In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

In A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
Genre: Suspense
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Publish Date: 8/4/2015
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover, ebook
ISBN: 9781501112317

My Review:
This was one crazy and suspenseful ride.  If you pick this up, be prepared to read it until you are finished.  It is that good.  I didn't get to read it in one sitting but when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about what I had read and what could possibly happen next. And then I would try and figure out what the twist would be. That made the book even better.

The characters.  Nora is our main character and the book goes from the present which is after the hen party and flashes back to before and during the hen party. It was obvious from the start that something bad has happened.  The problem is Nora can't remember what happened or what role she may have played in it.  I liked Nora; she's a somewhat reclusive writer who has a past that is hinted at through the book.  Nora was very well-developed as the main character and I enjoyed getting to know her.  I also enjoyed the unreliable narrator aspect. That is always fun for me because it keeps me guessing and has me questioning all I thought I knew about the main character. The other characters are Nina, Mel, Thomas, Flo, who hosts the party and of course Claire, who is the bride-to-be.  I really felt like I got to know each character and it felt like I was at the hen party right there with them.  If I had to pick a second-favorite character it would be Nina.  I loved her sarcastic, witty personality.  I liked how she loved deeply and cared for others even through her tough exterior.

The plot was amazing.  While the character development moved things along as the six acquaintances get to know one-another, the plot starts speeding along to what I knew would be an exciting climax/plot twist.  And I was not disappointed.  Did I guess what would happen, I did try and I got part of it right, but the twist was very "dark and twisty" (to coin a Grey's Anatomy phrase).  It was awesome, it was exciting and I enjoyed the ride through the whole book. I found the plot very believable.  I wouldn't want it to happen to me for sure, but I could definitely see it happening.

If you love gothic, psychological-thriller-type books then In a Dark, Dark Wood is just the book for you.  I loved this.  The plot kept me entertained, the characters felt like friends (or frenemies) and I enjoyed every minute of the book.  Ruth Ware can spin a tale and she has spun a great one with this book.

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Summary

Someone's getting married. Someone's getting murdered.

In a dark, dark wood

Nora hasn't seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.

There was a dark, dark house

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?

And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room

But something goes wrong. Very wrong.

And in the dark, dark room....

Some things can’t stay secret for ever

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Author Biography

Ruth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer. She is married with two small children, and In a Dark, Dark Wood is her début thriller.

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***I received this book through Netgalley for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free. My links for Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. ***

Book Review: The Good Sister by Wendy Corsi Staub

The Good Sister by Wendy Corsi Staub
Publisher: Harper
Publish Date: Sept. 24, 2013
Paperback, 432 pages
ISBN: 9780062222381





My Review:
I love Wendy Corsi Staub and was very excited to get to read this one for review. And not only was it Wendy Corsi Staub but it had a plot line that centered around the dangers of the internet for teenagers. So I had to read it. And it was a good book, it kept me hooked and kept me reading, but sadly it seemed missing something for me. It was still a good read and not something I was sorry I spent my time reading, but still there was just something.

First there are the characters, Carley has been troubled ever since starting Sacred Sisters Catholic School. There have been obvious bullying events. Also she has been separated in high school from her best friend since they were in diapers. And not only is there separation there has been a rift between them as well so Carley's only friend is "Angel" who she meets online in a bullying forum. Angel understands her much better than anyone else in her life does. Jen is Carley's Mom who is trying her best to communicate with Carley and understand what is going on in her life. She's an attentive Mom and caring, but finds it hard to get through to Carley, but she knows there is something more going on especially when other teens who have no reason in the community begin to commit suicide. I liked the characters, Carley while truculent is relatable. There is a lot of bullying these days taken to extremes like in this book and I was sad for her and wanted her to find a friend. I rooted for both Jen and Carley in this book because I did like them both and that was the redeeming quality of the novel. The fact that the characters were likeable.

Where the book fell more flat for me was in the plot. It was plotted out wonderfully. I understood where Ms. Staub wanted to go with the book and loved that part. But somewhere in the execution it just lost me. It's like it took a long time to set up and then suddenly was speeding along but not in a good way. I would get kind of lost at times. Then bam! It was the ending everything was explained and tied up in a neat bow. It just felt slow then rushed. Maybe there was a page/word constraint and she was working with that. I understand that. And while I still enjoyed the book, it was here in the plot that I just found it to be lacking that thing that makes me say Wow! when I finish a book.

