Tag Archives: Suspense

Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes, Romance, Public Library, Goodreads, Crime novel

Innocent in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series
Book Review
Book Review

Book Review of Innocent in Death – 2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 28
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, Audible Audio Edition, Listening Length: 12 hours and 7 minutes (400 pages), ASIN: B0019ZWM2E

A well-liked teacher has been poisoned at a posh elementary school, and before long another teacher is found drowned at the same school. Two young girls find the first body, which starts Eve’s path to the identity of the culprit. Meanwhile, on the home front, an old flame of Roake’s has reappeared and she is interested in putting her hooks back into the man she allowed to get away.

To date there are 44 books in the In Death series, with one more expected to be released in February of 2013. These books are crime drama, suspense and romance because they focus on the case Eve is currently working on as well as her and Roake’s personal relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2060 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative and they focus primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but at times the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. They are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

I enjoyed this book, as I did all the previous books in this series. I always know what to expect and Ms. Robb, never fails to deliver. The story is well told, and although there is little action in this book, the story was still interesting. I had no idea who the murderer was until it was revealed, and I was shocked at the direction the investigation lead. I found the side story about Eve and Roake’s relationship to be a great addition.

I recommend Innocent in Death as a good book and even if you haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, you will enjoy this one since the book stands on its own. However, if you enjoy reading futuristic crime drama romance, with a strong female character, then you should read all the books in this series.

To purchase: “Innocent In Death” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Book Review, 3 Treasure Boxes, Suspence, Kindle, Goodreads

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

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Book Review
Book Review

Book Review of The Thirteenth Tale: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Atria Books (September 12, 2006), File Size: 768 KB, Print Length: 416 pages, Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0385662858, Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc, ASIN: B000JMKRKC

Margaret receives a mysterious letter from the famous author Vida Winters, and Vida is ready to finally relate her dark secret tale, but Margaret has her own secret haunting past. During her research, and during the tale, a ghost is seen lurking in the old mansion at Angelfield estate, an old mansion that was burned and destroyed many years ago.

The Thirteenth Tale is Diane Setterfield’s debut novel. It is a gothic suspense novel and the story moves between the past and the present. The story is told by two people: an introverted biographer Margaret Lea as well as the fictional author Vida Winter. Margaret’s tale is told in a first person narrative, and Vida’s tale starts out in a third person narrative and then moves into a first person narrative. These two stories are about each of the character’s life.

One of the themes in this book is twins, which Ms. Setterfield has an interesting way of presenting, and at times a twin is seen in the reflection in the glass, or in a mirror, and in a shadow but often she appears pale and colorless. The Thirteenth Tale is the untold story of fictional author Vida Winter and is revealed by the end of the book.

I recommend this book as a very good read, and this standalone story is told in an interesting and intriguing manner.  The characters are unique but the story is sad and somewhat haunting.

Favorite Quote:

For I was spellbound. There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider ilk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic. (Location 202)

 

To Purchase: “The Thirteenth Tale” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

2 Treasure Boxes, Romance, Suspence, Public Library, Goodreads, Crime novel, Book Review

Memory in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series
Book Review

Book Review of Memory In Death: 2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 25
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, Listening Length: 10 hours and 58 minutes (384 pages), ASIN: B0019ZWM2O

It’s Christmas 2059, and Santa is dead, but that’s an easy case for Lieutenant Eve Dallas. In Memory in Death, the hard case comes later and involves the murder of Trudy Lombard, a woman who was once Eve’s foster mother. She is brutally killed, sometime after she tried to blackmail Roake about Eve’s nefarious past.

To date there are 44 books in the In Death series, with one more expected to be released in February of 2013. These books are crime drama, suspense and romance because they focus on the case Eve is currently working on as well as her and Roake’s personal relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2059 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative and they focus primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but at times the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. They are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

Memory in Death gives the reader more insight into Eve’s life as a child since it provides an avenue for flashbacks to her first experience in child protective services.  Where the woman who was supposed to protect young girls was actually very cruel and abusive and did far more harm than good. This book had a good hook and it kept the reader engaged as it unfolded and developed. There was a good twist at the end, and even though I saw it coming, I still like how it was presented.

