Saturday, August 31, 2013

Sing It To Her Bones

In Marcia Talley's Sing It To Her Bones, the first installment in the Hannah Ives mystery series, Hannah Ives was recovering from cancer, unemployed, and down on her luck. Her marriage had hit a crisis point, when she went to Pearson's Corner to take time for herself and discovered a dead body of a girl who disappeared a decade ago. When she asked questions around, she stirred up a hornet's nest. Now people were trying to scare her off from the truth, when there'd been some attempts on her life to shut her up. When her sister-in-law was sailboat's pirated by the killers, the truth cane out in the open, when it dealt with life and death of the worst kind. This was a great debut for a mystery series with lots of drama, suspense and action, when we saw things from her eyes only, when it unraveled like a ball of yarn.

This was a fascinating and intriguing Hannah Ives mystery debut. I did care about Hannah, when she was dealt with a whole lot of stuff in her life. I applaud her efforts from being a cancer survivor and taking time off for herself. I did feel bad for that missing girl she found in Pearson's Corner.  I didn't like people trying to scare her off and to shut her off, when she was trying to get down to the heart of the matter. I loved the central Maryland locations in the series, especially when it was by the marina.  This one would make you cringe a few time. Great drama, excellent storyline with tons of twisty turns with action and mystery through and through.

Will you sing it to her bones? If so, grab a copy for yourself today!




Friday, August 30, 2013

Burn

In Linda Howard's Burn, she took us on a wild cruise ride that was destined for destruction. Jenner Redwine worked at a meat packing plant, before she won the lottery which changed everything in a blink of an eye. From there, she moved to Florida from Chicago and made new friends and a new life. But when she boarded that cruise, she didn't know what she was in for, when she met Cael Traylor and his crew. Kidnapped and threatened, she was Cael's cover to be his lover. This was when he was doing surveillance on a potential homegrown terrorist of his own. On both sides of the coin, they butted heads and sparks flew.  They did get underneath each other's skin, until they fall in love for real, when danger loomed behind them from a sick and dying man on a sinking cruise ship. We saw how Jenner clawed her way out of this one and found true love, while Cael softened up his façade on a nasty cruise ride to Hawaii. It was up to them to jump ship before it's too late. What an explosive novel.

This was a hot and steamy romantic suspense. I did care about Jenner, especially when her friends treated her like dirt, like when she won the lottery.  There were nothing but sour grapes in my opinion.  I liked the concept on doing it on the cruise ship for the main location and setting for this novel, too. I also loved the dual locations of Chicago and southern Florida as well. This would steam up your window and leave you swooning in the end of this novel. Great drama, terrific non-stop action with plenty of romance and suspense to heat up a cold day.

Are you ready to burn? Cool down with a copy today!



Sunday, August 25, 2013

The Lincoln Conspiracy

If you love historical thrillers, you'll love this debut from Tim O'Brien. In the Lincoln Conspiracy, it takes you right on an adventurous joyride and a welcomed blast to the past. Right after Lincoln's murder, his assassin were on the run. While the country mourned his loss, we were right into the thick of it with Temple and Fiona McFadden. When they discovered two secret diaries, everyone was after them to get it back. And they would do everything, whatever it takes to not let everyone learn the truth. Real life historical figures came to life to give them a creative nonfiction twist. We do get involved with Mary Lincoln and her family, and the people who might become a friend or a traitorous foe. While Temple and Fiona were in danger, they've become caught up into who instigated the murders and why. You'll witness what the McFaddens and the what the killers would do next, too. A real enjoyable historical thriller.

I love this creative nonfiction or alternate history twist to this historical thriller.  I cared about the Lincolns and the McFaddens for sure. I also cared about our country as a whole, when we mourned a loss of another great president. I loved the historical action elements in this to make it a real good page-turner. I was saddened, that Tim O'Brien haven't written any new books yet since this one came out. I loved the Chicago location in this thriller to make it more real and accurate.  Great historical factual drama, great action and suspense, and plenty of excitement for this thriller to wrap up a good thriller.

