Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

Started: 4/27/2022

Finished: 4/29/2022

Year: 2018

Pages: 304

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway

Type: Hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied. 

    "With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.'"

Opinion: Alice Vega is a no holds bar, very independent woman. This was a great intensive mystery. This is the first in a series and I will be looking for the others.

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

Started: 4/25/2022

Finished: 4/27/2022

Year: 1992

Pages: 286

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: reading the series in order/bookcrossing.com book

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "I IS FOR IF . . .

"Five years ago David Barney was acquitted of the murder of his rich wife, Isabelle. Now, Isabelle's ex-husband, Ken Voigt―who is suing Barney for her estate―is claiming the jury made a fatal mistake...

"I IS FOR INDICTMENT . . .

"Enter P.I. Kinsey Millhone, who takes the Barney case over from a former colleague…and comes up with more questions than answers. Why are Mr. Barney's witnesses denying ever having spoken to him? Why did Isabelle have so many enemies―including but not limited to her best friend, Voight's second wife, and her own twin sister?

"I IS FOR INNOCENT

"But the most troubling question of all is: Why is it that everything David Barney has to say about his beloved Isabelle still checks out? Now it's up to Kinsey to figure out who's getting away with murder . . . .before she courts her own."

Opinion: The changes in Kinsey's speech when talking with people seemed kinda off in this one-like she would jump personalities and not even when it was appropriate. Still overall a good mystery that had an exciting ending.

Behind the Fourth Wall by Michael Solomowitz

Started: 4/11/2022

Finished: 4/14/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 277

Genre: Literature

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: Trade Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "New York playwright Noah Miller had it all–a supportive wife, a precocious daughter, a promising career. Then, suddenly, all is lost.

Still mourning his family, Noah reluctantly agrees to oversee the summer production of his play on Cape Cod. There he befriends a woman who sympathizes with his grief. But her true objectives run deeper–into his very soul–and Noah becomes an unwitting victim of her deception.

Immersed in his production, he begins an affair with one of his actors but the guilt from their relationship leads to tragic consequences. Then, on the anniversary of his wife's passing, Noah discovers the harrowing mystery behind her unexpected death and the part he played in it.

Harboring this devastating secret, his show about to open without one of its lead actors, and a dubious figure harassing him, Behind the Fourth Wall is a story of hope and redemption, forgiveness and second chances, and ultimately, the courage to face one's darkest fears."

Opinion: review will be on Readerviews.com

Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich

Started: 4/21/2022

Finished: 4/25/2022

Year: 2008

Pages: 334

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: reading the series in order, booklender.com book

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars. Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn't be more proud. He always was the smart one.

The Cousin: Joe Morelli. Morelli is Dom's cousin. He's also a cop. Less than a week after Dom's release from prison, Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. Meanwhile, Dom has gone missing…

The Catastrophe: Moonman. Morelli hires Walter "Mooner" Dunphy, stoner and "inventor" turned crime fighter, to protect his house. Morelli is low on cash. Mooner will work for potatoes.

The Cupcake: Stephanie Plum. Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection, and driving each other nuts. She's a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she's involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.

The Crisis: Ranger. Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie's evening activities.

The Conclusion: Only the fearless should listen to Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich.

Thrills, chills, and incontinence may result."

Opinion: I did like how Ranger played a much smaller role in this book and how it wasn't so focused on the triangle between Ranger, Stephanie and Morelli. Much more focus was on the mystery.

H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton

Started: 4/18/2022

Finished: 4/21/2022

Year: 1991

Pages: 256

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: reading the series in order, bookcrossing.com book

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "H IS FOR HUSTLER…

"When PI Kinsey Millhone's good friend and colleague Parnell Perkins is found murdered in the parking lot behind California Fidelity Insurance, she can't believe he had any enemies. The only clue that raises a red flag for Kinsey is one of Parnell's files on a Bibianna Diaz, who appears to have made a lucrative career out of scamming insurance companies with phony claims…

"H IS FOR HAZARDOUS…

"Taking an alias, Kinsey goes undercover to befriend Bibianna, hoping she'll get close enough to catch the con artist at her own game. But Kinsey never dreams that hanging out with Bibianna will get them both thrown in jail. And when they're released, Bibianna's very jealous, very dangerous ex-fiancé Raymond Maldonado is waiting for them.

