Book Review: A Midnight Puzzle (Secret Staircase Mystery #3) by Gigi Pandian

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Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 19th, 2024
Pages: 352, hardcover
Source: NetGalley

In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a brilliant homage to the greats of classic detective fiction.

Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her “accident” on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business—known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed.

When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater—only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes.

Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her heroine Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery.

Confession – I skipped reading The Raven Thief, as I wasn’t sure I was going to continue the series after the first book, Under Lock and Skeleton Key because I just wasn’t all that interested in Tempest. I found her a bit bombastic and immature with the whole “I am The Tempest” stage bit, and I was probably unjustly comparing her to Pandian’s other heroines, who I love.

But I got an invitation to read A Midnight Puzzle, saw that it was an “impossible mystery,” and gave it a go, and I am so glad I did. I did miss some backstory and character development by not having read the second book, but it didn’t take away from my reading experience.

I do still enjoy the secondary characters, such as Tempest’s grandparents and her best friend, a bit more, but I like how Tempest has worked on herself and grown since the first book. I like how we see a bit of how her grandfather has made friends with people from all over their community and hope we get more glimpses into her family and friends.

This is also a great nod to John Dickson Carr and all impossible mysteries. I had the whodunnit narrowed down to one of two characters fairly early on, but the howdunnit stumped me pretty much to the end. I love that!

Why you should read this: If you like a more cerebral cozy, this is your series. There are red herrings, twists, turns, and all sorts of misdirection.

Why you might not want to: Tempest has a LOT of internal monologue. Because of the nature of the mysteries she solves, that’s kind of unavoidable, since she has to work through multiple puzzles, but it make for a lot of telling and not showing.

Book Review: A Country Wedding Murder (Julia Bird Mysteries #5) by Katie Gayle

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Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 13th, 2024
Pages: 261, ebook
Source: NetGalley

The joyous crowd applauds as the happy couple strides down the aisle. This Cotswolds country wedding has everything – friends and family, beautiful flowers and… murder?

When Julia Bird’s ex-husband Peter and his lovely partner Christopher decide to get married in Berrywick, Julia is delighted – after all, who doesn’t love a country wedding? Little does Julia know that normally calm and collected Christopher will turn into a full-on Groomzilla – and that by the end of the night, someone will end up dead.

The morning after the big day, the jolly nuptial mood turns grim when Julia discovers the lifeless body of the caterer, Desmond. Someone locked him in the cold truck and the poor man froze to death. Now looking for a murderer, all eyes are on Christopher who, mid-tantrum, had publicly threatened to kill him. Convinced that Christopher is innocent, Julia vows to find the real culprit.

Julia soon discovers Desmond had a long list of enemies as she races against the clock to clear Christopher’s name. Could his death be the work of the respected wedding planner who was heard exchanging choice words with the victim? Or perhaps it was his wife – ‘til death do them part – who didn’t shed a single tear at his funeral?

But just when Julia thinks she’s cracked the case, her prime suspect is found dead with a knife in their back. Can Julia find the murderer before they strike again?

An utterly gripping, charming cosy mystery set in the English countryside. Fans of M.C. Beaton, Faith Martin and Betty Rowlands will love the Julia Bird Mysteries.

How many of us would track down a murderer to clear the name of our ex-husband’s new spouse? Probably not many, but that’s all part of Julia’s charm, and the reason for her putting on her sleuthing shoes for the fifth time.

A mix-up with the catering which could have had fatal consequences causes Christopher, the new spouse of Julia’s ex, Peter, to blow up at the caterer. When the caterer is later found dead, Christopher becomes the prime suspect.

Gayle gives us lots of robust characters and a wonderful taste of village life in Berrywick. Julia has integrated herself into the community in the process of building her post-divorce retirement life, and that helps with her investigations. This time, we get a better sense of where she came from, as her daughter has come to stay for the wedding, and Julia is interacting more with her ex due to the case.

Julia has also settled into a romantic relationship with the local doctor, Sean, and made some strong friendships with the local librarian, Tabitha, and police detective Hayley. As always, there’s Jake the failed service dog, who provides not only comic relief, but clues, and, it must be confessed, messes.

