Hold (Hold #1) by Claire Kent ★★★★☆

Exactly as advertised! Hot intergalactic hetero prison sex smut with an HEA; on the food pyramid this would be a doughnut.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton ★★★★★

Clue meets Dark Matter. 

Damn but this was good. Seven Deaths was the smartest murder mystery I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. An incomparable masterwork of the Who-Done-It genre.

The Dragon's Den: The Metaframe War: Book 3 (Metaframe War #3) by Graeme Rodaughan ★★★★☆

"Violence will be my friend,” Anton uttered, a ferocious light behind his eyes." 

The Necromancer's House by Christopher Buehlman ★★★★★

My favorite Buehlman to date.

Dark urban fantasy with shades of American Gods, only Russian and wretched. 

American Gods by Neil Gaiman ★★★☆☆

This was not a good choice for an audiobook; there were too many POV, time, and state of being shifts.

Still, this was a highly imaginative odd ball tale.  And long.  It was interesting to hear what Gaiman, an Englishman, viewed as American gods: Media, Planes, Cars, Cancer. Pretty sure London has similar conveniences/afflictions. 

Engines of Desire: Tales of Love and Other Horrors by Livia Llewellyn

Take Your Daughter to Work ★★★★★ 

Sex as something pleasurable, soft and warm, is a mammalian concept. In the cold salty dark of fathoms, it’s not even survivable. This short story built in scales and slithers to a chilling reimagining of Lovecraftian horror.

Magic Slays (Kate Daniels #5) by Ilona Andrews ★★☆☆☆

“...surrounded by death on both sides, as if gliding through Armageddon.” 

This series has jumped the shark.

Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels #4) by Ilona Andrews ★★★★☆

Kate is nearly as annoying as in Book One but that’s my sole complaint. This was another excellent action oriented story with sexy time, conflict, an epic battle and extraordinary resolution. 

Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels #3) by Ilona Andrews ★★★★☆

The first rule of the Beast Lord is no competing in the Kumite.

Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2) by Ilona Andrews ★★★☆☆

Serious bad guys, well paced action, epic battles, and thickening plot - what’s not to love?