ARC Review: The Dark Unwinding

Title:  The Dark Unwinding
Author:  Sharon Cameron
Pages:  318
Genre:  YA Steampunk Mystery
Publisher:  Scholastic
Obtained:  Publisher at TLA
Summary:  When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

The Dish:  Katharine Tulman has a hard task set for her by her miserly Aunt Alice who is only concerned for the financial well-being of her young son, Robert.  She must go to visit her Uncle Tulman's estate and decide whether or not he is of a sound mind all because he has been using the family's finances in "frivolous ventures."  Now, given Katharine's own financial situation rests on being able to maintain the bookkeeping of her aunt so she won't be tossed out onto the street, her frame of mind when she first arrives at Stranwyne Estate is understandable.  While she first believes she must save herself, after meeting her uncle and the people who are part of his "ventures," Katharine comes to a crossroads where she must decide whether her own fate is worth that of hundreds.

When I first received The Dark Unwinding, I was very curious about Katharine and particularly what her uncle could be doing that would force her aunt to question his state of mind.  It was a little difficult getting to know Katharine simply because she was in this constant state of "me, myself, and I."  However, learning more about her past and family, I could see why she was rather self-focused.  It was fascinating to watch her expand her focus as she ventured around her uncle's estate, meeting more of the people behind the so-called "frivolous ventures."

I enjoyed seeing Katharine's relationship develop between the people on the estate, especially with Lane Moreau, her uncle's apprentice.  Since readers are hearing the story from Katharine's point of view, it was a bit difficult to understand Lane's feelings regarding our heroine, but I think more of his emotion shone through the pages despite her ignorance.  It was surprising to see how quickly the relationship between Katharine and her Uncle Tulman developed, but readers will see why once they hear more about the "guardian" outside Katharine's room.

The story overall was very enjoyable and Cameron did create a mystery that was, at first, confusing to where even I was questioning Katharine's state of mind after she came to Stranwyne.  As the pieces to the puzzle began to fall into place through the developing story, it was a matter of narrowing down the list of suspects.  During Katharine's earlier "episodes" it felt as though the story was... stilted as if it were an entirely separate piece that didn't quite fit with the rest of the story.  However, in hindsight, this was probably to help set the stage for the mystery.  I think readers who enjoy steampunk young adult literature and a good mystery will favor reading The Dark Unwinding.

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Sapphire Blue

By Kerstin Gier

Publish Date June 5th, 2012 by Henry Holt and Co.

From Goodreads~

Gwen's life has been a rollercoaster since she discovered she was the Ruby, the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. In between searching through history for the other time-travelers and asking for a bit of their blood (gross!), she's been trying to figure out what all the mysteries and prophecies surrounding the Circle really mean. At least Gwen has plenty of help. Her best friend Lesley follows every lead diligently on the Internet. James the ghost teaches Gwen how to fit in at an eighteenth century party. And Xemerius, the gargoyle demon who has been following Gwen since he caught her kissing Gideon in a church, offers advice on everything. Oh, yes. And of course there is Gideon, the Diamond. One minute he's very warm indeed; the next he's freezing cold. Gwen's not sure what's going on there, but she's pretty much destined to find out. 

Holy schnikies, this is one trilogy that I probably should have waited until after all three books were released before I started reading them. I was thrilled with Ruby Red (see my review), and I was hoping Sapphire Blue would be released earlier in the year. It's already released over in Europe, thus my using the Italian, German, and Norwegian covers rather than the US cover (which still isn't up yet). There were so many questions left unanswered within the first book, I just can't wait to find out which will be answered in Sapphire Blue! Here's hoping the time will zip on by!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? ^_^

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1)

By Jennifer Estep

Publish Date July 26, 2011 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

From Goodreads.com~

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy--a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos.  First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities.  Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War.  You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things.  Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why--especially since I should have been the one who died...

How can you read that summary and not feel your inner Pandora just prodding at you to read and find out what's going on?  This world sounds incredible, and I can't wait to find out more about it, especially as the start of a new series.  And if it has to do with myths, I'm curious to know which cultures are involved and how all of them intertwine together.  

