09 Nov 2010 1 Comment
in 4 Stars Tags: family saga
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fifty years of warm-hearted tales of the citizens of Whistle Stop, Alabama and The Whistle Stop Cafe, that brought them all together.
There is always something welcoming and comforting about going back to life in past eras, feeling as if you’ve missed something that isn’t present in today’s life.
I found this to be light humor and bittersweet and recommend it.
Blue Smoke – Nora Roberts
03 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love when books are intense reads, eventful, and a character’s life fast-forwards smoothly through the years. The characters were well-developed and you had a sense of familia. There were times when I voiced frustration towards Reena for not seeing some obvious clues and patterns, but all part of the package. In keeping with her style, the suspense and romance were balanced.
Mr. Murder – Dean Koontz
03 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
Mr. Murder by Dean Koontz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wonder if Dean Koontz pulled pages from Stephen King’s The Dark Half, his novella Secret Window, Secret Garden: Two Past Midnight, and genetic science. I was kept guessing until about three-quarters of the way through the book on which direction he was going with this.
Reflecting on the writing, Koontz used imagery and writing style idiosyncrasies to convey multiple messages to keep you thinking after you’ve finished the book.
Daddy’s Little Girl
25 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in Suspense
Daddy’s Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Using her investigative reporting skills, Ellie Cavanaugh returns to her hometown in Westchester, NY to stop the release of her sister’s murderer after 23 years.
This book made for suspenseful reading. However, if Ms. Cavanaugh wasn’t a fictional character, I would have smacked her upside the head for her reckless, impulsive, and unwise choices, putting herself and those close to her in danger. She gives intelligent women a bad name. But, I guess that is what gives her character.
10 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
Hailey’s War: A Novel by Jodi Compton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
ARC from Read-it-Forward.com
After dropping out of West Point four months before graduation, Hailey gets to play soldier while directing a reconnaissance mission between a Latino gang and a Greek organized crime boss. An unexpected ending, something I’ve never read before. I don’t want to use the clichéd “she’s facing her inner self,” but I’m glad she finds direction in the end.
Murder is Binding
28 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in 4 Stars Tags: cozy mystery
Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book was a sweet little mystery, set in a quintessential village filled with bookstores. I’m now sold on cozy mysteries and look forward to picking up the series in-between my usual murder and mayhem, serial killer reads. Too bad I didn’t think to name my cat after a mystery character or author, she certainly deserves it.
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
22 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is my first read-through of the series. I really liked this one the best so far. The fifth year revealed the characters to be maturing; the storyline was darker and less whimsical than the first four years.
The Night Awakens
29 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Mystery
The Night Awakens: A Mystery Writers of America Anthology by Mary Higgins Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked the authors in this anthology, read like old school mysteries, right to the point, solid storylines, and very little romance to take away from the plot. A good book to read when you’re in a reading rut or can’t decide what to read next.
Hidden Wives
23 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in 5 Stars Tags: cult-religion, Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Hush, Hush, Sweet Sister-Wives”
Unspoken scandals run beneath this secret polygamist community in Utah like coal and iron run through Pennsylvania.
Hidden Wives tells the riveting story of Rachel and Sara, two 15-year old sisters, empowered by their will to live, love…and survive.
I received this book from Claire Avery, the pseudonym of a sister author tag team. I spent a lot of time holding my breath while reading this over the past week!
However, I do give advance warning of some graphic passages.
The Blind Contessa’s New Machine
18 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: first reads, historic romance, Kim
The Blind Contessa’s New Machine by Carey Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received from First Reads on Goodreads.
When you alight from your carriage onto the cobblestone drive of a home in Victorian Italy, you enter the world of Contessa Carolina, a young woman who loses her eyesight soon after her marriage to Pietro. Casey Wallace writes a lyrical first novel filled with imagery and eloquence.
While the story was quiet and simple, I gave five stars for her creative writing.
Smash Cut: Sex, Lies, and Law & Order Worthy of Sir Alfred Hitchcock
15 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in Romantic Suspense, Thriller Tags: Kim
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
A wealthy millionaire is murdered within the first three pages of the storyboard. Although readers are able to deduce who the killer is, they are left to ponder how he did it, given the fact he had a solid alibi.
All that was missing from this book was an after note from Sir Alfred Hitchcock.
I would have enjoyed this book more if the killer wasn’t evident so soon and the romance didn’t hold up the progress of the ongoing story. The book read like a movie being watched, for obvious reasons. The last couple of chapters picked up the suspense thread and redeemed itself.
Wild Orchids: A Novel – Jude Devereaux
05 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
in 4 Stars, Romantic Suspense Tags: Humor, Jude Devereaux, Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Small town folklore breaks an author’s six-year writing block. The two-person narrative of his research and involvement in Cole Creek, with the help of his female assistant, is told with humor and light suspense.
My first read by Jude Devereaux. I loved it and look forward to reading more of her novels.
The Sinner – Tess Gerritsen
27 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in 4 Stars Tags: Kim, medical suspense
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Prologue opens with a gentleman snapping photos of devastation in an isolated village in India, and spots one lone survivor.
Later, two nuns are brutally attacked, one fatally, while the other survives.
Ms. Gerritsen entwines these attacks and the tiny village in a series of wild twists and turns using subplots to throw you off-track
1st to Die
24 May 2010 Leave a Comment
in Detective, Suspense Tags: James Patterson, Kim
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I think I was the last one of my online reading group to read this book.
I love James Patterson, and this one was one of his best, in my opinion. I’m sure the remainder of the series will follow suit.
I found it to be a good, solid suspense novel. It’s too bad the TV series didn’t last too long. Television needs more shows like this one.