Why you should read this series: This series is everything a cozy should be. Berrywick isn’t St. Mary Mead, and Julia isn’t Miss Marple, but there’s a comfort and simplicity I find in English village cozies that I enjoy.

Why you might not want to: I can’t imagine any reason you wouldn’t want to, if you like cozies.

Book Review: Gone with the Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries #5) by Angela M. Sanders

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Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Pages: 304, mass market paperback
Source: NetGalley

Small-town Wilfred has turned into a quaintly cozy Oregon destination—but it also keeps turning up corpses! As the bones pile up, librarian and apprentice witch Josie Way will need to use all the sorcery at her disposal to stop a killer . . .

When human bones are discovered beneath an old outhouse covered in blackberry vines, no one knows who they once belonged to. But elderly Helen Garlington wants Sam the sheriff to test the remains, suspecting they may solve the mystery of her long-vanished husband. It’s not a match, and Helen takes it hard, drowning her disappointment in sherry at the tavern—where she sees a contestant on a game show who she swears is her missing spouse, Martin. To ease the woman’s mind, Josie contacts the show to track down the look-alike guest, who kindly agrees to travel to Wilfred—and is then found dead the next morning.

Horrified by this fatal turn of events, Josie asks the spellbound books for help, seeking the aid of Sherlock Holmes. But strange things continue to happen—frightening images flash on the screen of a long-abandoned movie theater and flocks of crows seem to appear wherever she goes. Is Josie about to meet her own Moriarty? It will take all her courage to untangle the twisted vines of this mystery before this chapter in the colorful story of Wilfred claims another life . . .

“Gone with the Witch” is the fifth book in the Witch Way Librarian series, but new readers are fine to jump in with this one. There’s a great balance of backstory without too much narrative to catch up new readers and jog the memories of existing fans.

This time, Josie, full-time librarian and fledging witch, gets pulled into a decades-old missing persons case. Bones are found under an outbuilding, and they may belong to the husband of one of Josie’s library patrons, Helen. If so, though, who is the man Helen saw on a game show, who she swears is her missing spouse?

Josie uses all her research skills, and finds new witchy ones, to figure out who’s who and what’s what before a not-so-missing killer strikes again.

This series is the very definition of cozy with a supernatural splash, but there’s also a lot of character growth in this book. Josie is still developing her magical abilities, with the help of letters from her deceased grandmother. She’s ready to advance her romantic relationship with Sam, the local sheriff. She’s become a fixture in the town, and the townspeople trust and like her.

Why you should read this: These are good comfort reads, not too heavy, and not to fluffy. The townspeople are quirky without being outrageous, and, if there are some elements that require suspension of disbelief, well, you have to with a cozy, anyway. Who in their right mind would play amateur sleuth to find a murderer who could just as easily kill them?

Why you might not want to read: Josie’s dithering over whether to move forward with a relationship with Sam could be mildly exasperating, and she does jump to conclusions a bit. The only really annoying thing for me is Sam’s thing about frowning when he’s happy and smiling when he’s upset. It gets mentioned multiple times in each book, and it just throws me off each time.

Book Review: Murder in Williamstown (Phyrne Fisher #22) by Kerry Greenwood

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Genre: Historical mystery
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: November 1st, 2022
Pages: 288, paperback
Source: NetGalley

The Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher is up to her elegant eyebrows in mystery once again!

Awakening unusually early one morning, Phryne Fisher finds herself with a rare stretch of free time to fill. After dropping her daughters off for their school-sponsored charity work at the Blind Institute, she visits a university professor whose acquaintance she’d made–and admired–on a prior case. At lunch, the smitten professor invites Phryne to dine at his home in Williamstown later that week.

