Death on the Devil's Teeth: The Strange Murder That Shocked Suburban New Jersey

Today’s Nonfiction post is on Death on the Devil's Teeth: The Strange Murder That Shocked Suburban New Jersey by Jesse P. Pollack and Mark Moran. It is 211 pages long and is published by The History Press. The cover has a picture of the murder victim Jeanette DePamla and where she was found. The intended reader is someone who is interested in true crime, weird stories, and weird New Jersey. There is some foul language, no sex, and violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- As Springfield residents decorated for Halloween in September 1972, the crime rate in the quiet, affluent township was at its lowest in years. That mood was shattered when the body of sixteen-year-old Jeannette DePalma was discovered in the local woods, allegedly surrounded by strange objects. Some feared witchcraft was to blame, while others believed a serial killer was on the loose. Rumors of a police coverup ran rampant, and the case went unsolved--along with the murders of several other young women. Now, four decades after Jeannette DePalma's tragic death, authors Jesse P. Pollack and Mark Moran present the definitive account of this shocking cold case.

Review- An interesting story that goes nowhere in the end because of many reasons. The authors write a magazine called Weird New Jersey and they love the weird stories that their state in abundance. So they come to this story with great love and interest in the weird. The story itself is very weird with Jeannette being missing for a few weeks then she is found and has been dead for most of that time and the death is strange. The body was found in an odd place and was surrounded by stones placed around the body in some kind of pattern. But that not the only strange things about the murder, her family was strange, and then more strange things happen, like more murders and no ideas about how they happened. The story ends up feeling very disjointed as we move from strange and creepy murder to another creepy and strange event. The writing is good with a lots of details into the crimes, the families, and the theories but not much on resolution. That maybe because there is not real resolution to the main case, the killer is still unknown and the murder still haunts the community.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library. 

Horimiya, volume 2

Today's post is on Horimiya, volume 2 by HERO and Daisuke Hagiwara. It is 176 pages long and is published by Yen Press. The cover has the two side characters on it. The intended reader is someone who likes romantic comedies. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this manga. The story is told from third person close of the main characters. There Be Spoilers Ahead. 

From the back of the book- The sweet, "aww"- inspiring tale of school life continues!!
By all appearances, Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura are worlds apart. Bright and capable, Hori is always surrounded by classmates, the center of attention. For Miyamura, a quirky loner, getting through class unnoticed counts as a good day. But ever since these two started sharing secrets, they've found themselves drawn into each's other's orbit little by little and the distance between them shrinking bit by bit...

Review- This volume continues the story of people learning about themselves and others around them. We learn a lot about Miyamura in this volume, like he has a temper that he hides very well and he does not think about things like people liking him romantically. That is a major plot point for this volume and is going to let into the next volume at the very least if not the rest of the series. Of the group of friends Hori is really liked by Ishikawa and he believes that Hori really likes Miyamura, which she may or may not that is not the point. The point is that Ishikawa likes her and her does not take him seriously at all. So that what we have in this volume and it play out but not fully and I am curious about how it is going to be handled by the characters.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this manga from a friend.

If You've Got It, Haunt It

Today's post is on If You've Got It, Haunt It by Rose Pressey. It is the first in her Haunted Vintage Mystery. It is 304 pages long and is published by Kensington. The cover is a picture of the shop with the cat Wind Song. The intended reader is someone who likes cozy mysteries. There is no foul language, no sex, and very mild violence in this book. The story is told from first person close of the main character Cookie. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Cookie Chanel has a passion for fashion--and a murder mystery to solve!
Cookie Chanel has opened her own vintage clothing boutique, It's Vintage, Y'All, in the charming town of Sugar Creek, Georgia. Always on the lookout for stylish second-hand steals, she attends the estate sale of deceased socialite Charlotte Meadows. But she gets a lot more than she bargained for when Charlotte's ghost appears before her--offering fashion advice and begging Cookie to find out who murdered her.
As the persistent poltergeist tags along and a possibly psychic pussycat moves into the shop, Cookie sorts through racks of suspects to see who may be hiding some skeletons in the closet. Do a clothing store owner and a disembodied socialite have a ghost of a chance of collaring a killer--or will Cookie's life be the next one hanging by a thread?

