Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selections are:

Red Mist (A Scarpetta Novel) [Hardcover]

Product Description

The new Kay Scarpetta novel from the world's #1 bestselling crime writer.

Determined to find out what happened to her former deputy chief, Jack Fielding, murdered six months earlier, Kay Scarpetta travels to the Georgia Prison for Women, where an inmate has information not only on Fielding, but also on a string of grisly killings. The murder of an Atlanta family years ago, a young woman on death row, and the inexplicable deaths of homeless people as far away as California seem unrelated. But Scarpetta discovers connections that compel her to conclude that what she thought ended with Fielding's death and an attempt on her own life is only the beginning of something far more destructive: a terrifying terrain of conspiracy and potential terrorism on an international scale. And she is the only one who can stop it.

Product Details
Hardcover: 512 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult (December 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399158022
ISBN-13: 978-0399158025

True Shot (Berkley Sensation) [Paperback]

Product Description

Special FBI operative Samantha Trudeau's unique psychic abilities help her catch the most elusive criminals. They also put her in the path of a sadistic adversary when she discovers she's actually working for a rogue cell-and into the confidence of a handsome journalist with his own potentially dangerous secrets.


Product Details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (December 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 042524492X
ISBN-13: 978-0425244920

The Cocoa Conspiracy: A Lady Arianna Regency Mystery (Lady Arianna Hadley Mystery) [Paperback]

Product Description

Lady Arianna's gift of a rare volume of botanical engravings to her husband, the Earl of Saybrook, has something even more rare hidden inside - sensitive government documents which would mark one they hold dear as a traitor of King and country. To unmask the villain, they must root out a cunning conspiracy - armed only with their wits and expertise in chocolate ...


Product Details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Signet; Original edition (December 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451235312
ISBN-13: 978-0451235312

Double Booked for Death (A Black Cat Bookshop Mystery) [Paperback]

Product Description

As the new owners of Pettistone's Fine Books, Darla Pettistone is determined to prove herself a worthy successor to her late great-aunt Dee ... and equally determined to outwit Hamlet, the smarter - than-thou cat she inherited along with the shop. Darla's first store event is a real coup: the hottest bestselling author of the moment is holding a signing there. But when the author meets an untimely end during the event, it's ruled an accident - until Hamlet digs up a clue that seems to indicate otherwise ...


Product Details
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (December 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425244970
ISBN-13: 978-0425244975

New Releases 2011 (Nov 29)

The Bronzed Hawk [Mass Market Paperback]

In #1 New York Times bestseller Iris Johansen’s riveting novel of danger and romantic adventure, a gutsy reporter and a rugged inventor battle the elements, outlaws, and their own primal attraction in the scorching Mexican desert.

Kate McKenna is a photojournalist with a renegade reputation — and a fearless streak that lands her in an experimental hot air balloon, flying over the Rio Grande with the infamous Nick O’Brien. She wants to capture the real man behind the brilliant inventor, but to do that she needs to survive a crash landing in a lawless land and the ruthless bandits who take them hostage. As they conspire to escape their captors, Nick’s fierce protective instinct ignites a deep, primitive desire.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and Nick’s working on a plan to get them out of harm’s way. But he never anticipated the desperation he feels to keep Kate safe. Out here, they need each other to survive. But if they make it back to the real world in one piece, will the bond forged in crisis be strong enough to last a lifetime?

 
Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345531132
ISBN-13: 978-0345531131

Dead By Nightfall (Dead By Trilogy) [Paperback]


Product Description
 
The fear . . .

Malcolm York is a sadistic monster, guilty of unspeakable crimes. And with his endless wealth, he's funded a series of depraved hunts. The few who survived can never forget. They can only be thankful the terror is over -- until rumors start swirling.

Only stops . . .

Griffin Powell knows the twisted depths of York's madness. He's also sure that York is dead. But then Griff's wife Nicole disappears, and the phone calls begin -- that familiar voice taunting him, promising to destroy everything Griff loves.

When you die.

Using all the resources of the Powell Agency, Griff searches for Nic, aware that every step propels him further into a madman's web -- because the only way to keep Nic safe is to join one last perverse game in which the winner kills all and the loser is dead by nightfall.

