Joanne Rock review

OOps. I forgot I had this book, Double Play, up in my TBR slideshow here. Anyway, it's been an extremely bad week. :( But anyway, I've got the review for this one up now, and you can see it here, at my other blog. Enjoy.

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My guest post at Writing Magick

Hi folks. *blush* Well, a little more business..... I just wanted to let y'all know, if you're at all interested, I have a little ole guest post today over at Debra Glass and Elissa Wilds' blog, Writing Magick.

All about my writing, the short stories, what fires my imagination and so forth. if you'd like to read, it's here. Enjoy!

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Burning Up and Meljean Brook's new Iron Duke novella

Here There Be Monsters

by Meljean Brook

A novella available in the Burning Up paranormal Romance anthology

published by Berkley Sensation

cover art:Vladmir Wrangel, Kellie L. Folkert, Ferrin (all Shutterstock)

review copy sent to me by Velvet of VVB32Reads and Ms. Brooks.

In "Here There Be Monsters", a novella in the Burning Up paranormal romance anthology, author Meljean Brook has just released a steampunk novella about Ivy, a Blacksmith a young woman living in a slightly skewed version of our world during the Victorian age, a world where the mysterious Horde was just beaten back by “The Iron Duke”, but things aren’t quite normal in Ivy’s world, she is desperate to leave London and so approaches Mad Machen, a pirate captain, who she has little idea has been pining away for her love, all these years. He promises to take her anywhere she wants to go—for a price. Her, in his bed.

Well, Ivy’s not about to agree to that, and she runs.


Two years later, Mad Machen and crew find Ivy in a Norwegian town, tending to the town’s automatons, and he kidnaps forces her to build a steel kracken and to sleep in his bed. She isn’t fond of either prospect. But all she can really refuse is what he’ll do to her in his bed, by bargaining with her last few coins to keep her virginity. But, as they travel back to England, Ivy begins to realize that she’s falling in love with the tough ole pirate (as if the fact that she’s more than once offered to help him with his squeaky old mechanical leg isn’t enough?), just as Machen becomes soft enough to decide to let her go.


Will they come to their senses and admit they’re *ahem* made for each other? You’ll have to read to find out.


This is just a (very hot) taste of the new world Meljean Brook has created for her forthcoming Steampunk Romance series, The Iron Duke, the first novel of which is due out in October, and it is a hot story, and an intriguing world, filled with steam-powered machines, automatons, nanobots, old rickety pirate ships (she even throws in zombies)--heck, what's not to love there?
 My rating? The story was intriguing, and the world, very well drawn, so ....



If you’re interested, "Here There Be Monsters", or any of the other interesting reads in Burning Up the book can be purchased through all the usual venues (Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, borders.com) Do check it out!

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Meg Cabot's Insatiable introduces a quirky vampire love story

Insatiable
by Meg Cabot
Publisher: Harper Collins
cover art: Harper Collins/Ricky Mujica/Mumtaz Mustafa

My review copy was graciously provided by the fine folks at Harper Collins.

Longtime readers know I get all giddy and fangirly about Meg Cabot, so this review should be no surprise. Her latest release, Insatiable, will be a little bit of a surprise to her regular readers. Herein she has decided to take her quirky heroines in an altogether new direction, with the introduction of Ms. Meena Harper, who spends her dreary days as a script writer for a popular soap opera, Insatiable, pining away for the love she writes about, and lusting after a particular red Marc Jacobs tote bag, with a diamond encrusted dragon emblazoned on its surface, and sharing an apartment with her brother, and her steadfast little canine companion, Jack Bauer.

Aside from her own ability to predict the manner of someone’s death, she doesn’t believe in the supernatural, and barely registers the news that girls have been turning up dead in Manhattan parks, with bite marks on their necks, other than to wonder if she predicted any of those deaths—because she can.

Then her bosses at the network decide they want to add something to Insatiable’s story line to spice up the ratings: vampires.

Meena can’t stand the idea.

But all these niggling worries pale when she meets a real live prince, one Lucien Antonescu, who deftly saves from her an attack of (wait for it) bats. Though he would feel better, for her own safety, if Meena remained ignorant of his existence, the two keep getting thrown together, and the inevitable ensues: Meena is soon in love with Lucien and vice versa.

But how will she take it when she learns the truth, that he’s not just a professor of Romanian history, in Manhattan to attend a friend’s lecture? That yes indeed, he is a real live prince, all right. . .

