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Happy Easter Everyone!

In the Mail Saturday 2013 (Mar 30)

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

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review:

Hot Pursuit (Bounty Hunter 6) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description 

Ben Mercy is a man with a past. Trying to start a new life with the KFA — an elite team of professional manhunters — he hopes to prove himself by capturing the most wanted man in America. But Ben isn’t the only bounty hunter on the case. And the trail takes a deadly new turn when he’s thrown by the curves — of a beautiful woman.

Zoey is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in California. A helpless pawn in her father’s plan to merge two casinos through marriage, Zoey’s been warned to stay away from the lowlife bounty hunters who’ve come to town. But when Zoey meets Ben, the attraction is too intense to ignore. And the closer they get, the higher the risk. With millions at stake — and a murderer in hiding — falling in love could be the biggest gamble of all.

Rage (Faces of Evil) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

When Jess Harris moved back to her Alabama hometown, she thought she'd left her past behind her. But the blood bath the new Major Crimes deputy chief finds at a murder scene is beyond even the savagery of Eric Spears, the serial killer who now haunts Jess's life with terrifying text messages. Amid eerie echoes of the Charles Manson massacre, Jess investigates the dismemberment of a cop's wife while her baby lay sleeping down the hall.

The discovery of two more headless victims makes Jess wonder if it's a gang-related slaying, a personal vendetta or something else. And the sudden reappearance of her ex-husband makes her question her future with Chief of Police Dan Burnett. Now as the net widens to include a shocking suspect, Jess realizes that the identity of the killer may lie with an autistic eight-year-old boy. With inner-city tensions at an all-time high and the community calling for blood, Jess must race to save an innocent child - and prevent a final, horrifying act of rage.

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:

 

That Old Flame of Mine (A Sweet Pepper Fire Brigade) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Set in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, J. J. Cook’s thrilling new mystery series features Fire Chief Stella Griffin, who solves crime with the help of her predecessor, who just happens to be a ghost.

NO MATCH FOR MURDER

After knocking the lights out of her boyfriend when she catches him cheating on her, Chicago fire fighter Stella Griffin hops on her Harley and heads for Sweet Pepper, Tennessee, where she ends up becoming the small town’s fire chief. When her dear friend Tory Lambert dies after her gingerbread-style house is set ablaze, Stella suspects arson and foul play.

As Stella investigates, she gets help from a most unlikely source — the ghost of Eric Gamlyn, Sweet Pepper’s old fire chief. And if that isn’t enough to rattle her, attractive police officer John Trump seems to have taken an interest in her. But Stella’s got to stay focused if she hopes to smoke out a killer before her own life is extinguished.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES!

A Broth of Betrayal (A Soup Lover's Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Even a town called Snowflake, Vermont, has a summer season. In August, Lucky Jamieson’s By the Spoonful serves chilled soups — celery and green onion, cream of asparagus — and salads. The shop also serves as a gathering place to talk about cold-blooded murder.

A protest to stop the construction of an ugly car wash in the middle of the town’s picturesque Village Green is interrupted by the discovery of a skeleton that may date back to the Revolutionary War. While the remains pose a historical mystery, a present-day murder shakes the town to its core when local auto mechanic Harry Hodges is found dead in his shop.

Straining the patience of Chief of Police Nate Edgerton, Lucky soon finds herself in the soup again when her dear friend Elizabeth, the Mayor of Snowflake, goes missing. No matter how much trouble she has to stir up, Lucky is determined to use her noodle to uncover a killer and recover her friend.

Recipes included!

Malled to Death (A Mall Cop Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

Get ready for a second take.

With a famous action star for a father, mall cop EJ Ferris is used to the Hollywood hullabaloo. But when her mall becomes his movie set, the cameramen aren’t the only ones who start shooting.

Protecting the shoppers at the Fernglen Galleria may not be EJ’s dream job, but neither is working for her father’s film production company. That’s why EJ is less than thrilled when her dad arranges to shoot his upcoming film, Mafia Mistress, in her mall. With the arrival of the movie entourage, EJ suddenly has more than shoplifting teens to worry about.

Bombarded by overeager assistants and fan mail, EJ’s famous father makes for an easy target — especially after a scare involving a gun loaded with blanks. Zoe, the prop master, blames herself for the mistake. But when a real bullet is fired and Zoe is killed, Fernglen Galleria is shaken by more than just Hollywood drama. Cut the cameras — there’s a real gunman on the loose.     

Thrill Ride (Black Knights Inc.) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Thrill Ride" the book in her Black Knights Inc. series by Julie Ann Walker.

