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Summary:Sara and her mother are going to secretly escape her abusive father—when her mother mysteriously disappears.Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it. With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.
My Thoughts: Despite the heavy subject, this book reads pretty quickly. It’s well-written and it held my interest. Especially as it got farther into the story – the last quarter of the book was very hard for me to put down. I thought the stuff between Sara and Alex was cute, although I wonder where it came from. She seemed surprised by his sudden attention, and it would’ve been nice to find out that maybe he’d been watching her for a while and she just never noticed, what with her brother’s death. And the rest of this is going to be in spoiler format, because I don’t know how much I can say without spoiling it for someone.
Source: Received through The {Teen} Book Scene for review. (Click the button below for more tour stops.)
Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)
Summary: Best-selling mystery novelist Trevor Hughes has no idea that attending his twentieth reunion at Harvard will forever change his life.
Persuaded to go by his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Dr. Julia Magnusson, he meets up with three old friends: Solly Rubens, a self-made Wall Street millionaire; Ken Faust, a successful software entrepreneur; and Harlan Astor, New York real estate tycoon and the glue that holds their circle together.
That afternoon, over drinks at the Harvard Club, Harlan drops his bombshell: He is doing what James Cameron did not — he is rebuilding the Titanic, and sailing the ship on the hundredth anniversary to honor those who died, including his great-grandfather, John Jacob Astor IV. Only Trevor is intrigued by Harlan’s audacity. Touched by his friend’s interest and concern, Harlan invites him on the maiden voyage to serve as the official chronicler.
On April 10, 2012, Trevor journeys to Southampton and, along with the hundreds of handpicked passengers, boards the Titanic. He is awed by the immensity of the ship and the feelings that well up in him. His friend has made his grand dream a reality.
During the journey, armed with his iPod Touch and a miniature wireless camera hidden in his glasses, Trevor interviews both passengers and crew, eager to learn the reasons why they chose to sail on the reborn ship.
Nearly every one of them claims to have been profoundly affected by Cameron’s film, wanting to recapture the magic for themselves. And some of them are dying — their last wish to be on the maiden voyage of the new Titanic.
Trevor is touched that his friend has allowed these people to come aboard, and is unprepared when he meets Madeleine Regehr, a beautiful, free-spirited woman who resists his entreaties to be interviewed, intriguing Trevor all the more. Slowly, and inexorably, Maddy draws him out of his shell, allowing him to love deeply and completely, for the very first time in his life.
But Trevor soon discovers a darker purpose for the voyage, a purpose that threatens to destroy him and the woman he loves. In a race against time that pits friend against friend, Trevor must stop the unstoppable or risk a horrific replay of history…
Take a Peek: Here is an excerpt from the book for you to get a glimpse inside.
Chapter One
The furor in the media had just died down when Solly’s call came that rainy midweek day. I’d been hiding from the wolves of the fourth estate for nearly three weeks, holed up in my book-filled condo/prison in Charlestown, unable even to slip outside for a breath of fresh air without some cookie-cutter reporter, with a paint-by-numbers smile, sticking a microphone in my face and asking me the same tired question: “What was it like?”
As if the whole of my experience could be quantified in a sound bite.
Truth was I was avoiding everyone, even Julia and her earnest attempts to help me sort through the miasma of doubt and pain.
Sweet Julia.
We’ve been on-and-off again for the last five years. And I hadn’t seen her for the better part of a year. I guess she thought now was as good a time as any to mend fences. Christ, if she only knew….
And what was worse, the book I’d promised my publisher, the one that was supposed to chronicle all I’d been through, lay like a beached whale on the shore of my imagination. I was standing at the bay window overlooking the harbor, watching the rain sluice down the glass, wondering if I would ever have the courage to write again, when my gaze shifted to the pile of DVDs lying in a scattered heap on the teakwood coffee table.
My eyes filled with tears yet again.
“I’m so sorry, Maddy,” I groaned, knocking my forehead against the cool glass. “I’m so goddamned sorry.”
“You have a call,” the computer intoned in a quiet contralto, making me wince. Even the goddamned computer’s voice reminded me of Madeleine.
“Who is it?” I asked, expecting to hear it was yet another call from the Globe. Hometown reporters were the worst, the most ravenous.
And then I remembered I’d instructed the computer to screen all calls, allowing access to only a select few.
“The caller has an Identity Block in place. Shall I take a message?”
I sighed.
To hell with it. I had to rejoin the human race at some point, even if I felt as if I no longer belonged in it.
“Put it through,” I said, making my way over to the sleek MacBook Pro sitting atop my writing desk. The screen came to life and Solly Rubens’ round face filled the screen. His saturnine looks were etched with concern, an expression that somehow looked ominous on him.
