The Horned Women

A Contemporary Retelling of an Irish fairy tale

The Castle in Kilkenney, #1

by

Chrisy Matheson

Eerie introduction to the Robinson family, Americans relocated to Ireland.

The Horned Women is the first book in author Christy Matheson’s The Castle in KilKenney series, contemporary retellings of some of Ireland’s most well-known fairy tales. When Maura divorced her cheating husband, Roy, she not only gained full custody of their two small children and an ancient castle in Ireland but, out of the blue, his teenage son and daughter from a previous marriage also applied to the judge to live with her as well. Soon, Maura finds herself a divorced mother of four living in her dream setting, although the dilapidated Irish castle requires some work to bring it up to standards, hopefully at Roy’s expense. As the merged family settles in, there are some bumps along the way, especially with spoiled teenager Kaylee, who appears to have been completely ignored by her parents for most of her young life. 

After the children are in bed, Maura turns to needlework for relaxation. One evening, a strange old woman with a single horn growing from her forehead barges into the great room uninvited and, without a word, begins carding wool. She is joined one after another by eleven more old women, each with one more horn than the one that came before her, all with evil intentions in mind. Using her wits and knowledge of Irish folklore and with the much-needed assistance from a surprising source, she must figure out a way to banish the horned women from the castle for good and protect all her children. 

The young family and how they are adapting to each other and their new life without their father is the heart of this story. Maura loves her own children, Oona and Oliver, but until the divorce, she had little interaction with the older two, which makes their request to the judge all the more unexpected. It seems their father and mother are real pieces of work, intent on their own desires, leaving their two children to grow up alone and unwanted. Despite this, Aiden is quickly growing into a kind, considerate young man; however, Kaylee, the daughter, has suffered from the lack of parental love and affection, something Aiden may have recognized and prompted his unusual request. The mystical intrusion of the fairy tale into Maura’s present time reveals how she’s gradually come to love the older two like her own. 

I recommend THE HORNED WOMEN to readers who enjoy scary fairy tale retellings.

For this and other book reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!

Vacations Can Be Murder

A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England

(Volume One)

by

Dawn M. Barclay

A fun, informative, and useful guide to true crime persons, places, and events in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The first volume of Dawn M. Barclay’s Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide to New England appears to be a pretty comprehensive and useful tool to devise any number of trips to the country’s northeast for a true crime-themed holiday. Focusing on the states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, the author provides background information on the region’s dark, criminal past, both recent events and those from long-forgotten eras, renowned and little-known outside the area. 

The author offers suggestions for places to stay, haunted restaurants, true crime or ghost tours in the vicinities, and related places to visit while in the area, such as cemeteries, courthouses, jails, and prisons. However, one of the most valuable resources is the suggested itineraries with maps from someone who’s already made the trips to help travelers get the most out of their trip to the area, a wonderful asset whether you’re familiar with the area or not. One of my favorite sections for each state, though, is the list of books featuring the different highlighted stories, so you can read more in-depth about those that interest you most before you go. The book is so well done; I hope the author continues to create many more guides that target different areas of the country. 

I recommend VACATIONS CAN BE MURDER to true crime fans who would like to plan a trip to see some of the more notable locations of past crimes. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon

by

Grace Lin

Imaginative merging of modern-day adventure and Chinese folktales for a warm and wonderful children’s story.

In The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon, author Grace Lin uses a fascinating combination of Chinese folktales to create a fresh and exciting children’s adventure story featuring a young stone lion cub named Jin, Lulu, a little lost girl, and an ancient dragon trapped in the body of a worm. Jin must overcome his fear of getting in trouble and his guilt of being in the wrong to save his stone spirit family and the Gonshi community when he causes the Sacred Sphere his father safeguards to roll out of their world and into that of the humans. 

The main character, Jin, is much like his human counterparts of the same age: interested in his own pursuits, pleasures, and interests, many times inconveniencing his parents and others due to being thoughtless or irresponsible. He’s disinterested and dismissive of his father’s stories of the past, responsibilities, or parental instructions until he finds himself accidentally shut out of his world and stuck in the human one, where he finds he longs to return to his family once again. When he discovers the damage the loss of the Sacred Sphere puts in motion, he must gather his courage and sacrifice his own desires to make things right again. His gradual growth and understanding of his choices are a poignant tale, one that even young children will recognize and consider. 

Jin is assisted in his journey by Lulu, a young girl trying to reunite with her mother, who is also undergoing her own revelations. Worm, the dragon trapped in this tiny, unassuming form, is probably the most fanciful of all the creatures in the book and has some of the best lines as he reveals his story and joins with the young ones to reset the balance in the world before it is too late. 

With its magical setting, mythical creatures, and suspenseful plot, I recommend THE GATE, THE GIRL, AND THE DRAGON to upper-elementary and middle-grade readers and for reading aloud to include younger listeners. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

To Shield the Queen

Ursula Blanchard, #1

by

Fiona Buckley

Engaging main character thrust headlong into the political machinations of Elizabeth I’s court.

