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:

Stolen (Lucy Kincaid Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description
Nothing is more important to private investigator Sean Rogan than his relationship with FBI trainee Lucy Kincaid. But when his past catches up with him, Sean faces an ultimatum: clear his name and help the FBI take down a rogue agent, or go to prison and lose everything he holds dear. With only Agent Noah Armstrong as his back-up and forced to keep Lucy in the dark, Sean steps back into his old world. But the longer he’s undercover, the more dangerous the game becomes. More than Sean’s future with Lucy is at stake — so is his life.

Lucy can’t imagine Sean would keep secrets from her — until an FBI agent casts doubt about who he really is and who he used to be. Why did Sean quit his job with his brother and move to New York? Why hasn’t he told her anything about his new job? With more questions than answers, Lucy doesn’t know who to believe or who she can trust. All she knows is that Sean is in grave danger, and this time, it’s personal.

Calculated in Death [Hardcover]

I've finished "Calculated in Death" the 36th book in her Eve Dallas series by J.D. Robb.

Product Description

On Manhattan's Upper East Side a woman lies dead at the bottom of the stairs, stripped of all her valuables. Most cops might call it a mugging gone wrong, but Lieutenant Eve Dallas knows better.

A well-off accountant and a beloved wife and mother, Marta Dickenson doesn’t seem the type to be on anyone's hit list. But when Eve and her partner, Peabody, find blood inside the building, the lieutenant knows Marta's murder was the work of a killer who's trained, but not professional or smart enough to remove all the evidence.

But when someone steals the files out of Marta's office, Eve must immerse herself in her billionaire husband Roarke's world of big business to figure out who's cruel and callous enough to hire a hit on an innocent woman. And as the killer's violent streak begins to escalate, Eve knows she has to draw him out, even if it means using herself as bait.

About the Author

J.D. ROBB is the pseudonym for a number-one New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including the futuristic suspense In Death series. There are more than 400 million copies of her books in print.

Product Details
Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult; 1st Printing edition (February 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399158820
ISBN-13: 978-0399158827

My Review:

Marta Dickenson death seems like a simple mugging gone wrong but to NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas clues don't add up.  As she and her partner Detective Delilah Peabody gather evidence it points to the accountant's murder.  When there is a break Marta's workplace and her files are stolen Eve knows she has to divulge into the corporate world to pinpoint the killer.  With the help of her multimillionaire husband Roarke and her team of fellow cops she will dig into the corporate world of a killer who ordered the senseless murder of a woman.  Marta is only the first murder among many more each one more brutal than the last.

I really enjoy how Eve and Roarke play off each other it's very entertaining and fun.  They work well together and they somehow figure things out or come up with ideas.  The interplay between Eve and Peabody is very funny and hilarious. 

4/5

New Release 2013 (May 28)

The Night Is Watching (Krewe of Hunters) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description


The dead of night

The Old West town of Lily, Arizona, is home to the Gilded Lily, a former theater and bawdy house. These days, it offers theatrical productions geared to tourists, but the recent discovery of a skull, a real skull, among the props and costumes shakes everyone up.

So, who do you call? The Krewe of Hunters, a special FBI unit of paranormal investigators. In this case, it's agent Jane Everett. Jane's also a talented artist who creates images of the dead as they once were. But the Krewe always works with local law enforcement, and here that means Sloan Trent, former Houston cop and now sheriff. His great-great-grandmother was an actress at the Gilded Lily and she's not resting in peace.

Then more remains appear in the nearby desert. As they search for answers, using all the skills at their disposal, Jane and Sloan find themselves falling into danger — and into love. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 27)

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

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

Last week I read:

1.  Incidental Daughter - Val Stasik
2.  Sweet Tea Revenge - Laura Childs

I’m currently reading:

1.  Calculated in Death - J.D. Robb
2.  Silken Prey - John Sandford

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/05/26/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-190 

Sweet Tea Revenge (A Tea Shop Mystery) [Hardcover]

I've finished "Sweet Tea Revenge" the 14th book in her Tea Shop series by Laura Childs.

