THE MOTHER IN LAW BY SALLY HEPWORTH

THE MOTHER IN LAW BY SALLY HEPWORTH is set in Australia, typical neighborhood,typical family. The book can be a little confusing because the author flips from past to present, Lily to Diana so you have to be on your toes.  Lily and Diana meet for the first time Lily knows this is not going to be a close relationship with her soon to be mother in law Diana.  Diana , from the beginning makes that perfectly clear.  When Diana is found dead of an apparent suicide , or is is? Even in death , Diana has stuck it to Lucy , Ollie , Nettie , Ollies sister and her husband.  No money for any of them and the police are questioning all of them .

The more you read THE MOTHER IN LAW the faster you want to flip to the end to find out the conclusion. 

I recieved this book from goodreads free in exchange for a review

TIMELINE BY MICHAEL CRICHTON

TIMELINE BY MICHAEL CRICHTON is one of my favorite of Crichton's novels.  Timeline explores the complexity of quantum physics and time/space travel.  If you can get past the very deep explanations of physics in the first couple of chapters the book really starts pumping when a group of students of archaeology go "back in time" (not really but don't ask me to explain the physics!) to the fourteenth century France to find their professor who has stepped "into the world."  There they find the horrors and yes the beautiful women of that century.  Going back is the easy part,getting home again is another problem.

Crichton gives the reader everything wrapped up in one novel, time travel, romance, sword fights, modern tech and a couple of really nasty characters, today and yesterdays & yes a dose of revenge .  A very enjoyable read and in my book, re read !

THE WIDOWS BY JESS MONTGOMERY

THE WIDOWS BY JESS MONTGOMERY is set in 1920's Ohio  where Daniel Ross, sherriff, father,husband and brother of the owner of the local mine has been shot and killed . Daniel's wife, Lily,who is a matron at the jail does not believe the story she has been told about her husband's murder,so as newly sworn in sheriff Lily wants answers.  Lily thought she knew all there was to know about Daniel until the day of the funeral when a strange woman and her child shows up at her door.  Enter Marvena, Daniel's other woman.  At first the two women have only one thing in common,Daniel.  Now,Lily and Marvena have found out they have a whole lot in common.  This book is based upon the life of Maude Collins,the first female sheriff in Ohio and Mary Harris as well.  The story is not only one of the love of Daniel by both women,but a mystery and a historical mystery that centers around the horrible conditions of coal miners and their attempts to unionize for the safety of miners.

When I pick a book to read and in this case review.  I base my decision on the sometimes very brief description of the book.  In other words, I take a chance and hope its a good read.  Let me tell you all,this IS a GOOD READ!  The book reads fast and the pace is perfect.  The mystery obviously,who killed Daniel and how & why.  The life of Daniel is another mystery in itself.  Neither of the women really knew Daniel ,the whole Daniel.  But together both women WILL learn about Daniel's life and each will never be the same again.

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

STEAMED OPEN BY BARBARA ROSS

STEAMED OPEN (A MAINE CLAMBAKE MYSTERY) BY BARBARA ROSS is the seventh in the series,but for me its the first I've read. 

Its the peak of the tourist season in the little Maine town of Busman's Harbor,Maine . The story starts out with the death of a beloved citizen Heloise (Lou) Henrickson & the people of Busman's Harbor are on the Jacquie II to give Lou a big sendoff.  Everyone  loved Lou and the citizens will miss her immensely, especially the beachcombers, the lighthouse lovers and the local clammers, who have had free pass to the beach and their livelihood: CLAMS.  Enter Lou's heir, Bartholomew Frick , who puts up a fence and stops the flow of people onto the beach.  And boy they are mad enough to murder! And murder they do.  It's up to Julio Snowden (and the police ) to find out who killed Frick before Julia or someone else becomes another victim !

Walking into the middle of a series can sometimes be difficult for a reader.  I came into this series after six books so I thought I was going to have a problem with it.  Nope!  I picked up on the series very quickly as the characters and location is so well defined through the book it wasnt had to get involved.  The book is  what I call a super fast read and well worth the time if you are into the Cozy Mystery genre!
I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for a review

LEVERAGE IN DEATH BY J.D. ROBB

LEVERAGE IN DEATH BY J.D.ROBB is the 47th book in the Eve Dallas series and in my humble opinion one of her best!  The book starts out with the suicide vest bombing of a group of two business execs , with , of course Eve and Peabody being the primaries on it.  As the body count keeps adding up, Eve is well aware that time is running out and another mass death is just a matter of time.  With a total of eighteen dead and the knowledge that the killers are setting up another kill, Eve & her team HAVE to find out who the bad guys are and stop them before they can kill again. 

I have been a huge Eve Dallas fan for a long time and LEVERAGE IN DEATH is on my "A" list for all time favorite so far in the series. 
 As the search for the killers intensifies Eve has her whole team on board,  Peabody, McNab, Feeney , Baxter, Trueheart, Roarke, and all of her resources are going into finding them.  One thing about  Robb's series is you can count on a bit of humor mixed into the drama.  Yes, the candy thief is still at large , stealing Eve's stash (I think its McNab!)  Yes, Baxter and Trueheart & McNab are making Eve's eyes bleed!  And yes, the romance is still there with the hunky husband Roarke!    Somerset  is back from vacation and the feud continues.  But the mystery, the murder and the chase is what makes me keep coming back for more of the IN DEATH series!

LORD OF THE WINGS BY DONNA ANDREWS

LORD OF THE WINGS BY DONNA ANDREWS, like most of Ms Andrews, is very entertaining and very fun read.  Meg Langslow, this time around is helping the village of Caerphilly celebrate another festival .  This time its the Halloween festival where not all of the ghosts and goblins are interested in candy!
 Not only does Meg get involved with another murder but a robbery, assault & group of vampires who are on what Meg thinks is a treasure hunt but is really a LARP (live action role play) Meg and her gang must deal with not only the trick or treaters but the LARPERS, a dead body or two and multiple mysteries.  A good cozy mystery to take away the blues and entertain for awhile.

I read , or in this case listen to Ms Andrews Meg Langslow when I need a good laugh and a good cozy mystery . The series makes me chuckle and I hope it will you as well.

THE GOLDEN BUDDHA (OREGON FILES #1)BY CLIVE CUSSLER

GOLDEN BUDDHA (OREGON FILES #1)  BY CLIVE CUSSLER Is the first in the Oregon Files Series or could it be the second?  We were introduced to the ship and crew of the Oregon in a Dirk Pitt novel so I guess in reality its the first in the series but the second time we have met the Oregon and her crew. 

The crew must steal the Golden Buddha, a very valuable and very big golden statue that originally  was given as a gift to the Dalai Lama but stolen and secreted away .   The Oregon crew must , not only steal the statue but MUST do it on Good Friday.  They must then get it to the Dalai Lama by Easter when the Dalai Lama is scheduled to return to his homeland of Tibet.  In doing this, they not only steal the statue but kidnap, lie, and drug multiple persons, including the Chief of the Macao police and very nearly start a war between China and Russia. 

Its a very complicated plot of a story but the humor mixed into it makes THE GOLDEN BUDDHA one of Mr.Cussler's  more entertainingly funny stories out there  & a pleasure to read and reread over and over!

DARK IN DEATH BY J.D ROBB

DARK IN DEATH BY J.D. ROBB is the 46th in the Eve Dallas series.  This book is truly dark!  You have a woman who is acting out her own version of an authors books & killing along the way.  Eve and Peabody have to delve into the series and the mind of this wacky woman to stop her from killing again and again .  In the meantime,  Eve and Roarke have the mansion all to themselves as Sumerset is on vacation and boy do they take advantage of his absence! 

I found the book a little laggy in places but the premise of the mystery kept me going as usual. 

