"Daughter of the Reich" by Louise Fein

In Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein, Hetty is a young German girl of a high ranking Nazi officer.  Hetty is loyal to the Reich and ready to do her part.  But as time goes on, Hetty begins to learn that all she believes to be good might not be so.  She will not turn her back on her old friends.  

This book is pretty good.  It drew me in and kept my interest throughout.  The story has good flow to it and the characters were brought out very well with a good ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

Teaser from page 22:  Everything looks calm and friendly, but I can feel the evil hovering outside the safety of our iron railings, and I shudder.  I imagine a great big guard dog, patrolling the garden.  Just the idea of it makes me feel safer.

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"The Boy from the Woods" by Harlan Coben

In The Boy from the Woods by Haran Coben, a boy was found in the woods 30 years ago.  No one knows how he got there, or where his family is because he does not know his name.  But he does know how to survive!  A young girl is bullied in school and no one puts a stop to it.  One day she goes missing.  The boy from the woods, people call him Wilde, is asked to help locate the missing girl.  

This is a good book.  I liked the characters and it had some good action.  I was happy with the ending as well.  (Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 10:  She has to know that it won't end for good.  Not today.  Not tomorrow.  The torment never stops for very long.

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"Montana Lawman Rescuer" by Linda Ford

Montana Lawman Rescuer by Linda Ford is an inspirational historical romance that I enjoyed.  Emily is traveling with a 2-yr.-old boy when her stagecoach gets robbed and her belongings stolen.  She was thrown from the stagecoach and hit her head, causing her to forget who she is, where she is heading and why, and where she came from.  Jesse, the lawman, found her and invited her and the little boy to stay in his home with his grandmother until she decides where she wants to go.  

This is a good romance, but also inspirational about hot to let go of your past and not let it ruin your present and future.   I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a clean romance or feels shameful about his/her past.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"The Holdout" by Graham Moore

In The Holdout by Graham Moore, Maya Seale was a juror on a huge case.  She was the only one who was convinced that "not guilty" was the right verdict.  Now it is ten years later and the media wants to bring back the jury to talk about the case.  When a member of the jury winds up dead in his hotel room, they have a lot to talk about now!  

This is a really good book!  It goes back and forth in time, but I did not have a problem with that.  It has good flow to it and an ending that I did not see coming at all!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 23:  "It's complicated.  It's a delicate . . . Look, just come to the taping and I'll show everyone--all of us--incontrovertible evidence that Bobby Nock killed Jessica Silver."

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"The Bright Lands" by John Fram

In The Bright Lands by John Fram, the small town of Bentley loves their high school football team.  The town has secrets and now the star quarterback goes missing before the biggest game of the year!  This might be the biggest secret of them all.

This novel is told by a bunch of people which added to the story in my opinion.  This is a wild book for sure, but in a good way with a few twists and turns.  I also liked the ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 29:  "But they'd kill me if I went to the station.  I ain't even supposed to be here."

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"RAGE" by Cora Carmach

RAGE by Cora Carmach is the sequel to ROAR.  Roar, aka Aurora, does not recognize her kingdom anymore.  It has been overtaken by the Locke family, and her mother the Queen is no where to be found.  To set things right, she decides to join the revolution to get her kingdom back.  

I waited a long time to read this book and it was so worth it!  I loved it!  The story had good flow and a really good ending.  I liked reading about the characters again too and look forward to book 3 in this series. (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 21:  She clutched Kiran's forearm, her nails digging in harder than she intended.  Immediately, he jerked to a stop, pulling her to fully face him.  "I knew something was wrong," he hissed.

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"Mandy and the Missouri Man" by Linda Ford

Mandy and the Missouri Man by Linda Ford is an interesting western romance about forgiveness.  Mandy and her two sisters are called the Buffalo Gals and live together where they provide food to the gold miners. Their pa left and one day Mandy discovers Trace and his 16-yr.-old sister, Cora, whose face was burned in the fire that killed their parents.  She is very self-conscious about letting anyone see her face.  At first, Mandy wants them off "her" land but becomes friends as they race to build their houses.  Trace is full of hate for those who set the fire killing his parents and his "friends" who he feels betrayed him.  

I enjoyed this book because the characters were likable and it is a clean romance without any sex scenes.  There is humor and even a kitten!  It was fun seeing the relationship between Mandy and Trace blossom.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)  

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"You Are Not Alone" by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

In You Are Not Alone, Shay's life is not going well.  Then one day Shay is befriended by the Moore sisters, Jane and Cassandra, which changed her outlook on life for the better.  However, Shay finds out that these sisters have secrets.

