YvonneSharing my recent past, current, and immediate future, reading schedules and reviews. 
This weekly meme, hosted by MizB, over at ‘Should Be Reading’, is a snapshot of where I am at in my reading schedule. To play along, just answer the following three questions… • What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next? As I probably won’t be able to contribute every week, I have taken the liberty of adding in a couple more What’s?, which came to mind.
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WHAT BOOK ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
‘Double Or Nothing’ by Meg Mims
A mysterious explosion. A man framed for murder. A strong woman determined to prove his innocence. October, 1869: Lily Granville, now heiress to a considerable fortune, rebels against her uncle’s strict rules in Sacramento, California. Ace Diamond, determined to win Lily, invests in a dynamite factory for a quick “killing,” but his status as a successful businessman fails to impress her guardian. An explosion in San Francisco, mere hours before Lily elopes with Ace to avoid a forced marriage, sets off a chain of unforeseen consequences. Despite Lily’s protests that her new husband has been framed, Ace is dragged off to jail as the culprit. Evidence mounts against him. Lily must learn who was actually behind the diabolical plan… and save Ace from the hangman’s noose. Will she become a widow before a true wife?
‘Double Or Nothing’ is the sequel to ‘Double Crossing’.
Read my review of ‘Double Crossing’ here.
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WHAT BOOK DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?
‘The Mine’ by John Heldt
In 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can’t use, money he can’t spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. ‘THE MINE’ follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come.
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WHAT BOOK DO YOU THINK YOU WILL READ NEXT?
‘The Diabolist’ by Layton Green
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous.
Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.
The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed.
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WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU REVIEWED?
‘Sea Of Regret’ by Carolyn J. Rose
A woman determined to hold onto her land.
Financial sharks out to make a killing. A life-or-death struggle by the SEA OF REGRET. A year after the violence and tragedy of AN UNCERTAIN REFUGE, Kate Dalton’s life is shattered again. Developers want Evie Hopkins’ former dairy farm on the Oregon Coast, want it bad enough to sabotage the Castaway Beach Wildlife Rehabilitation Center she runs there. Aligned with developers and hoping to cash in on his inheritance early, Evie’s son claims she’s losing her mind and intends to prove that in court. The wildlife center is both home and place of healing for Kate, for Jackson Scovell who traded alcoholic oblivion for life with her, and for Way-Ray, a boy orphaned by murder. They fear for Evie and the sick and injured birds and animals she rescues and nurtures, but they vow to support her decision—whether it’s to sell or to fight. As Evie agonizes over her choice, protests and politics divide the community. Threats and violence escalate. Then two hired killers trap Kate, Jackson, and Way-Ray at a remote cove. And time runs out.
Read my review here …
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WHAT BOOK REVIEW ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?
‘Night Shield’ by Nora Roberts
“I killed a woman tonight. One shot through the heart.”
Undercover as a waitress, Detective Allison Fletcher is on the case that will make her career – exposing an organised gang of robbers. Then, at the scene of one of the burglaries, she has no choice but to shoot the woman holding a gun on her.
The robbers’ psychotic, controlling brother knows who killed his beloved sister and he’s out for revenge. When he breaks into Allison’s flat, writing blood-red words on the walls, Allison knows she’s in terrible danger. And her cop’s shield won’t be enough to protect her from a madman …
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Currently: Guideposts Magazine. I do have a number of magazines I mix into my books, things like National Geographic, Discover (science), Reader’s Digest, etc.
Just finished: Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough. After thousands of pages in this series, I’m going to miss ancient Rome!
Next book?: I’m thinking of a cozy mystery…perhaps the latest in the Teashop Mystery series by Laura Childs.
Last reviewed: I don’t regularly review books anymore, but I have done a couple this year. The last was How I Became a Teenage Survivalist by Julie L. Casey.
Next review: I’m hoping to do a post on the entire Masters of Rome series.
Hi Kelly,
I don’t read magazines on a regular basis, although I have been known to flick through a science based magazine my husband enjoys reading …. ‘Focus’ a BBC publication …. Some of the articles are a bit too technical for my poor little brain, however others are really quite interesting and are a good window into what is really going on in the big wide world, much of which we never really get to know about through mainstream media.
After your marathon reading of the ‘Masters of Rome’ series, I should think that a little light reading is definitely required and I look forward to catching up with your review, in due course.
Thanks for stopping by, your comment was so interesting and I appreciate you sharing it.
I can’t wait to read your review of The Mine!
Hi Vicki,
I really enjoyed ‘The Mine’, although I have to say that it was much more of a romantic story than I had anticipated.
John has written four more episodes in the ‘Northwest Passage’ series, some of which feature the two main protagonists from ‘The Mine’, however ‘The Mine’ did have a finality and closure to the ending, which meant that it could be read perfectly well as a stand alone.
I see that John has written a great article on his site, explaining the character relationships and in effect signing off from the series, which is now complete.
http://johnheldt.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/deconstructing-northwest-passage-series.html
Thanks for stopping by. If you get the chance, check out the article and yes, this is a book (series) which I think you might well enjoy.
‘The Diabolist’ – what a great title, It isn’t often that this alone would make me want to read a book but for some reason this really shouts at me. I hope it will be as good as I want it to be.
As for covers, I love the colours of Night Shield.
Happy reading.
Hi Tracy,
‘Night Shield’ wasn’t a bad book, although in typical Nora Roberts style, the plot wasn’t overly complicated and the narrative not very descriptive. Having said that, it was an okay read, with some pretty well drawn characters. You obviously like your purples, I have a sister-in-law and two nieces, who are just the same, to the extent that almost all their clothes are purple, with many of their household accessories to match!
I love Layton Green’s books and despite having only just started ‘The Diabolist’, I am already gripped by its dark, Satanic storyline. Layton’s writing puts me a little in mind of a modern day Dennis Wheatley, although I haven’t read any of the latters work for many years. From what I can recall though, I do think that Layton has the edge on the descriptive narrative, although of course, much of that may simply be down to the style and tone of writing, having advanced with the passing years.
Thanks for taking the time to comment, I always appreciate your thoughtfulness.
I’m eager to hear your thoughts on Night Shield, I used to read Nora Roberts all the time.
Happy weekend and happy reading!
Hi Naida,
I have read a few of the early Nora Roberts novels, however her writing doesn’t come out top of my list and I read this book simply because it was part of some left over stock I had, when I stopped selling from my on-line shop, via Amazon. I was rearranging a few shelves of books and this one was left at the end without a space, so I decided to read it, although it definitely isn’t something I would have bought for myself.
I was actually quite surprised to have enjoyed it so much and I may now add Nora’s name back onto my list of authors to read, although probably only the ‘Night Tales’ series, of which ‘Night Shield’ is a part.
I hope to have my review up very soon, so shouldn’t keep you waiting too long.
Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.