To Be Read Tuesday

After I'm Gone by  Laura Lippman

The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Most Dangerous Thing, I'd Know You Anywhere, and What the Dead Know returns with an addictive story that explores how one man's disappearance echoes through the lives of the five women he left behind—his wife, his daughters, and his mistress

Dead is dead. Missing is gone.

When Felix Brewer meets nineteen-year-old Bernadette "Bambi" Gottschalk at a Valentine's Day dance in 1959, he charms her with wild promises, some of which he actually keeps. Thanks to his lucrative—if not all legal—businesses, she and their three little girls live in luxury. But on the Fourth of July in 1976, Bambi's comfortable world implodes when Felix, facing prison, vanishes.

Though Bambi has no idea where her husband—or his money—might be, she suspects one woman does: his devoted young mistress, Julie. When Julie disappears ten years to the day after Felix went on the lam, everyone assumes she's left to join her old lover—until her remains are discovered in a secluded park.

Now, twenty-six years later, Roberto "Sandy" Sanchez, a retired Baltimore detective working cold cases for some extra cash, is investigating her murder. What he discovers is a tangled web of bitterness, jealousy, resentment, greed, and longing stretching over five decades. And at its center is the man who, though long gone, has never been forgotten by the five women who loved him: the enigmatic Felix Brewer.

Felix Brewer left five women behind. Now there are four. Does at least one of them know the truth?

To Be Read Tuesday

 

Hello, book chicks that still stop by the blog from time to time.  I have really been trying to get back to my books for quite some time.  I have been reading, just not blogging.  My little one is now three and my oldest is fourteen so I am starting to have a little more me time.  Hopefully, I can make the time that I want for the blog because I have definitely been missing it. So hear is what I am currently reading.  If there is a good book that you think I should read, please comment below.

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Genre:   Fiction, Mystery Suspense

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Release Date:  June 2012

Series: None

Publisher:  Crown Publishing Group

Author Website:

Pages:  432

Source: Purchased

Rating:  Three Flowers Of Love

Book Blurb

Marriage can be a real killer.

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
   As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

Author and Book Spotlight Plus Giveaway: For The Love Of Jazz by Elke Feuer

For The Love Of Jazz by Elke Feuer

On Sale Today!

 

Publisher: Crimson Romance

Genre:  Romance, Suspense

Release Date:  December 24, 2012

2013 Romantic Suspense Reading Challenge

Alright, alright, alright, alright...I am going to attempt to take on some reading challenges in an effort to get my reading groove back.  This is the first challenge that I have signed up for 2013 and it's hosted by The Book Vixen.  I have always love romance books and I recently I have gotten hooked on mystery suspense.  So this is a good way to get the best of both worlds.

Review and Giveaway: One Wrong Move by Shannon McKenna

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Genre:   Romance, Mystery/Suspense

Release Date:  September 25, 2012

Series:  McCloud Brothers, Book 9

Publisher: Kensington Books

Author Website: http://www.shannonmckenna.com

Pages:  411

Source:  ARC From Publisher

Rating:  Four flowers of love

Review: Justice Rules by Thomas White

Series:  None

Genre:  Crime Drama, Mystery, Suspense

Release Date:  March 2010

Publisher: CreateSpace

Author Website:  http://www.justice-rules.com

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  298

Source:  Pump Up Your Book Tours

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Book Blurb

FBI Special Agent Brian Wylie investigates the murder of an ex-con in Eastern Washington. This single murder leads to a vigilante coalition that wreaks its own brand of justice. Wylie's investigation unravels an intricate and complex plot that involves a victims help group, a best friend's treachery and his teenaged daughter's well-being. 

Awesomeness:

“You leave them out of this.  They had nothing to do with it,” she snapped.

Brian had hit a nerve.  “Care to tell me how you helped them?  If not, I can always run a little investigation into your dope group.  I’m sure that we’d find something worthwhile there.”

“You son of a bitch.  You stay away from these people.  They haven’t done anything; they just want to manage their pain.  You’re a damn fascist, that’s all you are.”

My Thoughts

An eye for an eye…

What would you do if a crime was committed against you or someone you loved and the justice you thought was deserved never came? 

Two words for this book:  Loved it!  I am a fan of mystery and suspense novels and Justice Rules does not disappoint.  Thomas White created characters and scenarios that had me totally engrossed in the story. 

The story is not about one particular person, but multiple people who have been raped, murdered, or kidnapped and even though their attackers were caught and tried, for some reason or mistake, they always got off with slaps on the wrists.  But as the victims or family members become feed up with the justice system, they start to dish out their own twisted brands of justice.