I thought this book was really, really good!  It flows well and all the characters were brought out well.  It has some twists and turns with a good ending.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 17:  One second she existed, and the next, she'd been erased.  I stagger over to a bench by the wall and collapse.  

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"A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" by Holly Jackson

Roxy is sad the dog in the book got killed--not good.

a good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson centers on a high school senior girl named Pip.  For her senior project, she decides to look into a 5-yr.-old murder of Andie Bell, a high school senior.  The police consider the case closed, but Pip has some doubts.  For a while it was interesting to play along with Pip as she did her research, but became tedious.  There is a lot of talk in this book without much action.  I was mad at the author for killing off the dog for no good reason so only give this one 3 stars.  (Gerard's review)

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"Playing Nice" by J. P. Delaney Has Lots of Twists--We Both Liked This One!

Playing Nice by J. P. Delaney is told by Pete and Maddie have been living together but are not married.  They have a 2-yr.-old boy named Theo who has some behavioral issues.  When Myles Lambert and his attorney show up on Pete's doorstep with the claim that Theo is really Myles' and Lucy's son and that their special needs son, David, is really Pete and Maddie's son, the nightmare begins!  The boys were both preemies and somehow got switched, but was it an accident or intentional?  Who would do that and why?

This book kept my interest all through, my favorite character being Pete.  I did not like Myles from the start and wasn't crazy about Maddie.  I felt kind of sorry for Lucy because she was married to Myles.  This book is well written in how it gradually develops the characters and has lots of twists throughout.  The ending was a surprise for me too.  (Karen's review, 5 stars) 

Playing Nice by J. P. Delaney is told by Pete and Maddie.  One day they are told that the 2-yr.-old boy they have is not their son at all!  He belongs to another family who want to switch their 2-yr.-old son for theirs!  This is a wild ride for sure!  I enjoyed this book very much and got through it very quickly.  The story line is good and I never knew what to expect from page to page.  Do not miss this one!  (Gerard's review 10/30/20, 5++ stars) 

Teaser from page 15 (large print version):  Disbelief, shell shock, horror, all paralyzed me.  I'm not fast in a crisis, unfortunately, Maddie's the one who thinks on her feet.

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"The Loop" by Ben Oliver Takes Place in a Prison

Most of The Loop by Ben Oliver takes place in a prison.  Luka is locked up with the same routine every day.  One day things change and Luka has a chance for freedom.  But is the outside world safe?  I thought this book was pretty good.  Luka is a good character but it needed more action and was pretty predictable.  There were not many twists in this story at all.  I did give it 4 stars because it kept my interest.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 4:  I lie down and tell myself not to cry, that it won't do any good, that it won't change anything, but I can't stop the tears from forming in my eyes.

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"Home Before Dark" by Riley Sager

In Home Before Dark by Riley Saser, Maggie Holt's dad wrote a book called House of Horrors, a true story about a haunted house his family lived in.  It made a lot of money.  On his death bed, he told Maggie to never go back to that house and she agreed.  But Maggie did not keep her word and goes back to that house.  Will anything happen?  

For the first 200 pages, I was bored.  However, the next 354 pages were good, very good!  This has one of the best ending I've come across in a book for a long time!  Maggie was a great character!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 21:  It wasn't safe, my father told police.  Something was wrong with Baneberry Hall.  Unaccountable things had happened there.  Dangerous things.

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"Dear Child" by Romy Hausmann is Pretty Good

In Dear Child by Romy Hausmann, a girl goes missing and has been gone for a while.  Now the girl has been found.  The family is called as the girl is in the hospital, but the family says that the girl in the hospital is not their daughter.  This book was pretty good.  It is told by a number of people.  The story goes back and forth in time some, but I was able to deal with that.  It has a good ending, but I would have liked more action.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  Him standing there, slightly hunched over the bags, his back half-turned to me, his right hand already in one of the bags.  The knife lying beside the board, just half an arm's length away, within reach.