"H IS FOR HOMICIDE

"Kinsey soon discovers the short-tempered thug is the kingpin behind Bibianna's and countless other phony insurance claims. But was Raymond also responsible for Parnell's death? All Kinsey knows is that she'll have to think quick to nab one of the most treacherous criminals she's come face to face with―and keep herself alive…"

Opinion: Kinsey going undercover for the police...entertaining

G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

Started: 4/19/2022

Finished: 4/20/2022

Year: 1990

Pages: 261

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: reading the series in order, bookcrossing.com book

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "G IS FOR GAME…

"When Irene Gersh asks PI Kinsey Millhone to locate her elderly mother Agnes, whom she hasn't heard from in six months, it's not exactly the kind of case Kinsey jumps for. But a girl's gotta pay her bills, and this should be easy money―or so she thinks. Kinsey finds Agnes in a hospital. Aside from her occasional memory lapses, the octogenarian seems fine. And frightened.

"G IS FOR GUN…

"Kinsey doesn't know what to make of Agnes's vague fears and bizarre ramblings, but she's got her own worries. It seems Tyrone Patty, a criminal she helped put behind bars, is looking to make a hit. First, Kinsey's car is run off the road, and then days later, she's almost gunned down, setting in motion a harrowing cat and mouse game…

"G IS FOR GUMSHOE

"So Kinsey decides to hire a bodyguard. With PI Robert Dietz watching her 24/7, Kinsey is feeling on edge…especially with their growing sexual tension. Then, Agnes dies of an apparent homicide, Kinsey realizes the old lady wasn't so senile after all―and maybe she was trying to tell her something? Now Kinsey's determined to learn the truth…even if it kills her."

Opinion: Another adventurous Millhone mystery...interesting turn of events.

Stalking Ground by Margaret Mizushima

Started: 4/15/2022

Finished: 4/18/2022

Year: 2016

Pages:  307

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: fan of the series, TBR pile

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Deputy Ken Brody's sweetheart goes missing in the mountains outside Timber Creek, Mattie Cobb and Robo are called to search. But it's mid-October and a dark snow storm is brewing over the high country—and they're already too late. By the time they find her body, the storm has broken and the snow is coming down hard.

While Brody hikes down to bring back the forensics team and veterinarian Cole Walker gathers supplies to protect them from the storm, Mattie and Robo find themselves alone, guarding the gravesite overnight in the dead of the early winter. And that's only the first long, dark night in a series of them, because as their investigation develops, Mattie, Robo, Brody, and Cole find themselves in the middle of the killer's stalking ground—with no way out unless they can catch a predator more deadly than any natural threat."

Opinion: I really enjoy this series even though I'm reading them out of order-this is book 2. Lots of action. Predictable mystery but the action and the characterization makes up for the predictability.

F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton

Started: 4/8/2022

Finished: 4/11/2022

Year: 1989

Pages: 261

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book, reading series in order

Type: Mass Market Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "When Kinsey Millhone first arrives in Floral Beach, California, it's hard for her to picture the idyllic coastal town as the setting of a brutal murder. Seventeen years ago, the body of Jean Timberlake―a troubled teen who had a reputation with the boys―was found on the beach. Her boyfriend Bailey Fowler was convicted of her murder and imprisoned, but he escaped.

After all this time, Bailey's finally been captured. Believing in his son's innocence, Bailey's father wants Kinsey to find Jean's real killer. But most of the residents in this tight-knit community are convinced Bailey strangled Jean. So why are they so reluctant to answer Kinsey's questions? If there's one thing Kinsey's got plenty of it's persistence. And that's exactly what it's going to take to crack the lid on this case.

As Kinsey gets closer to solving Jean's murder, the more dirty little secrets she uncovers in a town where everyone has something to hide―and a killer will kill again to keep the past buried..."

Opinion: Another decent mystery with twists and turns....not sure whodunit until the end.

