Top 5 Wednesday 

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Top 5 Wednesday is a weekly post that is hosted by Sam from Thoughts On Tomes and there is also a Goodreads group where you can find more information. This weeks topic is characters you wouldn’t want to trade places with.

This weeks topic is: 

September 28: Gateway Books to Your Favorite Genre 

–What books do you think are good to introduce people to your favorite genre? If you have more than one favorite genre, feel free to split it up to cover both. 

Though I read several different genres I’m going to stick with Mystery/Thriller since it’s my go to. Some may be psychological thrillers or domestic suspense, but they all fall under the umbrella of Mystery/Thriller. I’m also going to add the blurb for each of my picks so you can get a little taste of what it’s about. I’m focusing more on books released within the past few years because it’s already really hard for me to choose just fine books!

Gateway books to my favorite genre: 


Goodreads blurb: 

#1 internationally bestselling author Karin Slaughter returns with a sophisticated and chilling psychological thriller of dangerous secrets, cold vengeance, and unexpected absolution, in which two estranged sisters must come together to find truth about two harrowing tragedies, twenty years apart, that devastate their lives.


Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.


More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband is killed.


The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.


Powerful, poignant, and utterly gripping, packed with indelible characters and unforgettable twists, Pretty Girls is a masterful thriller from one of the finest suspense writers working today. 

This was my first Karin Slaughter book and I became an instant fan. I immediately went and read all of her previous work, and though I love her series, I think this one is a fantastic way to experience Slaughter’s work for the first time. I love her gritty and violent writing style and she always packs a punch with her twists.


Goodreads blurb: 

The Stranger appears out of nowhere, perhaps in a bar, or a parking lot, or at the grocery store. His identity is unknown. His motives are unclear. His information is undeniable. Then he whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world.


Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream: a big house, a good job, a seemingly perfect life.


Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, Corinne, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all. Soon Adam finds himself tangled in something far darker than even Corinne’s deception, and realizes that if he doesn’t make exactly the right moves, the conspiracy he’s stumbled into will not only ruin lives—it will end them. 

I am a huge Harlan Coben fan and have liked, if not loved every single one of his books. The twists and turns in this one are nonstop all the way up to the end.


Goodreads blurb: 

In a split second, Jenna Gray’s world descends into a nightmare. Her only hope of moving on is to walk away from everything she knows to start afresh. Desperate to escape, Jenna moves to a remote cottage on the Welsh coast, but she is haunted by her fears, her grief and her memories of a cruel November night that changed her life forever.


Slowly, Jenna begins to glimpse the potential for happiness in her future. But her past is about to catch up with her, and the consequences will be devastating . . . 

Apart from the blurb I don’t want to reveal too much, but this one had one of my favorite twists ever. Totally gasp worthy.


Goodreads blurb: 

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy’s diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer? 

I don’t think my list would be complete without this one. Unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve at least heard of this, if not read it for yourself. Often imitated, never duplicated, Gone Girl is hyped for a reason.


Goodreads blurb: 


From the author of the New York Times bestselling Spellman Files series, Lisa Lutz’s latest blistering thriller is about a woman who creates and sheds new identities as she crisscrosses the country to escape her past: you’ll want to buckle up for the ride!


In case you were wondering, I didn’t do it. I didn’t have anything to do with Frank’s death. I don’t have an alibi, so you’ll have to take my word for it…


Forty-eight hours after leaving her husband’s body at the base of the stairs, Tanya Dubois cashes in her credit cards, dyes her hair brown, demands a new name from a shadowy voice over the phone, and flees town. It’s not the first time.


She meets Blue, a female bartender who recognizes the hunted look in a fugitive’s eyes and offers her a place to stay. With dwindling choices, Tanya-now-Amelia accepts. An uneasy―and dangerous―alliance is born.


It’s almost impossible to live off the grid today, but Amelia-now-Debra and Blue have the courage, the ingenuity, and the desperation, to try. Hopscotching from city to city, Debra especially is chased by a very dark secret…can she outrun her past?


With heart-stopping escapes and devious deceptions, The Passenger is an amazing psychological thriller about defining yourself while you pursue your path to survival. One thing is certain: the ride will leave you breathless. 