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"To Tell You The Truth...everybody lies" by Gilly Macmillan is Pretty Good

In To Tell You the Truth. . . everybody lies by Gilly Macmillan, Lucy Harper is a very good novelist.  Everyone loves her stories.  But now two people close to her have vanished--first her brother, now her husband!  What does she know?  Will people believe her?  This book was pretty good.  I liked Lucy, but at times, this dragged along with a just okay ending in my opinion.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars) 

Teaser from page 4 in large print version:  Your mum is clutching you by your upper arms so tightly it hurts.  You have the feeling she might shake you.  It takes every last ounce of your energy to meet her gaze, to widen your eyes, empty them somehow of anything bad she might read in them, and say, "Isn't he here?"

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"Daddy's Girls" by Danielle Steel

Daddy's Girls by Danielle Steel is about how three sisters deal with the passing of their father.  I enjoyed this book very much.  The author did a great job of bringing out the differences of all three sisters.  It also had some twists and turns with a happy "Hallmark movie" ending.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars) 

Teaser from page 21:  Kate was so shaken she could barely speak.  They walked into the house, and his belongings were everywhere, a pair of tall, mud-covered rubber boots that he'd worn the day before, his riding gloves on the table, a jacket he'd thrown over a chair. 

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"The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes" by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is about the kickoff to the tenth annual Hunger Games.  The main characters are 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow and his underdog tribute, Lucy Gray.  I thought this book was okay.  The two problems I had with it were that the characters were not developed enough and the lack of action at times.  The story line was easy enough to follow and the ending was okay.  (Gerard's review 10/20/20, 3.5 stars)

Karen's review:  The Ballad of Song Birds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins is all about Coriolanus Snow who mentors Lucy Gray in the tenth annual Hunger Games.  I would say this is kind of a pre-requisite to The Hunger Games series.  I liked the first half of the book better than the second and did not like the ending.  I agree with my husband that at times things seemed to drag along, lacking action.  I looked forward to reading this simply because I loved The Hunger Games Series and this was by the same author, but was disappointed.  It is no where near as good as the books in the series. I would recommend you save your time and skip this one.  (3 stars) 

Teaser from page 64:  "They're not animals, though," said Sejanus.  "They're kids, like you and me."

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"Loving a Rebel: The Preacher's Daughters" by Linda Ford

Loving a Rebel by Linda Ford is a western romance that I enjoyed very much.  Flora, a preacher's adopted daughter, is a bit of a rebel who loves adventure.  One day she is riding her horse and discovers some man is following her so she rides faster.  A snowstorm comes up and she gets lost and her horse is lame.  Fortunately, she comes upon a house.  Kade is a rancher who lives alone and because of his past, is very cautious.  He feels sorry for Flora and gives her shelter even though she is reluctant to stay with him over night.  She knows if her father finds out, he will force them to get married!  

I liked this because it is a clean romance with no sex scenes at all and likeable characters.  Both Kade and Flora are stuck in their pasts until they open their hearts to each other.  (Karen's review, 4 stars) 

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"The Forgotten Soldier" by Brad Taylor

The Forgotten Soldier by Brad Taylor centers on two men from the counterterrorist unit known as the Taskforce:  Guy and Pike. Guy wants to avenge the death of his brother.  Pike has orders to stop Guy any way he can.  Would Pike go so far as to kill Guy?  

This book overall was good with action; however, it had lots of talking as well which I found boring.  I would have liked the ending to be different.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 13:  He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting for control, wondering if he'd made a mistake in his request. 

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"The Dynasty" by Jeff Benedict

The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict covers a 20-year run in which the Patriots won six Super Bowls!  If you are a Patriots fan, this is a must read.  I really, really enjoyed going over the year by year of all the great tames they played.  This book covers a ton of off the field stuff too which I found very interesting.  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page xii of prologue:  At that moment, Kraft owned a franchise that had never won a championship.  Belichick's overall record with the Patriots was 5-13.  Brady had never started an NFL game. It was unimaginable to think that Bledsoe was staring up at the nucleus of the greatest sports dynasty of the modern era.

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"Davenport House" by Marie Silk

I enjoyed Davenport House by Marie Silk very much!   It is about the Davenport family and their secrets.  This is a wealthy family with two grown children, maids, a cook, stable boy and groundskeeper.  It takes place when cars are just beginning to be used.  This is a murder mystery that kept me guessing among three possible killers.  It was pretty obvious right from the start that the mother favored the son and the father the daughter, but why?  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys family drama.  This is the first book in a long time that I actually looked forward to getting back to reading.  (Karen's review, 5 stars)

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"Unnatural Acts" by Stuart Woods

In Unnatural Acts by Stuart Woods, a billionaire hires Stone Barrington to talk some sense into his wayward son.  Stone gives that job to Herbie.  Herbie finds out that this job will take some doing.  

