Thursday, June 30, 2011

ARC Review: Fallen: A Novel [Hardcover]



I've finished "Fallen" the 3rd book in her Georgia series by Karin Slaughter.

Product Description

There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother . . . .

“You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.”

When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore — she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect.

The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light — or bury it forever. 

Karin Slaughter’s most exhilarating novel yet is a thrilling journey through the heart and soul, where the personal and the criminal collide, and conflicted loyalties threaten to destroy reputations and ruin lives. It is the work of a master of the thriller at the top of her game, and a whirlwind of unrelenting suspense.


Product Details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345528204
ISBN-13: 978-0345528209


My Review:

Storyline:  GBI Investigator Faith Mitchell arrives at her mother's house after work to pick up her baby daughter, only to find her daughter locked in the tool shed, her mother missing, and several gang members occupying her mother's house which turns into a bloody battlefield. Faith's formidable boss, Amanda Wagner, arrives and butts head with the Atlanta Police Department over jurisdiction which was a hoot. Amanda and Will pursue their investigation, as do the Atlanta Police Department and Faith tries to pursue her own investigation and find her mother while keeping her son and daughter safe.

Also it showcases Will Trent's early years when he investigated Faith's mother for corruption and arrested many of the men in her squad. The book also deals with an abundance of former police officers who have been or still are imprisoned and a group of gang members. As usual Amanda knows more than she's telling but she  suffocates Will more than usual under her manipulation of him and the people around him.
Characters:  Angie is quite the monster in this book because she taunts Sara that Will wouldn't hurt himself like he did for her.  All the characters are well written and you learn some things about Faith's mother.

Romance: I really enjoy the romance between Sara and Will because they are really attracted to each other but are awkward around each other.  You finally see some bedroom action between the two but the way Will treats Sara afterwards .....

Killer(s):  The main killer had a group of friends who listened and did what ever their friend told them to do.  This person blamed Faith's mother and was jealous of Faith and her kids so they retaliated by torturing and trying to kill the whole family.  This is one sick freak!

4/5

Thanks Authors on the Web and Random House for sending me this ARC to review, greatly appreciated!

Cross Fire (Alex Cross) [Hardcover]


I've finished "Cross Fire" the book in his Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

Product Description

Wedding bells ring

Detective Alex Cross and Bree's wedding plans are put on hold when Alex is called to the scene of the perfectly executed assassination of two of Washington D.C.'s most corrupt: a dirty congressmen and an underhanded lobbyist. Next, the elusive gunman begins picking off other crooked politicians, sparking a blaze of theories -- is the marksman a hero or a vigilante?

A murderer returns

The case explodes, and the FBI assigns agent Max Siegel to the investigation. As Alex and Siegel battle over jurisdiction, the murders continue. It becomes clear that they are the work of a professional who has detailed knowledge of his victims' movements -- information that only a Washington insider could possess.

Caught in a lethal cross fire

As Alex contends with the sniper, Siegel, and the wedding, he receives a call from his deadliest adversary, Kyle Craig. The Mastermind is in D.C. and will not relent until he has eliminated Cross and his family for good. With a supercharged blend of action, deception, and suspense, Cross Fire is James Patterson's most visceral and exciting Alex Cross novel ever.

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (November 15, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780316036177
ISBN-13: 978-0316036177


My Review:

Storyline:   Alex Cross is investigating a high-profile case which involves two highly skilled snipers killing high profile sleazy criminals without being seen and vanishing without a trace.

Also Alex gets married and Kyle Craig returns.  Kyle was Alex's one time friend now his greatest adversary who had vowed revenge and destruction.  Kyle has escaped the institution he has been held in which Cross was instrumental in his capture.  He has infiltrated the FBI team and is working side by side and inserting himself into Cross's household without him being aware of it.

Kyle can't resist taunting Cross over the phone and leaving him cryptic messages at crime scenes.  Cross finally gets married to long time love Bree Stone but what happens next is a thrill stopping event.

Characters:  Cross is in fine shape and I'm really glad he has finally found someone to settle down with.  Glad to see Bree really loves his family and him.  He really deserves someone who understands him and his work.

Really loved the power struggle between Max and Cross over who had higher jurisidiction.

Romance:  Bree and Crosses romance is very sweet and loving.  She really gets along with his family and is willing to sacrifice herself for them.

Killer:  Kyle is truly a great adversary and a monster in this book.  The way he taunts Cross and finally whent he showdown comes the way he treats the family.  He also gets very lucky with the ladies in this one.

4/5

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

New Releases 2011 (Jun 28)


Heart of Evil (Krewe of Hunters) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends … and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.

Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare — often inexplicable — intuition. Among the "Krewe of Hunters" is an old ï ¬ ‚ ame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.

The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried — even in death .…

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778329984
ISBN-13: 978-0778329985

 

Hush [Paperback]
 
Product Description

In the summer before their senior year, Coby Rendell and her friends take a beach trip together. Around a campfire on a foggy June night, Coby, Rhiannon, Yvette and the others share their darkest secrets, before a tragic accident shatters the bond between them ... Twelve years later Coby attends a birthday party reunion that ends in horror when Yvette's sister's lifeless body is discovered in a hot tub. Soon others in the original group of tale-tellers begin meeting similar fates - unfortunate 'accidents' shrinking their numbers one by one ...

Conflicted by her growing feelings for Danner Lockwood, the investigating detective, Coby races to unravel a mystery buried in the past. But someone is watching her every move - someone prepared to kill again and again to protect a shocking truth ...

Product Details
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420103423
ISBN-13: 978-1420103427




Time of Death (In Death) [Paperback]
Product Description

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author: three popular Eve Dallas stories together for the first time in one volume.


J. D. Robb's In Death novels have been praised as "Law & Order: SVU-in the future" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, together for the first time in one volume, are three stories that spotlight Lieutenant Eve Dallas doing what she does best: solving crime with skill, integrity, and passion.

Eternity in Death

A seductive killer is luring in victims with a promise of the impossible - immortality. Eve Dallas must strip away the fantasy to catch the coldhearted madman.

Ritual in Death
 
Eve is plunged into the violent aftermath of a ritualistic murder - and into the mind of an alleged witness who can't remember a thing to save his life.

Missing in Death

When a woman disappears from a New York City ferry, it's a case that only Eve Dallas can solve - because the woman didn't jump, and yet she's not on board.

