As a big mystery fan, this story definitely helped to feed my addiction. I thoroughly enjoyed not only the story, but the originality of it.
Dr. Jack Youngblood works with the dead. Preferring to work with the dead rather than the living, he considers himself a loner. He lives alone with his dog, Lilly. When Jack does an autopsy on one man and realizes he was murdered, he starts to investigate. Not long after, another person winds up dead. This one looks like a hit and run. Both deaths look suspicious and Jack soon realizes that they are connected.
Jack and his colleague, Jill, work side by side to uncover the mystery. They find a mosquito in the pocket of one of the dead bodies and invite a bug specialist to take a closer look at it. Their investigation leads them to a government building which is the Biologistics site. Jack and Jill try to ask them questions and to see if any of their employees have gone missing recently. The personnel that talk with them refuse to say anything and walk away. Discouraged, Jack obsesses about the case and continues with the investigation even when warned not to.
While all of this is going on, Jack and Jill notice a spark between the two of them. They decide to give it a try and start to see each other outside of work. Things appear to go well for awhile until Jack makes a relationship ending mistake and finds that Jill no longer trusts him.
The story continues, and Jack finds that Biologistics is more a part of these two deaths than they are willing to admit. When it is discovered that all of these events have to do with mosquitoes, things heat up and become very dangerous, even potentially deadly.
Having read many mystery/suspense books with similar story plots, I found this particular plot very refreshing. What I also loved was the make-up of the main characters. I felt that Chris Holmes allowed his readers the opportunity to really get to know his characters and fall in love with them. I felt as though I was right there with Jack as he performed his autopsies and with Jill as she faced some very dangerous men.
I would recommend this story to any mystery/suspense lovers. This story also has a lot of information about forensic pathology, which is Jack’s career, so if this is of interest to anyone, then this book is for you as well!
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mystery. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
THE DEAD MAN-JOEL GOLDMAN
about a year ago I reviewed another book by this author called "Shakedown". Both books were awesome! I highly recommend his books if you are into mystery/murder type of books!
Jack has the shakes. This rare condition is here to stay, which is why the FBI put him into early retirement. Just because he no longer works for them does not mean he stays away from the drama.
When people keep winding up dead, Jack and his new found friend Lucy investigate. They find that all of these victims are connected to a dream study that is being conducted at the Harper Institute. Milo Harper is a billionaire who is funding the study. Jack soon learns that these people are dying in ways that are their own worst nightmares; literally. Due to being part of the dream study, documentation is done on the subjects’ worst, re-occurring nightmares.
Jack is not only fighting the clock to try and find the murderer before they strike again, but is also up against the entire FBI. They think Jack has knowledge that he isn’t sharing and think he is somehow involved in things. When his daughter died not long ago of a drug overdose, the FBI were pretty certain she stole 500k, and when she died they suspected Jack of pocketing the money for his own personal use. Jack now has to help find the killer before the FBI gets in his way, or even worse, arrests him.
Having read and reviewed Shakedown, I found I was just as impressed with this story. Joel Goldman has an uncanny knack for creating twists to the story that makes it almost impossible for the reader to predict who the killer is. Not many mystery/suspense writers can do that.
I love Joel Goldman’s characters. I feel as though he gives them just enough spunk and personality to allow the reader to make a solid connection with them. He does not go overboard with his descriptions, and for that, I am grateful.
As with Shakedown, I found that I loved his style of writing. It is clear, concise, and to the point. Joel Goldman leaves his readers hungry for more and left me turning page after page without wanting to take a break to get back to the real world around me. This is an exceptional talent to have.
Lastly, I loved the ending. I won’t give any of it away, but it truly put the icing on the cake. Just when I thought I couldn’t sing enough praise for this story, the ending made me want to sing an octave higher. It was unexpected and exhilarating! I would recommend this book to any and all mystery/suspense lovers. This is one that will not disappoint!
Jack has the shakes. This rare condition is here to stay, which is why the FBI put him into early retirement. Just because he no longer works for them does not mean he stays away from the drama.
When people keep winding up dead, Jack and his new found friend Lucy investigate. They find that all of these victims are connected to a dream study that is being conducted at the Harper Institute. Milo Harper is a billionaire who is funding the study. Jack soon learns that these people are dying in ways that are their own worst nightmares; literally. Due to being part of the dream study, documentation is done on the subjects’ worst, re-occurring nightmares.
Jack is not only fighting the clock to try and find the murderer before they strike again, but is also up against the entire FBI. They think Jack has knowledge that he isn’t sharing and think he is somehow involved in things. When his daughter died not long ago of a drug overdose, the FBI were pretty certain she stole 500k, and when she died they suspected Jack of pocketing the money for his own personal use. Jack now has to help find the killer before the FBI gets in his way, or even worse, arrests him.
Having read and reviewed Shakedown, I found I was just as impressed with this story. Joel Goldman has an uncanny knack for creating twists to the story that makes it almost impossible for the reader to predict who the killer is. Not many mystery/suspense writers can do that.
I love Joel Goldman’s characters. I feel as though he gives them just enough spunk and personality to allow the reader to make a solid connection with them. He does not go overboard with his descriptions, and for that, I am grateful.
As with Shakedown, I found that I loved his style of writing. It is clear, concise, and to the point. Joel Goldman leaves his readers hungry for more and left me turning page after page without wanting to take a break to get back to the real world around me. This is an exceptional talent to have.
Lastly, I loved the ending. I won’t give any of it away, but it truly put the icing on the cake. Just when I thought I couldn’t sing enough praise for this story, the ending made me want to sing an octave higher. It was unexpected and exhilarating! I would recommend this book to any and all mystery/suspense lovers. This is one that will not disappoint!
CODE OF SILENCE-SALLY WRIGHT
Always glad to read a good mystery, I was excited for this book. Unfortunately, I found myself a bit disappointed with the writing. The actual plot, the mystery of the book, was excellent. The way it was set up and how it read to the readers was where the problem came, in my opinion.
Grieving the recent loss of his wife, Ben Reese is not doing much of anything. When a good friend gently prods him into helping with a potentially dangerous mystery, Ben reluctantly jumps on the band wagon.
Set in the 1950’s, Ben and his friend Richard become entangled in something very big and very dangerous. Carl Walker has gone missing. He is an acquaintance of Bens. Ben and Carl’s neighbor, Beth search Carl’s house for clues and find that his house has been broken into and searched. They soon find that their houses as well have been broken into.
Carl is found dead and the cops want to rule it a suicide. Receiving a package from Carl before he died, Ben starts to uncover the truth. Before Carl was killed he sent clues to where he was hiding evidence on a man who, ten years earlier, killed a woman and made it look like a suicide. She found this man, Bill Weisberg, an American Army Officer and linguist, was giving information to the enemies of America. She took pictures of his exchange of information for money. Now, ten years later he is resurfacing again to try and get his hands on the pictures he was unable to get back then. These pictures are now in Ben’s possession. Weisberg will stop at nothing to get them. He is even willing to go as far as to kidnap, torture, and kill.
What I didn’t like was the beginning pages. They were full of characters the reader doesn’t know yet and I found myself confused with how much information they threw at you, without allowing us to get to know the characters. Sally Wright starts the story out with action, which is the murder part of the story, but due to not getting any explanation of the characters, or the significance of the murder, it was a bit disappointing.
My next criticism would be that I had to keep reminding myself that the time line was set in the 1950’s. I found that without the chapters actually giving me the dates, I would assume it was modern times by the way the characters were created. I know the mystery itself makes it obvious that it was set in the 40’s and 50’s, but in other stories I have read, I get the feel from the writing that I am in that time frame, and for some reason with this story I kept thinking it was modern day.
That all being said, I really think that the story was good. I enjoyed the plot line, and liked the characters once I got to know them. I felt the story was well planned and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
Grieving the recent loss of his wife, Ben Reese is not doing much of anything. When a good friend gently prods him into helping with a potentially dangerous mystery, Ben reluctantly jumps on the band wagon.