Bookending her pleasant dinner with her new friend Jeoffrey, Phryne makes two disturbing discoveries: first, a discarded opium pipe in the park, and later the body of a Chinese man on the beach–cause of death not apparent, yet ultimately ruled a homicide. Shortly thereafter, the teenaged sister-in-law of Phryne’s longtime lover Lin Chung disappears from her home. But when one of Jeoffrey’s colleagues is murdered in front of a houseful of guests at a Chinese-themed party he is hosting, Phryne can’t help but wonder–are the incidents all related somehow? And who on earth has been leaving notes in her letterbox, warning her to “REPENT” and that “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”–?

In addition to the formidable and fashionable Phryne, this clever mystery once again features Phryne’s three wards with their own mysteries to solve: Ruth and Jane, tracking an embezzler at the Institute, and Tinker, whose help Phryne enlists to uncover the author of the threatening missives.

The Veuve Cliquot is going flat. The last few Phryne books have been a little uneven for me, but Murder in Williamstown had such odd pacing, and characters not themselves, that it felt as though it had been written by someone who only had Cliff’s Notes for the backstory and behavior. Another possibility is that this was a manuscript from earlier in the series that got brushed off and not quite cleaned up enough to remove the continuity issues.

There may be some spoilers.

The main mystery for Phryne involves the Chinese community and a drug ring. Phryne tries to get information from her lover, Lin Chung, but he goes from ignoring her to warning her off. His wife’s sister is somehow involved, but neither Lin nor his wife, who has been friendly with Phryne up till now, reach out for help.

Phryne has acquired a mysterious Peeping Tom who is leaving threatening messages to repent of her evil ways. Phryne sets Tucker to investigating, but their interactions feel very distant. Maybe it’s because Tucker is almost grown, but she treats him more like she does Bert or Jack than as a member of her household.

Her adopted daughters get their own case, at a local school for the blind, and while it’s a bit far-fetched that the school would ask a schoolgirl from another school to review their financial information, it at least makes for an interesting mystery.

Hugh, Dot’s fiance, is studiously avoiding both Dot and Phryne. There’s an unsatisfactory explanation at the end of the book. His coldness felt unnecessary to me.

Why you should read this book: Even an average Phryne is worth a read.

Why you might not want to: If you’ve read the early Phryne books, you may find this one a little flat.

Book Review: Warrior of the Wind (The Nameless Republic #2) by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

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Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: November 21st, 2023
Pages: 497, trade paperback
Source: NetGalley

From city streets where secrets are bartered for gold to forests teeming with fabled beasts, Suyi Davies Okungbowa’s sweeping epic of forgotten magic and violent conquests continues in this richly drawn fantasy inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.

There is no peace in the season of the Red Emperor.

Traumatized by their escape from Bassa, Lilong and Danso have found safety in a vagabond colony on the edge of the emperor’s control. But time is running out on their refuge. A new bounty makes every person a threat, and whispers of magic have roused those eager for their own power.

Lilong is determined to return the Diwi—the ibor heirloom—to her people. It’s the only way to keep it safe from Esheme’s insatiable desire. The journey home will be long, filled with twists and treachery, unexpected allies and fabled enemies.

But surviving the journey is the least of their problems.

Something ancient and uncontrollable awakens. Trouble heads for Bassa, and the continent of Oon will need more than ibor to fix what’s coming.

There’s not as much action in Warrior of the Wind as in Son of the Storm, but that’s no bad thing. We’re given eight (!) points-of-view to digest, along with more of the excellent worldbuilding found in the first book.

Our characters are in the process of finding various things: allies, artifacts, knowledge, and power, and, while there’s a lot of traveling and a few fights, this is somewhat of a bridge book between SotS and (presumably) the showdown in the next one. Our main heroes, Danso, and Lilong, are allied for now, but they are not necessarily aligned.

I truly appreciated the series recap and the “persons of interest” guide the author provided.

Why you should read this: intriguing characters, interesting magic system, complex world

Why you might not want to read this: If you haven’t read the first one, the recap and character index might be enough to keep you from getting lost, but having that backstory will help you appreciate this book even more.

