Wraith by Phaedra Weldon

 

Wraith by Phaedra M. Weldon Format: Trade Paperback  Published: June 5, 2007  Dimensions: 384 Pages, 5.5 x 8.25 x 1 in  ISBN: 0441014976  Published By: Ace ‘Zoe Martinique’ series Book #1 First in an excitingly different and new paranormal series. Zo` Martinique has turned her unusual ability into a career. When she’s traveling, she can’t be seen which makes her an ideal professional snoop. Industrial espionage, surveillance, whatever. But one night things get out of hand while she’s outof- body. She witnesses a murder and a soul stealing, and discovers she has unwelcome company: Trench- Coat, a ghostly killer who can see and hurt her. Teaming up with a blue-eyed police detective, she tries to solve the case and improve her love life. She also enlists the support of her psychic mother and the ghostly couple who haunt her house. And with murderers, kidnappers, and a desperate ex-porn star involved, Zo` needs all the help she can get.

I finished this novel on Saturday, July 21st, 2007. An excellent first novel!

I really liked Zoe as a character. I loved her attitude, her personality, the way she sees things, feels emotions. Truly an original character.

The rest of the cast was great as well. Her mom, her ‘assistant’, her friends, and ‘her cute cop’. Each an everyone one an ‘original’.

I thought the plot was great, the twists perfectly placed. The action was smooth, the suspense enough to drive you crazy (good crazy), and the ‘bad guys’ give you the shivers like you wouldn’t believe. If you like paranormal thrillers, this one is an awesome read! I can’t wait for the second book!

Rating:

Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich (‘Barnaby’ series Book #1)

 

Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich Format: Hardcover  Published: October 21, 2004  Dimensions: 304 Pages, 6.31 x 9.28 x 1.01 in  ISBN: 0060584009  Published By: Harcourt Brace ‘Barnaby’ series Book #1 Buckle your seat belts. Number one New York Times bestselling author, Janet Evanovich, is moving into the fast lane with Metro Girl, a thrilling, high-octane misadventure with high stakes, hot nights, cold-blooded murder, sunken treasure, a woman with a chassis built for speed, and one very good, very sexy NASCAR driver who’s along for the ride. “Wild” Bill Barnaby’s dropped off the face of the earth and big sister Alex heads for Miami, Bill’s last known sighting, on a harrowing hunt to save her brother … and maybe the world.Truth is, Alex has been bailing her brother out of trouble since they were kids. Not that Bill’s a bad sort. More that he acts first and thinks later. Unfortunately, this time around, Wild Bill will be Dead Bill if Alex doesn’t find him in time. Alex blasts through the bars of South Beach and points her search to Key West and Cuba, laying waste to Miami hit men, dodging Palmetto bugs big enough to eat her alive, and putting the pedal to the metal with NASCAR driver Sam Hooker. Engaged in a deadly race, Wild Bill’s “borrowed” Hooker’s sixty-five foot Hatteras and sailed off into the sunset … just when Hooker has plans for the boat. Hooker figures he’ll attach himself to Alex and maybe run into Bill. Maybe Hooker can salvage what’s left of his vacation. And maybe Hooker’ll get lucky in love with Bill’s sweetie pie sister. After all, Hooker is NASCAR Guy. And NASCAR Guy is good at revving a woman’s engine. The race to the finish is hot and hard, taking Alex and Hooker into international waters, exposing a plot to grab Cuban gold and a sinister relic of the Cuban missile crises. Creative cussing and sexual innuendo included.

I finished this novel on Friday, July 20th, 2007. I thought it was a great first novel in the series!

I thought the characters were fun and quirky, the ‘bad guys’ as well. I liked the action, the suspense, the twists. The last line in the synopsis; definitely lots of creative cussing and a whole lot of sexual innuendos. Some that made you laugh, some that made you groan with a ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’ feeling. Reminded me somewhat of her Stephanie Plum series. A fun read!

