CROOKED LITTLE LIES by Barbara Taylor Sissel
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: August 1, 2015
ISBN-10: 1503944840
ISBN-13: 978-1503944848
ASIN: B00TJ4XMJO
Pages: 391
Review Copy From: Personal purchase
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis: (via GR)
On a cool October morning, Lauren Wilder is shaken when she comes close to striking Bo Laughlin with her car as he’s walking along the road’s edge. A young man well known in their small town of Hardys Walk, Texas, Bo seems fine, even if Lauren’s intuition says otherwise. Since the accident two years ago that left her brain in a fragile state, she can’t trust her own instincts—and neither can her family. Then Bo vanishes, and as the search for him ensues, the police question whether she’s responsible. Lauren is terrified, not of what she remembers but of what she doesn’t.
Unable to trust herself and unwilling to trust anyone else, Lauren begins her own investigation into the mystery of Bo’s disappearance. But the truth can prove to be as shocking as any lie, and as Lauren exposes each one, from her family, from her friends, she isn’t the only one who will face heart-stopping repercussions.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
Another great read from Ms. Sissel!!
I will admit I have become a fan of her books, having read her previous novels, The Ninth Step, Safe Keeping, The Volunteer and Evidence of Life. And her latest book, Crooked Little Lies did not disappoint.
As in all of her books, she weaves and interweaves story lines and relatable characters to a climax that I still have yet to unfold on my own. She, once again, delivers a page turning experience for the reader.
I highly recommend Crooked Little Lies!

THE TEST by John Lansing
Published by: Tatra Press
Publication Date: November 1, 2014
ASIN: B00ON4JH2Q
Pages: 29
Review Copy from: Author
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis:
A coming-of-age story set in 1950s, small-town Long Island, at time when suburban America is about to undergo seismic societal changes. With this backdrop, a teenage boy falls in love with one of the town’s few black girls, a relationship that has repercussions leading to permanent transformations for the couple–and for the town.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
I became of fan of John Lansing’s after reading his suspense novel BLOND CARGO so was a bit apprehensive when I was asked to review his general fiction novelette THE TEST. Was I disappointed or happily surprised?

THE TEST is a story of a young, innocent and very naive young man growing up in a culture that was yet to be accepting of integration. Jack Morgan returns to his hometown of Baldwin, NY to sell his boyhood home after the death of his parents. Returning, even after 50 years, has brought back memories of his first love.

Even though the story is just 26 pages long, the emotions and feelings were vividly felt by this reader. The setting easily created due to the extraordinary writing ability of this author. I am always amazed when a short story can evoke such feeling and so much detail that the reader can connect with the characters. And then to have an ending that I didn’t see coming.

Now to answer my question..disappointed or surprisingly pleased? The answer is…Absolutely pleased!!!  I knew when I read BLOND CARGO and put Mr. Lansing on my “authors to read list”, he was a damn good writer. And with THE TEST, he is definitely staying on that list!! Highly recommend!!!.

Purchase Links:  

John Lansing started his career as an actor in New York City. He spent a year at the Royale Theatre playing the lead in the Broadway production of “Grease.” He then landed a co-starring role in George Lucas’ “More American Graffiti,” and guest-starred on numerous television shows. During his fifteen-year writing career, Lansing wrote and produced “Walker Texas Ranger,” co-wrote two CBS Movies of the Week, and he also co-executive produced the ABC series “Scoundrels.” John’s first book was “Good Cop, Bad Money,” a true crime tome with former NYPD Inspector Glen Morisano. “The Devil’s Necktie” was his first novel. “Blond Cargo” is the next book in the Jack Bertolino series. A native of Long Island, John now resides in Los Angeles.

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BLOND CARGO by John Lansing
Published by Karen Hunter/Simon&Schuster
Publication Date: October 20, 2014
ISBN:13-9781476795515
Pages: 355
Review request via PICT/Pub
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (borrowed from GR):
Jack Bertolino is back… in the sequel to John Lansing’s, Barnes & Noble bestseller, “The Devil’s Necktie.”
Jack’s son, Chris, was the victim of a brutal murder attempt and Vincent Cardona, a mafia boss, provided information that helped Jack take down the perpetrator of the crime. Jack accepted the favor knowing there’d be blowback. In “Blond Cargo,” the mobster’s daughter has gone missing and Cardona turned in his chit. Jack discovers that the young, blond, mafia princess has been kidnapped and imprisoned while rich, politically connected men negotiate her value as a sex slave. John Lansing taps into the real life world of cops, crime, drugs and murder to deliver another sizzling whodunit.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
When I first read the synopsis of this book, like you might just have done, the word sequel stood out to me. But since the story sounded like something I would enjoy, I hoped that it was a book that the author would enlighten the reader of info from the first book when needed and he did. I never felt that I was “lost”

Words that came to mind while reading BLOND CARGO: excitement, non-stop action, adrenaline pumping, page turning adventure, heart pounding pace, and sometimes even a bit of humor.

