In The Name of Honor by Richard North Patterson

Book Description
Home from Iraq, a lieutenant kills his commanding officer—was it self-defense or premeditated murder? An enthralling novel of suspense about the high cost of war and secrets

The McCarrans and the Gallaghers, two military families, have been close for decades, ever since Anthony McCarran—now one of the army's most distinguished generals—became best friends with Jack Gallagher, a fellow West Pointer who was later killed in Vietnam. Now a new generation of soldiers faces combat, and Lt. Brian McCarran, the general's son, has returned from a harrowing tour in Iraq. Traumatized by wartime experiences he will not reveal, Brian depends on his lifelong friendship with Kate Gallagher, Jack's daughter, who is married to Brian's commanding officer in Iraq, Capt. Joe D'Abruzzo. But since coming home, D'Abruzzo also seems changed by the experiences he and Brian shared—he's become secretive and remote.

Tragedy strikes when Brian shoots and kills D'Abruzzo on their army post in Virginia. Brian pleads self-defense, claiming that D'Abruzzo, a black-belt martial artist, came to his quarters, accused him of interfering with his marriage, and attacked him. Kate supports Brian and says that her husband had become violent and abusive. But Brian and Kate have secrets of their own, and now Capt. Paul Terry, one of the army's most accomplished young lawyers, will defend Brian in a high-profile court-martial. Terry's co-counsel is Meg McCarran, Brian's sister, a brilliant and beautiful attorney who insists on leaving her practice in San Francisco to help save her brother. Before the case is over, Terry will become deeply entwined with Meg and the McCarrans—and learn that families, like war, can break the sturdiest of souls.

My thoughts
Richard North Patterson’s In the Name of Honor is a military courtroom drama that deals with the death of Captain D’Abruzzo by Lt. Brian McCarran and whether it was murder or self-defense. With close families, PTSD, secrets and more, the story has more than enough to create a tension filled tale but unfortunately, I felt the slow build-up never took off and it dragged to a point that I didn’t want to finish the book. Patterson is a superb author, but I think this one was average.


Disclaimer: I received this book for review from the publisher. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Slow Fire by Ken Mercer

Book Description
One morning, Will Magowan opens his mail and finds a mysterious job offer to become the police chief of Haydenville, a tiny town in rural Northern California.
Once a highly decorated LAPD narcotics detective, Will was terminated after a devastating personal tragedy drove him to become addicted to the heroin he was charged with keeping off the streets. Fresh out of rehab but jobless and estranged from his wife, Will now lives alone in an old Airstream trailer on the fringes of L.A.
Out of options, Will accepts the job. After moving to Haydenville, he discovers that the once postcard-perfect town is being corrupted by a criminal influence that threatens to destroy it.

Haydenville’s normally law-abiding citizens begin to erupt in acts of unspeakable violence. Pets are going missing at an alarming rate. Stately Victorian homes are falling into disrepair.

With only a rookie officer at his disposal, Will risks everything in his quest to save Haydenville—entering a labyrinth of dark secrets that have remained buried for almost 40 years.

An emotionally complex and literate page-turner, Slow Fire marks the electrifying debut of a new series featuring Will Magowan.

My thoughts
You would think it’s another bad cop from the city trying to survive as the law in a small town when you start reading Slow Fire by Ken Mercer. It is more than that. Will Magowan has demons of his own when he took on the job as police chief of a Haydenville. He has to deal with drug crazed citizens, missing pets, and secrets that everyone seems to want to keep hidden. Mercer debut novel is well-written, full of suspense and drama that keeps your emotions on edge as you turn each page. I enjoyed this novel immensely.


Note: this book was borrowed from my local library.

Deadly Codes by J.P. O'Donnell

Book DescriptionIn the thriller, Deadly Codes, Daniel Cormac Gallagher, Jr., a Boston private eye, is hired to investigate the death of Jennifer Clark, tragically killed in a car bombing in her own driveway.