Product Details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley Trade (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425240827
ISBN-13: 978-0425240823



Savor the Danger (Hqn) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty — with no memory of what happened — he knows he's been drugged … even if Alani doesn't.

After she was kidnapped, Alani vowed never to trust another man again. Still, something about this strong, sexy hero with the tender touch makes her want to believe him. As Jackson hunts down a mysterious intruder, he swears he'll move heaven and earth to keep Alani safe. But what really happened that night? And will the truth bring them closer than they ever thought possible — or put Alani squarely in harm's way again?

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373775822
ISBN-13: 978-0373775828

Monday, June 27, 2011

New Release 2011 (Jun 27)


Now You See Her [Hardcover]

Product Description

The perfect life


A successful lawyer and loving mother, Nina Bloom would do anything to protect the life she's built in New York -- including lying to everyone, even her daughter, about her past. But when an innocent man is framed for murder, she knows that she can't let him pay for the real killer's crimes.

The perfect lie

Nina's secret life began 18 years ago. She had looks to die for, a handsome police-officer husband, and a carefree life in Key West. When she learned she was pregnant with their first child, her happiness was almost overwhelming. But Nina's world is shattered when she unearths a terrible secret that causes her to run for her life and change her identity.

The perfect way to die

Now, years later, Nina risks everything she's earned to return to Florida and confront the murderous evil she fled. In a story of wrenching suspense, James Patterson gives us his most head-spinning, action-filled story yet -- a Hitchcock-like blend of unquenchable drama and pleasure.

Product Details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (June 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316036218
ISBN-13: 978-0316036214

You Belong to Me [Paperback]


I've finished "You Belong to Me" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

Baltimore city Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of violence but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies that are turning up throughout the city. And now he's starting to suspect that his medical examiner, Dr. Lucy Trask, may be shielding a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings - and put her next on the killer's hit list ...

About the Author

Award-winning international bestselling author Karen Rose earned her degree in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland. For a number of years, she worked in the engineering field, earning two patents, but she began writing novels when scenes started to fill her mind and her characters would not be silenced. Since her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July 2003, she has written more than twelve novels and been translated into nineteen languages. Her books have placed on the New York Times, the Sunday Times (UK), and Germany's der Spiegel bestseller lists. A former chemical engineer and high school teacher, Karen lives in Florida with her family, her dog, and her two cats.

Product Details
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Signet; Original edition (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233573
ISBN-13: 978-0451233578

My Review:

Storyline:  In the quiet town of Anderson Ferry, Maryland, a young lady is brutally assaulted and murdered on her prom night. The onlookers did nothing to stop the violence or help the girl. Twenty-one years pass.

Dr. Lucy Trask is a Baltimore medical examiner. While jogging in the early morning of Monday, May Third, she stumbles upon the posed body of a man so badly damaged that she does not realize that she knows him. Very soon afterward, other bodies begin to appear. All of the victims have been tortured. All of the victims are from Lucy's home town of Anderson Ferry. The killer places and poses the victims' bodies specifically when and where Lucy would be the one to discover them.

Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of death, especially during his time as a soldier. But neither his time in the military, nor his time working in Narcotics could have prepared him for the tortured bodies showing up in Baltimore. J.D. and his partner, Stevie Mazzetti, instinctively know that Lucy is innocent. It does not take long to prove it either. It's quite obvious that the killer has personally targeted Lucy. But why? J.D. can tell that Lucy is keeping secrets about her current private life but that should not have anything to do with her life from over twenty years ago. Back in Anderson Ferry Lucy had been a kid while the victims were  in high school. Lucy may have known them since the town was small but they have never been what anyone would have called friends. So how, in the killer's mind, could Lucy be linked with any of the deceased? All J.D. is sure of is that he must convince Lucy to share her secrets with him before she becomes the killer's next victim.

Characters:  Lucy has a very troubled past which she has shed and re-invented herself.  During the day she is a medical examiner while at night she's (you will have to read the book to find out, LOL!).  J.D. is a former sniper and is new recruit in the homicide department.  Both are lonely and have suffered a great lost. 

Romance:  Both acknowledge they are attracted to each other from the get-go but each has reason(s) not to get involved.  I really enjoyed their romance because it started slow and they got to know each other before falling into bed.  Glad to see J.D. was very patient and caring with Lucy and know she was the one for him.

Killer:  Wow the killer was truly sick in the head and loved to torture, rape and film the killings so they could watch it all over again.  I felt sad for the tragic accident that caused them to start their killing spree.

This series has a great blend of truly horrifying crimes, well written characters and the right amount of romance.

This book had lots of twists and turns with a wickedly sick and demented killer doing very vile things to women.

5/5

Thanks Laura from Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jun 28)


Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1.  Fallen - Karin Slaughter
2.  Cross Fire - James Patterson
3.  Recovery - Alexandra Weis

I’m currently reading:

1. Dead by Morning - Beverly Barton

Books I’m planning on reading this week:


1. Wicked Lies - Lisa Jackson

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-93

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Library Haul 2011 (Jun 26 - July 2)



Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:


Hardcover:


1.  Wicked Lies - Lisa Jackson

Paperback:

1.  Dead Before Morning - Beverly Barton

What books did you pick up from the library this week?

Friday, June 24, 2011

Book Blogger Hop #2

Book Blogger Hop

This Meme is hosted by Jennifer from Crazy for Books on Fridays. 

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

1. Post about the Hop on your blog (feel free to grab the logo at the top of the post!)

Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!

In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).

I have asked this one before – back when the Hop first started – but I really enjoy reading people’s answers since they vary so widely. Plus, I had to come up with a really quick question this week since I am in the middle of packing for an overnight getaway for my wedding anniversary!

“How many books are currently in your To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile?”


My answer: I think my TBR is toppling over at about 1,000 right now. I have run out of bookcases so I have resorted to just piling them on the floor in my spare room. Yes, it is out of control. I guess my blog name is appropriate, yes?! LOL! 

I have about 30 to 50 books in my TBR pile!  I'm sure I will be adding some more to the pile soon!  LOL!

I need more questions!!! If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!

Thanks!

2. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below.

In your description, please state the main genre that you review – Example: Crazy-for-Books (contemp. adult fiction)

3. Visit other blogs in the Linky List!

Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! Take the time to make a quality visit! Check out other posts and content, make a new friend! Don’t randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them! No spamming please! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs – it’s just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

“When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?”

