RATING – Page 37 – Tales of a Book Addict

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, K, RATING, Read in 2011, SERIES

2011.28 REVIEW – The Hundredth Man by Jack Kerley

June 7, 2011 Tara

The Hundredth Man
by Jack Kerley

Copyright: 2004
Pages: 307
Rating: 4/5
Read: June 3 – June 7, 2011
Challenge: No Challenge
Yearly Count: 28
Format: Print

First Line: Seconds before one of the most long-awaited events of Alexander Caulfield’s adult life, an event he’d spent years planning and pursuing, an event marking his ascension into professionalism, a decent salary, and the respect of his peers, his left eye started winking like a gigolo in third-rate Italian film.

Blurb: Bizarre and cryptic messages found on a pair of corpses in Mobile, Alabama, launch junior police detective Carson Ryder and veteran cop Harry Nautilus into a desperate search for a mysterious killer. With the body count rising, Ryder descends into his family’s terrifying past by seeking advice from his brother, a violent, taunting psychopath convicted of similarly heinous crimes. Ryder soon confronts not only his past fears and nightmares, but also the knowledge that someone he knows is the next target. And time is running out.

Review: This is the first in the Carson Ryder series, I had never even heard of this author before until a fellow member of the MysteryBookSwap on Yahoo groups mentioned that she was reading it and that it was up for trade. I took a chance and requested a trade with her for it. I have to say that I am very glad that I read this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were humorous moments sprinkled in here and there at just the right times. The storyline was good, the characters were likeable. I’m really looking forward to reading more in this series. Highly recommended.

4/5, AUTHOR, Author Debut, Book Review, F, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.27 REVIEW – Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth

June 3, 2011 Tara

Blood Oath
by Christopher Farnsworth

Copyright: 2010
Pages: 470
Rating: 4/5
Read: May 29– June 3, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 27
Format: Print

First Line: After two extended tours in Iraq, Army Specialist Wayne Denton thought he’d never be cold again.

Blurb: Zach Barrows is a cocky, ambitious White House employee working his way toward becoming the youngest chief of staff in history. But Zach’s political rise takes an unexpected turn when he’s abruptly transferred out of the White House and partnered with Nathaniel Cade, a secret agent sworn to protect the president. But Cade is no ordinary servant. Bound 140 years ago by a special blood oath, Nathaniel Cade is a vampire. On the orders of the president he defends the nation against enemies far stranger – and far more dangerous – than civilians like Zach could ever imagine. And as a new threat looms, Zach has to learn to work with his undead partner, because the president’s vampire is the only thing standing between the American dream and total Armageddon.

Review: Okay, so obviously, this is not my normal type of book. I usually steer far clear from anything to do with vampires. It’s just not my thing. Mr. Farnsworth has a second book in this series that came out in April, I saw it mentioned on Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program. I was immediately intrigued, put my name in the hat for the book (did not win it) but did some more research and learned about this book, the first in the series. So I put Blood Oath on the back burner section of my brain to remember in the future. I was perusing my local Books-A-Million right before we went on vacation and saw the book on the shelf. I picked it up and bought it. Then I took it with me on vacation. It was my secondary book for vacation and I didn’t know if I would get to it. Well I did, and I was hooked almost from the first page, and read almost 50 pages in the first setting – when I had only intended to read for just a few minutes. I will admit though, that when I got to the very end and the “attack” begins, that’s where my “yeah, right” instincts began to sink in. But everything up to that point had been great and I honestly think it was just my natural reaction to anything with a paranormal/fantasy/vampire twist. Apparently Mr. Farnsworth is a screenwriter, and I will say that this book really read like it could be a really great movie. I’m definitely interested in reading the second book in this series, The President’s Vampire and hope to get to it soon (but doubt that I will, because I will not buy a hardback book new – hope my number comes up quickly on PBS!) So all in all, I would recommend this book. It was enjoyable, even for someone who does not normally read this type of book.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, C, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011

2011.26 REVIEW – The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

June 1, 2011June 1, 2011 Tara

The Shadow of Your Smile
by Mary Higgins Clark

First Line: On Monday morning, Olivia Morrow sat quietly across the desk from her longtime friend Clay Hadley, absorbing the death sentence he had just pronounced.