E is for Evidence by Sue Grafton

Started: 4/6/2022

Finished: 4/8/2022

Year: 1988

Pages: 227

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book/reading the series in order

Type: Mass Market Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "E IS FOR EX

Being a twice-divorced, happily independent loner has worked like a charm for P.I. Kinsey Millhone―until holiday weekends like this one roll around. What she needs is a little diversion to ward off the blues. She gets her much-needed distraction with a case that places her career on the line. And if that isn't enough to keep her busy, her ex-husband, who walked out on her eight years ago, pops back on the radar...

It all begins with a $5,000 deposit made into Kinsey's bank account. Problem is she's not the one who deposited the money. But when she's accused of being on the take in an industrial arson case, Kinsey realizes someone is framing her…

Now Kinsey's working for herself. But with new evidence―and corpses―surfacing around her, she's going to have to act quickly to clear her name before she loses her career, her reputation―and quite possibly her life…"

Opinion: A quick read-Kinsey is being set up and she's bound to find out who did it or die in the process. I've always enjoyed reading these.

Between You & Me by Susan Wiggs

Started: 4/1/2022

Finished: 4/5/2022

Year: 2018

Pages: 357

Genre: Romance

Grade: C

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC

Blurb (from Amazon): "Deep within the peaceful heart of Amish country, a life-or-death emergency shatters a quiet world to its core. Number-one New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs delivers a riveting story that challenges our deepest-held beliefs.

Caught between two worlds, Caleb Stoltz is bound by a deathbed promise to raise his orphaned niece and nephew in Middle Grove, where life revolves around family, farm, faith—and long-held suspicions about outsiders. When disaster strikes, Caleb is thrust into an urban environment of high-tech medicine and the relentless rush of modern life.

Dr. Reese Powell is poised to join the medical dynasty of her wealthy, successful parents. Bold, assertive, and quick-thinking, she lives for the addictive rush of saving lives. When a shocking accident brings Caleb Stoltz into her life, Reese is forced to deal with a situation that challenges everything she thinks she knows—and ultimately emboldens her to question her most powerful beliefs.

Then one impulsive act brings about a clash of cultures in a tug-of-war that plays out in a courtroom, challenging the very nature of justice and reverberating through generations, straining the fragile threads of faith and family.

Deeply moving and unforgettable, Between You and Me is an emotionally complex story of love and loss, family and friendship, and the arduous road to discovering the heart’s true path."

Opinion: The timing throughout is off. Some spans are among days and then it jumps to years and back to days. Predictable romance plotline. One part near the end made me furious

Rules of Prey by John Sandford

Started: 3/26/2022

Finished: 3/31/2022

Year: 1989

Pages: 479

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Grade: B

Reason for reading: TBR pile-starting the series

Type: Mass Market Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "The killer was mad but brilliant.

 He left notes with every woman he killed. Rules of murder: Never have a motive. Never follow a discernible pattern. Never carry a weapon after it has been used...So many rules to his sick, violent games of death.
 

But Lucas Davenport, the cop who’s out to get him, isn’t playing by the rules."

Opinion: Lots of twists and turns....lots of questionable acts by a police detective. Not a huge fan of Davenport's personal behavior but it adds to his character and how he isn't the most likeable person.

Daughter of the Ganges by Asha Miro

Started: 3/25/2-22

Finished: 3/25/2022

Year: 2007

Pages: 263

Genre: memoir

Grade: C

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: Trade paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Growing up in an Indian orphanage, Asha Miró; dreamed that someday she would be adopted. At the age of six, her wish finally came true, but only at the misfortune of another. A Catalan family was in the process of adopting twins when one of the children suddenly fell ill and died -- a twist of fate that led the family to adopt Asha instead. Leaving a life of poverty behind, Asha was given a second chance.

Twenty-one years later, Asha takes a heart-wrenching trip back to India to uncover her native roots. Full of unexpected encounters, this adventure informs and touches Asha beyond her expectations. She visits her old orphanage, speaks with her former caretakers, explores the land that she might not have ever left, and comes to form a more solid identity. Yet one trip is not enough. Eight years later she returns, this time visiting the small rural village where she was born. While uncovering the details behind her adoption, Asha discovers the only living member of her immediate Indian family: a sister she never knew she had."

