Category Archives: Mystery

A Murder of Crows – David Rotenberg – Blog Tour

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murder of crowsDecker Roberts is back, and he always knows when you’re telling the truth.

David Rotenberg first introduced Decker Roberts and his unique gifts in the critically acclaimed thriller The Placebo Effect. Since Decker’s last run-in with the NSA, he’s been trying to remain off the radar, searching for his estranged son, Seth. Decker’s synaesthetic abilities, once a lucrative gift, are increasingly becoming a liability.

When a vicious attack wipes out the best and brightest of America’s young minds, devastating the country’s future, Decker is forced to step out of the shadows and help track down the killer. And as the hunt brings him in contact with other people of “his kind,” Decker begins to realize that there may be depths to his gifts that he had never even imagined.

Meanwhile, several parties are secretly tracking the progress of Decker’s son, trying to determine if Seth has the same powerful gift as his father. Decker is determined to go to any lengths to find his son, but along the way he will have to face down enemies, both old and new, as well as struggle with whether Seth even wants to be found.

David Rotenberg’s thrilling sequel to The Placebo Effect is full of suspense and will challenge what you think you know about people who have special “gifts.” From rural Africa to downtown Toronto, the paths of Rotenberg’s colourful characters intertwine as they move toward a conclusion that none of them can see coming. – Publisher’s Website

Decker is one frantic father.  When looking for his son, he’s in the middle of something else horrific that happens.  Can he get out of it, no.  In this second installment, Decker meets some other “special” people who have some of the same gifts he has, finds more about who and what his gifts entail.

I dove into this book as soon as I received it.  I wanted to know more about Decker, his friends – if they wanted to harm him or help him.  Right now, that is still up for debate, but in this second installment of the Junction Chronicles, I’m as deeply into it as I ever was before.  I for one want a happy ending, but with things going as they are, I am not sure.  The book ends at that pivotal point in the book where you all will go nooooooooo!! and wanting to know what happens.

We will have to wait until book three, probably next year to finally find out what exactly does happen with Decker, his son, and everyone else in the cast of characters of this nail-biting thriller/mystery.  I can’t wait!  Maybe I can bribe the publisher or the author for a peek…we shall see ha!

David’s Website – Goodreads - David’s Acting Website - Reading Group Guide - Placebo Effect Review - Q and A with David

 

The Poisoned Pawn – Peggy Blair – BLOG TOUR

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blair_poisonedpawn_pbWhen Cuban Inspector Ricardo Ramirez is dispatched to Canada and told to bring home a priest found in possession of child pornography depicting Cuban children, he knows his job will be hard enough. But it gets worse once he’s in Ottawa, and women in Havana start dropping dead from a mysterious toxin. Worried about his family, powerless to help pathologist Hector Apiro, and faced with the threat of a Canadian travel advisory that could shut down Cuban tourism, Ramirez tries focus on his mission. As he does, he untangles a web of deceit and depravity that extends all the way from the corridors of power in Ottawa to those of the Vatican, and uncovers a cold-blooded killer.

The Poisoned Pawn is the gripping, fast-paced sequel to the award-winning, critically acclaimed mystery The Beggar’s Opera. Evoking the crumbling beauty of Old Havana and featuring Inspector Ramirez, a man haunted by the victims of his unsolved cases, it’s perfect for fans of Donna Leon and Martin Cruz Smith who love exotic settings and unforgettable characters.  - Publisher’s Website

I really have to say, Peggy is getting better and better with her 2nd book in the Inspector Ramirez series.  She has penned a book that has everything tucked away in a concise and entertaining series.  Even though this book is set mostly in Canada, Inspector Ramirez’s mind is as clear as ever, even with the sub-zero temperatures.  He has more things up his sleeve during this investigation that I would have thought of, but he does it with class and grace.

Do not underestimate him!  I want the next book to come out already! My earlier review of Peggy’s first book is located here, so go and take a look.  Also, the Begger’s Opera is now available in the U.S., so if you live there, go and get yourself a copy and get ready to immerse yourself in Cuban Culture, and Mystery Writing at it’s finest.

Much Thanks to Peggy and Penguin Canada for allowing me to take part in the blog tour again.  Always looking forward to great new emerging Canadian Talent! I’m so happy to be able to bring this to you along with many, many more that I have loved.  So, go and get both books in the series if you haven’t read them, and the first in the U.S. and are new to Peggy’s work.  I can attest that you will not be disappointed in the least !

If you are looking for other view points on this book and her first, the blog tour isn’t finished yet.  You can go to these blogs and see what they had to say about Peggy’s newest work.

Feb 25 -  The Literary Word
Feb 26 -  Curled Up with a Good Book and a Cup of Tea
Feb 28 -  Just a Lil Lost
March 4 -  A Bookworm’s World
March 5 -  Serendipitous Readings  – That’s Here !
March 6 –  Literary Treats
March 7 - Thrifty Momma ’s Brainfood 

Excerpt – Peggy on Twitter – Peggy’s Website - Goodreads - Facebook – Peggy’s Blog - My review of The Beggar’s Opera – Q&A w. Peggy

The Mystery of Mercy Close – Marian Keyes

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marian keyesI employ this thing called The Shovel List.’
‘A shovel . . . ?’
‘No. A Shovel List. It’s more of a conceptual thing. It’s a list of all the people and things I hate so much that I want to hit them in the face with a shovel.’

Meet Helen – youngest of the Walsh sisters and a law unto herself. She’s easily bored, has an inability to filter her thoughts and was fired from every job she ever had before she found her true calling as a private investigator. But times are tough for PIs and Helen’s had no choice but to take on the search for AWOL boyband has-been Wayne Diffney – The Wacky One.

It’s not all bad this game of Where’s Wayne. It may have brought her charming crook of an ex Jay Parker back into her life, but it’s giving her an excuse to avoid the usual Walsh family dramas and the intense looks from her gorgeous boyfriend Artie that make her heart beat wildly with lust and panic in equal measure. But most of all it’s an excellent distraction from the huge swarm of black vultures gathering over her head. If she hides out in her target’s empty house on Mercy Close for long enough maybe they’ll go away . . .

