Dare To Die by Carolyn Hart
Published by Avon Mystery
ISBN 978-0-06-145305-2
At the request of Bestsellersworld, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
     On the quaint island of Broward’s Rock, a native daughter has returned after a ten (10) year absence. Riding a bike in the pouring rain with nothing but a duffel bag and a change of clothes, Iris Tilford arrives.  She has made this visit, not only to make amends of her past, but to also find the truth of what really happened all those years ago when a high school friend, Jocelyn Howard, died the night at The Pavilion for an sports awards night.  Did Jocelyn commit suicide, as so many have believed, or was it murder.
     Annie and Max Darling, a couple loved by all is having a pre summer party for their friends at the same Pavilion ten years later but many, who have been hiding secrets for 10 years are not looking forward to the invitation.  Annie befriends Iris on her second day in Broward County and invites her to the get together.  Iris hopes that the party will somehow trigger a memory of that tragedy because at the time, Iris had a drug dependency that clouded her thinking, that she now has conquered.  Are the memories she has a true depiction of Jocelyn’s last minutes or were the visions due to the drugs?
     The night of the Darling’s party, tragedy strikes again, Iris Tilford if found dead in the woods right off the path of the Pavilion.  All in attendance are now suspects. Annie and Max can’t believe that any of their friends could be a murderer, until they start trying to put together the puzzle pieces of who killed Iris and who has just tried to kill them too.  Could it be Emma Clyde, the resident eccentric mystery writer who is having a writer’s block and needs an idea for her next book?  Or maybe even Liz and Russell Montgomery who are very defensive and was one of the last two that saw Jocelyn before she died that tragic night so many years ago?  Or what about Fran and Buck Carlisle, Max knows he is lying but what about exactly?  Could it be Cara Wilkes, who after her failed marriage and loss of her young daughter has also returned to become a successful realtor, but there is evidence that belongs to her that was left at the scene of the Darlings’ attempted murder?
     And then another student from the same graduating class but not a member of the clique also turns up dead.
     The reader will be able to visualize and know a community just like Broward’s County through the vivid descriptions the writer conveys.  The exceptional writing by this author regarding this close knit circle of friends will pull the reader in to wanting and feeling like the characters are true life friends.  The suspense, at times, so intense, that the reader has to continue turning the page.  This was a truly enjoyable book of suspense and mystery.
Format at request of Bestsellersworld.

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 familn and/or friends.

Dare To Die by Carolyn Hart
Published by Avon Mystery
ISBN 978-0-06-145305-2
At the request of Bestsellersworld, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
     On the quaint island of Broward’s Rock, a native daughter has returned after a ten (10) year absence. Riding a bike in the pouring rain with nothing but a duffel bag and a change of clothes, Iris Tilford arrives.  She has made this visit, not only to make amends of her past, but to also find the truth of what really happened all those years ago when a high school friend, Jocelyn Howard, died the night at The Pavilion for an sports awards night.  Did Jocelyn commit suicide, as so many have believed, or was it murder.
     Annie and Max Darling, a couple loved by all is having a pre summer party for their friends at the same Pavilion ten years later but many, who have been hiding secrets for 10 years are not looking forward to the invitation.  Annie befriends Iris on her second day in Broward County and invites her to the get together.  Iris hopes that the party will somehow trigger a memory of that tragedy because at the time, Iris had a drug dependency that clouded her thinking, that she now has conquered.  Are the memories she has a true depiction of Jocelyn’s last minutes or were the visions due to the drugs?
     The night of the Darling’s party, tragedy strikes again, Iris Tilford if found dead in the woods right off the path of the Pavilion.  All in attendance are now suspects. Annie and Max can’t believe that any of their friends could be a murderer, until they start trying to put together the puzzle pieces of who killed Iris and who has just tried to kill them too.  Could it be Emma Clyde, the resident eccentric mystery writer who is having a writer’s block and needs an idea for her next book?  Or maybe even Liz and Russell Montgomery who are very defensive and was one of the last two that saw Jocelyn before she died that tragic night so many years ago?  Or what about Fran and Buck Carlisle, Max knows he is lying but what about exactly?  Could it be Cara Wilkes, who after her failed marriage and loss of her young daughter has also returned to become a successful realtor, but there is evidence that belongs to her that was left at the scene of the Darlings’ attempted murder?
     And then another student from the same graduating class but not a member of the clique also turns up dead.
     The reader will be able to visualize and know a community just like Broward’s County through the vivid descriptions the writer conveys.  The exceptional writing by this author regarding this close knit circle of friends will pull the reader in to wanting and feeling like the characters are true life friends.  The suspense, at times, so intense, that the reader has to continue turning the page.  This was a truly enjoyable book of suspense and mystery.
Format at request of Bestsellersworld.

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 familn and/or friends.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (ARC)
Published by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN 978-0-312-59567-8
At the request of both St. Martin’s Press and Librarything, an ARC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from book): On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old realtor, had three goals-sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The Open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.
  But nothing could be further from the truth.
  Through sessions with her psychiatrist, Annie retells the terrifying story of the year she spent captive in a remote mountain cabin. Interwoven is a second narrative recounting the aftermath of her escape and her struggle to piece her life back together.
  The truth doesn’t always set you free.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: There is a buzz about this book around the blogosphere and now I know why. The following review is very generalized because I will not include any spoilers, which there were many throughout the novel. The author writes a phenomenal story, whereas she gets inside the head of Annie O’Sullivan and conveys those emotions to the reader. It was a true Stockholm Syndrome account, that at times, read as a non fiction. I must admit that I did think of Elizabeth Smart while reading this book and thinking that she might have lived through this same type of horrifying ordeal. The chapters are broken down to individual therapist’s appointments where Annie relives and tells of a different incident that she dealt with. The plot was of a horrifying, “page turning”, “can’t put down” story that Annie lived through and her thought process to survive. At times, I found myself holding my breath, as the writer tells of different details that Annie had to deal with, both physical and emotional torture.. There were sub plots of Annie’s life before, during, and after the abduction. And the relationships of those that she loved and trusted. The suspense was fast paced and palpable !!! The ending was an alarming, surprising and intense finale!!! This is one author to watch !!! I highly recommend this book be read.

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens (ARC)
Published by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN 978-0-312-59567-8
At the request of both St. Martin’s Press and Librarything, an ARC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis (from book): On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a thirty-two-year-old realtor, had three goals-sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The Open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.
  But nothing could be further from the truth.
  Through sessions with her psychiatrist, Annie retells the terrifying story of the year she spent captive in a remote mountain cabin. Interwoven is a second narrative recounting the aftermath of her escape and her struggle to piece her life back together.
  The truth doesn’t always set you free.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: There is a buzz about this book around the blogosphere and now I know why. The following review is very generalized because I will not include any spoilers, which there were many throughout the novel. The author writes a phenomenal story, whereas she gets inside the head of Annie O’Sullivan and conveys those emotions to the reader. It was a true Stockholm Syndrome account, that at times, read as a non fiction. I must admit that I did think of Elizabeth Smart while reading this book and thinking that she might have lived through this same type of horrifying ordeal. The chapters are broken down to individual therapist’s appointments where Annie relives and tells of a different incident that she dealt with. The plot was of a horrifying, “page turning”, “can’t put down” story that Annie lived through and her thought process to survive. At times, I found myself holding my breath, as the writer tells of different details that Annie had to deal with, both physical and emotional torture.. There were sub plots of Annie’s life before, during, and after the abduction. And the relationships of those that she loved and trusted. The suspense was fast paced and palpable !!! The ending was an alarming, surprising and intense finale!!! This is one author to watch !!! I highly recommend this book be read.

Sidney Sheldon’s After The Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe
Published by HarperCollins
ISBN 978-0-06-172830-3
At the request of LibraryThing, an ARC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review.
  Synopsis (from back of book): Grace Brookstein is the very young, naive wife of financial superstar Lenny Brookstein. Lenny is a billionaire many times over, with estates around the world, a fleet of yachts, and a life that is the stuff of fantasy. He and Grace live in New York where Lenny is revered as King of the Wall Street social scene. A noted philanthropist, he is both liked and respected in the worlds of high finance and high society. When the stock market goes into a terrifying freefall, the Brookstein’s glamorous lifestyle of Palm Beach polo tournaments and G5 jets is barely touched.
  That is, until the day Lenny goes sailing from their Nantucket beach estate and never comes home. When his abandoned yacht is found far out at sea, the police investigation reveals Brookstein’s death was no accident. The famous investor was involved in some sort of spectacular fraud and was about to be exposed by someone close to him.
  But as Lenny’s malfeasance comes to light, Grace learns there was more to his boating “accident” than she originally thought. And suddenly her life may be in danger too….
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I started reading Sidney Sheldon’s books in the 70s and remember them to be great reads, always waiting anxiously for his next novel to be released.  I also remember hearing of his passing and thinking what a tremendous loss for fans and the literary world.  But thankfully the family did not let that happen, entrusting an author to continue his legacy.  And Tilly Bagshawe most definitely did.  I have to say that I honestly was a little skeptical when I started reading this book, wondering if it would live up to the older Sidney Sheldon books?  And the answer is a resounding YES!!
  Ms. Bagshawe created a cast of characters that you either loved or hated, had compassion for or envied, cheered them on or wer glad when they fell.  The plot is a non stop “who done it” of multiple possibilities to the very end.  And speaking of the end, it is one that I did not see coming until the very last pages !!! Throughout the entire book, the story line is a continuous, fast paced, speeding suspenseful ride with the elements of love, betrayal, hate, envy, trust, greed, strength, lies and revenge, and self preservation, just to name a few.  Do I recommend this book?  My answer, another resounding YES!!  This is a definite can’t put down, page turning novel !!!

Sidney Sheldon’s After The Darkness by Tilly Bagshawe
Published by HarperCollins
ISBN 978-0-06-172830-3
At the request of LibraryThing, an ARC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review.
  Synopsis (from back of book): Grace Brookstein is the very young, naive wife of financial superstar Lenny Brookstein. Lenny is a billionaire many times over, with estates around the world, a fleet of yachts, and a life that is the stuff of fantasy. He and Grace live in New York where Lenny is revered as King of the Wall Street social scene. A noted philanthropist, he is both liked and respected in the worlds of high finance and high society. When the stock market goes into a terrifying freefall, the Brookstein’s glamorous lifestyle of Palm Beach polo tournaments and G5 jets is barely touched.
  That is, until the day Lenny goes sailing from their Nantucket beach estate and never comes home. When his abandoned yacht is found far out at sea, the police investigation reveals Brookstein’s death was no accident. The famous investor was involved in some sort of spectacular fraud and was about to be exposed by someone close to him.
  But as Lenny’s malfeasance comes to light, Grace learns there was more to his boating “accident” than she originally thought. And suddenly her life may be in danger too….
  My Thoughts and Opinion: I started reading Sidney Sheldon’s books in the 70s and remember them to be great reads, always waiting anxiously for his next novel to be released.  I also remember hearing of his passing and thinking what a tremendous loss for fans and the literary world.  But thankfully the family did not let that happen, entrusting an author to continue his legacy.  And Tilly Bagshawe most definitely did.  I have to say that I honestly was a little skeptical when I started reading this book, wondering if it would live up to the older Sidney Sheldon books?  And the answer is a resounding YES!!
  Ms. Bagshawe created a cast of characters that you either loved or hated, had compassion for or envied, cheered them on or wer glad when they fell.  The plot is a non stop “who done it” of multiple possibilities to the very end.  And speaking of the end, it is one that I did not see coming until the very last pages !!! Throughout the entire book, the story line is a continuous, fast paced, speeding suspenseful ride with the elements of love, betrayal, hate, envy, trust, greed, strength, lies and revenge, and self preservation, just to name a few.  Do I recommend this book?  My answer, another resounding YES!!  This is a definite can’t put down, page turning novel !!!

Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer
Published by Ballentine Books
ISBN 978-0-345-51828-6
At the request of Pump Up Your Book, an ARC was sent, at not cost to me, for my honest review.
  Synopsis (taken partially from book): Sisters reunite on Nantucket over a tumultuous summer of love and chaos.  As the eldest daughter, Abbie took on a lot after her mother’s death.  Afterward, she feels she’s earned the right to jet around the world, experiencing life, if not love.  Her sister, Emma, a Boston stockbroker, seems to have it all…until the stock market crash leaves her jobless and her fiance dumps her. Remaining in Nantucket with their widowed father, Lily, the baby of the family, is full of dreams though she’s not terribly helpful in a crisis.  So when Marina, an enigmatic newcomer to town, begins wooing their successful, attractive father, Lily summons home her sisters.  Reunited for the summer, the sisters start Nantucket Mermaids-a company providing an eclectic range of services for the island’s wealthy residents. Over the course of a busy summer, they work, gossip, and, of course, squabble. In the twilight of summer, all four women have changed–transformations that surprise themselves and each other.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: Nancy Thayer has created a story set in the picturesque and quaint island of Nantucket where four unique women have joined to heal from the pain of the past with the hope of the future.  Eighteen years ago, shortly before the tragic death of Danielle Fox, mother to the very young Abbie, Emma and Lily, The Beachcombers Club was formed.  Where the 4 Fox girls would walk the beaches of Nantucket looking for treasures in the sand. Danielle taught her daughters to always believe in something more and to look at what is right in front of them.  Scars from that time are still present but is it time to heal?  I was transported to this special place through the author’s masterful descriptions to where the wealthy vacation and the native young try to leave. I became so engrossed in the lives of these four women that they became my friends throughout the entire read.  I laughed when they laughed and cried when they cried. Beachcombers is the perfect summer read.

Damaged by Alex Kava (ARC)
Published by Doubleday
ISBN 978-0-385-53199-3
At the request of Doubleday, a PB copy was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
  Synopsis: FBI Special Agent and profiler, Maggie O’Dell, has been asked by friend and colleague Charlie Wurth, from The Department of Homeland Security to work with him on a special assignment in Florida. The coast guard had recovered a drum usually used by fisherman to preserve their daily catch, except in this particular drum, are human body parts carefully wrapped and appearing to be from multiple victims. Once Maggie has accepted this mission, Charlie then tells her there may be a bit of a glitch, Florida is in the path of a Category 5 hurricane. And why are soldiers who have had routine orthopedic surgery, in Florida, dying, Dr. Benjamin Platt, another friend of Maggie’s is having a race against the clock. The time frame of the story takes place over a 5 day period but each minute is filled with suspense.
  My Thoughts and Opinion: This was not only the first, in what I understand to be one of seven (7) of Maggie O’Dell stories, that I read but also the first Alex Kava novel. This book was what I call “the just one more chapter” reads, whereas the chapters are only a few pages long and by the time you realize it, many chapters have been read. And add this twist into the mix…there were 3 different mini mysteries going on at the same time which were rotated every 3 chapters and then Ms. Kava weaves all 3 “stories” into one fast paced, heart racing and action packed ending. Without giving too much away and/or including any spoilers, all I can say is the way she describes certain scenes in this book, I found that I was holding my breath in sheer fear and anticipation. As I said, this was my first Alex Kava’s Maggie O’Dell novels but it won’t be my last. I have a lot of catching up to do.

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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 or friends.