Red Mist by Richard Taylor

Genre: Suspense, Thriller
Publisher: Smashwords, Inc.
Release date: June 2010-08-01

United States Military Intelligence Agent David Dengler is given the plum training assignment of surveillance of the famous actress Marilyn Monroe. Dengler is thrilled with his luck until he realizes he stumbled onto the murder of the beautiful actress. He attempts to stop it, but instead puts his own life in danger. He has no choice but to go on the run and he’s not quite sure who he is running from – the CIA?, the FBI?, the President of the United States? He has no time to investigate if he intends to stay alive.

Before he can figure any of it out, he finds himself in the middle of an assassination plot against JFK. Can the two tragedies be connected? Dengler intends to find out and save JFK, but he also realizes that chances are very good he won’t live to see the next day.

Set in the turbulent 1960’s, this book is truly captivating. It’s a fictionalized story using two very real events and some very real historical people. Lee Harvey Oswald, Robert F. Kennedy, Jack Ruby, Marilyn Monroe and J. Edgar Hoover all make realistic appearances throughout the book.

Readers will feel everything David Dengler is going through and hope he’ll be able to save the day, although we all knew there was only one way this book could possibly end. This is a clever and creative take on events that most Americans will never forget. We don’t know what exactly went on behind the deaths of Monroe (was it suicide or not?) and JFK (conspiracy or one man acting alone?), but this fictional account gives us something to think about.

I absolutely could not put this book down and I was thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it – which says a lot for me. I’ve already started compiling a list of books by Richard Taylor which I plan to read. I can easily see Red Mist being made into a movie. Are you listening Hollywood?



I have to give this one my Socrates’ Great Book Alert Award as well.




For reading challenges:

A to Z Reading Challenge
Read Your Own Book Challenge

Check it out at:

Smashwords

Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine

Genre: Mystery, Chick Lit

Laura Levine is back with another Jaine Austen mystery. I love the Jaine Austen series. They are good for a few laughs. They are sort of a cross between chick lit and cozy mysteries.

In this one, Jaine is hired by a former high school classmate, Patti Devane, to write wedding vows for Patti’s wedding. These aren’t just ordinary wedding vows, though. Patti is planning to turn her wedding into a Shakespearean production complete with Patti as Juliet and her fiancé, Dickie, as Romeo.

Patti had always been one of the “cool” girls in high school and Jaine…well, she wasn’t. Jaine had always been the target of their cruel jokes. Things haven’t changed much over the years, Patti is still the spoiled brat and is now a spoiled Bridezilla, incurring everyone’s wrath including her own mother. So, it’s no great surprise when Patti doesn’t approve of anything Jaine writes and constantly calls for rewrites.

To make matters worse, Jaine is obligated to accept Patti’s invitation to the wedding, if she wants to collect her $3,000 fee.

The wedding turns into a huge fiasco when Jaine is taunted by her old high school classmates into bringing her fiancé…a Frenchmen who happens to be a neurosurgeron. The problem is, Jaine doesn’t have one of those and where is she going to find one on such short notice?

The event ends when Patti (aka Juliet) plunges off the balcony to her death. Jaine immediately realizes that this is no accident. Someone put them all out of their misery by “Killing Bridezilla”, but who? There’s certainly a long line of suspects, with Jaine being on the list as well.

The book takes a few twists and turns giving the readers a run for their money, not to mention a few laughs along the way. I completely enjoyed this one. The personalities of each character come through each page so clearly. I feel like Jaine is an old friend of mine. The next book is Killer Cruise, but I’m waiting for the paperback edition to be released. It looks like another good one.

I’m also giving this the Socrates’ Good Book Alert Medal.



For reading challenges:

A to Z Reading Challenge
Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge
Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge

The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney

The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney

Genre: Cozy Myster, “A Cats in Trouble Mystery”

Jillian Hart is too young to be a widow, but when her beloved husband suddenly dies, all she has to keep her company are her three beautiful cats, Syrah, Chablis and Merlot. They make their home in a small town in South Carolina where Jillian has her own business of making quilts. When she returns from an overnight business trip, she finds her home has been broken into and her precious Syrah has been cat-napped!

Jillian turns to the police for help, but when they hear nothing but her cat was stolen, they don’t offer much help or concern. Basically, they don’t take her seriously at all. She asks for assistance from a local private investigator who installs a new alarm system and it doesn’t hurt that the P.I. is a sexy hunk as well.

With the help of a newfound friend, police officer Candace Carson, they conduct their own investigation but continually run into dead ends. Jillian is convinced she knows who did it, but when her suspect turns up dead, she becomes the number one suspect herself. Jillian races around the clock to prove her innocence and find her beloved Syrah before any harm comes to her.

I absolutely adored this story. I’m a huge cozy fan and if you toss in a few kitties, all the better for me. I fell in love with all the human characters, as well as the furry ones. The characters were well-developed, the story moved along at a fast pace and it kept you guessing until the end. It had everything I love in my mysteries. The next book in the “A Cats in Trouble Mystery” will be out in the spring. It’s already on my shopping list.