I liked Barely Legal by this author better.  The characters in this were not well developed so didn't become very interested in them.  It is a quick read though with a predictable ending.  (Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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"Triggered--How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us" by Donald Trump Jr.

I don't generally read political books; however, I did read Triggered by Donald Trump Jr. because I got it for free and wanted to learn more about the Trump family.  I found this book to be very enlightening regarding all the opposition President Trump faces, exactly what fake news existed and why Trump should be re-elected as President.  Donald Trump Jr. shares lots of detail which got boring at times, but worked in sarcasm and humor.  I would recommend it to anyone who is unsure who to vote for in the upcoming Presidential election and I think most Republicans would enjoy it.  (Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Backlash" by Brad Thor

In Backlash by Brad Thor, Scot Harvath works undercover for the USA.  He has been double-crossed, but was the only one to survive a plane crash that he was on headed for death.  Now he is free but in enemy territory.  He will have to be at his very best to survive.  

This is a long book (over 600 pages in large print) so some down time is in it.  However, for the most part, I really enjoyed it!  There is good action, good guys vs. bad guy stuff, and a really good ending!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 12 (large print edition):  "The only way that man walks off this plane is with one of us," he said from behind his mask.

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"Barely Legal" by Stuart Woods and Parnell Hall

Barely Legal centers around Herbie Fisher, who gets mixed up with the mob and other unsavory characters.  This is a pretty good book with a good flow and stayed on point.  It even had some funny parts that I thought added to the enjoyment of the story.  I also liked the ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Little Broken Things" by Nicole Baart

In Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart, Quinn receives a message from her sister, Nora.  Nora has something for her.  Turns out that something is a little girl!  Nora tells her to keep her safe and then takes off.  For the most part, this book was good but dragged in some parts.  The story itself was good.  I just think it could have been told shorter.  The ending was the best part of the book for me.  (Gerard's review 8/14/20, 4 stars)

Karen's review 9/11/20:
Little broken things by Nicole Baart is about a two sisters, Nora and Quinn, and a little girl who Nora dumps off on Quinn with no information as to why or who she is except instructions to just keep her safe for a few days.  It deals with motherhood and family.  I can't say much more than that without giving things away. 

I thought this book was okay but did not like how it dragged along and jumped from parts I was interested in to something else entirely.  It has discussion questions in the back for use at book clubs as well as some suggested activities for book clubs related to the story.  (3 stars) 

Teaser from page 31:  What could she say?  Get the quest room ready, I'm strapping you with a reticent six-year-old for I don't know how long.  Oh, and I don't intend to tell you a thing about her. 

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"Look For Me" by Lisa Gardner Needs More Action!

In Look For Me by Lisa Gardner, a family is shot to death except for one of the girls.  Did she do it or is the killer still after her?  Why was the family killed?  The premise of this story is good and I liked most of the characters; however, it needed more action.  Most of this novel was just talking with a just an okay ending.  I fell asleep listening to this audio book more than once--a bit boring.
(Gerard's review, 3 stars)

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"The Boy" by Tami Hoag

The BOY by Tami Hoag takes place in a small town in Louisiana.  One night a child is found dead and the mother of the child is found beaten and bloodied.  The detective on this case and his wife keep running into dead ends try as they might to solve this mystery.  The dead boy's babysitter turns up missing! 

I thought this book was very good.  I listened to it on audio with 14 disks so it is long with plenty of action and enjoyable characters.  A few parts dragged, but for a long book, it moved along pretty well.  The ending was really good with a twist I didn't see coming.  Even with the dull parts, I still give this 5 stars due to the ending and the reader on the audio book. 
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"Box of Butterflies" by Roma Downey is Uplifting!

I got this as an audio book by Roma Downey who played Monica on Touched by an Angel.  She tells real-life stories and shares her walk of faith.  It is very inspirational and uplifting! 

