Archive for the ‘Thriller’ Category

Today we are pleased to once again have Joshua Graham join us. Joshua is the author of the recently released Darkroom.

About Josh

Joshua Graham is the award winning author of the #1 Amazon and Barnes & Noble legal thriller BEYOND JUSTICE.

His latest book DARKROOM won a First Prize award in the Forward National Literature award and was an award-winner in the USA Book News “Bests Books 2011” awards.

Rhodes Review: What gave you the idea for Darkroom?

Joshua Graham: It started with the title, which I thought would make for a great double entendre, then I remembered how ghostly some of the images in an old fashioned darkroom looked when they were coming up in the developing solution on the contact paper.  They start off looking like a negative, then they turn out normal.  But I thought:  What if someone could see clairvoyant images in the darkroom, the way Johnny Smith did in THE DEAD ZONE by Stephen King, when he touches someone?

Rhodes Review:  It goes heavily into background in Vietnam, what was the research process like?

Joshua Graham:  It was fascinating! I learned a lot from historical records, but I also got a lot of firsthand information from people who were actually there, especially around the fall of Saigon.

Rhodes Review:  Is there any chance of the characters returning in other stories?

Joshua Graham:  Does the name Jodi Bauer sound familiar to you?  If you read BEYOND JUSTICE, you’ll remember that she was nick-named Jodi the Piranha, and was the defense attorney for the serial killer in that novel.  Well, the attorney that defends Xandra Carrick in the last part of the book comes from her law firm.  So, as you can see, my characters sometimes inhabit the same world.  And they might
even cross paths, who knows?

Rhodes Review:  Which character would you most and least like to invite to dinner?

Joshua Graham:  Interesting question.  Of course, I think Xandra would be a real kick to hang out with.   She’s got quite a personality and is not boring.  She’s feisty (as one reviewer put it) and she doesn’t let things go easily, so I bet she’d be fun to get into a debate with.  I’d also love to meet her father Peter Carrick and hear the stories he has to tell from the Vietnam War.  Who would I least like to invite to dinner?  Mark Collinsworth.  Everyone has their story, but his cocky attitude really grates me.  Great for a book character, but for a dinner guest, not so much.

Rhodes Review:  What do you think makes a good story?

Joshua Graham:  That which draws you in, such that you forget your reading a book.  And it should also provide a healthy dose of catharthis.

Rhodes Review:  What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

Joshua Graham:  Wake up, get the kids ready for school, have breakfast, study the Bible and pray, check email, social media, write, write, write…answer phone calls, emails, write, write, write…

Rhodes Review:  What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Joshua Graham:  Once in a while, I interview my characters.  Ask them probing questions, then let them answer in their own voice.  Some of them have gotten pretty mad at me, some of them have broken down, and still others have made me laugh so hard I was grateful I didn’t have a mouthful of coke.

Rhodes Review:  What was your favorite part of Darkroom?

Joshua Graham:  The surprises and twists.  Which ones?  Well, I could tell you…

Rhodes Review:  What was the hardest part to write in Darkroom?

Joshua Graham:  Definitely witnessing the human atrocities where innocents are killed and tortured.  These are things you never want to imagine.  But they have happened, tragically.  And in order to fully bring it to life, I had to put myself in the scene and imagine the details, the emotions, from different points of views.   As a husband and a father, these kinds of images (scenes) are always the most difficult to write (as it was in the opening chapters of BEYOND JUSTICE.)  My readers have had the same reaction to these pages as mine.  We all wanted to go and hug our children after reading them.

Rhodes Review:  What do you wish was different about Darkroom?

Joshua Graham:  Maybe that a major motion picture studio had already optioned it before the book was published?  So many people (early readers) have told me that this book must be made into a movie.   I even have an agent from one of the top Hollywood talent agencies who approached me and said the same thing.   On the other hand, it’s probably better that the book comes out first, because a book and a film adaptation are very different creatures, and must be viewed as such.

