✰✰✰✰½ The most peculiar children you have ever met are back in the next installment of the series. As Jacob Portman struggles to understand and control his newfound peculiar ability, the group continues to London on a quest to restore Miss Peregrine to human form. With time running out, the group makes their way through the war-torn city in search of another time loop that will take them to the last free ymbryne. Only Miss Wren can help them save their beloved headmistress. Along the way the peculiar kids encounter other peculiars and fantastical beasts while trying to stay clear of hollowgasts and wights. The second adventure will leave you wanting more as Jacob comes face-to-face with the most difficult decision of his young life.
The Bottom Line: The second novel picks up exactly where the first novel left off. Once again the intriguing vintage photos and text work well together to provide the reader with a unique experience. This book is a fantastically dark page-turner. The peculiar children demonstrate teamwork, friendship, and loyalty. Enthusiastically recommended for teens and adults who enjoy books with supernatural and time travel twists. For the best reading experience, be sure to pick up and read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children first.
Details: Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Paperback published by Quirk Books in 2015. 416 p. ISBN: 978-1-59474-735-9 NOTE: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.
✰✰✰½ In the twentieth William Monk mystery, Monk witnesses the spectacular explosion of the Princess Mary, a pleasure boat. With pieces of debris and bodies everywhere, Monk and the River Police rush into action. Soon it is clear that this was no accident. Before Monk can begin his investigation, the case is handed over to the Metropolitan Police. Although a man is quickly caught, tried, and sentenced, Monk discovers that the defendant was somewhere else at the time of the blast. Now with the case back in his hands, Monk must sift through the twists and turns of the investigation before he or others end up dead.
The Bottom Line: With international intrigue and lots of courtroom scenes, this complicated mystery is a page-turner. Having not read the previous books in the series, I was missing some of the backstory of the characters; however, this did not deter from my enjoyment of the novel. Recommended for fans of mysteries and historical fiction.
Details: Blood on the Water: A William Monk Novel by Anne Perry. Hardcover published by Ballantine Books in 2014. 320 p. ISBN: 978-0-345-54843-6 NOTE: I received a free copy from Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review. This was made possible by the Early Reviewers program at LibraryThing.