Gallagher has been commissioned by Jeanne Campbell, Jennifer's twin sister, to find a mysterious woman-Jennifer's secret lesbian lover who vanished immediately after the bombing. While the authorities continue to pursue their suspicions that the terrorist act may have been intended for Jennifer's husband, Bill, who holds a top-secret position in the counter-intelligence division of the National Security Agency, Jeanne reveals intricate details to Gallagher that intrigue him enough to take on the case. While Gallagher begins searching for the missing woman, he has no idea that a bounty has been placed on his own head-two hired gunmen are plotting to kill him. Gallagher's search takes him to Washington DC, where he discovers that the car bombing is only a backdrop to a complex, treasonous scheme to sell code-breaking formulas to a hostile enemy nation.

As the violent mystery unravels, Gallagher finds himself under deadly attack from two shocking but powerful forces-one he knows and another he never expects.

My thoughts
Daniel Gallagher is a private detective who wants out of this dangerous game and wants to spend more time with his wife. But he takes one more case when the twin sister of a woman who was killed in a car bombing asks him to locate her sister’s lesbian lover who has disappeared. This takes him from Boston to Washington D.C. where all hell breaks loose. J.P. O’Donnell’s novel Deadly Codes is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure that kept me enthralled right to the end. This book is an easy and fast read to fill one’s need for thrills.


Disclosure: This book was received for review from the author. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Nabisco Chocolate Snaps

I loved pigging out on Nabisco Chocolate Snaps when I was younger. And since my dad owned a delicatessen, I would take all those small boxes off the shelf and eat the cookies. I am sure he didn’t enjoy having to reorder them from the supplier every week. It’s a shame that Nabisco discontinued this chocolate delight. To reminisce those fond memories, I’ve painted this box cover.

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann

Book Description
Whether he’s reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a chameleon con artist in Europe, or riding in a cyclone- tossed skiff with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession and that piece together true and unforgettable mysteries.

Each of the dozen stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world and, like Into Thin Air and The Orchid Thief, pivots around the gravitational pull of obsession and the captivating personalities of those caught in its grip. There is the world’s foremost expert on Sherlock Holmes who is found dead in mysterious circumstances; an arson sleuth trying to prove that a man about to be executed is innocent; and sandhogs racing to complete the brutally dangerous job of building New York City’s water tunnels before the old system collapses. Throughout, Grann’s hypnotic accounts display the power—and often the willful perversity—of the human spirit.

Compulsively readable, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.

My thoughts
David Grann has taken a collection of stories that he had written for The New York, put them all together and The Devil and Sherlock Holmes was born. I liked the fact that these stories were based on true events and real people, but after the first story, “The Strange Death of a Sherlock Holmes Fanatic", I wasn’t thrilled by what I read. “The Chameleon” held some interest, but overall this collection was just okay.


Note: This book was borrowed from my local library.

The Pearls of the Stone Man by Edward Mooney Book Giveaway

The Pearls of the Stone Man is an inspirational novel with plot elements that touch both older and younger generations. Main characters Joseph and Anne Marino are rare. They’re still in love after 53 years of marriage and with little time left, Joseph’s priority becomes finishing the stone wall that Anne requested years ago – a special reminder from her childhood.

Needing the help of someone younger, Joseph turns to his son, estranged for five years, in hopes of rebuilding a severed relationship as well as the wall. Two teenagers also come to Joseph’s aide, and he to theirs, as they all work to finish Joseph’s promise to Anne.

The Pearls of the Stone Man was written in the town in which the book is set: Pine Mountain, California. The settings in the novel are real locations and Edward takes groups of readers there regularly.

Episode 1: The Letter


Episode 2: The Marino Home


Episode 3: The Forest


Episode 4: The Stone Wall


Episode 5: The Village


Check out author Edward Mooney’s website:

And now for the giveaway:
Three (3) lucky winners will each receive a copy of The Pearls of the Stone Man, courtesy of Kristin at Sourcebooks.

1.Check out the videos, and then leave a message here to let me know which one intrigued you the most to want to read the book.
2.Open to U.S. and Canadian residents and no P.O. boxes.
3.Giveaway ends Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show by Frank Delaney

Book Description
“She sprang from the womb and waved to the crowd. Then smiled and took a bow.” And so we first meet Venetia Kelly, the beguiling actress at the center of this new, spellbinding, and epic novel by Frank Delaney, the bestselling author of Ireland and Shannon.

