Wrap Up: March 2024 Book Reviews

Dear Readers, March was a great month for reading. I read all books on my TBR for the month and even read an extra book. I got ahead on 2 advanced readers copies, both coming out in April. I read 3 horror, 1 mystery, 2 graphic novels, 1 science fiction and espionage adventure. I read 4 books from a book series Goosebumps Vampire Breath book 49, Injustice 2 Volume 1 the first book in the Injustice 2 series, Stranger Things: Into the Fire the 3^rd Stranger Things graphic novel, and Void Moon is book 9 in The Harry Bosch Universe series. My ratings for the month are three 4 star books, and four 3 star books.

Four Star Reviews:

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes is a thrilling and intense science fiction horror novel. Ghost Station was a cross between the movie Life and Helix the SYFY network TV show (more people should watch this show it is fantastic). The pace of this book moves a little slow at the beginning, but when the horror starts at 40% the book is pretty nonstop. I liked the mystery aspect of the story what is happening are they experiencing ERS (space madness) or something else? The book has a lot of twists and turns, no earth-shattering ones but a lot of fun character reveals that lead to twists. There’s a minimal amount of characters so you get to know them pretty well I liked Suresh, the jokester, the best. Ophelia the main character took a while to warm up to she really is the worst person to be a psychiatrist. This book makes use of the trapped setting making the reader feel the claustrophobia. The ending was very satisfying and had a good twist with it. I read this advanced reader’s copy for free thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire. Ghost Station will be published on April 9, 2024.

Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser is a graphic novel sequel to Six as it explores events and characters after that book. Where Six took place before the events of Stranger Things, it has been a few years and this book takes place 3 months after the events of Stranger Things Season 2. The pacing for this story was very good, I was easily able to read this in one setting. I liked how much the characters evolved since the events in Six. This has been my favorite of the graphic novels it was original and yet tied into the series as a whole. The end of this story is great and gets to show you the danger of these powers. This story had the most action out of any of the graphic novels so far. 

Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor is the sequel to Injustice which started five years in the past. Injustice started when the Joker grew tired of Batman beating him and turned to a new prey Superman. The Joker ends up making him kill Lois Lane and his unborn child. Superman does not want innocents killed and turns the world into a superhero police state that he rules. This does not sit well with Batman who wants everyone to have free will even the criminally insane. Batman defeats Superman by having a Justice League from another dimension beat him. That brings us to Injustice 2 where Batman tries to build society back up, but others want to tear it down. Both Injustice Gods Among Us and Injustice 2 are video games the comic series leads up to where both games start. Injustice 2 comic is intense with lots of heroes and villains deaths. The series acts like a What if? and has fun new origins for superheroes, especially Supergirl. There are a lot of heroes and villains featured in this book Batman, Damien Wayne, Superman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Deadshot, Orca, Calendar Man, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Dr. Fate, Black Adam, The Atom, Poison Ivy, and Super Girl. I did not mention all the names due to spoilers, because this book has some good twists and turns.

Three Star Reviews:

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes is an international spy thriller with a twist that jumps genres. This book was my most anticipated book of 2024 after reading I Am Pilgrim Terry Hayes’s debut. His follow-up The Year of the Locust is part great international spy thriller and part what the heck is going on here. There’s a huge twist in this book that changes this book into a completely different genre and direction. I’m going to say flat out I did not like this twist and it is really unfortunate because I was enjoying this novel up to this point. When the book is about the spy aspect you’ll think Terry Hayes was reading government files because it feels so real and reminded me of early Tom Clancy writing. The pace of the story is good with for the most part small chapters that are easy to consume, some aspects are over-explained but for the most part, they are always interesting. I will say Hayes tells a well-rounded story where every piece of dialogue and event even after the crazy twist leads you to the conclusion. The ending was great and very intense it relies on the crazy twist and it made me like the crazy twist a little bit more. I read this book for free in exchange for a review thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books. The Year of the Locust was published on February 6, 2024.

Void Moon by Michael Connelly is book 9 in the Harry Bosch Universe series. This book is unique in that it has a female lead who is on the wrong side of the law. The book is about a Las Vegas heist that goes wrong. The book has long passages where it’s all description as the character works in the dark based on feeling and sound. The book has two characters the thief and the man in pursuit. Connelly is better at writing men as he creates a full-fledged character in the Jack of Spades, where Cassie Black has layers but not as fully realized. Jack of Spades for me stole the show and made the book a whole lot more interesting when he’s involved, at first I thought he was going to be an honest investigator but he soon shows his sadistic side. The opening scene was done very well, showing Cassie’s motivation for the whole book right at the beginning. The pace of the book slows down until Jack of Spades is introduced 30% in and keeps the pace until the exciting ending. 

Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps book 49 in the original series order. I was excited since this is the first vampire book in Goosebumps so far. The vampire fun takes a while to get going as the main vampire can’t find his teeth. You see he is old and now has false Vampire teeth. I did roll my eyes at that but thankfully Stine does feature some real vampires and when one is revealed it is terrifying. One vampire reminded me a lot of Claudia from Interview with a Vampire who was constantly getting scolded for playing with her food. The book had a great opening starting with a scary story. Then a creepy hidden tunnel reveals a hidden room with Vampire Breath. The pace slows down after time travel is involved. The pace is slow but the tension of the kids just wanting to escape is throughout. The ending is very lame and one of the worst. 

