Scarpetta series Books 15-17 by Patricia Cornwell

I have gone from really enjoying this series, to being glad I've read the last book. When another is released I do not believe I will buy it. If someone else offers it to me to borrow, I'll read it, but I won't buy another one. The first books were incredibly well done. And the last two books in the series were getting close to the enjoyment level of those first books. But, not enough to make me anticipate the release of the next book.

I said in my last review of this series that I wasn't convinced that these books are being written by the same author who wrote the first four books of the series. The voice is different, the dialogue is different, the plots aren't anywhere near as well thought out, the procedures aren't being handled the same way within the text... they don't feel like the same series. Is that because the author has changed so much in the time since she wrote the first book? Probably.


Book Rating: Book of the Dead: 7 of 10
Book Rating: Scarpetta: 7 of 10
Book Rating: The Scarpetta Factor: 8 of 10

Series Rating: Kay Scarpetta Series: 6 of 10

As you can see, these latter books are getting higher ratings than some of the previous books in the series. But I didn't raise the series rating. Considering that the first six books in the series had five 9's and one 8 - that tells you that the series has gone through some drastic changes.

I do enjoy reading about how computers are being used to solve crimes. I've also enjoyed reading about various other crime fighting tools. And I love that Ms. Cornwell sometimes makes people's names fit their profession, and how Marino always points that out. There are parts of the books that I really enjoy. Unfortunately, the storytelling part has changed, and that's a pretty big part of why we buy books.. the author's voice, the character's dialogue, how many "threads" we are expected to keep up with at once. I suppose it's a given that as an author grows and changes that her work will as well. I've seen it with the Anita Blake series and with the Stephanie Plum series, too. Of course, I'm mostly okay with the changes in the Anita Blake series... but the Stephanie Plum series has gone from funny to silly, which hasn't worked for me. So, I guess it's just one of those things: Any series that spans 15 or 20 years of an author's life is going to go through changes, because the author is not the same person now that he or she was 15 or 20 years ago.


1 and 2. The Scarpetta Collection Volume I: Postmortem and Body of Evidence
3 and 4. Scarpetta Collection Volume II: All That Remains and Cruel & Unusual
5. The Body Farm
6. From Potter's Field
7. Cause of Death
8. Unnatural Exposure
9. Point of Origin
10.Black Notice
11.The Last Precinct
12.Blow Fly
13.Trace
14.Predator
15.Book of the Dead
16.Scarpetta
17.The Scarpetta Factor

Vampire Sunset (Delilah Street Bk 3) by Carole Nelson Davis

Vampire Sunset is the third Delilah Street book by Carole Nelson Davis. The second book, Brimstone Kiss, left us with a huge cliffhanger that really bothered me. It felt like she didn't finish the book, and I don't like it when an author does that. So, I waited a while to read the third book, as I wanted to make sure we weren't going to be left with another cliff hanger like that.

Once I decided to read it, I enjoyed Vampire Sunset. There are still some pacing issues, and some places where the writing is a touch awkward, but all in all, it was an entertaining book.

Here's the blurb:

WHEN THE STAKES ARE DEAD -- OR UNDEAD!

Werewolf mobsters and vampires run Vegas, but that's yesterday's news for Delilah Street, paranormal investigator. What's truly fearsome is her bloody discovery of an undead evil rooted in ancient Egypt. Now, with her lover Ric fighting for life after a grim battle, the chips are down.

But Delilah is a born winner who has never let a little danger throw off her game, and she's been learning fast since she came to Sin City. Her affinity for silver is making mirror-walking a real breeze, and being forced to accept the albino rock star sorcerer Snow's Brimstone Kiss has ramped up her powers to a startling new level. With the help of her trusty uber-wolfhound Quicksilver, not to mention the orange demon parking valet Manny, Delilah is determined to solve even more paranormal secrets, and hopefully save the few innocents left in town. But can Delilah win her high-stakes gamble for life and love against ancient gods and lethal supernatural odds?

I'm not sure the blurb actually tells us much of what happens in the book. I will say that some of it is far out there, even for something in the Urban Fantasy genre - but that's okay. It's a very different perspective on the genre, and I've enjoyed the concepts that the author explores.

Vampire Sunrise doesn't give us a whole lot of answers. We learn more about Ric's childhood, but we don't learn much more about Snow, and the breadcrumbs we pick up about Lilith don't really tell us anything, either. The plot is not a plot just for this book, it's a continuation of the same plot from previous books. In fact, these three books seem to me to be one book in three parts, more than three books. And it's possible that the next book will make it seem like one book in four parts.

I've given this series a 5 of 10 in the past. I'll give Vampire Sunset a 7 of 10, and I'll raise the series rating to a 6 of 10.

Book Rating: Vampire Sunset: 7 of 10
Series Rating: Delilah Street: 6 of 10







1. Dancing with Werewolves
2. Brimstone Kiss
3. Vampire Sunrise (Nov 24, '09)

Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville, Book 7) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty's House of Horrors, the 7th book in the Kitty Norville series, is very aptly named. This book would make a nice horror movie. I hate horror movies, but I liked this book. Maybe it's because there was no suspenseful music?

I believe that Kitty's House of Horrors is setting us up for a longer plot arc that will likely span several books. The stage is being set for an eventual showdown, one that is probably many books away.

Kitty spends most of her time away from Ben in this book, which means there is almost no relationship stuff going on.

Before I get too much further, here's the blurb:

REALITY BITES Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life. The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot.

Nefarious plot, indeed. As is always the case with the Kitty books, this was an entertaining read. Pacing was mostly good, dialogue was good, funny moments were great, horrific moments were suitably horrific.

