REVIEW: Count To Ten by Karen Rose

Title:  Count To Ten

Author:  Karen Rose

Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date:    February, 2007

Genre:  Romantic Suspense / Mystery / Thriller

Rating:  10/10

Description:  In all his years in the Chicago Fire Department, Lieutenant Reed Solliday has never experienced anything like this recent outbreak of house fires - devastating, vicious and in one case, homicidal. He has another problem - his new partner, Detective Mia Mitchell. She's brash, bossy, and taking the case in a direction he never imagined.

Mia's instincts tell her the arsonist is making this personal. And as the infernos become more deadly, one look at the victims' tortured faces convinces her and Reed that they must work closer to catch the killer. With each new blaze, the villain ups the ante, setting firetraps for the people Reed and Mia love. The truth is almost too hot to handle: This monster's desire for death and destruction is unquenchable ... and for Mia he's started the countdown to an early grave.

My Thoughts:  Back when I was reading Abe and Kristen’s story in I’M WATCHING YOU, I remember thinking how much I would enjoy reading a story with Mia as the lead character.  Well, the book gods were listening and the ultra-talented Karen Rose has delivered not just another suspenseful tale that is becoming Ms. Rose’s trademark, but another story filled with characters the reader will fall in love with and cheer for.

When Reed and Mia first meet, it’s her first day back from an on the job injury.  Mia is just as stubborn and obstinate as I remember her.  She shouldn’t be back but she’s determined to get the hoodlums who put her and her partner out of commission.  Saying she’s less than happy upon learning she is being partnered with Reed is an understatement.  Adding to her injury, Mia has a chip on her shoulder the size of Chicago and the last thing she wants to deal with is a partner.  Reed isn’t too happy with the situation either as they get off on the wrong foot.  I am glad there was friction between the two in the beginning.  I like a realistic story and a cynical detective returning to duty, trying to keep the pain at bay and deal with a lot of additional personal baggage on top of that just isn’t going to be all sunshine and happiness.  I liked that Reed doesn’t let Mia push him around or intimidate him.  Even though he’s not a police officer, he holds his own very well when the situation calls for it. 

I suspected who the killer was as soon as he was introduced but wasn’t confirmed until much later in the story.  With each of Karen Rose’s books, I get more drawn into the characters.  She writes such compelling characters that it is impossible for the reader to remain detached.  The villains, as well, draw you in with their complexity, even as you are despising them and what they are doing.  There are several supporting characters that I really enjoyed meeting and who have a huge impact on Mia.  Several of the characters from previous books make an appearance and it’s always a nice treat when that happens as the reader is given an update on what these characters have been up to without drawing the focus away from the main storyline.

The mark of an excellent story is when it can evoke multiple emotions from the reader.  This one did that for me.  Blended into the spine-tingling suspense, I found myself laughing a few times, getting angry several times and crying a few times throughout the book.  If you haven’t read any of Karen Rose’s work, you are missing out on some of the best stories out there.  Don’t make the mistake I did and wait too long to get started…the clock is ticking.

REVIEW: R Is For Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Title: R Is For Ricochet (Kinsey Millhone #18)
Author: Sue Grafton
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: July, 2004
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4/10

Description: Reba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institute for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence. Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers.

It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe a week's work. Nothing untoward—the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good.

But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

My Thoughts: Overall, this is a decent series but it’s starting to lag for me. I like Kinsey but while reading this book about Kinsey’s latest job of picking up a convicted felon released from prison on parole fell short of the mark for me. I felt Kinsey’s tenacious skills as a private investigator were wasted with this babysitting job. The few interactions Kinsey has in the book with Henry left me unsettled as well. With a long-running series, there needs to be definitive character development and growth. As we near closer to the end of the alphabet, it doesn’t feel like there’s much growth.

There wasn’t a lot of mystery with this story but I am hoping that will change with the next book. There is potential in R for a new relationship for Kinsey and I think it’s time. Let’s face it…Henry isn’t going to live forever and when that time comes, Kinsey is going to need people around her to help her pick up the pieces and cope. I get that in Kinsey’s line of work, being a loner is part of the job, but I would enjoy seeing Kinsey’s circle of friends increase beyond Rosie and the gang. I would enjoy seeing Kinsey finally settle down and start a family!

For the record, I did like Reba Lafferty more than I thought I would. I was expecting her to be a nasty piece of work, but she surprised me several times in the story. Even when she screws up and slides backwards, you don’t get the sense she’s a bad person, just a messed up girl who gets mixed up with the wrong people and makes bad choices.

I will see this series through to the end since I’ve come this far. I really like Kinsey and want to find out what happens next but I’m not champing at the bit.

REVIEW: Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Title: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkins, #1)
Author: H.P. Mallory
Publisher: Smashwords
Publication Date: July, 2010
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Cozy Mystery
Rating: 6/10

Description: A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead.
A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover.
A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches.
The Underworld in a state of chaos.
Let the games begin.

Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

My Thoughts: Upon receiving my Nook over a year ago, my initial thought was how much space I would free up by eliminating all of the paper bound books with an e-book version. As all good intentions go, it sounded like a legitimate plan but has never transpired. Instead, I find myself browsing Barnes & Noble frequently and my library’s digital catalog often for books to acquire and the pattern I am seeing with this plan is that many of these books are books I don’t already own in paper format and, more often than not, are written by new to me authors. Such is the case with the first book in the Jolie Wilkins series, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory. Of course, I couldn’t just limit myself to this book. When I saw the first book for another series by this author, I had to acquire that one too.

Honestly, folks, this whole Nook business isn’t helping me manage my reading in the slightest. Putting a Nook in my hands seems to have the same effect as putting crack in the hands of a drug addict. I’m going to use it and probably dig myself deeper into this pit of “Mount TBR.” I’m thinking an intervention with Dr. Phil is required next. While I am waiting for Dr. Phil to swoop down and give me my dose of reality, I may as well share my thoughts and impressions of Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble.

If I were being 100% honest here and I believe honesty is the best policy with any undertaking, anytime you have paranormal creatures with British accents, you have my undivided attention. Doesn’t matter what kind of paranormal creatures we are dealing with, either. Warlocks and Vampires with English accents…count me in. Kilt wearing Fairies with Scottish accents…I am so there. There’s even a pervert ghost who enjoys watching our heroine disrobe.

Our heroine, Jolie, doesn’t know she’s a witch when this story begins. She’s a psychic who has no idea what the extent of her powers really are. She is hired by a warlock to assist him in solving a mystery involving the death of his client and when she inadvertently resurrects the ghost, the rest of the underworld’s focus and attention is riveted on Jolie and not in a good way. Jolie is thrust into this paranormal existence and is uprooted to England to live with the warlock (such a hardship…I wish I had her problems) and begin learning to use her powers. Jolie’s abilities have brought down some very unwanted attention by some of the less scrupulous members of the paranormal community who want to use her powers for their personal gain.

