Week ending 15 Jan 2011

From eHarlequin.com:

• Underground Warrior (Vaughn, Evelyn)
• The Twelve Nights of Christmas (Morgan, Sarah)
• Here Comes the Groom (Bliss, Karina)

From Amazon.com (Bargained Price/4-for-3 deal):

• The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (Davis, Krista)
• The Diva Takes the Cake (Davis, Krista)
• Hail to the Chef (Hyzy, Julie) (RE-PURCHASE)
• State of the Onion (Hyzy, Julie) (RE-PURCHASE)

From Audible.com (not pictured):

• Queen of Sorcery (Eddings, David)

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Very small order from Harlequin this month. I overlooked the Evelyn Vaughn book last month and the other two were books that I read reviews that peaked my interest.

I re-purchased the first two books in Hyzy’s White House Chef series. While reading the most recent book, I wanted to refresh my memory about something — and also decided the series was a keeper. I intended to look for used copies on the secondary market, but when I saw that Amazon had them bargained-priced and they qualified for Amazon Prime, I couldn’t pass them up. I searched the mystery listing to see if there was something else bargained-priced that caught my interest and I came up with the first two books in the Domestic Diva series. The main character lives in Old Town Alexandria. Having lived a large portion my adult life in northern Virginia, I couldn’t resist — and pair it with Hyzy’s series, it’s like going back.

I bought Queen of Sorcery because I was in the middle of the book and it was “due” back to the library. There was a waiting list for it, so I couldn’t re-check it out. I plan to re-listen to this series, so it wasn’t an inconvenience.

Something Wicked

Summary: When you curse your enemy, you curse yourself, too. Non-practicing witch Kate Trillo learned this when she walked in on her sister’s murder and fought off the gloating killer. Staring into his cold eyes, she spoke the words that would make his life a living hell until she could get vengeance; and then the strangest accidents began happening to her. To make matters worse, the killer had a perfect alibi or a look-alike. Had Kate said the wrong name, or was something wicked afoot? By uncovering her own secret heritage and finding a long-lost goddess grail, Kate might learn the truth. But would the truth set her sister’s killer free?

Comments: In the third Grail Keeper book, the grail-hunting duties have fallen to Kate Trillo, whose sister Diana was murdered for her Hekate cup. Katie is reluctant to search for the real goddess grail; she would rather it stay hidden than accidentally lead Victor Fisher — Diana’s murderer — to it’s resting place. Then Victor turns his attention to Katie’s cousin in Athens.

Helping Katie in her efforts to protect her cousin Eleni, and find the cup, is Ben Fisher. I liked Ben from the first. Poor guy. His identical twin brother murdered Diana and used his name. He’s constantly being mistaken for Victor and having to endure being hauled off to prove himself innocent of his brother’s misdeeds. He doesn’t know that Katie has him under a spell — and that his attraction to her may or may not be real. Though he doesn’t deny Victor’s guilt in Diana’s murder, Ben can’t help thinking that his brother was a victim as well. Their parents were murdered and Victor had witnessed it. Ben’s a real sweetheart.

I still enjoyed this book as much as the other two, though it took a moment to get used to Katie after having Maggi as a guide for two books. Maggi does make an appearance, though it is very brief. Overall, I liked the idea behind the goddess worship and how they could’ve all been connected. And I like the way Evelyn Vaughn tells a story. Can’t wait to read her Madonna Key books.

Enjoyed it!

Her Kind of Trouble

Summary: Mysterious strangers, warnings at sword point, threats of bodily harm. . . all this effort to make me leave Egypt has made me more determined than ever to find the legendary Isis Cup and keep it out of the wrong hands. After all, I’m Maggi Sanger, full-time college professor, sometimes grail hunter and all-round stubborn woman who won’t be pushed around. And things are getting even more complicated. The local women want my help, my exasperating ex wants me to marry him and the bad guys want me dead. It’ll take some quick thinking and new allies to get me out of Egypt alive. . .

