Showing posts with label Suspense/Thriller. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suspense/Thriller. Show all posts

Monday, March 7, 2022

What Hurts the Most by Willow Rose

 



Genre: Adult, Suspense/Thriller
Source: I purchased a copy

I love the setup of this book the chapter titles are dates. The book switches back and forth between past and present and the dates help keep you from getting confused.  Mary is a journalist with a young son. She has been fired from her job. When she learns her brother has been arrested for murder she returns to Cocoa Beach Florida to try to solve this crime. The tensions run high in this book. In the beginning she stays with her father and her step-mother. There is definitely no love lost between Mary and her step-mother.  Then there is her ex-husband and all of her old friends. Together they set out to try to prove her brother’s innocence.   One thing is for sure, Willow Rose does an excellent job of creating a variety of well fleshed out characters. Each of them have their own quirks, some of them very annoying. Be sure this book will keep you on the edge of your seat reading until the end.




Saturday, February 24, 2018

Abuse of Discretion by Pamela Samuels Young






Genre: Adult Thriller, Suspense
Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

We are constantly hearing of students getting into trouble with social media. Every year at the beginning of the school year we show our students a training video about the proper use of technology. How it is not to be used for bullying or sexting. 

This author tackles this issue in a manner that parents really need to understand.  Graylin Alexander is a very good student.  Someone has sent him a naked picture of one of his classmates. Before he can show it to anyone or tell anyone about it he is summoned to the principal’s office where he finds the police waiting to question him.  His parents have trained him well. Even though he repeatedly tells them he is not supposed to talk with them without a parent present they continue to question him. He is promptly arrested.

As much as he is pressured to take a plea deal, he refuses. This is one tough kid. He is not going to go down for something he didn’t do.  His lawyer is determined to find out the truth. Along with this issue his lawyer’s team has just added Angela Evans.  These two attorney’s have issues of their own. However, they are determined to work together to figure out a solution to Graylin’s legal problems. 

I loved this book which kept me reading non-stop. Because lawyer Angela Evans’ boyfriend is facing issues from his past, and was mentioned because of the even that took place in the author’s previous book I had to go back and read that book as well.  You won’t be disappointed in this author’s work. I’ve managed to convince two of my teachers to try out this new to them series.  I love finding new authors and this is one I recommend.

Other books in the Dre Thomas Series
Buying Time
Anybody’s Daughter

About the Author
Pamela Samuels Young is an attorney and award-winning author of eight mystery novels. Her most recent courtroom drama, Abuse of Discretion, tackles a troubling sexting case that gives readers a shocking look inside the juvenile justice system.

Her thriller, Anybody’s Daughter, won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction and was a Top Ten pick by In the Margins, the best books for at-risk teens. Pamela formerly worked as Managing Counsel, Labor and Employment Law, for Toyota and spent several years as a television news writer and associate producer. The former journalist and retired lawyer is also a natural hair enthusiast and the author of Kinky Coily: A Natural Hair Resource Guide.

Pamela received her bachelor’s degree from USC and also earned graduate degrees from Northwestern University and UC Berkeley School of Law. The Compton native is a frequent speaker on the topics of child sex trafficking, online safety, fiction writing, and pursuing your passion.

To read excerpts of Pamela’s books, visit www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com. Pamela loves book clubs! To invite her to your book club meeting via Skype, Facebook Live, FaceTime, Zoom, speakerphone or in person, visit her website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Dying to Dance by Jamie Cortland


Genre: Adult, Romance, Suspence
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
Char and Diana Mansville, two sisters in their early twenties, lose their parents in a tragic accident. Finding themselves on the brink of financial disaster, they re-locate to southwest Florida to live with their aunt, a beautiful and wealthy ballroom dancer.
Once there, they meet handsome and charismatic Roland Donovan, who is a sociopath and involved in a deadly insurance scheme. Stricken by Diana's beauty and charm, he sets his focus upon her and relentlessly begins his pursuit of her.


My Thoughts:
The book starts out describing the tragic death of Char and Diana. After the loss of their parents they move to Florida to stay with their aunt.  Once established the two sister/writers go their separate way. Diana finds a condo not too far from her aunt and begins ballroom dance classes. Char moves to the East coast to live with her grandfather, windsurf, write and take ballroom dancing. As the book progresses we find  that Diana's former boyfriend is a private investigator who has been working a case that takes him back to Florida and Diana. 

