The Ghost And The Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly

The Ghost And The Dead Deb by Alice Kimberly

My Rating: 7 *'s

Description: The spirit is willing...to solve a murder

Don’t haunt the customers!

This was the only rule bookshop owner and widow Penelope Thornton-McClure had given her resident ghost, hard-boiled PI Jack Shepard. But when the hot young author Angel Stark arrives at the store to promote her latest, a true crime novel, Jack can hardly contain himself. After all, this is his specialty!

Angel's book is an unsolved mystery about a debutante found strangled to death. And it's filled with juicy details that point a finger at a number of people in the deb's high society circle. But when the author winds up dead too, in precisely the same way, Pen is fast on the case...which means Jack is too. After all, a ghost detective never rests in peace.

My Thoughts: Second book in The Haunted Bookshop series. This one wasn't bad, but I enjoyed the first one more. There's a slight hint of an attraction between Penelope and Jack, but seriously, where can it go? He's dead! As with the first book, I enjoy the banter between Penelope and Jack and his vernacular is quite entertaining. The author does a good job of making Jack believable with his vocabulary. I have the next two books in this series and am looking forward to reading them.

Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb

Ritual In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

Description: When a high-society party is crashed by a naked, knife-wielding, blood-covered man who "thinks" he might have killed someone, Eve Dallas must track down the crime, and the criminals. Everything points to Satanic ritual, but Eve doesn't believe in devil worship...

My Thoughts: This was one of the short stories featured in the SUITE 606 anthology. Not as satisfying as the full length stories only because it's short, the story feels rushed and doesn't have all of the elements of the plot I have come to enjoy and look forward to with each Eve Dallas story. But I still enjoyed the story and the new twist of a Satanic ritual in the plot. I especially enjoy it when Eve gets to be a bad ass when interrogating the perps. I'm glad I'm not the one sitting on the other side of the table...

Bite Me: A Love Story by Christopher Moore

Bite Me by Christopher Moore

My Rating: 10 *'s

Description: "The city of San Francisco is being stalked by a huge shaved vampyre cat named Chet, and only I, Abby Normal, emergency backup mistress of the Greater Bay Area night, and my manga-haired love monkey, Foo Dog, stand between the ravenous monster and a bloody massacre of the general public."

Whoa. And this is a love story? Yup. 'Cept there's no whining. See, while some lovers were born to run, Jody and Tommy were born to bite. Well, reborn, that is, now that they're vampires. Good thing theirs is an undying love, since their Goth Girl Friday, Abby Normal, imprisoned them in a bronze statue.

Abby wants to be a bloodsucking fiend, too, but right now she's really busy with other stuff, like breaking in a pair of red vinyl thigh-high Skankenstein® platform boots and wrangling her Ph.D.-candidate boyfriend, Steve (the love monkey). And then there's that vampire cat Chet, who's getting bigger and smarter—and thirstier—by the minute. Abby thought she and Steve could handle the kitty cat on their own, mais non . . .

Before you can say "OMG! WTF?" Tommy and Jody are sprung from captivity, and join forces with Abby, Steve, the frozen-turkey-bowling Safeway crew, the Emperor of San Francisco and his trusty dogs Lazarus and Bummer, Abby's gay Goth friend Jared, and SF's finest Cavuto and Rivera to hunt big cat and save the city. And that's when the fun really begins.

My Thoughts: Christopher Moore does it again! This book is laugh out loud hilarious! Most of the book is told from the point of view of "Abby Normal," a goth Valley Girl, who wants nothing more than to be "Nosferatu" and spend her life being Mistress of the Greater Bay Area Night and going "Raaarrr" to those around her.

When we last left Abby and her manga-haired love monkey, Foo Dog, they had trapped "The Countess and Lord Flood" in bronze statues and were living in the love lair deciding what their next move should be. They quickly learn they have gotten in way over their heads when they discover that Chet is a vampire cat and is quickly turning other cats to the dark side and eating several people along the way. Plus, Jody and Tommy are gonna be REALLY pissed when they get out of the bronze statues. And then there are those ass-hat cops Rivera and Cavuto who are snooping around...seriously, could life get any more sucky?

Sadly, I think this is the last story in the series as this book ties up many loose ends and pretty much cleans house. One can only hope there will be more, but it doesn't feel like it. Do yourself a favor and read this series, starting with BLOODSUCKING FIENDS, followed by YOU SUCK and then BITE ME.

Passion, Betrayal And Killer Highlights by Kyra Davis

Passion, Betrayal And Killer Highlights by Kyra Davis

My Rating: 3 *'s

Description: Sophie Katz has just offered a man $12,000 for his services... Is she desperate or just meshugeneh?

Considering the kind of disasters that usually befall the half-black, half-Jewish mystery writer, probably both. Because the last time Sophie saw sexy P.I. Anatoly Darinsky, he practically danced a jig when she waved goodbye --- a normal reaction for a man who'd nearly bought the farm trying to protect her from her own foolishness. What are the chances he'd agree to take incriminating pictures of her sister's philandering husband? Or that he'd let her tag along --- you know...for research?

But when her brother in law turns up dead and her sister becomews the prime suspect, Sophie's priority is finding the real killer. With or without Anatoly's help. Her brother in law's secret life yields plenty of suspects, but the San Francisco police aren't taking any of them seriously. So Sophie does what comes naturally to her: she stirs up trouble (to lure the killer out, of course).

But if her crazy plan works, will Anatoly be there to protect her this time?

My Thoughts: Didn't like this one as much as the first one. I will be reading the next two in the series soon and hope they are much better.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In April

That sound you hear is the groaning of the foundation under the weight of yet more books to the already heaping pile...

Cold Case by Robin Burcell

Description: The colder it gets . . .the hotter it gets.

