What I'm Reading - and Want To #mystery #sci fi #history #apocalypse

 I often publish reading lists of books that sound interesting to me. After all, reading is   subjective, right? I may be drawn to a book's cover or blurb, but it doesn't always mean it's something that matches my reading taste. That doesn't mean it's not interesting to someone else, of course. 

For February, here are some books I think you'll fall in love with, too.

Just finished: 

 The Last Roman, Exile (Book 1), B.K. Greenwood  - This book intrigued me for its unusual take - what if that Roman Centurion who had the unenviable job of overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus and the thieves was changed by his experience - but not how you expected? What if instead he was cursed to also become immortal, living for decades, centuries, and having to die over and over? And what if he wasn't the only one? Over the centuries, Marcus faces his once-friend and now arch-enemy Doubting Thomas (yes, that Thomas) as he tries to stop a fiendish, most unholy plan made possible by modern science and technology. Fascinating.

Want to Read:

 The Last Storm, (Pre-order, Releases July 5) ,Tim Lebbon -  In this age of droughts and near-apocalyptic events, who can resist a book where rainmakers don't bring down rain but scorpions and strange creatures? Following up on his scary 2015 novel, The Silence  (adapted in 2019 as a creepy Netflix movie centering on a family trying to escape eerie monsters that attack based on sound), Lebbon now turns to the coming apocalypse. Here, America is a desert where a young woman begins building a supposed rain-making machine. But her father, who'd thought her dead, gave up his rain-making skills when it brought down scorpions and strange creatures instead. Now, he must stop her from using her tainted gift even as others follow her, and another seeks revenge, as she conjures even more deadly storms.

 

Under the Dead Man's Hat and Under the Dead Lady's Corset, Robert W. Walker - Besides the truly eye-catching and colorful covers, fellow former Chicagoan Walker has a way of using the Windy City as a backdrop in his novels. He used it with his Inspector Ransom mysteries set in the 1800s. He used it again in a series of fun, comedic and slightly gruesome horror novellas in his Chicaghosts series (see below.) Now he uses the city as a setting for his books featuring Medical Examiner Jude Avery, and adds an equally fascinating Poe twist to book two.  

Under the Dead Man's Hat, A Jude Avery Thriller (Killing Time Book 1) - Dr. Jude Avery and Dr. Sybil Shanley, medical examiners for Chicago and Cook County, Illinois go after the most wanted and vicious killers in the city. The two violent men, known as the Veteran killers, graduate to become the Nun killers, preying on the most revered and vulnerable of society.

 Under the Dead Lady's Corset, A Jude Avery Thriller (Killing Time Book 2)  - Seven years before, someone bricked up a newlywed couple, their bones residing below City Hall in Chicago, right at the City Hall train stop... When a modern-day ME takes on the case, she learns it has a lot to do with Edgar Allan Poe...

Interesting Horror-Humor Novellas:

 

Gone Gorilla, The Old Fart Squad Novella Series, (Chicaghosts Book 1),  Robert W. Walker - Gone Gorilla -Chicago history meets horror and humor as these retired cops led by former Det. Aubrey Hamilton try to find out where the 500-pound stuffed Bushman gorilla has gone. (* Read this one. A fun story and fun setting!)

The Monster Pit (Chicaghosts Book 2) - Retired Det. Aubrey Hamilton and his "Old Fart Squad" investigate what is lurking beneath Chicago's downtown as a giant hole opens up and small animals, etc. disappear. 

Goatbusters, (Chicaghosts Book 3) - This time the retired Chicago detectives must track down where and why  trail bikers and kayakers are disappearing along a stretch of the Chicago River. It urns out they are disappearing into the river with a bizarr0 creature ripping them apart and feeding them to its babies. Where'd the monster come from? 

The Heads Have Eyes, (Chicaghosts Book 4) - When a new strain of 'smart' spiders emerge in Chicago known as Chi-racnids, heads will roll, as these parasitic spiders make babies inside humans. Specifically inside human heads, until the weight of the growing horde inside the skull becomes too heavy for the brain stem and spinal cord to support.

