Wrath and Bones

The Marnie Baranuik Files #4

by A.J. Aalto

Marnie Baranuik is confident that her new psychic detective agency will be a great success, and she has eight million business cards to prove it. But before the paint even dries on her open for business sign, she’s summoned to face the Demon King Asmodeus in His own playground, the revenant court, home of the undead nobility, to participate in a conclave of the most powerful immortals on Earth.

Orc prophets have forewarned her that danger is looming in the far north. In her most ambitious adventure yet, Marnie must harness her powers, gather trusted friends to wade into battle, and complete an international treasure hunt that would make Indiana Jones break into a cold sweat, before raising a new revenant house to rule from the Unhallowed Throne... and do it all without getting her heart or legs broken. Storms are brewing, threats are piling up, and the stakes are higher than ever, but Marnie is determined to dance with danger to the very end. There’s only one thing left to do: deal with it, Baranuik-Style. Does anyone know if yetis like take-out? And when you're on a date with a mummy, who picks up the check?

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Demons

476 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2015

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

WARNING: spoilers in the comments section. This review is spoiler-free.

For some time, I've been offering my soul in exchange for ARC's from my favorite series, and this time my shameless offer finally paid off; big time! I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
To whoever owns a piece of me now and thinks that you got the better deal: Nuh uh! It was soooo worth it! ;-P

Yes, everyone's favorite horny/snarky/lovable Groper is back with a vengeance - and as usual finds herself immersed in one unlikely scenario after the other. Because really, who’d have thought Marnie could rock the frilly ballgown look? Or argue women’s liberation in front of the Unholy Throne and a bunch of misogynic vampire royals?
…
…

Did I say unlikely?
To you and me maybe, but not so much for our Groper extraordinaire!

Who other than Marnie would eat moldy mummy confection? (Piece of cake, so to speak for this DaySitter.) Cuddle a Yeti in the mountains of Tibet? (Sssh! What happens in Nepal at the foothills of the Himalayas stays in Nepal at the foothills of the Hmalayas!) Or visit an Orc psychic to have her future told. (All in a day’s work for the Licking-Viking Snapple-Humper / Litenvecht Späckkenhuggar)

That’s right, ladies and gents, even though Marnie finds herself treading unknown waters in Wrath and Bones, she does so with her usual lack of grace and plentiful curse words. When the newly knighted sir Marnie of Toots, sir Declan the Abominable and Mark Batten set out on a quest to find three artefacts for the Overlord, she is pursued by muderous DaySitters, vengeful vampires and a questionable werefox. But all is fair in love and war and failure could result in fate worse than death; namely the daily intake of nutritious Nutrimax bars for the rest of her long(?) life.

But… Normal shenanigans aside, Wrath and Bones brings something new to the table



When Marnie is brought to the revenant stronghold for the very first time, certain truths about DaySitters are revealed to her. Not all of them good. I must admit I was tempted to sic Kill-Notch Batten on their undead asses. Harry had better not entertained the notion of… No, I’ll let you discover that for yourselves. I refuse to tattle!

Wrath and Bones has a new and somber quality you won’t find in any of A.J’s other books.

I have to admit, I didn’t see it coming. Perhaps I should have… Because it sucked…



…on so many levels.

Look, I’m not going to spoil this book for you, you have to read it to believe it. Like me, you’ll probably have uncontrollable laughing fits, but prepare for something… more… as well.

But when you’re done, I’d love to discuss theories regarding the phone call at the end of the book.

On a lighter note: When you're curled up in your favorite chair , reading your favorite book you need a hot beverage, don’t you agree?

Certain parts of this book takes place in Norway, and you will hear mention of a Norwegian drink called KARSK. It’s a Northern Norwegian speciality the fishermen used to drink. (They probably still do.)

I thought I’d give you the recipe just in case you’d like to try this culinary masterpiece while you’re reading about Marnie’s adventures.

Northern Norwegians swear this is the correct procedure, so here goes:



SKÅL! *hiccup*

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrath and Bones (The Marnie Baranuik Files #4)
by A.J. Aalto
I really love these characters and this world! In this book, Harry is summoned, with all the other in court to the Demon King in the North. The excitement, betrayal, wonderment, and action is wild! Love it! Unpredictable and super awesome! This world gets better and better!

