tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68144197023894146252024-03-13T19:42:47.587-07:00Book JunkieChristinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.comBlogger1255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-12820349611756491572023-05-04T10:42:00.005-07:002023-05-04T10:42:59.704-07:00Remarkably Bright Creatures<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Remarkably Bright Creatures<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Shelly Van Pelt</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.<br /><br />Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.<br /><br />Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: Based on the synopsis for this book, I was expecting a friendship and mystery of sorts between Tova and Marcellus, the octopus. I'd classify this more as fiction, with the main characters being Tova, a stoic woman who cleans the aquarium and mourns her missing son, and Cameron, a 30-year old whiny man-child who was abandoned by his mother as a child. Marcellus, the best written character in this story, was a side character-an absolutely amazing side character who deserves all the stars, I just wish there was more of him. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kudos to Ven Pelt on her first novel, it's well written and as mentioned above, Marcellus is the chef's kiss. I just could not stand Cameron and wanted to throat punch him every time I had to read a chapter from his perspective. I think his character could have worked if he was in his late teens and/or had had a traumatic childhood. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overall, enjoyed this and will read the next book by this author. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 3/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-83332125752577720202023-05-04T10:33:00.002-07:002023-05-04T10:33:30.064-07:00Love On the Brain<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Love on the Brain<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Ali Hazelwood</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project - a literal dream come true - Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.<br /><br />Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school - archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.<br /><br />But when her equipment starts to go missing and the staff ignore her, Bee could swear she sees Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas... devouring her with those eyes. The possibilities have all her neurons firing.<br /><br />But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there's only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: The positive? I like the STEM focus of this book, it's unusual to see a love story between a neuroscientist and engineer. Bee was very quirky and a unique heroine. I liked the relationship she had with her sister. The not so positive? Levi had no personality and I did not find their relationship believable. Also, and I realize this is nitpicking, but I live in Houston exactly where this book takes place and it's clear the author did zero research into the area. My husband used to work onsite and most of my friends and neighbors do as well. No one (NO ONE) refers to NASA as "the center." No one can get onsite without a badge or going through security. There is no graveyard close to JSC. You cannot see the Houston skyline from here. Bee's wardrobe was not dress code appropriate (these are all things that happen or are referenced in the book). Please, research an area if you are writing about it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 2/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-32424288364533127952023-05-04T10:21:00.001-07:002023-05-04T10:21:10.050-07:00Creep<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Creep<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: Creep #1<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Jennifer Hillier</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>If he can’t have her . . .<br /><br />Dr. Sheila Tao is a professor of psychology. An expert in human behavior. And when she began an affair with sexy, charming graduate student Ethan Wolfe, she knew she was playing with fire. Consumed by lust when they were together, riddled with guilt when they weren’t, she knows the three-month fling with her teaching assistant has to end. After all, she’s finally engaged to a kind and loving investment banker who adores her, and she’s taking control of her life. But when she attempts to end the affair, Ethan Wolfe won’t let her walk away.<br /><br />. . . no one else can.<br /><br />Ethan has plans for Sheila, plans that involve posting a sex video that would surely get her fired and destroy her prestigious career. Plans to make her pay for rejecting him. And as she attempts to counter his every threatening move without her colleagues or her fiancé discovering her most intimate secrets, a shattering crime rocks Puget Sound State University: a female student, a star athlete, is found stabbed to death. Someone is raising the stakes of violence, sex, and blackmail . . . and before she knows it, Sheila is caught in a terrifying cat-and-mouse game with the lover she couldn’t resist—who is now the monster who won’t let her go.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: This was a creepy novel with almost all unlikeable characters and I couldn't stop turning the pages. Professor Sheila Tao is a recovering sex addict who had an affair with her grad student. He does not take it well when she breaks things off. To top it off, Sheila is engaged to Morris, a recovering alcoholic (the only character I liked although he's written almost in caricature form) who knows nothing about her addiction. This definitely went in a direction I was not expecting. Really enjoyed it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-15518327348610243662023-05-04T10:11:00.000-07:002023-05-04T10:11:09.880-07:00The Fix<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Fix<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: Amos Decker #3<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: David Baldacci</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Amos Decker witnesses a murder just outside FBI headquarters. A man shoots a woman execution-style on a crowded sidewalk, then turns the gun on himself.