But as Helen begins to unravel the mysteries secreted on Mercy Close she discovers a kindred spirit in a man unwilling to be found. Could someone be telling her to look a little closer to home . . . ? – Publishers Website

I’m divided on this particular book, for a few reasons.  The earlier books(s) I have read by Marian have been really fun reads.  This one I wasn’t so keen on.  I didn’t enjoy Helen’s demeanor, it was too hyper, too much double guessing herself.  In other terms too fidigety.  She second guesses everything or just about everything she does as a private investigator – what she has done for years.  The background on the book is well thought out, it’s just her main character or that could be the reason she is the way she is because of the plot lines in the book, but this wasn’t a great book for me.  I have thought about it probably more than I needed to and waited as long as I could without giving a scathing review about something that didn’t mesh with what I remember from her other novels, I just didn’t like this one as much as the earlier books I have read by Marian.

I do have to say though, she has a rocking twitter account!  I noticed that she has locked herself out more than once because of her tweeting….too much, too fast LOL

Marian’s Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads

 

The Secret Keeper – Kate Morton

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From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Distant Hours, The Forgotten Garden, and The House at Riverton, a spellbinding new novel filled with mystery, thievery, murder, and enduring love.

During a summer party at the family farm in the English countryside, sixteen-year-old Laurel Nicolson has escaped to her childhood tree house and is happily dreaming of the future. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and watches as her mother speaks to him. Before the afternoon is over, Laurel will witness a shocking crime. A crime that challenges everything she knows about her family and especially her mother, Dorothy—her vivacious, loving, nearly perfect mother.

Now, fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress living in London. The family is gathering at Greenacres farm for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday. Realizing that this may be her last chance, Laurel searches for answers to the questions that still haunt her from that long-ago day, answers that can only be found in Dorothy’s past.

Dorothy’s story takes the reader from pre–WWII England through the blitz, to the ’60s and beyond. It is the secret history of three strangers from vastly different worlds—Dorothy, Vivien, and Jimmy—who meet by chance in wartime London and whose lives are forever entwined. The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams and the unexpected consequences they sometimes bring. It is an unforgettable story of lovers and friends, deception and passion that is told—in Morton’s signature style—against a backdrop of events that changed the world. – Publishers Website

Wow, just Wow!  I have always enjoyed Kate’s work, but this one has to be the very best yet.  I was hooked from the first chapter. She held me along until the last few chapters until all was revealed, I fell dumbfounded, shocked, shaking my head.  Kate is a very skillful storyteller that If I haven’t read any of her earlier work this would be the book to start from.  I am literally speechless!  And trust me that doesn’t happen often lol

Such a wonderful story about life, love, sacrifice, and the one skeleton in a closet that has sat patiently for so long.  The only one person who knows about it is on their deathbed, wanting to share, but is afraid of the consequences – her family, friends, old friends from the past.  This one will keep you in suspense right until the end and still will have you saying to yourself I didn’t even see it coming…

Wow, Wow, Wow…

Goodreads - Kate’s Website - Facebook - Browse Inside

 

The Red Pole of Macau – Ian Hamilton

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In The Red Pole of Macau, Ava’s half-brother Michael is desperate to pull out of a multi-million-dollar real estate deal in the territory of Macau. The developers are threatening to halt construction unless Michael and his business partner put up another $80 million; the bank is looking for repayment on their loan; and her father is prepared to sell everything to protect his first-born son.

When Ava enlists Uncle for help, she discovers his health is failing and is forced to turn to a former client, the cunning and seductive May Ling Wong. As Ava follows the money trail, she finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into Hong Kong’s dark and deadly world of organized crime.

Will Ava protect her family’s future? Or will this job lead to a violent end . . . – Publishers Website

Fangirl Moment when this arrived in the mail !! The fourth installment of Ian Hamilton’s Ava Lee Series ! I admit, I was engrossed in another book when this one arrived, but it was literally starting me down from the living room table, I had to put down the other book, until this one was read cover to cover, in the middle of reading I’m sending my thoughts to Ava with things like “Get That Sucker!” as well as other expletives that I can’t divulge here.  Tee hee!

I absolutely LOVE Ian’s collection so far, and wont give up on reading them until the last one has been shed, the plots revealed, and Ava has ridden the world of evil and people who are trying – yes, trying to take something away from people who a) don’t deserve it, or b) are being greedy!

I found out something quite interesting (at least to me) Some have commented on Goodreads that the constant name dropping of fashion brands, and of course her Starbucks Via in the books have turned people off the books.  But, when I was at Word on the Street in Toronto, I found out by the publicist that in fact in the Asian culture, that is what they do, they go by designer names, etc.  It is just their culture.  No more no less.   And I realize that here in Canada or anywhere else that sounds a bit much or irritating, but Ian has toned it down so to speak.  You won’t hear as much of it in the books, but you do see some of it.

So, now that I’m done gushing about Ian and his Ava, go and get the books all right?!?  They are FANTASTIC!  Ava comes out with a new book in February, so get caught up would you !!

Browse inside - Ian on Twitter - Ian on Facebook - Goodreads - Ian’s Website

I really wish there were some book trailers for Ava, She would kick some serious ass in them !

Guilt by Degrees – Marcia Clark

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Someone has been watching D.A. Rachel Knight—someone who’s Rachel’s equal in brains, but with more malicious intentions. It began when a near-impossible case fell into Rachel’s lap, the suspectless homicide of a homeless man. In the face of courthouse backbiting and a gauzy web of clues, Rachel is determined to deliver justice.

She’s got back-up: tenacious Detective Bailey Keller. As Rachel and Bailey stir things up, they’re shocked to uncover a connection with the vicious murder of an LAPD cop a year earlier.