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** To Be read with sounds of wailing and gnashing of Teeth *****

Oh whoa is me !!!! how can this book be finished- only 496 pages of utter bliss, pure sarcasm, and wrapped in the strong arms of kick ass action and betrayal (which I didn't seem coming).

Clearly this book could have been 1000 plus pages, it wasn't nearly enough. The release of the book came as a bit of a surprise but to much excitement and fanfare - what a great christmas present, and as such any plans went to hell and I spent all my time reading the book and the family got dog biscuits for lunch.

What wasn't to enjoy, Marnie was her usual sarcastic, filthy mouth best, Harry was pure British elegance and Kill Notch will no longer be mentioned in polite society. We went all over the world from Norway to Cairo - we met mummy's, yetis and a host of other interesting characters, a new queen was crowned and our world was expanded.
I don't know if I a quoting someone but: "Writers are those people who can put the dreams we never had on paper and allow us to dream with them" ( I thought that was quite nifty)

Thank - you A.J, it's your curse but now you just have to get back to work and get the next one written because I want more.

[Meigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Cliterary Genius 2017 reading challenge, January: read a book you've been meaning to read.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy crap on a cracker.

Seems like I waited forever for this book ...... Now I want a do-over. I want to scrub the last 15 pages out of my mind

Sucks toad balls.

I'm am ab-so-fricking-lute-ly. Numb.

[Jeanny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book counts towards the Cliterary Genius 2016 A to Z challenge. Letter: W

[Someone's Peas · Rating 4 out of 5]

At around 95%:
WHATTHEEFFJUSTHAPPENEDNOOOOOOOOOO

[S.J. Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Marnie Baranuik follower I had certain expectations for Wrath & Bones since we're quite far into the series by this point. Boy howdie, I was not let down. There's no better bumbling hero to admire. Marnie and her cold company are always entertaining, Harry's ever the dashing gentlemen with the right amount of edge to make you shiver in the best ways, though it was Marnie and her immortal assistant Declan whose banter and ease that made me want to be a part of the pack on all the missions Marnie is quested with in order to save, well, a lot of people.

Taking us to another part of the world to an environment on the opposite spectrum of Marnie's Canadian home was a welcome change to the series, though I can't say I'd want to brave the trek to get there. Encountering monsters and creatures, AJ Aalto introduces her fans to those otherworldly beings we long to find in a dark cave or a forest cavern and brings them to life with a brand of description and humour AJ Aalto has skillfully perfected along the way.

The biggest shock makes itself known and had me ugly-crying for hours until I worked myself up into a migraine. The turn of events which occurred was not only unexpected but made perfect sense for the story and promises great character development in the coming books.

At no point has AJ Aalto become accustomed to mere dick jokes and scary beasts (though I promise there's plenty side-splitting one-liners), but has created a world anyone could see themselves a part of with the glimpse into an exciting future for Marnie and her cohorts.

Highly, highly recommended.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sign of a truly great book is when you become emotionally involved in the story. I was flung full force into the depths of this book. Snickering in public whilst reading on the train, devouring every word like I needed them to live. Now least I should spoil the plot all i will say is this;
I am currently heart broken. This book provided a rollercoaster ride for my emotions and I may take some time to recover.

This was an epically great read and I whole heartidly say that if a book 5 is not planned to follow Wrath and Bones that I shall have no choice but to grab my pitchfork and join the no doubt massive mob of fans demanding more. Bring on the next book!