Rating: .5

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich

 

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich Format: Trade Paperback  Published: October 12, 2006  Dimensions: 256 Pages, 4.19 x 6.75 x 0.84 in  ISBN: 0060598808  Published By: HarperTorch When Megan Murphy discovered a floppy-eared rabbit gnawing on the hem of her skirt, she meant to give his careless owner a piece of her mind– but Dr. Patrick Hunter was too attractive to stay mad at for long! With his husky bedroom voice he teased her, with his eyes the color of a stormy ocean he tantalized her… and soon she found herself falling irresistably, helplessly in love. Maybe it was her gloriously silky red hair or the freckles on her nose, or maybe just her adorable sense of whimsy that made Pat want to carry his lovely temptress off to his old-fashioned four-poster bed. Playing house together, making Thanksgiving dinner for their families, filled them both with a longing for the sweet times to last. But Megan had wept over one failed love, and it hurt so much to risk again. Could the doctor who kissed her breathless help heal her heart?

I finished this book on Thursday, June 19th, 2007. A shorter novel than I’m used to, and it was cute!

I thought Megan was a great character. I loved the way she used her thoughts, and how deep and quickly her feelings grow out of control.

I really liked Pat. I thought he was charismatic and sweet.

A cute read!

Rating:

Blood Red by Heather Graham

 

Blood Red  by Heather Graham Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: July 1, 2007  Dimensions: 400 Pages, 4.21 x 6.62 x 0 in  ISBN: 0778324869  Published By: Mira When a fortune-teller shows bridesmaid Lauren Crow an omen of her gruesome death, she and her friends laugh it off as cheesy theatrics—until women begin disappearing in the night.   Even as the streets become more dangerous, Lauren finds herself lusting after a man who is himself dangerous— and quite possibly crazy. Mark Davidson prowls the city by night armed with crosses and holy water, in search of vampires, whose existence, he insists, is real. He is as irresistibly drawn to Lauren as she is to him, and not only because she’s the image of his murdered fiancée. But Mark’s frightening obsession with finding his lover’s killer merely hides a bitter vendetta that cuts deeper than grief over a lost love.   As Lauren wrestles with desire and disbelief, sinister shadows lengthen over New Orleans, threatening her friends and foretelling a battle that may spell the end of the city’s uneasy truce between the living and the undead.

I finished this book early this morning, Thursday, July 19th, 2007. I didn’t think this was part of a series, but now I’m not quite sure what to put it under. Some of the characters are recurring, especially from the novels that Graham wrote as Shannon Drake.

Nevertheless, this was another awesome book! Terrific cast of characters! I could understand Lauren’s predicament. Going to a city you and your best friends adore, just to become scared out of your mind and be told that vampires really do exist. Yeah, I think I’d have reacted the same way. ‘Reality’ gave her a good smack upside the head, but she moved forward just the same. I think her friends could have used a little more help, mind you, but they weren’t the main characters, so they were fine.

Mark was a great character, strong, handsome, a quick mind. He was definitely a match for Lauren.

However, I do wish there had been more between the forces of good and evil. There should have been more between Lauren (good) and Stephan (super evil) than what there was. Sure, the battle at the end was a good one, but there should have been more of a fight between Lauren and Stephan, not just Mark and Stephan. And I think that’s the only reason why I can’t give the novel a full 5 stars this time around.

Rating:

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen (‘Immortality Bites’ series Book #1)

 

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: January 1, 2006  Dimensions: 400 Pages, 4.1 x 6.7 x 1.2 in  ISBN: 0446617008  Published By: Grand Central Publishing ‘Immortality Bites’ series Book #1 There’s a new vamp in town… Dear Mom, I might be a wee bit late for Cousin Missy’s wedding. It’s been a tough week. Turns out, my blind date from hell was literally from hell. Guy bit me. Next thing I know, I’m being chased all over the city by vampire hunters. And did I mention that I got fired, too? Bright side-I met a man. Thierry de Bennicoeur. How great is that name? Anyway, he’s sexy, six-hundred years old, and a tad suicidal, but no one’s perfect, right? And we have a deal-he’s gonna show me the ropes of the vampire world, and I’m supposed to help him end his existence. Or maybe I’ll just try to convince him life is worth living-no small challenge with the mostly immortal, let me tell you. I’ll admit it’s a complicated relationship. But with any luck, I just might have a date for that wedding after all… Hugs and Kisses, Sarah

I finished this novel on Tuesday, July 17th, 2007. As the first in a new series, I loved it!

