BOOK REVIEW: Deserves To Die by Lisa Jackson

Deserves To Die (To Die #6)

by Lisa Jackson (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 432 pages

Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Zebra

In Grizzly Falls, Montana, Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli have a new commander and a new psycho who is cutting the ring finger off of ladies and dropping them into the river. Meanwhile, Anne-Marie, a newcomer to Grizzly Falls, has come with a secret of her own. She is trying to escape someone by donning a disguise and taking a job as a waitress.

When I first started this book I was a bit afraid. I had just finished reading a book where there were a plethora of characters and all the characters had the same voice. It was hard to tell one character from another. I thought, oh, no, a million characters, how will I keep them straight? I don't know how Lisa Jackson did it but I was able to easily remember who everyone was. I was easily able to tell one character's voice from another and the plethora of scenes that contained minor characters did not detract from the book, it added to its richness.

I greatly enjoyed this book. This is the first book I have read in Lisa Jackson's Alvarez and Pescoli series and it made me just want to go back and read the other five or so books to get up to speed on everyone's lives. I was a bit dismayed to see the death of Sheriff Dan because he seemed to be such a rich character. I definitely want to know more about him!

This was a fun literary ride and I look forward to reading more from this author. 4.5 Stars!

I received this book as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from Net Galley in return for an honest review. I thank the publisher and Net Galley for letting me read this great book! 

Book Review: Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)

by Rick Riordan (Goodreads Author)

Hardcover, 574 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Hyperion Book CH

This book starts off where the last book (Son of Neptune) ended. It is the third book in the Heroes of Olympus series. Seven demigod heroes both from Greek and Roman camps have to sail to Rome on the Argo II and save Hazel's brother, Nico, kill the Giants and somehow reunite the Greek and Roman pantheons. Their is a lot going on in this book. Annabeth is tasked to follow the "Mark of Athena" and avenge her mother. Athena is a bit miffed that the Roman's demoted her to a craft goddess when she was all about wisdom and war previously. All the gods had a bit of a schtzo nature in this book waffling between their Greek and Roman names. Aphrodite however, doesn't change much since she is pretty much the same goddess in either pantheon. I enjoyed getting to know the Roman names of the Gods since I am not as familiar with those names as I am with the Greek names.

It took me a bit to get through this book. Not because it was over 500 pages long in hardback but because I had other books I needed to read in between. I had been three quarters done when I had to put it away for a few weeks. But I was glad to pick it up again  and get myself out of my reading slump. The author makes it so easy to read. It is almost like watching a movie in your head that you forget that you're reading actual text.

Great book. Highly recommended. 4 Stars!

BOOK REVIEW: Mission: Out of Control by Susan May Warren

Mission: Out of Control 

(Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense #235)

by Susan May Warren (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 218 pages

Published March 1st 2011 by Steeple Hill (first published February 9th 2011)

Goodreads synopsis: Brody "Wick" Wickham is a former Green Beret turned security agent--with a 100 percent mission success rate. No way is his new assignment changing that. Even if it's protecting a "diva" American rock star while she's on tour in Europe. Except Veronica "Vonya" Wagner isn't just a beautiful celebrity used to having her way--she's the daughter of a U.S. Senator. And she's hiding a dangerous secret.

This book was exciting and really kept you on your toes. The main character girl's name changed based on whom she was talking to. Her father referred to her as Vernoica, her friends called her Ronie, and her fans called her Vonya. She is portrayed as a very Lady GaGa-ish singer. But she was sort of like Angelina Jolie in her humanitarian efforts. She was trying to get a kid soldier saved, someone she had sponsored at one time. She wanted to bring him to America and make him her own child. And this motive gets her into a lot of trouble because she is involved with many unscrupulous people in order to gain her ends. In a way she is naive in her thinking about how the world works. She is from a life of privilege  and wants to stand on her own two feet but comes running to Daddy when the funds run out. She isn't in control of her finances and lets her manager and college friend take advantage of her niceness.

Brody comes in with his own motives. He wants to help his family save their house from going into foreclosure. He is one of multiple brothers and sister in this family but he feels responsible for them. He currently lives in Prague which is cool in itself but it distances him from his family and dealing with family issues. I like the part at the end where they show how Brody is Ronie's bodyguard like God is all our bodyguards. He keeps us from harm even to our own detriment.

This was a great book. I wanted to strangle the main character gal quite a few times but all in all, one great ride! 4 Stars!

BOOK REVIEW: I Am The Mission

I Am the Mission (The Unknown Assassin #2)

by Allen Zadoff (Goodreads Author)

Kindle Edition, 432 pages

Published June 17th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

He is the perfect assassin. But when he goes off the grid for 72 hours for a few days of rest The Program is worried that their valuable soldier has become a liability. They set him on a new mission to take out an extremist military guy named Eugene Moore and to finish the mission that the previous operative had not completed. He had one order besides to kill Eugene Moore. Do not go into the camp. Of course, what does Daniel Martin (the new name of the protagonist) do? Go into the camp, of course.