Product Details
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (November 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420110365
ISBN-13: 978-1420110364

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Nov 28)

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1. Razor's Edge - Shannon K. Butcher
2. Kill Alex Cross - James Patterson

I’m currently reading:

1. Hide from Evil - Jami Alden

Books I’m planning on reading this week:

1. Murder Game - Beverly Barton

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-114 

Danger in a Red Dress (Signet Novel) [Paperback]

I've finished "Danger in a Red Dress" the 4th book in her Fortune Hunter series by Christina Dodd.

Product Description

For Hannah Grey, the chance to take care of Carrick Manly’s elderly mother, Melinda, couldn’t have come at a better time. Once Hannah arrives at Balfour House, though, she almost loses the job when she refuses to report back to Carrick on everything Melinda says. Thwarted by Hannah, Carrick hires Gabriel Prescott to wire Balfour House in order to find out if his mother really knows the location of the millions of dollars stolen by his father. But soon after starting his new assignment, Gabriel begins to wonder exactly who Hannah is: an unscrupulous nurse trying to con her new patient, or a dedicated woman unwittingly caught up in a dangerous search for a missing fortune.


Product Details
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Signet (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451235932
ISBN-13: 978-0451235930


My Review:

Hannah is a home care RN who takes care of arthritis patients and is trained in physical therapy.  When one of her patients Donald dies and leaves her $50,000 in his will his family becomes angry.  They believe she slept her way, accuse of false accusations and her New Hampshire license is revoked.  Carrick Manly believes the lies and thinks Hannah is the one to take care of his elderly mom.

Carrick offers the job to Hannah who eagerly accepts because she needs the money. He wants her to take care of his mother Melinda who hasn't left her mansion in fifteen years.  This is when her rich husband stole some money and left the country.  He believes his mom knows where the stash of cash is and asks Hannah to spy on her.  Hannah refuses which makes Melinda trust her with her secret.

Carrick hires Gabriel Prescott's security firm to place cameras and audios all over the mansion.  Carrick tells Gabriel that he believes Hannah is mistreating his mother.  Then Melinda is murdered and the surveillance cameras show that Hannah killed her.  She was set up and now she is on the run from the cops and Carrick's henchmen.

Gabriel has fallen in love with Hannah believing she is guilty.  He's torn between believing Hannah is innocent and believing his half-brother Carrick.  I thought it was very funny how he enjoyed watching Hannah doing stuff and the flirting between them.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a fast paced romantic suspense with a lot of action, great characters and a charming but hate able villian.

4/5

Waiting on Wednesday

Dead By Nightfall (Dead By Trilogy) [Paperback]

Product Description


The fear . . .

Malcolm York is a sadistic monster, guilty of unspeakable crimes. And with his endless wealth, he's funded a series of depraved hunts. The few who survived can never forget. They can only be thankful the terror is over -- until rumors start swirling.

Only stops . . .

Griffin Powell knows the twisted depths of York's madness. He's also sure that York is dead. But then Griff's wife Nicole disappears, and the phone calls begin -- that familiar voice taunting him, promising to destroy everything Griff loves.

When you die.

Using all the resources of the Powell Agency, Griff searches for Nic, aware that every step propels him further into a madman's web -- because the only way to keep Nic safe is to join one last perverse game in which the winner kills all and the loser is dead by nightfall.


Product Details
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Zebra; Original edition (November 29, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420110365
ISBN-13: 978-1420110364

New Releases 2011 (Nov 22)

If I Should Die: A Novel of Suspense [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

A TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE

Aspiring FBI agent Lucy Kincaid and her P.I. boyfriend, Sean Rogan, are heading to the Adirondack Mountains for a pleasant romantic getaway when they detour to help troubled friends, owners of a new resort who are battling malicious vandals. After Lucy and Sean pursue an arsonist into an abandoned mine shaft, Lucy stumbles upon an even more heinous crime — and the perfectly preserved remains of its victim.

The only thing more disturbing than the discovery of the corpse is its sudden disappearance. While the local police remain skeptical, Lucy is dead certain that there’s a connection between the sabotage at the resort and the murder — one that the less - than-neighborly citizens of Spruce Lake seem to have a stake in keeping hidden. Then, when a cold-blooded sniper targets Sean and Lucy, FBI agent Noah Armstrong enters the fray to ensure that more bodies don’t hit the ground. Now three outsiders race to untangle a violent conspiracy before they end up like the rest of Spruce Lake’s secrets: dead and buried.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Original edition (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345520416
ISBN-13: 978-0345520418

Future Perfect [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Now back in print after many years, a captivating story of sweet seduction and unexpected love from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann

Dressed in Victorian attire, Juliana Anderson gives guests at her cozy New England bed and breakfast a taste of old-fashioned hospitality. Whether she’s cooking up delights in her kitchen or maintaining the rooms in her beautifully decorated inn, Juliana stays busy and content. Until Webster Donovan arrives — tall, rugged, and sexy beyond belief.