It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is a middle grade horror about twins lost in a truly bizarre village that is looked over by a giant scarecrow. I have read Strand’s work as an adult horror writer where he’s known for his comedy and going to the extreme. As a fan of his work, I wanted to check it out. It Watches in the Dark has some bizarre characters, some dark humor, and a good final twist, and where this story doesn’t go to the extreme it goes to places other children’s books will not. The story took a little while to get going for me the twins took a while to like, but I eventually got there. The scares include being trapped, getting held against your will, getting eaten by ants (I loved this scene), being thrown on roofs, Being eaten by multiple big creatures, and a being entering your mind making you harm others. The ending is wild and I loved every minute of it. There’s a twist that I should have seen coming but I did not that is totally great and very in the horror/Twilight Zone vein. The scene made me laugh out loud in a good way because of what was happening. I really liked the ending but had some issues with the character’s actions and I really wanted a history of the scarecrow which we did not get. I read this Advanced Reader’s Copy thanks to Netgalley and Source Books Young Readers for the free book. It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is published on April 2, 2024.

ARC Review: Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes is a thrilling and intense science fiction horror novel. Ghost Station is the second novel from S.A. Barnes whose first was Dead Silence. I liked Dead Silence the book had a lot of great moments and promises, Ghost Station I loved it took everything I liked from Dead Silence the intensity, the plot twists, the slight humor, and the horror and turned it up while cutting out most of what I disliked out. Ghost Station was a cross between the movie Life and Helix the SYFY network TV show (more people should watch this show it is fantastic). The pace of this book moves a little slow at the beginning, but when the horror starts at 40% the book is pretty nonstop. I liked the mystery aspect of the story what is happening are they experiencing ERS (space madness) or something else? The book has a lot of twists and turns, no earth-shattering ones but a lot of fun character reveals that lead to twists. There’s a minimal amount of characters so you get to know them pretty well I liked Suresh, the jokester, the best. Ophelia the main character took a while to warm up to she really is the worst person to be a psychiatrist. This book makes use of the trapped setting making the reader feel the claustrophobia. The ending was very satisfying and had a good twist with it. I read this advanced reader’s copy for free thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire. Ghost Station will be published on April 9, 2024.

Plot Summary: Ophelia is a fill-in psychiatrist for a space mission to explore an abandoned planet that another corporation sold the rights to. Ophelia is filling in because the last crew member Ava died on mission. Ophelia has to be the new crew member, the outsider, and get the crew to talk about themselves. She has developed a new sleep study where a device puts you in a place where you’re comfortable like your old childhood bedroom. The sleep device has problems as some start sleepwalking and seeing ghosts. Ophelia would like to think the crew is going through ERS space madness, but she starts hearing and seeing ghosts. The mission is to study this newly abandoned planet, but the crew starts finding evidence that it wasn’t abandoned and that maybe the first crew never left. This is intense science fiction horror at its best.

What I Liked: The intensity of the novel is throughout. You can feel an unnerving presence lurking in the shadows. I liked how all the characters had very different voices, I never lost who was talking or being talked to. I liked the ending and how edge-of-your-seat it was. The novel did a great job of providing the flashbacks to make you feel like you were there. I thought what was haunting the crew members was interesting and terrifying. The mystery of what happened to the crew before them was really interesting.

What I Disliked: Ophelia was a horrible psychiatrist she had more secrets than anyone, and just kept making the dumbest choices not to help anyone’s psyche. ERS, space madness, was a big thing in Dead Silence I was a little annoyed that it was a thing in this book, in the end, this was a way different book than Dead Silence but I was worried it was going to be the same story in a different setting. ERS at the beginning was brought up so much I was like is this connected to Dead Silence but it was not.

Recommendations: Ghost Station is a great science fiction horror novel that I think you need to check out. It is atmospheric horror at its best, you feel the doom of being trapped where you can’t trust the people you are staying with. I like this novel over Dead Silence, which I rated 3 stars and saw a lot of potential. This novel has that potential and it was great to read.

Rating: I rated Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes 4.3 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more S.A. Barnes in the future.

