Playing with fire by Katie MacAlister

Part 1 of the Silver Dragons series

May was created by a demon lord from her naiad "twin" Cyrene's shadow in exchange for her sister's "common sense". She is also a doppelganger which gives May the ability to shadow-walk or to become almost invisible in the shadows which is quite useful her "career". But May is bound to the former silent film-star demon lord who created her, and forced to obey his commands to steal for him.

May meets Gabriel Drake when she stumbles onto Drake's estate while attempting to return a stolen item that had put a price on her head. Quite by accident Gabriel discovers that May is a wyvern's mate and seeks to claim her. The ever sensible May tries to refuse Gabriel, knowing the danger the demon poses - May has spent her life avoiding relationships knowing that should she take a lover the demon lord who wants May's body would likely order May to kill her lover. But Gabriel assures May that dragons are not so easy to get rid of and of course Gabriel is totally irresistible, so May lets Gabriel claim her in a fiery joining that literally burns up the sheets.

But all is not smooth sailing for May and Gabriel, May will have to outsmart the demon lord or risk an eternity in Abbandon to avoid betraying Gabriel when her demon-lord commands a theft of a powerful artifact that will put all the dragons under the demon lord's control.

I read this from a recommendation of a friend and while it was ok I just kept getting annoyed by May and her stupid sister who kept getting her into these messes. I will admit I have not read anything by MacAlister before and did enjoy her almost Bridgette Jones way of writing. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it versus listening to it on CD. I found the reader very whiney and that annoyed me as well. So I'll give it another chance as the book ended on a cliff hanger!

Shoot to Thrill by P.J. Tracy (Mother/daughter team of Patricia J. and Traci Lambrecht)

Latest Monkeewrench novel

The FBI finds five videos on the internet that are of genuine murders. Agent John Smith, nearing retirement from the FBI's cyber crimes unit, comes to Minneapolis to hire Monkeewrench and other computer crackers to find who is posting the videos so they can catch the murderer or murderers. Magozzi and Rolseth get involved when a sixth murder happens in their jurisdiction.

The Monkeewrench team must create a program that can separate staged death scenes from the real thing. The first death they scrutinize appears to be the drowning murder of a Minneapolis drag queen. A stabbing, two shootings, and a strangulation are among subsequent killings that occur in other cities across the country. But then they discover that the murders are being preposted online so the chase is on to find the victims before they are killed. It gets pretty intense as one of the victims survives but is in a coma.

But as always it is the connections between the characters that the authors really shine. Plus it was nice that the storyline focused more on the detectives instead of the monkeewrench team and I really enjoyed the additional FBI characters of Smith and some of the other Minneapolis police. But I didn't see the ending coming at all and it made me smile.

Bloodsucking Fiends : a love story by Christopher Moore


Tommy Flood, a teenaged Jack Kerouac wannabe, leaves his home in Indiana to search for his artistic muse and some adventure. He lands in San Franscico and changes his name to C. Thomas Flood to give the appearance he is a writer. His introduction to San Francisco is having his car blow up near Chinatown. His first apartment is sharing a single room with 5 men named Wong, and every morning he wakes up to find flowers on his bed. He finds out later that all 5 Wongs are here illegially and are looking to get married. Since this is San Francisco they figure a guy will work just fine. Tommy decides that this living arrangement is not going to work plus he has to find a job since his money is almost gone. And he still hasn't written a word.


What he finds is Jody, a beautiful redhead who has recently been transformed into a vampire and is trying to find a way to cope with her new "life." Together they go on a giddy romp of San Francisco, dealing with the occasional corpse, some suspicious cops, and a nasty old vampire. They also discover some surprising truths about morality, love, and the mechanics of vampirism along the way.

This book has been on my to read list for such a long time that I'm glad that I finally made the effort to read it. I'm looking forward to reading other books by Moore and seeing as there are sequels out there. This is not for the serious vampire book readers but those of us who enjoy a romp on the wild side.

Malice in Maggody by Joan Hess

First book in the series of Maggody. Meet Chief of Police, Arly Hanks. She's back home in Maggody, Arkansas, population 755, recovering from a nasty divorce. She wanted some quiet time to decompress and gather her wits about her, and that's just what she got. Life in Maggody is slow, really slow. There's no crime to speak of, and about the only action she ever sees is a car wreck out on the highway, once every month or so. Her biggest chief of police decisions usually involve where to set up the speed trap, in the school zone, or at the signal light.