If you are down in the dumps needing something positive, this is for you.  I really enjoyed it since I can't do much for at least 6 weeks while my broken collarbone heals. (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

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"The One and Only Bob" by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Bob is the follow-up children's book to The One and Only Ivan by Katherin Applegate.  In this book the main character is a dog named Bob.  I thought this book started out a bit slow, but once Ruby and Ivan came into it, it picked up and stayed good the rest of the way.  I enjoyed the interaction between the animals and the story had a good pace to it.  I liked getting back to this world of talking animals.  More please!  I thought Bob was a good character and it was good to hear from Ivan again.  The ending was very good and I liked the funny moments.  (Gerard's review, 4.5 stars)

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"We Dream of Space" by Erin Entrada Kelly is historical fiction for kids

We dream of Space by Erin Entrada Kelly deals with three young teens who live in the same family--Cash, Fitch and Bird.  They all go to the same school where the focus is on space and the launch of The Challenger.  It is also about their day-to-day lives.  I thought this book was pretty good and I enjoyed all the kids.  It flowed along well with some funny parts too.  (Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 22:  "Maybe if you had a three-dimensional brain, you wouldn't be failing seventh grade for the second time," Fitch said.  "Good luck getting any homework done with your right hand in a cast.  Not that you know how to do it anyway."

 

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"You and Me and Us" by Alison Hammer is Very Good!

You and Me and Us by Alison Hammer is told mostly by Alexis who lives with Tommy.  Tommy always wanted to have a wedding and make it official, but Alexis does not want that.  CeCe, their daughter, also tells some of the story.  Tommy has always been there for CeCe.  Alexis, who runs her own business, not so much.  Unfortunately, Tommy has health issues and his time is short.  The story is about how these two women deal with this and other things that come up.  

I was into this book from page 1.  The writing is good and I enjoyed all the characters very much.  I think this book would make a good movie!  Must read this one!  (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)  

Teaser from page 25:  "It won't.  And I'm not going to put you or CeCe through what I went through with my mom.  The false hope, the pain and suffering."

 

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"Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts" by Kate Racculia is a Wild Adventure!

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia is about what happens when Vincent Pryce, a billionaire, dies suddenly.  In his obit, it states that when you come to his wake, you can play a game if you choose.  If you win, it will be well worth it!  What kind of game?  Can you play alone or must you play as a team?  Any clues?  What about the rules?  Time limit?  For the answers to these questions, you'[ll need to read the book.

This was pretty good because the characters were colorful, to say the least.  The book moved along quickly and the ending was wild but good.  I enjoyed it.

(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 18:  No one had ever asked him a question like that before.  It made him almost as uncomfortable as the house.

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"Brave Like That" by Lindsey Stoddard

Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard is about Cyrus, a sixth grader who finds himself telling lies and faking things in order to keep his secrets. I think this is a good book for kids because it's about accepting yourself and not trying to be something you aren't.  It's about being brave enough to do the right thing and not worry about what others think.  I enjoyed it because of the boy's relationship with Parker, the dog and his grandmother who had a stroke.  It's a happy little story with a good message.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review 7/28/20:
In Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard, Cyrus is a young teen boy whose life changes when a stray dog comes into it.  Cyrus goes against his father's wishes by keeping the dog a secret, but for how long?  When the secret is exposed, will Cyrus be brave enough to stand up for what he wants?  I thought this book was pretty good even though it is geared to children.  If you enjoyed the movie and book Wonder, you will enjoy this one.  It is a quick read.
(4 stars)



Teaser from page 6:  Tears burn behind my eyes because it doesn't feel right to just leave him here.  It's now where he belongs.

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"The Daughter" by Jane Shemilt

The cat's face tells you what I thought of this one!

When I read The Playground by Jane Shemilt, I saw she also wrote The Daughter so I decided to read that too.   Unfortunately, I got sick of the writing style with jumping from the past to present in every chapter and all the description.  Perhaps had I not read it right after The Playground, I may have enjoyed it more.  However, it moved along extremely slowly which caused me to give up on it even before getting half way through it.  The daughter went missing practically from the start of the book, but after that, the action ended.  This is one I do not recommend.
(Karen's review, 1 star)

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"The Playground" by Jane Shemilt Lives up to the Hype

The Playground by Jane Shemilt takes place in London and is about three families, one with three children, one with two kids and one with an only child.  They all meet and socialize through having one of their kids being tutored by Eve.  The parents have no clue what their kids are up to.  Each family has some sort of problem, some worse than others!  

