Review: Every Waking Moment

dear readers,

Looking for a standalone romantic suspense...

Every Waking Moment
Standalone
Written by Brenda Novak

genre: romantic suspense, mystery

4 STARS

Emma has finally escaped her dangerous boyfriend is on the run with her diabetic son, Max. As she tries to put distance between the man who has ruined her life she worries for the ones who have helped her escaped. Max's father will not let her go and turns to a stranger, Preston for help. Preston has his own secrets and the last thing he wants is to care about someone.

My first novels of Brenda Novak were romantic suspense - The Last Stand series - and had me hooked. This standalone novel is Novak at her best. If you know about Novak's personal life you know her youngest son has diabetes. It is a cause she is active in and has great respect for. Emma's son, Max has diabetes and the way in which Novak writes about diabetes and about a mother and boy who have to live with it is written realistically. 


love, 
kris

REVIEW: Don't Disappear for Rick Mofina's New Novel

dear readers,

(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).

THEY DISAPPEARED
standalone
Written by Rick Mofina
genre: mystery, suspense

4 STARS

As Jeff's marriage hangs in the balance after a family tragedy he and his wife decide to treat their son to a dream trip to New York City.  On their first outing his wife and son vanish while he goes to a shop to buy batteries.  At first the police do not believe Jeff and soon become suspicious of the mechanic from Montana who was having troubles with his wife.  As Jeff tries to race around New York to save his family he comes to realize he wants to save more than just their lives.

If you are looking for a quick fast pace ride this is the novel for you.  It feels like an episode from the first half of Law&Order as you follow the twists and turns.  While the general storyline has been done a few times the plot has you turning the pages.

love,
kris

HER SCANDALOUS AFFAIR: Oh My! (Review)

dear readers,

HER SCANDALOUS AFFAIR
Written by Candice Hern
genre: historical romance

4 STARS

Richard (aka Major Lord Mallory) returns home from the wars and finds his beloved grandfather on his deathbed.  His cold non-maternal grandmother sends him on a mission to find the long-lost Mallory heart before her husband dies.  At one of the social events in London he sees the brooch pinned to Lady Isabel Weymouth's bosom.  Was this socialite widow a jewel thief as well?  Richard steals the brooch from Isabel (who is borrowing the jewelry from her grandmother) then Isabel steals it back the next day.  So begins the game of jewel thievery but soon they don't know if they are stealing the brooch or one anothers's heart.

A fun historical romp sizzling with passion and a hint of mystery and action.  A great read all around.  Hern has as a way with dialogue and characters.  Even when they were a bit cliched you still felt love or hate for them.  It is a predictable story that keeps you entertained.

love,
kris

REVIEW: Montana Sky

dear readers,

    

MONTANA SKY

Written By NORA ROBERTS

 4 STARS

genre: romantic suspense

      

Jack Mercy - a gruff mean old SOB - has died and leaves to   his three daughters (by three different wives) a third of the ranch. There is one minor hitch - they must live on the ranch together for a year.

Willa is devastated as she has lived with her father and worked alongside him. The ranch means everything to her as does her father's approval. The salt to her wounds is that Ben McKinnon (fellow ranch owner) and Nate Torrence (lawyer and rancher) are to supervise the running of the ranch. Tess is a writer from LA and Montana may as well be Mars to her. She has no feels towards her father except abandonment so she will stay on the ranch spite him. Now she must deal with Montana's harsh weather, ranch life and sisters she has never met. Lily is the only one who does not mind the terms as she is on the run from her abusive ex-husband.

To make things worse their seems to be a murderer loose...this only makes the Mercy women stronger with the men beside them.

I loved this novel - it has everything you wish for in a good read - adventure, romance, mystery and well written. All I can say is READ!

Coffee Shops, Grunge Music and Murder - Part III

dear readers,

Last year (2011) I discovered 3 mystery/suspense authors who write about death in Seattle (Washington).  I live in Vancouver, BC so Seattle is not so far away making the killer quite literally next door.

