Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Happiness Key

In Emilie Richards's Happiness Key, the first installment in the Happiness Key Woman's fiction series, this was a beautiful story about four women who came together with not much in common. For Tracy Deloche, when her husband was sent to prison, she was left with five cottages on a strip of beach land as their landlord. As she tried to make ends meet by finding a job and love, she bonded with three of her tenants and neighbors, Janya Kapur, an Indian woman who's trying to find her way to love to her arranged husband and trying to move away from being shunned in the past, Wanda Grey, an old woman who's trying to find her own way to freedom from her husband and come to love him again, and Alice Brooks, a grandmother who's mourned the loss of her daughter and became the victim of an elder abuse situation with her son-in-law, while protecting her granddaughter. Together, they solved the mystery of Herb Krause, a former tenant who passed away, and came together as friends and so much more.

This was a real beautiful woman's fiction novel about love, life, family and friendship, all wrapped up in this storyline. I cared about Tracy, Wanda, Janya and Alice and Olivia. I've grown to care for Marsh and despised Lee on the spot. I loved the Florida Key along the coastline for this idealistic novel about learning to love and lean on each other. This would bring you into their lives and open your heart with a big smile with tons of romance, non-stop action, drama and intrigue.

Will you find your own Happiness Key today? If so, check it out!


Friday, September 25, 2015

Special review: Dead Sleep from February 2009

In Greg Iles's Dead Sleep, the third installment in the Mississippi series, he had delivered to send chills up and down our spine. For photojournalist Jordan Glass, she discovered the "Sleeping Women" painting series morbidly disturbing, since it showcased dead and not sleeping women. One of them might be her own--or of her missing twin sister. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes the hunter and the hunted for the search of this anonymous artist and obsessed killer, who knew more about her family than she's prepared to face.


This was another bone-chilling thriller that would leave you speechless, right until it was over. I cared about Jordan and became curious on the paintings myself. The location and settings of Mississippi was perfect to showcase a dark twisted and perhaps perverted side of art. This would take you in for a disturbing wild ride with non-stop action, drama, suspense, and tons of mystery. 




Monday, September 21, 2015

Open Season

In CJ Box's thriller debut, Open Season, the first installment of the Joe Pickett thriller series, it hits close to home and personal in this fascinating thriller. For Game Warden Joe Pickett of Saddlestring, Wyoming, it all started with the altercation and murder of Ote Kelley. From there, he investigated the murder of two fellow outfitters in the mountains and came across some hard obstacles along the way. While this went on, his oldest daughter Sheridan came across some endangered species, when someone watched her from the shadows. The closer he'd gotten to the truth, his family's life and job became entangled on the line of crossfire, when it dealt with dirty politics and the endangered species. And when someone targeted his pregnant wife and daughter, there's going to be hell to pay in self-defense to the bittersweet end.


This was a fantastic thriller debut from CJ Box, though I've read one of his books awhile ago. I really cared about Joe and his family, while he dealt with wildlife during the hunting season. I really loved the scenic descriptions of the settings and locations in Saddlestring, Wyoming. It magically transported you there to take you places. This would reel you in and take you on a wild ride through Wyoming's mountains and beyond with non-stop action, intrigue, drama and plenty of suspense.


Will you be ready for open season today? If so, check it out now!


Saturday, September 19, 2015

Live Bait

In the second installment of PJ Tracy's Monkeewrench Mystery series, Live Bait, this mystery tackled a lot of history with humor and hits a sore spot with intrigue. For Leo Magozzi and his fellow police officers, it all started with a murder of Morey Gilbert and the tortured death of Arlen Fischer. For two separate cases, they worked two grizzly crimes when they tried to find a connection. When two other seniors were killed the same way, they tried to find a bigger link. And that's when they've found out about their tattoos on their arms. When Morey's son was being shadowed by the killer, that's when Leo placed protection from him, while he asked Grace for her help to widen their net even bigger. And when she did, it's quite shocking, when they discover about unsolved murders and who the killer really was and why in the end, after they lost one of their own.