The lean, dark-haired author has a bad case of writer’s block and he’s planned a six-week stay to cure it. But this beautiful woman is proving even more distracting to the cause. For prim, polite Juliana has a wild side: She rides a Harley and hides a troubled past. The moment Webster watches her take off her motorcycle helmet and shake loose those long, flame-colored curls, he finds his muse — and loses his heart. But can romance with a woman afraid to trust in love last longer than a moment in time?

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345528948
ISBN-13: 978-0345528940

Explosive Eighteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel [Hardcover]

Product Description

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photo — Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.

Over at the bail bonds agency things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii.  And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . .  It’s complicated.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345527712
ISBN-13: 978-0345527714

Quinn [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

As a former Navy SEAL turned cop, Joe Quinn has seen the face of evil and knows just how deadly it can be. When he first met Eve, he never expected to fall in love with a woman whose life would be defined by her dual desires to bring home her missing daughter and discover the truth behind her disappearance — no matter how devastating. With the help of CIA agent Catherine Ling, Quinn makes a shocking discovery that sheds new light on young Bonnie’s abduction and puts him squarely in the crosshairs of danger. Eve’s first love, John Gallo, a soldier supposedly killed in the line of duty, is very much alive — and very much a threat. Now, as their search takes them deeper and deeper into a web of murder and madness, Joe and Eve must confront their most primal fears … and test their resolve to uncover the ultimate bone-chilling truth

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reprint edition (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312651279
ISBN-13: 978-0312651275

The Bronzed Hawk [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

In #1 New York Times bestseller Iris Johansen’s riveting novel of danger and romantic adventure, a gutsy reporter and a rugged inventor battle the elements, outlaws, and their own primal attraction in the scorching Mexican desert.
Kate McKenna is a photojournalist with a renegade reputation — and a fearless streak that lands her in an experimental hot air balloon, flying over the Rio Grande with the infamous Nick O’Brien. She wants to capture the real man behind the brilliant inventor, but to do that she needs to survive a crash landing in a lawless land and the ruthless bandits who take them hostage. As they conspire to escape their captors, Nick’s fierce protective instinct ignites a deep, primitive desire.

Necessity is the mother of invention, and Nick’s working on a plan to get them out of harm’s way. But he never anticipated the desperation he feels to keep Kate safe. Out here, they need each other to survive. But if they make it back to the real world in one piece, will the bond forged in crisis be strong enough to last a lifetime?

 
Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345531132
ISBN-13: 978-0345531131

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Nov 21)

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1. Who Do Voodoo? - Rochelle Staab
2. Danger in a Red Dress - Christina Dodd

I’m currently reading:

1. Razor's Edge - Shannon K. Butcher

Books I’m planning on reading this week:

1. Kill Alex Cross - James Patterson

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-113

In the Mail Saturday 2011 (Nov 19)

In the Mail Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received this in the mail this week.

Kill Alex Cross [Hardcover]

Product Description

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.

As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes -- one that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Original edition (November 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316198730
ISBN-13: 978-0316198738

Thanks Hachette Book Group Canada!

Follow My Blog Friday #14

If you are new to the FF fun, Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, myself of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. If you are interested in becoming a Feature click on the drop down link above FEATURES > Feature & Follow Friday and get on the waiting list!  It is also required, that if you participate you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) and the two Feature blogs.

This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee.com} and (Alisoncanread.com}and any one else you want to follow on the list.

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - Lauren's Book Blog and Books and Bark

3. Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can.

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love ... and the followers

7. If your new to the Follow Friday Hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Friday Follow Features are ...

Lauren’s Book Blog

My name is Lauren and my blog is Lauren’s Book Bag – not very original I know. Books have been my passion ever since I can remember and I turned my love of reading into a profession by becoming a college lecturer in English literature. I recently received my Ph.D. in Children’s literature and wrote on the Philosophy of Evil in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series.

I have been blogging for about 5 months now and love every minute. My blog is quite eclectic but leans toward romance, particularly romantic suspense, paranormal romance and historical romance. In addition to reading and blogging, I enjoy watching films and playing video games. 

