Start Shooting by Charlie Newton

Book Description
“The best way I can describe the Four Corners neighbor¬hood of Chicago is find a length of rebar, scratch a big cross into the concrete, set your feet solid in the quadrant you like best, lean back, and start shooting.”

Officer Bobby Vargas is hard-edged but idealistic, a Chicago cop who stands at the epicenter of a subterranean plot that will have horrific ramifications for both himself and the entire city. Twenty-five years earlier, a gruesome murder rocked the unforgiving streets of Four Corners. Now, sud¬denly, a dying Chicago paper is running a serial exposé on new evidence in that old case, threatening to implicate Bobby and his older brother, Ruben—a decorated, high-ranking detective and cop- prince of the streets. The smear campaign stirs up decades-old bad blood, leading the Vargas brothers down an increasingly twisted and terrifying path, where the sins of the past threaten to destroy what remains of the truth.

As readers and critics discovered in his first novel, Calumet City, Charlie Newton’s Chicago is a landscape as brutal and poignant as any in modern crime fiction—a multi-faceted, shockingly violent labyrinth of gangland politics, political backstabbing, corporate malfeasance, and, possi¬bly, hope. Start Shooting is a riveting read.

My thoughts
This is the story of two brothers who grew up in the Four Corners of Chicago and are now cops in the same area. They are implicated in a 25 year old murder where someone else was convicted and executed.

This is a fast-paced cop thriller with a lot of blood, gunfights and a deep look into the world of those living in the Four Corners. It is well-written and the reader feels like he is a part of the street, but I could get into the characters of the darkness of this story.

Disclosure: I received this book for review through goodreads.com. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers

Book Description
Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father propels them into a nightmare. He's always hungered for the love of the girls’ self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly. Lulu had been warned not let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, Merry, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself.

Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned by their mother’s death and father’s imprisonment. The girls’ relatives refuse to care for them and abandon them to a terrifying group home. Even as they plot to be taken in by a well-to-do family, they come to learn they’ll never really belong anywhere or to anyone—that all they have to hold onto is each other.

For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her life pretending he's dead, while the other feels compelled--by fear, by duty--to keep him close. Both dread the day his attempts to win parole may meet with success.

My thoughts
Lulu and Merry’s father killed their mother. He was sent off to prison and they were sent into the foster-care system since none of the family wanted anything to do with the murderer’s daughters. Throughout their lives, Lulu wants nothing to do with her dad, while Merry is the one who visits him and is the good daughter.

This story follows the lives of the girls for some thirty years from their childhood until their dad is released from prison. We learn what effect this incident has on them and how society threats these two and the secrets they keep. It is a magnificent story of betrayal, anger, disillusionment and survival. I was enthralled in the lives of these two tormented girls. A beautifully written debut novel.

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from my local library.

Peachwood Lake by Susan Berliner

Book Description
On a quiet summer day, 13-year-old Kady Gonzalez sees an armored silver fish leap high in Peachwood Lake. She thinks it's an awesome sight - until, a few minutes later, Kady watches in horror as the same jumping fish savagely attacks a neighbor in his rowboat. That's the start of the malevolent fish's war on the pristine Connecticut lake. As the casualties mount, Kady, an aspiring writer, is befriended by Monique, a sassy young newspaper reporter. In addition to covering the fish story, Monique counsels the motherless girl on the frightening problems of growing up, especially how to deal with the hurtful taunts of Hannah, a popular classmate. While the mysterious fish continues to attack anyone venturing into the water, town officials desperately attempt to destroy the demonic creature. Will they succeed without having to sacrifice Peachwood Lake - and will "Fraidy Kady" succeed in conquering her own personal demons?

My thoughts
Peachwood Lake reminds me of those teenage horror movies you’d see at the Drive-in where the creature terrorizes the people on the lake except without gore or sex. An armored-plated silverfish terrorizes a peaceful Connecticut Lake one summer. And no matter what the town and government could do to destroy it, they fail.

Meanwhile, thirteen-year-old Kady is a lonely girl and an outcast among her peers. A journalist for a weekly supermarket tabloid befriends her and with the story of the century she begins to develop self-esteem.

