Moving Day, by Jonathan Stone

Peke and his wife are in their 70s, preparing to move from their home of 40 years, drive cross country, and set up a quieter, simple life in California.  Suddenly, all their plans are shattered when they are swindled out of all their worldly possessions by thieves posing as moving men. Most men would submit an insurance claim and buy new things, but not Peke.  Peke fights back, with a fire in his belly.  You see, Peke is a survivor, in more ways than one.

This book was unlike any thriller I have ever read.  When I realized what had happened to Peke and his wife, my heart sunk like a stone, as if they were real people.  I was that captured by the writing, from the very beginning.  The author took this very mundane thing, moving, and turned it on its end.  I simply could not read fast enough to suit me.  The characters of Peke and Nick, one of the thieves, are well written, and play well off of each other.  It almost feels like each is what the other might have been, had life taken different turns.

I love the strong emphasis on survival in this book, and coming to terms with what one is willing to do to secure that survival.  There were quite a few twists I never anticipated, and I was riveted the entire time I was reading.  If you are looking for a book full of action, and a plot unlike any thriller you have ever read before, then this is the perfect summer read for you.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

Under a Silent Moon, by Elizabeth Haynes

Two women are found dead on the same night, one a clear homicide, the other what seems to be a suicide.   DNA evidence also seems to suggest the cases are linked, beyond the fact that they occurred in close proximity to each other.  As the investigative team gathers evidence, it would seem that the cases are not as open and shut as they initially appeared.  And as the investigation continues, it becomes clear that most everyone has some dirty little secrets that will come to light.

I have been a fan of this author for a couple of years now, ever since I read her very first book.  So it came as no surprise that I really loved this book as well.  What did come as a surprise was how different this was from her previous works.  While the crime and thriller aspects were just as on point as always, this book was rooted in a much darker, sexual place.

One of the dead women, Polly, is very open with her sexuality, almost pansexual in nature.  The message here is clear: a sexually open woman deserves to die.  And this is not the author's message; this is society's message.  In a world where rape culture influences so many daily interactions women endure, this message is always looming on the surface.  One need only to read the daily news to confirm this fact.

I thought the writing was on point, as it always is with this author.  I also liked the unusual format of weaving police paperwork, text messages, and other forms of communication into the story. It kept me on my toes.

Yet another winner by Elizabeth Haynes.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

The Fixer, by T. E. Woods

Lydia is a successful psychologist. She begins treating a mysterious new client, a woman named Savannah. Savannah is a tough nut to crack, playing by her own rules and making enigmatic statements about people in her life getting hurt. Savannah has put up walls of steel to protect herself, and Lydia wonders if she will be able to break through them enough to do any good for her client. It becomes apparent that Savannah feels responsible for some recent murders, so Lydia joins forces with the detectives to learn the truth, when nothing is as it seems.

I thought this was a pretty fantastic novel. I like a good crime thriller, particularly one that keeps me guessing, as this one did. I really enjoyed the development of the characters Lydia and Savannah. I did not anticipate the direction the book was going to take, in regards to their characters. I liked that the focus of the book was on strong women taking control, even if their methods were highly illegal.

The writing was sharp, and kept me glued to the pages. I thought the plot was solid, and the ending was a real shocker. The story took just the right amount of twists and turns to keep me guessing, without seeming confusing. The only thing I thought lacked a slight bit of credibility was the detective allowing Lydia to get so involved in the case without him questioning it more from the beginning. But, readers are willing to suspend disbelief when the story is good enough, and in this case, it certainly was good enough.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

Hitler's Furies: German Women in the Nazi Killing Fields, by Wendy Lower

Over the years, countless books have discussed various aspects of the Holocaust and World War II.  Yet a large portion of the story is continuously overlooked: the women involved.  Some women were involved at a low level, such as teachers and secretaries.  Others were more complicit, such as the nurses ordered to kill patients, or the wives of high ranking Nazi officers.  This book dissects the various ways women were involved with the Nazi killing machine, and why it was so rare that female transgressors were brought to justice.

This book was everything I hoped it would be.  It thoroughly covered an area of World War II history that has, for years, been ignored.  The glaring deficiency of historical analysis regarding the role of women in the Holocaust is, in my opinion, deliberate.  Seen as maternal figures, humanity does not want to explore the darker, baser motivations of women.  If we focus on men as criminal perpetrators of war crimes, we can dismiss them as brutish animals.  With women, however, we are forced to focus on the humanity of these criminals, and realize how close any of us can be to becoming perpetrators.

