and some original short stories. The short stories are patchy in places but still readable.

The only bad thing with having now read this collection is that I have read almost everything I can find by this author. I think that my library has one of the anthologies that she contributed to, but that's it! The only other book is No Dress Rehearsal, which doesn't seem to be easy to track down, and doesn't seem to be a full size book either!

Now I guess I will just have to wait patiently for her next book!


Rating 4/5

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Paige Winterbourne is a witch. Not that you'd notice - no warts, no green skin, no cute little wiggle of the nose whenever she casts a spell. No, most of the time she's just a normal 23-year- old girl; works too hard, worries about her weight, wonders if she'll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she does have an adopted teenage daughter, Savannah, who wants to raise her black witch of a mother from the dead. And who is being stalked by a telekinetic half-demon and an all-powerful cabal of sorcerers. But other than that, Paige has a really ordinary life. That is, until the neighbours find out who she is, and all hell breaks loose. Literally...

Whoops! Made a mistake! Normally I am pretty careful to ensure that I write a review for an earlier book in a series, before I read the next book, even if that means bumping the earlier book up the review queue, because that way I can be sure that no details from one book slip into my memory of the next book! For some reason though, I didn't realise that I hadn't written this up before I read Industrial Magic. We'll have to see how it goes!

Paige Winterbourne had previously appeared as a secondary character in a couple of the earlier books in this series, but in this book she comes to the fore! Paige is a young witch, who on the death of her mother, has become the coven leader. In addition to this responsibility, she is also bringing up Savannah, a teenage witch. The other witches aren't keen on Savannah because her mother was a black witch, and they are sure that Savannah has some of the same skills. Paige would love to get her teeth into some of the stronger spells that are no longer available to witches, but she knows that the coven will be very unhappy if they found that out!

When Paige is framed for devil worship, a young lawyer by the name of Lucas Cortez enters the picture. Actually, to call Lucas just a lawyer is probably a bit of an understatement. He is also a sorcerer and estranged son of one of the most powerful cabal bosses in the paranormal world. Now, in case you aren't up with your paranormal rules, witches and sorcerers are enemies, and so Paige is determined that Lucas isn't going be become her lawyer, but he has other ideas, and before long the three of them (Paige, Lucas and Savannah) have become a team.

This does cause more issues with the coven and, before long, Paige not only finds herself accused of demon worship, but the coven are not prepared to back her up in any way either. In fact, it seems that they are determined to get her out of town sooner rather than later. Somehow, though, there are others who are part of this whole strange series of events, and they are looking for Savannah. Paige and Lucas must fight to protect Savannah...any way they can.

I did really enjoy this book - the action was fast paced, and there was very definitely a romantic element between Paige and Lucas. I didn't feel the chemistry at first, but by the time I finished this book and then I read Industrial Magic I couldn't imagine the two of them not being together! This series is one that I am determined to keep reading!

Rating 4/5

Finally!!

Finally, today the Prime Minister has announced that the Federal election will be held on November 24. I would say let the games begin, but the games began months ago! We have been having a pretend Federal campaign for months, with promises being made, and general politicking, grandstanding etc.

My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson

Kamryn Matika has no responsibilities - one birthday card will change that for ever.... Best friends Kamryn Matika and Adele Brannon thought nothing could come between them - until Adele did the unthinkable and slept with Kamryn's fiance, Nate. Worse still, she got pregnant and had his child. When Kamryn discovered the truth about their betrayal she vowed never to see any of them again. Two years later, Kamryn receives a letter from Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and begs Kamryn to adopt her daughter, Tegan. With a great job and a hectic social life, the last thing Kamryn needs is a five-year-old to disrupt things. Especially not one who reminds her of Nate. But with no one else to take care of Tegan and Adele fading fast, does she have any other choice? So begins a difficult journey that leads Kamryn towards forgiveness, love, responsibility and, ultimately, a better understanding of herself.

I first heard about this book over at Karen Scott's blog. The review that she wrote was one of those that made me go...I have to read this book now! Yes, it took me 3 months to do so (and a bit longer to get to write this review), but it was definitely worth getting this book out of the library.

The only problem I had was that I started reading it on the train on the way home from work one day, and given that I started crying on the second page that was probably a mistake! I went back to read Karen's review when I got home to see if there was sufficient warning that this was going to be one of those books that made me cry...and there really was! Once I kept reading, in the privacy of my own home, I cried and laughed throughout this book and thoroughly enjoyed my read!