Overall, I liked Jolie but I did find myself getting bored pretty quickly with how fickle she comes across. I get that the male members of the paranormal world aren’t your normal run of the mill men. They exude a lot of pheromones, for lack of a better description, and they have no trouble acquiring female company. Jolie is attracted sexually to practically all of them and the feelings of desire are reciprocated as well. Unfortunately, the one she really wants holds her at arm’s length. Sadly that relationship is not resolved by the end of this book, so readers will have to tune in to the rest of the series to find out if Jolie and Rand end up together.

Overall, a decent start to a series with a lot of loose ends that hopefully get tied up as the series moves along. The kilt wearing Fairies with Scottish accents have captured my interest so I will be checking out the next book to see what transpires next.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In April

April wasn't a very productive month on the reading front or on the acquisition front. Two of these books I have already read and one I am in the process of listening to.

Fire Burn And Cauldron Bubble by H.P. Mallory

Description: Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

Possession In Death by J.D. Robb

Description: “The devil killed my body. I cannot fight, I cannot find. I cannot free her. You must. You are the one. We speak to the dead.”

Immediately after hearing these words, uttered to her by an old Romanian woman bleeding to death in the street, detective Eve Dallas begins to notice that her latest case has come with a number of interesting side-effects: visions of the deceased, instant familiarity with rooms she’s never seen before, and fluency in Russian. Likewise, there appears to be a force inside of her, a spirit other than her own, that won’t let her rest until she’s found Beata, the old woman’s great-granddaughter, whose disappearance two months prior remains a mystery. Desperate to be free of her new “gifts”, Eve pursues the facts until she discovers a link between Beata’s disappearance and the disappearance of eight other young women, all of whom attended the same dance classes, none of whom were ever heard from again.

R Is For Ricochet by Sue Grafton

Description: Reba Lafferty was a daughter of privilege, the only child of an adoring father. Nord Lafferty was already in his fifties when Reba was born, and he could deny her nothing. Over the years, he quietly settled her many scrapes with the law, but he wasn't there for her when she was convicted of embezzlement and sent to the California Institution for Women. Now, at thirty-two, she is about to be paroled, having served twenty-two months of a four-year sentence.

Nord Lafferty wants to be sure she stays straight, stays at home and away from the drugs, the booze, the gamblers. It seems a straightforward assignment for Kinsey: babysit Reba until she settles in, make sure she follows all the rules of her parole. Maybe all of a week's work. Nothing untoward - the woman seems remorseful and friendly. And the money is good. But life is never that simple, and Reba is out of prison less than twenty-four hours when one of her old crowd comes circling round.

Changeless by Gail Carriger

Description: Alexia Tarabotti, the Lady Woolsey, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears - leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her to Scotland, the backwater of ugly waistcoats, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only the soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

REVIEW: Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

Title: Millie’s Fling
Author: Jill Mansell
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publication Date: September, 2009
Genre: Chick-Lit
Rating: 8/10

Description: He's the best thing that ever happened to her. He's also the worst. He's Millie's Fling. Bestselling novelist Orla Hart owes her life to her friend Millie Brady, whose rotten boyfriend has just left her. So Orla invites Millie to Cornwall, where Millie looks forward to a summer without any dating whatsoever. But Orla envisions Millie as the heroine of her next novel and decides to find Millie the man of her dreams. Except the two women have drastically different ideas about what kind of guy that should be.

 With Orla and Millie working at cross-purposes, and a dashing but bewildered hero stuck in the middle, the summer will turn out to be unforgettable for all concerned...

My Thoughts: Millie’s Fling by new to me author Jill Mansell delivers a fresh, funny and enjoyable story about a very likeable girl looking for love and finding it in the most unexpected way. This story is set in England, which pleases the anglophile in me. When an author writes a great lead character that the reader can relate to and empathize with, it forms a bond with the story. When an author writes great supporting characters, it enhances the story all the more with flavor and detail and takes the reader on a journey that they don’t want to come back from. I felt that way while reading Millie’s Fling. I didn’t want it to end and was cheering for a happy ending for Hester, Orla, Lucas, Con and Millie’s parents.

The only thing that didn’t work for me is the book ended a little too abruptly for me with many loose ends for a lot of the characters. After connecting with so many of them throughout the story, not having the closure on them at the end left me with a feeling of unfinished business.

I will be looking for more of Jill Mansell’s books to add to my Nook. As a long time fan of the chick-lit genre, I wish I had found her sooner. If you are looking for some light reading that tickles your funny bone while entertaining you, look no further and pick up Millie’s Fling.

REVIEW: Possession In Death by J.D. Robb

Title: Possession in Death (In Death, #31.5)
Author: J.D. Robb
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: November, 2010
Genre: Mystery / Thriller Rating: 10/10

Description: “The devil killed my body. I cannot fight, I cannot find. I cannot free her. You must. You are the one. We speak to the dead.”

Immediately after hearing these words, uttered to her by an old Romanian woman bleeding to death in the street, detective Eve Dallas begins to notice that her latest case has come with a number of interesting side-effects: visions of the deceased, instant familiarity with rooms she’s never seen before, and fluency in Russian. Likewise, there appears to be a force inside of her, a spirit other than her own, that won’t let her rest until she’s found Beata, the old woman’s great-granddaughter, whose disappearance two months prior remains a mystery.

Desperate to be free of her new “gifts”, Eve pursues the facts until she discovers a link between Beata’s disappearance and the disappearance of eight other young women, all of whom attended the same dance classes, none of whom were ever heard from again.

My Thoughts: Possession In Death is a novella originally released in the anthology “The Other Side” and is the only story in the anthology I read. I love this series so much that I have to read the in-between stories that are released in the anthologies. With Possession, I am glad I did because it picks right up where Indulgence in Death ends so it felt like a continuation of the story instead of a new one.

Though Possession in Death is a short story, it packs a huge punch with non-stop action when Eve inadvertently becomes possessed by the spirit of a Romanian woman after she dies at Eve’s feet. I enjoyed seeing how Eve dealt with her new gifts of being able to see the deceased souls and her ability to speak and understand Russian as well as knowing the recipe for goulash from memory. Eve handles it as only as Eve can. She gets pissed off and becomes determined to get to the bottom of the mystery so she can get her life back.

Eve’s stellar investigative skills and the assistance of her crack-shot team prove invaluable as the clues provide more than Eve imagined when she uncovers multiple victims of a sadistic killer. As no surprise to me as usual, I was way off-base on the killer’s identity. Lucky for me that I don’t mind being wrong. The biggest joy I get from this series is how I continue to be surprised and thoroughly entertained with each book.