Product Description

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Agony of the Leaves, Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning may always be a bridesmaid, never a bride, but this groom is never going to make it to the altar.

Theodosia Browning’s dear friend, Delaine Dish, has asked her to be a bridesmaid for her wedding. But when the big day arrives, everything seems to be going wrong. First, a massive storm is brewing over Charleston. A bad omen? Second, Delaine’s maid of honor is late for the ceremony. And finally, the groom not only has cold feet — his whole body is cold. A murderer has crashed the wedding.

As Theodosia comforts a devastated Delaine, she needs to sort out the suspects on the groom’s side from the suspects on the bride’s side. One thing soon becomes apparent — revenge won’t be the only dish served cold at this wedding. And if Theodosia doesn’t watch her step, a cold-blooded killer may have a rude reception in store for her.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Cackleberry Club Mysteries, and the Scrapbooking Mysteries. She is a consummate tea drinker, scrapbooker, and dog lover, and travels frequently to China and Japan with Dr. Bob, her professor husband. In her past life she was a Clio Award–winning advertising writer and CEO of her own marketing firm.

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover; First Edition edition (March 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425252884
ISBN-13: 978-0425252888

My Review:

Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning is a bridesmaid for her friend Delaine Dish's marriage to attorney Dougan Granville.  The wedding day has arrived but the groom is missing so Theo goes to get him but finds him dead with an unknown powder around him.  It is soon known that it was not an overdose but a homicide.

Detective Burt Tidwell arrives and Delaine becomes the prime suspect.  Delaine asks Theo to do a little detecting and soon ghost hunters Jed and Tim Beckman arrive at Ravencrest to film a segment for their show Southern Hauntings.  They are extremely happy to hear that a death has occurred because they believe it will help them make contact with the spiritual contact.

Max Theo's boyfriend makes an appearance and they seem solid but she seems to be noticing a P.I. who she thinks is attractive.  Hmm not really like her at all!

I find it quite funny when she goes investigates and she runs into trouble or things happen to her.

I love the yummy recipes at the end with suggestion for staging your own tea parties.

3.5/5

Incidental Daughter [Paperback]

I've finished "Incidental Daughter" by Val Stasik.

Product Description

Readers who would enjoy a family drama interwoven with romance, suspense, and a touch of the paranormal will find it hard to put down Val Stasik’s break-out novel, Incidental Daughter. When successful publisher Liz Michaels’ marriage to blue blood, Addison Tiffin Payne, fails after the loss of their baby and his growing alcoholism, she pours all her creative energy and passion into her work and finds comfort in her friendships and the appearances of the spirits of her Polish mother and grandmother, who never speak except in dreams she cannot remember. Only her feelings from those dreams linger. When her ex-husband plans to stage her suicide by pushing her off the balcony of her high-rise home, he topples to his death instead. When the police arrive, the potential victim becomes the prime murder suspect. She meets Pittsburgh Police Detective Jim Shannon, who may threaten her freedom or possibly gain her love. Her swirling feelings are complicated by the simultaneous appearance of a talented, familiar-looking intern at her workplace. Internal conflict is soon compounded by external threats created by her ex-husband and his mother as well as someone seeking revenge on Shannon and his partner. Wll Liz be destroyed by this vortex, or will she use the crisis to open the door to a second chance at love and family?

Product Details
Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Armery & Hallquist Publishing (January 12, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0988584700
ISBN-13: 978-0988584709

My Review:

Liz Michaels is a successful publisher whose marriage to blue blood Addison Tiffin Payne falters after the loss their baby and his alcoholism.  She's haunted by the rejection of her father and his family and now her crumbling marriage.

This book had believable characters, an intriguing murder mystery, twists and turns and a sense of place.