January 1932: While Ireland roils in the run-up to the most important national election in the Republic’s short history, Ben MacCarthy and his father watch a vagabond variety revue making a stop in the Irish countryside. After a two-hour kaleidoscope of low comedy, Shakespearean recitations, juggling, tumbling, and other entertainments, Ben’s father, mesmerized by Venetia Kelly, the troupe’s magnetic headliner, makes a fateful decision: to abandon his family and set off on the road with Miss Kelly and her caravan. Ben’s mother, shattered by the desertion, exhorts, “Find him and bring him back,” thereby sending the boy on a Homeric voyage into manhood, a quest that traverses the churning currents of Ireland’s fractious society and splinters the MacCarthy family.

Interweaving historical figures including W. B. Yeats, and a host of unforgettable creations—“King” Kelly, Venetia’s violent, Mephistophelean grandfather; Sarah Kelly, Venetia’s mysterious, amoral mother; and even a truth-telling ventriloquist’s dummy named Blarney—Frank Delaney unfurls a splendid narrative that spans half the world and a tumultuous, eventful decade.

Teeming with intrigue, pathos, and humor, Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show explores two of Ireland’s great national passions: theater and politics. Writing with his signature mastery and lyrical prose, Frank Delaney once again delivers an unforgettable story as big and boisterous as the people and events it chronicles.

My thoughts
Ben MacCarthy’s father runs away with the circus in 1932 Ireland. Ben’s mother sends Ben out to find his father and bring him back home. This is the theme of Frank Delaney’s Venetia Kelly’s Traveling Show. It is a journey for all these colorful characters and an entertaining tale of love, hope and politics and the lonely circus life. I found the story hard to get into, but once I did, I was captivated by Ben’s voyage.


Note: this book was borrowed from my local library.

Thinking of the Ocean

Here's my latest piece of work.  Squeezed it in while doing house and yard work.  Enjoy!

Winner!

The winner of my John Sandford Prey Tour book giveaway is:

DarcyO

Congratulations!

She has won a copy of Naked Prey and an ARC copy of the new book Storm Prey.

Enjoy!

31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan

Book Description
Who killed Dr. Harvey Burdell?


Though there are no witnesses and no clues, fingers point to Emma Cunningham, the refined, pale-skinned widow who managed Burdell’s house and his servants. Rumored to be a black-hearted gold digger with designs on the doctor’s name and fortune, Emma is immediately put under house arrest during a murder investigation. A swift conviction is sure to catapult flamboyant district attorney Abraham Oakey Hall into the mayor’s seat. But one formidable obstacle stands in his way: the defense attorney Henry Clinton. Committed to justice and the law, Clinton will aid the vulnerable widow in her desperate fight to save herself from the gallows.

Set in 1857 New York, this gripping mystery is also a richly detailed excavation of a lost age. Horan vividly re-creates a tumultuous era characterized by a sensationalist press, aggressive new wealth, a booming real-estate market, corruption, racial conflict, economic inequality between men and women, and the erosion of the old codes of behavior. A tale of murder, sex, greed, and politics, this spellbinding narrative transports readers to a time that eerily echoes our own.

My thoughts
31 Bond Street by Ellen Horan is based on a real event that happened in lower Manhattan in 1857. Dentist, Dr. Harvey Burdell is found murdered in his own home and the only suspect is Emma Cunningham, his house manager and possibly his wife. Horan has taken this little know event and created an intriguing tale of murder and life in NYC during that time. It was an admirable first novel, although I felt the characters need to be developed more.


Note: This book was borrowed from my local library.

The Killing of Mindi Quintana by Jeffrey A. Cohen BOOK BLOG TOUR

I am back again with another book blog tour. This one is for THE KILLING OF MINDU QUINTANA, which was relased last month. Read on...

Book Description

A killer with a book... A lawyer pushed too far... Freddy Builder kills Mindi Quintana and is writing the book about their relationship everybody wants--it's a lying rewrite of her life and of their miserably thin involvement. Excerpts appearing to acclaim, a televised trial is in the offing, and a new celebrity killer takes the stage--the iconic poet-murderer, a jailhouse literary sensation. Freddy's straight arrow lawyer plays his sworn role as advocate; but as Freddy builds his fame with the bones of his victim, he finds himself dreaming of justice. And of comeuppance. For a killer with a book. For fame through the backdoor of murder.

