Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour,
a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH's Center for
the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned
from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado
Springs. They're killer werewolves and post traumatic stress has left
them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with
people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into
her pack.
Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold
Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart — his nationwide chain of 24-hour
convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural
unpleasantness — on her show.
Very bad weather is on the horizon.
My Review:
Kitty's latest phone in concerns calls about paranormal activity at Speedy Marts which gets her interested-men in cloaks in stores at night and the owner Harold Franklin being in towns before every major weather disaster. Kitty is further intrigued when Franklin decides to sue her and asks Cormac to look into him and his activities. But when the caller to the show who told of Franklin's weather connection is found dead, killed by lightning, it seems that there may be more truth to the rumours than she first thought. Cormac is determined to keep tabs on Franklin and the Speedy Mart in town, which leads him into trouble. However, Franklin is not going to let them interfere with his deadly plans.
Dr Schumacher asks Kitty for help. It seems old enemy Paul Flemming had contact with a werewolf soldier who then set up his own Special Forces werewolf only squad which went rogue and into civil war when the commanding officer was killed on a combat mission. A power struggle erupted and the winner killed all but two others, all of whom have been captured and imprisoned by the Center for the study of Paranatural Biology, being treated for post traumatic stress. Kitty thinks that she can help two of them adapt to Pack life if she can persuade Dr Schumacher to release them into her care. But will Kitty still be able to control Tyler and Ethan the first time the full moon comes round and they are back in wolf form? And what will they do with the caged leader?
Kitty has been concerned with the way Cormac has been since he was released from prison but she isn't sure if he has had trouble adjusting to freedom with restrictions or if something bad happened to him. Either way Cormac doesn't want to talk about it and Kitty has to keep watch on him. Letting him investigate Franklin gives him something to do while she deals with her werewolf problem but of course, trouble from that investigation is about to land outside her door and threaten Denver itself. Her Pack are somewhat uneasy about the thought of strange new wolves coming to join them, especially with their past full of violence and warfare but Kitty is sure that she can make it work with the help of the Pack.
I can't help feeling that I'd have preffered these stories to be split into two books rather than running side by side. My main reason for that is that I really enjoyed the Franklin story and would've loved to see that as a whole novelinstead of in the background of the werewolf plot. I'd have liked to see the Pack staking out the Speedy Marts in the area, seeing a few dodgy things, maybe a few laughs at the weird goings on that have nothing to do with their investigation and more to do with who shops during the night shift in Denver. There was a lot of potential in that story and I just wish that we had seen more of it than we did.
I did also like the werewolf story and it again would have been good to have that as a whole book. We could have had werewolf attacks in Colorado as they tracked the rogues, then more about them-maybe flashbacks to their military service or their leader meeting with Flemming. I did enjoy the way that story developed through this book with Tyler wanting to change his life and Ethan torn between loyalty to his alpha and his friend. I liked their integration into the Pack, which I thought was way too early but since when is Kitty going to listen to me? I liked how that full moon night leads to the climax of that storyline.
I did enjoy the book overall, especially the last third where the two stories came to a conclusion one after the other. I'd have maybe liked to have seen the weather battle involve a bit more interaction with Kitty's Pack and a bit more preparation but I still enjoyed it. It was nice to finally find out what was happening with Cormac though I'm not quite sure where the author is going to take it in future books and whether or not I'm going to like it. (NB since I wrote these notes I have read all but one of the books and have my answer). We are starting to move towards the main events in the series and the conclusion of Roman's Long Game, and the series is still keeping up a good standard.
Read June 2018.
4 stars.
I saw this tag at https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress.com/ and decided to take part. The original creator is unknown to me, sorry! If you want to take part, you're tagged!
1) You have 20000 books on your TBR, how do you decide what to read next?
I generally pick a theme or themes for the months ahead and plan out a list of what I want to try and read. I found that entire months of just the same genre can sometimes see me lose steam by the third week so now I'm trying to do three different themes, roughly ten days per genre/theme each month. It's working so far. My TBR is 1100 books I own and haven't read but if it ever got to 20000 I'd be lying buried under the buggers!
2) You're halfway through a book and not loving it. Do you put it down or are you committed?
I would never get to halfway through before the decision to DNF! That is way too much time wasted on something I'm not enjoying!As soon as I know I don't like it, I lose interest and quit to read something else. They don't get a second chance!