There is quite a bit going on in the story. We find the two sisters meeting deadlines with their editors, starting new books, all the while taking competitive ballroom dance classes. I was surprised by the ending.  I thought I knew what was going to happen but was pleasently surprised to realize I was wrong.  This is a good book and one I would recommend to those who likesuspense, and romance that isn't mushy and full of sex.

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Pop Goes The Weasel by M.J. Arlidge



Genre:  Adult, Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
DI Helen Grace returns in Pop Goes the Weasel, the electrifying new thriller from M. J. Arlidge.

The body of a middle-aged man is discovered in Southampton's red-light district - horrifically mutilated, with his heart removed.

Hours later - and barely cold - the heart arrives with his wife and children by courier.

A pattern emerges when another male victim is found dead and eviscerated, his heart delivered soon afterwards.

The media call it Jack the Ripper in reverse; revenge against the men who lead sordid double lives visiting prostitutes. For Grace, only one thing is certain: there's a vicious serial-killer at large who must be halted at all costs . . .

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Helen Grace Series.  I didn’t read the first book.  I loved that the chapters were short yet full of intensity. In this book we have a serial killer who is killing men who have visited prostitutes. What was disturbing was that the killer keeps sending body parts to the victims’ families. I loved this because it was just creepy enough to keep me reading, turning pages as quickly as I could.  The author has done a great job of creating characters that have flaws. This makes them more believable. If you like lots of description in your books then this is the book for you. I can’t wait to see what cases Helen Grace has in the next book, “The Doll’s House”. I feel like I definitely must go back and read the first book in the series.  I will leave this warning. This book is quite a bit on the dark side. Maybe that is why I liked it.

Friday, February 5, 2016

Brotherhood in Death by J.D. Robb Tour


Genre: Adult, Suspense, Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.


From Goodreads:
Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy...

Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.

Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze. 

As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming

My Thoughts:
This is the first book I’ve read in this series.  You don’t have to read the others in the series, there are over forty of them, to understand this one. They are stand-alone novels with some of the same characters.

The author has created a futuristic world, Year 2060.  I was not a fan of the sex scenes no matter how they were written. I knew going in that this was Nora Roberts writing under a different name. I guess I hoped that since this was a thriller it would be different. I guessed wrong. That is the only reason I took one star off.


Eve and her partner are called to investigate a scene that involves her friends the Mira’s.  Someone has tortured and murdered Edward. It didn’t just stop with him. Several of his acquaintances have been targets as well.  Because of a trauma when she was a child this murder and assault really hits home.  Throughout the book we also get glimpses into her private life with her husband Roarke. He always has her back.  When he tries to help her move out of her past he finds she is none too pleased.

Friday, December 11, 2015

What Lies Within by Jamie Cortland


Genre: Adult, Suspense
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
Evelyn Valentino, still half-way in love with her super-star ex-husband, meets James McMann, a handsome and charismatic builder in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Meeting him in a coffee shop, she is immediately attracted to him while her young daughter calls him "Mr. Stranger Danger." Swept away by James and his incredible charm, she is taken on a whirlwind courtship. Warned by her parents and friends to go slowly, she ignores them. Caught in his web he drops his mask and Evelyn discovers he is not the man of her dreams, but of her nightmares. Her only thought is of escape.

My Thoughts:
This is one of those books that is suspenseful enough to creep you out. I was concerned for Evelyn after she met James McMann. Why? When I read he was hearing voices, and he was drinking to shut the voices up, I knew immediately  the guy had some major issues. The fact that both of Evelyn's parents and her daughter didn't like the man made it clear that something was wrong.  When they say that love is blind they are right. I loved the fact that Evelyn's father was a psychiatrist and picked up on something, especially the fact that James was bothered by the fact Evelyn's father was a psychiatrist. There were all of these little hints throughout the story that told you things were only going to get worse. I won't say how much worse because I really think you should read this book.  It is a quick read, but will hold your attention all the way through. This was the first time I'd read anything by this author. I believe I will need to check out her other works.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Two Intriguing Books by Michael Phillip Cash





The After House – Michael Phillip Cash
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Out of all of Michael’s books, I have to say this one is probably my favorite.  First, I love ghost stories.  I don’t mean those that are full of horror and gore.  But, ghost stories in general.  I always have and always will.  In this story we start off with Eli, a whaling captain who finds himself in trouble. The whale they have harpooned has turned on them all and destroyed their ship. Then we switch to the present where we find Remy and her daughter moving into a 300  year old house that just happened to have belonged to Captain Eli.  Remy is divorced from her cheating and abusive husband.