This book is filled with excitement and thrills. You really get into the protagonist's head. They called him Boy Nobody in the first book. You get to see all the decisions he makes and how unusual his take on the world truly is. He is without fear. And this fearlessness gives him a great advantage in most situations. He has learned to fit into almost any situation and make it work for him. He is a lean, mean, killing machine... and a kid to boot. I wasn't exactly sure how old he was, but I assumed high school age.

If you are looking for an exciting read that just makes you stay up at night to finish just to discover what the heck is really going on, then this is the book for you.

Highly recommended. 5 Stars!

I received this book as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from Net Galley in return for an honest review. My ARC copy was called Lost Mission so I assume there was a title change at some point. Definitely looking forward to reading book one and then any other books that appear in this series. Just my cup of tea!

BOOK REVIEW: Finding Sky by Susan O'Brien

Finding Sky (Nicki Valentine Mysteries, #1)

by Susan O'Brien (Goodreads Author)

Kindle Edition, First, 276 pages

Expected publication: October 7th 2014 by Henery Press

A widow and P.I. in training Nicki Valentine investigates the disappearance of a young mother who is going to give her baby up for adoption to her neighbor (and best friend). Her neighbor has been looking forward to having the new bundle of joy and encourages Nicki, who is still taking P.I. lessons from the hunky, Dean, to use her newfound skills to find the pregnant girl and her baby.

I spent most of the book trying to figure out who the "Sky" was in the title. I didn't discover who that was until the end, but besides that I found this book compelling and scary in places. There were a few instances where I wanted to yell at Nicki, "what are you doing?" She got herself into so much trouble. I could see a single women getting herself into such danger, but a mother? Yikes! This book definitely had my heart racing in places.

I also enjoyed the play between Nicki and Dean but I wish there had been more of that in there. But the ending kiss was quite satisfying. 

I completely enjoyed this book and gave it a very deserved 5 Stars. I will look forward to more books by this author.

 I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from Net Galley in return for an honest review. Thank you Henery Press!!

BOOK REVIEW: The Invisible Code by Christopher Fowler

The Invisible Code (Bryant & May #10)

by Christopher Fowler

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Published December 17th 2013 by Bantam (first published August 2nd 2012)

A young woman is found dead in the pews of St. Bride’s Church—alone and showing no apparent signs of trauma and Peculiar Crimes Unit, an eccentric team tasked with solving London’s most puzzling murder, want the case, but initially they don't get it. Then when a second bizarre death shows a link with the first, the Unit is called in to investigate and Bryant and May set off on a trail of clues.

I have not read any other books in this series so it was hard for me to get up to speed. Initially, I could not figure out who the main characters were since so many police were introduced along with a slew of minor characters. I had a hard time following the mystery since there would be chapters following the minor characters. I almost wish they would have left those sections out because it made, for me, the entire thing more confusing. 

I'm sure the mystery made sense in the end, but I couldn't follow it. And I am a person who loves to follow the mystery. Maybe I am not a good British mystery reader, but I was lost most of the time. And because of that I was bored and confused.

I give this book 3 stars for the complex mystery because I can appreciate a convoluted mystery, but for the read itself, I gave it only 2 stars. I don't think I will try to pick up another Christopher Fowler book due to my experience with this one, sorry to say.

I received this book as and ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

BOOK REVIEW: Murder on the Brain by Vanessa Gray Bartal

Murder on the Brain

by Vanessa Gray Bartal (Goodreads Author), Rebecca Tocheff (Editor)

Kindle Edition, 188 pages

Published February 15th 2012 by Vanessa Gray Bartal

4 Stars!

Sabrina Farris is about to embark on yet another mundane weekend where she spends time with her cat, her only friend. Maddox, the computer geek and cyber security expert at her work, invites her to his impromptu wedding and she says "no". Sabrina is known as the no nonsense employee who is all business and strict as strict can be. Everyone is a little afraid of her. 

Sabrina is aggressive, demanding and just hard to deal with in general. She takes her job as an executive assistant to the three top brass at a chemical company that creates stuff for food (I don't know, don't ask me) seriously. She is hit on the head over and over as she is leaving work one day and winds up in a coma with a tad bit of brain damage. When she wakes up her personality is completely different and she has attached herself to her savior of the day, Maddox, a guy in the cyber security division of the same company.

Together with another person in the firm. (I will let you read it to discover who.) They uncover a pretty nasty plot to steal a whole bunch of money from the corporation. Another gal does get killed in the meantime so they know this criminal means business.

I thought this was a great book. It was really interesting and I felt for Maddox as his fiancee stole all his money and left him high and dry while he was helping Sabrina recover. Vanessa Bartal does a great job at character building. I can really relate to them in all the books I have read by her thus far. I wish that this was a series of books because I could really see these characters coming back and getting involved in another mystery.