71. Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo

I read and enjoyed Ms. Castillo's previous book last year that introduced former Amish police officer Kate Burkholder and was looking forward to reading the newest book in the series. It was an ok read, nothing to rememberable, and I give it a B.

From Amazon:
The Plank family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary.
State agent John Tomasetti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a volatile relationship. They soon realize the disturbing details of this case will test their emotional limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts—and for Kate, a personal connection that is particularly hard to bear.
When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? Could the brother—a man with a violent past, rejected and shunned by his family and the Amish community, have come to seek out revenge? As Kate’s outrage grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

Like I mentioned above, I liked this book, but didn't think it was an utterly suspensful book. It's much more of a police procedural book. I do really enjoy the setting, though, and think that the mixture of the Amish and English living together. I definitely learned a lot about Amish people though, and enjoyed that aspect of the story. Kate and Joe are interesting match, but I have a feeling that the relationship will drag on for awhile. I will probably read the next book in the series, though, when it is released next year.

63. The Chill of Night by James Hayman

I read The Cutting by Mr. Hayman last year and loved it, so I was excited to see he had a new book out. I read through it in a day or so and really enjoyed it. I give it a B+.

From Amazon:
Glamorous young Portland attorney Lainie Goff thought she had it all—brains, beauty, and a fast-track to a partnership in a top-ranked firm that was going to make her rich. But then one cold winter night she pushed things too far, and her naked frozen body is found in the sub-zero temperatures at the end of the Portland Fish Pier.
The only witness to the crime: a mentally disturbed young woman named Abby Quinn who mysteriously disappears the very same night.
With the discovery of Lainie Goff ’s body and the disappearance of Abby Quinn, Portland homicide detective Michael McCabe finds himself on the trail of a relentless and clever killer. A killer he must find before another life is lost.
With The Chill of Night James Hayman returns to tell a gripping tale of evil and deceit and creates characters so real and so human, we want to meet them again and again.

While I have to admit at first I didn't remember much about The Cutting, as soon as I started The Chill of Night, McCabe and his life came rushing back to me. The mystery was well done and I have to admit to being surprised at who the bad guy was. It was suspenseful, and I was surprised more than once when looking up at the page number and couldn't believe how much I'd read... the story moved that fast! All of the characters were enjoyable and I hope Mr. Hayman continues the series.

3. Hush Money by Robert Parker

I picked up Hush Money at the library a couple of weeks ago and finished it a couple of days ago. It was a quick read and one I enjoyed. I give it a B.

Back cover:
Spenser has his hands full when he takes two cases on at the same time. In the first, a high-minded university might be hiding a killer within a swamp of political correctness. And in the other, Spenser comes to the aid of a stalking victim, only to find himself the unwilling object of the woman's dangerous affection.

This was my first book that I read in the series, but it definitely won't be my last. I really liked Spenser and his cast of characters that hang out with him, including his girlfriend Susan and his sometimes sidekick Hawk. This series is the perfect example of old-fashioned private investigator type of book. There is a lot of following others around and asking questions to find out the information needed. While the two cases Spenser is investigating aren't connected, it doesn't make the story the disjointed in any way and they both held my attention. I also thought liked the somewhat switcheroo where Spenser becomes the stalkee in the case he was investigating. If you haven't read any of the Spenser books, I would highly encourage you to pick one up. I am somewhat disappointed that I didn't start in the beginning, but I will probably go back and read some of the others in this series.

Right now I am reading a Greg Iles book, Blood Memories. It is a long book, over 700 pages long, though I am really enjoying it. I hope to get some serious reading time in this weekend. It's supposed to be very cold out so I would love to stay hunkered down under my Slanket reading quite a bit. Happy Reading everyone!

Immoral by Brian Freeman

I have a couple of Brian Freeman's books on my shelves, and for some reason, his name just jumped out at me awhile ago. Remembering that on Sunday, while looking on my shelves for something new to read, I decided to pick one of his books up. I ended up choosing Immoral because it appears to be the first book in the series. It was a great book, and while it took me awhile to read it, I really enjoyed it. I give it a B+.

Back cover:
Lieutenant Jonathan Stride knows it's not a moral world. One teenage girl has already disappeared on his watch, leaving behind no body, no killer and no justice. Now, when another girl goes missing on a cold night in Minnesota, Stride must relive his worst nightmare...