To Shield the Queen is the first book in author Fiona Buckley’s (pen name of Valeria Anand) long-running historical mystery series featuring Ursula Blanchard, a widowed mother of one and a lady in service to Queen Elizabeth I. Set in 1560, early in Elizabeth’s long reign, Ursula is summoned to court after the death of her husband, Gerald (a love match), to serve as a lady-in-waiting to the young queen. The court is awash with rumors of Elizabeth’s relationship with her Master of Horse, Sir Robin Dudley, a married man with a critically ill wife whom he keeps sequestered in the country. When speculation escalates, hinting that Dudley may be trying to hurry his wife’s imminent death along so he can pursue a marriage with the queen, he and Elizabeth send Ursula to attend the ailing Amy Dudley and safeguard her from any such evil assistance and hopefully quell the rumors. However, on her arrival at the country estate, Ursula finds there may actually be some truth behind the rumors. Still, it’s unclear to her whether Sir Robin is aware of what may be underway on his behalf, but she’s suspicious. 

This first book in the series is a riveting tale once all the heavy lifting of establishing the time, place, and characters is complete. It feels like it had to have been a massive task, with so much known or speculated regarding the intrigue during Elizabeth’s reign, all the historical figures involved, and the intersection of factual and fictional storylines. Halfway through the book, I was still wondering when the mystery would start, but it definitely does, and the action never lets up from that point on. 

Ursula is a likable character, and her personal story is a tragic one, beginning with her illegitimate origins, a cruel childhood at the hands of self-righteous relatives, a runaway marriage, and the sudden death of her beloved young husband. But she is a survivor, strong and determined not to be a victim ever again. An astute observer of human nature, Queen Elizabeth recognizes Ursula’s potential value and her deep loyalty to the crown and puts her to good use. 

A romantic relationship evolves with Matthew de la Roche, a newcomer to the court, who aggressively presses his suit with the young widow, even following her, uninvited, to Amy Dudley’s bedside several days’ ride into the country. While it felt like their feelings for each other were a bit rushed, their courtship really extended over a couple of months. I’m anxious to see how this all plays out, considering what occurs between the two as the story unfolds. The descriptions of the settings and life in 1560 are vivid and really put me in the story. A number of secondary storylines develop along the way and are left unresolved, but they are mentioned in the resolution as the basis for Ursula’s next moves in future books in the series. 

I enjoyed listening to the Hoopla Digital 2005 Blackstone Audiobook edition narrated by Nadia May but it took me a good length of time to sync my understanding with her fast pacing, pronunciation, and accent. As the characters who are speaking change, she does a good job of altering her voice to add some discrimination. However, her speaking voice is just enough different from my region that I had to readjust to her voice every time I began listening. While I wouldn’t search out additional titles this narrator voiced, I wouldn’t not listen to her again, and it doesn’t appear she narrates any more of the books in this series. 

I recommend TO SHIELD THE QUEEN to readers of historical cozy mysteries.

For this and other book reviews, visit Boys' Mom Reads!

Killing Johnny Miracle

by

J.K. Franko

Complex and clever, and I didn't want to put this book down!

Johnny Miracle thinks he’s got it all… and he’s in love, just not with his wife, Mary. He wants a divorce and he’s got leverage. Johnny knows her deepest, darkest secret. He’s going to use that to take everything: her vineyard, her money, and her priceless family heirloom. He’ll do whatever it takes to get it all.

But, as Grandma Nellie used to say, “No man, no matter how smart or strong, can compete with a motivated woman.” Mary is a motivated woman, she’s got her own agenda, and it doesn’t include losing. She’s going to kill Johnny. To get away with it, she needs a plan and an alibi. And she thinks she has both.

Killing Johnny Miracle is the new complex and clever crime thriller by native Texas author J.K. Franko; one that, had I had the time and stamina, I would read entirely in one sitting – it was that good! Great characters, family secrets, murder, infidelity, mobsters, and a stolen Monet painting all have a hand in making this such a wonderfully robust tale. 

The author uses multiple points of view, multiple timelines, and two distinct and seemingly unconnected storylines to tell the story of why Johnny Miracle needs killing. This sounds like a lot to juggle, but the author nails it. Twists and turns in both stories kept the pace hopping and me riveted to the pages, wondering what would happen next and how this was all related. I literally gasped aloud at one reveal, one that I felt I should have figured out long before I had to be told! I was completely absorbed in this book, and yet I never dreamed how everything would finally and gloriously come together. 

I loved Mary Miracle and her relationship with her grandmother, and knew Johnny was up to no good from the start, from the title alone. (Justified.) Abby is a great "ride or die," and Ruby Yi and Kong were definitely favorites of mine. 

I loved the Hill Country setting outside Fredericksburg and will forgive the author for saying the Four Seasons was in the "town" of Las Colinas, which is a common mistake. (It's in Irving, and Las Colinas isn't a town; it's just a nice subdivision.) I'll assume the street name change of Byron Nelson Way to Bryson Nelson was a choice for some reason. Thanks for choosing my hometown as a setting. 

With its mesmerizing plot, I recommend KILLING JOHNNY MIRACLE to readers of crime fiction and Texas-set tales and those who enjoy clever stories, great dialogue, and characters who need killin'. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.