I devoured this book and still count it as one of my top reads of the past few years. It has everything I look for in a psychological thriller and I can’t say enough good things about it.
Have you read any of these? Do you agree or disagree with my picks? What books would you recommend in your preferred genre?

Blog Tour/Review: Dark Water by Sara Bailey

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 3, 2016

Publisher: Nightingale Editions

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

Goodreads blurb: 

Friendship doesn’t die, it waits…


A haunting and lyrical novel, Dark Water is a psychologically intense portrait of adolescent yearning and obsession.


When Helena returns to her childhood home in Orkney, she is forced to face memories that she has spent half a lifetime running from. Her best friend, the charismatic Anastasia, disappeared after a swimming incident. But what really happened that night by the wrecks? 

Review: 

Let me start by saying that I’m delighted to be a stop on the blog tour for Dark Water today! From the moment I read the blurb and saw this strikingly beautiful cover, I just knew that I had to read this book. Though its categorized as women’s fiction, it is much more than that. There is bits of different genres as well, including suspense, psychological thriller and even a tiny bit of romance. Though it is dark at times, I could even see this as being appropriate for mature YA readers.

This is such a hauntingly eerie atmospheric novel. Set in Orkney, Bailey writes of a place full of rugged and bold beauty. From the first page, she managed to make me feel like I was heading to Orkney right alongside Helena. Her descriptions are absolutely breathtaking and I was reminded of Tracy Buchanan who I love. She has a similar writing style, especially her use of stunning imagery and elegant prose that makes the reader totally transfixed.

Helena begrudgingly heads back home when her father falls ill. She adores her dad, but she knows the minute she steps foot back home she will be overwhelmed by memories of her best friend, Anastasia. She was lost at sea after a swimming incident and Helena has been tormented by the loss ever since it happened. Throughout the book, there are a series of flashbacks that take you back to when Helena and Anastasia were teenagers. These scenes are full of teenage angst, mostly surrounding boys. Bailey did a phenomenal job at capturing the feelings and emotions that teenagers have, especially as their town is small and tight knit, so naturally everyone is involved in each other’s business. To teenagers, this is the absolute worst and with people like Gloria living near them, they don’t stand a a chance at keeping real secrets. I rather liked Gloria, she was such a lovable busybody.

This isn’t my usual preferred lightening quick suspenseful and action packed sort of read. Rather it is far slower, but don’t let that put you off. Bailey diligently plotted this book and the wait was well worth it for the ending. She had me totally enraptured up to the final page. It was a simply perfect and well executed ending.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Nightingale Editions for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Heavens May Fall by Allen Eskens

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Seventh Street Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Goodreads blurb:

Detective Max Rupert is convinced that Jennavieve Pruitt was killed by her husband, Ben. Max’s friend, attorney Boady Sanden, is equally convinced that Ben, his client, is innocent. The case is pushing their friendship to the breaking point and forcing each to confront personal demons. 


Max is still struggling with the death of his wife four years earlier and the Pruitt case stirs up old memories. Boady hasn’t taken on a defense case since the death of an innocent client, a man Boady believes he could have saved but didn’t. Now he is back in court, determined to redeem himself for having failed in the past. 


Vividly told from two opposing perspectives, the story of Jennavieve Pruitt’s death disrupts many lives and the truth remains a mystery till the very end. 

Review: 

Part police procedural and part legal thriller, The Heavens May Fall is also shrouded in mystery. Max Rupert is a detective who gets assigned to the murder of Jennavieve Pruitt. Initially, all signs point to her husband, Ben being the culprit. Boady Sanden is Rupert’s longtime friend, but when Ben begs him to represent him their friendship is strained. Loyalties are tested and past transgressions threaten to surface.

This story is told from both Max and Boady’s point of view. This was particularly riveting as you are able to see both sides of the story in terms of the murder case. Obviously, Max’s side is police procedural while Boady’s is the legal side, but showing flip sides of the same coin encouraged the reader to guess, and second guess themselves repeatedly. I swear I’ve never flip flopped more! There were moments where I was totally convinced that Ben was guilty as sin immediately followed by hesitancy that maybe he was innocent after all. So is he a killer or is he blameless? You’ll have to read and see for yourself…

Max and Boady are both rich and complicated characters who are struggling with personal turmoil. Max’s wife died four years ago and he is overwhelmingly haunted by his loss. Boady quit practicing law and switched to teaching it after losing a critical case and he has never quite come to terms with the outcome. Will this be the case that rights the wrongs of the past? Or will it break these two men for the final time?