“Hey, Hughes, you okay? How are you holding up?”
The tiny “picture-in-picture” in the upper left-hand corner of the screen showed me what Solly was seeing, rendering his question moot.
I looked as if I’d taken the cook’s tour of Hell: blue eyes–red-rimmed and puffy–surrounded by dark circles, sandy hair greasy and disheveled, three-day growth of a patchy red-flecked beard, and the same clothes I’d worn since Monday. I looked sixty-two, instead of forty-two. All in all, I presented a picture about as far as one could get from what Boston magazine had called: “The World’s Most Eligible Author.”
“How the hell do you think I’m holding up?” I said, staring back at Solly. His eyes blinked rapidly and I debated whether or not to instruct the MAC to disconnect, when he spoke again.
“Aw, man, I’m sorry. I really put my foot in it, didn’t I?” he said, trying to appear contrite. “Listen, I know we’ve never been the best of pals, but we had some good times back in school, didn’t we? I mean, Christ, we’ve been through a hell of a lot since Harvard. You a hotshot writer. Me hittin’ the big time. I still can’t believe it’s been a year–”
“What do you want, Solly?”
His porcine eyes darted somewhere off-screen, then riveted onto mine.
“Ken and I thought you should get out of the house, maybe meet us at the Harvard Club. What do you say?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You gotta talk about it sometime,” he said, his Brooklyn tenor rising in pitch. “You’ve been avoiding us for weeks, you look like crap, and everybody–and I mean everybody’s–been trying to find out what the hell happened out there. And what about Julia? You shutting her out? You treatin’ her like dirt, too?”
I resented him bringing her name up, only because I knew he was using her as leverage, and not out of any real concern for her feelings.
Not that I was any better.
“She’s none of your business, Solly. Leave her out of this.”
“All right, I’m sorry. But you know I’m right. You gotta get on with your life, for Christ’s sake. If you’re not gonna do it for yourself, do it for Harlan.”
I leaned forward, my nose practically touching the screen. “Where were you when Harlan needed the three of us? Huh? Where the hell were you when the chips were down? Taking Karen to another Broadway show?”
Solly’s lips compressed into a thin angry line. “Okay, I deserved that. But Ken and I have a right to know what happened.”
So, that was it. Like everyone else, they wanted to know the truth about Harlan’s death–wanted to know all the gory details. Christ, they were no better than the goddamned muckrakers slinking around my front door. And why was it so important to Ken and Solly, anyway?
Would it bring Harlan back? Would it bring any of them back? Why the hell couldn’t they just leave me alone?
And then, all at once, the anger passed, as if someone had thrown a switch inside me. Suddenly, I wanted very badly to tell someone–anyone. And perhaps it was more than fitting to do it where it all began.
“All right,” I said. “I’ll meet you guys at the club, Friday night at six.”
Solly cracked a grin, revealing crooked yellow teeth. “It’ll do you good, Hughes, you’ll see.”
“Maybe…. But drinks and dinner are on you.”
He chuckled.
“My pleasure. See you there.”
The screen went dark, and I sat there for a long moment, wondering if I shouldn’t blow them off. And then I realized Harlan would want me to go. I doubted very much, however, once they heard the whole story, it would be any pleasure for any of us….
My Thoughts: What to say. Ever since James Cameron’s Titanic was released, it seems almost everyone has interest in the ill-fated ship’s story – some people more than others, as is the case here. This book almost seems to be homage to the movie, as it’s often referenced. There were moments it felt like overkill, but overall it did make it easier to visualize things while reading.
The book itself is quite interesting, although I thought the “darker purpose” was, um, interesting? Somewhat of a letdown, honestly.
The book as a whole held my interest from start to finish. And despite the less-than-light subject matter, it ended up being a pretty quick read. I think that’s partially because it’s well-written. The story of Trevor and Maddy is bittersweet – kinda like the whole aforementioned Titanic movie. I suppose it’s fitting. And the very end of the book is perfect.
Would I recommend this? Sure. Especially if you ever got caught up in Titanic fever. Will I read it again? Maybe. If you’re a fan of Titanic, especially the movie, you’re likely to enjoy this book.
Source: Received through Partners in Crime Tours for review. (Click the button below for more tour stops.)
Read It: Get your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)
About the Author: A graduate of Emerson College’s prestigious film school, Bill wrote and directed his first feature film, Pawn, while still a student. After graduation, he co-founded Newbury Filmworks, Inc., an award-winning production company renowned for making high-quality corporate films and commercials.
