The two books I read this past week were Serpent in Heaven, by Charlaine Harris, and The Precipice by Paul Doiron,

Serpent in Heaven is the fourth of the Ginnie Rose series.

This entry focuses on Felicia, half-sister to Lizbeth Rose. Felicia, who is a descendent of Gregor Rasputin, is one of those whose blood keeps the tsar alive. She is considered a charity case at the Rasputin school for magic users and is thought to have no magical ability. Then she is abducted and gradually, as the attempts to capture her increase, she is forced to rely on her own abilities to save herself as well as unravel the mystery of the kidnapping attempts.

The world created by Harris is amazing. I found Felicia a somewhat less interesting character than Lizbeth Rose but I expect she will grow. The ending of this fourth book felt unfinished so I suspect there will be other entries in this series.

The second book I read was The Precipice by Paul Doiron.

In this entry to the long running series, Mike Bowditch and his girlfriend Stacey search for missing hikers on the 100 mile trail in Maine. Needless to say, the search does not end well.

Bowditch is a fully fleshed out character but it is the setting that really shines. This is exactly how hiking in a Maine forest feels: the sharp climbs up steep hills, the roots that snake across a trail with the bark worn shiny from hiking boots, and always the climbing over the granite that underpins this state.