It’s apparent that Eskens has a background in law as he incorporated what could be very dry and frankly, boring legal jargon into the story frequently. But I was far from bored as he was able to explain these dense terms in a way that was easy to fully understand and this added something notable to the book. 

While I was able to see a few minor plot twists coming, the ending more than made up for that. The final chapters were completely unexpected and ultimately satisfying. Full of taut writing, flawed heroes and an impressive plot, The Heavens May Fall will be on my must read list for all.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to Seventh Street Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Giveaway: Homicide in the House by Colleen Shogan

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As part of the celebration for #30Authors Colleen Shogan is giving away one copy of the latest book in her Washington Whodunit series, Homicide in the House to one of my lucky readers! (US only)


Synopsis:

Kit Marshall has bounced back from her first brush with the law, when she was suspected of murdering her senator boss. Now she is working for a freshman congresswoman, Maeve Dixon, a young Gulf War veteran representing North Carolina. It’s February, and Kit is feeling out of sorts. A government shutdown has just been announced, wreaking havoc on the Hill, and Dan, Dixon’s chief of staff and Kit’s supervisor, is an inexperienced lightweight flying blind. Then there’s Kit’s distracted live-in boyfriend, Doug, who doesn’t seem any closer to popping the question. Kit’s best friend Meg is up to her eyeballs with her new beau and oversight committee job, and Clarence the beagle mix will certainly not win Capitol Canine if Meg has to campaign for him all by herself. Bad as things are now, they are about to get much worse. Early one morning Representative Dixon is caught standing over the corpse of Jack Drysdale, the Speaker of the House’s top staffer, a man she argued with in front of the press the day before. The murder weapon was the Speaker’s gavel. This item was entrusted to Dixon at the time, leading the police to believe they’ve found their killer. To save her job, Kit must clear her boss’s name, and quickly. Dixon’s career may be over if the police declare her a suspect or an anonymous blogger known as Hill Rat breaks the story. Solving this murder will test Kit’s courage and all her fledgling powers of deduction as she roams a spooky, sparsely populated Capitol Hill looking for clues and sounding out suspects. Book 2 of the Washington Whodunit series, which began with Stabbing in the Senate. 



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#30Authors: Colleen Shogan Review

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#30Authors is an event started by The Book Wheel that connects readers, bloggers, and authors. In it, 30 authors review their favorite recent reads on 30 blogs in 30 days. It takes place annually during the month of September and has been met with incredible support from and success in the literary community. It has also been turned into an anthology, which is currently available on Amazon and all author proceeds go to charity. Previous #30Authors contributors include Celeste Ng, Cynthia Bond, Brian Panowich, and M.O. Walsh. To see this year’s full line-up, visit 30 Authors at The Book Wheel or follow along on Twitter @30Authors. 


Reviewing Author: Colleen Shogan

Release date: June 7, 2016

Genre: Mystery/Historical Fiction

Review: 

​As a Library of Congress employee, six months ago I perused the initial slate of scheduled authors for the 2016 National Book Festival. I shook my head in confusion. Former NBA basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had written a novel – and it was about Mycroft Holmes, the older brother of Sherlock Holmes? Real life had become stranger than fiction. Undeterred, I bought a copy of the book and settled in.

 

​I read a fair amount of crime fiction. Successful writers such as Laura Lippman, Linda Fairstein, and Lisa Scottoline consistently deliver engaging storylines, complicated characters, and descriptive settings. I didn’t know what to expect with Mycroft Holmes, Jabbar’s first fiction effort. I found myself pleasantly surprised, increasingly enjoying the plot as it unfolded. Many mystery writers struggle with pacing. It can be challenging to keep readers interested as the story progresses to the dreaded middle chapters, where crime fiction often “dies.” Instead of losing steam, Mycroft Holmes kicked into high gear. For that reason, it’s my dark horse pick of 2016.