Books & Barks

My name is Jennifer, I'm 28 years old, and yes - I'm a bookaholic. There, I said it. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? I love to read. If you don't catch me reading, I'm most likely book shopping. I turned my spare bedroom into my own personal library. One day I came across a group of people on Facebook who are just as much into reading as I am. Book Club was started over our love of the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris. Finally we had other people to discuss our love of Eric with! Now we read and discuss many other series as well, focusing mainly on paranormal.

Talking books with a group led me to creating my blog. I thought to myself, what are some of the things I love most. The answer - books and dachshunds. So that's how Books and Barks was born. Its fun getting to share all of the wonderful books I've found with other readers. The focus on my blog is mostly adult and YA paranormal romance and fantasy, and some of my favorite authors are Jeaniene Frost, Nalini Singh, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Ilona Andrews and Eileen Wilks. Trust me, there are lots more!

Okay, enough about me. Back to my books I go...

Question: Letter to Santa:

Tell Santa what books you want for Christmas!

I would love Santa to bring me these:

1. Red Mist - Patricia Cornwell
2. Sleepwalker - Karen Robards
3. Down the Darkest Road - Tami Hoag
4. True Shot - Joyce Lamb
5. The Cocoa Conspiracy by Andrea Penrose
6. Double Booked for Death - Ali Brandon

Who Do Voodoo? (A Mind for Murder Mystery) [Paperback]

I've finished "Who Do Voodoo? the 1st book in her Mind for Murder Mystery series by Rochelle Staab.

Product Description

WHO DO, VOODOO? the first novel in Rochelle's thrilling new Mind for Murder Mystery series features no - nonsense Liz Cooper, a Los Angeles psychologist forced to embrace the occult to clear her best friend of murder ...

When Liz Cooper's friend Robin Bloom finds an unusual tarot card tacked to her front door, Liz writes it off as a prank. Robin refuses to ignore the omen — her late husband drew the same card, the three of swords, in a reading the night before he was killed in a car accident. As more cards and darker threats appear, Liz realizes someone very dangerous is upping the ante.

Liz turns to her brother's ex-college roommate, occult expert Nick Garfield. As Nick leads her into the voodoo community to locate the origin of the deck, she can't ignore their attraction to each other. Then a woman is found murdered and Robin becomes the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend, Liz joins forces with Nick to unravel otherworldly secrets and seek help from beyond — or risk being outwitted by a cunning killer ...

Product Details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425244598
ISBN-13: 978-0425244593


My Review:

I have always been fascinated by the Haitian and New Orleans Voodoo religious practices and know some of the stuff that happens but I learned more after reading this book!

I highly recommend this book if you like a spunky psychologist and a hunky occult expert in a fast paced and well written cozy murder mystery full of supernatural elements.

Liz's friend Robin has found threatening tarot cards on her door the same ones her husband drew the night before his car crash.  She gets Robin to call the cops but apparently they aren't doing anything about it.

Her brother introduces her to his best friend Nick Garfield a professor and familiar with the supernatural and occult religion.  They decide to work together to help Robin figure out who is threatening her.  Then a dead body is found and Robin is arrested and is the prime suspect.  Now Liz is determined to prove that Robin is innocent.

This book had some quirky characters especially Liz's mom who would try to set her up again with her ex-husband.  I laughed at the scenes where Liz where hang up on her mom!

5/5

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selections are:

If I Should Die: A Novel of Suspense [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

A TRIP TO THE DARK SIDE

Aspiring FBI agent Lucy Kincaid and her P.I. boyfriend, Sean Rogan, are heading to the Adirondack Mountains for a pleasant romantic getaway when they detour to help troubled friends, owners of a new resort who are battling malicious vandals. After Lucy and Sean pursue an arsonist into an abandoned mine shaft, Lucy stumbles upon an even more heinous crime — and the perfectly preserved remains of its victim.

The only thing more disturbing than the discovery of the corpse is its sudden disappearance. While the local police remain skeptical, Lucy is dead certain that there’s a connection between the sabotage at the resort and the murder — one that the less - than-neighborly citizens of Spruce Lake seem to have a stake in keeping hidden. Then, when a cold-blooded sniper targets Sean and Lucy, FBI agent Noah Armstrong enters the fray to ensure that more bodies don’t hit the ground. Now three outsiders race to untangle a violent conspiracy before they end up like the rest of Spruce Lake’s secrets: dead and buried.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Original edition (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345520416
ISBN-13: 978-0345520418

Future Perfect [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Now back in print after many years, a captivating story of sweet seduction and unexpected love from New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann

Dressed in Victorian attire, Juliana Anderson gives guests at her cozy New England bed and breakfast a taste of old-fashioned hospitality. Whether she’s cooking up delights in her kitchen or maintaining the rooms in her beautifully decorated inn, Juliana stays busy and content. Until Webster Donovan arrives — tall, rugged, and sexy beyond belief.

