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

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: October 2011

The Year of Mysterious Giveaways: October 2011

The Ninth Day by Jamie Freveletti

I liked the cover for this one. It fits the October/Fall theme. It also sounds like a fantastic mystery thriller. Who's with me? Ready to enter another fabulous give away in the

Year of Mysterious Giveaways?!

Description from Goodreads:

In less than nine days, terror crosses the border . . .

Hiking in Arizona, biochemist Emma Caldridge inadvertently interrupts the operations of dangerous traffickers in human cargo—and is chased south into the arms of millionaire drug merchants. Suddenly a prisoner of Mexico’s most feared cartel, Emma makes a shocking discovery in the marijuana fields outside Ciudad Juarez: plants rotting with a flesh-eating toxin that causes a truly horrible death within nine days of exposure. And there is no antidote.

The cartel believes that U.S. agents contaminated the plants, and, determined to make their enemy pay, they prepare to spread their lethal product across America. Emma Caldridge searches desperately for a cure, but time is running out more quickly than she anticipated. For Emma herself has been infected—and, barring a miracle, she will die before the terrible dawning of . . .

Contest Rules:

Runs October 3- October 30

*Please be a follower of my blog.

*Please leave an email address.

* Please reside in the United States.

Thanks to Dana Kaye Publicity for sending me a copy to give away.

Happy reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Contest Winners!

CONTEST WINNERS!

I had multiple giveaways going this month and they ended around the same day so I am lumping the winners in one post!

Thanks to everyone who entered in both the Learning to Breathe contest and my current Year of Mysterious Giveaways contest. I appreciate all of you for stopping by! I wish I had gifts for you all.

:)

The winner of Cat in a Vegas Gold Vendetta is Miranda....

I follow on GFC ~ Miranda Ward
freebiegoddess03@aol.com
USA

Thanks Miranda! You will be notified!

The winner of Learning to Breathe and the very special extra gift from the author is Gayle...

I could probably benefit from this book even though I haven't had a panic attack for about a year. Sometimes I feel one close by and have to stop and remember how to breathe also. I have empathy for anyone who suffers this condition.

gaylelin@hotmail.com

Thanks Gayle! You too will be notified.

Both winners will be receiving their prizes straight from the publishers. Thank you to them for giving me and you this opportunity to win these wonderful items.

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

The Ladies' Book Club: September 2011

Book Read:

Bliss by Oz Livaneli

Ladies in Attendance:

6 regular members

Treats shared:

Chips & roasted red pepper hummus
Homemade Tabouli
Mint Milano cookies
Samoa Cookies
Bread & cheeses (Drunken Goat Cheese, Mushroom Brie & Jarlsburg)
Cupcakes from "Cupcake"

Peach Salsa & Chips

Matys ~ a south african white wine

Prosseco

To Read or Not to Read:

2 Read it all, 2 read 1/2, 2 not at all

My Reaction:

I read about 50 pages or so and just could not get into it. I was unable to make it to this meet up and was bummed I could not see the ladies but because I didn't read the whole book, I did not have much to contribute to the book discussion. I am including a detailed description of the book so the comments from the other Ladies below will make some more sense. It was a strong pick by Rachele and a lesser known author, which I like.

Description from Google Books:

Fifteen-year-old Meryem lives in a rural village in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Her simple, conventional way of life changes dramatically after her uncle, a sheikh in a dervish order, rapes her and condemns her to death for shaming the family. Asked to carry out the honor killing is his son Cemal, a commando in the Turkish army. So begins a long, mystifying voyage for Meryem as her shell-shocked cousin ushers her to the shining metropolis of Istanbul where another troubled soul, the Harvard-educated professor Irfan, embarks on his own journey of transformation'one that catapults him into the heart of Meryem and Cemal's conflict. The crossed-paths and interwoven destinies of these three characters makes for an affecting, by turns brutal and life-affirming portrayal of traditional and modern-day Turkey that no reader will soon forget. Livaneli is an essential force in Turkey's musical, cultural, and political scene.

Ladies' Reaction:

Because I was not in attendance this month, my good pal, Kari, took excellent notes. So these are straight from their mouths. I always like to keep the notes as is because I find them to be pretty funny, honest and to the point, even if them come across as a bit choppy from translation.

Maria- noticed there are lots of outdated traditions still carried out
in that village!
Erin- Did the girls transformation on the train seem realistic in just
a train ride?
Rachele- Maybe not in that time frame, but could be realistic.
Maria- I would assume that here would be a transformation as she
experienced & saw more away from her village . It did seem unrealistic
that it could all happen on 1 train ride ... eating in front of men,
talking to men, uncovering her head ...
Erin- She was faced with life or death and she decided to go for it
and figure out who she wanted to be. That's brave for a girl from a
small village.
Maria- I am glad I read it, it was a good book, but I didn't like the
ending. I don't know what I would do differently had I written the
ending though. It just seemed like an unrealistic ending for how the
plot unfolded.
Rachele- The Prof. sounded like such a coward - other people have
problems too, some much worse problems than he has ... his story, and
he just moved so slowly.
Maria- There wasn't much of a plot climax to the professor's story
Erin- His plot just fizzles out where the girls has resolution to it.
Maria - I kept thinking ... "did I miss something in his story? is that it?"
Rachel - I like the 3 different journeys in one story
Maria- Good character development. Stories/journeys don't connect ...
paths cross but journeys don't connect.