3/5

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

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

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

Last week I read:

1.  Taking Eve - Iris Johansen
2.  Let the Dead Sleep - Heather Graham

I’m currently reading:

1.  Incidental Daughter - Val Stasik
2.  Sweet Tea Revenge - Laura Childs

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/05/19/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-189 

Library Haul 2013 (May 19 - 25)

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

Hardcover:

1.  Calculated in Death
2.  Against the Odds - Kat Martin

Let the Dead Sleep (Cafferty and Quinn) [Hardcover]

I've finished "Let the Dead Sleep" the 1st book in her Cafferty and Quinn series by Heather Graham.

Product Description

An object of desire? Or of fear?

It was stolen from a New Orleans grave — the centuries - old bust of an evil man, a demonic man. It's an object desired by collectors — and by those with wickedness in their hearts.

One day, its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty's antiques shop on Royal Street, the shop she inherited from her father. But before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears, the owner is found dead and Danni discovers that she's inherited much more than she realized. In the store is a book filled with secret writing: instructions for defeating evil entities. She'd dismissed it as a curiosity until the arrival of this statue, with its long history of evil and even longer trail of death.

Michael Quinn, former cop and now private investigator, is a man with an unusual past. He believes that doing the right thing isn't a job — it's a way of life. And the right thing to do is find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni are drawn together in their search for the missing statue, following it through sultry New Orleans nights to hidden places in the French Quarter and secret ceremonies on abandoned plantations.

Cafferty and Quinn already know that trust in others can be misplaced, that love can be temporary. And yet their connection is primal. Mesmerizing. They also know that their story won't end when this case is closed and the dead rest in peace once again.

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels. She's a winner of the RWA's Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Thriller Writers' Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, check out her websites: TheOriginalHeatherGraham.com, eHeatherGraham.com, and HeatherGraham.tv. You can also find Heather on Facebook.

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (March 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780778315056
ISBN-13: 978-0778315056

My Review:

Danni Cafferty inherits her dad's antique shop on Royal Street when he suddenly dies.  An old bust of an evil man was stolen from a New Orleans grave.  It is highly sought out by collectors and by man with evil in their hearts.

One day it's current owner comes into Danni's shop demanding she take the evil statue away.  Before Danni can see the statue the owner is killed, it is stolen and Danni finds out she has inherited more than she knows.  In the shop is a book filled with secret writings:  the instructions to defeat evil.

Michael Quinn is a former cop now a private investigator who believes doing the right thing is the way of life.  He has an unusual past and he believes the right thing is to find the statue and destroy it with it's evil power.

This was a very fast paced book full of suspense and mystery.  There were some interesting secondary characters like a Catholic priest, Voodoo priestess and Wolf Michael's perceptive dog.

3.5/5

In the Mail Saturday 2013 (May 18)

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

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review: 

Silken Prey [Hardcover]

Product Description

Murder, scandal, political espionage, and an extremely dangerous woman. Lucas Davenport’s going to be lucky to get out of this one alive.

Very early one morning, a Minnesota political fixer answers his doorbell. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up on the floor of a moving car, lying on a plastic sheet, his body wet with blood. When the car stops, a voice says, “Hey, I think he’s breathing,” and another voice says, “Yeah? Give me the bat.” And that’s the last thing he knows.

Davenport is investigating another case when the trail leads to the man’s disappearance, then — very troublingly — to the Minneapolis police department, then — most troublingly of all — to a woman who could give Machiavelli lessons. She has very definite ideas about the way the world should work, and the money, ruthlessness, and sheer will to make it happen.

No matter who gets in the way.

The Officer and the Secret (Semper Fidelis. Always Faithful.) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

If There's One Thing He Hates, It's a Secret

Coming home after a rough deployment, Captain Dwayne Robertson wants some stability in his life, and finds it in the friendship he's forged with Veronica Gibson while he was away. But her past is a well-guarded mystery, and Dwayne doesn't know if he can deal with a woman who has something to hide.

And She's Filled with Them

Veronica Gibson doesn't want anyone to know about her bizarre upbringing. She's finally escaped her missionary parents and would be enjoying her independence if she didn't feel so insecure about fitting in. She can easily envision a glorious future with Dwayne — but can she build a new life on a web of lies?

