Friday Mini Reviews #83: J.D. Robb, V.E. Schwab & Emma Holly
Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #29)
borrowed on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
When the newly promoted
captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their
vacation, they were looking forward to spending time with their bright
and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter who had stayed behind.
Not even their worst nightmares could have prepared them for the crime scene that awaited them instead. Brutally murdered in her bedroom, Deena's body showed signs of trauma that horrified even the toughest of cops; including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who was specifically requested by the captain to investigate.
When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.
Not even their worst nightmares could have prepared them for the crime scene that awaited them instead. Brutally murdered in her bedroom, Deena's body showed signs of trauma that horrified even the toughest of cops; including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who was specifically requested by the captain to investigate.
When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.
8.5/10
This is a brutal book, and Eve has to deal with one of her triggers here repeatedly, trying to catch a serial killer. As usual, top-notch writing , fantastic investigation, and I completely inhaled this book. Recommended.
* * *
Очень жестокая книга, и Ив здесь приходится работать с одним из триггеров её детских травм, пока она следует по пятам серийного убийцы. Как обычно, замечательно написано, фантастическое напряжённое расследование. Я просто проглотила эту книгу на одном дыхании.
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab (Shades of Magic #1)
bought on audio
Synopsis from Goodreads
Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.
There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.
Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. .
Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.
Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
7.5/10
Mostly my beef is with the narrator of the book, who made young people sound like cantankerous old men. Not cool! Overall, I don't think it's Schwab's best, but I absolutely loved the imagery. Each London as vivid and different, and the villains were gorgeous.
* * *
Я тут поворчу по поводу рассказчика на аудио, которому удалось озвучить молодых персонажей как брюзжащих стариков. Не самая лучшая книга Мисс Шваб, однако картины миров здесь очень живописные, да и злодеи у неё вышли шикарные. Так что, продолжать серию буду.
Beck & Call by Emma Holly (The Billionaires #2)
bought
Synopsis from Goodreads
Women can’t keep their
hands off billionaire Damien Call. The mysterious mogul has it all: fast
cars, killer looks, and a brain that just might be his best asset.
Mia Beck loves her job at a PI firm. Her coworker Jake stars in most of her daydreams, so seeing him everyday is no hardship.
Jake hasn’t believed in human goodness since he worked black ops for the CIA. Romancing innocent Mia is unthinkable, no matter how enticingly submissive she seems to be. Then a case of corporate espionage forces them to pose as a dom/sub duo, to catch the eye of accused wrongdoer Damien. No fantasy is off limits for this voyeur—until the attraction the pair exerts lures him to go hands on . . .
Mia Beck loves her job at a PI firm. Her coworker Jake stars in most of her daydreams, so seeing him everyday is no hardship.
Jake hasn’t believed in human goodness since he worked black ops for the CIA. Romancing innocent Mia is unthinkable, no matter how enticingly submissive she seems to be. Then a case of corporate espionage forces them to pose as a dom/sub duo, to catch the eye of accused wrongdoer Damien. No fantasy is off limits for this voyeur—until the attraction the pair exerts lures him to go hands on . . .
Amazon US/UK | Amazon kindle US/UK | The Book Depository
8.5/10
One of the better menage stories I've read, this was a cross between Cherise Sinclair and Roni Loren. Very hot, and the characters didn't behave like toddlers as in no throwing temper tantrums in face of adversity. Give me more stories like that any day!
* * *
Ах, Эмма Холли! Я всегда могу на неё положится. Эта была одна из лучших менаж-историй в жанре эротического романа. Что-то между творчеством Чериз Синклэйр и Рони Лорен. Характеры были взрослые и не бросались в истерику, если у них что-то не получалось, да и постельные сцены были очень жаркими. Рекомендую.