REVIEW: Lifeguard by James Patterson

Title: Lifeguard
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July, 2006
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 5/10

Description: Working as a lifeguard at a luxurious Florida resort, Ned Kelly meets the woman of his dreams. It feels perfect in every way-except that she's used to caviar and Manolo Blahniks, and he's used to burgers and flip-flops.

So when Ned's cousin offers to cut him in on a fast break-and-enter job, Ned can't turn it down. The risk is high, and the reward is even greater-$5 million. But the robbery goes devastatingly wrong. Forced to run away from his town and the woman he's fallen in love with, Ned knows that only distance and secrecy can save his life. But who is pursuing him? The FBI? Whoever sabotaged the heist? Or is it all somehow tied in to his new love and his oldest enemies?

 My Thoughts: I love Patterson. Even when his books aren’t his usual nail-biting, edge of my seat, have no food in the house or clean underwear because I’m ignoring my domestic chores books. Sadly, Lifeguard is one of those books. It was just OK for me. Ned Kelly is a likeable character and I felt a lot of empathy for him and what he goes through in this story. Unfortunately, Ned doesn’t seem capable of making smart choices. Not when he falls in love, not when he agrees to help his cousin with a burglary, not when he goes on the run, not when he kidnaps an FBI agent, and not when he nearly gets himself killed on more than one occasion.

I was very disappointed with the FBI agent, Ellie. She came across as a little flaky at times, though she could be quite tenacious at times. Her area of expertise is stolen and forged artwork but she jumps into a murder investigation with both feet, despite repeated admonitions from her supervisor to stay out of it. What I didn’t find believable is how she willingly went with Ned when he kidnaps her and then is helping him until he lets her go. OK, so she isn’t trained in violent crimes, but she is still an FBI agent, so why wasn’t she putting up a tiny bit of resistance?

Thrown into this story are a lot of supporting characters that I had a very hard time keeping track of and how relevant they were to the story. So, instead of the heart-pumping suspense I have come to anticipate and expect when I pick up a Patterson book, I got a mostly mediocre story that is just OK.

If you are looking for depth and substance when you pick up a book, give this one a pass. If you are looking for a fluff mystery to read on the beach or during your lunch break, this will fit the bill.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In March

In addition to some old favorites, this month saw several new to me authors added...

Stake That by Mari Mancusi

Description: Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Cover is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind...

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad.

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?


Piper's Fury by Rachel Firasek

Description: It's an empath thing...

Using your "powers" to help the Dark Hills Police Department hunt down serial killers doesn't leave much time for dating. Not that Piper Anast is complaining. The last thing she needs is some guy brushing up against her and pumping his pornographic thoughts into her head.

When she meets Bennett Slade, a sexy, tormented vampire, Piper stumbles headlong into a telepathic connection with his missing daughter. She can't leave the kid to the evil surrounding her unwanted visions, nor can she resist her draw to Slade. He's the first guy she's been able to touch vision-free in, well, forever.

As she and Slade close in on the evil creature holding his daughter, Piper's powers morph into a deadly fury. To save Slade's daughter-and herself-Piper must face down demons she never knew she had and trust the one thing she keeps from everyone.

Her heart.


Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

Description: He's the best thing that ever happened to her. He's also the worst. He's Millie's Fling.

Bestselling novelist Orla Hart owes her life to her friend Millie Brady, whose rotten boyfriend has just left her. So Orla invites Millie to Cornwall, where Millie looks forward to a summer without any dating whatsoever. But Orla envisions Millie as the heroine of her next novel and decides to find Millie the man of her dreams. Except the two women have drastically different ideas about what kind of guy that should be.

With Orla and Millie working at cross-purposes, and a dashing but bewildered hero stuck in the middle, the summer will turn out to be unforgettable for all concerned...


Lifeguard by James Patterson

Description: Working as a lifeguard at a luxurious Florida resort, Ned Kelly meets the woman of his dreams. It feels perfect in every way-except that she's used to caviar and Manolo Blahniks, and he's used to burgers and flip-flops.

So when Ned's cousin offers to cut him in on a fast break-and-enter job, Ned can't turn it down. The risk is high, and the reward is even greater-$5 million. But the robbery goes devastatingly wrong. Forced to run away from his town and the woman he's fallen in love with, Ned knows that only distance and secrecy can save his life. But who is pursuing him? The FBI? Whoever sabotaged the heist? Or is it all somehow tied in to his new love-and his oldest enemies?


Indulgence In Death by J.D. Robb

Description: When a murder disrupts the Irish vacation she is taking with her husband, Roarke, Eve realizes that no place is safe — not an Irish wood or the streets of the manic city she calls home. But nothing prepares her for what she discovers upon her return to the cop shop in New York City. . . .

A driver for a top-of-the-line limousine service is found dead — shot through the neck with a crossbow. The car was booked by an executive at a venerable security company whose identity had been stolen. Days later, a stunning, high-priced escort is found killed at Coney Island, a bayonet stuck in her heart. And again, the trail leads to a CEO whose information has been hijacked.

With a method established, but no motive to be found, Eve begins to fear that she has come across that most dangerous of criminals, a thrill killer, but one with a taste for the finer things in life — and death. Eve does not know where or when the next kill will be, or that her investigation will take her to the rarefied circle that Roarke travels in — and into the perverted heart of madness. . . .


Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon

Description: THE TRUE STORY OF CINDERELLA'S FAIRY GODMOTHER...

Lil is an old woman who spends her days shelving rare books in a tiny Manhattan bookstore and lonely nights at home in her apartment. But Lil has an intriguing secret. Tucked and bound behind her back are white feathery wings–the only key to who she once was: the fairy godmother responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with her Prince Charming.

But on that fateful night, something went terribly and beautifully wrong. Lil allowed herself the unthinkable: to feel the emotions of human beings and fall in love with the prince herself, going to the ball in place of Cinderella in her exquisitely gorgeous human guise. For her unforgivable mistake, she was banished to live among humans, far from her fairy sisters and their magical underwater world. But then one day she meets Veronica–a young, fair-skinned, flame-haired East Village beauty with a love of all things vintage and a penchant for falling in love with the wrong men–and suddenly it becomes clear to Lil that she’s been given a chance at redemption. If she can find a soul mate for Veronica, she may right her wrong and return to the fairy world she so deeply longs for.

How Fast Do You Read?

Have you ever wondered how fast you actually read? Check out this little quiz from Staples to find out exactly how fast you read. I found out I read 28% faster than the national average...yay me!

Source: Staples eReader Department

REVIEW: Indulgence In Death by J.D. Robb

Title: Indulgence in Death (In Death, #31)
Author: J.D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam
Publication Date: November, 2010
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 10/10

Description: When a murder disrupts the Irish vacation she is taking with her husband, Roarke, Eve realizes that no place is safe — not an Irish wood or the streets of the manic city she calls home. But nothing prepares her for what she discovers upon her return to the cop shop in New York City. . . .