What I'm Reading:

The Dead of... Mystery Series by Jean Rabe. - This mystery series by USA Today Bestselling Author Rabe has grown from an initial offering, The Dead of Winter: A Piper Blackwell Mystery, to the upcoming fifth book, The Dead of Autumn. It's been interesting following a youngish new sheriff in a small Indiana town who takes over the job after her father fights cancer and watch how she's grown, both personally and professionally. Coming out around May, book five (which I'm pre-reading), is interesting for its Halloween elements,  a couple of murders with a unique twist, and seeing how Sheriff Piper Blackwell, her chief detective and staff follow the clues and trail a killer. Great characters, great writing, and an interesting murder mystery overall make this one for the must-read list.

 The Five: The Untold Stories of the Five Women Killed by Jack the Ripper, Hallie Rubenhold. 

I spotted this book in The Mighty Girl page on Facebook and thought it sounded fascinating. We all think we know about "the five" - the five "fallen" women killed by the notorious Jack the Ripper--- or do we? Love that time period and it's always interesting to read a new take on the Ripper murders so I had to pick this up at the library. 

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#A To Z Blogging: B for Books I'm Reading

I love to read, in case you haven't noticed. The fun of doing this blog is I also get to find new books or mention books others told me about.

So this post I'll share a few of the books I'm reading as of this writing. Like my miniature projects, it seems I also read several books at a time. ha!

 

The Goodbye Family and the Great Mountain, Lorin Morgan-Richards - Cute idea of a family of undertakers with a witch/matriarch mortician, hearse driver and gravedigger daughter. And the family in this weird west tale find their neighbors are turning into zombies! A fun touch is each chapter also includes original drawings. (Still reading, received copy from author.) 

The Queen's Secret: A Novel of England's World War II Queen, Karen Harper - Personalized, fictional story of the Queen Mother and King "Bertie", parents of the current Queen Elizabeth. Enjoying this for the history and some surprises I didn't know about. A very personable rendition.  (Won in a Goodreads giveaway.) 

Wanderers, Chuck Wendig - The apocalypse comes to light in the form of people suddenly walking off in a fugue-like state. Enjoying it but it's one of those Stephen King-long books at 782 pages, which means the book could've been whittled down to half the size. There's too much filler with a faded rock star and meandering with the crowd of sleepwalkers on their journey. It lags in the middle and started getting more interesting with more clues around the mid-500 pages. (Not done yet.)

** Also wanted to mention this book I haven't started yet:

 The Joyce Girl: A Novel of Jazz Age Paris, Annabel Abbs - Lucia Joyce is both gifted and motivated, training tirelessly with some of the finest teachers in the world. Though her father delights in his daughter’s talent, she clashes with her mother, Nora. And as her relationship with Beckett sours, Lucia’s dreams unravel, as does her hope of a life beyond her father’s shadow. 

With Lucia’s behavior growing increasingly erratic, James Joyce sends her to pioneering psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Here, at last, she will tell her own story—a fascinating, heartbreaking account of thwarted ambition, passionate creativity, and the power of love to both inspire and destroy. 

The Joyce Girl creates a compelling and moving account of the real-life Joyce Girl, of unrealized dreams and rejection, and of the destructive love of a father. (I received the book from a Goodreads giveaway.)

April Reading List New #Mystery #Thriller #Zombie #horror

* Today is the letter L for April Reading List in the A to Z Blogging Challenge * 

This time, I found quite a few new mysteries and thrillers, plus some creepy new reads you're sure to find intriguing.

Horror

The Heads Have Eyes, Robert W. Walker -  This prolific author creeps us out even further in this latest in his Chicaghosts novella series. The nostalgic series with a touch of humor will have you squirming this time with parasitic spiders nesting inside human heads. Oh, you have to read the introduction, but beware!

The Mammoth Book of Halloween Stories - Twenty-six terrifying tales of Halloween, Samhain, Day of the Dead, etc. by Lisa Morton, Neil Gaiman, Ramsey Campbell, Joe R. Lansdale and others. (Pre-order, releases Sept. 4.)