Three years ago SFPD Homicide Investigator Kate Gillespie was in pursuit of a suspect who murdered a hooker in a sleazy motel, and she nearly lost her own life in the process. The shooter escaped into the San Francisco shadows and the trail went colder than the grave. Now Kate's appearance on a Bay Area "crime stoppers" TV show produces new leads that carry her back into the sordid world of drugs and prostitution -- and point her toward a local crime boss whose missing wife is possibly linked to multiple men and multiple murders. But when a dangerous knot of betrayals, secrets, and criminal cover-ups starts unraveling, Kate can only hope she'll be as lucky as she was on that black night at the Twin Palms Motel. Because the only way to the truth leads directly into the line of fire . . .

Deadly Legacy by Robin Burcell

Description: SOME SECRETS ARE MURDER TO KEEP...

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

San Francisco P.D. Homicide Inspector Kate Gillespie's investigation into a bizarre apparent murder/suicide is threatening to careen out of control. A dead man might not be dead. The families of the deceased are hiding something. And there are blood-soaked threads reaching into some very lofty places. But most perplexing of all are the shocking revelations of one of the "victims" dark and dangerous history -- the more Kate learns, the less she knows. It's a case that has placed Kate Gillespie on the hot seat as her investigation gets bigger by the moment -- and puts her perilously high on a rabid killer's hit list.

Strangers In Death by J.D. Robb

Description: Technology may be different in 2060 New York, yet the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. And as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed - and strangled - with cords of black velvet.

It doesn't surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders's scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation for the public - and humiliation for his family. While everyone else in the city is talking about it, those close to Anders aren't so anxious to do so. Fortunately, because Dallas's billionaire husband, Roarke, happens to own the prime real estate where Anders's sporting-goods firm was headquartered, she has some help with access. Before long, she's knocking on doors - or barging through them - to look for the answers she needs.

But the facts don't add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn't struggle. The security breach in the highly fortified apartment indicates that the killer was someone close to Anders, but everyone's alibi checks out, from the wife who was off in the tropics to the loving nephew who stands to inherit millions. Was this a crime of passion - or a carefully planned execution?

It's up to Dallas to solve a sensational case where all involved guard secrets from one another - and strangers may be connected in unexpected, and deadly, ways.

The Associate by John Grisham

Description: If you thought Mitch McDeere was in trouble in The Firm, wait until you meet Kyle McAvoy, The Associate

Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains—from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle’s “cubicle” at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country—and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.

The Shiksa Syndrome by Laurie Graff

Description: Manhattan publicist Aimee Albert knows a good spin, but she’s the one who winds up reeling when her gorgeous, goyishe boyfriend breaks up with her—on Christmas! For a stand-up comedian, you’d think he would have better timing. But Aimee’s not about to let a man who doesn’t even have a real job get her down. She dusts herself off and decides to seek companionship with a member of her own tribe. There’s just one problem: all the shiksas are snapping them up!

So when the very cute, Jewish, and gainfully employed Josh Hirsch catches Aimee’s eye at a kosher wine tasting and mistakes her for a shiksa, what’s a girl to do? Hey, her heart was broken, not her head! Unfortunately, the charade goes on longer than Aimee planned, and her life becomes more complicated than a Bergman film. To make matters worse, Josh and Aimee aren’t exactly on the same page as far as their attitudes toward Judaism go, creating tension in the relationship. But as Aimee begins to discover that her identity isn’t as easily traded as a pair of Jimmy Choos, she must decide if having the man of her dreams is worth the price of giving up so much of who she is.

Wry and witty, The Shiksa Syndrome is a by turns laugh-out-loud funny and disarmingly poignant.

When You Wish by Kristen Harmel

Description: Star Beck is super-duper megastar famous. She rocks–literally–every night in concert for thousands of cheering fans. But the pop star life–tour buses, fauxmances, size 0 minis–is getting a little old. Star can’t help wondering what it would be like to be a regular girl–without paparazzi trailing her every move, and without people being nice just because, well, she’s Star Beck. And when she discovers that her mom has been lying to her for years about something very important, Star decides to find out what the world beyond her stage is like after all.

In the blink of an emerald green eye, Star finds herself . . . buying a car. Eating cheeseburgers. Swapping her stilettos for flip-flops. Getting a job that doesn’t require dancing, winking, or mall appearances. And falling for the cutest, realest boy she’s ever met. But how will she know if he feels the same way? Because for once in her life, someone is going to have to like her for who she really is.

Strangers In Death

Strangers In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

Description: Technology may be different in 2060 New York, yet the city is still a place of many cultures and great divides. And as ever, some murders receive more attention than others - especially those in which the victim is a prominent businessman, found in his Park Avenue apartment, tied to the bed - and strangled - with cords of black velvet.

It doesn't surprise Lieutenant Eve Dallas that Thomas Anders's scandalous death is a source of titillation and speculation for the public - and humiliation for his family. While everyone else in the city is talking about it, those close to Anders aren't so anxious to do so. Fortunately, because Dallas's billionaire husband, Roarke, happens to own the prime real estate where Anders's sporting-goods firm was headquartered, she has some help with access. Before long, she's knocking on doors - or barging through them - to look for the answers she needs.

But the facts don't add up. Physical evidence suggests that the victim didn't struggle. The security breach in the highly fortified apartment indicates that the killer was someone close to Anders, but everyone's alibi checks out, from the wife who was off in the tropics to the loving nephew who stands to inherit millions. Was this a crime of passion - or a carefully planned execution?

It's up to Dallas to solve a sensational case where all involved guard secrets from one another - and strangers may be connected in unexpected, and deadly, ways.

My Thoughts: A very intriguing story that again leaves me amazed how this author can continue deliver another book in such a lengthy series without repeating herself or making the series boring. Eve Dallas is a character that impresses me with how focused she is on the case and with the tenacity of a pit bull, doesn't let go of our suspect once her sight is locked on them.