Reading has always been part of my life since childhood!  The family has always promoted reading and always encouraged it!

18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop #6


Laurie from Bitten by Paranormal has created a 18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop where you can find adult bloggers.

How it works:

*First make a post on your blog with this picture on top. That lets us know we are in the right place to make a comment so you can follow back. If you don’t do this I will have to take you off the tag along.

*Second place your name or blogs name in the first linky tool. I want to add here, put in (paranormal romance) beside your blogs name what you mainly review. Then add your URL to the tag along post in the second Linky tool.

*Third visit blogs listed if you like what you see hit the follow button. Remember to leave a comment, so they can tag along back.

If you have a question or problem you can email Laurie: bittenbyparanormalromance@gmail.com

Now, if your new don't be shy most of these ladies are here every week and they are very, very friendly (I know because I follow most of them)

Follow My Blog Friday #6



This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee.com} and any one else you want to follow on the list.

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://imabookshark.blogspot.com

3. Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can.

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If your new to the Follow Friday Hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Friday Follow Feature is ...
 
Mickey @ I'm a Book Shark


I'm A Book Shark
 
Welcome to the world of Book Sharks!

Mickey is the blogger behind I'm A Book Shark. She really wishes there was a better explanation for why she's a book shark. A new twitter name was needed, and it had to be about her favorite hobby: reading! For whatever reason, sharks also came to mind and a book shark was born.

Mickey has been reading for as long as she can remember. It's her favorite pastime, her go-to activity, her escape from any bad reality. Reading is so awesome that her last name is even Reed! (Spelled wrong for irony of course.) And her first name is actually Michelle, so her name is quite like Richelle Mead. It never gets old!

Her goal this year is 200 books, and she's already 59% there. That's mostly because she reads almost every genre in any age range. She enjoys a good romance, perhaps a comical mystery, or a YA novel with angels and vampires. And audio books are a staple in her life! Mickey has a job where she can listen to books at work, and that makes up a big amount of her reading.

Besides reading, Mickey is a natural reddish-headed mid-twenties entertainment-of-all-kinds lover, girlfriend of boyfriend, mother of reptiles (and a cat), and addict of dessert. Anything chocolate is a welcomed gift in her life. Oh yeah, and she likes to blog. :o)

Q. In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

I'll do both. My favorite fairy tale is that of the Little Mermaid. The real one written by Hans Christian Anderson. Taught me not to trust men ;)

Favorite series about fae. I have a bunch. But the numero uno would be the series by Richelle Mead, called THE DARK SWAN series.  As far as young adult series, I will have to go with Julie Kagawa's IRON FAE series.
 
My Answer:  There haven't been any fae series in my reading genre.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Breaking Silence (Kate Burkholder) [Hardcover]



I've finished "Breaking Silence" the 3rd book in her Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo.

Product Description

The New York Times bestselling series hailed as “gripping” (People magazine) and “compelling” (USA Today) returns with Police Chief Kate Burkholder called to the scene of a horrific tragedy on a peaceful Amish farm.

The Slabaugh family are model Amish farmers, prosperous and hardworking, with four children and a happy extended family. When the parents and an uncle are found dead in their barn, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But in the course of a routine autopsy, the coroner discovers that one of the victims suffered a head wound before death — clearly, foul play was involved. But who would want to make orphans of the Slabaughs’ children? And is this murder somehow related to a recent string of shocking hate crimes against the Amish?

Having grown up Amish, Kate is determined to bring the killer to justice. Because the other series of attacks are designated hate crimes, the state sends in agent John Tomasetti, with whom Kate has a long and complex relationship. Together, they search for the link between the crimes — and uncover a dark secret at work beneath the placid surface of this idyllic Amish community.


Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312374992
ISBN-13: 978-0312374990


My Review:

Storyline:  A 911 call was made to go to Slabaugh's farm house. The Slabaugh's are Amish. Kate responded right away and was first on scene. She saw two male victims face down in the manure pit with poor area ventilation and a third victim was an Amish female lying face up. Kate went down into the pit to try to save the mother of four children. It was too late. Mother, father and uncle all died from the pit's Methane gas by the time EMS and the fire department arrived. Kate thought this was an accident until Doc Coblentz, in his preliminary examination, found that the father, Solly Slabaugh, had blunt-force trauma to the head that caused his death.

There have been a rash of hate crimes against the Amish like killing an old lady's sheep, forcing the Amish buggies off the road, and just plain nasty intimidation vetted towards innocent people for no particular reason. The injured or violated don't want to press charges or even contact the police.  Minor crimes are one thing, but now things have taken a terrible turn. Agent John Tomasetti was requested to help with the investigation of the hate crimes. Kate and John believe the hate crimes and the murder of Solly Slabaugh are not related.

Characters:  Kate and John have both grown from the first book to now.  This case is really affecting Kate and she is still dealing with her demons and a past.  She was once a Amish too but was forced out after a tragic incident when she was 14.  She drinking heavily and smoking to deal with her pain.  John also has a painful past but he has dealed with it and meeting Kate has helped him out of that dark place.

Romance:  Kate and John have an on again and off again relationship.  They both have come from deeply damaged pasts and really understand what each other is going through.  I'm glad they both took their relationship to the next level.

Killer(s):  They were truly nasty characters with twisted reasons on why they were killing and the cruel things they were doing to other people.  Truly some sick and twisted people out there.

This series has a great blend of truly horrifying crimes, well written characters and the right amount of romance.

This book had lots of twists and turns it was shocking to find who the killer and motive of why Slabaugh were killed.  What a great ending and I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

5/5

Thanks Minotaur Books/St Martin's Press for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



Now You See Her [Hardcover]

Product Description

The perfect life


A successful lawyer and loving mother, Nina Bloom would do anything to protect the life she's built in New York -- including lying to everyone, even her daughter, about her past. But when an innocent man is framed for murder, she knows that she can't let him pay for the real killer's crimes.

The perfect lie

Nina's secret life began 18 years ago. She had looks to die for, a handsome police-officer husband, and a carefree life in Key West. When she learned she was pregnant with their first child, her happiness was almost overwhelming. But Nina's world is shattered when she unearths a terrible secret that causes her to run for her life and change her identity.