Several different issues are packaged in this book:  marital abuse, mental illness, alcoholism, friendship and rape.  The interaction among the characters is what moves this book along.  I would have enjoyed it more if I actually liked more of the characters.  As it is, I only really liked three, Eric, Grace and Charley.
(Karen's review3 stars) 

Gerard's review7/6/20:
The Playground by Jane Shemilt centers on three women, Eve, Melissa and Grace.  They all have children and over time, they become close and socialize along with their husbands.  The children go off to play on their own.  What could possibly go wrong with that?  I flew through this book because I enjoyed the interactions between the adults and the children so much.  The ending was the best!  This is a great read!  (5++ stars)

Teaser from page 30:  She wishes she had some of those earphones that cancel out noise.  She'd cancel out her whole family if she could.

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"When You See Me" by Lisa Gardner (Both Liked This One!)

When you See Me by Lisa Gardner is about how a small town is a center for evil.  This book focuses on the good guys following up on old murder cases when they keep finding skeletons of dead bodies buried in shallow graves in the Appalachian Mountains and stumbling on something even more complex.  One of the main characters is a young teenage girl who watched a bad man kill her mother with a bullet when she was just six that went through her throat and also hit the girl, taking away her ability to talk.  She is a big help to the task force working on solving these crimes.

This book is well written in that in spite of all the different characters, I was able to keep them all straight and never once felt confused.  I felt sad for the little girl (Bonita).  I liked that the task force included a couple civilians as well, one a computer analyst and the other a survivor of rape and kidnapping by a serial killer (Keith and Flora).  This book kept my interest from start to finish. 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 7/20/20

In When You See Me by Lisa Gardner, bodies are starting to pile up in the hills of a small town in Georgia.  Now it's up to detective D.D. Warren and her crew to find answers and put an end to it.  There are lots of characters in this book and lots of action!  It flows well with an exciting final part.

(5 stars)

Teaser from page 9:  I fly like the wind, I want to believe.  I hurtle myself into her arms.

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"The Girl Beyond the Red Rope" by Ted and Rachel Dekker

In The Girl Beyond the Red Rope by Ted and Rachel Dekker, Grace lives in Haven Valley.  She is safe, she is told, while the rest of the world is filled with evil.  Grace's brother tells her that he has gone out into the world and there is nothing to fear.  Does Grace believe that?  If so, what will she do?  Will her brother, Jamie, pay the price for going outside the valley?

I thought this book was very good.  I enjoyed all the characters and it flowed along well.  For most of the book, I had no idea what was going to happen!  The ending had me turning pages quickly, so good.
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Teaser from page 14:  "I'm stuck," I whispered.  "I think I made a terrible mistake.  I think I betrayed Rose and now Jamie's in trouble."

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"The Kingdom of Back" by Marie Lu

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu is historical fiction that centers on Wolfgang Mozart and his sister, Nannerl Mozart.  They are both very talented when it comes to playing music on the piano.  Nannerl wants fame but in this book fame comes at a cost.  Will she be willing to pay that cost?

Marie Lu is such a talented writer!  I enjoyed reading about both the brother and sister very much and look forward to her next book!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 7:  I closed my eyes.  In the darkness, with only myself, I searched for the pulse of the music and let my hands find it.

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"Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is about motherhood and secrets.  I found this story to be thought provoking and heartbreaking.  It contrasts the lives of a rich upper class family of six, the Richardsons, with a single mother, Mia, who is an artist and struggles to provide for her and her teenage daughter.  Then another story line is about a Chinese birth mother who gave up her baby and now wants her back from the nice, well-to-do couple who has started the adoption process.  There is lots of emotion wrapped up in this book.  I think this would be an excellent book for a book club to discuss.  I enjoyed reading this but was a bit disappointed with the ending that was kind of left up in the air.  I think women would definitely enjoy this one more than men.      
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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"Devoted" by Dean Koontz is Really Good!

In Devoted by Dean Koontz, Woody has not said a word in his 11-yr.-old life.  He believes an evil was the cause of his dad's death and that evil is still out there, coming for his mom and him!  He needs special help.  Can a gifted dog bring him that help? 

I thought this book was very good with the good and evil going after each other, Koontz style!  Wood was a good character, but Kipp, the dog is what makes this book so good in my eyes!
(Gerard's review, 5+ Stars)  

Teaser from page 36:  As he circles the room, he tries to recall when and where his life went wrong, not regarding the events at the labs, but prior to that.  When had he last been truly happy?

