Live Wire

In the tenth--and possible--final installment in the Myron Bolitar series,  Live Wire, he returned with his friends and sports agency on his final case. It all started with one little lie that escalated from downhill from there.  When pregnant tennis legend Suzze T. requested his help about a mysterious Facebook post. Myron took on his task and came across from danger. It lead him dealing with the mob, drug dealers, and possible connections to a rock band, including Suzze's husband Lex. He uncovered the backstory about a death at a concert years ago and a lead to his elusive sister-in-law Kitty with his long-lost nephew in tow. While he tried to settle family issues, he wanted to find out about what happened to his brother who haven't been seen since 15 years ago. He sorted through tons of lies to get to the heart of the truth, until it hit close to him and forced to dismantle his agency. Plenty of humorous quirks in Live Wire and continued with the Mickey Bolitar's spinoff series.

In this mystery,  we could see how Myron cared for his family. That showed a loving side of him and that he had a good heart. We also could see how he worried about Win's latest moves. Although there's some humorous bits and pieces in here, this one touched on life and death in a gentle way. There was a bit of a focus of sports and music in this one. I loved the island scenes with the intricate settings. Another great easy and quick read to enjoy!

Ready to go on a flight? Give this one a try!

Safe Harbor

Hold onto your hats in this fast-paced thriller set in Canada. In Safe Harbor, the first book in the Pat Tierney Thriller series, Pat Tierney's world was turned upside-down, when Jude Seaton stepped inside her financial planning firm. From there, she went on an emotional roller-coaster ride. First, the bombshell about her late husband's affair and son, when Jude asked her for her help, imploring that the both of them were in danger. Later on, she turned up dead. It was up to Pat to find out the truth behind Jude's life, when she tried to control her family and steer them for the truth later on, and protect Tommy from evil harm. While she managed a couple of clients, she didn't know the danger that brewed at her own firm. Pretty soon, both world collide with the shocking truth about a secret off-shore account and the disturbing truth behind the black market human organ trafficking that happened in her own backyard.

I loved the Canadian location for the backdrop of this thriller series. This dealt with some intense and hard-core topics like black market organ donation and harvesting.  As for Pat,  I began to feel some real emotions for her to discover about Michael's affair and his young son Tommy. But she took on the responsibility to care for him for Jude and  find out about why she killed. Her daughters were charmed to find out about their step-brother and were pretty cool as well. Pat's boyfriend were okay to me. I didn't like the Russians, Artie, and Pat's boss as well, too. They rubbed me the wrong way.

Ready to hold onto your hats! Take a splash with this one today!

Midnight Marriage

Inspired by true events in history, Midnight Marriage was a beautiful tale of two people in the Georgia period in England. This is the second installment of the Roxton Family Saga Series. For Deborah Cavendish and Julian Hesham, they had an arranged marriage, when they were quite young at age 12 and 19. Years later, they met by a chance encounter and fall in love. But it wasn't quite easy for these two love birds, when Deb knows Julian and not as the Marquis of Alston, another side of him. For Deb, who helped raised her nephew and was a wild one to boot, she became embroiled in an awkward love triangle. Despite her brother's antics, Julian's half-brother was out for revenge and wanted Deb for his own. Between scandalous rumors, Deb learned about Julian's true identity and yearned for the man she fell in love with, while learning about his true background behind their secret marriage. 

Overall, I loved the inspired historical story to set up the storyline basis, though they were married too young for those standards. We do get to set how they lived their own separate lives, not knowing about the midnight marriage that took place. For Julian and the prince of Roxton, who were the one of the same persona, we saw the two sides of him. I loved how we witnessed how Deb took care of her nephew when her brother didn't care for him much. I didn't like her brother at all. This historical romance will melt your heart like butter and make you sigh and sway at the same time. This was a beautiful story about love, heartache and passion.

 Check out this emotional historical romance today!

