Friday, May 31, 2019

#Book #Review...Damned by the Ancients By Catherine Cavendish...A #Fivestar #Goodread



INFINITY IN DEATH

Vienna, 1908


Gabriele Ziegler is a young art student who becomes infatuated with charismatic archeologist Dr. Emeryk Quintillus. Only too late does she realize his true designs on her. He is obsessed with resurrecting Cleopatra and has retained the famed artist Gustav Klimt to render Gabriele as the Queen of the Nile, using ashes from Cleopatra’s mummy mixed with the paint. The result is a lifelike portrait emitting an aura of unholy evil . . .


Vienna, 2018


The Mortimer family has moved into Quintillus’s former home, Villa Dürnstein. In its basement they find an original Klimt masterpiece—a portrait of Cleopatra art scholars never knew existed. But that’s not all that resides within the villa’s vault. Nine-year-old Heidi Mortimer tells her parents that a strange man lives there. 

Quintillus’s desire to be with Cleopatra transcends death. His spirit will not rest until he has brought her back from the netherworld. Even if he has to sacrifice the soul of a child . . .


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’


2018, Present day, a young couple, Ryan and Yvonne move in the Villa Dürnstein. One would believe this haunted house was rid of its ghostly inhabitants would be sadly mistaken. When doors are bolted and walls sealed shut, usually it is for good reason. So when Yvonne hears scratching noises coming from the kitchen wall, what on earth could it be? Rats? A larger animal? Something else not of the living, perhaps? She brings her suspicions to her husband, who quickly dismisses her notions as merely a rodent problem and promises to have an exterminator come out and take a look. Hmm, how many times have we been down this road, readers? If you’ve been following this series as I have, we know the scratching noises can only mean one thing? Dr. Quintillus is rearing his ugly century old head again. 

However, in order to truly grasp what is happening at the Villa Dürnstein, the reader must go back a hundred years or more to figure out why Quintillus refuses to let this house go! His beloved Cleopatra is always within his sights, as well as his heart, finds a new soul he can use as his vessel to bring her back to this world—Heidi, Ryan and Yvonne’s little girl. But can this be true? It’s one thing for Quintillus to take adults’ souls, but would he even dare try one so small? Well, if you know anything about Quintillus, you know he will stop at nothing, and I do mean, nothing, to bring the love of his life, Cleopatra back in his arms. Ooh, but what Quintillus didn’t count on were other Egyptian Gods to come to the rescue, or were they apart of a bigger scheme as well? 

You’ll have to read to find out. As usual, Cavendish does a great job in bringing Egyptian mythology to life among the pages. This is really a great series! I love how each novel shows you a different perspective of the Villa Dürnstein and how other characters met Quintillus along the way bringing forth a colorful tale of horror. What a great read this will be for October or whenever! Well done!




#Book #Review...Motion to Kill By Joel Goldman. . .A #Fivestar #Goodread


Richard Sullivan was at the top of his profession, a rainmaker in a powerful Kansas City law firm until his body washed up on the shores of a Missouri lake. Now questions about his death, and his life, reverberate through a firm that has more to cover up than it ever knew. Dark secrets pit partners against each other and their clients in a desperate struggle to stay alive.


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’




Corrupt law firms, attorneys, dirty clients and shady mobsters—Oh My! Answer me one question—what didn’t this novel have? What an exciting cast of characters wreaking all type of havoc on Kansas City. 

A very powerful and prominent attorney, Richard Sullivan, was found dead along the shore of a Missouri Lake. How convenient of all places for his body to come up while the law firm was trying to enjoy a relaxing weekend of golf and seminars at their retreat. The nerve of this guy to come up dead, some thought! 

Lou Mason, also an attorney working at this law firm, had too many questions and not enough answers, but one thing will become very clear to the reader, Lou was not one to mess around with. When you get right down to it, he was the man you’d want on your side. Partners were dropping dead at every turn and Lou could not figure out why? As you journey with him, it soon becomes apparent that there are some very shady dealings being dealt under the guise of “client work” being performed. Oh, to be sure, there was plenty of work being done, but none of it had to do with the law. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

I absolutely loved this book! It was Law & Order meets The Sopranos. I could one hundred percent see this as a motion picture. In fact, I’m shocked it hasn’t been contracted to be one. Lou Mason was one tough cookie! He didn’t stop until he had the answers he was seeking and he had a way of making people talk! Oh yes, this is my type of legal thriller. It gives the reader the ride of your reading life, and that’s what entertaining books are supposed to do, and this one did it! Awesome read!