Product Description

HE'S GONE ROGUE

Ex-navy SEAL Rock Babineaux is as Cajun as they come — spicy, sexy, and more than a bit wicked. But would he actually betray his country?  Even his best friends on the special-ops Black Knights team aren't sure they can trust him. Now the target of a massive manhunt, Rock knows the only way to protect the team — especially his partner, Vanessa — is to run.

SHE WON'T BACK DOWN

Rock might think he can outmaneuver them all, but he hasn't counted on how stubborn Vanessa Cordero can be. And she refuses to cut him loose. Sure, her partner has his secrets, but there's no one in the world she'd rather have by her side in a tight spot. Which is good because she and Rock are about to get very tight.

About the Author

Julie Ann Walker is the USA Today and New York Times Bestselling Author of the Black Knights Inc. romantic suspense series. She is prone to spouting movie quotes and song lyrics. She'll never say no to sharing a glass of wine or going for a long walk. She prefers impromptu travel over the scheduled kind, and she takes her coffee with milk. You can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission. For more information, please visit www.julieannwalker.com or follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor and/or Twitter @JAWalkerAuthor.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402282699
ISBN-13: 978-1402282690

My Review:

Ex-navy SEAL Rock Babineaux has been betrayed but would he betray his own country?  Even his best friends on the special-ops Black Knights team aren't sure they can trust him. Now the target of a massive manhunt, Rock knows the only way to protect the team — especially his partner, Vanessa — is to run. 

Vanessa has managed to track down Rock and now she has decided not to leave his side without him.  Now they both are on the run from a dangerous enemy.

4/5

New Releases 2013 (Mar 26)

Let the Dead Sleep (Cafferty and Quinn) [Hardcover]

Product Description

An object of desire? Or of fear?

It was stolen from a New Orleans grave — the centuries - old bust of an evil man, a demonic man. It's an object desired by collectors — and by those with wickedness in their hearts.

One day, its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty's antiques shop on Royal Street, the shop she inherited from her father. But before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears, the owner is found dead…and Danni discovers that she's inherited much more than she realized. In the store is a book filled with secret writing: instructions for defeating evil entities. She'd dismissed it as a curiosity until the arrival of this statue, with its long history of evil and even longer trail of death.

Michael Quinn, former cop and now private investigator, is a man with an unusual past. He believes that doing the right thing isn't a job — it's a way of life. And the right thing to do is find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni are drawn together in their search for the missing statue, following it through sultry New Orleans nights to hidden places in the French Quarter and secret ceremonies on abandoned plantations.

Cafferty and Quinn already know that trust in others can be misplaced, that love can be temporary. And yet their connection is primal. Mesmerizing. They also know that their story won't end when this case is closed and the dead rest in peace once again.

'Til Death (Rebel Ridge Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

He left in handcuffs. Now it's time to set himself free.

Nearly twenty years after he was wrongly convicted of setting the fire that killed his father, Lincoln Fox returns to Rebel Ridge, Kentucky. There, deep in the Appalachians, the truth of that terrible night lies buried — and he's sworn to uncover it.

His plans take an unexpected turn when, in the midst of a blizzard, he rescues Meg Walker from her wrecked car. Suddenly Linc discovers another reason to clear his name. Meg, his high school sweetheart, had always believed in his innocence, and if he wants a future with her, he has to show the world proof that she was right.

As the community chooses sides, those who once let a teenage boy take the fall for their crime are forced to raise the stakes. They kidnap Meg, leaving her to the mercy of the mountain. And a second rescue may be more than even Linc can manage.

Hot Pursuit (Bounty Hunter 6) [Mass Market Paperback] 

Product Description

Ben Mercy is a man with a past. Trying to start a new life with the KFA — an elite team of professional manhunters—he hopes to prove himself by capturing the most wanted man in America. But Ben isn’t the only bounty hunter on the case. And the trail takes a deadly new turn when he’s thrown by the curves — of a beautiful woman.

Zoey is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in California. A helpless pawn in her father’s plan to merge two casinos through marriage, Zoey’s been warned to stay away from the lowlife bounty hunters who’ve come to town. But when Zoey meets Ben, the attraction is too intense to ignore. And the closer they get, the higher the risk. With millions at stake — and a murderer in hiding — falling in love could be the biggest gamble of all.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Mar 25)

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.  Kiss Me, Kill Me - Allison Brennan
2.  Did You Miss Me? - Karen Rose

I’m currently reading:

1.  Thrill Ride - Julie Ann Walker


Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-182 

Did You Miss Me? [Hardcover]

I've finished "Did You Miss Me" by Karen Rose.

Product Description

Baltimore prosecutor Daphne Montgomery pulled herself out of a damaged past to build a solid life for herself and her son. But after she helps to convict a killer, her confidence is shattered once again by the news that her son has been kidnapped.

