The Serpent’s Bite by Warren Adler
Published by Stonehouse Press
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
ISBN-10: 159006044X
ISBN-13: 978-1590060445
Pages: 320
Review Copy from: Media Connect
A Division of Finn Partners
Edition: ARC HC
My Rating: 3

Synopsis (from IndieBound):
“How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child”
-“King Lear,” William Shakespeare
This famed quote by William Shakespeare finds its modern meaning in this taut, fast-paced, remarkable novel by renowned author Warren Adler. “The Serpent’s Bite” will take you on a frightening horse trek through the far reaches of the Yellowstone wilderness that turns a father’s quest to deal with parental guilt and reunite with his two adult children into a nightmare of lust, betrayal, entrapment, and death. Beyond the revelations of dark family secrets, readers will discover how an obsession for celebrity and blind ambition can distort familial love and turn a beloved child into a grotesque monster. Courtney Temple is sure to be judged as one of those most evil women in fiction, alongside the likes of Lady Macbeth, Medea, and the Wicked Witch of the West. Adler’s latest novel takes its place next to the iconic “The War of the Roses,” in which the author exposed the true nature of marital dysfunction.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
My favorite genre, for as long as I can remember, has always been suspense and mystery. But lately it has expanded and I enjoy reading a novel full of relationship dynamics. So when the call went out to read and review this book, I responded since it had all the elements.

The book is gripping with suspense that kept me turning the pages as the Temple family embark on an adventure through the trails of Yellowstone National Park, in hopes of mending a family that has been estranged for the past 4 years. Will this reenactment of the same trip 20 years prior trigger good memories and heal this broken family?

The cast members are believable and life like but definitely not likable, in my opinion. As the story progresses, the reader is introduced little by little of the personal traits of each of the 5 main characters, which included the father, son, daughter, the tour guide and his assistant. The flaws in the characters are profound and complex. And immoral.

Even though there was a topic that I personally, and again this is only my opinion, found quite distasteful and hard to read at times due to the graphic details, I still found myself wanting to read more about this group of players. The depiction of each character made it easy to visualize them. The manner in which the scenery was described made it possible to create the imagery portrayed.

I had a difficult time trying to rate this book because of my personal feelings in regard to, in what I found to be a very disturbing matter in the story line. But on the other hand, the suspense, the overall plot, the way it was written, and yes, even the make up of the protagonists, held my attention to the very last word. An ending that was quite surprising.

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.

Twelve Months by Steven Manchester
Published by: The Story Plant
Publication Date: August 14, 2012
ISBN-10: 161188053X
ISBN-13: 978-1611880533
Pages: 326
Review Copy from: The Story Plant(Spread The Word Initiative) NetGalley
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis from Amazon:
Don DiMarco has a very good life – a family he loves, a comfortable lifestyle, passions and interests that keep him amused. He also thought he had time, but that turned out not to be the case. Faced with news that might have immediately felled most, Don now wonders if he has time enough. Time enough to show his wife the romance he didn’t always lavish on her. Time enough to live out his most ambitious fantasies. Time enough to close the circle on some of his most aching unresolved relationships. Summoning an inner strength he barely realized he possessed, Don sets off to prove that twelve months is time enough to live a life in full.

A glorious celebration of each and every moment that we’re given here on Earth, as well as the eternal bonds that we all share, TWELVE MONTHS is a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
WOW!!!! Warning: this review will be different and lengthy than most of my reviews, because there is just so much to say about this novel.

