Category: P

4/5, Alex Cross, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2015, SERIES

2015.7 REVIEW – Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

Tara

Alex Cross, Run
by James Patterson

Copyright:2013
Pages: 378
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 15 – Feb. 18, 2015
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 7
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy
Series: Alex Cross #20

Alex Cross, RunBlurb: Alex Cross is on the hunt of his life … In Washington, D.C., top plastic surgeon Elijah Creem is renowned for his operating skills – and his wild parties of drugs, champagne, and illicit sex. When Detective Alex Cross busts one of Creem’s soirees, the doctor takes the most drastic step to avoid prison. Before Alex can finish this case, a beautiful woman is murdered with a lock of her hair viciously ripped off. Then a second woman is found, hanging from a window with a brutal scar slashed across her stomach. After a third mutilated body is discovered, rumors of three serial killers on the loose send the city into an all-out frenzy. But under intense pressure to solve all these grim cases, the detective doesn’t notice that someone very obsessed and twisted is stalking him – and won’t stop until Alex is dead.

Review: I used to gobble James Patterson up. Somewhere along the way he slowly fell off my radar. Probably because he churns out book after book with the aid of “co-authors” and they just aren’t as good as when he is writing them. For whatever reason, Mr. Patterson has kept the Alex Cross books all to himself. For that, his readers should thank him. Because they are by far (in my opinion of course) the best books that his name appears on.

So when I signed up a Goodreads challenge for us to read 3 books by authors we love in February, I had to go scouring my shelves for something. And as much as I am ashamed to admit it, James Patterson is where my eyes kept coming back to. So I figured I’d pick up the next Alex Cross book I had (I’m a couple behind now).

Looking back through my archives, it had been a little over 3 years since I last read an Alex Cross book. But you know what … I fell right back in with the family with no problems at all. It was like reuniting with an old friend from grade school. It was also a lot of fun.

I feel like the blurb highlighted above really leaves a lot of the book’s plot out. There’s a lot more to this book than just what’s in that simple blurb. And I found it to be a really fun, exciting read!

While these books do not require a lot of thinking, I still enjoy them. Patterson has a bad rep with a lot of people nowadays, but I am not ashamed to admit that I still like Patterson (kind of like I’ll admit to watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians).

So, yeah, I’d recommend this book. It’s a fun, fast read. And I just really like Alex Cross’s character. While you don’t have to, I would definitely recommend reading this series from the beginning, because there’s a lot of great early books in this series.

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Dirk Pitt, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2015, SERIES

2015.1 REVIEW – Vixen 03 by Clive Cussler

Tara

Vixen 03
by Clive Cussler

Copyright: 1978
Pages: 362
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Jan. 1 – Jan. 4, 2015
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 1
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy
Series: Dirk Pitt #5

Vixen 03Blurb: 1954. “Vixen 03” is down. The plane, bound for the Pacific carrying thirty-six Doomsday bombs — canisters armed with quick-death germs of unbelievable potency — vanishes. Vixen has in fact crashed into an ice-covered lake in Colorado. 1988. Dirk Pitt, who heroically raised the “Titanic,” discovers the wreckage of “Vixen 03.” But two deadly canisters are missing. They’re in the hands of a terrorist group. Their lethal mission: to sail a battleship seventy-five miles up the Potomac and blast Washington, D.C., to kingdom come. Only Dirk can stop them.

Review: I have already declared 2015 the year that I will be reading what I want, when I want. The pressure is off. No review copies will be coming in (unless they look really good …… I have no self-control, after all). So when I went “shopping” on my shelves for the first book to start off 2015 with, this was the one that stuck out to me.

And I found it to be a really fun read. It really caught my attention from the beginning with Vixen 03 going missing and then Dirk finding it in Colorado. To be honest, I felt like the middle portion of the book was the weakest. I personally could have done without the African political storyline. It just made the book drag on in my opinion. When the story centered back on Dirk and the bombs, it picked back up again.

