The DIRTY, LAZY, KETO Dirt Cheap Cookbook

The DIRTY, LAZY, KETO Dirt Cheap Cookbook is a new tutorial and recipe collection for frugal keto cooks. Due out 15th Sept 2020 from Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The introduction covers the basics of the keto lifestyle/diet, including a basic primer on ketosis, macronutrients, tips, ingredients, tools, supplies, how-to, pantry lists and shopping tips, along with an inspiring author background bio. She emphasizes that it's not necessary to spend a ton of money and track every mouthful to be successful at weight loss and maintenance. I found her encouraging and you-can-do-it style of writing engaging and fun. There's also a short, concise subchapter on food handling and safety, which was welcome.

The following chapters include the recipes arranged roughly by category: breakfast, soups & salads, snacks, pizza, side dishes, main dishes, and desserts & drinks. The table of contents lists each recipe along with symbols giving a visual guide to different real-life situations (recipes for "hangry" moments, for picky eaters, lacto-ovo vegetarian-ish dishes, superstar keto dishes etc - quite humorous but also *true*).

Ingredient measurements are supplied in American standard measurements only.  There's a conversion chart for metric measures in the appendices. The prep costs, net carbs, servings, prep-time and tips and options are listed in well laid out sidebars. The ingredients are listed in a bullet list followed by step by step directions. The author does recommend real-world timesavers like using premade taco powder (she gleefully informs us that she'll make her own as soon as she's done making butter from her grass fed pet cow). Allied recipes (included) are referenced in the recipes to save time by using leftovers from one recipe in another recipe. The recipes are drawn from a surprisingly broad number of world cuisines - Asian, southwestern, Tex-Mex, Cajun, European, etc.

Inspiring real life quotes and thoughts are highlighted in yellow in the text, giving readers an extra little boost. Some readers might find the cheerleading over the top, but I found the author's voice very encouraging and friendly. I found myself thinking "wow, she really gets it".

This really felt like a keto-friendly cookbook for me: short on time/money, impatient with impossible-to-source "weird" ingredients, and cooking for myself and a family of non-keto eaters. I found it impressive and pretty easy to follow. A small real-life occurrence - my endocrinologist said at my last visit I was his ONLY patient who had actually gone DOWN in weight since lockdown. That made me feel good.

Five stars. I really liked this one. One codicil, there are very few pictures included in the book. The dishes and serving suggestions which are included are attractive and appropriate, however.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes 

Act of Deception (Doc Brady #2)

Act of Deception is a medical practice mystery and the second Doc Brady outing by Dr. John Bishop. Released 10th June 2020, it's 276 pages and available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, the first book in the series is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a plain spoken directly written and engaging mystery set in 1995. It was the first of the series I've read and I was immediately hooked by the down-to-earth and likable protagonist and his genuine and loving family. He's an orthopedic surgeon in the middle of a multi-million dollar malpractice suit. I didn't find it difficult at all to dive into the story, the author is quite adept at providing backstory without spoon-feeding or info dumping. It works very well as a standalone. The background and the medical procedures are explained concisely and are easy to understand (layman accessible) in context.

The pacing was good, the plot moved along at a pleasant clip, and I never felt like it was a slog or a race. The characters were well written, fleshed out and distinct and true to their various internal motivations and personalities. The full-on Texas dialogue got to me a few times, but I'm a Yankee, and, well, Texans do Texas (y'all). It was at least very true to the local vernacular and had the absolute ring of verisimilitude. The author's a Texas native, clearly.

The only mystery which remained unresolved for me at the end of the book was just how much of the narrative was autobiographical. Another well known plainspoken author, Mark Twain, said "Write what you know", advice that Dr. Bishop clearly has taken to heart and used well. 

Four stars. I've requested a review copy of the third book in the series and intend to go back and read the first book very soon.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Cook Anime: Eat Like Your Favorite Character—from Bento to Okonomiyaki

Cook Anime is a fun (and admittedly slightly nerdy) tutorial guide and recipe collection for dining like our favorite anime characters. Due out 1st Sept 2020 from Simon & Schuster on their Tiller Press imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

I liked the layout here. The author had a two-pronged approach to the dishes. She saw food in anime and wanted to track down the real life equivalent, or she was exposed to a dish in real life and then found it represented in anime. The introduction includes suggestions for dishes, equipment, and an ingredients list (not incorporated in the early eARC which was provided for review) followed by chapters arranged roughly thematically: main dishes, side dishes & bento, street food, and drinks & desserts. 

