Book Review - Ice and Stone (Sharon McCone, #34) by Marcia Muller

 

Two bodies of Indigenous women are found in the wilderness in northern California. It's the latest grim discovery in a long line of similar crimes in the area. Contrary to the presented evidence, the officials still believe the deaths are isolated and the cases join the ranks of other similar unsolved cases that are dismissed by law enforcement.

The town is used to the callous behaviors of law enforcement and just tolerate the injustices. A few people though refuse to let more Indigenous people suffer the same fate. Sharon McCone is a private investigator that was hired to help solve the murders in Meruk county. Sharon must try to parse out who is telling the truth and who is willing to kill to keep it a secret.

This is my first book by the author and even though it's a part of a series, I found it easy to follow along. I thought the book was okay, it was a straightforward and easy read. I was able to guess most of the plot ahead of time. I appreciate that the author focused on the plight and harsh conditions that Native Americans face on a daily basis. Overall, the book was an easy going read but, I am not sure I would go out of my way to read another book by the author.

Book Review - Tribal Affairs by Matt Dallmann

Photo Source - Amazon

Dahlia is a centuries-old powerful genie, who is helplessly trapped in a damaged golden locket. The locket is a family heirloom that was passed on to Liana by her beloved dead mother. She wears the locket during her father, Jamison's opening night performance. The locket causes a chain of unfortunate events which leads to a showdown between Liana and  Dahlia's nemesis, Stefan. Will Liana be able to defeat Stefan? Will Dahlia be able to escape her prison?

 I found the novel to be an interesting read. It was quite enjoyable to learn about different versions of genies. I found the dynamic between Taffi and Liana was fun to read. I enjoyed that when Taffi was in peril all he could think about was Liana's purple bedroom instead of his pending doom. The novel was narrated by Dahlia and I felt like it took away from the story. Dahlia seemed very involved in the beginning and was curious about Taffi but eventually disappeared after a few chapters. We only got to hear about her history through Liana's dreams. I would have enjoyed the book better if the book was narrated by Liana instead.  Overall, I found it to be an interesting book to read especially if you are interested in reading novels about genies.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Tribal Affairs

By Matt Dallmann

Genre: YA Fantasy

Brief Description

Dahlia, a centuries old genie, lies hopelessly trapped in a damaged golden locket charm attached to an ankle bracelet. Its owner, sixteen-year-old Liana, wears it for the first time during her father Jamison’s opening night illusion spectacular. Not only does its presence cause Jamison to folly his performance, but it also starts a chain of bizarre events that lead to a showdown with Dahlia’s mortal enemy, Stefan, and an unsuspecting romance between Liana and his son.

About the Author

Matt Dallmann has a background in acting and holds a BFA from Marymount Manhattan College in New York City. His films and screenplays have been featured at film festivals across the United States including Cinequest, Big Apple Film Festival, Seattle’s True Independent Film Festival, DragonCon and Zero Independent Film Festival. His piano compositions have been published for commercial use and he is a member of ASCAP. Matt is also the Co-Founder and Vice President of the boutique medical billing firm VGA Billing Services, Inc. in New York City. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters.

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