This is book #3 in the Jesse stone series. I had not planned on reading this book at all for this month but I wanted a nice quick read to finish off my month and this was the perfect choice. This one was much better than the first 2 were, still a little subdued but more was going on than in the other ones. I was glad to see that.
SynopsisRobert B. Parker is back in Paradise, where Detective Jesse Stone is looking for two things: the killer of a teenage girl—and someone, anyone, who is willing to claim the body…
The plot of this story covers a rather tough subject of pedophilia wrapped up in prostitution, fortunately though it does not get over the top in depth on the subject. Even though the story still lacks a lot of the excitement that I enjoy I still found it to be pretty entertaining. The story itself is pretty gritty and I think the build up to the mystery was good from the start and it gets readers to start questioning things, which is always good. I wished that it would have had more twists to the story, but I am hopeful that each book in this series will get better and better as I read them.
I find that I really like Jesse Stone a lot and he has some real struggles in this series with his alcohol and break up with his wife, who of which he still loves and cherishes. I think he is developing very well throughout the story, and I like the rawness of his character and all of his flaws. I look forward to much more of him.
I would recommend this series so far to anyone who likes more of a laid back mystery. The stories are really good they just aren't adrenalin rushing action, which I love, but there is something about this one that keeps me going. Must be the characters. I look forward to the rest of this series. I am rating this book 3.5 stars.
This book was not a planned read at all for this month, but I was struggling with the last book for my WHINRTB 3.0 challenge, so I picked this one up. This is book 2 of the Grant county series and wow I am glad I did pick it up. However it is a very tough subject matter that a lot of people can't tolerate, relating to children, so keep that in mind when determining if you want to read this.
SynopsisSaturday night dates at the skating rink have been a tradition in the small southern town of Heartsdale for as long as anyone can remember, but when a teenage quarrel explodes into a deadly shoot-out, Sara Linton--the town's pediatrician and medical examiner--finds herself entangled in a terrible tragedy.
What seemed at first to be a horrific but individual catastrophe proves to have wider implications. The autopsy reveals evidence of long-term abuse, of ritualistic self -mutilation, but when Sara and police chief Jeffrey Tolliver start to investigate, they are frustrated at every turn.
The children surrounding the victim close ranks. The families turn their backs. Then a young girl is abducted, and it becomes clear that the first death is linked to an even more brutal crime, one far more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Meanwhile, detective Lena Adams finds herself drawn to a young man who might hold the answers. But unless Lena, Sara, and Jeffrey can uncover the deadly secrets the children hide, it's going to happen again .
Wow this plot was dripping with action and excitement and was very gripping due to the subject matter. It had me on the edge of my seat many times not wanting to put the book down. It had many twists I did not expect. I could just feel myself filling with hate for the antagonists of this story and there are several to hate. This is an amazing plot/character driven book.
I think characters is what the author does best. They are all very well developed, believable and relatable characters. I was stuttering a bit with Jeffrey at first, he had to grow on me a bit but eventually I enjoyed his character. I love reading this series now and discovering more about Sara and Lena. It makes you understand them more if you have read The Will Trent series already.
I recommend this book/series for all Slaughter fans. She writes such riveting stories that will keep you glued to the pages from start to finish. If you love mystery and have not yet read Slaughter then read this series before you read the Will Trent series because there are spoilers for this series in the Will Trent series.
I chose to read this book for the March Mystery Madness challenge that is going on. I am not at all familiar with cozy mysteries so it was a good idea for me to choose one for this challenge to kind of get an idea of what they are like. This one was for a cozy mystery involving cooking or crafting. I have not had the chance to read the first book since I do not own that one, but since this series has different cases with each book, it was fine to start with book 2. I did discover that with reading this book, it pretty much let me know that cozy mysteries are not really for me.
SynopsisJoanne Fluke introduced small-town Minnesota bakery owner Hannah Swensen in Chocolate Chip Cooke Murder. Now, this intrepid amateur sleuth returns in another dangerously delicious mystery.
I thought that the plot of the story was pretty good. Mixing cooking with murder with an amateur sleuth is always fun, but I did not find it as exciting as the normal mysteries I am used to reading. I am sure that is because this is how cozy mysteries are supposed to be. I the writing was fine, it was pretty fluid and easy to follow and there were even some pretty funny 'laugh out loud' parts as well. I just found the mystery itself to be pretty unrealistic, again, that could be a trait of a cozy mystery.
I did not really care all that much for the main character, not because she evil or mean but because it seemed like all her answers to questions were just handed to her and clues were found way too easy. I also felt like she did not make the smartest choices while she was sleuthing around, and this made her feel pretty unrealistic. I really could not relate to her very well. Again this could be the way the characters are in cozy mysteries.
