Delirious by Daniel Palmer

 Synopsis:



One day, Charlie Giles is an up-and-coming electronics superstar. The next, he's a prime homicide suspect as his former employers are picked off one by one. Charlie watches his life unravel as his company and inventions are wrenched from his control, and his family is decimated. With nowhere else to turn, he enlists his schizophrenic brother to uncover the dark family secrets that lie at the heart of the unfolding terror. "Delirious" is a mind-bending story where the line between what is real and what is imagined twists and turns...an addictive literary puzzle that every reader will want to solve.



Review:



Oh my goodness! When I started this book I had no idea what to expect. I'm still pretty new to the Thriller genre and I'd never read a Techno-thriller before. I'm really glad that I took a leap of faith on this book because I really enjoyed it.



Charlie Giles has it all at the beginning of the book. He has a great job and has a fair number of people who work for him. But then he gets word that his department is being "axed" and the job has been done internally. Even though Charlie tries extremely hard not to lose his job he is eventually fired. To add insult to injury he's becoming Delirious just like his brother and father....NOT GOOD AT ALL!



That's when things start to get REALLY interesting! Charlie finds a note that he apparently hand wrote himself, that lists all the people from his old job who MUST die. Charlie doesn't remember writing such a horrible note. Was he the one who ACTUALLY wrote it? Has Charlie already acted on the note or not? That is where the roller coaster begins! Usually I'm not a fan of roller coasters but the one in this book was a fun ride.



I thought that this book, for a debut, was really strongly written through out the whole book. This may sound really sick but my favorite part was watching Charlie deteriorate into craziness. I was a little disappointed by the climax of the story. There was a really strong build up to it and then it kind of leveled off.



Overall, I was really impressed by this book. Even with the leveling off at the climax I wasn't able to knock the rating down too much. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to add a little craziness to their TBR pile.



Rating:

4.75/5

Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young Blog Tour

Title: Buying Time
Author: Pamela Samuels Young

Series:

Genre: Fiction, Thriller

Publisher: Goldman House

Release Date: 2009, November 1

Format: Paperback, 370 pages

Source: Received for the blog tour

 

 

Rating: 5/5

 

Smuttiness: N/A

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

 

Waverly Shaw is a down-on-his-luck lawyer who stumbles upon a potentially lucrative business just when he's about to hit rock bottom. In his new line of work as a viatical broker, Waverly comes to the rescue of people in desperate need of cash. There's a catch, however, his clients must be terminally ill and willing to sign over rights to their life insurance policies before they receive a dime. Waverly then finds investors to advance them thousands of dollars—including a hefty broker's fee for himself—in exchange for a significant return on their investment once the clients take their last breath. The stakes get higher when Lawrence Erickson, who's bucking to become the next U.S. Attorney General, hires Waverly to broker the insurance policy of his cancer-stricken wife. But Waverly's clients start dying sooner than they should, and Erickson—who has some skeletons of his own to hide—is unwittingly drawn into a perilous web of greed, blackmail, and murder. With two determined federal prosecutors hot on his trail, Waverly is on the run, and this time he might need some life insurance.

 

Review:

 

I was asked if I would be interested in reading this book as part of a blog tour and I happily agreed.  This is the first thriller that I've read that has been written by a woman also.  I'm so very glad that I was asked if I wanted to participate because I thought that this book was AWESOME SAUCE!

 

Buying Time is an extremely fast paced read as well as being a page turner.  Once I started reading this work of art I was fully sucked into the story.  I did think that as the book was progressing there were a lot of "cliff hangers" throughout but the farther I got into the book everything fell into place and I was plesantly surprised.

 

The way the book was written I thought was pretty unique.  There are two side stories in Buying Time an I found that with the I was constantly trying to figure out what the link was.  I thought that all of the characters were pretty interesting as well....They all have there own conflicts and issues going on and I thought it was great how all those conflicts and issues help to form the story.

 

Another big plus (at least in my opinion) is that by the end there is no clearly defined hero.  I think that's a first for me also.  Almost all of the books I've read there is a hero.  So for the author to have no hero got her a lot of bonus points with me...keeping things interesting is AWESOME SAUCE.