With likeable characters and an interesting plot, The Good Sister is still a book to be checked out especially if you like/love Ms. Staub. I will willingly admit that these are all my opinions and this maybe the book you gush about. And if you do, please leave me a comment because I would love to see your review and hear what you loved. Maybe I missed something completely. So if you love a good mystery centered around revenge and internet danger, this could be just the book for you. But for me I think I will eagerly await Ms. Staub's next book!


My rating: 3.0/5.0

About the Book:
In New York Times bestselling authorWendy Corsi Staub's electrifying new thriller,a mother races to save her daughter beforeher darkest nightmare comes true.

Sacred Sisters Catholic girls' school has hardly changed since Jen Archer was a student. Jen hoped her older daughter would thrive here. Instead, shy, studious Carley becomes the target of vicious bullies. But the real danger at Sacred Sisters goes much deeper.

The only person Carley can talk to is "Angel," a kindred spirit she met online. Carley tells Angel everything—about her younger sister, about school, about the sudden death of her former best friend. Angel is her lifeline. And Angel is closer than she knows.

When another schoolgirl is found dead, Jen's unease grows. There are too many coincidences, too many links to her past. Every instinct tells her that Carley is the next target. For someone is intent on punishing the guilty, teaching the ultimate lesson in how to fear . . . and how to die.

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Book Review: 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publish Date: September 17, 2013
Hardcover, 368 pages
ISBN: 9780062118813



My Review:

First off I would like to thank Krys at Bibliopunk who I won this wonderful arc from! When I entered to win I was really excited about the book and really excited to win it and then it sat on my shelf for awhile. I think I was scared to read it. But I shouldn't have been, it was an easy read and a fascinating one. I mention easy because the parallel universe part scared me. How scientific would it be, would it just go over my head and confuse me. But there is none of that. The story flows smoothly and the explanations work well and I never felt bogged down by the whats and whys.

So let me move on. I loved this book. I could not put it down. It was an absolutely fascinating premise that was well executed and has Gretchen McNeil on my must-read list from now on! First there are the characters, Josie is one of those girls you can't help but like. But her life is falling apart. Her parents are divorcing, her Mom is acting strange and so is her boyfriend. Then the mother of all betrayals happens. Wow, Ms. McNeil set this one up well for when Josie finally sees Jo and understands the parallel world thing they have going on. Because Josie's life is in the toilet and Jo's life looks wonderful. But then all hell breaks loose. Because the grass is not always greener . . .

So then let's talk about the story. Amazing. Did I already say that? I can't help it. I read and read and read and when it was over I didn't want it to be. I was in love with Josie, rooting for her and those who were close to her. I hated the bad guys. I couldn't wait to turn the page and see what surprises were next. And then it was over. And I sighed, and thought about the book and weeks later I can still think about the book. Simply amazing and thought-provoking.

Okay I realize this is an extremely gushy review, but this book was so great. I love thrillers and this being a YA thriller just made it so much better. Ms. McNeil knows how to write a tight story with great characters that you can root for. She weaves the suspense and the everyday in a way that makes you want to be part of the story. It is a can't-put-down thriller that I cannot recommend enough. Simply put: read 3:59, you won't regret it!

My rating: 5.0/5.0

About the Book:
Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.

Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo.

Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.

By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

From master of suspense Gretchen McNeil comes a riveting and deliciously eerie story about the lives we wish we had – and how they just might kill you.

***I won this book from Krys at Bibliopunk. ***

Book Review: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn

Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub Date: June 11, 2013
Hardcover, 432 pages
ISBN: 978-0062135957



My Review:

Another Little Piece sounds like a very different and very thrilling/scary book from it's description. And it does deliver on being different. It also has moments where I was flipping pages like crazy to find out exactly what was going on and what would happen next. But it's the in-between that had this book at less than a 5-star book for me.

