Books read in August

                          


  

Undetected

Title: Undetected
Author: Jeffrey Marshall
Genre: thriller
Pages:232
August 6,2019 - all ready out to buy
Netgalley ARC
AUTHOR
Jeffrey Marshall is a retired journalist and the author of three books, including Little Miss Sure Shot, a historical novel about Annie Oakley. He has been published widely in newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times and New Jersey Monthly, and was at various times a reporter, editor, feature writer, columnist and book reviewer.
During his career, Marshall was involved with every medium in journalism except television - newspapers, magazines, radio, newsletters and journals. He was a winner or co-winner of numerous editorial awards for magazine writing and design. He wrote a book about community reinvestment in the banking industry and published a volume of collected poems, River Ice, in 2009. He lives in Scottsdale, AZ, with his wife, Judy, and two dogs, Maggie and Blaze. 


UNDETECTED
Suzy Perry, a lovely, accomplished older woman, has married into a new family in Westchester County, NY, after being widowed not long before in Atlanta. Her new husband, Dean Perry, is besotted with her, but his son, Alex, and daughter-in-law Lisa are troubled by how little they know about her. Who is she? 
Little by little, clues and tidbits of information persuade Alex that he needs to know more. As the questions pile up, Alex, a journalist, elects to hire a private detective to probe Suzy's past, without informing his father. Over time, it becomes clear that Suzy changed her name when she moved to Atlanta - and that she had been married for many years to a car dealer in Missouri who died suddenly shortly before she left.
Is all this innocent, or something more sinister? Once circumstantial, the evidence becomes more concrete - and then Suzy is on the run.

My thoughts 
Rating:5
Black Widow: highly venomous American spider which has a black body with red markings.
2nd meaning:woman who kills her husband or lover, especially one who kills multiple husbands or lovers.
Do we really knew the people in our lives as well as we think we do, after reading this I would say not so much, and after reading this I'm going to be a lot more safer when letting new people in , because after reading this I can definitely say this Don't ever let Suzy (or what ever her new name is ) into  your live because you might be welcoming a surprise that you wasn't looking for , in fact run the other way because she's like a praying mantis who killed their mate after getting what she wants all the time thinking she's the one that's been wronged and she's the innocent party. I do have to say that it was the cover that got me to pick up the book and this is the first time I've ever read a thriller where the main character is a black widow , in fact I don't think I've ever read one that has that in it,which made this so different from other thrillers I've read, and it was so easy to get lost into the story . I especially felt sorry for her new husband because he was a lovesick fool .With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

Paranoid

There are people in Edgewater, Oregon, who think that twenty years ago, Rachel Gaston got away with murder.

Rachel still has no idea how a foolish teenaged game turned deadly—or who replaced her soft pellet air gun with a real weapon. When a figure leapt out at her from the darkness, she fired without thinking. Too late, she recognized her half-brother, Luke, and saw blood blooming around his chest.

Despite counseling, Rachel’s horrifying dreams about that night continue. Her anxiety contributed to her divorce from Detective Cade Ryder, though he blames himself too. But as Rachel’s high school reunion nears, she feels her imagination playing tricks, convincing her that objects in her house have moved. That there’s a hint of unfamiliar cologne in the air. That someone is tailing her car. Watching her home.

She’s right to be scared. And as connections surface between a new string of murders and Luke’s death, Rachel realizes there’s no escaping the past, and the truth may be darker than her worst fears 

My thoughts
Rating:4
While I'm usually hooked with her books this one take me a while to get into ,which kind of surprised me . Usually once I start reading I don't want to stop but I found myself putting this one down a few times,but I'm glad that I kept reading because just eventually I was pulled into it and was hooked . I think the problem I had getting into the story was that it wasn't as creepy as some of her other books that I've read , it just didn't feel like it was a Lisa Jackson book, but over all even though it took me a while to get into it ,it's still a good read .With at that said I want to say thank you to Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

The Paris Orphan

An American  soldier and an enterprising photographer brave occupied France during World War II to help give a little girl the one thing she's never had--a family--in this gripping historical fiction from the internationally bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.

New York City/Paris, 1942: When American model Jessica May arrives in Europe to cover the war as a photojournalist for Vogue, most of the soldiers are determined to make her life as difficult as possible. But three friendships change that. Journalist Martha Gellhorn encourages Jess to bend the rules. Captain Dan Hallworth keeps her safe in dangerous places so she can capture the stories that truly matter. And most important of all, the love of a little orphan named Victorine gives Jess strength to do the impossible. But her success will come at a price...