Book Review: Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor

Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor is the sequel to Injustice which started five years in the past. Injustice started when the Joker grew tired of Batman beating him and turned to a new prey Superman. The Joker ends up making him kill Lois Lane and his unborn child. Superman does not want innocents killed and turns the world into a superhero police state that he rules. This does not sit well with Batman who wants everyone to have free will even the criminally insane. Batman defeats Superman by having a Justice League from another dimension beat him. That brings us to Injustice 2 where Batman tries to build society back up, but others want to tear it down. Both Injustice Gods Among Us and Injustice 2 are video games the comic series leads up to where both games start. Injustice 2 comic is intense with lots of heroes and villains deaths. The series acts like a What if? and has fun new origins for superheroes, especially Supergirl. There are a lot of heroes and villains featured in this book Batman, Damien Wayne, Superman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Killer Croc, Harley Quinn, Amanda Waller, Deadshot, Orca, Calendar Man, Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Dr. Fate, Black Adam, The Atom, Poison Ivy, and Super Girl. I did not mention all the names due to spoilers, because this book has some good twists and turns. The pace is rapid I thought the Supergirl new origin story was a little slow but I liked the end result. I was not prepared for how funny this book would be there were a couple of scenes that had me laugh out loud. Harley Quinn provides the best laughs and I’m happy to read a running joke throughout the first Injustice is extended into Injustice 2 and what Green Arrow calls his lair the Arrow Cave versus The Quiver. You don’t need to play the game to enjoy these books, it will help at the end though since both series lead up to the games. Injustice 2 Volume 1 collect Injustice 2 Comics 1-6. Injustice 2 was published on May 1, 2018 by DC Comics.

Plot Summary: Batman is trying to rebuild the world after Superman broke bad and had to be stopped. Batman lost all the people he cares about Alfred, Nightwing, and he lost his son Damien who joined Superman’s side. Batman hopes to form a new family to take care of this damaged world but others want to tear it down. Harley who was a big help to Batman and taking Superman down is kidnapped and has an explosive put in her brain by Amanda Waller to join the Suicide Squad. Very soon after the bomb is implanted someone takes Amanda Waller’s device and controls the Suicide Squad to do their evil bidding. Can Batman and his new team save the world? or is it too late?

What I Liked: Harley Quinn and her humor had me laughing way more than I thought this book would. The original Blue Beetle Ted Kord training Jamie. The viciousness of the Killer Croc and Orca team up. The prison break scene was fun and I liked the twist with it. The new Supergirl Origin, and the new timeline for when she arrives on Earth after Superman is in prison. I liked the twist of who is the real puppet master and what they want to do with the world. The scene between Batman and Conner (Green Arrow’s son) was very heartfelt.

What I Disliked: The Supergirl origin was a little bit too long. Batman saying someone was better than him after a quick little fight felt false to me. I wanted a quick refresher of all the events that happened before Injustice 2 began, there was not one.

Recommendation: Injustice 2 Volume 1 is a strong start to the series. I rated The first series of Injustice very high, and this one is off to the same start. The action, the humor, and the story are all great making this easy to read and a lot of fun. I recommend you Check this book out after the first series.

Rating: I rather Injustice 2 Volume 1 by Tom Taylor 4.1 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: Goosebumps – Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine

Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps book 49 in the original series order. I was excited since this is the first vampire book in Goosebumps so far. The vampire fun takes a while to get going as the main vampire can’t find his teeth. You see he is old and now has false Vampire teeth. I did roll my eyes at that but thankfully Stine does feature some real vampires and when one is revealed it is terrifying. One vampire reminded me a lot of Claudia from Interview with a Vampire who was constantly getting scolded for playing with her food. The book had a great opening starting with a scary story. Then a creepy hidden tunnel reveals a hidden room with Vampire Breath. Vampire Breath has powers that all Vampires need, I guess it is not real Vampire Breath or you think the vampires would have an endless supply. The pace slows down after time travel is involved. The pace is slow but the tension of the kids just wanting to escape is throughout. The ending is very lame and one of the worst. There’s a final twist that was okay even though it is very predictable. Totally 90’s things of note kids used to have to search hard for flashlights before we could use our phones. The concept of Vampire Breath is interesting and only Stine could come up with it. I felt it could have been used better in the story. Vampire Breath was published on November 1, 1996.

Plot Summary: Freddy and his best friend Cara find a hidden room in Freddy’s house. In the hidden room sits a coffin. The kids being curious open it up but they don’t find a body, but what they do find is a bottle of Vampire Breath is an old bottle. Cara pulls the tab and the room fills with green smoke and a body is now in the coffin and starts to rise. It is a vampire who is very confused about how he got there, but one thing that he is sure of is that he’s thirsty. The kids start to run as the vampire chases them. The last time when they used the Vampire Breath it made him appear, maybe if they use it again he will disappear. But when they do things don’t go as planned as they are transported a hundred years in the past to the Vampire’s lair.

What I Liked: The Vampire Breath is a neat concept, but not without its flaws. I liked the kid’s time-traveling to the vampire’s lair. I loved the scene with Gwendolyn as she tries to help but it goes wrong. The vampire with false teeth was a little bit funny even though I did roll my eyes. The opening scene was very well done with Freddy telling a horror story to the kid he’s babysitting. The first quarter of the book was decently scary until it was revealed the vampire had no teeth. I do like the vampire’s promise that everything will be fine when I get my teeth I will not be thirsty and make you a vampire. I loved the cover art a lot I remember it very well as a kid.

What I Disliked: Vampire Breath, how did the vampires keep running out, don’t they have an endless supply it is called Vampire Breath. The end was pretty lame it reminded me of The Girl Who Cried Monster’s ending. The final twist was lame too and I saw coming. The overall story was not that great and had some plot holes.