<br /><br />Even with Decker's extraordinary powers of observation and deduction, the killing is baffling. Decker and his team can find absolutely no connection between the shooter--a family man with a successful consulting business--and his victim, a schoolteacher. Nor is there a hint of any possible motive for the attack.<br /><br />Enter Harper Brown. An agent of the Defense Intelligence Agency, she orders Decker to back off the case. The murder is part of an open DIA investigation, one so classified that Decker and his team aren't cleared for it.<br /><br />But they learn that the DIA believes solving the murder is now a matter of urgent national security. Critical information may have been leaked to a hostile government--or worse, an international terrorist group--and an attack may be imminent.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I keep reading this series because I love the idea of the main character. This was a weird read in that I actually felt like Amos was written by a different author and very different from the other books but I really enjoyed the mystery here. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 3/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-11595975910905353412023-05-04T10:04:00.001-07:002023-05-04T10:04:26.408-07:00Do Not Disturb<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Do Not Disturb<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Freida McFadden</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime.<br /><br />To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she’s done.<br /><br />But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night.<br /><br />Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick's ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.<br /><br />In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She'll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom.<br /><br />But first, she must survive the night.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: Quinn has killed her husband in self-defense and makes a run for it. She gets stuck in a bad snowstorm and ends up at the Baxter Hotel, where things aren't what they seem. This book was a fun ride. It definitely took a turn I wasn't expecting. It reminded me of 'Woman in the Window' in some respects but overall, enjoyed it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-55329893186334462292023-05-03T09:37:00.001-07:002023-05-03T09:37:08.245-07:00Memory Man<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Memory Man<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: Amos Decker #1<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: David Baldacci</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Amos Decker's life changed forever--twice.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><i>The first time was on the gridiron. A big, towering athlete, he was the only person from his hometown of Burlington ever to go pro. But his career ended before it had a chance to begin. On his very first play, a violent helmet-to-helmet collision knocked him off the field for good, and left him with an improbable side effect--he can never forget anything.<br /><br />The second time was at home nearly two decades later. Now a police detective, Decker returned from a stakeout one evening and entered a nightmare--his wife, young daughter, and brother-in-law had been murdered.<br /><br />His family destroyed, their killer's identity as mysterious as the motive behind the crime, and unable to forget a single detail from that horrible night, Decker finds his world collapsing around him. He leaves the police force, loses his home, and winds up on the street, taking piecemeal jobs as a private investigator when he can.<br /><br />But over a year later, a man turns himself in to the police and confesses to the murders. At the same time a horrific event nearly brings Burlington to its knees, and Decker is called back in to help with this investigation. Decker also seizes his chance to learn what really happened to his family that night. To uncover the stunning truth, he must use his remarkable gifts and confront the burdens that go along with them. He must endure the memories he would much rather forget. And he may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.-Goodreads</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I read the second book in this series awhile back and finally got around to reading this one. Amos Decker is a fascinating main character but this book was incredibly repetitive (He can't forget anything..we must have been told this at least a hundred times). The actual mystery just demonstrated all of the cops and detectives Decker works with are incompetent and the motive for the killing of his family was completely unbelievable. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 2/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-608911910958823282023-05-03T09:22:00.006-07:002023-05-03T09:22:51.309-07:00These Hallow Vows<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: These Hallow Vows<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: These Hallow Vows #1<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Lexi Ryan</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.<br /><br />Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.<br /><br />Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: This book was such a fun read. It's been awhile since I read a YA urban fantasy book and this really hit the spot. Light, engaging and fun. Brie was a great heroine (snarky, interesting, complicated) and can't wait to read the next in the series. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-80127969935419160542023-05-03T09:16:00.002-07:002023-05-03T09:16:50.070-07:00The Night Swim<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Night Swim<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: Rachel Krall #1<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Megan Goldin </span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.