In 1990, Bill relocated to Los Angeles, and began a freelance story analysis career for various studios and independent production companies, while devoting his spare time to the writing of novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is also a highly-respected graphic designer, specializing in book and dust jacket design. He has worked on books by such luminaries as: Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Dean Koontz, and Stephen King. In addition, Bill is a member of the Authors Guild.
He has won awards for his screenwriting, his two short story collections for Mid-Graders, Five-Minute Frights and Five-Minute Chillers, are perennial Halloween favorites, and his first novel, Titanic 2012 was enthusiastically received by readers. His second novel, Camp Stalag was released in 2001. Bill lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Debbie, and their sons, Jeffrey and Brian.
Summary (from Goodreads): A teenage boy is found on Portland Maine’s Eastern Promenade Trail holding the dead body of his best friend and the murder weapon. Forensic psychologist Lisa Boyers is called in to interview the disturbed young man, and her jailhouse interviews reveal more about her troubled, violent past than she bargained for.
My Thoughts: Last year I read Spencer Seidel’s Dead of Wynter, and I remember thinking that Seidel had promise. I wasn’t as impressed by the book as I’d expected to be, but he’s clearly a good writer. I was looking forward to his future books. So, when I was approached about reviewing Lovesick, I was excited.
I am so glad I said yes! My instincts about Seidel were correct. He is a fantastic writer who grabbed my attention from the very beginning and left me wanting just a little bit more at the end. I’m hoping he writes more books with Lisa Boyers and Rudy Swaner. Lisa was a great, deep character. She has a lot of baggage, but she’s able to still do her job well. I felt like there wasn’t quite enough of Rudy. I wanted to know him a bit better – and see if there’s a relationship in their future. Still, this book was tied up with no loose ends and quite the exciting – and in some instances surprising – ending.
Seidel dives on into the action at the very beginning, and it hardly slows down. I found myself really wanting to read this book the more I got into it. There were times I had to force myself to put it down so I could tend to my real-world duties. If I could have, I would have read this in one sitting. I did not want to put it down. Yes, there were some plot points I saw coming. Some occurrences that seemed somewhat obvious to me, but the suspense behind everyone else piecing it together kept me going. Plus, there were plenty of surprises thrown in.
Overall, Lovesick is a fantastic mystery/suspense/thriller. Once I got into it, I didn’t want to put it down. I am definitely looking forward to more books by Spencer Seidel.
Summary: This homecoming wasn’t what she expected . . .
Jobless, homeless, and broke, Camden Bristow decides to visit the grandmother she hasn’t seen in years. But when Camden arrives in Etherton, Ohio, she discovers that her grandmother has passed away, leaving her the 150-year-old mansion on Crescent Hill. The site of her happiest summers as a child, the run-down mansion is now her only refuge.
When Camden finds evidence that she may not be the mansion’s only occupant, memories of Grandma Rosalie’s bedtime stories about secret passageways and runaway slaves fuel her imagination. What really happened at Crescent Hill? Who can she turn to for answers in this town full of strangers? And what motivates the handsome local Alex Yates to offer his help? As she works to uncover the past and present mysteries harbored in her home, Camden uncovers deep family secrets within the mansion’s walls that could change her life—and the entire town—forever.
My Thoughts:Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson captured my interest from the very beginning, and held on until the end. The mystery behind what exactly is going on – and why – is really what keeps the story going. The characters are OK. We do get a lot of insight to Camden’s history, which is interesting. The reader can see how she has been affected by the way she was raised, and it’s nice to see her come to the realization of this, too. Alex doesn’t get enough time, I don’t think. I would have liked to know more about him. We know the big thing. The why behind his coming to Etherton, but we don’t really know much about him before that. What we do know helps explain most of his actions in this book, but he felt kind of shallow because of what was lacking. And, honestly, any romance between the two of them felt kind of forced. While, yes, I like both enough to want to see them together, but everything happens too abruptly.
Still, I really enjoyed reading Refuge on Crescent Hill and found myself wanting to ignore everything else so I could read. I definitely would recommend this to others.
Source: Received for review as part of a blog tour promotion hosted by Kregel Publications.
Read It: Get your own copy HERE.(This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)
About the Author: Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of The Black Cloister; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana; and Together for Good. A former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family, Melanie has worked in the fields of journalism and publicity for more than eighteen years. She and her family live in Oregon.
Melanie Dobson can be found on her Web site and her blog.
You find an excerpt of Refuge on Crescent Hill (downloadable PDF) HERE.
Tour Info: For more information about this blog tour, including links to other reviews, visit the page HERE.
Summary (from Goodreads): Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.
Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.
