Behind closed doors by B.A. Paris

Jack and Grace have a beautiful home and a perfect marriage.  Jack is a successful lawyer who defends women who have been battered by their husbands - he may work long hours but he still finds time to take Grace on regular holidays to exotic lands.  Grace is refined and elegant, she may not be employed but she keeps an immaculate home and hosts amazing dinner parties.  They may have married after a whirlwind courtship but they are obviously in love and are counting down the days until Grace's younger sister Millie turns eighteen and moves in with them - making their family complete.  

But maybe things aren't as perfect as they seem, because while people see Jack without Grace, they never see Grace without Jack.  If only their friends knew the truth, that Grace is not a pampered and kept wife, she is instead a trapped and tortured captive.  Everything about her life is controlled and manipulated, from the clothes she does or doesn't wear, the amount of food she gets, and the tasks she has to complete.  Jack is controlling and manipulative and keeps Grace under his thumb through games that keep her on edge and nervous - but with Millie's life in the balance as well Grace may finally be able to fight back.  But fighting back is dangerous, and if Grace fails it is not only her life in the balance.

Behind closed doors was a rather sickening read, but it was also addictive and very difficult to put down as it ping ponged back and forth between events in the past and events in the present.  I almost gave up after the first two chapters, and I am really glad that I didn't give up because I would have missed out on a truly interesting psychological thriller that keeps you guessing what will happen right up until the end.  Grace is a normal person who ends up in a dark and dangerous situation, and through her eyes and experiences we get to see how women end up in destructive relationships.  People often wonder out loud how battered women end up in the situations they do, and trough Grace's experiences you get an inkling of just how easy it is for some men to manipulate women and keep them under their thumb.  On the flip side of the coin you have Jack who is poised and in control, and as the story goes on you get to see just how manipulative he really is.  

This is not a book for the fainthearted - Jack is not a pleasant person in any way shape or form, and some of the things he does go beyond manipulative to a true mark of the sociopath.  Paris managed to find a good balance between keeping the story moving forward and giving you the chance to catch your breath before moving on to the next nasty trick or manipulation.  The alternating chapters may annoy some readers, but for this story it really works because it lets you jump into the action without bogging you down in too much details, but it also then fills in the background without slowing down the main story line too much.  It will be very interesting to see if Paris writes any more books of this caliber because it was a very good read.

If you like this book then try:

• Pop goes the weasel by M.J. Arlidge 
• One step too far by Tina Seskis
• The basement by Stephen Leather
• Level 26: Dark origins by Anthony E. Zuiker and Duane Swierczynski
• Now you see her by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• The slaughter man by Tony Parsons
• The postcard killers by James Patterson and Liza Marklund
• The survivors club by Lisa Gardner
• Darkly dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
• Kill switch by Neal Baer & Jonathan Greene
• The edge of normal by Carla Norton
• City of fear by Alafair Burke

Reviewed by Brilla

Killer instinct by S.E. Green

On the outside Lane seems like a pretty typical teenager, but deep down she knows that she is not normal.  No normal teenager keeps a scrap book about serial killers - something Lane has done since she was a child.  Keeping her dark self a secret is important to Lane as her mother and stepfather both work for the FBI, but she also has to find some way of letting it out.  When Lane watches a rapist get away with his crime because of a lack of evidence she decides to do something about it, and a new part of her story begins.  Teaching criminals a lesson is exhilarating and risky, but nothing compared to the realisation that a serial killer knows who she is, and that he is reaching out to her.  Can Lane decipher the clues and figure out who the killer is before she becomes his next victim?

I have a slight addiction to reading crime novels, something I am not ashamed to admit.   I also enjoy watching crime shows for the same reason - I like to see if I can figure out what is going to happen before it happens.  When I read the blurb for Killer instinct it really appealed because too often teen novels shy away from darker subjects, robbing teens of the chance to read age appropriate but challenging material (not everyone likes teen romances, vampires, or werewolves).  I wasn't sure what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a book that walked the line between intense and dark with style - yes Lane may be a budding serial killer, but she is not unnecessarily cruel or twisted.

Lane is the character in sharpest focus throughout the story, with the rest of the characters tending to fade into the background.  Usually I find it difficult to read books where the main character is the only one that you really get to know, but considering Lane is supposed to be a budding sociopath it makes sense as they often have trouble understanding and relating to other people.  There are some very interesting moments throughout Killer instinct that keep you guessing about what is coming next and it was a very good read - light, but interesting.  

(Some of you may feel a little bit of a Dexter feel with Lane, I felt it but it didn't feel like a carbon copy done for teens).