Review- A charming start to a cute series. I really liked all the characters we meet in this volume. Cookie is really funny with a cute take on life, Wind Song is really fun and I want to see more of her. The ghost Charlotte has the most character growth, funny sense she's dead but she does and I really enjoyed it. The mystery is not very hard to figure out, I guessed who that killer was within meeting them for the first time but that's not why you read this book. You read because the characters are so much fun to spend time with. Pressey makes the characters the point of this cozy and that is what makes a story good, having the characters be the heart, the driving force of the story not the plot. I had a really fun time with this novel and I look forward to seeing Cookie, Wind Song, and the others again.

I give this novel a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this novel with my own money.

The Wilderness of Ruin: A Tale of Madness, Fire, and the Hunt for America's Youngest Serial Killer

Today’s post is on The Wilderness of Ruin: A Tale of Madness, Fire, and the Hunt for America's Youngest Serial Killer by Roseanne Montillo. It is 308 pages long and is published by William Morrow. The cover is a picture of Boston after the great fire in 1872. The intended reader is who is interested in historical true crime. There is mild foul language, talk of sexuality, and descriptions of violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the dust jacket- In 1871, young children were disappearing from Boston’s working-class neighborhoods. The few who returned told desperate tales of being taken to the woods and tortured by a boy not much older than themselves. The police were skeptical—these children were from poor families, so their testimony was easily discounted. And after the Great Boston Fire of 1872 reduced much of downtown to rubble, the city had more pressing concerns. Finally, when the police apprehended Jesse Pomeroy for the crimes, he, like any twelve-year-old, was sent off to reform school. Little thought was given to the danger he might pose to society, despite victims’ chilling reports of this affectless Boy Torturer.
Sixteen months later, Jesse was released in the care of his mother, and within months a ten-year-old girl and a four-year-old boy went missing, their mutilated bodies later discovered by police. This set off a frantic hunt for Pomeroy, who was now proclaimed America’s youngest serial killer. When he was captured and brought to trial, his case transfixed the nation, and two public figures—Herman Melville and Oliver Wendell Holmes—each probed the depths of Pomeroy’s character in a search for the meaning behind his madness.
Roseanne Montillo takes us inside those harrowing years, as a city reeling from great disaster reckoned with the moral quandaries posed by Pomeroy’s spree.

Review- This is a true crime book with an eye to the history in general. The story of history of Boston, of serial killers, of mental illness, of famous authors, and of true crime. Montillo wanted to give the reader a good overall insight into the world of Pomeroy, she wants us to understand how he would have been seen in his time without all the armchair detectives who have watched way too much Forensic Files, like myself, and know more about the psychology of serial killers than the best detectives in his day. The narrative is told in parts with some chapters about Pomeroy and his family, with chapters about the detectives, the city of Boston and the people who were studying killers and mental illness at that time. Montillo does excellent research and I had no trouble seeing the world that Pomeroy lived in. At times the other details can be overwhelming and loses the focus of the story, which is murder, but then she will bring it back. If you are interested in historical true crime then you should really enjoy this book.

I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

SP Baby, volume 2

Today's post is on SP Baby, volume 2 by Maki Enjoji. It is the second in her SP Baby doulogy. It is 200 pages long and is published by Shojo Beat. The cover has our two main characters on it. The intended reader is someone who likes josei manga and humorous love stories. There is no foul language, mild sexuality, and mild violence in this book. The story is told from third person close of Tamaki. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Tamaki, the rookie in the Security Police, is working as a bodyguard for Kagetora Sugou- the prime minster's nephew.
But Kagetora is acting ore lik a a boyfriend than a boss.
Will Tamaki let her guard down and accept his advances?