This was a good suspense and police procedural. As the story continues, some of the characters, including the missing girl, Rachel, become really unlikeable, but it doesn't take away from the story any. If anything, I believe it made the story somewhat more believeable. Let's face it, in every crime case going on in the world, all of the victims are not the most loveable people, but does that mean that they don't deserve justice? Stride is another one of those characters who I really really shouldn't have liked, but I just couldn't help myself. The suspense was really well done and the curves kept coming. I had about 30 pages left today to finish the book, so I had the class I was subbing for do DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time a bit longer so I could finish the book! If you haven't had a chance to check out any books by Brian Freeman, I would highly recommend Immoral!

Up next is a library book I've had for awhile. I bumped it back when Evil at Heart came in and then wanted to keep with my rotation schedule I have going. It's called The Promised World by Lisa Tucker. I am not sure what blog I read about it on, (my handy-dandy little notebook hasn't been working too well for me lately) but as I read the inside cover, I have to admit it sounds pretty good. I hope you are all reading something great right now and having a great week. I am subbing all week in the same 4th grade class (at the same school where I did my student teaching at in 4th grade) and this class is just really needy. I think I forgot how young the 4th graders are as the school year starts and they are wearing me out so off to bed for me! Happy Reading!

Roadside Crosses by Jeffrey Deaver

Last week I read The Sleeping Doll, the first book in the Kathryn Dance series, and absolutely loved it, so I was excited that Roadside Crosses came in from the library so quickly. I thought the premise sounded fantastic, but I was a bit disappointed. I end up rating Roadside Crosses a B.

Inside cover:
The Monterey Peninsula is rocked when a killer begins to leave roadside crosses besides local highways- not in memoriam, but as the announcements of his intention to kill. And to kill in particularly horrific and efficient ways: using personal details about the victims that they've carelessly posted in blogs and on social networking sites.
The case lands on the desk of Kathryn Dance, the California Bureau of Investigations foremost body language expert. She and Deputy Michael O'Neil follow the leads to Travis Brigham, a troubled teenager whose role in a fatal car accident has inspired vicious attacks against him on a popular blog, The Chilton Report. As the investigation progresses, Travis disappears. Using techniques he learned as a brilliant participant in role-playing games, he easily evades his pursuers and continues to track his victims. Among the obstacles Kathryn must overcome are politicians from Sacremento, paranoid parents, and the blogger himself, James Chilton, whose belief in the importance of blogging and the new media threatens to derail the case and potientally Dance's career. It is this threat that causes Dance to take desperate and risky measures...

This book really resonated with me, especially since I am a blogger and am on Facebook. We really do reveal a lot about ourselves, no matter how careful we think we are being, which could allow a psycho like this villain to use against you. The book also touches on the subject of cyber bullying which is all too common nowadays. I love books that incorporate real life threats and Roadside Crosses really accomplishes that. And I mean, come on, leaving Roadside Crosses before someone dies... that is just soooo creepy to me! However, I thought that there were some unbelieveable parts, including how Dance and her team comes to solve the case and it comes out of nowhere. That being said, I would still recommend this series to anyone who likes a good thriller/police procedural!

I am not sure what I am going to read next. My reading has slowed down so much, so I hope I can pick up something that will jumpstart it again! I've only finished 4 books this month and last month by this time I had read 7! I know it's quality and not quantity, but I miss reading a lot of books, especially good books. I feel like I am getting in a bit of a depressive slump, so it's something I really need to fight through. I hope you all are reading something fantastic! Happy Reading!

Black Seconds by Karin Fossum

So I have been reading a lot about Karin Fossum, the Norwegian suspense and police procedural author, from a lot of blogs about how wonderful her books are. They have just recently been translated into English throughout the past 5 or so years, and I decided to try one. I will admit that I almost returned this one back to library unopened, but for some reason decided to hang on to it and try it out. I am glad I did, it was an enjoyable read and one I give a B+.



Inside cover:

Ida Joner gets on her brand-new bike and sets off toward town. A good-natured, happy girl, she is looking forward to her tenth birthday. Thirty-five minues after Ida should have come home, her mother starts to worry. She phones store owners, Ida's friends- anyone who could have seen her. But no one has.