If you like this book then try:

• I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
• The book of blood and shadow by Robin Wasserman
• The naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Acceleration by Graham McNamee
• Death cloud by Andrew Lane
• Crime seen by Jenny Pausacker
• The murder complex by Lindsay Cummings
• The Christopher killer by Alane Ferguson
• Feral by Holly Schindler
• Dead to you by Lisa McMann

Reviewed by Brilla

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Lady Elizabeth Witmore, Countess of Rothford is part of the glittering elite of Osfrid who can trace her ancestry back to one of the founding fathers of her country.  She has a title and pedigree, but due to an unfortaunte series of investments on the part of her dearly departed parents she is also practically broke.  She may live a comfortable life now, but the money is slowly draining away, all her estates have been sold, and her Grandmama is looking for a suitable match.  Unfortunately her idea of a suitable match and her Grandmama's are not the same, and as the day of her marriage draws closer she can't help but look for an alternative.  Her chance to escape comes when one of the maids from her dismantled household is offered a place at the Glittering Court - a finishing school that takes common girls, educates and trains them, and then sends them across the sea to the young colony of Adoria. 

Sending off the maid and taking her place is just the start of her new life, as 'Adelaide' has to carefully hide what she really is - if she is discovered she will be sent back to her old life and her future husband.  Life in the Glittering Court is more challenging than Adelaide could ever have guessed, not because learning to be a lady is difficult, but rather the opposite - she has to pretend to be less than she is, less refined than she is, and she works hard to stay in the middle of the crowd.  No one guesses her secret though, and the only person who knows her real identity is Cedric Thorn, the man who recruited the real Adelaide.  On the far side of the ocean in Adoria, Adelaide is popular with the men hoping to wed new wives, but she is starting to realise that she wants more than what she is being offered.  A new land brings the chance for a new life, but also new dangers.

The Glittering Court is the first book in a new series from Richelle Mead, and it was a pleasant surprise to find a book that has a lot of substance and well rounded character development.  It seems that lately there is a trend for quick read fantasy and dramas that hum along but don't really give you the chance to get to know the world or the characters; or the other extreme of intense and densely packed novels that could cure insomnia with their attention to minute detail.  The Glittering Court has managed the seeming impossible task of keeping the story moving at a good clip while also fulfilling your craving for a richly imagined world with characters that feel like your friends.  Adelaide is interesting and not your typical spoilt noble, and as events unfold she discovers more about herself and grows as a character which makes her even more likeable and human.  The characters around her are interesting and multifaceted, having their own secrets and motivations (just like real people). 

While this is the first book in a series it left me feeling like I had achieved something and I can now patiently wait for the next book in the series.  It will be interesting to see how many books as in this series as The Glittering Court could either be the foundation book for a long series, or the foundation book for a series as short as a duology or trilogy.  An excellent read - enjoy!

If you like this book then try:

• Walk on Earth a stranger by Rae Carson
• Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
• The scorpion rules by Erin Bow
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• Crown duel by Sherwood Smith
• Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
• Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
• Ink and bone by Rachel Caine
• The kiss of deception by Mary E. Pearson
• Grave mercy by Robin LaFevers

Reviewed by Brilla

A court of mist and fury by Sarah J. Maas

A court of mist and fury is the sequel to A court of thorns and roses and you really need to read the first book first and before you read any more of this review as there are ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first book in the series.

Feyre may have succeeded in breaking Amarantha's hold on Prythian, but she has also been transformed into a strange blend of high fae and human.  She has the appearance of the high fae but her heart is still human - broken, damaged, and craving love.  It seems that she has found her true love with Tamlin, but all he wants to do is protect and coddle her and that is not what Feyre needs or wants.  To the other high fae she is Feyre Cursebreaker, but Tamlin can't seem to see past her former human frailty.  While Tamlin and Lucien travel the lands of the Court weeding out enemies and danger Feyre finds herself planning for a wedding and a life that is suddenly suffocating.

When Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court appears at a most inconvenient time to collect her to fulfill her side of a desperate bargain it seems like pouring salt on Tamlin's wounds - but for Feyre it brings a surprising peace.  In the dreaded Night Court the nightmares that have plagued her seem to loose their impact, seem to fade a little.  When the unthinkable happens Feyre finds herself transported not to the Night Court, but to a hidden world that is nothing like what she could have hoped or dreamed of.  War is coming, and as their enemies move against them Feyre has to find out what she can do with her new immortal body and her magic - for war and for pleasure.  It seems as though there are conspiracies and intrigues around every corner, and if Feyre is not careful she may loose everything she holds dear without even realising what she is risking.

A court of mist and fury is a mammoth 624 pages of love, betrayal, intrigue, romance, self discovery, and kicking butt.  Feyre and her world were artfully crafted on the pages of A court of thorn and roses, and now that world comes into sharp focus as Feyre learns more about the world of the high fae, what it means to be one of them, and faces some of the limitations of her new world.  To be remade as a high fae after hearing her own death has left more than a few scars on her psyche and she feels damaged and bruised in more ways than one - a survivor with PTSD and other issues.  

