In My Mailbox - 8/6/11

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

Bought:

Emerald by Karen Wallace

Emerald St. John is in trouble. She has been condemned to marry a man she hates. Her enemies are conspiring to have her pet bear Molly torn apart in the baiting pits, and the man she loves is far away on the high seas. And she has stumbled into a web of spies with a plot to poison Queen Elizabeth I. To save herself and the kingdom, she must beat the spies at their own game - which means transforming herself from a country girl into a Court lady. Can she do it in time? Set against a detailed and vivid recreation of a great Elizabethan manor house, EMERALD will bring to life a world where the most sophisticated rules of etiquette went hand in with brutality and superstition.


A Tangle of Magicks by Stephanie Burgis

After her antics in A Most Improper Magick, Kat Stephenson is back to cause more chaos! Stepmama drags the family to Bath to find Kat's sister a new suitor. But, unknown to most of its gossipy visitors, Bath is full of wild magic. When Kat uncovers a plot to harness this magic in the Roman Baths, she finds her brother Charles is unwittingly involved. Kat must risk her newfound magical powers as she defies the Order of the Guardians to foil the plot and clear her brother's name.



Sage for Sanctuary by Felicity Pulman

1141 - England is divided by the bitter civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Matilda, and Winchestre is under siege and on fire. Janna's quest to find her father in order to avenge the death of her mother has taken her from forest to farm, abbey and finally to the heart of the royal court at Winchestre. Along the way she has solved many crimes and mysteries, including the mystery of her own birth and her mother's death - secrets that put both her life and her heart in danger. When Lord Hugh comes to Winchestre to finalise his betrothal to a wealthy young woman, bringing with him his trusted steward Godric, Janna knows that it's time to choose between the two men who love her - but her purse has been stolen, she's lost all proof of her real identity and she's working as a lowly drudge in a tavern to support herself. Janna is blamed for trying to destroy Sybil Taverner's business, and needs to find out the truth. Instead, she finds herself fighting for her life against those who would silence her forever.


Thyme for Trust by Felicity Pulman

After the siege of Winchestre in 1441, Janna is overjoyed to finally meet her father but soon realises the threat she poses to her new family when an attempt to poison her goes awry. Spiteful tricks follow until, fearing for her safety, Janna persuades her father to take her to Oxeneford where King Stephen has the Empress Matilda under siege and victory within his grasp. Once again Janna risks her life in the empress's cause, which put her at odds with her father until she confides the truth: that her mother was poisoned and she needs his help to bring a murderer to justice. They journey to Wiltune where Janna's father loses no time in securing the king's consent for Janna to marry one of his barons. Janna is desperate to persuade her father to let her marry the man she loves but, to her horror, she discovers that he has been accused of murder. With her future happiness at stake, Janna has one last crime to solve - until the siege of Wiltune turns her life upside down and changes everything.


The Traitor and the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee

This is the third colourful and action-packed Victorian detective novel about the exploits of agent Mary Quinn. Queen Victoria has a little problem: a series of petty thefts from Buckingham Palace. She calls the Agency for help, and they put Mary Quinn - on her first case as a full-fledged agent - on the case. Going undercover as a domestic servant, Mary's assignment seems simple enough. But before long, a scandal threatens to tear apart the Royal Family. One of the Prince of Wales' irresponsible young friends is murdered in scandalous circumstances and the story, if it became public, would disgrace the young prince. Should the Queen hush things up or permit justice to take its course? Mary's interest in this private matter soon becomes deeply personal: the killer, a drug-addicted Chinese sailor, shares a name with her long-lost father. Meanwhile, James Easton's engineering firm wins a contract to repair some sewers beneath Buckingham Palace. Trouble is, there's a tunnel that's not on the plans. Its purpose is unclear. But it seems to be very much in use - it's just not clear by whom. These overlapping puzzles offer a perfect opportunity for James and Mary to work together again. If they can still trust one another. If they can suppress the emotions that still torture them. If Mary can forget the sight of that exquisite blonde she sees in James' drawing-room...In this, Mary's most personal case yet, she faces struggles at every level - legal, political, personal. And she has everything to lose.


Titanic: Collision Course by Gordon Korman

From bestselling author Gordon Korman, a second heart-stopping adventure aboard the unluckiest ship of all.
The Titanic has hit the high seas--and moves steadily toward its doom. Within the luxury of the cabins and the dark underbelly of the ship, mysteries unfold--a secret killer who may be on board, a legacy that may be jeopardized, and a vital truth that will soon be revealed. For Paddy, Sophie, Juliana, and Alfie, life on the Titanic brings both hiding and seeking, as their lives become irrevocably intertwined.
And then, of course, an iceberg appears, and the stage is set for the final scene. (finished copy, reviewed the ARC here)