Suspicion immediately falls on Emil Mork, a local character who lives alone and hasn't spoken since childhood. His mother insists on cleaning his house weekly, although she's sometimes afraid of what she might find there. A mother's worst nightmare in either case- to lose a child or to think a child capable of murder. As Ida's relatives reach the breaking point and the media frenzy surrounding the case begins, Inspector Konrad Sejer is his usual calm and reassuring self. But he's puzzled. And disturbed. This is the strangest case he's seen in years.



I thought Ms. Fossum does a great job exploring and explaining the grief that Ida's mother Helga experiences through the loss of her daughter. When she becomes missing, the pain is evident though the pages, and while Helga takes a bit of a backseat to the story as it goes on, she is always in the back of the reader's mind. The descriptions of the reaction by the press, neighbors, and family members just feel like the real thing and it almost feels disturbing that you would be reading, spying even, on this town's and family's grief. Ms. Fossum does a fantastic job drawing the reader in and having you desperately care for each character in the story.



So you may be saying to yourself, if this was such a beautiful book, why the B+ and not an A, and I had to mark it down because of the lack of suspense. I had the whole mystery figured out, even the little tidbits, probably less than halfway through the story. I read suspense books to be thrilled and like being surprised while I read, so it does disappoint me a bit. I definitely plan on reading more books by Ms. Fossum, and have even placed one on hold through my library. While Black Seconds is part of a series, I definitely did feel like I was missing out on anything while reading it out of order.

I just checked my library's online catalog and discovered I have three books that have come in. I plan on picking them up from the library later on this afternoon and will start reading the next in the Hunter Morgan trilogy that I started this past weekend (well, actually read book 2). I am dying to find out who the serial killer is who is running crazy in a small beachside town. I have an idea to who I think it is and want to find out before I forget. Happy Reading everyone!

Chat by Archer Mayor

I got Chat a few months ago, probably the last time I made a run to Borders. I've been wanting to read it, but have been trying to get to books that have been sitting on the shelves for far longer than Chat. I ended up grabbing it after a few other books weren't able to grab my attention, but in the end I didn't fall in love with Chat. I give it a C.

Back cover:
News travels fast in the small state of Vermont, so a mysterios homicide in the rustic town of Brattleboro quickly draws the attention of both the local police and the Vermont Bureau of Investigation. But before Special Agent Joe Gunther can look into the matter, he receives shocking news: his mother and his brother have been seriously injured in a suspicious car accident. Concerned that somebody may be trying to kill his family, Gunther has trouble focusing on the murder case- until a second unidentified body surfaces. His investigation of the deaths soon leads him into the modern, urbane world of online chat rooms where older men prey upon young girls. Now finding himself on dangerously unfamiliar ground, Gunther must use all his cunning to stop a serial killer... and save the people closest to his heart...

Eh... this book just didn't resonate with me. First of all, this book is part of a series and one that I have never read any of the previous books in. I don't think it made a huge impact on the story line, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of the character development, so that put me at somewhat of a disadvantage. Secondly, I thought Joe did little to no investigating. He had his squad investigating the murders and some other investigators looking into the accident of his family. I am not sure what Joe does in this book, other than describing Vermont and all of its small cities and towns. Vermont is just as a big of a character in this story as Joe is, though Mr. Mayor does a wonderful job of allowing the reader to picture the landscapes and surrounding areas. I also thought that there were very few clues that allowed the reader to discover who the bad guy was and there were so many people investigating the case that it was hard to keep track of. I think Mr. Mayor had a fantastic idea and the book probably could have been better if he had focused on case over the other.

Up next is a library book by a Norwegian author whom I've heard a lot about. I am half Norwegian and have visited Norway when I was younger, so I am looking forward to reading a book set there. I have been meaning to broaden my reading locations, so I figured this would be a perfect fit. I hope everyone had a great weekend and Happy Reading!

The 37th Hour by Jodi Compton

I can't remember where I heard about The 37th Hour, though I suspect it may have been through a book blog or perhaps The Mystery Scene magazine. The premise grabbed me, though, and I found it at my local library. It was a quick read, and a good one, and I give it a B+.