The perfect way to die

Now, years later, Nina risks everything she's earned to return to Florida and confront the murderous evil she fled. In a story of wrenching suspense, James Patterson gives us his most head-spinning, action-filled story yet -- a Hitchcock-like blend of unquenchable drama and pleasure.

Product Details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (June 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316036218
ISBN-13: 978-0316036214



Heart of Evil (Krewe of Hunters) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description


Emerging from the bayou like an apparition, Donegal Plantation is known for its unsurpassed dining, captivating atmosphere, haunting legends … and now a corpse swinging from the marble angel that marks its cemetery's most majestic vault. A corpse discovered in nearly the same situation as that of Marshall Donegal, the patriarch killed in a skirmish just before the Civil War.

Desperate for help traditional criminologists could never provide, plantation heiress Ashley Donegal turns to an elite team of paranormal investigators who blend hard forensics with rare — often inexplicable — intuition. Among the "Krewe of Hunters" is an old ï ¬ ‚ ame, Jake Mallory, a gifted musician with talent stretching far beyond the realm of the physical, and a few dark ghosts of his own.

The evil the team unveils has the power to shake the plantation to its very core. Jake and Ashley are forced to risk everything to unravel secrets that will not stay buried — even in death .…

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Mira; Original edition (June 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778329984
ISBN-13: 978-0778329985

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

A Drop of the Hard Stuff (Matthew Scudder) [Hardcover]


I've finished "A Drop of the Hard Stuff" the 17th book in his Matthew Scudder series by Lawrence Block.

Product Description

Matthew Scudder is facing his demons. Forced out of the NYPD, he's given up the drink. He's thinking seriously about his relationship with sometime girlfriend Jan. Then he runs into "High-Low" Jack Ellery, a childhood friend from the Bronx. They're two sides of the same coin: Scudder once solved crimes as a detective. Ellery committed them. In Scudder, Ellery sees the moral man he might have become. In Ellery, Scudder sees the hard-won sobriety he hopes to achieve.

Then Ellery is killed, shot once in the mouth and once between the eyes, presumably while attempting to atone for past sins. Is it what he saw or what he said that got him killed? Ellery had no family, no friends to press for justice. Scudder reluctantly begins his own investigation, with just one lead-Ellery's Alcoholics Annonymous list of people he wronged. One of them may be a murderer, but that's not necessarily Scudder's greatest danger. Immersing himself in Ellery's world may lead him right back to the bar stool.

Exploring themes of loss, nostalgia, and redemption, for Lawrence Block, A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF circles back to how it all began, reestablishing why the Matthew Scudder series is widely regarded as one of the pinnacles of American detective fiction.

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Mulholland Books; 1 edition (May 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316127337
ISBN-13: 978-0316127332



My Review:

Storyline:  Matt Scudder is an alcoholic, member of AA and a former cop sitting in a saloon in Hell's Kitchen with his old pal, Mick Ballou. While nursing his club soda, Matt reminisces about events that occurred twenty-five years ago, when he was in his mid-forties -- just before his first anniversary as a non-drinker.

Scudder tells Mick a lengthy tale about a boyhood acquaintance from the Bronx, Jack Ellery. While Matt became a police officer while Jack turned to crime, mostly under the influence of alcohol. One day, the two bumped into one another at an AA meeting and chat about the old days.  Jack, who has been in prison for armed robbery, is working his way through AA's twelve step program. He is determined to find the people he has wronged and make amends. As it turns out, this isn't a great idea!
Characters:  All the characters were well written from Scudder himself, to his girlfriend Jan to his AA sponsor Jim to even the suspects, etc.

Romance:  The romance between Jan and Scudder was very sweet and slow moving.  I had a feeling it wouldn't last too long.  I preferred his relationship to the waitress because they had more in common and understand each other.

Killer:  The killer believed he was righting a wrong done against them and would kill anyone that got in their way (even innocent people).  Didn't have any remorse and was pretty brutal in their killings and was like a ghost that no one saw or heard anything. 

The story was refreshing, well thought out plot with well written characters that were very interesting to read about.

4/5

Thanks Melanie from Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

New Releases 2011 (Jun 21)



Watch Me Die [Hardcover]

Product Description

In Spindler’s thrilling new psychological drama, one woman’s journey to recovery becomes her worst nightmare… 


Before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, stained-glass restoration artist Mira Gallier had it all: a thriving business doing work she loved and an idyllic marriage to the perfect man. But the devastating storm stole her beloved husband – his body swept away by floodwaters, never to be found.

Now, after years of pain and turmoil, it looks as if Mira is finally on the verge of peace and emotional stability. But her life, like the magnificent windows blown to bits by Hurricane Katrina, is about to be shattered once again. And this time, it’s not a killer storm she faces, but a psychopath who will stop at nothing until he possesses her, body and soul …

First, church windows that she restored are vandalized, and the priest who looked over them brutally murdered. Spray-painted across the glass are the words: He Will Come to Judge the Living and the Dead. Then, New Orleans is rocked by a terrifying chain of murders that all seem to be linked to Mira. The police, led by homicide detective Spencer Malone, are following a string of clues left by the killer on each victim – and beginning to wonder if the murderer isn’t Mira Gallier herself.

As Mira begins to unravel under pressure from all sides – and fear for her life – it’s unclear whom she can trust. And when a man from her past appears out of nowhere, sparking something long forgotten in her heart, he quickly becomes the police’s new prime suspect. One by one, the people in Mira's life are targeted, until it’s clear that the killer has been saving her for last . . . and that there’s nowhere left to run.


Smokin' Seventeen: A Stephanie Plum Novel [Hardcover]

Product Description

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.


Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

The hardcover edition of Smokin’ Seventeen contains two smokin’ hot stickers inside!

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345527682
ISBN-13: 978-0345527684


Breaking Silence (Kate Burkholder) [Hardcover]

Product Description

The New York Times bestselling series hailed as “gripping” (People magazine) and “compelling” (USA Today) returns with Police Chief Kate Burkholder called to the scene of a horrific tragedy on a peaceful Amish farm.

The Slabaugh family are model Amish farmers, prosperous and hardworking, with four children and a happy extended family. When the parents and an uncle are found dead in their barn, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But in the course of a routine autopsy, the coroner discovers that one of the victims suffered a head wound before death — clearly, foul play was involved. But who would want to make orphans of the Slabaughs’ children? And is this murder somehow related to a recent string of shocking hate crimes against the Amish?