Rachel suspects someone knows the truth, someone who’d kill to keep it secret. Harrowing, smart, and riotously entertaining, GUILT BY DEGREES is a thrilling ride through the world of Los Angeles courts with the unforgettable Rachel Knight. – Publishers Website

I am really liking Rachel !  In Marcia’s 2nd fiction book, Rachel is becoming more and more one of those literary characters that won’t be soon forgotten.  With her steely determination to find out who did what, when, where and make them pay has me almost cheering ( in a non fangirl squealing mess). I have to save that for a Canadian Fictional Character, sorry Marcia !!

I’m liking the action, the information Marcia effortlessly passes on as Rachel follows this case to the bitter end…literally.  Bailey her 2nd hand person, definitely gives the bad guys a run for their money.  I wonder if there are really tough female detectives like this in real life.  More than likely!

I have to say, Marcia has definitely hit the genre running and probably won’t give up the fight anytime soon.  The Mass Market comes out in March, but you can still get a hardcover more than likely.  If you liked her first book Guilt by Association, you will definitely like this one.  I’m looking forward to her next installment.

I have had a few instances where I have chatted with Marcia on twitter and on Facebook, she is really quite personable so don’t be shy and say hi.  Just be nice and respectful…

Marcia’s Website – Facebook – Twitter -

 

 

#24 – The Confession – Charles Todd

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Scotland Yard’s best detective, Inspector Ian Rutledge, must solve a dangerous case that reaches far into the past in this superb mystery in the acclaimed series

Declaring he needs to clear his conscience, a dying man walks into Scotland Yard and confesses that he killed his cousin five years earlier during the Great War. When Inspector Ian Rutledge presses for details, the man evades his questions, revealing only that he hails from a village east of London. With little information and no body to open an official inquiry, Rutledge begins to look into the case on his own.

Less than two weeks later, the alleged killer’s body is found floating in the Thames, a bullet in the back of his head. Searching for answers, Rutledge discovers that the dead man was not who he claimed to be. What was his real name—and who put a bullet in his head? Were the “confession” and his own death related? Or was there something else in the victim’s past that led to his murder?

The inspector’s only clue is a gold locket, found around the dead man’s neck, that leads back to Essex and an insular village whose occupants will do anything to protect themselves from notoriety. For notoriety brings the curious, and with the curious come change and an unwelcome spotlight on a centuries-old act of evil that even now can damn them all. – Publishers Website

This was my first foray into Inspectors Ian’s world and I wasn’t disappointed.  Continuing on after Ian has come back from the War, he’s back at Scotland Yard when he talks to someone who says  a murder has happened.  Yes, someone comes forward to tell him of a murder that has happened – 5 years earlier.   When this  person passes away suddenly and floating in the river, Ian takes a trip to rural village outside London to see if he can find any clues about who this person was who came to him, when a whole can of worms opens up that Ian isn’t so sure of.  Through the bends of the narrative, Ian sleuths out the people involved, the lies, the deceit, and what is behind it all in a historical mystery that will have you hooked until the end.

Then of course there is Ian himself – shattered and broken from the War and the nightmares that never seem to go away…

Charles’ Website – Facebook – Excerpt – Fun Stuff

#22 – Sidney Sheldon’s Angel of the Dark – Tilly Bagshawe

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It was his first big murder case—and one of the bloodiest and most violent crimes LAPD detective Danny McGuire would ever encounter. Andrew Jakes, an elderly multimillionaire art dealer, had been brutally murdered in his Hollywood home, his lifeless body tied to his naked young wife. Raped and beaten, the lovely Angela Jakes had barely survived the attack herself. Gazing into her deep, soulful eyes, Danny swore that he’d find the psychopath behind this barbarous act. But the investigation didn’t turn up a single solid lead, and within days of Angela’s release from the hospital, the stunning young widow—Danny’s only witness—had vanished.

For ten years Danny McGuire could not forget the sweet face of Angela Jakes and the terrible crime that had shattered her life; his obsession with her nearly cost him his sanity. Now in France, thousands of miles from the past—with a new life, a new job with Interpol, and a ravishing new wife—he’s happier than he’s ever been . . . until he meets Andrew Jakes’s estranged son, Matt Daley.

Curious about his father’s murder, Matt has been digging into the cold case—and made some shocking discoveries. Three killings nearly identical to his father’s have taken place across the globe. The victims were elderly, newlywed millionaires, their young wives assaulted. And in each case the widow, the sole beneficiary of the will, donated her newfound wealth to children’s charities and then vanished. Could it be true? Had the Jakes killer struck again? If so, Danny knows he must tread carefully or risk losing everything for good.

The evidence points to a single killer—a brilliant and ruthless criminal who travels across the globe under a string of assumed identities, cleverly keeping one step ahead of the law. Joining forces, Danny and Matt pursue this intriguing shadow from Los Angeles to London, New York to Italy and the French Riviera, in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse filled with promising leads and frustrating dead ends. When another murder fitting the profile occurs, Matt heads to Hong Kong, hoping to get answers from the latest widow, Lisa Baring, and perhaps uncover the hard evidence they need.

But Matt becomes besotted with the irresistible beauty, nearly derailing the investigation, and Danny wonders whether Lisa is truly a victim or something more sinister. When a break in the case sends Danny to Mumbai, he knows he must act quickly, for the clever killer is poised to strike again.

A fast-paced story full of mystery, glamour, excitement, and spectacular twists that build to a stunning ending, Sidney Sheldon’s Angel of the Dark is quintessential Sheldon from first page to last. – Publishers Website

I was looking forward to this book, since Sidney Sheldon or rather the genre that he had meticulously made into a best-selling series had been great.  I was a bit disappointed with this one.  Tilly Bagshawe has taken over the series from the master after his passing, and I have to say it was a great premise, but for me, it fell short in its delivery.  Smaller than the earlier books, I just kind of thought it a bit rushed in its delivery, some things weren’t described in detail as much as it had been before.  I think that fans of Sidney and his work may find it a bit different, but Tilly does a grand job of attempting to integrate his style of writing and hers into one cohesive style.  For me, I’m divided.  Although, I was excited to have a chance of reading some Sidney Sheldon style mystery/thriller/detective type book, for me it just left me going huh?at the end of it.