Taking Eve: An Eve Duncan Novel [Hardcover]

I've finished "Taking Eve" the 15th book in her Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen.

Product Description

#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen is back with the first book in a chilling new Eve Duncan trilogy that asks the question: will Eve survive what lies ahead?

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan’s mission is to bring closure to the families whose loved ones have vanished. She knows their anguish — her own beloved daughter, Bonnie, was taken from her when Bonnie was just seven years old. It is only recently that this mystery was resolved and Eve could begin her journey to peace. Now, Jim Doane wants the same kind of answers that Eve always longed for. His twenty-five-year old son may or may not be dead and he has only burned skull fragments as possible evidence. But he cannot go to the police for answers without risking his own secrets and dark past, so instead he chooses a bold step to find the truth — a truth that takes Eve down a twisted path of madness and evil and into the darkest heart of her own history. Doane needs Eve Duncan’s skills and he’ll do anything to get them.

Even if it means taking Eve.

About the Author

IRIS JOHANSEN is The New York Times bestselling author of What Doesn't Kill You, Bonnie, Quinn, Eve, Chasing The Night, Eight Days to Live, Blood Game, Storm Cycle, and Silent Thunder (with Roy Johansen), Deadlock, Dark Summer, Pandora's Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On The Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, No One To Trust and more.

Product Details
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (April 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250019982
ISBN-13: 978-1250019981

My Review:

Detective Joe Quinn has to appear at an important trial so he asks Jane MacGuire Eve's adopted daughter to come stay with her.  As Jane is on her way to visit Eve she gives her a call to let her know that her dog Toby is critically ill.  Jane decides to drop him off at an experimental facility to see if they can figure out what is making Toby ill.  Before she arrives at the facility she finds out the person she thought would be there isn't and she has figure out if she wants to entrust Toby's care to Margaret (a new character that is introduced) a Dog Whisper/Animal Whisper ( a person who can talk and understand how dogs are feeling by communicating with them).  She learns from Toby that he was poisoned by the scruff of his neck by a man who petted him at a Doggie daycare.  As she is waiting for Eve to arrive she is stopped by an sharpshooter and with the help of Caleb she is on a mission to find out who kidnapped Eve and who poisoned Toby.

We learn from Venables who has kidnapped Eve - one Jim Doanes who wants her to reconstruct his son's Kevin's skull.  Kevin was a sadistic child killer who really enjoyed killing little girls with the help of his father who lured them in.  Jim looks like a nice guy but hides a sick personality under his friendly facade.

Jane has her own romantic problems to deal with two men vying for her affections when one of her suitors returns Mark Trevor (one of my favorite characters) to help her find Eve and Caleb the enigmatic and mysterious man who can kill someone by using their blood.

This book was a page turner with non-stop action with a cliff-hanger ending to set up the premise of the next book.  We learn who Eve's father might be or might not be!

4.5/5

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

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

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

Last week I read:

1.  12th of Never - James Patterson
2.  Surrender - Stephanie Tyler

I’m currently reading:

1.  Taking Eve - Iris Johansen
2.  Let the Dead Sleep - Heather Graham

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/05/12/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-188 

Library Haul 2013 (May 12 - 18)

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

Hardcover:

1.  Let the Dead Sleep - Heather Graham
2.  Sweet Tea Revenge - Laura Childs

Surrender: A Section 8 Novel (A Section Eight Novel) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Surrender" the 1st book in her Section 8 series by Stephanie Tyler.

Product Description

Desperate, fearless, and hunted

For former Navy SEAL Dare O’Rourke, Section 8 was legendary. The son of one of its missing members, he grew up in the shadow of its secrets. All he knew was that it was a cabal of operatives discharged from branches of the military and reassigned to extremely dangerous, off-the-books international missions. And that their handler was as shrouded in mystery as the missions themselves.