France, 2005: Decades after World War II, D'Arcy Hallworth arrives at a beautiful chateau to curate a collection of famous wartime photos by a reclusive artist. It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but D'Arcy has no idea that this job will uncover decades of secrets that, once revealed, will change everything she thought she knew about her mother, Victorine, and alter D'Arcy's life forever

My thoughts:
Rating :5
This is the first time I've ever read anything by this authour and I have to agree with others that she has away of being to life her stories , and making you feel all the feelings that your suppose to feel while reading a world War II historical fiction , she also has a way of bringing to life her characters and showing the the struggles not only they went through ,but also the people of Paris. And since this is and was my first time reading her I had no idea that my emotions would be so strong, because it's intense powerful emotional and a very moving story that once you start reading it you won't want to put it down, it's not only a WW 2 historical fiction it's a story of two people meeting and felling in love and the love they have for a little orphan girl , and even though heartbreaking it brings to live that love somehow finds away to survive no matter what ,wither it's distance or years. With that said I want to say thank you to Netgalley as well as Grand Central publishing for sending me a copy and  letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion./

Slash

Title: Slash

Genre: horror

October 10,2019

pages:256

Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith. 

With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected

My thoughts

rating: 5

WOW, what a story, it had me setting on the edge of my bed, and give me goosebumps, its dark and twisted with non - stop action ,gore, and a touch of the supernatural to it that somehow makes it work, and once again it reminds me somewhat of the old black and white movies I love to watch mixed with the modern-day slasher movie,which makes it work  on so many levels ,in fact I would say that the how to survive a slasher movie rules  might not work in this situation, so be prepared to not survive the night . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review another win for this authour in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Malta Exchange

A deadly race for the Vatican’s oldest secret fuels New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s latest international Cotton Malone thriller.

The pope is dead. A conclave to select his replacement is about to begin. Cardinals are beginning to arrive at the Vatican, but one has fled Rome for Malta in search of a document that dates back to the 4th century and Constantine the Great.

Former Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is at Lake Como, Italy, on the trail of legendary letters between Winston Churchill and Benito Mussolini that disappeared in 1945 and could re-write history. But someone else seems to be after the same letters and, when Malone obtains then loses them, he’s plunged into a hunt that draws the attention of the legendary Knights of Malta.

The knights have existed for over nine hundred years, the only warrior-monks to survive into modern times. Now they are a global humanitarian organization, but within their ranks lurks trouble — the Secreti — an ancient sect intent on affecting the coming papal conclave. With the help of Magellan Billet agent Luke Daniels, Malone races the rogue cardinal, the knights, the Secreti, and the clock to find what has been lost for centuries. The final confrontation culminates behind the walls of the Vatican where the election of the next pope hangs in the balance

My thoughts
Rating:4.5
While this book was slow going ,I actually liked it that way because it helped with the build of what was going on, it made me want to read more of it and kept my attention though out the story , one of the things I love about his books is how he uses history and mixes it with fiction so well that it blends perfectly together, not once did I have any trouble with fellowing what was going on even though this is book 14 of the series. Basically it was a fantastic read that had me setting on the edge of me set , the history and the characters seemed so real and makes me want to read more of this series ,with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

Hawke's War

Title: Hawke's War
Series: Sonny Hawke #2
Author: Reavis Z.Wortham
Genre: thriller
Page
The serene beauty of West Texas’s Big Bend National Park is shattered when four hikers are brutally ambushed by a sniper. Only one survives to report the murders. When investigators come up with nothing, they’re left wondering if this is a single incident—or the beginning of a rampage. One week later, Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke drives his 3500 Dodge Dually into the park, determined to unearth the truth . . .

 Before he knows it, he’s in the same sniper’s crosshairs. The drug and human smuggling cartel known as the Coyotes Rabiosos—Rabid Coyotes—have lured him to remote backcountry, looking for payback for an old grudge. Wounded and stranded in the harsh desert terrain, hunted, and outnumbered, Sonny is about to become the target of an even more dangerous enemy—one whose thirst for revenge could incite an international conflict far beyond the U.S.-Mexican border . . .