Set in the 1950’s, Ben and his friend Richard become entangled in something very big and very dangerous. Carl Walker has gone missing. He is an acquaintance of Bens. Ben and Carl’s neighbor, Beth search Carl’s house for clues and find that his house has been broken into and searched. They soon find that their houses as well have been broken into.
Carl is found dead and the cops want to rule it a suicide. Receiving a package from Carl before he died, Ben starts to uncover the truth. Before Carl was killed he sent clues to where he was hiding evidence on a man who, ten years earlier, killed a woman and made it look like a suicide. She found this man, Bill Weisberg, an American Army Officer and linguist, was giving information to the enemies of America. She took pictures of his exchange of information for money. Now, ten years later he is resurfacing again to try and get his hands on the pictures he was unable to get back then. These pictures are now in Ben’s possession. Weisberg will stop at nothing to get them. He is even willing to go as far as to kidnap, torture, and kill.
What I didn’t like was the beginning pages. They were full of characters the reader doesn’t know yet and I found myself confused with how much information they threw at you, without allowing us to get to know the characters. Sally Wright starts the story out with action, which is the murder part of the story, but due to not getting any explanation of the characters, or the significance of the murder, it was a bit disappointing.
My next criticism would be that I had to keep reminding myself that the time line was set in the 1950’s. I found that without the chapters actually giving me the dates, I would assume it was modern times by the way the characters were created. I know the mystery itself makes it obvious that it was set in the 40’s and 50’s, but in other stories I have read, I get the feel from the writing that I am in that time frame, and for some reason with this story I kept thinking it was modern day.
That all being said, I really think that the story was good. I enjoyed the plot line, and liked the characters once I got to know them. I felt the story was well planned and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
SAY GOODBYE-EJ RAND
Below is my reivew of this book...I am very curious to know if other's felt differently than I did about it. Both my raves and criticisms are below. Enjoy.
This book is a tough one for me to review. My opinions of the story seem to be all over the place. The first half of the story left me bored and tempted to let it go unread, but the latter half was well written and evoked the proper emotions I think the author was hoping his readers would experience.
Gary lost his wife to cancer about a year ago. Not really doing much of anything with his life, he winds up right in the middle of a murder case. His neighbor dies in a car accident and the cops determine that it is accidental. Gary is asked by the victims’ wife to investigate because she is certain her husband was murdered due to information he stumbled upon while at work.
Gary meets Becca, the only witness to the crash. They instantly form a strong bond. The two of them, plus some friends in the police department, and a few others will stop at nothing to figure out what really happened. Things really start to heat up when more and more people wind up dead. Gary is certain these ‘bad’ guys are sending him a warning message when they go after Becca. This makes him all the more determined.
The plot of the story is exciting and is what made me want to read the book in the first place, but I found that during the first part of the book I had to read the words very slowly. If I didn’t, I realized I was lost and needed to start the page or chapter over. I found I did not need to do this for the second half of the book. E J Rand appears to have worked out his writing kinks after the first eighty or so pages. I felt the first eighty-ish pages jumped from topic to topic and conversation to conversation a bit too quickly, which is why I think I kept getting lost.
My only other criticism would have to be how the chapters were broken up. They are set up to tell you the exact time, down to the minute, when things in the chapter are happening. Sometimes it would even go backwards. I found this distracting to the story.
I give a lot of credit to E J Rand for his creativity. I think the storyline was well thought out and very creative. I really thought Becca and Gary’s characters were well formed and very likeable. I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys mystery. There are definitely parts of this story that you would not be able to predict!
check out more reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com
This book is a tough one for me to review. My opinions of the story seem to be all over the place. The first half of the story left me bored and tempted to let it go unread, but the latter half was well written and evoked the proper emotions I think the author was hoping his readers would experience.
Gary lost his wife to cancer about a year ago. Not really doing much of anything with his life, he winds up right in the middle of a murder case. His neighbor dies in a car accident and the cops determine that it is accidental. Gary is asked by the victims’ wife to investigate because she is certain her husband was murdered due to information he stumbled upon while at work.
Gary meets Becca, the only witness to the crash. They instantly form a strong bond. The two of them, plus some friends in the police department, and a few others will stop at nothing to figure out what really happened. Things really start to heat up when more and more people wind up dead. Gary is certain these ‘bad’ guys are sending him a warning message when they go after Becca. This makes him all the more determined.
The plot of the story is exciting and is what made me want to read the book in the first place, but I found that during the first part of the book I had to read the words very slowly. If I didn’t, I realized I was lost and needed to start the page or chapter over. I found I did not need to do this for the second half of the book. E J Rand appears to have worked out his writing kinks after the first eighty or so pages. I felt the first eighty-ish pages jumped from topic to topic and conversation to conversation a bit too quickly, which is why I think I kept getting lost.
My only other criticism would have to be how the chapters were broken up. They are set up to tell you the exact time, down to the minute, when things in the chapter are happening. Sometimes it would even go backwards. I found this distracting to the story.
I give a lot of credit to E J Rand for his creativity. I think the storyline was well thought out and very creative. I really thought Becca and Gary’s characters were well formed and very likeable. I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys mystery. There are definitely parts of this story that you would not be able to predict!
check out more reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com
Sunday, March 15, 2009
THE OLIVE HORSESHOE-BEN F. SMALL
if you like detail, this book is great. if you like blood and gore in detail, the first few pages of this book will shock and awe you. It's a good read. Not one I would read again, but it's definitely worth picking up and indulging yourself in. below is my review. visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for for more great reviews!
I felt as though this book could have been condensed down by about 100 pages and still been able to follow the same general story line. I do not mean this as a criticism but rather a compliment. Ben F. Small has turned this great suspense novel into a very descriptive, fleshed out adventure. I wouldn’t trade in those extra 100 pages for anything!
Denton Wright is a billionaire. When he learns that his father has been brutally tortured and murdered it becomes his mission to find out why. The authorities are chalking it up to be nothing major, but Denton knows there is something big behind all of this. He relies on his good friend and sometimes bed partner Mandy to help him uncover clues. Jenna Rogers’ father was killed alongside Denton’s father. They were on a trip together in Cadiz when the murder took place. Denton flies to California to meet Jenna and her right hand man Carlos to figure out their next move.
Carlos and Mandy hook up. Jenna and Denton hook up. Relationships are formed. The four of them go on a very dangerous mission to uncover the truth. They learn that the two men were killed due to possible knowledge of something called the Olive Horseshoe. Flying to the Spanish Coast, Mandy and Carlos go undercover as tourists and sign up to go on the same tour the two men were on when they were killed. Denton and Jenna are close by, doing a bit of digging on their own with the help of Denton’s FBI friend Fred.
They think the tour buses used on the tour are also used to pick up and drop off large amounts of drugs along the way. Things get heated when more and more people get killed in connection with all of this, some of them being people Denton holds near and dear to his heart.
The only criticism I have is the romance bit of this story. Denton is with Mandy, they decide they don’t love each other and just have something casual. The rest of the story is of Mandy falling head over heels for Carlos and Denton doing the same for Jenna. Then the last few pages of the books it switches again; Mandy and Denton start to feel as though maybe they do love each other. Ben F. Small leaves it at that. I felt as though that part of the story was unnecessary. It took focus away from the important and relevant part of the story.
The rest of the story was filled with fantastic description, suspense, and action. I really enjoyed the beginning where you get to be there witnessing the two men’s death. I was so horrified by it that it is part of what fueled me to read the book; I wanted to find their killers right along with Denton and Jenna.
Ben F. Small has a great story he has created and should be very proud of himself. His writing is clear and his creativity is grand! I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys suspense!
I felt as though this book could have been condensed down by about 100 pages and still been able to follow the same general story line. I do not mean this as a criticism but rather a compliment. Ben F. Small has turned this great suspense novel into a very descriptive, fleshed out adventure. I wouldn’t trade in those extra 100 pages for anything!