Rhodes Review:  Which of your books was the easiest/hardest to write?

Joshua Graham:  None of them are what I would call easy.  I already described
what was difficult about them to write.   But the truth be told, DARKROOM came through divine providence and inspiration.  I never completed a first draft as quickly as I did DARKROOM.  The words and story just flowed and I practically typed non-stop from start to finish.

Rhodes Review:  Does writing a book get easier as you write?  Ie. Is it harder to write your first book, then your 14^th?

Joshua Graham:  I’ll let you know when I get to book 14.   Each book has its own
challenges and rewards.  On one hand, being more experienced makes it easier.  But then, the challenge is to write with equal and better quality, and remain fresh.  After about 4 novels, I can tell you that the latter concern is becoming more and more of a challenge.  But it’s a challenge ALL writer’s must face, nothing new under the sun.

Rhodes Review:  If the author could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Joshua Graham:  C.S. Lewis, for sure.  He was a remarkably gifted man of deep insight and literary skill.  I love everything he’s written in regards to his literary, philosophical, and theological viewpoints.  And, from what I gather, we share a similar sense of humor—I think.

Rhodes Review:  How did you get interested in writing?

Joshua Graham:  I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember.  Even in the 1^st grade, with crayons and construction paper, my pictures had a separate sheet of paper with a story (caption).  Since then, I’ve enjoyed writing scripts for plays, movies, and all kinds of stories.   It was only later in life that I rediscovered this passion for storytelling, and at the urging of some great friends, decided to pursue it
professionally.  Little did I know it would alter my destiny and be there, ready and waiting, when my 12 year career in IT disappeared, making way for my life as a writer.

Rhodes Review:  What are some of your favorite books/authors.

Joshua Graham:  GOD:  The Bible

C.S. Lewis’ Narnia, The Screwtape Letters

Stephen King: The Dead Zone

John Grisham:  The Rainmaker

Rhodes Review:  Do you have any suggestions to help my readers become a better
writer? If so, what are they?

Joshua Graham:  For those interested in becoming a writer professionally, remember, the key characteristic needed more than talent, connections, more than anything else combined, is persistence.  Never give up until you’ve arrived.  Even then, you have to keep honing your skills, learning the business, making connections, learning from others.  You’ll either love the sound of that, or hate it.  Chose this path carefully, because like all things worthwhile, it will come at personal cost and sacrifice.  But it will also come with unspeakable rewards, if you are looking for the right things.

Rhodes Review:  If you were to do your career as an author again, what would you do differently, and why?

Joshua Graham:  I might have spent a lot less time worrying about what others think because ultimately, the books I’ve written that drew the most negative comments from other aspiring writers, have gone on to become #1 bestsellers and have given me a new career (all thanks to God!)

Rhodes Review: Would you like a Snickers bar?

Joshua Graham:  If you even have to ask….

Connect with Josh at the following:

Website: www.joshua-graham.com/blog
FACEBOOK: http://joshua-graham.com/fb
Twitter: @J0shuaGraham

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	Paperback: 438 pages Publisher: Story Plant, The (March 27, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 1611880343 ISBN-13: 978-1611880342	Order book here:
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Characters:

Clark Hayden – Graduate Student in Robotics

Synopsis:

Clark Hayden is a graduate student trying to help his mother navigate through the loss of his father while she continues to live in their house near Washington DC. With his mother’s diminishing mental capacity becoming the norm, Clark expects a certain amount of craziness as he heads home for the holidays. What he couldn’t possibly anticipate, though, is that he would find himself catapulted into the middle of the terrorist operation. As the holiday festivities reach a crescendo, a terrorist cell – which happens to be across the street – is activated. Suddenly Clark is discovering things he never knew about deadly chemicals, secret government operations, suspiciously missing neighbors, …

Review

This was an exciting, fast paced thriller. The main antagonist, was a strong Muslim woman. That could be a positive or negative, since Women are not typically in charge of terrorist groups. However, in the context of this story I think it worked. She was cold and calculating, just the way a good villain should be.

