Hamilton Crane - Hands up, Miss Seeton

A book in the Miss Seeton series, published January 1, 1992.
Genre: cozy mystery
Cover: bad



In a flurry of confusion, Miss Seeton is accused of being a thief's accomplice. She's cleared of any wrongdoing at the police station and discovers the Yard's latest baffling case is cocaine smuggling. Armed with an unerring eye for detail, Miss Seeton uncovers the ring of drug dealers--in her own village.


A fun story I really enjoyed. Miss Seeton meets some old friends from that fatal Greek cruise, and gets suspected of being a criminal herself.

7 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

ARC-review Gini Koch - Camp Alien

Book 13 in the Katherine 'Kitty' Katt series, to be published May 3, 2016.
Genre: sci fi fantasy
Cover: filled with action



The President and First Lady, aka Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini, don't get any downtime once the Mastermind has been revealed to the world. Not only do they have myriad high-level government positions to fill, but the scrutiny and pressure on this Administration has gone into overdrive.
The sudden reappearance of a long-forgotten adversary turns out to be the tip of the iceberg. New robots and androids attacking, old enemies making new alliances, and new aliens with interesting abilities almost overshadow the fact that the U.S. still has to host a peace summit at Camp David between Israel and Iraq. It's clear that while the Mastermind may be down, there are plenty of others ready to take his place - and all that stands between them and success are Kitty and Company.
Kidnappings, rescues, creepy hideouts, a hidden black site, and a domestic dispute that could end Jeff and Kitty's marriage are nothing compared to finding not one but two hidden labs where dangerous and deadly things are brewing.
But when the President and his entourage finally get to the peace talks, things are no better. Mossad rightly suspects something's wrong with both their Prime Minister and the President of Iraq. A hidden in-control superbeing, an android replacement, and an army of Fem-Bots turn the peace talks into a Battle Royale that the team might not actually survive. And if they don't make it, Earth won't make it, either.
But no pressure.


This book picks up right where the previous one ended, with no time to take a breath for Kitty and Company. It is non stop action and intrigue, and Kitty has to get used to being the FLOTUS fast. Living in the White House, instead of the Alpha Centaurian Embassy, and possibly without the Elves! But all the animals will still join them nightly, and of course invisibly during the day.

But this time, Gini has picked up the pace with some creepiness, by putting Kitty and her gang in one of the scariest places in America: Forest Haven Insane Asylum. It absolutely added to the atmosphere of the book, and if you love creepy stuff, you will love it. I so never want to go there! (Yes, it is a real place, and yes, there are pictures and stories on the internet if you are curious.)

Something also happens that makes Kitty absolutely furious with Jeff, Chuckie and Reader, and they will have to grovel to make it up to her. That was a great scene, where Kitty speaks her mind and tells them off.

There never seems to be a shortage of enemies, old and new, and plots against Kitty and her children. But with the help of her music, her secret ally and her devious brain, Kitty foils them all. I can't wait to see what will happen next.

10 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

Julie Hyzy - Foreign Eclairs

The ninth and last book in the White House Chef Mystery series, published January 5, 2016.
Genre: cozy mystery with recipes
Cover: good, I want one!



White House executive chef Ollie Paras has served plenty of meals to foreign dignitaries from around the world. But someone is ready to serve her an ice-cold dish of revenge.... Things are about to really heat up for Ollie. News of a bombing and attempted breakout at a federal prison reveals that the brother of a terrorist she helped defeat is back with a vengeance. And after she gets mugged on her way home from work, the Secret Service won't leave her side, fearing that she is now a target. When a White House staff member is murdered, officials rush into action over a possible security breach. It may be time for Ollie to trade in her apron for a bullet-proof vest as she becomes part of a bold strategy to make sure this terrorist gets his just desserts.


Julie Hyzy explained in a nice blogpost why she has to stop writing this series, and the possibility that another author might take it over, as she doesn't own it. I don't know about other readers, but I am a fan of an author, not of a publisher, so I don't think I could read on in another author's style.
I think she did a marvellous job on this last book in the series, leaving the ending kind of open, so the next author can do with it what he or she wants.
It was suspenseful, and though on Ollie and her husband Gav, but again Ollie managed to get herself out of danger.

I loved it, and I will probably read this series again some day. It is very well written, and I can imagine being in the White House and seeing all those amazing rooms.
Julie, thank you for writing such an entertaining story!

10 stars.

Anne Bishop - Marked in Flesh

The fourth book in the Others series, published March 8, 2016.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: fits the series



The dynamic between humans and Others has changed. Some, like wolf shifter Simon Wolfgard and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the closer companionship as beneficial - both personally and practically. But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. They don't realize that there are older, more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land-and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs.


My most anticipated read of 2016, that is for sure. And perhaps I expected too much of it, because although I thoroughly enjoyed it (it kept me up until 3 a.m., not smart on a Wednesday), I kept expecting more. More danger, excitement, retaliation by the Elders. But the book did tug on my emotions big time, and I really liked meeting new people, both Intuit and Shifters and Elementals.