<br /><br />The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: Another winner by Megan Goldin! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel about Rachel Krall, a crime podcaster who is working a rape trial. Detailed, engaging and disturbing. I will say that this is marketed as a thriller and I definitely would not classify it as such. It's more of a slower paced mystery. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 5/5</span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-71243245313402595062023-05-03T08:55:00.001-07:002023-05-03T08:55:13.278-07:00There Are No Saints<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: There Are No Saints<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: Sinners Duet #1<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Sophie Lark</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>I loathe Alastor Shaw.<br /><br />The city of San Francisco thinks we’re rival artists.<br /><br />In truth, we’re predators battling for hunting ground.<br /><br />We never chased the same prey. Until the night we both laid eyes on Mara Eldritch.<br /><br />Shaw wants to use her as a pawn in his twisted game.<br /><br />I’m fixated on her for a different reason…<br /><br />She makes me feel things I never thought I could feel. Want things I never wanted.<br /><br />Only she can make me lose control.<br /><br />I don’t know if I should protect her at all costs… or destroy her before she ruins me.<br /><br />Mara knows I’m no saint. But she has no idea she’s dancing with the devil…-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: A serial killer falls in love with a woman he almost kills. She, in a completely unbelievable twist, ends up falling in love with him. I can suspend disbelief at times but the plot of this just didn't work for me. I kept rolling my eyes reading it. I was interested enough to read a summary of the next book so I could see how it ends. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 2/5</span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-23987037968321928182023-05-03T08:38:00.002-07:002023-05-03T08:38:28.601-07:00The Escape Room<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Escape Room<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Megan Goldin</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Welcome to the escape room. Your goal is simple. Get out alive.<br /><br />In the lucrative world of finance, Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are at the top of their game. They’ve mastered the art of the deal and celebrate their success in style―but a life of extreme luxury always comes at a cost.<br /><br />Invited to participate in an escape room challenge as a team-building exercise, the ferociously competitive co-workers crowd into the elevator of a high-rise building, eager to prove themselves. But when the lights go off and the doors stay shut, it quickly becomes clear that this is no ordinary competition: they’re caught in a dangerous game of survival.<br /><br />Trapped in the dark, the colleagues must put aside their bitter rivalries and work together to solve cryptic clues to break free. But as the game begins to reveal the team’s darkest secrets, they realize there’s a price to be paid for the terrible deeds they committed in their ruthless climb up the corporate ladder. As tempers fray, and the clues turn deadly, they must solve one final chilling puzzle: which one of them will kill in order to survive?-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I absolutely loved this book. Narrated in two timelines, in present day we follow a group of colleagues who are locked in an elevator for an escape room 'teambuilding' exercise. Believe me when I say they are all horrible, horrible, people. In the past timeline, we follow one of their co-workers as she describes her rise and eventual fall in the world of corporate finance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was completely entertaining and many of the topics discussed about corporate America (including prioritizing work above all else, misogyny, unequal pay for women, backstabbing co-workers) will resonate with anyone who has worked a corporate job. As someone who just left corporate America after 20+ years, I feel like I've met all these characters in real life (albeit not so evil LOL). I thought the pacing of the book was good and it was extremely entertaining. Some things definitely stretch the imagination at times but I still loved it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-31208382948872722782023-05-02T11:37:00.002-07:002023-05-02T11:37:26.221-07:00Inhuman Acts<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Inhuman Acts<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Brooke L. French</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>A deadly, incurable disease creeps silent through Chattanooga. And its victims aren't random.<br /><br />When inexplicable human rabies cases appear in Tennessee, disease ecologist Letty Duquesne jumps at the chance to trace the virus back to its source. But the closer Letty gets to finding the outbreak's origin, the further someone will go to stop her.<br /><br />With an unwanted promotion threatening to take Letty far from the fieldwork she loves, this outbreak feels like her last chance to make a difference. It's not something she can ignore, especially now. The spillover of zoonotic diseases to the human population is on the rise and violent animal attacks—like the one that killed her sister—are becoming all too common.<br /><br />Something in nature has gone very wrong.<br /><br />Local authorities would rather she go home, but Letty can track a source animal like no one else. With the help of disgraced detective Andrew Marsh, Letty follows the virus's epidemiological trail. But her every move is watched. And the source animal is closer than she thinks.