There’s more to the swamplands than meets the teeth. In this supernatural tale of magic and mysticism, Henry Lemarchand grew up in Philadelphia knowing very little of his family—his father disappeared when he was young, leaving behind only a strange pouch of animal teeth. When he is sent to the Louisiana bayou to spend the summer with his eccentric uncle and cousin in their decaying ancestral mansion, Henry learns about his family’s supernatural legacy—he is part of a long line of rootcrafters, folks who can absorb the powers and memories of anyone whose teeth they touch. In delving into his family’s strange legends, Henry soon discovers that some secrets bite back, especially in the swamplands. This tale of identity awareness and the need for belonging, is set in a world where everything is not as it seems.
I really enjoyed listening to House of Teeth by Dan Jolley. Josh Hurley was a wonderful narrator that expertly gave voice to the characters’ personalities. And there are some really great personalities. Henry and Wren make an amazing team, but you can still see the family disagreements that so often occur between cousins.
The entire concept of rootcrafters and using teeth to work magic was new to me. And I found it fascinating. The author put much into the various aspects of each tooth. The entire magical system was one of the most creative I’ve read. I do not know if it’s based on a real mythos. I’d love to learn more about it if it is.
The action is just about non-stop. There is always something exciting or new happening that will keep not only the interest of middle-graders but any adults listening along as well. The story was left open for more some day, but it also reaches a very satisfying conclusion wrapping up the major loose ends.
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Three Reasons You Should Read This Romantic Suspense:
Protect My Heart by Diane Wiggs seemed like so much more than a romantic suspense – I felt deeply invested in all aspects of the characters’ lives.
Elizabeth had a lot of tragedy to work through, from her father to her brother, and she always seemed to handle it with a level of grace – even when totally losing her mind.
The suspense is ever-present, and the mystery behind everything is unwound very slowly, drawing out all the good bits until a masterful reveal.
She doesn’t want anyone’s help, but a grumpy cop doesn’t give her a choice. Twenty years after witnessing her brother’s death, pediatric psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Garcia returns to Minnesota to testify at his killer’s parole hearing. While home, she helps a family friend in need of a child advocate after a young boy witnesses a shooting.
The attraction she feels for the cop working the case, blindsides her. He chases danger as if it’s a game. Good thing she was leaving soon, or so she thought. Threats from her past resurface, putting her life in danger.
Detective Jim Swenson just wants to do his job without interruptions. So when Dr. Garcia inserts herself into his case, she becomes a sexy distraction. She has the body of a pinup model but represents the high society woman he swore off years ago.
But when someone takes an unhealthy interest in the lovely psychologist, his cop instincts kick in even though his heart screams, “Danger, danger! Proceed with caution.”
Protect My Heart by Diane Wiggs was a very deep suspense and mystery. There were a lot of strings to pull and full of some very interesting twists and turns. The mystery surrounding Elizabeth’s father moves forward slowly and meticulously, building steam until the final big moment. Which is a great big moment that made me really feel my heart pounding.
The tension between Elizabeth and Jim builds right along with the suspense. And I really enjoyed it as well. Most of it. There were a few too many cases of making horrible assumptions and self-doubting to the point I didn’t feel bad for them anymore. I started feeling annoyed. They needed to get out of their heads a little more often and actually have a conversation.
But the cute dog helped make up for a lot of the little things that bothered me. While the book is listed as part of a series, it does quite well on its own. I wouldn’t have realized it was a series if it wasn’t staring at me from the cover. Definitely worth the read for some really deep and building suspense.
As an affiliate at retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Romantic Thriller:
Rattlesnake Road by Amanda McKinney is a very gritty, but quite sweet at times, romantic thriller.
I don’t usually put warnings here – but there are a couple of scenes that I found difficult to read – so please read the author’s warning before starting.
The suspense and mystery kind of creep up on you, then fade away until you almost forget them before jumping back out again. It was an interesting way of presenting the plot, but I really enjoyed it.
From bestselling and multi-award-winning author Amanda McKinney comes her most evocative and twisted small-town Thriller…
Welcome to 1314 Rattlesnake Road—the perfect hideaway to escape your past.
After leaving her posh NYC life behind, fashion editor Grey Dalton escapes to the small, southern town of Berry Springs to pick up the broken pieces of her life. On impulse, she purchases a rumored-to-be-haunted house where she finds herself thrown into decade-old murder mystery, and onto the rocky road of recovery and self-discovery. Men are the last thing on her mind—until she meets a tattooed cowboy and a dashing businessman. One will steal her heart, the other, her soul.
Rattlesnake Road pushesthe boundaries and blends genres in this raw, emotional, no-holds-barred story.
(Due to serious subject matter and mature content, please be aware that this book might be an emotional trigger for some readers.)
Rattlesnake Road by Amanda McKinney was not what I expected. And before I get too far, pay attention to the author’s warning. While some are overdone, this book definitely needs it, so read with caution.
It starts out innocently enough, with Grey Dalton running from the city and her terrible life there. She buys a house on Rattlesnake Road, sight unseen, and starts to clean it up and start over. The people of Berry Springs are incredibly welcoming, especially the older lady in her flashy tracksuits and ATVs that likes to bake cookies. Yes, please. Can I have one of them live down the way from me?
The new house isn’t too bad, but her far away neighbor, Declan, points out some things that need to be done. But there’s also this rich developer poking around trying to buy up all the land in the area. Both men give off some serious danger vibes, but Grey’s mental state isn’t the best, so she doubts all the warnings she picking up at first.
Then she finds some really creepy old letters (trigger warning here) and discovers a girl was murdered nearby and no one knows who did it. With all these stories drifting around, Amand McKinney does a great job of weaving them together in a way that forms mostly complete cloth.I felt like there was a little bit of a cop-out plot point towards the end, but overall, a very well-written book.