Book Review: A Fire at the Exhibition (Lady Hardcastle Mysteryies #10) by T.S. Kinsey

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Genre: Historical mystery
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: September 5th, 2023
Pages: 334, paperback
Source: NetGalley

May 1912. After the previous year’s deadly heatwave, it’s been an uneventful spring in Littleton Cotterell. Though for Lady Hardcastle and her fiercely loyal lady’s maid Flo, at least there are the provincial delights of the village’s inaugural art exhibition―and bicycle race―to look forward to.

But at the exhibition opening, there’s a panicked shout of ‘Fire!’ In the confusion, the main attraction―an extremely expensive book―is stolen from under everyone’s nose, as is a valuable painting lent by Sir Hector Farley-Stroud. Then the race, which starts as a charming day out, ends in a shocking death. And to top it all off, the Farley-Strouds reveal they’re in debt and might lose their house.

The sleuthing duo soon find themselves torn between a murder investigation, an art theft mystery, and trying to help their pals. All with a suspicious figure from Flo’s past, a supercilious insurance investigator, and a pair of rather bizarre treasure hunters on the loose…

This series is a delight, and A Fire at the Exhibition is a great tenth addition. Lady Hardcastle and Flo are back. An art exhibition is being staged in the Littleton Cottrell village hall. A valuable book is stolen, as well as a painting owned by the Farley-Strouds. Emily and Flo have even more reason than usual to investigate, as the Farley-Strouds will lose their home unless the painting is found, so it can be sold with its counterpart.

There’s also a bicycle race. New cyclists Emily and Flo join the race, only to be landed with a second mystery when one of the organizers goes missing and is later found dead.

Why you should read it: it’s a great slice-of-life in a pre-WWI village in England. The characters are so much fun, and the mysteries are interesting. Emily and Flo are friends more than servant and employer, and their interactions with each other, and other village inhabitants are thoroughly enjoyable. There’s a good amount of humor without devolving into silliness. Not quite Wodehouse, mostly because both of our protagonists are far and away smarter than Bertie Wooster, but there’s a feel of it.

Why you shouldn’t read it: I have no idea, really, unless you don’t like cozy and/or historical mysteries. There’s nothing to dislike and a whole lot to enjoy.

Book Review: Murder at Midnight (Lily Adler Mystery #4) by Katharine Schellman

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Genre: Historical fiction mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Pages: 320, hardcover
Source: NetGalley

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to returning to Hertfordshire to spend time with the family of her late husband. She is also excited that Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, will be visiting his own family after a long voyage at sea. With winter quickly approaching, Lily is most excited at the prospect of a relaxing and enjoyable Christmastide season away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London.

At a neighborhood ball, she soon becomes reacquainted with a friend of her late husband, Peter Coleridge, a wealthy man who not only manages Irish investments, but also a fund that most of the locals of Hertfordshire take part in. There, she also learns Jack’s sister, Amelia, is the subject of much of the neighborhood gossip—although Amelia refuses to explain if there is any truth to it. For a brief moment, Lily wonders if she ever really left London.

When a snowstorm forces several guests, including both the Adlers and the Hartleys, to stay the night, Lily quickly deduces that all is not well this holiday season. In the morning, a maid discovers the body of a guest in the poultry yard, shot to death—and he is the same man that is scandalously linked to Amelia.

Lily accepts the offer to assist in the investigation, but will she find more than what she bargained for the more she digs? Or will she herself be buried deep within the snow?

I love a good English country house murder mystery, and Murder at Midnight does not disappoint. Lily Adler’s fourth case takes us to Hertfordshire, where Lily is attending a house party in the company of her deceased husband’s mother and brother.

Also present are Captain Jack and his family. When the body of one of the young men from the party is found in the snow, Jack’s younger sister becomes the main suspect. Lily and her magistrate brother-in-law investigate, but are stymied by Amelia’s refusal to talk and Jack’s false confession.

Lily’s lover, Matthew, helps with the investigation. He also wants to formalize their relationship, and you do have to wonder at his timing. Lily, naturally, postpones the discussion until the murder is solved, which perhaps should have been all the answer Matthew needed.