Captain Eli is not happy that Remy and her daughter Olivia have moved in. They are nothing like the last renter who painted scenes of whaling on the walls. He was able to do this because Eli whispered in his ear at night.  The Captain tries to scare them away.  Olivia can see him and she kind of takes things into her own hands.  The Captain changes his tune and actually begins to protect them because in real life, someone is trying to kill Remy.  Throw into all of this the mayor of the town who has started dating Remy and you have the ingredients of a great story.  I could definitely tell you so much more. When I love a story I have a tendency to do that and spoil it for everyone. So, I will stop right here and tell you that you really must get this book and read it. If nothing else you really want to find out who is trying to kill Remy and what really happened to Captain Eli and his cabin boy.








Witches Protection Program – Michael Phillip Cash
Genre: Adult, Humor, Suspense
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

In the beginning of the book I felt sorry for Wes.  Everyone wants their family to approve of them. It seems that everything Wes tries to do, ends up in failure.  Add to this his dyslexia and you see why his father is so disappointed in him. I hated the idea that his father compared Wes to the rest of the family. After his latest mess up he is assigned a new partner named Alastair, and placed in the ancient and secret Witches Protection Program, where he is to protect the good witches of New York from the bad witches. This is hard for Wes because he has never believed in witches. His first assignment he has to protect a good witch named Morgan from her aunt. Morgan Pendragon is the heiress to the Pendragon Cosmetics Company. Her aunt is trying to use a spell on cosmetics to wreak havoc on the world. One thing that set this book apart from the author’s other books was the use of humor.  Michael is a very versatile writer and it shows in his ability to sprinkle humor throughout to hold your attention. All of his characters are well developed.  I loved the idea that his setting was New York, because it is such a diverse city.  I would say that this is a book you won’t be able to put down once you pick it up, so make sure you make time for just that reason.







Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Sapient by Jerry Kaczmarowski



Genre: Young Adult, Adult Science Fiction, Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

What would you do to help your child? In Sapient we find Jane Dixon, a scientist working hard to find a cure for autism. This is something her own son has. While experimenting on rats and other animals she has a breakthrough. Einstein a rat can suddenly read and write.  We see Einstein and Bear a dog interact in ways that animals don’t usually interact. Some of these interactions are funny. She thinks there is something in the serum that will also help her son.  She makes a connection between her test subjects and when the serum begins to work on them. She realizes her own son is approaching that time period and her window is limited. Now the CDC and the army are both interested in her results.  She injects her son Robbie to try to cure him.  This causes a problem of epidemic proportions. When she is held, her son and the animals go on the run.  The entire time I was reading about her animal testing I kept thinking, if I taught older students and used this book the first thing I would do is get their perspective on whether it is right to use animals as test subjects.  I love reading books that have a controversial theme running through them.


As parents we often react without fully thinking of any possible consequences.  The author has shown a mother who does just that, under the false assumption that she is doing it for her son’s best interest.  The story flowed smoothly and quickly. There were enough twists and turns to keep the reader involved with this story.  Highly recommend this to people who like that science fiction thriller quality in a book.

About Jerry Kaczmarowski:

Jerry Kaczmarowski lives in Seattle with his family. He writes techno-thrillers that explore the benefits and dangers of mankind's scientific advancement. His first book, Moon Rising, was released in June 2014.  His second book, Sapient, was published in April 2015.

Jerry spent the first twenty years of his professional life in the consulting industry on the West Coast. His fascination with technology is matched only by his love of stories. His books intertwine action with a keen insight into how technology will shape our lives in the coming years.

To learn more, go to http://www.jerrykaczmarowski.com/   

Connect with Jerry on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

D.E.M – Deus Ex Machina by Lee Ness


Genre: Adult, Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Rachel wants to do the right thing.  She tries to help locate an abducted child through her computer skills and ends up finding herself in over her head.  Not only is she involved when she hears from a vigilante with other jobs, but she seeks out the help of her friend Cam and drags him into the middle of all of this. Each job she and Cam completes leads them deeper until they’re not sure if they’re working for the good guys or the bad guys. This book is like riding a rollercoaster.  You think you know where you’re going in the story then you’re brought over the top on your way to another twist in the story.  If you’re not real computer knowledgeable don’t worry, the author has written it in a manner that those of us who know nothing about hacking, etc. can follow along just fine.  As you travel this path with them you realize that the money they receive can’t be a good thing because if they don’t do what D.E.M. wants they could be killed.  This is one of those books where you know the main character’s initial intentions were good, but saw they were making poor choices that would set it up to take you on a twisting turning thrill ride. Lee Ness did an excellent job of keeping the tension throughout the story.