Blurb: At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow faces a momentous choice: expose a devastating family secret, or take it with her to her grave. Olivia has in her possession letters from her deceased cousin Catherine, a nun now being considered for beatification by the Catholic Church. The letters are evidence that Catherine gave birth at age seventeen to a son she gave up for adoption. The young man who fathered Catherine’s child, Alex Gannon, went on to become a world-famous doctor and scientist. Now, thirty-one-year-old pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, their granddaughter, stands as the rightful heir to what remains of Gannon’s fortune. But to silence Olivia and prevent Monica from learning the secret, those who are exploiting the inheritance will stop at nothing – even murder.

Review: This was a highly enjoyable read. I am never disappointed by Mary Higgins Clark. It’s truly amazing how she keeps producing quality books year after year. This book read quickly (when I was able to actually sit down and read). My only complaint is that there were a lot of storylines. And while they all came together in the end, I think one or two of them could have been cut out completely. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a good suspenseful mystery.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, Review Book

2011.25 REVIEW – The Eighth Scroll by Laurence Brown

May 19, 2011 Tara

The Eighth Scroll
by Laurence Brown

First Line: When death approaches, your life will play before your eyes.

Blurb: Stirring the flames of age-old controversies, The Eighth Scroll by Laurence B. Brown draws on the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam to create an unbelievably dynamic and powerful story. Set in a world that teeters between orthodoxy and heresy, this thriller is packed with intrigue and adventure. When a Roman Catholic scholar involved in the Dead Sea Scrolls Project hides one of the scrolls because of there heretical message it contains, no one is the wiser until decades later, when a prominent archaeologist discovers reference to the scroll in an archaeological dig. This discovery spurs the world religions into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, in which all who seek the hidden scroll are mysteriously silenced, leaving the salvation of humankind to a father and son, who must either find the hidden scroll … or die trying.

Review: This e-book was sent to me courtesy of Gatekeepers Post for review. This is a little out of my comfort zone, I don’t read a lot of books that have religious aspects. Of course I’ve read The DaVinci Code (who hasn’t?) and I’ve seen this book in the book blog world has been compared to The DaVinci Code. Personally, I think this book was better. It was absolutely packed with action throughout the book. But I did have some issues with keeping up, I’m not sure if my mind was wandering while I was reading or what, but I found myself confused quite a few times. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone based on the religious aspect to the book and how it could affect people’s overall beliefs. Otherwise, I think it’s a great thriller and worth reading.

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, R, RATING, Read in 2011, SERIES, SIGMA Force

2011.24 REVIEW – Sandstorm by James Rollins

May 19, 2011May 19, 2011 Tara

Sandstorm
by James Rollins

First Line: Harry Masterson would be dead in thirteen minutes.

Blurb: An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum, setting off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world. And now the search for answers is leading Lady Kara Kensington; her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery’s brilliant and beautiful curator; and their guide, the international adventurer Omaha Dunn, into a world they never dreamed existed: a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert. But others are being drawn there as well, some with dark and sinister purposes. And the many perils of a death-defying trek deep into the savage heart of the Arabian Peninsula pale before the nightmare waiting to be unearthed at journey’s end: an ageless and awesome power that could create a utopia … or destroy everything humankind has built over countless millennia.

Review: This is my first time reading James Rollins, I have always heard good things about him and I love a great thrill ride of a read and this book fit that bill perfectly. The characters were interesting and the plot was intense at times. There were a few moments in the book where the science involved was a little over my (science-hating) head. I’m not a science fan and I will be the first to admit that the hydrogen-oxygen-antimatter information was way beyond my understanding. Other than that one issue, I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

4.5/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, P, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES, Women's Murder Club

2011.23 REVIEW – 10th Anniversary by James Patterson

May 16, 2011 Tara

10th Anniversary
by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Copyright: 2011
Pages: 395
Rating: 4.5/5
Read: May 13 – 15, 2011
Challenge: TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 23
Format: Print

First Line: This was the day I was getting married.

Blurb: Detective Lindsay Boxer’s long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a teenage girl is badly injured and left for dead, and her newborn baby is nowhere to be found. Lindsay discovers that not only is there no trace of the criminal – but the victim may be keeping secrets as well. At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life – a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of their two young children. Yuki’s career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct? Lindsay’s every move is watched by her new boss, Lieutenant Jackson Brady, and when the pressure to find the baby begins interfering with her new marriage to Joe, she wonders if she’ll ever be able to start a family.

