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I look forward to finishing this tonight, which I read is a cliffhanger. A pity if authors don't finish a full storybook per printing. This was a bargain buy and I don't have the sequels. However, knowing up front, I won't be disappointed. Then, being in a seasonal read-a-thon.... I will start another appropriately atmospheric story!

I didn't think this story would be for me and I thought my previous read, "Prevailing Spirits" would be fantastic. That one was not enjoyed but this youth mystery has my interest. I deliberately timed it to follow a disliked book. This one is surely an improvement.

My complaint is that most of the unpublished short stories that Scottish authors contributed for Giles Gordon's compilation, had nothing to do with spirits! Buyers of this title, mine thankfully second-hand: "Prevailing Spirits, A Book Of Scottish Ghost Stories" want ghost stories. That would be a wonderful collection to read in all of these authors' styles. They interpreted the parameters for grim, minor horror.

Not good. Most stories have nothing to do with spirits, as commissioned for this collection of first-time published short stories by Scottish folks. I love the settings and language but most of these writers aimed for grim or macabre. A few have an entity that might be a ghost but in those cases, a star has to be removed for animal harm! Why put that into already grim tones? I will appreciate the better stories.

It is odd that sometimes, I highly-anticipate a book and don't find that I like it. I added this book to my reading queue in 2014. They are all books I own physically, so I may have found this short story collection in 2014. I like the story I am reading now, which I believe is the fourth. The other two had the vagueness that I dislike about the short story genre and I hated the first: attempting to kill a seal!

One of my favourite kinds of Canadian non-fiction to read.

One hundred pages to go. I can see that I disagree with readers who felt nothing happened in the middle of this novel. Characters acquainting themselves with a subject and investigating it is entertaining to me. They needn't be action scenes. On the contrary, there are too many of those here. With two competing criminals, it reads more like a spy thriller. Anyway, I like letting each ride show me where it goes.

Good progress for the first night. I don't ever have any interest in the perspective of thieves. I am never going to agree with them or have compassion for their awful behaviour. We are shown two of them, which I see as wasting time from the actual protagonists. I am only interested in following the female judge, whose dear Dad was a Russian prisoner WWII survivor and the ex-husband with whom she remains friends.

This is not considered well-written by some reviewers but I have owned it for 10 years and decided it was time to treat myself to it. I just finished "The Lady In Blue" by Javier Sierra, which I thought was ineptly-written; stated politely via review last night. Therefore, coming off of a low quality book is the right time for me to decide for myself, if I like "The Amber Room" by Steve Berry better. Fine so far.

This would be a far better book if Javier Sierra organized it for flow and growth. All these points of view were excessive and made every part we are interested in, too brief and too often interrupted. This may be his first novel. I own two others I remain just as eager to read. The possibility of a less well-written story is why I read early books first! Neither dialogue nor narration sparkle but I am invested.

The writing is inelegant. Scenes and events are plainly told. The dialogue and narration of Jennifer seem amateur. But plain is best for constant viewpoint switching. I dislike scene-jumping, waiting for action that might be riveting to reprise. Javier Sierra's real research is topnotch. I know of the Monroe Institute! Emotion, connection, urgency are well-established for Giuseppe. He must be the protagonist.

Dipping in a toe to get started. I like starting from the beginning of an author's work. If I don't like one so much, I imagine the writing and stories improve over their career. This one advertises "The Secret Supper", which is the first novel I have had second-hand but which was published in 2004. I was confused but figure that my 2007 issue of "The Lady In Blue" must be the reason. It came out first, in 1998.

Zooming along, invested in all of the personal stories.

I am at the middle some found boring or lengthy. I am still enjoying the discovery of every story, person, and clue of this novel. It is a wonderful construction of mini stories and non-crime mystery solving; ideally made for non-crime mystery lovers and story lovers. Surely the average reader can enjoy a realistically gradual revelatory progress like this, without explosive drama? Parts of this are dark enough.

This story and plethora of sub-plots, as Stephen King's endorsement humorously points out, is very enjoyable and engaging. Some people said there is a boring part in the middle. What do they want, a car chase in every novel? Another person said everyone's speech or dialogue sounds the same. As someone who pays attention to writing details, it most certainly does not. It is surprising and pleasing me all the way.

I am loving this, as I hoped I would for years! I bought it in Spanish first but with the language being rusty from me, I found an English trade paperback in perfect condition, from my favourite second-hand city store. That waited for years too and now that I have two sequels (darn those novellas for only coming out for e-book people); I am digging in. I have had another late book night and have zoomed 162 pages!

Wow! I was surprised to find this recent release a few months ago for about $1.00 and savoured it, thinking it looked like I would love it. Although it doesn't go the way I pictured, I love it more than I anticipated I would! This is a wonderful feeling, to zoom through something you are enjoying very much; to have found another favourite book. I stopped myself to go to sleep when my spouse got up to go to work!

I bought this fluffy-edged trade paperback for a song at a charity bookshop and was surprised to see it. I recognized it as a new release friends were reading at Goodreads and now I can join a current club! Much of what I read is eclectically individual. It will be fun to talk about this with you. :) Manitoba gardeners rejoice! We are getting a second September week of rain and no freezing, for plants to bloom.

I am still enjoying this novel. I can see how some people might think little was going on but something is enjoyable about the ride and I am eager to keep on reading. If a journey is a delight to you, you don't need crashes, booms, or bangs of action. Quite frankly, the slow build-up of the paranormal, the plot about an archaeological wonder, and a still non-existant romance are realistic. Better than insta-love!

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY TO MY KITTENS TODAY, SEPTEMBER 7th!!!! We remember our Love with all our hearts. We pray their brother, Conan, is returned home to us soon. We wish him a happy birthday today, too! My Mom, for the first time since being out of the hospital, is coming over to help us spoil the sisters: Angel and Petal! Happy birthday to our 4 special children, who were born here and make our lives extra happy!

I am enjoying this!