Suspense – Page 28 – Books-n-Kisses

June 22, 2016June 20, 2016

Kimberly reviews Liar Liar by MJ Arlidge

TITLE: Liar Liar
SERIES #: Helen Grace #4
CHARACTERS: Helen Grace
AUTHOR: MJ Arlidge
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/07/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Detective Helen Grace gets caught in an inferno of death and destruction in the red-hot new thriller from the author of Eeny Meeny, Pop Goes the Weasel, and The Doll’s House

Detective Helen Grace has never seen such destruction. Six fires in twenty-four hours. Two people dead. Several more injured. It’s as if someone wants to burn the city to the ground…

With the whole town on high alert, Helen and her team must sift through the rubble to find the arsonist, someone whose thirst for fire—and control—is reducing entire lives to ashes.

One misstep could mean Helen’s career—and more lives lost. And as the pressure mounts and more buildings burn, Helen’s own dark impulses threaten to consume her…

REVIEW:
This is the fourth in the Helen Grace series. I only read the first one and have missed the second and third but while it helps to have a bit of a background to understanding the character of Helen you really can read this as a stand alone.

The suspense was well written and I really enjoyed the new dynamic with Charlie. Helen is a bit of a loner and sometimes she makes me sad for her. But I seem to enjoy the series and I look forward to book five… if I don’t manage to miss it somehow.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

June 21, 2016June 20, 2016

Kimberly reviews Ink And Bone by Lisa Unger

TITLE: Ink And Bone
CHARACTERS: Finley & Eloise
AUTHOR: Lisa Unger
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/07/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
An instant page-turner (Lisa Gardner) that straddles the line between thriller and horror…sure to appeal to a wide range of readers, including Stephen King fans. (Booklist, starred) A young woman’s mysterious gift forces her into the middle of a dangerous investigation of a little girl’s disappearance.

Twenty-year-old Finley Montgomery is rarely alone. Visited by people whom others can’t see and haunted by prophetic dreams, she has never been able to control or understand the things that happen to her. When Finley’s abilities start to become too strong for her to handle – and even the roar of her motorcycle or another dazzling tattoo can’t drown out the voices – she turns to the only person she knows who can help her: her grandmother Eloise Montgomery, a renowned psychic living in The Hollows, New York.

Merri Gleason is a woman at the end of her tether after a ten-month-long search for her missing daughter, Abbey. With almost every hope exhausted, she resorts to hiring Jones Cooper, a detective who sometimes works with psychic Eloise Montgomery. Merri’s not a believer, but she’s just desperate enough to go down that road, praying that she’s not too late. Time, she knows, is running out.

As a harsh white winter moves into The Hollows, Finley and Eloise are drawn into the investigation, which proves to have much more at stake than even the fate of a missing girl. As Finley digs deeper into the town and its endless layers, she is forced to examine the past, even as she tries to look into the future. Only one thing is clear: The Hollows gets what it wants, no matter what.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I always enjoy a book with a normal person who has paranormal ability and that is what is happening with Finley. She has dreams that she can not control or understand. She moves back home to be with her grandmother who also has the same condition but when a child go missing Finley knows she has to help.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fast read but it kept me interested all the way through. The suspense was well written and the way Finley handles her gift is how I would imagine anyone would handle it. I mean do you even believe your own mind? Do you wonder if getting involved would help or hinder.

If you enjoy a quick read with suspense and a touch of paranormal I would suggest picking up this book. I look forward to more books from Unger.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

June 20, 2016June 19, 2016

Kimberly reviews The House Of Secrets by Brad Meltzer & Tod Goldberg

TITLE: The House Of Secrets
CHARACTERS: Hazel Nash
AUTHOR: Brad Meltzer & Tod Goldberg
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/07/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A priceless book, hidden in a corpse.
A family secret, handed down through generations.
And a woman with no memory of her past.

#1 bestselling author Brad Meltzer returns with THE HOUSE OF SECRETS

When Hazel Nash was six years old, her father taught her: mysteries need to be solved. He should know. Hazel’s father is Jack Nash, the host of America’s favorite conspiracy TV show, The House of Secrets.