FLIGHT OR FRIGHT BY STEPHEN KING

FLIGHT OR FRIGHT BY STEPHEN KING is a compilation of short stories by the well known , & not so well known  authors.  The book is dedicated to those pilots,real and fictional who got their planes & passengers on the ground safely !   Some of the stories will creep you out, like the first one CARGO by E.Michael Lewis and some I have read in the past like Richard Matheson NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET. But, no matter which you read you will enjoy the variety of these seventeen stories.  Perfect read while you are cruising at ten thousand feet  or more in the air!

SECOND SIGHT BY AMANDA QUICK

SECOND SIGHT BY AMANDA QUICK is the first in the Arcane Society series.  This book, as with the entire series is written under the authors real name as well as her two nom de plumes.  I love the Arcane series.  SECOND SIGHT is set in the quote "Late Reign of Victoria"  Whether the reader wants romance , mystery or intrigue and a little bit of humor , you get all  four  with SECOND SIGHT.

THE WASTE LANDS (DARK TOWER #3) BY STEPHEN KING

THE WASTE LANDS (THE DARK TOWER #3) BY STEPHEN KING audiobook is the third in the Dark Tower saga.  The Gunslinger's KATET is almost complete and the travelers are still on their journey to find Roland's Dark Tower .  But Roland is dying.  Roland is divided, and if Eddy and Susanna cant fix Roland, Roland will die and they will be left alone in Roland's world. 

The Dark Tower series are my on my favorite list of Kings books.  Now that I have audio version of it I can listen to it time and again.  The Waste Lands pace , to me is much faster than the first two so it not only reads but it listens faster.
 We the "Constant Reader" finally see Eddy and Susanne come into their own.  They have accepted their fate or their KA .  They now are Gunslingers.  They still depend on Roland for their needs but they are learning faster. 

THE REMNANT BY CHANNING WHITAKER

THE REMNANT BY CHANNING WHITAKER is a novella of creepy proportions! I really hated to see it end it was so good.

Gene Whitfield , author , finds out his aunt has passed away and left him everything. Great news right? Gene just had a flop of a book and the critics arent holding back on just how bad the book is, so the news of his inheritance came at a pretty good time. Gene goes to his aunts house and finds that aunty has one or two secrets hidden in her closet. He finds, in the fireplace a book with crazy symbols on it and of course reads the book(like that NEVER leads to bad things?) He sits down at his typewriter and writes nonstop until this crazy book is finished when his publisher shows up and steals the book and sends it off to editors. The rest you will have to read on your own!

This may be a novella folks,but it was a great ride and a great read. The ending was a little creepy but I guess when writing horror you get that!

I recieved this book free in exchange for an honest review.

13 DAYS:THE PYTHAGORAS CONSPIRACY by L.A. STARKS

13 DAYS:THE PYTHAGORAS CONSPIRACY by L.A. STARKS hits the ground running from page one(day one) when Lynn Dayton executive vp  of TriCoast Energy responds to an emergency at a newly purchased refinery.  Lynn is a woman in a predominantly mans world of oil refining . For a refinery accident to happen now is not only disastrous and deadly for the workers , but for her career ! Four people have died in this accident and Lynn wants answers and wants them now!

The pace of the book is breakneck. The characters tough. The job deadly and getting even more deadly for Lynn who is sticking her nose into a murder mystery and someplace it doesn't belong! What a fantastic start to what I hope is a very long series .  I cant wait to find out what happens next!  If you like your female characters hards as nails.  Lynn Dayton  is for you!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for a review.

KILLING THE SS:THE HUNT FOR THE WORST WAR CRIMINALS IN HISTORY BY BILL O'REILLY & MARTIN DUGARD i

KILLING THE SS:THE HUNT FOR THE WORST WAR CRIMINALS IN HISTORY BY BILL O'REILLY & MARTIN DUGARD is the latest in Mr.O'Reilly's "killing" series.  This time his focus is on four of the worst and most notorious war criminals in WWII :  Adolf Eichmann, the German who coordinated and organized the "Final Solution"  resulting in the deaths of millions of Jews.  Martin Bormann, Hitler's right hand man and official successor as leader of the Reich . Klaus Barbie SS and Gestapo , who tortured and killed countless adults and children in France to gather intelligence.  Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death.  Countless horrific experiments were conducted by him.  These men & several women are considered among the worst of the worst.  We read in the book about how these men and women operated and the atrocities that they committed during WWII on not only Jews but Gypsies, homesexuals and special needs people. We read how Mossad, Israel's newly formed spy network tracked down an brought to trial most of these people. We follow the Nazi Hunters,  the Jewish and non Jewish citizens took and used their skills and other people's skills and knowledge to track these people down. 

This is a very graphic book,but history has shown us that the Nazi's were not a very nice people. They were monsters and they tortured and murdered millions of men,women and children,some of them , fortunately are still alive today.  This is HISTORY & this book takes the Holocaust and puts it out there for all to see. 

As with all of Mr.O'reilly's "(killing) books, the book has been greatly researched and put together very well and very organized.  I am a huge fan of history and Mr.O'Reilly and Mr.Dugard have put together another great book of people, places and events in a manner that is very organized and very informative in a format that makes you start the book and not stop till you have finished reading the credits!  Another excellent book!

PRESIDENTS OF WAR:THE EPIC STORY FROM 1807 TO MODERN TIMES BY MICHAEL BESCHLOSS

PRESIDENTS OF WAR:THE EPIC STORY FROM 1807 TO MODERN TIMES BY MICHAEL BESCHLOSS takes the readers to a very young US and the War of 1812 to modern day war. Each President facing his worst nightmare : a nation at war and how each president handles it.  From James Madison who is seen fleeing into the night as the White House burns to modern day, this book is wonderful for us "students of history" like myself.  It is NOT, however, a dry book stuffed with just dry facts. It is written to make the history of our country come alive.  Even though this is nonfiction (yes there is footnotes galore, )  it lets the reader live the moment and still learn new things about our country and our wars.

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

NEEDFUL THINGS BY STEPHEN KING

NEEDFUL THINGS BY STEPHEN KING or if you please the LAST CASTLE ROCK story keeps the "Constant Reader" like you and I keep wanting to come back for more. I consider NEEDFUL THINGS one of my top ten in the SK category ! But fair warning, the book is chocked full of foul language, death, drugs and destruction. It also takes the phrase "Caveat Emptor" to whole new level my friends.

Castle Rock is like any other small town, everyone knows everyone and what they are up to. In comes Mr.Leland Gaunt and his tiny "innocent" curio shop NEEDFUL THINGS & literally blows up the little town of Castle Rock. Who or what is Mr.Gaunt? Why his is just a lowly old merchant selling people their needful things that's who is is, or is he ? 
Alan Pangborn , Castle Rocks sheriff, still mourning the death of his wife and youngest son is realizing that Castle Rock is falling apart and if he doesn't stop it soon there will be NO Castle Rock left for him to sheriff! Can you say "ABRACADABRA?

THE CAT WHO AT DANISH MODERN BY LILLIAN JACKSON BRAUN

THE CAT WHO ATE DANISH MODERN (2) BY LILLIAN JACKSON BRAUN introduces the Cat Who fans to Yum Yum,the tiny delicate female siamese who is soon to become the third in the trio , joined with KOKO & QUILL.  Quill, stuck with the indignant assignment of being "reporter" for the Gracious Abode's  insert comes across another set of robberies and yes murder.  Quill, with KoKo's help hunts and finds the bad guys and in the process, Quill adds another siamese to his growing "family"

If you cant tell already, I am a huge fan of the Cat Who series. It is , yes, a cozy mystery& I am still after many many moons still enjoy relaxing with them. 