(wait for it)

That he is, in fact, the prince of vampires? In the middle of a vampire war, of which those bats were just one volley?

And how will Lucien keep Meena from ending up the next woman to turn up dead in the park? Killed by his vampire enemies?

And oh, good lord, how will they both, ever keep from (God forbid) *gulp* falling in love?

Well, I'm not telling. ;) You'll have to read it for yourself.

If you have at all been following my blog for any length of time, you know that I am a big Meg Cabot fan, I always look forward to a new Meg title. While it's different than anything one might expect from Ms. Cabot, while it could seem she’s jumped on the Vampire bandwagon (and I admit, I wondered why she would), it is different than most those popular right now, in that her contribution harkens, if you will, back to the original vampire love story: Dracula. No these bad boys don’t sparkle. Not a bit! But Meg Cabot's prose does, as ever.

Also, Ms. Cabot has added just enough history of Vlad the Impaler, to flesh out her vampire tale, and of course the quintessential Meg Cabot flavor is here. All serve to make this another entertaining read—even her vampire hunters are clever, witty, and, well, damn it, I’ve said it before of her, and I say it again, all her characters have some quality that make them downright endearing. but … I warn you, this is no Twilight. Lucien has a dark side to him, and could give Edward a run for his money, I think--but girls, I dare you not to fall for Lucien. I did, and I hope there will be another volume in this story, but if not. I’m happy all the same with Meg’s latest offering. If you are looking for a different spin on the vampire genre, do give Insatiable a look. :)

My rating for this one? Well, since this one goes on my keeper shelf, without doubt: 

You're not surprised, are you? ;)

If you'd like to, you can find it at Amazon, barnesandnoble.com or borders.com, (or if you like you can get it through my amazon store here) and of course any of your local versions of these stores should have a copy. Enjoy!

(There's another version of this review up at my Examiner pages if you'd be so kind as to give it a hit. :). You can do so here. Thanks!)

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Leigh Duncan debuts with a stormy love story

The Officer's Girl

by Leigh Duncan

Publisher: Harlequin American Romance

cover art copyright: Harlequin Enterprises, LTD

review copy purchased via Turn the Page bookstore (online version)

Debut Harlequin American author Leigh Duncan’s debut novel The Officer’s Girl, sees a Ohio native, Stephanie Bryant moving to Cocoa Beach, Florida to accept a position as Space Tech's head of Human Resources. The only problem? The day she moves in a hurricane heads straight for Cocoa Beach, and the whole town is evacuating. All but Stephanie, who has no idea the storm had any chance of coming ashore.

Enter Cocoa Beach policeman Brett Lincoln who, when he tries to explain this to the feisty brunette, can't get a word in edgewise for the first ten minutes. Rightly flabbergasted by what Brett has to tell her, she high-tails through evacuation traffic to Orlando, meets and rides out the storm with some of Brett's best friends. From there, Brett and Stephanie keep running into each other, and it seems fate is definitely at work as the two quickly move from combatants to friends, into a Relationship with one another. But, can they weather each others' foibles? Or will the end up tangled up in Hurricane Arlene's wreckage? You'll have to read to find out.

I had the privilege of attending Ms. Duncan's workshop when she visited a meeting of the Tampa Area Romance Authors back in October of last year, and so I couldn't pass up the chance to purchase The Officer’s Girl when she participated in a group signing with author Roxanne St. Claire and others at Nora Roberts' Turn the Page bookstore. It was well worth the price, in my opinion, as it is an endearing first effort, the minor characters (particular Tom's twin girls) so adorable.

In fact, my favorite line in the whole book comes from them. P. 203. When the toddler Barbara sees Brett cradling a young boy he'd help around a picnic that day, Ms. Duncan wrote this adorable line: "...Barbara scrambled out of her seat and onto Brett's lap, framing his face with her two little hands. "No Unca Brett, No boys." *giggle* Just so adorable! So my rating for this one:

Since Harlequins don't stay on the shelves long a reader might not be able to purchase this one at any local stores (I could be wrong); but if you'd like to try it out, you can definitely find it at the Harlequin website here, or at Amazon, or Books-a-Million, or Barnes and Noble. If you like sweet romances, you will not be disappointed Leigh Duncan's The Officer’s Girl.