Let's start with the good. The premise, while sounding kind of exciting, yet been there done that, you know girl goes missing, girl comes back a year later. It's anything thing but been there done that and you get that from the first page. I actually had to go back and read the description because I thought I missed something. So the premise is great, there is some definite excitement to trying to figure out just exactly what is going on with Annaliese. I also enjoy the character of Annaliese, though she can be a little hard to like at times, but I stuck with her and she was interesting. I also liked some of the supporting characters and things going on around Annaliese. Most added to the story, some not so much. It's a different book and I think as long as you understand that going into it you will get enjoyment out of the book. It's kind of an Anna Dressed in Blood yet different.

Now onto what I (that means me personally and I'm not a paid critic) had problems with. First I thought the beginning was a little slow. I kept wondering when I would understand what the heck was going on. But that was probably all part of the author's plan. A good build-up and maybe the day I was reading I wasn't feeling patient. Second the transitions between past and present were a little jerky, but I feel that was part of the story too, and some people may really get the feel of it and go with it, it was just a little off to me, but like I said it may not be to you. Finally I thought there was just a little bit missing, but maybe I just missed it. I felt like some things were gone into in too much detail while leaving some important stuff out.

However even with the things I had problems with I thought this was a very interesting and different book to read. When I write an iffy review I always remind myself of my review of The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff several years ago. I couldn't wait to read it, there were rave reviews everywhere and I felt it was very ho-hum (I think I gave it 3-stars), but it seemed like everyone else loved the book. So sometimes it's just the book and the person. I think there are very good things about this book and definitely think it should be read. I will try another book by Ms. Quinn any day.

My rating: 3.75/5.0

About the Book:
 
The spine-tingling horror of Stephen King meets an eerie mystery worthy of Sara Shepard's Pretty Little Liars series in Kate Karyus Quinn's haunting debut.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

***I received this book from Amazon Vine for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Book Review: The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab

The Girl in the Wall by Daphne Benedis-Grab
Publisher: Merit Press
Pub Date: Dec. 18, 2012
Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN: 9781440552700



My Review:

If you are looking for a non-stop thrill ride in the YA category, then this is just the book for you. I love YA, but I love my suspense/thrillers in the adult category. I never have found too many YA thrillers, so reading this one really had me enthralled.

Told from the point of view of both Sera and Ariel, two girls who were best friends until 9 months and 4 days ago, makes the book very interesting and adds to the suspense. From chapter-to-chapter you know what each girl is doing in an attempt to save her and her classmates from the people who have taken them all hostage. There is some belief that you have to suspend, but when don't you in a thriller? I really didn't have a problem with any aspect of the book, in fact I just couldn't put it down. The action is center-stage, but there is also character growth in both characters and very interesting secondary characters as well.

I read The Girl In the Wall in just a few hours. It was hard to put down, had me fully invested in the plot and had me really liking Sera and growing to like Ariel. The fast action combined with the need to find out just what happened to Sera and Ariel's friendship will have you turning pages as well.

My rating: 5.0/5.0

About the Book:
Ariel's birthday weekend looks to be the event of the season, with a private concert by rock star Hudson Winters on the grounds of her family's east coast estate, and all of Ariel's elite prep school friends in attendance. The only person who's dreading the party is Sera, Ariel's former best friend, whose father is forcing her to go. Sera has been the school pariah since she betrayed Ariel, and she now avoids Ariel and their former friends. Thrown together, Ariel and Sera can agree on one thing: this could be one very long night.

They have no idea just how right they are.

Only moments after the concert begins and the lights go down, thugs open fire on parents and schoolmates alike, in a plot against Ariel's father that quickly spins out of control. As the entire party is taken hostage, the girls are forced apart. Ariel escapes into the hidden tunnels in the family mansion, where she and Sera played as children. Only Sera, who forges an unlikely alliance with Hudson Winters, knows where her friend could be. As the industrial terrorist plot unravels and the death toll climbs, Ariel and Sera must recall the sisterhood that once sustained them as they try to save themselves and each other on the longest night of their lives.

View all my reviews

***I received this book from Amazon Vine for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Book Review & $50 GC Tour Giveaway: Forgive Me, Alex by Lane Diamond

Forgive Me, Alex by Lane Diamond

Publisher: Evolved Publishing

Publish Date: March 19, 2012

Softcover, 260 pages

ISBN13: 9781475008326

My Review:

Forgive Me, Alex was a slightly different take on a suspense/thriller than what I am use to in a good way.  Mr. Diamond uses alternating points-of-view and alternating time frames to tell the story and while doing this really builds up the suspense in both time periods.  I found the story horrifying and fascinating the way a great suspense thriller should be.