HAUNTED HOUSE ON HENRY STREET THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF PROFESSOR DARKK AND MISS SHADOW BY JEFF WALKER

HAUNTED HOUSE ON HENRY STREET THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD OF PROFESSOR DARKK AND MISS SHADOW BY JEFF WALKER is a very short story which shows why it took a very little time to read.  I was a bit disappointed the characters were a bit shallow and not well defined.  I hope the next in the series will solve that issue for the readers. As for the plot, it was very graphic in the description of the events surrounding the characters which made a pretty gruesome read, which in this humble readers point of view was the major plus of the story. Being a short story in a series I am very anxious to check out the further adventures of Professor Darkk and Miss Shadow.

I recieved this e book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE MANSION BY EZEKIEL BOONE

Most of us have it: AI or Artificial Intelligence.  From "Hey Siri" to Amazon Echo AI is a huge part of our lives.  It does great things, checks appointments recommends restaurants and even guides our vehicles to our destination.  Now stop and wonder what would happen if someone put an AI into a haunted mansion?  In the book THE MANSION BY EZEKIEL BOONE, one of the main characters, multi millionaire wizkid Shawn Eagle does just that!  And the results of this will make you think twice about using your devices ever again!

Shawn Eagle is super rich. He has it all fame, wealth, power, a multi-million dollar conglomerate and NELLIE, his and Billy Stafford's creation.  The perfect AI, or maybe not. NELLIE has been integrated into Shawn's family mansion,which has the reputation of being haunted.  Billy,on the road to recovery from drugs & alcohol, flat broke and toxic in any job but a dead end job, is hired by Shawn to get the kinks out of NELLIE before he opens his renovated home,now a hotel for the idle rich, to the public.  Billy moves into the mansion with his wife and starts to work on fixing NELLIE,but soon Billy and his wife discover there is really something badly wrong with NELLIE, NELLIE has infused with the evilness of the house and the house wants more than Billy is willing to give. The only way out of this nightmare is to bend to the will of NELLIE/MANSION.

Creepy to say the least THE MANSION left me wondering if maybe I need to get away from my Siri for awhile ! Haunting is not the word that I want to use to describe this book, more like Creepy! It left me sitting there thinking about how technology does run my life,from my cell,which  sleeps, I mean lays on my nightstand to the computer I am typing this review on.  It is a good book to curl up with (naturally with your smartphone by your side)!

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE WOLF'S HOUR BY ROBERT R MCCAMMON

THE WOLF'S HOUR BY ROBERT R MCCAMMON is by far on of my favorite novels of Mr.McCammons! That being said, I listened to the book on audio and I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with whom they chose to read the book.  Using a Brittish reader to read a novel that is set in Nazi Germany took away some of the pleasure of this audio book, which is why I only gave it a four star. 

Michael Gallatin : British citizen,Russian,  spy and believe it or not a lycanthrope !  Michael goes into situations where no mere human can go!  Along with his helpers along the way Michael is tasked to penetrate Nazi occupied France and find out what "Iron Fist" is before D-Day.  Along the way he uses whatever means, even turning into a wolf,  to find out and hopefully stop the Nazi plan to pave the way for troops to land in Normandy.

You have to be pretty patient with the book Wolf's Hour because it flips back and forth from Michael's being bitten to Michaels life as a wolf then back again to Nazi Germany & France.  If you can be patient with it , it is a very good book and I will be re reading it in the future.

THE STRANGE CURSE OF BREDA BY STEVEN ARNETT

THE STRANGE CURSE OF BREDA BY STEVEN ARNETT is a thrill a page mystery.  We have, in this novel, a deranged serial killer who has taken an old curse and turned it into a killing spree.  I found this book so engaging I stayed up into the wee hours of the night getting it read. It has a breakneck pace that keeps the reader  flipping thru the book wanting to see what happens next.  The setting for the book is perfect:  small town where everyone knows each others business, finds themselves dealing with a serial killer .  Everyones lives are impacted but this killing from the sheriff investigating the murders to the corner hardware store owner. 

Living in a small village I understand the dynamics of the city of  Breda , we all know each other, and when an event happens the whole town is affected. Breda will never be the same. The murders have taken the town and turned it inside out.  No one trusts anyone, no one goes out to businesses and the town and its people are changed forever. An excellent novel for anyone who loves the thrill ride of a good mystery/thriller.

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE CAT WHO COULD READ BACKWARDS BY LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN

THE CAT WHO COULD READ BACKWARDS BY LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN is the first Cat Who mystery of the series.  It introduces the reader to two of the three main characters of the series Koko and Jim Qwilleran, an out of work down on his luck reporter who will do anything including the art beat to get a job at a newspaper.  Qwilleran, know to his friends & devoted reading fans, as Quill thinks the art beat is going to be dullsville. But when a murder pops up things get hot and his reporter nose gets to investigating. 
Koko , a very intelligent siamese cat, who read newspaper headlines(backwards) , eats chopped beef(in gravy or broth, heated) and is sometimes more intelligent than his soon to be roomy, helps solve the crimes.

I fell in love with the Cat Who series a long time ago & the other day I dug into the bookcase to renew my friendship!  Yes, these are cozy mysteries but very entertaining and worthy of a read or in my case a re-read.

THEY THIRST BY ROBERT R.MCCAMMON

THEY THIRST BY ROBERT R.MCCAMMON is in my humble opinion one of the scariest of the vampire stories out there today.  If you think about this book you can see why the king vampire COULD take over L.A. and no one would be the wiser .  L.A. where if anything weird is going on the rest of us would just ho hum typical L.A. and move on.  In this story, the vampire starts out slowly, building his empire and like the Prince he is, then plans and executes the compete (well almost ) takeover of one of the largest cities is the US!  Problem is, where evil is present so is good. Good in the form of four everyday people who recognize what is going on and will die to get rid of the vampires. In THEY THIRST we also get a tiny bit of a murder mystery in the form of the Roach.  Killing prostitutes and stuffing their mouths with live roaches. 

I have been a fan of Mr.McGammons for a very long time and THEY THIRST is one of my favorites and I am more than glad to see AUDIBLE has seen fit to include it in its lineup.

THE MOSCOW OFFENSIVE BY DALE BROWN

THE MOSCOW OFFENSIVE BY DALE BROWN is a continuation of the Iron Wolf squadron and only the second of the MacLanahan series that I have read.  I am fast becoming a fan of Brown's because of the breakneck pace the series takes and from one page to the next you have zero clue if the good guys are going to win or not.  Mr.Brown takes the reader on a military thrill ride, battling the Russians & their very government .   Yes, like in most books there is a little bit of a lull in the action and plot but all and all Mr.Brown again succeeds in writing a thrill a minute read!

I recieved this ebook free from goodreads in exchange for a review.

THE INFORMANT BY KURT EICHENWALD

THE INFORMANT BY KURT EICHENWALD is about corporate coverup and misdeeds.  I picked this book up at a book sale because I live about two hours away from the city of Decatur.  You cant travel the highways of Illinois and not see an ADM truck in your rearview mirror.  ADM (Archers Daniels Midland) is a midwest company that works with corn, seed, etc products.  And every time I spot one of those ADM semi's I think of this book. 
ADM, like many other large corporations have not only local political influence, but nation and world wide influence.  ADM just happened to get caught in the lies and was exposed for their shenanigans! 
 THE INFORMANT, a true story, takes the reader and shows not only the shenanigans of ADM but the subsequent outing of the company by one of their own to the FBI. 

I dont read much of the nonfiction genre but THE INFORMANT BY KURT EICHENWALD is written so well and so indepth you cant help but think you are reading a fiction story!  THE INFORMANT, in my humble opinion would make a terrific movie!

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL BY GREER HENDRICKS

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL BY GREER HENDRICKS: gets a 10 on my weird o meter.  Scared the daylights out of me reading this book!  Could this happen?  Possibly!
 Just think, you are doing your job, have a ho hum life, trying to make ends meet, when you overhear about this great opportunity:  Show up here, fill out a survey & leave!  Sounds easy, right?  WRONG!  Not for one girl it isn't.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL starts out slow, go to work,meet people do job,go home,pay bills,go to sleep,get up do all over again.I thought , ok what's the point here.  The point is the survey and the road taken.  Scared my socks off because I myself have done surveys and been a volunteer in studies in the past and this book blew my socks off!  Never again for me! 
AN ANONYMOUS GIRL is one of those books that you finish fast and think about for a LONG time. 