Maas took some rather interesting turns with this second book in the series - and as is almost always the case talking about those turns will ruin some of the lovely little surprises along the way!  This is definitely a series for older teen readers (and the adults willing to read a 'teen' novel) as there are some rather racy sex scenes that have caused something of a flutter among some of the school librarians as they try and decide if it should be for senior students only or not carried at all!  I have to confess that I love the fact there are books aimed at older teen readers, books that teens can really sink their teeth into, that they know were written for them by an author who gets them.  When Maas was in New Zealand last year it was really clear that she connected strongly with her teen audience and that they connected just as strongly with her.  Feyre is not perfect, no one in her world is, but that is what makes this series so amazing.

There is only one more book to go in this series so hopefully we don't have to wait too long to see what comes next for Feyre because there is a rather large cliff hanger at the end of A court of mist and fury that leaves you wanting more.  Highly recommended for teens who like to read rich and well imagined fantasy with outstanding character and world development, and who are not afraid to commit to a 400+ page book that will keep them hooked from cover to cover.  

If you like this book then try:

• A court of thorns and roses by Sarah J. Maas
• Arrows of the queen by Mercedes Lackey
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore
• Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst
• The Fire rose by Mercedes Lackey
• Home from the sea by Mercedes Lackey
• Reserved for the cat by Mercedes Lackey
• Steadfast by Mercedes Lackey
• Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey
• From a high tower by Mercedes Lackey
• Deerskin by Robin McKinley
• Beauty by Robin McKinley
• Rose daughter by Robin McKinley
• Spindle's end by Robin McKinley
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Reviewed by Brilla

Fire touched by Patricia Briggs

Fire touched is the ninth book in the Mercy Thompson series so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** of what happens in the previous books.  If you like to read series in order then don't read anymore of this review until you have read the other books in this series - a series that really benefits from being read in the right order.  I highly recommend reading Shifting shadows first too as the short stories will help you make sense of some of the characters.

Life is never dull for the Columbia Basin werewolves - especially since Mercy joined their pack and became the Alpha's mate and wife.  It seems as though Mercy is something of a trouble magnet, and when a troll wrecks havoc and she makes a sweeping proclamation about the pack protecting it's territory (captured for eternity on film) a whole heap of trouble ends up on their doorstep.  The first to seek shelter is a being who looks like a sweet young child on the outside, but he has been warped and changed by Underhill over a very long time and he has a unique mastery of fire that makes him very desirable to some and very dangerous to others.  

Aiden has claimed sanctuary with the pack, a desperate bid to stay away from the fae who seem intent on taking him apart to see how he works.  Others seem to want to control him so they can wriggle their way back into Underhill's good graces.  Mercy and Adam only want to give him a safe place - something the pack can give him for a short time at least, but at a terrible cost.  The fae may have taken themselves away to live under their own laws and not the laws of man, that doesn't mean that they are finished playing games with the mortals around them.  So very powerful fae are playing games with Mercy, Adam, and the pack - and some of those games could have devastating consequences for everyone.

Anyone who has read any of my reviews of the Mercy Thompson or Alpha and Omega books knows how much I adore these series and how eagerly I await each new book in the series.  I enjoyed them so much that I went on a reading binge last year that saw me polish off the series in a very short space of time.  Fire touched adds another chapter to the story of Mercy, Adam, and their version of our world, and it feels very much like this is a book that has laid the foundations for something truly epic to come.  The book is whole and complete in itself, but some players have revealed themselves through the course of the book, and there are some new characters that feel like they are here to stay rather than just walking through.  

I tried to resist the temptation of galloping through the book, but alas it was finished all too quickly and now I can't wait to see what happens next for the Alpha and Omega series as there is the inevitable cross over between the two worlds.  It looks like war might be coming, or at least a huge shake up - so now all we can do is wait and see what happens next.

The recommended reading order is:

• Moon called
• Cry wolf (Alpha and Omega)
• Hunting ground (Alpha and Omega)
• Blood bound
• Iron kissed
• Bone crossed
• Silver borne
• River marked
• Fair game (Alpha and Omega)
• Frost burned
• Dead heat (Alpha and Omega)
• Night broken
• Fire touched

And to fill in the gaps there are some new (and old) short stories in:

• Shifting shadows: Stories from the world of Mercy Thompson

If you like this book then try:

• Tinker by Wen Spencer
• Night shifted by Cassie Alexander
• Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Burning water by Mercedes Lackey
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Urban shaman by C.E. Murphy
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway

Reviewed by Brilla

Dogs that make a difference edited by Saskia Adams

Dogs come in all shapes and sizes and for thoudands of years they have worked alongside mankind in a varirty of roles - from herding, to searching, to guarding.  In more recent decades 'mans best friend' has found a place guiding the blind, alerting the deaf, and supporting people with mobility - and they have also found a place as therapy animals.  In Australia teams from Delta therapy dogs visit rest homes, aged care facilities, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, and help children in schools and libraries with their reading.  