 

​Set in 1870, the novel follows Mycroft as he navigates a harrowing adventure early in his career. This is the Mycroft before the Diogenes Club; he’s spry, physically vigorous, and social. A young aide to a British cabinet member, Mycroft falls in love with a woman named Georgiana, who is originally from Trinidad. One day, she unexpectedly informs Mycroft she must return to her native land because children are being murdered, drained of their blood on the beach. Intrigued, Mycroft leaves Britain with his best friend Douglas to follow Georgiana surreptitiously and solve the mystery. A rationalist who could put his younger brother to shame, Mycroft discards the conventional explanation that mysticism and the occult are responsible for the string of disturbing deaths.

 

​Soon after Mycroft and Douglas set sail, they quickly discover their intervening presence is not appreciated in Trinidad. Their lives are repeatedly threatened as they weave together pieces of the story. The complicating issue of race plays a key role, with Douglas posing as Holmes’ valet to reflect the prevailing view of the time period that a black man could not otherwise serve as a proper traveling companion for a distinguished English gentleman. Mycroft’s quest to reunite with Georgiana generates unexpected twists and turns. The result is a complex resolution confirming Holmes’ prediction of rationality, but far exceeding his appetite for evil. “Though the greater part of Holmes was consumed with suffering, a niggling part was still analyzing.”

 

​Fans of the Sherlock Holmes canon will enjoy this book, as well as readers who appreciate historical fiction. Woven throughout the novel is backstory about the British empire and Trinidad. Nothing is pedantic about the historical elements. Instead, Jabbar and Waterhouse integrate this information seamlessly.

​

​The writing is particularly strong. It’s a simplistic style, enabling the reader to move swiftly through the novel without stumbling. Mycroft’s musings are noteworthy, such as “The most deluded people are those who choose to ignore what they already know.” That revelation, which occurs midway through the novel, serves both as clever foreshadowing and insightful prophecy. It’s a lesson both Mycroft and Sherlock Holmes will remember keenly as they navigate future adventures.

 

 

Reviewed by: Colleen J. Shogan, author of the Washington Whodunit mystery series, most recently Homicide in the House (Camel Press, 2016).

 

ABOUT COLLEEN

Colleen J. Shogan has been reading mysteries since the age of six. She conceived of the plot of her first mystery, Stabbing in the Senate, one morning while taking a walk in her suburban Washington, D.C. neighborhood. A political scientist by training, Colleen has taught American politics at Yale, George Mason University, Georgetown, and Penn. She previously worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer in the United States Senate and as the Deputy Director of the Congressional Research Service. She is currently a senior executive at the Library of Congress who works on great outreach initiatives such as the National Book Festival. Colleen lives in Arlington, Virginia with her husband Rob and their beagle mutt Conan. Stabbing in the Senate won the Next Generation Indie Award in 2016 for “Best Mystery.”

 

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About Mycroft Holmes

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Don’t forget to check out the giveaway for a copy of Colleen’s latest book in her Washington Whodunit series. 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Is a weekly post to share what you recently finished reading, what you’re currently reading, and what you plan on reading this week. It’s hosted by Kathryn at Bookdate.

What I Read Last Week: 


This was a fantastic read, can’t recommend it enough if you like suspenseful psychological thrillers.

Another fantastic read, this one was entirely different than what I expected but so so great.


This one was not great for me.

The audiobook of this one was fast paced and exciting, such a fun one to listen to.


This one fell flat for me. 
I also had my first DNF in a long time. I couldn’t get into this one no matter how hard I tried.


Kind of a mixed bag last week, a few stellar reads followed by a few flops. Overall I would count it as a win.

I also had my first Saturday Shoutout series with a Q & A from Claire Seeber.

What I’m Currently Reading:


My prediction is that this will be fantastic. 

Up Next: 









Doubtful I’ll get through all of these this week but these are all coming up within the next week or two.
How was your week last week? What are you currently reading?

Q & A: Paula Garner 

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I’m thrilled to have Paula Garner, the author of one of my favorite reads of the year, Phantom Limbs here today! If you missed my review, you can find it here. Not only is she a supremely talented writer, she’s also one of the sweetest authors I’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting with. 

Q & A: 

1. You captured the voice of a teenage boy with Otis so beautifully. What’s your secret? Are there teenagers in your own life that helped inspire you?

I don’t have a secret for capturing voice apart from thinking a lot about people and paying a lot of attention to how they act/sound/feel. And yes, it probably didn’t hurt that I had two teenage boys around during the drafting of this book—one of whom was a competitive swimmer!