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review

GONE WITH THE WIND BY MARGARET MITCHELL

GONE WITH THE WIND BY MARGARET MITCHELL : Every time I read GWTW I want to take Scarlett and give her a good whuppin! If her mom had done that when she was little the story would have ended differently! That being said, GWTW is a classic classic if you know what I mean. This book is one of those classics that is meant to be read and re-read. Mitchell not only give the reader a great story but she immerses the reader into the story, lets you live the story. Whether you read the book, listen to the audio or watch the movie or all of the above, GONE WITH THE WIND will always be a classic .

1886 TIES THAT BIND:A STORY OF POLITICS, GRAFT AND GREED BY A.E. WASSERMAN

1886 TIES THAT BIND:A STORY OF POLITICS, GRAFT AND GREED BY A.E. WASSERMAN is historical fiction at its best.  Lord Langsford, wealthy & newly widowed travels with his friend and stableman Pelham is in California when he quite literally runs into Sally Baxter, who is trying to find the murderer of her older brother while he was on a train ride .  Sally is a stubborn woman in a mans world who will not be told what to do nor will she stop pestering the upper echelons of the railroad. Langford takes up her fight and with her they turn 1886 California up over end to find the killer and fight the ever present greed and graft and political shenanigans. These are two very stubborn people who will stop at nothing to get answers. 

The story is a fast read but the details of 1886 makes the reader feel like they are actually there living the story . To me that is the sign of a great read, a book that lets you live the story, be right there with the characters!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review !

INTERFACE:TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE US BY TONY BATTON

INTERFACE:TECHNOLOGY WILL CHANGE US BY TONY BATTON.

What more can one say about this book than WOW! I didnt want to put it down!  If I could have read it in one sitting I would have.

INTERFACE has everything an adrenalin reading junkie like me wants: believable characters, action, conspiracies heroes and villains!  INTERFACE crosses genres  as well.  Mystery, spy, sci-fi with just a tad bit of romance tossed in for good measure. You CAN'T miss this one folks!

I recieved this ebook free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

DEATH IN A WHITE TIE BY NGAIO MARSH

DEATH IN A WHITE TIE BY NGAIO MARSH is the seventh book in the Roderick Alleyn series and in my
humble opinion, one of her greatest of novels.  I have read and re-read this book so many times it is like an old friend, very well known and extremely comfortable to be with! 

DEATH IN A WHITE TIE is a story of not only murder, but blackmail with a sprinkle of love story mixed in.  We get the usual characters along with Alleyn, Fox, Bailey & Doctor Curtis and we get to see Alleyns mother Lady Alleyn and Agatha Troy the artist that Alleyn has worshiped from afar.  The MURDER: Lord Robert Gospell or "Bunchy" to his good friends,included in that group, Alleyn. BLACKMAIL: The ladies of the book who are being blackmailed for  dreadful secrets past and present. LOVE: Well you have to read the book to find out that one!. 

As you can pretty well tell I am a huge fan of The Alleyn mysteries and like I said at the beginning DEATH IN A WHITE TIE is one of NGAIO MARSH'S greatest mysteries. 

INDIANAPOLIS:THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORST SEA DISASTER IN U.S. NAVAL HISTORY AND THE FIFTY YEAR FIGHT TO EXONERATE AN INNOCENT MAN BY LYNN VINCENT.

INDIANAPOLIS:THE TRUE STORY OF THE WORST SEA DISASTER IN U.S. NAVAL HISTORY AND THE FIFTY YEAR FIGHT TO EXONERATE AN INNOCENT MAN BY LYNN VINCENT. starts with an eighth grader watching the movie "JAWS."
 Anyone who has watched the movie knows the scene where Quint talks about his being one of the survivors of the Indianapolis.  But this eighth grader wanted to learn more. And he did learn, and so did the two authors of this book.  They contacted the survivors, the families of the survivors and the Japanese people  of this disaster, the captain of the sub that sank the Indi.
 This book starts where all true stories should start: at the beginning.  The history of the building, and launching and the whole story .  The Indianapolis is famous or infamous for carrying the makings of the first atomic bomb, code name Big Boy. A very very ultra classified cargo , the men of the Indianapolis dropped the bomb & its scientists off at a secluded island and left to go in for a refresher training, but she never showed.  She was sunk by a Japanese sub and her men left out in the ocean, some very critically burned to fight off the sharks and the elements.  The captain of the ship was rescued, court marshalled and found guilty and suffered for many years while his crew tried and tried again to overturn the court-marshall , for they knew he was a hero ,not responsible for the death of the ship & so many of the crew.  But the Navy does not like to admit its was wrong.  Along comes an eighth grader: Hunter Scott & he takes up the survivors cause and advocates on national television after deep research into the ship & the disaster.  The rest of the story you all are going to have to read to find out. 

Never before have I read such a moving book of life on board a ship during WWII as this one.  Watching these men work day after day, each of them real people, with families ,fighting what was then an enemy.  The jokes the boredom & life aboard the Indianapolis coming to an abrupt end. The death by the elements, by sharks and yes by suicide.  These men who respected their captain and knew he was innocent and knew that the system let them down when they needed help , fought for decades to vindicate not only the captain but their beloved Indianapolis !  I laughed , I cried and I, for a time lived with those brave men who served aboard the Indianapolis & I really hope you pick up this book and take a bit of time with them as well, you will not be sorry.

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for a honest review.

BLACK ORCHIDS AND CORDIALLY INVITED TO DEATH BY REX STOUT

BLACK ORCHIDS & CORDIALLY INVITED INTO DEATH BY REX STOUT are two old friends to me.  BLACK ORCHIDS (my favorite of the two) introduces the subject of the title: how Wolfe obtained the black orchids in his collection of thousands of orchards. Wolfe literally blackmails the owner of the orchids , Lewis Hewitt,whom we will see in other Nero Wolfe novels.  Mr.Hewitt not only owns the three black orchids but is the honorary chairperson of the Orchid show.  Mr. Hewitt,or rather his cane , figures prominently in the murder & Wolfe takes the advantage to get ahold of the orchids.

These two novellas are not some of Mr. Stouts greatest works, but even today are still pleasant and entertaining to read & re-read. 

HIGH TREASON BY PETER VIELHABER

HIGH TREASON BY PETER VIELHABER is a fast paced novel that could come from todays news. From the war in the Middle East to the battle in the heart of our country, High Treason does read like today's headlines. 
A group of men have plotted to take out the President within.  On the flip side, a group of US troops in Syria are trying to stay alive .  The pace of this book kept me up nights just wondering what happens next.

I received this e book free from goodreads in exchange for a honest review.

FER- DE -LANCE BY REX STOUT

FER-DE-LANCE BY REX STOUT is the first book in the Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin series & is just as good today as it was back when it was published.  I have been a Nero Wolfe fan for ages and I drug out my books the other day and decided it was time to re-read an old friend!

Mr. Stout, when he started this book did not start with this being Wolfe's first case. Instead we jump right into the office of Wolfe's during a time when money is tight and clients are few and far between.Stout describes the routines and the people of Wolfe's brownstone like they have been there forever, Fritz the cook,butler, Saul Panzer, Orrie Cather and of course Archie Goodwin & Nero Wolfe. 

In FER-DE-LANCE, Wolfe & Archie get a visit from Fred Durkin, another character that Wolfe fans will see from time to time.  Durkin asks a favor of Wolfe, to investigate the death of a man .  This favor morphs into lies, half truths and Murder! 