Daphne believes it’s connected to the recent high-profile trial, and at first FBI special agent Joseph Carter agrees. But together they find the reality to be even more troubling, and it runs deeper than Daphne fears.

With her son’s life in jeopardy, she must unlock a dreadful secret about her past — and confront a truth that will change everything for those closest to her. And, if she survives, threaten the lives of everyone she loves.

Product Details
Hardcover
Publisher: Headline Book Publishing (November 8, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0755373987
ISBN-13: 978-0755373987

My Review:

Daphne Montgomery is a prosecutor in Baltimore who has overcome a tragic past to build a normal and safe life for son and herself.  She has recently help convict a killer but then she hears the horrible news that he son has been kidnapped.

Both Daphne and Joe believe it's connected to her recent case but as they investigate further they realize it runs deeper and more troubling than that.

Daphne confronts her tragic past which changes close relationships to help her uncover the truth behind her son's kidnapping.

I really enjoyed the romance between Daphne and Joe because you can sense how much they care for each other and the attraction between them is intense and tender.

Glad to see Alex all grown up from "Nothing to Fear" and working for Clay with his technical skills.

It was cool to see Vito Ciccotelli from "Die For Me" involved in the case too.  Glad to hear that Sophie is 8 months pregnant and helps uncovering a mass grave.

To me the mystery was kind of off (kind of hard to explain) and it never explained why one of the villains was obsessed with Daphne.

I cried for Stevie and Clay and I hope they have their HEA soon!

3.5/5

In the Mail Saturday 2013 (Mar 23)

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

I received these in the mail this week.

For Review:

Relentless (Lodestone) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

An Ancient Legacy

Lately, the gods are not smiling on Isis Magee. How else can she explain the bizarre events that have led her on a relentless high-stakes chase from Seattle to London to Cairo in search of the elusive tomb of history’s beautiful and enigmatic queen Cleopatra?

A Hidden Treasure

Isis has only two leads: a fragmented trail of clues offered in rare moments of lucidity by her father, a once-respected archaeologist whose last dig ended in disaster, and the unique sixth sense of sexy Lodestone agent Connor Thorne.

The Passion of a Lifetime

Connor also encountered tragedy in the Egyptian desert not long ago, and as Isis pulls him deeper into her mission to restore her father’s reputation, he is secretly plotting a revenge of his own. Propelled across wild, untamed sands by vicious unknown forces, the duo is seduced into a labyrinth of secret chambers. When they fear they can go no further, they surrender to their incendiary desires and discover that the prize each separately seeks may be waiting at the end of the same dangerous road.

Incidental Daughter [Paperback]

Product Description

Readers who would enjoy a family drama interwoven with romance, suspense, and a touch of the paranormal will find it hard to put down Val Stasik’s break-out novel, Incidental Daughter. When successful publisher Liz Michaels’ marriage to blue blood, Addison Tiffin Payne, fails after the loss of their baby and his growing alcoholism, she pours all her creative energy and passion into her work and finds comfort in her friendships and the appearances of the spirits of her Polish mother and grandmother, who never speak except in dreams she cannot remember. Only her feelings from those dreams linger. When her ex-husband plans to stage her suicide by pushing her off the balcony of her high-rise home, he topples to his death instead. When the police arrive, the potential victim becomes the prime murder suspect. She meets Pittsburgh Police Detective Jim Shannon, who may threaten her freedom or possibly gain her love. Her swirling feelings are complicated by the simultaneous appearance of a talented, familiar-looking intern at her workplace. Internal conflict is soon compounded by external threats created by her ex-husband and his mother as well as someone seeking revenge on Shannon and his partner. Wll Liz be destroyed by this vortex, or will she use the crisis to open the door to a second chance at love and family?

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:

Let the Dead Sleep (Cafferty and Quinn) [Hardcover]

Product Description

An object of desire? Or of fear?

It was stolen from a New Orleans grave — the centuries - old bust of an evil man, a demonic man. It's an object desired by collectors — and by those with wickedness in their hearts.

One day, its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty's antiques shop on Royal Street, the shop she inherited from her father. But before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears, the owner is found dead…and Danni discovers that she's inherited much more than she realized. In the store is a book filled with secret writing: instructions for defeating evil entities. She'd dismissed it as a curiosity until the arrival of this statue, with its long history of evil and even longer trail of death.

Michael Quinn, former cop and now private investigator, is a man with an unusual past. He believes that doing the right thing isn't a job — it's a way of life. And the right thing to do is find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni are drawn together in their search for the missing statue, following it through sultry New Orleans nights to hidden places in the French Quarter and secret ceremonies on abandoned plantations.