What are y'all waiting on this Wednesday? ^_^

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Medusa Amulet by Robert Masello

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selection is:

The Medusa Amulet

By Robert Masello

Publish Date: April 26th, 2011, by Bantam

From Library Journal~

Benvenuto Cellini was a master artisan of Renaissance Italy.  He was also a necromancer.  Combining these two talents, he created a powerful and dangerous amulet crafted from the legendary Medusa's pond after slaying her.  This amulet granted the user eternal life but was lost in the mists of time.  Jump ahead to the present day.  David Franco, a young scholar at Chicago's Newberry Library, is approached by a mysterious woman searching for the amulet.  He is offered significant financial compensation and the assurance that this treasure will heal his dying sister.  Before long, David starts his globe-trotting adventure and is caught in a centuries-old life-and-death struggle.

There's something about combining mythology with the present that really draws my attention.  I'm very curious to see the journey David will undertake in order to save his sister and what dangers shall be in store for him.  Also, I know the hardcover edition has a different cover, but somehow the paperback edition cover appeals more to me. ^_^

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Brothers of Baker Street and Sleight of Hand

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's "Waiting On" Wednesday selections are:

The Brothers of Baker Street

By Michael Roberston

Publish Date: March 1, 2011 by Minotaur Books

From Booklist~
Sherlock Holmes isn't back, but Dr. Moriarty is, sort of, in this delightful romp that offers more tension and suspense than a dozen fat thrillers with bloody knives on the cover.  It still manages to be funny, rather in the Kingsley Amis manner.  Set in modern London, with plenty of Foster's and Jaguars, the novel has two leading men in the British manner, and for all their silly banter, they'd best not be underrated.  Reggie is a barrister who hasn't let failure slow him; he's rebounding with a new client.  His brother, Nigel, fresh from therapy designed to make losers feel better, is there to carry the plot when Reggie falters.  They aren't just any two failing lawyers.  Their offices are on the 200 block of Baker Street, and their leaase requires that they answer all mail address to Sherlock Holmes.  Naturally, that leads to the occasional spot of sleuthing.  This time, they tackle an ersatz Moriarty and his villainous scheme to besmirth the beloved London taxis.  The last third of the novel, with its murder-and-chase scene, is one of the finest, scariest sequences in current crime fiction.  But why doesn't Robertson explain that the name fo the drivers' pub, Flounder and Dab, is Cockney rhyming slang for taxicab?  For anglophiles, crime-o-philes, and all fans of wonderful writing.

It seems as though the mystery bug has struck again, and my interest has been drawn out into London along Baker Street.  I love a good mystery and it's interesting to see modern mysteries like this one especially with two protagonists living under a famous address.  It will be interesting to see just how Reggie and Nigel fill in the shoes of Sherlock Holmes and tackle with the likes of the villainous Moriarty.

Sleight of Hand

By Peter S. Beagle

Publish Date: March 1, 2011 by Tachyon Publications

From Amazon.com~

Abundant with tales of quiet heroism, life-changing decisions, and determined searches for deep answers, this extraordinary collection of contemporary fantasy explores the realms between this world and the next. From the top of the Berlin Wall to the depths of the darkest seas, gods and monsters battle their enemies and innermost fears, yet mere mortals make the truly difficult choices. A slightly regretful author and a vengeful-but-dilapidated dragon square off over an abandoned narrative; the children of the Shark God demand painful truths from their chronically absent father; and a bereaved women sacrifices herself to change one terrible moment, effortlessly reversed by a shuffle of the deck. Whether melancholic, comedic, or deeply tragic, each new tale is suffused with misdirection and discovery, expressed in the rich and mesmerizing voice of a masterful storyteller.

Peter S. Beagle has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read The Last Unicorn. Having the chance to meet him in person was a great experience, and he is a charismatic man, as quoted by my dad who also had the chance to meet and speak with him.  And any author who gets my dad interested in reading a fiction book is amazing in my opinion.  The fact that this book is an anthology of short stories makes it a must-have for my personal library since Beagle does short stories just as amazingly as he does novels.  Yay for pre-ordering!

