What Do You Do?

What happens if you get an ARC that really, well, stinks?  Do you feel bad?  Do you write a scathing review?  Or do you just contact the publicist or editor and tell them you can't do this it was just too bad.  This is a quandary for me, I don't want to hurt ones feelings, yet if the book is a real baddie, I'm not gonna write otherwise.  If I've bought it out of my own pocket, I don't have that hard a time saying it's a real stinker, but when you're getting something for free, that guilt just jabs me in the gut.

I'm just curious as to what some others do when presented with this situation.  I'm not seeking ARCS as I was anymore, since I'm trying to whittle my tbr (see my challenge *here*) and I want to read for the joy of reading, but if I come across one that seems interesting to me, or I happen to get a request to read something, I will always say yes.  Maybe I just have to grow a thicker skin since what they're looking for is an honest review.

Postcard Killers

Postcard Killers
James Patterson & Liza Marklund
384 pgs.
Grand Central Publishing
Net Galley E-ARC Edition















Amazon Blurb -

Paris is stunning in the summer

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him--he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each cafe through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

The killing is simply marvelous

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

Wish you were here

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm--and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet. 
*****

In this latest from Patterson, you know who the killers are from the beginning, two absolute cuckoos who go through Europe with a sick twist on art and death.  Jacob Kanon's daughter Kimmy was one of their victims and this battered NYPD detective is just sick with grief and won't stop till he catches them.  Plowing through Europe for the past six months, he teeters on the brink of suicide, just the burn of vengeance keeping him on track.

Dessie Larsson is a Swedish reporter who has been sucked in this mess by the killers themselves, and goes on a ride that she will never forget.  She finds Jacob to be a loose cannon who she slowly falls for and helps to track these nuts.

The aggravation brought on by the ignorance of the Swedish police makes you wanna scream!  I understand the hatred of American's due to what is thought of as arrogance, but cops from N.Y. are so on the ball and the blundering could have been avoided if the Swedes would have just conceded that from the get go.  I really enjoyed this book, Patterson has scored another winner for me!

3 1/2 cannolis

Authors By The Alphabet January Book Choice

I just wanted to put up January's book choice chosen by Marce -


The Stormchasers
Jenna Blum
Paperback, 384 pgs
Plume

From Publishers Weekly

Blum (Those Who Save Us) visits Tornado Alley in this vivid novel about a set of twins with a dark history. At home in Minnesota, Karena Jorge gets an unexpected call informing her that her twin brother, Charles Hallingdahl, whom she hasn't seen in the 20 years since something went very wrong during a storm chase, has been admitted to a Kansas mental hospital. Charles suffers from rapid cycling bipolar disorder, and all Karena knows is that he refuses medication, he can be a danger to himself and others, and he is still obsessed with storm chasing. When she rushes to the clinic and finds he has already left, Karena joins a professional storm-chasing tour company, hoping to find her brother in the caravan of watchers who follow major storms. In the course of the tour, Karena confronts the past and the way it has shaped her life. The unpredictable and dangerous storms provide a framework for an exploration of the bond between siblings (and its limitations), and Blum renders the stormy backdrop as richly as she does her nuanced characters.
*****

This sounds like a good book and I look forward to reading it!  I hope you all do too.  We will meet up at Marce's blog - Tea Time With Marce the last week of January for the Q - n - A, I will post a reminder on my blog as well.

How Do You Rate?

Fellow blogger Marce read my review of Beach Road and was very surprised that I didn't give it 5 cannolis since I really enjoyed it.  I told her I'm very stingy with em, and something really has to wow me to share my yummy pastries.  Ya know, I'm all the way in So Cali now, far from the former walking distance of  Alba's on 18th Ave in Brooklyn where I can get hold of a delicious delight.  Finding a good cannoli out here is like finding a needle in a haystack so I keep those babies close to the vest ;)

What constitutes a 5 cannoli rating?  Well, it really has to move me big time.  Like aggravate me and have me on the edge of my seat almost screaming, or break my heart and have me cry.  The crying part is no easy feat, let me tell ya.  It's only happened a couple of times.  Outlander by Diana Gabaldon had me in hysterics, to quote myself, crying big fat baby tears.  That book ripped me to my core.  Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell's crazy a$$ relationship in Chelsea Cain's series keeps my nerves raw!  And yahoo! there will be another episode with those two!!  The Night Season comes out in March 11!!!