A driver for a top-of-the-line limousine service is found dead — shot through the neck with a crossbow. The car was booked by an executive at a venerable security company whose identity had been stolen. Days later, a stunning, high-priced escort is found killed at Coney Island, a bayonet stuck in her heart. And again, the trail leads to a CEO whose information has been hijacked.

With a method established, but no motive to be found, Eve begins to fear that she has come across that most dangerous of criminals, a thrill killer, but one with a taste for the finer things in life — and death. Eve does not know where or when the next kill will be, or that her investigation will take her to the rarefied circle that Roarke travels in — and into the perverted heart of madness. . . .

My Thoughts: When I grow up, I want to be Eve Dallas. In addition to her quick wit, razor sharp intelligence and ability to zero in on the perpetrators of a crime faster than you can say “whodunit,” Eve happens to be married to the richest man on the planet, who is Irish and gorgeous and talks pretty and takes her on vacation to the Emerald Isle. Even better, this lavish fairytale lifestyle Eve lives hasn’t spoiled her or changed her. She still gets her hands dirty and, much to Roark’s annoyance gets herself bloodied on occasion as well.

Indulgence opens with Roark and “his cop” on a much deserved vacation visiting Roark’s family in Ireland. I absolutely love it when Roark’s family makes an appearance. There are so many of them, there’s no way to remember them all and they are loud and boisterous and full of life and love. I also love how Eve is overwhelmed and out of her element when she is around them. She has never had any family so she struggles with how to interact with them. Roark never knew his family for most of his life either, but he adapted much quicker than Eve did. Unfortunately, murder doesn’t stay in New York and when a murder occurs not far from the family farm, Eve’s instincts kick in and she indirectly assists the local law enforcement, much to the happiness and delight of one of Roark’s young cousins who idolizes Eve. Fortunately, the case is resolved quickly and Eve and Roark resume their relaxation.

Back home in New York, there is no rest and relaxation and Eve is going full steam ahead upon her return when she is called to investigate the murder of a limo driver killed in a most unusual fashion…by a crossbow. Not long after that, another murder occurs. This time, the victim is a high priced highly successful escort who is found dead at Coney Island. As the body count piles up, all of the victims seem unrelated to one another, but the common denominator is how the trail leads Eve and her crew to different CEO’s whose identities have been stolen and used to perpetrate the crimes.

Once again, I found this story riveting. Different unrelated victims murdered by extreme methods but Eve manages to connect the dots and does so quickly. While I’m still trying to process and absorb the scene unfolding around me and how the victims are connected, Eve has already focused on a prime suspect. I don’t know how Peabody manages to keep up, but she does so I’m the only one struggling trying to put it all together. I’m still amazed at how this series has evolved. Still entertained and still connected to the characters. It doesn’t feel like a book when I am hanging out with Eve, Peabody and the rest of the gang. J.D. Robb is a master at bringing these characters to life without making them predictable or boring. Now that I’m nearly caught up with this series, I don’t know how I am going to manage the waiting period between each book. It will be torture, but since the series does not show any signs of slowing down, the torture will be minimal.

Indulge yourself…read this series, but start at the beginning and watch the magic unfold…

REVIEW: Piper's Fury by Rachel Firasek

Title: Piper’s Fury (Passion of the Soul #1)
Author: Rachel Firasek
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Publication Date: May, 2011
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
Rating: 7/10

Description: It's an empath thing...

Using your "powers" to help the Dark Hills Police Department hunt down serial killers doesn't leave much time for dating. Not that Piper Anast is complaining. The last thing she needs is some guy brushing up against her and pumping his pornographic thoughts into her head.

When she meets Bennett Slade, a sexy, tormented vampire, Piper stumbles headlong into a telepathic connection with his missing daughter. She can't leave the kid to the evil surrounding her unwanted visions, nor can she resist her draw to Slade. He's the first guy she's been able to touch vision-free in, well, forever. As she and Slade close in on the evil creature holding his daughter, Piper's powers morph into a deadly fury. To save Slade's daughter-and herself, Piper must face down demons she never knew she had and trust the one thing she keeps from everyone.
Her heart…

My Thoughts: New to me author Rachel Firasek delivers an entertaining and enjoyable story about a woman who doesn’t play well with others but is in the business of helping others. When we first meet Piper, she is a child who has been suddenly orphaned. Fast forward to the present and the woman Piper has become is someone who shields herself from others. The touch of other people brings visions she would rather not see. The opposite sex is drawn to Piper in a sexual nature and though Piper is used to it, she does not appreciate it.

Piper works with the Dark Hills Police Department helping her friend Tally look for missing people. As an empath, Piper is able to draw images of someone’s memory from an item they own in the hopes that it will provide enough clues to lead the police to finding them. When Piper meets Bennett Slade, she is shocked that his touch doesn’t result in crude visions and instead of making her trust him, her guard goes up even higher. Slade’s wife was murdered years ago and his daughter was kidnapped. He asks for Piper’s assistance in locating her and Piper refuses. Initially, I was a little annoyed at Piper’s attitude. She’s got a huge chip on her shoulder and when she gets angry, she can be quite mean. Piper relents and agrees to help Slade, only after having a dream about his daughter. She suspects Slade is not being honest with her and thinks he might have had something to do with his wife’s murder and daughter’s disappearance.

I liked Slade immediately, though his existence as a vampire was not revealed soon enough for me. I got a quick sense that Slade is drawn to Piper and is desperate for her help. Unfortunately, he doesn’t tell Piper what he is and when she finds out, she’s less than happy. I enjoyed the author’s take on Slade’s breed of vampire. He can walk in daylight and doesn’t sleep in a coffin like the vampires we are used to. Instead, Slade is part of a race of people who have to consume blood as a medical necessity. Though Piper is upset when she learns the truth, she has to trust Slade because the evil being responsible is not like anything Piper has come face to face with before.

I eventually warmed up to Piper once I realized her attitude and apathy towards people shielded a woman who has seen unspeakable horror and endured pain nobody should have to experience. I also admired how she connects to Slade’s daughter and the lengths she is willing to go through to rescue her. Though she is easily annoyed at the woman who raises her, she risks everything to ensure her safety as well.

Overall, this was a good start to a series that looks to be intriguing and I am very curious what Piper will do with what she has discovered at the end of Piper’s Fury.

REVIEW: Murder Your Darlings by J.J. Murphy

Title: Murder Your Darlings (Algonquin Round Table Mystery #1)
Author: J.J. Murphy
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: January, 2011
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 8/10

Description: I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I'm under the table,
After four I'm under my host.
- Dorothy Parker

On this particular morning, legendary wit Dorothy Parker is not the one under Manhattan's famed Algonquin Round Table. Someone else is --- and he's not dead drunk, just dead.