This was a gripping mystery that had hard bits of humors and tackled a most disturbing crime in their neighborhood. I did care about Grace and Leo coming together as a couple and his fellow police officers. I felt sorrow for Marty, Jack and Lily, too. There's some colorful characters in this novel. I liked the Minnesota location for the storyline and for the settings. This left me feeling so cold all over from start to finish. Great drama, non-stop action, mystery and intrigue on every page.

Will you try tackle some live bait tonight? If so, check it out now!


Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Minute Zero

In Todd Moss's Minute Zero, the 2nd installment of the Judd Ryker International political thriller series, the country of Zimbabwe took central stage in this thriller. When an American tourist was killed in Victorian Falls, that was the start of this gripping thriller, when it edged closer to their Election Day. And that's when Judd Ryker was sent down to oversee the Zimbabwean elections for any conflict, and if his Minute Zero proposal plan would be needed. At the edge of your seat, from Washington D.C. to Africa, there's scandals, violence, and a potential uprising, when there was a blackout, and two assassinated politicians at the cutthroat of political turmoil, when Judd witnessed it all. Back home, his wife Jessica had harbored a deep secret about her past that would blow you away in the shocking climax with the final time-tomb.

This was a most fascinating and intriguing international political thriller that would take you at the edge of your seat. I cared about Judd and Jessica and the political turmoil that brewed in Zimbabwe between both political parties. I loved the central locations of Zimbabwe and Washington D.C. for the dual settings. I didn't like Zagwe and Harriet pretty much--the same went for Simba. This would take you on a wild and crazy ride with non-stop action, drama, intrigue and lots of suspense.

Will you need a minute zero for a SOS?


Monday, September 14, 2015

The End Game

In Catherine Coulter's and JT Ellison's The End Game, the third installment in the A Brit in the FBI thriller series, this thriller had all the elements of a dark and compelling, gritty thriller. For FBI Agent Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine, it all started with an explosion of an oil refinery and lead them to the trail of an eco-terrorist group, the Celebrants of Earth, who were against the Middle Eastern countries who support terrorism and gives us oil for gasoline. From there, it gets complicated, when there was a terrorist in the midst and a mess, when some of their agents were killed in the explosion. It was up to them to follow the electronic paper trail to a cyber-attack and blackout, with threats that went up to the White House. While Michaela and Nicholas team up with Savich and Sherlock, they knew they had chemistry together. They were many twists and turns in the end that they didn't see coming, right to the end.

This was a fantastic and mind-blowing thriller in the series, though I haven't read the other two books in the series. I loved the chemistry Mike and Nick had as partners and as lovers. I loved the eco-terrorism plot element with a hint of political thriller thrown inside with current events. I loved the vast array of USA locations, especially along the East Coast. This would leave you hanging at the edge of your seat from start to finish with excellent drama, suspense, intrigue and non-stop action on every page.

Will you reach your own end game today? If so, pick up a copy tomorrow!


Sunday, September 13, 2015

Sanctuary Island

In Lily Everett's Sanctuary Island, the first installment in the Sanctuary Island, you're transported to a heart-warming and fantastic contemporary romance novel that you would move you to tears. For Ella Preston, she thought her sister's Merry's idea to visit their estranged mother on Sanctuary Island a bad idea after fifteen long years. But things changed for Ella and Merry, when they arrived on the island and become awed on the island's beauty. When they met the vet, Ben, and his best friend, Grady Wilkes, it opened a whole new world for them. It gave Jo Ellen Hollister, their mother, to reconnect with them, while she faced a debt that needed to be paid. Within time, Ella and Grady grew closer together, when Merry gave birth to her son. Time tended to heal her own wounds and heart, too.

This was such a beautiful contemporary romance series. It reminds me of The Horse Whisperer that meets Bridges of Madison County in a way. I fell in love with this novel and debut by Lily Everett. I cared for Merry, Ella and Jo Ellen. I'm so glad that they bonded and started fresh, even on the island. I loved how Ella and Grady came together and healed each other's hearts. I thought Taylor was okay as a pain in the butt. I loved the island location with the horses and how it resembled like a small town. This would reel you in and take you on a fantastic ride like in a carnival with great drama,  romance, lots of romance and intrigue from start to finish.