Why you should read it: Schellman has recently begun a new series, and I worried, unnecessarily, as it turned out, that it might cause a small drop in the quality of this series. The writing is as solid and wonderful as ever, and allows you to understand the characters.

Why you might not want to: Amelia grated on my nerves. She could have resolved things much sooner if she just hadn’t been so stubborn, silly, and overindulged by all the adults in her life. Yes, I know that she was trying to avoid being “ruined,” but I was seriously out of patience with her before I was half done with the book. It wasn’t enough to keep me from finishing it, but I hope scenes with Amelia are few and far between in future books.

Book Review: Last Word to the Wise (Christie Bookshop #2) by Ann Claire

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Genre: Cozy mystery
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date: October 3rd, 2023
Pages: 336, trade paperback
Source: NetGalley

The Christie sisters and their bookshop cat, Agatha, flirt with cold-hearted crime when bookish matchmaking turns into a date with death.

Sisters Ellie and Meg Christie share a love of books, reading, and their new roles as co-caretakers of the Book Chalet, their family’s historic bookshop tucked midway up a scenic Colorado mountain. But romance? That’s another story. Ellie and Meg joke they’re in sisterly competition for worst relationships. So, when their cousin signs them up for her newest business endeavor, matchmaking based on bookish tastes, the sisters approach their blind double dates with foot-dragging dread.

While Ellie’s date meets her low expectations, Meg’s match, a book-loving romantic straight out of classic literature, charms her over a lovely dinner. The next morning, Meg is giddy with anticipation of a second date—until she’s stood up without a word. She fumes that she should have known better. However, her date had a good reason for ghosting her. He’s dead. Murdered, the police later confirm.

As the last known person to see the victim alive, Meg becomes a prime suspect in his death. She grimly quips that at least her dating record can’t get any worse. But it does. A thorn from Meg’s romantic past returns to little Last Word, espousing motives too sweet to believe.

To sleuth out the truth, the sisters must sift through secrets deeper than the February snowfall. Clues accumulate, but so do suspects, crimes, and betrayals. Ellie and Meg can’t afford to leave any page unturned. Romance may not be their forte, but hearts and lives are on the line, and the Christies know how to solve a mystery—especially when murder is involved.

I’m always amazed when bookstores in fictional small towns not only survive, but thrive, even when they’re in tourist attractions/resort towns like the Christies’ bookstore is. I’m glad they’re doing well, though, because that gives us another chance to solve a mystery with them.

The Christies allow themselves to be forced into yet another of their cousin Lorna’s business schemes, and go on blind dates. When one of the men turns up dead, the sisters band together to solve the crime and clear their names.

Why you should read it: Agatha the bookstore cat and some of the regular secondary characters are a lot of fun. There are plenty of clues and false clues, and you’re given enough information to solve the crime before Ellie does.

Why you might not want to read it: The sisters allow themselves to get pulled into things they don’t want to do because of family ties. As business owners, you’d think they’d have a bit more assertiveness, and they sometimes act a bit helpless. This was also an irritation in the side plot with Meg’s ex showing up, and her and Ellie allowing him and Meg’s daughter to manipulate them. These ladies need to learn to set some boundaries. If you like strong amateur sleuths, this might not be your cup of tea.

Book Review: Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji

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Genre: Historical Mystery
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Pages: 304, hardcover
Source: NetGalley

Murder by Degrees is a historical mystery set in 19th century Philadelphia, following a pioneering woman doctor as she investigates the disappearance of a young patient who is presumed dead.

Philadelphia, 1875: It is the start of term at Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Lydia Weston, professor and anatomist, is immersed in teaching her students in the lecture hall and hospital. When the body of a patient, Anna Ward, is dredged out of the Schuylkill River, the young chambermaid’s death is deemed a suicide. But Lydia is suspicious and she is soon brought into the police investigation.

Aided by a diary filled with cryptic passages of poetry, Lydia discovers more about the young woman she thought she knew. Through her skill at the autopsy table and her clinical acumen, Lydia draws nearer the truth. Soon a terrible secret, long hidden, will be revealed. But Lydia must act quickly, before she becomes the next target of those who wished to silence Anna.