Comments: The story picks up shortly after A. K. A. Goddess. Lex has recuperated from the ordeal at the end of the first book. He and Maggi are dating, though it still rough. Honoring solemn vows is normally a good trait to look for in your significant other; however, when it involves a secret, goddess grail-hating society, it tends to put a strain on a relationship.

Maggi receives a phone call from Rhys Pritchard, in Egypt participating in a dig, informing her that someone tried to run him down. There is a strong possibility that the Isis Cup may be buried at that site, and Rhys may have been targeted for this reason. That’s enough incentive for Maggi to head out immediately.

Egypt, a country that once worshiped a goddess and was ruled by one of the most famous queens in all history, is now a country who’s primary religion isn’t big on empowering women. Naturally, Maggi encounters trouble before she’s even been in-country 24 hours. Though goddess worship and woman power may have been stamped out, the lines of grail keepers have managed to successfully passed down their lore from generation to generation, as Maggi learns to her great surprise.

Also returning from the first book, and with a slightly bigger roll, is Catrina Dauvergne. Though her actions in the first book were wrong, her anger at Maggi has some justification. Maggi’s actions can jeopardize archaeological projects, current and future. Catrina is as serious about her job as Maggi is about hers. Maggi grudgingly comes to understand and respect that, even if she can’t totally forgive her for what she did with the Melusine Chalice.

There is a secondary plot involving a custody battle between a British woman and her Egyptian ex-husband.

All in all, I enjoyed the book just as much as the first one. I particularly like the part when Maggi sets off to save the day, with Rhys and Catrina tagging along.

Favorite quotes:
“You could threaten them with a squeegee.”
– Catrina

“Are you sure this is wise?”
“Nope.”
“Just checking.”
– Rhys, Maggi

“Catrina, please get the scorpions.”
– Maggi

Liked A Lot

AKA Goddess

Author: Evelyn Vaughn
ISBN: 0-373-51321-6 (Silhouette Bombshell)
Finished: 16 September 2007
Who: Dr. Magdalene Sanger and Alexander Rothschild Stuart III
1st in the Grail Keepers trilogy

From the back: Reporting a break-in, avoiding my overprotective ex-lover, dodging dangerous men out to kill me . . . not exactly a typical day for a comparative mythology professor. So how did I, Maggi Sanger, get mixed up in all this? It started with a family legend that connects me to a goddess and charges me with recovering the grail she hid away ages ago. Apparently some powerful people heard the story and are bent on destroying the grail at any cost. — including my life. Now I have to find it before the enemy closes in . . .

Comments: What I liked: Everything. Maggi. Alex. Rhys. Even Catrina (I’m far enough into Her Kind of Trouble — and I know she’s the heroine of Lost Calling — to know there’s more to her than her than what we see in this book). My knowledge of grail lore is practically non-existent. Indiana Jones and Monty Python, I think, pretty much sums it up. I thought the goddess grails was a great concept for a book series. I liked the blending of history and lore.

Since Alex, or Lex, is hardly in the book, I thought the flashbacks were a nice touch. It gave the reader an understanding of what the two of them have been through — Lex particularly — and shows that Maggi has been by his side through some rough times. If I had to compare Lex to another fictional male, I’d say he’s a lot like Roarke (from J. D. Robb’s In Death): rich, powerful, can have any woman he wants. It turns out the heroine is that woman. But he has secrets and can be a jerk, too. Kind of hard to like the guy, if you didn’t know him the way Maggi does. Since the book is written in first person, you’re only going to see him through her eyes.

One thing I noticed that was interesting, that set the bad guys apart from the Grail Keepers: biological status. Maggi overhears a conversation between two of the bad guys. It turns out that one of them isn’t the biological son of a man with connections to the secret, goddess grail-hating, society. It goes badly for him when he admits this to his colleague. On the other hand, the Grail Keepers accept adopted children as one of their own — with a right to their legacy. Even the son of a Grail Keeper was taught along with his sisters. One society is narrow-minded and rigid, the other more accepting and inclusive.

I definitely recommend this book if your looking for a strong heroine and action.

Liked A Lot