This touching and heartwarming book is brimming with personal stories from Delta volunteers, marking the small (and not so small) differences their therapy dogs have made in the lives of people going through the challenges of illness or the slow decline of old age.  There are stories that will make you tear up, while others will make you smile.  In hospitals the dogs can make a real difference for children facing challenigng and painful medical procedures, easing the pain by providing a distraction and company.  In aged care they light the spark for dementia residents who may have forgotten many things but will always remember the day that their four footed friend comes to visit.  Each dog is special in their own way, and each partnership experiences the joy of volunteering together in a different way - but they are all amazing partnerships.

I volunteer with a therapy pets programme in New Zealand and many of the stories that I read in Dogs that make a difference sound achingly familiar because I know volunteers who have had the same experience - or I have experienced similar events with my own dogs.  There is the story of the dog that developed a special relationship with a resident who passed away, and the dog then refused to enter that room again (in Australia the dog became distressed and had to be removed from the room).  There is the child who was terrified of dogs but learned to overcome that fear - I had the same experience with a child at the school I visit where at first he was in the toilets crying and afraid to come to class, and by the end of the year he was willing to not only be near Houdini but also willing to sit with and cuddle him.  

There are amazing stories to discover here and if you are interested in animal assisted therapy then this book is a great place to start if you want to learn what it is really like.

If you would like to read more books about working dogs try:

• Hero dogs by Janet Menzies
• Scent of the missing by Susnnah Charleson
• Until Tuesday: A wounded warrior and the dog who saved him by Luis Carlos Montalvan
• Partners for life: True stories of canine heroes by Jane Bidder
• Dogs in action: Working dogs and their stories by Maria Alomajan
• Puppy chow is better than Prozac by Bruce Goldstein
• A dog named Boo: The underdog with the heart of gold by Lisa J. Edwards
• Paws and effect: The healing power of dogs by Sharon Sakson
• The possibility dogs by Susannah Charleson
• A friend like Henry by Nuala Gardner
• Haatchi and Little B: The inspiring true story of one boy and his dog by Wendy Holden
• Emma and I by Sheila Hocken
• Thunder dog: The true story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at ground zero by Michael Hingson with Susy Flory
• Finding Harmony by Sally Hyder
• Comet's tale: How the dog I rescued saved my life by Steven D. Wolf with Lynette Padwa
• A puppy called Aero by Liam Creed
• Cowboy & Wills by Monica Holloway
• Endal by Sandra and Allen Parton

Reviewed by Brilla

The way I used to be by Amber Smith

Eden McCrorey is just fourteen when her older brother's best friend rapes her, destroying the safe illusion of her childhood.  It felt like a bad dream, but the evidence is there in the morning, a reminder of the shattered trust and a childhood left in tatters.  It was a single moment that will influence the next few years of her life as she moves year by year from freshman to sophomore, sophomore to junior, and then junior toe senior.  On the outside she appears to be the same girl, but she is making decisions and taking risks.  With each year it seems as though she creates more barriers and makes more mistakes, pushing away the people closest to her without realising why.  Then one day she is confronted with a bitter truth and must decide what to do - tell her story or remain silent.

One of the hazards of reading lots of books is that I tend to end up with high standards and I tend to discard a lot of books because it just feels like I have read them before - and it takes a very special book to stand out from the crowd.  The way I used to be is one of those rare books that I not only read cover to cover, but where the characters have stuck around in my head because I felt such a strong connection to the them.  Eden is the clearest voice, but her friends are also there, asking to be heard, while her family mumbles in the background.  What happened to Eden was shocking not just because it happened to her, but also because statistics in New Zealand at least show that about 35% of all girls under the age of 16 experience rape - that is roughly one in three girls under the age of 16 experiencing a life changing and traumatic event.

The thing about Eden's story that makes it so extraordinary is that she is so ordinary - Eden could be any one of thousands of teenage girls around the world who is finding her way while carrying a crushing secret.  This is not a rapid leap into a life of reckless behaviour, it is a slow and graceless slide as Eden's life and choices are made through the lens of a traumatic event that clearly stays with her through the four years of high school.  I became rather attached to Eden through reading her story, and while I have not shied away from reading books about rape for teenagers this was the first book that took such a long term story arc, and it is only through such a long story arc that you can truly see the damage Kevin did, and the danger of keeping rape a secret.  