#Book #Review...The Sicilian Woman's Daughter by Linda Lo Scuro..A Decent #Read



Most victims of the mafia are the Sicilians themselves. The role of women both as perpetrators and victims has been grossly overlooked. Until now.

As the daughter of Sicilian immigrants, in her teens Maria turns her back on her origins and fully embraces the English way of life. Notwithstanding her troubled and humble childhood in London, and backed up by her intelligence, beauty and sheer determination, she triumphantly works her way up to join the upper middle-class of British society.

Maria delves deeper into her mother’s family history and a murky past unravels, drawing her more and more into a mire of vendetta.


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’


This is a story told through Maria’s perspective. She takes you through her past and slowly brings you up to speed on the present. Some of Maria’s family appears to be a little envious of her, seeing as how she has a pretty decent life she lives, and it is within that time that she learns something awful from her Aunt Zia about their family. As the reader continues to follow Maria’s journey, it will become clear which side she embraces.

I must say the title of the book sounded very intriguing and I was excited to read the story, however, once I dove into the story, I found it to be a bit boring in sections and not enough character interaction. Actually, the story started out a little slow for me, and it picked up and engaged me more as the characters came into view, but I sometimes got confused as to which characters were doing what. I found that there were too many to keep up with at times. 

Overall, this wasn’t a bad read. It’s well written and engaging enough to hold a reader’s attention. 




Thursday, May 30, 2019

#Book #Review...The Sins of the Mother by Scott Pratt & Mark Stout


An Amazon Top 40 bestseller.

A killer is putting the mangled, lifeless bodies of prostitutes on display in two sleepy Northeast Tennessee towns.

The murderous spree is accelerating.

Two detectives, Lukas Miller from Johnson City and Brooke Stevens from Kingsport, have been assigned to hunt the killer down and stop him. Miller and Stevens are considered the best in their respective departments, and although they've never met, their superiors order them to work together in a coordinated effort to put an end to the violence as quickly as possible. Their reputations, and perhaps their careers, are on the line. As the body count grows, Lukas and Brooke find themselves growing more and more desperate to catch a cunning psychopath who delights in painting their terrified towns red with blood. Will Lukas and Brooke finally end the nightmare? Or will the hunters become the hunted?

"Pratt's richly developed characters are vivid and believable..." -- Publisher's Weekly


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’



I’m a huge Scott Pratt fan and haven’t given any of his books less than a stellar five stars, but I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this newest series. 

I believe this is the first installment in the series, but I’m hoping the story picks up. I found it to be very boring the first half. So much so, I ended up skipping some sections because I found the writing to be overkill and lots of filler. I can’t believe I’m even saying this about an author I respect so much. 

The characters, Lukas Miller and Brooke Stevens, are very likable, as they are trying to learn each other since being paired as partners. As they navigate their caseload and getting to know one another, dead prostitutes are popping up everywhere. And when one in particular lends itself to the cesspool, unfortunately for Miller, he has a personal connection to her. It wasn’t as if he and Brooke were dragging their feet on the case, because that wasn’t the case, but it appeared as though they were at a standstill with lackluster leads and uncooperative officials. The upper brass was literally breathing down their necks and threatening them at every turn, and no matter how hard they worked to solve this case, it just seemed like they were never getting there.

That is, until a huge break comes their way shedding some light on where they should go. I really disliked their chief because he was just an ass. He treated Miller and Stevens like they were idiots and couldn’t handle their jobs. They were doing the very best they could, but he had no time for their slow speed. Of course, the Mayor and other officials were in his behind about the mass murders and, as we all know, crap rolls downhill, but it still frustrated me as much as it did them.

Again, I’m not sure what to say about this story. It didn’t start heating up for me until about 70% of the story, and that was almost the end. I believe Pratt wrote this story with another author and knowing Pratt the way I do, I could sense the parts he wrote, which were the sections that held my interest. He just has a way of making action come alive on the page. I don’t know, it really bothers me that I didn’t like this book, but I always keep it real when I read, so for me, this one just didn’t quite do it for me. 

But I will say this, I’m going to give the series a chance. I’ll read the second one and if I feel the same way as I did with this first one, then I will leave it alone. Here’s hoping and crossing my fingers!


#Book #Review...Due Justice by Diane Capri...A #Goodread



USA Today Bestselling Author DIANE CAPRI Returns!