An enjoyable book and an easy read (finished it one day), I got the impression that this was more of a YA book and would certainly satisfy that group of readers.

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

The Crush by Sandra Brown

Book Description
Notorious contract killer Ricky Lozada is on trial and Dr. Rennie Newton is on his jury. Bringing the same dedication she displays as a surgeon to this job, she delivers a verdict of not guilty--and discovers she has a new admirer. Days after Lozada's release, one of Rennie's professional rivals is brutally murdered. Although Lozada's dark shadow looms over the case, Rennie becomes the prime suspect...while Lozada stalks her and grows more and more obsessed with having her. She forms an uneasy alliance with Wick Threadgill, a rogue detective with his own personal vendetta against Lozada. Wick has nothing to lose by confronting a hit man, who, like the prize scorpions he treasures, strikes so quickly Rennie may never see it coming.

My thoughts
Dr. Rennie Newton was the forewoman on a jury the allowed killer Ricky Lozada to go free with a non-guilty verdict. Lozada has a crush on Newton and follows her around, deciding the get rid of any obstacles in his way, literally. Meanwhile, Wick Threadgill is asked to investigate the doctor since they think she is behind the murder of a colleque. Threadgill also has a personal vengeance against Lozada. A reall sick love triangle thing happening here. There is also a little eback story about Newton’s past.

Sandra Brown has created a cast of characters that the reader can learn and understand and the story is suspenseful if not a little to the extreme. The romance that developed was predictable. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

Disclosure: I received this book for review through goodreads.com. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Code Blood by Kurt Kamm

Book Description
Colt Lewis, a rookie fire paramedic, is obsessed with finding the severed foot of his first victim after she dies in his arms. His search takes him into the connected lives of a graduate research student, with the rarest blood in the world and the vampire fetishist who is stalking her. Within the corridors of high-stakes medical research laboratories, the shadow world of body parts dealers, and the underground Goth clubs of Los Angeles, Lewis uncovers a tangled maze of needles, drugs and maniacal ritual, all of which lead to death. But whose death? An unusual and fast-paced LA Noir thriller.

My thoughts
This is a story of various people in the city of Los Angeles that revolves around the missing foot of a accident victim and the paramedic who is obsessed with finding it. Although, the major character is the paramedic, Cort Lewis, the other characters are an albino and a Chinese student with a rare blood type are all become intertwined this tale of vampirism, body parts and the underground.

The story is told from the various characters’ points of view and the author goes into depth so the reader gets to really know them, but is it necessary to push the story forward? The plot of one man’s obsession to find the missing foot seemed a little far-fetched. I enjoyed the story and the writing was very good, but it could have been much more.

Disclosure: I received this book for review from the publisher through librarything.com. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Detachment by Barry Eisler

Book Description
John Rain is back and is up against his most formidable enemy yet: the nexus of political, military, media, and corporate factions known only as the Oligarchy.

When legendary black ops veteran Colonel Scott “Hort” Horton tracks Rain down in Tokyo, Rain can’t resist the offer: a multi-million dollar payday for the “natural causes” demise of three ultra-high-profile targets who are dangerously close to launching a coup in America.

But the opposition on this job is going to be too much for even Rain to pull it off alone. He’ll need a detachment of other deniable irregulars: his partner, the former Marine sniper, Dox. Ben Treven, a covert operator with ambivalent motives and conflicted loyalties. And Larison, a man with a hair trigger and a secret he’ll kill to protect.

From the shadowy backstreets of Tokyo and Vienna, to the deceptive glitz and glamour of Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and finally to a Washington, D.C. in a permanent state of war, these four lone wolf killers will have to survive presidential hit teams, secret CIA prisons, and a national security state as obsessed with guarding its own secrets as it is with invading the privacy of the populace.

But first, they’ll have to survive each other.

The Detachment is what fans of Eisler, “one of the most talented and literary writers in the thriller genre” (Chicago Sun-Times), have been waiting for: the worlds of the award-winning Rain series, and of the bestselling Fault Line and Inside Out, colliding in one explosive thriller as real as today’s headlines and as frightening as tomorrow’s.