It was funny, quirky. Sarah is a great character; I loved her sense of humor, and how she reacts to everything.

Thierry … (sigh) what I wouldn’t do to meet a man like that. Dark, mysterious, a vampire unlike those I’ve read before.

Quinn … I felt bad for him, but I’m glad he’s finally coming to grips with what’s what.

The entire cast had me laugh and groan with all their quirks. I can’t wait to read the next one, Fanged & Fabulous.

Rating: .5

Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard

 

Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: June 26, 2001  Dimensions: 405 Pages, 6.78 x 6.79 x 1.17 in  ISBN: 0671027573  Published By: Simon & Schuster What would make the perfect man? That’’s the deliciously racy topic that Jaine Bright and her three girlfriends are pondering one night at their favorite after-hours hot spot: Mr. Perfect. Would he be tall, dark, and handsome? Caring and warmhearted — or will just muscular do? As their conversation hears up, they concoct a tongue-in-cheek checklist that becomes an overnight sensation, spreading like wildfire at work and sizzling along e-mail lines. But what began as a joke among friends turns deadly serious when one of the four women is murdered….Turning to her neighbor, an unpredictable police detective, for help, Jaine must unmask a killer to save her friends — and herself. Now, knowing whom to trust and whom to love is a matter of survival — as the dream of Mr. Perfect becomes a chilling nightmare.

I finished this novel on Monday, July 16th, 2007. Awesome novel!

I really liked the plot. It was different. I thought each of the characters had personalities of their own, making them their own character. I thought it was cute how Jaine had to ‘pay’ ever time she cussed, but one small thing bothered me… with everything that went on, and the details of the sex scenes and some of the talking… ‘Damn’ shouldn’t have been thought of as a cuss word. It just didn’t seem to fit with the rest.

And the heat between Jaine and Sam … leaves the reader hot under the collar.

I never would have guess who the ‘killer’ was. I kind of figured out that the individual was disturbed, but I didn’t catch on to the relation until about 3/4’s of the way through.

I thought it was a great book!

Rating: .25

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (‘Nadia Stafford’ series Book #1)

 

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong   (The first in what could be the ‘Nadia Stafford‘ series.)   Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: June 26, 2007  Dimensions: 512 Pages, 4.24 x 6.91 x 1.08 in  ISBN: 0770430112  Published By: Seal Books Popular fantasy author Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld series) makes her first foray into crime fiction, with the debut of a series of non-paranormal novels featuring female assassin Nadia Stafford. Nadia Stafford is one of the world’s few female contract killers. A former cop, drummed out of the force because of a scandal, she is an expert at disguise and cool under pressure. But when fellow hitman Jack arrives on the scene, Nadia’s very private existence is seriously challenged. A series of victims are being murdered seemingly at random all over the country — different areas, different walks of life, different MOs. There is nothing to tie them together except a random page torn out of a single book: Helter Skelter. But does the Helter Skelter killer — as the hysterical media now dub him — have a real connection to Charles Manson? Or is there something even more sinister at work? Is this, in fact — as Jack believes — the carefully planned exit strategy of a fellow professional killer, determined to leave the life, but equally determined to clear up an old mistake? And, if so, which is the real victim? Now, the highly suspicious and secretive hitman community will have to break their cover — at least, to each other — and help take down this killer before the cops and the Feds discover his true connection to their own secret, exclusive society…

I finished this book on Sunday night, July 15th, 2007. This is what could be the first in a series… and I loved it!

Nadia is a character all in herself. Her thoughts, her feelings, everything she sees – as the reader, you see. The way Armstrong incorporated Nadia’s past into the novel was excellent. Not all right at the beginning, and you keep flipping pages, not only to see what happens next, but to find out more about Nadia and understand why she is the way she is.

Jack – there’s a man I’d like to get to know. And I have a feeling that Nadia will somehow figure out how to ask him – and he’ll answer. Not much of a talker, face and eyes never tell the tale of how he’s feeling or what he’s thinking. Complex, and I hope we learn a lot more about it as the series goes on.