I don’t often review new (to me) authors, because I would feel terrible if I didn’t like their debut and had to write a less than glowing review. I’d still write it, but I’d feel bad about it.

Luckily for my feelings, “Murder by Degrees” was a wonderful debut, and I can give it a nice, shiny review.

Lydia Weston is a doctor in late 19th-century Philadelphia. Coming from reduced circumstances herself, she works to help other women advance. The disappearance of a young maid who has been her patient sets her on her first investigation. She’s initially condescended to by one of her male colleagues, as well as one of the detectives, but she perseveres, and her knowledge and insights lead her to the truth.

Why you should read this: This is a great historical mystery featuring a woman of color in a non-traditional role. The author gives a lot of information about the times and people involved. Some might call it an info-dump, but I found it fascinating.

Why you might not want to read this: The aforementioned information. There is a LOT, and if you’re not particularly interested in 19th-century medicine or detective methods, this probably isn’t the book for you.

Book Review: Uncanny Vows (Huntsmen #2) by Laura Anne Gilman

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Genre: Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Saga Press
Publication Date: November 28th, 2023
Pages: 384, trade paperback
Source: NetGalley

Following the events of the high-stakes and propulsive Uncanny Times, Rosemary and Aaron Harker, along with their supernatural hound Botherton, have been given a new assignment to investigate…but the Harkers believe it’s a set-up, and there’s something far more ancient and deadly instead.

Rosemary and Aaron Harker have been effectively, unofficially sidelined. There is no way to be certain, but they suspect their superiors know that their report on Brunson was less than complete, that they omitted certain truths. Are they being punished or tested? Neither Aaron nor Rosemary know for certain. It may be simply that they are being given a breather or that no significant hunts have been called in their region. But neither of them believes that.

So, when they are sent to a town just outside of Boston with orders to investigate suspicious activity carefully, the Harkers suspect that it is a test. Particularly since the hunt involves a member of the benefactors, wealthy individuals who donate money to the Huntsmen in exchange for certain special privileges and protections.

If they screw this up…at best, they’ll be out of favor, reduced to a life of minor hunts and “clean up” for other Huntsmen. At worst, they will be removed from the ranks, their stipend gone—and Botheration, their Hound, taken from them.

They can’t afford to screw this up.

But what seems like a simple enough hunt—find the uncanny that attacked a man in his office and sent him into a sleep-like state—soon becomes far more complicated as more seemingly unrelated attacks occur. The Harkers must race to find what is shadowing them, before the uncanny strikes again, and sleep turns into murder—and the Huntsmen decide that they have been compromised beyond repair.

But their quarry may not be the only uncanny in town. Botheration and Aaron both sense something else, something shadowing them. Something old, dangerous…and fey.

Rosemary and Aaron Harker have been sidelined after the events in “Uncanny Times,” so they’re relieved, but also apprehensive, to get a new assignment assisting a family who are benefactors of the Huntsmen. It feels like a setup, but what can they do but go? Their livelihoods depend on a successful hunt. They are met by a fellow Huntsman who claims to have a hunt of his own, but may also be keeping an eye on the Harkers. The hunt seems straightforward at first. A man has been sent into a magical sleep and can’t be awakened. During the investigation, though, Rosemary and Aaron find more fey, and more secrets, and get closer to understanding Aaron’s powers.

This is the second book in the series, and it’s not as tightly-plotted and paced as the first. It’s a great read, but I feel like it’s not as focused. Part of it is the nature of the hunt, and the kid gloves the Harkers have to wear when dealing with the afflicted family. The other part is the secrets they keep from the organization, but also from each other. I’m disappointed that Rosemary is still using Blast to enhance her abilities even as she discourages Aaron from using his innate ones.

Why you should read it: We get more insight into Aaron’s abilities and the possibility of him being a “throwback.” We learn more about the different types of uncanny, and how the Huntsmen may not always be on the side of the angels.

Why you might not want to read it: The aforementioned pacing issues.