Please don't think that this is a morose or depressing book because it really isn't! The story IS emotional, but there are sufficient moments of joy and humour (and love) to be able to balance out those emotional moments, without trying to undermine the backbone of the novel or resorting to cliches.

In closing, I would really encourage you to read Karen's review of this book by clicking on the link above! She has done an excellent job of dissecting the characters and the story - far better than I can possibly do!

This is the only Koomson book that my library has, which is a shame because I would love to read more by this author! Watch out Book Depository here I come!

Rating 4.5/5

Booker reading update

When the Booker long list was announced, I somewhat recklessly declared that I was going to read the books on the list. When the shortlist was announced, I still hadn't read any of them.

So, now that the announcement of the winner is imminent, I have finally read one of the long list nominees! Go me! I do have two more out from the library, so I might get to them eventually.

Click on the link and you will end up over at Historical Tapestry where you can read my review of Winnie and Wolf by A N Wilson.

Stranger in My Arms by Lisa Kleypas

Lara's had been an arranged marriage to a man who was cold and mostly absent, so when word reached Lady Hawksworth that her husband was lost at sea, she happily gave up her title and position and proceeded to lead an exemplary life as a volunteer at the community orphanage. But suddenly - after over a year - Lara receives word that her husband is alive and on his way home. While Lara couldn't deny that the handsome man who appeared before her resembled her husband in many ways, and knew things that only he could know, the "new" Hunter was attentive and loving in ways he never had been before. Was it possible that her rake of a husband had reformed - or was Lara being seduced by a cunning stranger?

When Lara (who should have been called Saint Lara quite frankly) found out that she was a widow following the death of her husband Hunter in India, she wasn't devastated. Her marriage had been for convenience only with no love or passion. With the new titleholder in the family home and treating her quite shabbily, Lara now spends her time, and what little money she gets caring for the orphans and children in the local town.

On receiving the news that her husband is alive and well, Lara is overwhelmed. It quickly becomes clear that either her husband has had a complete change of heart, or that he is an impostor.

When Hunter's identity is challenged through the court system, Lara is forced to tell whether or not she believes he is who he say he is, or he could end up in jail or worse still...dead.

Unlike many of the novels by Lisa Kleypas, the characters in this novel are almost cartoon like (possibly with the exception of Hunter). Lara is a saint, and the bad guys wouldn't be out of place in one of those over the top kids movies.

+++++++SPOILER+++++++++

Of course, everything ends happily, but one thing I didn't get was why Hunter's mother would confirm that a stranger was her son really! Would the mother of an impostor willingly allow him to take her child's place?


All in all, not one of Kleypas' better efforts but still had some nice parts to it!

Rating 3.5/5

Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

One charming street, so many secrets....
Lydia Goetz has an intriguing new tenant. Colette is a grieving young widow who has rented the apartment above her shop. Lydia's opinionated sister, Margaret, insists Colette is hiding something - and she's right. Colette's past is catching up with her fast and so is the enigmatic man who loves her.

Yet Margaret will soon have secrets of her own when her daughter's life is turned upside down by violence. Is vengeance the answer?

Meanwhile, Alix Townsend is about to marry the man she adores. It should be the happiest time of her life - so why is she breaking out in hives?

Why Lydia starts a new knitting class these women forge new friendships and learn the special art of letting go of your past and grabbing hold of your future.

Funny, sad, touching and true - you'll be so glad you're back on Blossom Street.

Sometimes you just need a little sugar!

I don't read any of Debbie Macomber's other books, but a couple of years ago I read the first book in this series, The Shop on Blossom Street, as part of a group read, and it seems now that I read each new book in the series as they come out.

The action centres around Lydia Goetz's knitting and yarn shop, on Blossom Street and the women who come to the shop to participate in knitting classes. This time the ladies are knitting a prayer shawl. One of the characters, Alix Townsend, was featured in an earlier book in the series, where she was a sullen, rebellious teenage. Now, she is happy, and engaged to a youth minister, Jordan Turner. Whilst she has come a long way from the unhappy young girl that she was, things are getting out of control. Jordan's mother Susan and Alix's friend, Jacqueline are determined to provide a dream wedding for Alix and Jordan...even if it isn't the happy couples idea of a dream wedding. Alix is stressed out to the point of second thoughts and it is going to take something major for things to get back on track.