Denton Wright is a billionaire. When he learns that his father has been brutally tortured and murdered it becomes his mission to find out why. The authorities are chalking it up to be nothing major, but Denton knows there is something big behind all of this. He relies on his good friend and sometimes bed partner Mandy to help him uncover clues. Jenna Rogers’ father was killed alongside Denton’s father. They were on a trip together in Cadiz when the murder took place. Denton flies to California to meet Jenna and her right hand man Carlos to figure out their next move.
Carlos and Mandy hook up. Jenna and Denton hook up. Relationships are formed. The four of them go on a very dangerous mission to uncover the truth. They learn that the two men were killed due to possible knowledge of something called the Olive Horseshoe. Flying to the Spanish Coast, Mandy and Carlos go undercover as tourists and sign up to go on the same tour the two men were on when they were killed. Denton and Jenna are close by, doing a bit of digging on their own with the help of Denton’s FBI friend Fred.
They think the tour buses used on the tour are also used to pick up and drop off large amounts of drugs along the way. Things get heated when more and more people get killed in connection with all of this, some of them being people Denton holds near and dear to his heart.
The only criticism I have is the romance bit of this story. Denton is with Mandy, they decide they don’t love each other and just have something casual. The rest of the story is of Mandy falling head over heels for Carlos and Denton doing the same for Jenna. Then the last few pages of the books it switches again; Mandy and Denton start to feel as though maybe they do love each other. Ben F. Small leaves it at that. I felt as though that part of the story was unnecessary. It took focus away from the important and relevant part of the story.
The rest of the story was filled with fantastic description, suspense, and action. I really enjoyed the beginning where you get to be there witnessing the two men’s death. I was so horrified by it that it is part of what fueled me to read the book; I wanted to find their killers right along with Denton and Jenna.
Ben F. Small has a great story he has created and should be very proud of himself. His writing is clear and his creativity is grand! I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys suspense!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
THE SERPENT AND THE SCORPION-CLARE LANGLEY-HAWTHORNE
I don't have time to really say much, but my review that I did sums it up nicely. It was an interesting book. I really liked it, and think it is definitely worth reading!
Taking place in the early 1900’s, I found this mystery to be different than the last few that I have read. First of all, it took place in the past; that in itself made it a very unique and refreshing read. Second, not only was there a fantastic mystery that needed to be solved, but the romance between the main characters was very stirring. Usually I am one for a sizzling, red hot romance, but this, due to the time in which the story takes place, was very prim and proper, but at the same time extremely satisfying.
Ursula Marlow is a very talked about woman. She is the center of most gossip in fact. Whether it be because she refuses to marry Lord Wrotham until she is able to stand on her own two feet and successfully manage the business that was left to her when her father died, or because she is a suffragette who believes that women should be treated equally in a relationship, in business, and should be able to vote, there is definitely a lot to gossip about.
Ursula befriends a woman named Katya Vilensky while at a function. They meet up by chance a few weeks later in Egypt and spend some time together. While out doing some shopping, something goes horribly wrong and Katya winds up dead. Chalking it up to almost nothing, the officials appear to be doing nothing to try and find her killer. Ursula vows to find out who is behind this. She starts to uncover little clues along the way that help convince her that there is a bigger picture to this murder.
Word is sent from England that someone is found dead inside Ursula’s Oldham factory. This factory was a special project that she created; a place where single women could work and get back on their feet and learn skills. Fearing the worst, Ursula rushes back to London and finds that one of her young women who worked in the factory is found dead, and the factory burned down. Ursula is now more determined than ever to find the link between these two deceased women and to try and understand how she plays a part in all of this.
While all of this is going on, Ursula is trying to map out her feelings for Lord Wrotham. She knows she loves him and wants to be with him, but in order for his reputation to stay untarnished she needs to agree to marry him sooner rather than later. She has a stubborn streak that tells her she needs to wait it out and learn to be successful and self-sufficient so that people will respect her. Each time she sees Lord Wrotham she struggles with these feelings.
Clare Langley-Hawthorne has created a very well balanced, like able story. It is filled with the mystery her readers are seeking, romance, and an ending that will leave you puzzled and anxious to find out what happens next. Her writing is clear and concise and she paints a beautiful picture of what it was like in the early 1900’s in Egypt and England. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Taking place in the early 1900’s, I found this mystery to be different than the last few that I have read. First of all, it took place in the past; that in itself made it a very unique and refreshing read. Second, not only was there a fantastic mystery that needed to be solved, but the romance between the main characters was very stirring. Usually I am one for a sizzling, red hot romance, but this, due to the time in which the story takes place, was very prim and proper, but at the same time extremely satisfying.
Ursula Marlow is a very talked about woman. She is the center of most gossip in fact. Whether it be because she refuses to marry Lord Wrotham until she is able to stand on her own two feet and successfully manage the business that was left to her when her father died, or because she is a suffragette who believes that women should be treated equally in a relationship, in business, and should be able to vote, there is definitely a lot to gossip about.
Ursula befriends a woman named Katya Vilensky while at a function. They meet up by chance a few weeks later in Egypt and spend some time together. While out doing some shopping, something goes horribly wrong and Katya winds up dead. Chalking it up to almost nothing, the officials appear to be doing nothing to try and find her killer. Ursula vows to find out who is behind this. She starts to uncover little clues along the way that help convince her that there is a bigger picture to this murder.
Word is sent from England that someone is found dead inside Ursula’s Oldham factory. This factory was a special project that she created; a place where single women could work and get back on their feet and learn skills. Fearing the worst, Ursula rushes back to London and finds that one of her young women who worked in the factory is found dead, and the factory burned down. Ursula is now more determined than ever to find the link between these two deceased women and to try and understand how she plays a part in all of this.
While all of this is going on, Ursula is trying to map out her feelings for Lord Wrotham. She knows she loves him and wants to be with him, but in order for his reputation to stay untarnished she needs to agree to marry him sooner rather than later. She has a stubborn streak that tells her she needs to wait it out and learn to be successful and self-sufficient so that people will respect her. Each time she sees Lord Wrotham she struggles with these feelings.
Clare Langley-Hawthorne has created a very well balanced, like able story. It is filled with the mystery her readers are seeking, romance, and an ending that will leave you puzzled and anxious to find out what happens next. Her writing is clear and concise and she paints a beautiful picture of what it was like in the early 1900’s in Egypt and England. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.
check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Monday, March 2, 2009
UNSEEN-NANCY BUSH
okay, words can't describe this story. Okay they can, which is what I did below, but seriously this book is so freaking amazing. I'm going to wait a year, then read it again, and probably do this every year after that. It's one of the good ones peeps! trust me!
www.frontstreetreviews.com for more great reviews!
Knowing that Nancy Bush is going a bit out of her element with this thriller story had me a bit skeptical at first. Within the first chapter, hell, the first page even, I knew this book was going to be a hit. I can say with complete confidence that Nancy Bush has found her niche. She has created such an amazing, thrilling story filled with horror, mystery, intrigue, and romance. My eyes were glued to this book. Not once did this story go dry or even slow down with the excitement.
Lucky, as she likes to call herself, has a knack for sensing when someone is bad. She spends her time following after and killing men who hurt people, or who have intentions on hurting people. Her main targets appear to be rapists, pedophiles and women beaters. Lucky is sly and quick and able to cover her tracks well, always using a different vehicle to follow these bad people.
Gemma LaPorte doesn’t remember what happened. She wakes up in a hospital bed with a nasty injury on the side of her face. Determining she’s been in an accident of some sort, Gemma realizes that the last memory she has if of three days ago. At around the same time of her accident, a man was mowed down with a vehicle in the parking lot of a soccer field where children were playing. After the accident it was discovered that this man was a pedophile that had tried to grab a little girl in his van. Gemma is considered a suspect, but she cannot remember anything that has happened.
At the same time these events are taking place, a man who calls himself Wolf is going around killing women who he considers to be witches. The cops have no idea who is committing these crimes and burning their bodies. While Wolf stalks and kills these women he obsesses over the thought that he is after one particular ‘witch’. All signs point to Gemma LaPorte, but the stories don’t connect until further into the book.
