The Fairfax Incident by Terrence McCauley - Novel Adventures Book Club July Pick Review

Overview:

Manhattan, 1933. Charlie Doherty may have been kicked off the force after The Grand Central Massacre, but thanks to a wealthy benefactor, his private detective business is booming. Catering to the city’s wealthy elite, Doherty is making a good living chasing down wayward spouses and runaway socialites when the case of a lifetime lands in his lap. Mrs. Fairfax, a wealthy widow, hires Doherty to prove her husband’s suicide wasn’t actually a suicide. It was murder.

At his benefactor's urging, Doherty takes the case. He expects to pocket a nice chunk of change to prove what everyone already knows: Walter Fairfax walked into his office in the Empire State Building one morning, took a phone call, and shot himself. But Charlie took the widow's money, so he begins to dig.

He quickly finds out there is more to the Fairfax incident than a simple suicide. Before long, he discovers that Mr. Fairfax was leading a double life; running with a dangerous crowd that has a sinister agenda that threatens to plunge Charlie’s city – and his country – into another war.

In an investigation that quickly involves global implications, Doherty finds himself against not only some of the most powerful people in New York City, but against the most evil men in the world.

My Review:

For the month of July, The Novel Adventures Book Club chose to read The Fairfax Incident by Terrence McCauley. In this book, we meet Charlie Doherty, a private detective who has been hired to prove Mrs. Fairfax's husband was murdered.  Charlie is convinced it was a suicide but he's getting paid handsomely so he decides to ask a few questions, feeling sure it will confirm that it was actually a suicide.  Things quickly take an unexpected turn when Charlie gets shot at and he soon finds himself in the middle of something much larger than a murder investigation.

If you've read my blog at all, you know I don't really like to read "historical" books set any later than the early 1880's and actually prefer them in the late 1780's - 1830-ish.  Anything after that is just too modern for my tastes so I was hesitant to pick this book up but the premise was intriguing.  I also had a little trepidation because in my experience, books set during this time period typically focuses on the Depression and prohibition slums of NYC and in my opinion has been done to death and I just couldn't stomach another book like that.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I began reading and learned that McCauley went in a different direction entirely.  It was fun to see a different spin on this time period because people tend to forget that there were still a lot of wealthy people in the Depression and it was refreshing to see this spin.

Having a degree in history, I know that even though it was 1933 and most people in the US were focused solely on survival, there was a huge underground movement to bring Nazis into power - not only in Germany but world-wide.  Hitler had only been in power a few months at this point and he was on almost no one's radar which is why he was able to move so quickly.  McCauley putting all this in the book tells me he understands history and I am really happy he focused on this aspect, rather than the cliche.

The characters are done really well and they feel real - even the minor ones.  A great deal of thought and energy went into the development of each one and it shows.  There was enough back story to bring each character to life while still leaving a little mystery and room for development in future books and I love that.  I want to know enough to get me emotionally invested without knowing every single detail so that I can get to know the character over time, just like I would a real person.

Charlie has a tough-guy attitude but with enough humor thrown in to keep him from being a cliche, run-of-the-mill hard boiled detective.  That isn't an easy balance to strike but McCauley pulls it off perfectly.  I also really loved Mrs. Fairfax and hope she makes other appearances in future books.  I have some suspicions about Mr. Van Dorn and Father Mullins but that's ok.  I'll wait to see how things play out in future books. 

The plot was well paced and intriguing.  It's hard to make a story believable, especially when you throw in a Nazi or two but McCauley has managed to do just that.  As I said before, a lot of people don't know how much was going on prior to the "official" start of WWII and also the eventual involvement of the US and I am glad to see McCauley bring it to life in this book.  It would have been way too easy to go down the typical Depression-era road or even make it over-the-top but he has pulled it off beautifully and it made this book a pleasure to read.  

I know McCauley loves cigars and I thought it was great that he put in a cigar store.  It's a personal touch that makes the story all the more real and I love that. 

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and I certainly hope there will be more to come in this series.  I loved it so much, I read it in just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.  Not many books do that to me these days so it was a welcome change.

If you've read this book, join the discussion below!

The Light (Morpheus Road #1) by D.J. MacHale

Overview:

Marshall Seaver is being haunted.

It begins with mysterious sounds, a fleeting face outside a window, a rogue breeze—all things that can be explained away. That is, until he comes face-to-face with a character who only exists on 
the pages of a sketchbook—a character Marshall himself created.

Marshall has no idea why he is being tormented by this forbidding creature, but he is quickly convinced it has something to do with his best friend, Cooper, who has gone missing. Together with Cooper’s beautiful but aloof sister, Sydney, Marshall searches for the truth about his friend while ultimately uncovering a nightmare that is bigger and more frightening than he could ever have imagined.

