Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

The Dire King
by William Ritter

hitting shelves August 22d, 2017

from Algonquin Young Readers

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

The epic conclusion to the New York Times best-selling Jackaby series features sly humor and a quirky cast of unforgettable characters as they face off against their most dangerous, bone-chilling foe ever.

My thoughts:  Eeeee! We have a cover..we have an awesome synopsis...and..."epic conclusion??? Nooooo. I love this fun series and I would easily have welcomed 3 or 4 more. Not ready to reach the end. Still, very much looking forward to this book. Haven't read them yet? You can check out my previous reviews here, here, and here to convince you that YOU MUST. :)

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter {review + full series giveaway!}

Ghostly Echoes
by William Ritter
♦publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
♦release date: August 23rd, 2016
♦hardcover, 352 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Jackaby, book 3
  review of book 1, Jackaby
  review of book 2, Beastly Bones
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

Review: Another fun adventure with Jackaby and Abigail!  I love that in this installment, Abigail really seems to take center stage, and I love even more that we finally get the story behind of of my favorite characters in these books, Jenny Cavanaugh.  She's the ghost who was the former lady of the house at Jackaby's office. At the end of Beastly Bones, we were definitely left with some burning questions about Jenny and her increasingly erratic behavior, plus I've just loved these stories in general so this read was highly anticipated and did not disappoint!

I really appreciate that each of these stories have felt so different from each other---in Ghostly Echoes, we get kind of a mad scientist, evil corporation thing going on.  They have to race to solve the mystery of Jenny's murder and bring her peace before she completely loses herself to the dark fits of outrage that seem to be taking her over.  The story takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, through fearing the worst, despairing over who might be guilty , terror as the characters brave the unknown, and triumph as Jenny gets to learn her strength and face down her past. Abigail also faces some great challenges as she has to step out on her own to face the Underworld itself with only her bravery and brains to guide her! Jenny's murder converges with another mystery Jackaby is tracking, and suddenly unraveling her past may be even more important than they thought. 

A fourth and final book was recently announced and this makes me very happy! I have my fingers crossed that it will finish out with a little closer look at another favorite character, Charlie Cane, and maybe a few more romantic moments with him and Abigail. :)  All of these books are fast-paced and filled with imaginative twists, interesting folklore, and great adventure. If you haven't picked these up yet, you really need to! 

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Reports of William Ritter’s birthplace are unreliable and varied, placing his hometown either in a series of mysterious Catacombs in Malta or in a quiet town in Oregon. His parents, it can be confirmed, raised him to value intelligence, creativity, and individuality. When reading aloud, they always did the voices.

At the University of Oregon, William made questionable choices, including willfully selecting classes for the interesting stories they promised, rather than for any practical application. When he wasn’t frivolously playing with words, he earned credits in such meaningful courses as Trampoline, Juggling, and Seventeenth Century Italian Longsword. These dubious decisions notwithstanding, he regrets nothing and now holds degrees in English and education with certificates in creative writing and folklore.

He currently teaches high school language arts, including reading and writing, mythology and heroes. He is a proud husband and father. When reading aloud, he always does the voices.

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  GOODREADS

Purchase Ghostly Echoes: Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

GIVEAWAY!

I'm giving away the full series (so far) to one lucky reader!! Winner will get a paperback of Jackaby, a paperback of Beastly Bones, and an ARC of Ghostly Echoes! Good luck, everyone!

•US mailing addresses only (sorry!)

•Ends 10/7/16

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beastly Bones by William Ritter {early arc review + giveaway}

Beastly Bones
by William Ritter
♦publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
♦release date:  September 22nd, 2015
♦hardcover, 304 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Jackaby, book 2
  review of book 1
♦source: trade show

“I’ve found very little about private detective R. F. Jackaby to be standard in the time I’ve known him. Working as his assistant tends to call for a somewhat flexible relationship with reality.”

In 1892, New Fiddleham, New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer R. F. Jackaby are called upon to investigate the supernatural.

First, a vicious species of shape-shifters disguise themselves as a litter of kittens, and a day later, their owner is found murdered with a single mysterious puncture wound. Then in nearby Gad’s Valley, now home to the exiled New Fiddleham police detective Charlie Cane, dinosaur bones from a recent dig mysteriously go missing, and an unidentifiable beast starts attacking animals and people, leaving their mangled bodies behind. Charlie calls on Abigail for help, and soon Abigail and Jackaby are on the hunt for a thief, a monster, and a murderer. 

Review:  *Sigh* please let there be at least a dozen more Jackaby adventures before we see the end. This is just the kind of series I adore---wonderful characters, great fun plots, and each book has its own story arc that stands on it's own.  In this second story, William Ritter has given us another wild and entertaining mystery to unfold alongside Jackaby and his assistant, Abigail.  With curious creatures, grim killings, and one bafflingly hideous knit hat, this series brings on another tale of fast-paced, laugh out loud fun.