My thoughts

Freddy Builder wants more than being sales clerk in a department store. We want to be a famous author. But while working at the story, Mindi Qunitana comes in to purchase a replacement for a vase she had broken. Freddy and Mindi knew each other in college and even dated for awhile. It’s been years since they seen each other and Mindi is interested in reading some of Freddy’s writing. Freddy is afraid to let her read his stuff although he is still interested in her. They began some sort of relationship and then Mindi is murdered. Was it Freddy and why was she killed. THE KILLING OF MINDI QUINTANA by Jeffrey A. Cohen is a look at the behavior of one who wants more than what he is and the reader gets inside the mind of a killer and want makes him so filled with rage that he can murder someone. It is also a look how society is obsessed with fame.

Check out the other blogs on this tour here.

Jeffrey Cohen's website:

Mindi on Amazon.com

Play Dead by Ryan Brown BLOG TOUR

Back again with another blog tour.  This one is Play Dead by Ryan Brown.  What can I say, I like them undead stories.

Book Description
Today’s #1 New York Times bestselling thriller writers agree: Ryan Brown’s compulsively readable first novel is unbeatable—a darkly humorous, rich and pungent zombie shocker that melds our national obsession with football and the newest wave of fascination with the undead. For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits’ bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident—given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates. But unless the undead Jackrabbits defeat their murderous rival on the field, the team is destined for hell. In a desperate race against time, with only his coach’s clever daughter, Savannah Hickman, to assist him, Cole must lead his zombie team to victory. . . in a final showdown where the stakes aren’t just life or death—but damnation or salvation. Boundlessly imaginative and thrillingly satisfying, Play Dead gives small-town Texas an electrifying jolt of the supernatural, and is unquestioningly The Zombie Novel of the Year!

The Comeback Story of the Season . . .

My thoughts
It’s all about winning the championship game when it comes to serious high school football. And some town are just plain serious about. You’ve got the Badgers who want to win at all costs, they set up a prank to stop the Jackrabbits from making it to the game and have to forfeit. Unfortunately, the prank goes awry and the whole team is lost. All but the star quarterback and with the help of the local witch, they bring back the team to play the final game. And that’s Ryan Brown’s Play Dead in a nutshell. I found this to be a fun and quick read. Not much into the football scene but certainly enjoy them zombies!

Check out the other blogs on this tour:
Cajun Book Lady
Book Junkie
Books and Things
Books Gardens & Dogs
Taking Time For Mommy
Readaholic
Pam’s Private Reflections
Jeanne's Ramblings
I Heart Monster
Rex Robot Reviews
My Five Monkeys
Just One More Paragraph
Chick with Books
Booktumbling
Gnostalgia
Star Shadow
Literarily Speaking
A Journey of Books
Red Headed Book Child
My Book Addiction and More
The Wayfaring Writer
Pick of the Literate
Books and Needlepoint
Cheryl’s Book Nook
Avid Reader
The Friendly Book Nook
Knitting and Sundries
A Musing Reviews
A Room Without Books Is Empty
Wendy’s Minding Spot

No Hope for Gomez! by Graham Parke BOOK BLOG TOUR

It's another book blog tour.  This one for NO HOPE FOR GOMEZ! by Graham Parke (courtesy of Dorothy at Pump Up You Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours)

Book Description
It's the age-old tale:
Boy meets girl.
Boy stalks girl.
Girl already has a stalker.
Boy becomes her stalker-stalker.

We've seen it all before, many times, but this time it's different. If only slightly. When Gomez Porter becomes a test subject in an experimental drug trial, he is asked to keep track of any strange experiences through a blog. What Gomez isn't ready for, is so many of his experiences suddenly seeming strange; the antiques dealer trying to buy his old tax papers, his neighbor boiling salamanders on his balcony at midnight, the super sexy lab assistant who falls for him but is unable to express herself in terms outside the realm of science. But when one of the trial participants turns up dead and another goes missing, Gomez begins to fear for his life. No longer sure who he can trust and which of his experiences are real and which merely drug induced illusions, he decides it's time to go underground and work out a devious plan.