Recommendation: Vampire Breath tried to be different and just did not work. There are some good scenes throughout this story, but as a whole, it wasn’t that good. I will not recommend reading Vampire Breath.

Rating: I rated Vampire Breath by R.L. Stine 2.7 out of 5 stars.

Ranking: Here’s my full ranking of the 49 Goosebumps books that I have read in order from my favorite to least favorite: 1) A Night in Terror Tower, 2) Stay Out of the Basement, 3) The Headless Ghost, 4) Ghost Beach, 5) Piano Lessons Can Be Murder, 6) The Haunted Mask, 7) Ghost Camp, 8) The Horror at Camp Jellyjam, 9) One Day At Horrorland, 10) Night of the Living Dummy, 11) Welcome to Camp Nightmare, 12) A Shocker on Shock Street, 13)The Phantom of the Auditorium, 14) It Came From Beneath the Sink, 15)Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns, 16)The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, 17) Say Cheese and Die, 18) Let’s Get Invisible, 19) The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight, 20) Welcome to Dead House, 21) Monster Blood II, 22) The Beast From the East, 23) The Girl who Cried Monster, 24)Deep Trouble, 25) The Ghost Next Door, 26) Say Cheese and Die – Again! 27) Night of the Living Dummy 2, 28) My Hairiest Adventure, 29) Be Careful What You Wish For…, 30) Return of the Mummy, 31) Why I’m Afraid of Bees, 32) The Haunted Mask II, 33)How I Got My Shrunken Head, 34) How to Kill a Monster, 35) Attack of the Mutant, 36) Go Eat Worms!, 37) Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes, 38) The Werewolf of Fever Swamp, 39) Bad Hare Day, 40) Cuckoo Clock of Doom, 41) Vampire Breath, 42) Monster Blood, 43)Night of the Living Dummy III, 44) The Barking Ghost, 45) Egg Monsters from Mars, 46) The Abominable Snowman of Pasadena, 47) You Can’t Scare Me!, 48) Legend of the Lost Legend, and 49) Monster Blood III.

Book Review: Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser

Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser is a graphic novel sequel to Six as it explores events and characters after that book. Where Six took place before the events of Stranger Things, it has been a few years and this book takes place 3 months after the events of Stranger Things Season 2. The pacing for this story was very good, I was easily able to read this in one setting. I liked how much the characters evolved since the events in Six. This has been my favorite of the graphic novels it was original and yet tied into the series as a whole. Kali (formerly Eight) who has the biggest picture on the cover and from Stranger Things season 2 is only a cameo and helps point are heroes in the right direction, but is not a big part of the book. I do like that we get to see Kali’s gang make an appearance as well. The end of this story is great and gets to show you the danger of these powers. This story had the most action out of any of the graphic novels so far. I liked the characters of Three and Nine a lot more in this book than in Six. Stranger Things: Into the Fire collects Stranger Things: Into the Fire #1-#4. Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser was published on July 28, 2020, by Dark Horse Books.

Plot Summary: After the events of Six, Three and Nine have escaped the facility while Nine’s twin sister Ten was left behind. Ten was long thought dead but Nine now believes she is alive. They reach out to Eight who has since escaped and she knows that Ten is alive and was forced to manipulate her mind, to make her feel like a forest princess. Eight has a name on her list of payback that she gives to Three and Nine to track down. They find an ex-employee of the lab in full regret and knows where Ten was taken, a supervised fully monitored building for troubled teens, that they now have to break her out of.

What I Liked: The ending scene was written very well and the best of the graphic novel series it is brutal and right all at the same time, it shows the danger that three is and can be. I liked the sister bond. I loved Kali and her gang being a small part of this story. I love that Eleven was mentioned and discussed briefly. The flashbacks of what Kali did to Ten were great and very visual. I thought the locked-up princess bit worked well. I liked the relationship between Three and Nine.

What I Disliked: The first issue was disjointed and it took me until the second to like the direction of the story. I did not like the deception in the cover featuring Kali so prominently to only me in this book 5 pages.

Recommendation: This book is my favorite out of the three Stranger Things Graphic novels. The novel is both an original and connects to the existing narrative of the TV show. The end scene was so good. I recommend you check this story out.

Rating: I rated Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Houser 4.3 out of 5 stars.

Book Order: The book order for the three Stranger Things novels that I have read are: 1) The Other Side, 2) Six, and 3) Into the Fire

Ranking: I have ranked the three graphic novels from best to worst: 1) Into the Fire, 2) The Other Side, and 3) Six

ARC Review: It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand

It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is a middle grade horror about twins lost in a truly bizarre village that is looked over by a giant scarecrow. I have read Strand’s work as an adult horror writer where he’s known for his comedy and going to the extreme. As a fan of his work, I wanted to check it out. It Watches in the Dark has some bizarre characters, some dark humor, and a good final twist, and where this story doesn’t go to the extreme it goes to places other children’s books will not. The story took a little while to get going for me the twins took a while to like, but I eventually got there. The scares include being trapped, getting held against your will, getting eaten by ants (I loved this scene), being thrown on roofs, Being eaten by multiple big creatures, and a being entering your mind making you harm others. The ending is wild and I loved every minute of it. There’s a twist that I should have seen coming but I did not that is totally great and very in the horror/Twilight Zone vein. The scene made me laugh out loud in a good way because of what was happening. I really liked the ending but had some issues with the character’s actions and I really wanted a history of the scarecrow which we did not get. I thought the story could have added more humor there’s some but I wanted more. The story felt like it was a cross between Goosebumps and Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events. I read this Advanced Reader’s Copy thanks to Netgalley and Source Books Young Readers for the free book. It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is published on April 2, 2024.