When a charming aspiring writer from Mississippi named Billy Faulkner becomes a suspect in the murder, Dorothy decides to dabble in a little detective work, enlisting the help of tablemates Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Robert Sherwood, and other famous and fabulous literary cohorts.

With a marvelous Manhattan mystery on their hands, it's up to the Algonquins to outwit the true culprit --- preferably before cocktail hour --- and before the clever killer turns the tables on them...

My Thoughts: New to me author J.J. Murphy delivers a fresh and entertaining start to a historical mystery series that revolves around the Algonquin Round Table with Dorothy Parker front and center. Mr. Murphy does a commendable job of bringing the Depression-era time period to life and with plenty of snarky sarcasm and wisecrack dialogue from the characters. Though the mystery itself does not seem too complicated a case, I found myself so immersed in the story and the characters that I had a very difficult time trying to figure out whodunit. In the end, I was very surprised.

The only problem I had with this story was the numerous references to Mrs. Parker’s lack of funds. Repetitive comments made by Mrs. Parker about her inability to pay for cab fare, food or drink frustrated me. I kept expecting her to be arrested on a theft of services charge for consuming food or beverage or hiring a taxi that she couldn’t pay for. The story has several scenes of Mrs. Parker and Mr. Benchley making jokes and sarcastic comments, so I was left to wonder if the comments about her bankrupt status were also another of their standing inside jokes with one another.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of mysteries and if you’re not a fan, I recommend it for the entertaining characters and witty dialogue. I will be looking for the next book in the series as Dorothy Parker is a success in not just poetry and writing but also holds her own with murder cases.

REVIEW: Beach Road by James Patterson

Title: Beach Road
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown
Publication Date: May, 2006
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 8/10

Description: Tom Dunleavy has a one-man law firm in legendary East Hampton. But his job barely keeps him in paper clips. His principal clients make a living serving the rich. The billionaires and mega-celebrities swarming the beaches already have lawyers on their payroll.

Then a friend of Tom's is arrested for a triple murder near a movie star's mansion. Tom knows in his gut that Dante Halleyville is innocent. Dante asks him to represent him in what could be the Trial of the Century.

Tom recruits Manhattan super-lawyer Kate Costello to help. She's a tough hire, because Kate is his ex-girlfriend, but she agrees. In their search to find who really executed three locals, Tom orchestrates a series of revelations to expose the killer-and what emerges is staggering.

The final scenes of Beach Road unveil a truth that will leave readers gasping in shock.

My Thoughts: When I pick up a James Patterson novel, I am guaranteed to be entertained, sometimes shocked, but always entertained. In Patterson’s novels, I almost always find stories filled with very interesting characters; even the villains are intriguing. I can’t ignore the fact that they reel me in, regardless of whether I love or hate the character. Patterson’s ability to make these characters come to life and leap off the page is very impressive. In Beach Road, he does it again.

Tom Dunleavy is a likeable guy. He’s a guy you could be buddies with. After his career with the NBA is sidelined, he becomes a lawyer, though he’s not a very prominent lawyer.

Kate Costello is tough as nails. If you are the underdog, you will want her in your corner. She demonstrates a dogged determination to do the right thing; she even walks away from her law firm rather than defend a man she knows is guilty. She is one of those people that will walk through fire for the people she cares for. She used to care for Tom Dunleavy until he broke her heart and she hasn’t forgiven him yet.

Dante Halleyville is a young man that bad luck seems to follow. Raised by his grandmother, he struggles to overcome the adversity that has plagued his life and rise above the tragedy that has followed him. He is talented and intelligent and is on his way to a superstar career in the NBA. When he is accused of murder, his life hangs in the balance.

This book is narrated by several points of view. Tom, Kate, Dante and Loco, a local drug dealer, who has a keen sense of what is going on, offer their perceptions on the events surrounding them. Tom and Kate agreed to defend Dante and are convinced he’s being set up. Convincing a jury of enough reasonable doubt leaves Tom and Kate with their work cut out for them.

This story was a little slow to get going in the beginning, but it changes direction without warning and takes off at high speed. Suddenly, I am caught in the story watching the events unfold, unable to look away. With every visit Tom and Kate make to Dante in jail, the tension mounts. If Dante is innocent, then the killer is still out there and loose ends will need to be tied up. I found myself worrying about the safety of Dante, Tom and Kate. Defending Dante doesn’t sit well with the community and Tom and Kate aren’t highly experienced lawyers.

This isn’t one of James Patterson’s best stories, but Beach Road is a story that will pull you in and rip the rug out from under you. When everything is revealed, I felt like I had been hit by a bus. I was shocked and surprised and that is what Patterson is good at. Fans of James Patterson will enjoy this story knowing they are in for a great ride and readers new to his books will enjoy the suspense and intense twists.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In February

February is usually a bad month for me when it comes to acquiring new additions to the TBR pile, thanks to the annual VNSA booksale held in Phoenix. This year however, I did not purchase any books for myself at the booksale. Surprise, surprise I know. Of the new books acquired in February, one is electronic, so there are no storage issues with it and two are audiobooks, so again, no storage issues. So with just only one paper bound book entering the home in February, I would say that's pretty good.


The Appeal by John Grisham

Description:Politics has always been a dirty game. Now justice is, too.

In a crowded courtroom in Mississippi, a jury returns a shocking verdict against a chemical company accused of dumping toxic waste into a small town’s water supply, causing the worst “cancer cluster” in history. The company appeals to the Mississippi Supreme Court, whose nine justices will one day either approve the verdict or reverse it.

Who are the nine? How will they vote? Can one be replaced before the case is ultimately decided?

The chemical company is owned by a Wall Street predator named Carl Trudeau, and Mr. Trudeau is convinced the Court is not friendly enough. With judicial elections looming, he decides to try to purchase himself a seat on the Court. The cost is a few million dollars, a drop in the bucket for a billionaire like Mr. Trudeau. Through an intricate web of conspiracy and deceit, his political operatives recruit a young, unsuspecting candidate. They finance him, manipulate him, market him, and mold him into a potential Supreme Court justice. Their Supreme Court justice.


Beach Road by James Patterson

Description: Tom Dunleavy has a one-man law firm in legendary East Hampton. But his job barely keeps him in paper clips. His principal clients make a living serving the rich. The billionaires and megacelebrities swarming the beaches already have lawyers on their payroll.

Then a friend of Tom's is arrested for a triple murder near a movie star's mansion. Tom knows in his gut that Dante Halleyville is innocent. Dante asks him to represent him in what could be the Trial of the Century.

Tom recruits Manhattan superlawyer Kate Costello to help. She's a tough hire, because Kate is his ex-girlfriend-but she agrees. In their search to find who really executed three locals, Tom orchestrates a series of revelations to expose the killer-and what emerges is staggering.

