Book Review: "Searching for Sylvie Lee" By Jean Kwok

The sense of urgency explodes across every page yet nobody seems to know exactly where Sylvie Lee has gone.

The intensity ratchets up after learning of her relationships to others including a relationship with a young man near the tale end that will shock you.

Perhaps she needed time away, perhaps she wanted more of a finale to her issues, or perhaps she knew exactly what she wanted all along.

This was a great lead up to the conclusion for this Chinese immigrant family who has three daughters when the eldest went missing.

Family, secrets, longing for that connection, and searching for one's identity is all here as we delve deep into this family and their lifestyle.

Book Review: "The Golden Hour" By Beatriz Williams

The Golden Hour is the time just before the sun sets when everything looks the most beautiful but this one missed the mark for me.

When you're looking for espionage, treason, murder and find more of a historical tease tied to a historical romance without any answers being provided to the conclusion of the events....

Well for starters this one left me in a bit of wonderment as to the who dun it motive behind not only the murder but the treason.

The characters for me seemed to act out of character and there was something that seemed to be missing as if readers aren't told the whole story behind their actions.

The use of fowl language mainly the 'F' word in the plot didn't impress me or entice me to read on especially with someone who writes so well that doesn't need the use of shock value.

The story started off slow and the remainder including the two varying timelines made it difficult at times to keep it all straight.

All in all not a bad read but not one of my fav's from Beatriz.

By the way I was declined for NetGalley and since I'm a Top 22 USA reviewer with nearly 100% feedback I was a bit taken back.

I waited for this one from my local library being first on the list for library holds.

Book Review: "Game of Snipers" By Stephen Hunter

Has Bob Swagger finally met his match?

It all goes down when Janet McDowell the woman deemed 'crazy' seeks revenge for the killing of her decorated war hero son Lance Corporal Thomas McDowell.

She wants to know the truth ~Who pulled the trigger that killed her son?~

Simply enough, however not many wanted to take on this case so like most mothers she did the leg work herself thumbing her nose at the FBI and CIA and finding the sniper known simply as 'Juba'.

Well folks you know the game is going to get ugly as this fast paced no nonsense thriller takes aim but the aim may quite frankly be on a different target all together.
It appears that the sniper may have a dirtier background than first realized by both Janet and Bob.

This is a high stakes game that is more than just captivating it's irresistible!

With age comes experience and Bob Swagger knows how to handle the ropes.

This is my first read with Stephen Hunter and it definitely won't be my last.

A great new read for this epic heat wave in the hazy hot humid summer months.

Book Review: "The Islanders" By Meg Mitchell Moore

What will you give up in order to save?

That's the question here as everyone seems to have an issue or dilemma in one way or another.

Anthony is a writer who was going along fine till his 2nd work went terribly wrong and now is shored up borrowing a home on Block Island.

He simply wants things to go back the way they were and find solice.

However, life is never easy and here comes Joy a divorced mom of a teen daughter Maggie who are both seeking independence in their own right. Joy has an additional problem in that she runs a whoopie pie shop that is being threatened by a NYC food truck.

Lu meanwhile is every stay at home moms hero who has given up her career and personal endeavors for her family only to lose a piece of herself in the process.

Lord knows I know that feeling as I try to re-enter the workforce after 18 yrs of raising 3 kids so I can totally relate with the inadequacies in Lu's story.

Each struggles with their own personal issues, each relies upon the other for comfort, each find their own way in this maze we call life.

I loved every second of this light and sea breezy read.

I hope you do too!

Book Review: "Knife" By Jo Nesbo

Framed for murder without knowledge of the crime having been committed...enter Harry!

Too drunk to remember or revenge killing gone haywire? 

In the Knife we have all sorts of crazy actions that takeover the bizarre world being created.

We have Harry who is all over the place in terms of character development and is always on the wrong end of the receiving line. He's certainly not well liked and has women chasing him like God's gift only they should be begging him to leave.

If you're the type who enjoys a strong character with a moral compass this is not the book for you.

If you're the type who enjoys thrills without womanizing and w/o crimes against women; child molestation; rape; PTSD; all of which seem far fetched and are quite unwarranted causing triggers than this won't be a good fit for you.

The whole notion of raping women, cutting women with knives, impregnating women and or wounding them just didn't sit well here.

Harry seems to draw negative attention and flops from one problematic issue to another lost in his ways while drinking his sorrows away.

The unimaginable confessions are placed conveniently while seemingly falling out of the sky.

Perhaps a more well built case with stronger characters and women who hold their own rather than succumb their professional careers and endeavors for men would be warranted.

Oh well, till we meet again....in reading land!

Book Review: "The Case Manager" By Latoya Chandler

It seems everyone has a story to tell and these young ladies certainly deserve our attention!

Have you ever walked into a library and seen a book that appeared to stand out among the rest?

This was one such book and after reading the intro it captivated me as it was on a genre that has always peaked my interest.

The Case Manager touches upon heavy subject matter(s) such as rape, abortion, teen pregnancies and quite frankly it was quite alarming but once you got the feel for the author's work you were hooked.

You know how they say the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree? 

In this case you're right as Candice wants to be different from her mom yet takes a similar path in life.

Until she's sent to Hope House and receives a case manager who was meant to help but instead seems to take a child longing for love, affection, guidance, and support and instead creates a scenario that is unbelievable to have to read much less endure.

The characters were quite intriguing yet may off set many but the plot surely thickens as the grittiness and dirt are thrown in every direction.

Thrillers are nothing without drama and this has plenty of nail biting action especially concerning Nancy and the other girls in the house.

It's often said be careful who you trust and in this case those words ring true for a police officer caught in some disturbing actions.

We had a case similar here locally in which the badge was discarded for favors you can say it didn't work too well especially while on duty.

However, this is a great intro to a new author that I will certainly be keeping my eye upon to see what other works pique my interests.

Fab new read for all ages! 

Book Review: "The Most Fun We Ever Had" By Claire Lombardo

A married couple whose life seems perfect is not without flaws as they have shown their 4 daughters what the peaks and valleys are all about in life and love.

If family drama is your thing that this book has plenty but it's also a long read with plenty of varying characters and charisma to charm its way into your heart.

What I had issue with was nothing was all that explosive and perhaps I've read too many thrillers but I didn't feel I took anything spectacular.

The Most Fun We Ever Had was packed with those moments that parents dread but as with the famous quotes from the past the struggles only make you stronger.

In this case this family always found a way to make it work even if the road was rough and had to be paved over.

All in all a good read!