(As usual, a slightly different version of this is up over at my Examiner pages. if you wish to give it a click you may do so here. Thanks! :))

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Paula Quinn introduces some Ravishing Highlanders

Ravished by a Highlander

by Paula Quinn

cover art: Franco Accornero

review copy provided for my review by the fine folks at Grand Central Publishing

In Ravished by a Highlander, the first book in the new Children of the Mist series by Paula Quinn, the author introduces the reader to the MacGregor clan, by way of the dutiful Rob. He and his companions are on the way home from a raid when they run across a set of thugs attacking an abbey. Stopping to assist a severely wounded soldier, he learns these men are truly after only one novice nun: a young woman by the name of Davina Montgomery. Rob saves the helpless young maid, and decides to accompany her to safety.

But the girl only serves to puzzle him. Why would Protestant troops attack an abbey? Why would that dying soldier imply Davina was so incredibly important? Why won’t Davina tell her whole story, explain why she seems to know so much about English politics, and particularly, King James?

Davina’s got big issues, and even bigger secrets. The fact that she’s falling in love with Rob as they traipse across the landscape—erm, travel back to Rob’s mountain home, only serves to complicate matters. I won’t give away her secrets; you’ll have to read the novel to find out what she’s all about.

I have to be honest, you know by now I have issues with “historical” laced novels (sometimes lots of  bite my tongue, yell at the author for their mistakes, issues), and this one was no exception--except that it didn't bother me all that much.Yes, I know you'll be shocked to hear that.  But I really, really enjoyed Paula Quinn’s Ravished by a Highlander very much. The relationship between Davina and Rob, the plethora of loveable secondary characters, and What Might Happen to Davina and Rob, were very compelling. Some bits even made me laugh (when Colin and Finn’s names appeared for the first time, I had to wonder, did Ms. Quinn ever watch the WB/CW TV show Gilmore Girls?).

All in all a fine read, and I look forward very much, to the forthcoming sequel, Seduced by A Highlander, about Rob's brother Tristan. (Although, I really hope Ms. Quinn is considering novels starring Colin and Will!) If you love historical romance, I think you will enjoy Paula Quinn’s Ravished by a Highlander. So my grade for this one? mm....

As always, if you’d like to try this title out, it can be found at any of your nearby bookstores, or online at Amazon, barnesandnoble.com, borders.com or booksamillion.com.

Oh, yes, there's another version of this review over at my Examiner pages, if you care to give it a click? Please feel free, and thanks so much! Enjoy the read.

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Carolyn Brown’s latest is one to love

 I Love This Bar
By
Carolyn Brown
Review copy provided by Sourcebooks.
Cover Art credit: RandeeLadden/Nevil Elder/Corbis; Sophielouise/Dreamstime.com

In Carolyn Brown’s latest contemporary romance release from Sourcebooks, I Love This Bar, she sets the stage in a small bar in Texas. The bar, known as the Honky Tonk, is run by a young woman named Daisy O’Dell who has nothing else on her mind than catering to her boisterous and quirky patrons. Then she trips into a newcomer named Jarod McElroy, and her whole, well-ordered world is set on its ear. While they are immediately attracted to each other, Daisy doesn’t want to get involved with anyone, content on running the Honky Tonk, and keeping her life as is. Jarod on the other hand, has come down to Texas to care for his ailing Uncle Emmett, who is suffering the effects of what may or may not be Alzheimer’s Disease (or just plain old age orneriness), and has really no time for any sort of relationship.

All that aside, Daisy and Jarod can’t keep their minds strictly on their own personal visions of the future. No, all they can think about is each other and that tangle they got into on the floor of the Honky Tonk. Daisy’s friends Chigger (yes, like the bug) and Daisy's cousin Cathy, and even Jarod’s nosy, ornery Uncle Emmett, aren’t any help, as they keep doing everything they can to play Cupid. When it succeeds, Daisy and Jarod aren’t really complaining—a fling’s not a bad thing, after all, is it? When Daisy really starts musing on things (the possibility of picking up her whole life and moving to Jarod’s hometown in Oklahoma, leaving the Honky Tonk to the whims of the badgering Billy Bob and his twin brothers) and when Jarod’s family find out about his affair with a *gulp* bar maid, things could get ugly.