Nothing can stop them. Nothing can break them

Now the handler of Section 8 has given extreme orders to kill any remaining members, along with their families. Dare must save his long-lost half sister, Avery, whom he was never meant to meet. Determined to fight for their lives and find their missing father, Dare and Avery bring together those who are in danger because of their relationship to Section 8 for one last mission — to avenge their families and to survive.

About the Author

Stephanie Tyler is the New York Times extended bestselling author of two previous military romantic suspense series, as well as the Eternal Wolf Clan series. Surrender is the first novel in the Section 8 series. Stephanie lives in New York with her husband, kids, and a crazy Weimaraner named Gus.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Signet (April 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451413490
ISBN-13: 978-0451413499

My Review:

Twenty years ago there was a off the grid black ops unit Section 8 which consisted of the very best men in military but they were mentally unstable.  Twenty years later most of the original members are dead and the ones still alive are being hunted.

Darius O’Rourke one of the original members had two children Dare and Avery but they had different mothers.  Dare didn't know about his half-sister and he has been in hiding after the last attempt on his life.  But another original member tells him his half-sister is in danger and needs him to get her to safety.  He does the right thing and goes after her.

Avery was raised by her bounty hunter mom who taught her how to take care of herself.  Then her mother is brutally murdered and when she takes vengeance on the men responsible for her mother's death she is in even more trouble.

Dare takes her to Gunner a tattooed artist with tons of secrets.  While at Gunner's she meets Jem a ex-CIA black ops who is a bit crazy in the head and his brother Key an ex-Ranger who saved Dare during the attempt on his life in the jungle.

Dare kidnaps Grace the step-daughter of the man who is trying to kill them all to use as leverage against him.  He finds out she also lived a life of hell and he's extremely attracted to her.

I really loved the romance between Dare and Grace because it was quite steamy, emotional, tender and you can feel how much they really care for each other.

I also like the love triangle between Avery, Key and Gunner (though I found out the second book is about Gunner and Avery).  In this book it looked like Avery was really interested in Key and I'm curious to find out how this is going to be resolved.

4/5

12th of Never (Women's Murder Club) [Hardcover]

I've finished "12th of Never" the 12th book in his Women's Murder Club series by James Patterson.

Product Description

It's finally time! Detective Lindsay Boxer is in labor --  while two killers are on the loose.

Lindsay Boxer's beautiful baby is born! But after only a week at home with her new daughter, Lindsay is forced to return to work to face two of the biggest cases of her career.

A rising star football player for the San Francisco 49ers is the prime suspect in a grisly murder. At the same time, Lindsay is confronted with the strangest story she's ever heard: An eccentric English professor has been having vivid nightmares about a violent murder and he's convinced is real. Lindsay doesn't believe him, but then a shooting is called in-and it fits the professor's description to the last detail.

Lindsay doesn't have much time to stop a terrifying future from unfolding. But all the crimes in the world seem like nothing when Lindsay is suddenly faced with the possibility of the most devastating loss of her life.

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 280 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.

Product Details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (April 29, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031621082X
ISBN-13: 978-0316210829

My Review:

During a dark and stormy night Lindsay gives birth to her baby girl.  Then a week later her boss calls her back to work to help solve a couple of cases.

A rising football star for the San Francisco 49ers is suspected of killing his girlfriend Faye Farmer.  Then her body is stolen from the morgue and Lindsay has to track down the body and also the body of a morgue guard to help her friend Claire.  Then they get a call regarding two bodies burned in a car in Nevada and could they be Faye and the morgue guard.

There is a weird professor who dreams about murders and they happen a few days later.  Is he a killer or is he some nut case?

There is Randy Fish a psycho sexual murderer who is playing games with Lindsay

Also there is Yuki Castello a SF lawayer who is trying to prosecute Keith Herman for the murder of his wife and the disappearance of his daughter.

3/5

New Releases 2013 (May 7)

Silken Prey [Hardcover]

Product Description

The extraordinary new Lucas Davenport thriller from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner.