 

Overall, I thought that this was a exceptionally well written thriller that has a VERY strong plot and VERY strong solidly written characters.  I'm also very impressed by how well researched the book was.  Pretty much what I'm telling you is to add Buying Time to your TBR pile!  Do it...you won't be sorry. 

 

Arson by Estevan Vega

Title: Arson

Author: Estevan Vega

Series:

Genre: YA, Paranormal

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Release Date: 2010, May 4

Format: Paperback, 318 pages

Source: Received from the author

 

 

Rating: 4/5

 

Smuttiness: N/A

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

 

ARSON GABLE FEELS LIKE A FREAK. HE CAN CREATE FIRE. HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT. HE NEVER WANTED IT. BUT HE CAN'T SHUT IT OFF.

 

 

Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl-who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin-moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears the most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Dark, moody, and breathtakingly relevant, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated boy with unimaginable ability, is sure to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

 

Review:

 

Oh my goodness!  I've seen reviews for this book all over the book blogging community and it really caught my attention.  The cover has just enough "creep factor" that I had to get my hands on it.  I mean just look at the cover!  A Freddy Krugerish "mask" and flames!  Anyway....moving on.

 

What really turned me on about this book was the writing.  From the very first sentence until the very last sentence the way that it was written kept me engaged and reading and pretty much putting my life on hold because Arson's life was oh so very interesting.  Oh well, Arson is oh so much more fun than doing laundry anyway.

 

The characters in the story for the most part I really enjoyed.  I did at times have trouble relating to/understanding a couple of the characters.  That is the main reason that I wasn't able to give Arson 5/5.  After learning all sorts of secrets as the book progressed I am looking forward to learning even more about all of these very interesting characters in the sequel that's coming up.

 

Overall, Arson is most definitely the most "different" (in a good way) book that I've read in the past couple of months.  Once you get past the "creep factor" I think this book is pretty dang good.  I think that Estevan Vega hit a home run with this one!



I, Alex Cross

I, Alex Cross

James Patterson

Pub. Date: November 2009
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Format: eBook

Genre: Thriller

Rating:

Synopsis:

Alex Cross's niece is found brutally murdered. Overcome with grief, Alex vows to take down her killer before he strikes again. But shortly after he begins the investigation, Alex discovers that his niece had gotten mixed up with some very important, very dangerous people. And she's not the only one who has disappeared.

The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to Washington's most infamous club--a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. The killer could be one of their patrons, one of Washington's elite who will do anything to keep their secrets buried.

With astonishing plot twists and electrifying revelations that will keep readers on the edge of their seat, I AM ALEX CROSS is James Patterson's most suspenseful Alex Cross novel yet.

Review:

This was my first ever James Patterson novel and it won't be my last either (even though it only got 3 boots). Alex Cross is a very interesting character....one that I am so going to learn more about by reading more of this series. He's also VERY relateable.

The grisly death of his estranged niece is not the only tragedy that Alex faces in this book and the way that he hands all the blows and hard knocks that keep coming at him is in my opinion AWESOME. He's a man's man. You'd want to be pals with Alex Cross. Life keeps kicking him when he's down and he keeps getting back up and saying "Kiss This!"

I guess my only complaint with the book was that there seemed to be moments in the story when there would be a "magical" break in the case. Meaning basically, Alex doesn't really do anything and another piece of the puzzle falls in their lap. I guess that might be a major contributor to why this book didn't rate higher. That and the ending just kind of fizzled out...didn't care for it.

I do enjoy that the chapters are short and easy to track. I do enjoy the writing style very much also. The supporting characters are all very well written as well and they complement Alex nicely. Overall, it wasn't a horrible book...it just didn't rock my socks off.

Learning to Stand review and giveaway

Learning to Stand
Claudia Hall Christian

347 pages
Category: Thriller

Rating:

.75

Synopsis from the back of the book:
Last year, Major Alexandra "The Fey" Hargreaves' lost everything and almost lost her life. Now, everyone expects her to move on. Everyone, except Alex.
Fragile and lost, she stumbles and falls.
When a small child's life is in danger, only Alex can save him. Setting aside her grief, the horror of the past and betrayal in the present, she musters the strength and courage to rally her team to rescue him.
And Alex learns to stand again.
Learning to Stand is the second fast-paced, heartwarming novel in the Alex the Fey Thriller series.
Review:

I was asked by the author of this book to read, review and be part of a blog tour. This is actually a first for me...I've never done a blog tour before. I am glad that I was asked to begin with. I am even happier that I was able to participate in the tour.

