Review and Give-away for Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow

Review and Give-away! Happy Valentine's Day! I know, it might seem sort of weird to have a give-away for a murder mystery on Valentine's Day, but I am in LOVE with Liam Campbell. I am also in love with Dana Stabenow's newest book, Restless in the Grave. So actually, this is the perfect give-away from Penelope! Just leave a comment after the review, and you'll be entered. Give-away is open for a week, and the winner can choose either ebook or print book!

And away we go......

Review for Restless in the Grave by Dana Stabenow

First up, let me just say that Stabenow must be sweating bullets. Folks have been chomping at the bit for this book for a long, long time. Which means expectations are up. Which means, as an author, that you're worried about not living up to those expectations. As we all know, readers are a tough bunch. This book takes two of her larger-than-life characters, Alaskan state trooper Liam (from the Liam Campbell Series) and private investigator Kate (from the Kate Shugak Series) and puts them into one extraordinary book. Not only did this book meet my expectations, it surpassed them. In grand fashion. This book has the perfect balance of setting, characters, suspense, wit, gravity, and I-didn't-see-that-one-coming surprises. Plural. Because Stabenow heaps on the surprises at the end of this tale. Some are tragic, if not inevitable. And some are intriguing. And some catapult Kate into 007, Ms. Bad-Ass Heroine territory.

I love cozy mysteries...they're quick, light, and easy to digest. Some romantic suspense and straight up mysteries are too disturbing for me to read. And often, I find that the authors focus too much on the storyline, and not enough on the characters. The characters make the book. Period. No matter how clever the mystery is, if the characters don't have enough meat on their bones, the book is flat.

Stabenow's books are pure magic. Not only are her storylines clever, complex and chock full of cool tidbits (ranging from the Alaskan fishing industry, historical and cultural details, background about flying and airplanes, etc), but she makes the Alaskan setting come to life. And she should. She lives there. Everything about it is crystal clear....the funky people, the difficult economy, the brutal weather, the spectacular wildlife. Stabenow is in love with Alaska, and every word of her stories brings this fact to life. But the best part of her books, for me, showcases her talent with inventing real, gritty, complex characters. Kate is a ballsy bad-ass, but she is still a conflicted woman struggling with day-to-day problems. Liam is the most swoon-ilicious Alaskan state trooper ever....hot, hunky, sexy, loyal to his family. But also finely nuanced with many shades of gray. Stabenow is a master at creating real characters. And this is what propels her books to the top o' the mystery heap for me.

I was curious about how successful she would be mixing Kate and Liam together into one book. Would I be satisfied? Honestly, I could read 4,000 books about Liam and it wouldn't be enough, but I thought she did a pretty damned good job incorporating both Kate and Liam into this story. I would have liked a bit more Liam, of course....it's been too long since we had a Liam story, and I was ravenous. But, this was enough to satisfy my appetite. And watching Moses bully Kate into her yoga poses was brilliant. Seeing a character from Liam's world butt his way into Kate's world was spine-tingling cool. Even as Stabenow put this book on a path toward tragedy.

The ending of this book is the best ending I've read, probably ever. When I thought the book was over, she added on one more surprise. Then, another. Then, another. One was shocking and tragic. One was paranormal and intriguing. And one had the promise for a future romance. Honest to God, I couldn't stop smiling after I finished this book.

My expectations were high. And Restless in the Grave blew them right out of the water. Out of the frigid, icy Alaskan waters.

Grade: A

Planning my trip to Alaska and hoping to meet some beardy state troopers,
Penelope


Don't forget to leave a comment and enter the give-away! Happy Valentine's Day, chickies! :^)

ETA: Don't forget to include a link or email address if you want to enter the contest!

Alaskan Bad-Ass, Spunky Super-Sass, and Heartbreak Pass

I know.....I'm really stretching it with that title.

Three quickie reading updates....