Have you heard about the Lincoln Conspiracy? If not, give this one a go this weekend!


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Rope

If you're a big fan of the Anna Pigeon mystery series, this is a must-read. This was where it all started for Anna with this much waited prequel to the series in the national park series. In the 17th installment of the Anna Pigeon series, the Rope, Anna was widowed and looking for a new career,  when she had gotten more than what she bargained for. She was found attacked in the desert of the Glen Canyon National Park, on her first week of the job, and nowhere near the Dangling Rope park ranger duplex. Meanwhile, there was an eclectic group of characters, like her gay friend Jenny Gorman, and Regis Candor and his wife Bethy. After one too many attempts on her life, she began to piece together the puzzle of how she landed there and what happened to her, and who wanted her harmed. And the truth shocked her with a psychological twist or two, when there was a recovery of dead bodies in the water. This would leave you breathless, until you'll read Destroyer Angel, which came out in 2013.

I love Nevada Barr's Anna Pigeon mystery series. I loved how each storyline took place in a national park, since Anna was a park ranger. I loved the Arizona-Utah dual location areas for the settings. It was so visual and picturesque, which would put you there too. I cared about Anna, since we've got to know how she'd gotten started in the park ranger business, and how she mourned the loss of her husband. I hated when Bethy and others targeted her and others, when she was a new park ranger on the scene. But I liked how she bonded with the others who befriended her. This would  make you shake your head and cheer for Anna throughout the series. Great drama, excellent action, and plenty of great suspense in this mystery from start to finish.

Watch out for the Rope! Pick up a copy today!




Friday, August 16, 2013

Hot Dish

In Connie Brockway's contemporary romance debut, Hot Dish, we were introduced to Jenn Lind aka Jenn Hallesby. It started out with a flashback to a small town beauty pageant as she was outraged by a unbeknown scandal, she vowed not to go back there again. Years later, she was a well known New York Martha Stewart type on cooking and crafting. But she was asked to come back to be a grand co-marshal for Fawn Creek's celebratory parade, that was about the same time Steve Jaax returned back to her life, and she landed a new show from a new channel. But it wasn't all what it seemed due to change. Back home, she met some familiar characters and her parents at their B&B home. Things changed, when there was chemistry between her and Jax, while they were after her butter head from back then. Humor, romance, blackmail and extortion with loads of drama were the perfect ingredients in this romance.

This was a humorous and hilarious contemporary romance that would leave you laughing out loud. I cared about Jenn and Jaax and her family. I love the small town of Fawn Creek Minnesota for the location and pleasurable settings, especially in winter.  This had me on the first page and compelled me to keep on reading to the very end with a smile on my face. Great drama with humor, lots of good action and romance with a hint of intrigue.

Will you discover the hot dish today? If so, pick it up this weekend!


Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Guilty

If you enjoyed Henry Parker in Jason Pinter's debut thriller, The Mark, you'll enjoy him the 2nd installment of the Henry Parker thriller series, The Guilty. One year later, Henry was back to report in his newest story. While things were getting hot with Amanda, things were going for a downhill swing for him. It all started with a singer's murder at the nightclub. More escalated deaths had grown from there. It was a race between Henry's and Paulina's papers to print the story for competition. While Paulina had Henry watched, he was on the top of things for his story that had a historical past connection you didn't see coming. We saw Henry and Amanda's relationship struggle and later fall apart, when his life was threatened and Mya kept calling him. To keep her safe, he did what he did best. We all encountered the fearless and ruthless mind of the killer. It was time to separate the guilty from the innocent.

This was another gripping thriller from Jason Pinter.  I did feel bad for the singer and her family. I also liked Henry with Amanda together, while I thought Mya was a bit annoying. She couldn't let things go. I still love NYC as the backdrop for the location in this series.  I also felt sad for Henry and Amanda, when their relationship fell apart at the seams. This would take you on a wild ride for an adrenalin rush. Great drama, explosive non-stop action, and lots of great suspense from the first to last page.