Told from the points-of-view of the protagonist Tony and the antagonist Mitchell Norton is a very interesting way to frame the story.  Tony is the ultimate good guy who's had hard luck in his life, but he's in love, he's taking care of his brother and life seems to be good. Mitchell is just a twenty-something not really going anywhere but not really hurting anything when the demons start to strike.  I felt sympathetic to Mitchell to a degree until things started getting out-of-control, then I just felt like he was evil.  I was cheering for Tony during the book even with his brand of vigilante justice.  I felt like the characters were very relatable for a suspense book.  A lot of times times this genre doesn't concentrate on character development, but I felt like I got to know Tony, Frank, the Chief and Linda very well.  I really liked Frank and I really liked the other people that supported Tony in his life, the Chief and his Master at the dojo, these were all wonderful examples of the community at work.


I think the thing I loved best about Forgive Me, Alex was the alternating time frames. Mr. Diamond tells the story going back and forth between 1978 when the initial murders take place and 1995 when Mitchell Norton is released from prison.  The suspense really builds between both time frames even though the reader knows the ultimate outcome of 1978. The reader still doesn't know how the outcome happens and I found the story building up to that fascinating.  Then the story in 1995 starts up as well and has a great suspense line of it's own as well as letting the reader catch up with the main characters (and a few new ones) seventeen years later.  I loved this.  It was never confusing as I thought it might be when I glanced at the table of contents and saw how it went back and forth between the characters and the years.  Each character had his own voice in the writing and each time frame was easy to figure out so even if you didn't pay attention to the chapter headers it was easy to figure out when the action was taking place and who was doing the thinking/talking.  The plot was very well-written and had me hooked from the first page.  And I don't think this was an easy thing to do with the alternating time period and alternating characters.


Forgive Me, Alex is an excellent suspense/thriller.  If you don't mind your suspense a little more on the grisly side (description of the crimes) then you will be okay with this.  I did cringe a few times, but I was fully warned of the content of the book.  It's not over the top and I have read much more graphic books, so don't let my word of warning scare you.  It's about like a James Patterson type book in terms of descriptive crimes.  But the great thing about Forgive Me, Alex is it has completely relatable characters is Tony, Frank and Linda.  They felt real and their feelings were heartfelt. I wanted more of them in the end, so that outweighed the grisly aspect to me.  There is much more to this book than the crimes.  Forgive Me, Alex has an excellent plot, terrific characters and an ending that will stick with me for some time.


My Rating: 4.5/5.0

About Forgive Me, Alex:

Tony Hooper stands in shadow across the street, one amongst many in the crowd of curiosity-hounds gathered to watch a monster’s release. Seventeen years after Mitchell Norton, “the devil,” terrorized Algonquin, Illinois on a spree of kidnapping, torture and murder, the authorities release the butcher from psychiatric prison.

Tony longs to charge across the street to destroy Norton—no remorse—as if stepping on a cockroach. Only sheer force of will prevents his doing so.

“The devil” walks the world again. What shall Tony do about it? Aye, what indeed.

After all, this is what he does. It’s who he is. “The devil” himself long ago made Tony into this hunter of monsters. What a sweet twist of fate this is, that he may still, finally, administer justice.

Will FBI Special Agent Linda Monroe stop him? She owes him her life, so how can she possibly put an end to his?

Tony Hooper and Mitchell Norton battle for supremacy, with law enforcement always a step away, in this story of justice and vengeance, evil and redemption, fear and courage, love and loss.

Novel Publicity Blog Tour Notes:

Wanna win a $50 gift card or an autographed copy of Forgive Me, Alex? Well, there are two ways to enter...

1. Leave a comment on my blog. One random commenter during this tour will win a $50 gift card. For the full list of participating blogs, visit the official Forgive Me, Alex tour page.
2. Enter the Rafflecopter contest! I've posted the contest form below, or you can enter on the tour page linked above.

About the author: I write fiction, long and short. My writings cross over many genres and focus on diverse subjects, ranging from the mysteries of the human mind, with its fragile psychological and emotional states, to the everyday joy and anguish of life on Earth. Ultimately, characters move me – as both a reader and an author. It's all about the people. When not writing, I'm Publisher and Executive Editor at Evolved Publishing. Connect with me on my website, Facebook, Twitter, GoodReads, or via Evolved Publishing.