Now, years later, his blogs have been recovered from a defunct server. For the first time we can find out firsthand what happened to Gomez as he takes us on a wild ride of discovery.

My thoughts
It's another one of those snafus where I haven't received the book in time to review for this tour. So I have no thoughts to share with you, but still wanted to honor my obligation of being a tour participant. Hopefully others on the tour did not have the same problem. You can check out Pump Up Your Book Promotions for more information. (I just visited their site and my blog isn't even listed. This makes me sad).

Winners

The winner of my THE HOST by Stephanie Meyer book giveaway is:

Dawn M.

The winner of my May Making Room for More Books giveaway is:

skkorman

Congratulations to both of you!

The Wild Zone by Joy Fielding

Book Description
This is how it starts. With a joke. Two brothers -- Will and Jeff -- and their friend Tom are out one night at their favorite South Beach bar, the Wild Zone, and decide to make a bet on who can be the first to seduce a mysterious-looking young woman drinking by herself. Pretty, dark-haired, blue-eyed Suzy has an innocent, almost ordinary girl-next-door way about her. "Just waiting for Prince Charming to hit on her," Jeff says.

Little do they know the secrets she hides from the outside world, particularly those having to do with the daily horror she experiences under the watchful eye of her abusive husband. Little do they know she has an agenda of her own. Little do they know their harmless bet is about to take on a life of its own, a life full of deadly consequences for all concerned.

My thoughts
Tell me if you’ve heard this before. Three guys in a bar make a bet to see who can seduce a young woman drinking by herself. Sound familiar? The only thing is that everyone has secrets and that is the tale of The Wild Zone by Joy Fielding. All three guys are different in personalities and the relationships that they have with women are also diverse. The book starts out okay with the setup in the bar called The Wild Zone but I felt that I was reading something that boys would be reading, learning how not to treat a woman. The best part, I felt, was the ending. Not because it was over, but something not so expected. That’s all I have to say.


Note: This book was borrowed from my local library.

Walking Across the George Washington Bridge

One of the things on my bucket list was to walk across the George Washington Bridge before I left the NY area. And I got to do it last weekend. My wife and I were in the city and since the weather held up, we took the subway up to 176th Street and found the walkway to the bridge. We walked to New Jersey and back. It only took about 65 minutes. It’s really not a long bridge but you certainly can feel it shake as the truck drove by!

And then we went to Central Park and rode the carousel.

Lean On Pete by Willy Vlautin

Book Description
Fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson wants a home, food on the table, and a high school he can attend for more than part of a year. But as the son of a single father working in warehouses across the Pacific Northwest, Charley's been pretty much on his own. When tragic events leave him homeless weeks after their move to Portland, Oregon, Charley seeks refuge in the tack room of a run-down horse track. Charley's only comforts are his friendship with a failing racehorse named Lean on Pete and a photograph of his only known relative. In an increasingly desperate circumstance, Charley will head east, hoping to find his aunt who had once lived a thousand miles away in Wyoming—but the journey to find her will be a perilous one.

In Vlautin's third novel, Lean on Pete, he reveals the lives and choices of American youth like Charley Thompson who were failed by those meant to protect them and who were never allowed the chance to just be a kid.

My thoughts
At first, I didn’t know what to think of Lean On Pete by Willy Vlautin. I was reading through the eyes of fifteen-year-old Charley Thompson and it felt like a fifteen year-old was writing it. But when the story started rolling and we get to see what Charlie is going through as he become lost in the world he is living with his father, then alone and trying to find his aunt. All he wants is to be loved and cared for. He wants a family and a chance to play football. He struggles helplessly as he travels through various states to locate his aunt, hungry and alone. This story, although depressing, is heart wrenching and enjoyable.


Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher for review. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Stuffed and Unstrung

My wife and I recently went to see Stuffed and Unstrung by Henson Alternative (Jim Henson’s son Brian’s company). Picture Whose Line Is It Anyway with puppets (can’t say Muppets since Disney owns them) and make it dirty (similar to Avenue Q) and this is the show we saw. Six performers improvised skits with suggestions given by the audience. I must say that this group of entertainers were excellent puppeteers and improvisers, although some skits did fall flat. My wife felt that Colleen Smith was the best of the bunch. Most of the skits were raunchy and sexually oriented with curse words tossed in, but they also re-created two routines that Jim Henson created early in his career. You definitely will think twice the next time you see a puppet, that’s for sure. Overall though, we gave it a 5.5 out 10.