My thoughts
I’ve read all the John Rain stories and this one falls flat. This is a departure from the character somewhat. Known to be an assassin who works alone, here he is part of a team out to get rid of three ‘targets’. I did like. I also didn’t like the interjection of Eisler’s personal political views. I read for enjoyment, not for a lesson. This is my least favorite of all his books.

Disclosure: I received this book through paperbackswap.com. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Route 66 Adventure Handbook by Drew Knowles

Book Description
Fully revised and expanded, this guide to all the exuberance, splendor, and absurdity of Route 66 includes details on the magnificent architecture, natural wonders, vintage motels and cafes, unique museums, offbeat attractions, fascinating artifacts and icons, and kitschy tourist traps that dot this famous stretch of road. Now featuring dozens of city maps that pinpoint locations of interest, this painstakingly researched handbook provides information on how to locate the multiple paths of Route 66, including unmarked portions of the old highway; contact information for Route 66 associations and local visitor bureaus; an index of all Route 66 towns; and anecdotes, trivia, attractions, and suggested side trips. From well-known hotspots to obscure, off-the-beaten-path destinations, this inspiring guide presents a wealth of information for both first-time adventurers and seasoned travelers.

My thoughts
I have been intrigued by Route 66 for many years and have always wanted to travel the route. Being from the east coast, I’d have to really plan for it. So I immerse myself in various books and I must say that this handbook is the best that I have come across.

Not only does the author supply photos and maps, he has updated it with new information as he continues to travel the route. One thing though, I better get on the road before many of these treasures are forever gone.

Disclosure: I received this book through paperbackswap.com. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

All I Did Was Shoot My Man by Walter Mosley

Book Description
In the latest and most surprising novel in the bestselling Leonid McGill series, Leonid finds himself caught between his sins of the past and an all-too-vivid present.

Seven years ago, Zella Grisham came home to find her man, Harry Tangelo, in bed with her friend. The weekend before, $6.8 million had been stolen from Rutgers Assurance Corp., whose offices are across the street from where Zella worked. Zella didn't remember shooting Harry, but she didn't deny it either. The district attorney was inclined to call it temporary insanity-until the police found $80,000 from the Rutgers heist hidden in her storage space.

For reasons of his own, Leonid McGill is convinced of Zella's innocence. But as he begins his investigation, his life begins to unravel. His wife is drinking more than she should. His oldest son has dropped out of college and moved in with an ex-prostitute. His youngest son is working for him and trying to stay within the law. And his father, whom he thought was long dead, has turned up under an alias.

A gripping story of murder, greed, and retribution, All I Did Was Shoot My Man is also the poignant tale of one man's attempt to stay connected to his family.

My thoughts
Leonid Gill is hired to meet Zella Grisham at the bus station after she has been released from prison for a crime she did not commit. Gill knows this because he framed her. Although, now he is a private investigator, then he was a hired to fix other people’s problems (mostly illegal).

Gill’s personal life is as complicated as he is professional life. He has a depressed wife, a girlfriend who doesn’t want him and three children (one of which is actually his).

There is so much going on in this multifaceted story, and although, fast-paced, is not confusing. Mosley fills this mystery with family drama that makes for an outstanding read.

Disclosure: I received this book for review through the amazon.com vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Sarah's Key

Product Description
Julia Jarmond (Kristin Scott Thomas), an American journalist married to a Frenchman, is commissioned to write an article about the notorious Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris, in 1942. She stumbles upon a family secret which will link her forever to the destiny of a young Jewish girl, Sarah. Julia learns that the apartment she and her husband Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand’s family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers - especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive - the more she uncovers about Bertrand’s family, about France and, finally, herself.

My thoughts
Sarah’s Key is one of those movies that surprises you because it is not a Hollywood blockbuster and is a very good film. This French-English film deals with the 1942 round up of the Jewish people from the Jewish quarter of Paris and investigative reporter doing a story of in in 2009. Going back and forth, the wonders what the connection is.

Soon we found that the apartment that the reporter is about to movie in to with her family is the same one a family was ousted from so many years earlier. Digging up the past brings back bad memories and suppressed secrets.

I was intrigued from the very beginning of this movie and found myself immersed into the lives of these people. Kristin Scott Thomas is remarkable. Another one of those films that should not be missed.