Alex"The Fey" is in charge of setting up a top notch team of indivduals who go in and rescue hostages. See Alex was part of the original team but the original team was massacred and Alex was the only survivor and she barely survived. So Alex is in charge of rebuilding the task force and brings together a team of individuals that know her and that she knows really well too. This is where the problem's start. Because her new team knows her so well, they sometimes have a problem following orders. In the end this situation is just one of the reasons that Alex decides to leave the military.

But fate is a funny thing!

Just when Alex thinks she's done and her "team" thinks they are being sent off to some pretty interesting assignments, a little voice, and I mean that literally, calls "The Fey" looking for help. Turns out this little voice is one of many children that a missing Cee Cee Joiner has and is a hostage, well one of many. There is a special place in hell for the people who have taken these kids hostage in my opinion.

This missing Joiner fellow is no boyscout either...there is reason to believe that he knew something or was involved in the massacre of the original Fey team. So now the race is on. To figure out where Joiner is, what he knows about the massacre fo the original Fey team and why he only took out life insurance policies on his male children.

There is oh so much more to this book also, but because I don't want to give away the WHOLE book I'm going to stop right here. If you want to know more you'll just have to either win the book OR purchase the book.....All that information is available below.

Overall, I LOVED this book. I wasn't able to give it 5 boots because there were a couple places in the book where I wasn't able to keep track of who was saying what. That's it, that is the only reason it didn't get 5 boots. There are a lot of complex characters and situations in this book and it will keep you guessing and wanting to know what happens next. I totally recommend this book to anyone!


Giveaway Rules:

1. Fill out the form

2. The Giveaway will go until 12:01 CST Friday May 28.

3. Open to US and Canada

Last Snow review and Giveaway!

Last Snow
Eric Van Lustbader
416 pages

Rating:

* I was sent this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis:

Jack McClure, Special Advisor and closest friend to the new President of the United States, interprets the world very differently from the rest of us. It’s his greatest liability, and his greatest asset.

An American senator, supposedly on a political trip to the Ukraine, turns up dead on the island of Capri. When the President asks him to find out how and why, Jack sets out from Moscow across Eastern Europe, following a perilous trail of diplomats, criminals, and corrupt politicians. Thrust into the midst of a global jigsaw puzzle, Jack’s unique dyslexic mind allows him to put together the pieces that others can’t even see.

Still unreconciled to the recent death of his daughter and the dissolution of his marriage, Jack takes on a personal mission along with his official one: keeping safe from harm his two unlikely, unexpected, and incompatible companions—Annika Dementieva, a rogue Russian FSB agent, and Alli Carson, the President’s daughter. As he struggles to keep both young women safe and unearth the answers he seeks, hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the Ukrainian police to his own NSA, Jack learns just how far up the American and Russian political ladders corruption and treachery has reached.

In the vein of Eric Van Lustbader’s latest bestselling Jason Bourne novels, Lustbader takes us on an international adventure in this powerful page-turner that will keep you reading through the night.

Review:

Last Snow is the follow up to First Daughter. Eric Van Lustbader is an author I hadn't heard of until I was approached to read and review this book on my blog. I'm glad that I was approached because I found another "new to me" author that I really like a lot. Usually, I have found sequels to have that "sophomore curse" that is so NOT the case with this book. I actually think that the sequel is BETTER than the first book. Because I think that the synopsis for this book does an excellent job of laying out the ground work for this book I am going to do what I did in my review of the First Daughter and tell you what I liked about the book. Why I think it doesn't suffer from the "sophomore curse."

1. Last Snow picks up right where First Daughter left off. I thought that there was an easy flow from one book to the other, so I was able to make a smooth transition between the two books. There are some series that I can not say that about but this is one that I most certainly can!

2. I'm not one for roller coasters usually, but this is one roller coaster that I most definitely glad I got on! All the twists and turns were great! I think (in my opinion anyway) that they were better than the first book. I was pretty much in a constant state of "who done it." I LOVE books where the "bad guy" isn't obvious.

