2016 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

 

I am still a mystery lover and I know I have several devoted challenge participants, so I will continue with this challenge in 2016.

I just finished The Good Girl by Mary Kubica and am so excited to have found a new psychological mystery author!  I hope to read more by her in the next year.

Who have you discovered this past year and would like to read more of?

Challenge Rules:

• Read any author within the mystery genre; thriller, noir, suspense, etc. Use last names as the letter (i.e. S= John Sandford)
• Post your links in the comments below.
• See if you can complete the whole alphabet!!!

I look forward to reading what you all are reading. 

                           Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by! 

                                               red headed book child

 

Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Crown

Format: ARC

Source: Bookstore

Challenge: A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Purchase: Indie Bound (due out June 2012)

I can not tell you how many emotions I went through while reading this book. Talk about psychological thriller. Holy cats! This book was right up my alley. I've had this author on my radar for years now, ever since I picked up a used copy of her first book, Sharp Objects.

Still haven't read that one, of course. I snagged this ARC at work while on break and thought I'd give it a go. It is quite marvelously put together. How intricate of a plot she has created. I find myself getting a very quick opinion of a character from early on in most stories. This one, however, I thought I knew them, but they changed so many times, I did not know what was real and what was not.

Check out this synopsis from Goodreads:

"'What are you thinking, Amy? The question I've asked most often during our marriage, if not out loud, if not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions stormcloud over every marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Who are you? What have we done to each other? What will we do?'"

Just how well can you ever know the person you love? This is the question that Nick Dunne must ask himself on the morning of his fifth wedding anniversary, when his wife Amy suddenly disappears. The police immediately suspect Nick. Amy's friends reveal that she was afraid of him, that she kept secrets from him. He swears it isn't true. A police examination of his computer shows strange searches. He says they aren't his. And then there are the persistent calls on his mobile phone. So what did really did happen to Nick's beautiful wife? And what was left in that half-wrapped box left so casually on their marital bed? In this novel, marriage truly is the art of war...

In the beginning, you get the feeling that they are a happy couple or atleast trying to make a good go of it. But then as the back and forth in time chapters roll out, you get a much different picture of both of them. I honestly did not care for either one of them and thought they were just extremely dysfunctional people who can not communicate with each other at all.

Then Amy "disappears" and this whole other side to the story comes up and you are falling fast down a hill full of lies, manipulation and just plain ol' immaturity and self absorption. Like I said previously, I did not really like these characters but they had a train wreck of a story that I could not stop reading. Each chapter will surprise you and the ending will leave you with a resounding, "WTF?"

All in all, impressive read from Gillian Flynn. I will have to get to her first thriller sooner than later.

Rating: Recommend

This is not a wam, bam simple cut and dry case. No. It is a full on psychological thriller you might see on a 20/20 episode. You never know who the good OR the bad guys are. You can't stop reading though and wanting to know how the heck it's going to end. Kudos to Gillian Flynn for creating this dare I say, "edge of your seat" thriller.

Check out her website too. She has a pretty impressive resume!

Author Website:

Gillian Flynn

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Review: Catch Me by Lisa Gardner

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Format: Review Copy

Source: Publisher (Dutton)

Purchase: Indie Bound

Dear Lisa Gardner,

Never stop writing.

Sincerely,

Red Headed Book Child

Folks, I'm going to put it bluntly-Lisa Gardner rocks my mystery/thriller loving socks. As a bookseller of many years, she has been an author that has sold like hot cakes and I, smile and nod, but never picked one up. Then last year rolls around and my very own mystery challenge kicked me into high gear and I read Live to Tell. That was considered book 4 in her Detective D.D Warren series and Catch Me, is considered book 6.

I could not put Live to Tell down. I was hooked! So I did a little begging and maybe a little pleading to get my hands on Catch Me and poof! it arrived at my door step. Hot sauce!

For those of you new to Lisa Gardner, here's the low down on this series.

Alone, Hide, The Neighbor, Live to Tell, Love you More and Catch Me

D.D Warren is a tough Boston detective and damn good at her job. Up until this book, she has led a pretty solitary life with very little baggage. Now, however, she is in a relationship and new mom to baby Jack. She is finding it a bit difficult to live and breathe her job, as she once did, when all she can see is the 5:00 quitting-home to baby Jack-time.