Disclosure: I received this DVD for review through the amazon.com vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

The Muppets: "Man or Muppet" Music Video

I went to see "The Muppets" this past weekend. Loved it. Love this song!

Mele Kalikimaka by The Blue Hawaiians

Hawaii is one place I love. I was there with my first wife on our honeymoon and I want to go back again. It’s on my bucket list. One of my best friends is Hawaiian. I even drink beer from Kona Brewing Company. Speaking of Kona, (how did you like that segue?) they are giving away a free Hawaiian Christmas song. I’ve already downloaded, how about you?

Click here to download

Merry Christmas!

The Dummy Line by Bobby Cole

Book Description
Avid hunter Jake Crosby is thrilled that his nine-year-old daughter Katy shares his love of the outdoors. His wife, Morgan, on the other hand, does not, which means Jake and Katy enjoy an abundance of hunting, fishing, and camping trips together. So when they head off into the Alabama woods for a spring turkey hunt, Jake expects nothing out of the ordinary. But even his worst nightmares could not prepare him for what befalls them that evening, when a band of drug dealers attempts to break into their remote camp. Desperate to protect his daughter and himself, Jake makes a gut-wrenching decision. His quick thinking enables him and Katy to escape...but brings the gang of vengeful criminals hot on their trail. Gambling on his knowledge of the land and hunting skills, he leads their bloodthirsty pursuers on a perilous cat-and-mouse game deep within the Noxubee River swamp. Jake knows they all won’t come out alive--but he will do whatever is necessary to make sure Katy does. Taut and engrossing, The Dummy Line explores what happens when an ordinary man is pushed to extraordinary lengths to protect his loved ones.

My thoughts
Trapped in the woods of Alabama, hunter Jake Crosby and his daughter must escape some very frightful criminals as they track them down, determined to kill them.

Bobby Cole’s first novel is a no holds barred, suspenseful, can’t put the book down story. There is no build up, the action comes right at the beginning and continues through the book. The story is well-written and the locale is realistically described. The characters are believable, some more than others. Reminiscent of “Deliverance“. All in all, a good book.

Disclosure: I received this book for review through the amazon.com vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

Tropical Pepper Company Mango Coconut Grilling Pepper Sauce

Product Description
Tropical Pepper Mango Coconut grilling sauce is a perfect blend of sweet and mild heat, combing silky mango, tangy peppers, and small bits of tasty coconut. Try this sauce on lobster or grilled tuna steaks for a wonderful change of pace. It's also tasty alongside pork chops and on top of grilled squash. Swizzle a few dashes into your rice as it cooks for an exotic side dishes that plays well with many other flavors!

My thoughts
A friend recommended this sauce, so I purchased it. It brings a kick to many different foods such as tuna, pork chops, and salads. It is sweet and spacy (but not too much), with the right mixture of coconut and mango to make you feel like you are in the tropics. And when you are on a diet it makes bland meals flavorful!

Disclosure: I purchased this product from my local grocery store and wanted to share!

The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

Book Description
Ruth Galloway has just returned from maternity leave and is struggling to juggle work and motherhood. When a team from the University of North Norfolk, investigating coastal erosion, finds six bodies buried at the foot of the cliff, she is immediately put on the case. DCI Nelson is investigating, but Ruth finds this more hindrance than help - Nelson is the father of her daughter, Kate. Still, she remains professional and concentrates on the case at hand. Forensic tests prove that the bodies are from Southern Europe, killed sixty years ago. Police Investigations unearth records of Project Lucifer, a wartime plan to stop a German invasion. A further discovery reveals that members of the Broughton Sea's End Home Guard took a 'blood oath' to conceal some deadly wartime secret. The more information they uncover, the more elusive any explanation becomes. When a visiting German reporter is killed, Ruth and Nelson realize that someone is still alive who will kill to keep the secret of Broughton Sea's End's war years. Can they discover the truth in time to stop another murder?

My thoughts
Forensic Archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway has a new case regarding six skeletons found buried at the foot of a cliff. It is soon discovered that this case may involve murder and a secret that has been hidden for over sixty years. With this case and being a new mother, Ruth has a lot on her plate and then people are being murdered (to keep the secret a secret?).