The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard only, with a metric/SI conversion table in the appendices. Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store.  Each recipe has a footer with the dish's appearances in different anime shows.

Well written and organized, this could be a fun addition to the cooking repertoire. It would also lend itself very well to fans of meal planning or once-a-week-cooking. Most of these recipes make several servings which could easily be used for a week's lunch planning. I've been avoiding buying food at the cafe at work during the pandemic and these recipes have provided good mileage for avoiding boring lunches at work for me, as well as adding a lot of fun to my cooking.

This would absolutely star in conjunction with an anime binge watching party with friends. Five stars. Highly recommended for fans of anime or anime/manga culture. I could see this also being a good choice for a reluctant cook, to get them into the kitchen and making food.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Indoor Kitchen Gardening Handbook: Turn Your Home Into a Year-round Vegetable Garden - Microgreens - Sprouts - Herbs - Mushrooms - Tomatoes, Peppers & More

The Indoor Kitchen Gardening Handbook is a tutorial and culture guide to indoor food gardening year-round. Originally published in 2014, this second edition is due out 8th Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

I was surprised how much info I gleaned from this volume as well as how many usable bits of info were appropriate to my uses (despite having access to a large outdoor vegetable gardening area for the gardening season). The layout is accessible and logical. The introductory chapters cover some background, planning, finding and using space efficiently, getting started, and troubleshooting.  The following chapters cover microgreens, shoots, sprouts, herbs, and mushrooms (!!??). The third section covers more 'traditional' vegetables such as peppers, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, etc.

Full of specific advice for the challenging indoors culture of plants, this is an ideal book for people who either don't have access to more traditional growing platforms, or choose to extend the season indoors, or garden indoors year round (apartment dwellers and urban folks). A lot of the info will be useful to traditional gardeners as well who want to up their indoor gardening game.  I don't have a first edition to compare with this edition, so I can't speak to the differences, changes, and/or upgrades, but this volume is really full of interesting and useful tips and tricks. Photography and instructions are clear and easy to follow and understand. Especially important info is highlighted in text boxes in the sidebars. The book includes a cross referenced index.

Four and a half stars. Well written and useful.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Ferns mini: Indoors - Outdoors - Growing - Crafting

Ferns is an unusual book full of neat tutorials and culture information for ferns by Mobee Weinstein. Due out 8th Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

The layout is accessible and attractive. The introductory chapter includes interesting information about the evolution and historical uses of ferns. Following chapters cover botany and culture of ferns indoors and outdoors (including general needs and growth, as well as a gallery of specific ferns and their culture requirements), and a final chapter with 8 crafting tutorials including terraria, dish gardens, a really pretty tabletop centerpiece, and others.

The books is written clearly and well. The tutorials are well photographed and attractive with step by step instructions and process photos. The inclusion of a kokedama tutorial was especially welcome and attractive and one I fully intend to make.

Five stars. Beautiful book. It would make a superlative selection for  readers, makers groups, school and public libraries, and the like.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

The Secrets of Bones (Jazz Ramsey #2)

The Secrets of Bones is the second Jazz Ramsay mystery by Kylie Logan. Released 5th May by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 336 pages and available in hardcover, mass market paperback, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

I love books which feature working dogs. In fact, I am a huge fan of books which feature animals, full stop. Apart from the discovery scene, where protagonist Jazz's cadaver dog finds the body of a nun in a Catholic school, dogs feature quite little in the plot. This is a more hard-edged plot, there's little humor and more realism, but it stands on the cozy-ish end of the spectrum. The language and content are clean, there's very little cursing and no sexual content. The amateur sleuth aspect was maybe slightly over the top, she gets on with sifting evidence and investigating the murder/disappearance of victim Bernadette unhindered, and remarkably unhindered by the police. 

The plot seemed to drag a bit for me. Particularly in the middle of the book, there were side threads and distractions which went on for ages. I found myself having to fight the urge to skim pages. When reading (and especially when I'm reading for review), that's something I don't do, so this read took me much longer than normal to finish. I kept putting the book down instead of skipping ahead. The dialogue and characterizations were well done and I didn't have trouble keeping the characters straight. I'm not sure how realistic the teachers' and staff reactions to the students' misbehaviors were, but it wasn't too egregious and I didn't find myself being yanked out of my suspension of disbelief often, at least.