Brian Wylie is an FBI agent with issues of his own, that has been assigned to a gruesome murder case.  As he begins to investigate, he ties the murder to an old rape case and then to a unique, but suspicious victims support group.   From there, Brian begins to uncover similar cases proving that payback is a bitch you don’t want to mess with.

The plot of this book had so much action and drama that it could easily be an episode of CSI, Bones or Law and Order (which I absolutely love).  Thomas White did an excellent job of telling the victims stories of pain and humiliation and their need for closure.

Brian was a very likable character.  He was a pretty good agent and a devoted father.  At one point the dangers of his job bleeds into his personal life and he becomes one the victims in need of support.  How he chooses to handle his anger puts him in the same situation as the victims he currently investigates.

Although, I liked the book, there were a few things that I didn’t like.  I got the whole victims fighting back and being strong part, but how they found their closure was a little disturbing.   These parts were written so well that you could easily step into the characters shoes, but some parts got really brutal and graphic.  The persons inflicting the pain, in my book, are certified crazies and strait jacket worthy for being able to go through with such violent acts.

Overall the book is a very good read, which I decided very early.  The other thing I didn’t like was the back cover blurb.  Usually, I am swayed to pick a book because the blurb is juicy or interesting, but Justice Rules had no back cover blurb.  Instead it had praises of the book.  So if I were to have run across this book in the bookstore, I would never have bought it.  I also found quite a few other errors that a general proofing should have caught.  It was nothing major, just a few things that stuck out.

 

Rating

I give Justice Rules four and a half flowers of love.  Thomas White is an author to watch.  If you love crime drama or mystery and suspense books, this book is a must read.

1/2

Other Reviews Of This Book:

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Shelfari

ARC Review: Explosive by Beth Kery

Series:  None

Genre:  Erotic Romance, Suspense

Release Date:  December 7, 2010

Publisher: Berkley Heat

Author Website: http://www.bethkery.com/

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  330

Source:  Author

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Book Blurb

His touch would consume her—if it didn’t kill her first…

Dr. Sophie Gable wasn’t expecting her peaceful getaway to be shattered by the arrival of a half-dazed, dead-sexy guest. Thomas Nicasio has obviously been traumatized, and Sophie thinks she knows by what. There’s something about Thomas’s father that he can’t—or won’t—remember. Something that could get them both killed. Still she can’t resist Thomas’s electrifying seduction—or her instincts to help him…

An ex-Navy explosives specialist, Thomas has never felt this type of volatile need for a woman. Even while he’s grieving the deaths of his brother and nephew, something in Sophie makes Thomas want to overtake her, and each time he does, her willing submission makes him want her all the more. But danger is lurking close by, and if he can’t face the demons of his past, he and Sophie could be the next victims in a pattern of meaningless violence…

My Thoughts

Explosive is a page turning mystery with plenty of suspenseful moments.   The story opens with Thomas being frustrated because chucks of his last few days are missing.  Without really thinking he seeks out the one person that he really shouldn’t involve in his mess of a life. 

Sophie is a doctor that Thomas has been attracted to for a long time.   She’s kind and sweet.  Despite the public drama that Thomas and his family are going through and him coming to her looking like hell warmed over, Sophie is naïve enough to invite the stranger into her home. 

Blame it on her mutual attraction plus her doctoral need to help, but Thomas takes full advantage of everything that Sophie offers.  This is where Explosive kicks into high gear and the mystery takes a backseat to erotic scenes that left my mouth hanging open.  I had assumed that Thomas sought Sophie out because she was a therapist and he simply wanted someone that he could trust to help him sort through his feelings, but boy did he have a lot of feelings that really needed to be worked through. 

Thomas needed the good doctor for another type of therapy.  Thomas is one of those men that demand to be satisfied and is very creative in the bedroom. There are quite a few smutty scenes that I wouldn’t mind bookmarking for future references.   Despite all the sexual attraction, Sophie’s presence actually made Thomas feel safer and helped him pick up the pieces.  

I loved the book, not because I’m a smut fan, but because it was well written and I was immediately pulled into the story.  The relationship between Thomas and Sophie was instant, but it worked.  He was broken and Sophie helped fix him.  The mystery behind Thomas’s amnesia unfolded at the right pace so I wasn’t able to guess what was coming next and spoil the outcome. 