All in all, I Love This Bar is a cute, quick read—think Urban Cowboy meets Cheers, and you get the idea. Though I’m sure some astute students of the genre might nitpick on her style, the story was, this reviewer thought, quite enjoyable (and I thank the folks at Sourcebooks for allowing me my review copy). Carolyn Brown peppers it all with the charm of the south, hot cowboys for you romance lovers to drool over, and plenty of atmosphere—and music. Lots and lots of country music references. So if you love all of the above, or even just a good contemporary that will leave you smiling, and looking forward to the sequel being released next month, this is the book for you. And if you’d like it, you can get a copy at your favorite local bookstore, or online at Amazon, borders.com or barnesandnoble.com

my score for this one? Given all the elements that made me love this one, despite the few technical things I noticed in it (that I don't think a non-aspiring writer would notice), despite not being hip to a few of the songs Ms. Brown referenced throughout the book, I did love it. So, I have to give it five pearls. :)


If indeed you do decide to check it out, I hope y'all will love this cute little novel too. Enjoy!

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Guest Post: Patty G. Henderson

Today we have a treat for our readers. Supernatural mystery author Patty G. Henderson gave us a little of her time recently, and as a result, we have a Q and A for you, and a giveaway. :) Read below to find out what she said when we asked her to tell us about her Brenda Strange series, and the latest title Ximora.

What was the inspiration for Ximora?

Patty: My Brenda Strange series is a blend of my love for the mystery genre and also for my roots and love of the horror/supernatural genre. I always decide what interesting topic in the supernatural realm that might make a good case for Brenda to get involved in. For XIMORA, I’ve always had a fascination with giant statues or just statues that come to life and threaten the populace in general, so I figured why not combine that with a bit of the Pygmalion and Galatea and ancient Greek and Amazon warrior mythology and have some fun.

What kind of research did you have to do, in order to write the book?

Patty: I spent lots of time online researching Amazon lore and myth as well as making use of some of my books on Amazon names and legends and Greek mythology.

Who's your favorite character in this particular book?

Patty: Well, Brenda Strange is one of my fave characters of all my creations, but I think in this book, I really enjoyed meeting the Winters side of Brenda’s family and especially the delightfully deceptive and wicked cousin Cecily. And I like getting to know the tender side of Detective Lisa Chambliss. And who can not love Cubbie? LOL. Okay, you see, I love all the characters.

What's next for you, now that Ximora is out?

Patty: I love this question because I love talking books. I have lots of irons in the fire and I honestly don’t know which one will be the first one to emerge. LOL. I’m getting the most progress with my new Gothic Romantic Suspense, THE SECRET OF LIGHTHOUSE POINTE. This book is a real deviation for me because I’ve been writing supernatural and horror literature since the 1970s and couldn’t stop writing in the genre even if I wanted to….which I don’t. But I wanted to try my hand at something a little bit different. I have always had a love affair with those old paperbacks from the 1960s that were all over bookstores, drugstores and anyplace that sold paperbacks with gloomy, dark castles in the background and a damsel in distress in the forefront, trying desperately to escape. You’d have to read the book to find out what she was running away from, but usually some brooding bad guy. These were short books, slim on characterization and heavy on the plot and suspense, atmosphere and mystery. Most of them didn’t involve the supernatural but some did have ghosts and some were historicals, set in the past. THE SECRET OF LIGHTHOUSE POINTE will be different in that the brooding, good looking guy that eventually comes to the rescue will be a woman. I write fiction for the lesbian reading community and thought this might be a welcome respite from my horror books and offer a different take on the old Gothic Romances.

Awesome! I'll be looking forward to that. :)

Patty: I’m also hoping to keep working on the next Brenda Strange book, THE SHADOWS. I’ll be introducing an interesting group of bizarre women in the story along with the usual cast of characters like the ghosts Angelique and Carlotta, Cubbie, Eddy and the intrepid Detective Lisa Chambliss. And I’m still plugging away, although at a slower pace, on the second Karnov vampire book, THE BLOOD RUNS COLD. So you see, aren’t you sorry you asked the question? LOL.

(blog mistress note: No, I am not, actually. :) I'll be looking forward to reading them!)

What's a good writing day like for you?

Patty: A good writing day is any day I write. I find that I’m writing less now that I’m out of work than I was writing when I worked a full time job. I think it just boils down to routine and regiment. I’ve taken to heading out to the library in the early part of the day and getting some writing down on paper. I never write a book the same way. Some of my books have been written almost entirely on the computer or keyboard while others, I like to write on a yellow notepad first with a pen or pencil and then transfer over. I’m enjoying scribbling on paper for THE SECRET OF LIGHTHOUSE POINTE. Because I take care of my mom full time, I can only write when I get the chance to find that inner Muse and a peaceful place to write. I have to recipe or advice on writing.