Overall there were parts of the book that were entertaining, I did like the humorous parts of the book and the way it flowed, but I really thought there would be more adventure and excitement, so in that area it was a little disappointing. I can recommend this book if you do like cozy mysteries. If you want to read this but it is a first time read of a cozy mystery, like it was for me, just don't expect a lot of bone chilling excitement. I am rating this 2.5 stars
I chose this book for this Challenge that I try to do every year. This is kind of a dystopian, maybe some sci fi or fantasy. I have had this book for a good 3 years and it really was time to get it read. After reading it I had to wonder why I had waited so long. I loved it, I loved how it was different, and I loved how fluid it is written. I love the action and the adventure. And I loved that there was no love triangle, well not the normal type of triangle anyway.
SynopsisWhen Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that had killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they could not control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. She is on the run, desperate to find the only safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who have escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at having a life worth living.
The plot of the story was quite unique in my opinion and I loved how it escalated through the story. Yes there is a government involved, but not as overbearing as most and the 'oppressed' people in the story are fighters rather than sheep. There was plenty of action and if you adventure, you get plenty of that too. The world building was ok, I think it could have been just a tad bit better, but I do think that it is enough for readers to get the picture at how desperate this world is, and how people have to survive. I have to say that I did like how they had some of our present day things be current in this story even though it seems that the world is near apocalypse. Some things that happen really make you think and makes you believe that a story like this can prepare us for a world ending in disaster. So this type of realism in the story was pretty refreshing.
The characters are really well developed and also very relatable, especially Ruby. She is one of those characters that seems to rise from the ashes and gets stronger and stronger, but not over the top. She still makes mistakes and she is still a little naïve, and this makes her real and believable. I like how the author makes readers second guess their first impressions of characters in this book. It is hard to peg them for who or what they are. Either way there are a lot of very memorable characters, some I hate and others I love and hope to meet them again in the next book.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a different dystopian. It is certainly that for sure. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy and I hope it keeps this excitement. A solid 5 stars for this book, and I hope it just keeps getting better with the remainder of the trilogy.
I chose this book for my WHINRTB 3.0 challenge since it has been one sitting on my shelves for over 2 years. It was time to get it read. I had heard from many people about how I should read it and how good it was and I would be hooked. Well, they were right about all of it. This writing is so fluid, so easy to read that I just flew through it and LOVED every minute of it.
SynopsisSurrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Wow the plot to this story is amazing. Anyone who likes fantasy will love it. I knew I would like it, I just did not realize how much I would love it. The world building is also amazing, created with such great imagery, and great scenery you can almost place yourself inside the pages. There was plenty of action, excitement and adventure. I found that I had a hard time putting the book down. This might have to be a favorite for March and I look forward to the other books in this trilogy.
The characters, so relatable. especially Alina. Who of us feel like they don't fit in? I know I do, just like Alina feels. She was made to be so realistic in her daily struggles and she becomes such a strong female protagonist because of that. I love when characters are developed like that. I know she will continue to grow as she becomes who the author intended her to become. There are a lot of great characters to look forward to in this book and future books in the trilogy. Many to love and many to hate as well.
I have to recommend this book to everyone. It is such a treat to read such a beautiful story by a very gifted writer. So glad that I finally got to this story. I know it is one I will not easily forget! If you have not yet read it, then do yourself a favor and pick it up.
I chose this book to be a part of the WHINRTB 3.0 for this month. I am thinking it could have waited even longer. I just could not get into this book at all. I was so excited to finally get to it and I just really loved the synopsis, but found that I was bored with it. I tried getting into it up until pg. 152 and it just really did not have much going for it.
SynopsisA powerful secret. A dangerous path.
Rigg is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth about Rigg's strange talent for seeing the paths of people's pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him--secrets about Rigg's own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.
Rigg’s birthright sets him on a path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him crowned and one that wants him dead. He will be forced to question everything he thinks he knows, choose who to trust, and push the limits of his talent…or forfeit control of his destiny.
The story really just lacked excitement, lacked adventure, and nothing really grabbed my attention. I thought that for being as far as I was into the story something big or exciting would have happened by this point. I cant see how the book can be over 600 pages, and I love big books, but this one seems like it would come up pretty short trying to stretch that far.
The characters are really just unrealistic to me. They are almost like robots with no personality at all. Also I found that things they say and do are not believable either and I just can't relate to either one of the main protagonists. They lacked the depth and emotion as well, and all those other qualities readers look for that make characters great. The story and characters were just a disappointment for me.Since I did not finish the book, I will not put a rating to it. I really can't recommend this story to anyone, but I think people should judge for themselves. So if you wanna take a chance on it, then pick up the book and give it a try.