I would highly recommend that teenage girls read this novel because there is a high chance that they or one of their friends will expreience rape at high school or in their first years of college - for girls who have been raped Eden's story may give them the courage to come forward and lay charges against their rapist, and for girls who have not been raped it may help them understand changes in their friends and encourage them to offer support for friends who have been raped.  A powerful and emotional read because Eden could be any teenage girl, and it was a story that needed to be told without fanfare or excess.  An amazing debut novel that every teenage girl and her parents need to read.

If you read this book and would like to read similar books then try:

• Speechless by Hannah Harrington
• Lies we tell ourselves by Robin Talley
• Such a pretty girl by Laura Wiess
• Hate list by Jennifer Brown
• Living dead girl by Elizabeth Scott
• Sold by Patricia McCormick
• Thirteen reasons why by Jay Asher
• Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
• Rape girl by Alina Klein
• Thousand words by Jennifer Brown
• I swear by Lane Davis
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
• The mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Reviewed by Brilla

Dead upon a time by Elizabeth Paulson

Kate Hood lives in a village full of people but she is very much alone, the only person who really knows her and cares about her is her grandmother - who lives alone in the woods.  One day as she is taking her grandmother her groceries Kate is attacked by a pack of wolves and barely escapes to the cottage where her grandmother lives, only to find her grandmother has been stolen away.  At the cottage Kate finds a series of tapestries that depict young people held in a prison that seems to be straight out of a nightmare - there is the young woman who must avoid a poisoned apple, a brother and sister in a room that is growing hotter by the moment, a young woman with hair shaved close to her scalp, and now her grandmother is missing too and the latest tapestry says it should have been Kate.

When Princess Ella is taken Kate goes on a quest to find her - along with two unlikely companions.  As they travel Kate will learn what it really means to be Uncommon and she is going to need to keep her wits about her because her enemy is not afraid to use magic to get what she wants - and what she wants is Kate.  Can Kate and her travelling companions find the missing children and teenagers before the unthinkable happens?

Dead upon a time is a delightful fractured fairy tale that takes the stories we know and makes them part of a dark and twisted mystery where the villain is not particularly clear - and where the ending is very satisfying.  At just over 200 pages this is not an in depth novel but it was the perfect length to get to know Kate and her world, and to unravel the mystery.  A lot of fractured fairy tales are aimed at the older teen market, but Paulson has written an engaging and endearing fractured fairy tale for younger teens and readers who don't want to tackle a fractured fairy tale that is hundreds of pages long.  There is potential here for more stories set in this universe and it will be interesting to see if Paulson brings us more stories about Kate and her fairy tale friends.

If you like this book then try:

• Ella enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
• Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
• Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
• The treachery of beautiful things by Ruth Frances Long
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Throne of glass by Sarah J. Maas
• Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
• Crown duel by Sherwood Smith
• Dealing with dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
• Princess of the midnight ball by Jessica Day George
• Water song by Suzanne Weyn
• Beauty by Robin Mckinley
• The storyteller's daughter by Cameron Dokey

Reviewed by Brilla

Silence by Mercedes Lackey and Cody Martin

Silence is the latest book in the SERRAted Edge series, and while you may enjoy reading the series in order, it has been twenty years since the last book in the series was released and many years since I have read the series and I had no trouble picking it up so you can read the series in order or start with Silence without too many ***SPOILERS***

Staci Kerry has just been dumped in the small seaside town of Silence to live with her estranged, and often drunk mother.  She has been living with her father, but since he has remarried and his wife wants Staci's bedroom for her own son Staci has been shipped off to spend the next two years living with her mother.  The town is not what Staci expected - it seems to be stuck in a time warp from the 1950s and the town is in some sort of technology dead zone which means cell phones only work in one remote spot and there is only dial up internet access.  Desperate to escape and return to New York she reaches out to her friends only to have them drop out of sight one by one from her online connections.

Staci manages to find some friends in the local community who are outsiders just like her, and by some miracle finds herself the focus of attention from Sean Blackthorne, the youngest member of what passes for royalty in Silence.  As she goes deeper into his world she discovers that the world she has always known is a lie, there is magic in the world - and elves!  Staci has been caught up in an ancient feud between the light and dark elves, and the light is badly outnumbered in Silence.  Drawn deeper and deeper into the web of intrigue Staci struggles with what is happening at home - her mother is the local drunk and brings home the most unsavoury of men who see a teenage daughter as fair game, and the local cops are underwhelming in their policing of the streets of Silence.  Darkness is building, and if Staci and her friends can't stop them then there is nothing to stop Silence falling, and then another town, and another, and another.

The SERRAted Edge series began in the 1990s and blended together social commentary and fantasy to create a unique concept where children and teenagers at risk from things like underage prostitution, snuff films, child abuse, and cults come into contact with elves who have found a way to use magic and elven steeds to come into the world.  It was a concept that had me hooked and I am the very proud owner of a signed copy of Born to run (the first book in the series) that I had signed when Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon visited New Zealand many, many, many years ago. 