The lean, dark-haired author has a bad case of writer’s block and he’s planned a six-week stay to cure it. But this beautiful woman is proving even more distracting to the cause. For prim, polite Juliana has a wild side: She rides a Harley and hides a troubled past. The moment Webster watches her take off her motorcycle helmet and shake loose those long, flame-colored curls, he finds his muse — and loses his heart. But can romance with a woman afraid to trust in love last longer than a moment in time?

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Bantam; Reprint edition (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345528948
ISBN-13: 978-0345528940

Explosive Eighteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel [Hardcover]

Product Description

Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum’s life is set to blow sky high when international murder hits dangerously close to home, in this dynamite novel by Janet Evanovich.

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, and she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead, in a garbage can, waiting for curbside pickup. His killer could be anyone. And a ragtag collection of thugs and psychos, not to mention the FBI, are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photo — Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. With the help of an FBI sketch artist Stephanie re-creates the person in the photo. Unfortunately the first sketch turns out to look like Tom Cruise, and the second sketch like Ashton Kutcher. Until Stephanie can improve her descriptive skills, she’ll need to watch her back.

Over at the bail bonds agency things are going from bad to worse. The bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke. Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their largest skip yet. Lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment. And everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?

Morelli, Trenton’s hottest cop, isn’t talking about Hawaii. Ranger, the man of mystery, isn’t talking about Hawaii.  And all Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . .  It’s complicated.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam (November 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345527712
ISBN-13: 978-0345527714

New Release 2011 (Nov 15)

Dead Run [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

I'm in trouble, Liz. I've uncovered something .… They're watching .…"

That panicked message on her answering machine is the last time Liz Ames hears from her sister Rachel, pastor of Paradise Christian Church in Key West, Florida.

Compelled to uncover the truth about her sister's disappearance, she heads to Key West. Within hours of her arrival a successful banker jumps to his death. Then a teenage girl whom Rachel was counseling is found brutally murdered. The ritualistic style of the killing is hauntingly similar to that used by the notorious "New Testament" serial killer — now on death row.

Could the teen's murder be related to Rachel's disappearance? Is a copycat killer at work? And why do the police refuse to help?

For answers, Liz turns to Rick Wells, a former Miami cop who worked the fringes of the "New Testament" investigation. Together they peel away layers of deception to reveal a terrifying adversary — and the unspeakable evil at the heart of this island paradise.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Mira; Reissue edition (November 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778312836
ISBN-13: 978-0778312833

New Release 2011 (Nov 14)

Kill Alex Cross [Hardcover]

Product Description

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.

As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes -- one that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Original edition (November 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316198730
ISBN-13: 978-0316198738

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Nov 14)

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1. Heart of Evil - Heather Graham
2. Hell to Pay - Wendy Corsi Staub

I’m currently reading:

1. Who Do Voodoo? - Rochelle Staab

Books I’m planning on reading this week:

1. Danger in a Red Dress - Christina Dodd

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/11/13/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-112 

Kill Me Again (Secrets of Shadow Falls) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Kill Me Again" the 2nd book in her Secrets of Shadow Falls series by Maggie Shayne.

Product Description


I'm not who they say I am.

Trust me.

But can she?

Reclusive novelist Aaron Westhaven, a man she's admired — and more — for years, has accepted Olivia Dupree's invitation to speak at a local fundraiser. But the day he's due to arrive, she gets a call summoning her to the bedside of a John Doe whose sole possession is her business card.

Can this undeniably compelling man — survivor of an execution-style gunshot wound — really be the novelist the lonely Olivia has grown to think of as a near soul mate? If not, he can be in Shadow Falls for only one reason: to kill her.

Olivia, too, has secrets. And discovering the truth about the man in the hospital bed means dredging up her own past — a past she's been hiding from for sixteen years.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Mira (July 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 077832804X
ISBN-13: 978-0778328049

My Review:

We open the book with Samuel Overton and his friend Kyle Becker finding a wounded man lying in a field.  He is taken to the local hospital but he is suffering from amnesia and doesn't know who he is.  They found Olivia's card in his pocket so they give her a call.

