The Forgetful Man (Government Rain Mysteries #3) by L.A. Frederick

The Forgetful Man gives us the backstory of one of the characters from The Rain – Nathan Fisher. An ordinary family man, the 40ish Nathan loves his job at the Royal Museum. Through his presentation to a school group at the museum, we get a glimpse at what has occurred in New Hampton’s history as well. Hundreds of years previously there had been “The Great Depression” (and it’s not the one that immediately comes to mind) where northern towns had failed, and thousands of people migrated south swelling the population of New Hampton to where it is today. Much of the land’s history had been lost so the explanation to the students for why the towns failed must remain vague and attributed to climate changes making the land uninhabitable. Later that day, Nathan is interrupted by men moving large crates of unknown contents into the storage areas of the museum, and some days later, Nathan is let go.

Without telling his wife and children of his job loss, Nathan looks for work during the day. One day he loses consciousness in the back yard when he runs out to retrieve the drying laundry from a surprise rain storm. Later, he is driving with his son in the car when he blows a tire. Changing the flat in the heavy rain, he frightens his son and himself when his skin begins to change color, his anguished scream shattering all the car windows. And, slowly, his internal voice begins to take on a life of its own.

This series, although titled “Mysteries,” touches a broad range of reading interests (mystery, urban mystery, mutants, horror, sci-fi, dystopian, urban horror). There is something for almost everyone.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.

The Rain (Government Rain Mysteries #2) by L.A. Frederick

The second story in the Government Rain Mysteries series by L.A. Frederick, The Rain, is a robust and intriguing mix of mystery, horror, and urban dystopia. A more substantial, and far longer tale than the series kickoff, The Last Doctor, it places the reader smack dab in the middle of the confusion that is the lives and times of the residents of the doomed town of New Hampton.

In this entry, readers are introduced to the major players that will continue the series and learn more about the mysterious and creepy Dr. Zhirkov and this manufactured “government” rain that appears to be behind all the weirdness. New Hampton is on the brink of collapse, and while the regular residents of the area go about clueless to what is about to happen, there are some with special abilities that are beginning to see what’s going on.

This series, although titled “Mysteries,” touches a broad range of reading interests (mystery, urban mystery, mutants, horror, sci-fi, dystopian, urban horror). There is something for almost everyone.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.

The Last Doctor (Government Rain Mysteries #1) by L.A. Frederick

The Last Doctor is the first story in the Government Rain Mysteries series by L.A. Frederick. It gives the reader a peek into the series’ core setting (the Newton Street facility) and some of the characters there. From this introduction, readers will get a pretty good foundation for where the plot is headed. Or at least you think so; turns out there are quite a few twists, turns, and layers to this series.

In story number one, a young doctor working at an incarceration facility of some kind has second thoughts and doubts about himself and his abilities to continue the experimental treatments he's administering so he resigns his position. Once back in society he begins to question the morality of what he was participating in and wants to notify the authorities of his concerns. But it’s not that simple where this government is involved. It looks like he won't be allowed to raise a red flag about the experiments.

This series, although titled “Mysteries,” touches a broad range of reading interests (mystery, urban mystery, mutants, horror, sci-fi, dystopian, urban horror). There is something for almost everyone.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.

Murder at the Cabaret by Sandi Scott

The fourth entry in the Pet Portraits Mystery series by Sandi Scott, Murder at the Cabaret catches us back up with Georgie Kaye, the eldest of the Kaye twin sisters. In this outing, Georgie is enjoying a visit from her youngest child, son Andrew, and his friend, JR. The boys decide to treat Georgie to an evening out in a new activity – a cabaret show in New Town. With a front row table they are in prime seating for the curtain going up and revealing that the leading lady, Madame Bray, has been murdered.

With such a closeup view of the what happened, Georgie finds investigating the murder simply irresistible with plenty of stops for dessert along the way. This time she has a little help in the form of Andrew and JR. However, her information and efforts are demeaned and rejected by the lead detective on the case, Detective Schwarz, who is from a different precinct than ex-husband, Stan Toon. A recurring character from a previous book, Malcolm Oberfield or “Obby” as he is known, makes his interest in Georgie clear when he asks her out on a date. This gives Georgie plenty to think about as she reflects on her relationship with Stan.

Once again, the dialogue is witty, the mystery interesting, and conclusion a viable one. This cozy mystery series really continues to entertain.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader copy of this book.

Mates: From The Beginning by Jay A. Lee

Lots of promise but not ready for prime time

Author Lee has come up with an interesting storyline, however it, and the characters involved, are never fully developed.

Adam and Eve never really show much emotion or ask the questions I would expect of anyone finding out that mom and dad have been lying to them their entire lives. And the “Eww” factor of becoming the mate of your sibling is really brushed past. Expecting to immediately jump in and produce several litters of children as quickly as possible with your brother or sister was quite acceptable to them, too.

I found this to be a very difficult reading experience. The grammar, spelling, word choices, and the often times painful descriptions of actions that must have been difficult to adequately get across to the reader all damage this imaginative story. I wondered if, perhaps, English was not this author’s first language. If this is true, then I commend the author for trying. All of this can be fixed.

Except for that thing with your sister, this whole thing screamed “middle-school gamer’s wet dream” to me.

Car Guts by Melody J. Bremen

Beatrice Tanner is having a bad life. Her father is in jail, her mother is sick and incapable of holding things together, and Beatrice is on a bus headed to Sandpoint, Texas, to live with the uncle she’d never even heard of before.

Uncle Kyle proves to be a man of few words, living out in the middle of nowhere with his dog, Rocket, fixing cars. He quietly welcomes Beatrice into his spare, neat home but pretty much leaves her to her own devices while he works beneath whatever car or truck needs his attention. He enrolls her in the local school for the final two weeks of the school year but Beatrice feels the pain of being the new kid and is targeted by the classroom “Queen Bee,” Erica Fields.

But Uncle Kyle is more than a small-town mechanic. Warned to stay away from the old barn on the property, Beatrice’s curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers that there is a whole world of magic lurking just out of sight. Kyle is actually a powerful wizard and magic runs in the family! Beatrice is going to be his apprentice.

What a fun story! Beatrice is a strong young lady, not a lot of feeling sorry for her plight either. Uncle Kyle grows on you and truly becomes Beatrice’s family. There are twists and turns in the story, mean girls to overcome, and an interesting set up to the magical world. The ending makes it look like this could be the start of a delightful series. I’m certainly hoping there will be more about Uncle Kyle and Beatrice.