Monday, June 29, 2015

The Circle by Mario Escobar


Genre: Adult, Suspense
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This book grabs you and won’t let you go. I loved everything about this book except the ending.  The only reason I didn’t love the ending is it didn’t end the way “I” wanted it to.  It did end the way it was supposed to.  Solomon and Margaret are a simple couple with two children. Solomon is the head of a psychiatric clinic. He has one patient that  intrigues him.  She has been there for years and yet no one has been able to help her.  When he starts trying to get through to her things go extremely bad.

All the way through this book I flip-flopped between who I thought the good guys and the bad guys were. My reason was simple.  They all had qualities that made them appear to be good and then the next minute they did something that made me think they were the bad guys.  I was completely stumped until the very end.  I felt terror for the family involved. As I got toward the end of the book I was so emotionally involved I thought I was going to puke.  Yes the book is definitely that emotionally well written.  I felt like I was a family member going through this terror with them.

The characters were well written.  Margaret especially impressed me.  She showed what a mother would do to protect her children. Solomon, being a psychiatrist knew all of the sign exhibited by those terrorizing his family, yet he was unable to put all of the pieces together until the very end.


So who won out?  You really must read this book to find out.  

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Two Adult Reads

Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell
Genre: Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Source: I received a copy from netgalley for review.

I liked this book. It grabbed me from the very beginning and I finished it in less than three hours. We have the main character Nick who has had a lot of bad situations in his life pertaining to women.  While in college he dates a woman named Marissa.  Just days after breaking up with him she dies in a dorm fire along with her three roommates.  Nick moves on with his life becoming a social worker. Then he marries a woman who has a young son from a previous marriage. Their marriage falls apart and they divorce.  He has bonded with her son and wants to see him.  She has him arrested.  Move to present day and we find him shopping in a grocery store when he sees someone who is almost a dead ringer for his dead college girlfriend Marissa.  She even has the same mannerisms.  When he approaches her in the grocery store and asks if she is related to that family the girl drops her groceries and runs from the store.  The next morning Nick is awakened by the police beating on his door.   The young girl he saw in the grocery store has been murdered in motel and was found with his name and address.  Nick quickly becomes the prime suspect.  He reconnects with friends from college who knew Marissa.  Two of those friends Heather and Laurel tell him things he never knew. Laurel convinces him to hire a lawyer.  She can’t get what is happening to Nick out of her mind and once she latches on to something, she can’t let it go.  The problem is someone somewhere doesn’t want anyone knowing the truth.  Reading this book was like watching an episode of 48 Hours on TV. This could have been ripped from the current headlines.  If you are one who loves mysteries then I definitely recommend this book. It is easy to read, the pacing keeps you turning pages. Definitely one you need to check out.



The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Fiction
Source: I received a copy from netgalley for review.


From the prologue you are sucked into this story.  You know there has been a death.  Adri lives in Africa as a nurse.  She has run away there after her fiancé’s death.  She and her best friend Harper blame themselves for David’s death. The story is told switching from present time to remembrances of her former life before David’s death.    You learn she grew up on the farm next to his mansion and visited there every year, yet she never knew David well until college.  Harper, her best friend in college introduced them to each other. Along with two brothers, they become an inseparable group of five.  Harper has run away to a completely different life.  She finds herself in an extremely abusive situation.  I found it hard to understand how each of them felt like anything bad that happened to them was deserved.  David’s death broke apart the friendship that Harper and Adri had.  When David’s mother dies, Adri receives the call in Africa and learns she is the executor of the estate.  Will going back be healing for Adri and Harper or will it serve to increase the gap that has grown between them?  I love reading books like this.  Where a lot of people will find the back and forth of the present tie and the memories of the past annoying, I find this kind of writing to be very intriguing.  I enjoyed this book because it is about love, friendship and redemption.  I recommend it to those who love reading realistic or contemporary fiction.

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Black Scorpion: The Tyrant Reborn by Jon Land




Genre: Adult, Suspense
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
The next adventure of The Seven Sins' Michael "The Tyrant" Tiranno, Jon Land's Black Scorpion is a pulse pounding action-thriller as he takes on a worldwide human trafficking cabal.