Brownies and Betrayal

If you love culinary cozies, you're in for a delicious treat. In Brownies and Betrayal,  the first book in the Sweet Bites Mystery series, Tempest "Tess" Crawford was a former pastry chef from Chicago and starting her own business in her hometown of Silver Springs, Arizona. When she catered her brownies at a wedding party, she came across an arch rival and then found her dead body. While she tried to set up her own bakery shop, she became under suspicion for murder. It's up to Tess and her best friend, Honey, to find new clues on who wanted Valerie dead, and went behind the scenes. Trouble came her way with her scheming ex-fiancé to win her back, a couple of attacks on her life, and a possible new love interest for Tess, before she opened her own shop and discovered whodunnit and why. This included yummy recipes to try at home.

This was a delightful new culinary cozy series to try and love. It carried the sweet down to earth for a  nice small town feel. I enjoyed Honey and Tess so much as best friends. I didn't like Tess's ex-fiance, but loved Sean more the same. I hated Anna, too. The delicious recipes in the end are a big bonus. This would make a delightful read in one entire setting or two.

Ready to dig in? Enjoy this cozy for yourself, when you get one today!

The Neon Rain

If you love a dark kind of a detective story, you'll love the Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. In the Neon Rain, the first Dave Robicheaux book in the series, we were introduced to Dave Robicheaux, a detective in New Orleans. It all started with a murder of an African-American teen that lead him to deal with all sorts of nefarious types of people--the mob, a gang of snarly men, a ruthless U.S. Treasury Man, and his partner, Cletus, who turned bad and corrupted. Along the way, he tried to the truth and the connections between the events that led to it, while his life and his brother ended up in trouble. There was also a love interest for Dave, when he tied up loose ends and decided to hit the road his own way. Lots of nitty gritty intrigue and drama in this dark noir tale.

This was a good introduction to the series to showcase the darker side of New Orleans. While reading this mystery, we do get to develop real genuine feelings for Dave who carried about her brother, got in trouble with the law at work, and had a drinking problems. We also get to now his backstory as well with a failed marriage to boot. I didn't like it, when his former partner Cletus went bad, or had the US Treasury covered up a crime. This was an intense mystery and also dark as it gets as well.

Ready to go dark and deep? Give this book a try, this weekend!

Special review from 2/09: Blacklist

In the eleventh installment of the V.I. Warshawski series, Blacklist, she returned back on the scene with a new client and new case to tackle. In post-9/11, V.I. was eager to take on a request from a previous old client to check on an empty mansion. She ended up more than she bargained for with an intruder in the dark, and a dead body of a reporter in the pond. She tumbled into a war between two prestigious Chicago families with decades-old secrets that lurked from the skeletons in their closet. In the midst of this warring battle, she became involved in a case of a missing Egyptian boy with terrorist connections. With everything going on, this propelled her to move forward and treacherously, before she became the next victim to turn up dead.

To have this set during post-9/11 in Chicago, it was the perfect backdrop to portray how tensions can be so high. I loved how V.I. wanted to take on a new work and discovered old harbored secrets. This gave me goosebumps when I read this with plenty of twists and turns. V.I. was a true bona fide heroine in this series to root for. I didn't like the two warring families who had a bone to pick with one another--no pun intended. You'll be intrigued to find out more.

Check this out today!

Special review from 10/08: Don of the Dead

If you love paranormal cozies with a twist, you'll love this new one from Casey Daniels. In Don of the Dead, the first installment in the Pepper Martin Mystery series,  she introduced us to Pepper Martin who worked at the local cemetery in Cleveland as a tour guide.  Down on her luck with her father in prison and a fiancé who bolted from her, this was the only job she could find to help pay her bills. When she accidentally hit her head on the headstone of one graveyard, she began to see visions of ghosts. One named Gus wanted her to work on his case of who wanted this mafia don whacked back then. It was up to Pepper to clear his name before trouble came her way. This cozy also had a bit of romance with Quinn Harrison from the Cleveland PD with a bit of paranormal humor and drama like from the "Ghost Whisperer" and "Pushing Daisies."

This wasn't your typical ghost story. It's very light and airy, and not too scary for cozy standards. I loved the introduction of Pepper's first case of talking to the ghost and solving the murder. To have it set in a graveyard in Cleveland,  Ohio, it gave it a homey feeling. I loved the chemistry between Pepper and Quinn as well. Each central ghost will have some closure in the end of the book.  I didn't like her ex-fiancé Joel as well. You can read this book in one or two settings for a quick read, too.

Check out this light ghost story right now!