Mindy's Book Journey

  Title: Boys in the Valley Author: Philip Fracassi Genre: Religious Horror/ Coming of Age Published: July 11, 2023 by TOR Nightfire  I received a copy for review through NetGalley. It is not easy growing up in a turn of the century group home for boys run by priests like the orphans in this religious horror story. Peter is a 16 year old orphan trying to choose between becoming a priest and being with the girl he loves. The toughest things the boys have to deal with are punishments from overzealous staff and small food rations until one night the sheriff rolls in with someone he believes to be possessed. That is when all hell breaks loose. This was a super scary thrill ride of a novel. The characters were all developed so well. There are characters to love and some to hate, but none are one sided. Well, except the demon who is all evil. The boys have had to deal with so much in their lives and I did not want anything to happen to them. If you cannot handle reading harm com...

  Title: A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality Series: Saffron Everleigh Book 2 Author: Kate Khavari Genre: Historical Mystery Published: June 6, 2023 by Crooked Lane Books I received a copy for review through NetGalley.    The second book in the Saffron Everleigh series brings us back to 1920's London. Saffron Everleigh is doing research about poisonous plants with Dr. Michael Lee at the University College of London when approached by Detective Inspector Green to consult on another case for the police. This time a killer is leaving poisonous bouquets at their murder sites. So  Everleigh and Lee find themselves entangled in the case in order to help catch the killer. This novel has a great cast of characters, a great historical setting, and a tightly plotted mystery that is a lot of fun to investigate along with Saffron and Lee. Saffron is an ambitious and brilliant botanist who is fighting to prove her worth in a setting that does not believe women belong....

  Title: The Twenty Series: Major Crimes #2 Author: Sam Holland Genre: Crime Thriller Published: May 2, 2023 by Crooked Lane Books I received a copy for review through NetGalley. DCI Adam Bishop is racing the clock to stop a copy cat killer that seems to be trying to finish the business of a notorious serial killer who was counting down his victims from twenty. It just so happens that Adam's ex-wife, Romilly, is that serial killer's daughter. They work together to catch a killer before twenty lives are lost. The Twenty is a fast-paced serial killer crime thriller with high stakes. I was really worried for the characters and it was fun to route for them to catch the killer. This book shows the amount of influence people can have on the vulnerable and how bad that influence can turn in the wrong hands. Sam Holland's first book, The Echo Man, was also a serial killer novel about a killer recreating famous crimes. In this second installment we fallow different characters, b...

  Title: Panacea Series: The Ruined Gods Book 1 Author: Alex Robins Genre: Epic/Military Fantasy Published: December 15, 2022 by Bradypus Publishing I received a copy for review through NetGalley.  Panacea is the first book in a new epic fantasy series that is inspired by Ancient Greece. There is a lot of focus on the military of Ancient Greece. The main character is Dexios who is a Strategos of Thena's phalanx who is leading a defensive charge against a group of tauros.  This story was very well researched and gives a lot of details on workings of Ancient Greece. Luckily, the book includes a list of Greek terms that are used often in the book, because there are a lot of uncommon terms to learn to enjoy the story. The battle scenes were very well written and enjoyable to read. The story opens up and becomes a lot more interesting and unexpected in the second half going beyond the simple Greek military tale it appeared to be at first. I would recommend checking out th...