Opinion: Not something that I normally read but this was an interesting story about an international adoptee and her search for her biological family and family history.

Cardiff, By The Sea by Joyce Carol Oates

Started: 3/25/2022

Finished: 3/25/2022

Year: 2020

Pages: 402

Genre: suspense

Grade: B

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway

Type: hardcover

Blurb (from Amazon): "An academic in Pennsylvania discovers a terrifying trauma from her past after inheriting a house in Cardiff, Maine from someone she has never heard of. A pubescent girl, overcome with loneliness, befriends a feral cat that becomes her protector from the increasingly aggressive males that surround her. A brilliant but shy college sophomore is distraught to discover that she’s pregnant, and the professor who takes her under his wing may not have innocent intentions. And a woman who marries into a family shattered by tragedy finds herself haunted by her predecessor’s voice, an inexplicably befouled well, and a compulsive attraction to a garage that took two lives."

Opinion: Some interesting novellas. Each different but similar.

the hypnotist by lars kepler

Started: 3/21/2022

Finished: 3/25/2022

Year: 2009

Pages: 503

Genre: mystery/suspense

Grade: B

Reason for reading; TBR pile

Type: Trade Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate the murders. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness—the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Whoever committed the crimes wanted this boy to die: he’s suffered more than one hundred knife wounds and lapsed into a state of shock. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. He enlists Dr. Erik Maria Bark to mesmerize the boy, hoping to discover the killer through his eyes.

It’s the sort of work that Bark has sworn he would never do again—ethically dubious and psychically scarring. When he breaks his promise and hypnotizes the victim, a long and terrifying chain of events begins to unfurl."

Opinion: This can be considered gory if you have a good imagination but the mystery has lots of unexpected twists. Glad that I found this at my local bookstore and that I also grabbed the other two in the series at the same time.

Roar of the Sea by Deb Vanasse

 Started: 3/19/2022

Finished: 3/21/2022

Year: 2022

Pages: 201

Genre: history/wildlife preservation

Grade: B

Reason for reading: librarything.com giveaway

Type: Trade paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Over a century ago, treachery in Alaska's Bering Sea twice brought the world to the brink of war. The US seized Canadian vessels, Great Britain positioned warships to strike the US, and Americans killed Japanese pirates on US soil—all because of the northern fur seals crowded together on the tiny Pribilof Islands.

The herd's population plummeted from 4.7 million to 940,000 in the span of eight years while notorious seafarers like Alex MacLean (who inspired Jack London's The Sea-Wolf) poached indiscriminately. Enter an unlikely crusader to defend the seals: self-taught artist and naturalist Henry Wood Elliott, whose zeal and love for the animals inspired him to go against all odds and take on titans of the sea.

Winning seemed impossible, and yet Elliott managed to expose corruption and set the course for modern wildlife protections that are all the more relevant today as the world grapples with mass extinction.

Carefully written and researched, Roar of the Sea reveals the incredible hidden history of how one lone activist existing in the margins prevailed against national governments and corporate interests in the name of wildlife conservation."

Opinion: A great book with lots of indepth history how one man fought to try to keep the Northern Fur Seals alive.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Started: 3/16/2022

Finished: 3/18/2022

Year: 2001

Pages: 318

Genre: Literature

Grade: C

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Blurb (from Amazon): "Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxanne Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening—until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers"

Opinion: Too many logical things that turned me away from enjoying this. So this hostage situation last for MONTHS...not days or hours but MONTHS....and no mention of the president trying to help his VP and this is who the terrorists wanted in the first place. The ending was crap. Sure, the development of the relationships between characters and their language barriers was great to read but just the pure logic of the plot was bad.