John Sandford's PREY Book Tour and Giveaway

TLC Book Tours is having a John Sandford PREY Series blog tour all through May.  And I am here with NAKED PREY.  But they're doing it a little differently.  Instead of me reviewing the book, I am answering a questionnaire about the book.

Here goes:
Title and series number of the book you read: Naked Prey – Book 14

Year published: 2003

Tell us about Lucas Davenport:
What is Lucas doing when he first appears in the book?: It is January in Minnesota; the days are short and the evenings long. Lucas is awakened as he wife gets out of bed to tend to their second child who is crying in his crib. But their housekeeper deals with the baby. He can not go back to sleep because his wife starts her shower and the housekeeper is making too much noise downstairs. He decides to overcome his depressed mood and gets little frisky when his wife steps out of the bathroom. Again, their housekeeper interrupts.

Lucas’s occupation or professional role? Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner. He fixes crime for the governor.

Lucas’s personal status (single, dating, married): Married (see above)

Lucas Davenport is a known clothes-horse; did you notice any special fashion references? When he first goes to the office he is wearing a cashmere overcoat much to the chagrin of his fellow co-workers.

Let’s talk about the mystery:
Avoiding spoilers, what was the crime/case being solved? Two people; one black man and one white woman are found hanging from a tree in a small town in Minnesota – dead, naked and frozen. The question is be whom and why?

Does the title of your book relate to the crime? Yes, because both victims were naked when found.

Who was your favorite supporting character, good or evil? My favorite supporting character is Letty West, the young girl who finds the bodies.

What was your favorite scene or quote? My favorite scene is in the beginning when Lucas is being playful with is wife who just got out of the shower. He is happening for some lovemaking but they are interrupted by the sound of their housekeeper. It shows what a good relationship he and his wife have since both are hard working professionals.

Finally, how do you envision Lucas Davenport? If he were to be portrayed in a movie, what celebrity would play him? At first thought, Bruce Willis, but when he was younger. I think Mark Walberg could play the character of Lucas Davenport.

And now the book description (for those who haven't read the book):
Lucas Davenport has a new job - a trouble-shooter on the cases that are too complicated or politically touchy for others to handle. He's married now, and a new father, all of which is fine with him: he doesn't mind being a family man. But he is a little worried. If there's one thing Lucas Davenport knows, it's that for every bit of peace you get, you have to pay - and he's waiting for the bill. It comes in the form of two people found hanging from a tree, in the woods of northern Minnesota. What makes it particularly sensitive is that the bodies are those of a black man and a white woman, and they're naked. "Lynching" is the word that everybody's trying not to say - but, as Lucas begins to discover, the murders are not, in fact, what they appear to be. And there is worse - much, much worse - to come...

Check out:
John Sandford's website

The Days of Prey blog tour schedule (please visit the rest of the bloggers on this tour)

Storm Prey on Amazon.com (John Sandford's newest book - being released May 18, 2010)

And now for the giveaway (drum roll, please):
One lucky reader of my blog will win a copy of Naked Prey, plus an ARC copy of the new book, Storm Prey.

Book Description
And this time, there's a storm brewing...Very early, 4:45, on a bitterly cold Minnesota morning, three big men burst through the door of a hospital pharmacy, duct-tape the hands, feet, mouth, and eyes of two pharmacy workers, and clean the place out. But then things swiftly go bad, one of the workers dies, and the robbers hustle out to their truck-and find themselves for just one second face-to-face with a blond woman in the garage: Weather Karkinnen, surgeon, wife of an investigator named Lucas Davenport.

Did she see enough? Can she identify them? Gnawing it over later, it seems to them there is only one thing they can do: Find out who she is, and eliminate the only possible witness...

Rules:
Open to US/Canada residents only.
NO P.O. boxes.
Open to subscribers and followers of my blog only.  Must leave a comment stating you are either a subscriber and/or follower (and of, course) you must be a subscriber or follower.
Please leave you email address in your comment so that I can contact you if you win.
Giveaway ends Thursday, May 20, 2010.