I would recommend it, but I have a feeling that it probably isn’t the best installment in the Dirk Pitt series. But I am definitely looking forward to catching up a bit more in this series this year …. there’s only a gazillion more books to go 🙂

3.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, NetGalley, P, RATING, Read in 2014, READING CHALLENGES 2014, Review Book, TLC Book Tours

2014.44 REVIEW – Ryder by Nick Pengelley

Tara

Ryder
by Nick Pengelley

Copyright: 2013, 2014
Pages: 280
Rating: 3.5/5
Read: Sept. 23 – 28, 2014
Challenge: RIP IX
Yearly count: 44
Format: E-Book
Source: NetGalley via TLC Book Tour
Series: Ayesha Ryder #1

RyderBlurb: As Israeli and Palestinian leaders prepare to make a joint announcement at the Tower of London, an influential scholar is tortured and murdered in his well-appointed home in St. John’s Wood. Academic researcher Ayesha Ryder believes the killing is no coincidence. Sir Evelyn Montagu had unearthed shocking revelations about T. E. Lawrence—the famed Lawrence of Arabia. Could Montagu have been targeted because of his discoveries?

Ryder’s search for answers takes her back to her old life in the Middle East and into a lion’s den of killers and traitors. As she draws the attention of agents from both sides of the conflict, including detectives from Scotland Yard and MI5, Ryder stumbles deeper into Lawrence’s secrets, an astounding case of royal blackmail, even the search for the Bible’s lost Ark of the Covenant.

Every step of the way, the endgame grows more terrifying. But when an attack rocks London, the real players show their hand—and Ayesha Ryder is left holding the final piece of the puzzle.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free via NetGalley in conjunction with a TLC Book tour, all opinions expressed below are my own.

When I was first pitched this book I was immediately intrigued. I love a good action adventure novel. What I didn’t realize was that this book would have a lot of references to the Middle East. I am not a very political person. In all honesty, I know very little about what goes on in that side of the world. So for me, this book was a little over my head in regards to everything Middle Eastern.

That being said, I still liked the book. Because I liked Ayesha’s character. I wanted her to succeed. There came a point in the book when someone who I thought was trustworthy did a total 360 on Ayesha. I actually gasped out loud. And from then on I was hooked. It was at that point when I went from being slightly intrigued by this book to being full-on, Ayesha-has-to-succeed-no-matter-what. There were so many twists and turns, but it was that one revelation that really turned the whole book around for me.

The writing was very good. The action was extremely well written. The storyline, while I personally found it somewhat hard to follow just because of my lack of Middle Eastern knowledge, was still easy enough to follow that I wasn’t completely lost. The characters were interesting (Lady Madrigal Carey! What. A. Character!)

Overall it’s definitely a good book, but not necessarily the easiest book to read just because of the Middle Eastern slant. But I’d definitely like to revisit Ayesha again in the future.

Recommended.

There is a GIVEAWAY included in this tour. For a chance to win a $25 gift card to the e-retailer of your choice AND a copy of Ryder, please CLICK HERE.

About the author: Nick Pengelley is the author of the political thriller Ryder. Australian by birth, he’s had careers in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom as a law professor, legal consultant, and analyst on Middle East politics, which is his passion. Pengelley lives in Toronto with his wife, Pamela.

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Purchase Links

Amazon | Books-a-Million | Barnes & Noble

Other tour stops:

Monday, September 22nd: Bell, Book & Candle

Monday, September 22nd: Omnimystery News – guest post

Tuesday, September 23rd: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Wednesday, September 24th: D. L. Kamstra | Writing about Stories

Thursday, September 25th: From the TBR Pile

Monday, September 29th: Reading Reality

Tuesday, September 30th: Tales of a Book Addict

Wednesday, October 1st: Patricia’s Wisdom

Monday, October 6th: Crime Book Club

Tuesday, October 7th: Read Love Blog

Wednesday, October 8th: 2 Kids and Tired Books

Thursday, October 9th: Queen of All She Reads

Friday, October 10th: A Fantastical Librarian

Friday, October 10th: Mystery Playground – Drinks with Reads guest post

Monday, October 13th: By the Book Reviews

Tuesday, October 14th: the smitten word

Wednesday, October 15th: Dwell in Possibility

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4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, Jack Morgan, P, RATING, Read in 2014, SERIES

2014.40 REVIEW – Private: #1 Suspect by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Tara

Private: #1 Suspect 
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 377
Rating: 4/5
Read: Aug. 19 – 22, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 40
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy (Rec. from grandmother)
Series: Jack Morgan #2

Private #1 SuspectBlurb: Private’s Jack Morgan is accused of a horrible murder – and not even his own world-class investigators can prove he didn’t do it.