The story is well told and interesting, and I recommend this book as a good read. It is a standalone story and the book can be read and enjoyed on its own.   However I recommend you read the books in order to receive the most enjoyment since the story revolves around the characters and they grow and develop in each new installment.

To Purchase: “Memory in Death” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Drama, Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes, Mystery, Public Library, Goodreads

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

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Book Review

Book Review of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: 2 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Vintage (May 18, 2004), Paperback: 226 pages, ISBN-10: 1400032717, ISBN-13: 978-1400032716

The neighbor’s dog has been murdered and Christopher is determined to play “Sherlock Holmes” to find the killer. He has an unusual way of looking at the world, which both helps and hinders his investigation. Christopher, through his detecting, unravels more secrets and finds more answers than he was looking for or is capable of handling.

Mark Haddon has written several children’s books and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is his first adult novel. The story is told in a first person narrative from the point of view of Christopher Boone, a 15 year old autistic boy. Mr. Haddon worked with autistic children when he was a young man.

This is a very sad story about an autistic teenage boy who decides to solve a mystery using his special unique talents. He is highly gifted in mathematics and in solving problems, but he is unable to deal with life and does not know how to respond to people.  He does not like to be touched, and if someone touches him, he will strike back using violence.

This is a standalone story, and it is told in an interesting and unique manner. The story is told in a memoir style from the point of view of an autistic boy who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Rather than numbering the chapters numerically, they instead are numbered in an increasing sequence of prime numbers, which is a good representation of how Christopher views life. I recommend this book as a good read.

Favourite quote:

“Lots of things are mysteries. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer to them. It’s just that scientists haven’t found the answer yet.” (Page 100)

 

 

To Purchase: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Suspence, Public Library, Goodreads, Book Review, Thriller, 2 Treasure Boxes

Dead by Midnight by Beverly Barton

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This entry is part [part not set] of 1 in the series Dead by Trilogy (Griffin Powell)
Book Review

Book Review for Dead by Midnight: 2 Treasure Boxes
Dead by Trilogy #1
Griffin Powell #11
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.Listening Length: 15 hours and 34 minutes (384 pages), ASIN: B005HBKTG2

The actors that once starred in a porno movie are systematically being murdered in Dead by Midnight. Lorie, one of the actors, has for the past nine years regretted making this movie. Since returning home, she has been living a good life, despite her childhood sweetheart who is unable to forgive her past mistakes. But now that her life is threatened, her ex-finance, who is also the sheriff, is determined to see she remains safe, despite his feelings.

Beverly Barton, who past away April 2011, wrote over 80 novels in both the romance and suspense genres and a number of series including: The Protectors, Griffin Powell / The Powell Agency, and The Cherokee Pointe Trilogy. Dead by Midnight is a Griffin Powell novel and it is also the first book in the Dead by Trilogy. This book is a thriller, suspense and romance. There are also several graphic sex scenes. The story is told in a third person narrative from the point of view of several different characters, including the murderer, but primarily from that of the main protagonist, Lorie.

Initially, there were a lot of different characters and it took me a while to get everyone straight, but once I did I really started to enjoy the story. This book revolves around the porno industry, and it shows how porno can hurt people and families. It is good to bring some attention to the porno industry because in our current environment 12% of websites are pornographic and 25% of all internet searches revolve around porn.1 I thought the story helped to bring some awareness to this without becoming preachy.

There were several layers to this story, with numerous killers or would be killers running around. A couple of the storylines came to a full conclusion, but the one surrounding The Powell Agency did not. The story was told fairly well, and kept the identity of the murderer pretty well hidden until the end. Enough clues were released to enable me to guess who it was before the reveal, and I liked that a couple of red herrings were thrown in as well, so it was not completely transparent. The Griffin Powell Agency played a minor role throughout the story, but I have a feeling the next book is going to be centered more on the people from this group.