 

2. Dara lost part of her arm in a tragic accident. Where did you get the idea to develop a character that is an amputee?

Dara is the only character in the novel who showed up in my head unbidden, clear, and fully formed— every cynical, vulnerable, harsh, one-armed, beautiful, fierce, fragile bit of her. It took time to figure out everyone else, but Dara was there from the start in her entirety. I have no idea why. She is such a gift. She will always possess a piece of my heart.

 

3. Swimming plays a huge role in PL, do you have personal experience or connections with the sport?

Yes! It was the only sport I knew anything about. I spent a lot of time at my son’s high school swim meets during the writing of Phantom Limbs, so it was just a part of my world. Like Otis, my son was never an athlete until he was suddenly a swimmer, and when you’re a swimmer, it’s consuming. As the saying goes, eat, sleep, swim, repeat.  

4. What books are you most looking forward to in the last half of 2016?

First and foremost, OF FIRE AND STARS by Audrey Coulthurst, my brilliant CP and friend, and my co-author of STARWORLD (Fall ’18). But there are so many other amazing books coming out this year of every genre—too many to list! Check it out:

https://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/ya-books/

http://www.classof2k16.com/p/books.html

5. Name 5 authors you admire or who inspire you.

As a kid, I was captivated by authors like Judy Blume, Paula Danziger, and Paul Zindel. As an older teen, The Heart is Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers completely blew me away and cemented my desire to be an author, although it also was so astonishing that it set an impossibly high bar. In more recent years, unforgettable books I’ve read include Nicole Krauss’s History of Love, Colum McCann’s Let the Great World Spin, and Helen Humphrey’s The Lost Garden. YA writers I think are amazing include Kerry Kletter, Jeff Zentner, and Jandy Nelson, among many others.

 

6. Anything you can share about upcoming projects?

In my next YA contemporary, Relative Strangers (Candlewick, Spring ’18), a tender-hearted teen who feels extraneous in her friendships and family discovers that part of her early childhood was spent in foster care. She sets out to find the family that cared for her, but when she meets her former foster brother, she develops romantic feelings for him that jeopardize the newfound sense of belonging she’s always longed for.


Later in 2018 my third book will come out, a YA contemporary co-authored with Audrey Coulthurst. Starworld is about two very different high school girls with painful home lives who fall into an intense text-message-based friendship built around an imaginary world, only to have that safe place compromised as their real lives unravel and one falls in love with the other.

 

7. What is the best compliment, or the one that meant the most to you that you’ve received about your work?

I have been deeply moved by so many comments and reviews—I don’t know where to start. I will say that some of the most touching and meaningful compliments have come from people I don’t even know. It is an amazing privilege and honor to touch readers I may never talk to or meet.

Phantom Limbs is out tomorrow! You can order your copy at the following retailers:

Amazon|Barnes & Noble|Book Depository
About the Author: 


Paula Garner spends most of her time making narratives, despite being surrounded by an alarming TBR pile and a very bad cat. Her debut YA novel, Phantom Limbs, comes out from Candlewick in 2016. Paula is represented by Molly Jaffa of Folio Lit, and lives in the Chicago area with her family.

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Review: Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery 

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Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website

Release date: July 12, 2016

Publisher: HQN

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit

Goodreads blurb:

With Joy, Love and a Little Trepidation, Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You to the Most Emotional Wedding of the Year… Their Mother’s 


Courtney 


~ The Misfit ~ 


As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom’s wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family’s view of her—and how she views herself—forever. 


Sienna 


~ The Free Spirit ~ 


When Sienna’s boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure she does? 


Rachel 


~ The Cynic ~ 


Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom’s wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she’s forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed, and decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.

Review:

I’ve never read one of Susan Mallery’s books before though I’ve seen them everywhere. They usually seem too romancey for me, I like my romances to have more humor and fun. But when I saw Daughters of the Bride on Netgalley it caught my eye. I liked the concept of three grown women helping their mother with her wedding and I love a good story about sisters. This one was just ok for me, there wasn’t enough substance for me to really enjoy it.