Since former marine Jack Morgan started Private, the elite investigation firm has been sought out by the famous and powerful to handle their problems. Private’s detectives are the smartest, fastest, and most technologically advanced in the world – and they always uncover the truth. But when his former lover is found killed in his bed, Jack instantly becomes the number one suspect. As the police focus on Jack, the Mob strong-arms him into recovering $30 million in stolen pharmaceuticals for them. And the beautiful manager of a luxury hotel chain persuades him to solve a string of murders at her properties. Now, while Jack fights for his life, one of his most trusted colleagues threatens to leave Private – and Jack realizes he faces the most clever and powerful enemies ever.

Review: This book was from my own shelves, all opinions expressed below are my own.

Those of you who have been following me for quite some time, know that I used to devour James Patterson. At one time I was caught up with his Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club and Michael Bennett series. There were very few Patterson books that came out that I didn’t read (and we all know he produces a lot!). But somewhere along the way I stopped reading him.

But when Bout of Books rolled around this week, I got to thinking about what I would want to read this week. I knew a James Patterson would be perfect … you can’t beat how quickly his books read … the short chapters are perfect for something like bout of books … and they’re pretty well mindless. Perfect. It also didn’t hurt that I looked and realized that out of the last 10 books I had read, 9 of those were review books. It was time for some guilt free reading.

I’m not sure why this is the Patterson book I chose. But I’m glad it was. I had read and reviewed the first Private book back in 2011. I remembered liking it, but had no other recollection of the storylines/characters. Luckily, that isn’t a big deal in this book – it reads decently as a standalone. As I look back over my 2011 review, I realize that I have the same main complaint about this book .. the sheer number of story lines. There are four in this installment – the murder Jack is accused of, a celebrity the firm is to keep track of, a “favor” that Jack has to do for the Mob, and a case of men being murdered in hotels. It was really too much; if I were writing the book, I would have cut out the whole deal with the celebrity and focused much more on the hotel killings, it was a much more interesting story line.

Regardless, though, this book was exactly what I needed at the time I read it. Fast. Short. Fun. And I was able to read it guilt free … something that I haven’t been able to do a lot of in 2014. So if you want a fun, mindless escape, I would definitely recommend this one.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Fiction, NetGalley, P, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.13 REVIEW – The Accident by Chris Pavone

Tara

The Accident
by Chris Pavone

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 342
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: March 10 – Mar. 17, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 13
Format: E-Book
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

 

The AccidentBlurb: As dawn approaches in New York, literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript, racing through the explosive revelations about powerful people, as well as long-hidden secrets about her own past. In Copenhagen, veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of an unexpected gun. And in Zurich, the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life, trying to atone for a lifetime’s worth of lies and betrayals with publication of The Accident, while always looking over his shoulder.

Over the course of one long, desperate, increasingly perilous day, these lives collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication, toward saving or ruining careers and companies, placing everything at risk—and everyone in mortal peril.  The rich cast of characters—in publishing and film, politics and espionage—are all forced to confront the consequences of their ambitions, the schisms between their ideal selves and the people they actually became.

The action rockets around Europe and across America, with an intricate web of duplicities stretching back a quarter-century to a dark winding road in upstate New York, where the shocking truth about the accident itself is buried.

Gripping, sophisticated, layered, and impossible to put down, The Accident proves once again that Chris Pavone is a true master of suspense.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley, all opinions expressed below are my own.

I originally put in a request for a print galley through an ad in Shelf Awareness. I didn’t get a print galley, but was sent an email inviting me to have access to an e-galley. I gladly clicked through the link and then let the book sit on my Nook for a while. Well, for months, really. Can I just tell you right now that that was the dumbest thing I could have done?!

This book was awesome. It sucked me in from the first page (I was stupid and started it while on the treadmill and only had about 20 minutes to read before my bootcamp class started). I was tempted to skip that class just so I could continue to read! It definitely has an immediate draw, that’s for sure!

