Westside by W.M. Akers – Review

Tags

5 stars, alternative history, Book Review, historical, horror, mystery, New York City, scifi, W. M. Akers

About Westside by W.M. Akers

New York is dying, and the one woman who can save it has smaller things on her mind.

A young detective who specializes in “tiny mysteries” finds herself at the center of a massive conspiracy in this beguiling historical fantasy set on Manhattan’s Westside, a peculiar and dangerous neighborhood home to strange magic and stranger residents.

It’s 1921, and a thirteen-mile fence running the length of Broadway splits the island of Manhattan, separating the prosperous Eastside from the Westside—an overgrown wasteland whose hostility to modern technology gives it the flavor of old New York. Thousands have disappeared here.

Slightly built, but with a will of iron, Gilda follows in the footsteps of her late father, a police detective turned private eye. Unlike that larger-than-life man, Gilda solves tiny mysteries: the impossible puzzles that keep us awake at night.

Yet on Gilda’s Westside, tiny mysteries end in blood—even the case of a missing white leather glove. Mrs. Copeland, a well-to-do Eastside housewife, hires Gilda to find it.  When Gilda witnesses Mr. Copeland’s murder at a Westside pier, she finds herself sinking into a mire of bootlegging, smuggling, corruption—and an evil too dark to face.

All she wants is to find one dainty ladies’ glove. But as she begins to see the connection between his murder, her father’s death, and the darkness plaguing the Westside, she faces the hard truth: she must save her city or die with it.

NOTE:  The blurb has been edited for length.  See retail sights for more details.

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Review of Westside

When I started reading Westside, I called it a ‘quirky little book’ – after a few chapters. Quirky, yes, but using just that one word does not do justice to the book. So here are a few more:

Unusual – the setting and plot of Westside are truly unique. I crave true originality in books, and when such imagination is expressed in a book, I must tell the world! The setting is an alternative early 20th century New York City. A wall divides the East from the West because the West started to go weird. Really weird.  Houses started sinking, vegetation took over, rust overtook everything rustable and people started disappearing. But Gilda Carr loves her home and would not even consider changing where she lives.

Interesting – Good thing Gilda is a Westsider, because she makes a compelling heroine. Five-foot-tall, solver of tiny mysteries. “Those impossible puzzles that burrow into our brains like splinters and keep us awake at night.”  Because big mysteries are dull. Interesting philosophy. Also interesting is the fact that a peace loving petite detective suddenly becomes a gun-toting, body-slamming big mystery solver.  Gilda’s evolution was swift but, strangely, did not seem out of character.  In all fairness, the big mystery started with a tiny mystery.  The Case of the Missing Glove.

Action-packed – the story takes place over just a few days. It felt like longer, not because the story dragged, but because there was so much crammed into it. And not always neatly crammed, but messy, sloppy, what-the-heck-is-going-to-happen-next? crammed.

Which leads me to twisty. Reading the first few chapters, I could never have imagined how things would play out. Not even close. If I can’t guess the ending of a book, I call it a good one!

Colorful – so many big characters, dark corners, loud music and stormy skies. Imagine the Aurorae Borealis only more colors. And louder. Beautiful and fascinating and I just couldn’t take my eyes away from the page.

Genre-bending – okay, that may be a given, if you read the blurb. Historical, mystery, scifi, and horror. Take your pick, you will find it all in Westside.

So to summarize:  unusual, interesting, action-packed, twisty, colorful, and genre-bending. When I put those all together, I get Quirky! 5 stars!

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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An Artless Demise (Lady Darby Mysteries, #7) by Anna Lee Huber – Review

Tags

5 stars, Anna Lee Huber, body snatchers, Book Review, favorite series, historical, mystery, series

About An Artless Demise by Anna Lee Huber

November 1831. After fleeing London in infamy more than two years prior, Lady Kiera Darby’s return to the city is anything but mundane, though not for the reasons she expected. A gang of body snatchers is arrested on suspicion of imitating the notorious misdeeds of Edinburgh criminals, Burke and Hare—killing people from the streets and selling their bodies to medical schools. Then Kiera’s past—a past she thought she’d finally made peace with—rises up to haunt her.

All of London is horrified by the evidence that “burkers” are, indeed, at work in their city. The terrified populace hovers on a knife’s edge, ready to take their enmity out on any likely suspect. And when Kiera receives a letter of blackmail, threatening to divulge details about her late anatomist husband’s involvement with the body snatchers and wrongfully implicate her, she begins to apprehend just how precarious her situation is. Not only for herself, but also her new husband and investigative partner, Sebastian Gage, and their unborn child.

Meanwhile, the young scion of a noble family has been found murdered a block from his home, and the man’s family wants Kiera and Gage to investigate. Is it a failed attempt by the London burkers, having left the body behind, or the crime of someone much closer to home? Someone who stalks the privileged, using the uproar over the burkers to cover his own dark deeds?

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Review of An Artless Demise

The latest book in one of my favorite historical mystery series returns Lady Darby to the place where Kiera’s life first got far too interesting. London, 1831. Also, just to remind Kiera why she left the city in the first place, a rash of body snatchers is plaguing the city again (still?). A recent body, sold to anatomists, has been declared a murder victim.