I found the book to be incredibly insightful.  It is clear that this book was well researched, a feat that must have been difficult when covering such a groundbreaking angle.  But the book is also written in a way that is engaging, providing real, personal stories as opposed to just dry historical fact.  I was fascinated by the book, and learned a great deal.  The book will appeal to fans of historical non-fiction, particularly those with an interest in the Holocaust.

I received  review copy courtesy of the Amazon Vine program in exchange for my honest review.

Human Remains, by Elizabeth Haynes

Annabel lives a quiet life, but not one she would particularly call lonely.   Lonely would be more like her neighbor, whose decaying body Annabel discovers.  This prompts Annabel to lead an investigation into similar cases of deceased people who have gone undiscovered for some time, a phenomena which had taken a disturbing uptick in her part of town.  When she suffers a tremendous personal loss, her life feels empty, and she becomes a perfect target for monster prowling on these lonely people.

Whew, this book is dark.  I mean, really dark.  But I really loved it.  I found it unique in so many ways.  First off, we learn relatively quickly who the bad guy is.  Sure, it does take a little while to get there, but is is not exactly a mystery.  Yet, somehow, that added to the thrill for me, knowing who this person was, watching their every evil move, and waiting to see if they would get caught.

I also thought the character development was unique.  Sure, the main characters are richly developed, and fleshed out completely, making them real to the reader.  But I loved that many of the victims are well developed in quite short amounts of time.  This made me empathize with and care about them more than I would have expected.

Having read the two previous books by this author, I knew, at least I thought I did, what to expect, in terms of tone and imagery within the writing.  Yet this was much darker that those previous two books.  I was sucked in from the very first pages.  This is a thriller unlike any I have ever read before.  I was disgusted and enthralled all at the same time.  Brilliantly done.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

  

Mystery Girl, by David Gordon

Sam finds himself in a pit of failure- his marriage, his job, his writing.  In an attempt to win back his wife, and perhaps some self respect, he takes a job as an assistant detective, following around a mysterious woman.  He begins to finds himself not just intrigued, but also a bit enamored with the woman, and as a result gets pulled into a bizarre world.

I really struggled with this book.  There were so many things about it that were appealing.  The new take on pulpy noir writing certainly jumped out at me.  I am a fan of noir, even when it gets a little campy, so I liked the idea that the story has a nice shadowy edge to it.  And the characters are really well developed, particularly Sam.  I felt like we were really able to tap into his feelings.  The characters had depth and dimension, and I thought the writing itself was interesting.

Where I seemed to struggle was the organization and flow of the plot.  I felt like the rhythm of the story changed part way through the book.  There were so many strange things going on throughout the story, and I never really felt like I got good resolution on all of them.  The resolutions we do get felt a little forced, or rushed maybe.  All I know is, in the end, I was left a little unsatisfied.

I think this book will appeal to fans of noir crime writing, and fans of dark mysteries.  

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

 

Son of a Gun, by Justin St. Germaine

When Justin's mother, Debbie, is murdered, apparently by her 5th husband, Justin finds himself reflecting on her life.  Having spend a large portion of his childhood in Tombstone, Arizona, Justin talks about his mother's murder against the backdrop of the old west town and all of its bloody history.  Even when he moves away and starts a new life in California, Justin finds himself revisiting Tombstone, looking for answers about his mother, her death, and what led them all to that tragic place.

Whew this book packs some serious punch.  It was a difficult read for me, not because it was bad, but because it was so deep.  It is the kind of book that you are happy it is so difficult.  Knowing right away that you are dealing with a memoir revolving around a murder helps, but it does not fully prepare you for what is to come.  Justine paints a painfully honest, and at times stark, portrait of his mother, and the childhood he had, rather than using her death to make her a martyr.  Not once does he disparage his mother, nor does he put her on a pedestal.  He is honest about Debbie's history with men, the fact that she made business enemies in Tombstone, and his own troubled adolescence.