Having grown up Amish, Kate is determined to bring the killer to justice. Because the other series of attacks are designated hate crimes, the state sends in agent John Tomasetti, with whom Kate has a long and complex relationship. Together, they search for the link between the crimes — and uncover a dark secret at work beneath the placid surface of this idyllic Amish community.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312374992
ISBN-13: 978-0312374990

Monday, June 20, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jun 20)


Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1.  You Belong to Me - Karen Rose
2.  Breaking Silence - Linda Castillo

I’m currently reading:

1. Fallen - Karin Slaughter

Books I’m planning on reading this week:


1. Cross Fire - James Patterson

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-88 

Friday, June 17, 2011

Book Blogger Hop #1

Book Blogger Hop

This Meme is hosted by Jennifer from Crazy for Books on Fridays. 

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.

1. Post about the Hop on your blog (feel free to grab the logo at the top of the post!)

Spread the word about the book party! The more the merrier!

In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).

I have asked this one before – back when the Hop first started – but I really enjoy reading people’s answers since they vary so widely. Plus, I had to come up with a really quick question this week since I am in the middle of packing for an overnight getaway for my wedding anniversary!

“How many books are currently in your To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile?”


My answer: I think my TBR is toppling over at about 1,000 right now. I have run out of bookcases so I have resorted to just piling them on the floor in my spare room. Yes, it is out of control. I guess my blog name is appropriate, yes?! LOL! 

I have about 30 to 50 books in my TBR pile!  I'm sure I will be adding some more to the pile soon!  LOL!

I need more questions!!! If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!

Thanks!

2. Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below.

In your description, please state the main genre that you review – Example: Crazy-for-Books (contemp. adult fiction)

3. Visit other blogs in the Linky List!

Make new friends! Follow new book bloggers! Talk about books! Rave about authors! Take the time to make a quality visit! Check out other posts and content, make a new friend! Don’t randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them! No spamming please! (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs – it’s just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)

***Failure to adhere to the above 3 rules may result in removal of your link from the Linky List.***

Have fun HOPPING and enjoy your BOOK PARTY weekend!!!

UPDATE #1: THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP DOES NOT ACCEPT TWITTER LINKS!

UPDATE #2: Please do not add “AND A GIVEAWAY” to your blog hop link.

How to enter your link (things are a little different, so read this please!):

The list is RANDOMIZED! So, when you enter your link, it will appear randomly in the list! To find it on a PC, hit Ctrl-F and type the name of your blog. You can delete your own link, too, so if you mess up, just delete it and start over!

Click the blue button that says ADD YOUR LINK and type in the information below:

URL: Link to your blog hop post

Name: Title of your blog (genre you review)

Follow My Blog Friday #5



This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee.com} and any one else you want to follow on the list.

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://rhiannonpaille.blogspot.com

3. Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can.

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If your new to the Follow Friday Hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Friday Follow Feature is ...

Rhiannon Paille


Once upon a time there was a pretty little girl, she was psychic but she didn't know it yet. Then she met a boy who died of leukemia and she knew. The rest is history.

When she was growing up she read a lot of books and she wrote a lot of stories. She used to eat books for breakfast, and lunch and dinner. She used to read in the fading light of dusk, squinting to see the words until they blurred into inky nothingness. And then she would dream about the boy that died. She imagined an entire life with him that included white roses, lilacs, blue houses and busy streets. She never thought she'd see him again.

And then one day her life turned into an urban fantasy. She could hear people's thoughts, and see the future, and feel people's emotions. She saw ghosts and demons and angels. She saw Ferrymen and she talked to Flames, and didn't know what any of it meant. They told her she was important, that one day she would save lives with her mind. She tried to make it go away because she thought she was crazy.

And then she moved into a blue house on a busy street and fell in love with a man she had dreamed about countless times. She had white roses and lilacs at her wedding. The pretty little girl awakened, she read minds, she fought demons, she saved lives, she helped people find their way in life.

Today she's known as Rhiannon Paille. She reads a lot, and writes a lot of stories. During the day she reads minds, heals people, and fights demons. During the nights she writes about the Ferrymen and the Flame, a boy who follows death and a girl who could destroy the world and their tragic love story. It might get published one day, but that day isn't today.

Her blog is mostly about books, writing, psychic reading, and awesome things happening in the publishing world. She's thought provoking and absurd, she's like a chinese buffet, she's not omnipotent but some people think she is, she's an over qualified over achiever and she thinks Ferrymen are sexy.

Q. Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

I think that one might be obvious for me...but you know what I've been leaning a lot towards YA Dystopian as of late. ENCLAVE by Ann Aguirre did me in. Whoa momma! That was a book. Read my review here.

My favorite genres are mystery thrillers and romantic suspense.  "Along Came a Spider" from James Patterson and "Post Mortem" by Patricia Cornwell for mystery thrillers that did it for me.  

18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop #5


Laurie from Bitten by Paranormal has created a 18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop where you can find adult bloggers.

How it works:

*First make a post on your blog with this picture on top. That lets us know we are in the right place to make a comment so you can follow back. If you don’t do this I will have to take you off the tag along.

*Second place your name or blogs name in the first linky tool. I want to add here, put in (paranormal romance) beside your blogs name what you mainly review. Then add your URL to the tag along post in the second Linky tool.

*Third visit blogs listed if you like what you see hit the follow button. Remember to leave a comment, so they can tag along back.

If you have a question or problem you can email Laurie: bittenbyparanormalromance@gmail.com

Now, if your new don't be shy most of these ladies are here every week and they are very, very friendly (I know because I follow most of them)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:





Smokin' Seventeen: A Stephanie Plum Novel [Hardcover]

Product Description

Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.


Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

The hardcover edition of Smokin’ Seventeen contains two smokin’ hot stickers inside!

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345527682
ISBN-13: 978-0345527684

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

No One To Hear You Scream [Paperback]


I've finished "No One to Hear You Scream" by Julia Madeleine.

Product Description

In upstate New York, Brett and Pamela Jameson find the house of their dreams on twenty acres of land. Bucolic and serene, it is the answer to all of their prayers. But their dream soon turns into a nightmare when violent ex-gang member Rory Madden, the property’s former owner returns and will stop at nothing to reclaim the home he lost to foreclosure. Rory unearths the secrets hidden within the Jameson family and begins to leverage his knowledge to slowly drive wedges between them. When their seventeen year-old daughter Justine falls prey to Rory’s advances, she becomes a co-conspirator, setting about a series of increasingly treacherous events that could forever tear the Jameson family apart. A terrifying odyssey into the dark side of the American dream, No One to Hear You Scream captures the fear of the modern middle-class, the alienation of those left out, and the heart-stopping terror at the realization that it can all be taken away in an instant.

