THE GIRL SHE USED TO BE by David Cristofano

Torn from friends, school and home, Melody Grace McCartney is running for her life. A six year old, along with her parents witness a mob killing. The family is put into protective custody with a new name, a new life and in a new town.

Once again she must move and is wisked away. She is protected but encounters Jonathan Bovaro, the very one she is running from. He talks her into coming with him, that she is safe. She learns from him, a child himself, that he was the one to give information to his father about the witnesses to the killing many years before. Ultimately, she looses her parents to it also.

She comes to know why she has been on the run all these years and learns to love. When will this all end? It's all up to Jonathan and his doing the right thing.

A tragic story but a extremely good one. Could very well be true. To live in a make believe life is unimaginable. No contact even with family is unthinkable to me. On a scale of 1 to 5 I rate it an 8. Thank you Miriam for sending it to Tess who gave it to me to read for her.

FIFTY IS NOT A FOUR-LETTER WORD a novel by Linda Kelsey

Hope is a middle aged woman who has a great job, a husband that loves her and a son getting ready to head off to college. She is also terrified because she is turning the big 50.

In her angst, she loses her job, drives her husband away, disgusts her son and has a fling with another guy on a little jaunt she takes to clear her head.

Getting it together she treks up a mountain with friends, gets another job that is even better, I believe, and tries to win her husband back. She is on the way to overcoming the big 50.

This story is funny and sad at the same time. I passed that number a long time ago and was told by a friend that when one hits 50 all hell breaks loose. I like me just as I am, maybe a little slower doing things but hey, what's the rush. I'm still waiting for everything to break loose!

Thanks again Miriam and Hatchette book group for a great 4 point book.

THE MAKEDOWN by Gitty Daneshvari

New York, are you ready? Here comes funny, plain, obese Anna Norton who leaves behind her all American dysfunctional family for the big apple. She gets hired by a caterer, who in a most underhanded way helps Anna to shed pounds and start to like herself more.

She meets the hunky, healthy, outgoing, well built, slim and trim, Ben who likes her. Not believing her luck in landing Ben, her jealousy rears its ugly head leading her on a road of unbelievable ways of redoing Ben so no one can steal him away.

Will her ideas work? What are the repercussions if he finds out? Unbelievably nutty and funny to read. A four on my scale.
Thanks Miriam for sending the book.

ANGEL OF WRATH a novel by Bill Myers

A mega church is loosing it members to a serial killer. Charlie Madison, a retired agent, his quirky teenage niece Jaz, and his defunct FBI agent friend Lisa pull together as a group to solve the murders.

They are lead to a young coven of teens who have offered sacrifices to the underworld, calling up a terrible demon who trys to destroy everyone. Both the killer and demon go after the founder of the mega church who just happens to be Lisa's father. Will she save him, herself and the others before they are all murdered?

A must read for those thrill seekers who love the clash between Heaven and Hell! A great 5 star book. Thanks to Miriam for sending this book my way.