So it comes as a big surprise when two real crime cases fall her way on the same day. First a former Maggody resident, now housed at the state correctional institution escapes and looks to be heading home. Then an EPA contract specialist sent to sign the paperwork for an unwanted sewage treatment plant that the residents of Maggody are sure is going to pollute their swimming and fishing holes, goes missing. Add to that the murder of a local, and it looks like Arly is going to have to buckle down and get busy, fast. With the whole town tight lipped and stonewalling her investigation, it's going to take all her cunning and training to sort out all this mayhem and madness, and get to the truth.

I decided to re-read this series as it has been quite awhile since I've read a Maggody book and I'm behind. I know that I read it years ago but it all seemed new to me. I had forgotten some of the earlier characters and to be honest it was a lot more sexual than I remembered but still a real hoot.

Waking up in the Land of Glitter: a Crafty Chica Novel by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Meet Estrella "Star" Esteban who is spoiled by her family and friends. She is an independent spirit who is used to getting her own way. So after waking up the day after getting drunk, black-out can't remember a thing drunk, to discover that she had spray painted the mural on the wall of her family's restaurant. Her days of getting a free pass are up, as the mural she spray painted with happy faces was created by her best friend, Theo, who she also has a crush on says they are through and her family gives her 6 months to get her life in order she decides buckle down. But Star has always wanted to be an artist and when she orders 350 lbs. of glitter by accident (vs. 3.5 lbs.) through the restaurant, she has to take on her obligations. She decides to be a bronze sponsor of the Craft Olympics and agrees to make hundreds of centerpieces for the tables so that she can promote the restaurant.

She elicits the help of her best friend Ofelia, whose passion is crafting which unfortunately she sucks at. She is being held back by her mother- in-law Nana who thinks that she has no talent. They meet Chloe Chavez who is a television reporter about crafts. Chloe would do anything to get ahead in the business, from stealing her assistant's ideas to having an affair with the producer. She also was named host of the Craft Olympics and felt that joining the group would increase her standings in the crafting community. They have to resolve their issues and work together to get the job done.

We see lots of examples of the up and coming art scene in Central Phoenix and feel like are part of the lives of these 3 women. It was a lot more entertaining than I expected and I wasn't even sure if I would enjoy it at first. But I'm glad that I stayed with it.

Misery Loves Maggody by Joan Hess

Ruby Bee, Estelle, and their big hair have embarked on a cut-rate package tour to Graceland to pay homage to the King. Before the end of the tour, one of the other pilgrims is found dead outside her hotel room, Ruby Bee is in the hospital, and Mayor Jim Bob Buchanon has been arrested for murder.

Arly drives through the night to bring order out of chaos and make sure all the citizens of Maggody return home safely--with or without their dignity intact.

Entertaining as always plus there were even some Elvis sightings by Arly. I didn't have the person who was the actual murderer pegged, it came as a complete surprise. The only thing that didn't get clarified was the mystery back in Maggody but maybe I missed it. It's been awhile since I've read a Maggody story but since this was on CD it seemed like a good one to re-start with. Now I want to go back and re-read the earlier books.

Pinochio: the Vampire slayer by Dustin Higgins and Van Jensen

After his maker/father Geppetto is killed by vampires, Pinocchio tries to protect the disbelieving inhabitants of his village, aided only by woodcarver Master Cherry, a greatly aged Blue Fairy and the ghost of the nagging cricket he squashed some time ago.

Listed as one of the top Graphic Novels for Teens for 2009 so I thought I would give it a try. I was impressed how much they used from the original storyline and incorporated it into a transition. Pinochio is out for revenge after his father is killed by the undead. When Pinochio lies his nose grows and he discovers by accident he is able to kill the vampires with his nose. So it's quite entertaining as he responds to questions by lying so his nose will grow. He then breaks it off and stabs them with it. I love when the cryptic bunnies give him clues he can't put together about where and when the vampires will strike.

For such a short graphic novel there is a lot packed in and an twist I didn't see coming at the end. Very satisifying and I wonder if there will be more adventures of Pinochio the vampire slayer.