Silence is the first new book in the series written by Mercedes Lackey for two decades, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the elves and magic it did feel a little bit like the elves and magic 'stuff' took centre stage over the social commentary side of things - Staci was in a rather bad situation but it wasn't explored as much as other books in the series.  I could be being a little unfair here as it has been a number of years since I read any of the books in the series and I am now in the position of looking at my bookshelves and wondering if I should read them again!  Silence is a solid addition to the series and if this is your first taste of the SERRAted Edge then I seriously encourage you to read the rest of the books in the series, and recommend that you read the other urban fantasies that converge with this version of the world.

If you like this book then try:

• Born to run by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
• Wheels of fire by Mercedes Lackey and Mark Shepherd
• When the bough breaks by Mercedes Lackey and Holly Lisle
• Chrome circle by Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon
• Knight of ghosts and shadows by Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon
• Summoned to tourney by Mercedes Lackey and Ellen Guon
• Children of the night by Mercedes Lackey
• Jinx high by Mercedes Lackey
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Angel's blood by Nalini Singh
• Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn
• Moon called by Patricia Briggs
• Cry wolf by Patricia Briggs

Reviewed by Brilla

Pretending to be Erica by Michelle Painchaud

For years Sal has been grooming Violet for the ultimate con - pretending to be Erica Silverman, who was snatched as a child from Las Vegas.  She has been groomed, trained, and physically altered to look like the real Erica.  Any con is dangerous with a missing person because you never know when the real person may turn up, but Sal and Violet are safe because they know for certain that Erica is dead.  With the help of some slight of hand and careful planning Violet has spent the last few weeks posing as Erica, a con that will test her ability to keep the con going for the long run.  

There have been Erica's before, and both of them were weeded out quickly, but Mrs. Silverman has latched onto Violet - believing the lie.  The goal is clear and simple, crack the code for the safe and steal the painting from the vault.  It should be easy for Violet, all she has to do is let Erica do the talking and bide her time until she can make the grab - but somehow Erica is bleeding into Violet and Violet is bleeding into Erica making for a very complicated mess.  The longer the con goes on for the harder it is for Violet to keep control of Erica, and the more time she spends as Erica the more she realises what she has missed out on all these years.  As the con moves on Violet finds herself losing control and losing focus - but is that such a bad thing?

I wasn't sure what to expect with Pretending to be Erica, I mostly picked it up because of the interesting blurb and because my name happens to be Erika.  What I found was a book that keeps you guessing about what comes next and leads you towards having a surprising amount of sympathy for Violet/Erica.  Violet/Erica could easily have become a cardboard cut out of the 'bad guy' but she was instead a complex character that you slowly come to understand as the story develops, and as you learn more about her story that level of sympathy grows.  I was prepared to dislike Violet/Erica and her cruel con but in the end I didn't dislike her at all - I wanted to know what happens next!

This is a book well worth a read and hopefully there are many more to come from Michelle Painchaud as she has a deft touch for developing characters and kept her story moving at a good pace without sacrificing any part of the story or character and relationship building.  A great read for fans of real life reads, crime capers, and books about discovering yourself and what really matters to you.

If you like this book then try:

• NEED by Joelle Charbonneau
• I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• What waits in the woods by Kieran Scott
• Remember by Eileen Cook
• Furious Jones and the assassin's secret by Tim Kehoe
• Nearly gone by Elle Cosimano
• The naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Burning blue by Paul Griffin
• The Christopher killer by Alane Ferguson
• The naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Made for you by Melissa Marr
• Proxy by Alex London

Reviewed by Brilla

Made for you by Melissa Marr

It starts with an unthinkable accident - someone has run down Eva Cooper-Tilling and left her for dead on the side of the road.  When Eva wakes in the hospital she has no memory of what happened in the moments leading up to the crash, but she does remember that her boyfriend left her stranded so she decided to walk.  When a second girl dies in a suspicious accident it looks as though Eva may not have been in an accident at all - that someone may have run her down deliberately.

Recovering from the near fatal accident has left Eva vulnerable and weak - and has left her with startling visions.  Whenever someone touches her bare skin Eva experiences their death, feeling everything they feel.  For some it is the painless death that comes with old age, or the ravages of cancer, but there are also some who are the victims of a killer.  When a third victim is found it becomes clear that someone is stalking the people that Eva knows, someone who seems to have a connection to Eva.  When you are injured and vulnerable like Eva is a killer is twice as scary and twice as dangerous.  Can Eva use her new found skill to find the killer before it is too late?