3) The end of the year is coming and you're behind on your reading challenge. Do you try to catch up and if so, how?
Generally, I'd find the shortest books I could find to try and get me to the target or if I'm way off because of a slump, I just reduce the target at some point. I've never failed on my Goodreads Challenge! This year my target is much lower and I've planned out all my reads so I won't have the changing to shorter read option, but I won't need it. I only have 25 books or so to go and it's still September!
4) The covers of a series you love do not match, how do you cope?
This is something I just can't cope with! I hate it when a series with gorgeous covers suddenly changes halfway through to something crap. Yes Kelley Armstrong, your WOTO series did this to me as did Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series to name a few!!! Look at what they did to my favourites!!! First two gorgeous (4 and 8), book 12 horrible!!!
5) Everyone and their mother love a book you do not. Who do you bond with over your shared feelings?
It's likely that my dad didn't like it too as we have the same book tastes but even if he did like it, I'd tell him what I thought of it. I'd also put my review up and say why I didn't like it.
6) You're reading a book in public and you're about to start crying. How do you deal?
I don't read in public. I read in my home and occasionally on holiday if I'm not tired out. The odd time I read in the car if I'm waiting for my dad but I don't read many books that would make me cry so the law of averages is there!
7) A sequel to a book you loved just came out but you've forgotten a lot of what happens. Are you going to reread it?
I just refer to my review notes for the last book and go ahead and read it. The only time I reread the previous book is when I read the first one, bought a pile in the series that I didn't read and I'm now going back to it years later for a full series readathon. Then I'll have to reread. I did this last year with The Morganville Vampires and this year with the Kitty Norville series.
8) You do not want anyone to borrow your books, how do you politely say no when someone asks?
I never had this problem as none of my real life friends were book fans. Only my dad borrows my books and I make it clear that if he damages the spine or creases the cover, he buys me a new one! I used to give my non fiction books to my uncle until he decided to smoke his face off reading them and they were returned to me stinking! I never give him books now unless it is one I don't want back!
9) You have picked up and put down 5 books in the last month. How do you get over this reading slump?
I used to just pick up Harry Potter and settle in for a reread of that or a favourite horror book but recent slumps have made me not want to read at all. I just take time out to watch favourite TV or films and wait until I'm ready to join the booky world again. The last book that dragged me out of a reading slump was the first Extinction Trials book.
10) There are so many books coming out that you are dying to read, how many do you end up buying?
BUY ALL THE BOOKS! OK maybe not but I'm way too happy to just grab a pile from Amazon or a charity shop grab for older books! I generally check out reviews to narrow it down to the must buys or try a cheap copy on ebook first. Everything else interesting is shoved on wishlist and every few months I'll hunt some down or delete them from the list. Generally, I buy them based in order of total wantability!
11) After you purchase all of these books that you're dying to read, how long do they sit on your shelves before you get to them?
It took the best part of 7/8 years to finally read The Morganville Vampires and Kitty Norville! I have a few that I bought in 2010 that I haven't read yet but in my defence they are big slabs of cheese size! On average, maybe a couple of years?
Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at http://www.wishfulendings.com/ to spotlight and discuss books we're excited about but haven't read, which may not even be released yet.
NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by
Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave
comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my
profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account.
In the summer of 1983,
thirteen-year-old Cyndi and her three new-found friends Stacy, Zack, and
Brad decide to sneak away from their summer camp in the middle of the
night by rafting down the nearby rivers. After spending a tense night
lost in the woods, the four teenagers stumble into a mysterious water
park that appears to be completely empty.
At first, they are
thrilled to have the rides all to themselves, at least until one of them
disappears. Soon they discover that they are trapped in the park, and a
dark figure is stalking them from the shadows, picking them off one by
one. Once night falls, Cyndi will have to fight to escape the park, a
masked maniac, and a living nightmare.
Kill River is a wild water
park ride filled with blood, gore, and '80s nostalgia. Slasher fans
rejoice, old-school horror is back!
The book actually came out in 2015 but I'm just finding out about this now. Thank you to Karen @ For What It's Worth for bringing it to my attention! How great is that cover! And an 80's slasher vibe going on...oh yes I want this!