When Harry Met Minnie by Martha Teichner

Started: 3/13/2022

Finished: 3/15/2022

Year: 2020

Pages: 245

Genre: Memoir

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: goodreads.com giveaway

Blurb (from Amazon) :"There are true fairy tales. Stories that exist because impossible-to-explain coincidences change everything. Except in real life, not all of them have conventional, happily-ever-after endings. When Harry Met Minnie is that kind of fairy tale, with the vibrant, romantic New York City backdrop of its namesake, the movie When Harry Met Sally, and the bittersweet wisdom of Tuesdays with Morrie.

There’s a special camaraderie among early-morning dog walkers. Gathering at dog runs in the park, or strolling through the farmer's market at Union Square before the bustling crowd appears, fellow pet owners become familiar–as do the personalities of their beloved animals. In this special space and time, a chance encounter with an old acquaintance changed Martha Teichner’s world. As fate would have it, her friend knew someone who was dying of cancer, from exposure to toxins after 9/11, and desperate to find a home for her dog, Harry. He was a Bull Terrier―the same breed as Martha’s dear Minnie. Would Martha consider giving Harry a safe, loving new home?

In short order, boy dog meets girl dog, the fairy tale part of this story. But there is so much more to this book. After Martha agrees to meet Harry and his owner Carol, what begins as a transaction involving a dog becomes a deep and meaningful friendship between two women with complicated lives and a love of Bull Terriers in common. Through the heartbreak and grief of Carol’s illness, the bond that develops changed Martha’s life, Carol’s life, Minnie’s life, Harry’s life. As it changed Carol’s death as well.

In this rich and touching narrative, Martha considers the ways our stories are shaped by the people we meet, and the profound love we can find by opening our hearts to unexpected encounters."

Opinion: This is a very touching memoir about the strength of love between people and dogs and each other. Highly recommend

Victim Eleven by Tom Chorneau

Started: 3/1/22

Finished: 3/4/22

Year: 2021

Pages: 339

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Type: paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Cole’s house had been on the market for only a couple of weeks before the arrest. He’d never heard of the guy—a seventy-two-year-old retiree living in another part of Sacramento County—but the cops said he was the Golden State Killer, who was suspected of committing at least fifty rapes and more than a dozen murders back in the 1970s.

The mailman said one of the attacks took place inside Cole's house.

So Cole, an investigative reporter by trade, set out to confirm that the crime actually took place, and who committed the murder. Along the way, he found something even more compelling. All this time, the cops had been sitting on evidence that the Golden State Killer had an accomplice."

Opinion: review will be on Reader Views

Third Degree by Greg Iles

Started: 11/18/2021

Finished: 3/9/2022

Year: 2007

Pages: 464

Genre: Mystery/suspense

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Blurb (from Amazon): "In the span of twenty-four hours, everything Laurel Shields believes about her life and her marriage to a prominent doctor will be shattered—if she survives a terrifying ordeal. The day begins with the jarring discovery that, soon after ending an affair, Laurel is pregnant. But when she returns home to find her husband ashen, unkempt, and on the brink of violence, a nightmare quickly unfolds. In the heart of an idyllic Mississippi town, behind the walls of her perfect house, Laurel is locked in a volatile standoff with a husband she barely recognizes. Confronted by evidence of her betrayal, she must tread a deadly path between truth and deception while a ring of armed police prepares a dangerous rescue. But Laurel’s only hope lies with her former lover, a man whom fate has granted the power to save both Laurel and her children—if she can protect his identity long enough..."

Opinion: Hard to believe that this takes place in a day....a lot of suspenseful action. A lot of wtf moments. Great read.

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

Started: 3/4/2022

Finished: 3/7/2022

Year: 2007

Pages: 330

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: booklender.com book, reading series in order

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "MISTAKE #1

Dickie Orr. Stephanie was married to him for about fifteen minutes before she caught him cheating on her with her arch-nemesis Joyce Barnhardt. Another fifteen minutes after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping to never see either one of them again.

MISTAKE #2
Doing favors for super bounty hunter Carlos Manoso (a.k.a. Ranger). Ranger needs her to meet with Dickie and find out if he's doing somets hing shady. Turns out, he is. Turns out, he's also back to doing Joyce Barnhardt. And it turn out Ranger's favors always come with a price...

