Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon ~ Review

Title: Island of Lost Girls

Author: Jennifer McMahon
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 272 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Rating: 2
Heat Rating: 1
Reviewed by: Cerridwen

While parked at a gas station, Rhonda sees something so incongruously surreal that at first she hardly recognizes it as a crime in progress. She watches, unmoving, as someone dressed in a rabbit costume kidnaps a young girl. Devastated over having done nothing, Rhonda joins the investigation. But the closer she comes to identifying the abductor, the nearer she gets to the troubling truth about another missing child: her best friend, Lizzy, who vanished years before.

From the author of the acclaimed Promise Not to Tell comes a chilling and mesmerizing tale of shattered innocence, guilt, and ultimate redemption.

Hmmmm...wasn't as impressed with this McMahon book but it is one of her earlier ones. It was still creepy with the whole kidnapping scenario. That's every parent's worst nightmare, but it still took me a good 70+ pages to get going and decide I needed to find out what happened to these missing children.

True to McMahon style though she delivers a twist and punch with the end you don't see coming.

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The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon ~ Review

Title: Winter People
Author: Jennifer McMahon
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 317 pages
Publisher: Doubleday
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Rating: 5
Heat Rating: 2
Reviewed by: Cerridwen

West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara's farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea's diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother's bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.

This was the first of Jennifer McMahon I have ever read. It came highly recommended from a co-worker.

It took me all of 1 night, with the lights on, to finish this book! If you like spooky tales with A LOT of great twists you've got to try this! The family ties that bind this family to the land and to the tale are creative and well thought out. You really wonder are there legends and folk tales about this stuff. 

This will not be the last of Jennifer McMahon's books I pick up. I'm eager to try another!

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Omens by Kelly Armstrong ~ Review

Title: Omens (Cainsville #1)

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 486 pages
Publisher: Dutton
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Source: Library
Rating: 4
Heat Rating: 1
Reviewed by: Cerridwen

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

I actually picked Omens up because I picked up the sequel, Visions first. Dragging myself back to the library mad because I thought I had stumbled upon a new series only to find out I was behind, I snatched Omens.

I have read Kelley Armstrong before, but haven't really stuck to any of her series. Apparently it's been a long, long time because reading this made me go bad and bookmark several I would like to read.

So, stop rambling....from the very beginning this story grabbed me. My 100 page rule need not apply here cause at page 5 I couldn't put it down. So much so my fiance was taking pictures of me stirring a pot of spaghetti with one hand and reading the book with the other. (He has never witnessed such a feat, but I'm sure other fellow readers have done similar. )

This is more of a mystery, as Olivia navigates the secrets of her past by visiting people in the town and her imprisoned mom, although it does have several supernatural elements and some strange things going on. You get that vibe you're along for the journey with Olivia. You want to know the truth as bad as she does!

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Review of Wait For Me - 5 Star FREE kindle Book on Amazon

Title: Wait For Me
Author: Elisabeth Naughton
Source: Free on Amazon/Kindle Version
Genre: Romantic Thriller/Mystery (Hint of SCI-FI)
Length: Novel - 267 pgs
Reviewed by Douglas C. Meeks

A 2013 Bookie Award Nominee – Best eBook Novel of the year!
A 2012 Readers' Choice Awards finalist!

Summary:

A woman without a past…

After a tragic accident left her with no memory, Kate Alexander struggled to fit in with a husband and world that didn’t feel right. She’s had no reason to question what friends and family have told her, not until her husband is suddenly killed and she finds a photo of a young girl in his office. A girl who can’t be anyone but a daughter Kate didn’t know she had.
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A man desperate for a reason to live…

Ryan Harrison lost his wife in a plane crash five years ago. To cope with the pain of her loss, he dedicated himself to his job and to raising their daughter. Now a successful pharmaceutical executive, Ryan has everything a man could want—money, fame and power—but he’d give it all up in a heartbeat for just one more day with the woman he still loves.
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Two lives about to converge.

As Kate begins to dig into a past she doesn’t remember, evidence leads her to San Francisco and puts her on the path toward Ryan, a man who sees in her the woman he loved and lost. Kate feels a draw to Ryan, one she can’t explain, but is that feeling enough to convince her this is where she’s supposed to be?