For fans of Lee Child, John Grisham, Jack Reacher and Michael Connelly

Introducing Judge Willa Carson - Where Justice Rules

When a famous plastic surgeon's decomposed body surfaces in Tampa Bay with a bullet in its head, Federal Judge Willa Carson's "little sister" is caught in a high-stakes game of greedy lawyers, blackmail and deceit. Fiercely independent Carly is the number one suspect. When Carly asks Willa for due justice, Willa has everything to lose. But she risks it all to uncover the conspiracy and keep Carly alive. Can Willa possibly win?

Lee Child, Sue Grafton, and John Grisham fans Margaret Maron love Diane Capri!

Grab your copy today and meet Tampa's most charismatic judge, Willa Carson!

**formerly titled Carly's Conspiracy


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’



An unidentified body! A list of suspects! One person seeking justice! Wow, we’ve got a recipe for a knockout legal thriller! Judge Willa Carson has found herself wrapped in a mangled mess of lies, deceit and murder. What Judge Carson should be doing is handling her federal cases, but her little sister, Carly, has a way of weaving her way through Willa’s heart, no matter what it is she’s done or hasn’t done. No matter how many times she’s stated she would stop ‘helping’ her sister, how can she turn her down?

Life would be so much easier if Carly came to visit Willa on better terms, such as a meeting of two sisters catching up and shooting the breeze, but instead, they find themselves sitting at Willa’s husband’s restaurant, Minaret, having lunch wherein they should be discussing how good the food was, Carly begins to spin a tale that is downright crazy. She tells her a famous plastic surgeon has been murdered. Say what? How would Carly know this? Is she involved? And if so, what the hell was she thinking? These were all the thoughts running through Willa’s mind. Not to mention, here we go again, Carly! 

As you follow the clues, it will become pretty evident that Carly really knows how to get herself deep in the mess with Willa being her shovel. Overall, this was a pretty decent legal read. Again, I felt the story was too long with unnecessary details, but it wasn’t so prevalent that it took over the storyline. I really enjoyed the story. Capri’s a pretty decent author. I would highly recommend starting the series.






#Book #Review...A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty...A #Goodread



From Christi Daugherty, author of The Echo Killing, comes another pulse-pounding suspenseful thriller featuring crime reporter Harper McClain.

For a woman, being killed by someone who claims to love her is the most ordinary murder of all.

With its antebellum houses and ancient oak trees draped in a veil of Spanish moss, Savannah’s graceful downtown is famous around the world. When a woman is killed in the heart of that affluent district, the shock is felt throughout the city. But for crime reporter Harper McClain, this story is personal. The corpse has a familiar face.

Only twenty-four years old, Naomi Scott was just getting started. A law student, tending bar to make ends meet, she wanted to change the world. Instead, her life ended in the dead of night at the hands of an unseen gunman. There are no witnesses to the crime. The police have three suspects: Scott’s boyfriend, who has a criminal past he claims he’s put behind him, her boss, who stalked another young bartender two years ago, and the district attorney’s son, who Naomi dated until their relationship ended in acrimony. All three men claim to love her. Could one of them be her killer?

With the whole city demanding answers, Harper unravels a tangled story of obsession and jealousy. But the pressures on her go beyond the murder. The newspaper is facing more layoffs. Her boss fears both their jobs are on the line. And Harper begins to realize that someone is watching her every move. Someone familiar and very dangerous.

Someone who told her to run before it’s too late…


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’



Hmm, I’m not real sure where to start with this book? I didn’t dislike the story and I didn’t like the story all rolled up into one. I’m not sure where I should start.

So…Naomi Scott was a beautiful young woman with lots of promise and hope for a bright future in the legal world, but her light was snuffed out too quickly. The beautiful Naomi finds herself sprawled out on the streets of Savannah in a heavily populated tourist area. Who on earth wanted this woman dead and why? Crime Reporter, Harper McClain, was on the case, or so I thought? She knew of Naomi and felt awful about learning of her murder, but couldn’t wait to sink her investigating chops into this case.

This is where the story gets a little muddied for me. First off, I was extremely frustrated with the way Harper was handling this case. She immediately assumed that Naomi’s ex-boyfriend was the killer. She, nor the police, didn’t feel there was anywhere else to look other than the ex. I’m sitting here reading these words and wanted to jump through the pages to slap the hell out of all of them. Why on earth would you just automatically assume that the ex was guilty? Of course, I get why he was a person of interest, but when the evidence began to go in a different direction, don’t you think as a reporter it’s your job to follow-up on all leads no matter how absurd they may seem or appear?