MISTAKE #3

Going completely nutso while doing the favor for Ranger, and trying to apply bodily injury to Dickie in front of the entire office.Now Dickie has disappeared and Stephanie is the natural suspect in his disappearance. Is Dickie dead? Can he be found? And can she stay one step ahead in this new, dangerous game? Joe Morelli, the hottest cop in Trenton, NJ is also keeping Stephanie on her toes―and he may know more than lets on about her…It's a cat-and-mouse game for Stephanie Plum, where the ultimate prize might be her life."

Opinion: It's amazing what Stephanie gets herself into. And the back and forth between Ranger and Morelli gets more heated.

Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

Started: 2/25/2022

Finished: 2/28/2022

Year: 2006

Pages: 322

Genre: mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: booklender.com, reading the series in order

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "New Jersey's premier troublemaker, Stephanie Plum is once again struggling with her tangled love life, her chaotic family and her gift for destroying every car she drives. Not to mention her attempts to bring in the always bizarre and sometimes dangerous bail jumpers of Trenton. But now the smart and sassy bounty hunter finds a crazed female stalker on her tail who dresses in black, carries a 9mm Glock, has a bad attitude and a mysterious connection to the deliciously dangerous Carlos Manoso...aka Ranger."

Opinion: More more of a mystery than humor which I liked. Getting tired of the Morelli/Ranger/Stephanie triangle but that's probably more that I'm reading them almost back to back.

The Ghost Hunters by Neil Spring

 Started: 10/24/2021

Finished: 2/25/2022

Year: 2013

Pages: 513

Genre: paranormal mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb (from back cover): "1926

"My name is Sarah Grey.

"I knew of Harry Price before I became his trusted assistant. He was notorious-London's greatest ghost hunter.

"Working alongside Harry meant leaving behind my past-and I trusted him.

"I knew of Borley Rectory, too, before I visited it with Harry-supposedly the most haunted house in England.

"I knew there was no such thing as phantoms: that I could visit Borely without fear, return unharmed.

"These are the things I thought I knew

"I now understand the true meaning of terror."

Opinion: A little long but overall an enjoyable mystery. Interesting take on ghost hunting and the extreme that sceptics will take in proving what they think is the truth.

Last Girl Standing by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

Started: 10/15/2021

Finished: 2/21/2022

Year: 2020

Pages: 428

Genre: Suspense

Grade: C

Reason for reading: Bookreads.com giveaway

Type: ARC mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "First they were five. Then they were four.

Whose turn will it be next?

At Bristol High they were an elite clique known as the Five Firsts: Amanda, Bailey, Carmen, Delta and Zora . . . ABCD & Z. They could have accepted their classmate, Emmy, as "E", but with her bookish disposition and her embarrassing status of scholarship student to boot, they rejected her and chose wealthy Zora instead.

At a pre-graduation party just before the end of senior year, Lance Ventura, the hottest guy in school, falls down an embankment toward the river and is barely rescued in time to save his life. One of the Five Firsts, Carman, rushes to save him, but isn't so lucky. Her sudden death causes a community to mourn and rumors of foul play to swirl, but the tragedy is ruled an accident.

Fast forward ten years and the classmates all meet again at the high school reunion. Some of them have had good fortune in their lives. Others, not so much."

Opinion: If I wanted to return to the high school cliques bullshit, I'd find another way instead of reading a book about it. I couldn't really find one character that I cared about. The murder mystery was intense but the whodunit did not make sense.

Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich

Started: 2/17/2022

Finished: 2/19/2022

Year: 2005

Pages: 321

Genre: mystery

Grade: B-

Reason for reading: booklender.com book, reading the series in order

Type: Mass Market Paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Stephanie Plum is thinking her career as a fugitive apprehension agent has run its course. She's been shot at, spat at, cussed at, fire-bombed, mooned, and attacked by dogs. Stephanie thinks it's time for a change. So she quits. She wants something safe and normal. But the kind of trouble she had at the bail bonds office can't compare to the kind of trouble she finds herself facing now…

Stephanie is stalked by a maniac returned from the grave for the sole purpose of putting her into a burial plot of her own. He's killed before, and he'll kill again if given the chance. Caught between staying far away from the bounty hunter business and staying alive, Stephanie reexamines her life and the possibility that being a bounty hunter is the solution rather than the problem. After disturbingly brief careers at the button factory, Kan Klean Dry Cleaners, and Cluck-in-a-Bucket, Stephanie takes an office position in security, working for Ranger, the sexiest, baddest bounty hunter and businessman on two continents. Tempers and temperatures rise as competition ratchets up between the two men in her life―her on-again, off-again boyfriend, tough Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and her boss, Ranger. Can Stephanie Plum take the heat? Can you?"