Even as a child, she loved hearing her dad’s tall tales, especially the one about a leather book belonging to Benedict Arnold that was hidden in a corpse.

Now, years later, Hazel wakes up in the hospital and remembers nothing, not even her own name. She’s told she’s been in a car accident that killed her father and injured her brother. But she can’t remember any of it, because of her own traumatic brain injury. Then a man from the FBI shows up, asking questions about her dad-and about his connection to the corpse of a man found with an object stuffed into his chest: a priceless book that belonged to Benedict Arnold.

Back at her house, Hazel finds guns that she doesn’t remember owning. On her forehead, she sees scars from fights she can’t recall. Most important, the more Hazel digs, the less she likes the person she seems to have been.

Trying to put together the puzzle pieces of her past and present, Hazel Nash needs to figure out who killed this man-and how the book wound up in his chest. The answer will tell her the truth about her father, what he was really doing for the government-and who Hazel really is.

Mysteries need to be solved. Especially the ones about yourself.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Have you ever read a Brad Meltzer book? If not I wonder why. He is a wonderful writer of history mixed with suspense. In this story we meet Hazel Nash who can’t remember who she is but there is a mystery regarding her father and a corpse with a bit of history stuffed in his body.

I really liked Hazel. She is so strong and independent even while facing these extraordinary circumstance. I also love a suspense that I can’t figure out. If a suspense novel keeps me up trying to figure out who did it or what will happen next then to me it is worth the read.

I really hope this is the beginning of a new series which it seems like it is. Worth the read… but then Meltzer always is.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

June 14, 2016June 14, 2016

Kimberly reviews Field Of Graves by J.T. Ellison

TITLE: Field Of Graves
SERIES #: Taylor Jackson #8
CHARACTERS: Taylor Jackson
AUTHOR: J.T. Ellison
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/14/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All of Nashville is on edge with a serial killer on the loose. A madman is trying to create his own end-of-days apocalypse and the cops trying to catch him are almost as damaged as the killer. Field of Graves reveals the origins of some of J.T. Ellison’s most famous creations: the haunted Lieutenant Taylor Jackson; her blunt, exceptional best friend, medical examiner Dr. Samantha Owens; and troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. Together, they race the clock and their own demons to find the killer before he claims yet another victim. This dark, thrilling and utterly compelling novel will have readers on the edge of their seats, and Ellison’s fans will be delighted with the revelations about their favorite characters.

REVIEW:
This is the eighth in the series and I do not recall reading others by this author but I found this book to be very interesting. It is a bit dark but still very good.

The thing about this book is the killer. He is really someone that can get into your head. He has a bit of evil in him but yet also has a medical condition so it makes the reader wonder what is really going on.

If you enjoy a great psychological thriller this is sure to keep your attention.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

June 10, 2016June 7, 2016

Kimberly reviews Seven Days Dead by John Farrow

TITLE: Seven Days Dead
SERIES #: The Storm Murders Trilogy #2
CHARACTERS: Emile Cinq-Mars
AUTHOR: John Farrow
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/24/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Acclaimed novelist Trevor Ferguson writing as John Farrow continues his Storm Murders series–set in storm ravaged locations and featuring retired detective Emile Cinq-Mars.

In Seven Days Dead, a woman races in a small boat through a torrential sea storm to Grand Manan island, located off the coast of Maine. She is determined to reach her dying father’s bedside. Meanwhile, Detective Cinq-Mars is enjoying a vacation on the island with his wife until he’s caught up in the investigation of a murder. Long-held secrets start to emerge, and Cinq-Mars begins to wonder if the dying father and the other death are related.

The Storm Murders, the previous book in the series, received starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews. Bookpage said, “This terrific story, with sympathetic characters and Farrow’s crisp prose, is some of the best fiction to come out of Canada. Louise Penny won’t be bumped off the podium, but she’ll have to clear some space next to her.” Seven Days Dead may very well get even better reviews.

REVIEW:
I have not read the first in the series and maybe having a bit of background would have helped but the book was fine to read without the first one. Now that being said the story starts a bit slow and I wondered if it would have helped to read the first one but then I realized it is just how the author writes. So I stuck with it and I am glad I did.

One of the things I enjoy with suspense novels is not figuring it out. Yes I want to try to figure out what will happen or “Who-dun-it” but I like to be surprised and have it turned on me. And this book did that. Maybe it was because I never connected with Emile but either way I enjoyed it. I was surprised a number of times, which I enjoyed.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

June 7, 2016June 5, 2016

Kelly reviews Targeted by Kendra Elliot

TITLE: Targeted
SERIES #: Callahan & McLane #4
CHARACTERS: Mason Callahan & Ava McLane
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: June 7, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
All Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween.

Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask. Mason was the last person to see him alive and will stop at nothing to find his friend’s murderer.

When the FBI learns of the mask left at the scene, they realize they have a serial killer on their hands—one who is targeting cops. They assign the case to Special Agent Ava McLane, despite her engagement to Mason. Barely recovered from her own nearly fatal injury and her sister’s attempted suicide, Ava hopes she is ready to chase another killer.

But as she delves into the increasingly disturbing case, the killer may be closer than expected—dangerously close.

REVIEW:
4.75 Hearts I loving reading a book from an author from the Pacific Northwest. And what is even better is when it takes place in a town that I am very familiar with. I adore Kendra Elliot’s stories. I have loved Mason and Ava from day one. I do really wish that she would just give them a HEA and let them be……. But what fun would that be and that would just mean no more books for me. So keep throwing these two into sketchy situations.
Targeted starts out in the small coastal town of Depot Bay Oregon (which I drove through right after I started reading Targeted (Add pix collage)) and everything goes to hell in a handbasket from there. What should have been a fun filled boys weekend ends with a murder investigation. With the murderer running loose in Oregon how many will die before the figure out who they are.
Ms. Elliot had me on the edge of my set with wonder as to how she was going to make it all work out. There were a few teary moments that I feared the worst for a few of my favorite characters in this series.
I can’t wait to see what is next in this series and beyond excited that we have a new Kendra Elliot series coming soon.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

June 3, 2016May 29, 2016

Kimberly reviews The Shark by Mary Burton

TITLE: The Shark
SERIES #: Forgotten Files #1
CHARACTERS: Riley & Clay
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/24/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
At the grisly murder scene of a teen prostitute, Virginia state trooper Riley Tatum’s past roars back to haunt her. When she was a teenage runaway, she was kidnapped, drugged, and left unconscious on the streets. She has no memories of what happened, only strange recurring dreams of two men playing cards.

Former FBI agent Clay Bowman, Riley’s old flame, is Shield Security’s newest member. He’s plagued by the unsolved case of a serial killer nicknamed the Shark who murdered girls as part of a sadistic poker game. Only one girl survived. With the Shark now bent on evening that score, Clay has a chilling suspicion: Riley is the girl who escaped the Shark’s deadly amusement—and she is his next prey.

As the Shark gets ready to play his hand, can Riley and Clay stop him—or will this killer finally claim the one who got away?

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts So I have recently found Mary Burton and have mostly enjoyed her books. The problem is the MO of her stories. They are all pretty much the same. Yes the storyline is different and the characters and their backgrounds, etc but the outline is pretty much the same.

Now that being said the story was interesting. Riley is the main character and she wants to find the serial killer before he strikes again and her past is the key to the mystery. Her old flame is there to help out.

Will this end up being a favorite book? Probably not. But don’t let this book define all the books by Mary Burton.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

May 27, 2016May 25, 2016

Kimberly reviews Haunted Destiny by Heather Graham

TITLE: Haunted Destiny
SERIES #: Krewe Of Hunters #18
CHARACTERS: Jude & Alexi
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/24/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Between the evil and the deep blue sea…

A historic cruise ship, a haunted ship, the Celtic American Line’s Destiny, sets sail from the Port of New Orleans—with a killer on board. He’s known as the Archangel Killer because of the way he displays his victims in churches. And how he places a different saint’s medallion on each body. No one knows exactly who he is or why he’s doing this.