Product Details
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: Black Heart Books (March 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0980887429
ISBN-13: 978-0980887426


My Review:

I highly recommend reading this if you enjoy reading a truly terrifying thriller.

This book has great characterization, twisting plots and high octave action through out the whole book.

Justine Jameson is a teenage single mother of an infant baby who has recently moved back in with her father and stepmother after the failure of her relationship with the baby's father. Her parents' relationship is hanging by a thread as is her father's business.

Justine hears things; voices in her head warning her of a horrible fate awaiting her child, warning her she is incapable of caring for a baby and making her fear for her very sanity.

When the dysfunctional family buys a recently foreclosed home in a tiny and isolated New York town things go from bad to worse for Justine. Her father works long hours attempting to save his business, her self-involved stepmother disappears for long stretches at a time and Justine feels isolated and alone until she meets Rory Madden the a bad-boy Irish expatriate who sweeps her off her feet.

But Rory Madden isn't exactly what or who he appears. He's a former Irish terrorist turned drug dealer and when she discovers a strange text message on her stepmother's cell phone a deadly chain of events is set into motion that threatens everything Justine Jameson holds dear and death and destruction lurks around every corner.

4/5

ARC Review: Beg for Mercy [Mass Market Paperback]


I've finished "Beg for Mercy" the 1st book in sexy new romantic suspense trilogy by Jami Alden.

Product Description

He lurks in the shadows, waiting and watching . . . And once he has you, all you can do is. . .

BEG FOR MERCY


Megan Flynn thought she was falling in love. Cole Williams wasn't just handsome and passionate, he was one of the good guys. Or so she thought, until he arrested her brother - the only family she has left - for a murder she knows he couldn't have possibly committed. Now, with her heart broken and her brother's life hanging in the balance, Megan will risk everything to prove his innocence. Even if that means throwing herself into the path of a sadistic killer with a hauntingly familiar MO.

Seattle Detective Cole Williams had given up on making Megan see reason where her brother is concerned. But when she insinuates herself into the most shockingly brutal case Cole has ever worked, he can't stand idly by. Plunged into a secret world where the city's elite indulge their darkest desires, Cole will do whatever it takes to bring down a madman who has made Megan his most coveted prey.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (June 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446572802
ISBN-13: 978-0446572804


My Review:

Storyline:  Megan Flynn's brother Sean has been convicted of a brutal murder and she knows he didn't do it but she can't prove it.  She has never stopped looking for answers on finding out who the real killer is and why they framed Sean.  Cole has given up but Megan continues her search and Cole the man she thought she loved enters her life again.  They were hot and heavy in the past but they broke up because Cole was the arresting officer.  Then more bodies turn up with the same MO as in Sean's case which causes alarms in every one's minds and especially Cole's.  He still doesn't believe Sean is innocent but he is determined to help Megan find out the real truth.  Cole let's his feelings for Megan compromise his cop by book duty and they only have each other for support.

Characters: Megan is in her late 20's, a writer and court advocate who stubbornly is determined to prove her brother is innocent and was framed. I'm glad she supports her brother and knows he isn't capable of doing those very sick and depraved killings.
Cole is a cop by the book and is very couragious and honorable.

Romance:  I really enjoyed the romance between Cole and Megan because they didn't jump right back into a relationship until he started to believe Sean was innocent and didn't take advantage of her vulnerability and he finally admitted this could be a second chance at love though very short.  It was hot and steamy and you really root for them to finally get together.

Killer: The killer is very sick in the head and very depraved in his killings. He even records his rapes and killings and it gets him off. Eww that's sick! I wonder how they can function in the real world like a normal person? They believe Megan is their salvation.

4/5

Thanks Hachette Book Group for sending me this ARC to review, greatly appreciated!

Monday, June 13, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jun 13)


Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1.  Beg for Mercy - Jami Alden
2.  A Drop of the Hard Stuff - Lawrence Block
3.  No One to Hear Me Scream - Julia Madeleine

I’m currently reading:

1. You Belong to Me - Karen Rose

Books I’m planning on reading this week:


1. Breaking Silence - Linda Castillo

Here's the link:

Saturday, June 11, 2011

In the Mail Saturday 2011 (Jun 11)


In the Mail Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received this in the mail this week.

For Review:



You Belong to Me [Paperback]

Product Description

Baltimore city Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of violence but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies that are turning up throughout the city. And now he's starting to suspect that his medical examiner, Dr. Lucy Trask, may be shielding a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings-and put her next on the killer's hit list...

Product Details
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Signet; Original edition (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233573
ISBN-13: 978-0451233578

Friday, June 10, 2011

Follow My Blog Friday #4



This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee.com} and any one else you want to follow on the list.

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://backseatreader.net

3. Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can.

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers

7. If your new to the Follow Friday Hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Friday Follow Feature is ...



Nicki J Markus
Hello everyone, and thank you, Parajunkee, for giving me the opportunity to come across and feature in your Follow Friday this week.

Let me tell you a little bit more about myself. My name is Nicki and I'm 28 years old. I was born in the UK, but 4 years ago I moved to Australia. I was here backpacking when I met a guy. He asked me out, and within a couple of months we were looking into immigration issues for me to move here. It really was as close as you can get to love at first sight! I'm now a permanent resident in South Australia, and my man and I are getting married later this year! I am a cultural/creative sort and love things like writing, pen palling, languages, travel, music (musicals, opera and classical mainly), theatre, cinema, photography, arts and crafts and history/folklore. Plus, of course, reading!

