MY BOOK REVIEWS

Book Review – The Green Beach Files By K. A. Perry

 

About the Author

K. A. Perry brings a unique perspective to her environmental thrillers. Her ability to utilize nature as the catalyst to keep her plot moving, and drive the character’s pursuit of the truth, stems from her own appreciation and love of nature. Time spent in nature is restorative for many folks, and this tenet is an underlying theme of K.A. Perry’s writing.

Although K.A. Perry grew up in northeastern Pennsylvania, she now lives in Connecticut with her husband and 4 children. Her years spent practicing environmental law combined with her time spent as a math teacher have melded to create stories that at their core raise real legal issues, but on the surface are an engaging, lighthearted read.

The Synopsis of the Book

A funny, engaging legal mystery for all those who love and enjoy nature—and reading at the beach.

First, an amphibian expert is found murdered in the fancy shoreline town of Mayfield, Connecticut. Then, a second, shocking murder of a well-respected community leader occurs. Why are there murders happening in a town as peaceful as Mayfield?

Jenn isn’t the perfect clever attorney. She doesn’t love her job, has no innate ability to solve mysteries, no superpowers, and no awesome legal skills. But she does have her love and respect for nature—which tends to distract her from her legal work, yet still somehow guides her. Along with her entertaining and dysfunctional family, Jenn weaves her way into the midst of a momentous fight over land preservation.

The murders appear to be tied to the development of the largest parcel of pristine beachfront land between Boston and New York. Most folks in Mayfield want the unique beachfront preserved for the public and object to the construction of expensive homes, but are any of these folks extremist enough to murder for the environment and save coastal land? And how much will Jenn stretch the law to solve the mystery?

My Review

This is Perry’s debut novel and for a first book she did really well

I was pulled into the story immediately when the main character, Jenn discovered a body in an ice machine in the back of a bookstore. My first question was, why did the bookstore have an ice machine? It was clear it was a homicide and Jenn is on a mission to solve the case, even though she is an attorney and not a detective. But it humors the story with her interference and when a second body is discovered, the plot thickens.

This is an easy read and what I love about this book is how the author also took me on a nature excursion and described in detail the natural surroundings and environment. I learned so much.

The romance that evolved was sweet and a nice addition to the story. I highly recommend this book.

An interview with the Author.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen on my Cuppa & A Natter (Live Chat)  show a few weeks ago.

You can watch it here.

 

Book Review The Wife Between Us

COVER DESIGN – 5 STARS – I love the colors of the cover, especially the bright yellow font which really grabs the attention of potential readers.   

CHARACTERIZATION – 4 STARS – I loved Jenn. She was well developed and I thought that I knew her well by the end of the book.  

STORY & PLOT 4 STARS – Great storyline and plot that moved along at a good pace. 

OVERALL RATING – 4 STARS – I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

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Book Review – Turn Back Time 

The Reunions is live -Read for FREE in KU

Buy The Book

Award-winner author Tina Hogan Grant brings you an emotional tail of family values and the quest of three sisters to fulfill their mother’s one wish.

Divided by divorce and separated by an ocean the sisters wondered if time would be on their side. This book brings the Tammy Mellows series full circle and can also be read as a standalone. A story that will stay with you: long after you have read it.
Review quotes:
“Loved the story and the whole series and will always read a Tina Hogan Grant book.” – GR Reader
“OMG what an absolutely amazing story. Definitely, a must-read.” – GR Reader “
A wonderful storyteller and her writing touches the heart.” – GR Reader
“This is such a great book and hard to put down and you just don’t want it to end.” – GR Reader –

Everything books

Book Review My Husband’s Wife by Jane Corry

Click image to buy from Amazon

Book Review – My husband’s Wife by Jane Corry

Intrigued by the title, this is a book I’ve been wanting to read for some time. How did the book measure up? Read my review below.

About the Author

Jane Corry is a writer and journalist who has written regularly for numerous newspapers and magazines including The Daily Telegraph Weekend Section, The Mail on Sunday and Woman. She has spent time working as the writer-in-residence on a high-security prison for men. An experience that helped inspire My Husband’s Wife, her debut thriller.

Jane runs regular writing workshops and speaks at literary festivals all over the world. She was a tutor in creative writing at Oxford University until her recent move to Devon. She is also an associate member of the Royal Literary Fund.

The Synopsis of My Husband’s Wife

When young lawyer Lily Marries Ed, she’s determined to make a fresh start and leave the secrets of the past behind. But then she takes on her first murder case and meets Joe, a convicted murderer to whom Lily is strangely-and for whom she will soon be willing to risk almost anything.

But Lily is not the only one with secrets. Her next-door neighbor Carla may be only nine, but she has already learned that secrets powerful things. That they can get her whatever she wants.

When Lily finds Carla on her doorstep twelve years later, a chain of events is set in motion that can end only one way.

My Review

This book began well and had me intrigued but as the story progressed it began to lose me for many various reasons. As mentioned before, I was intrigued by the title. I assumed it was about a bigamist. Well, that wasn’t the case and after finishing the book I found the title to be deceiving. I also had a problem with the female on the cover. If this is supposed to be Lily, it doesn’t match the description in the book where she describes her self as overweight and a size fourteen. That is not what the image portrays on the cover.

The author is British and many British terms are used in the story. Being English myself, I didn’t have a problem with that but if you don’t know some English terms it might be an issue for you.

It was a confusing tale with too many plots and twists that had no connections. It had too much going on and not enough background about the characters. I felt like I didn’t really get to know any of them.  Out of the blue, the characters began behaving strangely for no apparent reason or explanation. I found it odd that the character Lily was written in the first person and Carla was written in the third person. That just added to the confusion. For me, none of the characters were likable and there really wasn’t anyone to root for. The plots were weak and somewhat far fetched with no concrete conclusions. As much as I tried to like this book, I just couldn’t.