Nero Wolfe is one of those series you can read any of his books as a stand alone because the writer makes sure a reader can pick up one of his novels and start reading and not be lost. I call Nero/Archie's books "old friends" because I know I can pick one up and to me it feels like I never left that old brownstone.

GRACE BY HOWARD OWEN(WILLIE BLACK #5)

GRACE BY HOWARD OWEN is the fifth in the WILLIE BLACK series.  For me it's the first time I've read the author and totally enjoyed this crime/thriller novel.
 Willie Black is the old school reporter. He is investigating a serial killer .  Black is tough & hard boiled investigative reporter but he is also a father & a grandfather.  I loved Willie!  He's the reporter who digs for the story no matter who it offends no matter what it takes he is determined to get the story, the honest and truthful story no matter what.
Mr Owen has come up with a character that really grows on you and I can't wait to find more Willie Black books.

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE RISING SEA BY CLIVE CUSSLER #15 OF THE NUMA FILES

THE RISING SEA BY CLIVE CUSSLER IS #15 in the NUMA FILES  featuring Kurt Austin & his crew.  First off, I have been hooked on Cussler for decades, but I have to tell you this is one of the top books Mr.Cussler has written in a long time! Mr. Cussler, as per usual, gives the reader not only a fast paced,seat of the pants book, but you get a history lesson tossed in for good measure! 

Austin and his crew are up against rising seas & they know it is NOT from global warming.  This problem they find out is man-made .   Kurt & Joe are seeking the cause of what is putting global sea levels higher and end up finding the answer and a whole boatload of trouble and death at a  location in China.  The clock is ticking and Kurt finds that the answer is deadly for millions of people & maybe himself! 

THE RISING SEA has everything you want if you are into the adrenalin rush type books.  Dont miss this one folks , its a winner!

THE COMPANY OF DEMONS BY MICHAEL JORDAN

THE COMPANY OF DEMONS BY MICHAEL JORDAN is thriller at its best!  If you want a page turner, a forget to breath while reading book, this one's for you!  I found myself reading as fast as I could just to find out what's next!  But truth be told, it is a bit graphic in detail so if you aren't into the gory books you may not like this one.

John Coleman is a lawyer. He is also the son of the cop that chased and failed to catch the Torso Murderer. When the murders start up again John is in the middle due to the fact that one of the victims is a good friend of his.

THE COMPANY OF DEMONS is a legal thriller/serial killer thriller mystery.  The characters are sound and the plot keeps you wanting to flip the pages until the very heartstopping moment the book is done!  This novel is the author's debut novel & he hit it out of the ballpark with THE COMPANY OF DEMONS!

I received this ebook free from goodreads in exchange for an honest reveiw.

THE SPY GAME(WRAITH'S VENGEANCE #1)BY ANDREW LANGDON

THE SPY GAME(WRAITH'S VENGEANCE #1) BY ANDREW LANGDON is from page one, well basically WOW! Giving the book a five star just does not do the book justice.  From the minute you start reading this book you dont want to put it down! 

Special Agent Carmichael is on a mission to avenge the death of his partner/fiance .  He has endured torture & even death to go after the group of men who captured him and his partner and nothing, even his death is going to stop him from completing this mission. 
The scenes in the book can be very graphic but the action keeps you glued through even the gorriest of details. 

I recieved this e book free from goodreads in exchange for a review.

HARDCORE TWENTY FOUR BY JANET EVANOVICH

HARDCORE TWENTY-FOUR BY JANET EVANOVICH is yes folks, the 24th book in the Stephanie Plum series, featuring the usual gang of Stephanie's, with the usual plots,(exploding cars, riots and funerals) but to me it's just the latest book that I can sit back and escape the crappy day and laugh at the antics!
Have we had enough of Stephanie? For me NO! Stephanie &, Morelli  plunge me into their antics and let me blow of a little pressure by laughing my socks off!

For 24, Stephanie & Morelli are chasing zombies, or rather people who are injecting themselves with the newest designer drug that turns them into walking human zombies.  Morelli's busy trying to find the culprit that is stealing both dead and alive heads while Stephanie is tracking her latest FTA's & babysitting Ethel the python belonging to Simon Diggery while he's in jail waiting bail out again for his latest graveyard robbery. 
Diesel is back in town acting more bizarre than ever, Morelli's not happy about that!  Grandma Mazur has an online boyfriend who looks like George Hamilton & Lulu is just well, Lulu!

Past it ?  Possibly , but I still cant wait to see what happens to the gang in 25!

THE PLANETS:PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE ARCHIVES OF NASA BY NIRMALA NATARAJ

THE PLANETS:PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE ARCHIVES OF NASA BY NIRMALA NATARAJ is what I would label a coffee table book. With the exception of an intro from Bill Nye the book ,one stunning photo after another of our universe, with small paragraphical descriptions and credits included.  But mostly you see our universe in very professional photos.  Of course, my favorite is Mars as I have been fascinated by the images that the two rovers have sent us.  It's not very easy to "review " a book that is nothing but photos and my main statement would be You have to see this book to really enjoy the universe in all its splendor!

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

KILLFILE BY CHRISTOPHER FARNSWORTH

KILLFILE (JOHN SMITH #1) BY CHRISTOPHER FARNSWORTH

You would think that a person who can read the minds and feel the thoughts of everyone around him would manage to keep out of harm's way, not John Smith.  John hires out his mind reading talents, and special ops training to the highest bidder, and this makes for a very deadly life.
 John is hired by one of the richest men in the world to get back some intellectual property for him from a competitor and a very dangerous person. For John that spells real trouble.  Johns job makes 007's adventure look like a scouting event in comparison !

I loved this first book of what I hope is a very lengthy series.  The plot, the characters & the premise around KILLFILE  makes me want more!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE APOCALYPSE WATCH BY ROBERT LUDLUM

THE APOCALYPSE WATCH BY ROBERT LUDLUM  which is published in 1995, has the world pitted against the fourth reich which has permeated governments and agencies all over the world.Their goal: as before is global domination. 
American spy Harry Latham has spent years penetrating the inner circle of the reich when he is exposed, captured & implanted with a microchip that does the bidding of his new masters then sent back to Europe with a list of false information.  Harry's brother Drew, also a spy, is at first overjoyed his brother survived capture and escaped.  Now Drew is not so sure Harry is on the up and up & the reich is trying to kill both brothers before things get worse for them.

Believe it or not I bought the book used for my husband who has loves the spy/special ops genre's and ended up getting hooked on the book myself!  I started flipping thru the book and ended up reading the book well into multiple nights! Now that I am hooked Mr.Ludlum's books will be on my must read,re-read list!

STILETTO JUSTICE BY CAMRYN KIN

STILETTO JUSTICE BY CAMRYN KING goes to show the reader how the phrase "Hell hath a woman....." should be heeded !
 Three women, all with men who were sent to prison by a corrupt, power hungry prosecutor can not only get even but get their men back.
By hook or by crook these women at least want Hammond Gray taken down,at most they want him taken down & their men retried by a fair court hearing. 

How far would you go to prove your man is being railroaded?  These three women went to the extreme.They wanted Gray exposed in more ways than anyone can imagine. 
What is really sad is I can see what they were facing.  A corrupt prosecutor with his sights set on Congress and beyond, a judge that backs this guy & a private prison system that is having both of these men funneling in inmates just so their investment into the prison stays lucrative . 
STILETTO JUSTICE, while amusing at times and heartbreaking at times, just shows that ticking off women who know their men are being railroaded is NOT  a really good idea!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for a review.

REASONABLE DOUBT:A SHOCKING STORY OF LUST AND MURDER IN THE AMERICAN HEARTLAND BY STEVE VOGEL

REASONABLE DOUBT:A SHOCKING STORY OF LUST AND MURDER IN THE AMERICAN HEARTLAND BY STEVE VOGEL.