There were also plenty of twists along the way. If I were to have one complaint, it would be that there seemed to be way too many peripheral characters and more than enough story line characters. I think 6 or 7 investigators at all different levels, all with their own goals/stories was a little much and tended to be a little confusing.

But the characters that were there were for the most part believable. There was a romance though that seemed a bit quick. Small complaints aside though, when the overall story is looked at I think the plot and the story were well written, and this is an author I would read again.

I’d recommend this to older teens and adults due to the language and mature content. But for a fast paced thriller and a good weekend read, I think you’d probably like it.

Excerpt:

AUTHOR’S NOTE

(This part is true.)

In late 1999 a woman from Vienna, Virginia, a suburb ten miles from the White House as the crow flies, called the CIA. The woman, a fifty-something mother of three, phoned to report what she referred to as potential terrorists living across the street from her middle-class home. She went on to explain what she had been seeing in her otherwise quiet neighborhood: Strange men of seemingly Middle-Eastern descent using their cell phones in the yard. Meetings in the middle of the night with bumper-to-bumper curbside parking, expensive cars rubbing ends with vans and common Japanese imports. A constant flow of young men, some who seemed to stay for long periods of time without introducing themselves to anyone in the neighborhood. The construction of a six-foot wooden fence to hide the backyard from the street only made the property more suspicious.

Upon hearing a layperson’s description of suspicious behavior, the CIA promptly dismissed the woman and her phone call. (Ironically, the woman lived less than a quarter of a mile from a CIA installation, though it was not CIA headquarters as was later reported.)

In the days and weeks following 9/11, the intelligence community in the U.S. began to learn the identities of the nineteen hijackers who had flown the planes into the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon. In the process of their investigation they discovered that two of the hijackers, one on each of the planes that hit the World Trade Towers, had listed a particular house in Vienna, Virginia as a place of residence.

The FBI and various other agencies swooped in on the unassuming neighborhood and began knocking on doors. When they reached the house of a certain mother of three, she stopped them dead in their tracks. She was purported to have said, “I called the CIA two years ago to report that terrorists were living across the street and no one did anything.”

The CIA claimed to have no record of a phone call.

The news networks set up cameras and began broadcasting from the residential street. ABC, NBC, FOX. The FBI followed up with further inquiries. The woman’s story was later bounced around the various post 9/11 committees and intelligence hearings on Capitol Hill. (Incidentally, after 9/11, the CIA closed its multi-story facility in the neighborhood where the terrorist reportedly lived. In 2006 the empty building was finally torn down and, as of early 2011, was being replaced with another office building).

There has been much speculation about what the government should have or could have known prior to 9/11. The answer is not simple. There have been anecdotal stories of people in Florida and elsewhere who claimed to have reported similar “terrorist” type activities by suspicious people prior to 9/11. None of these stories have been proven.

What we do know is that with the exception of the flight school instructor in Minnesota who questioned the motive of a student who was interested in flying an aircraft without learning how to land, and an unheeded warning from actor James Woods who was on a plane from Boston with several of the purported terrorists while they were doing a trial run, the woman from Vienna, Virginia was the country’s best chance to prevent 9/11. To date, there has been no verification of any other pre-9/11 warnings from the general public so far in advance of that fateful day in September.

For me, there is no doubt as to the validity of the claims of the woman in Vienna.

She lived in the house where I grew up. She is my mother.

Mark Gilleo. October, 2011. Washington DC.

* * *

Ariana turned on the nightlight and closed the door to her daughter’s room. She walked down the carpeted hall towards the light stretching out from the plastic chandelier over the dining room table. Her husband’s chair was empty and she quietly called out his name. No response. As Ariana turned the corner to the kitchen and reached for the knob on the cabinet over the counter, eight hundred pages of advertising crashed into her rib cage, sucking the wind from her lungs. As his wife doubled over, Nazim raised the thick Yellow Book with both hands and hit her on her back, driving her body to the floor.

