eyes.2c Reviews

Cherringham - Murder on Thames: A Cosy Crime Series (Cherringham ENG)  by Matthew Costello and Neil Richards  This was fun. A murder mystery, with a difference. Sort of Midsummer Murders meets Jesse Stone. The yank in the sleepy English village puts his finger on it when he notes that, 'sweet old Cherringham maybe not so cosy and innocent.' And thus a series is born. Ah! Those deceptive English villages!      Jack is a retired New York detective who's made home a canal boat in England, a dream he and his deceased wife had planned. Sarah is a single mother, returned with her children to her home village after a messy divorce. The death of Sarah's best friend Sammi unites these two as they search for the reason behind Sammi's demise. The writing is vivid and I had no trouble visualizing Jack's boat moored at the canal, feeling with sympathy Jack's careful driving down those English country lanes surrounded by hedges, those lazy English pubs, and ramb...

Tales from High Hallack, Volume 2: the collected short stories of Andre Norton by Andre Norton Some of these short stories I've read before, others I've somehow missed out on, such as Noble Warrior. Certainly, it's a pleasure as always to revisit the worlds Norton created. Having read the background novels to some of the short stories does make you go, oh yes, I remember. This collection is more a treat for those who are familiar with Norton's work rather than a newcomer.  A NetGalley ARC

Crown of Renewal (Legend of Paksenarrion) (Paladin's Legacy #5) by Elizabeth Moon       As Elizabeth Moon says in her very coherent introduction this is not a story for the first entry reader into those works that began with Legend of Paksenarrion. And who, having read that great beginning, can forget the feisty true fighter that she was, her humble beginnings, her refining under fire, and the blessings of Gird that upheld, tested and shaped her. Crown of Renewal is the grand finale that draws the many threads together, weaving the various books into a whole, giving us insight into the how, why, when, and what of all that has gone before. We meet old favourites and find new heroes. We are reminded of old situations as new happenings, familiar and known, are referenced. Paks's previous capture by Iynisin, the dark elves, is recalled by new attacks and resulting poisononous wounds inflicted by them. Then there's the opening horror of the fate of the Filis, a son of Co...

The Mad Herringtons (Classic Regency Romances) by Jane Myers Perrine  An amusing romp. I sometimes wondered if had fallen into an Oscar Wilde or Noel Coward play. My heart quite goes out to Aphrodite as she tries to control her more passionate wild sisters and brothers. After all she is the 'sensible' one (after all she is reading Sense and Sensibility). Almost engaged and off to a House Party to meet her fiancé's mother, some of her siblings accompany her. Those names the Herrington children all have! Quite diverting! Greek gods and goddesses and muses. As is the reason why the Marchioness named her offspring thus. Anyway as we follow some of the Herrington's antics we behold Terpsichore crossed in love, Athena a baggage if ever there was one (sort of Lydia Bennett but obsessed with kissing and practising on footmen and stablehands), and Aphrodite herself determined to be the 'proper' Herrington. Aski (Asklepios), Aphrodite's brother joins the group...

The New Colored Pencil: Create Luminous Works with Innovative Materials and Techniques by Kristy Ann Kutch I like the layout of this book. I especially like  the richness of drawing examples scattered throughout. Those certainly added to its kerb appeal. The production is smart and information is easily accessed. Kristy  Kutch is not only a proven shown artist she runs frequent workshops. Check out her website. As an artist and teacher she has produced a book that is an excellent resource for those unable to attend workshops to connect with the medium. I don't learn well by reading about things. I learn best by working alongside someone, the practical hands on approach over the theory. No book replaces that experience. However, if I wanted to refer back to a certain technique post a workshop, or extend my knowledge about a technique, this book is a useful tool. As an aside, my preference for art books is always as the hard copy, rather than an eBook. I have The New Col...

Goddess Born by Kari Edgren  A gifted healer, the blood of a Celtic goddess running through her veins enables Selah Kilbrid's talent. A talent that needs to be renewed by prayer and in secret. Persecution is a heartbeat away.  Hopewell, Pennsylvania 1730 and Selah is being pursued by the Quaker minister, Nathan Crowley. His regard for her turns sour when she refuses his suite.  Despite knowing Selah is engaged to her cousin who's on his way from Ireland, Nathan threatens to expose her as a witch if she doesn't marry him. Her family, although Catholic had settled here in the New World to escape persecution of their kind in Ireland. Selah's mother and grandmother had the 'gift'. They had been accepted into the Quaker community, and attended meetings but had retained their own religion. Now Nathan was endangering that acceptance and Selah's life. Plotting to outwit him Selah flees to meet her fiance's ship. To her dismay she discovers that he perishe...

Dragons & Dirigibles (The Gaslight Chronicles #7)  by Cindy Spencer Pape The stories surrounding the marvellously rich group of people we know from the Gaslight Chronicles continue to be mined. Melody McKay an airship engineer, pilot and member of the Order of the Round Table, is testing her dirigible's new engine design over the Devonshire coast when either the boiler or generator inexplicably explodes. She crashes into the parklands in front of Black Heath Manor.  Fortunately the damage to her is minor, bruises and a sprained ankle. Her Scottish deerhound Birch (who has his own set of specially designed goggles--how cute and practical!) is fine too. Captain Victor Arrington, the current Earl of Blackwell has returned from his first love, the sea, to take up the lordly reins and care for his niece Emma when his brother, the late Earl, and his sister-in-law are killed in an accident. He and Barnaby, his trusty ex shipmate now butler, are scouring the rocks looking ...