I truly hope that writing this book helped the author heal a little; I think that children who have had a parent murdered will be able to relate to this book on an intense, deep level.  However, even people who have not suffered such intense tragedy will find it compelling, simply because it was beautifully written.  It is probably the most honest memoir I have ever read.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

  

Until the Twelfth of Never, by Bella Stumbo

Betty Broderick was fairly well known among the movers and shakers of La Jolla in the late 1980's.  She quickly became well known on a national scale.  She endured a very public and extremely mess separation and divorce from her husband, Dan Broderick.  Because Dan was one of the top lawyers in San Diego, it was difficult for Betty to navigate the legal system; she often felt that Dan used his reputation in the legal community as a weapon.  Eventually, Betty took matters into her own hands, executing her ex-husband and his new wife.

I was fairly familiar with the general gist of Betty Broderick story.  I remember when it happened, when I was a kid, and I certainly remember watching the made for television movies that resulted.  So, I kind of knew what was in store going in to this book.  But turns out, I only knew a fraction of the story.

Because the book keeps a pretty neutral tone, I am not really sure where right and wrong is in this saga.  Clearly, Betty was wrong to commit murder.  But, from what I was able to gather, Dan did not exactly behave fairly during divorce proceedings.  And the fact that the division of property and custody battle dragged on so long was maddening.  The book goes into detail of the entire situation, and it became a bit tiresome to read about.  I can only imagine how weary one would get actually living that madness. 

It is hard to agree with the idea that Betty is not mentally ill.  It is hard to think anyone who behaved in the ways Betty behaved was not unstable in some manner.  In a lot of ways, I think the system really failed Betty Broderick; I do not think, however, that grave failure justified her actions.  The book covers the multi-year struggle in depth, and one can not help but feel a little heartbroken for everyone involved.

I received a review copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Left for Garbage, by Sarah Mathews

When two year old Deeley Brown goes missing, instead of contacting authorities, her mother, Denise, stays silent.  After 31 days, it comes to light that Deeley is missing, and Denise spins a story so fantastical, it is amazing that anyone ever believed it, yet her parents support her fully.  When it becomes clear that this is no longer a missing person investigation, but instead a murder case, Denise is arrested, while her parents continue to proclaim her innocence.  Will a jury see through Denise's ever changing web of lies?

Very clearly, this book is inspired by the Casey Anthony case, which kept the nation enthralled for months.  The storyline and the characters very closely resemble their real life counterparts.  I only loosely followed the Casey Anthony trial, so much of what was portrayed in this book was new information, which sent me on a hunt online for details on the real life case.  I was stunned, to say the least, by all the ridiculous accusations and actions that occurred.  In the context of the book, it seems to farcical, which leads me to wonder, why did no one realize what a circus this was in real life.

When art imitates life, it sometimes forces us to see our blind spots, and I think that is exactly what this book does.  It forces us to take a hard look, not only at the Anthony case, but at the media portrayal of this tragedy, and ask what in tarnation is wrong with the American justice system.  So many of the details in the book which seem ridiculous, like Denise's party girl attitude when her child was "missing", the ever changing versions of events, and the asinine accusations of government and Al Qaeda involvement, are completely real things that occurred in the Anthony trial.  It makes for good fiction, but the fact that this was all so real is just bizarre.

The book is written in a tongue in cheek manner, which makes it darkly comical, but there are also very sad undertones.  It is heartbreaking that there is no justice for this child.  I was riveted by this book, but it also sparked a series of bad dreams for me.  Fans of crime fiction and real crime books alike will both enjoy the book, since it is a brilliant melding of the two genres.

I received a review copy courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Fear in the Sunlight, by Nicola Upson

In 1936, Josephine Trey spent some time at a resort with her friends, interacting with famous film director Alfred Hitchcock.  Hitchcock wants to buy Josephine's novel to make it into a film, so the goal of the weekend is to convince her to seal the deal.  Events take several odd turns, ending up with dead bodies.  It seems like an open and shut case, but many years later the truth is revealed.

I really struggled with this book, for a few different reasons.  We know from the beginning that a murder crime has occurred, but after its first mention, it is not even hinted at again for about 100 pages.  That made the book really plod along in my opinion.  It took so long to get to the action, that by the time the action started occurring, it was pretty lackluster.  Also, there were entirely too many characters for my taste.  I had an incredibly difficult time keeping the characters, and their multitudinous secrets, straight.  I felt like none of the characters were very well developed, which was part of the reason I could not keep them straight.  It has been one full day since I finished the book, and already, I have forgotten most of the characters and their details, because to me, they just were not memorable.