[Jennifer Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daaaamnnnn. I couldn’t love this series more if I tried. And it has a ton of editing mistakes, so that’s really saying something. Having said that, I’m about to channel my inner Marnie here, so get ready for some swears. AJ Aalto....duuuude(tte)....what the fuck?! If you were here in front of me right now I’d be tempted to kick you square in the box. You better fix this! I don’t know how you could possibly resolve this situation to my satisfaction, but just DO it, m’kay?
*shakes fist angrily*

[Angela Verdenius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start? This book had me in the freezing snow and on a quest with Marnie and Declan. I mean, a gathering of revanants, a vampire hunter, a sassy heroine and a hapless ally (that'd be Declan), what could possibly go wrong?
Everything, apparently.
This story had me laughing, and the ending - did not see that coming. Okay, yes I DID know it was coming because I couldn't help but read spoilers (so sue me, I also read the ending in paperback romances before I read the whole story and I'm not ashamed to admit it!) but even though I knew it was coming, the actual events around it I didn't know. It truly left me stunned.
So now I'm wondering - is it true? Could it be a trick? Is it truly the end? (I'm not giving away spoilers ). But nothing is always as it seems in UFs, so I'm not convinced it's the end for that...thing.
Regardless of whether it turns out to be the end or not, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, but damn..... I don’t have any words right now. How could you do this to me? (and Marnie)

[Sebrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

And now I'm distraught, but not for the reasons people might imagine.

[Imani Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better.. yes I cried like baby.. 😭

[Kat Lebo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wrath & Bones, The Marnie Baranuik File, Book Four
By A.J. Aalto

Dear Ms. Aalto:

This is probably not the format you are used to seeing reviews of your work. However, I felt a real need to direct this specifically to you, rather than to the general public. After all, it is your work.

First, let me say that I think you are a top-notch storyteller. I love your characters, who are funny, and pathetic, and emotional, and unfeeling, and smart, and idiotic, and sexy, and revolting, and crazy, and rational – in other words, totally human (yes, even the inhuman ones). They stay true to their back stories, while still evolving and growing. Their adventures are thrilling, and messy, and dangerous, and humorous, and challenging, and impossibly believable. They are well-paced with a seamless flow that makes your readers want to keep reading well into the early hours of the morning. You have a talent for description that gives your readers wonderful – or horrible – visual glimpses into the crazy world of Marnie Baranuik and the others who inhabit it.

And there were things I so appreciated. References to events from the past, to songs from the 1980s (yes, I was an 80s Lady), and other pop culture references make me smile and feel more connected to the characters. Your reference to the 1950s song, “Green Door,” sent me running to youtube for a video and the song has been a recurring earworm for me for days. And Betty the Yeti? Genius.

I was also happy to see you finally include the words “so mote it be” into one of the Wiccan spells that Marnie weaves (although it was Declan, and not Marnie, who said it). Although not Wiccan myself, I am friends with many who are, and I know those words are very important to the proper wording of a Wiccan invocation.

So why oh why, when I so love your talent and find so much in your writing to enjoy, did I rate this book only 3 stars?

That’s simple. You simply must employ better proofreaders and editors, and certainly, a better digitizer for your work.

I’ve checked back on the first couple of books in the series, and found none of the digitizing problems that plagued the third and fourth book in the series. As there is another book in the series now available for purchase, as well as a few short stories or novellas, I can’t imagine why you have not corrected those errors. In book three, I noted 135 changes from space and a half to single and back again. In this fourth book, there were over 140. I cannot imagine that an author who obviously spends plenty of time honing her craft, developing a marvelous fantasy world, and crafting stories that are wonderful to read, finds that acceptable and has not made an effort to have at least the digitized versions revised (yes, that happens all the time – I’m forever receiving revised editions of books I’ve long since read and relegated to my cloud bookcase – sometimes more than one revised edition over time). Perhaps some of your readers don’t care or don’t even notice the switches, but for me, they are jarring and pop me out of the action for a few seconds while my poor old brain switches gears. As this may happen at any time, maybe in the middle of a sexy interlude or the penultimate point of an action sequence or even just in the middle of Harry baking some yummy concoction for his Only, it interrupts my focus and makes me more than just a little frustrated; one hundred forty plus times frustrated, in fact.

Add to all of the above the fact that I noticed several problems with proofing in this fourth book. There were a few spacing problems besides the space and a half/single space issues. Places where the digitizing did not hyphenate, but just spaced out sentences to make the left behind words fill the line. It doesn’t look very professional.