Tilly’s Website – Sidney’s Website – Browse Inside

 

#21 – Stray Bullets – Robert Rotenberg

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In The Guilty Plea and Old City Hall, critically-acclaimed Canadian author Robert Rotenberg created gripping page-turners that captured audiences in Canada and around the world.

Rotenberg’s bestsellers do for Toronto what Ian Rankin has done for Edinburgh and Michael Connolly for Los Angeles.

In Stray Bullets, Rotenberg takes the reader to a snowy November night. Outside a busy downtown doughnut shop, gunshots ring out and a young boy is critically hurt. Soon Detective Ari Greene is on scene. How many shots were fired? How many guns? How many witnesses?

With grieving parents and a city hungry for justice, the pressure is on to convict the man accused of this horrible crime. Against this tidal-wave of indignation, defence counsel Nancy Parish finds herself defending her oldest, and most difficult, client.

But does anyone know the whole story?

Stray Bullets is Robert Rotenberg’s third intricate mystery set on the streets and, in the courtrooms, of Toronto. – Publishers Website

I have to say Robert’s newest novel set in busy Toronto is another winner !!  It doesn’t let up, it keeps amping up, by the time you have finished the book it’s like you have gotten off a runaway train plus or minus a few details.  With Robert’s busy legal practice, I cannot fathom how he can churn out a book every year with all the edits and re-writes !! I was introduced to his work last year when The Guilty Plea came out for a blog tour along with a mini Q and A , he just keeps going and going.  His narrative is set just perfect along the storyline he is creating.  There are no awkward jumps or starts -  it is a smooth sailing as much as a murder case whodunit can be right?

I am looking forward to much more from this Canadian who continues to get my read on !! I hope you will discover him and say yes, you are a new and excited fan!!  It doesn’t hurt either that he is being compared to Ian Rankin from Scotland and Michael Connelly from California!!

Robert’s Website – Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Read an Excerpt

 

#17 – The Broken Teaglass – Emily Arsenault

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The dusty files of a venerable dictionary publisher . . . a hidden cache of coded clues . . . a story written by a phantom author . . . an unsolved murder in a gritty urban park–all collide memorably in Emily Arsenault’s magnificent debut, at once a teasing literary puzzle, an ingenious suspense novel, and an exploration of definitions: of words, of who we are, and of the stories we choose to define us.

In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editors toil away in silence, studying the English language, poring over new expressions and freshly coined words–all in preparation for the next new edition of the Samuelson Dictionary. Among them is editorial assistant Billy Webb, just out of college, struggling to stay awake and appear competent. But there are a few distractions. His intriguing coworker Mona Minot may or may not be flirting with him. And he’s starting to sense something suspicious going on beneath this company’s academic façade.

Mona has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book, The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations from it are far too long, twisting, and bizarre for any dictionary. They read like a confessional, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona ransack the office files, a chilling story begins to emerge: a story about a lonely young woman, a long-unsolved mystery, a moment of shattering violence. And as they piece together its fragments, the puzzle begins to take on bigger personal meaning for both, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other.

Charged with wit and intelligence, set against a sweetly cautious love story, The Broken Teaglass is a tale that will delight lovers of words, lovers of mysteries, and fans of smart, funny, brilliantly inventive fiction. – Publishers Website

I was really looking forward to this book, but as I got to reading it, it fell a bit flat for me.  I’m not sure if it was the relationship between Mona and Billy, or something else, it was a slow read.  It was almost as if the story was longer than it should have been.  I did finish it, just because I wanted to see how it ended.  It just felt too drawn out for me, maybe it will be different to you.  Some that I have heard about have loved it and some just didn’t like it at all.  50/50 if you ask me.

The relationship between Mona and Billy wasn’t one that was one of those relationships if you understand what I am saying either.  I was expecting some sort of romantic element from the two of them, but it didn’t really materialize.  The geek side of me really enjoyed the working in a publishing company that publishes dictionaries part though!

Emily’s Website – Facebook – Goodreads – Read an Excerpt

 

#14 – How To Cook – Delicious Dishes Perfect For Teen Cooks – DK Publishing

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A beautifully designed and practical introduction to creative cooking!

How to Cook gives teens the know-how and confidence to cook their own meals, whether for themselves or to impress friends and family. The 100 easy-to-follow recipes offer plenty of ideas to get them started. From Ginger-chicken stir-fry to scrumptious mini cheesecakes, there’s a great balance of healthy meals and treats from different countries around the world. Fascinating information on ingredients, origins, seasonality, healthy eating, and insights into food culture are spread throughout the text—so young adults are kept informed about what they’re eating, but in a light and fun way.

With this great selection of adaptable recipes, food facts, and fail-safe techniques, How to Cook will get teens creative in the kitchen, and enthusiastic about food for life. – Publishers Website

What a great book for beginning cooks! I love the setup inside of the recipes, the graphics, and some pretty swanky recipes if I do say so myself!  Gazpacho, Crepes, Samosas, Cannelloni, Puff Pastry even !!  I wish I had this book when I was a teenager !!   But all fun aside, this is a really great book to have your teens start out cooking and baking their way to becoming a pretty good cook by the time they are adults!

Everything is included, from Food Basics, Putting the Fun in to Food -  Tricks and Tips, Baking Techniques, Herbs and Spices – including 100 recipes to get them started, with really down to earth, understandable recipes, with simple instructions on how to add, sift, chop, dice and slice your way to impress even your parents!  Or even that new girl you have had a crush on forever that finally acknowledged you…hint, hint…

Now, my darling son Nick went through the book when we first received it and I thought he would want to make something hearty, since he loves anything to do with food.  When he was younger, we used to bake together and pretend we were French Chefs, and have a really corny French accent as we baked.  Well those days are g one for will forever be a memory that I will love and use as ammunition in the future.  No, I wouldn’t do that, but It makes me smile ear to ear at those times we had together.  He chose to make Ginger Cookies.  You can see the results below in the pictures we took last night.  So, if you are looking top get your kids even started on learning to cook for themselves, this is the book for you and your teenager to make new memories together !

