Monday’s Lie by Jamie Mason

Blurb:

From the acclaimed author of the “ripping good” (The New York Times) debut novel Three Graves Full comes a new thriller about a woman who digs into her unconventional past to confirm what she suspects: her husband isn't what she thought he was.

Dee Aldrich rebelled against her off-center upbringing when she married the most conventional man she could imagine: Patrick, her college sweetheart. But now, years later, her marriage is falling apart and she’s starting to believe that her husband has his eye on a new life...a life without her, one way or another.

Haunted by memories of her late mother Annette, a former covert operations asset, Dee reaches back into her childhood to resurrect her mother’s lessons and the “spy games” they played together, in which Dee learned memory tricks and, most importantly, how and when to lie. But just as she begins determining the course of the future, she makes a discovery that will change her life: her mother left her a lot of money and her own husband seems to know more about it than Dee does. Now, before it’s too late, she must investigate her suspicions and untangle conspiracy from coincidence, using her mother’s advice to steer her through the blind spots. The trick, in the end, will be in deciding if a “normal life” is really what she wants at all.

With pulse-pounding prose and atmospheric settings, Monday’s Lie is a thriller that delivers more of the “Hitchcockian menace” (Peter Straub) that made Three Graves Full a critical hit. For fans of the Coen brothers or Gillian Flynn, this is a book you won’t want to miss.

Review by Rochelle Weber:

I loved Ms. Mason’s first book, Three Graves Full. When Jason Getty finds a body buried in his backyard, he panics because it’s the wrong one. It’s not the one he buried, and he’s afraid the cops will stumble onto the murder he committed while investigating the two murders that took place before he bought his house. The book was not only suspenseful, it was funny.

Monday’s Lie is suspenseful, but it’s more introspective and not funny, which I was hoping for. It juxtaposes Dee’s childhood with her mother against her present with her husband and brother (who is her best friend). After all, who else can understand her, but the man who grew up playing spy games with their mother, Annette? As Dee grew older, she realized Annette was not just an operative, but a very well-regarded one.

Had I not expected a book with both suspense and laugh-out-loud humor, this would have been a great book.  It did have some rather humorous parts as Dee came to the conclusion she was being pursued and used her mother’s spy-craft to turn the tables on her pursuer.  It did suck me in and keep me burning through the pages.

Length:  304 Pages

Prices:

Hardcover Print:  $18.62

Digital:  $12.99

Audible:  $29.95

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Mondays-Lie-Jamie-Mason-ebook/dp/B00LD1OOW0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427828966&sr=1-1&keywords=Monday%27s+Lie+%2B+Jamie+Mason

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

The Missing and the Dead by Jack Lynch

Blurb:

Private eye Peter Bragg’s relentless search for a missing insurance investigator unearths shocking secrets involving embezzled money, the disappearance of a cop, art stolen from a San Francisco gallery, and a serial killer obsessed with the expressions on his victim’s faces when they realize they are going to die. Bragg connects the dots, creating a chilling portrait of impending death…and it could be his own.

Review by Rochelle Weber:

I love the Bay Area, and the Golden Gate Bridge on the cover of The Missing and the Dead drew me in. The plot kept me reading.

Janet Lind is the kind of anchor woman who, according to Don Henley, can “tell you about a plane crash with a gleam in her eye.” The only reason Peter Bragg agrees to take her case is that he owes her boss a favor. It seems her brother Jerry, an insurance investigator, has disappeared, and their uncle has died leaving them over a million dollars. If Jerry’s dead and he died before the uncle, Janet gets all of the inheritance. If he died after the uncle, she has to split the money with Jerry’s wife, Marcie, who she clearly thinks is trash. Bragg’s opinion of Marcie Lind is higher than that, and keeps him on the case, which becomes convoluted and dangerous, indeed.