Maggie is the mother and at first I assumed that she would have a larger presence in the story, but I’m really glad she didn’t. Her husband died when they were young and left her in a bad way financially. While her story is sad, she wasn’t a very good mother to the girls, especially Courtney. On top of that, she’s a total bridezilla which is just never a good look for anyone. Rachel is the oldest and has been divorced for two years. Her character was alright but she loved to play the role of the martyr too much for my liking. Sienna is the middle child and she gets engaged to her boyfriend, David. It’s clear the two aren’t meant to be and I grew bored waiting for her to realize this. I did really like her job, she fundraises for a thrift shop that supports abused women trying to leave their awful situations. Seeing her at work brought a warmth to an otherwise cold character. My favorite hands down was Courtney. She suffered the most under her mothers neglectful manner when they were kids as she had a learning disability that was undiagnosed for far too long. Her family treats her like crap and I really wanted her to succeed to prove them wrong in thinking she’s a loser.

The love stories were all predicable and formulaic, there just wasn’t enough going on to make me enthusiastic about this book. It started off really slow too and took me awhile to even muster up a vague interest in the characters lives. Thank god for Courtney, she’s the only one who kept me reading. It was a cute enough book and if you want something really light and fluffy then this is for you. I was just too annoyed by the majority of the characters to fully immerse myself in the story. 

Overall rating: 2.5/5

Thanks to HQN for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audiobook Review: Bullseye by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

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Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: August 1, 2016

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Genre: Thriller

Narrator: Danny Mastrogiorgio

Goodreads blurb: 

Caught in the crossfire of a deadly standoff, Detective Michael Bennett must kill…or be killed.

Tensions between America and Russia are the highest they’ve been since the Cold War. As the countries’ Presidents travel to the United Nations to iron out their differences, a fashionable husband and wife team of lethal assassins prowls the streets of Manhattan hunting their prey–a professor hiding a scandalous secret. Their next target: the extremely popular President of the United States of America. Pulled away from his family and pressed into service, Detective Michael Bennett must trace the source of a threat that could rip the country apart–and what he finds may turn the Cold War red hot once again. With allegiances constantly in doubt and no one above suspicion, only Bennett can step into the line of fire to save the President before the deadly kill shot hits its mark.

Review: 

I’m such a huge fan of the Detective Michael Bennett series and James Patterson in general. There is a reason that he’s a global phenomenon and he never disappoints. This is the ninth book in the Michael Bennett series, but you could easily read this as a standalone. 

Oftentimes in this series there is a large focus on the Bennett family or they are somehow linked to Michael’s investigation. This time, we see very little of the family and things focus more on a separate case involving the President of the United States. I was slightly bummed out that we didn’t hear much from Seamus or Mary Catherine but I’m confident we will see more of them in the future. There is a secondary storyline with one of the ten Bennett children, Brian that offered some insight into his character which was nice.

Bullseye read more like a political thriller than some of the previous books in the series. There is a husband and wife assassin team targeting the President and Bennett and the NYPD must bring them down as the consequences if they are successful are too terrible to fathom. If you’re a weapons fan, this is for you. There was plenty of talk about various guns and while I may as well have been listening to a foreign language, my husband was impressed when he overheard a few chapters.

Mastrogiorgio is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and once again he really brought Michael Bennett to life. His voice is exactly what I would imagine Bennett to sound like and I’m always reminded that I’m so glad I’ve listened to this entire series instead of read them myself. 

No one does explosive, dynamic scenes like Patterson. His pacing is so spot on, per usual, and every chapter ends on some sort of cliffhanger. The tension is palpable and you can feel the urgency in each chapter. This book is classic Patterson with a good guys versus bad guys theme and there is no better good guy than Detective Bennett. Even though you know who the bad guy is, it’s still an exciting game of cat and mouse that ends in an action packed, nonstop conclusion. I cannot wait for book number ten!

Overall rating: 4/5

Huge thanks to Hachette Audio for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday Shoutout: Q & A with Claire Seeber

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I’ve been thinking about starting a new feature for awhile now and I’m so excited to start today! I was inspired in part by Aimee at Hello Chick Lit and her post about book bloggers supporting other book bloggers. I thought it was a fantastic idea, and I’ll be incorporating my support for other bloggers in the coming weeks. Every Saturday I’ll be doing some sort of shoutout post highlighting something or someone book related. It may be one of my favorite bloggers, a specific book, a publisher, etc. If anyone else wants to participate feel free, I think this will be fun!