This book has every twist and turn imaginable. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, another curveball is thrown and you’re left with your mouth hanging wide open and your eyes bugging out of your head in utter surprise! At least I was!

If I had to nitpick one thing about this book, it was the sheer number of characters and storylines that were introduced in the beginning. I had a little bit of trouble trying to keep track of what was what and who was who. But once things started to come together, I understood why everything was placed as it was. It definitely allowed for layers to be peeled back, one by one.

I found this book to be really enjoyable. I had figured out who the “author” was relatively early on, but I still had no idea about other revelations at the end of the book. The writing was suspenseful and the characters were well-developed.

This was my first time reading this author, but I can say with certainty, it won’t be my last!

One last thing to mention, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing a different side of the publishing business through this book. I had no idea how the agent/editor/publisher, purchasing/owning, and then the film options truly worked. So it was pretty interesting to get an insider look on how the process works.

Highly recommended!!

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, LT Early Reviewer, P, RATING, Read in 2014, Review Book

2014.6 REVIEW – The Innocent Sleep by Karen Perry

Tara

The Innocent Sleep
by Karen Perry

Copyright: 2014
Pages: 323
Rating: 4/5
Read: Feb. 1 – Feb. 5, 2014
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 6
Format: Print
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program

The Innocent SleepBlurb: Tangier. Harry is preparing his wife’s birthday dinner while she is still at work and their son, Dillon, is upstairs asleep in bed. Harry suddenly remembers that he’s left Robin’s gift at the cafe in town. It’s only a five-minute walk away, and Dillon is hard to put down for the night, so Harry decides to run out and fetch the present.

Disaster strikes. An earthquake hits, buildings crumble, people scream and run. Harry fights his way through the crowds to his house, only to find it a crumbled wreck. Dillon is presumed dead, though his body is never found.

Five years later, Harry and Robin have settled into a new life after relocating to their native Dublin. Their grief will always be with them, but lately it feels as if they’re ready for a new beginning. Harry’s career as an artist is taking off and Robin has just realized that she’s pregnant.

But when Harry gets a glimpse of Dillon on the crowded streets of Dublin, the past comes rushing back at them both. Has Dillon been alive all these years? Or was what Harry saw just a figment of his guilt-ridden imagination? With razor-sharp writing, Karen Perry’s The Innocent Sleep delivers a fast-paced, ingeniously plotted thriller brimming with deception, doubt, and betrayal.

Review: I received a copy of this book for free from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.

They say there are two sides to every story. Sometimes, there are three. (p. 265 from ARC)

Oh where to start with this review? I have to admit that I slept on my thoughts before really sitting down and writing them out. It’s so hard to put into words my feelings regarding this book without revealing major spoilers.

So to begin, overall this is a thrill-a-minute book that slowly reveals itself to a pulse-pounding, nearly unbelievable conclusion.

I guess I have to really start with the entire notion that a parent would leave their young son in bed asleep and go out and down the street. I don’t care if it’s 3 blocks down or next door, you just don’t do that. Heck, I don’t even like to go to the mailbox when Garrett is asleep! It’s just something that I cannot wrap my brain around. So from the beginning I had a really big problem with Harry’s character. I simply could not trust him after that revelation. And then there’s Robin. I was so fed up with her character because she continued to stay with Harry after he not only left Dillon alone asleep in bed but there was another big revelation that is just absolutely unforgivable. What kind of woman could really stay with a man like Harry? Well as the reader continues, it becomes very obvious that not everyone is as perfect as they appear. Robin has some pretty nasty stuff in her past as well. They’re both incredibly flawed characters. But it works for some reason.

So how on earth could I possibly like a book that I was really disgusted by the two main characters? I simply cannot answer that question. But for whatever reason, it works. The psychological mind twist that goes on throughout this book really makes you want to keep reading. I had to know what happened. I had to know if Harry was losing his mind. I had to know if Dillon could really be alive.

And then the ending … the last page. Just, wow. There’s a huge twist that I never saw coming and left me with a little lukewarm feeling. Personally it felt unnecessary and more than a little unbelievable if you ask me. Unnecessary, that’s really the best word that I can use for the ending. But please don’t let this change your decision to read this book, because it’s a good read.