Olivia Dupree is a college professor living in Shadows Falls, Vermont who has admired reclusive author Aaron Westhaven,  She's delighted he has agreed to speak at a charity event taking place at her university.  The day she is expecting him she gets a knock on the door and summoned to the hospital by the cops to identify the John Doe who only had a pocket watch and her card in his pocket.

When Olivia comes home her house is broken into and the intruder threatens her Aaron saves her.  They both come up with the the idea that her burglary and his near death are connected some how.  They decide to work together though they don't trust each other and find out the truth.  Now they are fighting for their very survival.

I really enjoyed the fast paced action and the slow build up of a romance between Olivia and Dupree.  Both are very lonely people and have a hard time letting people get close so it was fun watching them falling in love.

Really loved Freddy Olivia's dog who was a hoot!

4/5

In the Mail Saturday 2011 (Nov 12)

In the Mail Saturday is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received these in the mail this week.

Razor's Edge: An Edge Novel [Paperback]

Product Description

Roxanne "Razor" Haught is an expert in stealth security for corporate espionage cases. But now she's a target.

Tanner O'Connell has no intentions of leaving Razor's side. Despite her objections to having a "babysitter", his orders as the newest member of the Edge are to watch her back. With a brainwashed assassin after his partner, Tanner cannot afford to let his desire for Razor interfere with his duty. His special ops skills may be all that stand between saving Razor-or losing her forever.


Product Details
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Signet (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451235207
ISBN-13: 978-0451235206

Hide from Evil [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Like a chess master, he carefully weighs his next move . . . advancing slowly until he is sure he can capture his helpless pawn. For in his mind, there's no way to . . .

HIDE FROM EVIL

Sean Flynn should feel lucky he's alive. But a betrayal by a close friend - and two years on death row - has left him feeling only numb. When his conviction was overturned, Sean retreated to a quiet woodland cabin, far away from prying eyes. There, he believed, the past couldn't come back to haunt him . . . until she showed up.

Overcome with guilt, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Krista Slater can't forgive herself for convicting an innocent man. But when another brutal murder reveals chilling, new facts about his case, she must turn to Sean for help. She's ready to face his anger, but the desire in his eyes ignites a need she's never felt before.

Shadowed by danger, Sean and Krista uncover a twisted maze of deception and betrayal - all under the dangerous gaze of a cunning mastermind who will do whatever it takes to keep his evil secrets safe.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446572799
ISBN-13: 978-0446572798

Who Do, Voodoo? (A Mind for Murder Mystery) [Paperback]

Product Description

Clinical psychologist Liz Cooper doesn't believe in ghosts. But when her best friend finds a tarot card tacked to her front door - and is then accused of murder - Liz will have to find a way to embrace the occult if she wants to outwit the real killer ...


Product Details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425244598
ISBN-13: 978-0425244593

Thanks Hachette Book Group Canada and Penguin Canada!

What did you get in the mail this week?

Prey: A Novel [Hardcover]

I've finished "Prey: A Novel" by Linda Howard.

Product Description

In this captivating novel of romantic suspense, New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard brings us deep into the wild, where a smart and sexy outdoor guide and her ruggedly handsome competitor must join forces to survive — and avoid becoming what they never expected to be:

PREY

Thirty-two-year-old Angie Powell has always spoken her mind, but in the presence of Dare Callahan she nurses a simmering rage. After all, why give Dare the satisfaction of knowing he can push her buttons and push her to the edge?

Three years ago, Dare returned home to rural western Montana and opened a hunting business to rival Angie’s. Complicating matters is the fact that Dare has asked Angie out (not once but twice) and has given her a gift of butterflies in the process. Angie has no patience for butterflies. They only lead to foolish decisions. And now the infuriatingly handsome Iraq war vet has siphoned away Angie’s livelihood, forcing her to close up shop.

Before Angie is to leave town, she organizes one last trip into the wilderness with a client and his guest, who wants to bag a black bear. But the adrenaline-fueled adventure turns deadly when Angie witnesses a cold-blooded murder and finds herself on the wrong side of a loaded gun. Before the killer can tie up this attractive loose end, a bear comes crashing through the woods — changing the dark game completely.

Luckily, Dare is camping nearby and hears the shots. Forced together for their very survival, Angie and Dare must confront hard feelings, a blinding storm, and a growing attraction — while being stalked by a desperate killer and a ferocious five-hundred-pound beast. And neither will stop until they reach their prey.

