Unmissing by Minka Kent is a fast-moving mystery that I enjoyed. I has two big twists I didn't see coming and my opinion of the characters changed as the book moved along. It kept my attention from the very first page and had no boring parts. It's about Lydia, who is kidnapped right at the beginning of the book and is declared dead. After missing for 10 years, she returns to find her husband who has remarried, owns several restaurants and has clearly moved on. (Karen's review 3/24/22, 5 stars)
Gerard's review:
Unmissing by Minka Kent tells the story of a woman missing for ten years and comes back. She comes back to a married couple to settle the score with the husband. This is good stuff! It is told by two women and goes back and forth so you do not expect what is coming. The ending is really, really good! (5 stars)
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Outlaw by Ted Dekker is a novel that takes place in the jungle of Irian Jaya. It is about how Julian Carter and her 2-yr.-old son Stephen left America because she felt called to go to New Guinea to be a missionary through a reoccurring dream. She found herself shipwrecked on the way and captured by an unknown tribe of cannibals, the Tulim people who lived in the jungle in 1963 and obviously had a very different culture than she was used to and did not know their language.
I was looking for a change of pace and this book gave it to me. I enjoyed learning about the culture of cannibals and jungle tribes. This book is packed with adventure and is written by a man who was born and raised by missionaries in the jungles of Irian Jaya. This is a pretty amazing story and although some parts didn’t quite make sense to me, I still enjoyed it. This is a wild book! (Karen’s review, 5 stars)
Teaser from page 5: I cried out and frantically searched the foaming water but there was no sign of the captain. The ocean had swallowed him whole and shoved the boat far from where he’d gone overboard.
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The Nowhere Child by Christian White is about a child abduction that is never solved until the brother finally tracks down his missing sister who is all grown up and lives in Australia! Stuart was 9, his younger sister, Sammy only two when she disappeared. Kim Leamy grew up in Australia with her mother who died of cancer, her step-dad, Dean and her younger sister, Amy. Kim is a photographer professor but one day finds out her life is a big lie and she's really Sammy Went who went missing from her home in Kentucky! Kim decides to go to Manson, Kentucky, her supposed hometown, to see if she can find answers. She can't believe her mom was a kidnapper!
This was pretty good mystery, but it kept jumping from past to present just about every chapter which I found annoying. I liked Kim and felt bad for her. The cult stuff in this book creeped me out.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)
Teaser from page 13: Were Jack and Molly Went still waiting for answers? Did every phone call or knock at the door fill them with hope or dread or some bitter mixture of both? Did they see Sammy's face in every woman they passed on the street, or had they found a way to move on?
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Reckless Disregard by Robert Rotstein is a complex Hollywood mystery with lots of crazy characters. Basically, William Bishop, a pillar of the community sues Poniard, a video game designer, for defamation of character because in his video game, Abduction, Poniard implies that Bishop is responsible for the kidnapping and disappearance of Paul Felicity McGrath. The purpose of the game is to find out what actually happened. Poniard is a mystery too because no one actually knows who he is and he is intent on keeping his identity a secret, even to the point of refusing to appear for a deposition or make a court appearance! Parker Stern is a mediator who is drawn into this case as Poniard’s attorney and who has secrets of his own. This book has secret identities, betrayal and death.
This book is written in a very unique way, using the “game” to reflect what Poniard thinks really happened. There are a lot of surprises and twists and turns in the book which kept making it more puzzling. I felt that it was beyond believable though and was glad when I finished it. I did like the lawyer and the trial part. (Karen's review, 3 stars)
Teaser from page 35: I’ve spent the last twenty-five years trying to keep this secret. My celebrity almost ruined me, and I don’t want it back, not even a vestige of it. I’m a lawyer, not an actor.
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In Bad Man by Dathan Auerbach, Ben's brother disappeared in a local store in a small town. Ben was with him. Five years later, Ben needs a job and goes to work at that same store. Ben has never stopped looking for his brother! He hopes to find a clue or something in that store.
I thought this book was pretty good. I think it could have been shorter though. The characters were brought out well, but it only had a so-so ending.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)
Teaser from page 18: Ben jogged uncertainly toward a truck that ambled up one of the lanes and away from the store. Seat poured down his back and sides, stung in his eyes. It sped up as Ben approached, but he couldn't run any faster.
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White is The Coldest Colour by John Nicholl is about a child Psychiatrist who is a sexual predator and part of a ring of many pedophiles in Wales. This is a work of fiction, but is based on the author’s experiences as a police office and child protection social worker. This book reflects the reality of how much harm sexual predators inflict on their victims. This book shows the depravity of man and is a very disturbing read! It also includes physical abuse and a lengthy investigation.
I can’t say I enjoyed this book because it is so dark and the doctor was a horrible human being! I had to keep reading to find out if the cops would find the missing 7-yr-old boy in time and see the doctor brought to justice. The ending was better than I expected; however, I would have liked the story to have continued on a bit to end on a happier note. It seemed to end too abruptly.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)
Teaser from page 6: If a respected doctor such as himself could abandon any semblance of a conscience, learn to fully embrace his true nature, and view life and death from a purely Darwinian perspective, why the hell couldn’t Sherwood do likewise? That was the one thing which may have saved him.