Good Book Club Pick?

Kari- Overall ~ Glad we had the discussion about the book - I don't know how
I feel about the book. I learned a lot about Turkish culture but I
don't know if I would recommend it. It's a unique type of story.

Next Book Up:

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (yay! spooky zombie book!)

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child

Featured Book (1): Violets of March by Sarah Jio

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio

The Story: (from back cover)

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be helped by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and an intriguing dual story line. The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.

Why I wanted to read it:

Layered familial dramas intrigue me. I like books with secrets and hidden things in old houses. I like imaging living by the sea. I like mysteries and discovering things. This book had it all and was ripe for my reading but unfortunately time ran out for me and I made the mistake of reading too many books that were similar in nature around the time I received this one. This book will certainly be given its time in my hands with my nose buried in it but perhaps, not this year. My purpose of my new Featured Book posts is to shine a little light on these books that I have fallen behind in. I have read so many wonderful reviews of this book and now she has another novel out as well. Below I will list her website. She has a lot of info on there including an Ultra Violet Challenge!

The Details:

Publisher (Penguin) ISBN ( 978-0-452-29703-6) Price ($15.00) Genre (Fiction) Format (Paperback) Author Website (Sarah Jio)

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

Tales of my Literary Life: Midwest Booksellers Association Trade Show

It's taken me years of traveling around and working with many different people to realize that the Twin Cities and the Midwest are really wonderful places to be if you are of the literary kind. Not only does it have many small independent bookstores, it also has many award winning local publishers. I had the pleasure and honor to work at the largest book trade show in the Midwest just this past week. It is its own mini BEA, I thought.

Here is a description from its website:

The 2011 Midwest Booksellers Association trade show is a conference that gathers booksellers, publishers, distributors, reps, vendors, authors, librarians, teachers, and other book business colleagues in the heart of the literary Midwest.

Last year’s trade show show was a big success. Over 700 people attended, including 300 booksellers representing close to 90 bookstores and 230 publishing personnel representing nearly 500 publishers, distributors, and sales groups. Author participation was high, as well. Publishers sponsored 153 authors, who are always one of the highlights of our show.

Following is an abbreviated list of the highlights of the schedule.

Wednesday, September 21: Pre-show Event

Killer cocktails, Sponsored by Sisters in Crime and the Twin Cities Crime Writers Co-op, held at Open Book.

Thursday, September 22:
Education Day/Exhibit Set-Up

• 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Registration desk open.
• Noon to 5:00 p.m. Exhibitor set-up.
• Educational sessions and Rep Pick of the Lists run throughout the day.
• Adult Author Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. Approximately 150 attendees.
  Features Naomi Benaron, Running the Rift (Algonquin Books), Christopher Moore, Sacre Bleu (HarperCollins), Theresa Weir, The Orchard (Hachette), and Jeffrey Zaslow, The Magic Room (Gotham Books/Penguin).
• Moveable Feast Authors Lunch: 12:00 p.m. to 1:50 p.m. Features two keynote authors plus up to 38 additional authors, both adult and children’s. Approximately 100-125 attendees. Features Cheryl Strayed,Wild (Random House) and Larry Watson, American Boy (Milkweed Editions).
• Midwest Booksellers Choice Awards Reception: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Showcases our five award-winning authors. Free event open to all trade show attendees.

Friday, September 23: Exhibit Day.
Show floor open between 9:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

• 6:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Registration desk open.
• 7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m. Final exhibitor set-up.
• Childrens Author Breakfast: 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Four keynote authors speak for 12 minutes each. Approximately 250 attendees. Features Bonny Becker, The Sniffles for Bear (Candlewick), Heather Brewer, The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill (Dial/Penguin), Gordon Korman, Show Off and The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers; Book One (final title TBD) (Scholastic), and Scott Westerfeld, Goliath (Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster).
  Bonny Becker, The Sniffles for Bear, Candlewick
  Heather Brewer, The Slayer Chronicles: First Kill, Dial/Penguin
  Gordon Korman, Show Off and The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers; Book One (final title TBD)
  Scott Westerfeld, Goliath, Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster
• Formal Book Signing/Wine and Cheese Reception: 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Three 30-minute rounds of signing sessions.
• In-Booth Book Signings during Exhibit Hours: 9:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Host author signings at your booth at your discretion during exhibit hours. Be sure to give us a schedule of these signings for distribution at the show

I had so much fun, though I am sore from the two twelve hour days. I was able to meet a lot of wonderful authors while flapping their books and prepping them for their signings! I also got a chance to mingle with many publishing and literary folk that I have seen on and off through the years. Overall, it was an amazing time to be with so many like minded individuals. I had a chance to work with my good friend Dawn, a literary agent and build some connections that hopefully will bring me back next year.

Check out the website, Even if you are not from the Midwest, it is full of wonderful information about independent bookstores, authors and literary websites.

Midwest Booksellers

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

red headed book child