Unfortunately crime does not stop for this new mom.

Description from Goodreads:

"In four days, someone is going to kill me . . . "

Detective D. D. Warren is hard to surprise. But a lone woman outside D.D.'s latest crime scene shocks her with a remarkable proposition: Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant believes she will be murdered in four days. And she wants Boston's top detective to handle the death investigation.

"It will be up close and personal. No evidence of forced entry, no sign of struggle."
Charlie tells a chilling story: Each year at 8:00 p.m. on January 21st, a woman has died. The victims have been childhood best friends from a small town in New Hampshire; the motive remains unknown. Now only one friend, Charlie, remains to count down her final hours.

But as D.D. quickly learns, Charlie Grant doesn't plan on going down without a fight. By her own admission, the girl can outshoot, outfight, and outrun anyone in Boston. Which begs the question, is Charlie the next victim, or the perfect perpetrator? As D.D. tracks a vigilante gunman who is killing pedophiles in Boston, she must also delve into the murders of Charlie's friends, racing to find answers before the next gruesome January 21 anniversary. Is Charlie truly in danger, or is she hiding a secret that may turn out to be the biggest threat of all?

"In four days, someone is going to kill me. But the son of a bitch has gotta catch me first. "

Oh. My. Goodness.

Right? Are you terrified?

I've read a lot of mysteries in my time and one of the things I seem to consistently enjoy is the element of surprise. I like twists. I don't want to know until the end. I want the ending to smack me in the face. Lisa Gardner's books do just that! Not only that, she has a talent for creating characters that are psychologically messed up but still likable. That's hard to do. There are certainly bad guys and you don't like them but then there are characters like Charlie. She has done bad things but you still root for her because you get it. Gardner has a precise way she builds up a character and generates that empathy in the reader. It's very human. It's very real. You can picture yourself in the moment and feeling the same emotions.

Charlie's character was abused as a child and she is now closed off as an adult. She was another hard as nails woman that Gardner created.

She kicked ass and I'm still rooting for her.

Rating: Recommend

I am definitely going to continue to read Lisa Gardner's books. She is a masterful creator of mysterious puzzles, laying down each piece at the right time and then having it all click together at the end. Impressive. There's a steady beat to her writing within the dialogue between the characters and the bread crumb approach to the back story, little bits here and there. Within the mystery genre, there are so many similar story lines that as a reader, the make or break moment is the writing and how the story is delivered. If the author can create a unique lead character or keep you guessing until the end with well plotted writing, than they stand apart. Lisa Gardner definitely stands apart.

Author Website:

Lisa Gardner

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

2012 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge: Sign Up AND Post Reviews Here

Sign Up AND Post your reviews here, please! I'm using one link. It's easier for my brain I guess.

Thanks!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

2012 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Welcome to the 2nd Annual A-Z Mystery Author Challenge!

My purpose of creating this challenge was to read more of one of my favorite genres while also discovering new authors. Because I did not "complete" any part of the challenge last year as I outlined in the rules, I've decided to change it this year.

This year I am leaving it opened for you, dear participants, to create your own levels.

Read all "A" authors. Read "A-G" authors.

Read "M-Z" Authors. Or continue from last year and try to complete more letters and get the whole alphabet.

You choose. :)

My plan is to continue to seek out those mystery authors I've always wanted to read and discover new ones as well. I will record on my sidebar what I read for this year and post my reviews and links on my challenge sidebar.

One thing I noticed in myself tin 2011 is that I have a ton of authors in the same letters that I really want to read. For example, "G". Lisa Gardner, Tess Gerristen, Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes.

I found myself not wanting to read other letters, just to fulfill it, because my interest was in the a few letters I had already "completed".

