Friday, November 23, 2018

Book "Jeopardy in July" by Barbara Venkataraman

About the Book:Old people were dying at an alarming rate at La Vida Boca, a posh assisted living facility in Boca Raton, Florida. With its sterling reputation, dedicated staff, and top-notch medical care, none of the deaths are considered suspicious, but when members of the poker club start to die under strange circumstances, attorney Jamie Quinn finds herself once again embroiled in a mystery. With help from her new friend, Jessie Sandler, and her favorite P.I., Duke Broussard, Jamie uncovers a crime that took place forty years earlier. Can she stop the killer in time? Or is she in danger of becoming the next victim?

About the Author: Award-winning author Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law and debt collection.
She is the author of the Jamie Quinn Mystery series, as well as "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person"; "The Fight for Magicallus," a children's fantasy; a short story titled, "If You'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place"; and three books of humorous essays: "I'm Not Talking about You, Of Course", "A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities," and "A Smidge of Crazy", which comprise her "Quirky Essays for Quirky People" series. Two of her books of humorous essays won the "Indie Book of the Day" award. "Engaged in Danger" was chosen as Book of the Day by www.bookoftheday.org and won first place in the Amateur Detective category of the Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Mystery Writing Competition.
Her popular Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery Series includes: "Death by Didgeridoo," "The Case of the Killer Divorce," "Peril in the Park," "Engaged in Danger" and, just released--"Jeopardy in July", the fifth Jamie Quinn mystery!

My Review: When you think that life cannot get better, Mrs. Barbara Venkataraman releases another novel from her Jamie Quinn series "et voilĂ "! Trick is done! Once again the author shows all her talent creating characters that are so real that you will be cheering for our heroine from the first page. This is the fifth book in this series and although each book can live independently, I am sure you will savor better the story if you read the books in the order they were written.
In this particular book, Jamie Quinn volunteers to work at an assisted living facility, where she finds some interesting characters. Some old people start dying and she starts getting worried that those deaths are not completely natural and they might be related with a crime that happened forty years earlier.
While trying to solve the mystery, Jamie ended up placing her own life at risk...
I highly recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that appreciate a very good well written story, with some twists and an intelligent plot. You will not be disappointed, as the author is a natural storyteller and this is another of her masterpieces. Excellent way to spend a cold weekend entertained!
If you read this review, feel free to leave a comment!

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Book "Next Door" by Blake Pierce

About the Book: FBI Evidence Response Team intern Chloe Fine, 27, finds herself forced to confront her own dark past when her troubled twin sister needs her help—and when a body turns up dead in her small, suburban town.
Chloe feels life is finally perfect as she moves back into her home town, and into a new house with her fiancé. Her career with the FBI looks promising, and her wedding is on the horizon.
But, she learns, all is not as it seems in suburbia. Chloe begins to see the underside—the gossip, the secrets, the lies—and she finds herself haunted by her own demons: her mother’s mysterious death when she was 10, and her father’s imprisonment.
And when a fresh body is found, Chloe soon realizes that her past, and this small town, might hold the key to solving both.
An emotionally wrought psychological suspense with layered characters, small-town ambiance and heart-pounding suspense, NEXT DOOR is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night.

About the Author: Blake Pierce is author of the bestselling RILEY PAGE mystery series, which includes thirteen books (and counting). Blake Pierce is also the author of the MACKENZIE WHITE mystery series, comprising nine books (and counting); of the AVERY BLACK mystery series, comprising six books; of the KERI LOCKE mystery series, comprising five books; of the MAKING OF RILEY PAIGE mystery series, comprising two books (and counting); of the KATE WISE mystery series, comprising two books (and counting); of the CHLOE FINE psychological suspense mystery, comprising two books (and counting); and of the JESSE HUNT psychological suspense thriller series, comprising two books (and counting).
ONCE GONE (a Riley Paige Mystery--Book #1), BEFORE HE KILLS (A Mackenzie White Mystery--Book 1), CAUSE TO KILL (An Avery Black Mystery--Book 1), A TRACE OF DEATH (A Keri Locke Mystery--Book 1), and WATCHING (The Making of Riley Paige--Book 1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!
An avid reader and lifelong fan of the mystery and thriller genres, Blake loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.blakepierceauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