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"Let Me Tell You About Jasper . . . How My Best Friend Became America's Dog by Dana Perino

Let Me Tell You About Jasper by Dana Perino, is a heartwarming book about her two Vizsla dogs.  She explains how she and her husband met, how they got the dogs and some funny things their dogs did.  Jasper is still alive, but their first dog, Henry, has passed on to doggie heaven.  When reading this it made me feel happy that her dogs were/are so loved.  It's not gripping, but if you're looking for a cozy book, this is it.  It is very short because the second half of the book is all pictures!  My favorite parts were actually written by her husband.  I liked it all right so gave it 3 stars because I've read other dog books that I liked much more. 
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


Gerard's Review of June 16, 2020:
Let Me Tell You About Jasper by Dana Perino who works for the Fox News Network is a fun read.  Dana is one smart lady and loves talking about her dog, Jasper!  When I found out she wrote a book about her dog, I had to get it!  I enjoyed this book very much.  I not only learned about Jasper, but also about her and her previous dog, Henry.  Her writing is very good.  I also liked Jasper's account of his day.  This is a short book with lots of pictures.  I give it 5 stars because it is very well done!  
(5 stars)

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"The Litigators" by John Grisham is About Different Types of Attorneys

The Litigators by John Grisham was a very amusing and entertaining read for me.  This book gives insight into a variety of different types of lawyers.  David Zinc is the main character, an attorney in a huge prestigious law firm who is stuck in a very boring job and decides to just quit and go somewhere else.  He just leaves one day, no notice and no message, goes to a bar where he drinks all day and finally stumbles into a small 2-partner ambulance chasing law firm, Finley & Figg.  They hire him that day and he finds he enjoys the work.  He actually gets to help clients!  Plus, a dog lives at the office and there is Rochelle, the receptionist who actually runs the place.  The lawyers are sleezy and located in a bad part of town, but David likes his new job and has no regrets.

I really enjoyed the second half of this book when David gets to be part of a trial in Federal Court against lawyers from his old firm.  This trial is hilarious, had me laughing out loud in some parts. I liked David Zinc right from the start.  He was a nice guy and proved that as the book moved along.  The ending was great! I think anyone who enjoys Grisham books about attorneys would enjoy this one.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Gerard's review of 5/31/20:
In The Litigators by John Grisham, David Zinc works in a big-time law firm.  One day the stress of his job--long hours and plenty of work gets to him and he just quits!  He joins a small law firm run by just two guys.  Will David find peace of mind again and will he be happy?

This is not the author's best work, but there was just enough that I had to stay with it and see how it all turned out.  I give it 4 stars on the strength of David and parts of the story line I really enjoyed.
(4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  "Sure," David mumbled as he managed to move forward.  The door slid open, the bell chimed again.  He was out of the elevator, looking around nervously as if he'd never before seen the place.  In fact, he'd left it only ten hours earlier.

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"Kill You Twice" by Chelsea Cain

In Kill You Twice by Chelsea Cain, Archie, a detective, can sleep better knowing Gretchen, a serial killer, is lock away.  He gets a new case and is informed that Gretchen has inside knowledge about it.  Is Gretchen just playing a game with Archie or does she really know something?

This was pretty good.  I liked Archie and Gretchen.  Some parts dragged though, but not too many and the ending is good.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 8:  He smelled something--sandalwood?  cloves?--and opened his eyes.  The butterfly was gone. 

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Finally, a New Header Picture!

We got quite a few books to borrow from our neighbor librarian a few houses away.  Gerard is very happy about this and has started John Grisham's, The Litigators.  I still have plenty to read on my Kindle and one other book we got from the little free library at the end of our street.

Here are some outtakes with Spunky Doodle for our header I thought you might like seeing:

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"If It Bleeds" by Stephen King

If it Bleeds by Stephen King has three short stories and one long story in it.  The two I enjoyed the most were short:  Mr. Harrigan's Phone and Rat.  The long story, If It Bleeds, was pretty good too.  The other short story, The Life of Chuck, did not impress because I didn't understand it at all.  I give this book 4 stars on the basis of how much I enjoyed the two short stories I liked the most.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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"Water from my Heart" by Charles Martin is About Second Chances

Water from My Heart by Charles Martin is about Charlie Finn, a successful gambler and drug dealer who decides to straighten out when he realizes his and his partner's business is negatively affecting his partner's son and young daughter who comes close to death.  He becomes attracted to three women, Shelly, Amanda and Leena but really only falls in love with one.  In Nicaragua, he has quite an adventure!