Here are some others I noted:

At location 128 on my Kindle, there was this: “Golden preformed a very feminine move.) I would imagine she performed it, but that isn’t what was shown. At 1043 there is this: “Their head back too far for me to connect…: I’d say there was probably a “was” missing in there (and that’s ignoring the “their” used throughout that description to describe a single assailant – yeah, yeah, I know it’s not grammatically incorrect, but for me it does make for awkward reading and lots of eye rolling).

At 1682, the first page of Chapter 8, is written “…my dad would pull the station wagon to the side of the road, and we’d all crowd against the windows and watch the deer and until it bounded into the woods.” Huh? Watch the deer and what?

At 1737, what is a cold cook? That phrase is used a few times in this novel. I don’t remember it from others, so it confused me. Harry is usually pretty consistent with his sobriquets. My first impulse was to think it was a pun, sort of, on the word cuckold. Was it?

At 1791: “Would Aston Sarokhanian tell us if Colonel Jack Batten alive or just a pile of dry old bones…”

At 1843: “You land your ass is serious trouble, I can’t help you…” Kind of changes the meaning of the sentence, doesn’t it?

2300: “They scanned a bunch of pictures on their computer monitors, and one of them kept back and forth from me to the monitor.” Kept doing what back and forth?

2956 saw the start of a very confusing paragraph where Marnie is describing two women, but then, by 2971, one of them is suddenly described as male, and that description holds for the rest of the book. I kept re-reading that page trying to see what I missed. I guess you were just trying to say that he was so androgynous in appearance that Marnie mistook him for a woman when she first saw him, but, I’m sorry – it was just confusing, no matter how many times I read it.

At 4077: “…and wished I could step into his the reliable shelter of my Cold Company’s arms.” Okay.

At 4449: “…clapped his mismatches mitts together…” By now, I am shaking my head.

At 5579: “But my idea to nominate Remy for the throne had been solid, and I that.” Oh boy.

On to 6835: “I wouldn’t want to be accused to stealing a mummy’s treasure.”

At 7564: “The plane belonged to a curious Saudi prince was more than pleased to offer it when he heard….” Sigh.

At 8732: “I could puke on somebody’s boots and maybe cling to an ankle or to.” Oh boy. To, too, or two – which to choose?

At 8765: “…they want to watch you to ruin me.” I realize that the speaker is not an English-first-language speaker, but I don’t think the wordage shown was meant to show that. I think it was just a mistake that a proofreader should have noticed.

At 9202: “Letting me know this through the Bond was his was of seeking forgiveness.”

And another thing I though strange was the capitalization of the word felt (or in at least one case, feel) for times when Marnie received something through the bond she shared because of her DaySitter status. I checked for that capitalization in the books previous to this one and didn’t find it in any of them (one of the reasons I love reading on the Kindle is the ease in checking things through a simple digital search). In this book, it appears at least 17 times that I noted. I’m not against it, I just wondered why it suddenly appears in the fourth book when it didn’t appear in the previous three.

To be very frank, Ms. Aalto, that many errors from any other authors would have received two things: 1) a one star rating and/or 2) placement on my Goodreads “threw it at the wall” bookshelf. It is a testament to your skill at characterization, pacing, and storytelling that kept it at a higher rating.

I’m just about to start the 5th book, “Blightmare.” I did a hit and miss scan through the book and it seems that you might have gotten the one and a half to single and back again spacing problem controlled. I’m hoping you got a better proofreader too. I love your stories, but I don’t think I could take another one in the condition of this one.

Believe it or not, I’m a big fan.

Kat Lebo

[Tameka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why, oh, why do I feel like I was just hit by a Mac truck, and it just backed up and held it's position. This was a major crap storm from the beginning until the end. Makes you question the validity of life and your questioning love life.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This book felt quite different from the previous ones - Marnie is much more serious and the whole tone is much more sombre. I loved the insight into Revenant society, and was genuinely floored by the ending. I hope Marnie bounces back.

[Tami Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yikes (in a good way)

Marnie is even more bad ass (in her clutzy and sassy way). And since i get attached to the characters...i feel you should know tissues might be needed. Well, i needed them, anyhow. But it was such a great read and I'm ready to read the next one.