The sub-plots going on in each book make the stories even better and the characters more real. I enjoyed Charles and Louise's side story and look forward to seeing how Eve deals with this as time goes on.

Spying In High Heels by Gemma Halliday

Spying In High Heels by Gemma Halliday

My Rating: 5 *'s

Description: L.A. shoe designer, Maddie Springer, lives her life by three rules: Fashion. Fashion. Fashion. But when she stumbles upon the work of a brutal killer, her life takes an unexpected turn from Manolos to murder. And things only get worse when her boyfriend disappears—along with $20 million in embezzled funds—and her every move is suddenly under scrutiny by LAPD's sexiest cop. With the help of her post-menopausal bridezilla of a mother, a 300-pound psychic and one seriously oversexed best friend, Maddie finds herself stepping out of her stilettos and onto the trail of a murderer. But can she catch a killer before the killer catches up to her?

My Thoughts: Many other cozy mystery series have started out much better, grabbing my interest and holding my attention immediately. These series leave me eagerly anticipating the next book. I have several of the books in this series and though I don't usually buy ahead in a series I've never read, the titles drew me in. I was not expecting what I got with this story. Shoulda woulda coulda...rather than focus on what I thought the story was about, I will instead say that the heroine is a ditz. The typical blonde you always hear about who is several sandwiches short of a picnic. But somehow, you can't help but like her. I was quite annoyed that she obsessed about whether or not she was pregnant through most of the book, but didn't take a pregnancy test until near the end, after destroying a few of them. Maybe this aspect of her personality was supposed to be humorous, but I found it annoying.

Maddie also spends a large portion of the book eating. Everytime I turned around, she's stuffing her face on junk. Either at McDonalds or at Starbucks or some other fast food joint. At the rate she's going, there may need to be a segment of this series where she goes to Weight Watchers. How the hell she manages to earn a living designing shoes, much less solving any crimes is amazing considering the amount of time she spends hitting fast food drive through windows.

Maddie is a likeable character and Detective Ramirez is definitely a character most women would love to get to know. The supporting characters are interesting too. Now that I know that Maddie is not the kick-ass superhero heroine instead of the bubblehead she really is, I can read the next book in this series much more prepared.

The Associate by John Grisham

The Associate by John Grisham

My Rating: 5 *'s

Description: If you thought Mitch McDeere was in trouble in The Firm, wait until you meet Kyle McAvoy, The Associate

Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential.

But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about.

Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed.

With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains—from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher who shares Kyle’s “cubicle” at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defense contractors in the country—and featuring all the twists and turns that have made John Grisham the most popular storyteller in the world, The Associate is vintage Grisham.

My Thoughts: This was an OK story but I expected a much more explosive ending that Grisham has been known to deliver in the past. Grisham does a good job of laying the groundwork and drawing the reader into Kyle's world giving us a bird's eye view into the mess Kyle has found himself as well as the intense pressure of trying to out maneuver the bad guys and come out on top. I'm not sure what happened, but this book, though is a decent story had the potential to be so much more.

Undead And Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead And Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson

My Rating: 8 *'s

Description: Betsy Taylor thought entering the world of the undead was a big adjustment. Being a new bride isn't much easier. The blush has only been on for two months, and Betsy has a lot to do: set up the new house, finish writing thank-you notes, and raise BabyJon, her half brother and legal ward. Just another happy American family adjusting to marital bliss.

Betsy's husband, Sinclair, has been perusing the Book of the Dead, and Betsy's visited by a ghost who's even more insufferable, stubborn and annoying in death than she was in life. She not only blames Betsy for her condition but insists she fix it. It's all just a prelude to the fun and games awaiting Betsy and Sinclair when a pack of formerly feral vampires, hungry for blood and power, pays a visit to the happy couple.

WELCOME TO MARRIED LIFE, BETSY!

My Thoughts: Though still enjoyable and humorous with lots of zany and wacky behavior, the series is taking on a darker tone with this book when we see vengeful fiends looking to even the score with Betsy and the demise of some of the major characters. On a lighter note, the ghost of "The Ant" is haunting Betsy and she's definitely not happy about it.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In March

I am shocked and amazed at the number of books I acquired this month...

Time Of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

Description: Jillian Westfield has the perfect suburban life straight out of the upscale women's magazines that she obsessively reads. She’s got the modern-print rugs of Metropolitan Home, the elegant meals from Gourmet, the clutter-free closets out of Real Simple, and the elaborate Easter egg hunts seen in Parents. With her successful investment banker husband behind the wheel and her cherubic eighteen-month-old in the backseat, hers could be the family in the magazines’ glossy Range Rover ads.

Yet somehow all of the how-to magazine stories in the world can’t seem to fix her faltering marriage, banish the tedium of days spent changing diapers, or stop her from asking, “What if?”

Then one morning Jillian wakes up seven years in the past. Before her daughter was born. Before she married Henry. Suddenly she’s back in her post–grad school Ikea-furnished Manhattan apartment. She’s back in her fast-paced job with the advertising agency. And she’s still with Jackson, the ex-boyfriend and star of her what-if fantasies.

Armed with twenty-twenty hindsight, she’s free to choose all over again. She can use the zippy ad campaigns from her future to wow the clients and bosses in her present. She can reconnect with the mother who abandoned her so many years before. She can fix the fights at every juncture that doomed her relationship with Jackson. Or can she?

With each new choice setting off a trajectory of unforeseen consequences, Jillian soon realizes that getting to happily ever after is more complicated than changing the lines in her part of the script. Happiness, it turns out, isn’t an either-or proposition. As she closes in on all the things she thought she wanted, Jillian must confront the greatest what-if of all: What if the problem was never Henry or Jackson, but her?

Sharp, funny, and heartwarming, Time of My Life will appeal to anyone who has ever wanted to redo the past and will leave readers pondering, “Do we get the reality we deserve?”