“Don’t you ever disobey me in front of others again.”

Ariana coughed. There was no blood. This time. She tried to speak but her lips only quivered. Her thick-framed glasses rested on the floor, out of reach. Her brain fought to make sense of what happened, what had set her husband off. It could have been anything. But every curse had its blessing, and for Ariana the blessing was the fact that Nazim didn’t hit her in front of Liana. A blessing that the child didn’t see her mother being punched. The reason was simple. Nazim was afraid of his daughter. Afraid of what she could say now that she could speak.

The curse was that Ariana never knew when she had crossed the line. She never knew when the next blow was coming. She merely had to wait until they were alone to learn her fate for past indiscretions.

Ariana gasped slowly for air. She didn’t cry. The pain she felt in her side wasn’t bad enough to give her husband the satisfaction.

“When I say it is time to leave, it is time to leave. There is no room for negotiation in this marriage.”

Ariana panted as her mind flashed back to the Christmas party. She immediately realized her faux pas. “I didn’t want to be rude to Maria. She spent days making dessert. She is old. Do we not respect our elders anymore?”

Nazim pushed his wife onto the floor with his knee, a reaction Ariana fully expected. “You are my wife. This is about you and me. Our neighbor has nothing to do with it.” Nazim looked down at Ariana sprawled on the linoleum and spit on her with more mock than saliva.

“Maria is my friend.”

“Well, her son is coming home and she doesn’t need you.”

Nazim dropped the yellow book on the counter with a thud and went to the basement. Ariana gathered herself, pushing her body onto all fours and then pulling herself up by the front of the oven. She looked at the Yellow Book and her blood boiled. It was like getting hit by a cinderblock with soft edges. When it hit flush, it left very little bruising. As her husband intended. For a man of slight build, Nazim could generate power when a beating was needed.

Ariana took inventory of herself, one hand propping herself up on the counter. She had been beaten worse. Far worse. By other men before she met her husband. Her eyes moved beyond the Yellow Pages and settled on the knife set on the counter, the shiny German steel resting in its wooden block holder. She grabbed the fillet knife, caressed the blade with her eyes, and then pushed the thought from her mind.

Her husband called her from the basement and she snapped out of her momentary daze. “Coming,” she answered, putting the knife back in its designated slot in the wood. She knew what was coming next. It was always the same. A physical assault followed by a sexual one. She reached up her skirt and removed her panties. There was no sense in having another pair ripped, even if robbing Nazim of the joy would cost her a punch or two.

Christmas, the season of giving, she thought as she made her way down the stairs into the chilly basement.

March 27th:  Review~ Writing To The Heart Of The Matter
March 28th:  Review & Guest Post~The Top Shelf
March 29th:  Review~CMash Loves To Read
March 30th:  Review & Guest Post~Tontowilliams’ Electronic Scrapbook
April 1st:  Review~Me and Reading
April 2nd: Review~Sweeping Me
April 5th:  Joel Andre, Author
April 9th:  Review~Practical Frugality
April 10th:  Review~Rhodes Review
April 11th: Review~Coffee and a  Keyboard
April 12th:  Review~b00k r3vi3ws
April 13th: Review~Writers and  Authors
April 16th:  Review~ Book Lover Stop
April 18th: Review~ The Book Faery Reviews
April 19th:  Review~ Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
April 20th:  Review~ Jagged Edge Reviews
April 20th:  Review & Guest Post~ Read 2 Review
April 21st: Review~ Purple Penguin Reviews
April 23rd:  Review & Interview~ Words By Webb
April 26th:  Review~ Kickin Back With Kiwi
April 30th:  Review~ The Many Thoughts of a Reader
May 1st:  Review~ Reviews By Molly
May 3rd: Review~ Ryder Islington’s Blog
May 8th:  Review~ Keenly Kristin
May 11th: Review~ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
May 14th:  Review~ Books and Needlepoint
May 15th:  Review & Interview~ Hott Books
May 16th:  Review~ Simply Stacie
May 19th: Interview~ Hott Books
May 22nd:  Review~ Blue Archipelago Reviews
May 24th:  Review~ Everything Distils Into Reading
May 26th:  Review~ Sweeping The USA
June 4th:  Review~ Celticlady’s Reviews
June 7th:  Review~ Kim’s Bookish Place
June 8th:  Review~ Froggarita’s Bookcase
June 9th:  Review~ JeanBookNerd