I don’t want to go greatly into detail – don’t want to ruin it for those who plan to read this novel. There are other characters in the book as well – a few to leave you confused – and I think I may know why, but at this time, all I can do is speculate.

Just enough kissing to keep you looking for more. Enough action and details of everything that keep the book glued to your fingers. Had a super-huge time trying to put this book down. A definite recommendation!

Rating: .75

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (‘Nadia Stafford’ series Book #1)

 

     Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong

 

(The first in what could be the ‘Nadia Stafford’ series.)

 

Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: June 26, 2007  Dimensions: 512 Pages, 4.24 x 6.91 x 1.08 in  ISBN: 0770430112  Published By: Seal Books

Popular fantasy author Kelley Armstrong (Women of the Otherworld series) makes her first foray into crime fiction, with the debut of a series of non-paranormal novels featuring female assassin Nadia Stafford.

Nadia Stafford is one of the world’s few female contract killers. A former cop, drummed out of the force because of a scandal, she is an expert at disguise and cool under pressure. But when fellow hitman Jack arrives on the scene, Nadia’s very private existence is seriously challenged.

A series of victims are being murdered seemingly at random all over the country — different areas, different walks of life, different MOs. There is nothing to tie them together except a random page torn out of a single book: Helter Skelter. But does the Helter Skelter killer — as the hysterical media now dub him — have a real connection to Charles Manson? Or is there something even more sinister at work?

Is this, in fact — as Jack believes — the carefully planned exit strategy of a fellow professional killer, determined to leave the life, but equally determined to clear up an old mistake? And, if so, which is the real victim?

Now, the highly suspicious and secretive hitman community will have to break their cover — at least, to each other — and help take down this killer before the cops and the Feds discover his true connection to their own secret, exclusive society…

Highland Champion by Hannah Howell

 

Highland Champion by Hannah Howell ‘Camerons’ series Book #2 Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: November 9, 2005  Dimensions: 384 Pages, 4.25 x 6.85 x 1.01 in  ISBN: 0821777580  Published By: Kensington Liam Cameron is certain he’s died and gone to heaven when he opens his eyes to the angel before him. But the pain that wracks his body proves he is still earth-bound. Keira Murray MacKail saved Liam’s life–and he has some enticing ways he would like to thank her. Soon, lust gives way to a feeling much more profound for a woman whose battles he wants to fight…though he fears the most difficult one will be for her heart. Keira quickly learns that Liam has danger chasing him. As her healing kindness frees him to tell his tale, she confides the trouble that plagues her: she is a laird’s widow now responsible for saving a small village pillaged by cruel invaders. But even as Liam makes the crusade to reclaim her lands his own, he will face a far greater challenge to win her trust–and her love–for all time.

I finished this novel on Thursday, July 12th, 2007. Book #2 of the series, and I’m hooked!

I adore the series. The characters seem completely real. You can’t help but feel for Keira, and can’t help by love Liam. Howell describes the surroundings so well that you feel like you’re there, back in time, watching all of it unfold before you.

The action was great in all scenes, whether a fight or between Liam and Keira. Excellent novel, can’t wait to get #3!

Rating:

Suffer the Children by John Saul

 

Suffer the Children by John Saul Format: Mass Market Paperbound  Published: July 1, 1989  Dimensions: 384 Pages, 4.21 x 6.89 x 1.06 IN  ISBN: 044018293X  Published By: Dell One hundred years ago in Port Arbello a pretty little girl began to scream. And struggle. And die. No one heard. No one saw. Just one man whose guilty heart burst in pain as he dashed himself to death in the sea. Now something peculiar is happening in Port Arbello. The children are disappearing, one by one. An evil history is repeating itself. And one strange, terrified child has ended her silence with a scream that began a hundred years ago.

I finished this novel on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007. My very first John Saul novel, one of several that I picked up at the Barrie Flea Market last year. It was good as well as creepy.

The characters seemed like normal, everyday people – a family with problems, and strange happenings.

Several times, I was shocked, dismayed, angry, and freaked right out. What happens in the novel doesn’t seem so far-fetched, and it’s scary how real it seems. The end made me feel helpless and I shuddered at something else.

Want to read an older psycho thriller, this one will make you sleep with the light on.

Rating: .25