My thoughts
Rating: 4
It took me a while to get into the story but after I kept reading I started to like as well enjoy the story , this is one of those series that you to understand a little bit more on what is going on you have to read the first book .but even though I haven't read the first one I will be going on with this series ,in fact I have book 3 to read , and even if at times I felt lost I still loved the characters ,and the author's write style .With that said I want to say thank you to Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

The Stranger Inside

Title : The Stranger Inside
Author: Lisa Unger
Pages;374
Genre: thriller
On sell : Sept 17,2019
Even good people are drawn to do evil things… 

Twelve-year-old Rain Winter narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. Her two best friends, Tess and Hank, were not as lucky. Tess never came home, and Hank was held in captivity before managing to escape. Their abductor was sent to prison but years later was released. Then someone delivered real justice—and killed him in cold blood.

Now Rain is living the perfect suburban life, her dark childhood buried deep. She spends her days as a stay-at-home mom, having put aside her career as a hard-hitting journalist to care for her infant daughter. But when another brutal murderer who escaped justice is found dead, Rain is unexpectedly drawn into the case. Eerie similarities to the murder of her friends’ abductor force Rain to revisit memories she’s worked hard to leave behind. Is there a vigilante at work? Who is the next target? Why can’t Rain just let it go?

Introducing one of the most compelling and original killers in crime fiction today, Lisa Unger takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes people deserve what comes to them. 

Mt thoughts '
Rating: 5
This is the second book by Lisa Unger that I've read the first one was Ink and Bone and just like that one this one didn't disappoint me at all, it was a little bit dark and twisted , and just after reading the prologue I was hooked , there was just some thing about that character that was a little bit twisted and dark but that made me like him, I loved how it seemed that you get the story told in 2 ways the killer and Rain, and you get to see it come to life before your very eyes, its a story that reminds me kind of a Charles Bronson movie called Death Wish where the main character goes after the ones that need to be killed because they didn't get the justice they deserved: an eye for an eye . And while I did figure out who the killer was withing the first few pages , its make want to stop reading it , in fact I would say that it helped me to understand the killer a little bit more and had me hooked even more so to the story , I didn't want to stop reading at all , i want to find out how it would play out in the end and the ending didn't let me down at all. With that said I would like to say thank you to harpercollins for sending me a copy of .

Fatal Fortune

Series :Dr.Pippa Durrant #1

Descriptio

Is someone trying to frame psychologist Pippa Durrant for the brutal murder of a woman she’s never even met?

It certainly seems that way when Pippa’s photo is found on the body of murdered lottery winner, Leanne Smith.

Pippa soon finds herself a suspect at the centre of a huge media storm. But she has an invaluable skill set – she is a human polygraph, expertly trained to spot lies and deceit. Skills she will need to help her to solve the mystery of who killed Leanne before it destroys her career - and her life.

But every cloud has a silver lining and this one arrives in the shape of DS Joe Swain. Initially suspicious of Pippa, he comes to trust her and to value her lie detection skills. Soon it’s clear there’s a definite spark between them....

Then, when another body turns up, Pippa realises her reputation isn’t the only thing in danger. Can she identify the killer before she becomes the next victim?   

Fatal Fortune is the electrifying first book in the Dr. Pippa Durrant Thriller Series. If you like edge-of-your-seat action, clever sleuths, and shocking twists, then you’ll love Miranda Rijks’ gripping crime novel.

My thoughts
Rating:4.5
I've never read a book series about psychologist that is a human polygraph, expertly trained to spot lies and deceit. I've seen TV shows but never read any book series but this one I'm glad I decided to get and read ,it's a great start to a new series for me to read, it starts out slow but the more you read the more you begging to see the story come to life before your very eyes, it could be a TV show if the right people where picked and they did it right to begin with. As for the characters I liked how the author made them seem human ,like they where actually real and not characters in a book, with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion and I can't wait to read book 2. 

The Lovely and The Lost

Kira Bennett’s earliest memories are of living alone and wild in the woods. She has no idea how long she was on her own or what she had to do to survive, but she remembers the moment that Cady Bennett and one of her search-and-rescue dogs found her perfectly. Adopted into the Bennett family, Kira still struggles with human interaction years later, but she excels at the family business: search-and-rescue. Along with Cady’s son, Jude, and their neighbor, Free, Kira works alongside Cady to train the world’s most elite search-and-rescue dogs. Someday, all three teenagers hope to put their skills to use, finding the lost and bringing them home.

But when Cady’s estranged father, the enigmatic Bales Bennett, tracks his daughter down and asks for her help in locating a missing child—one of several visitors who has disappeared in the Sierra Glades National Park in the past twelve months—the teens find themselves on the frontlines sooner than they could have ever expected. As the search through 750,000 acres of unbridled wilderness intensifies, Kira becomes obsessed with finding the missing child. She knows all too well what it’s like to be lost in the wilderness, fighting for survival, alone.