Get Forgive Me, Alex on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

***I received this book through Novel Publicity for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Waiting On Wednesday (28)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection comes from one of my favorite suspense authors.  I found her a few years ago and now I can't get enough of her so of course I am eagerly waiting for her newest:

Criminal by Karin Slaughter (Georgia #4)

Release Date:  July 3, 2012

Karin Slaughter’s new novel is an epic tale of love, loyalty, and murder that encompasses forty years, two chillingly similar murder cases, and a good man’s deepest secrets.

Will Trent is a brilliant agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Newly in love, he is beginning to put a difficult past behind him. Then a local college student goes missing, and Will is inexplicably kept off the case by his supervisor and mentor, deputy director Amanda Wagner. Will cannot fathom Amanda’s motivation until the two of them literally collide in an abandoned orphanage they have both been drawn to for different reasons. Decades before—when Will’s father was imprisoned for murder—this was his home. . . .

Flash back nearly forty years. In the summer Will Trent was born, Amanda Wagner is going to college, making Sunday dinners for her father, taking her first steps in the boys’ club that is the Atlanta Police Department. One of her first cases is to investigate a brutal crime in one of the city’s worst neighborhoods. Amanda and her partner, Evelyn, are the only ones who seem to care if an arrest is ever made.

Now the case that launched Amanda’s career has suddenly come back to life, intertwined with the long-held mystery of Will’s birth and parentage. And these two dauntless investigators will each need to face down demons from the past if they are to prevent an even greater terror from being unleashed

What are you waiting on this week? 

Thrillerfest VII tour: Backfire by Catherine Coulter excerpt

 

It's getting near that time of year again, time for ThrillerFest VII.  If you are unfamiliar with it, ThrillerFest is the annual “summer camp for thriller writers and fans”!  The largest gathering of New York Times bestselling authors returns to The Big Apple July 11-14 at the Grand Hyatt and I'm part of a blog tour to help promote the event. 

The experience is sure to satisfy any adrenaline junkie as writers from all over the world come together to share a common interest: the thriller novel. Jack Higgins, the genius behind The Eagle Has Landed is this year’s ThrillerMaster and spotlight authors include Lee Child, Catherine Coulter, John Sandford, Karin Slaughter, and Richard North Patterson. Not to mention, one of my personal favorites, the legendary Ann Rule, author of The Stranger Beside Me is this year’s beneficiary of The True Thriller Award and last year’s ThrillerMaster R.L. Stine will return for the spine-tingling festivities. There’s no denying that this week is going to be jam packed with exhilarating workshops, including:

• “How to Stalk A Serial Killer and Tell the Gruesome Tale” with Ann Rule, who is also the author of 30-New York Times bestsellers, all of which are still in print. 
•  “Kill ‘Em Clean: Writing Sharp, Fast, and Deadly” with Catherine Coulter, author of 67-novels, 62 of which are New York Times bestsellers 
• “Tell, Don’t Show: Why Writing Rules are Mostly Wrong” with Lee Child, author of the bestselling and beloved Jack Reacher series. 
• “The Dynamics of Structure” with David Morrell, author of 28-novels, including First Blood (of Rambo fame). His work has been translated into 26-languages.

As my part of the tour I have an excerpt from Catherine Coulter's newest book, Backfire, so sit back and enjoy.

Excerpt for BACKFIRE by Catherine Coulter



Sea Cliff, San Francisco

Late Thursday night, one week before Thanksgiving

Judge Ramsey Hunt listened to the lapping water break against the rocks below, a sound that always brought him back to himself, and centered him. He stood at this exact spot every night and listened to the waves, as unending and as infinite as he knew he wasn't. Only the sound of the waves, he thought. Otherwise, it was dead silent, not even a distant fog horn blasting from the huge cargo ship that was nearing the Golden Gate through a veil of low lying fog.

There was a light breeze ruffling the tree leaves and putting a light chop on the ocean below. It was chilly tonight. He was glad Molly had tossed him his leather jacket on his way out. A week before Thanksgiving, he thought, a week before he presided over the turkey carving and felt so blessed he'd feel like singing, which, thankfully, he wouldn't.

