Book Reviews Part 4

[kikotei]

Okay, finally starting to put these books I've read up.  I literally c & p'ed these out of the book blog I run for work with one of the other girls, I just don't have the energy to redo them right now, I only added where books were part of a series if it wasn't included in my review. If you wanna read our original posts plus ones for books my co-worker read you can read them here.

More coming in a bit.
 

Death in the Air by Shane Peacock

Young Sherlock Holmes is back again, and another mystery has landed at his feet. Literally. Holmes is witness to a trapeze artist’s deathly tumble at the Crystal Palace. And he may be the only one who realizes that this event was no accident at all, that perhaps the man’s fall was part of some elaborate plan. Now the young man must put his fledgling abilities to the test to navigate between the police, the entertainment world, and the darkest depths of the criminal underworld to find a would-be killer and a thief.

Peacock once again brings out a brilliantly paced mystery following in the early career of the world’s most famous fictional detective.

Teen
 

 The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan

After escaping from their Skandian captors in Icebound Land, Will and Evanlyn have been hiding in a small hunting cabin in the mountains, waiting out the winter until the mountain trails become passable. One morning while Evanlyn is out checking their traps for game, she is attacked and captured by an unknown man she thinks is a hunter. Will follows her trail, but the rescue will likely be a suicide mission. Will is hopelessly out numbered, especially since he’s still recovering from the effects of his captivity in Skandia. But just before Will and Evanlyn fall to their attackers, Halt and Horace come to their rescue. The Ranger and apprentice knight have finally found their friends.

However, the men Evanlyn thought where hunters are actually an advance scouting party from a Temujai army. And Halt knows this can only mean trouble. The Temujai are a fiercesome force; unafraid of death, master horsemen, and one of the most well coordinated and organized army’s known. Now the quartet of Araluens must forge an alliance with the Skandians in order to turn back the Temujai. Because the Temujai only want one thing from Skandia, boats to launch an assault on Araluen.

This is the fourth book of Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series. While you can expect not to get Tolkien-esque grandness, you will find this book to be as enjoyable and as quick a read as the previous three.

Teen
 

 The Circle of Blood by Alane Ferguson

After the frightening events in The Angel of Death, Cameryn Mahoney finds herself in the sights of a sociopath and her long lost mother has suddenly come back into her life. But Cameryn must set aside her own problems to deal with a new investigation; a young girl has been shot in the head. The problem is that Cameryn’s unbalanced mother was the last known person to see the girl alive.

Concerned that her mother may be involved, Cameryn does her best to prove that the death was a suicide, until the evidence proves her wrong. Now she must find out who could possibly want the young girl dead and who or what was she running from. And if she’s lucky, prove that her mother had nothing to do with the murder.

This is the third installment of the series, and a good read for any fans of forensics/detective shows like CSI. The forensics details are good and gory, especially in this book. Brain bucket anyone? Cameryn still suffers from the out of character behavior present in The Angel of Death, but she’s vastly improved and she’s heading back toward the rational person we met in The Christopher Killer.

Teen
 

 The Angel of Death by Alane Ferguson

Assistant to the county coroner Cameryn Mahoney is back, and with her comes more murder in the tiny town of Silverton. One of her favorite teachers, Brad Oakes, is found dead in his home by Cameryn’s classmate Kyle. But the body is odd, burned as if set on fire, with not nearly enough damage to the rest of the room.

Once again, Cameryn reckless puts herself in the path of the killer, determined to see this mysterious killing solved even if it costs her own life. Add to that whole mess, Cameryn starts flirting with both Kyle and one the Deputies, Justin. And as if things couldn’t possibly get worse, it seems Cameryn’s long absent mother has returned to Silverton.

As a sequel this book was a bit of a disappointment. Many readers will find Cameryn’s sudden departure from the analytical to stereotypical teenage stupidity extremely out of character. Also, the mystery portion falls a bit flat; most will have the identity of the killer figured out long before the end of the book.

Teen
 

 Exit Point by Laura Langston

Logan is by all counts a normal high schooler. He’s got the pretty girlfriend, a good family; Logan has everything going for him. Until a stupid mistake ruins all of it, he took the easy way out, the wrong exit. Now Logan is at a crossroads. Unable to help his family when they need it most, and communicate to them the crisis that threatens to rip what’s left of his battered family completely apart.

Teen