KILLER WEEKEND by Ridley Pearson

In Sun Valley, a playground for the rich, U.S. Attorney General Elizabeth Shaler returned to be the key speaker at billionaire Patrick Cutter's media and communications conference for business tycoons. Between her and County Sheriff Walt Fleming stands a killer who threatens Shaler's life. Walt's plate fills quickly with a potential murder and the arrest of his nephew. As the clock keeps ticking, we will see how precise the preparations for murder are.

The plot is sharp and interwoven with family matters. The author is brilliant in his telling of the story. He calls for the Secret Service, the FBI, Cutter's own security people, all of which are now jockeying for position with the Sheriff and the case. The reader is able to follow along nicely, right up to the end. The hitman is beautifully portrayed as a passerby on the sidewalk, anytown, USA. Here is the link to the author's site to read more from this book. www.ridleypearson.com/killerweekend

Near the top: 4.75 stars

Follow the author at: www.teddekker.com/teddekker

A killer is on a path of death throughout the states. He chooses the most beautiful women and is killing them in the name of love. His tally is six so far. Special Agent Brad Raines has been on his tail, but the killer is allusive. Hand written notes are left at the scene of each crime, but that is it. No DNA from the killer is found. Still with no leads, Agent Raines enlists the help of gifted, mentally ill residents from the private, Center for Wellness and Intelligence. A psychotic resident named Paradise is asked to help, falling deeply in love with Brad Raines. With a fear of the outside world, a few of the residents and Special Agent Raines set out to solve the crimes and catch the killer. Follow the trail of drugs, drills, and THE BRIDAL VEIL.

In the minds of readers, a flower will unfold. Another fantastic thriller from the author. Loved the suspense right till the end. This book was read by me in about 4 hours, just could not put down. I loved how the story just kept building with twists and turns. Just who was going to end up dead next? I was amazed how the author entwined all the characters, and how Brad felt about love in the beginning of the book, but was a changed man at the end. Great!!!
Awesome!!!!

4.75 stars and thank you Miriam for sending the book.

Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand by Carrie Vaugh

Kitty and Ben are the alpha pair of a Denver pack of werewolves. They are planning to get married in Las Vegas. While there, Kitty is planning to host her talk radio show live from the hotel she is staying at.

This hotel is also hosting a large gun show where silver bullets and bounty hunters are everywhere. But wait, vampires are living in the penthouse suite. Forward on goes kidnapping, murder and mayhem.

Do Ben and Kitty get married or will they forever be howling in the wind? A great story for those who love werewolves and vampires.

3.5 stars to the author

FACES
A Novel by Martina Cole

An intriguing book that was a little slow at the start, but eventually I got to the "meat" of it. The story introduces a fourteen year old boy named Danny Cadogen. Dan's father has left the family, leaving Dan's mom and two siblings to fend for themselves. He leaves school and becomes the bread winner. He gets a job at a junkyard and soon learns the life of crime, striving to be the top crime lord in England. Committing ruthless crimes, even in his home life, Dan feels he is indispensable to the gang.

You just have to read the book to find out how he rises to the top, controls his mother and siblings as well as his co-horts in crime. A very well written story. I for one, would not like to meet this character on the street. 4.50 stars to the author.

Thank you Miriam and Hachette for the book.

SILENT SCREAM by Karen Rose

A teenage girl dies in a suspicious fire, Detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned to track down the arsonist. Then she discovers something more sinister: a vicious blackmailer who preys on young people and murders without hesitation. Making her work even harder is sexy firefighter David Hunter. He's not only sharing the case, but sparking memories of their long-ago night of passion, when feelings were left unsiad and hearts were broken.

David has his own ghosts, and a million regrets. But while he and Olivia try to face the wall of pain between them, a diabolical puppet master is pulling strings to make a group of twenty-somethings do his bidding. Soon Olivia and David are scouring the city for a calculating criminal who seems tantalizingly close--and is moving in for the kill.

The suspense of who done it was killing me. I read and read till I finished the book. Lots of action! Awsomely compelling right to the end. A have to read to find out if David and Olivia get over themselves and do what should have been done a long time ago. Ooooooooh, see how they create misery when there was no need. I couldn't believe how a piece of equipment was used to do such evil. The top! 5 stars

Thanks Miriam and Hatchette for the book.