So stress be gone. I'll read whatever mystery I want and record as such. It will be a continuing challenge that might take me a few years to complete the whole alphabet. I'm confident it will happen in time. :)

RULES:

• Challenge runs from January 1 - December 31, 2012. Sign up ends February 1, 2012.
• Each letter represents the last name of the mystery author. G= for Sue Grafton.
• You decide your level.
• Mystery genre can include Cozy, Suspense, Thriller, or Noir. All Adult novels please.
• Sign up on Mr. Linky.
• Write a post about this challenge and what letters you want to read. You can list the authors you choose or do it as you go.
• When you post your reviews, mention this challenge and link back to this sign up post.
• New button will be available that will have my new blog address on it. Feel free to grab this one for now!

I look forward to following all of you on your mystery reading adventures in 2012.

Thank you to all of you who participated in 2011 and congrats to those that completed it!

Marce @ Tea Time with Marce

Bev @ My Reader's Block

These ladies read a wonderful selection within the mystery genre.

If you haven't checked them out, please do so!

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Fragile by Lisa Unger (review #138)

Title: Fragile

Author: Lisa Unger

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Crown

Format: Library Loan

* Read for my 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

I discovered Lisa Unger many years ago during my bookselling days. I received an ARC of Beautiful Lies, one of her first books. I could not put it down! I found her to be a fresh, exciting, sharp, thrilling new voice in the thriller genre. It had the perfect blend of psychological thriller and mystery that I like.

One of her latest novels, Fragile, was shelved in the Fiction section at my last bookstore instead of Mystery, like her others. Perhaps this was a marketing tactic to change up her audience or perhaps the publisher felt it was more of a novel than a thriller. I found it be similar to her others. It had the psychological thriller piece matched with the whodunnit of two missing girl cases.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:

Everybody knows everybody in The Hollows, a quaint, charming town outside of New York City. It’s a place where neighbors keep an eye on one another’s kids, where people say hello in the grocery store, and where high school cliques and antics are never quite forgotten. As a child, Maggie found living under the microscope of small-town life stifling. But as a wife and mother, she has happily returned to The Hollows’s insular embrace. As a psychologist, her knowledge of family histories provides powerful insights into her patients’ lives. So when the girlfriend of her teenage son, Rick, disappears, Maggie’s intuitive gift proves useful to the case—and also dangerous.

Eerie parallels soon emerge between Charlene’s disappearance and the abduction of another local girl that shook the community years ago when Maggie was a teenager. The investigation has her husband, Jones, the lead detective on the case, acting strangely. Rick, already a brooding teenager, becomes even more withdrawn. In a town where the past is always present, nobody is above suspicion, not even a son in the eyes of his father.

“I know how a moment can spiral out of control,” Jones says to a shocked Maggie as he searches Rick’s room for incriminating evidence. “How the consequences of one careless action can cost you everything.”

As she tries to reassure him that Rick embodies his father in all of the important ways, Maggie realizes this might be exactly what Jones fears most. Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie pursues her own leads into Charlene’s disappearance and exposes a long-buried town secret—one that could destroy everything she holds dear. This thrilling novel about one community’s intricate yet fragile bonds will leave readers asking, How well do I know the people I love? and How far would I go to protect them?

I really enjoyed the small town everyone- knows -everyone drama. It added to the tension of the book. All the characters seemed relatively believable to me, having come from a small town myself. The only flaw was that there was a bit too many story lines going on for me. Unger did a pretty good job weaving them together in the end. I still felt that some of the threads were too detailed and she could have wrapped it up a little bit better with some of the characters.

I was surprised with how it all turned out, which is a plus for me. I don't like figuring it all out before it ends. The ending gives you the sense that there is more story to be told, which is where the Darkness, my old Friend comes in. I wasn't aware there was a follow up until I investigated the author's website. Jones Cooper, the lead detective in Fragile, continues his story in Darkness...

Perhaps I will get to that next year in my challenge. :)

Rating: 5/6

Though I liked Beautiful Lies better than Fragile, I still think Lisa Unger is an author to read. I think she handles the twists of a psychological thriller quite well. Her characters get in your head and you want to figure them out. You want to uncover all of the secrets and get to the nitty gritty of the crime. If you are fans of Lisa Scottoline or Tana French, you may like Lisa Unger's books. I would say she may be a good middle ground between the two.