This book moved along quite slowly; however, I found myself liking and rooting for Charlie to succeed.  Things picked up when he went after Zaul in Nicaragua and met Paulina and Paulo.  I liked the story, but not the writing.  It jumped around in time too much for my taste and I almost gave up on it.  The only thing that kept me reading was knowing Charlie was going to have a change of heart.  The theme can be summed up by the line, "Love with Legs" meaning showing love with your actions.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 5:  I was attracted to risk and not attracted to anything resembling hard work that benefited someone other than me.  If you were going to be dumb enough to risk your money in a card game, then I was going to be smart enough to take it from you.

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Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult deals with the issue of what to do when the "right" thing is illegal.   Charles is married to an alcoholic and has a 4-yr.-old girl.  Not only that, but he discovers his wife is cheating on him with Victor and they get divorced.  Charles "rescues" his little girl by taking her from Arizona to live with him in New Hampshire under new names (Andrew and Delia) instead of returning her home after his day with her.  Delia grows up happy but doesn't remember much of her mother.  Ironically, she grows up and helps detectives and police search and rescue missing people with her dog, Greta.  Thirty years later, he is arrested for kidnapping.  Will he be found guilty and spend 20 years in prison?  What will Delia think of him for lying to her practically her whole life?  He told her that her mother died in a car accident.   Will she marry her long-time friend, Eric, a recovering alcoholic and lawyer, or choose her other long-time friend Fritz, a journalist.

This book was pretty good because it had a surprise ending and I liked the tension between liking Andrew even though he did technically kidnap his daughter.  I felt a little bad for the mother and Delia.  There were some parts that I did not care about, but they didn't last long.  I did not like the way the book jumped around between the past and present, but the story line was good and I did like Delia and her father, Andrew, the main characters.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 75:  On the one hand, I was his child, and he must have been doing what he felt he needed to do.  On the other hand, I'm a mother now, and he committed my worst nightmare.

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"The Turn of the Key" by Ruth Ware Is One We Both Liked!

In The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware, Rowan does not like the job she has.  When she comes upon an ad she thinks this could be the answer to her prayers.  But she has to get this job and she does!  She thinks all her problems are solved, but really they've just begun!  I thought this book was very good!  I liked the character of Rowan a lot.  I never knew what would happen next.  There are some parts where there is nothing going on; however, those are few.  The story makes up for them and the ending part was very good!
(Gerard's review of 3/9/20, 5+ stars)

Karen's review:
I read The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware because my husband recommended it and I was intrigued by the book summary.  It was very good about a nanny who takes a live-in position at a house in Scotland with a history of murder and a reputation for being haunted.  It is told in a very unusual way with twists I did not see coming.  This is a murder mystery that I had no clue who the murder was.  There is much deception in this book and it certainly kept my interest all the way through!
(5 stars)

Teaser from page 17:  All this time I have been telling myself that if only someone would let me clear my head and get my side of the story straight, without interrupting, maybe this whole awful mess would get sorted out.

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"Her Last Breath" by J. A. Schneider

In Her Last Breath by J. A. Schneider, Mari wakes up in bed in a strange room with a dead man she does not know next to her who has a knife in his chest.  She remembers nothing!  Did she do it or is this a set up?  This book is pretty good.  Mari was a good lead character and I really cared about her.  The story had a good flow and it kept me guessing!  The ending was okay.
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)


Karen's review of 12/29/17:
Her Last Breath by J. A. Schneider is a page-turning murder mystery. Mari, who is separated from her husband, wakes up on a bed in a strange room with blood all over her, her dress torn and next to a dead guy she doesn’t know who has a knife in his chest! To top it off, she has asthma and cannot find her inhaler. While looking for it, she passes out and wakes to another strange man who is trying to save her. The cops arrest her for the guy’s murder because her fingerprints were on the knife. The guy who saved her life is a former cop, currently a construction worker named Jay. Mari’s husband, Ted who is a lawyer, comes to the hospital and volunteers to defend her. Mari gets to the point of being paranoid and not knowing who to trust!

Teaser from page 1: She froze; gasped. Couldn’t take in air seeing his black hair, his chest hidden under a tent of bloodied sheet.

I got hooked on this book right from the start and was surprised with the ending. I did not figure out who the murderer was although it was obvious someone was setting Mari up. I hope to find more books by this author and highly recommend this one if you enjoy a good mystery. She has a series of standalone thrillers with the same cops as are in this one.
(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!