GRAND FlAGallery WordPress plugin

Make sure that you click on the picture below to browse other books and to  enter a contest where you can win $150.00 worth of Better Living Books !! **contest ends APRIL 16th 2012**

#12 – The Look of Love – Mary Jane Clark

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A Piper Donovan Mystery – Book Two

Piper Donovan accepts when the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa and plastic surgery center, offers her an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles to create a dazzling and unique wedding cake. The job also gives Piper the time and distance she needs to sort out her feelings for handsome FBI agent Jack Lombardi.

The ultra-luxurious spa caters to the rich and famous in need of a little “refreshing”—a nip here, a tuck there, a little Botox, a little detox. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, Elysium seems picture-perfect: the grounds, the staff, even the guests. But no sooner does Piper arrive than a guest is brutally murdered in one of the private bungalows. Someone, it seems, wants to make sure Elysium’s beautiful director, Jillian Abernathy, never gets to walk down the aisle. Piper soon discovers that beneath the glamorous surface of this idyllic oasis lies an ugly truth—and a cold-blooded plan for murder. – Publishers Website

Mary Jane does it again!  With her new series, Piper is invited to create a wedding cake for Jillian Abernathy who is just as famous as her parents in the Hollywood realm.  But when someone is murdered, everyone knows they are out for Jillian, and not anyone else.  But Why?!?

I really enjoyed Mary Jane’s latest novel.  It was a quick, entertaining read with that pizzazz that she uses to keep you engrossed and entertained.  It will appeal to those who don’t like those real gritty mystery, suspense novels.  It is geared more to the younger generation of women, but male readers may enjoy, as well as the older woman who have enjoyed Mary Jane’s earlier novels.  I look forward to reading more from Mary Jane in the future!

Goodreads – Book Tour – I Interview MJC – HC Interview – Mary Jane’s Website – Facebook – Piper Donovan Facebook – Read an Excerpt

 

 

#6 – The Placebo Effect – David Rotenberg

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Decker Roberts has the dangerous gift of detecting the truth. For years this talent proved to be a lucrative sideline to his acting teaching. Only his closest friends know, and he keeps his identity secret from the companies that pay him to tell them if the people they are planning to hire are lying.

But Decker’s carefully compartmentalized life starts to fall apart. His house burns down, his credit cards are cancelled, his bank loan is called and his studio is condemned.

He realizes that he must have heard something in one of his truth telling sessions that someone didn’t want him to know.

Decker has to go on the run and figure out why he’s been targeted. There’s also a government agent hunting him who seems to know absolutely everything about Decker Roberts’ identities, real and false—and other people of “his kind.” How will Decker find out which truth is endangering his life?

Who betrayed him and revealed all his secrets? Decker needs to find answers quickly, before knowing the truth turns from a gift into a deadly curse.- Publishers Website

I really enjoyed the angle of this book.  Synesthesia is an actual phenomenon if you will, it does exist, if you happen to do a google search as I did.  My main question would be would you want to have this sort of magical super-power?  I guess it would have to be said I would love to have one, but not one that would get me into trouble for one, after all I am an angel…tee hee!  David’s writing was engrossing, informative, entertaining, and a terrific waste of time.  Just remember that this is the first in a series I believe of three books, with David giving me a bit of a scoop on the next one in a Q and A I did with him over email recently.   He just so happens to be a fellow Canadian, this isn’t his first book either.  He’s written 5 mysteries set in Modern China, as well as a best-selling historical fiction novel.  I don’t think I will have any resistance in grabbing his next novel, regardless of the setting, he sure can write !

Facebook – David’s Website – Excerpt – Reading Group Questions

Stay tuned, as I have done a Q and A with David, it will be posted right after I am done posting this review !!

#70 – A Trick Of The Light – Louise Penny

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“Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.”

But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow’s garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara’s solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light.  Where nothing is as it seems.  Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart.  And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they’ve found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.  – Publishers Website

I was/am so blown away by Louise’s writing.  With this being my first foray into the land of Louise Penny’s Detective Gamache’s Mystery/Thriller series, I was certainly not disappointed in the least.  She makes you so comfortable as you are sitting there engaged in the realm of the book – Three Pines.  The local celebrities, some famous, some just local ones as Clara has come back from Montreal from her very first art show which  received rave reviews. It is as if you are sitting in the local café eating a pastry and a café au lait, enjoying the people watching from afar.

The morning after is something else entirely – A woman’s body is found in her garden bed of bleeding hearts.  When Chief Inspector Gamache arrives to see the scene and the guests that have inhabited this small sleepy town ( the art scene usual suspects) nothing is at is seems.  As Clara and many others in the book have found out, they are also shocked about who this woman was, the history behind the woman, the relationship this woman has with the visitors – as well as Clara and her husband.  Is it simply a Trick of The Light?

I loved the pace at which she puts you at ease immediately – not too slow, not too fast.  She sets a comfortable rhythm, then as you have gotten comfortable, it is as if she literally rips the chair or rug out from under you – into this world of unknown, until the last word read; you are left out of breath, wondering, waiting for the next opportunity to be entrenched in her web of mystery, like an addict needing that next fix.  I don’t think I have ever been so entranced in a mystery / thriller like this in a long time.  But, I only found this out lately, I cannot wait until I have the chance to read her other work that has been previously published, and of course when the next one will be out in the world so I can devour it just as fast as I did this one.

It also happens that Louise is a fellow Canadian.

Excerpt – Reading Guide – print - online – Goodreads – Facebook – Blog – Website

#63 – The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer – Michelle Hodkin

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Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong. – Publishers Website

I loved this book !! Even from the description on the back page, it is THAT intriguing !! After reading it, I am speechless, it was that darn good.