Scalped Vol 3 - Dead Mothers by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera

3rd in the Scalped series we follow ex-con and war vet Dashiell Bad Horse as he goes undercover at his tribal reservation for the FBI. Being a cop is his cover as he seeks to bust Red Crow, the tribe's chief and the local crime boss—and former boyfriend of Dashiell's mom.

The ending of the previous 2 collections have shown us that Dashiell's mother, Gina, is dead, murdered by the side of the road and scalped, and then her body being discovered by a group of pre-teens. This collection continues with the police being called out to investigate. We we see Red Crow watching from the sidelines, obviously distraught. Meanwhile Bad Horse is at a Meth House busting everyone in sight when they discover the dead body of a woman who had been strangled. While searching the rest of the house they find a locked room with the children of the dead woman. After Dashiell is told about the death of his mother he seems more interested or almost obsessed with searching for the killer of dead woman and caring for her revenge-obsessed preteen son. But we see signs of how much his mother's death has affected him.

The illustrations change somewhat at the end as the artist must have changed but we see how hard the reservation life is and how no one is left unscathed. While this is a graphic, graphic comic the storyline is fascinating and I wonder how it will end up.

I see more ILL in my future.

Double Comfort Safari Club by Alexander McCall Smith

Latest in the #1 Ladies' Detective Agency series
Several new cases come about, there’s Mma Mateleke, who suspects her husband of being unfaithful (turns out, he harbors the same suspicions about her). Mr. Kereleng falls prey to the wiles of Violet Sephotho, who manipulated him into putting his house in her name. (Readers will remember Violet as the conniving classmate of Mma Makutsi at the Botswana Secretarial College, where Mma Makutsi earned an impressive 97 percent.) Mma Makutsi copes with bad news about her fiancé, Phuti Radiphuti, who undergoes a serious leg operation following an accident at his furniture store. Then she has to deal with his selfish Aunt who will not even let her see him.

A more pleasant assignment involves the search for a kindhearted safari guide, who was bequeathed a nice sum of money by an American tourist. This brings the two ladies to the stunning Okavango Delta, positively fraught with feral creatures. With snakes in abundance, proper footwear is a must, much to the delight of Mma Makutsi, who has a well-known weakness for new shoes.

All the storylines comes to a satisfying end, leaving me feel warm and happy like drinking a cup of bush tea. I always so look forward to the latest in this series, this new installment did not disappoint.

Eggsecutive Orders by Julie A. Hyzy

3rd in the series featuring Ollie Paras in the White House Chef mystery series

Ollie is the White House Chef and she and her staff are set to get ready for the Easter celebration (dinner and Easter Egg Roll) and her mother and grandmother are finally coming to visit. It will be the first time her family has come to visit since she started working at the White House. But on the morning of their arrival the secret service comes knocking at her door without any kind of explanation. Quickly Ollie figures out someone has died shortly after eating dinner at the White House - by a meal prepared by Ollie and her staff. So until an investigation is done Ollie and her staff are suspended indefinitely.

So Ollie tries to enjoy the extra free time with her mother and grandmother but feels responsible for her staff and the kitchen. When her boyfriend, Tom's job on the Presidential Protection Detail is also threatened, Ollie can't help but investigate. The tension builds between her and her boyfriend as he's made responsible for her actions. Ollie becomes a target for a newspaper columnist and her mother shows too much interest in a man connected to the dead White House guest for Ollie. Can she find a way back into the kitchen and to find the killer?

I somehow missed book 2 but didn't really feel like I was missing anything by not reading it first. I read book 1 several years ago when it came out. I enjoyed but still find Ollie kind of annoying as she never really listens to anyone and why is it that everyone seems to hate her except the President? She spends more time getting into arguments with various White House staff and even her boyfriend that you wonder when she has time to even cook? But yet I enjoy the behind the scenes look we get at the White House that I can overlook my annoyance.

Drama City by George P. Pelecanos

Lorenzo Brown, a young, black ex-con who's recently returned to the streets after doing eight years in prison on a felony drug charge. Living in D.C., crime and criminals had always been fundamental to Lorenzo's existence. Since his release, though, he's trying to live the straight life. He has a job serving as a Humane Law Enforcement Officer with the Humane Society, protecting animals from the panoply of domestic cruelty. He visits his grandma regularly and connects with other ex-cons who are trying to stay on track.