Murder, scandal, political espionage, and an extremely dangerous woman. Lucas Davenport’s going to be lucky to get out of this one alive.

Very early one morning, a Minnesota political fixer answers his doorbell. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up on the floor of a moving car, lying on a plastic sheet, his body wet with blood. When the car stops, a voice says, “Hey, I think he’s breathing,” and another voice says, “Yeah? Give me the bat.” And that’s the last thing he knows.

Davenport is investigating another case when the trail leads to the man’s disappearance, then — very troublingly — to the Minneapolis police department, then — most troublingly of all — to a woman who could give Machiavelli lessons. She has very definite ideas about the way the world should work, and the money, ruthlessness, and sheer will to make it happen.

No matter who gets in the way.

Robert B. Parker's Wonderland (Spenser) [Hardcover]

Product Description

Henry Cimoli and Spenser have been friends for years, yet the old boxing trainer has never asked the private eye for a favor. Until now. A heavy-handed developer is trying to buy up Henry's condo on Revere Beach and sends thugs to move the process along. Soon Spenser and his apprentice, Zebulon Sixkill, find a trail leading to a mysterious and beautiful woman, a megalomaniacal Las Vegas kingpin, and plans to turn to a chunk of land north of Boston into a sprawling casino. Bitter rivals emerge, alliances turn, and the uglier pieces of the Boston political machine look to put an end to Spenser's investigation.

Aspiration, greed, and twisted dreams all focus on the old Wonderland dog track where the famous amusement park once fronted the ocean. For Spenser and Z, this simple favor to Henry will become the fight of their lives.

Killer in Crinolines (A Consignment Shop Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

It’s August in Savannah, Georgia — hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat — or from a cake knife in the back.

Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.

Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man!

With the help of her flamboyant auntie, KiKi, and vexing but attractive attorney Walker Boone, Reagan is determined to save her friend — before she’s forced to turn in her brown uniform for an orange jumpsuit.

Hex on the Ex (A Mind for Murder Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

From the author of Bruja Brouhaha and Who Do, Voodoo? the new Mind for Murder Mystery!

When her ex-husband encounters a mysterious death omen, psychologist Liz Cooper turns to occult professor Nick Garfield for help in solving an all-too-real murder.

At a Dodgers game to celebrate her father’s birthday, Liz is forced to watch her ex-star player, Jarret — on the pitcher’s mound. To make matters worse, her former best friend, Laycee, is in the stands as well. Having betrayed her trust by having an affair with Jarret, Laycee is the last person Liz wants to see.

But when the appearance of a white pigeon — an omen of death — sets the superstitious Jarret off balance, it’s a game changer both on and off the field. Because the next morning, Laycee is found dead in Jarret’s home — and Liz is on deck as the prime suspect.

 

Glutton for Punishment (Culinary Mysteries (Warner)) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Sleuth/master chef Charly Poisson is back in this followup to "Appetite for Murder". The winter holidays are over, and Charly and the staff of La Fermette are settling down for a quiet season when a ring of antique thieves terrorize their wealthy, weekend patrons. Things get worse when Charly finds the corpse of a local antiques dealer in the freezer. Despite warnings from the police chief, Charly can't help investigating on his own. This title includes recipes.

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

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

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

Last week I read:

1.  Rage: Faces of Evil - Debra Webb
2.  Follow Her Home - Steph Cha

I’m currently reading:

1.  12th of Never - James Patterson
2.  Surrender - Stephanie Tyler

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/05/05/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-187 

Follow Her Home [Hardcover]

I've finished "Follow Her Home" by Steph Cha.