My Review:

I designated 2018 to be the year to finally tackle my out-of-control TBR book case (yes, I have a whole case just for TBR - don't judge) and this book is one that has been sitting there for a couple years.  I have a tendency to pick things up on clearance if they look even remotely interesting and The Light happened to fall into that category, even though it's a departure from my normal genre of historical murder mystery and I'm glad I finally picked it up because it was an enjoyable read.

It's classified as Teen Fiction but it's more paranormal than fiction.  In any event, in the first book in the Morpheus Road trilogy, we follow Marshall Seaver who is still dealing with the death of his mother two years prior.  School has just ended for the summer and he has all kinds of plans to fill it up until his best friend Cooper gets in serious trouble and his parents take him to the lake for the rest of the summer.  Marshall is pretty bummed out until a comic book character he created comes to life and starts haunting him.  On top of that, Cooper has gone missing from the lake so Marshall decides to go to the lake to help search for his best friend.  He also hopes that by leaving his house and concentrating on finding Cooper, the hauntings will stop.  Unfortunately, they only get worse.

The main characters in this book were well done, but I would like to have seen the secondary characters a little more fleshed out.  They weren't bad but they needed a little more substance.  I would also like to have known Marshall's exact age.  It says he's a year younger than Cooper's older sister Syndey who is a senior in high school so I'm guessing he's around 16 but he seems a lot younger.  That changes by the end of the book and I understand what the author was trying to do but it seemed just a tad exaggerated.  Again, just a minor thing and it didn't take away from the story at all but just something to note. 

The plot was well-paced, if a little simple but since the book is geared towards teens, I won't pick on that too much.  The details of the town, lake, and houses were well done - just enough to allow the reader to picture everything but not so much that it bogs down the pacing of the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  It's a quick, easy read that let's you escape to a different world for awhile without overworking your brain.  Perfect for a summer read! 

There are (obviously) two more books in this series so when I get them, I'll let you know.

Have you read this series?  If so, what did you think and do you have any recommendations for similar reads?

Happy Birthday, America!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Independence Day.  Make sure you take some time to reflect on what we are celebrating today and why.

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman - A Novel Adventures Book Club June Review

Overview:

London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her curtsy to Queen Charlotte and step into polite Regency Society and the marriage mart. Little does Helen know, that step will take her from the glittering ballroom of Almacks and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of demonic creatures, missing housemaids and deadly power.

Standing between those two worlds is Lord Carlston, a man of dubious reputation and infuriating manners. He believes Helen is destined to protect humanity from an unearthly truth, but all he can offer is danger, savagery and the possibility of madness. Not the kind of destiny suitable for a young lady in her first London Season.

Against a backdrop of whispered secrets in St. James’s Palace, soirees with Lord Byron and morning calls from Beau Brummell, The Dark Days Club is a delightfully dangerous adventure of self- discovery and the dark choices of new found adulthood.

My Review:

This is the first book in the Lady Helen Trilogy and I absolutely loved it!  Set against the backdrop of Regency England, this book combines history, romance, fantasy, and mystery in an exciting and enthralling story.  None of those genres are easy to write individually- much less combining them all together - but Goodman is able to do it seamlessly and in a way that makes perfect sense.

In this book, we are introduced to Lady Helen Wrexhall who is preparing for her presentation to the Queen as part of her London Society debut.  She and her older brother Andrew lost their parents when they were very young and have been raised by their aunt and uncle.  Lady Helen has always known she was a little different but her aunt and uncle made sure she never stepped one toe out of line.  When one of the household maids goes missing, however, Lady Helen vows to find out what happened and in the process meets Lord Carlston and learns she is a Reclaimer who must fight demonic forces and save the world.

All the characters are very well developed - even secondary ones - and I found myself caring immensely about what happened to them.  I was more than willing to follow along in their journey, get caught up in the action, and believe everything happening was possible in the real world.

The plot moves a tad slowly at first as we learn about the characters but I didn't find that to be a problem and it only took a few chapters to really ramp up the action and excitement and I found myself turning each page more quickly than the last.

There is plenty of historical detail to keep fans of that genre happy without going overboard, along with adding layers of mystery, fantasy, and light romance (no sex scenes!) into one all-consuming story that reaches audiences across all genres.  That alone makes this book worth the price of admission.  I've been having a really hard time lately with several book series that seem to have lost their way and/or have become static and boring so it was really refreshing to find something that kept me reading long past my bedtime.

This isn't my typical genre and in fact, I wouldn't even know how to classify it.  Barnes and Noble has it in the Teen Fantasy section but it is so much more than that so don't let that label turn you off.  This book doesn't come across as a teen or YA novel (thankfully) and I think fans of multiple genres will enjoy it because none of the elements are too over-the-top or far-fetched.  Every thing is perfectly balanced and well executed.

I can't recommend this book highly enough.  In fact, I loved it so much I finished it only a day or two and went straight out and bought the second one, which I promptly finished the same day.  Book 3 comes out in November. 

Have you read this book?  What are your thoughts?  Did you enjoy the mixing of genres?  Join the discussion below!