Plot Summary: Two twins Oliver and Trisha celebrate their 12th Birthday with their dad with a 5 day canoe trip down the river in Missouri. An accident happens on the trip that knocks out the father, and the kids look for help the go down the river until they find an old dock. The kids only see a forest after the dock, but don’t see anywhere else and follow a trail that leads to a small town. Who can help their dad? The kids aren’t allowed in the hospital and have to spend a day in the weird town that has a giant Scarecrow in the center that they feel is creepy and watching them. Everybody in town is very thankful for the scarecrow and doesn’t think it is creepy at all. The kids get yelled at and told they are ungrateful when they don’t finish a huge ice cream sundae, the mayor makes a deal with the kids to see their dad, they have to sit in front of the scarecrow for one hour, which they do but are horrified when they hear a voice asking them do violence to each other. When they finally get to see their dad he has an outrageous amount of wires hanging out of him. The kids are told they have to stay the night but plan to escape with their dad as Trisha steals the key to the hospital. when they do escape the house they were staying the night, they notice something the scarecrow is not where it was, and is actively moving around looking for them.

What I Liked: The dark humor about the mayor, the owner of the diner, and various townspeople who see the world as one way, and these kids are rude. The kids and the fire ants scene is great. How vicious the scarecrow is when he throws them and goes through buildings to find them. The twist with all the wires in the dad was a good one. The final twist in the story was amazing and made me so happy as a horror fan. I liked the conversations with the mayor, he was so odd and easily offended to have all this power. The case scenes with the scarecrow.

What I Disliked: The action took a long time to start the scarecrow doesn’t move until after 50%. Trisha felt older than 12. The actions of Belinda made no sense at all. The scarecrow is inconsistent as well, he had so many chances to kill the kids through the townspeople but does not say anything.

Recommendation: This story has a great twist that makes it worth it. The pace was a little slow for a Jeff Strand novel that usually has a rapid pace. I will barely recommend this story. I have read a lot of Goosebumps books and I would say this book is better than half of them. the novel brings the scares when things get going.

Rating: I rated It Watches in the Dark 3.4 out of 5 stars. My Favorite Jeff Strand novel is Wolf Hunt, and A Bad Day for Voodoo is a very entertaining book books are not for children.

Book Review: Void Moon by Michael Connelly

Void Moon by Michael Connelly is book 9 in the Harry Bosch Universe series. This book is unique in that it has a female lead who is on the wrong side of the law. The book is about a Las Vegas heist that goes wrong. The book has long passages where it’s all description as the character works in the dark based on feeling and sound. The book has two characters the thief and the man in pursuit. Connelly is better at writing men as he creates a full-fledged character in the Jack of Spades, where Cassie Black has layers but not as fully realized. Jack of Spades for me stole the show and made the book a whole lot more interesting when he’s involved, at first I thought he was going to be an honest investigator but he soon shows his sadistic side. There are attempts to show a more human side to the Jack of Spades like a potential rape attempt that he breaks up, but that blows up in his face and he goes full evil. I found the character of Cassie Black to be a little boring and not much to root for. Connelly only goes back to the character Cassie Black one other time in the Harry Bosch book The Narrows. The opening scene was done very well, showing Cassie’s motivation for the whole book right at the beginning. The pace of the book slows down until Jack of Spades is introduced 30% in and keeps the pace until the exciting ending. I have read 11 Michael Connelly novels and the writing style was different than all the others it felt like his attempt at an Elmore Leonard novel. Void Moon was published on December 7, 1999.

Plot Summary: Cassie lack watches a little girl outside a school she wants to interact but does not. She then attends an open house which is revealed to be the little girl’s house who’s family is moving to Paris. Cassie has been out of prison for 1 year after a 6-year stint for accessory to a robbery that resulted in the death of her lover and partner. While in prison she had to give up her girl and doesn’t want to. She steals a steals a picture she intends to use as a passport and new identity for the girl but first, she will need a lot of money in a short time. She calls up her old buddy who used to set up all her deals and he has one but it is at the very casino where Cassie was arrested 6 years ago. Cassie reluctantly agrees and is set to rob a man who always has a briefcase attached to his wrist and only takes it off while in bed, wear he puts it in a room safe. Cassie has to rob the place while the victim is still in the room hopefully asleep. Things go wrong as the money is what any of them think and the victim is killed. Cassie must run for her life as this wasn’t an ordinary robbery but a hit with someone to blame. Jack of Spades is hired by the casino to find and track down the robber by any means necessary. he’s known as Jack of Spades because he always keeps a spade to bury the dead.