Cafferty and Quinn already know that trust in others can be misplaced, that love can be temporary. And yet their connection is primal. Mesmerizing. They also know that their story won't end when this case is closed and the dead rest in peace once again.

'Til Death (Rebel Ridge Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

He left in handcuffs. Now it's time to set himself free.

Nearly twenty years after he was wrongly convicted of setting the fire that killed his father, Lincoln Fox returns to Rebel Ridge, Kentucky. There, deep in the Appalachians, the truth of that terrible night lies buried — and he's sworn to uncover it.

His plans take an unexpected turn when, in the midst of a blizzard, he rescues Meg Walker from her wrecked car. Suddenly Linc discovers another reason to clear his name. Meg, his high school sweetheart, had always believed in his innocence, and if he wants a future with her, he has to show the world proof that she was right.

As the community chooses sides, those who once let a teenage boy take the fall for their crime are forced to raise the stakes. They kidnap Meg, leaving her to the mercy of the mountain. And a second rescue may be more than even Linc can manage.

Hot Pursuit (Bounty Hunter 6) [Mass Market Paperback] 

Product Description

Ben Mercy is a man with a past. Trying to start a new life with the KFA — an elite team of professional manhunters—he hopes to prove himself by capturing the most wanted man in America. But Ben isn’t the only bounty hunter on the case. And the trail takes a deadly new turn when he’s thrown by the curves — of a beautiful woman.

Zoey is the daughter of one of the most powerful men in California. A helpless pawn in her father’s plan to merge two casinos through marriage, Zoey’s been warned to stay away from the lowlife bounty hunters who’ve come to town. But when Zoey meets Ben, the attraction is too intense to ignore. And the closer they get, the higher the risk. With millions at stake — and a murderer in hiding — falling in love could be the biggest gamble of all.

Kiss Me, Kill Me: A Novel of Suspense [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Kiss Me, Kill Me" the 2nd book in her Lucy Kincaid series by Allison Brennan.

Product Description

KISS THE GIRLS AND MAKE THEM DIE

Lucy Kincaid has firsthand experience dealing with deadly criminal predators, and she’s fully prepared to share her many talents with the FBI. But when her career plans are derailed, her boyfriend, security expert Sean Rogan, asks for help on his latest private investigation. Using her well-honed cyber-hunting skills, Lucy is soon on the trail of a missing teenage girl with a penchant for disappearing — and a shocking secret life.

FBI Agent Suzanne Madeaux is also tracking someone: a serial killer on the loose in New York City. Dubbed by the press the Cinderella Strangler, he cruises seamy underground sex parties, where drug-fueled women make for easy pickings. As Lucy and Sean’s desperate search collides with the FBI’s hunt, Lucy isn’t about to step aside. Haunted by painful memories of her own harrowing encounters with evil, she’s determined to keep any more innocents from meeting the fate she so narrowly escaped. Delving deep into the twisted psyche of a remorseless killer, Lucy must confront her own fears — even if it means risking a future job with the FBI and future happiness with Sean.

About the Author

Allison Brennan is the New York Times bestselling author of many romantic thrillers, including Love Me to Death, Carnal Sin, Original Sin, Sudden Death, Killing Fear, and The Prey. A four-time RITA finalist and Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Brennan enjoys spending her free time reading, playing games, watching high school sports, and researching her novels. A member of Romance Writers of America, the Horror Writers Association, and International Thriller Writers, Allison Brennan lives in Northern California with her husband, Dan, and their five children.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (February 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345511697
ISBN-13: 978-0345511690

My Review:

Lucy Kincaid has survived an awful kidnapping and rape while a teenager and almost died at the hands of a psychotic killer.  She hasn't let these horrifying events prevent her from becoming what she really wants to be an FBI agent.  To help her be the best she can be she has worked at the coroner's office and catching child predators online.  She wants to follow in the footsteps of her family but is secretly scared the FBI wouldn't want her because of her past.

FBI agent Suzanne "Mad Dog" Madeaux and NY police offer Vic Panetta are working together investigating murders in New York.   Young girls are being found murdered by asphyxiation and missing a shoe after a wild night of drinking, drugging and anonymous sex held at abandoned warehouses.  The press has named the killer "The Cinderella Strangler".

Meanwhile Sean Rogan Lucy's boyfriend is investigating the disappearance of his cousin 17 years old Kristen Benton.  She has a tendency to disappear on the weekends but returns on Sunday night.  Her parents have contacted Sean and Patrick when Kristen has returned mid-week and no one has seen her.