I enjoy Brash Books’ reprints of classic noir novels. It’s fun to read books that take place before people had laptops and cell phones, although some of the action takes place in areas where a person probably couldn’t get a signal anyway. The dialog was natural, the characters very well-drawn, and Mr. Lind did a great job of keeping me guessing who the villain was. I truly had no idea until he revealed the killer. I highly recommend The Missing and the Dead.

Length:  241 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $11.99

Digital:  $2.99

Buy Link:  http://www.brash-books.com/book/the-missing-and-the-dead/

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

American Thighs by Jill Conner Browne

Blurb:

Whether young enough to look "hot" or of the age to only feel that way (in flashes with buckets of sweat), every woman has given, or will give, ample thought to preserving her best "assets" (thighs included), so that the dread transition from "cute girl" to "ma'am" won't be quite so unsettling.

Here are stories of growing up and learning about life—usually the hard way! From disastrous haircuts and color jobs to fashion or verbal faux pas committed, from the kiss wished for but never gotten to the one that should have been skipped, these are the moments that mark each of our journeys from what we thought back then to what we now know. Since to say that Youth is wasted on the Young has got to be the understatement of all time, it falls upon Browne, as one older and wiser, to take a "Hit and Run" down Memory Lane for the sake of offering "Asset-Preserving Tips," with astonishing disclosures about:

• Why women have risked their lives just to get a little bit blonder.
• How the muumuu has been fashionably resurrected as the "patio dress."
• Why it's important to always have a good photo of yourself on hand—just in case.
• How, no matter what skin you're in, to make it last a lifetime.
• Why you can never trust anyone over eighty-five.

Review by Rose Thornton:

American Thighs is another hilarious book written by Jill Conner Browne that will give its reader many good laughs as well a thorough education in womanly assets and how to preserve them. Browne’s unique and charming way of getting her point across gives life to yet another insightful book. Although written primarily for the encouragement and entertainment of women, many men will also find this book enjoyable for its light side and eye-opening revelations. I can recommend to both, but definitely for adult ages.

Length: 256 Pages
Prices:
Print: $15.00
Digital: $10.99
Buy Link:
http://books.simonandschuster.com/American-Thighs/Jill-Conner-Browne/9781416594352

Thanks for visiting, Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

The Second Coming A Love Story by Scott Pinkster

 Blurb:

Two men claim to be the Second Coming of Christ. Each claims the other is Satan in disguise. But only one is telling the truth.

In The Second Coming: A Love Story, the devilish new novel by Scott Pinsker, the culture war between Red America and Blue America turns shockingly real when two self-declared saviors appear on earth. The first “messiah” attracts legions of liberal and secular-progressive followers with his message of New Age brotherhood, quickly becoming the darling of the left. The second “messiah” preaches fire-and-brimstone traditional Christianity, gaining a grassroots army of conservative worshipers ready to battle to the death.

It’s finally happened: Red America and Blue America are headed for Armageddon!

Review by Rochelle Weber:

When Mr. Pinkster first offered The Second Coming: A Love Story to me to review, I had some qualms about it.  It’s not that as a Pagan I don’t know the Bible or the stories related to Christ’s return and the Anti Christ.  It was more of a case of “been there; done that; don’t wanna be preached at.”  But I was assured the book wasn’t preachy, so I accepted it.  Warning:  die-hard Christians would probably be scandalized.  It reminded me of a rock song a few years back that asked, and I’m paraphrasing here, “Would you know Christ if He was on the bus like one of us?”  I’m betting most of us wouldn’t.

The Second Coming: A Love Story is really kind of a hoot.  The two entities claiming to be Christ are each rather humble, self-effacing men who recruit followers with names one can certainly relate to Biblical figures.  So is it the one who lives on the beach and whose disciples include Margaret Madala and Peter the Bum?  Or the one who appears in Washington, DC, and recruits the gay speech writer David and his partner Michael?  Is it the one who preaches Old Testament fire and brimstone?  Or the one who says, “All you have to do is leave the world a holier place than it was when you arrived here”?  Mr. Pinkster kept me guessing.  In fact, the book ended and I’m still not sure which one it was, because Mr. Pinkster used a ploy that is one of my pet peeves.  He ended the book with a cliff-hanger.  Apparently this is part of a series, and I’ll have to buy at least one more book to learn which one is the real Christ, and which is the Anti Christ.

