Book Trailer: Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke

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Synopsis
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

Add to your Goodreads // Buy at Book Depository

I can't help it.  I just love the cover of this one.  It's so pretty. Enjoy!!

Book Review: Honeymoon by James Patterson

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Title: Honeymoon

Author: James Patterson and Howard Rougan
Genre: Mystery / Fiction / Thriller / Suspense
Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
Publication Date: 1st January 2007
ISBN: 9780755387151
Stand Alone/Series: Honeymoon #1
Pages:  393 pages
First Lines: Things aren't always as they appear.  One minute, I'm totally fine.

Add to Goodreads list \\ Buy at Book Depository

Synopsis:  
Don't give away the ending ... don't give away the beginning.

How does it feel to be desired by every man and envied by every woman? Wonderful. This is the life Nora Sinclair has dreamed about, the life she's worked hard for, the life she will never give up.

She doesn't just attract men, she enthralls them. So why is FBI agent John O'Hara interested in Nora Sinclair? Mysterious things happen to people around her, especially the men. And there is something dangerous about Nora, something that lures O'Hara at the same time that it fills him with fear.

Is something dark hidden in the gaps of her past? As O'Hara spends more and more time getting to know her, is he pursuing justice? Or his own fatal obsession?

My Thoughts: 
If it weren't for the fact I was doing James Patterson's Masterclass I probably would never have picked this book up.  I'd heard mixed reviews on the author and his very quick turnaround times for books so I didn't really have any interest.  But since one of the things that would help with the course was to read this, I gave it a go.  If you are interested in James Pattersons Masterclass you can by clicking here.

This is a murder mystery novel so there isn't alot I can talk about without giving away too much but the story revolves around a woman who is alluring and beautiful and an interior decorator.  She has everything going for her and so when she leaves her husband to go see a client, and that client turns out to be another man she is involved with, things get pretty interesting.

While we get to read from a few different view points I definitely liked the main character O'Hara and the predicament he ends up in.  He's a very relatable character with good strong morals that are definitely tested.

If you like a good mystery, certainly give this a go.  I found it to be a real page turner.  The chapters are short and engaging and I can't wait to read the next book Second Honeymoon!

Happy reading!

Book received from:  Purchased from Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday (157)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I used to read alot from Karin Slaughter and Tess Gerritsen back in the day.  I guess I needed a change of scene for a little while as all the crime in their books sometimes actually gave me nightmares lol.  The books were that good!  But I'm itching to get my hands on Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter which is out in September this year.

Synopsis

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.

What are you waiting on??

The Vale Girl by Nelika McDonald

Title:  The Vale Girl

Author:  Nelika McDonald

Genre:  Young Adult

Publisher:  Pan Macmillan Australia

Publication Date:  1st August 2013

ISBN:  9781742612423

Stand alone or series: Stand Alone  

Pages:  320 pages

Book Received from:  Publisher

First Lines:  I live in Banville, a small town that begins and ends at no discerible point in the middle of bloody nowhere.

Synopsis:Fifteen- year old Sarah Vale has disappeared from the small town of Banville.
Resident copper Sergeant Henson attempts to find the missing girl but the locals dismiss his investigations. What would you expect with a mother like hers anyway?
No one really cares except teenager Tommy Johns - for Sarah Vale takes a straight line to his heart.
And, sometimes, one true champion is all it takes to tear a town's veneer apart.

My Thoughts:
I'm glad I was sent The Vale Girl.  Right from the the Prologue I was drawn in.. and the moment I began reading this, I knew I was going to have a hard time putting it down.

The story revolves around the lead up and the disappearance of Sarah Vale a fifteen year old girl living in the small town of Banville.  A town that surprisingly attracts its share of tourists with the popular Grevillea Festival held in the main part of town

Chapter One is a real eye opener.  It begins with Sarah collecting money from various hidey holes to keep up with the Vale household bills.  Right here, it's clear Sarah is the responsible adult in the parent daughter relationship.  From here on in, I could tell Sarah was on her own.  Her travels to school are no better, dealing with bullies and having the neighbour all but look the other way but hang around out the front until the bullies are on their way.  The neighbour stays long enough after for a quick smile before ducking off back inside.  This behaviour is quite weird to me until I realise what year the novel is based in, as well as how small the town of Banville actually is.

Everybody knows everyone else, and reputation and money more often than not trumps the deeds one does in a small town.  In the late 1960s it's hard to imagine that a human being could turn the other way when someone is in need of help but when the person you thought was doing the wrong thing, also supplied you another service, it would be silly to bite the hand that feeds you.. so to speak.  So things get swept under the rug.  And that unfortunately is the way things are for the people in Banville.  So when poor Sarah goes missing, everyone's lips are sealed and no one knows anything, which certainly makes the Sergeants job that little bit harder.  But thanks to a persistent teen named Tommy who also happens to be Sarah's only friend, and a Sergeant with his gut feeling something isn't right, this one can't be swept under the rug and forgotten.