If Harper said it once she said it a million times that Naomi’s ex-boyfriend was it! Of course, readers, you know that isn’t the case. And when Harper receives a valid tip as to someone else that may be the culprit, right away she dismisses it—that is until things began to happen and she was forced to believe the evidence that was coming forth.

I’m sorry, but that’s frustrating to me as a reader. It’s easy to understand why you’d think one person is the guilty party, but when people are telling you to look elsewhere, or at the very least come up with evidence supporting your strong gut feeling, you’ve got to do your due diligence and investigate the clues thoroughly and I found that Harper wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer at times. I found myself getting angry as I read and that’s not the purpose of why I’m reading. I want to be entertained—not frustrated with the protagonist. 

In all fairness, though, I will say once I got past some of Harper’s silly antics and theories, I enjoyed the story. I had my suspicions as well as to the clues that were being given, but I had a feeling I was on the right track. Too bad Harper isn’t a real person because we could have worked together on this caper. (chuckle!) But at any rate, it wasn’t a bad read, however, I did find the story to drag on a little longer than I would have liked. There was great detail that I could have done away with, but that’s a personal preference of mine, certainly nothing against the author. 

Overall, I felt this was an ok story line and nice read. If you like zany characters and a southern appeal, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. 



Wednesday, May 29, 2019

#Book #Review...On Pointe, A MacLaine Girls #Novella by Shelly Ellis...A #Goodread



She’s in the mood for a little distraction . . . but will she take a chance?

Bina MacLaine is having a rough time. Still haunted by an ugly breakup that meant walking away from her fiancé and her high-rise apartment, now the dance teacher faces the possibility of losing her job, too, if her performance academy closes. When Maurice Hewett, one of her old ballet students, arrives in town, Bina sees he’s not the goofy boy she once knew—but a very handsome, very sexy grown man. She wonders if he can weave a spell that can help her forget all her woes. But can Bina let her desire take the lead without feeling like she’s robbing the cradle—and making a huge mistake?


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’



Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and throwing an iced latte on top of her fiancé’s head. Yes, Bina was all serious when it came to the art of dance, but where her heart was concerned, that was a completely different matter altogether. Bina had it all—a good man (so she thought), career and a loving mother. Well, two out of three ain’t bad. It was time for Bina to face some serious facts—she had to let go the love of her life because he couldn’t contain his love to just her. 

While Bina is licking her wounds and moving forward in life, a blast from her past comes through the doors of her mother’s dance academy—an old student she used to teach nicknamed Mo. Back in the day, Maurice Hewett was a smart eleck kid goofing off in class and trying to be the class clown. Hmm, Mo is now twenty-two, has lived a little and grown up to be a full grown man. No, Mo was not a little boy by any means and Bina couldn’t help but feel an electrical charge every time this brother came her way. 

And that, readers, is where the story begins to heat up! I have to say I really enjoyed the story. I am so not the romance reader by any means, but this was a novella and I figured a little genre change would do this reader some good and I’m glad I took a gamble on this cute story. On Pointe had all the ingredients for a romco story line. Well written and quite engaging. I’ll have to check out the rest of the series one day. If you haven’t read this, you should give it a try. It works up fast and gets right to the point, no pun intended. Happy Reading!

#Book #Review...The Birthday by Carol Wyer...#Goodread



One hot summer's afternoon, five-year-old Ava Sawyer went to a party. She never came home ...

When five-year-old Ava Sawyer goes missing from a birthday party at a local garden centre, the police are bewildered by the lack of leads. That is until two years later, when Ava's body is found and another little girl, Audrey Briggs, goes missing. Audrey also attended that party...

Leading the investigation is Detective Natalie Ward. A mother of two teenagers, this case chills her to the bone, and is a disturbing reminder of the last job she worked on. One that ended very badly.

Natalie soon discovers that Ava's mother has some worrying gaps in her alibi and as she digs deeper, she's sure Ava's father is not telling the full story. And what did the owner of the garden centre Elsa see that day? Something that she's not telling Natalie ...

Just as Natalie is facing up to the grim possibility that Ava and Audrey were killed by someone close to home, another little girl from the party doesn't come home from her ballet lesson. Can Natalie find a way to stop this killer before more innocent lives are taken?