The final scenes of Beach Road unveil a truth that will leave readers gasping in shock.



Awakening by Scarlett Valentine

Description: Ysbail of Ellesmere is a pawn in her guardian's war. For decades there has been unrest between the marcher lords and Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd. The most recent war had been the bloodiest she could remember in her eighteen years. Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys, and his allies lost untold numbers of men at the hands of Owain's soldiers. When a settlement of truce is presented to Madog, it's at Ysbail's expense. She is to marry Bedwyr ap Owain, one of King Owain’s bastard sons, and his most notorious henchman. If all the rumors and stories she's heard are true, she knows her marriage will be rife with horror and fear.

Since proving himself worthy with his sword, Bedwyr fights at his king's side. He's shed oceans of blood and sent untold numbers of men to their graves. He's become what his name foretold—the grave-knower. He's afraid of nothing, least of all death. All men fear him, including those who fight at his side, and sometimes even his own king. Terror of him lives within women's hearts; only the bravest of whores accept him into their beds. And children weave their own tales of the monster they hear him to be, embellishing the details to their own gruesome degrees.

When King Owain informs Bedwyr that he's to marry Ysbail of Ellesmere as part of a peace settlement with Madog, Bedwyr is furious. A man such as Bedwyr can only survive on the battlefield. For without love, hatred will send a man like him to the edge of insanity. Then push him over. But when Bedwyr sees Ysbail for the first time, blood-thirst turns to blood-lust, and he vows to show her that she should have no fear of him.



29 by Adena Halpern

Description: What if you closed your eyes, blew out the candles, and your wish came true?

Ellie Jerome is a young-at-heart seventy-five-year-old who feels she has more in common with her twenty-nine-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, than her fifty-five-year-old daughter, Barbara. Ellie's done everything she can to stay young, and the last thing she wants is to celebrate another birthday. So when she finds herself confronted with a cake full of candles, Ellie wishes more than anything that she could be twenty-nine again, just for one day. But who expects a wish like that to come true?

29 is the story of three generations of women and how one magical day shakes up everything they know about each other. While Ellie finds that the life of a twenty-something is not as carefree as she expected, the sheer joy of being young again prompts her to consider living her life all over. Does she dare stay young for more than this day, even if it means leaving everyone she loves behind?

Fresh, funny, and delightful, 29 is an enchanting adventure about families, love, and the real lessons of youth.

REVIEW: Awakening by Scarlett Valentine

Title: Awakening
Author: Scarlett Valentine
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Publication Date: October, 2011
Genre: Erotica
Rating: 7/10

Description: Ysbail of Ellesmere is a pawn in her guardian's war. For decades there has been unrest between the marcher lords and Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd, King of Gwynedd. The most recent war had been the bloodiest she could remember in her eighteen years. Madog ap Maredudd, Prince of Powys, and his allies lost untold numbers of men at the hands of Owain's soldiers. When a settlement of truce is presented to Madog, it's at Ysbail's expense. She is to marry Bedwyr ap Owain, one of King Owain’s bastard sons, and his most notorious henchman. If all the rumors and stories she's heard are true, she knows her marriage will be rife with horror and fear.

Since proving himself worthy with his sword, Bedwyr fights at his king's side. He's shed oceans of blood and sent untold numbers of men to their graves. He's become what his name foretold—the grave-knower. He's afraid of nothing, least of all death. All men fear him, including those who fight at his side, and sometimes even his own king. Terror of him lives within women's hearts; only the bravest of whores accept him into their beds. And children weave their own tales of the monster they hear him to be, embellishing the details to their own gruesome degrees.

When King Owain informs Bedwyr that he's to marry Ysbail of Ellesmere as part of a peace settlement with Madog, Bedwyr is furious. A man such as Bedwyr can only survive on the battlefield. For without love, hatred will send a man like him to the edge of insanity. Then push him over. But when Bedwyr sees Ysbail for the first time, blood-thirst turns to blood-lust, and he vows to show her that she should have no fear of him.

My Thoughts: I’ve never really been a fan of the erotica genre, but historical romance was my first favorite genre. Even if you aren’t a fan of erotica romance or have never read the genre before, Awakening by Scarlett Valentine is a good place to start. In 12th century Wales, women are viewed as nothing more than property and vessels to birth heirs. If women even survive the childbirth process, they have no rights, no voice. Our heroine, Ysbail, knows this and knows she has no choice when she is given in marriage to Bedwyr, one of the King’s bastard sons, who has a reputation as a blood-thirsty warrior. Most people are afraid of him. I didn’t get the sense that Ysbail was afraid of him, however. My first impression of her was that she can be quite defiant and stubborn in her own right. She proves this when she has to deal with some trouble makers while Bedwyr is away. She possesses inner strength and determination that will serve her well in the surroundings she has been forced to live.

The rumors about Bedwyr are all absolutely true. From childhood, he has been groomed to fight and kill in a kill or be killed environment. He has learned to stifle emotions like mercy, compassion and love and live without them. There is no place for them on the battlefield. When he is told that he is to marry, obviously he isn’t happy but acquiring property as part of the arrangement sweetens the deal and he agrees. Bedwyr is no fool and he realizes how fortunate he is when he meets Ysbail for the first time and experiences a fiercely strong desire and sexual hunger for her.

The story begins after the wedding and the wedding night has commenced. A fortnight has passed and Bedwyr and Ysbail have arrived at their new home and Bedwyr wants to introduce his new bride to the sensual side of marriage. Ysbail is a quick learner, though at first, I thought she would resist. The bedroom scenes are very intimate and explicit without being overly graphic or obscene.

Awakening delivers a good story outside of the bedchamber as well as inside. Strong characters and coherent dialogue make the story flow so smoothly that I found myself surprised when it was over. If you are looking for something a little different than your usual reading choices, give Awakening a try.

REVIEW: Fantasy In Death by J.D. Robb

Title: Fantasy in Death (In Death #30)
Author: J.D. Robb
Publisher: Putnam
Publication Date: February, 2010
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 10/10

Description: In the latest novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . .

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a problem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction and the price of defeat is death. . . .

My Thoughts: Welcome back to the world of Eve Dallas where she operates at a level most of us can only dream about. With this installment, J.D. Robb takes virtual reality to a whole new level as Eve and her team have to solve a murder where trying to figure out how the victim was actually murdered when there appears to be no plausible explanation proves to be quite challenging. From the outside looking in, this case appears to be unsolvable. I enjoy how Eve Dallas’s mind works and this book is no exception as she analyzes every detail with a fine-tooth comb looking for the slightest hair out of place.

Sadly, there wasn’t enough sparring with Somerset in this book. I have come to enjoy their snark sessions as much as they do and wish there had been more.