This attitude has won him a few champions, notably Rachel Lopez, his striking half-Jewish, half-Latina probation officer and friend, who spends her days "telling other people that they need to stay on track," but then goes off the rails at night, haunting hotel bars, picking up inappropriate guys, always frightened by the idea of a relationship "where she was not in complete control."

We see how their lives connect via Narcotics Anonymous Meetings where we hear other NA's stories as well as learn more about Lorenzo and Rachel. But the violence is never far behind Lorenzo as a turf war starts and by a seemingly inconsequential mistake. Now Lorenzo's childhood friend, boss Nigel Johnson and rival gang boss Deacon Taylor are at odds. But it escalates when 2 of Nigel's best boys are gunned down by Ricco Miller, boy of Deacon. While Lorenzo is upset by the events it isn't until Rachel is stabbed in the chest by a volatile, Ricco, that Lorenzo finds his killer instincts returning to the fore. He must decide how far he's willing to go--and how much he's willing to lose--in order to exact retribution.

I listened to this on CD and it was a tough read. I really have not experiences this type of life or read much about it. It felt very authentic though and it gives me hope that others who choose to live their lives right will succeed. Because that is what it is really about, making choices.

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani


Valentine Roncalli, adrift after a failed relationship and an aborted teaching career, becomes an apprentice to her 80-year-old grandmother, Teodora Angelini, at the tiny family shoe business Angelini Shoes has been in business since 1903 in Greenwich Village.


While Valentine struggles to come up with a financial plan—and shoe design—to bring the Old World operation into the 21st century, her brother, Alfred, is pushing Gram to retire and sell her building for $6 million. It's not all business for Valentine, of course: handsome and sophisticated Roman Falconi, owner and chef at a posh restaurant, is vying for her heart.


Meanwhile Valentine is finally romantically involved with a up and coming Italian Chef 4 years after she broke up with her fiance. Everyone in her life is married or getting married and Valentine wonders if this is it as though the chemistry is there, neither make time for each other. It takes a trip to Italy with her gram for her to finally listen to her heart and do what is right for her.

Interesting story, though not really a romance as more of women's fiction with some family saga thrown in. The main focus is on Valentine and her finding her place in the world. The sequel recently came out so I wanted to read this one before I read the new book. I enjoyed it, more depth to it than I expected and the storyline was fun and entertaining. I have much more appreciation to shoes that ever before.

You Have Killed Me by Jaime S. Rich and Joelle Jones

Graphic Novel set in the 1930s-era. Gumshoe Antonio Mercer finds himself unable to resist rich red head girl named Jennie when she comes to him to find her missing sister, Julie, who disappeared from a locked hotel room bathroom they shared. To further complicate matters the missing dame is his ex-lover - Mercer is actually a rich boy slumming it.

In the search to find Julie, Mercer faces down a number of tough guys, running the gamut from cops, both honest and bent, to gamblers, mob bosses and even short-tempered and knife-wielding musicians, while following the gal's trail, but nothing is ever as it seems.

I enjoyed the illustrations by Jones but found the storyline rather convoluted and hard to follow and especially hard to figure how the "twist" at the end. Plus it really should have been called "I Killed You!" but that's just my opinion. So I was thankful I had just borrowed it from the library versus actually buying it.

A Whole New Mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future by Daniel H. Pink

The beings with the author, Daniel Pink, going in for brain scan and explaining how it was able to detect which side responded to stimuli. He then gives a pretty good overview of how the left and right brain sides work independently but more importantly how each side has to work together.

He then discusses what major problems the United States and other Western countries are facing: Abundance, Asia, and Automation. Most people, including intellectuals and high government officials are in the coma state of not sensing the lethal effects of offshore outsourcing of high-tech jobs and R&D to the fundamental well being of U.S. and other Western countries, nor the consequence of automating white collar jobs by the ever more powerful computer hardware and software. While I had heard about outsourcing and of course very aware of automation I had not even thought about Abundance.

Part 2 of the book discusses the theory of the "six senses" that one could harvest to build a whole new mind. In Pink's worldview, Design is an asset above function. Story is an asset above argument. Symphony is an asset above focus. Empathy is an asset above logic. Play is an asset above seriousness, and Meaning is an asset above accumulation. After an extensive essay about each of these six components, Pink includes a "portfolio" of exercises (further reading, tools, and websites) which I found really fascinating.