The Outsider, Stephen King - An 11-year-old boy's body is found and evidence points to the Little League coach as the killer but it wouldn't be King without a turn toward the supernatural...  (Pre-order, Releases May 22.)

Mystery

  

Color Me Murder, Krista Davis - The coloring craze hits mysteries! Bookstore owner and coloring book creator Florrie Fox finds a new apartment comes with conditions, and murder. 

Death on the Trek, A People of the Wind Mystery, Book 2, Kaye George - The Neanderthal tribe must trek south to flee the approaching glacier. When an elder is drowned, Enga Dancing Flower suspects a murderer travels with them. (See book 1, Death in the Time of Ice)

Rituals of the Dead: An Artifact Mystery (Adventures of Zelda Richardson, Book 3), Jennifer S. Alderson - Art, religion and anthropology collide in this stand-alone novel. Zelda is pulled into a world of shady anthropologists, headhunters, missionaries, art collectors, and smugglers – where the only certainty is that sins of the past are never fully erased. Grappling with an anthropologist’s mysterious disappearance fifty years earlier, she learns a  present-day murderer will do anything to prevent her from discovering the truth. 

 

The Bone Shroud, Jean Rabe -  Chicago Field Museum Archivist Irem Madigan's trip to Rome turns into a search for historical relics... and a struggle to stay steps ahead of a killer.

The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, C.A. Verstraete - Was Lizzie Borden's doctor haunted by the murders of his neighbors supposedly at the hands of their daughter, Lizzie Borden? And was he haunted later by the city's bloody past? A ghostly love story and mystery. 

Romantic Suspense - Thriller 

Beautiful Victim, Claire C. Riley -  The perfect girl, or the perfect victim? Ethan now has  a singular focus: Keep the girl, no matter the consequences.

Awake: A Good Twin, Bad Twin Thriller, Morgan Mandel - After suffering the devastating loss of her parents, Rina returns home to confront the man who’d broken her heart. Danger awaits when she plots revenge. She has no idea the man she defies is not the person she once loved.

Psychological Thriller

Forget Me Not, Kristen Middleton -  At the mercy of a psychopath, Amanda realizes she's in a game of cat-and-mouse, where the killer keeps changing the rules and the winner... is the last one standing.

Zombie

Red Runs the River, Life of the Dead Book 5, Tony Urban - This is how the end begins - In the thrilling conclusion of the LIFE OF THE DEAD series, the men and women who survived the initial days of the zombie apocalypse are faced with new challenges and epic adventures and every decision is the difference between life and death. (See how it begins, Hell on Earth, Life of the Dead, Book 1 ) 

Release Week! Dr. Bowen - Lizzie Borden #Mystery #Paranormal

It's release week for my latest, The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden’s Fall River:

This one is a bit different - a supernatural story that shares how Lizzie Borden's doctor and neighbor might have been affected by the gruesome Borden murders.... and how she influenced him...  

* NOTE: Please buy your Kindle copy here on release day, Friday, 8/4. Or get it on Kindle Unlimited! I'd appreciate your reviews, too.

* Visit some blogs this week to learn more, read excerpts and comment at the blogs to be entered to win a Kindle copy: 

* Tuesday, 8/1:  I'm over at Courtney Mroch's Haunt Jaunts

* Wednesday, 8/2: See Jean Rabe's blog 

* Thursday, 8/3:  See my website's Write News blog. 

* Friday, 8/4: RELEASE DAY! Buy here!  - Visit Erika Mailman's blog.

* Monday, 8/7: Jacqueline Seewald's blog

About The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden’s Fall River:

The short supernatural-flavored mystery (141 pages) is on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and coming in print. http://getBook.at/HauntingofDrBowen
Author website: http://cverstraete.com

Gruesome deaths haunt the industrial city of Fall River, Massachusetts.

Dr. Seabury Bowen—physician to the infamous Lizzie Borden—swears he’s being stalked by spirits, though his beloved wife thinks it’s merely his imagination. But the retired doctor insists that neither greed nor anger provoked the recent sensational axe murders in Fall River. Rather, he believes the city is poisoned by bad blood and a thirst for revenge dating back to the Indian and Colonial wars.