The denouement and resolution were foreshadowed fairly heavily, but still felt cartoonish and over-the-top. This book does work well as a standalone. I don't feel the need to go back and read the first book in the series.

Three and a half stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Second-Chance Cats: True Stories of the Cats We Rescue and the Cats Who Rescue Us

Second-Chance Cats is a collection of 33 cat rescue stories edited by Callie Smith Grant. Due out 15th Sept 2020 from Baker Publishing on their Revell imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, and ebook formats.

This is exactly as advertised; wonderful, mostly heartwarming true stories of cat rescue and adoption with the added twist of including the ways cats rescue and improve *us*, the humans who are blessed to live and interact with them. These stories run the gamut from "accidental" adoptions, to humane society stories, and crawlspace abandoned kitten rescues.

These are heartwarming stories full of love and hope. Each story runs a few pages. The writing is accessible and they are edited gently enough that they retain the voice of each of the authors. They're authentic and relatable.

This would make a lovely gift for a cat lover. The stories are short enough that they can be sampled one at a time like chocolates or devoured all at once.

Four stars. There's a lot to love here.

I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Bento: Over 70 Make-Ahead, Delicious Box Lunches

Bento is a very well curated and developed recipe collection for Japanese style make-ahead lunches. Taken from content originally published in 2018, this reformatted condensed version is due out 1st Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Race Point imprint. It's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is an updated introduction to bento for westerners. Bento can be healthy and tasty with eye appeal, organization, variety, and portion control in one package. This collection also shows that it doesn't need to be very time consuming or difficult.

The introduction includes suggestions and tutorials for basic bento followed by chapters arranged roughly thematically: classic Japanese bento, sushi & onigiri, noodles, popular bento, 10 minute lunches, rice and grain bowls, vegan choices, special occasions and side dishes (and partial recipes). 

The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard with metric/SI units in parentheses (yay!). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. 

Well written and organized, this could be a fun addition to the lunchbox repertoire. It would also lend itself very well to fans of meal planning or once-a-week-cooking. Most of these recipes make several servings which could easily be used for a week's lunch planning. I've been avoiding buying food at the cafe at work during the pandemic and these recipes have provided good mileage for avoiding boring lunches at work for me. 

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide

Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide is an examination of the creative process by the inimitable John Cleese. Due out 8th Sept 2020 from Crown Publishing, it's a concise 112 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is exactly as advertized. It's cheerfully humorous and lighthearted but at the same time, a fairly rigorous examination of writing and the creative process from the prodigious experience acquired by Mr. Cleese over his long (and illustrious) career.

The book is broken into shorter chapters (some of them are 1 page(ish) - very short indeed) which illuminate one or more points. Many of the larger ideas will be familiar to fanatical followers of the author from his series of lectures at Cornell as a professor-at-large. They're expanded upon in this book and there are some pretty profound ideas included for a humorous little book.

In the current culture of anti-intellectualism it's all too easy to become disillusioned and exhausted by all of the backlash against well spoken prose, language, literature, intelligence...  This book (and Cleese) are erudite and unapologetically intelligent.  

There's a lot of material here for fans of Monty Python and Cleese the Actor, but there's also a lot to love here for anyone who loves to read intelligent well spoken people talking about an interesting topic. 

I enjoyed it hugely and recommend it to everyone.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise (Jesse Stone #19)

Robert B. Parker's Fool's Paradise is the 19th Jesse Stone novel - this entry by Mike Lupica from characters originally written and created by Robert B. Parker. Due out 8th Sept 2020 from Penguin Putnam on their G.P. Putnam's Sons imprint, it's 352 pages and will be available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats.

These books (and the allied series) are so steeped in background that they're staples of the modern police procedural and PI canon. This series focuses around small town recovering alcoholic and Chief of Police Jesse Stone and his ensemble of supporting players. The plots are labyrinthine and tightly written with several disparate plot threads which intertwine more tightly as the book goes along until they resolve into a satisfying denouement.

The continuation of the series after the author's sudden passing in 2010 first filled me with trepidation, and therafter delight. The series has been respectfully and masterfully continued by a stable of capable writers in Parker's voice (to an almost spooky degree, honestly). I'm a keen reader for pleasure, not a literary professional by any means, but I can't easily tell what's cobbled together from Parker's notes and partially finished manuscripts and what (or if all of it) is completely new.