Welcome to my Prepper Posts which aims to
help you be ready for any kind of short or long term disaster that might
come along, and showing you the importance of being ready and able to
help yourself when the authorities cannot assist you. I don't claim to
be an expert on these subjects but I'll tell you what I can and direct
you to prepper sites for further information if you are interested.
Prepping is for normal people, and I aim to give you common sense
reasons for thinking about how ready you are.
I think it's time to look at preparations for winter. Depending on where you live, you might be starting to feel that change of colder air coming in that lets you know we are in autumn. Here in my part of the UK, it is back to having fires on inside the house and not wanting to slither out from under the duvet for a late night toilet in the freezing cold bathroom! I hate going to supermarkets in December and over the festive period so I try to get everything done early so I can happily hibernate for a few months in front of my nice warm fire and forget about shopping other than bread, milk and a few other basics! It is certainly colder at night and the seasonal storms are beginning. This year, it is being suggested that the UK might be in for an even colder winter than last year which barely seems possible. That has me deciding to start winter prep a couple of weeks earlier than normal just in case.
1) Food Prepping-Fridge and Freezer
Basically, I started today by taking a look at the available space in the freezer and working out what I'll have space for foodwise. We have four drawers in the freezer. The top one always has a form of ice cream in it, usually two tubs for variety. For the winter the rest of this drawer will be getting stocked with a few favourite deserts like rhubard crumble, cheesecakes and gateau. This is the treat drawer! The second drawer has frozen baked potatoes and meat. We get supplied with a huge bag of chicken breasts every couple of months from a local farmer and we freeze various red meats and meat pies ready for use. Drawer three has the 'bags'-supplies of potatoes, prawns, curly fries, chicken kievs, chicken burgers, beefburgers etc. The final drawer is easy food like fish fingers, crispy pancakes, sausage rolls, satay pieces, kebabs. I've been running the supplies down all summer ready for this winter restocking which I plan to do this week if time allows.
We also have a fridge and that will be for the food we intend to consume in the run up to winter so I don't have to touch the winter supplies until November. This will be a mixture of preserves, microwave meals, fresh fruit, dairy products, fresh juice etc. I'll be restocking this weekly until November starts and for my final shopping trip before winter sets in, I'll ensure it is full to capacity with everything we need from the supermarkets so I have no need to battle the seasonal shoppers there through December and into January!
2) Food Prepping-The Cupboards
The food cupboard is something that several generations of women in my family set up and I've never known anything else. It was the attitude of stock up on everything you need while times are good and live off it when things are tight and that really helped when my parents and I all lost our jobs in the space of three years.The fully stocked cupboards and fridge and freezer meant all our money was spent on bills and heating, not on food. Our food cupboard has plenty pasta, rice, oats, lentils, tinned fruit and veg, pasta and meat sauces, sugar, soup, spices, cake mixes, tinned meat and fish, stock cubes and gravy, curry and so on. Enough to do the whole winter. It is reassuring to know that I'm loaded for bear!
3) Heating
My old electric fire for my bedroom broke during the summer so I've got a great new replacement for it ready to go, and a spare one as backup. We have gas fires in the hall and living room and a calor gas with cylinders in case there is an issue with either gas fire during winter. We got caught out with that ten years ago and shivered through winter and I don't want to ever repeat that! My dad is also looking at a possible oil heater as well this week. Now is the time to give whatever you have a service or get stuff replaced before you need it!
4) Essential supplies
At the end of summer I always restock my supplies of other things I'll need through the winter to save me having to go out in snow to get it if I run out! Here is some of what is on my list.
-purchase extra batteries from Amazon for all devices ie clocks, MP3 players
-cleaning products from Aldi to fill cleaning cupboard
-refills for bedroom de-humidifiers
-screws and hooks for doing all the small niggly jobs over winter we had no time for in summer
-stocks of extra toilet paper!
-medicines ie extra cough bottles, ibuprofen, stomach tablets, supplements, etc (I get a lot of this at the Pound Shop cheap and it means as soon as a sneeze or cough starts, I can deal with it without trooping out to the pharmacy)
-salt supply for snow and ice
-candles and other light sources in case of power cuts
5) Other tasks
Here are a few other things we get done in September/October.
-car serviced, oil and water levels checked
-flu jab at doctors
-checking pipe conditions in the house to avoid leaks
-replace any essential electrical items (we need a new hoover)
Are you ready for winter?
