I’ve been slowly getting back into the reading pile. I tend to ignore other books when drafting, but I’ve been drafting for way too long this year and need me some good reading. I’ve scoured through the pile for the next four books on my To Read list.

Winter Reading List

A Means to an End – Lissa Marie Redmond

Buffalo police detective Lauren Riley risks her life to close the book for good on a killer who’s never paid for his crimes.

When cold case detective Lauren Riley returns to work months after being stabbed by a fellow police officer, it’s clear that her troubles are far from over. The body of a young woman has been found in the same woods as a murder victim from one of Lauren’s most horrifying cases. It doesn’t take long for Lauren to be back at square one confronting David Spencer, the quietly deranged man she could never prove was a killer.

Lauren convinces the police chief to put together a task force to uncover the connections between the brutal slaying of both women and the murder of two cops. But things go south quickly, forcing Lauren into a deadly game that she can’t afford to lose.

I absolutely loved The Murder Book, the second book in the trilogy, and can’t wait to see how the story closes out. 

Artemis – Andy Weir

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.
 
Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.
 
So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.
 
The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.
 
Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.
 
Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.
 
That’ll have to do.
 
Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.

The Martian is one of my favorite books of all time, so this is a must-read.

Call to Arms – Jay Allan

War. The word spreads like wildfire.

The long-expected invasion is here. The Union force is even stronger than feared, their fleets larger and more powerful than intelligence reports had predicted. They have broken through the forward defenses, and sent the Confederation’s proud fleets into an ignominious retreat.

Captain Tyler Barron and the crew of the battleship Dauntless are lightyears from the front, waiting for their damaged battleship to be repaired. But there is no time to wait. The Confederation forces need every ship they can get, so Barron and his survivors board their vessel…and rush to the battle lines.

They encounter a shattered fleet, yielding system after system to the invaders. The Confederation is losing the war, unable to halt the irresistible enemy advance. And Dauntless finds herself trapped, cut off from the rest of the fleet, deep behind enemy lines.

Captain Tyler Barron must make a choice. Pull back, try to find a way to get around the enemy and rejoin the fleet. Or press on, strike deep behind the invaders – a reckless sortie toward the Union’s main supply base.

A suicide mission. But maybe the only way for the Confederation to survive.

Military Sci-Fi and Space Opera Sci-Fi has been on my mind quite a bit the past few months. Jay Allan is one of the best in the biz and his Blood on the Stars series is phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Stone of Fire – J.F. Penn

A power kept secret for 2000 years. A woman who stands to lose everything.

India. When a nun is burned alive on the sacred ghats of Varanasi, and the stone she carried is stolen, an international hunt is triggered for the relics of the early church.

Forged in the fire and blood of martyrs, the Pentecost stones have been handed down through generations of Keepers who kept their power and locations secret.

Until now.

The Keepers are being murdered, the stones stolen by those who would use them for evil in a world transformed by religious fundamentalism.

Oxford University psychologist Morgan Sierra is forced into the search when her sister and niece are held hostage. She is helped by Jake Timber from the mysterious ARKANE, a British government agency specializing in paranormal and religious experience. Morgan must risk her own life to save her family, but will she ultimately be betrayed?

From ancient Christian sites in Spain, Italy and Israel to the far reaches of Iran and Tunisia, Morgan and Jake must track down the stones through the myths of the early church in a race against time before a new Pentecost is summoned, this time powered by the fires of evil.

J.F. Penn spins some incredible mysteries. I’ve already read Book 5 in the ARKANE series, so I thought it was time to start from the beginning.

Have you read these books?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these and any other incredible books you’ve read lately. Shoot me an email at lou@loupaduano.com.

What’s on your winter reading list?

Thanks for reading!