Nancy Bush has proven that she has an extraordinary talent for writing. All of these events are connected and the ending will blow her readers right out of the water! As you read this book you will think you have pegged what is going on, just to be shocked into realization that it is something else entirely. I would recommend and highly suggest readers who enjoy thrillers that are fast paced and unrelenting seek out this book. It will be worth every penny spent! Nancy Bush has found her true calling in writing about dark and scary things!
www.frontstreetreviews.com for more great reviews!
Knowing that Nancy Bush is going a bit out of her element with this thriller story had me a bit skeptical at first. Within the first chapter, hell, the first page even, I knew this book was going to be a hit. I can say with complete confidence that Nancy Bush has found her niche. She has created such an amazing, thrilling story filled with horror, mystery, intrigue, and romance. My eyes were glued to this book. Not once did this story go dry or even slow down with the excitement.
Lucky, as she likes to call herself, has a knack for sensing when someone is bad. She spends her time following after and killing men who hurt people, or who have intentions on hurting people. Her main targets appear to be rapists, pedophiles and women beaters. Lucky is sly and quick and able to cover her tracks well, always using a different vehicle to follow these bad people.
Gemma LaPorte doesn’t remember what happened. She wakes up in a hospital bed with a nasty injury on the side of her face. Determining she’s been in an accident of some sort, Gemma realizes that the last memory she has if of three days ago. At around the same time of her accident, a man was mowed down with a vehicle in the parking lot of a soccer field where children were playing. After the accident it was discovered that this man was a pedophile that had tried to grab a little girl in his van. Gemma is considered a suspect, but she cannot remember anything that has happened.
At the same time these events are taking place, a man who calls himself Wolf is going around killing women who he considers to be witches. The cops have no idea who is committing these crimes and burning their bodies. While Wolf stalks and kills these women he obsesses over the thought that he is after one particular ‘witch’. All signs point to Gemma LaPorte, but the stories don’t connect until further into the book.
Nancy Bush has proven that she has an extraordinary talent for writing. All of these events are connected and the ending will blow her readers right out of the water! As you read this book you will think you have pegged what is going on, just to be shocked into realization that it is something else entirely. I would recommend and highly suggest readers who enjoy thrillers that are fast paced and unrelenting seek out this book. It will be worth every penny spent! Nancy Bush has found her true calling in writing about dark and scary things!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
APHRODISIAC-ALLYSON ROY
This was definitly one of those book that I could not put down. I have no complaints of this book, only that it ended. I was drawn in from page one and never lost interest. This shows that Allyson Roy has a gift! I look forward to hopefully reading more books in the future.
Below is my review. check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more great reviews
Saylor and Benita’s friend, Gwen Applebee, has committed suicide; or so the police think. Saylor, otherwise known as Dr. Oz, Sex Therapist, thinks Gwen was murdered. Reading Gwen’s supposed ‘suicide note’ leaves Saylor convinced that the letter is really a secret message intended for her and Benita to figure out and hopefully lead them to uncover her secret; a secret worth being murdered over.
Gwen was an extremely intelligent woman. She was working on deciphering an ancient tablet to get the exact ingredients to create a perfume that acts as an aphrodisiac to men. Realizing the power of this, Gwen kept the ingredients of her findings a secret. The same people who are claiming to have killed Gwen are now coming after Saylor, giving her seven days to find the ancient tablet. The pressure is on for her to give them what they want or she and her family will be in grave danger.
Saylor and Benita go on a wild goose chase to try and understand what it is that Gwen was trying to tell them in her note. When they find themselves threatened by her killers to not go to the cops they realize just how alone in all of this they really are. They both find themselves leaning on family and current crushes for help and support. They soon realize just how dangerous this perfume really is if given to the wrong
This story was amazingly entertaining. On top of this hair raising search for the truth, Allyson Roy also throws in a sizzling romance between Saylor and a boxer that she meets. Instead of focusing on just the murder/mystery plot, she allows her readers to enter into Saylor and Benita’s everyday lives. We experience the seminars and therapy sessions Saylor and her aunt hold, Benita’s ex-husband fighting to win her back, their flirtatious attitudes, and some romantic scenes with her newest romantic crush that will leave you breathless.
What I particularly liked about the way Allyson Roy wrote this story was the way she was able to gauge her detail. I felt that she gave just enough to keep us following along and visualizing all of the events, but did not go over board to cause the reader any boredom. I think this is a vital piece in a book that can make or break the story. Allyson Roy has really perfected this!
Allyson Roy has done a wonderful job at allowing her readers to connect to her characters. She makes them extremely likeable and relatable. I would recommend this to any hip, modern adult who likes thrilling rides, hot men, and women who know how to hold their own!
Below is my review. check out www.frontstreetreviews.com for more great reviews
Saylor and Benita’s friend, Gwen Applebee, has committed suicide; or so the police think. Saylor, otherwise known as Dr. Oz, Sex Therapist, thinks Gwen was murdered. Reading Gwen’s supposed ‘suicide note’ leaves Saylor convinced that the letter is really a secret message intended for her and Benita to figure out and hopefully lead them to uncover her secret; a secret worth being murdered over.
Gwen was an extremely intelligent woman. She was working on deciphering an ancient tablet to get the exact ingredients to create a perfume that acts as an aphrodisiac to men. Realizing the power of this, Gwen kept the ingredients of her findings a secret. The same people who are claiming to have killed Gwen are now coming after Saylor, giving her seven days to find the ancient tablet. The pressure is on for her to give them what they want or she and her family will be in grave danger.
Saylor and Benita go on a wild goose chase to try and understand what it is that Gwen was trying to tell them in her note. When they find themselves threatened by her killers to not go to the cops they realize just how alone in all of this they really are. They both find themselves leaning on family and current crushes for help and support. They soon realize just how dangerous this perfume really is if given to the wrong
This story was amazingly entertaining. On top of this hair raising search for the truth, Allyson Roy also throws in a sizzling romance between Saylor and a boxer that she meets. Instead of focusing on just the murder/mystery plot, she allows her readers to enter into Saylor and Benita’s everyday lives. We experience the seminars and therapy sessions Saylor and her aunt hold, Benita’s ex-husband fighting to win her back, their flirtatious attitudes, and some romantic scenes with her newest romantic crush that will leave you breathless.
What I particularly liked about the way Allyson Roy wrote this story was the way she was able to gauge her detail. I felt that she gave just enough to keep us following along and visualizing all of the events, but did not go over board to cause the reader any boredom. I think this is a vital piece in a book that can make or break the story. Allyson Roy has really perfected this!
Allyson Roy has done a wonderful job at allowing her readers to connect to her characters. She makes them extremely likeable and relatable. I would recommend this to any hip, modern adult who likes thrilling rides, hot men, and women who know how to hold their own!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
WITCH'S PAWN-TONI LOTEMPIO
I read this book and another book by Toni LoTempio and loved both of them. The other one I read was a romance called "Nom de Plume". I think that she does a consistently wonderful job and is a very talented woman.
Charity Jordan is a woman with quite the past. She is the head writer for a soap opera and going about her life in a normal fashion. When her soap opera takes a gothic twist, she finds herself back in her home town of Bender’s Crook to film. Trying hard to forget her past, Charity is forced to remember the day that her sister died, falling off of a cliff, while Charity lay unconscious.
Using the old Manor House as the place to film their soap opera, Charity and her cast explore the house only to find a big portrait of a woman named Estelle dela Bordeaux, a witch who was burned at the stake 300 years ago. Freaked out that she looks exactly like her, Charity starts to have odd flash backs and to hear voices. She starts to have visions of the night that Estelle was burned alive and the promise for vengeance on all who helped kill her.
As the days wear on, strange things start to happen to Charity and her cast. She feels as though Estelle is trying to take over her soul to complete her vengeance on the descendants of those involved in her death 300 years ago. Slowly but steadily cast members start to disappear and some even show up dead. Who is it that is killing them? Has Estelle really come back after all this time to seek her revenge?