Author Website:

Lisa Unger

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner (review #137)

Title: Live to Tell

Author: Lisa Gardner

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: Bantam

Format: My shelves

* Read for my 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Thank you, Mystery Challenge, for finally prompting me to read Lisa Gardner. I could not put this book down! Silly me, I even felt a little hesitant because it wasn't the shiniest or newest book on my pile. Darnit, though, I was sticking to my challenge. I had not fulfilled the letter "G" yet so I read it. SO SO GLAD I DID!

I have never read her before but have definitely been curious. She seemed to do the psychological thriller type of mystery that I really like, if it's done well. My mom and my pal, Cheryl, had already read this one last summer after I got back from BEA. (Yes, I'm that behind). They both remarked that is was excellent. I would agree wholeheartedly.

Here is a description from the author's website:

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide.

On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.

Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.

A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house.

In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

Lisa Gardner's writing style definitely has a hook to it. She has a way of building up suspense in each chapter even when not a whole lot happens. She leaves you hanging and then always comes back to satisfy you. It was told from three different perspectives, all women and you don't really see how they are all tied in until about half way. And then, BAM, it's none stop suspense.

I was especially intrigued (and a tad bit horrified) with the subject of mental health in children. It saddens me that there are children out there that have either been so badly abused or neglected that they are uncontrollable beings at this point. They have not received any of their basic needs in order for them to developmentally grow into healthy emotional children. This topic was pretty heavy throughout, in Danielle's work as a Pediatric Nurse and with Victoria and her son who suffered from a severe psychotic disorder.

The subject wasn't done is a flashy way or an over the top Lifetime movie of the week way. It was laid out pretty matter of fact, which made it even more terrifying and unputdownable to read.

All the women in this book were fascinating to read as well. They were all flawed and beaten up in their own way. D.D Warren was crass, sharp and brutally honest. In the midst of all the craziness in her work, she freely admits that all she really needed to do was get laid. This may sound flippant but it was real. With all the horror she sees on a daily basis, she was honest in needing the simple comfort of someone near her at the end of the day. I will definitely be reading more of her series.

Rating: 6/6

I give this my top rating. Though at times, the subject matter was a bit harsh and gruesome, I think Lisa Gardner wrote a well written, chilling thriller. I really liked the D.D Warren and want to go back and read the previous books in her series. As far as psychological thrillers go, Gardner rates at the top. I would put her up there with Harlan Coben, who is a huge favorite of mine.

I'm so glad I finally read this and also completed a letter in my Mystery Challenge!

Author Website:

Lisa Gardner

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo (Review #136)

Title:

Sworn to Silence

Author:

Linda Castillo

Series:

Kate Burkholder #1

Genre:

Thriller/Suspense

Format:

Libary Loan

* Read for 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

I love it when I pick something at random and end up loving it. That's what reading is all about, right?

I was discharging books at my library job and this came across the desk. I've always been really fascinated with the Amish way of life so when you through a murder and some suspense with that all, you have me hooked. The whole peaceful existence of the Amish existence is completely shattered when a killer is in their midst. It makes you think that no matter how good and simple you try to live your life, evil always as a way of finding its way in.

Here is a description from Goodreads:

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her.

I thought this had the perfect blend of mystery and suspense. I really liked Kate's character and how she was tied to the Amish community. Her experience growing up Amish gave her an edge to the community and the crime that she was working on. Though she had left that life she still respected the values and the way in which they lived. I liked her wit and her tough exterior. Though emotional and hiding demons from her own past, she was still a tough police chief and had respect from her team.

The writing was quick and sharp and definitely kept my attention. This was the first in the series and there were a few moments where it showed but overall, she kept the pace going and tied it up in the end. Some parts were pretty gruesome but they were brief. I can handle a little bit of blood and guts when it comes to describing crime scenes and victims and whatnot but it can get too much at times. In this case it was a serial killer so the details of the crime scenes were necessary to depict the similarities between the murders.

I'm definitely going to keep reading this series. There is a love interest that pops up throughout this and I'm sure it will continue to some way, shape or form. I liked their dynamic and I look forward to reading more about him. And i liked the location and the side characters. Painters Mill was the name of the fictional town in Ohio and I got a good sense of it from the author's good descriptions.