My Rating

I give Explosive four and a half flowers of love.  I felt that Beth Kerry picked the perfect title for this book because it has an explosive mixture of action, mystery and hot loving.  I’m also putting Thomas on my Book Boyfriend list because his dirty mind is swoon worthy. 

1/2

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Series Review: Secrets Of Shadow Falls by Maggie Shayne

Series:  Secrets Of Shadow Falls

Genre:  Romance, Suspense

Publisher: Harlequin/Mira

Author Website: http://www.maggieshayne.com

Format I Read:  ebook

How I Got It:  reviewed for Net Galley

Killing Me Softly-Book #1

Published: July 2010

Pages:  384

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Book Summary:

The Nightcap Strangler, who terrorized the town of Shadow Falls sixteen years ago, has finally been executed. Case closed. Until Bryan Kendall's lover is murdered in the notorious killer's unique style and the rookie cop stands accused. Has someone committed the perfect copycat crime…or was the wrong man put to death?

A continent away, Dawn Jones hears that her first love has been accused of murder and knows that only she can help him. But to do so, she'll have to face the very fears that drove them apart.

Together they'll work to uncover secrets someone's willing to kill to keep, and renew a love as dangerous as it is inevitable. And their best lead is the girl found dead in Bryan's bed, reeking of the whiskey poured down her throat before her killer squeezed it shut.

A killer who thinks that Dawn, too, could use one last drink…

Mini Review:

This is the first book that I have read by Maggie Shayne, and I really liked the story.  It had drama and mystery and kept me glued to the pages. 

Dawn was not a favorite character for me because she appeared to be self absorbed.  Sure she had some issues, and although she had a supporting family, she chose to run from them and her problems.  There was so much talk of her ghost whispering skills and I was disappointed that I didn't get to see them in action.

Bryan I immediately liked. He was a good guy and it was obvious that he wasn't the killer.  His relationship with Dawn was strained, but I thought they made an excellent investigation team.  Their constant efforts to clear Bryan's name also helped put their relationship back on track and provided a great HEA.

I was very surprised to find out who the killer was.  Maggie Shayne did an excellent job on making me think I knew what was about to happen, but I really didn't.

Kiss Me, Kill Me, Book #2

Published: August 2010

Pages:  400

Read excerpt

Book Summary:

I'm not who they say I am.

Trust me.

But can she?

Reclusive novelist Aaron Westhaven, a man she's admired—and more—for years, has accepted Olivia Dupree's invitation to speak at a local fundraiser. But the day he's due to arrive, she gets a call summoning her to the bedside of a John Doe whose sole possession is her business card.

Can this undeniably compelling man—survivor of an execution-style gunshot wound—really be the novelist the lonely Olivia has grown to think of as a near soul mate? If not, he can be in Shadow Falls for only one reason: to kill her.

Olivia, too, has secrets. And discovering the truth about the man in the hospital bed means dredging up her own past—a past she's been hiding from for sixteen years.

Mini Review:

The story started out kinda slow but quickly picked up the pace.  It takes place a few weeks after the events of Killing Me Softly.  We get to know Olivia, a character that was instrumental in helping to clear Bryan's name.

In this book, Olivia, who I thought was a strong character before, had me questioning her actions.  It's understandable, because her carefully structured cover has been blown and now her past has come back to kill her.  The missing pieces of Olivia's past that weren't revealed in the first book makes me understand why she had to stay in hiding.

I liked the story, but at times I found it hard to believe that she really trusted “Aaron” despite the fact that neither knew if he was really the person she thought him to be.  

I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see enough of Bryan.  I figured that Olivia would at least trust the sexy police officer and his ghost whispering wife because they actually were good at getting answers.  But with "Aaron" watching her back, I almost didn't miss Bryan.

 “Aaron” was a mysterious, but likable character from the start. I wasn’t sure who or what he’d turn out to be, but I was very happy with the outcome.  Again, Maggie Shayne did an excellent job of confusing me and providing a great mystery.

Review: Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young

Title:  Buying Time

Author:  Pamela Samuels Young

Series:  None

Genre:  Mystery, Suspense

Published:  November 2009

Publisher:  Goldman House

Format I Read:  Print

Pages:  414

How I Got It:  Reviewed for Pump Up Your Books

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Book Summary:

Waverly Sloan is a down-on-his-luck lawyer. But just when he's about to hit rock bottom, he stumbles upon a business with the potential to solve all of his problems.

In Waverly's new line of work, he comes to the aid of people in desperate need of cash. But there's a catch. His clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they can collect a dime. Waverly then finds investors eager to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath.