Jackson Crow—head of the FBI’s Krewe of Hunters, a special unit of paranormal investigators—is assigned to the case, along with local agent Jude McCoy. Then Alexi Cromwell, who works in the ship’s piano bar, is drawn into the situation when a victim’s ghost appears to her—and to Jude. She and Jude share an attraction, and not just because of their mutual talent.

There are many suspects, but one by one they’re ruled out… Or are they? In the end, Jude and Alexi have to rely on each other to catch the killer and escape his evil plans for Alexi.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts I usually enjoy the Krewe Of Hunters series but this wasn’t one of my favorites. It took me a while to realize why I didn’t enjoy it as much was because there was no real history. One of the things I like most in these stories is learning the history of the area that Graham has written about. Learning about certain events makes me want to hop a plane and head to the scene of the book. This book just didn’t have that. Set on an ocean liner it just doesn’t have that the same feeling.

Also Alexi and Jude really jumped into the relationship and were talking love practically before the ship sailed. I did enjoy the ghost and the ending actually choked me up a little but this story just doesn’t match up to most of the Krewe stories.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

May 26, 2016May 25, 2016

Natasha reviews City Of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

TITLE: City of Mirrors
SERIES #: The Passage #3
CHARACTERS: Amy, Peter, Alicia and the survives of First Colony
AUTHOR: Justin Cronin
PUBLICATION DATE: May 24, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In “The Passage” and “The Twelve”, Justin Cronin brilliantly imagined the fall of civilization and humanity’s desperate fight to survive. Now all is quiet on the horizon but does silence promise the nightmare’s end or the second coming of unspeakable darkness? At last, this bestselling epic races to its breathtaking finale.

“The world we knew is gone. What world will rise in its place?”

The Twelve have been destroyed and the hundred-year reign of darkness that descended upon the world has ended. The survivors are stepping outside their walls, determined to build society anew and daring to dream of a hopeful future.

But far from them, in a dead metropolis, he waits: Zero. The First. Father of the Twelve. The anguish that shattered his human life haunts him, and the hatred spawned by his transformation burns bright. His fury will be quenched only when he destroys Amy – humanity’s only hope, the Girl from Nowhere who grew up to rise against him.

One last time light and dark will clash, and at last Amy and her friends will know their fate.

REVIEW:
How do you say goodbye to such a significant part of your literary life? With a heavy, but full heart. I have waited many years for the final installment of the series that first captivated me in 2011. After countless readings and recommendations, the end has finally come. From the second chapter of The Passage, I knew this series was going to be amazing, and over the course of 5 years Cronin has not disappointed. City of Mirrors has everything we love about this series: amazing character development, detailed scene building, passion, heartbreak, loss and fulfillment.

As with the previous installments, this book spans hundreds of years and answers almost every question you’ve ever had about what happened to the world we all knew. I will say there were portions of the book I struggled with, but understood that Cronin does not waste words. Literally, every single word, every single detail serves a purpose. That purpose is not always apparent right away, but my goodness are they are worth it. As with any fantastic series, it is always sad when the final book arrives. However, this series is living and vibrant and will continue to live on through years of re-reading and recommending. It is my favorite series of all time. When you pick it up, you will be unable to put it back down.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House Publishing and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

May 24, 2016May 15, 2016

Kelly reviews All The Pretty Faces by Rita Herron

TITLE: All The Pretty Faces
SERIES #: Graveyard Falls #2
CHARACTERS: Dane Hamrick & Josie DuKane
AUTHOR: Rita Herron
PUBLICATION DATE: March 29, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Josie DuKane is on shaky ground. Having narrowly escaped the notorious Bride Killer, she penned a tell-all memoir that dug up a town’s dark past. Now the book is being made into a movie, and Josie must visit the very place that will trigger an avalanche of unwanted memories—Graveyard Falls. On the heels of her arrival, she receives a gruesome photograph of a dead woman with talon marks carved into her face. And worse, Josie just might be the next victim.