Made for you was an additive and twisted read from start to finish - the characters fully formed with all their faults and secrets.  Eva could so easily have come across as a spoilt little rich girl who has had an accident and fallen 'victim' to an obsession, but instead she is a strong voice not afraid to try and solve the mystery herself.  The world around her is full of people with their own little secrets and mysteries, and one voice in particular has motives and secrets that become increasingly dark and twisted.  The Judge is a character that lurks in the background for the first part of the story, teasing you to guess who they might be, and then forces his way into the second part of the story as he goes for what he wants.  

The backdrop of 'good old' Southern society is an interesting setting for the story because it provides a wealth of cultural references that make the story stronger without drowning you in detail.  This is not a story that could have happened in New York or California, it needs the history and the gentile world of the South to make it believable, and it adds a delicious flavour of small town secrets and what happens when everyone knows your secrets.  There was a lot to like here, the characters and the setting, but also the subtle teasing out of the psychological thriller of guessing who the Judge is before he can complete his plans for Eva and everyone she loves.

If you like this book then try:

• NEED by Joelle Charbonneau
• I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
• The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
• The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Acceleration by Graham McNamee
• What waits in the woods by Kieran Scott
• Remember by Eileen Cook
• Furious Jones and the assassin's secret by Tim Kehoe
• Nearly gone by Elle Cosimano
• The naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Burning blue by Paul Griffin
• The Christopher killer by Alane Ferguson
• The naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• The compound by S.A. Bodeen
•  XVI by Julia Karr
• The barcode tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
• Proxy by Alex London

Reviewed by Brilla

Pete the sheep by Jackie French and Bruce Whatley

All the sheep shearers have their favourite sheep dogs - border collies who know how to round up the sheep and get them into the shearing shed.  They are proper dogs named Brute, Tiny and Fang, but the new shearer has a sheep sheep named Pete!  

None of the other shearers can believe their eyes when Shaun and Pete arrive to shear the sheep, but they soon discover there is more to this team that meets the eye!  Pete has a way with the sheep, and Shaun creates the most amazing styles for the sheep he is shearing.  Can this dynamic duo win over the traditional sheep shearers?

Jackie French and Bruce Whatley are my absolute favourite author and illustrator pairing when it comes to picture books - and Bruce Whatley is one of my all time favourite illustrators for picture books.  Jackie French has the most amazing creatures and stories running around in her head, and her anthropomorphic animals seem particularly engaging, from Pete, to Pamela the cow, to the famous wombats.  Bruce Whatley brings these characters to life with a skilled hand in his own distinct style.  

Pete the sheep is an older book now, being more than ten years old, but it has lost none of its charm over the years.  The traditional sheep shearers are a wonderful cliche with their black singlets, and their border collies are just what you would expect working dogs to be like.  In comparison to the stereotyped 'country folk' Shaun and Pete seem like flamboyant 'city folk' who are trying to change things that don't need changing.  I challenge you to read this book without laughing out loud at least once!

If you like this book then try:

• Diary of a wombat by Jackie French; illustrated by Bruce Whatley
• Too many pears! by Jackie French; illustrated by Bruce Whatley
• Good dog Hank by Jackie French; illustrated by Nina Rycroft
• Dinosaurs love cheese by Jackie French; illustrated by Nina Rycroft
• Wait!  No paint! by Bruce Whatley
• The ugliest dog in the world by Bruce Whatley
• That magnetic dog by Bruce Whatley

Reviewed by Brilla

Just the way we are by Jessica Shirvington and Claire Robertson

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and this charming and engaging picture book introduces you to just some of the forms that a family can take.

Anna's family has her mum and dad, but Grandpa lives with them too and he and Anna do lots of things together.

Chiara has two dads, one she calls dad and one she calls papa.  Sometimes her friends get a little confused, but that's okay because she still gets to do all the same things as her friends - just with two dads!

Henry and his brother have a mum and dad - but mum lives in one house and dad lives in another.

Izzy has a special family, one that Jenny and Aaron chose to make by taking in children who didn't have a family of their own.

And then there is Jack, who lives with just his mum - but that's okay too because lots of children live with one parent rather than two.

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and this picture book allows children to see that there are families just like theirs - and families that can be very different in deed.  Told in a gentle and non-preachy way, this book will help children experience a wider world view in a safe and non-political way.

Too many diverse picture books, and indeed a lot of picture books, focus on hammering home their message or agenda and fail to produce a picture book that appeals to the target audience.  Just the way we are has an agenda, creating a wider world view for children, but it does it in a subtle way that lets you experience the family through the eyes of the child living in that family.  Better suited to slightly older preschoolers aged three and up as by this age they are starting to understand that people are different, and it is an age where they really start to show empathy.  A charming little book to share aloud - I found my family did you find yours?

