Review - Snake Skin

This book received high praise from Steve Berry, Jeffery Deavers, Kathy Reichs, and Lee Childs. But it was RT Book Reviews claiming: Combine Dirty Harry with a loving wife and mother and you might end up with Lucy Guardino" that convinced me to read the first in this series.  See what you think.

 Author: C.J. Lyons

Copyright: May 2015 (Edgy Reads) 448 pgs

Series: 1st in Lucy Guardino FBI Thriller series

Sensuality: Adult subjects, some violence, and swearing

Mystery Sub-genre: Police Procedural/Thriller

Main Characters: Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino, lead for Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad

Setting: Modern day, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Obtained Through: Personal purchase

Ashley is a very unhappy teen with parents that can't be bothered to notice her much,  who cuts herself. She manages to develop a friendship with Bobby in a computer game world.  Bobby and Ashley are supposed to runaway together, but a predator drugs her, abducts her, and proceeds to break her mentally to fashion his own version of a perfect "wife".  Lucy is assigned the case and just feels that Ashley isn't dead like everybody thinks.  Nor does she think Ashley just ran away like others suggest.  But this is a bad time for Lucy, her own daughter has a mysterious illness and she is torn between the time-limited search for Ashley and her own daughter.  Lucy has her hands full coordinating several agencies in the search, but is hampered even further by another team member who is having a torrid affair with a reporter who wants to get even with Lucy.  

Lucy is a very tough workaholic parent juggling a daughter and husband with the job. She isn't very emotionally available, so she has plenty of baggage.  Nick is her loving, stable, and long-suffering husband.  Megan, Her daughter was a somewhat whiny pre-adolescent. But she does show a loving side towards her mother occasionally which I appreciated.  Special Agent Zach Taylor is the Forensic Computer Tech guy on her team.  He is still green and enthusiastic and I can see his character getting a dose of reality in another book.  Don Burroughs is the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Major Crime's Squad who is a lecherous scummy guy with the unethical and vindictive journalist.

Pittsburgh doesn't stick out in the story much, but the barn where Ashley is held is creepy, really.  That was the best setting in the novel, utilized effectively.  Lucy comes off a bit too Jason Bourne-like when she survives a 5 inch metal shard in the back and has it removed and stitched with only local anesticia and goes right back to work. It's unbelievable whether guy or girl. That stretched the believability beyond normal bounds.  Otherwise, the concept wasn't too far of a reach with the large numbers of predators online now.  I do have to mention I was put off by how Lucy seemed to determine who the villain was in some flash of inspiration, when the reader simply didn't have enough clues to determine it.  That was a little too convenient and never fully explained.  The climax was tense and nail-biting suspenseful which was good and all the major story-lines are brought to a conclusion satisfactorily.

Overall this book accomplishes what a thriller's prime goal is, to take the reader on a thrill ride with barely time to catch your breath.


Rating: Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Because of the language and sensitive topic, you may wish to read a sample first.


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Review - XO

I had purchased this book, my first Kathryn Dance novel, and am just now getting to read and review it.  I am interested in a CBI agent who specializes in reading body language, known as Kinesics.  Let's see how it fared. 

Author: Jeffery Deaver

Copyright: June 2012 (Simon and Schuster) 516 pgs

Series: 3rd in Kathryn Dance Suspense series

Sensuality: Stocking, sexual overtones, woman-in-jeopardy scenes, some clinical death

Mystery Sub-genre: suspense

Main Characters: Kathryn Dance, California Bureau of Investigation Agent and interrogator and kinesics (body language) expert

Setting: Modern day, California

Obtained Through: Personal purchase

Agent Kathryn Dance takes vacation in Fresno to record some music of a group of Mexican musicians for her private web site, but primarily to visit with country singer friend Kayleigh Towne.  She plans to attend Kaleigh's concert later in the week too.  Kathryn meets up with Kayleigh at a restaurant and realizes she stepped into the middle of Kayleigh being confronted by her stalker who had slipped past her body guard.  Shortly after that incident, Kaleigh's long time friend Bobby Prescott, head of the road crew, is tragically killed in a fire, her stalker Edwin Sharp is the primary suspect.  But proving it is the challenge as alibis are produced.  The stalker seems to have taken Kayleigh's songs "Your Shadow" and "Fire and Flame" as his inspiration and strikes again.  The songs may provide clues to who or where he will strike.  Kathryn Dance is asked by the local law enforcement to help them, after she injected herself initially, in the investigation since they need the extra help.  This deadly stalker may just push a stressed and pressured Kayleigh too far, for she has a secret of her own. 