The stakes get higher when Waverly brokers the policy of the cancer-stricken wife of Lawrence Erickson, a high-powered lawyer who's bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General. When Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they should, both Waverly and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—are unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail and murder

My Thoughts

Waverly has got to be the unluckiest man ever.  He's about to be disbarred and now he's afraid to tell his gold digging wife that they can no longer afford their lavish lifestyle.  So when a lucrative business deal pretty much falls into his lap, Waverly thinks he can get back on track without any problems.  Then his new clients mysteriously start dying, shortly after meeting with him.  Not only is he about to loose his new job, but he might just loose his life.

When I first received Buying Time, I was immediately intimated by the amount of pages it had, but once I started reading, the pages just flew by.  Before I knew, I had already finished the book.

Buying Time is a story full of greed, scandal, corruption, murder-everything needed for a good mystery.  The story introduces so many characters and subplots that for awhile it’s hard to figure out what’s really going on.  But, as the story progressed, all the events clicked into place and held my attention until the very end.

While I haven’t read a lot of mystery suspense novels lately, I do love the genre and felt Pamela Samuels Young did a great job with this novel.  It was well written and the characters were developed in such a way that made me hang on to every page just waiting to see how the story was going to play out.

My  Rating

I give Buying Time five flowers of love.  If you are a fan of mystery and suspense, I highly recommend this book. 

Review: The Hypnotist by M. J. Rose

Title:  The Hypnotist
Author:  M. J. Rose
Series:  The Reincarnationist Series, Book 3
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Release Date: May 1, 2010
How I Got It:  ebook from Net Galley

Book Summary:
An FBI agent, tormented by a death he wasn't able to prevent, a crime he's never been able to solve and a love he's never forgotten, discovers that his true conflict resides not in his past, but in a…Past Life.

Haunted by a twenty-year old murder of a beautiful young painter, Lucian Glass keeps his demons at bay through his fascinating work as a Special Agent with the FBI's Art Crime Team. Currently investigating a crazed art collector who has begun destroying prized masterworks, Glass is thrust into a bizarre hostage negotiation that takes him undercover at the Phoenix Foundation—dedicated to the science of past life study—where, in order to maintain his cover, he agrees to submit to the treatment of a hypnotist.

Under hypnosis, Glass travels from ancient Greece to 19th century Persia, while the case takes him from New York to Paris and the movie capital of world. These journeys will change his very understanding of reality, lead him to question his own sanity and land him at the center of perhaps the most audacious art heist in history: the theft of a 1,500 year old sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

My Thoughts:
When I was approached by Pump Up Your Book Tours to review The Hypnotist, I admit that I was a little skeptical.  While my favorite genre to read is romance, I do appreciate a good mystery and suspense novel every now and then.  So, I stepped out of my little genre box, and into the suspenseful world of M. J. Rose.

The Hypnotist is the third book in the Reincarnationist Series.  At first, I found the book to be a little hard to follow.  It seemed like every chapter introduced me to so many different people that I couldn't connect any dots to tell me what was really happening.  Before I could figure out who each person was and how they related to the plot, the chapter ended and I was left to stew in frustration.

While I knew the action and mystery brewing in the background was leading me to something great, it was still frustrating because my mind couldn't wrap around anything solid yet.

Slowly the plot was introduced, and the book snowballed into a super good read.

I liked The Hypnotist because it reminded me that I have neglected a lot of good mystery and suspense novels.  This book was so chalk full of murders, whodunits, and what ifs that despite my confusion, it kept me reading.

Just when I thought I'd put all the puzzle pieces together, M. J. Rose picked them up and threw them back in my face.  To me, this book read like a good episode of Law and Order.  You think you know what's going on, but you really don't.

What I didn't much care for about this book was that I felt like I was on an art history tour.  I'm all for culture and art enhancement, but too much focus and explanation and I'm liable to tune it out.  I felt like I was being guided by someone that loved art history so much, they got an orgasm just talking about it.  So, if you love art history, you will probably enjoy this book a little more than I did.

My Rating
I give this book 3 1/2 flowers of love because it was a good book.  It took me awhile to really get into it, but I would recommend it.  What I don't recommend is that you read this book as a stand alone.  It had too many "should have been there moments" for me that I felt like I needed to read the other books in the series to get a full understanding of certain situations.

Other books in The Reincarnationist Series
The Reincarnationist
The Memorist


Other reviews for this book:
The Book Vixen
Fiction Vixen
Cajun Book Lady