3. I loved the "girl fights" between Annika and Alli....While Jack is trying to mediate AND keep them all alive. Sometimes it had to "suck" to be Jack. That's A LOT to put on one person!

4. Last Snow was VERY fast paced! I had a VERY hard time putting it down once I started reading it.

I guess my only "issue" with the book was the prologue. At first I wasn't sure who's perspective it was written from but once I was a couple pages into chapter 1 it became oh-so-clear to me who's perspective it was written from. Overall, I highly recommend reading both Last Snow AND First Daughter. Definite page turners....I hope that there will be more books in the Jack McClure series!

Giveaway rules!

1. Fill out the form.

2. Leave me a comment that you filled out the form.

3. Contest will go until March 25 @ 11:59 pm CST.

4. Winner will be drawn randomly.

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First Daughter review and GIVEAWAY!

First Daughter
Eric Van Lustbader
400 pages

* I was sent this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rating:

Synopsis:

Sometimes the weakness we fear most can become our greatest strength . . .

Jack McClure has had a troubled life. His dyslexia always made him feel like an outsider. He escaped from an abusive home as a teenager and lived by his wits on the streets of Washington D.C. It wasn’t until he realized that dyslexia gave him the ability to see the world in unique ways that he found success, using this newfound strength to become a top ATF agent.

When a terrible accident takes the life of his only daughter, Emma, and his marriage falls apart, Jack blames himself, numbing the pain by submerging himself in work. Then he receives a call from his old friend Edward Carson. Carson is just weeks from taking the reins as President of the United States when his daughter, Alli, is kidnapped. Because Emma McClure was once Alli’s best friend, Carson turns to Jack, the one man he can trust to go to any lengths to find his daughter and bring her home safely.

The search for Alli leads Jack on a road toward reconciliation . . . and into the path of a dangerous and calculating man. Someone whose actions are as cold as they are brilliant. Whose power and reach are seemingly infinite.

Faith, redemption, and political intrigue play off one another as McClure uses his unique abilities to journey into the twisted mind of a stone cold genius who is constantly one step ahead of him. Jack will soon discover that this man has affected his life and his country in more ways than he could ever imagine.

Review:

I had never heard of this author until I recieved this book as well as the sequel, review coming soon, in the mail from the publisher. I've only read a couple of thrillers so far and this is one that I really enjoyed a lot. The synopsis of the book says a LOT about the story so I'm going to tell you what I liked about the book and hopefully not giveaway too much.

Number 1 I liked the characters....All the characters in my opinion were pretty great. Even the "bad guy." My personal favorite was Jack himself....He's a "broken" man who is trying to reconcile all the wrongs and hurts of his past.

Number 2, I loved how much of a fast paced read it was. Being that I have such ecclectic tastes in books, if a book doesn't grab me and suck me in right away I get bored with it and have a tendency to move on to something else. That soooo did NOT happen with this story....I got sucked in right away and I had a very hard time putting this book down!

Number 3, all the twists and turns....Liked them a lot. Though there were a few times some of the twists and turns ended up confusing me, I was able to right myself again pretty quickly. The author kept you guessing "who done it?" all the time.....I literally figured it out at the same time that Jack did.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading First Daughter. My only "problem" with the book was some of the twists and turns. But as I said above even in those few instances I was able to right myself again pretty quickly. I defiantely recommend reading this book....Even if you aren't into thrillers....It may be classified as a "thriller" but it is also a redemption story.

GIVEAWAY!

I am giving away courtesy of the publisher 1 copy of First Daughter. Here are the rules to this contest:

1. You MUST fill out the form.

2. You MUST leave me a comment letting me know you filled out the form.

3. Winner will be drawn at random.

4. Contest runs until 11:59 pm CST on March 25.

**Optional Entries**

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The Last Surgeon Review

I received this medical thriller to review last week in the mail. Until I received it I honestly did not know that said genre of book even existed. So that being said let me start my review by saying that if you have never read a medical thriller please give Michael Palmer’s books a shot. Especially this one! I had a very difficult time putting it down to do basic everyday things like…laundry, eating, running errands, sleeping, you know basic everyday things.