My Review:

Angie Powell is 32 years old and is managing the family business of nature guide and hunter after the death of her father.  The business has been dropping because of tough competition and she's not able to pay the mortgage. Angie blames Dare for ruining her business venture and she makes sure he knows it every time they see each other.  She powerfully attracted to him though.

Dare Callahan is 37 years old and has recently returned war veteran and manages his own nature guide and hunter shop. Dare has asked Angie out twice but both times she has rejected him but he doesn't want any other women than Angie.  She really lights his fire.

Angie has a last adventure of the season with client but her friend and lawyer Harlan doesn't think she is safe with two men.  He asks Dare to look out for her and he can't believe he's agreed to go to the hunting camp while using the excuse of fishing.   Angie hunting trip turns to hell when her client becomes a murder and is intent on killing any witnesses including Angie.  While getting away she also has to fight for survival against a rampaging man-eating black bear.

All of the characters and storyline were all well written and I enjoyed the point of view by all the characters involved including the bear's.

Really enjoyed the antagonism between Angie and Dare because it really fired up the sexual tension between them and when it finally exploded it was hot as hell.

4/5

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection are:

Kill Alex Cross [Hardcover]

Product Description

The President's son and daughter are abducted, and Detective Alex Cross is one of the first on the scene. But someone very high-up is using the FBI, Secret Service, and CIA to keep him off the case and in the dark.

A deadly contagion in the water supply cripples half of the capital, and Alex discovers that someone may be about to unleash the most devastating attack the United States has ever experienced.

As his window for solving both crimes narrows, Alex makes a desperate decision that goes against everything he believes -- one that may alter the fate of the entire country. KILL ALEX CROSS is faster, more exciting, and more tightly wound than any Alex Cross thriller James Patterson has ever written!

Product Details
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; Original edition (November 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316198730
ISBN-13: 978-0316198738

Dead Run [Mass Market Paperback]
Product Description

I'm in trouble, Liz. I've uncovered something .… They're watching .…"

That panicked message on her answering machine is the last time Liz Ames hears from her sister Rachel, pastor of Paradise Christian Church in Key West, Florida.

Compelled to uncover the truth about her sister's disappearance, she heads to Key West. Within hours of her arrival a successful banker jumps to his death. Then a teenage girl whom Rachel was counseling is found brutally murdered. The ritualistic style of the killing is hauntingly similar to that used by the notorious "New Testament" serial killer — now on death row.

Could the teen's murder be related to Rachel's disappearance? Is a copycat killer at work? And why do the police refuse to help?

For answers, Liz turns to Rick Wells, a former Miami cop who worked the fringes of the "New Testament" investigation. Together they peel away layers of deception to reveal a terrifying adversary — and the unspeakable evil at the heart of this island paradise.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 480 pages
Publisher: Mira; Reissue edition (November 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778312836
ISBN-13: 978-0778312833

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Nov 7)

What Are You Reading is a weekly Monday Meme that is hosted by Sheila from One Persons Journey: http://bookjourney.wordpress.com

Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1. Sacred Evil - Heather Graham
2. Bonnie - Iris Johansen

I’m currently reading:

1. Heart of Evil - Heather Graham

Books I’m planning on reading this week:

1. Hell to Pay - Wendy Corsi Staub

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-111

Follow My Blog Friday #13

If you are new to the FF fun, Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. Feature & Follow Friday is now hosted by TWO hosts, myself of course and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. If you are interested in becoming a Feature click on the drop down link above FEATURES > Feature & Follow Friday and get on the waiting list!  It is also required, that if you participate you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) and the two Feature blogs.

This Meme is hosted by Rachel from Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read on Fridays.

To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host {Parajunkee.com} and (Alisoncanread.com}and any one else you want to follow on the list.

2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - In Which EMS Reviews Books and The Magic Attic.

3. Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing.

4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments

5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can.

6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love ... and the followers

7. If your new to the Follow Friday Hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

The Friday Follow Features are ...

 

Hi! My name is Jinny. I’m 22 years old, live in Canada. I love reading books, of course. I also love video games and, stereotypically, hockey! I’m currently majoring in English (language, not literature, though I have to take some lit courses anyway as part of my degree) and I hope that after I graduate, I will be accepted into a nursing program so that I can become a nurse.