I thought the concept of Alfred Hitchcock as a character was going to be really cool, but I was a little disappointed.  Perhaps I was too colored by the public image of Hitch, but I just had a hard time imagining him saying the things he did in the book.  I feel like, as a person, he had a pretty distinctive voice, and I was not convinced that was captured in the book.

The book does a great job of setting the scene, to me this was probably its biggest strength.  I loved the setting, and the role it played in the story.  It has the perfect combination of luxury and creepiness to make the perfect ambiance for the story.  The book seems much like a traditional mystery book, which may account for my inability to really connect (I prefer contemporary mysteries and thrillers).  It is also one in a series, and having never read the previous books in the series may have altered my opinions as well.

I received a review copy courtesy of TLC Book Tours, in exchange for my honest opinion.  See the rest of the tour here.

The Guilty One, by Lisa Ballantyne

Daniel is a solicitor who is called in to deal with a controversial case.  Eleven year old Sebastian is accused of murdering his young friend Ben at the playground.  During the course of the investigation and trial, Daniel is forced to come to terms with his own troubled youth, and his relationship with the mother figures in his life.

What an emotionally intense book this was!  The action takes off from the very beginning, and while the idea of a child being murdered (possibly by another child) is incredibly morbid, it was also very captivating, and had me hooked from the first few pages.  The writing is crisp, without a lot of fluff, and the book has a feeling or moving rapidly.  There are dualing storylines, the criminal storyline focusing on Sebastian, and the more emotional storyline focusing on Daniel and his past.  The story switches with each chapter, but they run parallel, so that switch always makes sense.  Both stories unfold at the same pace, in complementary ways, so the writing has great impact.

The characters, both major and minor, are really complex, and it seems most everyone one has a guilty secret.  Sebastian, as a character, is troubling and unsettling, which makes his story so captivating.  Daniel, while still an intense character, is easier to handle.  There is obviously an emphasis on the theme of guilt and innocence, but also a strong emphasis on maternal relationships.  

The book will appeal to fans of contemporary thrillers, mysteries, and crime dramas.  But do not be fooled, this book has a lot more depth than just those specific genres.  I was more than a little impressed.

I received a review copy of the book courtesy of TLC Book Tours, in exchange for my honest review.  See the rest of the tour here.

 

Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson

By some miracle, Chicago has been chosen as the site for the 1893 World's Fair.  There is much work to be done, in very little time.  In the midst of the creation of the site for the fair, H.H. Holmes finds his prey.  Whether he is scamming people and businesses for money and goods, creating a murder hotel, or plotting the demise of yet another innocent, it can be guaranteed that Holmes is leaving a stain on the White City.

I really really wanted to love this book.  And I was pretty certain I would.  I am familiar with the case of H.H. Holmes, and find it fascinating.  And I love examining stories within their historical context.  And yet, I could not quite get into this book.  The book alternated between chapters regarding the fair preparation and chapters regarding Holmes' nefarious deeds.  I found the chapters about the fair and all the politics surrounding it to be incredibly boring, and I was really disappointed by it.  It was well researched and well written, just, for me, not at all interesting.

The chapters about Holmes were much more engaging.  Again, the research and writing were solid.  I am not sure why I preferred those chapters so much more, other than the fact that it was a topic with which I was already familiar, and in which I had a long standing interest.  I was not aware, prior to reading it, that the book was comprised of what in all actuality is two different stories that were only slightly related, so I think, in general, the book was simply not what I expected it to be.  Had I gone into it with different expectations, I may have enjoyed it more.

The book will most likely appeal to fans of history, criminology, and creative nonfiction.  I have heard wonderful things about this author, so I am definitely willing to give him another shot.

This book is from my personal library.  All opinions are honest and original.

Three Graves Full, by Jamie Mason

Jason has a secret, in the form of a body buried in his yard.  He knows this secret because he put the body there.  What he does not know is that this is one of three bodies buried on his property.  When the other two bodies are unearthed and identified, Jason panics.  This panic, coupled with the twisted story behind the other two bodies, and the curiosity of a detective, lead to a night full of bad timing, mishaps, and surprising interactions.