For my very first week I’m delighted to bring you a Q & A from Claire Seeber the amazing author of The Stepmother. I read  her book a couple months ago and really liked it, especially the unique take on the tale of Snow White.


Q & A

1. What’s a typical writing day for you look like? Describe your perfect writing environment.

I write when the kids are at school; I like the early mornings in theory, my brain seems to work better – but I have to wait ‘til I’ve got everyone out from under my feet! My perfect environment would be a lovely garden with coffee on tap, not too hot but sunny! I’m very lucky that I have a fantastic view onto our garden & a little park behind with a duck pond, swans and herons flying around.

 

2. How did you get started writing? Was it something that you’ve always loved?

I worked in TV as a director for years and whilst doing that, started writing features for the broadsheets. I also started a screenplay & a novel that didn’t get much past a chapter but turned out to be my 2nd thriller, BAD FRIENDS. It’s about a TV producer being stalked.

 

3. Who are your favorite writers/inspirations?

 I guess for the kind of thriller I’ve been writing since around 2004 when I started LULLABY, my first book just after having my first baby, it would be Daphne du Maurier & then Nicci French seemed to be doing a new kind of thriller. My guilty pleasure was always Jilly Cooper so maybe I mixed a bit of that kind of comic romance thing in too!

 

4. Anything you can tell us about upcoming projects? 

Oooh….it’s all a bit up in the air at the moment: I’ve written something quite different which might come out under a different name. That’s a secret though!

 

5. Normally how do you develop plots/characters?

 Brief us on your process. I usually have a germ of an idea that’s been hanging around for a while. I write everything down in a notebook because otherwise I forget, and then when it comes to writing a new book, I discuss it briefly with my agent or editor.

 

6. Favorite character from one of your own novels? 

 I do like DI Joe Silver who is in LULLABY & FRAGILE MINDS. He’s no nonsense, straight talking & slightly tormented – but the ladies love him! Rose Miller was probably my favourite ‘heroine’ from NEVER TELL, and I like her son Freddie too who was definitely modelled on my boys!

 

7. Preferred method for readers to contact you? 

 Twitter/ Facebook/ through my website – though not sure my email on that works very well! I’m useless with technology.

 

8. On average, how long does it take you to write a book? 

 I wrote THE STEPMOTHER quite quickly as I was under real time constraints: it was 6 months from start to finish probably. It meant I could focus my mind.

 

10. Which one of your characters do you relate to the most?

 Good question! Rose Miller, probably, or parts of Laurie in 24 HOURS, who was tormented by loving the wrong person, which is something so many of us do. It’s not based on my first marriage though, as many people assumed! My ex was nothing like Sid.  

 

11. If writing wasn’t your career what would you be doing?

I’m training in psychology/ to be a counselor, so that’s something I’m really interested in. If I went back to school and started again, I’d prob do a job like Rose Miller did, e.g. be a foreign news correspondent trying to bring vital news to the world. Or something useful. I’d like to say a doctor, but just didn’t have the right logical mind for that.

 

12. What’s the best compliment that you’ve received about your work? 

 Any time someone contacts me and says they really enjoyed something I’ve written, that’s enough for me! Or if the subject moves them because it’s something they’ve been through, I am really pleased. A really top agent said something I’d written (not a thriller) reminded her of some truly classic books and that brought tears to my eyes.

 

13. I adore the cover for The Stepmother did you have in part in the design? 

Thank you! I can’t take credit: I talked it through with my editor Keshini; she always wanted a mirror as the working title was ‘Mirror Mirror’, but the first image didn’t work apparently, and then they came up with the idea of the rose. It’s very striking isn’t it?

 

14. Was there any specific topics or issues you researched for The Stepmother? 

 I know a lot about stepfamilies as I grew up in one, and now am a stepmother (sort of, we’re not actually married). I read a lot of versions of Snow White too. I also looked at current affairs for the Marlena side of the book; I knew quite a lot about the Leveson enquiry because of my journalistic roots, and I was interested in the idea of regrets over phone hacking. I would like to explore that more actually.  

You can find Claire on social media here:

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You can purchase The Stepmother here. 

Thanks so much to Claire for taking the time to join me! Also to Kim at Bookouture who is just a star.