Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Subtle Suspense



My Rating: 5/5

Review: Mary Stewart has such a magical way of creating suspense without much violence and very little evidence of a threat aside from the initial greeting by Conner Winslow to the woman he thought was his long lost cousin. But Mary Grey states quite convincingly that she is not Annabel Winslow, and Conner soon hatches a scheme to get the inheritance he's always felt he deserves. There are secrets buried at the Winslow farm, however, secrets that threaten Conner's plan. Will he turn to murder after all, or will things get turned on him in the end. The build up at the end was quite intense, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Book Description: As she savored the ordered, spare beauty of England’s northern fells, the silence was shattered by the shout of a single name: “Annabel!” And there stood one of the angriest, most threatening young men Mary had ever seen. His name was Connor Winslow, and Mary quickly discovered that he thought she was his cousin—a girl supposedly dead these past eight years. Alive, she would be heiress to an inheritance Connor was determined to have for himself.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Assassins, Stollen Arrows, and a Mysterious Relic



My Rating: 5/5

Review: I loved this second novel in the Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Series! Jeri Westerson has certainly made her mark in the mystery genre, and given it it such a wonderfully new spin. I love the idea of Medieval Noir. It has such a nice ring to it, and there are so many places to go with it. Of course, I am looking forward to Crispin's next adventure. He's such an intriguing and noble character. He comes across a crown of thorn in this book. Could it truly be "the" crown of thorns? Who murdered the courier in charge of it? Who is trying to assassinate the king? Will Crispin find the answers in time? Will he save the day and finally regain his title? You'll have to read the book to find out, naturally, and what a romp it will be!

Book Description: Convicted of treason, Crispin Guest was stripped of his title, his land, his money and his friends. Now with only his considerable wits to sustain him, Guest works the mean streets of 14th century London, building a small reputation for his skill. In 1383, a simple-minded tavern girl comes to his door—a body was found where she works and she’s the only person who could have killed him. Except for the fact that the man was killed in place by a precisely aimed crossbow bolt. Making matters worse, the murdered man was one of three couriers from the French king, transporting a relic intended to smooth the troubled relations between France and England. Events quickly spin out of control and Guest now finds himself the prime suspect in the murder, one with terrible diplomatic implications. As the drumbeat of war between the two countries grow, Guest must unravel the con spiracy behind the murder to save not only his country, but himself as well.