When a book starts out with a dead body buried in the yard, you know you are in for a ride.  From the beginning, the reader is privy to the fact that Jason has killed someone, yet I would still classify this book as a mystery.  Why did Jason kill this person?  Who are the other bodies?  Why were they killed?  And what will happen to these killers?  Lots of mysterious questions to be answered.  However, there is a lot of dark humor in this book as well.  The last third of the book is full of some of the darkest slapstick situations I have ever read, and I loved every minute of it.  The ridiculous nature of those pages is what kept me rocketing toward the book's conclusion.

I very much enjoyed Jason as a character, despite the fact that we know he is a killer up front.  After learning the back story behind his actions, I could not help but empathize with him a bit.  There are a lot of other characters that are important to the story, but none so well developed as Jason.  I really enjoyed some of the odder characters, and their interactions with each other.  There was a lot of ambiguity to the characters and the story.

This was a very unique story, and a fantastic first novel.  It has me excited to see where this author will go in the future.  The book will appeal to fans of stories full of mystery and suspense, but also fans of dark humor as well.

I received a review copy courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Family Matters, by Kathleen McKenna

Izzy is flying high; she is crazy in love with her artist husband, and she just landed a weekend anchor position for the station where she works.  But a bit of on air cheek has sent her spiraling into the dark world of the Mansion family.  Her remarks on Susan Atkins being imprisoned while dying from cancer caught the attention of the murderess and her lawyer husband.  Wanting to cash in on the fame of interviewing one of Manson's minions, Izzy begins communicating with Atkins.  Suddenly, eerie things begin happening to Izzy, and the only explanation is that Atkins is somehow haunting her.  But how, and more importantly, why?

As if the Manson family was not a creepy enough topic, Kathleen McKenna has readers changing their bloomers with the paranormal spin she puts on the tale.  First off, with a topic as emotionally charged as the Manson murders, it would be easy for an author to slip into camp with a fictionalized account.  But McKenna does a brilliant job of keeping the story pretty simple.  The historical background serves as a solid foundation, but the author builds a rich, decadent, mansion of a story on top of that solid foundation.  I thought the plot twists and turns were smart, and clever, and while I had some inkling of the general direction, the specifics kept me on the edge of my seat.

As always, McKenna gives us a well developed cast of characters.  I was so intrigued by Izzy as a character, and found myself wondering about her sanity and her humanity at times.  Izzy is a flawed woman, no doubt, that that is what makes her such a realistic character.  My heart broke for her a little, once the scarieness of the tale passed, and it started beating again.  I also liked the somewhat ambiguous ending.  We are never really sure what the truth of the matter is. 

McKenna is a brilliant storyteller, and once again, I find myself fascinated with the tales that serve as her inspiration.  I spent a day or two watching videos of Manson family members after reading this book.  And each time I watched Susan Atkins speak, I could not help but think that much of this book might not be fiction.  If you want a good scare, this book clearly delivers.  It will appeal to those who like modern historical fiction, paranormal fiction, or those like me who are just have a morbid curiosity.

I received a review copy of this book courtesy of the author.
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Red Herring, by J.D. Bowen

A change in political leadership had Calvin Stamps angry and suffering from a string of bad luck.  But would that be enough to cause him to go on a killing spree?  Someone is clearly framing him, but who, and why? That is what Jon Archer has to find out.  The shadowy man behind the killings will not stop until he gets all the way to the President, and Archer and his team are scrambling to stop the bloodshed.  Will they prevail?  And will they learn who put the shadowy man up to it?

When a book is titled Red Herring, you know for sure that you are going to be led down a path of mystery, suspense, and confusion, ending with an AH HA moment as the story reveals the truth.  This book delivers all that and more.  Once again, Bowen gives us a fast paced, thrilling story.  The story really takes of from the first page of the book and the action never stops.  You have a couple of different story aspects going on at once, and the juxtaposition of scenes makes the story race along.  Before I realized it, I had read the whole book cover to cover.  I was definitely pulled into the story.

I like that as the Jon Archer series continues, we get to see more and more of his personality.  We got to see some glimpses of his romantic life, as well as his interactions with his staff, that make him a more well rounded character.  Action packed books rarely have characters the reader cares about, they focus more on the action, but not with the Jon Archer books.  I love that not only is the story well developed, so are the characters.