This is the first Griffin Powell novel that I have read, even though it is the 11th book in this series, and yet I did not feel like I was in the middle of a series. The main story line can stand on its own, and came to a good conclusion, but the secondary story line did not. Since this is the first of the Dead by Trilogy, I probably will read the next book, Dead by Morning.  I have not read the previous 10 books in the Griffin Powell series and probably won’t. I recommend this book as a good read, especially if you enjoy a suspenseful romance that includes some hot sex scenes.

To Purchase: “Dead By Midnight” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

1 http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/stats-on-internet-pornography/
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Goodreads, Crime novel, Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes, Romance, Public Library

Survivor in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 23
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, Listening Length: 12 hours and 18 minutes (384 pages), ASIN: B0019ZWM3I

A little girl gets up in the middle of the night to sneak an orange fizzie drink, and this act saves her from a brutal death, but it doesn’t save her from witnessing the ruthless death of her family. Eve is on the case to find out who committed these horrendous acts, and at the same time, she is protecting this little girl from falling into the hands of these butchers.

To date there are 43 books in the In Death series, with one more expected to be released in September of 2012.  These books are crime drama, suspense and romance because they focus on the case Eve is currently working on as well as her and Roake’s personal relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2059 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative that focuses primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but at times the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. They are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

The story was well told, starting out from the point of view of the little girl who ends up witnessing the murder of her family.  Then it follows Eve as she tracks down the who and the why of these killings. There was a little bit of suspense, particularly in the end. I always enjoy reading about Eve; I like her character and I enjoy how she interacts with the people around her.

If you enjoy reading In Death books, then Survivor in Death will not disappoint. It was the usual Eve Dallas story and I recommend it as a good read.

To Purchase: “Survivor In Death” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

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Suspence, Public Library, Goodreads, Crime novel, Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes

Visions in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 22
Publisher: Brilliance Audio, Listening Length: 10 hours and 48 minutes (384 pages), ASIN: B0019ZWM3S

Who is murdering women and stealing their eyes? Can a psychic really help Dallas find the brutal murderer? Lieutenant Eve Dallas stands for the victims. She and her team will work tirelessly to find and stop whoever is committing these horrendous crimes.

To date there are 43 books in the In Death series, with one more expected to be released in September of 2012. These books are crime drama, suspense and romance because they focus on the case Eve is currently working on as well as her and Roake’s personal relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2059 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative that focuses primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but at times the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. They are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

This story examines the choices that people make, and shows that ultimately we must deal with the past so that we are not forced to re-live the past, the choice is ours. While Eve is following the clues, she is also facing with her own past.

Visions in Death was a good installment in the In Death series. As usual, it is a standalone story and it includes a fair bit of suspense. I recommend this book as a good read.

Favourite Quote:

“They flew through a steady, dreary rain. Nature’s way of weighing in, she thought, to make a hideous job more so. She saw a little burst of lightning bloom on the horizon, far to the north, and hoped it stayed there. Roarke didn’t ask questions, and his silence throughout the the flight helped steady her for what was to come. This sort of procedure would never be routine. Never could be routine.

To Purchase: “Visions in Death” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Romance, Suspence, Kindle, Goodreads

Only The Strongest Survive by Ian Fox

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Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, File Size: 522 KB, Print Length: 250 pages, ASIN: B006AO1QKS

Emely Donnovan is a successful business women with many enemies. Her cut throat business tactics have made her a target for revenge. The Langdon brothers, who lost their business due to their own carelessness as well as Emely’s machinations have decided to make her pay. This is the story of her journey through torture and redemption.

Ian Fox has written several books in the suspense category.  Only the Strongest Survive is not only suspense but it is also a love story. It is told in a third person narrative, primarily from the point of view of the main protagonist, Emely Donnovan, but at times it moves over to the point of view of the main antagonist, John Langdon.