The Vale Girl is told through a number of viewpoints including Sarah, Tommy, Sergeant Henson, and another character, the story ropes you in and has you hanging for another piece of the puzzle.

Nelika McDonald has an awesome knack for bringing a town and it's characters to life in a believable and authentic setting.

Definitely a recommended read!

Fave Line:  There were so many I loved!   'Sometimes when you think you want something its only when you get it that you realise you were wrong. That it wasn't what you wanted at all. But by then it's usually too late.'

No Safety In Numbers by Dana Lorentz Book Trailer

I've only just come across this book and had to share.  No Safety in Numbers will be a book I'll definitely be adding to my To Be Read List.  Enjoy!  P.S No Safety in Numbers is the first in a series!

Waiting on Wednesday (140)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I'm really looking forward to Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano.  This will be out on March 25th 2014. Pre order Nearly Gone at Book Depository!

Synopsis

Bones meets Fringe in a big, dark, scary, brilliantly-plotted urban thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. 

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin. But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her.

Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all out soon—she'll be next

What are you waiting on?

The Diabolist by Layton Green

Title:  The Diabolist

Author:  Layton Green

Genre:  Mystery/Suspense

Publisher:  Thomas and Mercer

Publication Date:  4th June 2013

ISBN:  9781611099843

Stand alone or series:   Dominic Grey #3

Pages:  375 pages

Book Received from:  Layton Green (Author) Uncorrected proof

First Lines:  They called themselves the House of Lucifer.  Thirty minutes before midnight High Priest Matthias Gregory swung wide the doors to Red Abbey, and one by one the members filed inside.

Synopsis: While investigating the murder of a Satanic cult leader, two private investigators follow the trail of a reclusive New Age prophet and are plunged into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts.

My Thoughts:
It's been a little while since I've read any of Layton Green's work but as always I slipped into the story as if I'd read the previous books a day before.

I found from Chapter one that it had me in it's grips.  I mean names like House of Lucifer and "the Letter" and sermons at midnight, I knew I was going to be up all night reading this from start to finish. And I did!

The biggest thing for me about these novels is the amount of research these novels must take.  And as much as there is so much to take in, I never once got bogged down by the technicals.  I loved it.  Bring on more!

Another thing I love about these novels is, from the beginning, things seem all magical and supernatural as if there could be no other logical explanation and then walks in Viktor Radek and Dominic Grey!  It's so real world

I have to say my fave character of the series will always lie with Dominic Grey.  He's the ultimate in awesome.  He's smart, switched on and doesn't let anyone pull the wool over his eyes.  His past (for me) justifies who he is as a person now and I find that well rounded in a character.  Layton has just got a way with building credible and three dimensional characters (even the bad ones) that seem to jump of the page and demand to be remembered.

Viktor has some of the same qualities as Grey and I think that's why they make such a good team,  but I think he gets a little caught up in the details of each crime.  The research.

The appearance of the blonde did throw me in the beginning, and I kept thinking she could have been somebody else throughout the novel.  It put a good spin on things and I wondered when she would pop up again and what her role would be at the end if there was one.  I was very surprised.

Dante was one creepy and sadistic bastard. (excuse the french)  I kept reading thinking, surely Grey and Dante would go head to head.  Ultimate good guy against ultimate bad dude,

This was an awesome story and another great addition to the Dominic Grey series.  I love the history and detail that Layton puts into the novel.  The characters are well formed and come alive on the page, which means from start to finish I'm glued to the book.  Well done!

Waiting on Wednesday (134)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Looking forward to reading Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller which will be out June 18th this year!

Synopsis

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong?

In the Bermuda Triangle—a lot.
Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become permanent.

 She just has to ask herself one question—how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

What are you waiting on?

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter Book Trailer

This one definitely looks good!

The Undertaker by William F. Brown

Title:  The Undertaker

Author:  William F. Brown

Genre:  Mystery/Suspense

Publisher:  William F. Brown

Publication Date:  10th January 2011   

Pages:  322 pages

Book Received from:  Author

First Lines:  I know exactly what Louie must have gone through that night. Exactly. He would have woken slowly, blinking, looking up into a bank of harsh, white lights set in the ceiling high above him.

Synopsis:
Curiosity can kill more than cats, but when Pete Talbott found himself at the wrong end of Gino Parini's .45 reading his own obituary, it was a mystery he couldn't leave alone. From the cornfields of Ohio to the gritty slums of Chicago, a bloody kitchen in a Back Bay townhouse, New York's Washington Square, and the nation's Capitol itself, the hunt is on. Someone with a penchant for sharp scalpels and embalming tables is planting bodies under other people's names, and if Talbott doesn't stop them, he and his quirky new girlfriend Sandy Kasmarek will be next on the Undertaker's list.