My Thoughts: Overall, Slide by Jill Hathaway is a good book. I enjoyed the story, and felt that the characters were (mostly) believable and well-developed. And the ending, well, that was perfect. I felt that the whodunnit parts, though, were a bit melodramatic. The perpetrator didn’t seem very believable – well, did but didn’t. Just parts of it were farfetched. And, frankly, one of the deaths I just don’t know if it was necessary. But, still I really enjoyed reading Slide. It had my interest from the very beginning, held it, and left me with a smile on my face.
Read It:Slide is scheduled for release on March 27, 2012. You can pre-order your own copy HERE. (This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)
Summary: Elizabeth Valchar – pretty, popular, and perfect – wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family’s yacht, where she’d been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and what lies in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect – or innocent.
My Thoughts: The above description is what is on the back cover of the ARC I just finished. And I like it so much better than any other descriptions I’ve found – because it allowed me to fully get into the story. (Others say way too much.) And that’s all I’m going to say here in plain view. The rest of this review is going to be in my spoiler boxes, because I feel this book is impossible to say much of anything about without sharing things I’m glad I didn’t know going into it. (Long story short: Yes, it was very good. Yes, I could see myself reading it again. Yes, I would recommend it. Finally, I liked it enough to add it to my Favorites shelf on Goodreads.)
Favorite Quotes: I almost hid these, but then realized they really don’t spoil much. Two really resonated with me and one made me chuckle. Can you guess which one that was?
A person’s character, I realize, is never black-and-white. There is so much gray. ~ pages 412-413 (ARC)
Cops, I’ve learned, are like vampires; they can’t come in unless you invite them. ~ page 413 (ARC)
Every moment is precious; every day a blessing. To see life for what it truly is: a series of endless possibilities, not just for great pain, but for great joy. ~ page 453 (ARC)
Read It: Get your own copy HERE.(This is a Book Depository link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)
Summary: A United States diplomat disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bushveld of Zimbabwe. Dominic Grey, Diplomatic Security special agent, product of a violent childhood and a worn passport, is assigned to investigate. Aiding the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, religious phenomenologist and expert on cults, and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison. What Grey uncovers is a terrifying cult older than Western civilization, the harsh underbelly of a country in despair, a priest seemingly able to perform impossibilities, and the identity of the newest target. Himself.
My Thoughts:The Summoner by Layton Green is chock-full of suspense, intrigue, and interesting characters. There were times I found myself holding my breath, sitting restlessly, and fully falling victim to the suspense. I can’t tell you the last time a book had me so much on the edge of my seat! It is a fabulous story.
Dominic Grey is a mostly positive character, despite his less-than-positive upbringing. Having grown up in a violent home, he ran away as a teenager – and hasn’t seen his father since. (His mother died when he was younger.) Despite the horrific things he’s been through (of which we only see small bits), Grey is actually a guy with a moral compass. Sure, he could kick anyone’s butt – and easily kill someone with his bare hands – but he doesn’t necessarily like doing it. And he has a heart for those in need.
I couldn’t decide how I felt about Nya. I don’t feel we know her as well as we know Grey, so I didn’t find myself as concerned over her as I could have been. And I found her and Grey together not quite right. I’m not entirely sure what it was, but something about it didn’t work for me. Not even after it’s explained. I can swallow it a bit better after the explanation, but it still seems off. Again, I can’t quite figure out why.
Viktor is quite mysterious, and I half expected him as having something to do with the disturbing events in this book. What transpired between him and Grey toward the end of the book was a nice surprise for me, and I hope we see more of him and get to know more about where he comes from.
The plot, as I stated above, is full of suspense and intrigue. While there was a tiny bit of predictability, it didn’t in any way detract from the suspense. There were many more surprising twists and/or revelations, which I found pretty much negated anything I was able to guess.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of the mystery/suspense genre. If you like Dan Brown, Brett Battles, Robert Browne, etc., then give Layton Green a try. You won’t be disappointed!
I very much look forward to more Dominic Grey novels – including the just-released The Egyptian (look for my review soon).
Source: Sent by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Read It: Get your own copy HERE.(This is a Powell’s link, and purchase through this link will result in my receiving a small commission at no cost to you. Your support is appreciated!)
AWESOME!
I could read this over and over.
Very good.
Might or might not read again.
Good, but not great.
Probably won't read again.
OK. Not good, not bad.
Don't intend to read again.
Awful ~ I wish I could
reclaim the time I wasted on this!
DNF ~ I gave it my best shot,
but I just couldn't get into it.
What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
About the Author: A graduate of Emerson College’s prestigious film school, Bill wrote and directed his first feature film, Pawn, while still a student. After graduation, he co-founded Newbury Filmworks, Inc., an award-winning production company renowned for making high-quality corporate films and commercials.
(This is the Kindle version. The paperback version is slated for release in June.)
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