In the midst of this investigation, Kathryn is worried about boyfriend and their lack of communication during her vacation.  Michael O'Neil, is a co-worker who joins her on the investigation and complicates her emotions too.  A few scenes are told from young Kayleigh's point of view and you get a good sense of her fear and unrelenting pressure she is under. 

Kathryn Dance, a widower and single mother is an expert in body language.  She isn't perfect as she makes her way through this intricate plot pitting her against a devious and calculating murderer.  Lincoln Rhymes and Amelia Sachs make a brief cameo appearance, which was a pleasant bonus.  Michael O'Neil is a major crimes CBI agent in Monteray and has history with Kathryn.  He comes running to assist her on the case.  Bishop Towne, Kayleigh's overbearing father, had a music career that died quickly.  Now he "manages" his daughter's career, but he manipulates her too.  Sheri Towne is Bishop's fourth wife and she likes Kaleigh but can't seem to make friends with the singer.  P.K. (Pike) Madigan, Fresno Chief of Police who is gruff, pig-headed, and addicted to ice cream.

Fresno California is nicely displayed and the California countryside are all given justice.  I liked the plot of a deadly stalker obsessed with a rising Country singing sensation.  It is far too real and some folks don't realize how many celebrities have had determined and deadly stalkers, even Stephen Spielberg experienced it.  There are a few twists and turns that keep you guessing.  The entire book takes place in a three day time-frame and thus the pace moves along briskly.  There is information sprinkled about the science of body language and the record industry which might have slowed sections just a bit.

Deaver is a master at misdirecting the reader, which made the climax tense and even a little too real.  The wrap-up ties loose ends on many fronts and clears the deck for the next installment.  Deaver's take on a celebrity stalker produces a devious villain pitted against a dogged CBI agent. His characteristic plot twists and reader misdirection keeps the pace accelerated in this suspenseful story.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this series on your watch list

As part of this book, an album of the actual songs referenced in the story was recorded and released.  Here are two videos for your enjoyment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv5IpYeEl20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5GVylHILEs

If you would like the CD of the entire album, (click here).



I have been working on my "Create Your Shining Year Workbook," as you see here.  I can't express how much I love this workbook.  I got the combined Biz and Life version, but you can get just one or the other separately.  This is like nothing else I have used and I am sold on it for me, so I just wanted to share it with you.  You can start it any time, so don't worry that one month is done in the year.

Purchase your copy of "Create Your Shining Year Workbook, Planner, and Calendar" while they are available (click here).  I think you will find this a creative way to make 2015 a great year.   

Review - Angel Killer

I did an author spotlight a few days ago for this blog tour and book (click here.)  Here is my overdue review, plus I will have another review on Thursday as I catch-up on my reading schedule.  This is the first book in a new thriller series featuring a talented magician turned FBI agent.  Think the Mentalist with a touch of Criminal Minds mixed with The Magician TV series starring Bill Bixby from the 70s...but how does that mixture work?  I'll tell you.

Author: Andrew Mayne

Copyright: September 2014 (Berkley) 368 pgs

Series: 1st in Jessica Blackwood Thriller series

Sensuality: Serial Killer deaths

Mystery Sub-genre: Thriller / Suspense / Police Procedural

Main Characters: Jessica Blackwood, FBI agent and former Magician star

Setting: Modern day, sites across the United States

Obtained Through: TLC Blog Tours

The FBI computers have been redirected to a site with a series of numbers and the name "Warlock".  The techy people figure out it is encoded GPS coordinates leading to a body.  Dr. Jeffrey Ailes recruits Jessica suddenly for her unique magician skills from her past and effectively pushes her upon the lead agent on the case.  This isn't any typical murder.  

Chloe McDonald was buried two years ago, but thanks to the coordinates, they find Chloe only a few hours dead appearing to have been brought back to life and climbing out of her grave only to die again.  Jessica and the D.C. team race to the Michigan site and only Jessica has the background to really understand the level of slight-of-hand involved. It quickly becomes clear that more will die in the Warlock's staged illusions that quickly has the public believing he is really supernatural.  Besides solving the murders and unveiling who this murderer is, she must debunk his staged kills to dispel his growing following.

Jessica is a child magician prodigy from a magic royalty family that is beyond dysfunctional.  She makes a complex and layered main character to sustain the action.  I am an instant fan of her!  Damian is Jessica's self-appointed guardian angel, former lover, and a psychopath who is a little too convenient to save her from danger of all kinds or clear road blocks for her investigation.  He knows too much about the Warlock, his methods, even Jessica's movements, and is the only glaring weak link in the plot.  Conversely, he is the ultimate anti-hero on many levels and this character, if not careful, can easily become the "Dexter-esque" star of the novels rather than Jessica.  I do like that even in her relationship with Damian everything is as complicated as her family ties, nothing is easy for her.  