For reading challenges:

Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge
Cat Sleuth Reading Challenge
Mysteryreader Café
What an animal II challenge

I'm also giving this the Socrates' Great Book Alert Medal

13 1/2 by Nevada Barr

Genre: Psychological Thriller

The 1970’s was a turbulent time for two families, the Farmers of Mississippi and the Raines of Minnesota.

In one horrible act, Dylan Raines destroyed his family. He cold-bloodedly murdered his parents and baby sister, earning him the nickname “Butcher Boy”. The only one he left alive was his beloved brother, Rich. At only 11 years of age, Dylan had been sent to jail. Despite the entire town hating Dylan, Rich still loved and took care of him.

Fifteen year old Polly Farmer had been abused by a drunk mother, as well as the various stepfathers. One day, Polly reached her limits and ran away from home. She headed to New Orleans and made a name for herself. Thirty years later, she was a successful teacher with two young girls.

In 2007, Polly makes her home in Louisiana with her two girls. She had been divorced a few years before and thought the last thing she need in her life was a new man. Then she meets the handsome Marshall Marchand, a successful architect. After a whirlwind romance, Marshall and Polly marry.

It’s not long before Polly realizes things aren’t as they seem. She desperately seeks answers and gets a dire warning from a tarot card reader. Polly races against time to protect her beloved daughters of the fear that history could repeat itself.

This is a spine-tingling story that will keep readers at the edge of their seats. The characters are all well written, especially the tarot card reader. The story takes so many twists and turns, it will make your head spin – in a good way. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be my last.

Deadly Exchange by Geoffrey M. Gluckman

Publisher: iuniverse
Release Date: June, 2007
Genre: Espionage/Thriller

Jennifer Chase is Lectures and More, Inc.’s top motivational speaker, but she suspects that the company wants more from her than just lecturing. She’s right! Her boss, Ulrich Rogers has big plans that include a mind-altering device sent through electronic devices and he intends to use Jennifer to get the message out to millions of Americans. Jennifer tries to break way, but Lectures and More is not a company someone can easily walk away from.

Jennifer meets a handsome former government intelligence agent, Frank Revere, and hopes he can help her. However, he brings more questions than answers into her life. She can’t keep her thoughts from swaying in his direction, but can she really trust him? Meanwhile Frank is still in mourning over the loss of the love of his life, Sarah Darnell, but feels a mysterious closeness to Jennifer.

Frank and Jennifer are lead to a vicious plot against the United States. A plot which has already left hundreds of Americans dead. It’s a race against the clock to stop anymore fatalities when they learn the U.S. isn’t the only country targeted. It becomes clear that nobody can be trusted, not even the people they work for.

Deadly Exchange is an exciting thriller that keeps readers at the edge of their seats. This is a frightening story that leads to an explosive ending. This has the makings for an excellent movie.




For reading challenge:

Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge

Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry by Denise Swanson

Genre: Cozy Mystery


School psychologist, Skye Denison, cannot believe it when she learns he has been entered into the Grandma Sal’s Soup-to-Nuts Cooking Challenge. Skye’s mother, May, is the true cook in the family, but she is only entitled to one entry. With four entries to submit, May enters one recipe with Skye’s name on it. There’s no way her mother would let her out of the contest, so Skye finds herself stuck as one of the contestants.

Trouble brews when malicious pranks sabotage the contestants’ entries, Grandma Sal’s family is at odds, one of her teenage students is missing and one of the more obnoxious contestants is found dead in a chocolate fountain. Not to mention Skye’s boyfriend’s father shows up in Scumble River and it’s clear he has a hidden agenda. All of this, as Skye desperately tries to make her cooking entry a success. She can’t let her mother down, but she also has to assist the police in finding the killer before more contestants end up dead.

This is the 10th book in the Scumble River Mystery series and I’ve truly grown to love Skye Denison. I always feel like I’m visiting with an old friend when I read one of these books. There is only more book in the series left, but I’m sure Denise Swanson will have more released soon.

If you like a fast-paced mystery with charming characters, give this series a try. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would start at the beginning so you can see how Skye’s relationships develop and how she grows as a person.

For reading challenges:

2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge
Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge
Mysteryreadercafe Reading Challenge
Themed Reading Challenge – With this book, I completed the challenge!

Die Before I Wake by Laurie Breton

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller

Julie Hanrahan experienced many losses in the past few years. She lost her beloved baby, her husband divorced her and then her father died. When she meets Dr. Thomas Larkin on vacation in the Caribbean, she is immediately swept off her feet by the handsome doctor. After only a five day courtship, they marry before going home.

Julie gives up her life in Los Angeles and moves to Tom’s small hometown in Maine. She is met with hostility from Tom’s mother and his 7 year old daughter. Although Tom’s 2 year old daughter seems to love Julie as does his brother.