THE YELLOW HOUSE by Patricia Falvery

The Yellow House Book - Synopsis
"I remember the summers best, when the days rested in the long arms of evening and the sounds around Slieve Guillon were as muted as benediction. Only the faint barking of distant dogs cut the stillness as farmers drove their cattle home. Smoke curled from cottage chimneys and children gulped down tea so they could return to play while time hovered between day and night like a gift from heaven.
Glenlea, County Armagh, Ireland 1905. When her family is torn aprt by religious intolerance, personal tragedy, and explosive secrets, young Eileen O'Neill is determined to reclaim the Yellow House where her family had been happy and bring her broken family back home.As war is declared on a local and global scale, Eileen cannot separate the politics from the personal impact of the conflict. Her choice is complicated by the influence of two men. James Conlon, a charismatic and passionate politcal activit is determined to win Irish independence from Great Britain at any cost, appeals to her warrior's soul. But Eileen also finds herself drawn to Owen Sheridan, the wealthy and handsome black sheep of the pacifist family who owns the mill where she works, and who believes that peace can never be achieved through violence. The choice that Eileen makes will change the course of all their lives and give her a true understanding of herself. Set in Ulster in the early 20th century, this novel brings to life the conflicts leading up to the birth of the border that divided the island of Ireland, and still exists today.
Patricia Falvey was born in Northern Ireland and raised in Ireland and England before immigrating to the U.S. at age twenty. A former managing director with a financial services firm, she now devotes herself full-time to writing and teaching and divides her time between Dallas, Texas, and County Armagh, Northern Ireland. THE YELLOW HOUSE is her first novel.
Watch the book trailer.

The Reader's Review: I found this story tugging at my heart as it is such a moving and rewarding novel. Eileen has such a passion for life and does what she needs to do to fulfill her dreams. I loved how Eileen took a stand and did not back down or really care what anyone else thought of her. She is one tough cookie! The author wrote with such insight that I was able to vicariously be a part of this story. 4.75 Stars

Thanks Miriam and Hatchette for the book.

UNDRESS ME IN THE TEMPLE OF HEAVEN by Susan Jane Gilmore

In 1986, Susan Jane Gilman and a classmate embarked on a bold trek around the globe starting in the People's Republic of china. At that point, China had been open to independent backpackers for roughly ten minutes. Armed only with the collected works of Nietzsche and Linda Goodman's Love Signs, the two friends plunged into the dusty streets of Shanghai.

Unsurprisingly, they quickly found themselves in over their heads--hungry, disoriented, stripped of everything familiar, and under constant government surveillance. Soon, they began to unravel--one physically, the other psychologically. As their journey became increasingly harrowing, they found themselves facing crises and Susan didn't think they'd survive. But by summoning strengths she never knew she had--and with help from unexpected friends--the two travelers found their way out of a Chinese heart of darkness.

A once in a life time excursion, maybe I would do it, maybe not. With only knowing a few words from the Mandarin dialect, no Chinese what-so-ever, I definitely would not have gone. But that's me. The story astonished me totally. I pictured in my mind the situations that were being described and oh boy, but, through the author's written words I was travelling in China. At times, I was fearful that the outcome of the story was not going to end happily. All in all, a really a good story and quite and undertaking for these two girls. I give it 4 stars.

FALSE CONVICTIONS by Tim Green

Casey Jordan is counting on an open-and-shut case, a sure success for her first effort with the Freedom Project, the renowned charity group dedicated to helping exonerate wrongfully convicted prisoners. Not only is the Freedom Project giving Casey the chance to help innocent people, but its founder, Robert Graham, is offering Casey a one-million-dollar annual pledge to her legal clinic for taking on just two jobs a year.

Her first assignment is to revive the case of Dwayne Hubbard, an indigent black man serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of a college student seventeen years ago. Using DNA evidence, Casey expects to easily prove Hubbard's innocence. Yet when she arrives in rural Auburn, New York, she meets immediate and aggressive resistance.

Tormented by death threats and assassination attempts, Casey investigates a prosecution apparently rife with lies. From the judge, the lawyers, the jury, to the police, she traces a web of corruption surrounding the destruction of one young man. But in all the chaos, Casey's hardest challenge may be just staying alive.