Opinion: Not as funny as some of the others in the series but still a fun read. It's amazing what Stephanie gets into.

The Vanishing by Bentley Little

 Started: 2/13/2022

Finished: 2/17/2022

Year: 2007

Pages: 386

Genre: Horror

Grade: C

Reason for reading: booklender.com book

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "In Beverly Hills, a wealthy CEO goes on a bloody rampage and videotapes the slaughter. He leaves behind a chilling cryptic message...“This is where it begins.”

 
Miles away, an alarmed mother receives an unsettling letter from her estranged husband, stained with bloody fingerprints.
 
And all across California, children are becoming affected by a monstrous change—and their parents, by a mounting fear.
 
Social worker Carrie Daniels and reporter Brian Howells are determined to find the link between these baffling crimes. But they shouldn’t look too deeply into the lives of the victims. It’s quite dark there. And God help them, they won’t like what they find."

Opinion: Gory for people with vivid imaginations. Decent horror. Suspenseful.

Psychopath by Keith Ablow

Started: 2/7/2022

Finished: 2/13/2022

Year: 2003

Pages: 342

Genre: suspense

Grade: B

Reason for reading: grabbed off TBR pile

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from back cover): "Twelve bodies, twelve states. What no one know is that the 'Highway Killer' is also a gifted psychiatrist who lures his victims into a false sense of security with his miraculous ability to understand their darkest emotional secrets. he is their confessor, but he is also their executioner. When the killer writes to The New York Times, challenging fames forensic psychiatrist Frank Clevenger to heal him through an exchange of open letters on the front page, he opens his diabolical mind to the one man with the courage to cure him-or die trying..."

Opinion: A fast paced suspenseful mystery where readers know the killer but are fascinated by the public exchange and wonder how will Clevenger find the killer. Subplots were reasonable.

Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich

Started: 2/3/2022

Finished: 2/6/2022

Year: 2004

Pages: 319

Genre: mystery

Grade: B

Reason for reading: booklender.com book, reading series in order

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Swing off the Jersey Turnpike and you'll be in bounty hunter Stephanie Plum's neighborhood. You'll know it because all hell will be breaking loose. Not that she attracts trouble-it just seems to follow her. In Ten Big Ones it explodes at a deli, and when Stephanie pegs a robber as a member of a vicious Trenton gang, they peg her as dead. Vice cop Joe Morelli fears she's in way too deep-even with the help of crime-solving cross-dressing bus driver, Sweet Sally, and Stephanie's friend Lula riding shotgun as backup. With a notorious killer on her tail, Stephanie figures the best hideout is Ranger's secret lair..."

Opinion: Not as good as the last one. Kinda filler but did learn more about Ranger.

I'm Supposed to Make a Difference by Kevin Vought

Started: 1/27/2022

Finished: 1/30/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 172

Genre: Memoir

Grade: C

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Blurb (from Amazon): "This is what happens when true crime hits close to home.

Kevin’s mother was emotionally abusive and resented him, though she did her best to protect him and his brother from their father — a man who could be quite violent who may have inherited his own father’s evil, sadistic, pedophilic traits.

In the summer of 1980 Kevin found himself in the “care” of his paternal grandfather, on the same day the man abducted an 11-year-old girl with the sole intention of raping her.

Kevin tried to stop him, and nearly died for getting in the way.

And she wasn’t the only little girl.

I’m Supposed to Make a Difference describes how Kevin fought a grueling, decades-long battle against long-buried memories to overcome suicidal feelings, depression, and self-loathing to develop five principles for moving forward and normalizing trauma: be steadfast; be goal-oriented; find good people; accept help; and focus your anger.