This was a really engaging story, well told. It's tightly plotted, the characters live and breathe, and it's really well written. It's just a solidly entertaining book. The language is average for a modern procedural/PI story (rough language, used in context with a fair number of "f-bombs" and lesser curses as well as implied consensual sex). The book also has major plot threads involving sexual and physical assault, substance abuse (alcohol), and infant abandonment which could be distressing to some readers.

This would make a perfect summer read. With all the weirdness and uncertainty in real life these days, it's comforting to know there's something we can count on to pull us out of our reality for a few hours.

Five stars, a worthy addition to the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Sissinghurst: The Dream Garden

Sissinghurst: The Dream Garden is a breathtaking and meticulously documented ode to possibly the most famous garden in the world. Due out 1st Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Frances Lincoln imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

The gardens at Sissinghurst are largely the result of the vision, stubbornness, and some have said madness of Vita Sackville-West.  This is a beautifully documented tribute to the vision and inspiration and development of the various gardens in and around the manor. 

This is an inspiring and educational book, full of ideas for garden lovers no matter what the scale of their own green spaces. Very few gardeners will have the space to recreate even a fraction of the famous gardens pictured, however, there are so many good takeaways which can be adapted to readers' own gardens. Since the book is absolutely full of color photographs and the text is relatively small and densely packed, the hardcover format is a must. 

The gardens represent a wide array of design and execution. The expected  formal stately gardens have pride of place with their gracious lines and breathtaking scale, of course. Long alleys of topiary boxwood and formal layouts inspire awe and amazement. What was equally welcome and more unexpected however, were the working areas, informal gardens, orchard, and a surprising amount of unexpected juxtaposition of plants and varieties inviting a closer look.

Each of the chapters covers one aspect of the plantings. The chapters include small maps, well documented discussion of specific varieties (which are listed in the cross referenced index), information about the history and development of each of the gardens, and some commentary and quotes from Lady Sackville-West or contemporaries.
Five stars. Lots and lots (and lots) of inspiration. Aesthetically an enjoyable read with a truly astounding amount of meticulous research and annotation. This would make a superlative selection for garden groups, community gardening, allotment collective libraries, smallholders, and garden lovers.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

Mediterranean Every Day: Simple, Inspired Recipes for Feel-Good Food

Mediterranean Every Day is a well curated cookbook full of Mediterranean comfort food by Sheela Prakash. Due out 1st Sept 2020 from Quarto on their Harvard Common Press imprint, it's 208 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats

The book follows a logical and accessible format. The first chapters covers the background of Mediterranean cuisine and explains the different styles of cooking, and how to streamline meal planning and prep (including a pantry staples lists of pestos, breadcrumbs, salsa, vinaigrette, honeys, oil, and other dish-enhancers) as well as a very general beginner-accessible discussion of the time-saving and streamlining techniques to be adapted to simplified, casual food prep and dining. The recipe chapters are arranged thematically: 3-ingredient snacks & cocktails, salads & soups, beans grains & a few bready things, colorful pastas, special occasion dishes, and desserts. Nutritional information is not included.

The recipes have their ingredients listed bullet style in a sidebar. Measurements are given in US standard with metric/SI units in parentheses (yay!). Special tools and ingredients are also listed, along with yields and cooking directions. Most of the ingredients are easily sourced at any moderately well stocked grocery store. The book also includes a short author bio, bibliography/resource list, and a cross-referenced index.

The included recipe and prep/serving photos are clear and attractive, but they represent a minority of recipes in the book. These are appealing "everyday" recipes which are tasty and family-friendly (no kale smoothies).

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Watercolor Techniques for Artists and Illustrators

Watercolor Techniques for Artists and Illustrators is a tutorial and style guide for watercolor. Due out 1st Sep 2020 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The format is easy to follow and the tutorial projects are very attractive and useful. The introduction and technique tutorials (~20% of the content) cover tools, materials, and techniques such as wet on wet and wet on dry painting. The intro chapters are followed by step by step tutorial studies for various motifs arranged in beginner, intermediate, and advanced techniques, and specific subjects: landscapes & townscapes, patterns still lifes & flowers, and finally portraits figures & animals.

All of the tutorials contain a full color finished photo, tools and supplies and process photos. Step by step tutorial instructions are provided in color as well as written instructions. Special tips, alternative methods, and other info is provided in sidebars throughout the book. The tutorials are written by a number of different artists, which provides a nice overview of widely varying styles and working methods. This was one of the most valuable aspects of the book for me personally.

