I was honored to find this review from one of my blogging buddies and a fellow teacher, Pete Springer. As a fan of historical fiction and having read The Last Pilgrim by Noelle Granger, I snatched up Daniel Boone and Me as soon as it became available. The story begins when two children, Eliza (10) and Thatch (4) hide in a root cellar when their home is attacked by Shawnee Indians. Tragically, the children become orphans when their parents are killed in the attack. Eliza initially tries to protect Thatch from learning the truth about their parents. Daniel Boone comes across the children and, after learning they have no relatives, offers to take them to a fort, named after him, called Boonesborough. Many families live inside the confines of the fort under Colonel Boone’s direction. Daniel’s wife, Rebecca, already has eight children, but she readily agrees. Eliza and Thatch quickly become part of the family, taking on chores and learning the ways of a wilderness family. Though Granger indicates that this story is told from the perspective of the point of view of White people through Eliza’s voice, I appreciated that the author didn’t try to glorify or exaggerate Boone’s life. There were plenty of hardships as well as great times. Boone is captured by Indians at one point and is gone for so long that Rebecca fears he has died. She eventually moves from the fort taking most of her biological children and Thatch with her. Eliza, still longing that Boone may return, decides to stay at the fort with Boone’s oldest daughter, Jemima, who is now married to Simon. Boone eventually escapes from the Indians and returns to the fort, but by this point, his reputation has taken a hit. Some people living at the fort believe the rumors that Boone became friendly with the British and the Indians. Though he is still in charge, the rumors never go away completely. After fending off several attacks on the fort by the combined forces of the Shawnee and the British, Boone finally decides to leave the fort to reunite with Rebecca. From this point on, Eliza and Boone do not live together, so the author follows Eliza. Still, Eliza and Boone cross paths after this, so we continue to learn more about Boone. He gets involved in government and many business ventures. Many of these endeavors do not go well, and the Boones move several more times. Granger does a marvelous job of portraying Daniel Boone’s life, sharing his triumphs and failures. It is the kind of read one doesn’t get in a history book. I thought I would give you a little snippet from the book to whet your appetite to read it! ******* Probably eighty people lived in the fort — free men, some slaves, boys, but only a few women and girls. Most of the men had claimed land in areas around the fort and worked their land, just as my parents had done — planting crops, harvesting, or hunting, depending on the season. I often worried when I saw that among all these people, no one took charge of guarding the back gate of the fort and only sometimes did a guard stand at the front one. One morning, after me and Levina, who was going on ten like me, had finished a considerable amount of washing and had hung the clothes to dry, Colonel Boone himself approached me. He carried a long rifle crosswise in his arms. “Eliza,” he said, “my wife knows how to hunt and she’s a dead shot. All my children know how to hunt, so I think you should too. You have to be able to take care of yourself and Thatch, especially if anything should happen to me or Rebecca.” Levina, who stood beside me, nodded. “I can shoot and I got me some rabbits not long ago.” “I’ve gone hunting with my pa,” I replied, “but he never showed me how to shoot.” “So come with me now. And leave your bonnet here.” Levina gave me a friendly push. “You go on with Pa.” I followed his long strides across the meadow outside the fort, past the corn and vegetable patches, and into the dense, surrounding woods. The moccasins let me walk without making much noise. The colonel had showed me how make my skirts less of a bother when I had to walk through the bushes, by bunching them up into my belt front and back, making them like pants.  “Are we hunting a deer today, Colonel Boone?” I whispered, loud enough for him to hear me. He responded with that chuckle of his. “Whenever you hunt deer, the hardest part is finding them. So we’ll just see what’s out here. Maybe rabbits.” We spent some time scouting, with the colonel checking for tracks and other signs and showing me what he saw. I knew he was very skilled at this, and I vowed to learn the signs myself. He showed me some bear scat, a pile of large black turds big as Colonel Boone’s foot. Rabbit scat looked different, small round droppings, and when we found a clearing with a lot of it, we stopped. “I’m going to show you how to load the rifle, Eliza, so pay attention,” he said quietly. He stood the rifle on its stock and took the powder horn from his belt, uncorking it and pouring some powder into the barrel of the rifle. “How do you know how much powder to put in?” I lowered my voice, too. “I don’t know, I just do. I’ll show you the right amount later.” Then he plugged the powder horn back up and took a small piece of greasy cloth from his bag along with a lead ball. Wrapping the ball in the scrap of cloth, he pushed it into the barrel. Then he slid out a long rod from a holder on the side of the rifle and used it to

