Thereby Hangs a Tail

By Spencer Quinn

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Atria Books, 2010

Genre: Mystery, humorous stories

Series: Chet and Bernie Mysteries; 2

ISBN: 9781416585855

Intended audience: Adult

Number of pages: 309

Setting: The Valley (an unnamed desert city somewhere between Las Vegas and New Mexico), Rio Loco, Clauson’s Wells, and Las Vegas, NV

Time period: Contemporary

Plot summary: Chet and Bernie don’t usually take body guarding cases, but they make an exception this time for the show dog Princess.  However, due to an incidental circumstance, they are soon fired.  Unfortunately for all, soon after this, both Princess and her owner are abducted.  Once Chet and Bernie are rehired to find them, Suzie Sanchez, a reporter for the Valley Tribune and good friend of Chet and Bernie’s disappears as well.  With three missing individuals, Chet and Bernie have their work cut out for them.

Heart’s Blood

By Juliet Marillier

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Roc, 2009

Genres: Fantasy, historical fiction, historical fantasy, paranormal, romance, paranormal romance

ISBN: 9780451462930

Intended audience: Adult

Number of pages: 402

Setting: Whistling Tor & Market Cross, Ireland

Time period: 12^th century

Plot summary: When Caitrin, a young female scribe, finally musters the courage to flee her tormentors at home, she travels as far as her limited funds take her.  She ends up in the village of Whistling Tor, a place filled with wary residents.  There she learns that the local chieftain, Anluan, is seeking a scribe for a project.  Caitrin eagerly heads to the fortress to apply for the job and discovers first hand along the way why the villagers are so wary.  Whistling Tor is a place filled with many secrets and unusual residents.  When Caitrin finally makes it to the fortress she finds many more surprises, including a very unusual chieftain with a dark family history.

Summer Knight

By Jim Butcher

Place: Publisher & Year: New York: Roc, 2002

Genres: Fantasy, contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, dark fantasy, mystery, paranormal mystery, paranormal

Series: The Dresden Files; 4

ISBN: 9780451458926

Intended audience: Adult

Number of pages: 371

Setting: Chicago, IL & where it meets Faerie

Time period: Contemporary

Plot summary: Harry Dresden has been feeling guilt ridden and depressed ever since his girlfriend Susan left town.  Instead of working on paying cases, he’s been devoting his time to wallowing in misery while seeking to rectify Susan’s situation and falling behind in rent payments.  He’s also had to dodge a few assignation attempts.  The Red Court still wants Harry dead.  Unfortunately, many of the wizards of the White Council would be willing to give Harry to the Red Court to stop the war between the Red Court and the White Council.  These aren’t the worst of Harry’s problems, though.  Those come with the Winter Faerie Queen, Mab, who wants Harry to do a job for her – find out who killed the Summer Knight.  Harry knows better than to deal with Faeries, especially Sidhe queens, but it turns out that he really has no choice in the matter.