I actually started my blog to promote my own writing and new releases, but it transformed very quickly into a book blog as well. So now, while I still mention my own writing at times, I also feature many book reviews, author guest posts/interviews and the occasional giveaway. I love the way my blog has evolved as it has given me the chance to get to know a lot of other authors and readers and it is a really fulfilling experience. As a reader, I have very eclectic tastes. In my early teens I was a horror aficionado, in my late teens I read only classics for a while and now, in my late twenties, I have mellowed out into a bit of everything. I tend to avoid chick lit and crime, but otherwise I'll give anything a go. My main genres of choice at present though are probably literary fiction and paranormal - I love my vampire fix! I adore so many very different books that it is always hard when I am asked to state favourites, but, if pressed, I would say that ones that have always stayed high on my list, throughout my various fads, include: Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), The Divine Comedy (Dante), Les Miserables (Hugo), Eugene Onegin (Pushkin) and Ulysses (Joyce). At present, I am also a big True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse fan! ;)

Q. The magic book fairy pops out of your cereal box and says "you and your favorite character (from a book of course) can switch places!" Who are you going to switch with?


I'm going to have to go with Cat Crawford from the Night Huntress series. For one Cat is kick arse, strong, powerful and smokin' hot. Then, she has this sexier then Hell man that is ga-ga over her and goes above and beyond to make her happy. And then she has all these super supportive friends that would die for her. And then as an added bonus they have a bit of money and are protected by some of the most powerful vampires on the planet. Now, Cat does have a few problems ... but who doesn't??

P.S. - I have a few giveaways going on now, so why don't you guys go enter them??? Including the chance to win a Kindle. Look above on the widget above this post for quick links.


I'm going with Eve Dallas from the In-Death series.  She's a kick-ass and smart cop who really cares about her family and friends and doesn't care what people/suspect(s) think of her.  She has a drop dead sexy multi-millionaire husband Roarke who totally adores her and willing to help on her cases.  He is always taking care of her like making sure she eats, dresses appropriately and gets enough sleep, etc.

18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop #4


Laurie from Bitten by Paranormal has created a 18 and Over Book Blogger Tag Along Friday Hop where you can find adult bloggers.

How it works:

*First make a post on your blog with this picture on top. That lets us know we are in the right place to make a comment so you can follow back. If you don’t do this I will have to take you off the tag along.

*Second place your name or blogs name in the first linky tool. I want to add here, put in (paranormal romance) beside your blogs name what you mainly review. Then add your URL to the tag along post in the second Linky tool.

*Third visit blogs listed if you like what you see hit the follow button. Remember to leave a comment, so they can tag along back.

If you have a question or problem you can email Laurie: bittenbyparanormalromance@gmail.com

Now, if your new don't be shy most of these ladies are here every week and they are very, very friendly (I know because I follow most of them)

Thursday, June 9, 2011

10th Anniversary (Women's Murder Club) [Hardcover]


 I've finished "10th Anniversary" the 10th book in his Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson.

Product Description

For every secret

Detective Lindsay Boxer's long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminals -- but that the victim may be keeping secrets as well.

For every lie

At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life -- a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children. Yuki's career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct?


There's a different way to die

Lindsay's every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she'll ever be able to start a family. With James Patterson's white-hot speed and unquenchable action, 10th Anniversary is the most deliciously chilling Women's Murder Club book ever.


About the Author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 205 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Maxine Paetro is the author of three novels, two works of nonfiction, and the coauthor of seven books with James Patterson. She lives in New York with her husband.

Product Details
Hardcover: 448 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1 edition (May 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316036269
ISBN-13: 978-0316036269


My Review:


Storyline:  The book opens with Lindsay finally marrying the love of her life, Joe Molinari.  After taking some time off she is hesitant about returning back to work because there are a lot of changes going on.  She has to report to a new lieutenant, Jackson Brady. He assigns her a case of Avis Richardson, a 15-year-old girl found collapsed in the middle of the road and bleeding out. It appears that she has just given birth, but has no recollection of what happened since the delivery, how she got where she was found, or what happened to her baby. Lindsay doesn't believe Avis is being totally honest with her. She will have to push her hard in order to find out the truth and hopefully find her baby alive.

Yuki has a make or break case on her hands. Dr. Candace Martin is charged with shooting her husband in cold blood. It appears to be an open and shut case - a sure and must-have win for Yuki. That is until Lindsay finds herself drawn into the case and starts poking around. She finds out things aren't as perfect as they appear.  Now Yuki's case is being put to the test.  There are many twists and turns in the case which really keeps you on your toes.

Cindy is basking in the glow of being head -over -heels in love with Rich who happens to be Lindsay's partner.  She work as the crime reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle and knows in this day and age - with internet news and bloggers - that she doesn't have a secure job security. She really needs to find a big scoop that will make her stand out and hopefully help her hold onto her job. She gets the inside scoop on reports of several women being found passed out near their homes with no memory of the past several hours. Cindy uses her investigative skills and tracks down a lead that  puts her in a very dangerous position.

Characters:  I'm glad that Lindsay is finally admitted that she loved Joe enough to marry and have children with him.  She's slowly adjusting to married life and that there is someone else she needs to take care of not just herself.  Really glad that Joe is very supportive of her job and that she is needed whenever she is called away.  He really listens to what she has to say and gives out great advice and opinions.
  
Romance:  I've always enjoyed the romance between Lindsay and Joe and how it's grown from when they first met to now.  Also enjoy the romance between Cindy and Rich because he's always been very protective of her and he really treats her right.  Yuki also has started seeing Lindsay's boss Jackson.

Killer:   The killer drugs his victims, kidnaps, rapes and then drops them off near where they live.  They don't remember much because they are given a memory loss drug.

4/5

Thanks Melanie from Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selections are:



Watch Me Die [Hardcover]

Product Description

In Spindler’s thrilling new psychological drama, one woman’s journey to recovery becomes her worst nightmare … 

Before Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, stained-glass restoration artist Mira Gallier had it all: a thriving business doing work she loved and an idyllic marriage to the perfect man. But the devastating storm stole her beloved husband – his body swept away by floodwaters, never to be found.

Now, after years of pain and turmoil, it looks as if Mira is finally on the verge of peace and emotional stability. But her life, like the magnificent windows blown to bits by Hurricane Katrina, is about to be shattered once again. And this time, it’s not a killer storm she faces, but a psychopath who will stop at nothing until he possesses her, body and soul…

First, church windows that she restored are vandalized, and the priest who looked over them brutally murdered. Spray-painted across the glass are the words: He Will Come to Judge the Living and the Dead. Then, New Orleans is rocked by a terrifying chain of murders that all seem to be linked to Mira. The police, led by homicide detective Spencer Malone, are following a string of clues left by the killer on each victim – and beginning to wonder if the murderer isn’t Mira Gallier herself.

