Totally Buzzed by Gale Borger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a fine first novel from Gale Borger. I really enjoyed riding shot gun along side the main character, retired smalltown cop, Buzz Miller, and her collective family of odd balls, as she works to find the killer of a local greenhouse owner and finds herself embroiled in a case with international criminal implications. Set in the small, southeastern Wisconsin town of White Bass Lake, the story explores such varying topics as horse racing, gardening, and forensic botany, which Borger handles adroitly.

I’ll admit there were a couple of inconsistencies in the quality writing, but nothing that bothered me enough to put the book down. I was a little thrown by the flipping back and forth in POV from first person to third person, and there were some spots where I wasn’t sure what season it was supposed to be (summer or late fall). Borger also hints at some nice dark incidents in Miller’s past (like why she left the force), as well as played up Buzz’s Irish second sight ability, which helps her solve cases. The problem is that at least in this first book, there is too little follow through on the promise of these things. A little more would have done a lot to deepen further Miller’s character and left us teased just enough to want to read more.

On the whole, however, these issues were minor compared to the my overall enjoyment of the story. The plot was interesting and pulled me right along and I developed a real fondness for the characters.

Thanks for a good read, Gale. I’ve already loaded up the 2nd book in the series onto my Kindle and I’m hoping there’s a lot more to come!

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New Blood by Samantha Warren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read the first Jane novella (Vampire Assassin), I thought it was a very nice short, and the main character was likeable and made me want to read more. It was a little light on action, being more character set up than anything else. Still, I really liked the character Jane, and as I thought that Warren was a writer worth watching, I promised myself I’d read #2 when it came out.

Boy, am I glad I did. In the second book in the series, New Blood, Warren totally hits her stride. The characters spring to life, the plot, while taking a little bit of time to warm up, definitely delivers some solid punches, and the world of Jane starts to deliver some great twists on the typical vampire metaverse. I read through it in a heart beat, not necessarily because it’s a short (although it is), but because the action kept me riveted. I wanted to know what happened next. And that, for me, is the sign of a good book.

Looking forward to #3, Ms. Warren. Hope I don’t have to wait too long.

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