Last week was a crazy week. Instead of choosing my reading material carefully, as I usually do, I quickly picked up second books in two different series.

The first one was Charlaine Harris’ Longer Fall.

In this sequel to An Easy Death, Gunnie Lizbeth Rose is hired on a new crew tasked with protecting a large trade to the town of Sally in Dixie. The train is derailed and as Rose searches the carnage for the whereabouts of her old crew, she meets Eli Savarov, the Russian Grigori. They join forces to find the crate and, if possible, safeguard its contents.

Lizbeth is almost immediately confronted with several problems. The mores in Dixie are very different than what she is use to. Required to wear a skirt and hose and carry a purse. she and Eli must pretend they are married.

Dixie also runs on slavery. Lizbeth’s good friend Galilee has escaped from this town and the Ballards, the ruling family.

Plenty of bloodshed, betrayal as well as magic; I liked this one even better than the first. A winner.

The second book is another second: Death of a Starling by Linda Norlander.

Our intrepid poet continues to investigate in the school shooting in Cascade. She is warned repeatedly to let it drop but, although she considers it, she doggedly continues despite repeated threats against her.

Why is everyone afraid to even speak about the shooting, let alone answer questions about the teacher and the alleged shooter?

Tess, a student at the High School, tells Jamie that there is something rotten in Cascade and then disappears.

What is going on?

Highly Recommended.