The Worthy by Will Clarke

Description: Conrad had it pretty good in life -- a Porsche, pretty girls, and a trust fund full of oil money. But now, thanks to a brutal hazing incident at Louisiana State University's Gamma Chi fraternity, Conrad is dead -- a nineteen-year-old spirit suddenly without an earthly body.

Make no mistake, the newly deceased Conrad is one angry ghost, and the object of his wrath is chapter president Ryan Hutchins, a "big, bright, rising star" who, in Conrad's view, is really "the darkest black hole you'll ever meet -- and I'm not just saying that because he killed me." Conrad's ghostly ability to see all but be seen by no one (except Miss Etta, Gamma Chi's elderly cook, who is gifted with paranormal powers) confirms his suspicion that Ryan's dark hand has a wide reach, from beating his girlfriend, Maggie Meadows, to terrorizing Sarah Jane Bradford, a religious student who senses that Ryan must be stopped.

Out for revenge, Conrad possesses an unsuspecting pledge's body so he can finish what Ryan started, steering them toward a depraved confrontation with a surprising outcome that will leave readers gasping.

The Pink Ghetto by Liz Ireland

Description: Rebecca Abbot's life has just gone from vintage feather boas to boring office casual. Thanks to Sylvie Arnaud's heart attack, she's out of a job. But it's Sylvie's French, vaguely famous name on Rebecca's creatively embellished resume that lands her an associate editor position at romance heavyweight Candlelight Books. Editing is a far cry from scouting out exotic groceries, which is pretty much all Rebecca did for Sylvie, but Candlelight is offering an actual salary to go with her position's actual workload, and the rent is way overdue on the railroad flat she shares with her friend Wendy and her mooching ex, wanna-be writer Fleishman. Working for Candlelight is nothing like the plots of their syrupy novels, though. In fact, it's a lot like being stuck in an estrogen-heavy Fellini film. Between protecting her back from rival editor Cassie's repeated stabs, attempting a relationship with a sexy literary agent, wondering about Fleishman's new secret "project," and discovering her first truly talented author, Rebecca's learning that the business of romance is hardly a nine-to-five thing - and that editing out all her mistakes will never lead her to "happily ever after..."

The Ex-Mrs. Hedgefund by Jill Kargman

Description: The year is 2006, the apex of excess. Married to the founder of Comet Capital, Holly Talbott is slowly becoming a reluctant Mrs. Hedgefund. Sure, it's great to live in a world that is seemingly sheltered from the threat of economic collapse and the risk of having to downsize from new Roger Viviers to consignment Manolos. Holly loves being a stay-at-home mom to her son, Miles, keeping house accounts at all the best places in town, and having a Rolodex of eager donors for her fund-raisers for the local hospital, but there are some downsides to this world of excess and secluded luxury. For starters, there are endless black tie functions where the hedgie men vie to show up their competition with bids at charity auctions on matzoh ball soup cooked by Rachael Ray ($675,000) and fifteen minutes with Warren Buffett ($700,000). Holly and her sister-in-law, Kiki, joke that lunches are called luncheons because they take eons, that even BOTOX can't stop their mother-in-law's withering stares, and that their husbands are away so often it almost feels like they are single again.

When an adventure with Kiki to trendy Williamsburg leads to a shocking discovery, Holly soon learns that not all of her husband's trips have been for business. Forced to choose between compromising her integrity and living honestly, Holly begins to navigate a new New York existence. And while being a divorc e may make her a pariah to the other moms on the Upper East Side, below Fifty-seventh Street there is a world of new career and dating prospects to explore. Holly soon finds that sometimes exes have all the fun, and in the most unexpected places. . . .

Sucker Bet by Erin McCarthy

Description: A night of indulgence can feel like an eternity. Gwenna Carrick has a history- 900 years of it. As the vampiress ex-wife of the notorious vampire Roberto Donatelli, she must keep a low profile. Not easy when you're bathed in the neon glow of Las Vegas-especially when there's a whole online group of vampire slayers bent on dealing you your last hand.

A wild night with a stranger was not in the cards for Gwenna. But that's what happened when she met the ruggedly handsome detective Nate Thomas. Their passion made her feel alive again. But when Donatelli catches wind of the tryst, he's determined to clean house, with Nate the first on his to-off list. Gwenna knows she hit the jackpot with Nate and won't let anyone stand in the way. But both soon realize they have far more enemies than Donatelli- both on the strip and underground.

Staked by J.F. Lewis

Description: UNREPENTANT. UNIMPRESSED.AND TOTALLY UNDEAD.

Being undead isn't easy. All Eric wants to do is run his strip club, drink a little blood, and be left alone. Instead, he's got business troubles (his best friend is souring on their co-ownership of the Demon Heart) and relationship troubles (his girlfriend is pressuring him to turn her so she can join him in undeath). And then there's the memory loss: He can't recall who he ate for dinner yesterday, much less how he became a vampire in the first place. But when he kills a werewolf in self-defense, things really get out of hand. Now he's got a pack of born-again lycanthropes out for holy retribution--and his head. It's almost enough to put lad off his appetite. Almost.

Six Reasons To Stay A Virgin by Louise Harwood

Description: Emily, London's famous twenty-four-year-old virgin, has to wonder if it's really so crazy to wait for Mr. Right. To enjoy the anticipation. To make sure she's totally, truly, no-turning-back in love. Especially when her friends fall in and out of lust on a daily basis.

But Emily gets the surprise of her life when Oliver Mills comes back to town after a year in America. When they were sixteen, she and Oliver made out behind some sand dunes at the beach, and deep down, he's the one she's been waiting for all this time. Already, Emily can feel her defenses crumbling. She's got six good reasons to stay a virgin. But six might not be enough.

Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

Description: A woman wakes to find herself lying in a graveyard, hurt and bleeding, her memory wiped clean. She doesn't know what she's doing there --- or even who she is.

She is rescued by a police officer, himself a newcomer to Los Angeles. After days of waiting, she is taken by complete surprise when she is finally identified by Alex Rivers, Hollywood's biggest movie star --- and her husband.

Cassie is dazzled and bewildered by the fairytale in which she suddenly finds herself. But everything is not quite right, and there is something dark and disturbing behind this glamorous life. It is only as her memory gradually returns that her picture perfect life comes crumbling down, and Cassie is faced with choices she never dreamed she would have to make.

Hush by Kate White

Description: When Lake Warren learns that her husband Jack is suing for full custody of their two kids, four months after their separation, she's pretty certain that things can't get any worse. The upside is that she's working with the Advanced Fertility Center as a marketing consultant, alongside the attractive, flirtatious Dr. Keaton. But when, the morning after their one-night stand, she finds Keaton with his throat slashed, Lake learns that things can indeed become worse - they can become deadly. So not to jeopardise her case for custody, Lake is forced to lie to the police. Having just been intimate with a man who has been murdered, and wanting to protect herself from being charged with the crime, she begins her own investigation. But when the police start looking at her closely, people at the clinic start treating her with hostility, and strange and dangerous clues begin dropping-quite literally-on her doorstep, Lake realises that she is dangerously close to dark truths about Keaton and the clinic. But can Lake stop what she's started before it's too late?

Death By Chick Lit by Lynn Harris

Description: Lola Somerville has a husband and a new apartment in Brooklyn, but what she really wants is for her novel to make a splash. Unfortunately it hasn't even made a ripple. Then at a book party, Lola finds her author friend Mimi McKee with her throat slashed. When the bodies of It-Girl writers begin to pile up, Lola starts asking dangerous questions: Are the murders connected? Am I next? If not, um, why not? If I solve the mystery, then will my agent remember my name? As Lola digs deeper, the stakes grow higher. Will getting her hands on the killer- and the book deal bound to follow-mean losing the people she loves most?

Dead Sexy by Tate Hallaway

Description: Tall, Dark & Dead introduced Garnet Lacey, a bookstore manager/witch who accidentally unleashed the dark goddess Lilith on Vatican assassins. Now she has other things to worry about-like pesky frat boy zombies, a gorgeous FBI agent hot on her trail, love spells gone wrong, and keeping her vampire boyfriend a safe distance from her vampire ex-boyfriend. There's just no rest for this Wiccan...

Cyber Cinderella by Christina Hopkinson

Description: Izobel Brannigan is an ordinary girl, working a good but dull public relations job, and with a lousy--but slightly less dull--boyfriend. Out of boredom, she decides to Google herself and finds an entire Web site devoted to her, describing a fun, exciting, and glamorous lifestyle that she's certain she's not living. Curious, she starts searching for the mysterious admirer who thinks so highly of her, and no one is safe from her questions. Her friends, her coworkers, old boyfriends...even new flames are all at risk. The more she searches, the more her life begins to reflect what she read on the Internet. After dumping the boyfriend and doing some serious soul-searching, Izobel begins to wonder who's more real: Izobel Brannigan the person, or Izobel Brannigan.com?

Creation In Death by J.D. Robb

Description: Eve has seen this crime scene before: the artfully arranged body of a young brunette, arms spread, palms up, body marked by the signs of prolonged and painful torture. Carved into her torso is the time it took her to die - in hours, minutes, and seconds. And on the third finger of her left hand has been placed a silver ring.

Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier, when a man whom the media tagged “The Groom” put the city on edge with a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days. Eve and her partner Feeney, her friend and mentor, couldn't stop him before he disappeared, only to resurface in other parts of the world to kill and kill again. But now The Groom seems to have come back to where he started.

When it turns out that The Groom's most recent victim was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him onto the case. A move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made it personal. The corpse was washed in products from a store Roarke owns and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures. With the Groom's monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, she knows that he has already grabbed his next victim.

But his sights are set on the biggest challenge of his illustrious career - an abduction that will test his skills and that promises to give him satisfaction as he's never known. Time is running out on another woman's life…and for Eve.

Blue Blood by Susan McBride

Description: To the dismay of her high society mother, Cissy, Dallas heiress Andy Kendricks wants no part of the Junior League life -- opting instead for a job as a website designer and a passel of unpedigreed pals. Now her good friend Molly O'Brien is in bad trouble, accused of killing her boss at the local restaurant "Jugs."

Though no proper deb would ever set foot in such a sleazy dive, Andy's soon slipping into skintight hot pants and a stuffed triple-D bra to gain employment there and somehow help clear Molly's name. But Andy's undercover lark is soon bringing her into too-close contact with all manner of dangerous adversaries -- including a shady TV preacher, a fanatical Mothers Against Porn activist ... and a killer who is none too keen on meddling rich girls.

A Playdate With Death by Ayelet Waldman

Description: No one ever said motherhood was a walk in the park, but Juliet Applebaum is doing her best. She's been showing up (more or less) on time to pick up her daughter from preschool. She's trying (in vain) to discourage her two-and-a-half-year-old sons's interest in firearms. And in between planning playdates and playing dress up, she's even managed to fit in some much-needed kid-free time, working out with a personal trainer at the local health club. It's going well. She's losing weight. She's even happy - until her trainer commits suicide. A charming, cheerful aspiring actor, Bobby Katz seemed to have it all - and Juliet just can't believe he died at his own hand. She suspects that there's a much more sinister explanation - and that it may lie with Bobby's parents, who never told him he was adopted. Or with his grieving fiancee, a recovering addict who just fell off the wagon. Or with his birth mother, a woman he had recently started to look for - who had gone to great lengths to ensure that she would never be found. Always up for a task that will get her out of the house, Juliet keeps running down secrets - until, at last, she runs into the truth.

Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter

Flirting With Forty by Jane Porter

My Rating: 9*'s

Description: I'm Jackie Laurens and eighteen months ago if you looked at my life on paper, you'd think it was fabulous: gorgeous husband, Daniel, twelve years of marriage, two kids, big house. The not-so-good part? I discovered Daniel was having an affair.

Playful and smart, a coming-of-middle-age story of a woman not ready to give up on love and life.

He got the second home and the Porsche. She got the kids and a broken heart. Now, Jackie, post-divorce and heading toward the big four-oh, is on vacation in sunny Hawaii and staring down her upcoming birthday --- alone. But not for long. She's soon falling for Kai, her gorgeous, much younger surf instructor, and the wild passionate fling they have becomes the the biggest surprise of Jackie's life.

Back home in Seattle, Jackie has to struggle with single parenthood ... and memories of Kai. He hasn't forgotten her. Yet thousands of miles of ocean --- not to mention an age difference that feels even wider --- separate them. And, of course, her friends disapprove. When a choice must be made, can she, will she risk everything for her chance at happiness?

My Thoughts: Very enjoyable story of a newly single mom who finds herself on holiday in Hawaii alone for her fortieth birthday. Surfing lessons and a flirtation with the sexy surf instructor ignites sparks she doesn't anticipate and she finds her life changes in ways she never expected.

I really liked Jackie and found her to be an easy character to relate to. There were major similarities in Jackie's life to mine that I found a little un-nerving but the story was very easy to get into.

Creation In Death by J.D. Robb

Creation In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

Description: Eve has seen this crime scene before: the artfully arranged body of a young brunette, arms spread, palms up, body marked by the signs of prolonged and painful torture. Carved into her torso is the time it took her to die - in hours, minutes, and seconds. And on the third finger of her left hand has been placed a silver ring.

Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier, when a man whom the media tagged “The Groom” put the city on edge with a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days. Eve and her partner Feeney, her friend and mentor, couldn't stop him before he disappeared, only to resurface in other parts of the world to kill and kill again. But now The Groom seems to have come back to where he started.

When it turns out that The Groom's most recent victim was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him onto the case. A move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made it personal. The corpse was washed in products from a store Roarke owns and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures. With the Groom's monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, she knows that he has already grabbed his next victim.

But his sights are set on the biggest challenge of his illustrious career - an abduction that will test his skills and that promises to give him satisfaction as he's never known. Time is running out on another woman's life…and for Eve.

My Thoughts: I don't think I will ever get tired of this series. With each installment, the reader is given a different view into the characters that keeps us coming back for more.

I enjoyed how this case is one from the past that brings back old resentments and frustrations and a side of Captain Feeney is revealed that I haven't seen before.

Eve and her team take on the bad guy with their usual tenacious determination that fans of this series enjoy and expect. I am getting close to the end of the series and am wondering what I am going to do when I am caught up and between books.

New Additions To The TBR Pile in February

Some interesting titles made their way into my home last month...

The Diva's Guide To Selling Your Soul by Kathleen O'Reilly

Description: She's the talk of the town....

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful . . .

Call me V. I used to be a nobody, just a girl from New Jersey who was probably going to hell anyway-or worse, mediocrity and a size 14. Now I get whatever I desire just by casting a little spell . . . a flawless body, a luxury penthouse, and a Fifth Avenue shop where rich women clamor for my overpriced handbags. Even better, I have power. I can taunt my ex-husband, break hearts without guilt, and love every minute of it. My secret? I lost the one thing I never needed in the first place: my soul. I sold it. And you'll never guess who's got it now.

She's a devil in disguise.

You know her as the dishiest gossip columnist in the city's trashiest tabloid. I call her Lucy. And our deal is this: the more clients I recruit for her Life Enrichment Program, the greater my rewards. But just between us, my fast track to heartless apathy has hit a few speed bumps --- lately, I've had the totally annoying impulse to do things that are...good. First there was rescuing a kid in the park. Then there was that date with the handsome, decent guy who wasn't even a celebrity. What's next, giving to charity or something? All I know is Lucy doesn't like it, not one little bit. And when she finds out, there will be hell to pay....


Pick Your Poison by Leann Sweeney

Description: Out of school, out of work, and out of motivation, Abby Rose is contemplating her life and wondering what to do next. It's the kind of situation that would get some girls down, but luckily Abby's got a heart the size of Texas-and a bank account to match.

When Abby discovers her gardener, Ben, dead in the greenhouse one afternoon, the emptiness of her own life hits her like a glass of ice-cold Texas tea. Ever since her father died, she's been mooning around the pool, making herself as useful as a june bug on a daisy. When the sexy detective from the Houston P.D. tells her it was poison that killed Ben, Abby realizes what she needs to do with herself: solve a murder. Little does she suspect that the answers to her questions about Ben's death will unlock secrets about her own past --- and might change her entire future....


Many Bloody Returns by Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armsrong, et al

Description: You're invited to a celebration of vampires by a bakers' dozen of favorite authors. Sink your teeth into thirteen all-new, never-before-published stories, each one a fresh and unique take on the concept of what birthdays mean to the undead.

In New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris's "Dracula Night," Sookie Stackhouse is the only human at the annual commemoration of Dracula's birth. But this year, the Prince of Darkness actually shows up-and finds Sookie to be a tasty-looking present.

New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher's crime-solving wizard Harry Dresden, of the Dresden Files novels, heads to a role-playing party to give his vampire brother a birthday present in "It's My Birthday Too," only to discover there are some bloodthirsty party crashers who don't share their brotherly love.

In "Twilight," Cassandra DuCharme, who appeared in New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's Dime Store Magic, knows she has to kill to live as a vampire another year-but finds herself disturbingly disinterested in the hunt.

