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(Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for The Madness Underneath, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, The Name of the Star.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Ever since Rory Deveaux's explosive run-in with a ghostly Jack the Ripper-like killer, she's been kept in Bristol under the close watch of her parents.  She misses her friends in London desperately, especially her fellow Shades, with whom she could discuss the bizarre business of ghost-hunting.  No one in Bristol knows the truth about her.  No one can know.  Not her parents, not her therapist, no one.  Rory can't tell them that she sees ghosts and she especially can't tell them about her new-found ability to send apparitions away forever—all on her own.  Somehow, Rory has become a human terminus.  She carries inside her the very power the Shades need to eliminate London's malevolent spirit population.  The Shades need to know what's going on with Rory, but she's been told to keep quiet, not to contact her ghost-fighting colleagues.  Ironic, since she needs them now more than she ever has.  

When her therapist decides—seemingly out of the blue—that Rory needs to return to London in order to regain the control she's lost over her life, Rory's shocked.  And thrilled.  She needs the Shades and they need her, especially since there's a new killer in town.  Rory's convinced the grisly murders aren't what they seem, but the others aren't so sure.  Can she persuade the Shades to help her investigate before it's too late?  And, if it comes to that, will be able to use her new powers against another entity, no matter how sinister it might be?  As Rory struggles to understand herself and her place among the ghost hunters, she'll face her greatest challenges yet.  Maybe she'll even come out of them alive.

If you loved The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (like I did), you'll love The Madness Underneath (available February 26, 2013).  Everything that drew me to the first book—humor, strong voice, appealing characters, etc.—continued to charm me in the second.  Rory's as lovable as ever.  Her new adventures, while not wholly original, still intrigue and entertain me.  Again, while there's some gore in the story, the novel's surprisingly clean.  If you're hesitating on this series (I was, thinking it would be dark and bloody), don't.  It's fun, engaging, and getting better with each book.  I mean, c'mon, what's not to love here?

(Readalikes:  The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson; it also reminds me of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake)

Grade:  B

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for mild language (no F-bombs), violence/gore, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received and ARC of The Madness Underneath from the generous folks at G.P. Putnam's Sons (a division of Penguin Young Readers Group).  Thank you!

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There are many things 39-year-old Abby Brink doesn't know about her father—like where he's been for the last 40 years and why he left in the first place.  She's heard stories about him all her life.  Some of them can only be myths, made-up tales to explain the great emptiness her mother's felt ever since Sam Winston disappeared.  Because, surely, the skies don't weep over human folly and walnut trees don't stop producing fruit when their favorite son vanishes, never to return.  These things can't be true, but Abby believes them because she, too, has a Sam-shaped hole in her heart.

When Abby finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she doesn't know how to feel.  It's not that she doesn't want a child, it's only that she thought her time had passed.  Like her relationship with the baby's father.  Not knowing what else to do, she heads home to Missouri.  She craves the quiet and calm she can only find at Walnut Ridge, the land once owned by the Winston Family, now cared for by Abby's mother, Gretchen.  

But, a mysterious tornado blows in just ahead of Abby, leaving something odd in its wake:  a man.  The stranger can't remember who he is or how he arrived in Walnut Ridge.  Abby, Gretchen and Gretchen's blind  aunts are all convinced he's Sam Winston.  Others believe he's a con man, out to steal Gretchen's heart, along with her land.  Is the man really Sam, or are the women just seeing what they want to see?  And if it is Sam, will he reveal the damning secret Gretchen's been keeping all this time?  What will happen if the truth comes out?  Can Gretchen survive having her heart ripped apart again?  Can Abby?  

There's much to praise about Susan McBride's newest novel, The Truth About Love and Lightning.  First, there are the complex, but relatable characters; then, the vivid, atmospheric setting; also the story's gentle, engaging tone; and, of course, the mysticism that lends an otherworldly magic to this compelling family drama.  I pretty much adored everything about the book.  It kept me reading, it kept me hoping, it kept me smiling, it kept me believing.  If you enjoy uplifting stories that renew your faith in the powers of family, forgiveness and love, then this is most certainly the book for you.  Give it a whirl and you'll see what I mean.    

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can really think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:  B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG-13 for language (no F-bombs) and mild sexual content/innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Truth About Love and Lightning from the generous folks at Harper Collins.  Thank you! 

   

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Easter Bunny Murder by Leslie Meier, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier books featuring Lucy Stone.  As always, I recommend reading  books in a series in order.)

Spring in Tinker's Cove, Maine, just wouldn't be Spring without the annual Easter egg hunt at Pine Point.  Owned by Vivian Van Vorst, one of the richest widows in the country, the gleaming oceanfront estate screams luxury and wealth.  Everyone knows the eggs hidden all over VV's lawn are just as likely to contain pricey gift certificates as chocolate candies.  No one in the little tourist town would miss the annual Easter egg hunt, especially not VV, who looks forward to hosting the event every year.  So, when reporter Lucy Stone arrives at Pine Point with her 3-year-old grandson, she—along with many of her neighbors—is stunned to find the gates of Pine Point locked.  She's even more shocked when a giant Easter bunny stumbles across VV's lawn and drops dead just inside the gates.  

The man inside the bunny suit is Van Vorst Duff (nicknamed "Duff"), VV's 46-year-old grandson.  And, while it appears he died of natural causes, Lucy's not so sure.  Something's amiss at Pine Point, she's almost positive.  Then, Van's snooty sister and her husband move into the mansion, claiming VV can no longer care for herself.  When their shyster lawyer appears, expensive items start disappearing from the home.  Lucy's convinced the couple and their hired man are plotting ways to get their hands on the millions VV will leave behind when she dies—an event they seem intent on hurrying along.  Lucy refuses to stand by and watch VV, who's always given generously to community projects and charities, get fleeced out of her fortune.  But, sticking her nose where it doesn't belong is a dangerous pastime, one which is pushing Lucy right into a killer's path ...

I'm not huge on cozy mysteries.  That's common knowledge around here.  In general, I find them predictable, filled with lackluster writing, cliché characters, and far-fetched plot twists.  All of that is true of Easter Bunny Murder, the 20th installment in Leslie Meier's cozy mystery series featuring Lucy Stone.  The story moves along pretty quickly, so it's entertaining as long as you don't expect too much out of it.  Since I"m not big on these kinds of books in the first place, I won't be revisiting this series.  If you, however, are a cozy fan, you might want to give it a try.

P.S.  If you want a chance to win this book as well as others in the series and some chocolate-y Easter treats, click on the widget below and enter BookTrib's fun giveaway:



(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other cozy mystery series, particularly Joanne Fluke's books featuring Hannah Swenson)

Grade:  C

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for mild language (no F-bombs) and violence

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Easter Bunny Murder from the generous folks at BookTrib.  Thank you!