Another member of the class is Colette Blake. Colette a young widow with a huge secret, and as her past catches up with her in the person of her former boss Christian Dempsey. Whilst she has feelings for him, she can't let herself get closer to him than she already has done. I have to confess that I found this strand of the story quite over the top, but I did love Christian's auntie who comes into the story in the latter half of the book.

The other major storyline in the book featured Lydia's sister Margaret, whose daughter suffered a horrendous carjacking attack, and the whole family was left to pick up the pieces and deal with the consequences. Margaret is a kind of extreme character in terms of her reactions, but mostly they were understandable, just taken a step too far.

The fourth member of the group is Suzanne who is the owner of the new florist that has recently opened in the street, but I was left wondering if maybe there was some storyline edited out of the final cut about Suzanne because she was kind of just there!

I am not a knitter at all, so I guess I don't necessarily feel the same affection for the role of the knitting in the story, but as a group of stories about the strength and power of female friendship, then the three books in the series are a fun read and easy enough to read through in one sitting. Macomber left the ending open enough for at least on more knitting book, and I guess I will be reading it if it comes out!

Rating 4/5

Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Passion for the Page

Isn't this always the way?

I've just checked my library account, and I have 8....yes 8 books to pick up!

The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Jennifer Crusie, Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart

You’re invited to spend the weekend with three extraordinary sisters…

When she was sixteen, Dee Fortune kidnapped her two younger sisters and ran from danger. Now twenty-nine, she’s still trying to control her shape-shifting power—no easy task when Danny James shows up one Friday morning with his deadly smile and dangerous questions about the past.
“Dreyer is wickedly clever and witty.”—Booklist

Lizzie is determined to save her family from financial ruin by turning straw into gold; now if she could only stop turning forks into bunnies. Then Elric, a sorcerer, appears one Friday—annoyed with the chaos Lizzie is creating in the universe and in his heart. . . .
“A consummate mistress of her craft, Stuart is a pure pleasure to indulge.”
—Romantic Times Bookreviews

The youngest Miss Fortune, Mare, towers above her sisters but her telekinetic power is dwarfed by their gifts. She spends her days at Value Video!! and her nights contemplating the futility of her existence. But then a gorgeous Value Video!! VP and Mare’s long lost love turn up. . .and they all turn up the heat on a weekend that no Fortune will soon forget!
“Crusie is a master of fast-paced witty dialogue.”—Seattle Times

I can just imagine what the brainstorming sessions would have been like for the three authors involved in this book.

"What's the strangest thing that someone could morph into during sex?"

"A frog"

"No, no...wouldn't it be hysterical if she turned into the guy's mother just as they got hot and heavy?". Lots of mirth and merriment ensues.

"And, how about, what if, one of the sisters is trying to transform objects, but every time she tries to do it the only thing that happens is that she makes herself a new pair of shoes?" Hahahaha. "Every woman loves shoes!"

"Wait, wait...what if..." laughing .....

Okay...so I don't actually know if that's how it really was, but in some ways it felt to me as though the three authors involved in this book were having so much fun thinking about what things could happen, but it just didn't quite translate onto the page. The book was lots of fun, but it wasn't the fantastic ride I wanted, mainly because the characters were swapped around too quickly, and the chapters too long.

I should probably declare right now that I hadn't ever read Anne Stuart or Eileen Dreyer before so I really was reading this for Jennifer Crusie. And I have to admit that I came away from this book thinking that I am not so enthused about her collaborations, after first Don't Look Down, and now this book. (Luckily, since then I have read Agnes and the Hitman (and no, I haven't reviewed it yet) so my faith has been restored somewhat - restored enough to be looking forward to the collaboration that she is currently working on with Lani Diane Rich and Anne Stuart.

My other qualm was that two of the sisters meet, fall in love, and then agree to marry in the space of three days as well as having to defeat evil aunt Xantippe in that time frame as well.

When I read the book, my favourite relationship was between the youngest sister, Mare and her true love. I'm not saying more on this one because there are two possibilities for Mare, but she definitely ended up with the right guy! Now, as I look back though, I did also really like Dee and Danny's relationship. I wasn't so keen on Lizzie and Elrick. He was a bit...pompous..for want of a better word, for me!

So, whilst this book was a fun read, it just didn't meet my expectations. It could well be that my expectations were too high, but still.

Rating 3.5/5

Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake by Laurie Brown

She's the only one who can help him

Deverell Thornton, the ninth Earl of Waite, must convince her to come back to his time and foil the plot that would destroy him...

