The Baker Street Peculiars by Roger Langridge

This was not a good book for a 7" ereader. It was really hard to read the print, even zooming in. But since this was an ARC, I didn't base my rating on that. It would have been lower had I gotten this book another way.
Giant statues in London are starting to come to life. Rajani, Molly, and Humphrey (and his dog Wellington) are the only ones who decide to follow the giant lion statue. And that leads them right into the path of one Sherlock Holmes. Or is it? Anyway, the three team up together to try and figure out who or what is making these statues come alive and to try to stop them if they can.I liked the grouping of the kids, choosing people who would have been around in 1930s London but don't usually get a lot of attention. The story was interesting, but a little thin. And I wish he had learned more about the kids themselves.
Three and a half starsThis book came out January 31

Brickleberry V.1 by Waco O'Guin, Roger Black

If you enjoyed the series, you will like this book. If you never watched the series... I'm not sure how it will go for you. I saw at least one review that was shocked, SHOCKED, by the violence and language. Though, how they picked up a book with the cover having a guy with a gun for an arm and didn't expect violence or language frankly stymies me.
Picking up right at the end of Season 3, we see the Steve of the future being sent back to stop the "ArMOOgeddon" by killing Woody. This volume includes all four of the previously published books in the series so we get to see the whole story including the Bovine Overlord sending back Future Bobby to thwart Future Steve, the return of the squabbits, Denzel stealing a time device so he can exploit Jesus, and many other stories including the exciting finale between our human soldiers and the cows.

Four stars
This book comes out February 14

The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith

Jessamine Grace and her mother make their living as mediums. They have a slick trade but it's all a ruse. Jessamine is tiring of bilking people out of their money and is more and more scared about how much time her mother is spending at the bottom of an absinthe bottle.
One day, the trick goes wrong. The slate that is supposed to have a message to their client from "his daughter" instead contains a mysterious message that makes Jessamine's mother pack her up and move them both to London. There, Jessamine discovers that the man they go to meet is half-fairy and that he fought with her parents against the evil Mephisto and that she, Jessamine, has the power to speak to the dead. Her mother leaves her with Balthazar to be trained into the new League of Ravens, the protectors of England. So it's up to Jess, Emily, and Gabe to stand for the country. Why children? They apparently have more power and it lessens in adulthood so they have to be the ones to fight. Jess is only just settling in to London when she gets some horrible news... something that makes her determined to fight what is to come.
An interesting story, definitely some interesting political commentary in the current climate. A nice start (with a few starts and stops) to some world building on what could end up being a fun series.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 7

Passion Favors the Bold by Theresa Romain

We met Georgette and Lord Hugo in the last book of this duo. She is the sister of Benedict Frost and has been living with her aunt and working in what used to be her parents' bookshop. At twenty-one, her aunt will no longer be obligated to keep Georgette around so she decides to take matters into her own hands and find the brother who has only recently returned to England after being in the Navy.
Though she is dressed as a boy, she is handily recognized by her brother's friend, the third son of a Duke, Hugo Starling. From there, she convinces him to try and search for the lost gold coins. Hugo is reluctant but ends up giving in when it seems like that will be the only way to get his hospital up and running. Through a series of events, they end up posing as a married couple in order to follow a Bow Street Runner who they believe to also be on the trail of the thieves. This includes pretending to be the niece and nephew of a Northumberland land owner, Sir Frederic Chapple.
A sweet story though there are parts that stretched even my willingness to suspend disbelief. Nothing earth-shaking but I think regular Theresa Romain readers will be happy with the story.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out February 28
Follows Fortune Favors the Wicked

The Nature Fix by Florence Williams

Why are so many people becoming near sighted? Why are depression levels up? How can we solve a myriad of problems including ways to become more creative? According to Florence Williams, we need to get out into nature. She travels all over the world looking at various studies, all of which seem to point at being in nature as being a vital part of a healthy life.
She starts with her own experience (which most readers will dismiss as being WAY too small a sample size) but uses that as a jumping off place to move to Japan where people are encouraged to take forest baths (shinrin). She looks at how nature is being used in South Korea and the national parks of the United States. She looks at the importance of silence, more specifically the silence of nature that is actually filled with sound. Then there are the many studies that have shown that recuperating patients heal faster and better when they have a room with a view. Williams looks at what other things are improved when people can look out at nature.
The subject is compelling and the writing is easy to follow. Williams includes large-ranging studies as well as her own personal experiences.

Four stars
This book comes out February 7

Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Hope Larson

Goldie Vance is a teenager working in the hotel that her father manages. Right now she's a valet but has aspirations to be a detective. To that end, she helps the hotel's detective (whether he wants it or not) solve various cases like a disappearing necklace. But then the man who lost the necklace also disappears and the mysteries just build from there. What is the mysterious symbol on the necklace? Who is the woman romancing the hotel detective? Will Goldie and her father really be kicked out of the hotel because of her dubious methods of solving cases?
I didn't love everything about this story but it's some great world building, wonderful illustrations, and a main character who is a couple of steps left of norm.

Four stars
This book came out October 11, 2016

Death & the Gravedigger's Angel by Loretta Ross

Wren and Death are back, this time with Death's brother being included in the fun. The book opens with a dead, drunk man wearing an authentic Confederate coat. It seems that he stole a horse and died when his head hit a branch. Oh, and the coat has chemicals on it that make it obvious that it was recently buried on someone else. 
Death is asked to look into the murder of a bible-thumper's son. It seems that the man's church picketed a Muslim woman's death and now the son has turned up in the backseat of her husband. The supposed-murderer's friend asks Death to prove that the man committed the murder under the strain of PTSD.
Meanwhile, Wren is helping to clean out a house for auction and is running into some mysterious happenings there. And it's her handwriting that is found on a note in the drunk dead man's pocket.
I always feel like I'm missing something in these books. I have read both of the other books in this 
series and, while it seems like the information is all there... I just don't know if it's that the characters aren't quite fully developed or whether the story isn't quite finished, I don't know. I am frustrated that I can't put my finger on what it is that makes me feel like I'm only reading 90% of the story. I definitely know that I didn't feel like the stories in this book were tied together well. I'm also frustrated that we didn't get to see a lot of Wren in this story and we didn't get to know more about Randy.

Three stars
This book comes out February 8