1. Last Days Of Summer by Steve Kluger: Once again, Steve has put together a brilliant....let me repeat that--brilliant--story. The clever construction of the narrative--letters, announcements, newspaper clippings, etc--conveys a humorous, but also emotionally wrenching tale. It combines hilarious Jewish humor, baseball, and one of the most heart-breaking storylines I've ever read. In fact, I had a problem with the ending. I realize that the HEA-rule only applies to romance novels, but I'm not sure this ending was necessary, or even optimal, for this story. In spite of that, this book was another shining example of Steve's talent, and you're meshugana if you don't read it. Grade: A-

2. A Cold Day For Murder (Kate Shugak #1) by Dana Stabenow: After inhaling Stabenow's Liam Campbell series with the utmost glee, I decided to give her Kate Shugak series a go. It still has the fascinating Alaskan flavor, but this time we get a heroine to follow instead of a hero. I enjoyed this book, but it was definitely missing the spark of the Liam series. I was trying to figure out why....I think the main reason is that we get more emotionally invested in the characters, and the relationships, in the Liam series. This book is about the mystery, which is fine. But one of the things I adored about the Liam Campbell series is that the characters had a lot of depth, and those stories were just as important as the mystery to solve. I'm not sure if I'll continue with this series or not. Grade: B

3. Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick: I needed something light and sexy and comforting after I finished the heart-breaking ending of Last Days Of Summer. And this book by Amanda Quick is what I chose--it's one of my favorite re-reads. It has AQ's super-sassy-style heroine, who also just happens to be a writer for a sensational newspaper; it has the beta-but-masterful hero who is proper on one hand, and fiercely attracted to said spunky heroine on the other; it has an interesting mystery/storyline, wonderful supporting characters, and love scenes that manage to be sexy, adorable and satisfying all at the same time. AQ is my hero! AQ for president! AQ, AQ, AQ! (I'm a fan). Anyhow, it's a keeper. Grade: A

Happy Weekend Everyone!
Penelope

Alaskan State Troopers, Sparkly Vampires and The Upside Down Fish

Here are some updates from the sweltering world of Penelope....

1.) Update on search for the meaning of life.....air conditioning.

2.) Most Excellent Discovery for July: Dana Stabenow's Liam Campbell mystery series. What do you get when you mix one sexy Alaskan state trooper, one sassy pilot love interest, lots of cool details about Alaskan history and culture, juicy plot lines, juicy sex scenes, complex relationships, and a little touch of the paranormal? The Liam Campbell mystery series. I read all four books back-to-back and inhaled them like a greasy cheeseburger at Bill's diner. I think Stabenow has done a fabulous job balancing the storyline and characterization in these books. Sometimes mysteries are too light on the characterization, and the stories suffer as a result. Not so with this series. She creates complex characters and real issues for the characters to deal with. Although I do think she went slightly overboard with Liam's troubles....adultery, scandalous demotion from a tragic accident, kid killed by drunk driver, and comatose wife would have been enough. Then she heaped on Liam having to confront the drunk who killed his son in a routine traffic stop....that was pushing it. Nevertheless, I loved how Liam and Wy had to deal with difficult decisions in their lives, and how their love continued to grow and flourish. This is a great mystery series for romance lovers! (I did have a bit of a problem with book #3....it deals with the abduction, rape and murder of women by a serial killer, a topic that was a bit too gruesome for me). Overall, this series is a super epic win! Highly recommended!!!!

3.) I watched Twilight for the first time last night with my daughter. Christ on a crutch, that movie sucked! It was boring, slow, ridiculous, and the acting was so hideously bad, my daughter and I were laughing out loud. Seriously, that was one of the worst movies I have seen in my life. I can't believe so many folks are manic about this film. Not sure if the book is any better than that, but I hope so. My "favorite" scene is when Edward tells Bella she has to see the real him in sunlight. I thought he would look hideous, grotesque, etc. Instead, he sparkles like a shirt from Justice. Hee heeeeeeeeee! Oh, snap!

4.) Due to my daughter's incessant badgering, I caved and got her another pet. I talked her down from the boxer puppy, to the guinea pig, the finch, and finally.....the fish. Yep, we got two new fish and a fish bowl. I tried to explain the concept of "starter" fish to her, and made her promise not to get too attached to Jo Jo and Hazel. Nevertheless, she got teary-eyed when Hazel started swimming sideways, then upside down. Sigh. Life Lesson #49....Sometimes we have to flush the ones we love.

Signing Off And Praying For A Day Cooler Than 101 Freakin' Degrees,
Penelope

Penny Read A Mystery And She Liked It

(The following is to be read to the music of Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl".....start singing!)

Penny read a mystery and she liked it
The taste of an Alaskan state trooper
Penny read a mystery just to try it
I hope my romance addiction don't mind it
It felt so wrong
It felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
Penny read a mystery and she liked it
She liked it.


Fire and Ice by Dana Stabenow.....Grade: A
Alaskan state trooper....nom nom nom

Guess who just broke her "I'm only buying one book this month" vow? heh heh heh....I have no honor! Off to read books #2, #3, and #4 of the Liam Campbell series......

Ciao!
Penelope