One of my favorite things about this series is seeing how the characters have evolved. Early on, I wondered if Eve had a compassionate bone in her body. Oh, sure, she feels passion, anger, satisfaction, and even fear throughout the series, but this is a character that plays her hand very close to her chest. You have no idea what cards she is holding until it’s time to draw. Eve surprises me throughout the series with the range of emotions she displays and the control she exerts on herself to hold herself to her high standards. This book brings us another surprise when the reader is given another glimpse into Eve’s soul and how she has to remain detached from people in order to do her job. To someone who doesn’t know her very well, she may come across as cold and unfeeling. And sometimes to some who do know her well, they make the same assumption about her too.

With every book I wonder where J.D. Robb can take this series to next. There are no limitations. On planet or off, virtual or reality, this series takes the reader to unbelievable heights and depths and we are left to wonder, what next? One thing is for certain, with this series, no matter what happens next, it will be amazing and I am looking forward to my next Eve Dallas excursion.

REVIEW: Seattle Girl by Lucy Kevin

Title: Seattle Girl (A young adult romance about love, sex...and my really big mouth)
Author: Lucy Kevin
Publisher: Lucy Kevin
Publication Date: January, 2011
Genre: Chick-Lit
Rating: 8/10

Description: The first time Georgia Fulton gets behind a microphone at her college radio station (because of a guy, of course...), she's hooked. (Who would have thought she'd ever find a potential job where a boss would appreciate her big mouth?) But being a smart-mouth doesn't necessarily keep her from getting hurt by one (smoking hot) jerk after another.

With help from her friends - and loyal listeners - will Georgia finally figure out the real deal about guys, sex, love...and maybe even herself?

My Thoughts: At first glance, Georgia Fulton is your typical college student. Nothing about her really stands out. One night at a frat party, she meets a guy named Bill after he spills his beer all over her. They begin talking and he invites her to join him on his talk radio show. Now Georgia feels like she has a purpose, a sense of direction for her life. However, this book isn’t about her struggle to succeed in the talk radio industry though the story centers around it. It is more about Georgia’s experiences with trying to find true love (like the rest of us) and the losers she encounters along the way.

I enjoyed observing Georgia’s attempts to find the one and there are many. What I enjoyed the most about this book is how she took her experiences and used them on her radio show, Seattle Girl. I also enjoyed Georgia’s direct snarky sarcasm and humor. Some of the disasters of relationships she experiences can cause most of us to give up and stay single, but Georgia doesn’t let it stop her.

My only problem with this book was the editing errors. Entire words were missing from sentences and though it didn’t ruin the story for me, it pulled me out of the story enough to try to decipher what word is missing. Next to reading an awful story, being interrupted from a story I am enjoying for a lame reason is highly annoying.

Overall, this story is quite good, filled with characters you can easily relate to and care for. I recommend this story if you are looking for something a little bit different, a romance that isn’t filled with face burning graphic sex scenes and a fairly strong character who knows what she wants and isn’t willing to settle until she finds it.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In January

2012 is off and running and here we are approaching the end of January already. Yes, it's that time of year when Valentine's Day is looming around the corner and everywhere you look in the stores, you see it. {insert eye roll here} Don't even get me started on the fact I was in J.C. Penney the other day looking at jeans and I noticed they have bikinis out right next to the winter coats...makes me want to just crawl into a book and read until the insanity goes away. Here are the titles I acquired in January that will hopefully take my mind off how fast time flies and how I so DO NOT need to see bikinis going on sale in January...

Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen

Description: A heartwarming tale of terror in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

Meet Sarah and David.

Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

Fantasy In Death by J.D. Robb

Description:In the latest novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author J.D. Robb, it is game over for the criminals pursued by NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

Bart Minnock, founder of the computer-gaming giant U-Play, enters his private playroom, and eagerly can't wait to lose himself in an imaginary world, to play the role of a sword-wielding warrior king, in his company's latest top-secret project, Fantastical.

The next morning, he is found in the same locked room, in a pool of blood, his head separated from his body. It is the most puzzling case Eve Dallas has ever faced, and it is not a game. . . .

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is having as much trouble figuring out how Bart Minnock was murdered as who did the murdering. The victim's girlfriend seems sincerely grief-stricken, and his quirky-but-brilliant partners at U-Play appear equally shocked. No one seemed to have a prob­lem with the enthusiastic, high-spirited millionaire. Of course, success can attract jealousy, and gaming, like any business, has its fierce rivalries and dirty tricks-as Eve's husband, Roarke, one of U- Play's competitors, knows well. But Minnock was not naive, and quite capable of fighting back in the real world as well as the virtual one.

Eve and her team are about to enter the next level of police work, in a world where fantasy is the ultimate seduction-and the price of defeat is death. . . .

Seattle Girl by Lucy Kevin

Description: The first time Georgia Fulton gets behind a microphone at her college radio station (because of a guy, of course...), she's hooked. Who would have thought she'd ever find a potential job where a boss would appreciate her big mouth? But being a smart-mouth doesn't necessarily keep her from getting hurt by one (smoking hot) jerk after another. With help from her friends - and loyal listeners - will Georgia finally figure out the real deal about guys, sex, love...and maybe even herself?

REVIEW: Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen

Title: Married With Zombies (Living With the Dead #1)
Author: Jesse Petersen
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: September, 2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 10/10

Description: A heartwarming tale of terror in the middle of the zombie apocalypse.

Meet Sarah and David.

Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Meet the Zombies.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.

My Thoughts: This book was a complete riot. I am more a fan of the vampire genre than zombies, but I could not put this book down. Sarah and David appear to be your normal everyday average married couple struggling to keep their marriage alive with divorce looming on the horizon. As with a lot of couples working on their relationship, they are in counseling. The book begins with Sarah and David on their way to a counseling appointment and arguing. From there, the book ceases to be normal on any level and instead takes the reader into an all-out zombie infestation…starting with their annoying, prissy therapist.

Sarah and David have to keep their wits together and learn how to fight the zombies instead of each other if they have any hope of staying alive. One of the things I loved best about this story is that no matter how unrealistic the chances of a zombie apocalypse happening are, the author does a fantastic job of portraying Sarah and David as very realistic. Do they fall into each other’s arms, profess their undying love and apologies for hurting each other at the end of the book? No way…but they do realize what is important and it’s the promise of tomorrow and working together today to get there.

Sadly, a lot of people in the book die, mostly zombies and interestingly, taking out zombies seem to come quite naturally to Sarah and David. They quickly realize that in order to survive, they need to get out of Seattle where they are living and find David’s sister and eventually Sarah’s father. Along the way, they meet some interesting and strange characters and I laughed myself silly at the image of 90+ year old female zombies sitting at slot machines in one casino they stop at.

This is the first book in the author’s Living with the Dead series and is followed by Flip This Zombie. I am not sure if I will like the rest of the series as much as I love this book, but I’m hoping so and looking forward to what Sarah and David face next.