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: Inhuman Acts is the first book published by Brooke L. French. I absolutely loved Spillover by David Quammen and one of my best friend's is an epidemiologist at the CDC (she works on ebola outbreaks), so I was excited to read a book about a disease ecologist trying to contain human rabies cases. This was well researched and absolutely fascinating. Letty is a smart, likeable main character and I could see this expanded into a series. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Fabulous from start to finish!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-42523946623193530922023-05-02T11:27:00.007-07:002023-05-02T11:27:49.314-07:00Stay Awake<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Stay Awake<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Megan Goldin</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers―a stranger who now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.<br /><br />Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget―permanently.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: One Goodreads friend rated this 5 stars and another 2 stars so I was excited to start this one and see what camp I was in. I'm happy to say that this Momento type book, about a woman who wakes up in a taxi covered in blood with no recollection of how she got there, worked for me. I enjoyed almost every page of it, even when Liv was making dumb decision after dumb decision. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4/5</span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-51812661601988218062023-05-02T10:41:00.000-07:002023-05-02T10:41:00.771-07:00The Investigator<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Investigator<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: Letty Davenport #1<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: John Sanford</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Letty Davenport, the brilliant and tenacious adopted daughter of Lucas Davenport, takes the investigative reins in the newest thriller from #1 bestselling author John Sandford.<br /> <br />“Sandford fans rejoice! Davenport next generation has arrived and Letty is exactly the kind of cool-eyed, smart-mouthed, lethally dangerous heroine we’ve been waiting for.” --Lisa Gardner, author of One Step Too Far<br /><br />By age twenty-four, Letty Davenport has seen more action and uncovered more secrets than many law enforcement professionals. Now a recent Stanford grad with a master’s in economics, she’s restless and bored in a desk job for U.S. Senator Colles. Letty’s ready to quit, but her skills have impressed Colles, and he offers her a feet-on-the-ground investigative work, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security. <br /> <br />Several oil companies in Texas have reported thefts of crude, Colles tells her. He isn’t so much concerned with the oil as he is with the who is selling the oil, and what are they doing with the profits? Rumor has it that a fairly ugly militia group might be involved. Colles wants to know if the money is going to them, and if so, what they’re planning. -Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I read the Prey series many moons ago and was excited for this new series. Letty is essentially Lucas 2.0 and almost "too perfect" but I thought the investigation, while dragging at time, was pretty interesting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I look forward to see where this series takes her. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 3/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-16236111870050695482023-05-02T10:28:00.003-07:002023-05-02T10:28:43.048-07:00There He kept Her<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: There He Kept Her<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Joshua Moehling</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>They thought he was a helpless old man. They were wrong.<br /><br />When two teenagers break into a house on a remote lake in search of prescription drugs, what starts as a simple burglary turns into a nightmare for all involved. Emmett Burr has secrets he's been keeping in his basement for more than two decades, and he'll do anything to keep his past from being revealed. As he gets the upper hand on his tormentors, the lines blur between victim, abuser, and protector.<br /><br />Personal tragedy has sent former police officer Ben Packard back to the small Minnesota town of Sandy Lake in search of a fresh start. Now a sheriff's deputy, Packard is leading the investigation into the missing teens, motivated by a family connection. As clues dry up and time runs out to save them, Packard is forced to reveal his own secrets and dig deep to uncover the dark past of the place he now calls home.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: In a small Minnesota town, two teenagers break into an old man's house to steal his prescription medication and things go wrong almost immediately. One of the missing teenagers is the niece of Ben Packard, a sheriff deputy who recently moved back to the small town. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While marketed as a thriller, I would classify this as more of a police procedural (as we know exactly who the bad guy is from the first few pages). Packard was a strong lead with an interesting backstory and I liked how the investigation unfolded. I assume this will become a series at some point, I'll definitely read the next one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-501978663941340712023-05-02T10:13:00.001-07:002023-05-02T10:13:12.525-07:00Little Fires Everywhere<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Little Fires Everywhere<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Celeste Ng</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.<br /><br />In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned - from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.<br /><br />Enter Mia Warren - an enigmatic artist and single mother- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.<br /><br />When old family friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town - and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at an unexpected and devastating cost . . .