Thank you, Lisa at TLC Book Tours and Lydia at G.P. Putnam's Sons for giving me this opportunity.

Deception by Jonathan Kellerman

Book Description
Her name is Elise Freeman, and her chilling cry for help—to whoever may be listening—comes too late to save her. On a DVD found near her lifeless body, the emotionally and physically battered woman chronicles a year-and-a-half-long ordeal of monstrous abuse at the hands of three sadistic tormentors. But even more shocking than the lurid details is the revelation that the offenders, like their victim, are teachers at one of L.A.’s most prestigious prep schools. With Elise now dead by uncertain means, homicide detective Milo Sturgis is assigned to probe the hallowed halls of Windsor Prep Academy. And if ever he could use Dr. Alex Delaware’s psychological prowess, it’s now.

From the get-go, this case promises to be an uphill climb for truth and a down and dirty fight for justice. Allegations of rape, assault, and possibly murder at this esteemed institution renowned for molding Ivy Leaguers make for a social and political time bomb—especially given that one of the students has connections high up in City Hall. As the scandal-conscious elite of L.A. close ranks around Windsor Prep, Alex and Milo must penetrate the citadel of wealth and scholarship to expose the hidden anguish, dirty secrets, and deadly sins festering among society’s manor-born. But power and position are not easily surrendered, for that’s when the best and the brightest turn brutal and ugly. Searching for predators among the privileged, Alex and Milo may well be walking into a highly polished death trap.

My thoughts
Alex Delaware is back and is assisting Milo Sturgis in figuring out if Elise Freeman was murdered or committed suicide in Jonathan Kellerman’s Deception. I have always enjoyed the Alex Delaware novels and some may think that they are running out of steam. This may be so, as but this has brought back what that suspense that has been lacking in recent novels. Although I enjoy the characters Robin and Rick, they were missing in this book, which focused on good detective work and solving the case.


Note: This book was borrowed from my local library.

Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead by Steve Perry

Book Description
There’s no rest for the weary treasure hunter, but that’s how Indiana Jones likes it. Fresh from spying for the Allies in the thick of World War II Germany, the globe-trotting archaeologist doesn’t need much persuading to join his cohort “Mac” McHale in searching for one of the most coveted of artifacts: the fabled black pearl known as the Heart of Darkness. But the partners in adventure are not alone on their foray into the mysterious jungles of Haiti. German and Japanese agents are in hot pursuit, determined to possess the ebony artifact–and its secrets–for their own sinister purposes. And shadowing them all is an infamous voodoo priest, with powers of both diabolical science and black magic at his command.

On a treacherous odyssey across the Island of the Dead, where the legend of the zombi looms large, spiders, snakes, and booby traps will prove the least of Indy’s challenges. And capturing the prize will be child’s play compared to confronting an enemy unlike any other, whose numbers are legion and nearly impossible to kill–because they’re already dead. . . .

My thoughts
Indiana Jones and zombies; what a combination! That’s what I thought, but it is not really exciting in Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead by Steve Perry. Indiana Jones is off to Haiti to search for the Heart of Darkness (a black pearl with special powers). But he isn’t the only one – so are the Germans and the Japanese! With all this happening there should be a lot of excitement and action. There are some moments that make this book enjoyable, but Indian Jones is better on screen then on paper.


Note: I received this book from paperbackswap.com

Lean On Pete by Willy Vlautin Book Giveaway

Thanks to Erica at Harper Perennial I am giving away one copy of Lean On Pete by Willy Vlautin.

Since this will be shipped from the publisher, U.S. and Canadian residents only and no P.O. Boxes.

Please leave a comment with your e-mail address (so I can contact you if you win).

Subscribers and followers get 2 additional entries (but let me know that you are one or the other or both).

Contest ends Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

Without Mercy by Lisa Jackson

Book Description
Ever since her father was stabbed to death in a home invasion, Julia “Jules” Farentino has been plagued by nightmares. Her half-sister, Shaylee, now seventeen, has had her own difficulties since the tragedy, earning a rap sheet for drug use, theft, and vandalism. Still, when Jules learns of her mother’s decision to send Shay to an elite boarding school in Oregon, she’s skeptical. Blue Rock Academy has a reputation for turning wayward kids around — but one of its students went missing a few months earlier and her body has never been found.