Rating: 5/6

I recommend this new series for fans of thrillers with an edge. It has a unique twist because of the tie to the Amish community. i think the parallel worlds of the Amish and the English would appeal to a lot of readers. My mom is reading this now and she is loving it.

Author Website:

Linda Castillo

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Challenging myself

If you've read my last post you will know that I am taking a break from review requests and focusing on reading more of what I own (or see at my library). My main goal is to get back on track for my Mystery Challenge. I've been picking the shelves (at my library) and my own for the books I want to read. I discovered Linda Castillo's Amish Mystery Series while working at the library this week and picked it up right away.

She will be my "C" pick and review should come up next week!

I have also come across The White Devil by Justin Evans ( I think he is going to be my "E" pick) and Absent Friends by S.J Rozan (my potential "R" pick).

I'm glad I finally decided to refocus because I am really jazzed about these books.

Ahh, now just to keep focus going and NOT get distracted. :)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Save me by Lisa Scottoline (review #124)

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

Genre: Fiction, Mystery

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Library Loan

* Read for 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Surprisingly I have never read a book by Lisa Scottoline before. I was curious about this one because SO many patrons at my library were placing holds on it. I kept receiving it in my delivery several times a week and I thought, what the heck, let's try it out. I had to wait a bit but finally got it in on Monday. I read it in 2 days.

The book starts off with a bang. It jumps right in to Rose as a lunchroom mom, keeping an eye on her daughter, Melly. Melly is being bullied because of her large birth mark on her face and her mother wants to see if she can help in any way, hence the volunteer job.

After witnessing Melly's classmate Amanda make fun of her, Rose steps in and tells her to say she was sorry. At this point, the lunchroom is clearing and a teacher approaches Rose to see what was going on. Rose explains that she is trying to make a point that the school doesn't tolerate bullying. The teacher makes it clear that it's not her job to discipline and that they should make their way out of the cafeteria.

At this point the teacher leaves and not more than a few minutes later, an explosion goes off sending Rose into a panic. Melly had run off after the incident and Rose was left with Amanda and two other students that she was now responsible for to get to safety.

But she is torn. Where did Melly go? Did she make it outside or did she go and hide in the bathroom like she is known to do?

Faced with the dilemma to either save her own child or the others, she escorts the three girls half way to the exit door, pointing the rest of the way.

Melly survives and so do the other girls but Amanda is some how critically injured and in a coma. The entire community blames Rose for neglecting to bring the girls out of the building, berating her for choosing her own child over the others.

What follows is a pretty intense, fast paced ride. Rose is tortured in the press and in the community, being called a horrible mother. Wanting to not only clear her name but also find some peace for her daughter, Rose sets out to find out the truth behind the explosion at the school. After some minor digging, she discovers some dirty business going on.

I was enjoying the book up until the almost instant "Rose becomes Super Investigator" part kicked in. Sure, you feel the adrenaline of finding the truth but it all seemed too easy for her to find the truth. And though in the end Rose does good and brings the bad guys out in the light, I still didn't really feel too much towards her. In my opinion, I didn't think her character was written with much depth. She was beautiful former model with a handsome lawyer husband. She managed to get all the answers with, what seemed, like very little effort.

Review: 4/6

Overall, it was a quick, fast-paced read. It read more like a mystery than a contemporary women's fiction novel that it seems it's being marketed for. Her writing was dramatic and absorbing to read. It just fell a little short towards the end and it didn't go where I thought it would. I do wish to read Lisa Scottoline again. I would like to start with some of her older mysteries, rather than some eof her newer novels and see how those turn out.

I would recommend this for fans of mysteries and Jodi Picoult like dramas.

Book Club Pick?

Well, it does get into the drama of parenting, navigating the world of school politics, bullying, etc. I think that would spark some conversation. Also, just the question "What would you do if you were in this situation?" would be intriguing to answer.