Oh, my! Sounds really interesting! So, what type of books do you like to read, for your own enjoyment?

Patty: I still enjoy a good supernatural thriller but also pick up lots of cozy and historical mystery books. I don’t read romances or much literary stuff. Political books are a real interest for me.

And, if you had to have a particular paranormal power (like Brenda does) what would it be--aside from, you know, saving the world? ;)

Patty: A very interesting question. Since Brenda, with the publication of XIMORA, has now picked up some extraordinary new powers, I think I would like the power to heal like she did in the book. Even though the power has the potential to affect her negatively, who wouldn’t want to save a life?

And, finally, what can your fans expect from you, in the future?

Patty: Exciting things. I’m all over the place. Besides all the books I’m working on, I’ve also jumped into publishing. Check out my Black Car Publishing web site at: http://www.blackcarpublishing.yolasite.com/ for all the information. I also continue to offer my graphic services for custom book cover creations. Please check out my online portfolio at: http://boulevardphotografica.blogspot.com/ for a look at some of the covers I’ve done. And I’ve also recently done a movie poster for a local movie maker.

So you're one busy gal! Cool. :) We'll be looking forward to all that. Anything else to add, before we go, Patty?

Patty: Don’t forget to check out my author web site: www.pattyghenderson.com and also my blog, The Henderson Files: http://thehendersonfiles.blogspot.com/ Thank you, Juli, for the opportunity to have some fun with the questions.

You're most welcome. Drop by anytime, Patty. :) And thank you for your time, and the wonderful Brenda Strange series. As ever, we wish you all the best with it!


Folks, would you like to win a copy of Ximora and some pretty bookmarks? Then see the Ximora giveaway post for details on how to do that. Giveaway closes Wednesday night. Good luck!


:) There you are. We hope you’ve enjoyed this chat, and good luck to all who enter the giveaway!

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Loud words and sounds 100 followers

I found a lovely book blog this afternoon called Loud Words and Sounds (The owner seems to do mostly YA books but there are some very interesting reads there).  And lo and behold, she's having a 100 Followers contest.



If you'd like to check it out, I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit. :)

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Steampink week: Soulless review

Soulless
by Gail Carriger
cover art credit: Orbit/Lauren Panepinto/Derek Caballero
review copy provided by Orbit Books

In a nutshell, Soulless, the first novel by author Gail Carriger, is about a young spinster, Alexia Tarabotti who is attacked one night by a vampire, and she, naturally, fights back, killing the monster with her silver tipped parasol. The attack throws the London Vampire community into turmoil, as they, and Lord Maccon, Alpha werewolf and employee of the Bureau of Unnatural Registry, try to pinpoint who the vampire was and why he would commit such a gross breach of etiquette—and more importantly, why he didn’t know Miss Tarabotti is a Soulless preternatural.


What does that mean? Well, she can nullify a supernatural’s powers. And that is exactly why all the werewolves and vampires of London hold her suspect, and why the scientists in town are interested in her; add to that missing vampires, suddenly appearing vampires, a strange “wax faced man” that seems bent on kidnapping her, and a friend who has the shocking bad taste to love ugly hats, and that Alexia can’t keep her hands (or anything else) off Lord Maccon, and there’s a lot of trouble to go around here.

Impressions: This novel is a good example of what I’m starting to call the confusion of the genres. Look: Vampires. Girls in Petticoats? What do you think of when you think of that? If you said Dracula, give yourselves a cookie. ;) Now add a playing or two of Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London”, add the romantic scenes (lots and lots of them) and some humor (more than I was catching on to, I think—or perhaps the relentless jabs at Alexia’s Italian heritage were supposed to be taken as jokes?), add a pinch of steampunk, and viola! Or that’s what it seemed like. I’m not really sure what to think of this novel; I guess, in the end, it was a good first attempt, and I hope the follow up, (titled Changeless,  now available**) is even better, for this new young author certainly has quite an imagination. Give Gail Carriger's Soulless a try and see what you think.
My rating?



**The third volume, Blameless, will be released in September.

For more on Gail Carriger:
Gail Carriger's homepage
Steampod's interview with Gail Carriger
Gail Carriger's page at Hatchette Books

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Steampink week: review of the steampunk classic, the Difference Engine

The Difference Engine
by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling
review copy: purchased at Borders, 2009

Set in a Victorian Steampunkish London that takes a turn away from the Tory history of England we know so well, The Difference Engine by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling offers up a mixture of fantasy, scientific conjecture, with a little romance and mystery to boot, that feels quite different than the usual crop of Science Fiction/Fantasy offerings.