I listened to this book on CD read by Daniel Pink and first I wasn't sure if I would even enjoy it as he was a bit stiff. But soon I became intrigued by his concepts and just couldn't stop listening or thinking about what I was hearing. I also had a hard copy which I started following along with while I was listening.

Interestingly enough the Medical Library Association has chosen this book as the common book to read before the MLA annual conference in May in which Daniel Pink will be the keynote speaker. So Becky and I suggested it for our bookclub at work. It will be interesting to get others perspectives on it as reading some of the reviews it is definitely one either people love or hate. I guess I fall under the category of loved it.

By a Spider's Thread by Laura Lippman

8th in the series featuring Baltimore, PI, Tess Monaghan. This time out the determined reporter-turned-private detective agrees to help a handsome but off-puttingly rigid Orthodox Jewish furrier Mark Ruben find his missing wife, Natlalie, who disappeared with their 3 children. Natlalie is 13 years his junior and she married at age 18. Ruben makes Monaghan feel as if she knows nothing about being Jewish, even though her mother's family is Jewish. So Tess is driven to research the religion of her client, who's secretive, controlling, and apparently in denial. I love how she uses technology aka the Snoop Sisters, an online network of female PIs, that help her track down the family and even provides a retired librarian to tail her quarry.

As weeks go by, Tess uncovers a tangle of lies and dark plans that reveal that Ruben's gorgeous young Russian Jewish bride is anything but innocent. Yet much to Monaghan's amazement, nothing seems to dim Ruben's faith in his own tradition or to rock his sense of his role and responsibilities as a husband and a father.

To further complicate Tess's life, Crow, her boyfriend has left her and her Aunt is getting married and Tess is going to be the maid of honor as well as the best man. It' s a fun distraction to the dark storyline.

We see the story from Tess as well as the runaway wife and children. We quickly figure out that Natalie is no innocent and the situation is much more complicated than any one could have anticipated. It left me reading to the end to figure out why this was happening and it was well done. As always Lippman has this way of making me want to read more. She makes her characters and situations real but it is in no way predicable.

Lover's Knot: a someday Quilt's mystery by Claire O'Donohue

Nell Fitzgerald is a Manhattan publishing professional living in New York. When her fiance wants to postpone the wedding she takes her broken heart back to the Hudson River town of Archer's Rest, where her grandmother, Eleanor Cassidy, runs Someday Quilts.

After her grandmother takes a nasty fall, Nell decides to help Eleanor recuperate and expand the store with the assistance of Marc Reed, a handsome handyman. The unexpected arrival of Ryan, Nell's ex-fiance, during a tender moment with Marc causes a major fight. Things get worse after Marc turns up at Someday Quilts scissored to death. Local police chief Jesse Dewalt, an attractive widower, has a roster of suspects, including Ryan. Ryan offers to reconcile, but first Nell must clear Ryan's name by helping Jesse solve Marc's murder.

I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book as I do not care for the cutesy craft themed mysteries but I found the story well thought out and for once didn't use any puns. The storyline was believable and while Nell is a bit of a whiner about her life she rallied and decided to begin her life fresh. There is now a sequel that I'm curious to read and see if the story stays fresh.

Echo by Minette Walters

Set in 1996 London, a homeless man who called himself Billy Blake is found dead of starvation in the garage of an expensive home near London's Thames. A magazine journalist named Michael Deacon is intrigued by the case and wonders if perhaps Billy Blake might actually be a merchant banker, James Streeter, who disappeared in 1988 with 10 million pounds. Coincidentally, the woman who owns the home is Amanda Powell Streeter, wife of the missing banker.

As Deacon investigates the homeless populations he meets a young teenager named Terry who lives among the homeless of London and was the last person to see Billy alive. After some altercations Deacon takes Terry home for Christmas and suddenly his isolated home life becomes a magnet for other homeless (philosophy speaking) souls. One of which is Barry a photography archivist for the same newspaper that Deacon works for. But Barry is damaged, living with his domineering mother, is also isolated by his career and his lifestyle. When Barry becomes fixated on Deacon and then on Amanda Powell Streeter, he starts to stalk Amanda and is caught by police at her home. He too is adopted for the holidays by Deacon. Another lost soul is Lawrence, a retired Jewish lawyer, who had written to Deacon in the past about other stories he had done. Their paths cross by chance and both are forever changed.