Review- A cute ending to a sweet, short series. All plot threads are resolved, how Tora first met Tamaki is explained and our couple gets a happily-ever-after. It moves very fast in this volume but worked for the story in my opinion because I did not want to have a lot of back and forth between them. Tora was serious about Tamaki and he did what he needed to get to his girl. Tamaki learned that she is good enough and to let go of the past and embrace her future with Tora and her brother. I would like to have more stories about them in the future but I am happy with the way this manga ended and I hope that we get more Josei series from Shojo Beat in the future.

I give this volume a Five out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I bought this manga with my own money.

Bloodborne #1

Today’s post is on Bloodborne #1 by Ales Kot and illustrated by Piotr Kowalski. It is 29 pages long and is published by Titan. The cover is a beautiful picture of Yharnam with the hunter in the center. The intended reader is someone who is interested in and familiar with the video game. There is foul language, no sex, and lots of violence in this comic. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- From the creators of Dark Souls, a brand new comic series spinning out of Fromsoftware/Hidetaka Miyazaki's critically-acclaimed, best-selling Bloodborne videogame! Nominated for eight Golden Joystick Awards! Awakening in an ancient city plagued by a twisted endemic – where horrific beasts stalk the shadows and the streets run slick with the blood of the damned – a nameless hunter embarks on a dangerous quest in search of Paleblood… Written by Image Comics superstar Ales Kot (Generation Gone), with artwork by Piotr Kowalski (Sex, Dark Souls).

Review- The story is very familiar if you have played the game. A nameless hunter moving through the night of the purge in Yharnam, meets different people, and is killed by a Beast. The hunter wakes up in the Hunter’s Dream and it all starts over again. Until the hunter meets a child with Paleblood. The comic does a very good job of the death, rebirth, fight, then death cycle that is the heart of any Soulsborne game play. I liked the storyline, having someone of paleblood in the story, which in the game you are told to seek the paleblood. The art is very pretty with all the gothic themes and rolling darkness that is the constant in the game. If you are a fan of the game then you need to read this comic. I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next volume.

I give this volume a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this comic from my local library.

Siege: How General Washington Kicked the British Out of Boston and Launched a Revolution

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by the publisher.

Today's non-fiction post is on Siege: How General Washington Kicked the British Out of Boston and Launched a Revolution by Roxane Orgill. It is 240 pages long and is published by Candlewick Press. The over is a picture with George Washington on his horse in silhouette. The intended reader is someone who likes stories in verse and want to learn more about how the American Revolution got started. There is no foul language, no sex, and no violence in this book. There Be Spoilers Ahead.

From the back of the book- Step back to British-held Boston and hear the voices of citizens, militiamen, and redcoats at a turning of the tide in the American Revolution, brought to life in Roxane Orgill's deft verse.
It is the summer of 1775. The British occupy Boston and its busy harbor, holding residents captive and keeping a strong military foothold. The threat of smallpox looms, and the town is cut off, even from food supplies. Following the battles of Lexington and Concord, Congress unanimously elects George Washington commander in chief of the American armed forces, and he is sent to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to transform the ragtag collection of volunteer militiamen into America's first army. So far the war is nothing more than a series of intermittent skirmishes, but Washington is in constant fear of attack — until he takes the offensive with results that surprise everyone, the British most of all. Roxane Orgill uses verse to zoom in on the siege of Boston that launched the war to defeat the British, giving voice to privates and generals, their wives and city residents. to tell a story that is usually overlooked in Revolutionary War history. Back matter includes source notes, a glossary, and a bibliography.

Review- Orgill is trying to make history more interesting by telling it in verse. We follow Washington from when he took the role of general all the way to the real beginning of the American Revolution. We follow different characters and the many different problems that they faced from getting cannons to Boston and just feeding the soldiers. The verse types change depending the characters giving them each a unique voice. But it does get old and starts to feel unnatural by the time I finished the book. If you have a good knowledge of the American Revolution you will have an easier time following what is going on but if you are a teen trying to use this book to learn about the American Revolution then you are going to  still have to read a normal history book. This would a be a fun side book to have as you are reading about the American Revolution to add some fun into the history but it will not replace the basic history book itself.

I give this book a Three out of Five stars.