Since it is a young adult title from Simon and Schuster, it will appeal to an older audience as well.  We have a teenager who is coming to terms with the death of 2 of her good friends, she moves away, and more incidents of odd happenings follow her.  She has no memory of the accident, but, as time goes by, she begins to piece things together…She is shocked, scared and doesn’t know what to do.  Until she meets a boy in her new high school who she falls for, but he has his secrets as well.

As time goes by, they are inseparable.  At the end of this book (I believe there are 2 other books being written in the series) There are more questions than answers.  Some of the answers have been taken care of,  the most serious ones…haven’t.

Michelle is a supremely talented writer, I hope that when book 2 comes out, that talent is still here ready and waiting to thrill me like the first book did.  I do get overly critical of young adult books, because of the content.  However, with this book, I threw that out with abandon and absolutely loved this book !! It has all the facets of a thrill ride you will not soon forget.  So, go and get this book !!Make sure you check out the books trailer below – AMAZING !

Michelle’s Website – Michelle’s Blog – Twitter – GoodReads – Browse Inside

#54 – The Tiger’s Wife – Tea Obreht

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In a Balkan country mending from years of conflict, Natalia, a young doctor, arrives on a mission of mercy at an orphanage by the sea.

By the time she and her lifelong friend Zóra begin to inoculate the children there, she feels age-old superstitions and secrets gathering everywhere around her. Secrets her outwardly cheerful hosts have chosen not to tell her.

Secrets involving the strange family digging for something in the surrounding vineyards. Secrets hidden in the landscape itself.

But Natalia is also confronting a private, hurtful mystery of her own: the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. After telling her grandmother that he was on his way to meet Natalia, he instead set off for a ramshackle settlement none of their family had ever heard of and died there alone. A famed physician, her grandfather must have known that he was too ill to travel. Why he left home becomes a riddle Natalia is compelled to unravel.

Grief struck and searching for clues to her grandfather’s final state of mind, she turns to the stories he told her when she was a child. On their weekly trips to the zoo he would read to her from a worn copy of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, which he carried with him everywhere; later, he told her stories of his own encounters over many years with “the deathless man,” a vagabond who claimed to be immortal and appeared never to age.

But the most extraordinary story of all is the one her grandfather never told her, the one Natalia must discover for herself. One winter during the Second World War, his childhood village was snowbound, cut off even from the encroaching German invaders but haunted by another, fierce presence: a tiger who comes ever closer under cover of darkness. “These stories,” Natalia comes to understand, “run like secret rivers through all the other stories” of her grandfather’s life. And it is ultimately within these rich, luminous narratives that she will find the answer she is looking for. – Publishers Website

I really enjoyed this book.  I originally had gotten it because it was on the long list for the Orange Prize.  I was immediately absorbed into the story within a story within a story.  Starting with the death of her grandfather, the grief, pain and questions why he went away from his home to die was the first questions on her mind.  As she travels between her job as a Doctor and locating her grandfathers belongings where he died is just at the tip of the iceberg.  Written with the grace and style of someone who is not only learned but talented, Tea does it effortlessly, and get this she is only in her mid 20′s and it is her first novel.  I cannot begin to even wait for her latest, I want it here already.  This is the book that did win the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction.  She is the youngest winner of that prize ever !!

Tea’s Website – Tea on Facebook  - Twitter

#52 – The Witch of Babylon – D. J. McIntosh

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Out of the searing heat and sandstorms of the infamous summer of 2003 in Baghdad comes The Witch of Babylon, a gripping story rooted in ancient Assyrian lore and its little-known but profound significance for the world.

John Madison is a Turkish-American art dealer raised by his much older brother, Samuel, a mover and shaker in New York’s art world. Caught between his brother’s obsession with saving a priceless relic looted from Iraq’s National Museum and a deadly game of revenge staged by his childhood friend, John must solve a puzzle to find the link between a modern-day witch and an ancient one.

Aided by Tomas, an archaeologist, and Ari, an Iraqi photojournalist—two men with their own secrets to hide—John races against time to unearth the dark history behind the old science of alchemy: Is the notion of turning lead into gold possible after all?

Against his will John is taken back to Iraq. Awaiting him is a fabulous underground treasure trove and the truth behind a famous story the world believes is only a myth. - Publishers Website

I have to admit, I really loved the suspense, the adventure, and the narrative in this book ! I literally devoured it in one sitting, one night, I could not put this book down for a moment ! This happens to be book 1 of a three book series.  I just realized that and it answers so many questions I had about the book, so I won’t bore you with them, because they will probably show up in book 2 or three of the series.  It had nagged me for a long time, now I can let it go and see if it appears in the next book, which I cannot wait to read and devour maybe just as fast as I did this one.  D.J. sends you on a thrill ride you won’t soon forget.  This book has been compared to some of Dan Brown’s work, but I wouldn’t believe it for a second.  It is much better !

The Babylon Trilogy Website – D.J. McIntosh on Facebook – Twitter

#49 – Don’t Breathe A Word – Jennifer McMahon

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On a soft summer night in Vermont, twelve-year-old Lisa went into the woods behind her house and never came out again. Before she disappeared, she told her little brother, Sam, about a door that led to a magical place where she would meet the King of the Fairies and become his queen.

Fifteen years later, Phoebe is in love with Sam, a practical, sensible man who doesn’t fear the dark and doesn’t have bad dreams—who, in fact, helps Phoebe ignore her own. But suddenly the couple is faced with a series of eerie, unexplained occurrences that challenge Sam’s hardheaded, realistic view of the world. As they question their reality, a terrible promise Sam made years ago is revealed—a promise that could destroy them all. - Publishers Website

This was an unexpected book from the publisher.  I am almost glad that I didn’t leave it on the bookcase.  From the first few pages I was taken in…In the first few hours I was engrossed in this book to the point where I swear this has NEVER happened before, but, the hair on the back of my neck started standing up.  You have to admit, that is one great book !

It flips  from past to present in the chapter set-up,  where Jenifer gives you a brief glimpse into both, then switches you away to another part.  It was creepy, it was suspenseful, it was scary!  I loved it from the beginning, and if you love books like this you will not be disappointed in the least.