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Ignite by Sara B. Larson is book 2 of 3 in the Defy series. King Hectoer has been killed and now Damian is the king. Alexa is there to protect him. Peace reigns in the land, but that is fleeting. Soon there is danger, plenty of it! WOW! This book is so good! It is as good as the first if not better because there is plenty of action and you do not know what is going to happen next. Alexa is a fantastic character and the secondary ones are very good too. The writing is great! It gives you all you could ask for in a book. (Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Karen's review 3/17/16, 4 stars:
Ignite by Sara B. Larson is book 2 in the DEFY series that is full of attacks, betrayal, suspense and mind controlling magic! King Damian and his kingdom are at a loss when it looks like Blevon is breaking their peace treating. Alexa and Damian’s love story continues and Rylan gets into some major trouble. Alexa is jealous when he falls for a beautiful woman visitor. Damian’s younger brother is abducted and just when things seem to be going right for King Damian, Alexa suppresses some important information from him and that’s where this book ends. This book left me with several unanswered questions that make me look forward to continuing on with the last book in the series, Endure. Will Alexa and King Damian get their happy ever after ending? What will happen to Rafe and Dansii? Will Eljin fully recover and be able to help save Blevon and the sorcerer's temple? Will Alexa actually get to become the Queen?
I liked this book as much as the first of this series and can’t help but root for Alexa and Damian to finally find happiness together. There is lots of fighting in this book but with a twist when Alexa has no choice but to fight her friends to survive. I liked all the action in this book as well as the romantic story line between Damian and Alexa.
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The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer is told by Beth and her 8-yr.-old daughter, Carmel. One day Carmel is out with Beth and the next second, Carmel is gone and Beth cannot find her. I enjoyed the point of view by Carmel more than I did Beth. It was more interesting, but Beth had her moments too. This book is well worth reading and I enjoyed the ending very much!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)
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In A Cold War by Alan Russell, Nina Granville goes on a business trip to Alaska. She is soon to be married and needs some place to sort out things. She gets anything but that! Soon she is in a situation where her life is at stake! What a fantastic book this is! Right from the start I was into it and lost myself in this amazing story. It had my attention all the way. Some people had a problem with the ending, but I did not. I thought it was really, really good! This is a must read!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)
Karen's review, 4 stars: A Cold War by Alan Russell is about Nina Granville, a recently engaged woman to Terrance Donnelly, a politician, but she is not sure she wants to marry him. She goes on a trip to Alaska to get away for a while and winds up being abducted and treated like an animal by a really mean man called Baer in the Alaskan wilderness. He is crazy! He thinks the world is ending soon and being a survivalist in the Alaskan wilderness is the best place to be. Nina is very brave and very strong. She is determined to escape and get back to civilization. She discovers she is not the first woman Baer has had, but the third. The second one left some notes that encouraged Nina to kill Baer and escape, but can she make it? Nina decides to do whatever it takes to survive and finds herself learning all about survival tactics from Baer.
This is a thriller that kept my attention and confirmed that I never want to go to Alaska! It is a good winter read. Not everything is as it appears. I liked Nina and couldn’t help but pull for her to get back with Terrance. While reading this book, I felt sorry for Greg Martin, whose wife disappeared on his honeymoon, for Nina and Terrance. Baer really made me made because of his cruelty. I gave it 4 stars because it kept my interest and had a twist I did not see coming and although it made me hate Baer, the writing did not make me feel as though I were right there with Nina nor did it touch me the way other books did. I was surprised by the ending and would recommend this to anyone who likes suspense, adventure, and dark minds.
Here's a short video I made outside in the snow when the temperature was 8 degrees reviewing it:
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Vanished by Kendra Elliot starts out with a young girl missing. Who took her and why? The two detectives working this case soon form a relationship. This book has pretty good action that kept me turning pages. I liked all the characters and the ending was good.
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)
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OneKick by Chelsea Cain is about Kick, a woman who was abducted as a child by a man offering to help her find her dog, Monster. She is 21 when the story starts and has trained to protect herself. She knows how to pick locks, can shoot, throw knives, and is into martial arts. Because of what happened to her, she is obsessed with finding two missing children close to her area. Kick reluctantly joins forces with Bishop , a former weapons dealer, to find the abducted children because he says he needs her help. Kick is haunted by old memories as they work together and gets more than she bargained for.
This is quite a story that looks at the world of child pornography but focuses on the life of a victim who lived through it. I liked Kick, the main character, and the interesting relationships she had with Frank, the FBI agent who found her, Bishop, who she joined forces with and Mel, her abductor. I found it hard to put this one down . This is the first installment of an ongoing series.
(Karen's review 12-5-1, 4 stars)
One Kick by Chelsea Cain is about a young girl who was kidnapped and held for years. Now rescued, she meets a man who wants her help in finding other kids that have been abducted. She might even find some answers that are still unresolved in her ordeal. It's a page turner, but I would have liked more action. The ending was really good though and I liked seeing how it all plays out.
(Gerard's review 8-28-14, 4 stars)
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Aboveby Isla Morley is a book
that is about a scary time and a girl, Blythe, who hangs on to hope to help her
survive a terrible situation she is in. She is kidnapped at age 16 by a
man she trusted, held prisoner in a silo underground for 15 years!
Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, they do! This
book really had me feeling sorry for Blythe and brought up emotions of sadness,
anger, disgust and finally relief. It has a twist I did not expect at all
and really caught me by surprise. It is written from the girl’s
perspective so the reader only gets to see what the girl sees, feels and
thinks. If you like novels about survival in tough situations with
surprises along the way, I recommend this one. This is a page turner that
kept me reading because I had no clue what would happen next and wanted to see
how it was going to end. It reminded me a little of In the After.
(Karen's review 11/1/14, 4 stars)
Above by Isla Morley is about a young teen girl named Blythe. She is taken captive and held by a man in a silo for 15 years. What happens in that silo makes for very interesting reading. When she finally escapes, she finds that lots of things have changed. This is a real page turner. The first part of the book was my favorite but the second part, although not as good, kept me reading to find out how it will all turn out. Worth reading for sure!
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