Review: This was a really good book. But my goodness, edit edit edit! There were grammatical errors in this book, which isn’t usually something I come across in a James Patterson book. I understand that these things happen, but if I can spot them it always makes me wonder if anyone even edits/reads these books anymore! Spell check doesn’t catch everything! Anyway, grammar issues aside, I felt like this was a good read. I enjoyed the two plot lines that were going on. I enjoyed more character development with Lindsay and Joe and Yuki’s new relationship as well as Cindy and Conklin’s relationship progression. It’s always like getting together with friends when I read this series. I really like this series, and although I prefer the Alex Cross series, this is another one of my favorite series that I would highly recommend.

3/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, D, Fiction, Goldy Schulz, RATING, Read in 2011, SERIES

2011.22 REVIEW – The Last Suppers by Diane Mott Davidson

May 7, 2011 Tara

The Last Suppers
by Diane Mott Davidson

First Line: Never cater your own wedding reception.

Blurb: It should be the happiest day of Goldy’s life. The Colorado caterer is about to tie the knot witht he man of her dreams, homicide detective Tom Schulz. But minutes before the ceremony is to begin, Tom phones with an urgent message: The wedding is off, and the reason is murder! Tom was on his way to the church when he stopped to pick up Father Olson – and found the rector shot and dying. Yet by the time Tom’s fellow officers arrive at the crime scene, Tom has disappeared, leaving behind a notebook that contains a cryptic message. Has the groom been abducted by the killer? Or has he gotten cold feet and walked out of Goldy’s life? For better or worse, Goldy needs to know the truth. So she puts her exquistely decorated wedding cake on ice and begins to search for clues. What she quickly discovers is that her fiance’s life – and her future happiness – depend on her ability to decipher Tom’s note. For only it can lead her to an unsavory killer whose unholy passion may make Goldy a widow before she’s a widow.

Review: This is the fourth in the Goldy Schulz series. I didn’t find this one as enjoyable as the first three, personally. Overall, it was a good mystery, but it was too religious and preachy at times for my liking. I understood that the mystery itself revolved around the murder of a priest, but it just went one step too far with the religious aspect for my personal taste. I am very curious as to where the next book in this series goes, now that Goldy and Tom are married and Julian got into Cornell. The transition that should be found in the next book will be very interesting, I think. Although this will not be a favorite book of mine in this particular serise, I still recommend this series to everyone (at least those who have been living under a rock and had just now gotten around to reading these books)

4/5, AUTHOR, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, S

2011.21 REVIEW – Breakneck by Erica Spindler

April 26, 2011 Tara

Breakneck
by Erica Spindler

First Line: The kid’s eyes snapped open.

Blurb: The first victim is murdered in his bed. A clean-cut college boy with no criminal record. Then a second victim is killed in the shower, then a third … each one striking closer to home for M.C. When loved ones become targets, M.C. must walk a fine line between upholding the law and taking it into her own hands. At stake is her job, her relationship with Kitt, and possibly, her life. The key to finding this emotionless killer lies in the stolen computers of his victims – a secret network of false identities and true evil where no one is who they seem. If M.C. hopes to capture Breackneck, she’ll have to put her own neck on the line…

Review: This was a fun, fast-paced read. I was immediately drawn in to the story and couldn’t hardly put it down at times. There was a lot of background that I had missed out on by not reading the first book in this series (and I say series loosely, seeing as how there’s only two books in this series so far). It would definitely be interesting to read the first book, which obviously focuses more on Kitt’s character whereas this book focuses on M.C. That fact aside, this was an enjoyable book and stood relatively well as a stand-alone. It was an interesting storyline, dealing with cyber thieves. And the ah-ha moment where the twist comes into the book wasn’t really all that big of a surprise, but it definitely made the book come together quite nicely. I have read other books by Erica Spindler, and remember liking them and this book is no different. If you want a good fast-paced read, this is a great book in my opinion. I think the only reason that I didn’t rate this book as a 5 was simply because there was time when I didn’t like M.C.’s characters. She had a tendency to take things into her hands way too much throughout the book. As a cop I think she should have been reeled in a little bit more, she went way off the reservation at times. There were obvious issues between M.C. and her partner Kitt, but it seemed as if it was all swept under the rug and kind of dismissed. I don’t know, I think there could have been some better character development, but again, I suppose that my issue could stem from the fact that I haven’t read the other book in this series. Either way, I would definitely recommend this book.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011

2011.20 REVIEW – Killing Her Softly by Beverly Barton

April 22, 2011 Tara

Killing Her Softly
by Beverly Barton

Copyright: 2005
Pages: 404
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 17 – 22, 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare; What’s in a Name 4
Yearly Count: 20
Format: Print

First Line: Lulu Vanderley was rich, blond and beautiful.