July book pick:  The Fairfax Incident by Terrence McCauley

A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell

Overview:

Witch and vintage store owner Lily Ivory faces her most difficult mystery to date with a case of mistaken identity that hits close to home...

Lily Ivory and her friends are planning a 1950s-themed brunch to benefit the local women's shelter. When a figure from her past shows up unannounced, threatening her unless she returns something that belonged to him, Lily's fiancé, Sailor, steps in to defend her. After the same man is found dead later that day, Sailor is the primary suspect. He swears he's innocent, but multiple witnesses ID him as the perpetrator of the assault. Lily vows to clear his name...only she's not sure where to start with the mounting evidence against him. 

When she sees Sailor in the neighborhood despite knowing he's in jail, Lily starts to wonder if there could be a doppelganger in San Francisco. When she's not busy helping customers find matching outfits for the upcoming event, searching for a vintage wedding dress for her own nuptials, and dealing with an ill-timed magical cold, Lily begins to suspect one of her magical foes is targeting her loved ones in an attempt to weaken her.

My Review:

This is the 9th book in the Witchcraft Mystery series.  In this episode, Lily is trying to prepare for her wedding to Sailor but those preparations are put on hold when he is arrested for murder.  Her grandmother's coven are also on their way (along with Lily's mother) to the wedding but keep getting sidetracked and delayed.  In addition, Lily has come down with a cold (which she keeps swearing she can't get) and her magical powers seem to be weakening.

For the most part, I really like this series but Lily is really starting to annoy.  Nine books in and there is not much character development.  For example, she still refuses to have a cell phone and it takes hours to reach her when Sailor is arrested.  I know it's because she is afraid of the scattered energy but give me a break.  She keeps using everyone else's cell phone without issue so why not just get her own?  Even Maya points out that since Lily is constantly running all over town, she needs to have a cell so that people can reach her in the event of an emergency.  It is beyond annoying at this point.

Also, She still refuses to continue her witchy education, even though she knows she can't take on the coming powerful forces that are trying to take over San Francisco without it.  She's supposedly one of the most powerful witches ever but can't do much beyond advanced brewing and a little spell casting.  

Among the other ridiculous elements is Oscar, her supposed familiar.  He is less than helpful and usually causes more trouble and I would rather he be dropped from the series.  

The good points about this book is that the plot moves at a pretty good pace - even though it's pretty obvious early on who the culprit is and we learn a little more about Aiden.  Sailor is still a complete enigma which is concerning but the rest of the characters are engaging and I would like to see them play larger roles in the stories.

I really like the premise of this series and will continue to stick with it but I need more character development of Lily.   

New Release Tuesday - June 19

Here are a few thrillers released today (and some released earlier this month) that really caught my attention. 

Are any of these on your list?

An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch

Overview:

On a spring morning in London, 1875, Charles Lenox agrees to take time away from his busy schedule as a Member of Parliament to meet an old protégé's client at Charing Cross. But when their cryptic encounter seems to lead, days later, to the murder of an innocuous country squire, this fast favor draws Lenox inexorably back into his old profession.

Soon he realizes that, far from concluding the murderer's business, this body is only the first step in a cruel plan, many years in the plotting. Where will he strike next? The answer, Lenox learns with slowly dawning horror, may be at the very heart of England's monarchy.

Ranging from the slums of London to the city's corridors of power, the newest Charles Lenox novel bears all of this series' customary wit, charm, and trickery—a compulsive escape to a different time.

My Review:

This is the 7th book in the Charles Lenox series and if you read my review on the 6th book, you'll know that I was quite unhappy with the direction the series was going.  I also said that because I had already purchased the rest of the series, I would continue to read them, but they weren't a priority.  Well, I already finished the June pick of the Novel Adventures Book Club (review at the end of the month) so I figured I would give this series another try and I am glad I did.

This book finally gets back (almost) to why I enjoyed this series so much in the first place.  It was a good mystery and Charles spent way more time on it than he did his parliamentary duties.  There was also a significant drop off in his and Jane's ridiculous infatuation with their daughter.  She was more of a very-in-the-background character and I liked that.  She's there but not intrusive which is how it should be at this point.  

Anyway, as far as the story goes, I enjoyed that Dallington played a much bigger role and another character was added that I like very much and hope to see more of in future books.  The plot was interesting but could have been just a bit tighter and the pacing was just a tad too slow, with too much unnecessary detail in some places but overall, it was intriguing.  

The ending happened way sooner than it should have, as there were several chapters afterwards that just went through explaining things.  It would have been much better to have them as part of the action instead.  I understand why it had to be done the way it was, because it was Dallington who had to take care of that particular part but the series isn't written in first person so I don't see why we couldn't have followed him along during that journey but that is really a minor gripe.

Overall, I enjoyed this book much better and if the ending of this one is any indication, I think I will enjoy diving back into this series but I will keep you updated.