The Line Between Here And Gone by Andrea Kane
Published by: Harlequin MIRA
Publication Date: June 26, 2012
ISBN-10: 0778313379
ISBN-13: 978-0778313373
Pages: 400
Review Copy from: Meryl L. Moss Media(The Book Trib)
Edition:  ARC TPB
My Rating: 4

Synopsis (from author’s website):
Each day is a struggle for Amanda Gleason’s newborn son as he battles a rare immune deficiency. Justin’s best chance for a cure lies with his father, who was brutally murdered before Amanda even realized she carried his child.
Or was he?
One emailed photo changes everything, planting a seed of doubt that Amanda latches onto for dear life: a recent photo of a man who looks exactly like Paul. Could Justin’s father be alive? The mother in her is desperate to find out. But tracking down a ghost when every second counts is not for amateurs.
Forensic Instincts is the one team up for the challenge.
A behaviorist. A former Navy SEAL. A techno-wizard. An intuitive. A retired FBI agent. A human scent evidence dog. Together, they achieve the impossible, pushing ethical and legal boundaries whenever the ends justify the means.
The manhunt is on for the elusive father. Yet the further the team digs into Paul’s past, the more questions are raised about whether the man Amanda fell in love with ever really existed at all.
Dark secrets. Carefully crafted lies. From the Congressional halls of Washington D.C. to exclusive Hamptons manors, there are ruthless people who would stop at nothing to make Forensic Instincts forget about the man Amanda desperately needs to find.
Little do they realize that once Forensic Instincts takes the case, nothing will stop them from uncovering the shocking truth that transcends The Line Between Here and Gone.
My Thoughts and Opinion: Four hundred pages that is packed with a fast paced “ticking time bomb” plot and twists and turns throughout. The book pulled me in right from the start with the introduction of Justin, a newborn who is fighting for his life in the hospital’s pediatric bone marrow transplant unit. From there the reader is presented with a fairly large amount of characters. However, the author does a superb job of allowing the reader to not become overwhelmed and keeping the characters straight and creating the imagery in one’s mind, due to the uniqueness of each person and their role in the storyline. The descriptions and details of the suspenseful plot start off slowly and builds to a crescendo within the first quarter of the book and the intensity doesn’t let go until the last page is read. After reaching a certain point in the book, I could NOT put it down and had to finish reading it. The author pulls the tale and characters together in a culmination that the reader does not see coming. The fictional team of Forensic Instincts, was introduced in the book The Girl Who Disappeared Twice, which I plan on purchasing, but this book could be and was read as a stand alone novel.  Even though it is 400 pages, once the action reaches a certain level, it is a definite page turner. Highly recommend!!

(2012 Challenges: FreeReads, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore by Barbara Conelli
Published by: Flagrans Press
Publication Date: April 30, 2012
ISBN-10: 0982600437
ISBN-13: 978-0982600436
Pages: 158
Review Copy from: WOW
Edition: Kindle
My Rating: 3

Synopsis:
When we talk about “the city of love”, most of us immediately think of Paris, Venice, Rome or another famous metropolis whose romantic stories we know from movies and novels. But to Barbara Conelli, none of them are the real city of love. To the author, love doesn’t mean passionate gestures, big promises of eternal devotion, ardent embraces, torrid kisses, or stormy arguments followed by even stormier reconciliations.

To the author, love means something completely different and much simpler.
The smell of morning cappuccino and fresh pannetone at Pasticceria Marchesi. A
brisk stroll through the awakening city and sensual curves of gold shadows on the wet paving of Via della Spiga. Joyful shouts of bohemian artists and their graceful muses at Fornace Curti. A crispy panzerotto savored in the company of cantankerous pigeons on the piazzetta of San Fedele. Old furniture stores in narrow streets and adorable trinkets she can never resist. The tinkling of a tram from 1929 with uncomfortable wooden seats and a hundred-year-old conductor. Sublime flamingos and peevish peacocks in an emerald-green garden that has never been owned by anyone. Remote nooks and crannies whose secrets have been revealed only to her and the few ghosts with aristocratic hearts who appear in them from time to time. Visionary dreams, inextinguishable hopes, the desire to live, the courage to create, the strength to grow.

To the author, love means all this and much more. This and much more is
what she receives from the city that makes you fall in love a hundred times a day,
breaking your heart over and over again, only to make it beat faster five minutes
later. Milan. Barbara’s city of love. The city she has adored since the year dot
because it’s just like her: it has dozens of faces, it laughs and cries at the same time, it’s vain, unpredictable, and you never know what mood it wakes up with.

Join Barbara Conelli and submerge yourself in the secrets of this magical city
that has been breathing love for centuries. Love that is dignified, childish, creative, treacherous, passionate, painful, forgiving, crazy, insane, unbridled, endless, fleeting, unfaithful, platonic, carnal, hateful, desperate, volatile, conceited, and divine. The kind of love whose chalice you quickly drain, so that on the next corner, you can reach for another one, even more delicious and intoxicating.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
I just returned from Milan, Italy but without the usual traveling inconveniences of packing, unpacking, airport security and the anxiety due to a very long flight, which I admit, I’m not fond of.

Barbara Conelli takes the reader on vacation with her graphic and dynamic descriptions of Milan in a detailed picturesque narration. A quick read but full of a resplendent portrayal of the people and sites of Milan. It is quite evident of the author’s love for this city of amore. She takes the reader through the streets and presents the landscapes such as museums, the fashion district including Tiffany’s, restaurants which include a couple of recipes, the trams one mode of transportation, cafes, fine arts such as paintings, sculptures, and even ballet studios. And introduces the people behind these institutions. This would be a very handy travel guide, if you had plans on visiting, as she shares the non tourist sites. Or if you want to escape in your mind and the comfort of your home. If you haven’t traveled to Milan, you will want to after reading this book.

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.

(2012 Challenges: Eook, FreeReads, Where Are You, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Synopsis:
Lillian is only 13 when her parents marry her to a middle-aged Bishop of a fundamentalist sect who practices polygamy. She is forced to live with her new husband’s many wives and children on his compound tucked away in the Canadian wilderness.
The hardships of poverty and isolation have crushed the will of just about everybody in his flock. They suffer in silent submissiveness, trying to please their despotic leader. He justifies the humiliating treatment of his dependents by citing ‘Section 132 of the Doctrine & Covenants’ of his fundamentalist religion.
Until, one day, Lillian had enough. But it is dangerous to try and escape the Bishop’s iron rule. He practices blood-atonement, which is quietly sanctioned by the ‘Gatekeepers’, an American secret society within the Fundamentalist Mormon Church.
Lillian must find out-side help if she ever wants to leave the Bishop’s compound – but how can she do this if she is locked up without any means of communication?
Lillian doesn’t know how life outside a compound functions. She only knows that she can not live like this much longer. Many questions plaque her troubled mind.
Why do her sister-wives put up with this hardship, knowing only a bleak future lies ahead of them? Where do the child-brides come from, the Bishop keeps adding to his family? Where do some of his daughters disappear to, once they come of age? Lillian’s defiance grows with every injustice she witnesses – until she can’t hide her rebellion any longer.
Her desperate struggle to escape draws the reader into a very dark, very dangerous place. But not all is hopeless. When land developer Richard Bergman buys the neighboring property, Lillian’s luck seems to be changing …

My Thoughts and Opinion: Since I believe in honest reviews, I feel that I need to start this critique with some caveats as to how I came to read this book, what happened in the interim and how my personality/thought process played a role in the review.

First, author and friend, Melissa Foster (Megan’s Way, Chasing Amanda, Come Back To Me and Traces of Kara) contacted me, which she has done on several occasions, to recommend and ask if I would read, review and host an author showcase for one of her peers. I, in return, emailed Ms. Zeiner and offered a spotlight on my blog but was honest and stated that I didn’t know exactly when I would be able to read and review her book due to back log. She accepted and we agreed upon a date, May 29th that she would be featured. With emails back and forth to gather information for the spotlight, Helga asked about Partners In Crime Tours since her book is categorized as suspense. She decide to book a tour through Partners In Crime Tours, and at that time, I still hadn’t started reading her book. I am sure that some people will think that I give books high ratings because they decide to tour with our company (my partner being Molly from Reviews By Molly). That is not the case. I believe in honesty and integrity and will judge and write a review accordingly, no matter what.

Second, how my personality had a bearing on this book. I have always had a hunger for knowledge to learn about different cultures, religions, and life styles other than what I know and practice. Not to judge, condemn or condone but to learn and understand. Even though this was a fictional story, the details of a different religion and culture, was an eye opening education for me. With all that being said, now to my review.

My first thought when I started reading this book was “oh no…480 pages”. I admit, I am one of those readers, who prefer books that are approximately 300 pages. It is definitely a mind over matter issue thinking it will take me many days and/or weeks to read. However, once I finished reading the Prologue, I was hooked. Ms. Zeiner’s writing style was impeccable. It flowed smoothly even with the vast amount of minute details. Even with the minuscule depictions, it didn’t get boring or preachy whereas you wanted to just skim over certain parts. Those tiny descriptions allowed this reader to be transported into the plot and vividly create the imagery of the story. The characters were brought to life due to the specific graphic depiction. Believable and explicit. As I stated earlier, it was classified as a “suspense”, however, it wasn’t a typical standard “suspense” as one would think of like a “who done it”. It was more of a suspense whereas there was page turning apprehension as the chilling predicaments, compelling incidents, staggering events and outcome of the theme. What I thought would take me above average time to read because of the length of the book, took me days because I couldn’t put it down. One of my thoughts while reading this novel, was that with the definitive, distinct, precise and tenacious facts of this particular topic, that the author had put in years of research, was an embedded covert individual or had lived the lifestyle, because of it’s convincing nature. These 480 pages impacted and will stay with me for a very long time. Highly recommend! Extraordinary!! Powerful!!

(2012 Challenges: EBooks, FreeReads, Where Are You, A-Z, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Tea With Death by Joel M. Andre
Published by: Darkcountry Publications
Publication Date: March 7, 2012
ASIN: B007IIHXUW
Pages: 15
Review Copy from:  Author/Partners In Crime Tours
Edition:  Kindle
My Rating: 4

Synopsis:
In this dark, philosophical tale of horror, a man has the opportunity to sit down with Death. What he discovers is that the dying process is a little more complex than he imagined and that making a deal with the Grim Reaper comes with a price.

My Thoughts and Opinion: This was my first introduction to Joel Andre’s books and I was quite impressed. It is a very quick read, being only a 15 page story, however within those pages, was an intricate concise plot filled with a macabre topic, overwhelming suspense and even a bit of dry humor. What astonished me was that the author was able to deliver all of the above in those 15 pages. The writing flowed and was gripping. The subject eerie. Recommend for those times when you just want a quick, but exciting read. This story, in my opinion, would be the perfect book to read, when you find yourself in a reading slump. It will definitely rectify the problem.

(2012 Challenges: EBook, BFF, JFF, FR, A-Z, 53 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Synopsis (from IndieBound):
Recently orphaned, eleven-year-old Cathy Benson feels she has been dropped into a cultural and intellectual wasteland when she is forced to move from her academically privileged life in California to the small town of Kersey in the Texas Panhandle where the sport of football reigns supreme. She is quickly taken under the unlikely wings of up-and-coming gridiron stars and classmates John Caldwell and Trey Don Hall, orphans like herself, with whom she forms a friendship and eventual love triangle that will determine the course of the rest of their lives. Taking the three friends through their growing up years until their high school graduations when several tragic events uproot and break them apart, the novel expands to follow their careers and futures until they reunite in Kersey at forty years of age. Told with all of Meacham’s signature drama, unforgettable characters, and plot twists, readers will be turning the pages, desperate to learn how it all plays out.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
This was the first time that I read the work of this author and it will not be the last. Matter of fact, I now have Roses on my TBR list. As far as Tumbleweeds, three words, I loved it!!! I have to be honest that when I received it, and saw that it was a 480 page novel, I had feelings of ambivalence about picking it up to read, as I am in the group of readers who tend to shy away from large novels.

Tumbleweeds inserts the reader into the lives of the three (3) main characters from their young age when their friendship blossomed in a small town of Kersey, Texas and continues to follow the paths they took until they were in their forties. The writing style of the author brought everything to life including all of the characters in the book, the small town where High School football reigned, the settings, the emotions palpable and perceptible as if I was sitting on the sidelines and part of this close knit community. Every page read, I became more invested into their very believable lives. In my opinion, there was absolutely no “fluff” within the 480 pages. Every word written injected me deeper into the story line and had me turning the pages. Not only did the author pen a fantastic and enjoyable saga but also included suspense that had twists and turns and an ending I didn’t see coming. This book is engrossing and “transports” the reader right into the middle of the plot, that it is a “hard to put down” read. I highly recommend this captivating novel!!

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.

(2012 Challenges: FreeReads, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Game Of Secrets by Dawn Tripp
 Published by: Random House
Publication Date: July 5, 2011
ISBN-10: 1400061881
ISBN-13: 978-1400061884
Pages: 272
Review Copy from:  Sparkpoint Studio LLC
Edition:  Kindle
My Rating: 2

Synopsis: In 1957, Jane Weld was eleven years old when her father Luce, a petty thief, disappeared. His skiff was found drifting near the marsh, empty except for his hunting coat and a box of shot-gun shells. No one in his small New England town knew for sure what happened until, three years later, his skull rolled out of a gravel bank by the river, a bullet hole in the temple. There were rumors he had been murdered by the jealous husband of his mistress, Ada Varick. Now, half a century later, Jane is still searching for the truth of her father’s death, a mystery made more urgent by the unexpected romance that her willful daughter, Marne, has struck up with one of Ada’s sons. As their love affair intensifies, Jane and Ada meet for a casual Friday board game that soon transforms into a cat-and-mouse game of words long left unspoken, dark secrets best left untold.

My Thoughts and Opinion: A murder in a small town in 1957 that was never solved until 2004. Two families connected and affected, due to this murder, and the effects of infidelity that was always thought was the reason behind the murder. But who did it? Two damaged families, for generations, connected through friendship and romantic interests, and bound together by lies, betrayal, mistrust, protection and the search of the truth.

For me, this is one of the hardest reviews I have had to write because of the following. After reading the synopsis, I started reading this book with a preconceived notion, expectation and presumption of what the premise was. I was wrong and because of my assumption, I was disappointed with the outcome. After I finished reading this book, I did read others’ reviews, which the majority were 4 and 5 star ratings, to see if I was in the majority or minority of my rating. I was in the minority. I feel that it is not fair to the author and/or the book, because of my inference, that you make a decision to read and/or not read this book because of my opinion/review. However, since I do post a review of every book I read, I will share my thoughts.

It was very hard for me to relate to the characters. I thought that one character, Marne, granddaughter of the murder victim was not developed. It was conveyed that she had “come home” but I was unsure as to why. Plus she had a “chip on her shoulder” attitude and a very troubling relationship with her mother, Jane, daughter of the murder victim, Luce, but the reason for this was not explained. Another issue I had trouble believing was the friendship between Jane and her Scrabble opponent, Ada, who was her father’s mistress and the person who broke up Jane’s parents’ marriage, which Jane had never truly accepted. One of my assumptions was that the words formed during these weekly Scrabble games produced would be hints as to who the murderer was. The author did describe each game, the words created and how many points the player achieved. However, I didn’t feel that the words played had anything to do with the long ago murder of Jane’s father but it was the conversations the 2 woman had during their weekly scheduled games. The book held my attention and was a fast read but I think it was due to the fact of trying to figure out who the killer was. I didn’t feel that is was a page turning suspense but a page turner to just find out the truth. I want to stress that this is my opinion, and my opinion only. Not every book is for every reader. And according to the reviews, a lot of people disagree with me. Nonetheless, this is my personal viewpoint of this book.

(Challenges 2012: EBooks, Off The Shelf, In a Name, FreeReads, Where Are You, A-z, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)