As Ryan and Kate search for answers, they uncover lies long buried, a passion hotter than either expected and a danger that threatens…even now…when the second chance they've both been searching for is finally within reach.

Review: Harbour Falls by S.R. Grey

Title: Harbour Falls
Author: S.R. Grey
Length: 346 pages
Reviewed by: Twigs






Best-selling author Maddy Fitch, researching material for a new novel, returns to her hometown of Harbour Falls to investigate a disappearance that has haunted the tiny Maine coastal town for the past four years. Maddy soon discovers that the case has gone cold, but the prime suspect, Adam Ward, is hotter than ever. Now living on an isolated island, Maddy takes up residence near the sexy Mr. Ward's home. As she begins to seek out answers, the mystery deepens, putting Maddy in jeopardy.
Lies, secrets, deceptions. Nothing is ever what it seems in Harbour Falls.

A steamy novel that immerses the reader in an intricate storyline that will keep them glued till the very last page.

First in a series. Romance/Mystery genre.

From the first page Grey engulfs you in the mystery that has haunted Harbour Falls. Maddy is determined to figure it out once and for all. The chemistry between Adam and Maddy is undeniable. I absolutely loved it and could not get enough. You are left in the dark about what is really going on through most of the book. Between the mystery, the suspicious acting people, and the sexual tension of Adam and Maddy, Grey keeps you on the edge of your seat and flipping pages. As for the end....I cannot wait for the second book!!! Talk about a cliff hanger to end all cliff hangers! What a great set up for book two!

ARC Review of If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

Title: If I Were You (Inside Out Trilogy Book #1)
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Source: Requested
Genre: Erotic Romance/Contemporary Romance
Length: 330 Paperback pages
Reviewer: Revolutionary Riot Gyrl

He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn't find intriguing, but I do. I don't understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.

Review: Chain Reaction by T.C. Archer

Title: Chain Reaction (The Phenom League)
Author: T.C. Archer
Source: Requested Review
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery & Thrillers
Length: Novel

Former Chicago Detective Jordan Pierce put his life on hold in order to protect America's secret weapon against the Nazis; The Manhattan Project. But he can't protect himself from the disease eating away at his humanity. Jordan discovers how much of his soul this infection has devoured when he falls in love with the woman who could destroy America. Choosing her means choosing the monster he's becoming, making him the most powerful man he's ever known.

Review: After Dusk by Lorie O'Calre

After Dusk (book three in the Torrid Love series)GT
Author; Lorie O'Clare
Erotic romance (thriller/suspense) trade paperback 208 pgs.
Author's website

Book description:
Emily Rothmeier loves a good mystery. One involving a sexy man is even better. But when sex crimes against older women start terrorizing the college campus, turning private investigator might be biting off more than she can chew. After an evening class, Emily witnesses something she doesn't understand. A cry in the dark. A mysterious figure racing from the scene. The front page of the paper announcing a murder. Things don't add up. Distracted by the watchful gaze of a man who seems to be wherever she is, she isn't sure whom to trust. Private investigator Rafe Healy is hot on the trail. Leads are falling into place. He's hoping to get his man. But when Emily, who fits the killer's target group in more ways than one, tries playing myster solver, he knows she's thrown herself into the line of fire. Not to mention, her gutsy and determined attitude is getting to him as badly as her tempting body is. Keeping Emily safe and in line, fighting to stay on step ahead of a serial killer and keeping his wits about him will prove to be the biggest challenge of Rafe's life.
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Laurie's Review
Rating 5/5
Sexual- very steamy hot!
LOVED IT!!! For an erotic suspense thriller this one blew me away. I don’t want to give to much of this away, so I'm just going to give some details. This book has a sex crime so make sure you have a stomach for this, its fast pace, so you do have to wait for ever to find out who did it. I even has a hard time trying to figure out who did it.

I liked Rafe he determined to take down who is murdering the women. I really liked Emily she has lots of courage and curiosity to make the story more interesting. Rafe and Emily both like to dominate, they both take turns with out question or fighting about who is lead it worked out great, its was just right in heat to make it steamy hot, there is anal sex in this one. I felt this book has just the right amount of storyline and sex so you don’t get tired of either
This series does not have to be read in order
1. The First Time
2. Cought!
3.After Dark