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Still mourning the loss of Lydia, their matriarch, the MacBride Family gathers at their country home for some peace and quiet.  The arrival of a stranger in the isolated locale is a surprise.  Disconcerted by the presence of an outsider, the MacBrides nevertheless try to make her feel welcome.  Unbeknownst to the family, Darcy Kellaway has a history with the MacBrides.  And not a pretty one.  When Sophie MacBride Woods' 8-month-old baby disappears while under Darcy's care, they realize a fatal error has been made.  What happened to the child?  And who is Darcy, really?  

The Burning Air by Erin Kelly is a complex, well-plotted psychological thriller that asks just how far a person might go to exact revenge on the people who have hurt him/her.  It's a chilling question to contemplate—especially if you're part of the MacBride clan.  The novel explores the idea using complex, interesting characters and a tense, suspenseful story line.  Although the last section seems tacked on, the rest of the tale is fairly taut, making The Burning Air an engrossing page turner.  It's a compelling read, one I didn't love but ended up liking well enough.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of books by Sharon Bolton and Tana French)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

When 18-year-old Kate Thompson returns to her Prescott homestead one day to find her father's dead body swinging from a tree, she's horrified.  And outraged.  Clearly, this is the work of The Rose Riders, a notorious gang of outlaws.  Kate knows exactly what they were after, too.  Her father possessed a mysterious diary that supposedly contained directions to The Lost Dutchman, a mine full of treasure hidden at the base of the Superstition Springs Mountains.  Kate's Pa always said gold made monsters of men.  As she sets off in pursuit of The Rose Riders, it's not greed propelling her, but an unquenchable thirst for revenge.

Disguising herself as a boy, Kate does exactly what Pa told her to do in case of emergency—she heads to the ranch of his friends, the Coltons.  There, she receives a letter in which her father strongly cautions her against taking any kind of action against the Roses.  Ignoring the advice, she sets off in pursuit.  Only now she has brothers Jesse and Will Colton riding in her wake.  Try as she might, she can't shake the boys, not in their perceived duty toward her or in their lust for gold.  Reluctant companions, the trio rides on.

As they cross over 100 miles of Arizona Territory desert, the group faces dangers of every kind, not just from the relentless heat and ever present dust, but from snorting javelina and wildlife of the most dangerous sort—the human sort.  Unwilling to trust anyone, Kate does what she has to do, even when she has to use her gun to do it.  As she comes ever closer to a face-off with the men who killed her father, she will have to make a choice between justice and mercy, revenge at any cost or the safety of those she's come to love.  With family mysteries unfolding before her, Kate's seeing more clearly than ever before.  But will that stop her from avenging her father or will it push her even harder toward her goal?  

I've read a few YA westerns lately and, let me tell you, I'm digging this trend toward exciting, old-fashioned yarns.  It's refreshing.  I appreciate the break from the usual vampires, demon hunters, high school love triangles, etc.  Especially enjoyable is Vengeance Road, the newest from Erin Bowman.  Featuring a tough, sharp-shooting heroine, it's a gritty tale of survival set against a punishing desert background.  The characters are sympathetic while remaining authentic in their actions and desires.  Plot-wise, the story gallops along at a steady pace, offering surprising twists around every cactus.  It's an engrossing, well-told tale that delivers a compelling, action-packed story as well as an important message about the too-high price of greed. 

A fun sidenote:  Bowman didn't make up the legend of the Lost Dutchman's Mine.  It's one with which most Arizonans are familiar.  The hidden mine has never been found and treasure seekers are still drawn to the Superstitions and the gold that may—or may not—be hidden somewhere in the 160,000 acres of desert that surround the mountain range.  So, guess who may—or may not—have sparkling caches of gold sitting practically in her backyard?  Yours Truly!  If you're ever in my 'hood, be sure to visit the Superstition Mountain Museum, which is dedicated to collecting and preserving artifacts related to the colorful history of this area.  It's only a few miles from my house, but I've never taken the time to visit.  Reading Vengeance Road definitely fired up my imagination and piqued my interest in learning more about the fact, folklore and plain ole fiction surrounding the desert where I live.

(Readalikes:  Reminded me of Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee and the movie True Grit  [which is based on the book by Charles Portis, which I have yet to read])

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, sexual innuendo, and mild (not graphic) sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

At 14, Frances Mace took the trip of a lifetime—a cruise aboard a luxury yacht.  There she met bright, wealthy Libby O'Martin; there she kissed a boy named Grey; there she witnessed a gang of assassins slaughter the ship's passengers and crew, leaving Frances an orphan.  Only three people survived the attack and the subsequent sinking of Persephone.  Only three people know what really occurred on board, what really happened to the 327 who died as the result of the vicious assault.  And two of them —Grey and his father—are lying. 

Frances isn't being totally honest either.  After the Persephone disaster, Libby's devastated father took Frances in, promising to protect her from both the media and the killers who might be looking for her.  He did it with one condition—that Frances pretend to be his dead daughter.  After reconstructive facial surgery, no one can tell she's not who she claims to be.  But Frances, now 18, and grieving the death of her adoptive father, is ready to shed her false skin.  She's ready to confront the lying Wells men, ready to avenge her deceased parents.  In order for it to work, however, she must convince Grey she's really Libby O'Martin.  He has to like her, trust her, fall in love with her—only then can she put her plan into action.

Once on Caldwell, an island in South Carolina where both the O'Martin and Wells Families own property, Frances' conviction starts to waver.  Especially as she gets closer and closer to Grey.  Can she see her plan through?  Will she finally be able to avenge her parents' deaths?  Or will the powerful Wells' win yet again?

If the plot to Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan sounds convoluted and improbable, well, that's because it is.  Which doesn't stop the book from being an engrossing page turner (provided you're willing to do some serious belief-suspending, of course).  The action kept me turning pages, even while I rolled my eyes at the irritating love triangle and melodramatic prose.  I cared more about the mystery than about any of the characters, especially the personality-less boys.  If it weren't for the quick pacing that made me want to know what happened next, I would have put this one down after the first few chapters.  I finished Daughter of Deep Silence, but didn't find the ending very satisfying.  Overall, then, it was only a so-so read for me.  While the suspense made the novel compelling, it just didn't do enough to override the story's gaping plot holes, far-fetched premise, and unlikable characters.  Bummer.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, scenes of peril, and sexual innuendo/sensuality

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find