"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!

"In The Blood" by Lisa Unger (Updated)

In The Blood by Lisa Unger is about a page-turning thriller about a young girl who takes a job of caring for a young troubled boy during the week for a few hours.  That is only one of the story lines though, there is a lot more to this book than that!  I finished it in two days because it was hard to put down.  The ending is fantastic but didn't see it coming.  Lisa Unger's books are always good, but she outdid herself this time!  I have not been "wowed" by a book in a while, but was with this one because the ending is so incredible.  This is a must read.  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars) 

In The Blood by Lisa Unger is a psychological thriller that gets you hooked right from the start.  It is about family secrets and some bizarre behaviors.  This book has some very strange characters to say the least who kept me guessing.  Luke is an 11-yr-old boy genius psycho finds pleasure in manipulating and tricking people into doing what he wants.  Lana, a college student, is hired to be his “companion” after school to keep him out of trouble.  They play chess a lot and Luke keeps winning.  They change the game to a scavenger hunt which turns out to be much more than just a game.  I loved the ending!  If you enjoy a puzzle and intrigue with some mystery, this is a must read for you!  Although I was a bit confused at the diary entries, everything is explained in the end so stick with it and just see how the puzzle pieces fall into place. 
(Karen's review, 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. Happy Reading!

Joining in on Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop today with the book review prompt.

"Heartbroken" by Lisa Unger

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger is what I call a woman's book, but this 59-yr-old man enjoyed it very much!  There are lots of good plot lines that kept me interested to the max!  When all the characters are in one place, the action explodes!  This is a page turner for sure that I think would make a real good "Lifetime" movie.  Make time to read this one; you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review) 

Karen's review:

Heartbroken by Lisa Unger was a disturbing read for me because Emily continues making bad decisions over and over to protect, Dean, the man she loves, who is an ex-con.  Things go very wrong when Brad, his “friend” from prison, shows up demanding money.  Her life completely falls apart when she realizes she has nothing and isn’t even who she thought she was.  Then there is another family with strained relationships and secrets from the past.  When Kate, a new author who wrote a fiction book based on family journals, takes her daughter and her girlfriend, Lulu to Heart Island to visit her 75-yr-old mother, Birdie, for their annual family vacation, it turns into a horror show and is the worst vacation they ever had!  Normally, Birdie and Joe are the only ones on the island and it is very peaceful and relaxing.  Joe, however, left because the silence got to him and he needed a break from his wife, Birdie.  When intruders arrive, the action really picks up and secrets are revealed. 

This was an interesting read because of the various colorful characters and the different story lines going on simultaneously.  As I read, I got an ominous feeling about Heart Island and its history.  My favorite part was the excitement when Kate, Birdie, Chelsea and LuLu were beating off the bad guys.

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. Happy Reading!

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"Twice" by Lisa Unger

Twice is another winner by Lisa Unger writing as Lisa Miscione! Two times a woman's husband is killed in the same bed the woman is also sleeping in, and she claims she did not do it! There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader interested. It took me two days to read and well worth your while!
(Gerard's review)

Twice by Lisa Unger a/k/a Lisa Miscione is a complex murder mystery and a thriller all in one.  It takes place in New York City, both above and below ground, and in a little town called “Haunted.”  There are basically two plots going on at the same time in this book.  One is about Lydia, a private eye, who is being stalked by her mother’s killer and Jeff, her partner who tries to protect her.  The other is the murder investigation of Julian Ross’s first and second husbands who were both killed while in bed next to her.  This is a chilling read involving insanity, murder, family curses and fugitives.  If you like wild stories, this is a good one!
(Karen'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. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during March to the American Cancer Society.

"Fragile" by Lisa Unger

Fragile by Lisa Unger is a good contemporary fiction novel about a missing teen girl, Charlene, that brings back memories for a lot of people about another missing girl who was found dead years before.  The story takes place in a small town near New York City where people generally live out their entire lives and know each other very well since they grew up together, but still manage to keep secrets.  There are many interesting characters in Fragile who are connected through past events.  Ricky’s girlfriend turns up missing and his dad, the police detective, heads up the investigation that conjures up some guilty feelings from his past when he let an innocent teen confess to a murder he knew the kid did not commit.   

There are so many aspects this book hits that makes it an excellent choice for a book club to discuss—friendship, parenting teens, suicide, rape, ethics and young love.  Here are some teasers for you:  There is the general question asked by the troubled teen, Marshall:  How do you know if you are a good person.  I mean, how do you know if you’re not? (p. 143)  When detective Cooper searches his boy’s room for incriminating evidence so he can protect him, he says to his wife, “Anyone is capable of anything, given the right circumstances, the right motivations.” (p. 187)  Then, a little later he tells her, “I know how a moment can spiral out of control” (p. 189) speaking from experience. 

Fragile is not action packed, but rather delves into ethics and the consequences of actions.  I liked how once the mystery was solved, the book didn’t end there, but continued to reveal more to the characters about the past and have the father-son relationship healed.  I recommend this if you like books about relationships and family dynamics.

(Karen's review 2/3/12--My Rating:  4 stars)

(Gerard's review 10/19/2010--My rating 4 stars)
Fragile by Lisa Unger is about small town secrets where a girl turns up missing one day.  Secrets hidden away from an incident that took place long ago come to the surface.  I thought Fragile was pretty good.  There are lots of characters so you have to pay attention as you read to follow along.  It‘s a good book, but didn‘t really “wow“ me.


Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Angel Fire" by Lisa Miscione (Unger) (UPDATED)

Two things you should know about this book:  (1) it is written by Lisa Unger and (2) it is very , very good!  Lydia Strong and Jeffrey Mark are on the trail of a serial killer.  I loved the part about Lydia and her mom and the byplay between Lydia and Jeff.  Good luck with trying to guess who the killer is because it is not revealed until the very end.

This is a real page turner!  It took me just two days to read it; loved it!
(Gerard's review)

Karen's review (11/20/11):

This is a good murder mystery all right.  Like Gerard said, I didn't guess who the killer was until very near the end.  I was creeped out by the killer cutting out the hearts of his victims even though the author spared us the gory details.  I liked it all right, but didn't love it as much as Gerard did.  While I was reading this one during the Browns game against Jacksonville today, Manny climbed up in my lap and read with me!

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Darkness My Old Friend" by Lisa Unger

WOW, oh wow!!  Lisa Unger's books are always so good and Darkness My Old Friend is no exception!  The story line is great, the characters are well developed and the writing is superb!  What more in a book do you want?  I highly recommend this one!
(Gerard's review)  

(You can see a teaser from this one in yesterday's Tuesday Teaser post.)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Die For You" by Lisa Unger

Die For You by Lisa Unger is the story of an author, Isabel Raine, whose husband disappears and she launches into her own investigation to figure out what happened.  Fiction writers make pretty good detectives.  She loves her husband and does not hesitate to go looking for him even though it puts her in great danger.  Die For You is a fast-paced novel about trust, love, marriage, forgiveness, betrayal and identity theft. 

 

This is one of those books that is difficult to put down because of the mystery and suspense created from the start.  I liked the insight the author gives into four different marriages, the excitement of the mob involvement, the trip to Prague and the theme of trust and forgiveness that runs through the book.   The lesson taught in this book is to get to know someone well before you marry them!  

(Karen's review)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it?