All in all, I am calling this another win for J.D. Bowen.  Anyone who can make this Jane Austen lover into a Jon Archer fan has got to be talented.

I received a review book courtesy of the author.
 

A Flash of Murder, by Jeff Boarts

Nothing could be more idyllic than small town life in the mid 1950s.  The town of Kittanning is preparing for the boon of the tourist season, particularly this year, when it is the bicentennial celebration of the French and Indian battle that put the town on the map.  Life in town is routine, quiet, peaceful- or should I say, it was, until a serial killer with an unusual calling card begins terrorizing the town.  As local reporter George Cooper assists the police in their attempts to catch the fiend, people all over town are wondering how well they actually know their neighbors.

This is the first time I have had the supreme honor to review for an author that I know in my personal life.  Add to that the fact that this book is set in the town in which I live, and let me tell you, the anticipation of this book had me more antsy than a child on Christmas morning.  And that anticipation?  So totally worth it.  I cannot fully express how impressed I am with this book.

While I am not, by any means, an aficionado of mystery novels, I think even a novice to the genre can see the skillful manner in which the author created the plot and action of the story.  Within minutes of the opening, the action begins, and builds throughout the story.  I felt myself increasingly pulled into the plot, yet never at anytime did I feel the action or any of the specific scenes overwhelm the story as a whole.  

I loved the setting of the story, although I am a bit partial.  Despite the fact that this was my town, it was still a new setting due to the era.  There is a definite feeling of noir to the story, but it is very subtle; you never see any of the stilted and often cheesy dialogue found in some noir stories, particularly those with the pulp or hard boiled slant.  No, this is more of a noir light, enough to set the scene and the tone, but not hit you over the head.  I thought it was just perfect.  The small town feeling was just general enough that it could be relatable to anyone living in a small town, while still focusing on the specifics of a very real location with real history.

Of all the writing aspects, I was probably most impressed with the character development.  Many times, when I read mysteries, there is so much focus on the action that I never connect to the characters.  This book shows that you can have well developed characters, with whom a reader connects, without shortchanging the action.  I really came to care about George, and his suffering throughout the book.  And I found myself empathizing with many of the characters, both major and minor.  I felt like I was a part of the town, dealing with the situation right alongside them.

In terms of the "whodunit" aspect of the book, I started out thinking I knew the culprit.  By the end, I was not sure who to trust.  The story takes plenty of twists and turns, and of course a couple of red herrings.  I felt like it followed a logical path, one that any crime investigation would follow, and in the end, it all made sense.  However, I thought some of the "clues" along the way were presented in brilliant, subtle ways.  It makes me want to immediately re-read the book to catch them all.

In short, I have nothing but glowing praise for the book.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author.

The Butterfly Clues, by Kate Ellison

Lo has always been a bit odd.  She has always had rituals she must perform in order to feel safe.  Tapping, counting, and whispered words have served as her incantations to summon safety.  Her compulsions have gotten much stronger since the death of her older brother, and she begins to steal and hoard objects, much to her father's dismay.  While in a rough part of town scouting objects, Lo gets entangled in the murder of a stripper, a murder she is determined to solve.  Her journey towards the truth takes her to dark places, both literally and figuratively, and she realizes that she does not know the people in her life as well as she thinks she does.

I found this story to be intriguing and heartbreaking.  Intriguing because it is a well written mystery thriller, heartbreaking because it paints an accurate picture of the difficulties associated with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.  While it is never expressly stated that Lo suffers from OCD, it is painfully clear, due to the nature of her compulsions, and the obsessive thoughts regarding why she must perform her rituals.  The hoarding also plays into this.  I think that having a character with OCD in a young adult book is brilliant, particularly because, while the story sheds light on her issues, it is not about solving her issues.  Instead, Lo's rituals are painted as just an aspect of her, as opposed to a defining characteristic.  For teens suffering from OCD, this can be a powerful protagonist, once that can give them hope that they can still have meaningful lives and relationships.

In terms of a mystery or thriller, I think the story does a good job of keeping the reader engaged.  The story has lots of twists and turns, a few red herrings, and a few surprise revelations at the end.  I really enjoyed watching the mystery unfold.  The subject matter (murder, strippers, drugs, runaways) is a bit dark for teen readers, but an accurate representation of the dangers in the world.  All in all, I was impressed by this debut by Kate Ellison.