But this case isn’t simple. There is more afoot than a single, missing girl, and Kira’s memories threaten to overwhelm her at every turn. As the danger mounts and long-held family secrets come to light, Kira is forced to question everything she thought she knew about her adopted family, her true nature, and her past.

My thoughts
Rating: 5 
This was the first time I've ever read this author but I've been waiting to give her a try and I'm so glad I went with this one, wow what a story ( just wish it was a series because I would pick it up in a heart beat and read it). It had me hooked from the story , and I just had to keep reading , I loved how you got to see bits of pieces of Lisa's past and her love for the dogs especially for Sliver and her dog , and her love for her family, and find characters to fall in love with as well as characters to hate . With that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

Gunsmoke and Gold

Title: Gunsmoke and Gold

series: Blood Bound #4

Author:s : William W,Johnstone & J.A.Johnstone

Pages: 270

Young Matt Bodine and Sam Two Wolves became blood bothers on the day the rancher's son saved the halfbreed's life, forging a bond no one could ever break. As years passed, a legend grew of the breed and the white man who rode together - and who could jerk killing iron with the best of them.

My thoughts
Rating :4.5
Even though this is book 4 of the series I had no problem getting lost in the story but then again I tend to do when ever I read one of their books, they have a way of  being their characters to live, as well as their setting , it like watching a movie or tv show and the more you read the more you get lost in the story line, I especially love how the two main characters was like family and not just blood brothers ,once again a win for William W.Johnstone &J.A.Johnstone, with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting read and review it .

Don't Close Your Eyes

Title : Don't Close Your Eyes
Series : Texas Justice #1
Authour: Christie Craig
What would you do if everything you thought was true about your family turned out to be a lie? 


Annie Lakes has had the same recurring nightmare for years. Her heart pounding in her chest. A panicked voice, begging her to run faster. Her own bloodcurdling scream. But now Annie is starting to realize it's more than just a bad dream. She's starting to remember things about the night her cousin Jenny disappeared all those years ago. Things that make her believe her family was involved--and what they're hiding is much worse than she ever imagined. But she can't unravel this alone. She needs someone she can trust, someone like sexy Detective Mark Sutton ....


Mark has seen enough--too much--to assume that Annie's story is a dead end. It turns out that her family is hiding some killer secrets. A long time ago, Annie was just an innocent little girl who saw something she shouldn't. Now she's a target, and Mark's running out of time to protect the woman he's starting to fall for. But how does Mark face off against a murderer who just may be someone Annie loves?

My Thoughts
Rating:5
What a get start to a new to me series ,this book had me hooked from the first page and wouldn't let go, it had ever thing I love in a good suspense ,it had me setting on the edge of my set the entire time I was reading, family drama and secrets that was been kept and not all of them good, a disappearance of a kid that had you wanting to know wither it was a disappearance or was she murder by a family member, a slight romance that didn't take anything way from the story . And characters that you either liked, loved or heated. It also had you asking was Annie making nothing's up or did she really see what she said she saw. And who was targeting Anne , with that said I want to Thank Forever as well as Grand Central Publishing for sending me a copy of exchange for my honest opinion and after reading this one I can't wait for the second book to come out.

Highland Crow

Title: Highland Crown


Mverness, 1820
Perched on the North Sea, this port town―by turns legendary and mythological―is a place where Highland rebels and English authorities clash in a mortal struggle for survival and dominance. Among the fray is a lovely young widow who possesses rare and special gifts.

WANTED: Isabella Drummond
A true beauty and trained physician, Isabella has inspired longing and mystery―and fury―in a great many men. Hunted by both the British government and Scottish rebels, she came to the Highlands in search of survival. But a dying ship’s captain will steer her fate into even stormier waters. . .and her heart into flames.

FOUND: Cinaed Mackintosh
Cast from his home as a child, Cinaed is a fierce soul whose allegiance is only to himself. . .until Isabella saved his life―and added more risk to her own. Now, the only way Cinaed can keep her safe to seek refuge at Dalmigavie Castle, the Mackintosh family seat. But when the scandalous truth of his past comes out, any chance of Cinaed having a bright future with Isabella is thrown into complete darkness. What will these two ill-fated lovers have to sacrifice to be together…for eternity?

My thoughts
Rating:4.5
A great start to a new to me historical romance story ,that has everything in it that you could want , and the you can tell as your read it that the author has put the time and effort to research her facts and that she has a way of mixing the facts with the fiction so we'll that they blend seamless together.And  as your reading it the story comes to live with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.