Five years have passed since Michael Tiranno saved the city of Las Vegas from a terrorist attack. And now a new enemy has surfaced in Eastern Europe in the form of an all-powerful organization called Black Scorpion. Once a victim of human trafficking himself, the shadowy group's crazed leader, Vladimir Dracu, has become the mastermind behind the scourge's infestation on a global scale. And now he's set his sights on Michael Tiranno for reasons birthed in a painful secret past that have scarred both men.

Already facing a myriad of problems, Michael once more must rise to the challenge of confronting an all-powerful enemy who is exploiting and ravaging innocents all across the globe and has set nothing less than all of America as its new victim. Black Scorpion has also taken the woman Michael loves hostage: Scarlett Swan, a beautiful archaeologist who was following the dangerous trail of the origins of the ancient relic that both defines and empowers Michael, a discovery that could change history and the perception of mankind's very origins.

With the deck and the odds stacked against him, Michael must come to learn and embrace his true destiny in becoming the Tyrant reborn as a dark knight to triumph over ultimate evil and stop the sting of Black Scorpion from undermining all of the United States and plunging Las Vegas into chaos and anarchy.

My Thoughts:

This was the first book I’d read by this author. I have to say the author is quite the writer.  Reading his book is like watching a major motion picture.  You are along for the ride of your life. It is fast paced and the adventures just keep going. To think all of this suspense is due to one small gold coin. Check out his book.  I will definitely be finding time this summer to read the first book in this series.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Red Stick One by Kenneth Kirkeby




Genre:  Adult, Suspense
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is one of those stories that you can’t put down.  We have the main character Virgil who sets out to find the person who murdered Tom Jay Harding.  The story starts in Florida.  When Virgil kills a deer out of season, he finds himself doing community service to pay off the fine.  His mentor is Tom Harding. Tom becomes the father he never had.  He grows up and joins the marines and fights in Vietnam.  When he returns he becomes a warden like Tom.  When Tom is killed by a poacher then Virgil will go to all ends of the earth to catch his killer and bring him to justice. 

The author did a wonderful job with description of the places across the country.  I live in Florida and can tell you that he was definitely spot on with his descriptions. You travelled along with Virgil and felt just like you were there.  One thing I liked was there was a small romance.  I don’t like reading major romances I a book, never have.  This author is a master of painting scenes with his words.  I am glad I was asked to review this book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Skeletal by Katherine Hayton



Genre: Young Adult, New Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
Three months before she died Daina Harrow faced a bully at school.
Six weeks before she died Daina Harrow suffered an assault in the park.
One week before she died Daina Harrow stole a secret people had killed to hide.

That was ten years ago. Ten long years.

Now, her bones have been found on a building site. A coroner's inquest has been reopened. A parade of witnesses is about to start.
And Daina's here. Watching every day as her mother cries in the courtroom. Watching every day as her friends, and her enemies, and her killers lie about her on the stand.
Watching, and making sure that no matter what the coroner hears, you know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

My Thoughts:
This was a great book.  Because we watch what is happening and go back to learn more about Daina's past we get the whole story.  It is creepy and sad at the same time knowing Daina is listening to the  people lie. Those who mistreated her, or ignored and neglected her are there telling their story.  Daina wants to make sure the reader knows the truth.  I felt so sad that it took so long to learn what had happened to her.  
I felt sorry for the life she had lived.  I loved the ending and the twists that I had not expected.  I would most definitely read more by this author.  I will probably re-read this again and again.

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Executive by Leslie Wolfe




Genre: Adult, Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinons expressed here are my own.

In this young adult thriller you have a corporation that manufactures drones. Then you have a company that sends people in to help fix companies in trouble. Alex Hoffman is one of those up and coming  people sent to work undercover in the company that makes drones.  Two military drones have crashed killing a lot of innocent people.  Her job is to pretend to be an IT person and find out what happened.  She is faced with a lot of arrogant executives who abuse their powers.  The question is, will she be able to do her job, or will she be discovered?