Product Description

A stunning, edgy debut introducing Juniper Song, an amateur sleuth taking on the darkness in the veins of L.A. with razor-sharp wit and a breaking heart.Juniper Song knows secrets – how to keep them and how to search them out. As a girl, noir fiction was her favorite escape, and Philip Marlowe has always been her literary idol. So when her friend Luke asks her to investigate a possible affair between his father and a young employee, Juniper (or "Song" as her friends call her) finds an opportunity to play detective. Driving through L.A.'s side streets, following leads, tailing suspects - it all appeals to Song's romantic ideal of the noir hero. But when she's knocked out while investigating a mysterious car and finds a body in her own trunk, Song lurches back to the real L.A., becoming embroiled in a crime that goes far beyond role play. What's more, this isn't the first time Song has stuck her nose in other people's business. As she fights to discover the truth about her friend's family, Song reveals one of her own deeply hidden secrets, something dark and damaging, urging her to see the current mystery through, to rectify the mistakes of her past life.

About the Author

STEPH CHA is a graduate of Stanford University and Yale Law School. She lives in her native city of Los Angeles, California. This is her first novel.

Product Details
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250009626
ISBN-13: 978-1250009623

My Review:

Juniper Song is an amateur detective and her idols are Raymond Chandler and Philip Marlowe.  When a friend Lucas Cook asks her to investigate his father because he believes he is having an affair with a very young Korean girl Lori.  As she starts investigating she is knocked out, finds a corpse in the trunk of her car and starts receiving death threats.

Then she meets a real detective who was hired by his sister to suspects her husband is having an affair with Lori.  She also learns the dead man in her trunk had a thing with Lori too. 

Also there is a subplot that involves Juniper's younger sister Iris who has become involved with her teacher with an obsession with young Asian girls.

This was an interesting read with a protagonist that went into her investigation with enthusiasm, fearlessness and quite confident that she can handle any situation.

3/5

In the Mail Saturday 2013 (May 4)

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

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review:

12th of Never (Women's Murder Club) [Hardcover]

Product Description

It's finally time! Detective Lindsay Boxer is in labor while two killers are on the loose.

Lindsay Boxer's beautiful baby is born! But after only a week at home with her new daughter, Lindsay is forced to return to work to face two of the biggest cases of her career.

A rising star football player for the San Francisco 49ers is the prime suspect in a grisly murder. At the same time, Lindsay is confronted with the strangest story she's ever heard: An eccentric English professor has been having vivid nightmares about a violent murder and he's convinced is real. Lindsay doesn't believe him, but then a shooting is called in - and it fits the professor's description to the last detail.

Lindsay doesn't have much time to stop a terrifying future from unfolding. But all the crimes in the world seem like nothing when Lindsay is suddenly faced with the possibility of the most devastating loss of her life.

Product Details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (April 29, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 031621082X
ISBN-13: 978-0316210829

Scream for Me [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

For her exciting debut in hardcover, New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose delivers a heart-stopping suspense novel that picks up where DIE FOR ME left off, with a detective determined to track down a brutal murderer.

Special Agent Daniel Vartanian has sworn to find the perpetrator of multiple killings that mimic a 13-year-old murder linked to a collection of photographs that belonged to his brother, Simon, the ruthless serial killer who met his demise in DIE FOR ME. Daniel is certain that someone even more depraved than his brother committed these crimes, and he's determined to bring the current murderer to justice and solve the mysterious crime from years ago.

With only a handful of images as a lead, Daniel's search will lead him back through the dark past of his own family, and into the realm of a mind more sinister than he could ever imagine. But his quest will also draw him to Alex Fallon, a beautiful nurse whose troubled past reflects his own. As Daniel becomes attached to Alex, he discovers that she is also the object of the obsessed murderer. Soon, he will not only be racing to discover the identity of this macabre criminal, but also to save the life of the woman he has begun to love.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
Publisher: Vision; Reprint edition (January 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446616923
ISBN-13: 978-0446616928

Waiting on Wednesday

Silken Prey [Hardcover]

Product Description

The extraordinary new Lucas Davenport thriller from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner.

Murder, scandal, political espionage, and an extremely dangerous woman. Lucas Davenport’s going to be lucky to get out of this one alive.