-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: This is a soapy saga about Mia, a free spirited artist and her teenage daughter, Pearl, who move to a master planned suburban community in Ohio. Ng is a talented writer who writes engaging stories and this was definitely a page turner, however I disliked almost every character in the book. That isn't always a bad thing but here, I felt Ng shoved Mia's "perfectness" down the readers throat repeatedly and I just had an undercurrent of annoyance reading this. I get it, we, the readers, are supposed to love her. I was very turned off by her parenting style and the big reveal as to what she did as a college student did nothing to change that. Elena is also an unlikeable character who does despicable things. I don't like, I didn't hate this by any means but it was disappointing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 2.5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-49216932287449826762023-05-01T12:01:00.000-07:002023-05-01T12:01:09.260-07:00People Like Her<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: People Like Her<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Ellery Lloyd</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Followed by Millions, Watched by One<br /><br />To her adoring fans, Emmy Jackson, aka @the_mamabare, is the honest “Instamum” who always tells it like it is. <br /><br />To her skeptical husband, a washed-up novelist who knows just how creative Emmy can be with the truth, she is a breadwinning powerhouse chillingly brilliant at monetizing the intimate details of their family life.<br /><br />To one of Emmy’s dangerously obsessive followers, she’s the woman that has everything—but deserves none of it. <br /><br />As Emmy’s marriage begins to crack under the strain of her growing success and her moral compass veers wildly off course, the more vulnerable she becomes to a very real danger circling ever closer to her family.<br /><br />In this deeply addictive tale of psychological suspense, Ellery Lloyd raises important questions about technology, social media celebrity, and the way we live today. Probing the dark side of influencer culture and the perils of parenting online, People Like Her explores our desperate need to be seen and the lengths we’ll go to be liked by strangers. It asks what—and who—we sacrifice when make our private lives public, and ultimately lose control of who we let in. . . .-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: Lloyd excels are writing unlikeable characters and this book was no exception. In this installment, she tackles lifestyle influencer Emmy 'mambare' Jackson. This was sharp, well crafted and really shows the "person" behind the curtain with these 'influencers.' Just like reality tv, most of these people have PR firms behind them to help craft their online personas. I finished this and immediately started to unfollow certain people on social media. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Overall, I loved this (as well as the creative title, can be interpreted a few ways). However, if you are someone who needs to like the main character (or even a side character), there is no one like that in this one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-92064727134260494772023-05-01T11:48:00.003-07:002023-05-01T11:48:49.281-07:00The Club<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Club<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Ellery Lloyd</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Everyone's Dying to Join . . .<br /><br />The Home Group is a glamorous collection of celebrity members' clubs dotted across the globe, where the rich and famous can party hard and then crash out in its five-star suites, far from the prying eyes of fans and the media.<br /><br />The most spectacular of all is Island Home—a closely-guarded, ultraluxurious resort, just off the English coast—and its three-day launch party is easily the most coveted A-list invite of the decade.<br /><br />But behind the scenes, tensions are at breaking point: the ambitious and expensive project has pushed the Home Group's CEO and his long-suffering team to their absolute limits. All of them have something to hide—and that's before the beautiful people with their own ugly secrets even set foot on the island.<br /><br />As tempers fray and behavior worsens, as things get more sinister by the hour and the body count piles up, some of Island Home’s members will begin to wish they’d never made the guest list.<br /><br />Because at this club, if your name’s on the list, you’re not getting out.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: Rich celebrities, an exclusive club where anything goes and the workers who make it all happen. This was a quick, soapy, enjoyable read. I think this would translate very well to a mini-series or movie. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 3/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-43548310706523378982023-05-01T11:41:00.003-07:002023-05-01T11:41:37.846-07:00The Art of Racing in the Rain<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Art of Racing in the Rain<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Garth Stein</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.<br /><br />Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.<br /><br />A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life ... as only a dog could tell it.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I'm a sucker for all things dog related and this book was no exception. Even though I already saw the movie before reading this, I absolutely loved it. Fantastic from start to finish. Loved the narration from Enzo's point of view. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-55240041660787732662023-05-01T11:34:00.000-07:002023-05-01T11:34:05.097-07:00The Younger Wife<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Younger Wife<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Sally Hepworth</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>THE HUSBAND<br />A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.<br /><br />THE DAUGHTERS<br />Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.