This is an interesting tale which is intriguing from the first page. The story follows several unique avenues and I was never quite sure where the story was going or how it was going to end. There is plenty of action throughout the book as well as several hot sex scenes.  I liked the characters and I felt there was a good character arc for both Emely and John.

This is a standalone story which builds quite nicely up to an exciting and satisfying ending. I recommend this book as a good read.

 

To Purchase: “Only the Strongest Survive” from Amazon, click here or on picture above

Public Library, Goodreads, Book Review, 3 Treasure Boxes, Suspence

All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

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Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
A Henri Poincaré Mystery
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.; MP3CD Unabridged edition (September 1, 2011), ISBN-10: 1441792902, ISBN-13: 978-1441792907

Henri Poincare, a veteran Interpol agent always finds his man, but at what cost? After paying a horrendous price, Henri questions his choices. A mathematician has been assassinated by a very carefully placed bomb and Henri is determined to once again find the answers.  The theme of mathematics and chaos pervade this novel as Henri searches for the culprit, finding connections where none initially appeared.

All Cry Chaos is a debut thriller by the non-fiction author Leonard Rosen. This crime drama/suspense novel is told in a third person narrative from the point of view of the main protagonist, Henri Poincare. The story takes place in Europe in modern times while Henri solves a case, but this is not a simple crime drama. Although the crime he is investigating is a piece of the puzzle, it is really only a small part; there are many other factors that play into the story line.

The prologue engages us immediately, we are intrigued; who are these characters? Who died and why does Henri wish it was himself?  The opening sets us up, we know something bad is going to happen and we are on pins and needles throughout waiting for it to happen.  Henri’s character is well developed and we really care about him and what happens to him. As the story unfolds there are some pretty shocking events which occur but the story is weaved together in a masterful manner.

This is a standalone book, which creates a lot of suspense and tension as the story unfolds. I recommend this book, I found it hard to put down and I thought the ending was great which included a bit of a twist.

To purchase: “All Cry Chaos” from Amazon, click here or on picture above


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Goodreads, Crime novel, Book Review, 2 Treasure Boxes, Suspence, Mobipocket

Seduction in Death by J. D. Robb

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This entry is part [part not set] of 26 in the series In Death Series

Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
In Death Series, Book 15
Publisher: Berkley (September 1, 2001), Format: Kindle Edition, File Size: 597 KB, Print Length: 368 pages, ASIN: B000OCXJOS

Eve is always dealing with the terrible abuse she experienced as a child. So when she comes face to face with a maniacal murder who is killing women by feeding them the rape drugs known as Rabbit and Whore, Eve once again needs to deal with what was done to her as a child while at the same time finding and stopping the murders.

Seduction in Death is the fifteenth instalment of the In Death series by J.D. Robb, to date she has written 40 books in the series, with two more expected to be released later in 2011.  It falls into the crime drama, suspense and romance categories as the book focuses on the case Eve is currently working on as well as Eve and Roake’s personal relationship. This is a futuristic suspense that takes place in 2059 in New York City. The books are told in a third person narrative that focuses primarily on Lieutenant Eve Dallas, but at times the story is also told through some of the other characters including the murderer. The books are written by Nora Roberts under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb.

Seduction in Death grabs our attention from the first page and keeps us engaged as the story builds up to the final exciting conclusion. The personal interactions between Peabody and McNabb are fun to read and as usual there are a few hot sex scenes between Eve and Roake. It was interesting how Eve tracked down the killer and I liked the slight twist at the end of the book, when we thought the killer might get away.

I recommend this book, it is a good, fun read.  If you have enjoyed the other In Death books, then be sure to read Seduction In Death.  If you haven’t yet read any of these books, then I recommend you start from the beginning and work your way through.


To Purchase: “Seduction in Death” from Amazon, click here or on picture above