Kevin O'Brien started writing at night while he worked in the day as a railroad inspector.  After his novel ONLY SON won an award, and was optioned for a film he quit his day job.  From then on he turned to writing full-time.
I discovered Keven O'Brien's novels when I was looking up up Gregg Olsen's books.  I love that like Olsen's his novels are stand alone and are a bit grittier than some other novels.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/o/kevin-obrien/

WATCH THEM DIE

3 STARS

 Single women in Seattle are being brutally murdered by a man who sees them and then must possess them.

A great suspense thriller that has you reading until the murderer is caught.

FINAL BREATH

3 STARS

People have been dying in the most bizarre manners...what becomes clear is the pattern of the victims appearing on Sydney Jordan's television program.  Sydney has moved out of her home and taken her son to Seattle where her brother is living.  Sydney feels like someone is watching her and when she finds out all the victims are connected to her show - she knows she maybe next unless she finds out his motivation for their murder.

SPOILER: It was really good BUT the killer was easy to guess as he provided a little too much about the story and the murder themselves were such a big clue.

VICIOUS

2 STARS

For two years in Seattle - young mothers are being killed right in front of their young sons - execution style.  Then the murders stop.  Susan is looking forward to a weekend away with her fiancee and her young son.  Things start off on the wrong foot when a strange man comes on strong, her car is tampered with, the lake house feels odd, there was a murder a year ago and now Allen seems to be missing.

This novel felt forced right from the beginning.  Susan's character did not seem fleshed out and there seemed to be too many "suspects".   I felt like it was more of B-Movie.

DISTURBED

3 STARS

Molly is newly married to a divorced man with two children still living in the home his ex decorated.  When her stepson's guidance counsellor is murdered things start to come apart for everyone living in the cul-de-scac.  Secrets, lies and revenge are all in play while there is also a serial killer loose killing families who live in cul-de-sacs.

First of I liked this novel but found much wrong with it at the same time.  After finishing the novel I still have no clue what the prologue was supposed to explain to me.  After a few chapters I figured out the murderer but the author was clever enough to keep me intrigued and reading. Molly was a but annoying as she always seemed steps behind everything in her life, but I liked her stepson, Chris as a character.

I am on the hunt for Make Them Cry.

http://www.kevinobrienbooks.com/

love,
kris

Coffee Shops, Grunge Music and Murder - Part II

dear readers,

Last year (2011) I discovered 3 mystery/suspense authors who write about death in Seattle (Washington).  I live in Vancouver, BC so Seattle is not so far away making the killer quite literally next door.

Gregg Olsen writes both fiction (Suspense/Mystery and now Young Adult) and non-fiction (True Crime).  He has appeared on many radio shows and television shows - including 2 of my favourite 48 Hours and Dateline.
Okay I lied about this one...I thought I read Gregg Olsen this year, but it appears I read him in 2010.  I discovered him as I was looking up authors who wrote suspense thrillers and I recognized his photo from an episode on 48 Hours.  I decided to try one of his suspense novels as he seemed to be an acclaimed writer of True Crime.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/o/gregg-olsen/

A COLD DARK PLACE

3 STARS

 A family is brutally murder and their son has disappeared...Emily Kenyon - a police officer and mother - is in charge of finding the boy and see if he is the murderer.  Jenna, Emily's daughter, also becomes involved and is in fact ahead of the police but soon is in danger herself. There is another family murdered in Iowa and then in Salt Lake City...and Emily is soon on a race to find a killer who may come after daughter.

This was a great suspense thriller set in the Pacific Northwest and it had me from the first page.  Emily is a great heroine and very realistic as a cop and a mother.  It is gritty but not overdone.

HEART OF ICE

3 STARS

There is a killer loose  - 3 murdered victims each taking place somewhere different - and he is cunning.  The only clues the have are the victims common background- sorority sisters who are very privileged women.  What the police do not know is that this will not end until he kills one very particular sorority sister.

I was on pins and needles throughout the novel.  It was well-written and the suspense is crazy to the point I cannot stop reading!

I am now on the hunt for his first novel A Wicked Snow.

http://www.greggolsen.com/

NEXT: Coffee Shops, Grunge Music and Murder III (Kevin O'Brien)

love,
kris