Mr. Pinkster could also use a better line editor.  I found a few glaring grammar issues.  Well, glaring to a grammar Nazi like me, anyway.

Overall, it was a good book.  In fact, it was a much better read than I expected.  I would definitely recommend it, but only if you have an open mind and can take a joke.  I mean, really—would you know Christ if you met Him on a bus?  How about if He was pan-handling and said He was hungry and you had a couple extra bucks?  Would you take Him into Micky D’s and buy Him a burger and fries?  If He was selling a paper the homeless sell to get back on their feet would you buy a copy or tell Him to “Get a job.”?  I actually heard a yuppie say that to a guy selling Streetwise in Chicago.  As far as I’m concerned, selling a newspaper is a lot more honest than selling stocks or hog futures.  You pay a dollar and you have a product in your hand that will still be worth a dollar tomorrow.  But, I digress.  You’ll enjoy Second Coming: A Love Story.

Length:  238 Pages

Prices:

Print:  $16.00

Digital:  $3.16

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Second-Coming-Love-Story-ebook/dp/B00KT6B3G0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420404771&sr=1-1&keywords=the+second+coming+a+love+story

Thanks for visiting. Rose, Julie, Donna, & Rochelle

Sourdough Creek by Caroline Fyffe

Blurb: 

Cassie Angel is used to taking care of herself. With a spirit of adventure, and a need to stay out of harm's way, she departs a dying Nevada town for the golden opportunities that await in California--along with a new life. When charming Sam Ridgeway shows up, claiming to know her uncle, and offers her protection in her travels, she has no idea there is an ulterior motive involved.

Review by Donna Hechler Porter:

I am trying to read and find new authors since I have read through all my favorites. Caroline Fyffe is another that I can now add to my list of writers. Sourdough Creek, one of her stand-alones and apparently one of her first novels, brings us the story of young and orphaned Cassie Angel, who is desperate to head to California to open a bakery so she can improve her life and that of her younger sister. Sam Ridgeway is a man who needs to get back something stolen from him, something that could change his future forever. Unfortunately, Cassie unknowingly has what he needs. As the two join forces to leave their small town and head west, both find that goals are not as important as people and family.

This book was an enjoyable read. It doesn’t have characters that will “stay with me” for a long time after I read, and certainly not forever.  It was rather formulaic in its plot points and characterizations, but the plot is tightly woven and the characters jump from the page. Cassie’s desperation to better her life is understandable.  Her long term goal is clear from the beginning, and her spunk is endearing. Sam, in typical hero fashion, wants one thing at the beginning, but as he sets aside his own desires and determines to woo Cassie, he ends up wanting something much more at the end. Cassie’s uncle, the villain in this case, is truly a wretch, and Fyffe’s portrayal of an ever-suffering Cassie willing to believe in the man rings true. Even the cat has a personality all its own.

The middle does sag at one point about 1/3 of the way through the book, but the story then picks up again and pulls you all the way to the end. I was also a bit confused as to Cassie’s real age. I thought she was much younger than she must have actually been, which was a bit strange. Fyffe’s prose is well-done and enjoyable to read.

All in all a great read for a weekend, and I have definitely added another author to my list! 4 roses for sure!

Length: 363 pages

Prices

Print: $11.44

Digital: $3.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Sourdough-Creek-Caroline-Fyffe-ebook/dp/B007CJPH2I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420066443&sr=8-1&keywords=sourdough+creek

Thanks for visiting Rose, Julie, Rochelle, and Donna