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’


Birthday parties are so much fun, especially when you're a kid. And that held true for one birthday girl, many years ago, named Sherry. Her mother put all the fixings on Sherry for her special day. A cute yellow dress with a bow. All Sherry's friends were invited to her party, with the exception of one person in particular. This was a 'girls' party and boys weren't permitted, but that didn't stop one young lad who had fixed his sights on the cute and vibrant, Sherry.

Fast forward to the year of 2015 wherein another little girl was celebrating her birthday, just like many before her. One of the party-goers decided that being at this party wasn't a place that she wanted to be, so instead of alerting an adult that she needed to use the bathroom, she decides to be a big girl and go there by herself. That would be the last time she would be heard from again. As time marched on, a few more girls who attended that party in 2015, ended up dead as well. Who on earth was murdering children for God's sake? What was the motive behind killing little girls in particular. Hmm? Detective Natalie Ward was in a real dilemma. She had had a previous case where a child was murdered and unfortunately, it didn't end the way she would have hoped. 

Detective Ward refused to have this happen on her watch again! She and her team would stop at nothing to find out who the monster was that murdered children. And as you read, you'll soon discover that everything you thought you knew, perhaps you really don't. 

This was a pretty decent read. One thing I found extremely frustrating, though, is the story dragged on and on and could have ended chapters ago, but I suppose the author wanted to leave her readers in suspense a bit longer than I would have liked. It got to the point that I almost didn't care who did it because that mystery carrot continued to dangle and I was tired of chasing it, but having said that, Wyer is a pretty darn good writer, which kept me interested enough to find out if I was right on who the killer was? She got me for a minute, but I had the character on my list.

Overall, this was a pretty good read. It is fast-paced, but drags a bit too long in the whodunit department for my reading tastes, but it doesn't take away from a great story line and very interesting characters. I'd definitely add this book on my to-read shelf.

#Book #Review...A Killer's Alibi by William L. Myers, Jr. #Fivestar #Goodread



For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter's lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio's strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio's refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick's wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her sexually abusive father's violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene's innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene's past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters--some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can't stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’

Ooh my, my, my what a tangled legal web Myers weaved! The readers got to enjoy two legal thrillers for the price of one. As usual, Mick McFarland is called upon by an unlikely wanna-be-client, Jimmy Nunzio, better known as Jimmy Nutso and with good reason. He’s a known mob killer high up the chain and he finds himself in such a pickle, it’s definitely not kosher. He seeks out Mick’s help, and in true McFarland style, he and his law firm agree to take the gangster on. Why it came as any surprise to most that Jimmy was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, although this jar turns out to be his daughter’s boyfriend, who happens to be the son of another Godfather—whereas the police find him with the smoking gun—the knife. By all accounts, it certainly looks as though the mobster stabbed this young man to death, but did he? Mick is trying desperately to defend Jimmy, but in his true fashion, he’s giving Mick a hard way to go.

Meanwhile, Mick’s wife, Piper, and another associate, Susan, have their hands full with an innocence project trying to free Darlene Dowd and they are met with their own set of challenges trying to prove she didn’t murder her father in cold blood. It appears as though the only witness that can clear Ms. Dowd is nowhere to be found and with good reason—she’s on the run! But why? As you continue to read these two legal stories, it will become very clear that there are some shady characters trying their best to throw Mick and his legal team off the beaten path.

If you’ve been following the series, you already know that Mick doesn’t give up so easily! This was a really good story. I have to say I was a bit thrown off in the very beginning because I was trying to figure out exactly what was going on, but as I continued to read, it became crystal clear there were two stories in one and what happens as you go is electrifying! What a dynamic story line and brilliantly written by one of my favorite legal authors! If you haven’t read yet, no worries because it comes out tomorrow. Enjoy everyone! This is another hit by Myers. Simply awesome!

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

#Book #Review...Brass by Xhenet Aliu...#Goodread



A fierce debut novel about mothers and daughters, haves and have-nots, and the stark realities behind the American Dream

A waitress at the Betsy Ross Diner, Elsie hopes her nickel-and-dime tips will add up to a new life. Then she meets Bashkim, who is at once both worldly and naïve, a married man who left Albania to chase his dreams—and wound up working as a line cook in Waterbury, Connecticut. Back when the brass mills were still open, this bustling factory town drew one wave of immigrants after another. Now it’s the place they can’t seem to leave. Elsie, herself the granddaughter of Lithuanian immigrants, falls in love quickly, but when she learns that she’s pregnant, Elsie can’t help wondering where Bashkim’s heart really lies, and what he’ll do about the wife he left behind.

Seventeen years later, headstrong and independent Luljeta receives a rejection letter from NYU and her first-ever suspension from school on the same day. Instead of striking out on her own in Manhattan, she’s stuck in Connecticut with her mother, Elsie—a fate she refuses to accept. Wondering if the key to her future is unlocking the secrets of the past, Lulu decides to find out what exactly her mother has been hiding about the father she never knew. As she soon discovers, the truth is closer than she ever imagined.

Told in equally gripping parallel narratives with biting wit and grace, Brass announces a fearless new voice with a timely, tender, and quintessentially American story.


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’
The prose written between mother and daughter where their voices are almost an exact match, proved to be quite eloquently told. In society, it is always quoted, “like father, like son,” well, I’d like to challenge that and say the same for this mother/daughter duo. Young Elsie is working hard on the American dream, to get enough tips so she can get the hell out of her boring town and begin anew. Of course, where there are dreams are often monkey wrenches thrown in the mix and this story was no different. Elsie meets Bashkim and falls head over heels in love. Normally, that wouldn’t be an issue, but unfortunately for her, Bashkim is already married. His wife was a distant memory from Albania. Baskhim’s hopes of starting a new life in America and chasing away his nightmare of life back in Albania.

As Elsie and Bashkim continue to get closer, Elsie finds herself in the family way. Not only does she feel guilty for sleeping with a married man, no matter how much he professes that he’s where he wants to be, now she’s expecting his child. What she wants to know is where his heart lies? 

Many years later, Luljeta, a product of the union of Elsie and Bashkim, finds herself in high school ready to embark on college life soon enough, only to find out that she did not make it into NYU. And, to make matters worse, she finds herself sitting before the principal because of an unfortunate incident she got into with another student. Luljeta is quickly learning new things about herself, and one of them is finding her voice and not apologizing for the way she thinks and feels. Her mother has instilled in her that her father, Bashkim, is basically a bum that wants nothing to do with them, but Luljeta is very inquisitive and decides to find out exactly what happened between her mother and he. 


As the reader continues to venture down this story, it will become apparent that life doesn’t always go quite the way we plan, as if anyone living hasn’t figured that out by now. I truly enjoyed this story. I must say it was a little too wordy for me in the beginning and a bit slow, but once I got the rhythm of the story, I couldn’t get enough between these two. It’s funny how you may find yourself vowing to never turn out like your parents, and that’s the very person you end up becoming. I suppose the joke is on us kids. This was a great story and mesmerizing read. Enjoy!

#Book #Review...The Silent Sister by Shalini Boland...#Goodread

‘You don't deserve a sister…’ 

When Lizzy Beresford discovers a threatening letter addressed to her, the words on the old, tattered paper chill her to the bone. But who sent it? Living in pretty cottage in a quiet country village, Lizzy’s never made any enemies in her life… 

Except her sister. 

Lizzy hasn’t spoken to Emma in years. Not since the argument which tore their relationship apart. Would her sister really want to cause her harm after all this time? 

As Lizzy receives more disturbing messages, she begins to doubt those closest to her – her boyfriend, her best friend, her neighbours. 

Because the mystery sender seems to know everything about her. And after a series of malicious incidents, it’s clear they won’t stop until they’ve destroyed her life. 

Lizzy knows she must confront her sister. But can she trust her? And will she realise the shocking truth, before it’s too late? 


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’


What would drive two sisters to stop speaking to each other? Why would Lizzy cast her big sister, Emma, to the side for so many years? A man, of course, what else! But the biggest mystery of them all would be the letter Lizzy’s cat, Frank, discovered in between the floor boards. A letter addressed to her on the same day the cat found it, but how could that be? Try as she might to ignore the strange occurrence, Lizzy went about her day working in a boutique hoping to delve so hard into work that she’d forget the whole letter incident. That is, until another letter popped up on her doormat. Who is sending her these letters and why?

Lizzy became so obsessed with these letters that she had to get law enforcement involved. They came out to access the situation and gave her an incident number and went on their way. Joe, Lizzy’s boyfriend, became overly possessive trying to look out for her, while her mind began racing all over the place, to the point, it was driving me crazy with all the worrying thoughts. Needless to say, Lizzy’s character was a bit naïve and a little goofy. 

This was a fast-paced read, as all of Boland’s novels are, but I must say, Lizzy was a bit ditzy if you ask me. She didn’t seem to handle her circumstances responsibly and it made me begin to dislike her a little bit, but not so much that I’d stop reading. The story was a damn good one! I couldn’t wait to find out if what I had figured out in the beginning was true in the end? Well, in true fashion by Boland, she didn’t let me down with that ending. OMG, I figured the story out, or so I thought? Damn!!!!! She did it again! I’m like you’ve got to be kidding me? This is what I love about Boland’s writing. You just never know where she’s going to take you. She will guide you down one path or many, and you think you’ve figured it out, and then you feast your eyes on the last page, or perhaps a chapter before the ending, and get bitch slapped with the outcome! I absolutely loved this book! Boland, you’ve done it again, girl. I love you for that! Outstanding read—quick workup and will not take you long to get through. And I guarantee you, you will not see the ending coming! Nope, you’ll be hard pressed to try.





#Book #Review...The Burglar by Thomas Perry

From Thomas Perry comes a new thriller about an unlikely burglar--a young woman in her 20s--who realizes she must solve a string of murders, or else become the next victim 

Elle Stowell is a young woman with an unconventional profession: burglary. But Elle is no petty thief--with just the right combination of smarts, looks, and skills, she can easily stroll through ritzy Bel Air neighborhoods and pick out the perfect home for plucking the most valuable items. This is how Elle has always gotten by--she is good at it, and she thrives on the thrill. But after stumbling upon a grisly triple homicide while stealing from the home of a wealthy art dealer, Elle discovers that she is no longer the only one sneaking around. Somebody is searching for her.

As Elle realizes that her knowledge of the high-profile murder has made her a target, she races to solve the case before becoming the next casualty, using her breaking-and-entering skills to uncover the truth about exactly who the victims were and why someone might have wanted them dead. With high-stakes action and shocking revelations, The Burglar will keep readers on the edge of their seats as they barrel towards the heart-racing conclusion.


The Sexy Nerd ‘Revue’

I’m a little on the fence with this story. I didn’t dislike the story and I didn’t like it—if that makes any kind of sense? 

Let’s start with what I liked about the story. Elle Stowell certainly wasn’t your average run-of-the-mill thief. Elle had some boss ass skills to say the least. Balancing scaffolding like a true gymnast to landing on her feet as quietly as a cat, her skills were masterful which made her being a burglar a true destiny. Unfortunately, that’s not an occupation anyone should aspire to be, but Elle came into the profession like a trooper and some unfortunate circumstances that helped catapult her to this level. 

On one of her heists, she got a whole lot more than what she bargained for—three dead bodies shot execution style lined together in a row. Hmm, immediately Elle knew this wasn’t what she was expecting. To steal money and jewelry is one thing, but dead bodies, that’s a completely different matter altogether. It was then that she realized a camera was standing at attention on a tripod. Uh-oh! Was she on the camera? Was someone watching these dead bodies? And if so, what purpose would it serve? To Elle’s knowledge, dead bodies certainly didn’t get up and walk around—this was not that kind of story. So, what was she to do? You’ll have to read the story to find out the rest. And if you think that sounds exciting, you’d be correct, except the story fell completely flat and that’s why I’m on the fence.

For one thing, Perry did an exceptional job detailing Elle’s skills and level of intelligence, but after the first and second robbery, I didn’t find it necessary to continue explaining that to the reader. The details became somewhat overkill and that drove me a little crazy. And not only the detail of Elle’s situation, but the area of Los Angeles. If you didn’t know much about the lay of the land, when you finish this book, you most certainly will. It was like the reader was following a GPS of everything Elle was doing and that agitated me tremendously. I don’t need to know every direction a character is driving or landmarks and things the character is seeing. That’s doing way too much and that got on my nerves to the point I began losing interest in the story because it was more of the same. I also felt there were a few continuity issues wherein Elle was doing one thing and then the story jumped to something else. Or characters were introduced that didn’t make much sense to the story at that particular time.

So, readers, now you understand my dilemma. I really did enjoy the story as a whole. It had some really great moments, but with the detail it grated a little on my nerve. This is the first time I read Perry’s work, but I wasn’t overly excited as I thought I’d be, which is unfortunate. 

The Burglar isn’t a bad read. It is very well written and if you’re the type of reader who enjoys a very detail-oriented story, you’ll most definitely enjoy this novel.