Are you guilty for not reading this thriller? Check it out today!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Arsenic and Old Paint

In the last and perhaps final installment of the Art Lover's series from Hailey Lind, Arsenic and Old Paint, Annie Kincaid was back and still stuck in the same love triangle. When she worked on a new faux finishing assignment in an underground tunnel, she was caught up in a new murder. And this one was similar in nature to a famous masterpiece. It was now up to her to find out the mystery between the painting and the creative re-enactment of it. She also discovered some interesting characters along the way, who would do anything to stop her in the way of finding out about their secret man's sex club. A couple attempts on her life didn't sway her decision to stick with it. We saw Annie try to figure this mystery and decided who she wants to be with in the end. There's a shocking twist.

This was a great conclusion to the Art Lover's series, in which I was sad it had to end, even on a happy note. I did feel torn and happy for Annie, who were stuck in her final art-related mystery. I hated to see, that people wanted to take her down and out of the picture. I loved the faux art themed mystery, too, and the helpful tips that were included in the end. I loved the central California locations in this one as well. I cringed, sighed for relief, and smiled in the end. Great drama, good suspense and action, and plenty of mystery for this final caper in the series.

Watch out for the arsenic in the old paint! Pick up this book today!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

The Runaway Duke

In Julie Anne Long's debut into the historical romance world, The Runaway Duke, she catapulted into a world of second chances and hidden secrets. Connor Riordan worked for the Tremaines in England as an Irish groom. But he was hiding a secret--he was really Roarke Blackburn, the Duke of Dunbrooke who supposedly "died" in the world, five years ago. When he helped Rebecca Tremaine from an arranged marriage, they were on the journey of a lifetime and fleed to Scotland. While she disappeared, Rebecca's sister, Lorelei, had a fantastic debut into her season, when she fell in love with a colonel, which disappointed her mother. Meanwhile there was a scheming duchess and Rebecca's fiancé were going to track them. Hot on their heels, they ran into highwayman and traveling gypsies. The closer they get into danger, the more they fall in love with each other. We saw how they struggled in this whirlwind relationship, while Roarke came out into the open, if it wasn't for a locket, and regained what was his. We discovered how Rebecca makes her calling as a healer or doctor and listened to her heart. In the end, they belonged together to start their lives in royalty.

This was a delightful historical romance. I cared about Roarke and Rebecca and how they fooled everyone, except for their hearts. I loved the storyline and how they worked together to hide from their past. I thought Lorelei was okay, but I did pity her mother for not approving of her own love match.  I loved the dual locations of England and Scotland in this historical romance. This would shock you and enthrall you at the same time. Great drama, plenty of suspense and action, and great intrigue and romance along the way.

Are you ready to catch a runaway duke? Check out a copy today!


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Sweetheart

If you love Heartsick, you'll love the return of serial killer Gretchen Lowell and Detective Archie Sheridan in Sweetheart, the second installment in Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan thriller series.  They were back in this compelling thriller with reporter Susan Ward. She was now after a hot scandal for her newspaper. But when she closed in for the scoop, tragedy struck before it could happen. And then more dead bodies turned up, which might have a link to the case. For Archie, it was a much different story. With his relationship to his ex-wife Debbie dangling on the line, his obsession with Gretchen grew. When she escaped from the prison's infirmary, she was now after Archie's family and then with Archie. On the run, it was now up to Susan and Henry to find them, before they were engulfed by a wildfire, and Archie's health was declining, right after she escaped from their clutches. We really saw how both of them struggled with their obsessions and tied  up to one complicated case. What a rush!

This was another spine-tingling thriller. I continued to care about Archie, when he grew sicker in poor health. He needed to take better care of himself and get over this obsession of his. I did feel worried about his family and with Susan and Henry, too. I still love the central Portland location for the series. This would make you feel numb and shocked at the same time. I continue to hate Gretchen more and more. Great drama, good action and suspense, and plenty of intrigue, right to the end.

Be a sweetheart today! Check this out today!