I'm giving Kitty's House of Horrors an 8 of 10, and the series will stay at a 9 of 10 for me. I have high hopes for the next book, as something happens at the end of House of Horrors that sets us up for some interesting stuff in future books.

Book Rating: Kitty's House of Horrors: 8 of 10
Series Rating: Kitty Norville Series: 9 of 10





1. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (2005)
2. Kitty Goes to Washington (2006)
3. Kitty Takes a Holiday (2007)
4. Kitty and the Silver Bullet (2008)
5. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand (January 2009)
6. Kitty Raises Hell (February 2009)
7. Kitty's House of Horrors (2010)

* Anxiously Awaiting as of early January 2010

The next book I'm super excited about is Kitty's House of Horrors that releases next week. And then February has a whole lot of books I'm really excited about: Archangel's Kiss, Flirt, First Drop of Crimson, and Black Magic Sanction. February will be good.

01/04/10 Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville Bk 7) by Carrie Vaughn
01/05/10 Inked (Anth) by Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn
01/19/10 Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Immortals after Dark) Kresley Cole
02/02/10 Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Bk 2) Nalini Singh
02/02/10 Flirt (Anita Blake novella) by Laurell K Hamilton
02/02/10 Laced with Desire (Anth) by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, etc.
02/09/10 First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Bk 1) Jeaniene Frost
02/23/10 Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows Rachel Morgan, Book 8) by Kim Harrison
03/02/10 Roadkill (Cal Leandros book 5) by Rob Thurman
03/09/10 Werewolf Smackdown (Felix Gomez 5) Mario Acevedo
03/16/10 The Spellmans Strike Again (Spellman Files, Book 4) Lisa Lutz
03/16/10 Voices of Dragons (new YA series) by Carrie Vaughn
03/16/10 Warriors (Anthology) George RR Martin, Carrie Vaughn, etc
03/30/10 Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) Patricia Briggs
04/06/10 Crimes by Moonlight (Anthology) edited by Charlaine Harris
04/06/10 Changes (Dresden Files book 12) Jim Butcher
04/06/10 A Witch In Time (Bewitching Mysteries Book 6) by Madelyn Alt
04/13/10 Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
04/20/10 Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Book 4) Melissa Marr
04/27/10 Chaos Bites, (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 4) Lori Handeland
05/04/10 Vampire Mistress (Vampire Queen, Book 5) by Joey W. Hill
05/04/10 Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse Bk 10) by Charlaine Harris
05/25/10 Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Book 4) by Ilona Andrews
05/25/10 Moon Sworn (Riley Jensen Bk9) by Keri Arthur
05/29/10 Running with the Pack (Anth) by Carrie Vaughn, Laura Anne Gilman, C. E. Murphy
05/??/10 Mercy Burns (Myth & Magic Bk 2) by Keri Arthur
06/01/10 Bullet (Anita Blake Book 18) by Laurell K Hamilton
06/08/10 Infinity (Chronicles of Nick Book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
06/22/10 Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum 16), by Janet Evanovich
07/06/10 A Glimpse of Evil (Abby Cooper Bk 8) by Victoria Laurie
07/06/10 Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling #8) (Max's Book) by Nalini Singh
07/06/10 Undead and Unfinished (Queen Betsy book 9) by MaryJanice Davidson
07/27/10 Eternal Kiss of Darkness, Mencheres' book (Night Huntress World, #2) Jeaniene Frost
08/03/10 Waking the Witch (Savannah) (Women/Otherworld Bk 11) Kelley Armstrong
08/03/10 Death's Excellent Vacation (Anth) by Charlaine Harris, Jeaniene Frost, Greg Herren, etc.
08/03/10 Burning Up (Anth) Nalini Singh, Angela Knight, Virginia Kantra, Meljean Brook
08/03/10 No Mercy (Dark Hunters #19) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
08/??/10 Alpha and Omega series, Book 3 Patricia Briggs
08/??/10 unnamed Between the Numbers (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich
09/??/10 On the Edge series Book 2, by Ilona Andrews
FALL/10 Vicious Grace (Black Sun's Daughter Book 3) by M.L.N. Hanover
11/??/10 Psy/Changeling #9 (Indigo's Book) by Nalini Singh
??/??/?? Supernaturals on Vacation (Anthology)
??/??/11 Psy/Changeling #10(Hawke's book?) by Nalini Singh
??/??/?? Not That Innocent (Anthlgy) Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole...
??/??/12 Unnamed Jaime story (Women/Otherworld Bk 13) Kelley Armstrong


Not all of the series I keep up with have another book listed as coming out. The authors have stated there will be more, but to my knowledge they haven't said when, or given a title name. I've listed those series below.

* Caruthers Sisters series by Candace Havens
* Nightcreature / Moon series by Lori Handeland
* Delilah Street by Carole Nelson Douglas
* Meredith Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton

Below are series I follow, but it is unclear whether there will be more books in the series:

* Bronwyn the Witch series by Candace Havens
* Nadia Stafford series by Kelley Armstrong
* Daughters of Arianne series by Joey W. Hill

You can read an excerpt of many of these books, to see my list of excerpts please go here.

If someone wants to send me an ARC of one of the books on my Anxiously Awaiting list, I will read it within a day or two of it arriving (assuming I'm home and I'm not sick or anything), and will get a blog post up of it as soon as I've finished reading it. You may send me a digital version at chained lightning at g mail dot com, or to send a hard copy you may contact me at that email address to ask for a shipping address. If you have an ARC you would like to send that is not on my Anxiously Awaiting list I will attempt to read and review it in a timely manner but it probably won't be placed topmost in my TBR pile.