The Review: I find Tim Green to be an excellent writer of thrillers. Some day and I would like to meet him and ask where his ideas come from. This story took this reader from start to finish in such a great way I am almost at a loss for words to review the story.

Casey Jordan gets such a full bodied taste of corruption, as the story goes on, I want to just shout out loud. She is doing her job as she is asked to do, and "she" ends up in jail. Why?? And just who are her friends and foes? Foes are friends? Friends are foes???? What a web of confusion the author weaves. Just when I thought I figured out what the plot really was, boom! another twist gets thrown in. A must read for thrill seekers. 4.75 Stars

WORST CASE by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Detective Michael Bennett is on the case. The son of a wealthy New York family has been kidnapped but no money is demanded. The hostage is questioned and wrong answers prove fatal.

The kidnapper gets bolder and calls Mike on his cell phone and leads Mike and his partner Emily Parker on a merry chase through the streets of New York to find the hostage. Finally they are lead to a dilapidated building and are told to go to the basement where they would find Jacob, the hostage. On his forehead they find a smudge, a gray mark like a small x. A sentence is written on a blackboard in Latin but what does it mean?

A girl, Chelsea Skinner finds herself lying on a bone-numbing cold stone floor. She cries, her teeth chatter. Someone knocked her out, took her clothes and left her in her underwear. Why? She hears a noise and is then headbutted. Coming too, she finds herself tied to an appliance hand truck. Oh, what now? The test begins again.

What a great suspense story with a bit of romance thrown in. A great book to read in one or two sittings. I give it 4.75 stars. Thanks Miriam for sending the book to me. Here is a link to go to James Patterson's website and join his community. http://www.jamespatterson.com/

IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL by Tiffany L. Warren

Zenovia, a clairvoyant, and her schizophrenic mother Audrey live in a one bedroom apartment in King Kennedy, a Cleveland housing project. Someone knocks on the door. Finally they call out, "We'd like to share the Gospel with you".

The Brethren of the Sacrifice church believe they are the true Christians. Audrey and Zenovia joined this church after going the first time. Not finding the praise and fellowship she found in other churches, Zenovia starts to question the beliefs of this new church. People are cast out for having sex before marriage or taking medication for diseases. Human condemning human as the result of this church's interpretation of the bible.

Zenovia knows things are wrong but what can she do. Could this be a cult religion? She flees town but at what cost to her. An exceptional book. Another must read!

Thanks Miriam for sending this my way.

3.75 stars

THE DOOMSDAY KEY by James Rollins

A famed geneticist dies inside a bio hazard lab at Princeton University. A Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. At a Red Cross camp in Africa, a U.S. senator's son is slain. Three murders bear a horrifying connection: a Druidic pagan cross burned into their flesh.

Commander Gray Pierce of Sigma Force searches for the truth with the aid of two women. The adventure races from the Roman Coliseum to Norway, to medieval abbeys, to the lost tombs of Celtic kings. Sigma Force confronts the greatest threat hidden inside an ancient artifact known as the Doomsday Key.

Time machine???? After reading this I question, "Could this be reality?"
How do we know what the government and bio companies really do? Is it safe what they do? This is fiction, BUT? We are just the lowly occupants of the earth, not in any form of control of anything but our own lives or are we? Unbelievable or believable? Wouldn't it be great to know what information is really being withheld from us?

I give this 4.25 stars

ICE TRAP by Kitty Sewell

A boy walks near the shores of Coronation Gulf, Arctic Ocean with his knapsack, his dog and his rifle. His heart quickens as he notices the fresh tracks of a polar bear. The boy and dog are a welcome sight of food. The fight for life ensues. The boy struggles to draw air in his lungs, finally relaxes with courage of impending death. The old man shuffled across the snow and says, "Come son, take my hand." As much as they strain, their fingers would not touch.

Surgeon Dafydd Woodruff received a letter from Moose Creek, Northwest Territories from Miranda and her twin brother Mark. She has written that he is her father and she is almost thirteen years old. Dafydd was a surgeon there fifteen years earlier but this could not be.... but DNA testing does not lie.