The medical aliment that is centered around the book is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. One of our main characters Dr. Nick Garrity suffers from this medical condition. Nick was a surgeon in the military and witnessed a pretty horrible incident at the medical hospital that he was working at while deployed. As a result of having Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome Nick had pretty much given up “living” and had become a shell of himself. He had given up the medical practice that he was at and pretty much all that was his life before this incident accorded. There are two things that keep him going , one is Helping Hands which is a mobile “hospital” that Nick and his nurse friend Junie run, offering medical care to those who really can’t afford to go to a regular hospital, while also helping fellow veterans try and get their veteran’s benefits. The other is his mission to find out what really happened to his Marine friend Umberto, who just up and disappeared one day four years earlier.

Our other main character, Jillian Coates, is convinced that her sisters death was not a suicide. She believes that her sister was murdered. When going through her sisters things she came across a set of comic books where the main character is Dr. Nick Fury and while on a radio show trying to get some information a caller tells her that Dr. Nick Fury isn’t just a comic book character but an actual person, Dr. Nick Garrity. Jillian and Dr. Garrity meet up and go over what they know, which at this point isn’t much, but they are convinced that the death of Jillian’s sister and the disappearance of Umberto are connected.

Meanwhile, waiting in the wings is a paid killer, who refers to himself as the master of the “non-kill” (the art of making a murder look like a suicide). This character is one sick S.O.B. (pardon my “french”). Over the course of the book there are several more “non-kills” that are commited that are all linked to one particular surgical procedure done on a high profile patient about 4 years prior. This procedure, we find out links Jillian’s sister to Umberto and in the end Jillian to Nick.

There’s a LOT going on in the book but it all flows well together. I have to say that my favorite part of the book was when a teenage computer hacker get’s the better of a crooked plastic surgeon. Oh, and when Jillian gets the better of the killer….That was pretty AWESOME too. Overall, this was an AWESOME read! I will definately be reading more of Michael Palmer’s books in the future!
This book was sent to me by the author.

Winter Prey - Review

Synopsis:

In four short years, John Sandford's rise has been meteoric. Critics and readers everywhere have hailed his "cracklingly authentic" (Los Angeles Times), "trimmed-to-the-bone" (Chicago Tribune) thrillers, and more than three and a half million copies of his four bestselling novels are in print. Few writers have explored the human dark side with as much insight and unpredictability - and now, in his fifth Lucas Davenport novel, he has created his most spellbinding story of all. It is winter in the remote, dark Wisconsin woods, but the chill in the local sheriff's bones has nothing to do with the weather. The extravagance of the crime is new to him: the murdered man, woman and child; the machete-like knife through the man's head; the ashes of the fire-consumed house spread over the ice and snow. In desperation, the sheriff turns for help to the reclusive lawman he'd heard had a cabin up here, and with reluctance Davenport agrees, but it is a decision he will soon have reason to regret. For this is a kind of criminal new to him, too. As he sifts through the ashes of the case itself, other crimes, shocking to his carefully hardened shell, emerge, and it becomes clear that there is an evil in these woods, an evil at once alien to him and closer than he can imagine ... and against which even his skills may not prevail. Sandford's previous novels have displayed a brilliance of characterization and pace that have made them instant favorites. But this one is his masterpiece. Rich, complex and full of extraordinary people, it is a breathtaking work of suspense.

I read this book not all that long ago, it was recommended to me by another of my co-workers, they read it in her book club and she REALLY liked it. Usually, I'm not into "thrillers" or "mysteries" but I was really drawn into this book. This is the 5th book in John Sandford's "Lucas Davenport" series....There are close to 20 books in this series now.

What I really liked about this book is that it kept you guessing. You thought you knew who "done it" but in the end you were oh so very wrong. I really enjoyed the characters as well. Lucas is one of those guys that's "been there done that" and helps out with this case reluctantly. The "Ice Man" as the killer is called is one sick puppy, that will do just about anything to get this 1 photograph back. The preacher, did he or didn't he? The Dr. is really the only person involved that knows who did it, unbeknownst to her. The local law enforcement...well they sound like your typical "fish out of water" when it comes to this particular case. The plot was in my opinion AWESOME....but then again this is the first book by this particular author that I have read. It was so good that I finished this 400 page book in a few short hours....Once I got started I just could not stop!

5 out of 5