"White is the Coldest Colour" by John Nicholl

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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"Little Shoes" by Pamela Everett (Historical non-fiction)

Little Shoes by Pamela Everett is a true crime story.  Pamela's dad lost two sisters.  He does not talk about this so Pamela decides to look into what became of her dad's sisters.  This book is hard to read because of what it describes, but it is gripping too which makes it hard to put down!  The pacing of this book is well done.  The writing really made me feel like I was right there.  I always enjoy reading about true events that I am not up to speed on, but I can't say I enjoyed this.  However, it is very good and am glad I read it!
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

Karen's review:
Little Shoes by Pamela Everett is the true story about how the author researched into her families past to find out what happened back in 1937 to her two aunts that she just learned she had. This is about their murder and the question of whether the guy charged was really the guy who did it. This is a very sad and disturbing book!

The author wrote this to memorialize the three girls who were murdered, two of which her family never spoke of much. I really didn’t enjoy this one because not only was the murder of the three little girls horrible, but then it seemed to me that justice was not even served. I felt the guy who was convicted was really innocent! This book points out pitfalls in our criminal justice system when it comes to wrongful convictions. I found the research extremely interesting about eyewitnesses. The emotions I felt while reading this were sadness and anger. Much of the book moved very slowly for me, but things picked up once the trial got underway. Overall, this book is very unsettling.
(3 stars)

Karen's Teaser from page pg 79: And I thought about the leading cause of wrongful convictions—a problem with police investigations that’s still with us today.
Eyewitness misidentifications have led to 75 percent of the wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence in our country, and many of those mistakes happen early in the process when police are desperately seeking a suspect, just as they were in Inglewood in those frantic days after June 26.

Gerard's Teaser from pg. 16:  She politely fended off reporters' continued questions about whether the girls would have gone with Eddie the Sailor.  She held a hand to her mouth, choking back tears, and told them, "I'm afraid to let myself think what might have happened to them."

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!

"Our Little Secret" by Roz Nay

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay is told by Angela who tells it very well!   A woman is missing and detective Novak thinks Angela knows where and what happened to her.  I thought this book was VERY well done.  This is the author's first book too!  It feels like you are right in the room listening to her tell the story.  The pacing is perfect.  This is not a long book and went fast, had trouble putting it down.  Give this a read, you will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 47:  So many perfect days are stored in my head.  Novak brings me back if I take too long, and I try to let him see the moment I've just relived.

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!

"Behind Her Eyes" by Sarah Pinborough

In Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough, Louise and Adele become friends after an accidental meeting.  They really do not have much in common at all except for one thing--DAVID.  He is Adele's husband and Louise' boss.  I think you can figure out where this is going.

I really enjoyed getting into the heads of these two women.  It is told by both of them.  The writing is really good and I just had to see how all this was going to play out.  The ending is not to be missed.  LOVED IT!
(Gerard'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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"Spark" by John Twelve Hawks -- Gripping and Strange!

Spark, by John Twelve Hawks is about a Jacob Underwood who suffers from Cotard's Syndrome - an actual condition that makes you believe you are dead even though you aren't.   He is a hired assassin who does his job very well since he has no feelings or concept of right or wrong.  Things do change though, and when that happens, this good book becomes great!  The good writing made me want to keep turning pages which led to a very good ending!
(Gerard'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!

"That Night" by Chevy Stevens is Great! (Updated)

That Night by Chevy Stevens is a fantastic read that kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.  Although Toni, the main character and narrator, is a teen who smokes pot, drinks has pre-marital sex with her boyfriend, and fights with her mom constantly, I couldn't help but sympathize with her throughout the book.  She was being bullied by a group of mean girls for a long time and they just wouldn't let up.  When her "goody two shoes" sister, Nicole (her mother's favorite), is murdered, Toni and her boyfriend are wrongfully convicted.  That Night is about the truth coming out about what really happened the night Nicole was killed.  It is a fascinating read that shows how people have more than one side sometimes and are not always what they seem to be.