My book blog was born in November 2009. I started my book blog when a couple friends and I decided to challenge ourselves by reading 50 books in a year, so I used the blog to keep track of my books. From there, it became a sort of review site, though recently I am trying to participate in more memes and whatnot I read a bit of everything, though I think by and large the genre I gravitate towards the most is YA.

 

The Magic Attic

I'm a bookworm, a dreamer, a teenager, a hopeless romantic, and a field hockey lover. Often, I can be found helping out at my local library, playing field hockey with the rest of my team, up in a tree in my backyard, or on the window sill with my nose in a book.

My book blog, The Magic Attic, is a YA book blog dedicated to, well, books. None of my friends are really interested in the type of books I am, so I started this blog to get to know other people with the same interests. I enjoy books from all YA genres, but I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, and my favorite genre is YA romance. I have so many favorite books it'll take hours to list them all. However, some of them include Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, Eve by Anna Carey, and the Demon Trappers series by Jana Oliver. I'm currently reading The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson, and The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees.

Today's Question is something new, an activity. We want to see what you look like! Take a pic with you and your current read! Too shy? Boo! Just post a fun pic you want to share.

Here's pics of the two romantic suspense books I'm reading this week:

18 and Over Book Blogger #12

 

18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a weekly feature that begins on Fridays and runs through the weekend hosted by Crystal from Reading Between the Wines and Kelly at Secrets of a Book Lover.

The 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow is a Friday blog hop with the objective to find and visit other book blogs that share the same interest as you, namely books geared towards the 18 and over crowd, and make new friends!

How to join in:

You should run a book blog that features and reviews mostly adult reads, some Y.A.’s are okay but 18 &  Over adult reads should be your majority.

Make a separate post for the 18 & Over Book Blogger Follow on your blog.

Copy the html for the button above and place it at the top of your post.

List and answer the ‘Question of the Week.’

Place your name and blog title in the linky below and the url for a direct link to your post

Visit the other blogs on the list. If you like what you see make sure to leave a comment and follow so the blog owner knows you stopped by and can return the favor. Following each blog is not mandatory but I know it is always appreciated, and if someone comments saying they’re a new follower it’s polite to follow back. It’s always nice to spread the 18 & Over Book Blog love!

 

Question of the Week:

What book shelf would you ask Santa for?

I would ask Santa for this interesting bookshelf!

New Releases 2011 (Nov 1)

Mind Prey [Paperback]

Product Description

Minneapolis PD Deputy Chief Lucas Davenport, seen last in Night Prey, carries on as a smart, quirky hero in the seventh "Prey" book. When psychiatrist Andi Manette and her two young daughters are kidnapped, Lucas must discover whether it's a ransom snatch, the work of one of Andi's ex-patients or the ruse of someone in her life who might benefit from her death. (Her father, stepmother, estranged husband and medical partner are all good suspects.) Readers know the kidnapper is John Mail, a scary ex-patient who's entertained nasty dreams of Andi for years. He enacts his violent sex fantasies with the imprisoned Andi; it seems only a matter of time before he will go after the girls. Lucas, meanwhile, draws on all available resources, including his own computer game company, to flush out Mail, a gamer who enjoys taunting Lucas with phone calls. During this time, Andi has been trying to maintain an element of control and contrive an escape. Sandford expertly ratchets up the suspense from beginning to the brutal finish. Lucas does get his villain, but no one comes out of this experience unscarred.

Product Details
Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Berkley (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425244490
ISBN-13: 978-0425244494

Razor's Edge: An Edge Novel [Paperback]

Product Description

Roxanne "Razor" Haught is an expert in stealth security for corporate espionage cases. But now she's a target. Tanner O'Connell has no intentions of leaving Razor's side. Despite her objections to having a "babysitter", his orders as the newest member of the Edge are to watch her back. With a brainwashed assassin after his partner, Tanner cannot afford to let his desire for Razor interfere with his duty. His special ops skills may be all that stand between saving Razor - or losing her forever.

Product Details
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Signet (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451235207
ISBN-13: 978-0451235206

November Releases

1st
Mind Prey - John Sandford
Razor's Edge - Shannon K. Butcher
 
14th
Kill Alex Cross - James Patterson

15th
Dead Run - Erica Spindler (reissue)

22nd
Quinn (pp) - Iris Johansen
If I Should Die - Allison Brennan
Future Perfect - Suzanne Brockmann
Explosive Eighteen - Janet Evanovich

29th
Dead by Nightfall - Beverly Barton