I found this story to be both wonderful and frustrating. I really liked the plot line. I enjoyed the depth of the story and the twists and turns that were involved. I think that Toni LoTempio did a marvelous job at using her creativity to create a wonderful story unlike no other.
What I found a bit frustrating was the fact that I felt unable to get close to any of the characters. At first I would get close to one, thinking they were intended to be one of the main characters, and then they would die. So I would then proceed to get close to another character, thinking maybe they were the underdog and would last throughout the story; then they would die. I kept doing this until I realized there was almost no one left. I think that the story would have had greater impact on its readers if one of the characters could have stuck around so that we could really get to know them; instead new characters kept being introduced. The only character I can think of that stayed the same throughout was the police chief, but he was not a likable character because he doubted everything going on the entire time, so I felt he was not very important.
Other than that one small glitch I got caught up on, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the story and really liking the ending. I think that Toni LoTempio has set it up so that she can continue with this plot line and create at least one other book with it. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good super natural thriller. I would not recommend this to horror story lovers who like the blood and gore because although characters died in very creepy, creative ways, the details of the blood and gore were amiss.
check out more reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com
Charity Jordan is a woman with quite the past. She is the head writer for a soap opera and going about her life in a normal fashion. When her soap opera takes a gothic twist, she finds herself back in her home town of Bender’s Crook to film. Trying hard to forget her past, Charity is forced to remember the day that her sister died, falling off of a cliff, while Charity lay unconscious.
Using the old Manor House as the place to film their soap opera, Charity and her cast explore the house only to find a big portrait of a woman named Estelle dela Bordeaux, a witch who was burned at the stake 300 years ago. Freaked out that she looks exactly like her, Charity starts to have odd flash backs and to hear voices. She starts to have visions of the night that Estelle was burned alive and the promise for vengeance on all who helped kill her.
As the days wear on, strange things start to happen to Charity and her cast. She feels as though Estelle is trying to take over her soul to complete her vengeance on the descendants of those involved in her death 300 years ago. Slowly but steadily cast members start to disappear and some even show up dead. Who is it that is killing them? Has Estelle really come back after all this time to seek her revenge?
I found this story to be both wonderful and frustrating. I really liked the plot line. I enjoyed the depth of the story and the twists and turns that were involved. I think that Toni LoTempio did a marvelous job at using her creativity to create a wonderful story unlike no other.
What I found a bit frustrating was the fact that I felt unable to get close to any of the characters. At first I would get close to one, thinking they were intended to be one of the main characters, and then they would die. So I would then proceed to get close to another character, thinking maybe they were the underdog and would last throughout the story; then they would die. I kept doing this until I realized there was almost no one left. I think that the story would have had greater impact on its readers if one of the characters could have stuck around so that we could really get to know them; instead new characters kept being introduced. The only character I can think of that stayed the same throughout was the police chief, but he was not a likable character because he doubted everything going on the entire time, so I felt he was not very important.
Other than that one small glitch I got caught up on, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the story and really liking the ending. I think that Toni LoTempio has set it up so that she can continue with this plot line and create at least one other book with it. I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys a good super natural thriller. I would not recommend this to horror story lovers who like the blood and gore because although characters died in very creepy, creative ways, the details of the blood and gore were amiss.
check out more reviews at www.frontstreetreviews.com
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE-MARTHA POWERS
An excellent read! Below is my review!
Martha Powers does an amazing job creating a story that is filled with adventure, mystery, and romance. This multi-layered book kept my attention the whole way through; I never wanted to put it down.
Clare thought she had a normal life. She had a job, was engaged, and thought she knew who she was. When her mother Rose dies of cancer, she is sent into a tailspin. Assuming she already knows she’s adopted, Clare’s doctor tells her that she may want to seek out the medical history of her real parents to see if breast cancer runs in her family. Totally shocked about hearing that her whole life was a lie, Clare calls off her wedding to go in search of her real parents.
Her search takes her to Grand Rapids, Minnesota where she desperately searches for clues from her past. As her search progresses she sets up a meeting with a man named Nate. To help cover why she is really in Grand Rapids she has decided to interview Nate about a book he has written for her job. Feeling a connection with him, she divulges into her story and is grateful when he decides that he wants to help her search for her parents.
As time goes on, Clare starts to have flashbacks of her mother and father and what happened one horrific night when she was four years old. As the flashbacks get worse, Clare realizes she is getting closer and closer to the truth about her identity and what really transpired that awful night years ago that tore her away from her parents. If that isn’t enough, the truth starts to leak out about why Clare is in Grand Rapids. Someone starts to send her threatening notes; they slash her tires, and even try to kill her. Confused as to why someone would want to hurt her, Clare becomes more determined than ever to break the conspiracy of silence that the town seems to have.
This story has amazing depth. Not only is Clare on a search to find out who she really is, but the hair raising action takes your breath away and the attraction between Clare and Nate is undeniable. Martha Powers fills her story with twists and turns that make the reader want to keep reading until the end.
The clarity of Martha Powers’ writing is also worth noting. Nothing was confusing, the use of description was just right, and the characters were fun loving and oh-so real. I would recommend this book to any reader out there who enjoys a good book filled with action, mystery and a budding romance.
visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Martha Powers does an amazing job creating a story that is filled with adventure, mystery, and romance. This multi-layered book kept my attention the whole way through; I never wanted to put it down.
Clare thought she had a normal life. She had a job, was engaged, and thought she knew who she was. When her mother Rose dies of cancer, she is sent into a tailspin. Assuming she already knows she’s adopted, Clare’s doctor tells her that she may want to seek out the medical history of her real parents to see if breast cancer runs in her family. Totally shocked about hearing that her whole life was a lie, Clare calls off her wedding to go in search of her real parents.
Her search takes her to Grand Rapids, Minnesota where she desperately searches for clues from her past. As her search progresses she sets up a meeting with a man named Nate. To help cover why she is really in Grand Rapids she has decided to interview Nate about a book he has written for her job. Feeling a connection with him, she divulges into her story and is grateful when he decides that he wants to help her search for her parents.
As time goes on, Clare starts to have flashbacks of her mother and father and what happened one horrific night when she was four years old. As the flashbacks get worse, Clare realizes she is getting closer and closer to the truth about her identity and what really transpired that awful night years ago that tore her away from her parents. If that isn’t enough, the truth starts to leak out about why Clare is in Grand Rapids. Someone starts to send her threatening notes; they slash her tires, and even try to kill her. Confused as to why someone would want to hurt her, Clare becomes more determined than ever to break the conspiracy of silence that the town seems to have.
This story has amazing depth. Not only is Clare on a search to find out who she really is, but the hair raising action takes your breath away and the attraction between Clare and Nate is undeniable. Martha Powers fills her story with twists and turns that make the reader want to keep reading until the end.
The clarity of Martha Powers’ writing is also worth noting. Nothing was confusing, the use of description was just right, and the characters were fun loving and oh-so real. I would recommend this book to any reader out there who enjoys a good book filled with action, mystery and a budding romance.
visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Friday, September 26, 2008
FATAL ENCRYPTION-DEBRA PURDY KONG
Kudos to Debra Purdy Kong in this wonderfully thought up mystery. The world of computers and technology is growing each day, and she gives us a big dose of both of these. This is not your typical murder/mystery story; this is so much more. She weaves a tale of lies, deceit, murder, and threatening. A computer master mind is at large and people’s lives as well as the fate of a huge company depend on this man being caught before it is too late.
Alex Bellamy has had trouble finding work. When the owners of a big store confront him, it takes little convincing for him to agree to be added to their payroll. The job ends up being much bigger than he ever expected it to be. With the help of his friend Tristan, Alex rushes against a ticking clock to try and find the code to unlock what could turn out to be a fatal encryption that could destroy lives. The person behind all of this is demanding money, and lots of it or else he plans on permanently destroying a huge company’s computer program as well as the store itself.