<br /><br />THE FORMER WIFE<br />With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.<br /><br />THE YOUNGER WIFE<br />Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses in all of them?-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I enjoyed this book about an a*hole surgeon who plants to divorce his wife, who is suffering from dementia, to marry a younger woman. Throw in his concerned daughters who have issues of their own, and this reminded me of a slightly watered down Liana Moriarty book. Overall I liked this but was left wanting 'more' from the plot. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 3/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-81589318539420922972023-05-01T11:18:00.000-07:002023-05-01T11:18:00.764-07:00All the Dangerous Things<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: All the Dangerous Things<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Stacy Willingham</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>One year ago, Isabelle Drake's life changed forever: her toddler son, Mason, was taken out of his crib in the middle of the night while she and her husband were asleep in the next room. With little evidence and few leads for the police to chase, the case quickly went cold. However, Isabelle cannot rest until Mason is returned to her—literally.<br /><br />Except for the occasional catnap or small blackout where she loses track of time, she hasn’t slept in a year.<br /><br />Isabelle's entire existence now revolves around finding him, but she knows she can’t go on this way forever. In hopes of jarring loose a new witness or buried clue, she agrees to be interviewed by a true-crime podcaster—but his interest in Isabelle's past makes her nervous. His incessant questioning paired with her severe insomnia has brought up uncomfortable memories from her own childhood, making Isabelle start to doubt her recollection of the night of Mason’s disappearance, as well as second-guess who she can trust... including herself. But she is determined to figure out the truth no matter where it leads.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I recently finished (and loved) 'Why We Sleep? Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams' so it was intriguing to read this book were the main character suffers from insomnia. Her memory lapses and behavior seemed well researched and realistic. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a slower 'thriller' per say with two timelines, one from Isabelle's childhood and present day, where her son was abducted and she's struggling (to put it mildly). I equally liked both timelines and while I found the book mostly predictable (there was one element of the abduction I didn't see coming), I thought the story was well crafted. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-45502806703508503102023-04-28T12:09:00.005-07:002023-04-28T12:09:35.120-07:00Second First Impressions<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Second First Impressions<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Sally Thorne</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Ruthie Midona has worked the front desk at the Providence Luxury Retirement Villa for six years, dedicating her entire adult life to caring for the Villa’s residents, maintaining the property (with an assist from DIY YouTube tutorials), and guarding the endangered tortoises that live in the Villa’s gardens. Somewhere along the way, she’s forgotten that she’s young and beautiful, and that there’s a world outside of work—until she meets the son of the property developer who just acquired the retirement center.<br /><br />Teddy Prescott has spent the last few years partying, sleeping in late, tattooing himself when bored, and generally not taking life too seriously—something his father, who dreams of grooming Teddy into his successor, can’t understand. When Teddy needs a place to crash, his father seizes the chance to get him to grow up. He’ll let Teddy stay in one of the on-site cottages at the retirement home, but only if he works to earn his keep. Teddy agrees—he can change a few lightbulbs and clip some hedges, no sweat. But Ruthie has plans for Teddy too.<br /><br />Her two wealthiest and most eccentric residents have just placed an ad (yet another!) seeking a new personal assistant to torment. The women are ninety-year-old, four-foot-tall menaces, and not one of their assistants has lasted a full week. Offering up Teddy seems like a surefire way to get rid of the tall, handsome, unnerving man who won’t stop getting under her skin.<br /><br />Ruthie doesn’t count on the fact that in Teddy Prescott, the Biddies may have finally met their match. He’ll pick up Chanel gowns from the dry cleaner and cut Big Macs into bite-sized bits. He’ll do repairs around the property, make the residents laugh, and charm the entire villa. He might even remind Ruthie what it’s like to be young and fun again. But when she finds out Teddy’s father’s only fixing up the retirement home to sell it, putting everything she cares about in jeopardy, she’s left wondering if Teddy’s magic was all just a façade.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I absolutely loved The Hating Game and it pains me to write this review, but nothing about this book worked for me. Ruthie was a boring, bland, main character. I did not buy into the relationship with her and Teddy. We are constantly reminded about Teddy's 'long beautiful hair' and it was just really strange. The only saving grace was Melanie, Ruthie's co-worker, who earns this an extra star. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I would not recommend this one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 1.5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-11282234151287288952023-04-28T11:59:00.003-07:002023-04-28T11:59:42.124-07:00The Judge's List<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: The Judge's List</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Series</b>: The Whistler #2<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: John Grisham</span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">I</span><i>n The Whistler, Lacy Stoltz investigated a corrupt judge who was taking millions in bribes from a crime syndicate. She put the criminals away, but only after being attacked and nearly killed. Three years later, and approaching 40, she is tired of her work for the Florida Board on Judicial Conduct and ready for a change.