When she learns that Tom’s wife didn’t die in an accident as he had claimed, Julie begins to regret her decision. Suddenly she begins having accidents and realizes someone wants her out of the picture. She is definitely getting too close for someone’s comfort, but she refuses to stop digging for more information. She has to find out why Tom lied to her and if he could be the killer.

This was an excellent read. It kept me on the edge-of-my-seat until the very end. There were dozens of twists and turns and I wasn’t sure how this would all play out. Julie is a great character filled with strength, although I did question the logic of marrying someone after only five days of knowing him, especially someone with two small children. I would think she wanted to get to know them first, but it was all handled quite believably and I loved how she wouldn’t back down. It definitely left me wanting to read more of Breton’s books, which just happen to be in my humungous TBR.

I have no choice but to give this book the Socrates’ Great Medal Alert.



For reading challenges: Suspense and Thriller Challenge

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Clare Cosi once again finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. This time several of her single female customers are committing suicide, but it doesn’t take long for the police to suspect that something more sinister is going on. Detective Quinn is not one who believes in coincidences.

When Clare’s young daughter, Joy, decides to sign up for an online dating service, Clare signs up as well. She’s doing it for one reason and one reason only, she wants to screen the men Joy dates. She never expected to fall for one of the men herself, but Bruce Bowman was everything she wanted in a man. Clare is not prepared to hear that that Bruce has a connection to all the women who recently died. Quinn is convinced Clare is in danger, but Clare is out to prove Bruce’s innocence. She’ll stop at nothing until she proves that her first instincts about Bruce were correct.

This is the second book in Cleo Coyle’s Coffehouse Mystery series and I loved this book. I enjoyed the first one, but this one is even better as I grew to love the characters more and more. They are quickly becoming friends that I want to keep checking in on. This was a fast-paced story with a few twists and turns along the way. It kept me guessing until the very end.


For reading challenges: Read Your Own Book, Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge, Amateur Sleuth Reading Challenge

Compulsion by Jennifer Chase

Outskirts Press, Inc.
October, 2008

Genre: Thriller

Emily Stone investigates serial killers. She’s not a cop and doesn’t have the authority to do this, but she has the ability to put investigative equipment and clues together in a way the police can’t. Secretly, she e-mails her findings to them so that they can put the criminals behind bars where they belong.

The latest wave of serial killings takes a frightening turn when they land in Emily’s own backyard. She fears her identity will be made public, which will hamper her ability to solve these crimes. She must keep her anonymity at all costs. As she gets closer to cracking this latest case, her own life is threatened. She turns to the local police detective assigned to the case for help. Together, they try to end these vicious murders. However, the crimes aren’t the only thing they are working together on. Emily can’t help but be attracted to the handsome detective, but she can’t let that cloud her thinking and get in the way of saving lives, including he own.

Compulsion is an amazing, CSI-type of book that readers will find intriguing. I could not put this book down. I was hooked on the first page. Talk about fast-paced, this book was that and so much more. Emily Stone was everything you’d want from a heroine – smart, sassy, and strong-willed. This book took so many twists and turns that my stomach was literally in knots trying to figure it all out. The ending shocked me, and I don’t shock easily. I read that Jennifer Chase is currently working on her next book and I do hope she is. I’d love to read more from this author.

Check out Jennifer Chase's wonderful blog at http://www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com/

For Reading Challenge: Suspense and Thriller Reading Challenge

Also...I have to give this book the Socrates' Book Reviews Great Book Alert medal. How could I not?

2009 Suspense & Thriller Reading Challenge

J.Kaye's Book Blog is hosting this challenge which looks like a lot of fun. I didn't participate last year, but I will this year. Click the button above to get more details.

This is for the ones who finished the 2008/09 Suspense & Reading Challenge are ready for another.

Rules of this challenge:

* Read TWELVE (12) different sub-genres of thrillers in 2009.

* You do NOT need to select your books ahead of time. Also, you may change as you go.

* Your books can crossover into other challenges.

* You don't need a blog to join in this challenge. For those who do, this is important. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, list the direct link to your post where your S/T books will be listed. If you list just your blog’s URL, it will be removed.

Here are my choices...

1. Deadly Exchange by Geoffrey M. Gluckman (terrorist thriller) Click for Review
2. The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen (medical thriller)
3. The Ghost and Mrs. McClure by Alice Kimberly (supernatural mystery)
4. Trust Me by Brenda Novak (romantic suspense)
5. Compulsion by Jennifer Chase(serial killer thriller) Click for Review
6. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle Click for review(amateur sleuth)
7. Murder of a Chocolate Covered Cherry by Denise Swanson Click here for review (cozy mystery)
8. 6th Target by James Patterson (criminal thriller)
9. Killing Bridezilla by Laura Levine (comic thriller) Click for review
10. The Cat, The Quilt and The Corpse by Leann Sweeney Click for review (murder mystery)
11. 13 1/2 by Nevada Barr Click for review
12. Die Before I Wake by Laurie Breton (drama thriller)Click for review