His plea is irresistible

Josie Drummond is a modern career woman, and she doesn't believe time travel is possible, until her overpowering attraction conquers all doubt...

But what will happen when their time runs out?

As a modern woman, thrust back in time to the sparkling social whirlwind of the Regency period, Josephine Drummond must contend with the complex manners and mores of the day, make sure no one discovers her real identity and unmask a dangerous charlatan. And in the end, she must choose between the ghost who captivated her or the man himself, who is clearly determined to sweep her off her feet and shows no mercy when it comes to seduction...

Josie Drummond is a paranormal investigator (not a ghostbuster thank you!) who has been engaged by Lady Amelia to try and prove the existence of a ghost in her ancestral home. The sad fact is that said home is falling down around her ears, and Lady Amelia needs this evidence to be able to try and set up the castle as a themed bed and breakfast and to try and save her home. Of course, Amelia already knows full well that there is a ghost in the castle. He arrives for tea every Thursday at 3pm for tea. It is only as Josie is about to confirm that there is no evidence to suggest that the castle is haunted that Deverell manifests himself to her!

Deverell is a man with a plan. He is going to assist Amelia by transporting Josie back in time to help him expose a fraudulent fortune teller who managed to take most of the family fortune from his mother by holding seances to try and ascertain where the legendary missing family emeralds are.

Of course, a modern career woman would stick out like a sore thumb in the highly regimented world of the Regency ton, and so once Josie agrees to the plan (as ridiculous as the plan is) she is given a crash course in Regency etiquette, in dancing and dining. Never believing that Deverell's time travel plan will work, she suddenly finds herself thrust into a Regency house party. And there is one big distraction. Whilst Josie finds the ghost of Deverell attractive, there is a positive spark between the man Lord Deverell and her. Can she fend off unwelcome suitors who are determined to marry her for her fictional fortune, stop Deverell from being killed in a duel, uncover the charlatans and help to find the missing family jewels??

I did find the education of Josie to be very informative. In so many Regency set books there is mention of the rules, but many of them are just alluded to, so it was fascinating to see the author setting out some of those many rules in a straight forward way.

I have to confess that at first I did struggle to get into this book. I have been reading it for about a week, which is quite slow for me, but I think that had a lot to do with the fact that I have had a lot of distractions over the last couple of weeks or so. Once I sat down with the intention of just reading I was completely drawn into the story, and managed to read the last half of the book in one sitting.

Dev is charming, and definitely rakish, and Josie is a lot of fun. As a modern woman, she is a very good match for Dev. She is happy to banter with him, and to him must have seemed very liberated!

Reading this did make me wonder why don't I read more time travel books? I loved Karen Marie Moning's time travels, and I loved the Outlander series, and yet, I don't seem to recall reading many others! I do have at least one on my bookshelf. Somehow I must try to fit it into the reading schedule!

This book is the first book to be released from Sourcebooks new Casablanca romance line (which is going to include rereleases of some Georgette Heyer novels), and if this is a sign of things to come, then it will be worthwhile keeping an eye out for the books that are released as part of this line. Thanks to Sourcebooks for sending me this book to review!

Rating 4/5

My Surrender by Connie Brockway

Charlotte Nash is the most impulsive of the Nash sisters. Using her position as one of London's most popular and naughty debutantes, she assists English spies in conveying messages that will help them infiltrate Napoleon's inner circle -- and fulfill the mission her father died trying to achieve. But only as a courtesan can she infiltrate London's most notorious gatherings and retrieve a crucial document. Is she ready to take part in a deception that will leave her reputation in shreds? And when Highlander Dand Ross -- a dangerous, disreputable blackguard -- reappears in her life and offers his aid, dare she accept it? The exquisite pleasure she finds in his arms might be worth the price of her surrender, but is the dark Highlander who loves her so passionately really just luring her toward the ultimate betrayal?

This is the third and final book in the Rose Hunter trilogy, following on from My Pleasure, and features the youngest of the Nash girls, Charlotte. Charlotte has always been considered to be just on the right side of too fast, willing to shock the people of the ton with her behaviour, without doing anything quite so rash as compromising herself! It turns out that part of her reason for behaving this way is that she is involved in a spy ring. She's not really in the centre of the ring, but she does find information out and pass it on to others to be used in the defense of the country.

