Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files, Book 1

Publisher: Roc (April 2000)

372 pages, Audiobook (purchased myself for $9.56)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Sexual Situations and Violence

Harry Dresden is a modern day Wizard for hire.  Unfortunately, he gets caught up in a murder case in which the victims were killed using magic. Dresden reminds me of Indiana Jones . . . he’s always getting into situations in which he is in way over his head, but somehow he gets out of them by his wits and smarts. Decent story and I thought the voice actor that did the audiobook did a really nice job.

Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Remote: Office Not Required by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson

Publisher: Crown Business (October 2013)

256 pages, Audiobook (purchased myself for $9.56)

Book Rating: 3 Stars

Remote: Office Not Required is a guide for theses items:  convince an employer to allow their workers to work remotely, and properly setup a team to work remotely.  Don’t expect any current sociological or psychological research to be sited.  Most of the concepts come from pure experience from two successful business owners.  It’s a quick read and it gives plenty of advice on how to work remotely, but doesn’t provide much in the way of supporting research.

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis

Nina Borg Mysteries, Book 3

Publisher: Soho Crime (November 2013)

337 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $9.43)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence, and Sexual Situations

With this third installment in the Nina Borg trilogy, we find Natasha and her young daughter at the center of the latest drama that Nina finds herself unwittingly involved in. Similarly constructed to Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, the seemingly innocuous trials of the young Ukrainian single mother that we've been kept abreast of all along have now taken center stage, and are revealed to be much more sinister than they had appeared thus far, and involve a pair of sisters from the past. Interesting mystery that slowly unravels, as Nina's personal life plummets further into the abyss. The series seemed to be nicely wrapped up at the end and I almost feel relief at not having to watch Nina mess up her life any further, but I would have liked to continue on with Søren. Good read nonetheless!

Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

Invisible Murder by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis

Nina Borg Mysteries, Book 2

Publisher: Soho Crime (October 2012)

339 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $8.40)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence, and Sexual Situations

This time around, treating some immigrant Roma with a mysterious illness involves Nina Borg in a wide-ranging investigation of a suspected radioactive arms deal, and lends her an unlikely partner in a half-Roma, ex-law student also unwittingly caught up in the havoc. Interesting mystery involving a number of people and bit of commentary on Roma living conditions and treatment by governments and other citizens. I felt so bad for Sandor and the way he got roped into dealing with this mess, but he was a good bridging character to navigate things as he slowly uncovered just what exactly his younger brother was involved in and what was going on. Good read!

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbøl and Agnete Friis

Nina Borg Mysteries, Book 1

Publisher: Soho Crime (November 2011)

321 pages, eBook (purchased myself for $1.99)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing, Violence, and Sexual Situations

After an unexpected phone call from an estranged friend who asks for a strange favor then promptly makes herself scarce without giving any further details, Nina finds herself retrieving a suitcase from a storage locker, only to find it contains an unconscious child. Nina has no idea how the child came to be there or what she is supposed to do with him, but it is clear that they are both in grave danger and she is the only chance the boy has. I assumed, given this is a mystery, that the main character, Nina, would be an investigator or amateur sleuth of some sort, but in fact, she is more unwittingly involved and strung along while others, mainly the boy's mother, do all the investigating and uncovering the truth of what has set all these events in motion, while Nina basically babysits the boy, tries to avoid capture, and reflects on her dysfunctional marriage to her eternally suffering husband. While her idiosyncrasies and neuroses, made her interesting to follow, she was a little too cold and detached to be endearing and I was much more drawn to the boy's mother, Sigita, so it was fortunate that much of the story was from her point of view, as she struggled to put the pieces together and find her missing boy. Great mystery, with so many different people involved, and for much of the story you don't know just exactly how everyone fits into things, but slowly everything is revealed and it becomes clear how a young boy ended up unconscious in a suitcase and stuffed in a storage locker. Great read!

How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil

How to Create a Mind by Ray Kurzweil

Publisher: Viking Adult (November 2012)

352 pages, Audiobook (purchased myself for $9.56)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

In this book, Ray Kurzweil outlines his theory on how the human brain works and creates a blue print for duplicating it using software.  It sometimes reads as a computer science book; describing in detail algorithms on system hierarchies of pattern recognizers and references.  Other times it reads like a philosophy book, tackling such issues as Consciousness and Computer Rights.

The Reckless Engineer by Jac Wright

The Reckless Engineer by Jac Wright

The Reckless Engineer Series, Book 1

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing (November 2013)

284 pages, eBook (provided by the Author for review)

Book Rating: 4 Stars

Content Note: Includes Swearing and Sexual Situations

With work a bit slow due to the recession and his friend arrested for murder, Jeremy indulges in a bit of amateur sleuthing in order to uncover the truth and hopefully help to clear his friend of the charges. This murder mystery takes you through a complicated web of overlapping affairs and private investigators hired by this party and that, casting suspicion on a number of characters along the way. It seemed everyone you met in this book was having an affair with someone, which brought about a lot of conflict and intrigue, but I would have preferred a least a few characters in there to be able to demonstrate some self-control and loyalty to their lover. That aside, the mystery was well-crafted and intricately arranged, to unravel slowly and not give too much away too soon. Jeremy's inner dialogue was inane at times, but in a goofy, geeky sort of way that was kind of endearing. This action-packed tale kept me riveted to the end, and I look forward to further stories from this author!