I enjoyed the historic aspect of the story and the author is descriptive in her writing to make me feel the intensity of the surroundings and the characters are interesting. Since I haven’t read the first two installments in the series; I got to know a little of what is going on but am not up to speed in some of the backstory regarding the relationships). That’s okay, I was more into the story about the Home Guard and the German soldiers.

Disclosure: I received this book for review though the amazon.com vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.

KBL: Kill Bin Laden by John Weisman

Book Description
Some truths are better told in fiction. In this riveting novel drawn from actual events and based on real-life heroes whose identities remain classified—including soldiers, sailors, intelligence operatives, technocrats, analysts, and policymakers—John Weisman fills in the blanks of what may have happened during the hunt and capture of Usama Bin Laden.

Moving from the political battlefields of Washington, D.C., and the secure, seventh-floor suite of the CIA director in Langley, Virginia, to the dusty streets of Peshawar, Lahore, and Abbottabad, Pakistan, to the rough Afghan interior, to the Middle East and western Europe, this fictional narrative brings to life the drama behind SEAL Team 6’s breathtaking raid in which Bin Laden—a.k.a. Crankshaft, a.k.a. al Mas (the Diamond), the ghost, the wraith, the grail for counterterrorists for more than a decade—met his fate.

In the Oval Office, the Pentagon, the CIA, and the State Department, Washington’s power brokers, the president, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Secretary of Defense conduct secret meetings, battle for political supremacy, and make life-and-death choices. Meanwhile, at an anonymous naval installation just south of Virginia Beach, Virginia, the Naval Special Warfare Development Group trains in secret for the mission of a lifetime. And at Vallhalla Base, the CIA’s safe house in Abbottabad, dedicated intelligence officers gather intel critical to locating and capturing the elusive Bin Laden.

KBL: Kill Bin Laden probes the hearts and minds of America’s secret warriors, revealing what the job means to them and the toll it takes. Here are the Navy SEALs who can never admit what unit they work for; the CIA paramilitary operators who risk their lives among the enemy, putting themselves in harm’s way knowing their existence will be denied if they are killed or captured; and the elite cadre of gritty leaders who bravely put country and security above politics.

Filled with pulse-pounding excitement and the tactics, intelligence tradecraft, and operational sources and methods used in real-world CIA and special-operations missions, KBL: Kill Bin Laden is a thrill-a-minute dramatization that sets the standard for adventure novels as it brilliantly imagines the action, intrigue, and suspense of this real-life event and offers a glimpse of the new face of warfare.

My thoughts
Taken from the actual events involving the death of Bin Laden, Weisman has created a fictional and detailed account of what was going through the minds of those involved. If you are interested in military strategy and operations, then this is a good book for you. It is a fast-paced thriller, but for me, I couldn’t sink my teeth into it.

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

Beautiful Boy

Movie Description
Beautiful Boy is an unconventional love story that explores the journey of a married couple on the verge of separation, who must live with unimaginable heartbreak, and find healing through the darkest days of their lives.

Bill (Michael Sheen) and Kate (Maria Bello) hopelessly try to find some hint of an explanation after finding out that their only son committed a mass shooting at his university before taking his own life. They struggle numbly through the funeral, the media onslaught, and the awkward pity from relatives and friends. Their already strained marriage is tested as they realize all they have left with each other is their shared grief and confusion--and the unfortunate legacy of their son. This life-altering event forces Bill and Kate to face their feelings of guilt, rage, blame, self-discovery --and ultimately hope--so that they can finally see each other and their chance for happiness again with clear eyes.

My thoughts
While going through a separation, a couple learns that their son has murdered fellow students and teachers at the college he is attending. Then he kills himself. Dealing with the aftermath, these two also have to deal with the media, family, friends, co-workers and themselves.

This was a tough subject, and although the acting was magnificent, I found the movie to be slow. Some of the characterizations were like cardboard figures while the two main characters had depth (I guess because they had the most emotional scenes). I had expected it to be a real tear-jerker and had the tissues ready. Didn’t need them. It had been on my watch list for some time, but it is not one that I would view again.

Disclosure: I received this DVD for review through the amazon.com vine program. I received no compensation for my thoughts.