Very early one morning, a Minnesota political fixer answers his doorbell. The next thing he knows, he’s waking up on the floor of a moving car, lying on a plastic sheet, his body wet with blood. When the car stops, a voice says, “Hey, I think he’s breathing,” and another voice says, “Yeah? Give me the bat.” And that’s the last thing he knows.

Davenport is investigating another case when the trail leads to the man’s disappearance, then — very troublingly — to the Minneapolis police department, then — most troublingly of all — to a woman who could give Machiavelli lessons. She has very definite ideas about the way the world should work, and the money, ruthlessness, and sheer will to make it happen.

No matter who gets in the way.

Robert B. Parker's Wonderland (Spenser) [Hardcover]

Product Description

Henry Cimoli and Spenser have been friends for years, yet the old boxing trainer has never asked the private eye for a favor. Until now. A heavy-handed developer is trying to buy up Henry's condo on Revere Beach and sends thugs to move the process along. Soon Spenser and his apprentice, Zebulon Sixkill, find a trail leading to a mysterious and beautiful woman, a megalomaniacal Las Vegas kingpin, and plans to turn to a chunk of land north of Boston into a sprawling casino. Bitter rivals emerge, alliances turn, and the uglier pieces of the Boston political machine look to put an end to Spenser's investigation.

Aspiration, greed, and twisted dreams all focus on the old Wonderland dog track where the famous amusement park once fronted the ocean. For Spenser and Z, this simple favor to Henry will become the fight of their lives.

Killer in Crinolines (A Consignment Shop Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

It’s August in Savannah, Georgia — hardly the season for a traditional Southern wedding with hoopskirts and crinolines. One could die from the heat — or from a cake knife in the back.

Reagan Summerside should be devoting all her energy to her consignment shop the Prissy Fox. But when her dear friend Chantilly Parker is arrested for murder, Reagan vows to clear her name. The victim is Simon Ambrose, who’s found lying in his own wedding cake with a knife in his back.

Chantilly has motive (Simon broke her heart to marry wealthy Waynetta Waverly) and opportunity (crashing the wedding in her UPS delivery truck). And she has cake on her face, and the stolen bridesmaid dress the killer wore is in her truck. But Chantilly would never wear crinoline to kill a man!

With the help of her flamboyant auntie, KiKi, and vexing but attractive attorney Walker Boone, Reagan is determined to save her friend — before she’s forced to turn in her brown uniform for an orange jumpsuit.

Hex on the Ex (A Mind for Murder Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

From the author of Bruja Brouhaha and Who Do, Voodoo? the new Mind for Murder Mystery!

When her ex-husband encounters a mysterious death omen, psychologist Liz Cooper turns to occult professor Nick Garfield for help in solving an all-too-real murder.

At a Dodgers game to celebrate her father’s birthday, Liz is forced to watch her ex-star player, Jarret — on the pitcher’s mound. To make matters worse, her former best friend, Laycee, is in the stands as well. Having betrayed her trust by having an affair with Jarret, Laycee is the last person Liz wants to see.

But when the appearance of a white pigeon — an omen of death — sets the superstitious Jarret off balance, it’s a game changer both on and off the field. Because the next morning, Laycee is found dead in Jarret’s home — and Liz is on deck as the prime suspect.

 

Glutton for Punishment (Culinary Mysteries (Warner)) [Mass Market Paperback] 

Product Description

Sleuth/master chef Charly Poisson is back in this followup to "Appetite for Murder". The winter holidays are over, and Charly and the staff of La Fermette are settling down for a quiet season when a ring of antique thieves terrorize their wealthy, weekend patrons. Things get worse when Charly finds the corpse of a local antiques dealer in the freezer. Despite warnings from the police chief, Charly can't help investigating on his own. This title includes recipes.

May Releases 2013

7th
Silken Prey - John Sandford
Wonderland - Robert B. Parker
Killer in Crinolines - Duffy Brown
Hex on the Ex - Rochelle Staab
Glutton for Punishment - Nancy J. Parra

28th
The Night is Watching - Heather Graham