REVIEW: Still Life by Joy Fielding

Title: Still Life
Author: Joy Fielding
Publisher: Atria
Publication Date: March, 2009
Genre: Suspense / Thriller
Rating: 9/10

Description: Beautiful, happily married, and the owner of a successful interior design business, Casey Marshall couldn't be more content with her life, until a car slams into her at almost fifty miles an hour, breaking nearly every bone in her body and plunging her into a coma. Lying in her hospital bed, Casey realizes that although she is unable to see or communicate, she can hear everything. She quickly discovers that her friends aren't necessarily the people she thought them to be - and that her accident might not have been an accident at all. As she struggles to break free from her living death, she begins to wonder if what lies ahead could be even worse.

My Thoughts: Joy Fielding is no stranger to the suspense genre as any fan of her books can attest. I know that when I want nail-biting suspense, a Joy Fielding book is a good choice and Still Life delivers. Our heroine, Casey Marshall has a good life. Married to the man of her dreams, a good career, good friends and financially well-off, she has what most of us can only wish for. Unfortunately, her perfect life changes in a split-second when she is run down by a hit and run driver.

This story takes a sinister turn when Casey discovers she can hear what is being said in the presence of her comatose body. She learns that the accident may not have been an accident and she has placed her trust in the wrong person who now wants her dead. Though her body is in a coma, her mind is alert trying to figure out who tried to kill her. How frightening is that? Physically helpless and unable to defend yourself, but able to hear the killer planning to finish the job, I felt sorry for Casey and just as helpless as she did.

For the most part, this story moves along building on the spine-tingling suspense. I could relate very well to what Casey was going through and could feel her frustration and anxiety. The characters in this book come through very clearly. Joy Fielding does an excellent job of describing the scene from Casey’s perspective so I got a real sense of what it was like for Casey.

My only problem with this book was Casey’s reminiscing about her childhood and her parents and the excessive number of nannies Casey and her sister had growing up. It didn’t ruin the story for me, but I found myself getting impatient for Casey to return to the present and work on getting herself out of the coma.

Fans of suspense novels and fans of Joy Fielding will enjoy this offering. It gave me a reminder of how fragile we truly are and how brutally honest people can be when they don’t know you can hear them, which can be quite disturbing.

REVIEW: The Survivor by Sean Slater

Title: The Survivor
Author: Sean Slater
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: March, 2011
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 10/10

Description: Columbine. Dunblane. Virginia Tech. Winnenden. But Saint Patrick's High?

In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker's day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on scene five minutes at his daughter's high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red - have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately.

Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence.

But the last gunman, Red Mask, does something unexpected. He runs up to his fallen comrade, racks the shotgun, and unloads five rounds into the man, obliterating his face and hands. Before Striker can react, Red Mask flees - and escapes.

Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no known suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick's High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes. Until Striker himself is in the line of fire.

And the violence follows him home.

My Thoughts: What begins as a typical run of the mill school shooting quickly escalates into much more. As a reader, I normally do not like a bunch of plot twists and sub-plots that sometimes cloud the main story. Fortunately, this worked for me in this story. As a society, we have seen more news about violence that it is easy to become desensitized to the horror of it. Had this book been about just a school shooting and the subsequent investigation, I probably would have given up on it. In this story, the school shooting is more an initiator of a bigger story.

This book is full of complex and interesting characters, each bringing a unique position to the story. Jacob Striker is a character carrying a lot of baggage already. When we first meet him, we see a police detective who is returning to duty after an extended leave of absence dealing with an incompetent supervisor, a man who is trying to cope with the death of his wife and a father who is struggling to connect with a teenage daughter who is angry and blames him for the death of her mother. He already has a full plate before the story even begins. When I thought he could take no more and would crack under the pressure, he continued to surprise me with his diligent and persistent investigation tactics.

The villain of this story, Red Mask, isn’t your typical bad guy, either. At first, I thought he was just a psychotic angry man who takes out his twisted feelings on innocent children. The author does a fabulous job of giving us a first person look into the mind of Red Mask, to see what he sees and relive what he’s lived through in his life to make him the cold-blooded killer he has become. Not to excuse or justify his actions, but to give the reader a better sense of the path he has walked that has led him to the shooting. Red Mask is a formidable adversary, almost robotic in his thinking. I found myself comparing him to The Terminator as I was reading and the scene from The Terminator when Kyle tells Sarah Connor that he will never stop until she is dead.

The author does an amazing job of peeling back the layers of the story, drawing me in with the suspense and high adrenaline-charged scenes without bogging me down in the technical and police procedural details. Surprisingly, this is the author’s debut novel. With writing like this, I can only hope we will be seeing more of Detective Jacob Striker.

REVIEW: The Shack by William P. Young

Title: The Shack
Author: William P. Young
Publisher: Windblown Media
Publication Date: May, 2007
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 10/10

Description: Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

My Thoughts: I began reading this book quite reluctantly, to be honest. I am a Christian, but am not religious. Religion depresses me and I was reluctant to read this because I did not want to read something that would, I thought, rub my nose in the fact that I’m not living my life according to someone else’s idea or perception of how a good Christian should live. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

This story was simply amazing. I think we can all relate to Mack and the “Great Sadness” he is carrying. Though life is full of special and happy events, we all carry within us pain and sorrow from those times when we have been hurt or suffered great loss. Sometimes our pain is so great, we wrap it around ourselves so tightly that we cannot see beyond it. Sometimes we are so angry at what has happened to us that we blame God or others for our pain. We are Mack.

Mack receives a letter from “Papa” four years after his youngest daughter was abducted and likely murdered. His wife refers to God as Papa and I loved that reference. If we are to have a relationship with our Heavenly Father, then why not have one from the heart and make it personal? Calling God “Papa” made me smile and it opens the door for Mack. When he receives the letter, he is very skeptical and cynical about the sender of the note. His friend, Willie, even suggests that the note could be from Missy’s killer, trying to lure Mack there for evil purposes.

Mack goes to the shack both hoping and dreading that God will actually be there. What awaits him is truly amazing. This book made me laugh as the author shows us that God has a wonderful sense of humor. This book made me cry as the author gives us a front row seat into Mack’s heart and his pain, which in turn gave me a front row seat into my own. This book energized me as I read as it struck a chord with me how easy and simple it is to have a relationship with Papa, how I have been struggling in my life needlessly for so long and how liberating it felt to realize this.

This book isn’t about converting anyone to Christianity or trying to guilt you into going to church or rub your nose in what you may or may not be doing in your life. This book is about love, both God’s love for us, his children, and our love for Him and for each other. It amazes me that something so basic and simple comes so hard to us and is so difficult to embrace. After reading this book, it has gotten a lot easier for me to do it. I invite you to take the journey with me and experience the joy of love.