From Amazon:
On a chilly Minnesota morning, Sarah comes home to the house she shares with her husband and fellow cop, Michael Shiloh. Shiloh was supposed to be in Virginia, starting his training with the FBI. A seasoned missing-persons investigator, Sarah is used to anxious calls from wives and parents. She used to innocent explanations that resolve so many of her cases. But from the moment she learns that he never arrived in Quantico, she feels a terrible foreboding. Now, beneath the bed in which they make love, Sarah finds Shiloh's neatly packed bag. And in that instant the cop in her knows: Her husband has disappeared.
Suddenly Sarah finds herself at the beginning of the kind of investigation she has made so often. The kind that she and her ex-partner, Genevive, solved routinely-- until a brutal crime stole Genevieve's daughter and ended her career. The kind that pries open family secrets and hidden lives. For Sarah this investigation will mean going back to the beginning, to Shiloh's religion-steeped childhood in Utah, the rift that separated him from his family-- and the one horrifying case that struck too close to home for them both. As Sarah turns over more and more unknown ground in her husband's past, she sees her lover and friend change before her eyes. And as she moves further down a trail of shocking surprises and bitter revelations, Sarah is about to discover that her worst fear---that Shiloh is dead--- maybe less painful than what she is going to learn next...

There were a lot of different storylines running through the book and at first, I was a bit confused and thought that maybe I was missing something. However, as the story continued to develop, you can see how all of the pieces begin to fit together. I really enjoyed Sarah and was rooting for her. She was a good character who, despite her faults, was likeable and easy to relate to. The mystery was a good one and it kept me turning the pages. The reason why I marked the book down a bit was because the ending really, really left me hanging. I assume there will be a follow up to this book and I am now going to have to be on the lookout for it. I should warn you, though, that this book is dark and doesn't have many laughs, but it is still a great read.

I am not sure what I am going to read next, though I know it will probably be another library book. I have a stack to choose from but I do plan on jumping right back in to another one. I have all of my weekend cleaning and errands finished so tonight is going to be some reading time! Brunch with my mom tomorrow and then the Red Wings at 5:00! I hope everyone is enjoying what they are reading and Happy Reading!

Dead of Winter by P.J. Parrish

I decided to read Dead of Winter by P.J. Parrish for several different reasons, one of them being because the book is set in Michigan and I always enjoy reading books set in my home state. The other reason why I decided to read it is for the name... it seems like I am stick in the dead of winter and that not spring is never going to arrive. We had a beautiful day on Friday, only to be followed by crappy, cold, and rainy weather and tomorrow is supposed to be in the 20s. Anyways, I have a couple of Mr. Parrish's books and decided it is time to start tackling some of these authors that I have a ton of their books. This was a good book and a fast read, and I give it a B.

From Amazon:
P.J. Parrish's stunning debut novel Dark of the Moon offered a stylish blend of suspense, knife-edge tension, and a complex and intriguing hero. Now, in "Dead of Winter", Parrish brings back police detective Louis Kincaid, as he investigates a series of gruesome murders...and is drawn into the nightmare mind of a killer. In the quaint tourist town of Loon Lake, Michigan, a killer is taking his vengeance. One by one, the bodies are found, brutally executed, with mysteriously coded death cards placed beside each corpse -- the signature of a psychopath. And the only sound louder than doors and windows being locked against evil is the sound of hearts beating in terror. Detective Louis Kincaid had come north looking for a refuge, a place to forget the horrors of his past. But now he's landed in the middle of an investigation that's more than a mystery. It's a warning of bad things to come...of a terrifying journey through a town's fiercely protected heart of darkness...and into the dangerous world of a madman.

At times, the book's main character Louis Kincaid irritated me a little, but the book really redeemed itself in the end. The book is set in the early 1980s and I thought that it may bother me a bit, but it really didn't. It was refreshing to see a case solved with some old fashioned police work without a bunch of forensics once in awhile. The suspense was done well in the end and there were a few curveballs thrown at me that had me surprised. The author does a great job of keeping the reader turning the pages and that is always a great thing. The book also has short chapters, which I think is perfect for me because sometimes I only have a few minutes to sneak in some pages here and there between my breaks at work and I hate leaving off in the middle of a chapter. I will be reading more Louis Kincaid books, as I am very curious to see where future books take him, though I hope he stays in Michigan.

Up next is a Mary Higgins Clark book titled Where Are You Now. Ms. Clark's books are always a quick, pleasant read and right now I am so busy that it just seems like a perfect fit. I am not feeling too well right now, as I just stopped taking some medicine that I have been on for about 2 years and I think I am having some side effects. I am sure I am not making too much sense and feel like I am rambling quite a bit, so I am going to sign off right now with a Happy Reading!