If you like this book then try:

• And Tango makes three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnel
• The name jar by Yangsook Choi
• My two blankets by Irena Kobald and Freya Blackwood
• Be who you are by Jennifer Carr; pictures by Ben Rumback
• It's okay to be different by Todd Parr
• Elephants cannot dance! by Mo Willems
• If I had a raptor by George O'Connor
• Croc and bird by Alexis Deacon
• The seeds of friendship by Michael Foreman
• 10,000 dresses by Marcus Ewert; illustrated by Rex Ray
• The colour of home by Mary Hoffman; illustrated by Karin Littlewood
• The sandwich swap by Queen Rania of Jordan Al Abdulah with Kelly DiPucchio; illustrated by Tricia Tusa

Reviewed by Brilla

My New Zealand ABC book by James Brown and Frances Samuel

Alphabet books are the staple of any picture book collection, helping children learn about the letters that make up the English language - and helping to enrich their vocabulary with new words, and often expanding their knowledge of the world around them through carefully chosen themes.  

My New Zealand ABC book is a very kiwi picture book, packed with images from the collections held at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa - known more simply by many as Te Papa.  There are a combination of photographs and paintings which make this a visually diverse and engaging view, and will provide the basis for many one-on-one discussions between the big person reading the story and the little person listening to the story. 

Some of the images are new, some are old, some are everyday items, while others the children will not see outside a museum like Te Papa.  There is a subtle repetition here that will encourage younger children to join in, and older children will enjoy reading this book for themselves (with a little help for the trickier words). 

A charming and very kiwi book that makes the perfect gift for New Zealand children at home and abroad - and the perfect gift for families new to New Zealand who want to introduce children to the wonders of their new home past and present.

If you like this New Zealand picture book then try:

• Barnaby Bennett by Hannah Rainforth; illustrated by Ali Teo
• Construction by Sally Sutton; illustrated by Brian Lovelock
• What's the time, dinosaur? by Ruth Paul
• Opposites by Lynley Dodd
• Rustle up a rhythm by Rosalind Malam; illustrated by Sarah Nelisiwe Anderson
• Tyranno-sort-of-Rex by Christopher Llewelyn; illustrated by Scott Tulloch

Reviewed by Brilla

No cats allowed by Miranda James

No cats allowed is the seventh book in the Cat in the stack mysteries so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first six books in the series.  While you can read this series as standalone books it is best enjoyed read in series order so if you have not read the first books - Murder past due, Classified as murder, File M for murder, Out of circulation, The silence of the library, Arsenic and old books - then you may want to read them first before reading anymore of this review.

Life is never boring for Charlie and his Maine Coon Diesel - it seems that wherever they are there is a murder mystery waiting for them just around the corner.  Since a sudden change in the leadership of the library, things have been rather unpleasant at work for Charlie as the interim director Oscar Reilly seems determined to make waves.  Charlie knows he has a job to do, but it seems as though Oscar is determined to do what he needs to and damn the consequences.  It seems easy to stay out of the pettiness at first, although Charlie seems to be a source of comfort and advice for some of the people Oscar has annoyed or threatened the most - but then Oscar sets his sights on Charlie, or more correctly on Diesel.

Charlie is all ready to resign, despite how much he loves his job and the people he works with, but suddenly Oscar Reilly turns up dead!  It seems as though there is no shortage of suspects in this case, but the number one suspect is Melba!  Charlie has a nose for sniffing out suspects in cases like these, and this time the case is hitting just a little too close to home - especially when someone makes Charlie the target of some rather nasty pranks.  It is time for Charlie to make some choices - with his children settling down with their respective partners and a grandchild on the way fighting the good fight may be more risky than normal.  Can Charlie figure out who the murderer really is before it is too late?

I have not been shy about raving about the Cat in the stack mysteries - they are brilliantly written, have engaging characters you can really connect to, and there are a lot of in jokes for a librarian to enjoy here!  With each new book there is another layer of characters you get to know, so while the cast of characters is now quite complex and interesting, it doesn't feel like you are overwhelmed because they have been introduced so gradually.  This is a brilliant series and it feels like there are going to be some truly wonderful adventures for Charlie and Diesel over the next few years, because although the storylines so far have lead us in a certain direction we are not yet painted into a corner - it feels like there could be many more adventures to come.  

A fun read that will keep you glued to your seat from start to finish - a fine addition to the Cat in the stacks mysteries (fondly known as Charlie and Diesel in our house).

If you like this book then try:

• Murder past due by Miranda James
• Bless her dead little heart by Miranda James
• Dipped, stripped, and dead by Elise Hyatt
• French polished murder by Elise Hyatt
• Lending a paw by Laurie Cass
• Books can be deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
• Pies and prejudice by Ellery Adams
• One for the money by Janet Evanovich
• Death of a kitchen diva by Lee Hollis
• Death of a country fried redneck by Lee Hollis

Reviewed by Brilla