On impulse, Jules applies for a teaching job at the Academy. Shortly before Jules arrives, a student is found hanged, another near death, and a hysterical Shay believes it’s murder. Then another girl is found dead. There’s no doubt something sinister is at hand. And Jules has become the next target of a bloodthirsty killer without limits, without remorse, without mercy…

My thoughts
Without Mercy is a suspenseful story about Blue Rock Academy and the sinister things going on there. Jules Farentino applies for a gets a job there after her half-sister Shay, a troubled teen is sent there by their mother. With the help of Trent Cooper, they discover more than they bargained for. Lisa Jackson’s novel is filled with twists, but some were predictable. This book left this reader only partially satisfied.


Note: I won this book online from mindingspot.blogspot.com

Call Your Mother - Brad Meltzer's Mom

From HEROES FOR MY SON by bestselling author Brad Meltzer. 52 heroes. 52 stories. 52 reminders that anything is possible. In bookstores everywhere.

The Line by Teri Hall

Book Description
An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

My thoughts
Rachel lives on the Property. That’s all she has ever known. And the Property is close to The Line, which separates the Unified States from the rest of the world. What is on the other side is unknown to her and she is on curious girl; especially when she gets a recorded message from the Others. Teri Hall’s young adult novel The Line is an interesting look at a dystopian society, yet she takes so long to build up the story and characters that the book is almost to the end before any real action takes place. It finishes abruptly so that the reader must wait for the second book in the series to find out what happens next.


Note: I borrowed this book from my local library.

Winner

The winner of my Dead Man of the Year ARC book giveaway is:

Elise

Congratulations! The book will be mailed later this week.

Enjoy!

This Weekend's Art Project

A few months ago we painted our living room and added some color. It used to be white walls with beige trim. Now the walls are yellow and red (separate walls). And we also decided not to hang up the majority of photos and pictures that we had accumulated. But we needed something to go above the pellet stove.

I came up with the idea that we take three colors that we had painted the room (there was much paint left over) and make a canvas of hand and feet prints. My wife and daughter agreed.

And that was this past weekend’s project. As my daughter heads off to college in the fall and starts off on her life’s journey, I now have this one more memory to cherish.

Deep Shadow by Randy Wayne White

Book Description
Many dangers lurk in the deep-the worst of them are human.

Thirty minutes into what should have been an easy, beginner-level dive in a remote Florida lake, the rim of a cave collapses, trapping two of Doc Ford's friends. Ford himself manages to escape and quickly surfaces to find help-but that's when his troubles only begin.

Two men are waiting for him on the shore, and they are not the kind of men you want to meet at any time. Murderers and ex-cons, they're intent on diving to the bottom of the very deep lake and uncovering the remains of a legendary plane wreck there, supposedly loaded with Cuban treasury gold. Ford's ex¬pertise is just what they need. And if he doesn't want to help? He can die. His friends? They can die, too. In fact, they can die right now. . . .

As the hours tick away, two mortal struggles unfold simulta¬neously, one above and one below. Neither outcome is certain, no man is safe . . . and in the deep shadow, only death awaits.

My thoughts
In Deep Shadow, two of Doc Ford’s friends are trapped underwater when a cave collapse in a Floriday lake that they were exploring in. When Doc surfaces to get help he meets up with the two ex-cons that want Doc to locate the treasure of a Cuban plane that crashed there years ago. Can he save his friends and not get killed in the process? Randy Wayne White’s Doc Ford novels are full of adventure, tension and just good story-telling. This one is no exception.

Note: This book was borrowed from my local library.

May’s Making Room for New Books Giveaway

This month I am giving away the following three books:

Polly Dent Loses Grip by S. Dionne Moore
Dino Vicelli: Private Eye In A World of Evils by Lori Weiner
Bury The Lead by David Rosenfelt

This contest is open to U.S. residents only
To enter leave a comment telling us what is the best thing you love about spring.
Please leave your email address with your comment so I can email you if you win.
Contest ends Saturday, May 15, 2010