What I Liked: I liked the honest thief code that is established between Cassie and the broker. Jack of Spades stills the show I loved his magic background and he looks at fooling people as an elevated form of sleight of hand. I liked that he does magic tricks as well. The confrontation between Jack of Spades and the Broker was great and ended in such a shock. The car scene between Jack of Spades and Cassie Black who works at a Porsche dealership. In the opening scene where the way it is written, you can tell that the girl is Cassie’s daughter without spelling it out for the reader. The ending was great I liked where every character ends up during the fight. I loved the scene between the parole officer for Cassie and Jack of Spades and how she knows something is not right with him, and she can see through the magic.

What I Disliked: Cassie Black was a character I just did not connect with I liked what motivated her character but I did not like the character herself. Jack of Spades breaking up what he thought was a rape did not fit his character who is so focused on the mission and would kill anybody to get to the thief, I felt like he would have killed them after it wasn’t what he thought but he does not. I thought it was very out of character. The title is called Void Moon and it is a bad luck omen for the broker who is all about superstition, I felt it was forced after the third time it was brought up and kept getting brought up.

Recommendation: This book was not one of my favorites but it created one of my favorite villains in the Jack of Spades. Jack of Spades has been my favorite villain since The Poet. This book feels more like an Elmore Novel than a Michael Connelly to me. I will not recommend this book but there are some good bits that all revolve around Jack of Spade’s character. I think it would be a great character to bring on the Bosch Tv show.

Rating: I rated Void Moon by Michael Connelly 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Order: Harry Bosch Universe Book reading book order of books I have read ( I did read Void Moon out of order): 1) the Black Echo, 2) The Black Ice, 3) The Concrete Blonde, 4) The Last Coyote, 5) The Poet, 6) Trunk Music, 7) Angels Flight, 8) Blood Work, 9)Void Moon, 10) A Darkness More Than Night, and 11)City of Bones.

Ranking: The order in which I rank them from best to worst is 1) The Poet, 2) Angels Flight, 3) City of Bones, 4) Concrete Blonde, 5) The Black Ice, 6) A Darkness More Than Night, 7) Trunk Music, 8) The Last Coyote, 9) Blood Work, 10) The Black Echo, and 11) Void Moon.

Book Review: The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes is an international spy thriller with a twist that jumps genres. This book was my most anticipated book of 2024 after reading I Am Pilgrim Terry Hayes’s debut 8 years ago. His follow-up The Year of the Locust is part great international spy thriller and part what the heck is going on here. There’s a huge twist in this book that changes this book into a completely different genre and direction. I’m going to say flat out I did not like this twist and it is really unfortunate because I was enjoying this novel up to this point. I’m not going to give away the twist but I will compare it to Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull movie, you know when they involve aliens at the end and your like I don’t know if this fits this action adventure is the same I felt with this book. I just felt like the twist did not fit with the book, there was only one hint in the book and it was one that I bought okay your CIA you would have weapons that do stuff I don’t think is possible, but okay I’m with you. Then Terry Hayes says hold my beer I will show you unbelievable. When the book is about the spy aspect you’ll think Terry Hayes was reading government files because it feels so real and reminded me of early Tom Clancy writing. The pace of the story is good with for the most part small chapters that are easy to consume, some aspects are over-explained but for the most part, they are always interesting. There was a backstory for an HR rep that I’m like is this even necessary and later in the story it is necessary to get him to sign off on the main character’s mission. I will say Hayes tells a well-rounded story where every piece of dialogue and event even after the crazy twist leads you to the conclusion. The ending was great and very intense it relies on the crazy twist and it made me like the crazy twist a little bit more. This book was my hardest to rate I liked well over 75% of this book but the twist was so bad. I will say I read an ARC copy and it seems like my copy is a hundred pages longer than it is listed in Kindle and will take that into account in my rating. I read this book for free in exchange for a review thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books. The Year of the Locust was published on February 6, 2024.

Plot Summary: Kane is a Denied Access Area spy for the CIA, his specialty is getting into the hardest areas and getting out. His mission is to get into Iran rescue an informant and his family and get the information on a new terrorist threat. When Kane is already behind enemy lines does he realize this mission is compromised and has to get out? Kane sees the informant crucified and his wife and two young kids forced to starve at his feet, as members of the terrorist group look on. Kane’s mission is complete once he sees the informant dead and is trained to walk away but he can’t and retaliates killing the group and leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. Little does he know he killed the younger brother of a terrorist who will do anything to kill Kane. Kane gets the information he was hoping for as a thanks for saving the family but he must now escape without the terrorist group finding out that is now looking for retribution. Will Kane be able to escape with his life?