Just don’t read this one on a cold dreary raining night, it will creep you out even more !

Jennifer’s Website – Reading Group Guide – Facebook – Goodreads – Twitter


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#11 – The Cypress House – Michael Koryta

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Arlen Wagner has seen it in men before–a trace of smoke in their eyes that promises imminent death. He is never wrong.

When Arlen awakens on a train one hot Florida night and sees death’s telltale sign in the eyes of his fellow passengers, he tries to warn them. Only 19-year-old Paul Brickhill believes him, and the two abandon the train, hoping to escape certain death. They continue south, but soon are stranded at the Cypress House–an isolated Gulf Coast boarding house run by the beautiful Rebecca Cady–directly in the path of an approaching hurricane.

The storm isn’t the only approaching danger, though. A much deadlier force controls the county and everyone living in it, and Arlen wants out–fast. But Paul refuses to abandon Rebecca to face the threats alone, even though Arlen’s eerie gift warns that if they stay too long they may never leave. From its chilling beginning to terrifying end. – Publishers Website

I really liked this book.  From the beginning to the end, the plot was evolving into the storm that was depicted – small at first, then ever growing in size until you were left thinking, wow!  what was that. Although, this is the first work from Michael I have read, but, it certainly won’t be the last for sure, looking forward to more of his work.

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#4 – The Lake of Dreams – Kim Edwards

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With revelations that prove as captivating as the deceptions at the heart of her bestselling phenomenon The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards now gives us the story of a woman’s homecoming, a family secret, and the old house that holds the key to the true legacy of a family.

At a crossroads in her life, Lucy Jarrett returns home from Japan, only to find herself haunted by her father’s unresolved death a decade ago. Old longings stirred up by Keegan Fall, a local glass artist who was once her passionate first love, lead her into the unexpected. Late one night, as she paces the hallways of her family’s rambling lakeside house, she discovers, locked in a window seat, a collection of objects that first appear to be useless curiosities, but soon reveal a deeper and more complex family past. As Lucy discovers and explores the traces of her lineage—from an heirloom tapestry and dusty political tracts to a web of allusions depicted in stained-glass windows throughout upstate New York—the family story she has always known is shattered, Lucy’s quest for the truth reconfigures her family’s history, links her to a unique slice of the suffragette movement, and yields dramatic insights that embolden her to live freely.  – Publisher’s Website

Another Winner ! Between her life in Japan, and her life in the US, Lucy the main character feels that there is something missing from her life.  Unanswered questions that have left her feeling incomplete.  It would make each of us think (or at least I would hope so) what is missing in our lives that is keeping us from finally being happy and feeling free.  This is the first I have read of Kim’s work and it certainly won’t be the last, fantastic book for one of those lazy days sitting inside relaxing with your favorite hot beverage watching the snow fall outside.

Penguin / Viking

Kim’s Website

The Debba – Avner Mandelman

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David is returning to Israel.  He just received word that his father was attacked in his shoe store where he makes custom shoes as well as repairs,  has died.  When he returns to the country he has known for most of his life,  given up his citizenship for because of bad memories and experiences.

There is a catch with his fathers will.

David doesn’t want to be in Israel for many reasons.  Strange things start to happen once he arrives, his bad nightmares return with force.  The history of the country he gave up on, his experiences in the Army, his father’s experiences throughout his life.

In his father’s will, there is a stipulation that David must produce a play that his father wrote which could turn violent, while dredging up a lot of the past that he has tried so hard to forget – as well as the people of his country have suffered, and of course the real reason why he is there.

I really enjoyed this novel.  In a place where so much has happened, so much conflict in the past as well as the present between the Israelites, The Jews, and the Arabs.

Avner incorporates the grim reality of living in the area, some laughter, personal reflections into a gripping suspenseful novel that will have you turning each page and devouring every word.

The Debba was long listed for the 2010 Giller Prize

Random House – Other Press

Avner’s Website

The Distant Hours – Kate Morton

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Edie works for a small publishing house in London.  After breaking up with her boyfriend and needing a new place to move into, for the meantime, her partner at work offers her his sofa until she can find a better option.

As she is at her parents house for those obligatory sunday dinners, she doesn;t tell her parents right away that she has broken up with her boyfriend and needs a new apartment.  Her mother receives a letter that was lost long ago from 1941, when she was sent to the countryside as the war started.

Meredith was staying at Milderhurst Castle, home of the author of “Mud Men” and his three daughters.  Edie loved the book as a child, who has had a long time obsession with the book.  As she is driving back from a meeting, she comes across Milderhurst Castle on her way back to London.  Memories come back to her as she sees the gates.

As present day gives way to the past, Edie makes her way to the castle, although, not in its former glory for a tour.  She has no idea what secrets are inside, the suffering all of them who live at the castle have gone through.  But as she is going through the castle itself, she can hear voices, conversations from long ago, although, the sisters now quite old say it is part of the castle, the history, all of it.

There are secrets that are about to merge the past with the present, and possibly finally laid to rest.

This is where Edie unravels her Mother’s past – her passion for writing, the things she once adored, now a distant memory, her life taken another path.

The truth lies in the distant hours, some by circumstance, haunted by memories will have you enthralled from the beginning right through to the end.

Simon and Schuster – Atria

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Kate’s Website

Hot House Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire – Margot Berwin

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Gloxinia – Love at first sight

Mexican Cycad – Plant of Immortality

Moonflower – Bringer of fertility and procreation

Sinsemiella – Plant of female sexuality

Mandrake – Plant of magic

Lilly of the Valley – Delivers life force, can replace digitalis as a medication for an ailing heart

Chicory – Plant of Freedom

Datura – Plant of mind travel and high adventures

10th Plant – has no name, but you will find out inside the book

Lila works in publicity bouncing back from a divorce.  She lives in a plain apartment, where she is recommended a Bird of Paradise plant from on of the vendors in her New York neighbourhood market.

This is where it really becomes interesting.

The man she buys the plant from, shows her a life outside people and places – plants.

She then comes across a laundromat that looks more like a garden filled with lush and vibrant plants, even grass on the floor.  It is filled with tropical and rare plants.  The owner of this place is just as quirky as his laundromat that is smack dab in the middle of the city.

He gives her a clipping of a plant that is in the window and tells her if she can get it to root, he will show her the rest of the plants he has locked away in the back of his storefront.

The legend of the nine plants supposedly brings the owner fame, fortune, immortality and passion.  They are so rare, they are worth thousands of dollars, not to mention the medicinal properties to rival anything found in today’s drugstores.

Through the city, the rainforests of Mexico Lila enters another world of shamans, spirits, animals, snake charmers and one particular sexy man, but then again it could be the plants talking.

She is forced to learn more than she’s ever wanted to know about the plants and herself on a journey of self discovery, amongst adventure, and possible death, humidity and heat in more ways than one.

Intriguing, yet mystical, a perfect novel for when one needs a bit of escapism, who are a bit skeptical, and possibly ones who have always believed.

It is the perfect book to take you away from the cold and the rain that fall and winter brings to us around this time of year alongside your favorite hot beverage being taken away to the hot and humid weather of Mexico into another world, what else could be a better remedy?

Random House – Vintage

Hot House Flowers Website

Hot House Flower Facebook page

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Readers Guide

Quickie Q and A with Author Anne Fortier

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Usually, I have more than 5 questions for an author, but as Anne travels the internet, I was asked this time to only ask a max of 5.  Plus, with all of the writing she is doing on top of her book and those edits, I can say I don’t blame her one bit!

So, welcome Anne to Serendipitous Readings,  possibly you will be interested in what I had to ask her recently and what she had to say back!

You were raised in Denmark, Immigrated to the United States, You now live in Quebec, and consider Siena your second home, are there any other places where you would like to call home?  Anyplace that you have been dying to visit yet, but haven’t had the opportunity? –    Right now I can’t imagine living anywhere other than Canada, although I always do feel very much at home both in the US and Europe. When I was younger I had a dream of trekking through the Sahara, but I’m not sure I have the courage anymore. I would love to travel in the far North, although I would rather not travel through grizzly bear territory. Maybe a cruise to Alaska …

Why a Shakespearean tale set in Italy? What was it that made you want to do historical fiction, with many different drafts of Romeo and Juliet among a present day mystery, suspense, thriller all rolled into one? -   I wish we could ask Shakespeare why so many of his plays are indeed set in Italy. There is something magical about Italy, I think, and as an author I was drawn to the idea of mentally living in that beautiful country while I wrote my story. As for the combination of many genres, well, those are the kinds of books I like to read myself. And I knew that once I embarked upon a retelling of the Romeo & Juliet-story, it had to become partly an historical novel, and then, when I introduced the treasure-hunt into the mix, it became what I would call an “adventure” novel.

What is your favorite part about the book? Was there a special item in it that have you remembering fondly to a specific day or memory? -    I have a few favorite scenes, which I very much enjoyed writing. One of them is the balcony scene with Romeo and Giulietta, where I really felt they were talking “through” me, so to speak, and another is the scene where Julie and Alessandro have a long conversation at Fontebranda. It is such a playful scene, with so much emotion rippling just beneath the surface, and it was quite difficult to keep it short, because they just kept talking and talking … Apart from that, it was always lots of fun to write Janice’s dialogue, because she is such a wild card. Overall I would say I had a rollicking good time writing the book in general, and that I would write a sequel any day.

If you could go back to the 14th century, would you, what would you do while you were there? -  Well, first of all I think I would be very unromantic and hide in a barn throughout my stay, hoping not to catch the bubonic plague or get killed by highway gangs. If I couldn’t hide, I would probably try to find Maestro Ambrogio at work on a fresco somewhere and just sit and watch him. I might also try to experience the Palio horserace, probably from a spot in Piazza del Duomo, hoping that I would be a lot taller than my medieval buddies and actually able to see the finish line. Howsoever tempted I might be to taste the local wine and food … I had probably better not.

Who are your favorite authors and why? -  I love the classic, British tone of Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, and P. G. Wodehouse; I can read those again and again, simply to enjoy their turn of phrase. For a more modern voice, but equally exquisite, I am a great fan of Sara Gruen and absolutely love her new book, “Ape House”, which made me laugh out loud many times. As far as adventure books go, I was very inspired by Katherine Neville’s classic, “The Eight”, and pretty much devoured Jane Johnson’s recent book, “The Tenth Gift”.

So, check out The Savvy Reader for all of the other Canadian Blogs she will be visiting, and if you haven’t caught my review, it is here.

Anne’s Website

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Juliet – Anne Fortier

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Of all the love stories ever told, Hers is perhaps the most famous.

To me, she is the key to my families fate.

To you, she is Juliet.

Julie Jacobs is doing her normal everyday things – working, eating, sleeping.  It is when her beloved Aunt dies and bequests a safe deposit box key in her will to her which is in Siena, Italy;  which could contain a family treasure which has been lost for decades.  She is told it could change her life forever.

Julie is drawn into the journey of one of the most famous plays ever written, and re written over time made famous by William Shakespeare, the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose love for a man named Romeo turns the medieval town on its end.

As she gathers more information,  clues, past, legend, the trail becomes treacherous and at times even deadly as she deciphers them -  clues, writings, as well as the journey to what happened so long ago which affects her life in the present day.

As well as the old curse “A Plague on both your houses” between 2 families still has its hold on each of them, until of course if she finds the treasure or dies trying.  Will she find her one true love as well?

I loved this book.  Full of present day, the past, potions, curses, medieval wedding rituals, not to mention the beautiful,  breathtaking scenery and history of Siena, Italy.

Is love strong enough to conquer even death?

For any woman who is a fan of the historical, romantic, thriller genres, you will love this novel as much as I did, possibly even more!

HarperCollins

Anne’s Website

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