The Plastic Magician

Book 30 of 2018 is The Plastic Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg.

I love this series. I didn't at first but I can't walk away.

This is an American introduced in to a trying-to-be-British series. Holmberg writes the out of place American so well. So so well.

She's actually more likeable than any of the other protagonists. I just want to keep on reading.

5 new disciplines out of 5.

Should I read this? Only if you like the other three. They are not for all.
What did I learn? A series can redeem itself.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Book 9 of 2018 is Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.

My work published this book so I have heard a lot about it. It is at the top of a lot of best seller lists and there is a moving coming out. When I read the description of the book, I didn't want to read but I couldn't ignore how highly recommended it came.

I am really happy I read it. Some of it was hard to believe but I'm going to treat this as fiction based in history and leave it at that. This even changed my view of the Italians in the second world war. My opinion of the Nazis goes unchanged.

4 lucky breaks out of 5.

Should I read this? Yeah, it is well written and a fun adventure. Yes, there are tears.
What did I learn? The Italians were not simply complicit.

Huntress Moon

Book 59 is Huntress Moon which is book 1 of The Huntress series by Alexandra Sokoloff.

This book is published by employer but the opinions here are my own and unrelated to them.

At work each day, I walk past a poster of this book. I finally decided that I had to read the book about the female serial killer with the long winding road. That was about all I knew about it when I picked it up.

I am very glad I did pick it up.

The two characters that take turns bringing the story together are a disturbed young woman with clear rules to her world that have her honing in on a specific night; and a noir style FBI agent who spots the huntress in a second and begins to hunt her. He looks back in her life as she focuses forward.

It is well written with the unravelling of her purpose and the construction of her past. Nothing feels formulaic and there are those moments when you accept that you didn't see that coming.

I have already bought the second book in the series and will be getting to it soon.

4 bad bad men out of 5.

Should I read this? Yes for all the serial killer fans.
What did I learn? Dangerous women are twice as dangerous because no one expects a woman.