What I Liked: I love when the story is grounded and real which is 75% of it. Terry Hayes can write international spy like no one business when the book is focused on it, it is the best. Al Tundra the villain is great there are a lot of layers to him. His backstory of when he was a child and had to kill for the first time is so good. The soldier trapped behind enemy lines we’ve read a hundred times, the way the escape plan is planned and goes horribly wrong was so interesting and tense. The ending was fantastic it was super tense and very well plotted you could feel the time ticking by second by second as Earth’s last hope fought. The epilogue was good and checked in with every character in the book you cared about.

What I Disliked: The twist was way too much there are two elements, Kane’s and Al Tundra’s if maybe one happened I might have been okay but for both of them together the book jumped the shark. Here’s my biggest issue when the bad guy finds a weapon to increase his strength he gives it to everyone and a war starts just because people are different and stronger. Al Tundra is a terrorist leader who could have made his terrorist group take it and then he would have controlled it, if he viewed it as a gift from God why would he give it to unworthy and infidels? Kane’s storyline I have similar problems why would the government let civilians on a super secret new vehicle, There was no way to predict what the vehicle would do a second time. There was a lot to disbelieve. I did not like how much at the end the focus was dropped off stopping Al Tundra who Kane knew survived.

Recommendation: This story is going to be heavily divisive, if you read and loved I Am Pilgrim I think you will be disappointed like I was that this story is not a cut-and-dry spy thriller. New readers might like it, the twist on the surface is different and even though I did not like it some elements were exciting, if it was a film I would probably be behind the choice a little more, but still layered it in a little bit more. I’m fine as a reader if you prepare me for it to get crazy Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter is a perfect example. I recommend you skip this book if you have read I Am Pilgrim. I would recommend it if you have not read I Am Pilgrim, which I think will introduce you to fantastic writing without disappointment.

Rating: I rated The Year of the Locusts by Terry Hayes 3.4 stars out of 5. Reading this book does make me want to revisit the excellent I Am Pilgrim again. I will give Terry Hayes another shot I hope he does a sequel to I Am Pilgrim next.

TBR: March 2024

March 2024 TBR list: last month I read six books that were all from my monthly TBR list. I’m going with six books once again this month. I set my reading goal at 75 books for this year and have so far read 12 (the Goodreads app says I’m on track). Last month I read all books from series this month I’m going to split my book series reading and catch up on Netgalley books some ARC (Advanced Readers Copies) and some books that I’m behind on.  

Year of The Locust by Terry Hayes is a book that has been my most anticipated book for years now as his follow-up book from the excellent international thriller I Am Pilgrim, but this book has been delayed and delayed constantly. When I read I Am Pilgrim I liked it and instantly looked for more books from the author, and was shocked to see he hasn’t had another book published but had Year of the Locust to be released, that was 6 years now and I finally have a copy of the book thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books. I got approved for this book after it had been published on February 6, 2024. I don’t know too much going on it is an international spy thriller about a spy stuck behind enemy lines who must get the information and get out, but things do not go according to plan as an enemy long thought dead emerges with plans of terrorism.

Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes is a science fiction horror novel about an abandoned planet with a hidden past that hides a deadly danger. This is S.A. Barnes’s second book after Dead Silence that I liked and recommended. I have high hopes as Dead Silence was a good debut with lots of potential. I’m going to read this book early thanks to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group. Ghost Station will be published on April 9, 2024.

It Watches in the Dark by Jeff Strand is a middle grade novel from a truly twisted mind. I have only read adult books by Jeff Strand and am looking forward to him writing a middle grade novel. Jeff Strand is one of my favorite under-the-radar horror authors that not enough people know about. His horror books are filled with humor and feature deranged characters, so maybe he’s perfect for middle grade readers. The plot is about twins on a canoeing trip with their father goes wrong as the dad gets injured the kids go to help in a village where the townspeople are kind but strange and all everyone wants to talk about is the giant scarecrow that is in the square, and how it watches. I’m reading this early thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks kids. It Watches in the Dark will be published on April 2, 2024.

Void Moon by Michael Connelly is one of those rare stories that does not feature Harry Bosch but features a character from the Harry Bosch Universe. Void Moon is book 9 in the Harry Bosch Universe series; I accidentally skipped this book and am currently on book 12. I like Harry Bosch and want to read and know all the connections. The plot is Cassie Black plans a heist it doesn’t go right now the man that planned it is taking everyone out who knew about it.

Stranger Things: Into the Fire by Jody Howser is the third graphic novel in the Stranger Things Graphic Novel series. This book will take us to season 2 of the show when Kali number 8 was introduced. The story bridges the gap from the last graphic novel Six, where it features the two twins that escaped at the end of that book. I’ve liked the series so far and look forward to the book.

Vampire Breath by R. L. Stine I’m in the final stretches of the original Goosebumps series this is book 49 and I have just 12 to go. In this story two kids discover in a secret room a bottled Vampire Breath, what does it do who knows, but I bet it stinks.

Wrap Up: February 2024

Dear Readers, February was a great month of reading, all six books were four out of five stars, which has never happened. I read all six books from the TBR for the month. All the books I read were part of a series, some I really needed to catch up on. I read 1 science fiction, 3 mysteries, 1 horror, and 1 crime drama.  