During their investigation their case comes in conflict with "The Cinderella Stranger" case

4/5

New Release 2013 (Mar 19)

Relentless (Lodestone) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

An Ancient Legacy

Lately, the gods are not smiling on Isis Magee. How else can she explain the bizarre events that have led her on a relentless high-stakes chase from Seattle to London to Cairo in search of the elusive tomb of history’s beautiful and enigmatic queen Cleopatra?

A Hidden Treasure

Isis has only two leads: a fragmented trail of clues offered in rare moments of lucidity by her father, a once-respected archaeologist whose last dig ended in disaster, and the unique sixth sense of sexy Lodestone agent Connor Thorne.

The Passion of a Lifetime

Connor also encountered tragedy in the Egyptian desert not long ago, and as Isis pulls him deeper into her mission to restore her father’s reputation, he is secretly plotting a revenge of his own. Propelled across wild, untamed sands by vicious unknown forces, the duo is seduced into a labyrinth of secret chambers. When they fear they can go no further, they surrender to their incendiary desires and discover that the prize each separately seeks may be waiting at the end of the same dangerous road.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (March 19, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451684320
ISBN-13: 978-1451684322

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Mar 18)

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.  Free Fall - Catherine Mann
2.  Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction
3.  Scent to Kill - Chrystle Fiedler

I’m currently reading:

1.  Kiss Me, Kill Me - Allison Brennan
2.  Did You Miss Me? - Karen Rose

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-18 

Scent to Kill: A Natural Remedies Mystery (Natural Remedies Mysteries) [Paperback]

I've finished "Scent to Kill" the 2nd book in her Natural Remedies series by Chyrstle Fiedler.

Product Description

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SOLVING CRIME? AT THE NATURE’S WAY MARKET AND CAFÉ, A GENTLE TOUCH, A DOSE OF AROMATIC HERBS, FRESH EVIDENCE, AND INSPIRED INVESTIGATING ARE THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS TO CATCHING A KILLER!

When naturopathic doctor and shop owner Willow McQuade’s ex-boyfriend Simon Lewis invites her to a party for the cast and crew of a new television show at Long Island’s scenic Bixby Estate, she’s most excited to visit the property’s exclusive lavender farm. But a whole field of her favorite stress-reducing herb can’t provide enough soothing support to calm the effects of a murder!

Even the show’s psychic star didn’t predict the demise of Roger Bixby, the estate’s owner and estranged husband of Simon’s new girlfriend. Now Simon, who’s been collared by police, needs Willow’s help to remedy the situation. As Willow snoops about the mansion, offering natural cures to ease the mounting tension, a strange energy — and the discovery of an eerily similar unsolved murder decades earlier — makes her wonder whether the alternative source of the crime might actually be supernatural. Can she find harmony between mind, body, and possibly even spirits before somebody else goes up in smoke?

About the Author

Chrystle Fiedler is a writer who specializes in alternative health topics and the author or coauthor of four nonfiction books: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Natural Remedies, The Country Almanac of Home Remedies, Beat Sugar Addiction Now!, and the Beat Sugar Addiction Now! Cookbook. Chrystle made her fiction debut with Death Drops, first in its series. Visit ChrystleFiedler.com. 

Product Details
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (February 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451643616
ISBN-13: 978-1451643619 

My Review:

Willow McQuade a naturopathic doctor and shop owner is invited by her ex-boyfriend Simon Lewis to a party at Long Island's Bixby Estate where the cast and crew of a new television show.  She is excited to visit the estate's lavender farm but then Roger Bixby the owner is murdered.

Simon Lewis Willow's ex-boyfriend is the prime suspect and is dating Carly Roger's soon to be ex-wife and he hires Willow to clear his name.  As she investigates she uncovers a similar murder in the 1930's with the

estate's caretaker drowned in lavender bath water then dragged to the beach.  She researches on the family history of the Bixby family all the way to Prohibition.

Jackson Spade Willow's current boyfriend plays a even bigger role in this one to help her solve the case. 

4/5

Library Haul 2013 (Mar 17 - 23)

Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Hardcover:

1.  Did You Miss Me? - Karen Rose

Softcover:

1.  Kiss Me Kill Me - Allison Brennan

Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction [Paperback]

I've finished "Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction" by Amy Metz.

Product Description

Murder & Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction is a humorous southern mystery set in a unique town full of quirky residents. Grab a glass of sweet tea and settle in. You'll be laughing and guessing until the very end of this thoroughly entertaining novel.

When Tess Tremaine starts a new life in the colorful town of Goose Pimple Junction, she thinks she's moved to a quiet little burg. Curiosity leads her to look into a seventy-five-year-old murder, and suddenly she's learning the foreign language of southern speak, resisting her attraction to local celebrity Jackson Wright, and dealing with more mayhem than she can handle.

