The Ghost Orchid (Alex Delaware, #39)

The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sad book, Alex is still recovering from his injuries sustained in the last book, but Robin persuades Milo to ask Alex to tag along on his new case. At first it doesn't appear to be anything special as Milo suspects it's a case of a jealous husband offing his cheating wife and her much younger boy toy. But as he digs into Meagin March's past things get interesting Meagin (an anagram for enigma) isn't her real name and before she married her millionaire husband she was a pro. When another man is found murdered by the same gun Milo links the murders after finding Meagin was in contact with him. But only when the maid comes forward with a box entrusted to her by Meagin does Milo put the pieces together. Abused by her Father, Meagin went to the authorities out on bail her Father killed himself and her Mother. Her two younger brothers and her were separated and grew up in foster care. Unfortunately, the youngest brother blamed the two older siblings for their parent's death and came to town to exact revenge.

On the professional side Alex is dealing with an adopted boy who is being abandoned by his parents after their divorce.

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Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Aelin returns and sets about freeing magic, rescuing Dorian and killing the King. They discover that he had been taken over by a demon and that Duke Perrington is the real threat.

Aelin also helps Lysandra kill Arobyn. Lysandra is a shapeshifter and once magic is freed she is able to use her shapshifting abilities to help Aelin. Aelin buys Evangeline and Aelin from Clarissa and makes Lysandra a Lady in her court.

At the end of the book Aelin is heading home to Terrasen.

Manon helps Elide escape her Uncle Vernon and the Duke and encourages Elide to go home to Terrasen. Elide is the daughter of the woman who saved Aylin’s life as a child by delaying the King’s men. Katlin gave a “key” to Elide and asked her to give it to Aelin in return for facilitating Elide and Manon’s escape, when she destroyed most of the castle. Manon and The 13 return to the Duke’s service

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The Secret (Jack Reacher #28) by Lee Child (Goodreads Author), Andrew Child

The Secret by Lee Child
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is set in the past. I understand the books are stand-alone to a point and it was ridiculous to think a man Reacher's age could engage in all the physical stuff and come out on top forever but... It was disconcerting to be thrown back to the past with no explanation.

I think this will probably be my last Reacher novel, while I enjoyed them a great deal part of what I liked was the character development which has been completely wiped out with this novel.

Basically, someone important has a secret and someone else is willing to kill to uncover it. Reacher's job is to uncover who but in the process he uncovers "the secret" with the help of his team.

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Secret History (Mistborn, #3.5) by Brandon Sanderson

Secret History by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I read the other books, so I found reading the story from Kelsier POV and learning some behind-the-scenes activities interesting.

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House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I am probably in the minority here but this book disappointed me. The much-touted crossover between A Court of Thorns and Roses series and The Crescent City Series was hugely disappointing. Bryce barely interacted with anyone. That said some major shakeups happened and some secrets were revealed, although why they are revealed to a certain wolf when they have been kept for centuries is a bit of a mystery.

(view spoiler)[Bryce meets Nesta and Azriel. She steals Azriel's dagger and returns home. The dagger when combined with her Starsword can open a portal to nowhere. Now most normal people would have returned and rescued their mate, brother and friend immediately. I mean they could have been killed at any moment but not Bryce. And they were pretty desperate Rhun asked Hunt and Baxian to chew off his hand in hopes of escaping. But nope Bryce drops in on her Father and is immediately taken prisoner by him. But that was all a plot by Bryce to get info from the Autumn King and ends with her locking him in a closet. Lidia meanwhile does rescue Ruhn, Hunt, and Baxian and blows her cover in the process. Lidia also frees Irithys (Queen of the Fire Sprites) to aid in the escape. Meanwhile, the Viper Queen sets a trap for Ithan when he arrives in the Meat Market to help Tharion escape her clutches. She'll let Tharion go if Ithan agrees to one fight. And after he agrees she names the opponent Sigrid in a fight to the death. Now why Sigrid agrees to this is beyond me and is never explained but of course, Sigrid winds up dead and Ithan gets to blame himself for the rest of the book and goes so far as to indenture himself to Jesiba Roga in order to get a necromancer to resurrect Sigrid. That doesn't go wrong at all...Sigrid returns as a reaper. Now honestly why have ithan rescue the lost Fendyr heir only to have Ithan accidentally kill her? Sigrid's entire storyline was pointless and unbearably sad. Ithan eventually accepts the fact that he is the one meant to be Prime. It seems Sigrid's entire reason for existing was so Ithan would stay behind and work for Jesiba, so the woman who has kept her secrets for centuries could spill her guts to him. And then spends her last moments on Midgard saying "Ask Ithan, Ithan can explain". Jesiba doesn't just have the books from Parthos she is one of the Parthos Librarians and was cursed by Apollion "to live unchanging until Jesiba showed him the power of the books". She bequeaths the books to Bryce.

Meanwhile on the Depth Charger we learn that Lidia has twin sons, and the Ocean Queen keeps them safe in return for Lidia spying for her. She isn't really happy that Lidia blew her cover. Or that Tharion who has a price on his head from both the River Queen & the Viper Queen is on the Depth Charger. But she is even less happy when Tharion disobeys her and leaves the Depth Charger to go to Avallen with Bryce & Company. Where Tharion winds up marrying Flynn's sister Sathia. Ruhn winds up killing the Autumn King and Bryce winds up killing Morven and claiming both thrones. One of Bryce's first acts as Queen is to free Avallen. Oh, and Hunt discovers that Apollion or Thanatos is his Father, his lightning is hellfire.

Hypaxia is no longer Queen of the Witches. Which allows Jesiba to maneuver her into killing the Under King to save Ithan and claim his crown. Hypaxia is also busy coming up with an antidote to the parasites the Asteri put in the water. The antidote makes everyone who takes it stronger.

Pollux kidnaps Lidia's twins. So they now have a two-part mission rescue Lidia's twins and destroy the Asteri's power supply. Bryce opens the gates of Hel after leaving her parents with Nesta and begging for the use of "the death mask". After tons of fighting and a lot of close calls it comes down to Bryce facing down the Asteri alone she uses the sword and dagger to open a portal to nowhere and throw the Asteri into it but stupidly she doesn't shut it before she falls into it herself. Hunt uses the death mask to go after her but she is dead when he gets her out. And now we discover Jesiba's final plan she trades her life for Bryce's. (hide spoiler)]

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Random in Death (In Death, #58) by J.D. Robb (Goodreads Author)

Random in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Teenage girls are being injected with a lethal dose of drugs. The first dies at an Avenue A concert in Jake Kincade's arms. Eve is racing against the clock to prevent more deaths but with the victims being random it's an uphill battle until a clerk remembers selling a teenage boy with expensive loafers a pair of cheap shoes that normal teens wouldn't be caught dead in if they could afford better. Now Eve has a name but can she stop him before he claims his final victim?

On a personal note Jake and Nadine profess their love for one another and Quilla scores an interview in homicide


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Desperation in Death (In Death, #55) by J.D. Robb (Goodreads Author)

Desperation in Death by J.D. Robb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mina dies helping Dorian escape from The Academy and Dorian is framed for her murder. But Eve doesn't fall for the frameup and with Dorian's help, she brings the monsters who run The Academy to justice.

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