What I really liked about this story was that I had many people that I suspected was behind everything, but it wasn’t until the very end when I was able to finally figure it out. I like books like this because it makes me want to read faster and faster so I can figure it out. I hate it when you figure it out for yourself halfway through the book because then I end up not really wanting to finish it.
I think that Debra Purdy Kong does a wonderful job at character description. She really allows you to get inside their head and she makes them so likable. They have senses of humor that I would look for in a friend. Also, she is great at keeping you on track with computer lingo. Not once did I find myself confused about anything going on. I know a bit about computers, but I also know that that is a lot that I do not know, but she is good at keeping it simple and not overwhelming the reader.
I think that this book is a great read for any mystery fans. It goes above and beyond any simple mystery story. This is a book definitely worth having hanging around on your book shelf!
visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Alex Bellamy has had trouble finding work. When the owners of a big store confront him, it takes little convincing for him to agree to be added to their payroll. The job ends up being much bigger than he ever expected it to be. With the help of his friend Tristan, Alex rushes against a ticking clock to try and find the code to unlock what could turn out to be a fatal encryption that could destroy lives. The person behind all of this is demanding money, and lots of it or else he plans on permanently destroying a huge company’s computer program as well as the store itself.
What I really liked about this story was that I had many people that I suspected was behind everything, but it wasn’t until the very end when I was able to finally figure it out. I like books like this because it makes me want to read faster and faster so I can figure it out. I hate it when you figure it out for yourself halfway through the book because then I end up not really wanting to finish it.
I think that Debra Purdy Kong does a wonderful job at character description. She really allows you to get inside their head and she makes them so likable. They have senses of humor that I would look for in a friend. Also, she is great at keeping you on track with computer lingo. Not once did I find myself confused about anything going on. I know a bit about computers, but I also know that that is a lot that I do not know, but she is good at keeping it simple and not overwhelming the reader.
I think that this book is a great read for any mystery fans. It goes above and beyond any simple mystery story. This is a book definitely worth having hanging around on your book shelf!
visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
IN THE FACE- LORELEI ARMSTRONG
This story definitely stood out in many ways compared to others that I have read. There are a lot of things that I really liked about it, and thought were very original, and there were things that I did not like so much.
Evo Selig is a beautiful man. He was the product of what is called shaping. When Evo was a little baby his parents took him to a doctor to have his face shaped so that he would grow up to be a beautiful, perfect looking person. True to the doctors’ word, Evo becomes a very famous man; he stars in all of the most popular films, has lots of fans, and is loved by just about everyone.
A man winds up murdered on the property of the doctor who shaped Selig’s face years ago and an investigation takes full swing, along with lots of media coverage. A simulation is found of the murder on a video feed and detectives MacEvoy and detective Cleinrath find that it is not actual footage, it is a simulation, and the person they see on the feed carrying the dead body is either being set up, or really did commit the crime; that is what they need to find out.
This story takes lots of twists and turns, and a few more people wind up dead before the surprise ending. This is one of the things I really liked about the story. It was never obvious who the killer was. There were a few people that I thought may have done it, then as the story went on, I found myself ruling them out. The person who ended up being the killer was someone I never suspected.
What I did not like so much about the story was that I felt it was unclear in a few spots. For starters, I have never heard of face shapers and am not sure if there are even doctors out there that do that (I hope not!). I am going to assume that a lot of readers are in the same boat as me, so therefore I think that there needed to be more explanation of this. Also, I found that some characters were thrown into the story before they were properly introduced. I found myself feeling a little confused for longer periods of time than I would have liked. Eventually I found out who the people were, but more of an introduction and more details about them would have been nice.
My last criticism was about computers and simulations. I am in no way a computer geek, so other than the internet, Microsoft word and the occasional card game, I do not know much about computers and what they can do. This book has a lot of talk about simulations. For the longest time I had no idea what that was and what exactly it entailed. I figured out most of what I needed to know throughout the whole story, but I felt that the story would have been much better if I would have known what a simulation was. A big part of the story is the killer murdering people, then making simulations of the murder and sending it through the computer for people to see.
Overall this was an okay read. It was definitely different than anything I’ve ever read about, and I really liked the ending, but the writing was a little weak and I found a lot of holes in the story. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if they read this, I just think that with a little more work this story could be truly great.
Like i stated above, this was a really interesting book, it just has some kinks that should be worked out. If you are a book lover, it is still worth the read. If you are a computer geek, and know a lot of the terminology, then you'll like this book even more! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
Evo Selig is a beautiful man. He was the product of what is called shaping. When Evo was a little baby his parents took him to a doctor to have his face shaped so that he would grow up to be a beautiful, perfect looking person. True to the doctors’ word, Evo becomes a very famous man; he stars in all of the most popular films, has lots of fans, and is loved by just about everyone.
A man winds up murdered on the property of the doctor who shaped Selig’s face years ago and an investigation takes full swing, along with lots of media coverage. A simulation is found of the murder on a video feed and detectives MacEvoy and detective Cleinrath find that it is not actual footage, it is a simulation, and the person they see on the feed carrying the dead body is either being set up, or really did commit the crime; that is what they need to find out.
This story takes lots of twists and turns, and a few more people wind up dead before the surprise ending. This is one of the things I really liked about the story. It was never obvious who the killer was. There were a few people that I thought may have done it, then as the story went on, I found myself ruling them out. The person who ended up being the killer was someone I never suspected.
What I did not like so much about the story was that I felt it was unclear in a few spots. For starters, I have never heard of face shapers and am not sure if there are even doctors out there that do that (I hope not!). I am going to assume that a lot of readers are in the same boat as me, so therefore I think that there needed to be more explanation of this. Also, I found that some characters were thrown into the story before they were properly introduced. I found myself feeling a little confused for longer periods of time than I would have liked. Eventually I found out who the people were, but more of an introduction and more details about them would have been nice.
My last criticism was about computers and simulations. I am in no way a computer geek, so other than the internet, Microsoft word and the occasional card game, I do not know much about computers and what they can do. This book has a lot of talk about simulations. For the longest time I had no idea what that was and what exactly it entailed. I figured out most of what I needed to know throughout the whole story, but I felt that the story would have been much better if I would have known what a simulation was. A big part of the story is the killer murdering people, then making simulations of the murder and sending it through the computer for people to see.
Overall this was an okay read. It was definitely different than anything I’ve ever read about, and I really liked the ending, but the writing was a little weak and I found a lot of holes in the story. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed if they read this, I just think that with a little more work this story could be truly great.
Like i stated above, this was a really interesting book, it just has some kinks that should be worked out. If you are a book lover, it is still worth the read. If you are a computer geek, and know a lot of the terminology, then you'll like this book even more! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews!
MERCY STREET-MARIAH STEWART
Never having read anything by Mariah Stewart, I decided to read a few reviews from other books she has written before I read Mercy Street to get a feel for what I was in for. Of course all of the reviews I found were positive and highly recommended this author. I became excited to read her story and dove in. True to their word, her reviewers were right on the money. Mariah Stewart has a gift with her words. I was pulled right into this story and could not take my eyes away from the pages. It takes a massive amount of talent to be able to use words that have enough power to make someone want to put their own life on hold for a few hours so they can finish your book.
Mallory Russo is a private investigator. She used to be a detective, but due to a big misunderstanding on the force, she decided it best to retire early. She now has been hired from a wealthy man to investigate the murder and disappearance of four teenage children. These children met late one night at a favorite hangout of theirs, the playground, to talk about something that had been bothering one of them. The next thing you know two of them are shot in the head and killed instantly and the other two have disappeared. Nobody has a clue if they are alive or dead. Nobody knows where they could possibly have gone. Finding a strip of cloth from one of the kids clothing on the chain link fence leaves Mallory hopeful that they were able to get away from their attacker. Having lost a baby and wife out of thin air a year before, Robert Magellan decides to fund this search in hopes of a happy ending. He has had to suffer a year of not finding any answers and knows the agony it has caused him, and he wants to spare others of that same fate.