Now there are series I have read that I just love, but not every book in the series is worth 5.  There is one who has been consistent the whole time and I can't wait for the next to come out in January.  That is the Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning.  I LOVE that series, and for me, every one of em was off the hook!  Mac is just a great character and she has evolved something fierce, and Jerricho Barnes, well don't get me started.  Shadowfever will be on the shelves  January 18th.  Sadly, the Black Dagger Brotherhood has not hit the mark every time, nor has Sookie Stackhouse.  The thing is, I love these characters and I love the books, I've invested a lot of time in them, so when a new one comes, even if the last left me flat, I will get the book.

Authors like Patterson have made me very happy and I've given him the big 5, so did Joe Hill with Heart Shaped Box, but basically I'm a hard-a$$ when it comes to rating, and I think that's ok since when you see that 5 you know it had to be good!

Lover Mine

Lover Mine
J.R. Ward
656 pgs.
Signet












Amazon Blurb -

New or casual readers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series will be lost in its eighth installment (after 2009's Lover Avenged), but Ward's fans love her soap opera storytelling and are happy to forgive unpronounceable names and occasionally overeager tough talk (at a solemn wedding, [the bridegroom] was smiling like a motherfucker). Newly made vampire John Matthew vows to free his mate, the symphath Xhexania, from Lash, a paranoid coke addict who's transmuting into a nontemporal entity like his vampire-killer father, the Omega. Once freed, Xhexania joins the Brothers in battling the Omega, but refuses to acknowledge her emotional connection to John. Meanwhile, sexually promiscuous Qhuinn, shockingly jealous of his cousin Saxton's new lover, wonders whether he should have seduced Saxton when he had the chance. Complicated subplots and tortured heroes abound, but attentive readers will love putting it all together.
**********

Well I gotta say, the Warden has done it again.  She makes you happy you took the time to get to know the brothers.  She doesn’t always hit it outta the park, Butch and Phury’s, especially Phury’s story was less than good, but this one was worth the time.  Not too much of my favorite brother V, John Matthew is the star here, with Blay and Qhuinn’s story riding the sideline.

Lash and the Lessers are the root of what’s wrong.  Taking Xhex at the end of Rhev’s book, this picks up from there.  Lash has shielded Xhex so that she cannot be seen by anyone, even if they’re standing right next to her.  What he’s done to her for the past four weeks is nothing less than brutality.  John Matthew is devastated and heartbroken.  He’s on a mission to get her back, just hoping she isn’t dead.

We also have a couple of back stories taking place.  We learn more about Tohr and Darius’ relationship as we are brought to the past and the two embark on a quest to rescue one of the glymera family’s daughters who’s been kidnapped.  A television show about paranormal incidents is the next bit of mystery and didn’t quite fit in and you don’t get it till the end.  Gregg and Holly the producer and host are in South Carolina staying at a bed and breakfast supposedly haunted by Eliahu Rathboone, the former plantations’ owner.  Payne, the Scribe Virgins daughter and Vishous’ twin, becomes a bit clearer as well.

The Brothers are just very small shots, as they battle the Lessers,  Wrath, the Blind King continues his sparring sessions with Payne, you really barely catch sight of the girls but for Doc Jane, who I still don’t like.  She’s their personal physician and she cares for all of them when they get injured.  I wish there was a bit more of them. We meet Saxton, Qhuinn’s cousin, and Blay’s sorta love interest, and I don’t like him either.  He comes off very smarmy to me.  I would find it a major turn off, but I think Blay is just so lonely he doesn’t care anymore.  I feel bad for both Qhuinn and Blay.  Qhuinn loves Blay, but he won’t act on it and Blay, well, he’s hopelessly stuck on him and just coming to terms with the fact that it’s not to be.

Of course, Ward is the reigning Queen of branding!!  Herradura this, Escalades and Hummers that, Jay Zee blasting on the player, only the Warden can get away with it.  Some of the lingo is just corny, true, but you can deal ya feeling me ;)  It was good, not her best, there was a bit too much going on at once, but I still enjoyed it and can’t wait for the next, which was previewed at the end titled, Lover Unleashed and is Payne’s story.  I’ll give it 3 ½ cuz I just love the Brothers.

3 ½ cannolis

Beach Road

 
 Beach Road
 James Patterson,
 Peter De Jonge
 400 Pages
 Little, Brown and Co











 Amazon Blurb -


Bestseller Patterson shows signs of having gone to the well too often in this slapdash collaboration with de Jonge, his coauthor on The Beach House (2002). Tom Dunleavy, a former professional basketball player and local East Hampton legend, is getting by as an underworked and unmotivated attorney. His sports glory days and his one true love are long in the past, but he gets second chances at personal and professional redemption when three locals are gunned down, apparently in the aftermath of racial tensions arising from a heated pickup game of hoops. The police seize on Dante Halleyville, the country's best high school star, as their suspect, and Dunleavy must dust off his old courtroom skills and enlist his lost love, Kate Costello, as his partner. Patterson readers know to expect a surprise ending, but he leaves too few possibilities for many to be genuinely fooled. Fans can only hope that Patterson soon returns to the level he achieved with his Alex Cross series.**********


WOW!  Again, WOW!!  This book was just unbelievable and I can’t wait for hubby to read it and see how fast he figures it out.  I was clueless right to the damn end.  Man o’ man what took place here was just incredible.  Co-authored with Peter DeJonge, Patterson just slammed dunked this one and shattered the back board to smithereens!

Tom Delaney is a so-so lawyer a pro basketball player for about ten minutes till he blew his knee out, living in his hometown of the ritzy Hamptons on Long Island New York.  All the townies are pretty thick, and they have a pick-up game on the smoking court of one of the millionaire residents.  Dante Hayerville is the hottest High School player since Coby Bryant, could be drafted now, but decides to go to college at least one year for his Grandma.  He gets into it during the game with the local surfer dude, Feif, and Dante’s friend pulls a gun.  Tom defuses the whole situation, but when Feif and two other townies are murdered, Dante gets tagged with the crime.

Tom knows Dante is innocent, but doesn’t feel confident enough to take this case on himself, so he goes into Manhattan to ask former love and fellow townie, Kate Costello, whom he dumped ten years ago to help him.  Kate is still royally ticked at him and says no at first, but then climbs aboard.  Of course since the victims are hometown boys, Tom is the target of some major harassment and no one will even acknowledge him anymore.  Kate doesn’t care since she left years ago so it doesn’t affect her the same way.

It becomes very clear that drugs and money are behind the whole deal, and the web is weaved so tightly that those who are thought to be good really aren’t.  You get brought on a rollercoaster ride that whips you up into a frenzy!!!  Movie stars and Hollywood elitists who hobnob in this east coast haven rally around the case and Tom and Kate too.  There’s even Al Sharpton and Johnnie Cochranesque characters.

Hands down this ranks up there in awesome books, I loved it and as you can see, I don't agree with Amazon's blurb at all!  I was guessing till the end, then nearly had a coronary!!

4 cannolis

Sizzling Sixteen

Sizzling Sixteen
Janet Evanovich
320 Pages
St. Martins Press












Amazon Blurb -

In this tepid Stephanie Plum adventure from Evanovich (Finger Lickin' Fifteen, etc.), a personal case distracts the Trenton, N.J., bondswoman from tracking the usual group of eccentric skips--the kidnapping of her cousin, Vinnie, who's being held for ransom in the high six figures. As Stephanie, sidekick Lula, and office manager Connie soon realize, Vincent Plum Bail Bonds is seriously in the red due to Vinnie's gambling. Vinnie's also gotten caught up with local mobster Bobby Sunflower in a complicated scheme. Even though her sleazy cousin isn't her favorite person and chasing oddball felons isn't her ideal career, Stephanie knows family loyalty counts for something, plus she owes him for giving her a job all those years ago. So with Lula and Connie in tow--and romantic interests Morelli and Ranger lurking in the background-- Stephanie must save the day once again. Evanovich is at her best spinning the bizarre subplots involving Stephanie's bail jumpers, but the larger story simply recycles elements from previous installments.  
**********

Stephanie’s cousin and boss, bail bonds biz owner (wow say that 10 times fast!!) Vincent Plum has been kidnapped by Sunshine, a drug dealer, numbers runner all around bad guy.  She has to find him before he gets wacked.  Connie, Vinny’s secretary, and Lula former pro now file clerk for the biz, are all in for the ride. This goes way deeper than Vinny just owing the bookie.  Never mind the fact that he’s in for over $700,000!!!  This has to do with him tampering with bail money to cover bets and the company that overwrites and foots the bill for the bonds not being on the up-n-up as well.

This final book didn’t have quite the same hilarity that one and two did.  Granny Mazur wasn’t as prominent, but stoner, Mooner and his Hobbit obsession were quite funny.  There is one scene where Mooner fixes Vinny’s clothes and I use that term quite loosely, I was laughing so hard I was crying.  Of course my family just couldn’t understand what I found so funny.  Joe Morelli and Ranger are here for the ride as well.  Ranger supplies her with some rockin wheels, as well as letting her know how he feels about her in his own Ranger way.  Gotta come clean, while Joe may be the devastatingly handsome Italian boy, Ranger is the dude.  There is something dangerous and sexy about him, and he’s pretty darn good looking too with a body to match.  Mishaps with stink bombs and a crocodile, bombs going off and stealing from the bad guys takes you for a ride in # 16 of Janet Evanovich’s Plum series.

I enjoyed it, might go back to read the hook up between Steph and Ranger, but don’t find it necessary to read all the books now.

3 ½ cannolis

Friday Follow

I've been away from the Follow for a bit so I thought I'd pop in again :)
 
 To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers - Icey Books
   
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post! 

This weeks ? - 

What other hobbies do you have besides reading/reviewing?

Well blogging used to take up enormous chunks of time in my life and so I've cut down big time in that.  I am an avid scrapbooker, the mother of 6, with 5 still at home, 1 of which is getting married next year, so they keep me on my toes.  Love to cook and bake especially at this time of year :)

I Want More - Book Challenge

This challenge is being hosted by my challenge partner in crime - Marce, from Tea Time With Marce , you can click on the picture as well to get to her sign-up page ; )

The whole premise is to read some books by an author you enjoyed, wanted to read more of but haven't gotten to it.  There are different levels of participation as well.  2-4, 5-8 and 9-12.  Only stand alones, no series, and I'm going with the 2-4.  It's running from January 1st - December 31st 2011.  I'm leaning towards Tess Gerritsen, but not 100 % sure yet.  Hhhhmm so many books and authors, so little time.....

And yes, Tess Gerritsen will be the winner for this challenge, and I'll come back here to update what I've read.  I haven't made my first choice yet, so I need to get a lookin :)

Update - No Tess will not be my choice!  I can be so very fickle, that's why I don't decorate a room till some time has passed, I like one thing and the next week it's another, and this is one of those times.  I so enjoyed my book club choice for February - Bet Me by Jennifer Cruise, that I am choosing her!   I will let that book be #1 on the challenge list adn it will be linked to my review :).

1. Bet Me
2. Maybe This Time
3. ?
4. ?

I haven't chosen the other 2 yet, but I will ;)

Tome's 500 Page Challenge and Monthly Wrap Up

My choice for December -


  Lover Mine
  J.R. Ward
  656 pgs
  Signet












 Yay!!!  I finally got it!!  I think this one came out in Oct of 09!  I have them on Kindle, but I just wouldn't spend the $12.99 for it.  It was irking the crumbs outta me that the digi edition was almost as much as the hardcover.  I stuck to my guns and waited for the paperback to come out because they still haven't dropped the price.  So, someone on paperback swap.com will be getting it when I'm done.  This baby is a real chunker at over 600 pgs, but Ward never disappoints and I miss V, so I'm looking forward to it
*****
November sure as heck flew by!!  I read some really good books this month.  A couple were e-arcs that I had to get to, they've been waiting on me since July and August.  Of all the books, the most disturbing was Damage.  This is an older book, released in digital format for the first time I guess.  My Tome challenge was great.  I really like Rachel Morgan's series.  Kim Harrison is a very good author.  This month will be busy busy busy, I have a few that I mapped out in last months wrap up and I'm looking forward to them.  Right now I'm reading Beach Road by James Patterson for my book club and the J.P. challenge I'm in.  This book isn't just good, it's flippin fantastic!!  It grabbed me right outta the gate, awesome.

Authors By The Alphabet

Ok girls, here we go again!  We will be restarting this baby in January with some new rules.  Each participant will host a month at their blogs with the wrap up Q-n-A at the end of the month and they will pick the book for that month.  If one of us has read it, we can always just give a quick skim to refresh our memories this way there's no checking back and forth waiting to see who did or didn't or does or doesn't want to read it.   A book club is to expose ourselves to things we might not normally read and each of us will have a chance to hit our fave genres when we host :) We will go in order of sign-ups from Mr. Linky.  I will post the book choice and have it on my sidebar as well.  Questions are easy enough, a lot of books have ?'s all ready to go and you can find them online, if not, there are generic ?'s that you can use as well.

We will start with the letter B and have the ?'s on the last Monday of each month.  We can stop by the host's blog, copy and paste the ?'s answer them and then post in the comment section.

I'm looking forward to this, I'm glad we're doing it this way, it makes it much easier!  Sign up below, and whoever snags #1 and 2, start looking for that B and C author book!

TBR Challenge

 

Well, before you can blink  your eyes it'll be January of 2011, imagine that!?  2011, sounds so darn freaky! And with the New Year I really wanna concentrate on whittling my tbr pile.  I'm going to make it a mission to try not to buy books if I don't have to.  Since I belong to a book club, I may not have a choice if the library isn't cooperating ; ) and there are a couple of books that I have to make exceptions for, Black Dagger Brotherhood, Shadowfever, Sookie and such :p  On the whole though, I have kindle editions and traditonal that has grown to a crazy amount.

Make sure to have the link-up to your roster so progress can be seen.

Damage

Damage
Josephine Hart
180 pgs
Open Road
E-ARC











Amazon Blurb -

The unnamed narrator of this chilling, uncomfortable first novel lives a life many men work vainly all their lives to attain: wealth, successful political career, beautiful wife, two attractive children. At the age of 50, however, the narrator has yet to feel passionately about anything--or anyone--in his life. Then his son brings home the woman he plans to marry, the enigmatic Anna Barton, and he recognizes in Anna the passion for which he will eagerly lay to waste everything and everyone in his life. Anna, tragedy ever-present in her life, warns, "Damaged people are dangerous. They know they can survive." Unheeding, he does not veer from a path which can lead only to damage for everyone except, ultimately, perhaps Anna herself. Compulsively readable enough to be devoured in a single sitting, this novel is brilliant, but unsettling. Obsession and its aftermath can be fascinating, but never comfortable, reading.
*****

This is a very disturbing story.  The unnamed protagonist opens the book with a background of his life.  You immediately get the sense that he is just existing, in spite of his success-fullness.  Grew up wealthy, marries Ingrid who is smart beautiful and also wealthy, a doctor, two children, Martyn and Sally, and is a Member of Parliament.  Not high up there like one of our Senators, but in none the less.

Martyn is a very handsome man.  The book goes to great pains to make that clear. He is also a bit of a Casanova till he meets Anna Barton.  Ingrid does NOT like Anna.  She is eight years older than him and something just seems off about her.  Having been out each time Anna was at the house he hasn't met her, till, while at a Christmas party on his own, he hears her being introduced behind him.  He doesn’t move a muscle to acknowledge her, but hearing her voice suddenly opens his whole universe and that’s all she wrote, no pun intended.  He was instantly done and from there on it goes from bad to worse.  They start an affair that consumes his very being.  How he does this is beyond me.   Set aside his wife and her hurt for one minute.  He is carrying on with his son’s, his own flesh and blood’s love of their life.  Martyn is so taken with Anna, as much as the father.

This girl is off, she is way off, Mama was very correct in her assumption.  Everyone she has been involved with comes out damaged, and she admits this to him herself.  Her mother, stepfather and father try to subtly warn the family, the stepfather one on one to him after seeing how he watches Anna, to no avail. Her thought process is as long as he leaves her be as his son does, all will be fine.   It gets to be excruciating for him, almost screaming at his son to stop touching her at a family gathering.

To see how this ends was just shocking and so very sad.  It made me want to club her more than him, to be honest.  Cool, calculating, and twisted in her own way, the story weaves through and just makes you feel heartbroken.   I don’t know if saying it was a good book are the right words, it grabs you, you feel very strong emotions, it keeps you interested, so in that respect yes it qualifies for a good book.  This was also a movie with Jeremy Irons and was just released in e-book form on net-galley, which is why I read it.  If you can handle emotional wringers like this, go for it.

3 ½ cannolis

A Fistful Of Charms

A Fistful Of Charms
Kim Harrison
496 pgs.
Eos













Amazon Blurb -

This strong entry in Harrison's intricate Hollows series (after Every Which Way but Dead) plunges headlong into the action as Rachel Morgan, a sexy Cincinnati witch, finishes up her latest bounty hunting mission by taking down an alpha Were (werewolf). The book swings into gear when she returns home to find that her ne'er-do-well ex, Nick, has recruited her partner Jenks's son in a criminal enterprise—and gotten them both imprisoned by Weres in Michigan, apparently for stealing a priceless Were artifact. With the help of some borderline black magic, Jenks—a pixie—is given human proportions in order to accompany Rachel on a mission to rescue his son. Finding the jailed pixie ends up the easiest task in an operation that quickly spirals out of control after Rachel decides she must also rescue the errant Nick. Harrison provides conflict aplenty as Rachel debates how far into the black arts she'll venture to accomplish a good end; past and present boyfriends vie for her attention; and Weres battle vampires for supremacy.
**********

Rachel decides she needs to go and rescue ex-boyfriend Nick.  Darling Nick has stolen and ancient artifact that could blow open a war with the vamps and weres.  To compound matters he has enlisted pixie Jenk’s son Jax to help him.  In Miss Harrison’s world, weres can only be born, so the vamps are the stronger of the supes, since they can bite and make more vamps.  Well this statue he’s stolen can change all that.

Nick is being held by the weres and Rachel to the rescue!!  With a magically tweaked people sized Jenks at her side, some black magic to give her an extra boost Rachel gets busy.  Of course nothing goes smooth and she has to fight weres to get him back.  Ivy can’t come since it’s out of Ohio and she can’t leave Piscary’s influence, and neither can Kisten.  She gets to shift into a wolf and do some damage, nice twist in the story.

Ivy and her relationship goes to a different level.  I won’t go into detail here, and it didn’t jazz me enough to do a spoiler box, but suffice it to say that the two need to come to terms with the fact that Ivy does love her.  I still get ticked that she gets afraid at times when she’s alone with Ivy.  I really think she’s at a point fighting wise that this “fear” really is stretching it a bit.  For heaven’s sake she had a knock down drag it out fight with Piscary a book or two ago and this “Ooo Ivy’s eyes have gone black I’m scared” is dumb.  Nick is a douche, hands down, what a moron.  I love Jenks, he is the best, and having him full grown in this one was a great perspective!  He loves Rachel and will do anything to protect her.  What an awesome friend.  Not too much Kisten here, and no Big Al.

This one was pretty good.  I am likin the series.  Next up – For A Few Demons More


3 1/2 cannolis

Thrilled To Death

Thrilled To Death
L.J. Sellars
298 pgs
Spellbinder Press
ARC review












Amazon Blurb -

Monday morning, a young mother disappears after a doctor's appointment. Monday evening, a young socialite leaves a risqué lounge and never makes it home. Detective Jackson lands both cases, but at first he can't find signs of foul play. When the socialite turns up dead, his investigation uncovers her dirty secrets, which complicates everything. The case runs into even bigger trouble with a suspect who hasn't left his house in a year. Jackson must push all the boundaries to find the connection and answer the question: Where is the other missing woman? 

*****

This was book # 3 in the Detective Jackson series by L.J. Sellers.  I didn’t read the others, which bothers me some, but it wasn’t necessary to follow either.

Two young woman are missing.  One, Elle, a wealthy wild child of the town’s well to do families, the other, Danette, a struggling single mom, who also is the mother of Det. Jackson’s girlfriend’s grandson.  Lucky break for her since her case is pushed aside for the other girl.  Jackson is the sole pursuer of clues along with his girlfriend Kera.

Det. Jackson finds out that Elle has hired a company to kidnap her for kicks.  When he learns both girls shared the same psychologist, and that Danette has taken Elle’s canceled appointment, he thinks mistaken identity and foul play is involved.  In the middle of this, he is dealing with a serious medical issue that requires surgery and he wants this case solved before he has to leave.

Kera has been taking care of her grandson while Danette is missing.  Her son, the baby's father, died in Iraq.  Jackson has sole custody of 13 year old daughter, Katie, and he is feeling guilty for her having to spend time with her mom.  Evan’s and Shack make up his detective team and I liked them.  All the characters were quite good.  I actually liked the chemistry between Jackson and Evans better than with Kera.    No one character jumped out at me though.  The book was ok.   Suspense wise, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat and while who did it shocked the crumbs outta me, I didn’t feel that heart racing thrill of the who done it.  3 cannolis for the crazy curve ball at the end.


3 cannolis

Authors By The Alphabet Re-Do and Tweaked

Ok ladies, I know a lot of you were asking about starting this again.  I really loved the idea and didn't want to drop it altogether, but couldn't carry it all on my own due to time constraints.  Marce from Tea Time With Marce had a great idea of guest hosts and I know Christine from The Happily Ever-After had said something similar as well. Whoever picks that month's book choice will host the Q-n-A at the end of the month as well.  I'll post reminders on my blog and the book choices, but each person will get a chance to host.  I think the New Year for this will be a good start, and I'll host last, also, do we start with A again?  Me personally, I think yes.

So ladies, what say you?  Chime in, and I'll get a re-post going like the 2nd week of December for kick off on 1/1/11 and lets see if we can get at least 10 of us, I love book clubs and the opportunity to read things you normally wouldn't, even if it is a stinker : )

Blog Hop

Wow I haven't hopped in weeks!!


This Hop is hosted by Jennifer from Crazy-For-Books, and it runs through the weekend, so if you can't today, hop on tomorrow!  Just remember, go to her site, follow the rules, visit some of the blogs and get to know em, if you start to follow tell em you met them through the hop!

This weeks ?-

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

Yes, for the most part.  I am very anal like that.  My sil's book club is reading Stephanie plum this month and while I'll never get through all 16 I've read 1 and 2 and will get through 3 before I read Sizzling Sixteen.  I can't help it, it's how I roll.  I just find it easier for me to know the characters, and the different plot turns the stories take.  Though most authors are very thorough in filling in the back story in each book.

Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator

Allegra Fairweather: Paranormal Investigator
Janni Nell
Carina Press
Kindle Edition
ARC










Amazon Blurb -
Allegra Fairweather here. Paranormal investigator. Got problems with specters? Shapeshifters? I'm the woman to call. Just don't call me a Ghostbuster. The last guy who did that ended up flat on his back with my boot at his throat.
With my 99.5% success rate, solving the mystery of a bleeding rose that has sprung up on the shores of Loch Furness should have been an easy gig. But already I've heard the shriek of the local banshee, discovered two bodies (and then lost two bodies), and had a near-death encounter with a three-hundred-year-old ghost. And perhaps most dangerous of all, the hot pub owner who hired me now wants to show me exactly what's under his kilt.
Luckily, I'm ably assisted by my very own guardian angel. I'm grateful for his help-but he's also drop-dead gorgeous. A bit distracting when I've got a mystery to solve, and the clock is ticking...
********
Allegra is a paranormal invesitgator.  She lives in San Diego Ca, and travels where ever her sevices are needed.  Today that's Lock Furness Scotland.  Douglas MacGragor has asked for her help.  The Dedfield Rose is growing on the shores of Loch Furness and legend has it that when the Dedfield Rose is growing, disaster will take place.

Arriving in Loch Furness, Allegra goes looking for Douglas.  She's in for a pleasant surprise when she finds this hunky Scottish Highlander.  He owns and runs the town's inn, Mac's and all he can offer her for payment is free bed and board.  She agrees and it doesn't take long for the townsfolk to start turning up dead.   Banshee's, witches, selkies, ghosts all abound as Allegra tries to solve the case.  She also has a special helper, or watcher as he prefers to be thought of, her handsome hot and hunky guardian angel Casper.  She's called him Casper since the first time she met him at six years old and he saved her life then disappeared like Casper the ghost.  He only comes when her life is on the line and can't really help her per-say, he can beat around the bush a bit to give her hints and that's what he does, but only if he thinks she's going into a life threatening situation, or when she's already in one.  She often yells at him, saying you sure took your time!

Douglas is crushing on Allegra big time, but she doesn't feel the same.  She loves Casper, which doesn't work at all, they can never be together.  As an angel, he is serving penance for his sins on earth till he can enter Heaven and loving Allegra is a major no-no.  He is always there right at the moment she needs him most.

Will she solve this mystery before the town turns on her?  Will Douglas ever get to kiss her?  Will she ever get to kiss Casper?  Hhhhmmmm....you'll have to read and see : )

I enjoyed this book.  Very light, yet not too simplistic.  Allegra is a really good character,and this has great series potential.  I love the chemistry between she and Casper and hope Ms. Nell will continue with these books.  Absolutely recommend it!

3 1/2 cannolis

Hollows Anyone?

 

















I am really liking the Hollow’s series by Kim Harrison.  The characters are rich and vibrant.  Each has a wonderfully different personality.  Some are just so-so, Nick just doesn't do it for me and Ivy is a conundrum.  That storyline just aggravates the crumbs outta me.  My thing is, sometimes Rachel can be so darn tough, but with Ivy, her demeanor changes completely.  It’s like a totally different character.  I understand Ivy is her friend, but the interaction with the two is just too weird.  Ivy wants Rachel to be her scion, which is sorta like an assistant with perks.  That would come with Ivy biting Rach.  The problem is that Ivy has a mad hankering for Rachel and not just for her blood.  Rachel equates biting with sex and wants no part of it.  How this storyline will pan out has me curious though mildly turned off.  Kinda sounds like an oxymoron, but it's like a train wreck you can't quite look away.  It doesn't have the same affect as the whole Butch/Vichous Black Dagger Brotherhood does, that storyline was very touching, and V is with Doc Jane now anyhow and Butch with whats her face, but that's a different post...