About the Author

Mark Gilleo holds a graduate degree in international business from the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in business from George Mason University. He enjoys traveling, has lived and worked in Asia, and speaks fluent Japanese. A fourth-generation Washingtonian, he currently resides in the D.C. area. His two most recent novels were recognized as finalist and semifinalist, respectively, in the William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative writing competition. The Story Plant will publish his next novel, SWEAT in 2012.

Be sure and enter our Giveaway for Mr. Gilleo’s next novel Sweat soon to be released by going here.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Cheryl at Partners in Crime Tours for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Thanks to Mr. Aronica at The Story Plant I’m able to offer my readers 1 signed copy of this book to be released this summer. To enter, follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until 04/24/2012.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

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	Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Vanguard Press; 1 edition (November 8, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 1593156847 ISBN-13: 978-1593156848	Order book here:
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Characters

AJ Palladino – Environmental Activist
David Palladino – AJ’s Son, 9 Years Old with Cererbral Palsy
Ty Stillwater – Sheriff’s Deputy
Elizabeth Hardy – AJ’s Lawyer/Business Partner
Owen Grandel – Power Plant Executive

Review

Erin Brockovich is famous for her role as an environmental activist. In this, her second novel co-writter with thriller writer CJ Lyons, they again tackle environmental issues. The issue this time is one of a nuclear power plant. While the plant may seem perfect on the surface, there are underlying facts that AJ Palladino uncovers. She’s originally brought in as a consultant, with the idea that her okay would carry a lot of weight. But other forces have a different idea.

In a secondary subplot, her late husband’s father is making a custody grab for her 9 year old son David. He is willing to go to any measures to have David live with him. Is there a line though he won’t cross? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

I thought it was a very well written story. The chracters were likeable and you really got involved in their lives. While it was my first introduction to the characters, I found myself hoping for them to come through at the end. I’d definitely recommend this to all the thriller fans out there, and to those who have an interest in environmental issues.

About the Author

Erin Brockovich-Ellis (born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk and environmental activist who, despite the lack of a formal law school education, or any legal education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) of California in 1993. Since the release of the film that shares her story and name, she has hosted Challenge America with Erin Brockovich on ABC and Final Justice on Zone Reality. She is the president of Brockovich Research & Consulting, a consulting firm. She is currently working as a consultant for Girardi & Keese, the New York law firm Weitz & Luxenberg, which has a focus on personal injury claims for asbestos exposure, and Shine Lawyers in Australia.

As a pediatric ER doctor, New York Times Bestseller CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart.

CJ has been called a “master within the genre” (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as “breathtakingly fast-paced” and “riveting” (Publishers Weekly) with “characters with beating hearts and three dimensions” (Newsday).

Her newest project is as co-author of a new suspense series with Erin Brockovich. Learn more about CJ’s Thrillers with Heart at http://www.cjlyons.net

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to LeYane at FSB Associates for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review. You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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	Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Grand Central: November 1, 2010 Language: English ISBN-10: 0446555991 ISBN-13: 978-0446555999	Order book here:
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Chararacters:

Jeremiah Falls – A man struggling with an inner beast.
Hylic Kirillov – Russian Mercenary
Skog – Main antagonist trying to bring about the end of the world.
Amala Dhul-Nun Al-Misri – Interpreter. Takes care of Jeremiah when he’s injured.
Nathan Falls – Jeremiah’s Father
Atticus Falls – Jeremiah’s Grandfather

Synopsis:

In 1644 Jeremiah Falls and his father are leading the normal Puritan life. They are out tending their fields when his father is attacked by a creature neither have seen before. His father was killed, and the creature is injured and runs off. Later Nathan returns from the dead, kills his wife and injures Jeremiah. Jeremiah is turned into a creature of the Night. His grandfather helps him control this new blood thirsty beast raging within him. He spends the next 150 years learning from Indian neighbors as well as knowledge gained from books. Through this self-study he learns about a black rock that may set free him.