There is an index, an abbreviated glossary, som resource links and short capsule biographies for the contributing artists.

Well made, very high quality, this book got my fingers itching to get my supplies out and have a go. This would make a superlative gift for anyone who wants to do watercolor; many (most) of the study projects are accessible for anyone, but will provide instruction and good learning opportunities for more advanced artists as well. These would make lovely cards, placecards, framed pieces, etc. Lovely. Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Finders (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery #1)

The Finders is the first novel in a new series by Jeffery B. Burton. Released 30th June 2020 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 288 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a standout murder mystery and truly a must-read for lovers of the animal mystery sub-genre. Protagonist Mace Reid is a dog trainer who specializes in training human remains dogs (cadaver dogs). His newest adoptee ('Vira - short for Elvira) is a golden retriever puppy with a traumatic past who is a natural as a cadaver dog, and just might be a canine Einstein in addition. The plot arc is full of action and the author is adept at moving the narrative along without info dumping. The characters are well delineated and fleshed out. I had no trouble keeping them straight or engaging with them (especially Vira, she's wonderful). The denouement was suitably creepy and engaging (no spoilers).

There is some anthropomorphism, but it's not out of control. Honestly for some readers who love animal mysteries, it will be a plus. I think there are relatively few readers who will be yanked out of the story by that facet of the writing. The dialogue was well rendered and flowed smoothly. I liked Mace Reid, he's a sympathetic (dog-crazy) intelligent protagonist and he works pretty well with law enforcement and the secondary characters in the book. The rendering of some of the minor (antagonist) characters, one in particular, struck me as a bit out there, but the author handled the more extreme plot elements logically and (mostly) believably.

This is a strong series debut and I am eagerly looking forward to future entries. Four strong stars for me, certainly 5 for fans of mysteries featuring dogs. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Jack

Jack is an beautifully well written and atmospheric gothic novella set in London during the blitz during WW2. Originally released in 1991, this reformat and re-release in a special hardcover edition from Subterranean Press and Connie Willis is 112 pages.

I really loved everything about this read. There are classic nods to horror fiction from the past at the same time maintaining a wonderfully clean and distinct narrative which never devolves into homage. The characters are so distinctly drawn and motivated that they live and breathe. The narrative arc is precisely controlled and the denouement crisply delivered (and bittersweet).

I started reading at bedtime and I'm glad it was a short book because there's absolutely no way I could've put it down before finishing it.

Wonderful novella from a talented author at the top of her game. (Trivia factoid: The author has won more major awards in the SF/Fantasy category than any other writer - 11 Hugos and 7 Nebulas (nebulae?)).

Five stars. Fabulous short read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Case Pending (Lieutenant Luis Mendoza #1)

Case Pending is a modern American procedural gem (and the first in the Lt. Mendoza series) by Dell Shannon. Originally published in 1960, this re-format and re-release from Poisoned Pen Press is part of the Library of Congress Crime Classics series. It's 240 pages (in the print edition) and available in paperback and ebook formats. Other editions are available in other formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a very early procedural and still has a fair bit of the feel of a traditional mystery (as well as the bones of a procedural). The series also stands out also for having a tough and intelligent (and rich) Hispanic main character. The story works well as a standalone (as far as I remember all the books in the series do). It's well written and well plotted with several disparate cases which keep readers engaged as they intertwine toward a satisfying denouement. There are a few unresolved threads at the end foreshadowing later stories.

The Los Angeles setting is well written, but dated (the book's 60 years old at this point). Some readers may find the racism and sexism of the time disturbing. There's not much graphic violence in the book and it should be considered PG rated.

This edition is enhanced by the inclusion of historical notes and background information as well as book club discussion guided question prompts. A foreword by Dr. Carla Hayden (Librarian of Congress) also provides some historical background context as well as an interesting and erudite introduction by Leslie Klinger.