This is the second time I have read the book,or rather the second version of the book I have read. I have read the original copy many years ago and was more than curious as to what has happened since that terrible time.  For you see, I lived in Bloomington Illinois during the time of the Hendricks murders and many of us who did ,will NEVER forget waking up in the morning and hearing the horrible news of the crime.  It did change the atmosphere in our sleepy little town. Up to that point, crime was here, but not really talked about.  The Hendricks murder not only opened our eyes to the realization that murder could happen but it took a town that thought nothing of leaving doors unlocked and woke us up to the real world!  Like everyone else I watched the news and saw Mr.Hendricks look into the camera and tell the whole audience he forgave the person who butchered his family. Like most of us, I had decided early on that he was the killer.  Like the rest of Bloomington Illinois, I started making sure all the doors and windows were locked and I have never felt safe again.

Reasonable Doubt is a very very graphic book.  It describes in details not only the murder scene but the trial step by step.  If you are squeamish think twice about reading this book.

The book dives into the lives of David and his family .  It does have its dull spots here and there but if you want the real feel of a murder investigation Reasonable Doubt is for you. 

Mr Vogel the author worked as a local reporter and along with other reporters, carried the story. Mr. Vogel took the story and took it further by writing this book and the original book .

With the revised book he has taken and added various different opinions from officers, and various family and friends of Hendricks as well as new information , especially about Hendricks and his life after the murders. I think with this book, the revised edition he has taken the original book a step further allows the reader to decide for themselves: Guilty or Innocent.  Even after all these years , this book sets my nerves on edge. The main questions after reading Reasonable Doubt is Did Hendricks kill his family? Did the States Attn make a good enough case? If Hendricks did not do it who did?  Has justice been served for Susie and her children? And why the Hendricks home if it was random why did it not happen again? 

Needless to say REASONABLE DOUBT is still as intense as it was when first published.

EDGE OF THE PIT BY BILL THESKEN

EDGE OF THE PIT BY BILL THESKEN is a very fast read,fast paced book.  Once you get into the plot you just seem to want to continue to read so you can find out what comes next for Badger Thompson,point man for an ultra secret,ultra expert security company,whose job is to protect the "A" listers of the world.  This time though,Badger and his group screwed up somewhere and their convoy is ambushed,his team members killed and their "subject" is kidnapped. Badger, himself is left wounded and really has no clue yet what happened.  Hunted by his own employers, Badger must figure out what happened,where the girl is, & keep from getting erased by his own people .

I liked the plot and Badger, but had a little problem with the rest of the characters. They seemed to me to be a bit cliche & shallow .  With a bit more polishing & a bit more depth of the characters,  I think this series could really be a hit .

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

FIND YOU IN THE DARK BY NATHAN RIPLEY

FIND YOU IN THE DARK BY NATHAN RIPLEY is a most unusual story.  Martin, a retired,somewhat wealthy man has a most unusual hobby: he hunts down the victims of a serial killer. He finds the bodies the police cant find,calls the police anonymously,teases them & tells them where he found the body of missing/murdered women. 

Kind of a really strange hobby Martin has,though I found the premise and the plot very exciting.  Martin buys stolen police information,does his detection and discovers the bodies,then calls police to tell them where they are.  That is what I found most intriguing about this book.Its refreshing to finally get a book with a different point of view if you will on serial killing.

i received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

ONE SECOND AFTER BY WILLIAM R FORSTCHEN

ONE SECOND AFTER BY WILLIAM R FORSTCHEN in my opinion is one of the most  scariest and one of the most disturbing books I've read in a long time.  Scary & disturbing , yes.  Scary because , every year we vacation in the Asheville area & have visited Black Mountain for 15 years. I know the people there & the location so this book hits a little close to home for me. Disturbing because the EMP threat is out there .  Politics aside, EMP could happen at any time to us and we would not know its coming,just like in the book , until it happens & then it will be too late.

Fair warning:the book is very graphic in details. The author does not gloss over what life could be like and the issues we may face.  I was so immersed in the book there were points where I forgot to breath it was so deep.

I do think that ONE SECOND AFTER is one of those books where there is no middle ground, you either like it or hate it & I dont think you will find many readers who are so-so about it. 

 

Speaker Newt Gingrich recommended that "All Americans read this book." and I cant agree with him more.

ONE SECOND AFTER is the first in the series of a trilogy and I cant wait to read the other two books. 

HOW NOT TO KILL YOUR HOUSEPLANT:SURVIVAL TIPS FOR THE HORTICULTURALLY CHALLENGED BY VERONICA PEERLESS

HOW NOT TO KILL YOUR HOUSEPLANT:SURVIVAL TIPS FOR THE HORTICULTURALLY CHALLENGED BY VERONICA PEERLESS is a cute way to help people like me who ARE horticulturally challenged!  I love houseplants and have several and even amusing as it is, gives us "plant killers" some hope and help in some of the common & not so common houseplants.  The book provides advice and tips and commonsense  information on how not to kill your plants.
 Even though the title itself is amusing the book and its information will be highly valuable and a must keep in my reference section of my books.

THE HUSH BY JOHN HART

THE HUSH BY JOHN HART is book two in the Johnny Merrimon/Jack Cross series.  Since I have never read any of book #1 THE LAST CHILD I came into this not knowing the background of the story & found that did not make a bit of difference.  THE HUSH can be read as a stand alone book and still maintain an acute awareness of the bond between Johnny and Jack. A bond that is still steadfast and true.  I did find this book very dark and just as much of a horror novel as a suspense/mystery which made me enjoy the book even more so. 

Johnny lives in the Hush acres upon acres of land he inherited from his father.  The Hush has always been strange, from the slaves killed there, to the lost children.  From the past to the present, weird things and strange happenings are "normal" in the Hush.  Johnny loves the Hush & come hell or high water Johnny is not leaving nor will the Hush allow him to leave. 

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THR ROOM ON RUE AMELIE BY KRISTIN HARMEL

THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE BY KRISTIN HARMEL is a historical fiction/romance novel set in the Paris of WWII.  The story revolves around Ruby and Charlotte. Ruby is an adult American married to a Frenchman & Charlotte is a young Jewish girl.  We see what the Nazi occupation of France was like for the people of France, brutal oppression, near starvation & Jews being rounded up and taken to camps.

I call this novel a two hankie book. The story of a love affair between Ruby, Thomas(a pilot) Charlotte and Lucien .
Not only do we get the romance, the history but we also get a healthy dose of intrigue, for you see, Ruby and eventually Charlotte are part of the underground rail that gets pilots out of France and back into the skies to fight another day.  THE ROOM ON RUE AMELIE is a really good story and I very much recommend it.

I received a copy of this book free from goodreads in exchange for a honest review.

ALL IN(IRELAND & CARTER THRILLER BOOK 1) BY JOEL GOLDMAN

ALL IN(IRELAND & CARTER THRILLER BOOK 1) by JOEL GOLDMAN is the first in the series where characters, Cassie Ireland & Jack Carter are introduced .  Cassie works for a man (very private, secretcrative man) who hires out Cassie to go after a diamond that is owned by a very ruthless bad guy. Jack on the other hand is a professional poker player who is after the money of the same guy.  He swindled Jacks parents and many  others out of money.  Both are determined to get this guy but good!

As a rule, I am not an instant fan of first books in the series because they tend to spend the entire book immersed in the lives of the main characters and miss any real story line, but there is always the exception to the rule and believe me when I tell you that ALL IN is the exception to the rule.  Right away you not only get to "meet " the main characters,learn all there is to know, but you also get a really good storyline as well.  I fell in love with these two and their antics.   A fast paced fun read with pretty good plots and lots of action. ALL IN doesn't slow down and doesn't put you to sleep!