Author Website:

Lisa Scottoline

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Amateurs by Marcus Sakey (review #114)

The Amateurs by Marcus Sakey

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Dutton

Format: Review Copy

* Read for my 2011 A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

I LOVED this book! It was exactly what I needed. I am really trying to focus on my mood these days when it comes to reading and also trying to meet my challenges at the same time. It may sound tricky but it's working out. I seem to have a little variety with my challenges and a good mix of books on my shelf and to review to pick from.

This book wasn't a planned review. I inquired with the publisher about his newest book and they offered to send me this one instead because the new one was not ready yet. I had read his novel Good People a few years back and really enjoyed it.

Sakey's books have one of my favorite types of set ups in mysteries. He puts ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Harlan Coben and later Dean Koontz are good authors for that as well.

You can easily identify with the characters; who they are, what drives them, the mistakes them make, etc. And when things go horribly wrong, you sort of see it coming but you can't stop reading!

The Amateurs is all that and a bag of chips. Alex, Ian, Mitch and Jenn are four friends who call themselves the Thursday Night Drinking Club. Every Thursday they come together to drink a local bar where Alex is bartender. They are all seemingly happy, somewhat together individuals with little care in the world and are up for almost anything.

Alex is trying to make enough money to pay his child support for his daughter, Cassie. Jenn is a travel agent who longs for adventure. Mitch works in a hotel and is secretly in love with Jenn. Ian is fun and dangerous and secretly hiding a controlled drug habit.

Alex is called to do a side job for his boss, Johnny Love and doesn't know how to say no. Feeling trapped and desperately wanting more money for his kid, he agrees but he also gets the idea for a side job of his own. Turns out Johnny has a safe full of cash and Alex just happens to know the combination.

Somehow able to convince his friends to set up a fake robbery, they go for it. Good people making quick decisions based out of desperation and a need for adventure. Makes sense. Of course it will all go to hell.

And to hell it goes, indeed. Not only did they steal from Johnny, Johnny owed a guy named Victor a different kind of payment. Now the web has gotten bigger and it's not just his weasel boss that he screwed. Alex and his friends also screwed some big time bad guys.

Review: 5/6

Without giving too much away, let's just say, this one was fast paced and full of action. It was hard to put down. Sure it was a tad bit predictable at times. Will it make an awesome movie? You bet! The four friends were indeed Amateurs and they freely admit it. What they did might not be above or beyond anything that anyone of us would do? Who knows? This was a well crafted, fun suspenseful read. I'm going to continue to keep an eye out for Marcus Sakey!

Book Club Pick:

Another fun read for me, that's it!

Author Website:

Marcus Sakey

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

*Thank you to Dana Kaye Publicity for sharing a copy with me to read.

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie (review #112)

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Publisher: Penguin/Obsidian

Format: Library Loan

*Read for my A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Well, this is certainly a big change from the last few books I reviewed. I told you I needed to take a break for a bit from the heavy books I've been reading. This did the trick. Let's just start by saying, I'm not a big fan of the paranormal reads. Ok? There you have it. I'm sure 75% of the blogosphere just stopped dead in their tracks. I know, doesn't everyone love this genre? It's everywhere! Well, I don't hate it, I just don't seek it out to read much.

Don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for Twilight, LOVE Buffy and Angel, and if I were to some how turn into a Succubi, I would be okay with "working it all out" with a studly vampire.

But it's not a genre I can read a lot of. I do, however, LOVE this Ghost Hunter Mystery series by Victoria Laurie. I picked them up on a whim after I was laid off and decided to give some new lighter genres a try. I like the whole ghost busting, ghost hunter thing. I watch the shows. I love the spooky movies. So, this really turned out to be right up my alley.

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls is #5 in the series. M.J Holliday is the sassy female character. She is a ghost hunter, psychic medium who travels to different spooky hot spots around the world with her team; Gilley, her gay best friend and computer guru; Heath, her partner is psychic crime and hmmm, potential love interest; Gopher, her producer for her new Ghoul Getters TV show and a whole cast of helpers and spooks and gooks.

