May Queen Killers - Lorna Dounaeva

                If you’re in the mood for a suspense filled mystery then May Queen Killers is the book for you. Set in a quaint little village, Agatha Christie style, the main character, Jock, is a successful writer who is often compared to the mystery queen. He’s currently working on his latest novel when a local shop owner and current May Queen goes missing. Questions arise as to whether the accused May Queen killer is actually dead or whether they had the wrong person all along. Jock and a local drunk, Dylan, start digging up information about the previous missing May queens and put their own lives in danger. With a plethora of suspects and multiple twists and turns, I had no idea who the killer was until it was revealed and even then there were still more twists. This was the perfect cozy mystery with a little harder edge that I really loved. The characters are quirky and true to village life. The story is fast-paced and it’s hard to put the book down. I loved how the author showed the killer’s viewpoint, easily evident by using italicized font. This is the perfect book for a rainy afternoon or relaxing at the beach. My hope is that Jock will become the main character in a series. My copy was a digital version and formatted to my ereader well. The cover was particularly enticing and is what first drew me to the book.

The Butcher's Boy - Michael Robb Mathias

                The Butcher’s Boy is a creepy paranormal thriller that grips the reader within the first few pages. Janet and her son Michael are making a new start but, unbeknownst to them, the house Janet buys used to belong to the Butcher family who were horribly murdered by the father. Now the house is haunted and every one that has lived there since has died. Michael grows curious after seeing a ghost by his bed and starts to investigate what happened in the house. This stirs up the past and the horror and terror starts. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Every time I tried there was some new twist that kept me reading. I had no idea who the protagonist was until about three quarters of the way through the book. The characters are well written, realistic (mostly), and likeable (also mostly). The story is full of twists and turns and never predictable. All of these things makes this one of the best books I’ve read this year. I read the digital version of this book on my ereader and it formatted well. The cover was eye-catching and suited the storyline.

The Tears of Olive Trees - Abdulkarim Al Makadma

                I really didn’t consider reading this book until someone suggested I give it a try and I am so glad I did. Just by looking at the cover I would not have picked it up nor did the title entice me but by the end both made perfect sense. The Tears of Olive Trees is the autobiography of Abdulkarim Al Makadma, a Palestinian man who grew up in the Al Shati refugee camp, or as we know it in English, the Beach Camp. He persevered and eventually became a respected doctor and Canadian citizen. His story starts with his father who lived in Palestine before the occupation by Israel. It follows the family through the years, telling of their struggles and triumphs as they try to survive in horrible conditions. The writing is not just dry facts and recitations about parts of history nor is it full of complaining as many would in this situation. Instead, it is touching, spiritual and, many times, heart breaking. Before reading this I asked someone who is the “bad guy” in the troubles between the Palestinians and Israel and I was told it was Palestine. As the author states, this is a belief many Westerners have, so hopefully this book will help people to see the other side of the story. I try to never take being a Canadian citizen for granted and this book made me realize even more how very lucky I am. I read this book on my ereader and it formatted to digital form well. It truly made me look at things differently.