I recieved this e book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

IRON WOLF BY DALE BROWN

IRON WOLF BY DALE BROWN is the 20th book in the Patrick McLanahan series and believe it or not its the first book of Mr.Browns that I have ever read!  Wow, I now know what I have been missing!  Mr.Brown, or rather Ret . Captain Dale Brown formerly of the US Air Force has written one heck of a series ! 
In IRON WOLF the main focus is on Patricks son Brad, very young but very talented pilot.  He is now gone from student to head of the Iron Wolf fighter squadron of SCION, a very high tech super secret private organization.  Hired by the Polish gov the assignment: go after the Russians who are invading Poland  under the guise of terrorist hunting.

Even the simulated dog fights and aerial combats make some really high tech very believable reading.  I do believe Captain Brown has found a new fan !  Very fast paced & high tech IRON WOLF is definitely a keeper!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review

NIGHTHAWK BY CLIVE CUSSLER

NIGHTHAWK BY CLIVE CUSSLER is the fourteenth in the Kurt Austin series. This time Austin and his group are helping the NSA find the Nighthawk a super secret air/spacecraft that went off course and disappeared with a very deadly cargo. 
  As always, Cussler takes you to the edge of your seat and beyond with a non stop action packed thrill ride.  I have been a huge Cussler fan for decades & he still has the knack of putting out a great read!

POINT A TO POINT B THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AN ACCIDENTAL UBER DRIVER IN CALIFORNIA'S WINE COUNTRY BY JAMES MACFARLANE

POINT A TO POINT B THE LIFE AND TIMES OF AN ACCIDENTAL UBER DRIVER IN CALIFORNIA'S WINE COUNTRY BY JAMES MACFARLANE is over two hundred pages written by a guy who is forced to leave his home & his life behind in Big Sur because of fire.  He slipped thru the cracks of state & federal assistance  & with his credit cards maxed & his car dead at a stop sign decided that Uber is the answer to his work/financial needs. 

I enjoyed reading the laugh out loud stories of Mr.Macfarlane's adventures in Uberland. The book takes the reader not only into the life of Uber drivers but it gives you a chance to see parts of California citizens that is not mentioned in daily news accounts.
 We do have Uber in our city but I have never used it. My elderly mother uses it all the time to get around and she loves it and the drivers. She is a big Uber fan & I am a big fan now of Mr.Mac farlan's and his adventures. 
If you want a very enjoyable read (maybe on your next Uber trip to and from somewhere), read POINT A TO POINT BY BY JAMES MACFARLANE!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for a review.

A GUIDE FOR MURDERED CHILDREN BY SARAH SPARROW

A GUIDE FOR MURDERED CHILDREN BY SARAH SPARROW I think is one of the most unusual plots for a mystery I have read in a long time! 
Imagine children who have been murdered transferred into the bodies of an adult. The children get the opportunity to "live" again in their "landlords" or host bodies to seek revenge and closure of their murdered selves.  The story focuses on two of the children , brother and sister , both murdered, both placed , if you will into the landlords of two police officers both of whom are destined to be assigned to cold case files along with recovering alcoholic, drug abuser Detective Willow Wylde.  From there we relive the lives of the children and we find out how Det Wylde places a part in this very strange train ride.

Like I said before, one of the most unusual plots for a mystery I have read in a long time! Dont let the pretty pink book cover and the unicorn & stars fool you this IS a mystery and there is a murderer out there killing children.

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

FATAL THRONE THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII TELL ALL BY CANDACE FLEMING

FATAL THRONE:THE WIVES OF HENRY VIII TELL ALL BY CANDACE FLEMING. If you love history then this is the book for you!  Yes, its labeled as a YA but this book was just as good at my age (no i'm not telling) .  The book is focused on the the wives of King Henry the VIII. Each with their own chapter. The authors(different authors profiled each wife) took and immersed themselves into the lives of Henry's wives. The brought out the best and the worst of their personalities that puts the reader right back into time and it was like listening to the women tell their own stories.  I was so captivated by these women and couldnt wait to read more about them.  One way or another these women were all cursed to live very short lives and very heartbreaking lives. All the women wanted was to bear Henry a son and to love a man who with the exception of one or two of the wives did not love back.  A very well written book I really wished it didnt have to be so sad.
I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

BALLISTIC (GRAY MAN #3) BY MARK GREANEY

BALLISTIC (GRAY MAN #3 ) BY MARK GREANEY is of course,the third in the Gray Man series. This time Court, after escaping with his life, leaves the Amazon jungle, crocks & a group of assassins on his heels, lands himself in drug country, Mexico, where he learns that a DEA agent to whom he is good friends is murdered by a notorious drug lord. Court gets himself in hot water not only with locals who work for the drug lord but the drug lord himself & since Eddie Gamboa saved Courts life in the past, Court is helping the family of Eddie's not only get the justice they so desperately want but they want the want this drug lord taken out! 

The Gray man series is loaded with non stop action & it also has its very violent chapters as well. If you really love the fast paced thrillers the GRAY MAN series by MARK GREANEY is just what you want.  Me, I'm hooked on the Gray Man series and loved every single page!

KILLER CHOICE BY TOM HUNT

What would you do to save the one you love?  That is the question author TOM HUNT asks in KILLER CHOICE.  Would you lie, steal, cheat, or even KILL?   Mr. Hunt's character Gary Foster is faced with that question when he finds out his wife & unborn child is dying.  What would you do?  How far would you go for the person you love more than life itself?

The book starts out slow and like a roller coaster going downhill it speeds up to break neck speed for the characters.  Gary needs to come up with the money to pay for his wifes treatment and he is stuck between a rock and a hard place .
 While reading this book I kept asking myself, what would I do ? Would I do what Gary has done? Could I do it?  Not only is KILLER CHOICE  a really good read, but it made me stop and wonder, what I would do to save the love of my life!

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for a honest review.

SARCOPHAGUS BY BEN HAMMOTT

SARCOPHAGUS BY BEN HAMMOTT. First off & yes this is kinda giving some of the book away, but best be warned, if you are squeamish about bodies being ripped apart and eaten you might want to skip some of this book! Me, I loved it. The character development and the nail biting chapters kept me reading well into the night! The chase, not only on the boat but in the museum was great reading. 

I really enjoyed this book and hope to find more of Mr.Hammott's books.

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

CRIMINAL ZOO BY SEAN MCDANIEL

CRIMINAL ZOO BY SEAN MCDANIEL is one of the most unusual reads I think I have ever read. It it told in the perspective of Samuel Bradbury, serial killer. Starting with his childhood, Samuel has murdered animals and people. The book leads the reader into his adulthood where his killing and mutilation continues.  Samuel is caught and sentenced to the Criminal Zoo,created for people just like him, people convicted of horrendous crimes. The Criminal Zoo is opened for people to come in and observe and torcher its inmates.

A very disturbing book but are really good read

 I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for a review.

HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE(KEBAB KITCHEN MYSTERY #1)BY TRINA KASHIAN

HUMMUS AND HOMICIDE(KEBAB KITCHEN MYSTERY # 1) BY TINA KASHIAN  is a really good start to what I hope is a very long run of mysteries.  A very fast read but a really good action packed mystery with a cast of characters who could be living in anytown USA. 

Lucy Berberian just quit her law job because she got passed up for partner in a law firm in PA. Now when you are out of a job and a little homesick what does Lucy do? She goes home to Ocean Crest & her family run restaurant to "spend a little" time before looking for another job. Of course, Lucy is handed an order pad and an apron and put to work. One of her first customers is her nemesis from high school Heather Banks, local health inspector who just slapped multiple violations(all unfounded) on the restaurant.  Heather eats the food pays the bill leaves and drops dead, and guess who is the top suspect? Lucy is hell bent on finding out who really killed Heather before it not only gets her in jail on a murder charge but forces the family business out of business!