[Carol Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

So let's talk about this. I adore the first 3 books and have read the shorter stories so I could have more to read because I love the characters so much. I literally read the other ones laughing out loud and crying because they were so funny. The other books are easily 5 stars for me. This book felt like someone was trying to imitate the characters and writing style of the other books and failing miserably. I usually love the slightly silly and immature behaviors of Marnie, but she acted and narrated in a voice that was absurdly immature and no longer funny. The personality seemed more like she was trying way too hard to be funny than actually being naturally entertaining in the other books. I didn't love any of the characters in their portrayal in this book and I wish I could convey how disappointed I am because I wanted and expected to love it. The plot was incredibly slow and hard to push through until the last couple of chapters. I feel awful writing this because I know that Aj Aalto has amazing potential and I would hate to see her talent fade in this series. I think that there needs to be a sort of review of who the character was and to find her core characteristics again because Marnie was just lost to me. I will probably read the next book and give and overall amazing series another chance.

[Christi Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. I was looking forward to the humor that is always present in any installment of the Marnie Baranuik Files and it didn't disappoint. The creative cussing and pure ridiculousness of some situations made me laugh out loud - sometimes randomly throughout the day. The tantrums, the legs, and the yeti were quite hilarious. Although it is more serious than the rest of the series, A.J. Aalto does a great job in taking Marnie to new heights in her abilities and locations. We get to travel beyond the Bitter Pass to see where the royal revenants live, to Ireland, Egypt, Nepal and New York. Old characters come back, new ones are met and good friends are tested. Marnie is as sassy and potty-mouthed as ever (some of the best parts of all these books). And the ending, oh the ending, I about died. I didn't see it coming and I hope that maybe, just maybe it's not true and that in the next book we find out that it was all a ploy because no, just no. I was bawling like a baby - why do you play with my emotion Ms Aalto?!? I absolutely cannot wait for the next book and while some questions are not answered (which usually just pisses me off) I'm willing to wait and see what happens.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saving the world sucks.....

Kudos to the author for bringing to life what real betrayal looks feels and smells like. Many reach for this as an essential plot line in a series so as to manage a growing and developing character storyline moving in more complex directions, but few actually get the portrayal of survival of a long grinding soul and body crushing train wreck right. AJ AAlto did with this story. Moving along past that, this story grows Marnie up some and brings her another step closer to realization of her full potential in the supernatural world she inhabits. Not sure where we go from here, but it feels like we should take some time to consolidate this world built around Harry and explore how it came to be that way before moving too much further forward. Seems like it's also time for DeClan and Golden's characters to unfold a little more as well. Looking forward to the 5th in this series and to seeing Marnie's world get a little more settled.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trollpocalyse Now

This series must be read in order. The first book is Touched. The second book is Death Rejoices. The third book is Cold Company. The fourth book is Dirt Nap. The fifth book is Last Impressions. The sixth book is Deadhead. This is the seventh book. I can't was it to read the next one!


Marnie is finally starting to get the hang of this. Hood has her running and learning self-defense. She is even starting her own psychic detective agency with Mark Batten. Can she trust Kill-Notch Mark Batten? Or is she setting herself up for a fall? Will she be able to male it outside of the FBI? Or will she take the wrong case and end up in over her head? Why does she seem to always have such rotten luck?

[Merrilyn McGloin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marnie Baranuik Books 3 & 4

This has been the best series I have ever read by far! Please tell me Book 5 is in the works, I can't stand not having Mark Batten a part of her life any more! Sob, sob, please tell me it isn't
so! Words simply fail me when I try to describe this series, the characters, the incredible other worldly scenes created and Marnies' relationships to all these other world revenants and creatures is fascinating! She is one of a kind even as she bumbles thru her qwests she ends up winning in the end by her wits and sheer guts, she is unstoppable! I can't recommend this series enough, for plot, suspense, scariness and down right gut bustin' humor it can't be beat!

[Trisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
The first half of the book was a jumbled mess. Endless and repetitive descriptions of characters and events. Paragraph after paragraph of ooogling that went from cute to beyond annoying. Most of the second half flowed better and appeared rightly written, it was enjoyable mostly.
Overall, the book had many editing mistakes I wondered if it was edited at all! One sentence in the book, stated they were boarding a "ship" but it was written "shi*". So many errors and double sentences, it was sad. I really love this series and hope it's fixed

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Snap

Marnie's in deep this time. She's placed in the position to save the world from avenging trolls but at what cost? She'll have to make hard choices and gross challenges to get through going into the revernant's world, one she's expected and urged to protect. Loss is swift and her actions are again brash. Brilliant writing and characters , some you love to hate and others you hate to love. Excellent series. I can only hope for more. It's become one of my all time favorites!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Get the series now.

Well , A.J has pulled it out of the bag again ! This book was the best yet ! Court intrigue is not for the faint of heart at anytime , but adding in demons and vampires is a whole new ballgame. Or so you'd think. Marnie with her usual brand of wit and ineptitude gives her best performance ever. Will love conquer all or will Harry bolstered by the House of Dreppenstadt and threat of betrayal from within finally rein Marnie in ?

[Taylor Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

This broke me and made me and shattered my heart to bits. I will never be Team Harry. He treats Marnie like a pet, i love them as friends and companions but Mark is who her heart belongs to. I fucking love these books, gimme more.🖤

[Debbi Sizemore · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so great. I should have seen the end coming and didnt. I am so wondering what Harry found out at the last and hate I have to wait and find out.

[Marion Y. Greenfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Very Long Cartoon

I've read three of the MB Files books and two of the between the files stories and this is by far the worst of the books I've read. Book #3 was the best so far because Marnie hadn't yet sunk to the depths of immaturity that she did in this book and there was something thoughtful about the story and the characters. Even Marnie almost came across as a real person. Almost.

By this book Marnie's irreverence is so of hand that not only is she completely unbelievable but I just don't like her any more. She's childish, self centered, without any sense of self restraint, more than a little stupid, and insensitive to other. And she doesn't really have any redeeming qualities. As for her relationship with Batten, which was somewhat interesting in a sexy way in previous books its become just plain boring.

And it's not only Marnie that has turned me off to these books, it's the stories. Reading them is like watching a children's cartoon. The author has pretty much dredged up every form of supernatural ever referenced in the history of the supernatural - ghosts, goblins, ghouls, vampires, and the list goes on and on. There's a cast of thousands none of whom the reader gets to know well enough to care about. And characters are often totally lacking in motivation or their motivation is so trusted it makes no sense.

This is all unfortunate because there are some relatively fresh ideas in the books and Marnie could have been an interesting and irreverent character had she not been turned into a cartoon. I liked her relationship with Harry & was hoping to learn more about why/how he selected her and their early years together. The author touched on the ideas that this it's a world where supernatural creatures have come out of the closet. It would be fun to know more about how that happened and how humanity evolved in its acceptance of them. There is so much that could have been done with these stories and characters to make them better (as in book #3) without resorting to the far fetched silliness of this latest book.

I skimmed through at least a third of the book and in the end missed nothing of any relevant to the outcome. Will I read the next book even if its free (as the ones I read were)? I doubt it. I only read this many of the books because I've been stuck in the house with Covid and pretty much exhausted the Netflix offerings.

[Sheila Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always known to bungle get herself in trouble and generally fumble into life, this time however she was given a specific task. Marnie, Harry, Golden (then Battern turns up) are summoned to their house, all revenants have to vote for their new king, but she has other ideas, she surprises everyone by voting for a queen, and that particular queen is locked away banished from court, thus stirs the pot, Marnie is given 3tasks to complete before her request is allowed. She is allowed to take Declan and Battern, not without the usual blunders and risk to life and limb she actually completes the tasks loosing Battern along the way getting bitten by a ware wolf and having hugs with a yeti She goes back to claim the throne for her chosen queen. The ending is dramatic Harry is elated to have her back alive. Still no idea where Battern is she helps save the day but feels more like a loss. I laught out loud, I cried buckets for Marnie & Harry this series has been quite a ride AJ Aalto kept me turning pages sat on the edge of my seat right from the beginning. Highly recommend not only this book but the whole series