Technically fine, just unenjoyable for me. This was way more action than the first in the series and very little mystery. 

Great art, no story that I could follow. 

The Witch's Orchard is such a strong debut by Archer Sullivan, a ninth generation native of the Appalachian Mountains. As a resident of WNC this book struck some very tender and realistic chords, and I loved the way Sullivan brought together Southern folklore and the private detective genre. The result was a very readable story with suspense, a good twist, and a look at what life is like in many economically depressed small towns. 

Annie Gore joined the military right out of high school to get out of her small town. Now she's back as a civilian and working as a PI when a young man reaches out for help. Ten years ago three little girls went missing in the same summer and one of them was his sister. Annie promises one week of hard work to turn up any answers she can, but she also promises that her work will stir up the small community. 

Interwoven with a folktale of a witch and her delicious apples, we get the oral retelling that different residents heard growing up and their different perceptions of what happened ten years ago. When bad things start happening again, Annie must work her hardest to find answers before more tragedy strikes. 

This is just a solid mystery with well established setting that I would recommend to reader's of the genre. I found Annie's character a bit underdeveloped and this isn't one that I'll remember well, but I had a great time. 

I have enjoyed several books from Andrea Bartz before. I love her combination of suspense, unique vacation settings, and sapphic main characters. So I eagerly dove into The Last Ferry Out. 

This is the story of Abby, who is visiting the small island of Isla Colel after her fiancée died there four months ago. Losing Eszter has devastated Abby, and she doesn't believe that her conscientious fiancée would have accidentally eaten something she was deathly allergic to. It just doesn't fit, so the trip is about answers as much as closure. 

When Abby falls in with the group of expats that Eszter was also spending time with before her death, Abby is unsure who to trust and who to turn to for help. Bartz does a great job of maintaining suspense throughout with this ragtag group of expats who are muddy and believable characters. 

When I first finished this book, I was so disappointed. It did not deliver the thrills that I expected based on previous experiences with the author and I feel the food allergy card is overplayed lately in this genre. However, I found myself reflecting on this book days later and I decided I appreciate the inspection of grief at a young age and in a precarious position- Abby was just the fiancée of a woman whose family did not accept her queer identity. How tragic to suffer that loss with no legal connections on top of all the rest. I also think the side characters, a couple in particular, were well done. If I had gone in expecting a character study in a remote location, I might have experienced this very differently. 

Overall I think this book has great potential for those looking for suspense with a character focus. 

Love Languages is a sweet graphic novel about Sarah, a young English woman working in Paris. She is dissatisfied with her job and struggling to learn French. On a random trip out of her apartment, Sarah meets another expat, Ping who is a working as a nanny after leaving Hong Kong. Sarah and Ping patch together communication through their limited French and begin learning some of each other's native languages. 

Sarah and Ping bond in a unique way, and the book highlights the communication struggle and beauty of this connection. I felt that as a friendship story it was beautiful and believable, as a romance it was a bit too insta-love for me. The art is beautifully painted, but again isn't totally in line with my personal taste. 

I'm glad I read this and I think it will be enjoyable for many readers of adult graphic novels.