Four Star Reviews:

One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus is the final book in the young adult thriller/mystery trilogy One of Us is Lying. I have enjoyed the series that started with books One of Us Is Lying, One of Us Is Next and the final book One of Us Is Back. One murder that was an act of revenge has started a whole slew of them. This book does a good job of bridging all the stories together, by flashbacking even before the first book started and what caused the first murder to happen that is tied to the new murders. The story weaves characters from both books pretty seamlessly and wraps up the unfinished story from the second book. The characters who were heavily involved with the plot of the first two books form a super group called the Bayview Murder Club. One of Us Is Back happens 3 months after the events of One of Us is Next. We get 3 main characters Nate, Addy, and Phoebe who we follow and we get flashbacks from Simon. The book does a good job of giving almost every character a moment but there are now too many to really give everyone justice. The book does give a good overview of the first two plots of the first books, which I enjoyed because I could not remember everything that happened. 

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose is a fun cozy mystery featuring Molly the maid, a girl who is on the spectrum and can not read emotion in faces. The Mystery Guest is the second book in the Molly the Maid series, the first book was simply called The Maid. Molly Gray is a fun character who is so sweet and disciplined, yet this is the second time she has dealt with and been accused of murder. This time the murder is a little more personal with Molly having met the victim when she was a child. The title The Mystery Guest could be taken as an unexpected guest, but in this book, it refers to a mystery writer who is a guest at Molly’s hotel. The mystery is set up very well with a lot of suspects you have to root through to get to the killer and the motive. I did not pick the killer in the end, I thought the novel was going differently. I was moderately satisfied with who the killer was at the end. This story is told the same way as The Maid where we go back and forth from the present to a flashback to the past. The pace of the novel was good and constant not too fast and not too slow. The humor was spread throughout the novel and usually was one of Molly’s sayings at an inappropriate time, which sometimes made the humor dark and I love it. The characters are what makes this novel special. The ending was satisfying it remained surprising and heartfelt with a possible new beginning for Molly the maid. Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for letting me read it free in exchange for a review.

City on Fire by Don Winslow is the first book in a gangster trilogy about Danny Ryan a low-level member of the Irish mob. Winslow writes gangsters and shady people on both sides of the law so well and City On Fire has a lot of them, that you will love and hate. This book is a character piece that analyzes a variety of different characters who have a bad side. This book has so many characters but Winslow can give them all unique stories and backgrounds to not confuse the reader. The beginning makes an effort to start slow and expand to its many characters, but I still felt it was too fast and a little confusing the way the second chapter expanded, Winslow being the great writer that he is I was not confused for long, in chapter 3 and 4 everything made sense and I was able to tell which member was in which gang and was never confused again. The book is about a gang war between the Irish and Italian mobs, and it starts in the dumbest way possible. When the war does start the story gets good with lots of twists, turns, and double-crosses. The ending was good and it had a couple of good twists at the end, it shows how Danny Ryan’s character reacts when backed into a corner.

Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells is book 4.5 in The Murderbot Diaries series. This story is short, very short at 19 pages. The story is just a catch-up on all the major things that have happened in the first 4 books leading up to book five Network Effect. The story quickly establishes the threat of what Murderbot and the team are trying to do, showing that one of the biggest corporations in the universe is corrupt and tried to have them killed because of a discovery the team made. Murderbot was supposed to be the killer but went against orders and now works to help the crew take down the corporation. Not all the crew exactly trust Murderbot but Ayda the team lead does and most fall in line. The story is short but it does its job well establishing the crew, what their mission is, how hard it is to pull off, and how dangerous it is.

City of Bones by Michael Connelly is Harry Bosch book 8 and book 11 in the Harry Bosch Universe that connects all Michael Connelly books. City of Bones is a slow-burn thriller that shows every detail of police procedure. We the reader know everything that Bosch knows when something unexpected happens we feel it with Bosch. The crime is personal for Bosch as he finds bones that belong to a child who was severely abused as Bosch was when he was a child. The pace is a bit slow but I found what was going on interesting as it looked into what goes into solving a cold case that happened 20 years before. The twists and turns make you think multiple people are the killer and happenstance and chance encounters play a part in the twists. The ending was satisfying but was not all that exciting. City of Bones balances the light and the dark, with Bosch starting a new relationship that makes him feel young again with the dark brutal murder of a child. This is the book that defined the Bosch and Chief Irving relationship that is portrayed so well in the show

Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack-O’-Lanterns by R.L. Stine is Goosebumps book 48 in the original series order. This book is really weird and quite scary. One of the top five scariest stories so far. The horror is throughout this book, there’s a home invasion scare (they make kids do push-ups so the scare does not last that long but at first it is scary) and a creepy old couple that wants to kidnap the kids and judge their costumes forever, and then the final horror the Jack O’ Lanterns who force the kids to trick or treat forever. The ending is really bizarre and weird, which is a little bit of a cop-out, but Stine saves it by having a sinister ending that is left to you the reader to determine if the character was joking or not. The final twist I would put in the top five of memorable final twists in the Goosebumps series so far.