Dr. Jeffrey Ailes is the mathematician genius who takes Jessica from financial crimes in the FBI to this high profile case.  I love this character and want more of him.  The Warlock is an enigma, is he just a serial killer with delusions of grandeur or a deadly genius with a god-complex?  You will have to read it to decide for yourself.  This novel presents a villain who is scary and yet exposes the sad condition of the media and gullibility of the masses.  The breakout unexpected star that I hope to have more page-time in the next books is red-headed FBI Field Forensic Technician Danielle (no last name I could find). She is smart, observant, not easily threatened by Jessica, and has such a presence she leaps off the pages in the few scenes where she appears.

The settings are critical to the staged deaths and are vivid, whether rural or the middle of Times Square in New York. The concept of a gifted magician turned FBI agent is one of those where execution is the key.  It could turn out gimmicky and a worn-out trope or brilliant, either way.  In this case, it breathes and takes on a life of its own.  The pace is standard for a thriller...breakneck.  Yet we get a layered main character and just enough explanation of magic theory and delivery to understand the complexities without slowing the story.  The climax is tense with plenty of nail-biting action and I ate it up. 

This debut of a new thriller series delivers a fresh take on this premise, taught suspense, an intense main character, and a rush of a story.  Pure entertainment that swept this reader off her feet. When is the next book?  **Gush, gush.**

Rating:  Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. 

Here is a short video of Andrew in action.

 

Review: Knockout by Catherine Coulter

Author: Catherine Coulter
Copyright: June 2009 (Putnam Adult); 432 pgs.
Series: #13 in FBI Thrillers
Sensuality: Adult references
Mystery sub-genre: Police Procedural
Main Character: FBI Agent Dillon Savich
Setting: Washington DC, Titusville Virginia, and Georgia
Obtained book through: Library Find

The book opens with FBI Agent Dillon Savich as a customer in a bank when it gets robbed. The robbery goes bad and Savich has a hand in killing the leader of the robbery gang. The leader of the “Gang of Four” was a cold-blooded woman whose daughter is injured in the robbery and vows revenge on Savich. The daughter, Lissy, breaks out of the hospital and goes on a killing spree on her way to avenging her mother’s death by taking out Savich.

While Dillion and his wife, Sherlock - also an FBI agent, are absorbed in finding Lissy a second plot line comes into play when Dillon is contacted by seven year-old Autumn. She saw the media coverage on Dillon as a hero. Autumn is in desperate need of a hero to save her mother and herself from a rabid cult that will stop at nothing to take Autumn. The cult wants her because she has the ability for mental telepathy and Dillon knows it first hand, since that is exactly how she was able to contact him.

The first time she spoke to him was midnight.

"It’s you, it’s really you. I can see you, Can you see me?"

It was a child’s voice, high, excited, with light bursts of breathing.

He heard her voice at the edge of sleep. At first he didn’t understand, thought maybe it was Sean, but then he saw her – the shape of her small head, then a tangle of long dark brown hair, and he thought, Yes, it’s me. Who are you?

I felt this was a gripping read from the first sentence. Dillon is the main character while a sheriff in Virginia, Ethan, gets sucked into the drama as he attempts to protect Autumn and her mother. The two story plots are juggled well and keep the tension cranked up. Lissy proves to be a psycho-path and clearly she and Dillon are headed for a showdown at some point. The cult members after Autumn seem unstoppable and I could not have guessed where that ride would end.

Dillon is a grand hero type while Ethan demonstrates he is pretty heroic too. Dillon’s parental side shows a good bit in this installment as he often thinks of his son Sean. The paranormal obsessed cult is done convincingly I felt, but I can understand if you are looking for strictly a police story that this aspect may not be your cup-of-tea.

Ethan is well developed and you often commiserate with him as he comes to deal with Autumn’s situation and her talents. Autumn’s character is wonderfully portrayed and I became quite fond of her character.

There are good twists and turns in the story and you will find yourself rooting for Dillon and Ethan as they jointly and separately move through the events. There are some good twists and tension is maintained believably. The ending was satisfying and wrapped up nicely.

Knockout is a suspenseful ride and I recommend it.

For your convenience, you may purchase your copy here.

Until next Monday, I wish you many mysterious moments.