This is definitely a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat turning the pages as fast as you can.  I did feel like the author had a negative outlook on big corporations. It kind of came through in the pages of the story.  I could be completely wrong.  This was not a big enough deal to make me not enjoy the storyline.  I believe there is enough here to love that any lover of thrillers will enjoy this book.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Release Day Blitz: Trigger by Jill Meengs


Trigger by Jill Meengs
Published by Booktrope
January 27, 2015
Genre: Spy Thriller
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Jordan Shaw knows the only way to stop the man hunting her is to kill him. She also knows the other men who came after her are dead, some of their blood is on her hands, and she wouldn’t have survived this long without the help of the intriguing and secretive Chase Hudson. Even though she isn’t sure she can trust Chase, she believes she needs him to discover the truth. Two days before, life was pretty good as she backpacked around Europe with her best friend. Now, everything has changed and she may not even live through the night. What started as a summer trip of self-discovery has become a dangerous journey across three countries as Jordan is forced into a world few know exist and even fewer survive. A clandestine international organization that will let nothing stand in their way has put a price on her head. Despite all the uncertainty, there are two things that she is absolutely sure of; she has one chance to out-maneuver a world class killer, and she has to make that move right now.
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jill meengs

About the Author

Jill Postlewait Meengs grew up in a small town on the Oregon Coast. During and after college she spent extended periods of time backpacking in more than 30 countries. She has been to every location she describes in “Trigger” and some of the content is based on her own experiences while traveling. She met her husband, Chad, in the MBA program at Oregon State University. After getting married, they purchased and fully remodeled a house. It was Chad who encouraged, and then bribed her to write her first book, “Trigger.” He says that he very much enjoys watching the flat-screen he purchased as part of their deal. When Jill isn’t reading or writing, she is running, doing yoga or planning her next trip. Jill and Chad live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

The Woodsman by Craig Hansen



Genre: Adult, Suspense
Source: Purchased

From Goodreads:
Sometimes, you have to pay for your good deeds. 

Steve Peretti is a prolific serial killer known as The Woodsman. For years, he's terrorized dozens of victims throughout the Upper Midwest, without drawing attention or suspicion to himself, keeping a low profile. He's cautious, careful, and calculated ... most of the time. 

But anyone can make a mistake. 

One night, on the way home through Hope, Wisconsin, he stops for gas and ends up foiling a robbery. He gets injured in the process, and ends up in jail over a conceal-carry violation. While in lock-up, he taunts and is attacked by another prisoner, who blinds him. 

Then he's given a chance to have his vision restored through an experimental, advanced eye-surgery program at UW-Madison, called EyeCU. His surgery is successful, and he returns from EyeCU ready to rebuild his life with his new eyes. And that means returning to being The Woodsman. 

But he begins having strange visions; vivid dreams about acts of kindness and mercy that seem foreign and terrifying to him. Worse, he finds it difficult to carry out his normal acts of evil, leaving him increasingly helpless at a time when he's at his most vulnerable. 

Evil can corrupt good, but is the reverse true? Can good disrupt the persistence of evil? If you've ever enjoyed movies like Eyes of Laura Mars, The Eye, or Blink, then The Woodsman is a tale that will defy your expectations, yet leave you entertained and more than a little unsettled.


My Thoughts:
First let me say that the cover of this book is absolutely beautiful. When I first started this book I had visions of the series "Dexter".  The reason is simple, the serial killer seems to have a good side to him as well.  While trying to stop a robbery in progress he is shot. He wakes up in the hospital and then is sent to jail. While in jail he is blinded by a cell mate, and almost killed.  This is where things take a turn.  He becomes a volunteer test subject that could possibly give him is sight back.  It is what happens after this turn of events that twisted everything I thought would happen.  Craig Hansen does an excellent job of presenting a story and then when you get comfortable with it, he gives it such a twist you think about it for days and days.  That is what this book does.  It is one of the best suspenseful novels I have read in a long time.  I hightly recommend this book.  However, start it in the morning because you won't be able to put it down until you have fiished it.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Stranger at Sunset by Eden Baylee



Genre: Adult, Psychological Thriller
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinons expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:

Vacation can be a killer.

Dr. Kate Hampton, a respected psychiatrist, gathers with a group of strangers at her favorite travel spot, Sunset Villa in Jamaica. Included in the mix are friends of the owners, a businessman with dubious credentials, and a couple who won the trip from a TV game show.

It is January 2013, following the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The luxury resort is struggling, not from the storm, but due to a scathing review from caustic travel writer, Matthew Kane. The owners have invited him back with hopes he will pen a more favorable review to restore their reputation.

Even though she is haunted by her own demons, Kate feels compelled to help. She sets out to discover the motivation behind Kane's vitriol. Used to getting what he wants, has the reviewer met his match in Kate? Or has she met hers?