Today, Kevin’s largely conquered his demons—and shares the strategies he used to heal and transform.

I’m Supposed to Make a Difference is a riveting, emotional and inspirational read for survivors of childhood trauma and those who appreciate the transformative power of the human experience."

Opinion: my review will be on Reader Views website

The Fixer's Mess by Orr Agam

 Started: 1/25/2022

Finished: 1/26/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 108

Genre: Literature

Grade: C

Reason for reading: review for Reader Views

Blurb (from Amazon): "Max Cedar is the personal lawyer, aka "fixer," for the bombastic and crude hotel mogul Duncan Thomas of San Francisco. Since working for Duncan, he has become estranged from his family in New York and lately is convinced he is on the verge of having a stroke. When Duncan orders Max to "fix" a newspaper story about an alleged affair between Duncan and a stripper named London, things begin to unravel. Max gets caught up in a murder scheme and is forced to go on the run. As he tries to get himself out from under this mess, he must take on Duncan's close circle of creepy employees, family, and disturbing secrets. Now Max must use his skills and unethical tactics as Duncan's fixer to maneuver himself out of prison while remaining in one piece. Will Max be able to fix his very own mess?"

Opinion: full review will be up on Reader Views in the near future.

What the Hell are They Thinking? Edited by Daniel Ravner

 Started: 1/20/2022

Finished: 1/22/2022

Year: 2021

Pages: 380

Genre: social science

Grade: B

Reason for reading: Review for Reader Views

Blurb (from Amazon): "

How well are you keeping up with the hottest topics in our world today?

Should we legalize marijuana?
Are the Kardashians good or bad for feminism?
Is happiness a choice?
Is Federer the best tennis player of all time?
Should we raise taxes on the rich?
Are vaccines safe for kids?
Is there life after death?

What the Hell are They Thinking features 100 hotly debated topics that govern your life and covers politics and government, economics, popular culture, sports, health, religion, and more!

Constructed using a unique psychological writing methodology designed to open minds by reducing media biases, echo chambers, and filter bubbles, What the Hell are They Thinking offers a uniquely approachable and user-friendly way for busy, yet open-minded individuals to get a more complete understanding of what’s being discussed in our world today."

Opinion: review will be on Reader Views in the near future.

In Search of the Far Side by Gary Larson

Started: 2/3/2022

Finished: 2/3/2022

Year: 1984

Pages: 108

Genre: comic

Grade: B

Reason for reading: bookcrossing.com book

Type: paperback

Blurb: collection of some of Gary Larson's Far Side comics

Opinion: I was always a fan of reading these in the newspaper so when I had the opportunity to grab this book out of a book box, I couldn't pass it up. Some are dated.....some most definitely are not. Always fun.

To The Nines by Janet Evanovich

Started: 1/31/2022

Finished: 2/2/2022

Year: 2003

Pages: 320

Genre: Mystery

Grade: B+

Reason for reading: booklender.com book/rereading/reading the series in order

Type: mass market paperback

Blurb (from Amazon): "Stephanie Plum's got rent to pay, people shooting at her, and psychos wanting her dead every day of the week (much to the dismay of her mother, her family, the men in her life, the guy who slices meat at the deli...oh, the list goes on). An ordinary person would cave under the pressure.

But hey, she's from Jersey.

Stephanie Plum may not be the best bounty hunter in beautiful downtown Trenton, but she's pretty darn good at turning bad situations her way...and she always gets her man. In
To The Nines, her cousin Vinnie (who's also her boss) has posted bail on Samuel Singh, an immigrant who becomes an illegal alien by violating his Visa and extending his stay in the United States. When the elusive Mr. Singh goes missing, Stephanie is on the case. But what she uncovers is far more sinister than anyone imagines and leads to a group of killers who give new meaning to the word hunter...

In a race against time that takes her from the Jersey Turnpike to the Vegas strip, Stephanie Plum is on the chase of her life."

Opinion: This was a fun read. Laugh out loud moments. Decent mystery plot.