My Thoughts:
It took me a little while to get to reading this, and I'm kicking myself it took me so long!  The Undertaker is not what I expected at all.  It was so much more.


Chapter one starts off with a bang!  It hooked me line and sinker!  Well really, I was eager to read more after the prologue but the very first lines of Chapter one introduces Pete Talbot, a Systems engineer and he's in a bit of a predicament being at the end of Gino's .45 automatic.  My curiosity peaks even more when he's shown his own obituary.  I must admit,  Pete keeps his cool considering the circumstances and manages to throw in a few funny lines in that first chapter and I was immediately warming to his sense of humour.

The storyline is by no means slow either.  Talbot doesn't waste any time getting deeper into the mysterious obituaries and even more questions pop up.  I was constantly surprised with the turn of events that take place throughout the story and the deeper Talbot gets, the more I was cheering for him.

As far as characters go, I think William F. Brown has done a wonderful job at creating fantastic well liked characters.  I found Talbot and Wendy so witty with their friendly banter and flirting and I hope I get to read more about these two in the future.  I was even quite surprised with the "bad guys".  They were actually quite likeable..up until the end lol.  But quite understandable if you've read it :)

If you're looking for a suspense filled mystery with quirky characters and an engaging plot this one is for you.  I highly recommend this!

Fave Line:  My god there are so many! Page 70 and Page 163 had lines I loved but I think my favourite was on Page 77: "There's only two things that grow in the dark on a steady diet of bullsh*t: good mushrooms and bad government"。

The Egyptian by Layton Green

Title:  The Egyptian

Author:  Layton Green

Genre:  Mystery/Suspense

Publisher:  First Ward    

Publication Date:  27th August 2011 

Stand alone or series:  Book 2 in the Dominic Grey Series 

Pages:  325 pages 

Book Received from:  Author - Layton Green

First Lines: Siti hummed to himself as he picked his way through the crypts and mausoleums shrouded by eerie blue fog.

Synopsis:
At a mausoleum in Cairo’s most notorious cemetery, a mercenary receives a package containing a silver test tube suspended in hydraulic stasis.

An investigative reporter tracking rogue biomedical companies is terrified by the appearance of a mummified man outside her Manhattan apartment.

A Bulgarian scientist who dabbles in the occult makes a startling discovery in his underground laboratory

These seemingly separate events collide when Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, are hired by the CEO of an Egyptian biomedical firm to locate stolen research integral to the company’s new life extension product. However, after witnessing the slaughter of a team of scientists by the remnants of a dangerous cult thought long abandoned, Grey and Viktor turn from pursuers to pursued.

From the gleaming corridors of visionary laboratories to the cobblestone alleys of Eastern Europe to a lost oasis in the Sahara, Grey and Viktor must sift through science and myth to uncover the truth behind the Egyptian and his sinister biotech – before that truth kills them.

My Thoughts:
After thoroughly enjoying The Summoner, I was stoked when Layton Green had asked for me to review The Egyptian, the second book in the Dominic Grey series. Of course I had to find out what was in store for Grey and Viktor and eagerly accepted.


The Egyptian begins with the opening scene of a man named Siti weaving his way through crypts and mausoleums in The City of the Dead in Cairo, Egypt to deliver a package and hopefully disappear with his family but things don't work out the way they are supposed to. Right from the first couple of chapters I was completely roped in. I had so many questions that needed answering and the appearance of something so horrifying at the end of the first chapter that it's not described left me itching to find out more.




Dominic Grey the main character has become a favourite of mine. For someone with such a troubled childhood filled with abuse of all sorts and a background as interesting and full on as his, he comes across as a genuine yet quite complex character. Viktor, Grey's business partner is another unusually complex character driven by his curiousity and need for knowledge. Viktor's what you'd call a 'cult expert' and first met Grey in The Summoner when Grey is sent to investigate a missing diplomat.


Layton has done a fantastic job at creating believable three dimensional characters that draw you into the story and make you forget that you're just reading a book. The story line is full of unexpected turns and twists and jam packed with history, myths and facts circling around the legendary 'elixir of life' and the rumours of its existence. I'm constantly amazed at the depth and knowledge Layton infuses into The Egyptian and it was so easy to picture the places Grey, Viktor and Veronica travel to on their quest to find answers to what is going on.


All in all another fantastic edition to the Dominic Grey series and I look forward to reading more from Layton in the future.


Original posted on Book Lovers Inc website :)

The Summoner by Layton Green

Title:  The Summoner

Author:  Layton Green

Genre:  Mystery/Suspense (supernatural elements)

Publisher:  GryphonWorks  

Publication Date:  8th December 2010 

Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone 

Pages:  301 

Book Received from:  Author - Layton Green

First Lines:  The only thing Dominic Grey knew for certain about the disappearance of William Addison was that it was the strangest case to which he had ever been assigned.