National bestselling author P.N. Elrod's hard-boiled vampire PI Jack Fleming, from The Vampire Files, infiltrates a suspicious seance on the eve of the dearly departed's birthday in "Grave-Robbed."

And in award-winning author Toni L.P. Kelner's "How Stella Got Her Grave Back," vampires become amateur sleuths (with breaks for feeding) to solve the murder of a Jane Doe.

Suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous --- these and eight more frighteningly original stories will ensure you'll never think of vampires or birthdays quite the same again.


Lisa Maria Takes Off by Susan Hubbard

Description: With her boyfriend, the enigmatic McAllister, researching his latest book in London, and her thirtieth birthday fast approaching, what better opportunity to take off?
But in London, the solid ground under Lisa Maria's heels gives way. McAllister has fallen under the influence of his bloodless editor, Lisa Maria's advice column is under legal attack and (worst of all) she's sprouted two gray hairs. Now, between fending off a crude rock star, impersonating a Brit and learning to strut in bamboo stilettos, Lisa Maria's feeling something she hasn't felt in a while: out of control -- and more than a little heartsick.

Ah, to be young(ish), jealous and exceptionally good at revenge. But how far should any woman go in the interest of romantic justice? Just ask Lisa Maria - a feisty American fighting for love in London.

Susan Hubbard is the author of Lisa Maria's Guide for the Perplexed, the prequel to this book, as well as Walking on Ice and Blue Money. She teaches creative writing at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, and she is the founder and curator of the Gallery of Questionable Taste.

Eternity In Death by J.D. Robb

Description: When club-hopping bad girl Tiara Kent is found dead in her plush Manhattan apartment, the killing has all the earmarks of a vampire attack. The ever-practical Lieutenant Eve Dallas has to deal with superstitious cops carrying garlic and stakes, as well as the ever-hysterical press. None of the wealthy young victim’s friends seem to know much about the Dark Prince she has been secretly seeing. The chase to stop him before he kills again will lead Eve and her team into areas of the city that not even the most intrepid cop wants to visit, and into the very heart of darkness.


Duck Duck Wally by Gabe Rotter

Description: GET SHORTY MEETS THE BIG LEBOWSKI IN THIS ROLLICKING MODERN COMEDY BY A CLEVER AND HILARIOUS NEWCOMER.

Meet Wally Moscowitz. His day job is top secret. As ghostwriter for Oral B, the most famous gangsta rapper in the world, Wally is the real mastermind behind Godz-Illa Records' best-selling artist, and the best-kept secret in the Industry. But if word gets out about Wally's true profession, Godz-Illa's kajillion-dollar rap empire will be sunk, and Wally will be dead meat.

When Wally comes home one particularly bizarre afternoon to find a ransom note and his best friend and dog, Dr. Barry Schwartzman, missing, Wally goes to great lengths to stop the dognappers while keeping the big secret under wraps. He must, if he wants to walk away with his job, not to mention his life, intact.

The hunt for Dr. Schwartzman and the blackmailing thug who is trying to reveal hip-hop's biggest conspiracy becomes a wild-goose chase in which everyone becomes a suspect: Sue Schadenfreude, Wally's girlfriend, who makes a pretty penny massaging Barbra Streisand's papillon, Yenta; Pardeep Vishvatma, Wally's neighbor, who keeps a watchful eye on all the suspicious characters lurking about the hood; Jerry Silver, Wally's slick-rick, self-styled superagent; Abraham "Dandy" Lyons, Wally's boss and Godz-Illa's CEO-badass with Suge Knight's street cred and Tony Soprano's "friends"; Jem, the fiery, achingly familiar vixen who steals Wally's heart; Yo Yo Pa and Teddy Bizzle, Oral B's entourage; and the mysterious mob crew: Five-two Lou, Six-seven Kevin, and Balsamic Vinny, who show up when Wally needs them most.

Duck Duck Wally is a hilarious romp through the absurdities of Los Angeles, the bombastic details of hip-hop culture, and a day in the life of what was supposed to be the painfully ordinary existence of Wally Moscowitz.

Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman

Nursery Crimes by Ayelet Waldman

My Rating: 5 *'s

Description: A public defender turned stay at home mom, Juliet Applebaum is bored with playdates and trips to the park --- so near the end of her second pregnancy, she gets off the mommy track to track down a murderer....

Juliet isn't too surprised when her feisty, tantrum throwing two year old daughter doesn't get into Hollywood's premier preschool ---- but she's shocked and suspicious when the school's principal is killed in a hit and run accident. Against the advice of her screenwriter husband, and with her rambunctious toddler in tow, Juliet heads to the local playground to dig up some dirt on a disgruntled studio executive whose daughter wasn't offered a place in the school. But she has some surprising new suspects to consider when her investigation takes her into a seedy online newsgroup --- and the most dangerous parts of the human heart....

My Thoughts: I like the premise of the public defender now a stay at home mom moonlighting as a detective. I thought the heroine, Juliet, had several "too stupid to live" moments by placing herself and her unborn baby in harm's way on more than one occasion. I'm hoping that this is a temporary personality flaw in the character and one I won't see repeated in the next book.

Eternity In Death by J.D. Robb

Eternity In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

Description: When club-hopping bad girl Tiara Kent is found dead in her plush Manhattan apartment, the killing has all the earmarks of a vampire attack. The ever-practical Lieutenant Eve Dallas has to deal with superstitious cops carrying garlic and stakes, as well as the ever-hysterical press. None of the wealthy young victim’s friends seem to know much about the Dark Prince she has been secretly seeing. The chase to stop him before he kills again will lead Eve and her team into areas of the city that not even the most intrepid cop wants to visit, and into the very heart of darkness.

