From the front flap: A New York real estate tycoon plunges to his death on a Manhattan sidewalk. A trophy wife with a past survives a narrow escape from a brazen attack. Mobsters and moguls with no shortage of reasons to kill trot out their alibis. And then, in the suffocating grip of a record heat wave, comes another shocking murder and a sharp turn in a tense journey into the … [Read more...] about Heat Wave by Richard Castle: B
Books
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith: D-
From the back cover: "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of … [Read more...] about Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith: D-
Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey: B+
From the back cover: In this surprising tale of mystery and suspense, a stranger enters the inner sanctum of the Ashby family posing as Patrick Ashby, the heir to the family's sizable fortune. The stranger, Brat Farrar, has been carefully coached on Patrick's mannerisms, appearance, and every significant detail of Patrick's early life, up to his thirteenth year when he … [Read more...] about Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey: B+
Demon Ex Machina by Julie Kenner: C
From the back cover: With her first husband possessed by a demon and her current husband spending way too much time at home, Demon Hunter Kate Connor is having one hell of a month... In between demon patrols and teaching self-defense classes for local moms, Kate has to deal with a teenage daughter, who is gung ho about being a demon slayer in training, and a toddler son … [Read more...] about Demon Ex Machina by Julie Kenner: C
The Manga Artist’s Workbook by Christopher Hart: A-
Using artwork and text from Hart’s book Manga for the Beginner: Everything You Need to Start Drawing Right Away (Watson-Guptill Publications, ISBN 978-0-307-46270-01), The Manga Artist’s Workbook (subtitled Easy-to-Follow Lessons for Creating Your Own Characters) takes readers step-by-step through the process of creating a character and provides ample opportunities to try out … [Read more...] about The Manga Artist’s Workbook by Christopher Hart: A-