He leaves and goes back to the frozen North to confront all the demons he thought he'd left behind. He meets Miranda and Mark's mother, head nurse Sheila Hailey who leads him on a twisted merry chase to the truth.

Eskimos, Artic cold, polar bears, the perfect setting for this story. Young love lost and then found, but at a cost. Supposedly DNA testing doesn't lie but I believe it can be screwed up as it was in this story, the consequences possibly detrimental to the parties involved.

AN EXACT REPLICA OF A FIGMENT OF MY IMAGINATION by Elizabeth McCracken

A baby is born and is a most wonderful experience to a husband and wife. This miniature person is the embodiment of both, developing his or her own personality as years of growth and nurturing abound.

A baby is stillborn at birth which is the most devastating experience to both husband and wife. This miniature person was the embodiment of both, unable to be nurtured, grow and develop his or her own personality.

The author took this reader on a roller coaster of emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger and love to list a few. I could almost feel her pain; nine months of pregnancy only to loose the child moments before birth. This is a must read book and I give the author a great big thumbs up! The title is awesome for the story.

Thanks Miriam for sending the book.

A good 4.25 stars

MALICE by Lisa Jackson

Rick Bentz is recovering in the hospital from an accident. As he opens his eyes he smells gardenias, the same perfume his wife Jennifer wore. He sees her. She blows him a kiss and disappears. It can't be because Jennifer died twelve years ago.

Recovering at home, Rick starts to see Jennifer everywhere, then she vanishes without a trace, slowly driving him nuts. He identified her in the morgue after her horrific accident. She can't be alive! But!!! Someone else was in the vehicle? His new wife Olivia would not understand any of this even though he knows she suspects something is wrong. Secrets!
Olivia has her own that she is keeping from Rick.

Off to Los Angeles Rick flies after receiving a copy of Jennifer's death certificate. He left the police force there after Jennifer's death and a shoot out with a kid and the kid lost. All bad memories being brought back to the surface. Reconnecting with his former LAPD colleagues, Rick starts piecing together Jennifer's last days. Murders start happening, each victim a part of Jennifer's past and all pointing to Rick as the prime suspect.

Someone knows what happened the night of Jennifer's accident and is anticipating every move Rick makes before he makes them. How? Why?
Rick needs to find out who and why as he finds his wife flew out to be with him and now she is missing and is in grave danger.

To be so twisted and ridden with hate that all one lives for for twelve years is revenge? I can't fathom this. Can someone give me a clue? I always want to know why? I gave this a big 5 stars. Great author, kept me thinking through the whole thing as to who dun it.

PLEA OF INSANITY by Jilliane Hoffman

Halloween, trick or treat, the Grim Reaper waits, homemade ghosts dangling from the branches of an oak, twisting in the gusty breeze. In the moonlight they glow an odd, bright white. A dog barks as night yawns toward morning.

Rookie Coral Gables PO Pete Colonna pulls his cruiser up the curb. The house belongs to a Dr. and Mrs. David Marquette. Dispatch has no history to pass along other than hearing "No daddy, No". Pete surveys the house, sees a tricycle and a spilled tub of sidewalk chalk, then makes his way to the front door. Ringing the bell and pounding on the massive door brings no response from inside. He calls in and is told to stand by and wait for his sergeant. Pete checks the outside around the house and finds no sign of entry. A cold, anxious feeling spreads through his bones.

Pete's flashlight breaks a small window. They call out, "Police! Everyone okay in here?" Quickly they move through the first floor. Someone should be up by now. Wrong house, no one home, or....... Pete and the Sergeant run for the stairs. Dark smears that look like footprints follow Pete down the hall. Moving his flashlight around he sees tiny red droplets splattered up onto the walls. He enters the room and completely falls apart........

Follow Assistant State Attorney Julia Vacanti on a journey from crime scene to court as she tries to find the defendant guilty of murdering his family. Is it intentional murder warranting the death penalty or was the defendant insane and eventually will walk? Help Julia find and gather the evidence, but will it be too much for her as she uncovers her own past and she, herself will go insane. Get right into the mind of the defendant of this story and try to figure out his plea of insanity. Oh, to be driven nuts for sure!

4.99 stars

TRUST NO ONE by Greg Hurwitz

At seventeen, Nick Horrigan makes a deadly mistake, one that will cost his stepfather his life, endangers his mother and sends himself into exile for many years.

