Whoa the Ending!

While this suspenseful mystery was a little heavy on the biology verbiage at times, I loved the plot, the suspense, and the ending leaving me wanting more - talk about a cliffhanger!! Theo Cray is a biologist computer expert who tracks serial killers. He is diabolical in his hunt which made the story even better. Good read for suspense/mystery fans - and that ending. Whoa!!! 

The Senator's Wife

Whoa whoa whoa! I knew this was labeled a "romance" which is usually out of my territory, but thought I'd give it a whirl. I was NOT ready for the steamy, passion, sexy stuff in this book! At first I kind of enjoyed it, in a "50 Shades..." kind of way. Then after it kept happening, in graphic detail, it just took away from the plot - which was actually a good one!

Marie has lost her identity, her voice to her domineering political family - right down to her husband. He has a mistress, changes his mind about divorcing Marie as it may impact his political dreams, and she has already moved on to Luc - the passionate French artist. The control really got me as he demanded she stop seeing her new lover, while he continued to see his - and this was just the beginning of his treachery!

I won't reveal the end - there is a 'time hop' in the middle of the book that seemed a little odd to me, but once I got past it, it was fine. If you like steamy, this is your book! Good plot and writing as well.

Fallen Mountains

This one was a tough one. I really enjoyed the small town feel of the book, delving into the characters' psyches and exploring the fracking dilemma and how it affects towns like this one. Red, the sheriff, was ready to retire when one of the folks in town goes missing. Transom, an unlikable character at best, is the son of a powerhouse in the town and it is suspected that his disappearance is tied to a crime from long ago that Red keeps secret. The characters really made the story arc and I found myself hoping and hoping no one was "guilty" in Transom's disappearance. For me, the long drawn out descriptions became a little tedious at times and took away from the plot and storyline. I know many will disagree on this one and I can see how some would enjoy the descriptive writing. I found myself skimming the long portions and interludes to get back to the action which took some of the experience down a notch. I would definitely recommend this book for mystery lovers and for the setting of the small town going through strip mining experiences alone, I personally didn't love the bogged down details feeling.

Keeping Lucy - I finished this gem the other night and felt very satisfied with the ending and how it played out. 

Set in a time when disabled children were whisked away to institution, this is the heartbreaking tale of a mother who didn't know her daughter for 2 years as she "thrived" in a special home for children that were "retarded". Turns out, she had Downs Syndrome, and the school - if that's what you can call it - had many issues taking care of the children there. Abuse, neglect - all because these children were not "normal". 

Enter mom who takes her daughter away from these horrors and begins to see immediately that she can learn words, picks up on emotions and is a CHILD just like any other. 

On the other side of the coin we have her husband who signed the parental rights to Lucy away thinking it was best. A battle ensues, many heartstrings pulled, and the end satisfies on many levels. 

A good, quick read with lots of emotion. 

Putney - Interesting!

  What a whirlwind of a book! My thinking was challenged, my heart pulled, and my brain tested. All the makings of a fine piece of literature!

When Daphne was but a young teenager, her family friend Ralph fell in love with her. Ralph is portrayed as very dapper, innocent, and caring. He was 27 years older than 13 year old Daphne. She became very attached to him, his gifts, even after he married and had children of his own. Their encounters tapered off, but they never lost touch. Years later, Daphne returns home after a sad marriage, and tumultuous life. Her close friend Jane convinces her to press charges, all these years later, against Ralph for rape. There is more to that story as well!

Meanwhile, Ralph is dying of cancer and while he continued having extra marital adventures, including with teenage men, he comes across as very relatable and "real" which makes this whole dilemma very hard! My brain wants to hate him for all he's done, but he is just a likable guy! Turns out, Jane also had a sexual relationship with Ralph when she was a teen- could this be her fuel for pushing Daphne to press charges?? Daphne ultimately drops her charges as she comes to term with loving Ralph for who he is - no matter what. Jane picks up the torch and files charges now!

This story is woven so intimately, delicately, and well it was hard to put down, even when I found myself a little disturbed. It handles a subject few tackle and handles it with real human emotion. I won't reveal the end of the book - just know that I left satisfied, albeit still torn at the end. 

Welcome to my first book post! This is so brand new to me I'm not even sure where to start! I am taking part in the Reading Challenge on Goodreads, and just finished my 9th book of the year; Hangman by Daniel Cole.

I love a good mystery and this satisfied my hunger! Told in a few voices, the main one being Baxter our tragic detective with baggage, I wanted to learn who done it and why. A killer was masterminding mass murders using people to carry out his/her will in New York and London! The murders took place one after another and the distance between locales obviously caused a challenge. Inscribed on the victims' chests were either the word Bait or Puppet. This book was number 2 in a series, and I did not read book 1, but now I want to!

I read this one in a few days, pretty quickly, and it was hard to put aside. I found myself wondering about the killer's motives and who it could be long after putting the book down for a while.

Love a good mystery, check this one out!