In an effort to step up her usefulness Charlotte is determined to diffuse a very sensitive matter - find some documents that have disappeared and return them to their rightful owner, thus ensuring that there is no great scandal in the royal family. When one of the three men who promised to look after her family following the deaths of her parents reappears in her life, he is sufficiently dangerous enough to be able to help Charlotte gain entry to some of the more notorious and seedy parts of the ton, most specifically a house party in Scotland, but the only way she can do so is to act as though she is Dand's mistress for a period of time. Whilst it may be only an act, her reputation will never recover, and Charlotte must decide if serving her country is worth that risk. Also at risk....her heart, for even if Dand is only pretending to be in love with her, he is a very fine actor! The other question is...exactly which side IS Dand on?

As with the other books in this trilogy, this was an entertaining enough read, but not excellent enough to stick in my mind all that well! Charlotte's brother-in-laws make a brief but memorable cameo at the end of the book, including one of the more interesting final scenes in a book proper (in other words, not including the epilogue!)

Overall, I rated all three of the books in this trilogy the same, being 4/5. When I read back the reviews for the first two books, I noted that I was a bit hazy on the details of those as well because I was (as always) behind, behind, behind on my reviews! Maybe if I had written all three reviews sooner, I might have been better able to compose my thoughts as to why I rated them that highly. I obviously pretty much enjoyed them at the time of reading! Oh well.

I do have other books by this author on my TBR list, but I am not sure about how much of a hurry I will be in to read them. Anyone have any must read Brockway recommendations?

Rating 4/5

High Noon by Nora Roberts

Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara found her calling at an early age when an unstable man broke into her family's home, trapping and terrorising them for hours. Now she's Savannah's top hostage negotiator, defusing powder-keg situations and has a talent for knowing when to give in - and when to jump in and take action. It's satisfying work - and sometimes those skills come in handy at home dealing with her precocious seven-year-old, Carly, and her agoraphobic mother, still traumatised by the break-in after all these years.

It's exactly that heady combination of steely courage and sensitivity that first attracts Duncan Swift to Phoebe. After watching her talk one of his employees off of a roof ledge, he is committed to keeping this intriguing, take-charge woman in his life. She's used to working solo, but Phoebe's finding that no amount of negotiation can keep Duncan at arm's length.

But not everyone is enamoured of Phoebe's charms. And when she's grabbed by an unseen assailant and brutally assaulted in her own police station, Phoebe can't help but be deeply shaken. Then threatening messages show up on her doorstep. Phoebe must discover just how this dangerous stalker is before he starts targeting her family to get to her...

I will start off this post by saying that I don't usually read Romantic Suspense on the whole. This is only my third book in this sub genre this year (if you don't count the In Death books because I can never really figure out what to classify them as!).

Phoebe MacNamara is the top hostage negotiator in the Savannah Police Department. She works hard, and when she isn't working, she is the glue that holds her family together. Not only is she a single mum to 7 year old Carly, but her household also includes her agoraphobic mother Essie, her surrogate aunt Ava and her brother and his wife. She doesn't have time for complications like relationships thank you very much.

When she meets Duncan Swift after talking a former employee of his from jumping off the roof, a relationship is exactly what she gets, but not without trying to complicate matters, for both valid and not necessarily quite so valid reasons. Duncan appears to just be a charming and handsome guy. He runs a couple of bars, used to be a cab driver, until he got lucky and won the lottery...big time. Initially he appears to just be floating around a little bit - playing at being a pub owner, driving a flash car, living a champagne lifestyle, but Duncan is someone who listens to people, who is always on the lookout for projects that can challenge him but also enrich the lives of others, especially those of his "adopted" family!

When Phoebe is assaulted at work, it is Duncan that she calls, only belatedly realising how nice it is to have someone she can rely on, as opposed to always being the person that other people rely on all the time. When strange things start happening to Phoebe, small things initially, she doesn't see the signs, but in the end she realises that there is something more sinister afoot, and her family is right in the firing line. Now she must scramble to try to figure out who it is that is targeting her before it is too late.

The relationship between Phoebe and Duncan (and Carly) was sweet, and totally believable. It was interesting that the author chose not to have a lot of conflict between the two of main characters, instead allowing the external events (which were tumultuous enough!) to provide the drama in the story. Very well done!

All of the characters were well developed and definitely three dimensional. No cookie cutter characters here! There are also some truly gruesome scenes included in this book....no cookie cutter scenes either, but this is definitely a strength of the book.

Overall this was a good story! I still have a load of Nora Roberts' back list (both under that name and JD Robb) to work my way through as I wait for her next release in November!

Rating 4/5