I really enjoyed this book, which is an homage to other Victorian mystery series to which I am addicted (think authors Charles Finch, Elizabeth Peters, Anne Perry, but especially Arthur Conan Doyle). But quite unique in its own right. London in 1895. Mrs. Hudson, the redoubtable landlady of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, comes to the detective agency of Timothy Badger and his partner in detection Benjamin Watson with the news that Dr. Watson has been kidnapped. With Holmes out of the country, she has nowhere else to turn, and Badger and Watson have made a name for themselves as detectives. Badger is one of Holmes’ former Baker Street Irregulars, encouraged by Holmes to become a detective, and Watson, a black man, is an intuitive partner. They read the ransom note delivered to Mrs. Hudson, which says that the writer has Watson and not to involve the police or try to find him. When they visit 221 Baker Street, they find the physician was enjoying a glass of sherry before being bundled away in a barouche coach and left wearing only one slipper. Did Dr. Watson know his captor? Why only one slipper? There is not much to go on, except for an upside down case book on the floor, opened to a particular page, and the muddy print of a hobnailed boot. When the second note arrives demanding only five hundred pounds, they learn from Mycroft Homes that this is a ridiculously low amount for such a renowned figure. The two detectives are baffled. Why was Dr. Watson kidnapped, since clearly not for the money? They enlist the help of the Dean Street Irregulars, a group of street urchins that Badger now employs, much has he once was, to locate the barouche. And then they consult with Ellsie Littleton, the reporter who had had the cases written up by Dr. Watson published in The Strand Magazine. There are unexpected twists and turns to the plot as the detectives get so close to finding the kidnappers before losing them. And the detectives’ search is complicated by Badgers growing affection for Miss Littleton, and Watson’s infatuation with his household’s maid. The concept of the book is original and imaginative. The characters have a humorous side, and all of them, including the minor ones, are meticulously drawn. Miss Littleton is fetchingly frustrating. The description of Victorian London is detailed, colorful, and historically accurate, and the author includes a dictionary of terms, such as bloaters and crawlers, at the beginning of the book making it easy for Kindle readers to use it. I highly recommend this book as a fun read and an engaging Victorian mystery. About the author: Los Angeles native, Jeri Westerson is the author of fifteen Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery novels, a series nominated for thirteen national awards from the Agatha to the Shamus. Her fifth novel BLOOD LANCE was named one of the Ten Hot Crime Novels for Colder Days by Kirkus Reviews, and her sixth, SHADOW OF THE ALCHEMIST, was named Best of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. She also has short stories in several mystery anthologies, including the upcoming SOUTH CENTRAL NOIR, an Akashic Noir anthology. She has served two terms as president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, twice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and as vice president for the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime. She is also a founding member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Historical Novel Society. See more and sign up for her newsletter at JeriWesterson.com. You can find her at: 2 0

I received an e-pub copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.                                                                         ****** This is probably the twistiest crime-mystery book I have ever read. I became quite dizzy by the end of it. It begins with when a privileged public student (read: private, this is England) stumbles home covered in blood, urine, and bruises, claiming a teacher attacked him and urinated on him. Rather than go to a hospital, his wealthy, entitled father and the younger trophy wife decide to call the police. Predictably, the media learns about it and goes berserk. Thus far the characters are all memes, which made me wonder whether I wanted to read further. It seems the father is actually facing bankruptcy for mismanagement of his company and a missing $500,000. The wife is a toned, pampered, covetous women who, if anything, is more haute than her husband. The son, Sebastian, is a sociopath, who revels in hurting people both figuratively and literally. The teacher he accuses, Miss Fleming, is a large, unattractive, lonely woman, but intelligent and takes no guff from her students. She just insulted Sebastian in front of his friends. So of course, she couldn’t have possibly attacked Sebastian, and Sebastian made up the story to get back at her. The lone figure of reason is DCI Riley, an Irish policeman who at six foot three and the width of a door, is an imposing character and a pretty smart detective as well. His introduction assured me that the story line would get better. I enjoyed the sometimes humorous interaction between Riley and a new partner assigned to him, George, who is tall, thin as a reed, and tries to remember everything Riley says because he wants to be a detective himself. Riley’s world becomes even more complicated when his wife’s relationship with him suddenly becomes cold and distant, for reasons he cannot discern but is determined to find out. Riley is not convinced of the truth of Sebastian’s tale, never more so than when Miss Fleming’s modest house is defaced, her windows broken and her car set on fire. And when he learns more about Sebastian. Riley did a great job discovering details that convince the reader that Miss Fleming is innocent, at least until Riley discovers he is wrong. But how could Sebastian, a model of mental disturbance, be telling the truth? How could Miss Fleming, a good person, be guilty of attacking Sebastian? Was someone else involved? And how? I had to keep reading, following the twisted path and careful thought processes of DCI Riley, fighting through a toxic, tangled mix of lies, manipulation, class warfare and outside threats. This novel kept my mind roiling while I tried to keep all the threads straight and find out if Riley’s wife’s obvious problems are somehow linked to Sebastian. I challenge mystery and crime fiction readers to test their skills of deduction with this book! About the author: Mr. Bailey and his wife live in England. He originally trained as a teacher, but now supports Microsoft windows and ArcSight ESM. His first story was a fictionalized account of a disastrous trip to Las Vegas with a dental abscess. Since then, he has written a vampire story (without any actual vampires) and about a perfectly ordinary day at the office that will last for eternity. This is his sixth book. You can find the author on Facebook: facebook.com/peter.bailey.940 And on X (Twitter): @peterbailey111 1 0

