A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it's an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she's kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana's discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels...

Loved the mix of science, magic, history and forbidden romance. Couldn't put it down. 

Rubdown by Leigh redhead

"Simone Kirsch, P.I., has given up stripping and is trying to be straight. But she can never stay straight for long. Simone (aka Vivienne Leigh - her stripping name) is hired by prominent lawyer Emery Wade to follow his wayward daughter Tamara. She's been taking drugs and working in the sex industry and Daddy fears a scandal that will affect not just his reputation, but that of her AFL-hotshot brother and his high-profile fiancee. Tangling with a drug dealer, a sleazy brothel owner and a bizarre love quadrangle with three coppers, time is running out for Simone to get to the bottom of it all before someone tries to keep her quiet."

Tangled with a drug dealer, a sleazy brothel owner and a bizarre love quadrangle with 3 coppers, time is running out for Simone to get to the bottom of her investigation before someone tries to keep her quiet too."

Another enjoyable read this series.  Some mystery, some action and a touch of romance.

The Ghoul Next Door by Victoria Laurie

MJ and Heath have returned home for a rest when her ex-boyfriend and his fiancée ask for help with a possessed relative, Luke. The first shock is that her ex had a fiancée; the second shock is that it appears that Luke slaughters a woman while they are watching on the surveillance cameras. They see Luke leave but can’t get there quick enough to stop him from heading out into the night.

Investigation by MJ, Heath and Gilley reveal that there is a connection to the apartment that Luke rents and the murders of a few girls of the past 25 to 30 years. The link has to be discovered and the conduit for the spook closed down before any more deaths occur.

I enjoy this series., It is scary with laughs. MJ and Heath are great and it's good to see their relationship develop. Gilley I find annoying. He is the gay character and always squealing, panicking and being a drama queen.

Peepshow by Leigh Redhead

Simone Kirsch, aka Vivien Leigh, is funny, intelligent and sexy. And she needs it all as she goes undercover, stripping at the table dancing club, the Red Room, to find out who killed the sleazy owner, Francesco 'Frank' Parisi. It's the only way to get her best friend Chloe back from Frank's underworld brother Sal, who says he'll kill her unless Simone can come up with the real murderer.

After graduating top of her private investigator's course and working in a peepshow, Simone has a few tricks up her sleeve...and she's never been afraid of getting herself into sticky situations. But now she's tangling with the city's most corrupt cop, some crazy strippers and a rockabilly band called Las Vegas Grand.

Entertaining. I liked it being set in Melbourne, it's good to see an Australian setting and a very unusual PI. I'm glad I've already got the next in the series. 

Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro

t was a slim grey volume entitled Elegance...

Louise Canova is at a crossroads in her life. Her marriage is faltering and the insecurities of adolescence have returned to haunt her. Browsing in a second-hand bookshop, she stumbles across a faded grey volume. Written by the formidable French fashion expert Madame Genevieve Antoine Dariaux, Elegance is an encylcopaedia of style. It promises to transform plain women into creatures of grace and poise at all times. And from Accessories to Zippers there's nothing Madame can't advise upon - including inattentive husbands, false friends, and the powerful bond between mothers and daughters.

When Louise vows to follow Madame's advice, her life is transformed in ways she never imagined. Within the books pages lie clues to her own past. And as she begins to unravel them, she discovers a courage she never dreamt possible. However, everything, even elegance, has its price.

Elegant chic lit.  I liked each chapter starting with an excerpt from the book she was using for advice.

Slightly Scandalous by Mary Balogh

Growing up with four unruly brothers has made Freyja Bedwyn far bolder than most society ladies. From feisty manner to long, tumbling hair, Lady Freyja is pure fire, a woman who seeks both adventure and freedom.

Adventure soon finds her on a visit to Bath, when a handsome stranger bursts into Freyja's room and entreats her to hide him. His name is Joshua Moore, Marquess of Hallmere, a man with a hell-raising reputation of his own who is quickly intrigued by the independent beauty. So intrigued, in fact, that he makes her a surprising request: to pose as his fiancée and help thwart his family's matchmaking schemes. For two people determined to be free, it's the perfect plan…until passion blindsides them both. For as Joshua sets out to achieve his complete seduction of Freyja, a woman who has sworn off love is in danger of losing the one thing she never expected to give again: her heart… 

A light, entertaining romance.

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Welcome to Midnight, Texas, a town with many boarded-up windows and few full-time inhabitants, located at the crossing of Witch Light Road and Davy Road. It's a pretty standard dried-up western town.

There's a pawnshop (someone lives in the basement and is seen only at night). There's a diner (people who are just passing through tend not to linger). And there's new resident Manfred Bernardo, who thinks he's found the perfect place to work in private (and who has secrets of his own).

Stop at the one traffic light in town, and everything looks normal. Stay awhile, and learn the truth . . . 

Interesting start to a new series by a favourite author. I liked mention of characters from other of her books. I didn't like who the murderer turned out to be (a 14 year old boy who has killed before), the solution to the problem ( killed by the vampire who lives in the basement of the pawn shop) or the characters reaction to the solution.

I'll look for the next in the series when it comes out. 

Northern Suns: An Anthology of Canadian Science Fiction

As usual with anthologies I enjoyed some more than others.  They were mainly alternative history, with quite a few after the end of the world stories.  The ones that stood to were;

The Fragrance of Orchids - This was just a lovely bittersweet story.
Halo - A brilliant space-y sci-fi (my favourite)
Things Invisible to See - Fantastically beautiful microfiction.
Craphound - Lovely, almost sweet. Loved the lists of items from sales/auctions. 
Offer of Immortality - One of those "oh I shouldn't be laughing at this" stories. Great humorous writing style. 
Freeforall - written by one of my favourite authors, Margaret Atwood. She writes so well it doesn't matter what genre she writes.

Calculated In Death by J D Robb

On the steps outside an empty office in New York's financial district, a woman lies dead. It's a bitterly cold winter and her coat and other items are missing, which initially seems to point to a mugging gone wrong, but Lt Eve Dallas soon discovers that the body was dumped at the newly-renovated property. Now she has to find out why.

Marta Dickenson was an auditor, so Eve has a host of suspects among those who were under her scrutiny, not ruling out the fact Marta's sister-in-law is a famous judge. With the financial wizardry of Eve's husband Roarke at her disposal and the faithful Peabody by her side - when not distracted by the upcoming premiere they're all to attend - Eve starts the process of shifting through the motives of some powerful people to catch a killer... 

Another good mystery. Not enough Roarke.

Dark Peril by Christine Feehan

Dominic of the Dragonseeker lineage - one of the most powerful lines the Carpathian people has - ingests vampire blood laced with parasites in order to infiltrate the heart of the enemy camp and learn their plans. This is a one-way mission. He plans to get in fast, relay the information to the leader of the Carpathians living in the area and go out fighting - an honourable way to end his life. Solange Sangria is one of the last of the jaguar people, a royal pure-blood. Her people, once many, are now nearly extinct. She has long been alone fighting to save the remaining women who are able to shift from the hands of Brodrick the Terrible, her own father who slaughtered everyone she loved. Wounded, weary, she plans one last battle, hoping to stop the man who has made an alliance with the vampires, accepting she will not come out alive. They are two warriors who have lived their lives alone. Now, at the end of their time, they find each other, a complication neither sees coming. 

Another OK read in this series. Very repetitious, both in paragraphs throughout this book and of information found in every other book in the series.  I think it's time the series came to an end.