Stranger at Sunset is a slow-burning mystery/thriller as seen through the eyes of different narrators, each with their own murky sense of justice. As Kate's own psychological past begins to unravel, a mysterious stranger at Sunset may be the only one who can save her.
 

My Thoughts:
I was grabbed from the very opening.  This book is not as easy to figure out as you would think.  The reader gets involved in the lives of the characters.  You are invested in them to the point you must continue to read, just to find out what happens to them.  You will find characters like Matthew that you don't like because he is extremely egotistical.  You will find characters like Rob that will repulse you because being from the south and acting dumb and not caring is not an endearing quality.  Then there is Kate.  You will want to continue to read just to find out what secrets she is hiding, because obviously there has to be something there.  The setting is so well described and woven throughout the story that the reader feels as if they are sitting on the beach or feeling the wind blow through their hair.  It made me want to visit Sunset Villa.  I have never read any of this author's previous books as she writes a genre I do ot read.  This was a great book and one I will recommend.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Homeowner With a Gun by Samuel Hawley


Genre:  Adult, Mystery, Thriller
Source:  I received a copy to help facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From Goodreads:
It's the middle of the night. You’re awakened by a noise. Someone is in your house. What do you do?

When it happens at 148 Maple Drive, homeowner Jeff Shaw gets his gun and goes downstairs to investigate while his wife calls 9-1-1. It’s their home, after all. Jeff has to protect it. He finds two men in the kitchen and shoots them both. Dead.

The incident puts great strain on Jeff and his family. He wants to believe they just need to get on with their lives and everything will return to normal. But it’s not that easy. The dead intruders belonged to a gang, ANG, “Ain’t No Game,” that now wants revenge. And one of the gang, an ex-con who goes by the name I-Man, knows more about the break-in than he’s letting on.

It starts with a threatening phone call. Then it gets worse. The police, unable to protect the Shaws, suggest they move away for a while. But Jeff isn't going to be intimidated from his house. Homeowner With a Gun takes the reader on a suspense-filled thrill ride as this everyman fights to save himself and his family, while something a detective said plays in the back of his mind: Maybe the intruders broke into the wrong house. Happens all the time. You wouldn’t believe how often...

My Thoughts:
This is a story that could have been ripped right out of today’s headlines.  It was terrifying.  I could feel the fear of the homeowners knowing someone was in their house.  I can only imagine how  Jeff and his wife felt during the drive by shooting.  First is the fear and then the sheer panic when your find your daughter has been shot.  I felt so sorry for their son who witnessed it all.  I have heard stories like this from students who live in violent neighborhoods.  It reminded me of a poem a student wrote about himself. It was an “I am, I was, I will be” poem.  He feared he would be killed in a drive-by shooting and by the end of the poem he imagined himself headed to heaven because he would be dead.  I wondered if those in the gang felt so helpless at some point in their lives.

I was grateful we got to see the thinking behind both sides, Jeff’s side and the gang’s side.  I sat on the edge of my seat in fear for Jeff and wondering if and when things were going to end.  This was  the first  book I had read by this author and I would definitely read more.  This is a face paced book and one I recommend.

About the Author From Goodreads:
Samuel Hawley was born and grew up in South Korea, the son of missionary parents. After earning BA and MA degrees in history from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, he returned to East Asia for two decades to teach, first in Japan and then Korea, retiring in 2007 as an associate professor of English at Yonsei University in Seoul.

It was in Japan that Hawley started writing for magazines and newspapers on topics ranging from travel and Japanese fashion to sumo wrestling and fishing at downtown tsuribori. By the late 1990s he had turned his attention to books, notably The Imjin War, the most comprehensive account in English of Japan’s sixteenth-century invasion of Korea and attempted conquest of China. His other Asia-themed books are America’s Man in Korea and Inside the Hermit Kingdom, concerning George C. Foulk, America’s diplomatic representative in Seoul at the time of Korea’s opening to the West. 

Hawley switched his focus to popular nonfiction after returning to Canada in 2007. His first work in this new vein was Speed Duel: The Inside Story of the Land Speed Record in the Sixties, which received starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Library Journal. He followed this with I Just Ran: Percy Williams, World’s Fastest Human, named one of the five “Best Sports Books of 2011” by the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). He has most recently turned his hand to writing historical fiction with his first novel, Bad Elephant Far Stream.