Author Jemima Pett is a long-time blogging buddy of mine. She’s a really good writer, having started writing stories when she was eight, designing fantasy islands, complete with maps and railway timetables by the age of ten. She took the science route through university and went into a business career, then retrained for environmental technology and started writing again, reports, papers and briefings. When she adopted her guinea pigs, they inspired her to write The Princelings of the East.  Now she designs planets and their civilizations, with occasional forays into spaceship design. Her science fiction novels are part of The Viridian System Series. The Quest For Orichalcum is a prequel to the Viridian System series, with the subtitle  ‘An Asteroid Miners’ Memoir. The book recalls how it all started – the revolution that transformed the galactic economy and space travel.  It is a memoir of how the two asteroid miners in the Viridian System met, got together after a bit of life experience, and decided to go and hunt for this stuff that might make them rich. Here’s an excerpt from the book: Peter Monk’s investigations of the detailed space ship workings were interrupted by a ping from the inboard messaging system. ‘Incoming for you on the bridge.’ That was from the captain, a genial but stern Scanian, as were most of the crew. Since his crew discovered Pete, stowed away in one of the smallest lockers on the Doris Jury, which fortunately he fit with enough air left to breath, Captain Grazki had been remarkably helpful. Pete worked at what he could, they taught him about the world outside his home planet, Corsair, and eventually he accessed the ship’s computer to pass the exams that he’d need to get into college.  The only likely ‘incoming’ for him would be about his application. Stomach churning, he sauntered to the bridge. The door slid open, and the Scanians beyond chorused ‘hah’.  “I win,” said the second engineer.  “What was the time?” another asked. “Forty-three seconds. You were one second early.” Grumbles and mild swear words accompanied the handing over of small tokens to the winner. “You ran a sweepstake? On me?” Pete’s astonishment was obvious. “Yes, you were remarkably slow, I thought.” Captain Grazki grinned at him, and waved him to his comms screen. “Read, digest, and tell us all the news. Pray to Odin that it is good. If not we will have to plan some other way to get rid of you.” ******** For lovers of science fiction, this book and the series it precedes, are sure winners! Since I am posting this before the launch date, anyone can buy the ebook early at Smashwords. Just click this link to go to the Presale page, and get it early, and for only $2.99 (published price will be $4.99).  While the launch date is August 12, between August 12 and 16, Jemima is offering a rafflecopter (closes August 16, 11:59 pm, 15th NY time.) To enter the rafflecopter, just click http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/af859da971to get an entry onto the rafflecopter form. Also, you can enter for a chance to win a US $20 gift card, or an e-book copy of the Viridian System series (3 e-books), or a copy of Quest for Orichalcum (1 e-book). Entries close at 11:59, 15th August, New York time. Open for entries in all countries and states where this type of raffle is legal. Some additional entry options may be added: please check back if this is important to you. 2 0

It’s been a while since I, Garfield the Magnificent, have regaled you from my two-legged’s blog. But it’s about time. She’s been in the hospital lately, and while I’ve missed her, it gives me an opportunity at the computer. The biggest change in the household, and indeed in my existence, is the arrival of another cat. That’s right, another cat. And not just any cat. A small female Manx, which I’m told has tiger stripes and a very, very short tail, so she fits the bill. Her name is Samantha. Samantha has been challenging to say the least. Since I outweigh her four times, I’ve been able to exert myself in certain areas, but over time there’s been Samantha creep. She used to stay in the other bedroom, but now she shares Mister and Missus’s bed with me. At least she has the good sense to stay at the bottom of the bed. One day she even took to sitting on the top of my cat tree, for all the world to see, but only that once. She has a cat tree of her own in the other bedroom. But I got even. I went and jammed myself into the house on her cat tree. Samantha is very finicky about water. She likes to sit in the bathroom sink and drink from the faucet, and she demands fresh water in our bowls every day. She is also a stranger eater. She likes dry food and will swill down a few spoonfuls of our favorite tuna with seaweed, but she leaves what’s left to me and eats my dry food. Samantha likes turkey and chicken, which I won’t eat. And she likes to be brushed – with my brush! The worst of it is, when I challenge her, which I have to do a couple of time a day to make sure she knows her place, she fights back, hissing and swiping. Then we chase each other from one end of the house to the other. I’ve never had so much exercise! Occasionally she will rub up against me, but I know it’s just a ploy. And I’ve given her head a lick or two, but just in preparation for a challenge. Missus told me Samantha had a rough life. She was captured as a stray, but not wild, somewhere far away in the state. She was pregnant, but no one knows what happened to her babies. Then she was shuttled here and there until she came here. Maybe her time living outside is why she likes to drink water from the faucet and picks up water with her paw to drink. Samantha told me she really wants to go outside. She’s escaped on her own twice, when she slipped out the front door while Missus was talking to a neighbor, but she only ran around the house and came when Missus went to get her. Once, Mister left the patio door propped open with a shoe. Samantha went out on the patio and persuaded me to go with her. I’ve never been outside. I didn’t like it much, especially when Missus screamed at me to get back inside and went after Samantha. I think Missus got Samantha a harness, which she might use to take her outside when the heat is no longer melting the sidewalk. So that’s what’s new in my kingdom. I’m not sure Samantha will ever be a loyal subject. Until then, I’m just going to relax. 2 0