Jack Bertolino, former LAPD and now PI is “paying back a favor” for mobster Vincent Cardona, to find his missing daughter. But it’s not your average “missing person” case. Drugs, Sex trade, Mafia, Family, Children, Relationships, Exes, Contract hits, Action packed.

This was the first time I read anything by this author and I was hooked by the first chapter. By the third chapter, because of his amazing ability with the written word, my visual creation and the adrenaline that was pumping faster than my eyes could absorb, until the final page, Mr. Lansing was added to my “authors to read” list. I will definitely be picking up the first in this series, THE DEVIL’S NECKTIE and hopefully there is a 3rd.

Do I recommend this author and/or this book? If you like action? Then the answer is absolutely!!

WELCOME Alan Brenham

Alan Brenham

Alan Behr served as a law enforcement officer and criminal investigator for seventeen years before earning a law degree from Baylor University. After obtaining his law license, he worked as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney for twenty-two years. His personal and official travels took him to several European and Middle Eastern countries, Alaska and almost every island in the Caribbean. He has lived in Berlin, Germany while working with US military forces. After retiring from government service, he has authored two crime novels – Price of Justice and Cornered – under the pen name of Alan Brenham. He is presently working on two more novels. Alan and his wife, Lillian, currently live in the Austin, Texas area.

Connect with Alan Brenham:

Q&A with Alan Brenham

Writing and Reading:

Do you draw from personal experiences and/or current events?

I actually draw from both. Plot ideas are derived from current events and cases worked as a police officer. Use of current events such as human trafficking in my novel Cornered, or crimes against children and parental revenge as in my other novel Price of Justice, makes the plot more believable to readers. Hopefully, this raises questions for the reader to ponder, such as, what would I do if that happened to me or a member of my family.

Do you start with the conclusion and plot in reverse or start from the beginning and see where the story line brings you?

When I first began writing fiction, my starting point was always the beginning. In life, everything starts at the beginning. How it all ends will be a surprise. Why should a fictional story be any different? But for me, the result ended up being a quagmire or nightmare of disconnected scenes and character story lines. In short, it lacked a smooth flow.
But time and experience plus a lot of reading of other author’s novels, made me realize my style needed a drastic change. Now, it’s conclusion first but I don’t then do the plot in reverse. Once I’m satisfied with where and how the story will finish, I’ll frame the beginning – usually right in the middle of some major event. With a likeable beginning and ending in place – a framework, the story with its subtle clues and foreshadowing is easier to write.

Your routine when writing? Any idiosyncrasies?

I work from a home office. Armed with cups of coffee, I’ll start the day by re-reading the last scene written the day before so as to refresh my recollection. Then the typing begins. While I type, I love to listen to German polka music or instrumentals of my favorite tunes from days gone by. It also masks distracting sounds from the lawn care crew.

Is writing your full time job? If not, may I ask what you do by day?

It is. Having retired from government service, I spend my time either writing the next novel or reading/studying how other authors did it. Occasionally I have to pause and submit/answer emails or phone calls from other attorneys or police associates about various topics – some related to my writing and some not.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

This is a difficult question. A year or so ago, I’d have said it was Michael Connelly, John Sandford, and J.A. Jance. Now, having expanded my reading list to include many more authors, I’d list three – Michael McGarrity with his vivid descriptions of settings in New Mexico for his protagonist, Kevin Kearney; James Hayman with his “can’t put it down” stories about his co-protagonists McCabe and Savage; and Meg Gardiner, not only because she’s from Austin but for her full 3-dimensional descriptions of her novels’ characters.

What are you reading now?

I deviated from my favorites to read the next two books in my Nook’s queue – Class Dismissed by Mark Petry, and The Psalmist by James Lilliefors. I selected them because Mark’s a fellow author with the same publisher as me – it’s a way of supporting him plus he writes an interesting novel. Lilliefors is an author I know little about. I read the blurb about this book while searching for a crime novel to read/study.

Are you working on your next novel? Can you tell us a little about it?

Right now, I’m in the middle of finishing the third revision of Rampage, the sequel to Price of Justice. It follows Detective Scarsdale and his new partner, Tatum Harper, as they try to identify and catch a killer. The book uses themes of temptation, trust, and redemption.

In the wings, with an outline and the first two chapters written, is a stand-alone mystery-thriller about an assistant district attorney who finds the dark side just as enticing as the law.

Fun questions:

Your novel will be a movie. Who would you cast?

Believe it or not, when I start a new novel, I cast the characters so I can visualize them while I’m writing about them. That said, for my novel Cornered, Christian Bale would be my choice for the role of Detective Matt Brady; Sarah Jones is the perfect actress for the role of Dr. Tracy Rogers; Cassidy Freeman possesses the same snarky smile as Brady’s ex-girlfriend, Cassandra. The bad guys, Weaver and Chiles, would be played by Michael Rooker and Michael Mando, respectively.

Manuscript/Notes: handwritten or keyboard?

My manuscript is always, always done by keyboard. If I (a hunt and peck typist) had to write it by hand or on a conventional typewriter, it’d take me forever to get it done. But my notes and those 3AM epiphanies are all scribblings put on notepads my wife leaves in strategic spots around the house.

Favorite leisure activity/hobby?

My favorite activity is dating my wife. She’s a beautiful woman whose patience with me obviously knows no limits. My next favorite activity is watching pro and college football games. Aside from football, I have several favorite TV shows – The Originals, The Last Ship, Under the Dome, Motive, Murder in the First, and Bitten.

Favorite meal?

My wife says I’m an easy mark for a homemade chocolate chip cookie. Like a dog doing tricks for a dog biscuit.

ABOUT Cornered

He’s haunted by the memory of a kidnapping case gone wrong…

Not wanting history to repeat itself, Detective Matt Brady struggles to solve the disappearances of seven young women, but he quickly finds himself pitted against a criminal organization that knows as much about police procedure as he does—an organization that will do whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of him. His troubles are compounded when a young veterinarian injects herself into the investigation and is targeted to become victim number eight. When he tries to protect her, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a professional cop killer. Can Brady solve the case in time to save his new love, or will this investigation be the death of both of them?

BOOK DETAILS:

Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher: Black Opal Books
Publication Date: July 19, 2014
ISBN-13: 9781626941380/9781626941373

PURCHASE LINKS:

Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf
Published by Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: June 24, 2014
ISBN-10: 0778316335
ISBN-13: 978-0778316336
Pages: 320
Review copy from: Harlequin
Edition: TPB
My Rating: 5

Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Published by St., Martin’s Press
Publication Date:
ISBN-10: 1250010691
ISBN13: 9781250010698
Pages: 368
Review copy from: Personal purchase
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (via GR):
Bestselling author Diane Chamberlain delivers a breakout book about a small southern town fifty years ago, and the darkest—and most hopeful—places in the human heart

After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm. As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.

When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County’s newest social worker, she doesn’t realize just how much her help is needed. She quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients’ lives, causing tension with her boss and her new husband. But as Jane is drawn in by the Hart women, she begins to discover the secrets of the small farm—secrets much darker than she would have guessed. Soon, she must decide whether to take drastic action to help them, or risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.

Set in rural Grace County, North Carolina in a time of state-mandated sterilizations and racial tension, Necessary Lies tells the story of these two young women, seemingly worlds apart, but both haunted by tragedy. Jane and Ivy are thrown together and must ask themselves: how can you know what you believe is right, when everyone is telling you it’s wrong?

My Thoughts and Opinion:

I have been a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain since 2010 when I first read one of her books, The Lies We Told and then subsequent books, The Midwife’s Confession and The Good Father. My husband and I visit our favorite vacation destination, Aruba, every year and it is a tradition that one of my beach reads is a Diane Chamberlain novel. We didn’t go this year, because of my recent surgery, but I still had to read her newest book, Necessary Lies.

It is 1960, as the synopsis states, in the tobacco fields of Raleigh, North Carolina. We are introduced to the Hart girls, the Jordan family and the Gardiners, owners of the plantation. We also meet Jane Forrester, a newly graduated social worker who has a huge heart, believes in principal, and truth, and with her first job, it may become her last. One thing she wasn’t familiar with was the Eugenics Program, one that the state could decide on sterilizations for those that tested with a low IQ, had epilepsy, or mental illness without consent of said candidate. Could Jane make that hard decision?

The cast of characters were believable. The setting was described brilliantly so that I could visualize something that I have never seen. Weaving within the story, a horrific true part of American history. This was the first I knew of this program, and can honestly say, was appalled.

Ms. Chamberlain, once again, intertwines a cultural situation with life like characters that had this reader, once again, turning the pages of a phenomenal book. I will be pre ordering her next novel, The Silent Sister, publication date, Oct. 7th 2014. I suggest you order your’s too!!

Highly recommend, not only this read, but any of Ms. Chamberlain’s works!!

Eyes Closed Tight by Peter Leonard
Published by The Story Plant
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN-10: 1611881145
ISBN-13: 978-1611881141
Pages: 276
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: TPB
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (via Amazon):
O’Clair is a former Detroit homicide investigator who now owns a motel in Pompano Beach, Florida in his retirement. He runs the place with his much younger girlfriend, Virginia, who’s a knockout and can fix anything. One morning, he’s cleaning up after the previous night’s partiers when he sees a lovely young woman stretched out asleep on a lounge chair. He shakes her gently. Then he touches her neck and feels for a pulse. There isn’t one. Her skin is cold, body starting to stiffen, definitely in the early stages of rigor.

When a second girl is murdered, O’Clair knows someone is trying to send him a message. The way the girls are killed reminds O’Clair of a case he investigated years earlier. Now convinced the Pompano murders are related, O’Clair returns to Detroit Police Homicide to review the murder file and try to figure out what he might have missed.

And when Virginia is kidnapped by the killer, the stakes grow exponentially higher.

The most powerful work to date by one of the most thrilling suspense novelists of our time, EYES CLOSED TIGHT is relentless, surprising, and deeply satisfying.

My Thoughts and Opinion:

An author once told me that a reader had to be “hooked” by page 5 but Peter Leonard has the brilliant ability to grab the reader within the first few paragraphs and never lets go.  The suspense was constant and the action nonstop the entire book.  The author takes the reader on an incredible heart pounding roller coaster ride.  The number of twists and turns were extraordinary.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

What It Was Like by Peter Seth
Published by The Story Plant
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
ISBN-10: 1611881900
ISBN-13: 978-1611881905
Pages: 464
Review Copy from: The Story Plant
Edition: TPB
My Rating: 5+

Synopsis( via Amazon):
“It’s really a very simple story. What happened was this: I met this girl and did a very stupid thing. I fell in love. Hard. I know that to some people that makes me an idiot and a loser. What can I say? They’re right. I did some extremely foolish things; I’m the first to say it. And they’ve left me in jail and alone.”

So begins one of the most compelling, emotionally charged, and affecting novels you are likely to read this year.

It is the summer of 1968 and a young man takes a job at a camp in upstate New York before starting his first semester at Columbia University. There, he meets Rachel Price, a fellow counselor who is as beautiful as she is haunted. Their romance will burn with a passion neither of them has ever known before…a passion with the power to destroy.

In the tradition of Endless Love and Gone Girl, What it was Like is an intimate, raw, and revealing journey through the landscape of all-consuming love. It announces the debut of a remarkable storyteller.

My Thoughts and Opinion:

WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!!

It has been a few days since I read the last word and closed the back cover, before putting my thoughts in writing, because it took me some time to process and reflect on what I had just finished reading.

From reading the back cover/synopsis and previous reviews, I knew that somewhere in these pages, an outcome was going to be tragic. And a love story was to be told.

But before I go any further, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, I am a member of The Story Plant’s Spread the Word Initiative, with a little tease “It’s both romantic and suspenseful, but it’s not romantic suspense.” However, please know, I was asked, in return for this copy, I would provide an honest review, which I will.

Did I say WOW??!! I still don’t know where to start with this review because my head is still reeling.

It is a story of, to name a few elements, a first love, obsession, manipulation, parental love, friendships, boundaries, unconditional love and one life changing decision. Characters and settings will touch every reader and will evoke memories and emotions as one turns the pages. Gripping!! A page turner!!

I could not put this book down, reading into the early hours. Riveting!! And when I read the last word I was astounded. Is what I just read a fictional novel? Or was it based on truth? Was it an autobiography? Or is this debut author a masterful, first-rate storyteller that has my head reeling still? Outstanding!!

My prediction…in the coming days, weeks, months, this book will become a bestseller!!! And Peter Seth will be a familiar name in the literary world!! An extraordinary read!!! Bravo Mr. Seth!! And kudos to publisher, Lou Aronica, for discovering this brilliant author!!

I am definitely spreading the word on this book, and I’m sure, once you read it, you will be doing the same!!!