Now, years later, he comes face to face with a terrorist threatening to blow up a nuclear reactor. Again Nick has to make a choice; pack up and run or listen and uncover the secrets that have held him hostage all these years.

Lies and deception, past horrors and deadly intrigues of the present, Nick finds his life and those he loves at risk and the only thing guiding him through it all is his stepfather's dying words: TRUST NO ONE.

Who can be trusted? Father? Mother? Siblings? Neighbor? Co-worker? Who can you trust? Imagine: The middle of the night, being ripped from your bed, shackled, blinded and led away without knowing where, who, what and why? This is a great mind blowing story and good read, start to finish!

DEAD MEN'S BOOTS by Mike Carey

Felix Castor is London-based ghost hunter. John Gittings, fellow exorcist of Castor, places several calls to Felix that go unanswered. When Felix finally does get back to John, he finds that his friend has met an untimely death.

An awful murder in King's Cross bears the markings of a dead serial killer. Of course, Castor has to get involved, fighting a battle for the body and soul of his demon possessed friend, Rafi, and thinking that all three incidents are related.

Juliet, Nicky Heath, and Castor work to fit the pieces together.

A bestselling thriller flying right out of this world. Great twists and turns. Tops the top!!!! Thanks Miriam and Hachette Books.
4.5 stars

WHO MADE YOU A PRINCESS? by Shelley Adina

Shani Hanna and Prince Rashid al Amir are due to get married except Shani doesn't know it. They are both students at Spencer Academy, friends since they were little.

Shani has had a great summer vacation with her friends, meeting Danyel Johnstone whom she likes a whole lot. Now school has resumed and Shani finds Prince Rashid inserting himself into her life, trying to cut her off from her friends.

Finally, she meets with her family only to find out things are not what they seem. The course has been set but Shani wants no part of it. Diamonds, money, travel, everything a girl could wish for but at what cost?

A modern day fairy tale, a book that is fun to read.
3.5 stars

HOLLYWOOD IS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL WITH MONEY
by Zoey Dean

Taylor Henning just moved to LA. She got hired as an assistant in production at Metronome Studios. Her dream has always been to make movies. Stuttering, sweaty palms and clumsiness greets her first day on the job. Off she sends a postcard to Michael Demming, a director that made one movie which flopped big time after which he fled Hollywood. In Taylor's eyes he is the best director ever so she lets him know she has arrived in Hollywood.

Iris Whitaker, Vice President of Production welcomes Taylor to Metronome Studios. Iris introduces Taylor to the new first assistant, Kylie Arthur who gets Taylor set at her desk.

Iris calls a meeting together with the rest of the crew and where Taylor learns that reading scripts, magazine articles, books and blogs might bring forth the start of a new movie. As days pass, Taylor finds out what kind of person Kylie really is. She gets to meet Iris's sixteen year old daughter Quinn. Quinn takes on the challenge of helping Taylor build her self esteem and taking Kylie's job.

I'm not sure what to say except Quinn is a sixteen year old fire cracker trying to help an adult grow up by pulling the wool over her mother's eyes. I found the story hilariously funny and a great read.
3.5 stars

RAVENS by George Dawes Green

The Boatwrights win $318 million in the Georgia State Lottery. It is the best and worst day of their lives.

Shaw McBride and Romeo Zderko pull off I95 into a convenience store to fix their leaky tire. On the inside, Shawn happens to see the lottery winner's name and begins to hatch a scheme to squeeze the family for half of the prize.

That night, Shaw goes to visit the Boatwright's home and takes them hostage. His partner Romeo, drives around looking for the streets that the Boatwright's loved ones live on. He is prepared to murder at any sign on resistance from the Boatwrights.

The pressure builds and soon Shaw's plot of violence can't withstand the Boatwright's unraveling sanity.

Chilling and goose pimply! A modern day crime setting. Wimpy thugs pushing themselves into the lives of others, controlling them with thoughts of violence that may or may not happen. Do the Boatwright's overcome their fear and take back control of their lives? Just thinking about this story makes me angry. But, then what would I do in this situation? I want to believe I wouldn't fall prey like the Boatwright's. A very well written story that I can say built nicely and then blew up.

4 stars