I received this book for review as part of the Amazon Vine program

Splattered Blood, by Michael A. Draper

Johnny worked in security for a professional basketball team.  When he turns up dead, it looks like a suicide.  His widow Roseanne, her brother Graham, and her friend Randy, push the police to take a second look, and it turns out to be murder.  The trio is dissatisfied with the lack of progress on the case, so they take matters into their own hands.  Before they know it, they are deep into the world of drugs, gangs, and Russian mafia.  But will they be able to catch the killer?

This book has a cinematic quality to it.  There are serious action sequences quite early in the book.  The title is completely appropriate, since less than a third of the way into the book I lost count of the bodies that had piled up.  There is a lot of violence in this book, but it is not overly graphic or gratuitous.  The violence serves the purpose to further the storyline.  Nothing happens in this book without a purpose.

The character development is typical to a thriller murder mystery.  We do not get overly close to the characters, except maybe for Randy.  We do get a bit of a personal look into Randy's psyche.  But all the characters are developed thoroughly within the boundaries of the story.  In a story like this, we do not need to get to close to the characters, we need to focus on the action as apposed to the relationships among the characters.

Unfortunately, I do not know enough about the world of gangs and drugs to speak to the novel in terms of realism.  From my point of view, the book seemed jam packed with a lot of intensity and action.  The reader is pushed further and further into the book to learn who is behind all this death.  I think fans of thrillers and murder mysteries will enjoy this book.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author.

Ripper, by Amy Carol Reeves

The year is 1888, and Abbie Sharp has recently relocated to London.  She is living with her grandmother because her mother has passed away, and is finding life in society a bit dull.  Abbie begins working at the Whitechapel Hospital, and shortly after she begins there, a series of grisly murders occur, all prostitutes who had been patients at the hospital.  Abbie begins to have a series of visions regarding the murders and murderer, who is now being called The Ripper, and finds herself pulled into an uncertain world of dark, shadowy forces.

I have to admit, I find serial killers fascinating.  So, when I first heard about this book, I knew I would most likely find it interesting.  Set London in the late 1880's, the book involves the coming of age story of Abbie Sharp, which just happens to be occurring at the same time as a murder spree that will later be attributed to Jack the Ripper.  I found the book to be unique and well researched.  The facts of the Whitechapel murders are skillfully mixed with the fictional story of Abbie, and mixed with a dash of the paranormal, to create an interesting story about why the murders occurred.  I quite enjoyed this alternative take.

The characters for the most part are very well developed.  Abbie finds herself in a bit of a Victorian love triangle, which I feel could have been a bit more emphasized.  The development of the romantic angle seems a little jerky to me, but I think it still helps add to the overall story.  I really loved the paranormal aspect to the book, both with Abbie's visions and with what she later learns is the source of the violence in London.  

All in all, I found the book to be an engaging read involving a fascinating historical event.  I think the book will appeal to young adult fans of historical, horror, and/or paranormal fiction; some adult readers will also enjoy it, I certainly did.

I received a review copy of the book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley.

Ask the Dice, by Ed Lynskey

Tommy Mack has had one real profession in his life,  as a hit man.  Now that Tommy Mack is getting older, he is worrying about things like cholesterol and retirement.Now he finds himself framed for murder, and suspects his boss is behind the frame job.

This book is a great blending of contemporary crime literature and classic noir fiction.  While the language and pacing are more contemporary than pulp novels, the themes and characters are reminiscent of old time noir.  I really enjoyed the character of Tommy Mack.  He is flawed, and that is part of his appeal.  He is resistant to change, likes poetry and jazz, reflects on his life as an adopted child, all while being a contract killer on the run for a murder he actually did not commit.  Talk about a paradox.  

I thought the story was really engaging.  This is not one of those books where you anticipate the plot from the get go; the storyline and characters are complex and surprising.  And for a book centering around a hitman, there was not as much violence as one would expect.  It was much more interesting that the books violence is subtle; to me that is so much more threatening and effective.  

I think fans of noir fiction will really enjoy the book, as well as fans of contemporary crime thrillers, since the book so skillfully weaves a story borrowing from both genres.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author.