I ached for Kiera, now back in the thick of things, suffering everything from condemning glances to outright accusations. With so many reminders of her life with her deceased husband, anatomist Sir Anthony, Kiera must persevere when Gage and she take on the latest Mayfair murder case. A young lord killed, with the murder made to look like a burking (body snatching). At the same time, a blackmailer is targeting Kiera.  And just for good measure, a former associate of Sir Anthony plans to publish the anatomist’s journals, sure to include unsavory details about Kiera’s life with Sir Anthony.

So, not a pleasant visit to London Town for Kiera.

Always, when being reminded of Kiera’s past, I am outraged at culture and the treatment of women in 19th century England, making them possessions of their husbands with no rights of their own. As it happens, Kiera’s new husband Gage is 180 degrees from Sir Anthony and just the man Kiera loves and appreciates as he supports her and partners with her. Gage and some of Kiera’s stalwart friends are a breath of fresh air in what often feels a very burdensome environment for Kiera.

An Artless Demise is a mystery to be sure. But it also sheds light on a very dark side of London: body snatchers, filthy conditions, exploited children and society’s lack of regard for the poor.

The author does a good job of providing Kiera’s background without boring the seasoned readers of the series. Many characters from other books show up in this book. In fact, at times I struggled to recall who some of the characters were. However, like Kiera, I persevered and was rewarded with enough details to figure out who was who.

Why do I keep reading this series? Two main reasons. 1) Kiera is quite the unique heroine. Self-doubt and fear combined with such intelligence, courage, and tenderness make her special. 2) The historical setting has so many amazing details, evidencing the authors careful research. As long as Ms. Huber feels Kiera is worth writing about, I will keep reading this series.

Anna Lee Huber has done it again, giving us plenty of suspense, history and heart in An Artless Demise.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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No Rest for the Wicked (Mistress of None, #1) by Phoebe Darqueling – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, Chicago, clairvoyant, ghosts, historical, New Orleans, old west, Omaha, paranormal, Phoebe Darqueling, Sacramento, train ride

About No Rest for the Wicked by Phoebe Darqueling

Other people just think they’re “haunted by the past.” In Vi’s case, it’s true.

Clairvoyant Viola Thorne wants to forget about her days of grifting and running errands for ghosts. The problem? Playing it safe is dull. So when a dead stranger begs for her help, Vi jumps at the chance to dust off her hustling skills. The unlikely companions are soon tangling with bandits, cheating at cards, and loving every minute.

Then she finds out who referred him, and Vi has to face both a past and ex-partner that refuse to stay buried. Though she betrayed Peter, his spirit warns her of the plot that cost him his life. Vi’s guilty conscience won’t let her rest until she solves his murder. Though she’s spent her whole life fighting the pull of the paranormal, it holds the key to atoning for the only deception she’s ever regretted—breaking Peter’s heart.

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Review of No Rest for the Wicked

A page or two into chapter 1 and I knew this would be a very entertaining book. Clairvoyance aside, heroine Viola Thorne is a larger-than-life character. As one would need to be to survive as an unattached woman in 1871 Sacremento. Vi is the owner of a bar and takes no crap from any of her customers. She is smart and brave, brazen and impulsive, and she has a heart of gold.

This does not mean she is completely in charge of her life. Her clairvoyant abilities tend to overtake her, as happens in the very first chapter when a ghost shows up asking for help. Vi really does not want to help. Really, all she wants to do is live a normal ghostless life. That is not to be.

No Rest for the Wicked has some truly great characters. In addition to Vi, there is Bonnie, the widow, who has the same adventurous streak as Vi, but has a bit more common sense. Peter is a ghost with issues. And George, the young boy that Vi has sort of adopted, is sweet and maybe a bit ornery.

The story line, although it took a while to get to it, revolves around Vi, Peter, George and Bonnie going back to New Orleans to help Peter resolve his ghostly issues so he can move on. They got sidetracked a few times, dealing with a rich, snooty, bigoted woman, a ghost on the train, and also explaining the great Chicago fire of 1871. While the fire was tied to more closely to the story, I thought it unnecessary.

The bad guys remained named throughout the story. There is a ghost who wants to haunt in a really big, bad way and manages to bring a trainload full of trouble to Vi and her friends. The ghost is under the control (sort of) of someone who seems to be even more wicked than the ghost.

Vi has the help of her Aunt Prudence, the wise relative whose advice will likely save Vi’s life. And Vi will have to grudgingly admit it. The dynamic between Aunt Pru and Viola was delightful, shedding some light on Vi’s past, present and probably her future.

After No Rest For the Wicked, there is a lot more of the paranormal coming. The story ends on a cliffhanger. In fact, they never even get close to the bad guys. The unnamed evil one does his “MwaHaHa” at the end. Which a great portent of things to come, but also irritating. Cliffhangers – don’t need them! Of course, not everyone has the same opinion of cliffhangers. And, with any luck, the next installment will not be too many months down the line.

This old west adenture/ghost story is PG rated. So no excessive violence and no sex. No Rest for the Wicked will entertain and delight readers who enjoy paranormal and historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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