Detective Charlie Wanamaker, the detective that is hired to the department to take Mallory’s place, is also in on the search. His reasons are the same as Mallory’s, but also because he finds himself getting lost in her eyes and wanting to know more about this recluse woman. The two of them re-interview and go over all of the evidence that the police have already gone through, and find a few clues along the way that help with the case.
The ending is surprising and action packed. Mariah Stewart gives her readers a healthy dose of romance and suspense that sates our appetites. Her use of wordage is fluid and she gives just enough detail to allow you to feel as though you are riding in the car right along with Mallory and Charlie as they go from suspect to suspect. I would recommend this book to anyone who is shopping for an amazing read with lots of suspense, twists, turns, and some budding romance. Kudos to Mariah Stewart for what looks like another amazing book!
This book is definitly on my top 30 list of best reads!!!! it was excellent! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews on some awesome books!
Mallory Russo is a private investigator. She used to be a detective, but due to a big misunderstanding on the force, she decided it best to retire early. She now has been hired from a wealthy man to investigate the murder and disappearance of four teenage children. These children met late one night at a favorite hangout of theirs, the playground, to talk about something that had been bothering one of them. The next thing you know two of them are shot in the head and killed instantly and the other two have disappeared. Nobody has a clue if they are alive or dead. Nobody knows where they could possibly have gone. Finding a strip of cloth from one of the kids clothing on the chain link fence leaves Mallory hopeful that they were able to get away from their attacker. Having lost a baby and wife out of thin air a year before, Robert Magellan decides to fund this search in hopes of a happy ending. He has had to suffer a year of not finding any answers and knows the agony it has caused him, and he wants to spare others of that same fate.
Detective Charlie Wanamaker, the detective that is hired to the department to take Mallory’s place, is also in on the search. His reasons are the same as Mallory’s, but also because he finds himself getting lost in her eyes and wanting to know more about this recluse woman. The two of them re-interview and go over all of the evidence that the police have already gone through, and find a few clues along the way that help with the case.
The ending is surprising and action packed. Mariah Stewart gives her readers a healthy dose of romance and suspense that sates our appetites. Her use of wordage is fluid and she gives just enough detail to allow you to feel as though you are riding in the car right along with Mallory and Charlie as they go from suspect to suspect. I would recommend this book to anyone who is shopping for an amazing read with lots of suspense, twists, turns, and some budding romance. Kudos to Mariah Stewart for what looks like another amazing book!
This book is definitly on my top 30 list of best reads!!!! it was excellent! visit www.frontstreetreviews.com for more reviews on some awesome books!
Friday, May 30, 2008
SHAKE DOWN-JOEL GOLDMAN
Next up on our list of good reads is ''Shake Down". As I said in my formal review on www.frontstreetreviews.com, this was a good murder mystery. I really got into the characters, there were a lot of nice twists and turns that I did not expect and I was never really bored.
What makes this book stand out from most murder mystery plots is the fact that the main character is not allowed to work the case because his boss puts him on medical leave due to uncontrollable shakes that he is having. Instead of the book starting out with a murder, then you get to know the FBI characters and police, then off you go, this book adds a little more spice to it.
I do wish that when the doctors figure out why it is he is shaking, that they make it part of the story more because this is something that you deal with the entire time, then it seems like just a few paragraphs are dedictated to explaining what it is.
I also thought the ending could have used another 20 or so pages. We wait soooo long to finally figure out all the answers to our questions, and then feel a little short changed. Now don't get me wrong, the book was great, and I did like how it ended, I just wish it was explained a little more. Maybe the author is planning on writing a series to this book? If so, that would be fine by me! I'd go out and buy it.
So for your murder/mystery fans out there, this is one you don't want to miss. It is just enough out of the ordinary to make it worth the trip to go out and buy!
What makes this book stand out from most murder mystery plots is the fact that the main character is not allowed to work the case because his boss puts him on medical leave due to uncontrollable shakes that he is having. Instead of the book starting out with a murder, then you get to know the FBI characters and police, then off you go, this book adds a little more spice to it.
I do wish that when the doctors figure out why it is he is shaking, that they make it part of the story more because this is something that you deal with the entire time, then it seems like just a few paragraphs are dedictated to explaining what it is.
I also thought the ending could have used another 20 or so pages. We wait soooo long to finally figure out all the answers to our questions, and then feel a little short changed. Now don't get me wrong, the book was great, and I did like how it ended, I just wish it was explained a little more. Maybe the author is planning on writing a series to this book? If so, that would be fine by me! I'd go out and buy it.
So for your murder/mystery fans out there, this is one you don't want to miss. It is just enough out of the ordinary to make it worth the trip to go out and buy!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
In the Shadow of the Glacier- Vicki Delany
I've posted about a few mystery books on here, but this one is by far the best! if you walk away agreeing to read any of these mystery books, this is the one to seek out! not to say the other's are great, but this one outshines them!
The difference with this story is that I feel as though the author allows you to really really connect with the characters, so you actually really care what happens to them. I found myself feeling what they were feeling. I felt frustrated when Molly Smith, a police officer who is helping on the investigation of who killed a man in her town, can't find a lead to the murder. My heart goes out to her friend who gets brutally attacked by her stalker. I feel elated when they finally catch the psycho behind all of this.
This story is set up in a small town in British Columbia, Tralfalgar, to be exact. Everyone there knows everyone and they all basically grew up together, so it's a big shock when someone winds up dead.
My review is much more detailed so check it out at www.frontstreetreviews.com!
The difference with this story is that I feel as though the author allows you to really really connect with the characters, so you actually really care what happens to them. I found myself feeling what they were feeling. I felt frustrated when Molly Smith, a police officer who is helping on the investigation of who killed a man in her town, can't find a lead to the murder. My heart goes out to her friend who gets brutally attacked by her stalker. I feel elated when they finally catch the psycho behind all of this.
This story is set up in a small town in British Columbia, Tralfalgar, to be exact. Everyone there knows everyone and they all basically grew up together, so it's a big shock when someone winds up dead.
My review is much more detailed so check it out at www.frontstreetreviews.com!
Marathon Murders- Chester D. Campbell
This book, as you can tell by the title, was a mystery novel. It was the fourth in the series, so the characters are main characters, which are the two PI's (private investigators) are already introducted many times before this book. The book thing is, that you don't have to read the first three to understand the book. The author does a nice job at re-introducing us to Greg McKenzie and his wife.
at first i didn't think I was going to like this story because it seemed a bit slow, but I really got into it and found that the ending had a nice twist. It's set up as a typical mystery story; someone goes missing, you find out they are dead, a few more people die, you look for clues, you have a few suspects, then it ends up being someone you really didnt suspect. Chester Campbell does a good job at staying on track and giving good information, without going overboard with too much detail.
if you like mystery's, then you'll enjoy this story.
to see my full review, check out http://www.frontstreet.com/
at first i didn't think I was going to like this story because it seemed a bit slow, but I really got into it and found that the ending had a nice twist. It's set up as a typical mystery story; someone goes missing, you find out they are dead, a few more people die, you look for clues, you have a few suspects, then it ends up being someone you really didnt suspect. Chester Campbell does a good job at staying on track and giving good information, without going overboard with too much detail.
if you like mystery's, then you'll enjoy this story.
to see my full review, check out http://www.frontstreet.com/
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much
Well this is a first. I don't think I have ever done a review on a book that I totally and 100% hated. The novel The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews was horrible! It is supposed to be a comical mystery novel. It's not. I swear. It's sloppy and overbearing with details and just a mess.
This author has writing talent. She has written many books and won tons of awards, but I think she missed the boat with this one. She is up for some kind of award and I'm curious to see if she wins it. God I hope not.
My full review of this book is at www.frontstreetreviews.com if you are interested in my full thoughts on this. Here is a brief synopsis of what my review discussed:
Meg langslow is the main character. Her and her beau are moving into a new house together and her parents and an untold amount of relatives are helping her move in. Then bam. All of a sudden she finds penguins in her basement, llamas in her yard, hyenas, wolves, monkeys. Her father is to blame for some of this. For the next 50+ pages Donna Andrews goes on to explain these animals in the most boring detail. Within those pages you find out that there was a murder and it was the zoo keeper.