If brains were dynamite, Willy couldn't blow his nose. Could a murderer be that stupid? Jack can charm the dew right off the honeysuckle. Surely a fine southern gentleman isn't a murderer. But Tess is determined to find out, and Goose Pimple Junction will never be the same.

A bank robbery, murder, and family tragedy from the 1930s are pieces of the mystery, which Tess attempts to solve in this cozy mystery. As she gets close to the truth, she encounters danger, mystery, a lot of southern charm, and a new temptation for which she's not sure she's ready.

Product Details
Paperback: 284 pages
Publisher: Iconic Publishing, LLC (August 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985138874
ISBN-13: 978-0985138875

My Review:

Tess Tremaine moves to Goose Pimple Junction to start a new life.  She moves into an old Victorian and soon is involved in a 75 year old murder mystery.  As she digs deeper she discovers it starts with a bank robbery, murder and a family tragedy set in the 1930's.

She meets some interesting characters especially Jack Wright a handsome local writer that all the women would want in real life since he's smart and funny.  She fights her attraction to Jack for a long time but he's patience with her and finally she succumbs to it.

I loved all the slang/southernisms used because I thought it was funny and I managed to translate what was being said.  I thought it was pretty funny that Jack had to translate to Tess what was being said.

I think it's interesting this book is based on real events that happened but wasn't solved. 

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 is:

Relentless (Lodestone) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Description

An Ancient Legacy

Lately, the gods are not smiling on Isis Magee. How else can she explain the bizarre events that have led her on a relentless high-stakes chase from Seattle to London to Cairo in search of the elusive tomb of history’s beautiful and enigmatic queen Cleopatra?

A Hidden Treasure

Isis has only two leads: a fragmented trail of clues offered in rare moments of lucidity by her father, a once-respected archaeologist whose last dig ended in disaster, and the unique sixth sense of sexy Lodestone agent Connor Thorne.

The Passion of a Lifetime

Connor also encountered tragedy in the Egyptian desert not long ago, and as Isis pulls him deeper into her mission to restore her father’s reputation, he is secretly plotting a revenge of his own. Propelled across wild, untamed sands by vicious unknown forces, the duo is seduced into a labyrinth of secret chambers. When they fear they can go no further, they surrender to their incendiary desires and discover that the prize each separately seeks may be waiting at the end of the same dangerous road.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (March 19, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451684320
ISBN-13: 978-1451684322

Free Fall (Elite Force: That Others May Live) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Free Fall" the book in her Elite Force series by Catherine Mann.

Product Description

On This Mission, There Are No Accidents

Pararescueman Jose "Cuervo" James is the guy they call for the most dangerous assignments. He lives for his job.

On a high-risk rescue deep in the African jungle, Jose encounters sexy, smart Interpol agent Stella Carson.

They'd once had an affair that burned hot and fast, but family is everything to Stella, and Jose just can't go there.

Fate has thrown them into the deadly hot zone together, and sparks will fly but only if they can live to tell about it.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (March 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402274963
ISBN-13: 978-1402274961

My Review:

This book opens with Stella Carson an Interpol agent who specializes in code breaking undergoing a dangerous assignment in Africa with the help of SEALS and PJ's breaking up a pirate ring.  She meets Jose James and they have a hot 5 month affair which ends when Stella leaves him because he wouldn't leave his job.  Both are heartbroken by the affair and they never stopped loving each other.

A month later Stella and a group of students are kidnapped/tortured and some of them don't survive.  A rescue mission is set up and Jose plays a major role in the rescue which throws them together again.

4/5

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Mar 11)

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.  Heron's Cove - Carla Neggers
2.  Notorious Nineteen - Janet Evanovich

I’m currently reading:

1.  Free Fall - Catherine Mann
2.  Murder and Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction - Amy Metz
3.  Scent to Kill - Christy Fifield

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/03/10/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-180 

Notorious Nineteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel [Hardcover]

I've finished "Notorious Nineteen" the 19th book in her Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.

Product Description

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money or maybe just desperate Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory.

About the Author

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Troublemaker graphic novels, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Bantam; 1st Printing edition (November 20, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345527747
ISBN-13: 978-0345527745

My Review:

In this book Stephanie focuses more on her relationship with Joe even though Ranger has a bigger role in this one.

I really enjoyed the part when Stephanie is Ranger's bodyguard and helps him figure who is leaving threatening letters.  I also enjoyed the Cubbin plotline which was quite interesting and Lulu and grandma were hilarious as ever.