Four stars. I enjoyed it enough to go chase down several of the later books in the series.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The Red, Red Snow (Anderson & Costello #11)

The Red, Red Snow is the 11th book in the Anderson & Costello series by Caro Ramsay. Released 2nd June 2020 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is a modern procedural with a returning ensemble cast with a complex interwoven past both together and severally. I hadn't read any of the previous books, so the very intricate and involved interrelationships took a while for me to sort out in my own mind. Like many police procedurals, there are lots of disparate plot threads which wind together more tightly as the book goes on. All of the action is set against a backdrop of approaching Christmas holidays in Scotland. The author is quite gifted with immersive atmospheric ambience and the Glasgow setting was believable and encompassing. It *felt* cold and dark. The characterizations are superb, and the characters are distinct from one another and well delineated. The dialogue is believable and never rang false for me.

The denouement (especially the epilogue) was top notch, well written with an extra twist which I definitely didn't see coming. It was a satisfying end to a very well written book. I'll go back and pick up the earlier books in the series, though there are major spoilers in this book which will color earlier installments. If readers are planning to read this one, I would recommend picking up the backlist first.

Four stars. This is a really well written modern murder mystery with believable characters. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

200 under 20g Net Carbs

200 under 20g Net Carbs is a tutorial and recipe collection for keto compliant cooking by Lindsay Boyers. Due out 18th Aug 2020 Simon & Schuster on their Adams Media imprint, it's 256 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.

The introduction covers the basics of the keto lifestyle/diet, including a basic primer on ketosis, macronutrients, tips, ingredients, tools, supplies, how-to. The following chapters include the recipes arranged roughly by category: breakfast, appetizers & snacks, soups & salads, poultry, beef pork & lamb, seafood, meatless dishes, sides, fat bombs, sweets & treats.

Ingredient measurements are supplied in American standard measurements only.  There's a conversion chart for metric measures in the appendices. The nutritional information:  fat, carbs, protein, fiber content, etc are listed for the recipes as well as serving sizes.  Extra tips or recipe alternatives are listed in the recipes. The recipes themselves are fairly straightforward and are made for the most part with easily sourced ingredients (not all though, sweeteners for example, will likely need to be sourced from specialists). Many are very simple, none of them are overly complex. There are also some meal plans included for quick-start suggestions along with a list of pantry staples to keep on hand which are keto-friendly.

The photography is not abundant; most of the recipes are not illustrated, but the photographs which are included are clear and well done.  I wish there had been more photographs and serving suggestions, but I do understand that extra photography increases the price of book projects very quickly and the lack is not crippling because this is a fairly simple (albeit massive) recipe collection.

This is a huge collection of recipes and even allowing for the fact that some of them are very similar to others in the same category, this will keep keto-cooks going for ages. Many of these can also easily be adapted to non-keto cooking. 

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

The Figure in the Photograph

The Figure in the Photograph is a standalone historical murder mystery by Kevin Sullivan. Released 23rd April 2020 by Allison & Busby, it's 352 pages and available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. 

This is an interesting and thoroughly researched historical mystery set in Cuba and Scotland during the Spanish American war (1898). It's ostensibly a murder mystery, but it's a very meandering and passively written one. It struck me as less of a murder mystery than a family history with an important mystery subplot.  The technical background and the development of photographic techniques and medical and social history of the time seem to have been very carefully researched and represented by the author.

I found myself struggling to maintain interest during the reading and I think it's because although it's written in the first person, it's a very passive book. The narrative, even during the action, maintained very little dramatic tension. I never found myself turning pages to find out what happened next. I simply never developed a rapport with the characters. 

The denouement and motivations were a bit beyond my suspension of disbelief's ability to cope. 

Three and a half stars. I enjoyed the book, but struggled to maintain my interest (hence the delayed review).

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Mila Wants to Go to School

Mila Wants to Go to School is a sweetly illustrated simple and reassuring little book about the first day of school. Originally released in Dutch in 2008, this English translation due out 22nd Sept from Clavis is 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

Aimed at very young children, the story is about Mila, a young girl who is very excited about her first day of school.  She and her daddy walk together to school and see and interact with their neighbors, some deer, and other temptations along the way, but Mila is determined to not be distracted.

The text is simple and accessible and the art is beautifully rendered and supports the story very well. I liked that Mila's life (she divides her time between mum and dad) and her ethnicity are relatable for most kids. Representation is important for everyone and her living arrangements and ethnicity are not remarked on in the text. It's also an inclusive book (there are characters of all ages included).

The translation work is seamless and it doesn't read as though it was written in another language first.  The art is full of small details which will also provide fun for hunt-and-find play during reading time.

Well done, charming and sweet. This will be a good story to read with youngsters who are heading to school in uncertain times.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.