Here we find Dr. Edward Mallory, a renowned paleontologist, who, having lost a battle to save a rather famous damsel in distress—one Ada Byron, the Queen of Engines—finds himself caretaker of the young woman’s cache of punch cards, and with them, in more trouble than he could have expected. Charles Babbage’s card-reading Difference Engine* drives everything in this steam-dependant Byron-led society, and it seems everyone wants to get their hands on the cards in Dr. Mallory’s possession. And so he’s dragged into the middle of the mystery concerning Lady Byron; Charles Babbage, Lord Byron (yes, the Lord Byron) and a host of rebellious Socialist radicals intent on bringing down England’s ruling class. There’s also a reporter on his heels, and his enemies at the Royal Society, who want nothing more than to discredit his theories, and destroy his credibility. There’s even a pretty girl or two caught in the middle; not to mention the murderers and thieves on every corner, just waiting get their hands on those cards, even if it means taking Mallory’s life (and anyone’s who happens to be in the way). And they’re all clamoring about in the horrid stench and fog rising from the stagnant Thames, in a summer about to explode in revolution and chaos.

And over it all is this mystery of the cards, and the Difference Engine, but Mallory doesn’t give a hoot what’s on the cryptic cards and would much prefer to be left alone. He’d rather be back in the Wyoming Territory studying his Land Leviathan, or if he has to be stuck in London, he’d at least like to satisfy his lecture schedule, but no. He can’t find a moment’s peace. So what is our overwhelmed Victorian Paleontologist to do? You’ll have to read The Difference Engine, and see

Intricate, yet dense, elegant, yet gritty, The Difference Engine reads like a well-written tale from the Victorian Era—a Gothic novel in the truest sense of the word. The recreation of London was, in my reading experience, dead on (with some very interesting quirks), and I feel it not too far from something Jules Verne or H.G. Wells could have written. To say I really enjoyed this novel would be an understatement. Yes, at times, it did get a little convoluted . . . Well, I won’t spoil it for you, but at any rate, this is the kind of thing I’d like to see coming off the presses more often! I hope you’ll give Sterling and Gibson’s The Difference Engine a try, and that you will find it as enjoyable as I did.

My rating?


If you'd like to read this novel, you can probably still get it at the online versions of Barnes and Noble and Borders, or at Amazon (or get it from my Amazon "I recommend" link over there, *points to sidebar*--please?) If all else fails, you can find it at local used bookstores, no doubt.
--

*A thing that was more or less a room-sized calculator, theorized by Babbage in 1822; what some call the first computer.

***(This review is also housed, and originally published, at my Examiner pages)

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Steampink week

And to add just one more fun thing I just found,

the blog mistress of vvB32Reads is running a SteamPink week, June 4-12. :) A week of steampunk themed reads and goodies. Go here to check that out.

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Hide by Lisa Gardner

Hide
by Lisa Gardner
My review copy purchased locally.

In her 2007 novel Hide, Lisa Gardner’s popular detectives D.D. Warren and Bobby Dodge are faced with a stumping, horrid crime when they discover an underground bunker. The contents? The mummified remains of six little girls. One of the remains bears a locket with the name of Annabelle Granger. As they are logging the pieces of the puzzle into their files, the news gets wind of the locket, and suddenly, this young woman appears in D.D.’s office, claiming her name is Annabelle Granger.

The story gets even stranger from there, as Annabelle explains that, around the date that bunker was last frequented, she was eight years old, and living with her family in Tampa, Florida, before moving on, over and over again, to different places. And she’d only returned to Boston, five years ago.

As curious as all this makes the two detectives, it doesn’t answer the question of who committed these poor little girls murders, and why. But Annabelle is more disturbed by the questions that come up regarding the little girl who was killed in her place (no less than a onetime friend of hers), what Annabelle’s own mobile childhood, and her father’s need to make it so, might have to do with the murders.

What’s going on here? Well, you know, dear readers, I can’t say! At any rate, Lisa Gardner’s Hide is a very intricate and thrilling mystery, and one that I think any lover of authors such as Thomas Harris and Karen Rose will enjoy. You can no doubt find Lisa Gardner’s books, Hide included, at the usual Borders, Barnes and Noble, no doubt, and of course, Amazon.

My rating?

I've also posted a variation of this review at the Examiner, here, if you would like to give it a click. :)

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