Review:

This book was full of action and adventure. It was written similar to the style of King Solomon’s Mines and Indiana Jones but with a vampire. The author covers a lot of history though in a fictional content. The history spans everything from the birth of mankind to the 1790s. One of the interesting aspects is how the author ties biblical concepts into the story to explain vampires..

If you are a fan of historical fiction, and like vampire tales, then I think you’d like this book. It’s not for you viewers, definitely older teens/adults, but was a nicely written action/adventure/historical book. There were some issues, such as Jeremiah always finding extra power within himself, but I took that as an analogy that just when time looks dark, if we push just a little harder we can overcome..

All in all a very interesting story that kept me interested from page 1 all the way to the end of the story..

*Thanks* goes out to Brad at Hachette Book Group for a review copy and also for giveaway copies. You can enter our giveaway here

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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	Paperback: 440 pages Publisher: Dawn Treader Press (April 27, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 0984452605 ISBN-13: 978-0984452606	Order book here:
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Characters:

Sam Hudson – Man facing the death of his family, faith, and redemption.
Rachel Chen – Sam’s Lawyer
Pastor Dave – Next door neighor and wife’s minister.

Synopsis:

Sam Hudson comes home one night. He find his wife stabbed and bleeding to death. He finds his daughter’s been stabbed as well, and that his son has been beaten nearly to death. The next 4 years of Sam’s life are going to be both a curse and blessing.

Review:

Sam Hudson is a modern day Job. He’s had his wife and daughter murdered. His son is near death. He loses everything, but on the way finds something far greater than himself.

This book at 400+ pages is not a light read. However, I found myself glued to the story. I started it on a Friday, and finished it the next night. The characters were honest and believable. The characters were memorable.  I loved the characters of Priest and Possum, and felt sad when some characters died.  The situations were feasible. I could see these situations happening to someone.

You get to see a man go from being athiest, to having a strong faith in God. While this is labeled as a Christian Thriller, it’s not as over the top as Tim LaHaye or a Kirk Cameron vehicle. While there are some areas, once Sam finds his faith, that lean towards sweetly sentiments, it also presents both sides fairly. If there is one slight drawback, It seems that Sam might have gone too fast from being a non-believer to having this extremely strong faith in God. Granted, for the purposes of the storyline, you don’t see the whole transformation, but just seemed like a big jump. However, for those in it, who are non-believers, there is never a character that criticizes them, or tells them they are wrong to doubt. I think that’s a good message.

However, if you are intersted in Christian Fiction, and in Thrillers then I think you’d really enjoy this. While not overbearing like Tim LaHaye, it presents a beautiful message about faith and redemption. While there are some strong words here and there throughout the book, if I were to rate it, I’d give it a PG-13. I’d definitely recommend it though if you are looking for a thriller without all the sex and violence.

Author Bio:

Under a different pen name, Joshua has been published in three Simon & Schuster anthologies. He’s a graduate of the Oregon Professional Writers Masterclass run by Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

Joshua Graham grew up in Brooklyn, NY where he lived for the better part of 30 years. He holds a Bachelor and Master’s Degree and went on to earn his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. During his time in Maryland, he taught as a professor at Shepherd College (WV), Western Maryland College, and Columbia Union College (MD).

Today he lives with his beautiful wife and children in San Diego. Several of Graham’s short fiction works have been published by Pocket Books and Dawn Treader Press.