Ramsey looked up at the low-hanging half moon that seemed cold and alien tonight. His ever-curious son Cal had asked him if he could sink his fingers into the pitted surface. Would it be hard, like his wooden Ford truck, he wondered, or soft like ice cream?

At least his day had ended well. In the late afternoon, he'd met Molly and the twins at Davies Hall to hear Emma rehearse Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the San Francisco Symphony smiling and nodding as they listened. Ramsey had long thought of her as his own daughter since he adopted her five years ago, and here she was, a prodigy, of all things. He nearly burst with pride, Molly always said. Remarkably, Cal and Gage hadn't raised too much of a fuss at having to sit still during the rehearsal. Well, Cal did yell out once, "Emmy, I want you to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star!" which had brought warm laughter from the violin section.

They'd enjoyed enchiladas and tacos an hour later at La Barca, the family's favorite Mexican restaurant on Lombard, always an adventure when the three-year-old twins were anywhere near chips and guacamole.

Ramsey rested his elbows on the solid stone fence built when his boys had reached the age of exploration a year and a half ago. Better than nightmares about them tumbling off the sixty foot cliff into the mess of rocks and water below.

He looked out across the entrance to the bay at the Marin Headlands, as stark and barren as the half moon above them. Soon the winter rains would begin to green things up, as green as Ireland in some years, his second favorite place on earth after San Francisco. It was a blessing that this incredible stretch was all a national recreational area so he would never have to look at some guy sipping a nice fruity Chardonnay across from him on a condo balcony. He noticed a lone boat, a Zodiac, sitting anchored below him, nearly as still as a small island in the ocean. There were no other boats around it that he could see. Who would be out so late, anchored in the open water? He saw no one aboard and for a moment he felt alarmed. Had someone fallen overboard? No, whoever motored over in the Zodiac could easily have swum or waded to the narrow beach. But why? Not to get a suntan, that's for sure. He wondered if he should call 911 when he heard Molly open the family room door behind him. "Goodness, it's cold out here. I'm glad you're wearing your jacket. Is your favorite sea lion talking to you again?"

Ramsey smiled. Old Carl, that was the name he'd given this giant of a sea lion that liked to laze about in the water below. He hadn't seen Old Carl in several days now. He called back, "He's probably at Pier 39 stretched out on the barges with his cousins. What's up?"

"Gage had a nightmare. Can you come and tell him the green bean monster isn't lurking in his closet? He doesn't believe me."

He turned to her, grinning. "Be right there --"

Molly heard a shot, cold and sharp as the moon, and saw her husband slammed violently forward by a bullet. Molly's scream pierced the night.

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Book Review: Guilty Wives by James Patterson

Guilty Wives by James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publish Date: March 26, 2012
Hardcover, 448 pages
ISBN: 9780316097567

My rating: 3.75/5.0

My Review:

I will freely admit I still read every James Patterson book that comes out. My favorites are the Alex Cross books and the Women's Murder Club, but from time-to-time I really enjoy some of the stand-alones. Guilty Wives was a good book, I enjoyed it and in typical James Patterson fashion when I had the time to read it I raced through it.

Guilty Wives was different from other books I have read by James Patterson and his numerous co-authors. The exploration of what happens on a girls' weekend gone bad and who did it was fascinating. The major twist that comes near the beginning was great. I liked Abbie as a character, she was strong, a good mom and generally not a whiny woman. She was thrown into many situations that were way out of control but she managed with the help of others and by thinking to get out of them. She made a great heroine for the book. The other three wives were interesting but do not play as large a role in the book. Abbie is the star.

The plot was interesting. Great twists and turns and as usual every time I thought I had it figured out they threw me a curve ball. I will say the book lagged a bit right in the middle with some of the prison scenes. I really didn't need the mundane prison life. I honestly thought about putting the book down but I'm glad I didn't because once I got past that part the book sped up again and was quite a thriller right up until the end.