Blurb: The woman has been waiting impatiently on her satin sheets. Her lover knows exactly how to satisfy her. But this time, he has something else planned … something that will really take her breath away. In the courtroom, defense lawyer Quinn Cortez has a reputation as a ruthless predator who always gets what he wants. In the bedroom, it’s no different. Quinn is an accomplished seducer with a long list of conquests. But now, someone has brutally slaughtered one of them, and Quinn has no memory of the night he was found in her home. Annabelle Vanderley wants justice for her murdered cousin, and if Quinn Cortez swears he can find the true killer, she’s willing to give him the benefit of a doubt. But then another body is discovered … and another … each victim an ex-lover of Quinn’s. Now, consumed by dread, Annabelle wonders just how close she may be to a twisted psychopath for whom her pain would be the ultimate pleasure.

Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. I rated it a 4 out of 5 based solely on the plot line. However, there was more romance than I prefer in my books with a woman who falls head over heels in love with a suspected murderer almost immediately. (I believe it was last month when there was a Top Ten Tuesday that dealt with pet peeves and stupid women who fall in love made the list. Yeah, you can re-visit that post here.) Other than that one issue with this book, I really enjoyed this. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who the bad guy was. I went back and forth countless times trying to figure it out, and honestly, I didn’t get it until it was revealed. So I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. It was very suspenseful. I know this book is listed as romantic suspense, but I’ve read other Barton books and have never been that bothered by the romance, maybe this book had more than usual – either that or I just never liked Annabelle’s character. It also didn’t help that I wasn’t real fond of Quinn Cortez’s character either, he was too much of a slimy womanizer – although in the end he was definitely reformed. I don’t know, the best way I can really describe my opinion of this book is that I’m torn.

4/5, AUTHOR, B, Book Review, Cotton Malone, Fiction, RATING, Read in 2011, READING CHALLENGES 2011, SERIES

2011.19 REVIEW – The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry

April 17, 2011 Tara

The Alexandria Link
by Steve Berry

Copyright: 2007
Pages: 485
Rating: 4/5
Read: April 8 – 17, 2011
Challenge: TBR Dare; TwentyEleven Challenge
Yearly Count: 19
Format: Print

First Line: George Haddad’s patience ended as he glared at the man bound to the chair.

Blurb: “You have something I want. You’re the only person on earth who knows where to find it. Go get it. You have 72 hours. If I don’t hear from you, you will be childless.” Cotton Malone’s teenage son has been kidnapped, and an anonymous e-mail from those responsible proves they will stop at nothing to get their hands on a coveted prize: the legendary lost Library of Alexandria, which vanished 1,500 years ago. Within that vast reserve of 500,000 manuscripts, one holds the key to ultimate power – a revelation so shocking it could fundamentally alter modern geopolitics. Pursued by a lethal mercenary, Malone crosses the globe in search of this vast bounty of wisdom. His quest will lead him to England and Portugal, even to the highest levels of American government – and the shattering outcome, deep in the Sinai desert, will have worldwide repercussions.

Review: The last 200 pages of this book made the first 300 pages that I suffered through made this book entirely worth it. There were spots that were just too much for me. I am not a religious person and I found myself skipping over whole passages discussing the Bible and the Holy Land and how the Bible was fundamentally changed in translation. However, I still enjoyed this book. And honestly, I loved the conspiracy part of the book. And once the climax occurred, the book flew by for me. It was just getting to that point that was a little difficult to me. But I toughed it out because I remembered how much I enjoyed the first Cotton Malone book, The Templar Legacy, and I was just patiently waiting for the break-neck thrill ride that I know Steve Berry is capable of writing to happen. I’m glad I stuck with it, because it was honestly a great ending. I already have the third book in this series on my shelf and I hope to get to it quicker than I got to the second book after the first. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys fast-paced thrill-packed adventure!

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