My Review: If you read other books from Blake Pierce, you will not be disappointed with this one. The story tell us about the relation of twin sisters that had their mother misteriously murdered when they were 10 and saw their father being arrested for the crime. They grew apart, Chloe choosing an FBI career and Danielle getting lost with her choices in life. Seventeen years later they reunited again when Chloe returns to her home town. But then life turns upside down when Danielle's boyfriend is found dead. The book is full of completely unexpected twists and you will read it at the edge of your chair. It is Blake Pierce at his best! Another masterpiece of suspense and mystery.
I highly recommend it to the permanent library of all readers that appreciate an excellent thriller, full of psychological suspense and with a completely unexpected ending that you would never imagine. This is the first book of what promises to be another excellent series. I can hardly wait to read the sequel of this book.


Monday, September 3, 2018

Book "Agent Zero" by Jack Mars

About the Book: Kent Steele, 38, a brilliant professor of European History at Columbia University, lives a quiet life in a New York suburb with his two teenage daughters. All that changes when late one night he gets a knock on his door and is abducted by three terrorists—and finds himself flown across the ocean to be interrogated in a basement in Paris.
They are convinced that Kent is the most lethal spy the CIA has ever known.
He is convinced they have the wrong man.
Do they?
With a conspiracy around him, adversaries as smart as he is, and an assassin on his tail, the wild game of cat and mouse leads Kent on a perilous road—one that may lead back to Langley—and to a shocking discovery of his own identity.
AGENT ZERO is an espionage thriller that will keep you turning pages late into the night.

About the Author: Jack Mars is the USA Today bestselling author of the LUKE STONE thriller series, which include the suspense thrillers ANY MEANS NECESSARY (book #1), OATH OF OFFICE (book #2), SITUATION ROOM (book #3), OPPOSE ANY FOE (book #4), PRESIDENT ELECT (book #5), OUR SACRED HONOR (book #6), and HOUSE DIVIDED (book #7). He is also the author of the new FORGING OF LUKE STONE prequel series, which begins with PRIMARY TARGET.
ANY MEANS NECESSARY (book #1), which has over 800 five star reviews, is available as a free download on Amazon!
Jack loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.Jackmarsauthor.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!

My Review: After reading the whole Luke Stone series, I became a huge fan of Jack Mars. His books are so dense, filled with action and the plot is so intelligent that you will not sleep until you are finish with the book. This is the start of a series that promises to be as good as the previous one.
In this book, Professor Reid Lawson teaches at Columbia University, has two daughters (Maya and Sara) and lives a nice life, until his world turns upside down when he is abducted by three terrorists claiming that he is a CIA spy.
The author did a superb job creating a set of characters that are fully developed and very much enjoyable. We cheer for our hero in every turn of the pages. The description of the action scenes transport us into a reality that is almost like sitting in a movie theater with surround sound and 3D presentation (It would make an incredible Hollywood movie...). Overall excellent plot, I can hardly wait to start reading the sequel of this book. I recommend this book to the permanent library of any reader that enjoy a well written thriller novel. They will not be disappointed.

I received this book from the author for reviewing. I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinion expressed here is my own.

If you read this review, feel free to leave a comment.

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Book "A Smidge of Crazy" by Barbara Venkataraman

About the Book: A collection of humorous insights into important topics ranging from being targeted by annoying ads ("Nowhere to Hide"), to resorting to symbols when you've forgotten your words ("At a Loss for Words"), to figuring out what door that extra key opens ("My Extra Key"). Other essays examine how sitting is the new smoking (whatever that means), and why it is just so hard to focus when you have the attention span of a gnat.