This is just one of those books that words can’t adequately describe. You have to really read it to understand it. I can’t say much more about it without giving away entirely too much. Just read it. Seriously.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2013, Review Book, U-V-W, Virtual Author Book Tours

2013.47 REVIEW – The Thunderbird Conspiracy by R.K. Price

Tara

The Thunderbird Conspiracy
by R.K. Price

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 327
Rating: 4/5
Read: Nov 2-8, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 47
Format: Print
Source: Author for blog tour

BookCover6x9_Cream_330Blurb: The Thunderbird Conspiracy is the remarkable tale of Robert Kaye, a Hungarian freedom fighter who claimed he knew and collaborated with JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. R. K. Price’s second novel is also a tale of a Nebraska farm boy who was a great admirer of President Kennedy and a true patriot who desperately wanted to believe his government’s hurried conclusion that Oswald had no accomplice. Yet his own harrowing experience at the hands of his government created profound doubt in his mind, and it haunted him to his death.

These two men, one willfully acting, the other a true victim, became entangled in the most notorious crime of the 20th century. This saga of intrigue and murder was revealed to the author on a wintry Colorado day about three weeks before the farm boy’s ravaged heart gave out.

That man was R. K. Price’s uncle. His name was Bud Carlson. Price stashed away Bud’s account of Robert Kaye, letting it lay dormant for nearly forty years until he could corroborate his uncle’s story with the release of previously secret FBI files from the National Archives.

Now nearing the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination Price has brought Robert Kaye and Bud Carlson back to life. Their incredible story will leave you questioning just how and why JFK was taken from America far too early.

 

Review: If you are a loyal reader here you have probably figured out by now that I am a total JFK junkie. I seriously cannot get enough! So of course I jumped on the opportunity to read this book!!

Mr. Price definitely has a way with words! I was immediately swept up in the flow of this book and was more than happy to let it carry me to the end. The characters were so well-developed and I enjoyed getting to know them, even the secondary characters were fleshed out so well they didn’t feel secondary at all.

I’m going to be completely honest here, I’ve never been 100% convinced about the lone bullet theory. It just seems to much for me to comprehend. It is my personal belief that Oswald was a patsy (but this is where I have to say that I’m not entirely sure who he was a patsy for; I just don’t feel as if he did it all himself). So you can imagine that I gobble up everything about the Kennedy assassination just in an attempt to see if I can make sense of my feelings on the assassination itself.

I think what I liked about this book so much was that it was really fiction wrapped around fact. The whole idea that the author’s uncle’s story is what really brought this book about. Just, wow. It makes me wish I had a story like that to tell! And I think this personal connection with the author is what makes the book that much better.

Definitely a book that I would highly recommend. You don’t even have to be a conspiracy theorist to enjoy this book, you just need to enjoy a good mystery 😉

RK Price-1About the author:

R.K. Price is a Colorado native. He lived in Pueblo for a number of years, earning his way through college as a radio/television and newspaper reporter. He moved north to Denver in the mid 70s, joining a major advertising/public relations firm as a writer, producer and press agent. Later, he formed his own media relations and political consulting firm. He spent the early 1980s in Washington D.C. actively involved in national politics, and returned to Denver in the mid 80s to become an investment and mortgage banker — a profession he remains in today. He now lives in the Washington D.C. area with his wife Janet and daughter Sara in Alexandria, Va.

R.K. Price Website: http://rkprice.com/
R.K. Price Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkpriceauthor
R.K. Price Twitter: https://twitter.com/RK_Price

Buy The Thunderbird Conspiracy:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository 

Check out the rest of the tour:

So Many Precious Books Oct 18 Review & Giveaway
Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Oct 21 Review
Dr. Bill’s Book Bazaar Oct 22 Interview
Ordinary Girls Oct 24 Review
Rainy Days & Mondays Oct 25 Review
Fundimental Oct 28 Review
Fundimental Oct 29 Guest Post & Giveaway
Joystory Oct 30 Review
Rose & Beps Blog Nov 1 Excerpt
Cozie Corner Nov 4 Review (postponed)
Library of Clean Reads Nov 5 Review
Romance & Inspiration Nov 7 Review & Interview
Kate Eileen Shannon Nov 8 Review
Kate Eileen Shannon Nov 12 Guest Post
Tales of a Book Addict Nov 13 Review
Deal Sharing Aunt Nov 19 Review
Indies Reviews Behind the Scenes Dec 7 Live Interview