Will you take a trip to Sanctuary Island today? If so, buckle up on the ferry ride now.

Monday, September 7, 2015

Black-Eyed Susans

In Julia Heaberlin's Black-Eyed Susans, prepared to be chilled and thrilled in this three-part dark thriller. For Tessa "Tessie" Cartwright, at age sixteen, she was left for dead in a Texas field of Black-Eyed Susans and was the only who survived and became blind. In this thriller, we watched the grown-up Tessa as a mother of a teenage daughter who's been haunted and taunted by her neighbors as the killer's days come close to a screeching halt in the end before his execution on Death. With flashbacks to a young Tessa, before and after her trial, when multiple events unfolded to a surprising climax of the true identity of the killer's being revealed by a blast of her past with a huge bombshell that would blow you away!

This was one mind-blowing dark thriller that would leave you chilled, until after you finished reading it. I did really care about Tessa/Tessie, then and now, and how she became a strong mother of a teen daughter. I didn't like her best friend Lydia at all. And as for the real serial killer, who could he do that to her and others? I really love the Texas locations for the past and present for the location and how the black-eyed Susans became symbolic to the storyline. This is a must-read straight to the end and with the light on with excellent non-stop action, suspense, intrigue and lots of chills.

Will you pick a bouquet of Black-eyed Susans today? If so, hold on tight!


Sunday, September 6, 2015

Clammed Up

In the first installment of Barbara Ross's Maine Clambake Cozy Mystery series, Clammed Up, she introduced us to Morrow Island for this charming mystery. For Julia Snowden, she returned back to Maine to help out with her family's clambake business. But things did get clammy for sure, when she found a dead body during the wedding shower of a wedding and investigated into the murder for sure. Besides fighting the bank for a loan to pay for a debt, things get dicey, when her childhood sweetheart returned back to town. As she reunited with her family, she talked to people to get to know the truth. More or less, that's when Windsholme went up in flames. Sooner or later, she discovered the shocking truth of who done it and why, while trying to save face and the clambake.

This was a charming new culinary cozy series debut. I loved the Morrow Island central location for Maine to have a clambake-based cozy series. It's very idealistic for a small island town, too. I cared about Julia and her family and became concerned about Etienne and his family. I became torn between Jamie and Chris for Julia's love interests in a semi-love triangle. This would entice you and give you chills, along with delicious clambake recipes included too, for this tempting and delectable new culinary cozy series to read. Great drama, intrigue, suspense, and plenty of non-stop action too.

Will you be clammed up this fall? If so, grab a serving or two with a copy today!


Saturday, September 5, 2015

Tragic Toppings

In Jessica Beck's Tragic Toppings, the 5th installment in the Donut Shop culinary cozy series, she delighted us with an intriguing cozy with delicious donut recipes to enjoy at home. For Suzanne Hart, she received a lot of customers come and go at her shop. But when their handyman winds up missing and turns up dead, it baffled Suzanne's mind on who wanted him dead. Besides trying to convince her mother to go out with the police chief on their dates, she's busy running her store and waiting for her boyfriend to visit her from his job. When he does, it's between the two of them on who wanted to see Tim Leander dad--they dig up his past life and his love life to question everybody as a suspect. When her recipe book went missing and up in flames, someone sent her a warning, before her business could go up in smoke. Before she knew it, her life was at stake and discovered who killed him and someone else, too.

This was a delightful new culinary cozy series to enjoy, even though it was in the middle of the series. I cared about Suzanne and her mother Dorothy, who were two of a kind, and cared for each other. I also loved Emma, Emily and Jake and Grace. The town of April Springs were charming and idealistic for a small town in the Carolinas. I felt bad for Emily and Tim and didn't like Orson Blaine one bit. This would entice you and thrill you with a charming twist or two, every step of the way. Good drama, excellent suspense, intrigue and plenty of non-stop action, too.

Will you have some tragic toppings added to your donuts today? If so, read on with sprinkles on top!