What started out as just her own business in the first few books, M.J. has progressed to being quite a successful, sought after medium. In the last book, the realty show Ghoul Getters started and continues in this one. This has made the books even more fun. They find themselves in some pretty far off places. In this case, Dunlow Castle in Ireland. There seems to be a cranky phantom there who is intent on guarding some long ago buried treasure.

M.J. and her gang are to investigate and get some neat shots for the show and be off. Unfortunately they all get tangled up in the mystery even more. It's not as simple as getting rid of the phantom. They discover many secrets and betrayals along the way in this tiny town.

Rating: 5/6

I really recommend these. I find them to be really fun and a bit scary too. In light of the topics and situations they find themselves in, it could come across as a bit cheesy but it doesn't. Laurie writes with ease and obviously has quite a knowledge of the paranormal being a real-life professional psychic. I would definitely start out with Book 1- What's a Ghoul to do? You will get a taste of M.J. and follow her story and relationships better that way.

Book Club Pick:

Nope. Just for my own little fun!

Author Website:

The whole series can be checked out here. Victoria Laurie

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Now You See Her by Joy Fielding (review #111)

Now You See Her by Joy Fielding

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Atria (Simon and Schuster)

Release Date: February 22

* Read for my A-Z Mystery Author Challenge

Even though it is the dead of winter and I could scream if I see one more piece of snow fall, I am still able to muster some excitement for this time of year because it means there is a new Joy Fielding mystery to read! I have been a fan of hers for almost a decade now. My love began with one of her first novels, See Jane Run, which I still think is one of the best mysteries I have ever read. I can thank my pal Cheryl for that. She recommended it to me and I could not put it down. Even my husband read it and loved it!

Though there have been a few here and there that I haven't enjoyed as much, I can safely say she knows how to write a twisted, fast paced mystery thriller and is one of the best in her genre.

I was thrilled when I was able to read this a little early. Thrilled would equal me squealing when the UPS man arrived. I'm sure he thinks I'm a sad little gal whom he seems to only see in pajamas. (don't worry folks, they deliver early. I'm not in my pjs all day!) But anyway, I hunkered down with this one right away, flinging all else to the side.

Now You See Her tells the story of Marcy Taggart, a newly divorced fifty year old woman, on a vacation in Ireland. What was supposed to be her 25th anniversary getaway has turned into a lonely expensive therapy session. She finds herself wandering from tour group to tour group trying to make the most of it, until one afternoon she spots a young woman who looks just like her daughter Devon. Problem is, Devon is dead; supposedly drowned in a canoe accident two years prior. No body was found. Life went on and so did her husband.

Marcy is convinced her daughter is still alive. No one believed her in the past and no one is certainly going to believe her now. With only the slightest of glimpses, Marcy throws herself full on into her own investigation of this woman. Her blinders are on and her only focus is to find her daughter, at any expense, including running up bills on her ex husband's credit card, traveling to remote areas of Dublin and Cork, trusting in strangers, sleeping with strange men and lying to her sister.

I completely sympathized with Marcy the whole way, even when she acted like a moron, with little regard for her own safety or her family back home. You lose a child with no closure, how could you not always have hope? Devon was a troubled child, suffering from bi-polar disorder. Marcy always struggled to be a good mom but during her mad search in Ireland, she brings to the surface just how tough she really was on her daughter. Maybe she could have done better. Maybe this is her chance to give back.

Joy Fielding is always good for the twists and turns towards the end. As I was reading along, I was shaking my head at some of "help" Marcy received along the way and how easy it seemed to be going at times. But, leave it to Joy, she surprised me in the end. Her stories don't always leave you with happy endings, but you do manage to feel the mission accomplished.

Rating: 6/6

I highly recommend this one for fans of Fielding or just fans of mystery/thrillers in general. I don't like to figure it all out before it ends and with Fielding's novels, I rarely do. Not only do you go on the roller coaster ride of Marcy's search, you get to do it Ireland. Fielding obviously did a fair amount of research with the location because I certainly felt like I was there.

Book Club Pick?

This is just a fun, solid, suspenseful mystery/thriller, good for a weekend on the couch. For me, that's all I seem to be doing because it's so damn cold out there.

Author Website:

Joy Fielding

* Click on title above to pre-order.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child