But Deacon is no different than the homeless he is investigating as he has no contact with his family and lives in a rented flat that is sterile and isolated. Because of the contact with Terry he reconnects with his mother and sister. While Terry gets to connect with another male figure who isn't interested in sexually abusing him. Plus Deacon teaches Terry how to read.

Lots of references to William Blake, the poet, from both Deacon and Billy Blake and Terry. I always find these kind of things fascinating that people can quote or recognize a piece of poetry or work and find its association with real life.

This is a complicated story but Walters writes complicated suspenseful psychological mysteries. While it wasn't hard to figure out who the murderer was it was hard to know how the book would end. Walters is not for everyone but she makes a nice change of pace.

Scalped Vol 2 - Casino Boogie by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera

Sequel to Indian Country the larger focus of this volume as each story part takes place on opening night of the Crazy Horse Casino on The Prairie Rose Reservation. Each chapter's opening pages uses flashback sequences which setup the focus of each part on a particular. This perspective gives us a chance to see where the person came from. Red Crow's grim and murderous determination is really the center piece in my opinion, as his actions have a grand, sweeping effect on all the other characters to say nothing of the fact that it's HIS casino that's opening.

The larger tapestry of the ongoing story is fleshed out plus a few new wrinkles are added to complicate matters for the residents of The Prairie Rose Reservation. Is Dash the only undercover FBI agent operating on The Rez? What is Red Crow's involvement with Hmong ganglords hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota and who is this "Mr. Brass" they've sent out to "help" him with his local troubles? What does Catcher's vision mean and what can we possibly expect from such bizarre individual as he? Probably the most moving storyline is about young Dino Poor Bear, who only wants to leave the rez but once he is given the money he can't do it. He is too attached to his family and what he is familiar with and is almost a parallel between him and young Dash.

Interesting enough this collection ends with a very simliar ending as the first with the body of Dash's mother laying scalped on the ground. We do have more clues as we see what she was doing the few days before her death.

Now I'm ready for volume 3 - thank goodness for ILL.

Scalped Vol 1 - Indian Country by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera

Indian Country introduces us to Dashiell Bad Horse, a native to The Prairie Rose Reservation, South Dakota. The first thing Dash does is get into a fight with fifteen guys in a bar. With nunchaku, no less! He is, to put it mildly, looking for trouble. He's been off the Rez for fifteen years and has just come back for reasons of his own. So Bad Horse starts working for Lincoln Red Crow, the Council Tribal President who essentially runs the reservation. He is also working on opening up a huge Casino.

It takes awhile to figure out why Bad Horse has come back and it isn't so he can reconnect with his mother. He's an undercover FBI agent who's been sicced on Red Crow by probably the most miserable and hateful FBI minder ever to "grace" South Dakota with his presence: Special Agent Nitz. Nitz has an axe to grind with Red Crow that goes back twenty some years to the murder of two FBI agents on the Prairie Rose Reservation.

This comic is harsh, nothing romantic about it and the people are hard and live hard. There's shootings, meth lab busts, rampant sex, organized crime intrigue, plus betrayal, and scalping (hence the title).

This series is not an easy one to read but I've been intrigued by the series for awhile so thought I would give it a try. I'm already waiting for the next volume - so far there are 6 total.

Edge of Winter by Luanne Rice

A maimed owl and a sunken U-boat spark an inordinate amount of activism, romance and multigenerational family healing in this winsome melodrama. Out to observe a single rare snowy owl, high school beauty and passionate bird-watcher Mickey crashes her bicycle and goes sailing into the arms of soulful surfer-dude Shane. She joins his guerrilla campaign to prevent greedy developer Cole Landry from raising said U-boat from its resting place just off their local Rhode Island beach, where the underwater hulk churns up sublimely gnarly waves.

Meanwhile, Mickey's struggling divorced mom, Neve, falls for hunky park ranger Tim, who has his own anguished reasons for revering the submarine. When the developer's son, Josh, bashes the owl with a log, Mickey, Shane and Neve take it to an ancient raptor healer, who, in an unsurprising coincidence, turns out to be Tim's estranged dad, Joe O'Casey, the commander of the navy ship that sank the U-boat.

Both storylines were interesting as we have Mickey who is trying to figure out what she is truly passionate about and her mother, Neve, is just trying to get her life back on track. The setting of East coast was interesting to me as I have never been there and who knew that there are relics from the war just off our coast.