As Mira begins to unravel under pressure from all sides – and fear for her life – it’s unclear whom she can trust. And when a man from her past appears out of nowhere, sparking something long forgotten in her heart, he quickly becomes the police’s new prime suspect. One by one, the people in Mira's life are targeted, until it’s clear that the killer has been saving her for last . . . and that there’s nowhere left to run.

Product Details
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031236394X
ISBN-13: 978-0312363949




Breaking Silence (Kate Burkholder) [Hardcover]

Product Description

The New York Times bestselling series hailed as “gripping” (People magazine) and “compelling” (USA Today) returns with Police Chief Kate Burkholder called to the scene of a horrific tragedy on a peaceful Amish farm.

The Slabaugh family are model Amish farmers, prosperous and hardworking, with four children and a happy extended family. When the parents and an uncle are found dead in their barn, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But in the course of a routine autopsy, the coroner discovers that one of the victims suffered a head wound before death — clearly, foul play was involved. But who would want to make orphans of the Slabaughs’ children? And is this murder somehow related to a recent string of shocking hate crimes against the Amish?

Having grown up Amish, Kate is determined to bring the killer to justice. Because the other series of attacks are designated hate crimes, the state sends in agent John Tomasetti, with whom Kate has a long and complex relationship. Together, they search for the link between the crimes — and uncover a dark secret at work beneath the placid surface of this idyllic Amish community.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (June 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312374992
ISBN-13: 978-0312374990

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

New Release 2011 (Jun 7)



You Belong to Me [Paperback]

Product Description

Baltimore city Homicide Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick has seen a lot of violence but nothing like the trail of tortured bodies that are turning up throughout the city. And now he's starting to suspect that his medical examiner, Dr. Lucy Trask, may be shielding a dark secret that could connect her to these vicious killings-and put her next on the killer's hit list ...

Product Details
Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Signet; Original edition (June 7, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451233573
ISBN-13: 978-0451233578

Monday, June 6, 2011

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Jun 6)


Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1.  Devious - Lisa Jackson
2.  10th Anniversary - James Patterson

I’m currently reading:

1. A Drop of the Hard Stuff - Lawrence Block

Books I’m planning on reading this week:


1. Beg for Mercy - Jami Alden
2. No One to Hear You Scream - Julia Madeleine

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/06/05/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-91

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Devious (Bentz and Montoya) [Hardcover]



I've finished "Devious" the book in her Bentz and Montoya series by Lisa Jackson.

Product Description

The crime scene at St. Marguerite’s cathedral in New Orleans is shocking, even to seasoned detectives like Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya. A novice nun named Sister Camille has been found dressed in a yellowed bridal gown and viciously garroted, her body covered with an altar cloth. Valerie Houston is devastated by her sister’s death. For weeks, she’d begged Camille to leave St. Marguerite’s, where she seemed determined to live as some kind of martyr. But Camille had a knack for making bad choices — she joined the convent in part because she’d fallen for Val’s soon-to-be ex-husband, Slade. Convinced the police aren’t doing enough, Val begins to investigate. Slade, on a mission to repair their marriage, is determined to help her. But the deeper Val’s inquiries go, the more twisted the case becomes. St. Marguerite’s is far from the tranquil retreat many believe, and everyone, from handsome Father Frank O’Toole to the mysterious Mother Superior, has their own agenda. Despite their closeness, even Camille had a hidden life Val never suspected. But someone knew about Camille’s past — and Val’s, too. Now she has no choice but to catch a devious, depraved killer intent on purging St. Marguerite’s of all its sins — before she becomes the next victim…

Product Details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758225652
ISBN-13: 978-0758225658


My Review:

Storyline:  Camille Cammie Renard has always been the .  In high school she was an outrageous flirt and liked to flirt her sexuality and toeing the line.  After she felt guilty after breaking up her older sister Valerie's marriage she joined the St. Marguerite's convent in New Orleans to seek forgiveness and redemption.  She has trouble giving up her old life.

She becomes pregnant but before she can leave the church she is found dead dressed in a yellowed bridal gown, viciously garroted and her body covered with an altar cloth.  She is found by Sister Lucia who has an unusual power.

Camille's older sister Val was the more serious one of the family and studious and extremely outspoken.  She's an insomniac and has always been protective of her younger sister.  She had a falling out with Camille when she betrayed Val with Slade when she lived with them.  She filed for a divorce and opened up a Bed and Breakfast with one of her closest friends in New Orleans.  Camille reaches out to her to reconcile but before that happens she is murdered.  Meanwhile Slade arrives in New Orleans helping to reconcile and save his marriage.

Val and Detective Rick Bentz's top suspect is Father Frank O'Toole.  Father Frank is handsome, virile, strong and very athletic.  All the young nuns or novices fall for his charm and good lucks while he is a priest at St. Marguerite's.

Detective Reuben Montoya is getting weird vibes while investigating. In his teen years he dated Cammie, was a friend of Frank's and his brother dated Lucia in high school.  Sister Charity, the 60-year-old mother superior at St. Marguerite's withholds evidence and is secretive concerning what she knows about Cammie and the other sisters. The investigation seems to heat up after another nun is found murdered in the same perverted fashion as Camille, two more nuns go missing, and Val's life is threatened.

Also during the investigation the murder of a red-head streetwalker is called in.  The return of Father John (a serial killer who dresses up as a priest  who murders red-head streetwalkers who leaves his calling card of a $100 dollar bill with the defaced eyes of President Lincoln.  While killing them he listens to a certain station "Midnight Confessions" whose radio personality (Samantha Leeds) was his first victim (she's the only one who survived).

Cruz Montoya is Reuben's younger brother who is the rebellious one in the family.  He's a detective and he inserts himself into the investigation when he finds out Lucia is at St. Marguerite's.  They use to date in high school when he crashed his car one night while driving very fast.  Her dad drove him off and when he went to see Lucia at the hospital she was gone.  He tried finding her but he had no luck.  It's quite obvious both of them still love each other.


Characters: 

Romance:  I really like the romance between Reuben and Abby because she really understands what his job means to him and how he really cares for the victim's and their families.  They have a son.

I also like Rick and Olivia's romance too for the same reasons.  Rick has a daughter from a previous marriage and he has a daughter with Olivia.

Killer(s): The main killer was very psychotic and had abandonment problems.  They thought they were doing God's Will and had no remorse for their killings.  Had a very bad childhood with a lot of bullying.


4/5