Synopsis:

A United States diplomat disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bushveld of Zimbabwe.

Dominic Grey, Diplomatic Security special agent, product of a violent childhood and a worn passport, is assigned to investigate. Aiding the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, religious phenomenologist and expert on cults, and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison.

What Grey uncovers is a terrifying cult older than Western civilization, the harsh underbelly of a country in despair, a demagogic priest seemingly able to perform impossibilities, and the identity of the newest target.

Himself. 

My Thoughts:

The Summoner is the first book in the Dominic Grey series and one that has definitely given me the heebee jeebees! I work with a lady who has moved from South Africa a few years ago and on a number of occasions we have spoken about the good and bad as well as the downright scary things that happen every day over there, juju being the most talked about lol. That was one reason I was interested in this and the synopsis itself won me over.

The story is told by Dominic Grey a diplomatic security agent who is brought in to work with a liason officer, Nya, and professor of religious cults, Victor, to investigate the disappearance of Addison. Addison disappears in the middle of a Yoruba ceremony without a trace sparking an investigation into the Ambassador's friends disappearance.

I was really drawn in from the beginning of this story and loved the cool, sceptical main character Grey. I think Grey was a good choice out of the three characters in telling this story as a lot of us out there would fit under the sceptical group. Nya comes across as quite closed off in the beginning but she lets her guard down slowly when she opens up to Grey. Viktor is in a group all of his own. His morbid curiosity in everything tied in with the cult made him interesting as a character if maybe a little on the wacky side too. If you know what I mean.

The story itself had me in suspense all the way through. The deeper Grey, Nya and Viktor dig, the more of Zimbabwe is revealed. From Club Lucky, to a ceremony in the middle of nowhere and the ancient ruins, Layton Green does a brilliant job of creating a vivid setting without overdoing the description and slowing the story pace.

If you're after a suspense filled story with both supernatural and religious undertones this one is for you. Don't let the religious aspect put you off though, it makes the story that more interesting!

This review was originally posted on the Book Lovers Inc website!

Accidents Happen by Marlene Sanchez

Title: Accidents Happen

Author: Marlene Sanchez

Genre: Suspense/Mystery

Publisher: Romantic Trysts Publications 

Publication Date: 18 April 2010
Stand alone or series: Series

Pages: 223 pages

Book Received from: Author

First Lines: It seemed as if he had the target in sight. When he aimed his .38 caliber revolver and pulled the trigger, she saw him close his eyes as the recoil threw his arms in the air.

Synopsis:

Martina Rosequete isn’t a cop anymore. But when her best friend, Jen, is killed in a fall from her own balcony Marti’s cop instincts tell her it isn’t an accident. Her investigation into Jen’s death leads Marti to a string of accident’s that aren’t… In the seedy underworld of Miami run by the notorious Pascual crime family Marti put’s her life on the line to find the truth. There is only one man she can trust, her neighbor, sometime-lover Eddie. But when Eddie buying things he shouldn’t be able to afford on a cops salary, Marti begins to wonder if she really can trust anyone. Nothing is ever as it seems when Accidents Happen….

My Thoughts:
Accidents Happen is the story of an ex cop Martina, who finds herself on an unofficial investigation when her friend Jen apparently commits suicide.  Marti knows Jen wasn't the sort of girl who would deliberately end her life.  When Marti goes through some old momentos and photos she's kept, she comes across an envelope that she doesn't remember being there before... and so begins the questions.

I enjoyed reading about Marti, Eddie and Jackie and was pretty engrossed in the story but there were a few things that I found that annoyed me a little.  It seemed a bit of a slow start in Chapter One, and while the lead up to Jen's 'suicide' did help to set the scene and get to know the characters, I felt that it could have been left up to the reader to work it out for themselves.

Marti is a strong and independant character and reminds me of myself a bit in terms of her liking to do things for herself and not relying on others.  She's witty and feisty too, another strong trait I like in main characters.  I got the impression Marti was supposed to be a bit impulsive but I didn't really see much of it shown in her actions up until one point where she goes and does something without waiting for the others.  To me it felt out of character though. 

Marti and Eddie's (her friend with benefits) relationship was amusing at best and at times I could have sworn it seemed like they were an old married couple. 

My only other gripe was that the end of the story seemed to end abruptly for me and I wanted there to be a bit more finality in that last scene.  That's just my personal opinion though. 

All in all, I did still enjoy Accidents Happen.  It was a great story that kept me interested all the way through.  It did feel a little raw around the edges but am curious to see what else Martina gets up to next!

Fave Line:  Marti.  I'm hurt.  Sex isn't the only thing I think about when I ask you if you need any company.  I just want to cuddle." - Eddie