#41 Rescue Mode by Ben Bova, Les Johnson

This near future SF novel has a small manned mission going to Mars. The mission has a series of problems one after another and at some point even the characters in the story ask if they are cursed. But of course all the hurdles are met and overcome one way or another. The the book ends on an up note and even with all that happens the reader will finish this book felling quite happy.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

#42 Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Ms Harris' new series focuses on Manfred from the Harper Connelly series a he moves to a small town and gets to know everyone. It seems that not everyone is what they appear to be in this sleepy town. As he gets to know everyone in this one light town, they get to know him as well. An impromptu town picnic stumbles across the body of Manfred's landlord's missing girlfriend. Bobo has been wondering why she left town with no note and never asked for her things. He filed a missing person's report but nothing had come of it. Turns out she wasn't just his girlfriend but was someone sent to find out more about him and a possible treasure trove of guns from his  late white supremacist grandfather.  Things and people have more of flavor of her last series but this is certainly a mystery story. There are little remarks from characters that bring mention other series that Charlaine Harris has written and I have to wonder if she is going to braid all her seperate series together with this trilogy. Should be interesting.

#43 Pretty Deadly, Vol. 1 by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Emma Ríos, Jordie Bellaire

A story about Death set in the American West. Death is on the downside of his cycle and is not ready to give up to the next one fated to take over. Almost everyone in the story is there because of bad decisions except for the ones that were fated to be born into it. This is set pretty much as a fairy tale with some myth thrown in as well. Certainly worth the time to read and check out the art.


Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley