3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2018, SERIES, Stone Barrington, U-V-W

Review: Two Dollar Bill by Stuart Woods

Two Dollar Bill
by Stuart Woods

Two Dollar Bill

Copyright: 2004

Pages: 349

Read: Feb.19-26, 2018

Rating: 3/5

Source: Paperbackswap

 

Blurb: Not long after Stone and his ex-partner Dino make the acquaintance of Billy Bob – a smooth-talkie’ Texan packing a wad of rare two-dollar bills – someone takes a shot at them. Against his better judgment, Stone offers Billy Bob a safe haven for the night but almost immediately regrets it. The slippery out-of-towner goes missing and someone is found dead – in Stone’s town house no less. Stone is now caught by a beautiful federal prosecutor and a love from his past, a con man with more arises than hairs on his head, and a murder investigation that could ruin them all.


Review: This is the 11th book in the Stone Barrington series. I’m not going to lie, these books are not anywhere near literary feats. But they can usually be depended upon for some good fun!

This particular installment saw Stone in some precarious situations. And at some point I was shaking my head wondering how on earth Stone would get himself out of the jam he was in. He made some bonehead moves. And yet he managed to come out on top. It was all a little unbelievable at one point. But hey, it was still a fun read.

An entertaining book that leaves me eagerly anticipating the 12th book!

Meme, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday – February 27, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday

February 27: Books I Could Re-read Forever

I’m not a re-reader in general. There’s too many books out there that I want to read for there to be time for me to re-read books. However, there is one exception to this rule.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I have read this book 3 times (so far) and I can’t wait until Garrett is a few years older so we can read it together!

I really need to re-read the entire series … maybe someday 🙂

Mailbox Monday, Meme

Mailbox Monday, February 26, 2018

Mailbox Mondays

This week only one book came in, from Paperbackswap:

Murphy's LawMolly Murphy always knew she’d end up in trouble, just as her mother predicted. So, when she commits murder in self-defense, she flees her cherished Ireland, and her identity, for the anonymous shores of America. When she arrives in New York and sees the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime.

Using her Irish charm and sharp wit, Molly escapes Ellis Island and sets out to find the wily killer on her own. Pounding the notorious streets of Hell’s Kitchen and the Lower East Side, Molly makes it her desperate mission to clear her name before her deadly past comes back to haunt her new future.

5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2018, Review Book, TLC Book Tours

Review: The Lucky Ones by Tiffany Reisz

The Lucky OnesAbout The Lucky Ones

Print Length: 368 pages
Publisher: MIRA (February 13, 2018)
They called themselves “the lucky ones”
They were seven children either orphaned or abandoned by their parents and chosen by legendary philanthropist and brain surgeon Dr. Vincent Capello to live in The Dragon, his almost magical beach house on the Oregon Coast. Allison was the youngest of the lucky ones living an idyllic life with her newfound family…until the night she almost died, and was then whisked away from the house and her adopted family forever.

Now, thirteen years later, Allison receives a letter from Roland, Dr. Capello’s oldest son, warning her that their father is ill and in his final days. Allison determines she must go home again and confront the ghosts of her past. She’s determined to find out what really happened that fateful night — was it an accident or, as she’s always suspected, did one of her beloved family members try to kill her?

But digging into the past can reveal horrific truths, and when Allison pieces together the story of her life, she’ll learns the terrible secret at the heart of the family she once loved but never really knew.

Review

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review; all opinions expressed are my own.

When I was first pitched this book, the cover and blurb immediately caught my eye. It sounded super creepy! When I first received the book and read the first page I was a little unsure about my decision to take it on. I decided to set it aside until closer to my tour date. I picked it up with about a week to go before my scheduled date. And then I couldn’t put it down!

I was intrigued by every little turn of events the entire book! First I wondered how a young woman like Allison could get involved in a relationship like she was in. Then I wondered how she could have so few memories of her time in her foster home. And then as she went out to Oregon and her memories came back to her little by little I couldn’t wait to figure out what exactly had happened all those years ago!

I fell in love with each character in their own ways. They all each had a great voice and it was interesting to see them from not only Allison’s perspective but also their own perspectives. They were all so well-developed that at one point I felt like I was right there with them all in the attic, just hanging out and catching up.

This is such an intricate novel with all the secrets of the past revealed little by little. I found it to be extremely easy to read and enjoyable. I couldn’t put it down at times. I wanted to know what happened to the “lucky ones” so many years before. This was a really good novel that I highly, highly, highly recommend! It will definitely be on my favorites list for the year!

Don’t walk …. but run …. to get your copy of this! It does not disappoint!


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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-A-Million | Barnes & Noble

About Tiffany Reisz

Tiffany Reisz lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, author Andrew Shaffer.

Connect with Tiffany

Website | Facebook | Instagram

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Meme, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday – February 20, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday

February 20: Books I’ve Decided I’m No Longer Interested In Reading

Well this one is somewhat easy for me to participate in this week. A couple of weeks ago I  went through my shelves, rearranging and purging (**gasp**). I’m ashamed to admit that the purge was very small (only 17 books) in comparison to the (400+) books that remained. But progress is progress, right?! Anyway … here’s 6 of those 17 that have since left the house.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I have tried to pick this book up on three separate occasions. On all three of those times I have set it aside again. I just cannot get past 100 pages in this book. As a result, it didn’t survive my purge and it’s leaving the house (along with the other two … The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest).

 

 


The Six Sacred Stones

So after reading the first book in this series a few weeks ago, I was left somewhat unimpressed. As a result, I’ve decided that this one (and the third in the series, The Five Greatest Warriors) are being donated.

 

 

 


Confessions of a Shopaholic

I picked this one up at Goodwill a while ago on a whim. I think it was more because it has a pink cover (something that I’m always looking for in my Goodreads challenges) than anything else. I highly doubt I’ll ever read it, so out it goes…

 

 

 


Top Secret

I actually bought this one new a few years ago. But it’s just sat and sat. And to be honest, after not being over the moon with the last Griffin book I read, and after reading the blurb on this one, I think a new home would be best for this book.

 

 

 


Power Down

When I read the blurb on this one, it didn’t even sound remotely interesting to me. Out it goes.

 

 

 

 


The Blood Gospel

I’m not even sure why I picked this one up to begin with. The blurb does not sound interesting. Another one that had to go.

Miscellaneous Ramblings

Monday Ramblings…..

Well, no Mailbox Monday post this week. Cause I went a whole entire week without bringing a single book in the house! YAY! [We won’t talk about the 3 books I just ordered on Paperbackswap 😉 … ]

Anywhoo …. we had a really good week last week. Very spur of the moment, on Tuesday, Nathan purchased tickets to go see Luke Bryan on Saturday night. I was in absolute shock that we could still get amazing seats. And I’ve been dying to see Luke Bryan for a while. It wasn’t necessarily Nathan’s cup of tea (but then again, neither was Avenged Sevenfold two weeks ago for me, ha!) but he wanted to do something special for me. So I really appreciated it.

Last week saw me and Garrett both at the doctor’s office. I had strep throat; Garrett had a stomach bug. Not fun for either one of us …. although he did get a kick out of mom getting a shot in the tush. I still don’t understand how on earth I went 31 years before ever getting strep throat and have now gotten it twice in the past two years …. when neither of my children have spread it to me. How does that even happen? Where am I getting it from?! Either way, amazingly enough, neither of the kiddos managed to get strep from me. So for that I am thankful.

I’m home today with Garrett who is out of school for President’s Day. Plus he has Friday off since that’s the incoming kindergarten registration and current kindergartners are off that day. So it will be a short work week for me! Woo! Just going to enjoy my time off with him this week!

Be on the lookout for my review of The Lucky Ones on Thursday. Have a great week 🙂

 

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2018

Review: A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie

A Share in Death
by Deborah Crombie

A Share in Death

Copyright: 1993

Pages: 259

Read: Feb. 7-14, 2018

Rating: 4/5

Source: Paperbackswap

 

Blurb: A week’s holiday in a luxurious Yorkshire time-share is just what Scotland Yard’s Superintendent Duncan Kincaid needs. But the discovery of a body floating in the whirlpool bath ends Kincaid’s vacation before it’s begun. One of his new acquaintances at Followdale House is dead; another is a killer. Despite a distinct lack of cooperation from the local constabulary, Kincaid’s keen sense of duty won’t allow him to ignore the heinous crime, impelling him to send for his enthusiastic young assistant, Sergeant Gemma James. But the stakes are raised dramatically when a second murder occurs, and Kincaid and James find themselves in a determined hunt for a fiendish felon who enjoys homicide a bit too much.


Review: This is the first book in the Duncan Kincaid & Gemma James series. After reading the 15th and 17th books in this series, I decided it was time to read the first book.

Overall I was not disappointed. This book really reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel. It didn’t read like the other two later books that I have read. It was a completely different feel. It was a chore to keep all the different characters straight throughout the entire book. I had trouble remembering who was married to who. But that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I didn’t know the killer until it was revealed at the end and I can’t help but wonder if I missed something earlier in the book, because it was someone who wasn’t even on my radar as the bad guy!

Overall I’m very glad that I finally got to this book and I look forward to reading more of these earlier books. Definitely recommended!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, M, RATING, Read in 2018

Review: Tippy Toe Murder by Leslie Meier

Tippy Toe Murder
by Leslie Meier

Tippy Toe Murder.jpg

Copyright: 1994

Pages: 240

Read: Feb. 4-6, 2018

Rating: 4/5

Source: Paperbackswap

Blurb: With three kids underfoot, a fourth on the way, and an oppressive heat wave bearing down, homemaker Lucy Stone is hardly enjoying an idyllic summer. But her preoccupation with swelling ankles, Bavarian creme doughnut cravings, and sewing endless sequins on ballet recital tutus gives way to dread when Lucy learns that her waistline isn’t the only thing that’s recently vanished from Tinker’s Cove…

The strange disappearance of a retired dance instructor has the tiny coastal town in a tizzy that turns to terror when a notoriously cantankerous shopkeeper is slain right on Main Street. Now Lucy’s up to her bulging belly in local suspects and red herrings. Eluded by a cold-blooded killer, with her due-date looming and the thermometer soaring, Lucy figures something has to break soon. With any luck, it won’t be her water…


Review: This is the second book in the Lucy Stone series. I read the first book, Mistletoe Murder, last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. So I was eager to pick this one up! And it definitely did not disappoint!

I flew through this book, reading it in about a day and a half. That was a really good feeling since I was afraid I was on the verge of a slump after I DNF’d a book 😐

I will say that this book (and the previous one) did not read like a traditional cozy mystery. This one in particular dealt with some pretty heavy stuff for a cozy mystery. Perhaps that’s why I have been enjoying these books so much. I can also totally relate to Lucy – I’m just as frazzled as she is by motherhood lol!

Overall a fun and quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Definitely recommended.

Mailbox Monday, Meme

Mailbox Monday, February 12, 2018

Mailbox Mondays

This week I received my Book of the Month selection:

The Broken Girls.jpgVermont, 1950. There’s a place for the girls whom no one wants – the troublemakers, the illegitimate, the too smart for their own good. It’s called Idlewild Hall. And in the small town where it’s located, there are rumors that the boarding school is haunted. Four roommates bond over their whispered fears, their budding friendship blossoming – until one of them mysteriously disappears.

Vermont, 2014. As much as she’s tried, journalist Fiona Sheridan cannot stop revisiting the events surrounding her elder sister’s death. Twenty years ago, her body was found dumped in the overgrown fields near the ruins of Idlewild Hall. And though her sister’s boyfriend was tried and convicted of murder, Fiona can’t shake the suspicion that something was never right about the case.

When Fiona discovers that Idlewild Hall is being restored by an anonymous benefactor, she decides to write a story about it. But a shocking discovery during the renovations will link the loss of her sister to secrets that were meant to stay hidden in the past – and a voice that won’t be silenced…


And I got two in from Paperbackswap:

Murder on Astor Place

After a routine delivery, Sarah visits her patient in a rooming house – and discovers that another boarder, a young girl, has been killed. At the request of Sergeant Frank Malloy, she searches the girl’s room. She discovers that the victim is from one of the most prominent families in New York – and the sister of an old friend. The powerful family, fearful of scandal, refuses to permit an investigation. But with Malloy’s help, Sarah begins a dangerous quest to bring the killer to justice – before death claims another victim…

 

 

Murder on St Mark's PlaceThinking she has been summoned by German immigrant Agnes Otto to usher a new life into the world, Sarah Brandt is greeted by the news of an untimely death instead. It seems that Agnes’s beautiful younger sister, Gerda, had fallen into the life of a “Charity Girl.” Caught up in the false glamour of the city’s nightlife, she would trade her company – and her favors – not for money, but for lavish gifts and an evening’s entertainment. And now she was dead, victim, no doubt, of one of her “gentlemen friends.”

No one cares much about the fate of girls like Gerda; but Sarah does. And she vows to find her killer. To do so, she turns to Sergeant Frank Malloy. As the two pursue an investigation that leads from the bright lights of Coney Island to the stately homes of Fifth Avenue, they find that their shared passion for justice may cost them dearly…

DNF Books, What Should I Read Next

DNF: The Verdict by Nick Stone

MyTBRList-1024x661

The Verdict

So this was my January pick for the What Should I Read Next event….. and I just couldn’t get into it. I read 72 pages over the course of the last week and a half and to be honest I had to force myself to read most of them. It wasn’t bad, in fact it was kind of interesting, but it was very wordy. Too wordy for my taste. I have a feeling that it’s a 500+ page book that probably should have only been 300ish pages. So I’m DNF’ing it for now. I’ll keep it on my shelf and perhaps come back to it at a later date, but right now it’s not the book for me.