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4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, P, RATING, Read in 2013, READING CHALLENGES 2013, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

2013.45 REVIEW – 11th Hour by James Patterson

Tara

11th Hour
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 387
Rating: 34/5
Read: Oct. 23 – Oct. 27, 2013
Challenge: Off the Shelf Challenge; RIP VIII; 2013 Sequel Challenge
Yearly count: 45
Format: Print
Source: Personal Copy

11th HourBlurb:  Boxer is pregnant at last! But her work doesn’t slow for a second. When a millionaire is mercilessly gunned down, Lindsay discovers that the murder weapon is linked to the deaths of four of San Francisco’s most untouchable criminals. And it was taken from her own department’s evidence locker. Anyone could be the killer – even one of her closest friends. Lindsay is next called to the most bizarre crime scene she’s ever seen: two bodiless heads displayed in the garden of a world-famous actor. After another head is unearthed, Lindsay realizes that the ground could hide hundreds of victims. Then a reporter launches a series of vicious articles about the cases, and Lindsay’s personal life is laid bare. But this time she has no one to turn to – especially not Joe.

Review: James Patterson is my go-to author when it comes to trying to break out of a slump. I had picked up and put back down about 4 books prior to picking up this one. So it was a no-brainer for me to choose a Patterson book, I just had to decide which one (I have two other books of his). This one has been on my shelf for a while, so I chose it just because it was the Patterson book I have had the longest.

Overall, this is another good installment in the Women’s Murder Club series. I really enjoyed the dual story lines. They were both interesting cases which needed Lindsay’s undivided attention…. but she took on both cases at the same time. I did have a little issue with this in a way. As someone who has been through an easy pregnancy, I couldn’t help but shake my head at how Lindsay’s pregnancy is being portrayed. I was absolutely worn out, and there would have been no way I could have ever gone all day without eating … working 10-12 hours wasn’t going to happen either. So I was a little irritated as to how this was shown to the readers, it just wasn’t realistic at all and it irritated me at times.

However, I did like that the “Club” was back in action in this book. It was fun to see Claire, Lindsay, Cindy and Yuki trying to solve the case together again! It seems like this has been a missing piece in the last few installments of this series. And that really is a shame, because that’s what this series is all about! We as readers need those four characters working together to solve the case, it’s a great dynamic when they’re together!

I will say that while the killer really wasn’t a huge shocker, it was a little bit of a surprise to me. I had it narrowed down to three people and the actual killer was in that pool of three, but I hadn’t figured it out completely. That always makes for a fun read in my opinion.

Having looked back over my review of the previous book in this series, I had complained about the lack of editing for that book. I can say that this book did not have those issues, so I was glad to see that whatever the problem was regarding that was resolved for this book.

Overall, another good read. Mr. Patterson might not be the best author out there (he’s just prolific), but it’s always a fun and quick read that I enjoy. Even though this is the 11th book in the series, I wouldn’t say you would be missing anything terribly important if you picked this one up first.

Recommended.

AUTHOR, Book Review, E-Book, Edelweiss, Fiction, P, Read in 2013, Review Book

2013.9 REVIEW – The Demonologist by Andrew Pyper

Tara

The Demonologist
by Andrew Pyper

Copyright:  2013
Pages:  306
Read: Feb. 2-13, 2013
Challenge: No challenge
Yearly count: 9
Format: E-Book
Source: Edelweiss

The DemonologistBlurb: Fans of The Historian won’t be able to put down this spellbinding literary horror story in which a Columbia professor must use his knowledge of demonic mythology to rescue his daughter from the Underworld.

Professor David Ullman’s expertise in the literature of the demonic—notably Milton’s Paradise Lost—has won him wide acclaim. But David is not a believer.

One afternoon he receives a visitor at his campus office, a strikingly thin woman who offers him an invitation: travel to Venice, Italy, witness a “phenomenon,” and offer his professional opinion, in return for an extravagant sum of money. Needing a fresh start, David accepts and heads to Italy with his beloved twelve-year-old daughter Tess.