I liked the progress with the blood prophets, and that Meg learns something else besides cutting herself for prophecies. I like Hope a lot.

And in my opinion, it did not need that last chapter.

10 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

Hamilton Crane - Miss Seeton Paints the Town

A book in the Miss Seeton series, published August 1, 1991.
Genre: cozy mystery
Cover: nice, though Miss Seeton would never dress like that.



Miss Seeton's rather unusual drawings for the Best Kept Village Competition may hold vital clues to a recent series of fires. At least, that's what Scotland Yard believes. And when two corpses turn up-and someone sets Miss Seeton's cottage ablaze-the whole town is burning with curiosity. Will Miss Seeton clear the air of smoke-filled suspicion?


Vandalism and arson are the main ingredients in this case, and when the arsonist thinks Miss Seeton is on to him, he decides to make her and her lovely cottage his next target … But no one gets away with that as Miss Seeton has a whole legion of guardian angels to keep her safe, this time in the form of her journalist friend Mel.
Inspector Brinton of Ashford is convinced his Choppers are behind it, and borrows an undercover agent from the next county, exchanging Foxton with him. But not evidence is unveiled, other than the vandalism they are so proud of.

7 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

Hamilton Crane - Miss Seeton Cracks the Case

A book in the Miss Seeton series, published April 1, 1991.
Genre: cozy mystery
Cover: nice



It was the perfect day for a coach tour until a band of thugs blocked the road and robbed the passengers. It's a tough case to solve, but luckily the intrepid Miss Seeton, a retired art teacher, and a passenger on the ill-fated tour, steps in with her sketches of the bandits. But when she returns to her tranquil village, she brings trouble along. Now suspicion, malice and murder are right in her backyard.

I am so happy this third author took the series over, she has totally captured the characters the first author created, and has given me back my reading pleasure.

Two groups of thugs are praying on the citizens of England. One is helping elderly people and their groceries to get home safely, and when offered some refreshment as thank you, they drug them and rob them. Another group is robbing tour busses. And it so happens, "the Nuts" are in one of those, and they are pretty miffed at not being allowed to talk to the press about their experiences, and get their names in the paper.
When people start dying, the cases land in the lap of Inspector Delphick, and again he relies on Miss Seeton and her drawings to find the clues he needs. Or will she solve the case without him again, and will he only be needed to clean up the mess?

Loved it, old but still so good!

8 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

New books to look forward to for April 2016

This is the list of new releases for the month of April 2016 I am looking forward to:

Alexis Morgan - Always for you: Jack - Sergeant Joe's Boy 1
Amanda Quick - Till Death do us part HC
Christine Feehan - Fire Bound - Sisters of the Heart 5
Duffy Brown - Braking for Bodies - Cycle Path Mystery 2
Ellery Adams - Breach of Crust - Charmed pie shoppe mystery 5
Faith Hunter - Shadow rites - Jane Yellowrock 10
J.R. Ward - The Beast - BDB 14 HC
Jennifer Ashley - White Tiger - Shifters Unbound 8
Jennifer Estep - Bright Blaze of Magic - Black Blade 3 1
Joanne Fluke - Eyes
Kate Collins - Moss Hysteria - Flower Shop Mystery 18
Nora Roberts - The obsession HC
Sally MacKenzie - How to manage a marquess - Spinster house 2
Sherrilyn Kenyon - Invision - Chronicles of Nick 7 HC
Sherrilyn Kenyon - Instinct - Chronicles of Nick 6 PB
Stephanie Laurens - A buccaneer at heart - Adventurers Quartet 2 PB
Susan Wittig Albert - Blood Orange - China Bayles 24 HC
Susan Wittig Albert - Bittersweet - China Bayles 23 PB
Alyssa Day - Private Eye -Tiger's Eye Mystery 2 Kindle
Kim Harrison - The Drafter - Peri Reed Chronicles 1
Susannah Sandlin - Wild Man's Curse - Wilds of the Bayou 1

I have read a total of 19 books and 3 novella's this month, which is amazing if you know how many hours I spend on the day job.

Did I match my reading solutions for last month? Nope, I came close but failed on the historical romance challenge, perhaps because the previous one disappointed me so much.

I have read 5 cozy mysteries:

Julie Hyzy - Foreign Eclairs
Hamilton Crane - 4 x Miss Seeton

6 books longer than 1 year on my shelf:

Jim Butcher - First Lord's Fury
T.A. Pratt - Blood Engines
Anne McCaffrey - Crystal Singer trilogy, re-reads
Jennifer Estep - Kiss of Frost, re-read

no historical romances.

2 Nora Roberts books:
Nora Robers - The Liar (very predictable)
J.D. Robb - Midnight in Death (re-read)

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian