The 8th Confession ~ James Patterson

You can find Mr. Patterson’s books at any online or brick and mortar retailer, as well as drug stores, groceries and places like Target.

As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching--waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city's most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it's the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.

As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed--a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.

As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women's Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built? The exhilarating new chapter in the Women's Murder Club series, The 8th Confession serves up a double dose of speed-charged twists and shocking revelations as only James Patterson can.

So, I’ve had this love/hate relationship with James Patterson since I read my first Alex Cross novel quite a few years ago.  See, he writes these amazing stories but he breaks them up into itty bitty chapters.  Why is this a bad thing?  Well, mainly it’s a bad thing because you find yourself sitting there, at nearly nine o’clock at night thinking, “Hmmm, it’s only three pages… I can do one more chapter.”  Before you know it, it’s creeping up on eleven o’clock and five thirty AM is staring you in the face.  I literally devour each and every one of his books that I’m presented with.  And this was no exception.

As per usual, you have your main mystery coupled with at least one side story, to keep you guessing as well as entertained.  However, he really outdid himself this time as there were two side stories as well as the personal interactions of the Women’s Murder Club, plus Lindsay’s partner, Rich, to think about.  But in true James Patterson style, he wove all three stories, as well as the continuing story of the Women’s Murder Club, into one seamless tale by the end. 

I love the way he works in not just the way Lindsay interacts with her friends – Cindy, Claire, and Yuki – but also their personal lives, like including Claire’s family and Lindsay’s relationship with Joe.  It rounds out the characters and brings their choices and decisions into a more realistic light.  Not only that, but I find it fun to know everything I can about a character.  For me, that’s what brings them fully to life. 

There are only two complaints in regards to this book.  1) There wasn’t nearly enough Lindsay/Claire interaction for my tastes.  I love the way that Claire mothers her and Lindsay lets her.  2) Cindy.  She’s always been a bit on the annoying side for my tastes, but knowing that she’s a reporter, I’ve always tried to put it to the side, blaming it on her doing what needed to be done to get her story.  However, as far as I’m concerned, there were points in this book where she was a raving biotch, to put it lightly.  And while you can chalk it up to being passionate about her cause, there wasn’t ever really any reason for it, other than Cindy being Cindy.

That said, everything else about The 8th Confession was awesome.  There were surprises along the way and a lot of good times. You laugh, you cry, you shout out in disbelief or frustration.  If there was ever a master of the rollercoaster emotion, it is James Patterson. 

And thus, one more reason I have such a love/hate relationship with the man.  Should I ever meet him, I’m afraid I’d hug him, stomp on his toes, and then hug him again. 

I’d like to think that he’d understand why, too.

DISCLAIMER: I borrowed this book from the library, free of charge, via my Kindle.  I did it solely out of my misguided love for Lindsay Boxer and her dog, Martha.

DUMB BLOGGER’S SIDENOTE: I just noticed that instead of ‘serial killer’ my tag reads ‘serial killeer’. I guess that’s a killer with an accent.  LOL!

~TCBL

D is for Deadbeat ~ Sue Grafton

This series started when I was nine.  The newer books should be available in libraries and bookstores everywhere.  Some of the older ones you might have to scour a used bookstore or find online.

When Alvin Limardo walks into P.I. Kinsey Millhone's office, she smells bad news. He wants Kinsey to deliver $25,000. The recipient: A fifteen-year-old boy. It's a simple matter. So simple that Kinsey wonders why he doesn't deliver the money himself. She's almost certain something is off. But with rent due, Kinsey accepts Limardo's retainer against her better judgment…

When Limardo's check bounces, Kinsey discovers she's been had big time. Alvin Limardo is really John Daggett--an ex-con with a drinking problem, two wives to boot, and a slew of people who would like to see him dead. Now Kinsey is out four hundred dollars and in hot pursuit of Daggett.

When Daggett's corpse shows up floating in the Santa Teresa surf, the cops rule the death an accident. Kinsey thinks it's murder. But seeking justice for a man who everyone seemed to despise is going to be a lot tougher than she bargained for--and what awaits her at the end of the road is much more disturbing than she could've ever imagined…

I accidentally stumbled across R is for Ricochet several years ago while perusing the local library.  Little did I know that that one book would open up a world of mystery for me.  I have since gone back to the beginning and started the series in the order it was meant to be read.  However, if you’re impatient, so far as I can tell, you can read them as stand-alones with only minor references to previous books.

Each novel in the Kinsey Millhone series gets better as we go along.  The mysteries become more tangled and the characters more devious and varied.  One of the biggest draws to this series for me is is the setting.  Having grown up and become a real person in the eighties, I find it fun to watch her walk around town, call everyone and even use the library resources to get the information she needs.  Makes you look at today’s private investigators and think, “Man, they’ve got it easy – they’ve got the Internet!” 

While I had some idea of who the killer was starting about halfway through, I was still shocked at the outcome of Kinsey’s investigations.  I never dreamed it would end the way it did, although in retrospect, it doesn’t surprise me much (now).  Kinsey’s leaps of intuition and her cleverness, however, keep you guessing.  I enjoy that seed of doubt the author is constantly planting in your mind. You’re reading along and screaming silently, “The butler did it! I know he did!” and then you turn the page and think, “Wait, maybe the maid did it…”  That’s a great mystery writer for you.  And who knows, maybe the butler did do it.

I highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone.     

The Hunger Games ~ Suzanne Collins

You can find this book online or at any major bookstore, Target, or wherever you find books.  Seriously.  I’ve seen it at the grocery store for heaven’s sake.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

This book has interested me since I first saw it sitting in the bookstore one day.  After so many of my friends simply raved about how wonderful it was, I had to try it out for myself as well.  When I discovered Amazon.com had the trilogy for the Kindle priced at $4.38, I jumped on it, figuring that if I only read the first of the three novels, I’d still come out ahead (the first book alone was priced over that for Kindle).

There is a lot to love about this book.  The characters are refreshing and encouraging.  Despite living in poverty, they take matters into their own hands and find a way to survive and even, possibly be happy.  They don’t dwell too much on how awful their life is, although their hatred for the Capitol is vivid and understandable.  The characters also evolve quite a bit during the span of the novel, which is a huge plus in my book. 

However, there are a few issues as well.  The resolution of several plot points was overly predictable and while not a wholly awful thing, sometimes that ending you expected is what you needed, in this situation, I think there could have been better resolution.  Despite a bit of a shock at the ending, the ending itself left me a little wanting.  My biggest issue, and this might just have been me and not the author’s writing, but I found two or three places where I was lost and wasn’t sure if Katniss was talking to the reader, or talking aloud to whomever she was with at the time.  I found myself having to backtrack on a couple occasions and re-read a page or two to clear things up.

All in all, this was still a very good book and was well worth the time I spent reading it.  It’s the kind of novel that makes you think and that can only lead to good things, right?  I’m looking forward to reading the next in this series as well and have it waiting on my Kindle at home.   

Warnings: If you are giving this to your teen to read, I’d definitely recommend it for older teens, fifteen and older maybe, because of the level and amount of violence involved. 

Forbidden Mind ~ Kimberly Kinrade

You can find Kimberly Kinrade here and you can purchase this book here or at Amazon. 

She reads minds.
He controls minds.
Together, they might get out alive.

Sam thinks she's months away from freedom. After spending her life in a secret school, rented out to the rich and powerful as a paranormal spy, she is ready to head to college like any normal eighteen-year-old.

Only Sam isn't normal. She reads minds. And just before her big going-away party, she links to the mind of a young man who changes everything.

Drake wasn't raised as a 'Rent-A-Kid.' He was kidnapped and taken there by force. But his exceptional physical strength and powers of mind control make him very dangerous, especially to Sam.

When they meet, Sam is forced to face the truth of her situation, and to acknowledge that not all is as it seems in her picture-perfect world. For what awaits her on her eighteenth birthday isn't a trip to college, but an unexpected nightmare from which she may not be able to escape.

To survive, they must work together.

But will their powers be enough to save them before it's too late?

The array of young adult novels available in today’s bookstores is getting better and better.  Forbidden Mind is further proof of this for me.  The author takes a familiar theme – children with superpowers – and twists it into a new and exciting story filled with surprises, horrors, and a touch of romance. 

Sam is a pretty strong and gritty sort of heroine.  She’s always been one to follow the rules, just so long as the rules made sense.  When her beliefs are suddenly challenged, she is forced to adapt and rethink on her feet, something she’s always been good at. 

Drake is, even at the end of the story, still a bit of a mystery, but that’s okay.  Why?  Because what you do learn about him, and his past, endears him to you in a way that you can’t deny.  He’s like a battered and abused stray animal – you take him in and nurse him to health first, then you ask the pertinent questions.  There’s more to know about him, for certain, and I’m eager to see just what it is.

Forbidden Mind will capture your interest from the first page.  It’s fast-pace and intense storyline will pull you in and hold your attention until you’ve read to the very last word.  Despite the fact the novel ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, you won’t be disappointed either.  The author does an excellent job of bringing you to a stopping point without giving away all her secrets.  A definite must-read for both teens and adults alike. 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.  

Waking Hours ~ Lis Wiehl

In small town East Salem something frightening is coming to life. When a teenage girl is found brutally murdered, forensic psychologist Dani Harris is called in to unravel the mystery. With the help of her old high school crush, Tommy Gunderson, they set out to find out just who – or quite possibly, what – could have committed such a nasty crime.

I loved everything about this novel. From the author’s voice, to her interesting characters and suspenseful plot, you are not left wanting for anything but for them to solve the murder. I also found it fascinating that, despite being very devout, Tommy never thought twice about considering a more paranormal culprit behind the murders. In a similar vein, even though Dani is a psychologist and lives her life based in the reality of the facts at hand, she is only a tiny bit reluctant to take things on faith and ‘go with her gut’, so to speak. It was a nice and realistic view of how people of both faith and science can make room for things they normally wouldn’t for a common cause.

This was my first novel by this author, but I can guarantee that this won’t be my last. I’m hoping to read more about Dani and Tommy in the very near future.

Disclaimer: As per FTC regulations, I was offered a complimentary copy of the above novel from BookSneeze® in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Hometown Hero Returns ~ Beth Kery

You can find Beth here and buy her book online at eHarlequin or at any major bookstore.

At eighteen, Marianna Itani thought she'd found the man of her dreams in Marc Kavanaugh, the quintessential boy-next-door. That perfect romance flew to pieces when an unspeakable tragedy tore them apart. Yet when Marc appeared in her life fifteen years later, the sparks that flew were as explosive as the day they first met.

Now their reignited passion was changing their lives in more ways than one: Mari was pregnant! She was set on putting the pain of the past behind her—not reopening scars that had never truly healed. And their baby might bring these star-crossed lovers back together—forever!

I’ve long been a fan of Ms. Kery’s erotic work and was excited to see a new branch in her already successful career.  Writing for Harlequin is very different from writing for nearly any other publisher on the planet because when you pick up any Harlequin novel, you know exactly what you’re getting.  Or you would, if you ever actually read them (unlike me, for the most part… but you won’t hold that against me, right?  Right?).

The theme of this novel is a familiar one.  Love lost at a young and tender age due to unforeseen – and uncontrollable – circumstances beyond the control of the hero and heroine.  Then, miraculously, after many years, the couple finds one another and is offered a second chance.  A very popular and often enjoyable storyline.  One I enjoy greatly because, at one time or another, we’ve all needed that second chance.  But Ms. Kery adds a special, emotional twist to this familiar theme and brings you into the story, heart and soul.   

The struggles that Mari and Marc face in making their second chance as successful as they both deserve are ones we all encounter on a regular basis – things in our past causing doubts, our family’s disapproval, the uncertain future with someone you once loved but are only just rediscovering.  But what makes this story so special is the forgiveness involved before the healing can start.  The absolute strength on Mari’s part to forget the past and be able to move on.  Marc’s unrelenting courage to face his past and make good on something that was never his fault. 

On the inside cover of this novel is this: Life, love and family!  These contemporary romances will strike a chord with you as the heroines juggle life and relationship on their way to true love.  This is, I’m guessing, the tag line for Harlequin’s Special Edition line and, let me tell you, this novel definitely did strike a chord with me in more ways than you’ll ever know.  Having a baby and being unable to break the news to anyone, the destruction that was wrought because of the addiction Marc’s father suffered from, the unbearable weight of having to bear responsibility of the actions of another person… it all hit home in a way that I hadn’t expected.  And the last two pages of the book?  Yeah, they had me bawling like a child missing her favorite teddy bear.  The faith, the hope, the undying love of a person with such a pure heart was more than I could bear.  I couldn’t recommend this book any more highly.    

Sharin’ the Lurve…

I’ve mentioned on various occasions that I have a co-worker who loves me.  Every now and then, I arrive at work to find something like this:

Yeah.  Five books sitting on my desk!  How cool is that?  Four of the five were Star Trek related while one was Tolkien. 

The rundown:

The Star Trek Reader ~ James Blish

The Book of Lost Tales ~ J. R. R. Tolkien

Star Trek: The Next Generation – Imzadi ~ Peter David

Star Trek: Enterprise – The First Adventure ~ Vonda N. McIntyre

Star Trek Memories ~ William Shatner with Chris Kreski

So, it looks like I’m in for a bunch of fun reading.  While not a huge Star Trek fan, I do enjoy the many universes traveled between the series.  That, and well, you know me… I’ll read just about anything.

Until later,

TCBL