"To Catch a Killer" by Sheryl Scarborough

In To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough, Erin Blake's life has always been tough.   When she was a toddler, she was left alone with her dead mom for three days.  Through the years, she always wanted to know who killed her mother.  Now someone close to her is killed again, 14 years later.  Is she getting close to finding out who?  Is she next? 

For a debut novel, this was pretty good.  It kept my interest for the most part and has a good ending.  The forensic part with the DNA dragged along for me, but I give it 4 stars.
(Gerard's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Avenged" by Amy Tintera

Gerard's review, 5/17/17:
Avenged by Amy Tintera is the sequel to Ruined, which we both liked a lot.  EM is back, and that is a good thing.  Now she is the Queen of Ruina along with her sister, Olivia.  But they do not see things the same way!  Trouble is coming and Em must save her people and their land.  Will her sister get in her way?  Will Cas and Em get together?  This book went fast since it has good action and the ending sets up a great book 3.
(5 stars)

Karen's review, 5/20/17:
Avenged by Amy Tintera is a continuation of Ruined.  It took me a while to remember the characters because it's been so long since I read the first book of this series, but once my memory kicked in, I really enjoyed this book.  The sisters are both queens of Ruined together, but because they have different views about plain humans, things become quite rocky.  Olivia wants to fight off everyone and destroy them all while Em prefers to try to keep peace through negotiating.  At least they both agreed it would be a bad idea for either of them to marry the Oslo prince Austin, a complete jerk.  There is a lot of action in this and the relationships kept my interest.  It ended too soon, left me wanting more, ugh!  (4 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"The Red Hunter" by Lisa Unger (Updated, We Both Liked This One)

Manny Boy (R.I.P. 5/14/17)

The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger is a mystery with complex characters and surprises about seeking justice/revenge. At the center of this novel is an old “haunted” farmhouse that was Zoey’s childhood home where her parents were murdered years ago and one Claudia has inherited and is renovating. Some cops justify stealing $1 million from a drug dealer and after the agreed upon cuts, Zoey’s dad hides it. The story line with Claudia centers on her marriage, her teenage daughter Raven and the renovation while Zoey’s story centers on her hunting down and killing the men who murdered her parents and tortured her as a kid.

This novel is fast-paced and kept my attention, peaked my interest and challenged me to think about the difference between justice and revenge. I liked both Claudia and Zoey. The ending was great but also a bit shocking. The only thing I didn’t really like was that abrupt switching between story lines without any transition. I really liked this one though in spite of that and highly recommend it if you like crime novels that weave in normal lives. 
(Karen's review, 5/18/17, 5 stars)

Gerard read this first:
In The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger, Claudia wants a new start.  She is trying to deal with a horrible assault on her that she will live with forever.  She is going to fix up an old house that was in her family for her and her daughter.  Zoey Drake had a terrible ordeal too and wants revenge in the worst way!  What these two women have in common is that house and the secrets that still exist in it, none of which Claudia has any idea about.

This is good stuff!  The first part of the book sets it up and the last part of the book shows how it all plays out.  Lisa Unger is always good!  This is another good read by her and I look forward to her next one.  (Gerard's review, 5/8/17, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesdays

Gerard's:

"Fine."  he'd find someone else to kill.  There were plenty of Lera hunters running around Ruina, attempting to get out now that they were the ones being hunted.

From page 20 of Avenged by Amy Tintera.

Karen's:

What would they, my coworkers, say if they knew what I was?  All the same things they said about him.  That I was quiet.  Kept to myself.  They would have a hard time reconciling the pale, silent, nondescript girl who worked beside them.

From page 27 of The Red Hunter by Lisa Unger.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.   Anyone can play along, so I thought  I  would play for fun! Just pick two sentences from the book you are reading.  Happy Reading!

"A Rancher for Their Mom" by Leann Harris

A Rancher for Their Mom by Leann Harris is a happy Christian fiction romance for Mother's Day.  A widow rancher with two young boys who want to be cowboys and one little girl prays for God's help to get her farm planted and keep the ranch going.  The answer comes in the form of a rodeo cowboy passing through town.

This is light reading and you know right from the title how it turns out, but the boys in it made it somewhat interesting and a heartwarming read.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)

On a sad note, this our cat, Manny's, last photo shoot.  He was a very affectionate cat and we will miss him terribly, but he stopped eating and when he did, he couldn't keep it down anymore.  He kept losing weight and I had to do what was best for him.  We chose to end his life so he would die with dignity and not be in pain any longer.  This picture was taken on his last day with us. 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!