I really like Kisten.  Spoiler talk so here’s the box for those who don't wanna know –

Spoiler:

The fact that Harrison kills him off took major stones.  He’s a much loved character and that an author would do this takes guts.  I am anticipating his demise with much trepidation since I have read other Hollow lovers write how that part made them cry their eyes out.  Some even hold out hope that he is brought back somehow.

I also like Trent.  Yes bad guy, but still like him.  That whole part is quite intriguing and I want to know more!  I have to laugh at how Rachel almost drools over Trent, yet then quickly thinks “oh bad guy, no no.”  She does tend to have a bit of a wandering eye when it comes to the men of the story.  Ceri is a wonderful addition, and David the were as well.  I like how he’s asked Rachel to be in his pack.  Now this may sound weird, but I REALLY like Algariept.  Yes  he’s a bastard, he is a demon after all, but his character is fantastic.  I am dying to watch this relationship develop as the series progresses.  Jenks cracks me up, that little pixie is one tough cookie.  I’m curious as to how Rachel will mend the fence with him.  All the characters work well off each other.  Even Trent’s sidekicks Jonathan and Quen round the picture out nicely.

Obviously Rachel is a very powerful witch.  More so than she herself even realizes.  I look forward to reading how she progresses and learns more about her own powers and her relationships.

Every Which Way But Dead

Every Which Way But Dead
Kim Harrison
501 pgs
Eos













Amazon Blurb -

Even those who aren't born-and-bled fans of the horror genre should enjoy Harrison's third Rachel Morgan adventure, especially if they like lots of hot sex spiced with humor. Marguerite Gavin, who performed strongly in the earlier audio versions of Harrison's bestsellers, is the ideal choice to keep the pot bubbling: she merrily mixes charming urbanity with knowing wisdom about how real people behave. Rachel, of course, is still the toughest witch and bounty hunter in Cincinnati, Ohio—and as usual is up to her very short leather skirt in trouble. She's been abandoned by her lover, treated badly by a business partner (never trust a pixie!), and an old debt is about to be called in by an extremely irate and powerful demon known as Big Al. Add to this some frightening truths about the real powers behind the city's politicians and what really killed Rachel's father, and you've got a cross between The Sopranos and Dracula with lots of Sex in the City on the side.
**********

Rachel has survived another serious butt kicking, has gotten a really nice car outta the deal, but has some problems resulting from the fiasco.  Even though Piscary is locked away, she made a deal with Algalriept to be his familiar in exchange for his testimony against Piscary.  Nick is afraid of her since she pulled that ley line through him while battling Piscary and has been distant for the past three months.  Then to top it off, he is leaving town indefinitely and tells her where he’s going is really none of her business.  She is hurt real bad.

Unfortunately her rough times aren’t over yet.  No sooner does she recover from her last beating, that she gets another, this time from Demon Al.   New characters come into play here.  Ceri, Al’s former familiar, and werewolf insurance adjuster from the koi fish fiasco David, as well as neighbor Keasly come to her aid.  Sadly, she has hurt Jenks badly since she let slip during drugged haze as a result of said beating, about knowing what Trent is.  That she didn’t trust him breaks his heart.

She has landed two decent jobs,  one with pop singer Takata and the other body-guarding Trent.  Quen, Trent’s body-guard cannot watch over him during this important meeting with Cincinnati’s other baddie Saladan since getting bit by a vamp.  He’s concerned he won’t be able to resist being whammied by any vamps Saladan might have with him.  He offers Rachel $10000.00 for the job.  She begrudgingly takes it so that her secret as to why her summers were spent at Trent’s father’s camp stay just that.

To lick her wounds she goes on a date with Kisten.  I love Kisten : )  Of course mayhem ensues, but a relationship actually starts between the two and you can see Kisten really has feelings for Rachel.  As always Ivy is the problem.  Most assume that Ivy and Rachel are “together” and Rachel keeps wigging out about this.  I really have to wonder if the friendship is worth all this crap.  While watching over Trent, all hell breaks loose, and Rachel out right saves his life.  He actually seems to have some feelings for her.   Not to be forgotten, Big Al keeps her on her toes and she has to wheel and deal to stay out of the ever-after.


I liked this book, I enjoyed the plot, and the storyline is getting exciting.  I’m anxious to see how she mends things with Jenks and where he relationship goes with Kisten.

3 ½ cannolis