This book is so well written, that even though it jumps back and forth between the present and the past, it was still easy to follow.  I found Toni's life both in and out of prison interesting and was pulling for her to get to live a normal life after having lost so much and been through so many struggles.  We highly recommend this one!  It's a must read!  LOVED IT!
(Karen's review 7/10/14, 5 stars)

Gerard's review 6/29/14, 5++ stars):
That Night by Chevy Stevens is told by a young teen girl named Toni.  She was found guilty of killing her younger sister and sent to prison.  This book goes back and forth between what led up to that night her sister got killed and her prison life.

To me, Chevy Stevens is two for two.  I loved her first book, Still Missing, and I loved this one maybe more! This is a real page turner for sure.  I always wanted to get back to it and the ending came as a complete surprise.  I am looking forward to her next book.


NOTE:  This is the July Book Club Selection at She Reads where you can find more reviews of this great thriller!

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!

"What Comes Next" by John Katzenbach

What Comes Next by John Katzenbach is an outstanding and remarkable book!  Jennifer wants to escape her mom and her small town by running away, but her plan is foiled when a man and woman kidnap her off the street.  Jennifer is now number four and the kidnappers set up a website people can watch while they torture her!  There was one witness to the kidnapping, an old professor who is near death and speaks to his dead family members. 

I liked reading Jennifer's thoughts while going through this experience and the people watching it online.  This is an outstanding read that was very hard to put down!  I couldn't help but think to myself, "Would I be watching this if it were real?"  Would you?  What comes next is you reading this gripping novel--you will love the powerful ending!
(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. Happy Reading!

We are donating 50 cents for each legitimate comment we receive on all our blogs during June and July to The Wounded Warrior Project which helps wounded warriors and their families returning from current conflicts.

"Boot Camp" by Todd Strasser

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser is a disturbing novel about Garrett, a boy sent to Harmony Lake camp for troubled teens, by his parents because he was out of control.  It is like a prison for teens, but they use physical and psychological abuse to get teens to become obedient.  Parents who send kids there paid $4,000 a month!  Teens are separated from their parents and the outside world for a minimum of six months.  In this book, Garrett really did not deserve to be there and befriended two others who didn’t deserve to be there either.  They escaped together but it did not end there.

I liked the ending, but won’t spoil it for you.  I found myself pulling for Garrett throughout the book and although this was fiction, it is based on real places that exist in the United States which is what disturbed me most.  No one should be treated this way!   The book was gripping, a page-turner that I was anxious to see how it would end.
 (Karen's review)

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

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

I loved The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I finished it in just two days it was so hard to put down.  Even when I wasn’t reading it, I still was thinking about it.  This is the first book in the series and I am hooked!  It takes place in a fictional country called Panem that the Capitol controls which is divided into districts based on industry.  Just to make sure everyone realizes the Capitol is in control, they run annual Hunger Games where they force two teens from each district to enter a competition to fight to the death in a place that the game makers pick on live TV. 

Katniss is the main character, a 16-yr-old girl who is a good hunter and who volunteers to take your younger sister’s place.  The boy from her district that is also chosen has a long-time crush on her but she does not realize it until he mentions it in his interview.  Katniss struggles with not only surviving the game, but also with friendships and her feelings for Peeta, her admirer and her friend Gale, the boy she hunted with before having to leave for the hunger games. 

There is humor in the book as well because Peeta and Katniss both have a rebellious attitude toward the Capitol and try not to let the game change them.  I especially liked when they went through their training for the show and Katniss outscored everyone by impressing the gamemakers with her talent and spunk.  

This book is awesome!  This is a must read if you like psychological thrillers and adventure.  This is one of my all-time favorite books and I look forward to reading the rest of series!  If you like the TV show, Survivor, you will love The Hunger Games since there are some similarities.
(Karen's review)

Are you kidding me?  one of the best books I ever read was Pack of Two but this book is it's equal!  What an awesome book!  The Hunger Games is about a young teen girl who takes the place of her younger sister in the fight to the death annual TV show.  I could not put this book down and I hear the second book in this series, Catching Fire is even better!  Wow!  I can't wait to read it too! (100 stars)
 (Gerard's review)




Reviews by Other Blogers:
For What It's Worth: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire
Bloggin' 'bout Books: The Hunger Games Will Eat You Up and Spit You Out Only After Taking You On An Edge-Of-Your-Seat Thrill Ride

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?