My Overall Rating

Book Review THE MERMAID CHAIR by Sue Monk Kidd

COVER DESIGN – 1 STAR– The cover and title didn’t represent the story at all. I found it very misleading.

CHARACTERIZATION – 2 STARS – The characters were very shallow and at times confusing. None were likable.  

STORY & PLOT 2 STARS – The story was too confusing and just seemed to drag on with no level of excitement.

OVERALL RATING – 2 STARS – Overall I gave this book two stars. It was a hard book to read that left me disappointed at the end. 

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See what readers are saying about Reckless Beginnings

It was a wonderful book and also a great ethical thriller especially for this being the author’s first book. I am definitely looking forward to reading more by this author. I would also definitely recommend this book to other members of my book group and my literary friends. – Anoynomous

 

AMAZING STORY. So well written, I could not put it down. I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2… I sometimes read so fast, I can skim over words.. not this book. I hung on to every single line.. so well written, such good detail, I felt and knew each character and felt each feeling.. was just great.. thank you! Sad I am divine with it! So glad Judy hit him with the poker! – Jennifer Dobos-bubno

 I loved this story, it was amazing!! It totally captured me from page 1. After reading the first few chapters I was addicted and couldn’t put the book down. I did nothing for the rest of the day but read even though I had a long list of stuff to get done. Reckless Beginnings by Tina Hogan Grant is a well-written story based on the author’s life. This is such a touching story about surviving. I personally find her work amazing in every way. Her writing is so good. The book is exceptionally well written and beautiful. The characters are all well developed and relatable. you can feel all their emotions and they grow beautifully as the story progresses.  – Stewart’s Book reviews

Author's Corner

Interview and Review DJ Park Author – The Mystery of the Weeping Friar

Interview and Review DJ Park Author - The Mystery of the Weeping Friar
Click to buy from Amazon

I just finished reading the novel The Mystery of the Weeping Friar, written by DJ Parks-a husband and wife team also know as Doug Parker and Jan Parker. I had the pleasure of interviewing the pleasant couple and write an honest review. All answers are in their own words.

About the Authors

Interview and Review DJ Park Author - The Mystery of the Weeping Friar

Copied from the back of the book –  Doug and Jan Parker (Writing under the pen name DJ Park) enjoy outdoor activities, cooking, and music. They live in southwest Colorado.

The Synopsis of The Mystery of the Weeping Friar

All is not as it appears in the art world of New Mexico – mystery surrounds the art dealers, the buyers and even the pieces of art themselves, especially the legendary religious figurine known as the Weeping Friar. In this sequel to GoneAwary Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent David Harroswen and his wife Althia “Tee” get swept up in the mysteries while visiting Tee’s sister. As more and more deadly chaos erupts Continue reading “Interview and Review DJ Park Author – The Mystery of the Weeping Friar”

Everything books

Book Review – KILLER SMILE by Lisa Scottoline

 

book review killer smile by Lisa Scottoline

I’ve been a fan of Lisa Scottoline’s books for many years. This is book 9 of 11 in the Rosato & DiNunzio series. Like the other books in the series, I enjoyed Killer Smile immensely. A murder mystery thriller with history and some humor added to the mix.

About the Author

Copied from the author’s page of the book – Lisa Scottoline is a New York Times bestselling author and a former trial lawyer. She has won the highest prize in crime fiction, Continue reading “Book Review – KILLER SMILE by Lisa Scottoline”

Everything books

Book Review: “Invisible” by James Patterson & David Ellis

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I personally enjoy reading book reviews before purchasing a book and appreciate the time readers have put into their reviews and want to share mine in return.

Periodically I will post my thoughts here in the “book” section of my blog after finishing a novel.

I just finished “Invisible” by James Patterson and David Ellis. Here is the synopsis:

“Everyone thinks Emmy Dockery is crazy. Obsessed with finding the link between hundreds of unsolved cases, Emmy has taken leave from her job as an FBI researcher. Now all she has are the newspaper clippings that wallpaper her bedroom, and her recurring nightmares of an all-consuming fire.

Not even Emmy’s ex-boyfriend, field agent Harrison “Books” Bookman, will believe her that hundreds of kidnappings, rapes, and murders are all connected. That is, until Emmy finds a piece of evidence he can’t afford to ignore. More murders are reported by the day–and they’re all inexplicable. No motives, no murder weapons, no suspects. Could one person really be responsible for these unthinkable crimes?

Invisible is James Patterson’s scariest, most chilling stand-alone thriller yet.”

My Review

Category: Fiction-Thriller-mystery-crime

As always James Patterson never disappoints me. One Thing I love about his books are the short chapters. There is Something about short chapters: where you tell yourself, “Oh I’ll read just one more chapter. It’s really short. 10 chapters later, you’re still reading.  His books are always  a quick read for me. He grabs my attention right away and has me turning the pages hastily in anticipation of what is coming next.

I enjoyed this book Immensely. Finished reading it in just a couple of days. How they unravelled the crime and Emma’s intuition was brilliant and extremely clever. Some parts I have to say, were pretty gory, made me cringe a little, well actually a lot. I had to continue reading a few more chapters after the horrific acts of crime were being described, just to erase the images now planted in my head.

As the events of the crimes unfold, it’s a continuous guessing game, one heck of a ride and a very surprising ending. One I never saw coming. I’m a very satisfied reader after reading the book. It was entertaining,  very hard to put down and a fantastic ending. You will not be disappointed.

I give this book 4 stars.

 

 

 

 

 

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