A member of the Oregon Writers Network, Graham is a graduate of the Master Classes and professional writing workshops held by Dean W. Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Dean and Kris and the entire OWN, have been a major influence in his career.

Be sure and see our interview with Joshua here.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Joshua who provided a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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	Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (November 15, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 031603617X ISBN-13: 978-0316036177	Order book here:
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Characters

Alex Cross – Detective in Washington DC.
Kyle Craig – Master Criminal, Prison Escapee.
Max Siegel – FBI Agent
Mitch – One half of sniper team.
Denny – One half of sniper team.

Overview:

Kyle Craig Is Back. And just when Alex Cross thought his life was turning out better. On the eve of his wedding to Bree, Alex is pulled into sniper shootings around Washington D.C. He not only has to contend with the snipers, but it seems a numbers serial killer is loose in D. C. as well. On top of all this, Alex keeps getting calls and clues from Kyle Craig.

Review:

I always enjoy these Alex Cross novels. This one only took me about 8 hours to read from cover to cover. The good is that this novel kept me reading to see what was going to happen next. There are the run of the mill close calls for Alex. But if there was one drawback, it was that some ends were left seemingly loose. My only guess is that is to lead into the next Alex Cross story.

There was enough different in this that I would recommend it to fans of Mr. Patterson. I don’t know the history of Kyle Craig, so knowing that I might be tied more into the storyline of this. Why are the two snipers doing this? What is Kyle Craig wanting? And will Alex and Max Siegel learn to cooperate and work together? All these answers may or may not come to you. You’ll have to read the book to find out.

There is some strong language, and situations, so it’s not for all ages. But it is good thriller for a weekend reading experience. Pick it up and check for yourself.

We are pleased to offer our readers the chance to win one of 3 copies. Click hereto enter the contest.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Brad at Hachette Book Group for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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	Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Vanguard Press (Sep. 7, 2010) Language: English ISBN-10: 1593156073 ISBN-13: 978-1593156077	Order from here:

Characters:
Elaine (Lainie) Emerson – 13 Years Old, Middle Child.
Debbie Emerson – Lainie’s mother, not very attentive.
Todd LaManna – Elaine’s Stepfather.
Bobby Dees – Cop with Crimes Against Children division of Coral Springs PD.

Synopsis:

Lainie Emerson is 13 years old. She’s in a new school, trying to make new friends. Her family is very dysfunctional. Like all the other teenage girls, she’s into Twilight and Myspace. Then she meets Zach. Zach is 16. He’s captain of his football team, and a good looking guy. What could any girl want more. Lainie talks to Zach through instant messages, tells him she’s older than she is, and sends him a photo of her all made up. When she agrees to meet him for a movie, the most terrifying moment of her life begins. Zach is a predator.

Detective Bobby Dees had his own daughter disappear a year prior. Her disappearance has put a lot of stress on his marriage. Lainie’s disappearance is just one of a string of missing children cases that his department is working on. But he doesn’t know exactly how sick a person he is dealing with.

Review:

This book really drew me into the story. The predator was a very sick, twisted, person, and I could feel myself being disgusted with him. Though you aren’t allowed to get to know Lainie too well before she is taken, you get to know here through her memories/thoughts. The conflict of Bobby with his own missing daughter gives him that special incentive to try to find other missing children.

The author seemed to really understand the child predator problem, and drew things out as a kind of warning roadmap. And that’s where I think the strongest aspect of this book was. We’ve all seen the “To Catch a Predator” specials, and know that it can happen, but sadly, though parents are well aware, many still don’t monitor what their children do on the internet.

I think this book should be read by any parent with teenage children. Although there was quite a bit of strong language used, and I’d have to give it a PG-13 or R rating for content and language, I think that it’s a book that some teengers should read as well.

I’d recommend this, not only for fans of thrillers, but as I said to parents, as an example of the dangers their children face. I might have to read some more of Ms. Hoffman’s books. It was my first time reading one from her, and was a very enjoyable, though disturbing experience.