I received this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

BLOOD , DIRT & LIES BY RACHAEL GRAVES

BLOOD, DIRT AND LIES BY RACHAEL GRAVES is the third in the Mallory Mors series.  It is the first of the series I have read.  It sometimes is very difficult getting up to speed when dropping into the middle of a series, but I had no problem getting into this one.  I really enjoyed the characters & the speed of the story. 

Mallory Mors is a homicide detective with the SIU (supernatural investigative unit)  , a dark witch who reads dead bodies, human and non human.  Mal,to her friends, lives with and is very much in love with a six hundred year old vampire,who is drop dead gorgeous!

I loved the plots twists and turns not to mention the genre mix of supernatural,mystery & romance and I cant wait to read more!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE FIRM BY JOHN GRISHAM

THE FIRM BY JOHN GRISHAM is one of the first books of Mr.Grisham's I have read This is the second time I have read this book and it still holds as one of my favorite in the legal thriller genre.  Fast paced & really intense, THE FIRM kept me reading well into the night!

Welcome to the firm, Bendini, Lambert and Locke is not one of the most prestigious law firms.  When you sign up to work there you sign up for life.  Mitchell McDeere, young, eager and newly graduate of Harvard law school believes he has landed the job of a lifetime.  Raised in a poor neighborhood , he and his wife Abby believe the new car,new house & the paycheck of a lifetime has put them on easy street, but little do the know at the time it could kill them! 

PAPERBACKS FOR HELL:THE TWISTED HISTORY OF THE 70'S AND 80'S HORROR FICTION BY GRADY HENDRIX

PAPERBACKS FOR HELL:THE TWISTED HISTORY OF THE 70'S AND 80'S HORROR FICTION BY GRADY HENDRIX, for me is a walk through my childhood! My brother got me hooked on horror and I have read quite alot of the earlier horror books mentioned in this book.  They were a part of my brothers book collection and a big part of my life! I loved to be scared to death when I was younger and back in the sixties and seventies these paperback were a great way to read myself into a sleepless night hiding under the covers for protection!  Mr Hendrix not only dives into the horror genre but the gothic novels as well. He takes the books and the decades they were published and give the reader the reason they were so popular at the time.
  One thing Mr Hendrix did as well is to bring the attention of the ARTIST, the person who designed and created the creepy, gross covers.  The author got the laurels back when the books were published but some of the credit is due to the artists who made those pages come alive in the covers. 
PAPERBACKS FROM HELL is a MUST for anyone who goes for the horror genre & who wants to get an education on the books, the authors and the artists that created them.

I received this e book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review!

MINETTA LANE BY A.ROBERT ALLEN

MINETTA LANE BY A. ROBERT ALLEN is set in New York  1904.  His main character Bodee Rivers is just coming to Minetta Lane where, if you are a stranger, whether white or black, you could be beaten, robbed or killed!  Bodee who has never in his life stood up to anyone or anything is literally being immersed into the Minetta Lane culture.  But Bodee Rivers has an in: his grandmother Juba.  Minetta Lane citizens thinks she is a mambo, a witch, which  for Bodee means no one bothers Bodee unless they want to answer to grandma Juba & they dont want to have to answer to her,ever!

When Mr. Allen emailed me asking me to review this book I took the chance, after reading the blurb on it and thought it would be an interesting read.  I was wrong, it was great read! Stepping into Bodee's world and seeing his life, watching him grow and mature, falling in love was a real pleasure. From what I understand MINETTA LANE is the third book in the SLAVERY AND BEYOND  series.none of which except this one I have read. It didnt make a difference as MINETTA LANE can be read as a stand alone with no problem.    If you really want some very good Historical Fiction I highly recommend MINETTA LANE BY A.ROBERT ALLEN.

I recieved this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review!

DO NOT ASK BY ELAINE WILLIAMS CROCKETT

DO NOT ASK BY ELAINE WILLIAMS CROCKETT is a fast paced legal thriller that will keep you turning the pages until dawn!  Solid characters, DO NOT ASK crosses the genre barrier as a cross between great mystery and great legal thriller!

Supreme Court Justice Warren Alexander, father, husband, lawyer, ex-FBI and Judge hunts down the killer of the Presidents twin daughters & his missing, paralegal.  Problem is the investigation hits very very close to home, as in his  home & son in law's home!

Fast paced mystery legal thriller that kept me flipping the pages!  Twist and turns that fools even the best armchair detective, DO NOT ASK BY ELAINE WILLIAMS CROCKETT is a ten star thriller and must read!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

THE HANDYMAN BY BENTLEY LITTLE

THE HANDYMAN BY BENTLEY LITTLE is a 10 on my creepy meter!  Mr. Little takes an innocuous subject and turns it into something to be feared.  This time its Mr.Frank Watkins, neighborhood handyman & house builder & remodeler.  On the outside, Frank seems to be everyone's go to guy for building and remodeling homes, but Daniel Martin soon learns that Frank is more, way more.Daniel as a child learns that Frank is wrong, just plain wrong! He and his brother Billy cant stand to even be near him without getting that creepy feeling.  Without giving away too much of the plot, Billy dies & Daniel knows its Franks fault.  Fast forward to Daniel's adulthood with Frank surfaces again. Daniel knows this man spreads evil in every home he enters and Daniel knows no matter what it takes, the evil must be destroyed!

I have been a Bentley Little fan for a long time and I am one who loves to re-read his books just for the thrill of it & THE HANDYMAN will be no exception. Its definitely one to keep and re-read again.

I guess I'm one of those who love to read books that scare me to death & keep me awake at night & Bentley Little definitely is one of my favorite authors to do just that.

DARK WINDS RISING BY MARK NOCE

DARK WINDS RISING (QUEEN BRANWEN #2) BY MARK NOCE is the second in the series of historical fiction set in Wales.  I found the book hard to put down until the very end as it is so moving, so fast paced and loaded with battles not only on the field but off, not only between friend and foe but husband and wife!  Mr Noce took me straight back to a time where men fought the battles and women, especially queens, sat around doing nothing, but not in queen Branwen's case! Branwen is right there, in the field with her bow and arrow and her husband fighting the barbaric Pictish armies. 

Branwen is an incredibly tough female in a time when females are not supposed to be tough they are supposed to just be!  Branwen is a complex character as well, with her bow, her falcon & her knowledge of the old ways she is fighting all the enemies and trying her best to protect not only her son but her kingdom and her life!

I recieved this book free from goodreads in exchange for an honest review

AGENT IN PLACE(THE GRAY MAN #7)BY MARK GREANEY

AGENT IN PLACE BY MARK GREANEY is the seventh in the "Gray Man" series.  Court Gentry , the ever mysterious Gray Man is now involved in helping a Free Syrian group bring down the current regime in Syria.  Court very reluctantly, kidnapped the mistress of the President of Syria in hopes that the group can get her to publicly speak out against him. She will not unless the group can guarantee the life of her son who is back in Syria.  Court agrees to rescue him.  In the meantime, the First Lady of Syria wants her and the child dead. Court as usual gets more involved in things that he wants to be.

I read the first book in the series awhile back and I am glad to see that with this book the Gray Man character and story plot has become more developed and a even more enjoyable than the first book in the series.  If you are into the spy, action packed, blow em up and shoot em down type of books like I am then you will really enjoy AGENT IN PLACE BY MARK GREANEY.

I recieved this book from goodreads free in exchange for an honest review.

AIR PLANTS:EPIPHYTES AND AERIAL GARDENS BY DAVID H BENZING

AIR PLANTS : EPIPHYTES AND AERIAL GARDENS BY DAVID H BENZING.  I am a newbie to the world of Air Plants and wanted a reference book on and about them.  This book is the perfect resource for you if you are just beginner or a reference for a long timer into the world of Epiphytes.  The author covers the entire spectrum of the Air Plant along with amazing photos of them in their natural habitats.  Do not let the price deter you if you want a complete in-depth guide to the world of Air Plants.