This time around we get to delve deeper into Abigails love for archeology. A strange creature has been unearthed at a local farm and Abigail and Jackaby have been called in to investigate a few strange deaths that have happened nearby.  A  slew of fun new characters come into play including two notoriously rivaling archeolgists, a riotously smart-mouthed and headstrong reporter, the kindly farmer grieving his late wife, and a big loveable country trapper with a fascination for bizarre creatures (this one, I couldn’t help but picture as Hagrid from HP!).  A few familiar faces from book one make appearances, including Jenny, the ghost who lives with them, and Charlie, a police officer who was banished to the countryside after his true “lineage” was revealed in the first adventure.   Abigail was incredibly fond of him the first time around and their closeness and attraction grows ever sweeter and stronger, in their very proper Victorian ways—for the most part. :) The bumbling way they sort of dance around their feelings is just adorable.

The mystery is full of clever twists and keeps you guessing at what could possibly be behind the strange deaths and missing artifacts--and how the two might be connected. The big climactic scene is so full of fantasy, peril, and bittersweet turns, it broke my heart one second and had me cheering the next.  There is also a brilliant bit of build-up to the plot of the next book. Looks like we'll be finding out more about Jenny. Though she is just a small part in Beastly Bones, she breaks out with some seriously strange behavior, so I absolutely can't wait to find out what is happening to her!

Find William Ritter online:  Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase Jackaby:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  • Amazon

*GIVEAWAY!*

I want to get this into another reader's hands!! Enter below to win a copy :)

•US addresses only

 (watch for an international giveaway closer to the pub date!) 

•Ends 8/7/15 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FINALLY!! :D

HURRAY! Two of my most anticipated covers of 2015 were revealed this past week! Fall cannot come fast enough for me, mostly because of these two books!!

They've done a fantastic job with all the covers of this series.  I can't wait to read more about Winter (who of course we met just briefly in Cress!)

 Absolutely love that they kept with the same style as Jackaby's cover, though I admit it's not quite as striking as the teal and red was. I still love it, though! :D

What do you think of these?  

And what are some of your most anticipated cover reveals for this year??

Jackaby Book Birthday Giveaway!

Hi all! :)  I've been away a few weeks, but I wanted to come back with a fun celebration of the release of Jackaby, one of my recent favorites!  Jackaby was released into the world yesterday, so I hope you all get a chance to check it out!

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

Here's a link to my review if you missed it: Jackaby by William Ritter

I gave it a well-earned 5 cupcakes!

To spread the love, I'm giving away one finished copy of Jackaby!

•Open internationally!

•must be 13 or older or have parent permission

•Ends 9/27/14

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jackaby by William Ritter {review}

Jackaby
by William Ritter
♦publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
♦release date: September 16, 2014
♦hardcover, 304 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone*
♦source: ALA

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

Review:  With its promise of appeal to fans of Sherlock and Doctor Who, Jackaby was solidly one of my most anticipated reads of this year. This comparison gave it some high expectations from me, and thankfully, this debut was everything I’d hope---even more amusing than I expected.  For a tale set in Victorian times, I was surprised to find myself giggling and sometimes even laughing out loud at the antics of Mr. Jackaby and the quick wit of his new assistant, Abigail Rook.

The story is told in the perspective of Abigail, a young woman who has broken away from her family to find adventure. After a failed attempt at what she thought was her dream job, she lands in New Fiddleham searching for work. She comes across an ad for an assistant, preferably with a strong stomach, and this leads her to the door of the odd and outcasted Mr. R. F. Jackaby.  Not only a clever detective, he is also a seer, able to see and sense things that most people don’t even believe exist.  Of course this eccentricity earns him a suspicious eye from everyone in town and a cold shoulder  from the chief of police, even though in some cases he  has no choice to hear Jackaby out. But I loved his intense pride in what he is, his complete disregard for what anyone else thought, and his high respect and endless knowledge of the all the mysterious creatures and species ---incidentally some of my favorite things about The Doctor and Sherlock, so the comparison is well deserved. 

I do hope this will be the start of a series of adventures, because this one was pure fun and danger and excitement.  Abigail and Jackaby have a great and humorous rapport between them (and completely non-romantic, I might add!), as she gets swept along in his madcap manner of solving supernatural crimes but also holds her own in being clever and observant in ways that he tends to miss. I’d love to delve deeper into these characters and some of the side characters as well, especially Jenny, the ghostly previous owner of Jackaby’s house that quickly formed a bond with Abigail---as I felt that this was a sort of quick and dirty intro to all the of them with the focus more on the mystery itself. Still, I loved this book and highly recommend! 

Find William Ritter online:  Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase Jackaby:  BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

*I did speak to the publisher at ALA about whether this was the start of a series.  While Jackaby does stand alone, more adventures are definitely in the works!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

 

Jackaby 

by William Ritter

 

hitting shelves September 16th, 2014 from Algonquin Young Readers

description:

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

 

My thoughts: They had me at "Doctor Who" meets "Sherlock".  There is no way I'm not reading this after a comparison like that. :)  Plus all the mystery, supernatural elements, and a Victorian setting puts this squarely on my most-wanted list.