Short chapters make it an easy read. Twists and turns will keep you turning pages. And Abbie as the main character will have you cheering for her to clear her name if she really is innocent. It's typical Patterson fair and it kept me entertained which is all I ask a book to do for me. Oh and it scared me to death too. Not sure I'll take a vacation overseas with my girlfriends any time soon ;)

About Guilty Wives:

No husbands allowed
Only minutes after Abbie Elliot and her three best friends step off of a private helicopter, they enter the most luxurious, sumptuous, sensually pampering hotel they have ever been to. Their lavish presidential suite overlooks Monte Carlo, and they surrender: to the sun and pool, to the sashimi and sake, to the Bruno Paillard champagne. For four days they're free to live someone else's life. As the weekend moves into pulsating discos, high-stakes casinos, and beyond, Abbie is transported to the greatest pleasure and release she has ever known.

What happened last night?

In the morning's harsh light, Abbie awakens on a yacht, surrounded by police. Something awful has happened--something impossible, unthinkable. Abbie, Winnie, Serena, and Bryah are arrested and accused of the foulest crime imaginable. And now the vacation of a lifetime becomes the fight of a lifetime--for survival. GUILTY WIVES is the ultimate indulgence, the kind of nonstop joy-ride of excess, friendship, betrayal, and danger that only James Patterson can create.

***I borrowed this book from my wonderful local library. ***

Book Feature: Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander

Once We Were Kings by Ian Alexander

Genre:Adult, YA, Fantasy, Thriller

Series:THE SOJOURNER TRILOGY,#1

Publisher: Dawn Treader Press

Publication Date: April 1, 2011

Pages: 490 

Purchase:Amazon~Barnes&Noble

**My Review will be coming at a later date, I just started the book and so far I am enjoying it very much**

About the Book:
Two kingdoms, five centuries, one destiny

In a world where the Sojourners, a nearly extinct race with preternatural abilities struggle to preserve their faith and heritage, destiny thrusts two youths from opposing nations into the heart of a centuries-old conflict. Render, an orphan from the outskirts of the culturally enlightened Kingdom of Valdshire Tor, escapes slavery and seeks the truth about his true identity only to discover a web of conspiracies. This quest leads to the revelation of his uncanny ability to wield the destructive forces of nature.

Ahndien, sole survivor of a heinous raid on her peaceful village in the Eastern Kingdom of Tian Kuo, embarks on a journey to find her father, now a captive of Torian troops. What she uncovers surpasses anything she can imagine as she masters the ability to manipulate fire.

Guided by shape-shifting spirits, Render and Ahndien's fates collide when first they meet as mortal enemies. However, to save their people from annihilation, they must unite both kingdoms against a terrifying enemy that threatens to destroy both realms. But how can a young slave and a peasant bring sworn enemies of half a millennium together?

ONCE WE WERE KINGS: The first book in a saga of destiny and redemption, in a world of dying hope.

About the Author:
When Ian Alexander’s debut epic fantasy novel ONCE WE WERE KINGS first launched in ebook format in May 2011, it instantly hit three bestseller lists on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Mr. Alexander first wrote in the fantasy genre because of a commission by a very important and influential person: His 6-year old son.

ONCE WE WERE KINGS (#1 Bestseller Amazon.com in multiple categories) is the legacy left to Mr. Alexander’s children and the first in a series of epic fantasy novels which appeals to readers ages 8 through 98.

Connect with Ian:

Website~Twitter~Facebook

 

 

Tour Participants: 
March 20:Review+Guest Post-Paula@ Book Lover Stop
March 29:Guest Post-Jo@ Writers And Authors
April 2: Guest Post-Hywela@ Hywela Lyn
April 3: Review+Guest Post-Ryder@ Ryder Islington, Blog

April 18:Review-Crystal@ My Reading Room 
April 19:Interview-Kate@ Read 2 Review
April 23:Guest Post-Shandy@ Mama Knows Books
April 24:Review+Guest Post-Cheryl@ A Good Day To Read
April 26:Guest Post-Kate@ Read 2 Review
April 27:Review-Joel@ Joel M. Andre, Author
April 30: Review+Guest Post-Melissa@ Keeping Up With The Rheinlanders
May 1:Review+Guest Post-Stephanie@ Curling Up By The Fire
May 3:Review-Bri@ Kindle Catching Fire
May 4: Review + Interview- Shayna@ Shayna Gier
May 5: Review-Heather@ Proud Book Nerd
May 7: Guest Post-Mayra@ The Dark Phantom

***I received through Partners in Crime Book Tours for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***