What happens in Venice will send David on an unimaginable journey from skeptic to true believer, as he opens himself up to the possibility that demons really do exist. In a terrifying quest guided by symbols and riddles from the pages of Paradise Lost, David attempts to rescue his daughter from the Unnamed—a demonic entity that has chosen him as its messenger.

Review: I received a digital copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. It is set to go on sale March 5, 2013.

Way back in December, I saw a review for this book at A Book and a Review and I was immediately intrigued by the description. It sounded so interesting to me. I was thrilled to find it on Edelweiss and even more thrilled when I was approved for it! Then I let it sit. Why do I always seem to do that?

When I finally started this book I was immediately sucked in. The beginning really had me wanting to know what was going on … I honestly couldn’t get through the first 150 pages fast enough. And then for some reason it lagged a bit for me. I think it was my “yeah, right” instinct coming out. There was just something about the middle part of the book that didn’t really sit all that well with me. But I continued on, determined to find out what happened. And I have to say that while I wasn’t necessarily disappointed with the ending, I was a little surprised at how abrupt it was. Once again I was stuck with that “yeah, right” feeling.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I don’t read a lot of horror novels anymore (although I gobbled up every Stephen King and Dean Koontz book I could when I was in high school!), but this one really wasn’t all that bad. I would definitely recommend it.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2012, READING CHALLENGES 2012, Review Book

2012.18 REVIEW – Sly Fox by Judge Jeanine Pirro

Tara

Sly Fox
by Judge Jeanine Pirro

Copyright: 2012
Pages: 289
Rating: 4/5
Read: July 9 – July 22, 2012
Challenge: Mystery & Suspense 2012
Yearly Count: 18
Format: Print
Source: Review Copy from Hyperion Books

Blurb: In Westchester, New York, young assistant district attorney Dani Fox is investigating a series of brutal crimes against women and children, cases that male prosecutors don’t care about. It’s a man’s world in 1978, and as the only female prosecutor in the office, she’s shunned by her peers, dismissed by judges, and ignored by detectives. Using her legal acumen and razor-sharp wit, she outmaneuvers her critics both in and out of the courtroom.

Fox stumbles upon one of her most challenging cases when she goes after a successful businessman who has been secretly molesting his beautiful young daughter for years. While handling this politically tricky prosecution, she learns that the accused is hiding an even more sinister crime: the murder of his second wife. Her death was ruled a suicide at the time, but Fox uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise. Proving his guilt is tougher than she imagined, as even murderers have friends in unexpected places, and there are times when the legal system – her fellow prosecutors, judges, and the police – may not be on her side….

Review: I was contacted by Jonathan Bernstein, Social Media Manager of Hyperion Books, about the opportunity to read and review this book.

You know what I find to be the best part of being a book blogger? Being introduced to great books that I might never find on my own. This book fits that bill for me.

When this book was pitched to me, it was likened to Nancy Grace’s book, The Eleventh Victim. I enjoyed that book and was immediately intrigued by the description of this book. I honestly don’t read very many books with strong female protagonists, so I was definitely looking forward to giving this book a chance. And it definitely did not disappoint.

This book is set in 1970s New York. I honestly didn’t know what to expect with it being from this time period. But I was a little more than shocked, to say the least. I knew that a woman prosecutor in the 1970s would have trouble with the proverbial glass ceiling. And I also knew that the police department would be a boys club where everyone covered for everyone else. But what I didn’t know was that it was actually still legal for a man to beat his wife!! Say what?! I could see that law still being on the books in the 1950s, but the 1970s definitely surprised me.

I liked Dani Fox’s character. She felt very real to me. Of course that is probably due to the fact that the author, Judge Pirro, really drew upon her own personal experiences in the legal field. This fact also really helped develop the plot, in my opinion.  I was finding myself getting increasingly frustrated With the kind of injustice that the victim was experiencing. It was quite disheartening, actually. It’s really good to know that there are so many victim advocates out there, because this book really illustrates the need for them, in my opinion.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The characters were well developed, the plot was interesting to me, the writing was enjoyable. I think it will appeal to a wide variety of readers, but if you’re a fan of the legal fiction genre, I would definitely recommend giving this book a chance.