Torn between guilt, justice, and revenge, Special Agent Dane Hamrick will do anything to find the man who brutally murdered his sister. When he realizes the recent tragedies in Graveyard Falls bear an uncanny resemblance to her death, he volunteers to spearhead the investigation. But doing so means teaming up with Josie.

Nothing prepares him for the feelings the beautiful, tough woman evokes. As the body count rises and the suspect pool widens, Josie and Dane must put aside their growing attraction to run down the killer who devastated both their lives.

A killer who seems determined to destroy all the pretty faces.

REVIEW:
Oh man!!! All the Pretty Faces is an excellent follow up to Ms. Herron’s All the Beautiful Brides. We met Dane & Josie in book one.
****This might be a spoiler, so if you have not read book 1 and don’t want to know stop here****

Josie was the lone survivor of the Bride Killer. To cope with this she wrote a story to tell about the events that happened. Now she is back in Graveyard Falls getting ready for her book to be turned into a movie. But there are many in town that don’t want Josie there or want the stories to be retold. But how far is someone willing to go to make her leave? Is someone willing to start killing just to stop a movie?

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the past gets all tangled up in the present and how we left guessing who is who and why they did what they did.

I am very much looking forward to the next book in this series.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Montlake Romance in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

May 23, 2016May 15, 2016

Kelly reviews City Of Mirrors by Justin Cronin

TITLE: City of Mirrors
SERIES #: The Passage #3
CHARACTERS: Amy, Peter, Alicia and the survives of First Colony
AUTHOR: Justin Cronin
PUBLICATION DATE: May 24, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

“The world we knew is gone. What world will rise in its place?”

One last time light and dark will clash, and at last Amy and her friends will know their fate.

REVIEW:
What a way to end a trilogy.
The Passage trilogy has been such an emotional journey for me. I have loved every page of this series.
If you have not read The Passage (bk1) and The Twelve (bk2) you have to read this series in order.
The City of Mirrors picks up three years after the events of The Twelve. We finally learn what happened to Amy. We get to see Peter in the role of leader. Michael finally figures out what his role is in the world. Alicia will break your heart. Sara and Hollis will find strength in each other. We have to prepare for a showdown that could cost the world everything.
I had a hard time writing this review without giving up anything. But Mr. Cornin took us on a crazy emotional journey that made me tear up multiple times. I was not sure what I was expecting with the final book in this series but there were a lot of twists and turns that I did not expect.
If you are new to this series start at book one! If you are a fan already hold onto your hat because the end is here.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

May 20, 2016May 16, 2016

Kimberly reviews Little Bones by Sam Blake

TITLE: Little Bones
CHARACTERS: Cat & Zoe
AUTHOR: Sam Blake
PUBLICATION DATE: 05/17/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
For fans of Alex Barclay and Niamh O’Connor, Little Bones introduces Cathy Connolly, a bright young heroine set to take the world of crime fiction by storm.

Twenty-four-year-old Garda Cathy Connolly might be a fearless kick-boxing champion but when she discovers a baby’s bones concealed in the hem of a wedding dress, the case becomes personal.

For artist Zoe Grant, the bones are another mysterious twist in her mother’s disappearance. Then her grandmother, head of the Grant Valentine department store empire is found dead, and a trail of secrets is uncovered that threatens to shake a dynasty.

In a story that moves from London’s East End to the Las Vegas mafia, one thing is certain – for Cat, life will never be the same again.

REVIEW:
What an interesting story. When a baby’s bones are found in a wedding dress hem the mystery really takes off. Cat is a great character. She has issues but don’t we all. Her issues just add to her character. I enjoyed her with the partner Dawson but it is really Cat that holds the book for me.

All of the characters in the story are interesting. I will say it was hard for me to keep them straight for a little while but once I kept reading it got much easier for me.

I really hope this story is the first in the series. I haven’t heard anything one way or the other but the story leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger so I really look forward to continuing on.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.