I decided to read this book for March Mystery Madness, a month of reading Mysteries. This was for the challenge of reading an Agatha Christie novel. I know that this was one of my mom's favorite books. I could not remember if I had read it all those years ago, so I decided now would be an opportune time to read it.
SynopsisFirst, there were ten - a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal - and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.
This had a great plot incorporating a nursery rhyme into the story which was what really determined my reading it for this challenge. I found that the mystery itself was fantastic. Hard to figure out 'whodunit'. But what I also discovered was that it lacked the excitement factor. Not a whole lot really going except for finding the people dead. Not much action really leading up to each individual death which made it lack that excitement I was looking for. Other than that part of the story it was put together well.
The characters were a little dry for me, and they were not very relatable. I found that they lacked depth. It was fun though reading those small little details, that came to light about each of them that made you think, oh maybe they could be a murderer or are they really guilty of what was said that they each did in the past. One by one you discover your thoughts about them were wrong and the mystery continues till the very end of the story.
Who did this heinous crime? Eventually you will find out. I did not really care all that much for how the story was wrapped up. I think it could have been done better, Over all it was a fun and entertaining read. I recommend this to those who like old fashioned type mysteries. A quick fluid read that is sure to entertain most readers.
I chose this book for the WHINRTB 3.0. This is a challenge I try to do every year where I choose books off of my shelves that have been overlooked for a year or more.I was not sure what to expect from this book when I chose this one to read. It is a middle grade and it does read middle grade, but it was very fun and quite funny.
SynopsisAt Ever After High, an enchanting boarding school, the children of fairytale legends prepare themselves to fulfill their destinies as the next generation of Snow Whites, Prince Charmings and Evil Queens...whether they want to or not. Each year on Legacy Day, students sign the Storybook of Legends to seal their scripted fates. For generations, the Village of Book End has whispered that refusing to sign means The End-both for a story and for a life.
As the daughter of the Evil Queen, Raven Queen's destiny is to follow in her mother's wicked footsteps, but evil is so not Raven's style. She's starting to wonder, what if she rewrote her own story? The royal Apple White, daughter of the Fairest of Them All, has a happy ever after planned for herself, but it depends upon Raven feeding her a poison apple in their future.
What if Raven doesn't sign the Storybook of Legends? It could mean a happily never after for them both.
The plot of this story is very captivating even though it is middle grade, It is full of a lot of great quips and quotes. I laughed a lot while reading this and it just made me happy. So very fluid and easy going. Everyone in their places and so fun revisiting all these old fairy tales that I grew up with. So it was also a little nostalgic.
The characters were very fun. Each of them with their rightful places. I did really enjoy Raven Queen, who was the daughter of the Evil Queen in the Snow White fairytale. I like who she was and who she ultimately became by the end of this story. For being a young girl she was pretty strong and could also be somewhat bull headed as well.
I recommend this to anyone who loves upbeat stories and fairy tales even if you don't normally read middle grade. This would be a great series to share with your kids as well. I look forward to the rest of this trilogy and plan on reading them soon.
This was a great sequel to The Young Elites and I enjoyed it a lot, not sure if I like it as much as it's predecessor or not, but gave it the same rating anyway. Marie Lu is a great talent and had a great gift. I absolutely love her writing style. I also really enjoyed kind of seeing the flip side of Adelina in this story.
I will not give a synopsis on this book since it is book 2 but will give you a run down on what the story is about. So about a decade ago the 'blood fever' went on a rampage across Adelina's nation. A lot of people dies, but for those children who survived were left with strange marks on their bodies and some were believed to possess certain powers. They call them Malfetto. Adelina's Father, thinking she was malfetto, treated her badly and would rather have her dead because she was an abomination. Adelina struggles to save her own life. In this book the story moves forward with more action and excitement.
I absolutely loved the plot to this series. I found this one to be more gritty and on the darker side and I really enjoyed that. A lot of action and adventure. I found it to be very fluid and easy to read and follow. There is also a lot of great imagery in this book which keeps it pretty realistic. I just about see myself there. There were plenty of parts that left me sitting on the edge of my seat, overcome every emotion possible.
The characters are all amazing. Many to love and hate. I also liked seeing another side to Adelina, a side I was not expecting at all. You watch her grow and develop and evolve into a totally different person throughout these 2 books. At first I was not sure what I thought, but it made me realize what can happen to someone who has been left desperate, trying to survive, trying to forgive, and trying to make sense of things as they come. She is beautifully written no matter who she becomes.
I look forward to the final book in this trilogy coming this fall and then will have to buy physical copies for myself of each one. I recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy. It is definitely a treat to read.