Since this book goes beyond a typical thriller and into real life situations, I’d be remiss in my humanitarian duties if I didn’t provide some statistics for you:

•One in five U.S. teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet say they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the Web.

•25% of children have been exposed to unwanted pornographic material online.

•Only 1/3 of households with Internet access are actively protecting their children with filtering or blocking software.

•75% of children are willing to share personal information online about themselves and their family in exchange for goods and services.

•Only approximately 25% of children who encountered a sexual approach or solicitation told a parent or adult.

•One in 33 youth received an aggressive sexual solicitation in the past year.

•77% of the targets for online predators were age 14 or older. Another 22% were users ages 10 to 13.

Links:

Crimes Against Children Research Center.

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Anna at FSB Associates for a review copy of this book, it in no way influenced my review.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Thanks to Henry (Formerly), Brianne, and Brad at Hachette Book group I”m able to offer my readers 3 copies of this book.  To enter, follow these simple rules:

1) One Entry if you’re a follower [You can follow through Google Friend connect to the right, you can also sign up to follow through Twitter or Facebook].
2) An Additonal Entry if you blog about this contest.
3) An Additonal Entry if you’re a new follower.
4) One entry each for posting on facebook and/or twitter.
5) Must leave a comment letting me know how you follow me, blog link to this post, facebook/twitter link, etc.
6) Contest will continue until June 29, 2010.
7) This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada. No PO Box addresses (street mailing only).

See our review here.

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	Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; April 26, 2010 Language: English ISBN-10: 0316036277 ISBN-13: 978-0316036276	Order from here:

Characters:

Lindsay Boxer – SFPD Homicide Inspector
Claire Washburn – Medical Examiner
Cindy Thomas – Reporter
Suki Castellano – District Attorney
Detective Rich Conklin – Linday’s Partner
Sarah Wells – Cat Burglar
Casey Dowling – Wife of Marcus Dowling, She is murdered.
Marcus Dowling – Famous Hollywood Actor

Summary:

A Jewel Robbery followed by a Murder. A young mother and her child are gunned down in a shopping mall. These are the two cases Detective Lindsay Boxer faces this time around, the 9th in the Women’s Murder Club series of novels. One case is that of a famouse movie star. His wife is shot and killed during a robbery at their home. Will Lindsay be able to find out the truth behind the murder? The second case, a killer believes in the motto: Women and Children First. He’s terrorizing San Francisco gunning down Women and their infant children. Will Lindsay catch the guy before he kills again, and what length will he go to, in order to stop her. Will Lindsay catch the jewel thief, who the press has dubbed “Hello Kitty”?

I liked this story. It was my first time reading one of the Women’s Murder Club series. I liked the characters. I felt the danger facing San Francisco was real. And I enjoyed the many narrow escapes of the friendly neighborhood Jewel thief. There was a lot of action going on, from Lindsay’s point of view. There are 2 or is it 3 cases to solve, the main one catching a killer before he kills again.

There were some areas of this book I wasn’t thrilled with. Some seemed rather cliche’ such as a ransom drop. The book also left me with questions, questions that should have had some answer, but if so the answers were very vague. The main thing was though, I didn’t like discovering who murdered Casey Dowling within the first few chapters. I think the prologue should have been written in a way that left the reader guessing who the murderer was. It seems like it would have been a much tighter story if it had.

There were a few surprises that I didn’t expect, which are always good in this genre of writing. If I were to rate it on a family friendly level, I’d say older teens/adults due to language, violence, and subject matter. Having not read the others, I can’t comment if this is one of the better in the series, only that I enjoyed it. I’ve currently got the 6th Target in my to be read pile, so will hopefully get to that at some point. If you are looking for a good beach or weekend book though, I think you’d probably enjoy this one.

If you like this review, and want to win a copy of 9th Judgement for yourself, go here and enter our contest.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Brad and Brianne at Hachette Book Groups for a review copy of this book. It in no way influenced my review.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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