3/5

Heron's Cove (Sharpe & Donovan) [Hardcover]

I've finished "Heron's Cove" the 2nd book in her Sharpe and Donovan series by Carla Neggers.

Product Description

When your safety depends on living a lie

After escaping certain death, deep-cover agent Colin Donovan is back home on the Maine coast with his new love, FBI art crimes expert Emma Sharpe. Then Tatiana Pavlova, a London-based jewelry designer, arrives in Heron's Cove, asking for Emma's help — a prized collection from a lost era of Russian opulence, decadence and rare beauty has resurfaced, and Tatiana warns Emma it's about to be stolen again. And Colin realizes his nightmare isn't over. It's just begun.

And everyone you love is a target

Emma guards her past closely, and Colin is determined to unlock her secrets. As they investigate the mysterious collection and the equally mysterious Tatiana, they confront their greatest challenge. Now they must count on their expertise — and each other — to outwit an enemy who wants to destroy them and everyone they love most.

Who can you afford to trust?

About the Author

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 60 novels, novellas and short stories. Her work has been translated into 24 languages and sold in more than 30 countries. She is a popular speaker around the country as well as a founding member of the New England Chapter of RWA, past president of Novelists, Inc., and past vice president of International Thriller Writers. She and her husband live in a house on a hilltop not far from picturesque Quechee Gorge. 

Product Details
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA (July 31, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778313751
ISBN-13: 978-0778313755 

My Review:

FBI agent Colin Donovan is deep undercover and he realizes his cover is blown.  He barely escapes with his life when the calvary arrives.

FBI agent Emma Sharpe a former nun and has ties to her family's business Sharpe's Fine Art Recovery is enjoying whiskey tasting with Colin's three brother's and his priest friend Father Finian Bracken at Hurley's in Rock Point Maine.  She gets a call from a long time trusted contact that her man is in trouble and the address.  She places a call to her boss Matt Yankowski to secure Colin's escape.

Russian billionaire Dmitri Rusakov with his trusted security friend Ivan Alexander arrive in Heron's Cove bringing trouble with them.  Also mysterious Tatiana Pavlova, a London-based jewelry designer, arrives in Heron's Cove, asking for Emma's help — a prized collection from a lost era of Russian opulence, decadence and rare beauty has resurfaced, and Tatiana warns Emma it's about to be stolen again.

I really like Emma and Colin together because they understand each other though I wish they would talk to each other instead of getting upset or getting frustrated.

I really enjoyed the art aspect and I really like how 

3.5/5

Books in series:

1.  Saint's Gate

2.  Heron's Cove

3.  Declan's Crossing

New Releases 2013 (Mar 5)

Sweet Tea Revenge (A Tea Shop Mystery) [Hardcover]

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Agony of the Leaves, Indigo Tea Shop owner Theodosia Browning may always be a bridesmaid, never a bride, but this groom is never going to make it to the altar.

Theodosia Browning’s dear friend, Delaine Dish, has asked her to be a bridesmaid for her wedding. But when the big day arrives, everything seems to be going wrong. First, a massive storm is brewing over Charleston. A bad omen? Second, Delaine’s maid of honor is late for the ceremony. And finally, the groom not only has cold feet—his whole body is cold. A murderer has crashed the wedding.

As Theodosia comforts a devastated Delaine, she needs to sort out the suspects on the groom’s side from the suspects on the bride’s side. One thing soon becomes apparent—revenge won’t be the only dish served cold at this wedding. And if Theodosia doesn’t watch her step, a cold-blooded killer may have a rude reception in store for her.

INCLUDES DELICIOUS RECIPES AND TEA TIME TIPS!

Trouble in the Tarot (A Fortune Teller Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

For psychic Sunshine Meadows, sometimes fortunes can be deceiving.

Lately Sunny has been experiencing a period of big opportunity: her business in Divinity, New York, is thriving, and Detective Mitch Stone has finally agreed to take Sunny on a date. But thanks to her clairvoyant abilities, Sunny knows better than anyone that life deals out bad cards along with the good.

When Sunny agrees to read tarot cards at the annual Summer Solstice Carnival, she meets her Granny Gert‘s “arch nemesis” Fiona Atwater, and is overcome by a vision of Fiona in a violent argument. Sunny knows trouble is brewing when Granny and Fiona start having squabbles all over town. But the fighting comes to a head when a local baker gets run over by a big white Cadillac — and Granny and Fiona are found at the crime scene.

Sunny knows she should step aside and let Mitch handle the investigating, but she’s not about to ignore her visions and leave her granny’s life in fate’s hands. 