My Thoughts: A short installment that finds Eve, Roark, Peabody, McNab and Feeney going up against a man who, to all appearances, is a vampire. Eve is determined to prove he's not but instead prove he's just another cold blooded psychopathic killer who believes he's one of the walking undead. A little different than the usual style of previous Eve Dallas cases, but this one delivers on all fronts.

Undead And Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead And Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson

My Rating: 8 *'s

Description:
You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Elizabeth Anne Taylor and Sinclair

607 Summit Avenue
Midnight
July 4, 2007

RSVP by June 25, and don't be one of those jerks who doesn't RSVP and then shows up with three people. Seriously.

In the days leading up to The Big Day, Vampire Queen Betsy Taylor seems to have a full house --- and the wedding guests have yet to arrive. Along with her human buddies, there's a ghost, a werewolf, and a Fiend crashing at her place. And though her fiance, Vampire King Eric Sinclair, conveniently disappears when the conversation turns to seating charts and flower arrangements, he does manage to make his oh-so-sexy presence known at other moments.

Betsy knows the next few weeks won't be smooth sailing --- but she never expects just what's in store for her. Cold feet are no surprise, especially with an undead groom. But when Sinclair truly goes missing --- and not just to avoid wedding preparations --- along with most of her friends and loved ones, Betsy is frantic. Alone and afraid for the fate of everyone she loves, Betsy can't trust anyone as she tries to find them and whoever is behind all the disappearances.

My Thoughts: The day we've all been waiting for has arrived. Betsy and Sinclair's wedding but the groom has disappeared. Along with everyone else living in the house. Add to that, Betsy has to deal with an unexpected loss in her family and the new responsibilities that brings. In addition, Antonia's werewolf pack descends on Betsy looking for Antonia and this is the last thing she needs! She still has to find the perfect wedding dress!

This kind of stress would turn the most calm and serene of brides into a raving Bridezilla, but Betsy handles it with her usual humor and style befitting the Queen of the Vampires.

Murder Between The Covers by Elaine Viets

Murder Between The Covers by Elaine Viets

My Rating: 7 *'s

Description: Once on the fast track to success, Helen Hawthorne is going nowhere faster. Forced to trade in her chic life for a shabby one, she's now on the run, jumping from city to city and dead-end job to dead-end job, trying to stay one step ahead of her past....

Helen has a new job "off the books" at Page Turners bookstore in Fort Lauderdale. It's run by Page Turner III, who happens to be neither well-read nor well-liked. When his money troubles surface, it seems the store's long life may be over --- but it's Page's life that's cut short instead. He had plenty of enemies, including an unhappy wife and unfortunate employees. But it is his unforgiving lover --- Helen's wacky neighbor --- police are ready to throw the book at. To save her friend, Helen will have to read between the lines ... and uncover the truth about a clever killer.

My Thoughts: One of the things I am enjoying about this series is seeing what dead end job Helen finds herself working with each book. In this one, I was pleased to see she is working at a bookstore, though I wouldn't consider that in and of itself a dead end job, but for Helen, it is when her boss, the owner of the store, is murdered and her friend becomes the prime suspect.

The story isn't heavy on the mystery and it doesn't take long for the reader to figure out who the culprit could be. The journey getting to that final destination is quite entertaining as the various neurotic and bizarre characters come out of the woodwork.

As long as the reader goes in expecting the predictable, this will be an interesting and entertaining read.

Innocent In Death by J.D. Robb

Innocent In Death by J.D. Robb

My Rating: 10 *'s

Description: The death of history teacher Craig Foster devastated his young wife, who'd sent him off to work that morning with a lovingly packed lunch. It shocked his colleagues at the Upper West Side private school. And as for the ten-year-old girls who found him in his classroom in a pool of bodily fluids, they may have been traumatized for life.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas, of course, is more hardened to murder cases. And this is clearly a murder case. That lovingly packed lunch was tainted with deadly ricin. And Mr. Foster's colleagues, shocked as they may be, have some shocking secrets of their own. It's Eve's job to get a feel for all the potential suspects, and find out why someone would have done this to a man who seemed so inoffensive, so pleasant...so innocent.

Now Magdelana Percell - there's someone Eve can picture as a murder victim. Possibly at Eve's own hands. The slinky blonde - an old flame of her billionaire husband, Roarke, from his days on the wrong side of the law - has turned up in New York, and she's anything but innocent. Unfortunately, Roarke seems blind to Magdelana's manipulation, but not to her shapely figure and flirtatious ways. And he insists that the occasional lunch or business meeting with her is nothing to worry about...and none of Eve's business. Eve's so unnerved by the situation that she finds it hard to focus on the Foster case. Still, she'll have to put aside her anger, jealousy, and heartbreak, for a while at least - because another man has just turned up dead, and the case is taking some strange turns and hitting some frustrating dead ends.

Eve knows all too well that innocence can be a facade. Keeping that in mind may help her solve this case at last. But it may also tear apart her marriage.

My Thoughts: I'm not sure if WOW sums up effectively the reactions and feelings this book brought out of me. This installment so far has to be the most shocking out of the entire series. Eve has seen her share of the evil in the world. She has lived through it and survived it and brought so many of the perpetrators of evil to justice. The identity of this villain comes as a major shock and surprise to everyone around Eve, but not Eve. Nothing shocks or surprises her when it comes to the evil in people. But she maintains a cool head and goes after the killer with cunning and direct precision that left me impressed with her skill and reeling in surprise at the same time.

Equally impressive is the way Eve deals with a woman from Roark's past whose intentions are not as friendly and innocent as she would like us to believe. Eve shows a very human and vulnerable side of her while trying to understand her emotions and deal with the situation so it doesn't destroy her marriage. I especially enjoyed that Somerset and Eve were on the same side for a change when it came to this situation. Fans of this series will continue to appreciate the witty sarcasm and insults exchanged between them as well as the humor at Eve's discomfort around Mavis's baby.