Now, two years after the Borden murders, Dr. Bowen is determined to uncover the mysteries stirring up the city’s ancient, bloodthirsty specters. Can he discover who, or what, is shattering the peace before Fall River runs red? Or will he be the next victim?

Part mystery, part love story, The Haunting of Dr. Bowen reveals the eerie side of Fall River as witnessed by the first doctor on the scene of the legendary Borden murders.

PRE-ORDER is UP!!!  Kindle & Kindle Unlimited, print.

* How did the Borden murders affect the family doctor and neighbor? Aug. 4 is the 125th anniversary of the Borden murders...

Now, two years after the Borden murders, Dr. Bowen is determined to uncover the mysteries stirring up the city’s ancient, bloodthirsty specters. Can he discover who, or what, is shattering the peace before Fall River runs red? Or will he be the next victim? BUY: http://getBook.at/HauntingofDrBowen
BONUS - * Sign up for my newsletter - the box on the top of the webpage - (not the pop up) to be entered to win a print copy. Sorry, US shipping only. Ends 8/4.

This Week's New Reads

Yes, my bookshelves are full, and the book piles are growing. But I-Just-Can't-Resist-Getting-Another-Book!

I have several books I'm reading right now, but it takes me awhile, so it's good to have others to choose from. You never know what you'll be in the mood to read!

So here are a few other books I've added to the reading list: 

    

 Started this one a while ago...

What's A Ghoul to Do? A Ghost Hunter Mystery, Victoria Laurie - A medium with a message. Seems Dr. Sable's grandfather jumped out a window of the family lodge, but the doctor knows it's foul play. Problem is there are more ghosts here with their own dirty tricks....

The Darkness Knows, Cheryl Honigford - Found this new mystery. New series set in Chicago in the golden age of radio in the 1930s.

The Time Traveler's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger - heard the movie was good. A love story, and the tale of a dashing librarian who involuntarily travels through time. 

 And if you need something slightly different to read, how about Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, which offers a new solution to the Lizzie Borden murders? What if Lizzie did kill her father and stepmother... because she had no other choice?

 Every family has its secrets…

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become zombies?

Share! What are you reading or what's on your reading list??

New #Zombie Book Coming!!

I've been waiting to say this for awhile but now I can!!

A new Zombie book is coming out this summer.

It's a historical zombie book with a unique mystery and "solves" a real-life crime. When you see who it is, you'll see the crime and solution make perfect sense!!

More details coming soon! Sign up for my sporadic newsletter at my website for upcoming news!! 

Here's a small "hint" - 

** Don't forget to come back tomorrow April 1 and daily all month (except Sunday) for the annual A to Z Blog Challenge! Guests, giveaways and more!! 

What I'm Reading Next: #Horror #Paranormal #History

Besides the many, many books I've started reading or have waiting on the Kindle, here are some new and used books I picked up or received that I started or hope to read next. The pile never gets smaller! 

I love finding new authors or different books to read, that's why I'm sharing these. You never what catches someone's interest. So share: what are you reading??


Print books I received:


The Society for the Preservation of CJ Henderson - Collection dedicated to prolific writer CJ Henderson, who died from cancer. An assortment of fantasy, Sci Fi and horror stories by various authors, including friend Jean Rabe.












 Soothe the Savage Beast - collection of monster stories. Friend Jean Rabe has a story in it...  Started reading this one. Great first story by Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Teeth.)

 Haunted Kenosha (WI): Ghosts, Legends and Bizarre Tales (Haunted America) - Local history and supposed hauntings I got from my friend, Gigi for Christmas. Love a good ghost story or two or more!

  The Dollhouse Murders -  Also in the haunting vein.... what's better than a haunted dollhouse? Middle-grade murder mystery... (The cover I have is different since it's an older printing...)

** And... a  couple books I recently picked up:

A Discovery of Witches: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy, Book 1) - a centuries old vampire, a witch and a centuries-old manuscript that brings them together.

  Vixen (The Flappers Book 1)  - Journey about a 17-year-old who wants the Flapper lifestyle and more... The cover got me and I love the Twenties....