Bowled Over (Berkley Prime Crime) [Mass Market Paperback]

Stirring up trouble
Vintage kitchenware and cookbook collector Jaymie Leighton has been estranged from her high school best friend Kathy Cooper since they were teenagers, but she never knew what turned Kathy against her. After fireworks at a Fourth of July picnic, Jaymie discovers the body of her former friend in the park. On the ground nearby is Jaymie’s own Depression-era glass bowl, broken in two.

With her fingerprints all over the bowl and a troubled history with the victim, Jaymie suddenly finds herself at the top of the list of suspects. Did the killer intend to frame her for the murder? If so, she is ready to mix it up, because solving crimes is vintage Jaymie Leighton.

Peach Pies and Alibis (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ellery Adams serves up a mystery that’s a real peach

Ella Mae LeFaye’s Charmed Pie Shoppe is wildly popular in Havenwood, Georgia — which is not surprising since Ella Mae can lace her baked goods with enchantments. The shop’s extraordinary success seems destined to continue when Ella Mae meets an engaged couple who hire her to handle the dessert buffet at their wedding.

But Ella Mae has a lot on her plate. She is also searching for the origin of her magical powers — and hoping to determine if the spark of attraction she feels for the handsome Hugh Dylan is authentic or just her new abilities gone awry.

Then Ella Mae discovers a high-standing member of the community dead, and a wedding guest becomes seriously ill at the event she’s catering. Now she’ll have to use all her sleuthing skills and culinary talents to prove her pies don’t contain a killer ingredient.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Mar 4)

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.  Hit Me - Lawrence Block
2.  Alex Cross Run - James Patterson

I’m currently reading:

1.  Heron's Cove - Carla Neggers
2.  Notorious Nineteen - Janet Evanovich

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-179 

Library Haul 2013 (Mar 3 - 9)

Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Hardcover:

1.  Scream For Me - Karen Rose
2.  Heron's Cove - Carla Neggers
3.  Notorious Nineteen - Janet Evanovich

Alex Cross, Run [Hardcover]

I've read "Alex Cross, Run" the book in his Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

Product Description
DON'T LOOK, ALEX CROSS

Top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his skills in the operating room, and for his wild, no-expense-spared "industry parties," bringing in underage exotic dancers and models for nights of drugs, champagne, and uninhibited sex. That is, until Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem's lavish soirees and ruins his fun. Now Creem is willing to do anything to avoid going to jail.

DON'T THINK, ALEX CROSS

But Alex doesn't have time to dwell on that case. A beautiful woman has been found murdered in her car, a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found hanging from a sixth-floor window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach. When a third mutilated body is discovered, rumors of three serial killers on the loose send Washington D.C. into an all-out frenzy.

JUST RUN

Alex is under so much pressure to solve these three grim cases that he hasn't noticed that someone else investigating him - someone so obsessed and so twisted that they'll do anything - ANYTHING - to get the vengeance they require. Alex Cross, Run is James Patterson's most unrelenting story yet-a white-hot, sensational thrill ride with the most extreme and gripping characters Patterson has ever brought to life.

About the Author

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977 James Patterson's books have sold more than 240 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes full-time and lives in Florida with his family.

Product Details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (February 18, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316097519
ISBN-13: 978-0316097512

My Review:

The book opens with Alex Cross raiding Elijah Creem's lavish party full of underage girls, guys, drugs, champagne and uninhabited sex.  Elijah is the #1 top well renowned plastic surgeon and when Alex ruins his fun he is determined to do anything to avoid going to jail.  He has recruited his best friend from college Bergman an owner of an modelling agency to help him in his sick and demented killing games.

Also someone is stalking and hunting Alex and his family while on a killing spree.  He enjoys taunting Alex,  follows him to crime scenes and even provokes him to action for his own sick and twisted pleasure.

Elijah is one sick and perverted man who loves underage girls and he has a game with his friend to up one another.  The crime scenes are pretty brutal in nature.

Joshua is sick and perverted who loves underage boys and his crimes are pretty brutal in nature since he likes to stab a certain area of the anatomy many times in a cruel way.

Guidice is a sick psycho who wants to make Alex suffer before killing him.  His crime scenes are pretty brutal too but not as bad as the other two.  He's out for revenge because he blames Alex for the death of his fiancee.

4/5

March Releases

5th
Sweet Tea Revenge - Laura Childs
Seeing is Believing - Erin McCarthy
Trouble in the Tarot - Kari Lee Townsend
Bowled Over - Victoria Hamilton
Peach Pies and Alibis - Ellery Adams
Assaulted Pretzel - Laura Bradford
The Christie Curse - Victoria Abbott

19th
Relentless - Cherry Adair

26th
Let the Dead Sleep - Heather Graham
Til Death - Sharon Sala
Hot Pursuit - Lorie O'Clare