About the Author: Award-winning author Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law and debt collection.
She is the author of the Jamie Quinn Mystery series, as well as "Teatime with Mrs. Grammar Person"; "The Fight for Magicallus," a children's fantasy; a short story titled, "If You'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place"; and three books of humorous essays: "I'm Not Talking about You, Of Course", "A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities," and "A Smidge of Crazy", which comprise her "Quirky Essays for Quirky People" series. Two of her books of humorous essays won the "Indie Book of the Day" award. "Engaged in Danger" was chosen as Book of the Day by www.bookoftheday.org and won first place in the Amateur Detective category of the Chanticleer Murder & Mayhem Mystery Writing Competition.
Her popular Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery Series includes: "Death by Didgeridoo," "The Case of the Killer Divorce," "Peril in the Park," "Engaged in Danger" and, just released--"Jeopardy in July", the fifth Jamie Quinn mystery!

My Review: This author is a brilliant and natural story teller. Her style is so nice and clever that makes reading a pleasure, and will really bright your day. This collection of small chronicles or essays is a description of everyday's life situation that turns out to be very funny when you talk about them (probably not that funny when the situation really happened...). The only downside of this book is that it finishes too soon! We have only 15 short essays... But every new one is better than the previous one. Family Ties is a great one!

I recommend it to the permanent library of any reader who loves a laugh and enjoys a very well written collection of short stories. These essays will give your spirit a lift and leave you smiling.

I received this book from the author and I was not requested to provide a positive review. Opinions expressed here are my own.

If you read this review, feel free to leave a comment!

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Book "Transmission" by Morgan Rice

About the Book: From #1 worldwide bestselling fantasy author Morgan Rice comes a long-anticipated science fiction series debut. When SETI finally receives a signal from an alien civilization, what will happen next?
A 13 year old boy, dying of a rare brain disease, is the only one able to hear and decode signals from outer space. SETI confirms it is a real signal.
What is the message? How will the world react?
And most of all: are the aliens coming?

About the Author: Morgan Rice is the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising seventeen books; of the #1 bestselling series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, comprising twelve books; of the #1 bestselling series THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic thriller comprising three books; of the epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS, comprising six books; of the epic fantasy series OF CROWNS AND GLORY, comprising 8 books; of the new epic fantasy series A THRONE FOR SISTERS, comprising six books (and counting); and of the new science fiction series THE INVASION CHRONICLES. Morgan’s books are available in audio and print editions, and translations are available in over 25 languages.
TURNED (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals), ARENA 1 (Book #1 of the Survival Trilogy), A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1 in the Sorcerer’s Ring), RISE OF THE DRAGONS (Kings and Sorcerers—Book #1), SLAVE, WARRIOR, QUEEN (Of Crowns and Glory—Book #1), and A THRONE FOR SISTERS (A Throne for Sisters—Book #1) are each available as a free download on Amazon!
Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.com to join the email list, receive a free book, receive free giveaways, download the free app, get the latest exclusive news, connect on Facebook and Twitter, and stay in touch!


My Review: Morgan Rice did it again! In her superb writing style, she always make us release our imagination to fantastic worlds, living the story with our heroes, enjoying the well built characters in very intelligent plots.
In another series that promises to be as entertaining as the previous ones, Morgan presents us with the tale of a young boy named Kevin, who suffers from a uncommon degenerative brain disease, known as  leukodystrophy. That disease allow him to be sensitive to radio messages coming from space, and he can translate the messages that for others seems just noise. After SETI confirms that the message is real, things go crazy and the plot develops in a nice pace with some twists that will keep the reader on the edge of their seats. This is not a typical alien invasion book. Put your seat belt on and enjoy the ride.

Sci-fi is my favorite genre and this is a very nice book, that I recommend to the permanent library of all readers that love a well written sci-fi/fantasy book. They will embark in a journey full of action, heartbreak and magic, loyalty and betrayal, and they will not be disappointed.

If you read this review, feel free to leave a comment.