The police are called and they start to invetisgate. All the while Meg is still moving into her place the animal population is growing. She starts to investigate this murder herself because apparently the sheriff is too stupid.
on and on it goes, with non stop obsessive descriptions of the animals and then we get to the end. in the end Meg finds the killer and in the process she breaks her leg, falls in a trench, gets clawed by a bob cat and is about to be shot. Now I ask you this question: what is the appropriate emotion that Meg should display? If you said Fear, Sadness, anxiety, dread, then by golly you are right!!! Unfortunatley Donna Andrews is a little off the mark and gets the wrong answer. She has Meg become cynical and has her start to joke around and make small talk. tsk tsk.
To me, when I am reading a mystery novel, the climax is obviously when you finally piece everything together and find out who did the killing. It should be the main event of the book. In here it wasn't. In just a few short pages you find out who did it, meg breaks her leg and acts inappropriatley and that's it. Very disappointing.
My biggest peeve was not knowing her target audience. For half the book I would have sworn it was for young teens because of the light nature of the book, not gorey, lots about animals and very simple writing. Well then there starts to be mention of viagra and sex and a few other sexual inuendos that are not appropriate for the teen population. So then I started to think maybe this was meant for adults. I never formed a solid opinion because it is so unclear.
*deep breath* okay that was basically a second review to the review I already did..but you should check out my review at front street because I find even more things to complain about. I really hate picking on authors because they work so hard, but I have to be truthful. I'm sure Donna Andrews is a great writer, otherwise she wouldn't have won so many awards, but damn, she didn't win any points with me when it came to this book.
Have any of you out there read any of her other books? how are those?
This author has writing talent. She has written many books and won tons of awards, but I think she missed the boat with this one. She is up for some kind of award and I'm curious to see if she wins it. God I hope not.
My full review of this book is at www.frontstreetreviews.com if you are interested in my full thoughts on this. Here is a brief synopsis of what my review discussed:
Meg langslow is the main character. Her and her beau are moving into a new house together and her parents and an untold amount of relatives are helping her move in. Then bam. All of a sudden she finds penguins in her basement, llamas in her yard, hyenas, wolves, monkeys. Her father is to blame for some of this. For the next 50+ pages Donna Andrews goes on to explain these animals in the most boring detail. Within those pages you find out that there was a murder and it was the zoo keeper.
The police are called and they start to invetisgate. All the while Meg is still moving into her place the animal population is growing. She starts to investigate this murder herself because apparently the sheriff is too stupid.
on and on it goes, with non stop obsessive descriptions of the animals and then we get to the end. in the end Meg finds the killer and in the process she breaks her leg, falls in a trench, gets clawed by a bob cat and is about to be shot. Now I ask you this question: what is the appropriate emotion that Meg should display? If you said Fear, Sadness, anxiety, dread, then by golly you are right!!! Unfortunatley Donna Andrews is a little off the mark and gets the wrong answer. She has Meg become cynical and has her start to joke around and make small talk. tsk tsk.
To me, when I am reading a mystery novel, the climax is obviously when you finally piece everything together and find out who did the killing. It should be the main event of the book. In here it wasn't. In just a few short pages you find out who did it, meg breaks her leg and acts inappropriatley and that's it. Very disappointing.
My biggest peeve was not knowing her target audience. For half the book I would have sworn it was for young teens because of the light nature of the book, not gorey, lots about animals and very simple writing. Well then there starts to be mention of viagra and sex and a few other sexual inuendos that are not appropriate for the teen population. So then I started to think maybe this was meant for adults. I never formed a solid opinion because it is so unclear.
*deep breath* okay that was basically a second review to the review I already did..but you should check out my review at front street because I find even more things to complain about. I really hate picking on authors because they work so hard, but I have to be truthful. I'm sure Donna Andrews is a great writer, otherwise she wouldn't have won so many awards, but damn, she didn't win any points with me when it came to this book.
Have any of you out there read any of her other books? how are those?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
A death in Pilsen
Hmmm I have never been a huge mystery fan, and by that I mean that I have never actually seeked it out at a book store, but every time I come across one by accident, or in this case, so review, I always end up enjoying it. As you'll read in my review, I felt the book was nothing superb. Good story line, likeable characters, although the author doesn't tell you enough about them to make you really fall in love with them or hate them, and the ending is pretty good. When I read a mystery, I want to either love or hate the characters so much that when you finally find out 'who done it' your emotions run rampant. To me, a truly powerful book is going to make me jump up and down in my head with happiness that it was 'the jerk in the book who deserved to be caught' or that it was 'that super sweet loveable lady who i would have never thought could have pulled the trigger'. I think that's why I found this book so mediocre; I never really felt that connection with the characters. All and all, it's worth reading because it is enjoyable, so keep my words in mind, but enjoy the story all the same :-)
-ashley
A Death in Pilsen
Robert Goldsborough
In his mystery book, Robert Goldsborough does a great job at including both an entertaining story line as well as some great historical facts. Based in the 1940’s, Tribune police reporter Snap Malek winds up doing some detective work that touches close to home. His cousin’s wife, Edwina, is stabbed to death in their apartment and the cops are convinced it is her husband that is the guilty culprit so they do not lift much of a finger to indict anyone else. Malek is convinced that his cousin would never do such a thing so goes out of his way to interview some likely suspects, only to find himself in a bit of a pickle, and an ending that causes your eyes to go wide with surprise.
While this book was very well written and entertaining to read, I did not find it overly so. I got through it very quickly and took frequent breaks due to a few dry spells. I particularly liked how the back few pages discuss some of the actual historical references that were made throughout the book. It gives the reader a chance to read up on some events that really took place in history. Another positive point was the chapter lengths. I think that having them as short as they were really helped to minimize some of the more dry aspects of the story.
I found that Robert Goldsborough has a unique style for dialoguing in his writing. I felt that when characters were talking to each other, they were using words that one would actually say in a face to face conversation, making it more enjoyable and believable to read. This is something most readers may not pick up, but in a lot of books I find that the dialogue is fine for the story, but is something that would not run as smoothly if it were an actual face to face conversation.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a mystery fan and looking for a good, quick read. There are two other Snap Malek mystery books which I have not had the opportunity to read and may find myself seeking out at some point in time!
check out my review and more at www.frontstreetreviews.com
-ashley
A Death in Pilsen
Robert Goldsborough
In his mystery book, Robert Goldsborough does a great job at including both an entertaining story line as well as some great historical facts. Based in the 1940’s, Tribune police reporter Snap Malek winds up doing some detective work that touches close to home. His cousin’s wife, Edwina, is stabbed to death in their apartment and the cops are convinced it is her husband that is the guilty culprit so they do not lift much of a finger to indict anyone else. Malek is convinced that his cousin would never do such a thing so goes out of his way to interview some likely suspects, only to find himself in a bit of a pickle, and an ending that causes your eyes to go wide with surprise.
While this book was very well written and entertaining to read, I did not find it overly so. I got through it very quickly and took frequent breaks due to a few dry spells. I particularly liked how the back few pages discuss some of the actual historical references that were made throughout the book. It gives the reader a chance to read up on some events that really took place in history. Another positive point was the chapter lengths. I think that having them as short as they were really helped to minimize some of the more dry aspects of the story.
I found that Robert Goldsborough has a unique style for dialoguing in his writing. I felt that when characters were talking to each other, they were using words that one would actually say in a face to face conversation, making it more enjoyable and believable to read. This is something most readers may not pick up, but in a lot of books I find that the dialogue is fine for the story, but is something that would not run as smoothly if it were an actual face to face conversation.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a mystery fan and looking for a good, quick read. There are two other Snap Malek mystery books which I have not had the opportunity to read and may find myself seeking out at some point in time!
check out my review and more at www.frontstreetreviews.com
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