Cat's Out of the Bag!

Title:  Wish You Were Here-A Mrs. Murphy Mystery

Author:  Rita Mae Brown

Summary:  Small towns are like families: Everyone lives very close together...and everyone keeps secrets.  Crozet, Virginia, is a typical small town--until its secrets explode into murder.

Crozet's thirty-something postmistress, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, has a tiger cat (Mrs. Murphy) and a Welsh corgi (Tee Tucker), a pending divorce, and a bad habit of reading postcards not addressed to her.  When Crozet's citizens start turning up murdered, Harry remembers that each received a card with a tombstone on the front and the message "Wish you were here" on the back.

Intent on protecting their human friend, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker begin to scent out clues.  Meanwhile, Harry is conducting her own investigation, unaware that her pets are one step ahead of her.  If only Mrs. Murphy could alert her somehow, Harry could uncover the culprit before another murder occurs--and before Harry finds herself on the killer's mailing list.

The Dish:  I love a good mystery as much as the next amateur sleuth, but the majority of my mystery media choice has been either through television series, like Murder, She Wrote or Diagnosis Murder, or films, such as Murder by Numbers or Kiss the Girls.  The only way I usually came across mysteries in books were those involved in plots of fantasy and science fiction novels, and the mystery was usually just part of the central story not the focus.  Wish You Were Here is the first actual book falling into the Mystery genre that I have read, and I enjoyed it immensely.  

I had been searching for a mystery series that I could actually delve into that would pique my interest, and while some suggested mysteries centralized around food or baking, I had another interest in mind.  Rita Mae Brown's books always sounded intriguing to me whenever I visited either the bookstore or the library.  True, there are similar series such as Lillian Jackson Braun's Cat Who series, but from what I read in the summaries for the Cat Who books, the protagonist just owned two cats.  They weren't really involved in solving the mysteries.  Anthropomorphic characters, when written well, can often make a story even better, and I believe Brown has done that with Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker.  

When people start turning up dead in Crozet, Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker are already on the case right alongside their beloved master, Harry.  It is these two that start to do the actual snooping even before Harry can find a connection between those who had been murdered.  Through the animal grapevine, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker learn clues about the victims and are off to investigate.  What I find most endearing about the entwining conversations between Harry and the other people of Crozet and Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker is how the animals are always trying to get the humans to understand them and what clues the animals find.  There are obviously some language differences, but that doesn't deter Mrs. Murphy and Tucker especially when Harry's own safety is jeopardized.  

I admit Mrs. Murphy is perhaps given more loyalty than is normally attributed in cats, but I believe it shows just how much she cares for Harry.  Cats are independent by nature, but as shown in Wish You Were Here the right human will be able to earn the loyalty and love of a feline.  It is interesting to see how Harry takes both Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker almost everywhere she goes, even accompanying her at work, though in a small town like Crozet, the animals' presence is not a concern for the people who do visit the post office.  Brown does create a diverse cartel of characters in the townspeople of Crozet and even includes a list of those main characters after the acknowledgements.  It's rare and refreshing to find that in most books these days, so readers are able to keep track of who is who in Crozet.  

On the overall mystery, I had a hunch about who the murderer was, but there was enough to actually have several suspects in mind; only one of the people I thought was a suspect was questioned by the sheriff.  I definitely attribute that part of my deductive mind to watching many hours of Murder, She Wrote, and I'll thank my mother for that.  I'm thrilled to say I have definitely found my mystery series, and I will be reading more Mrs. Murphy Mysteries in the future.  Thank you, Ms. Brown for creating such a delightful trio of characters as Mrs. Murphy, Tee Tucker, and Harry.  

By the way, it was actually this television movie inspired by the books that had me curious about the Mrs. Murphy Series.  

What mysteries get your detective minds going and your powers of deduction flowing?