<br /><br />Then she meets a mysterious woman who is so frightened she uses a number of aliases. Jeri Crosby's father was murdered 20 years earlier in a case that remains unsolved and that has grown stone cold. But Jeri has a suspect whom she has become obsessed with and has stalked for two decades. Along the way, she has discovered other victims.<br /><br />Suspicions are easy enough, but proof seems impossible. The man is brilliant, patient and always one step ahead of law enforcement. He is the most cunning of all serial killers. He knows forensics, police procedure and most important: he knows the law.<br /><br />He is a judge, in Florida - under Lacy's jurisdiction.<br /><br />He has a list, with the names of his victims and targets, all unsuspecting people unlucky enough to have crossed his path and wronged him in some way. How can Lacy pursue him without becoming the next name on his list?-Goodreads</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: The premise of this book is great-a state judge who is also a serial killer? Sign me up! Lacy is reluctant to take the case, as Jeri, the woman reporting it is so scared she refuses to give Lacy all the information she needs to investigate, uses alias after alias and is very skittish. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first half of this book is very slow as Lacy doesn't want the case. We (reader/listener) know who the killer is so this is a 'cat and mouse' type of story. The judge was so unrealistically evil and an expert at seemingly EVERYTHING, it was completely unrealistic. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Audiobook listeners: I started this as an audiobook and was excited to see Mary Louise Parker as the voice actor. I love her as an actress but this was terrible-she sounded exactly the same for every character, could have been reading note cards for the amount of emotion she put into it. I switched to the book version about mid-way through and it was much better. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 2/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-62826665753306563902023-04-28T11:22:00.001-07:002023-04-28T11:22:51.326-07:00Things We Do In The Dark<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Things We Do In The Dark<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Jennifer Hillier</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.<br /><br />Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: I really enjoyed Jar of Hearts and Little Secrets, so I had high hopes for this one. While I enjoyed it, it was predictable and a tad boring. I think this would work well as a mini-series though. </span></p><p><b style="font-family: verdana;">Grade</b><span style="font-family: verdana;">: 3.5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-64503966339324590572023-04-28T11:09:00.003-07:002023-04-28T11:09:55.392-07:00Hotel Nantucket<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book:</b> Hotel Nantucket<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Elin Hilderbrand</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>After a tragic fire in 1922 that killed 19-year-old chambermaid, Grace Hadley, The Hotel Nantucket descended from a gilded age gem to a mediocre budget-friendly lodge to inevitably an abandoned eyesore — until it's purchased and renovated top to bottom by London billionaire, Xavier Darling. Xavier hires Nantucket sweetheart Lizbet Keaton as his general manager, and Lizbet, in turn, pulls together a charismatic, if inexperienced, staff who share the vision of turning the fate of the hotel around. They face challenges in getting along with one another (and with the guests), in overcoming the hotel's bad reputation, and in surviving the (mostly) harmless shenanigans of Grace Hadley herself — who won't stop haunting the hotel until her murder is acknowledged.-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: This book is the perfect beach read for your summer vacation. I thoroughly loved Lizbet, the hotel manager, all of the employees and even the ghost. I was absorbed in the story from the first chapter. My only complaint would be the big reveal regarding Chad, one of the hotel employees, was not as 'alarming' I thought it would be. Overall, loved it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4.5/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6814419702389414625.post-58211675812606672842023-04-28T10:56:00.001-07:002023-04-28T10:56:21.067-07:00Why Didn't They Ask Evans?<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Book</b>: Why Didn't They Ask Evans?<br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Author</b>: Agatha Christie</span></div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div>Was it a misstep that sent a handsome stranger plummeting to his death from a cliff? Or something more sinister? Fun-loving adventurers Bobby Jones and Frances Derwent's suspicions are certainly roused--especially since the man's dying words were so peculiar: Why didn't they ask Evans? Bobby and Frances would love to know. Unfortunately, asking the wrong people has sent the amateur sleuths running for their lives--on a wild and deadly pursuit to discover who Evans is, what it was he wasn't asked, and why the mysterious inquiry has put their own lives in mortal danger...-Goodreads</span></i><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Review</b>: When Bobby is golfing with a doctor, they find a man dying over a cliff. He says "Why didn't they ask Evans?" to Bobby before dying. Bobby and his friend Frances end up investigating the strange death. This was a classic Agatha Christie with sharp dialogue, a detailed investigation and well thought out plot. Very enjoyable for mystery fans. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grade</b>: 4/5 </span></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15841726270096135206noreply@blogger.com0