Flowers from June

The Bottlebush is still blooming, apparently it is extremely hardy and even a cold southern winter doesn't stop it. Really glad we bought it even though I am allergic to it. I break out if it's leaves touch me.

The Sentry (Elvis Cole, #14; Joe Pike, #3)

The Sentry by Robert Crais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Joe Pike goes to air up his tires he witnesses gang members beating a man up and intervenes. When his niece shows up Pike falls hard for her, and promises he will deal with the gang. But things aren't as they seem.

Pike soon learns that Dru's relationship with her "Uncle" isn't platonic and that the twosome are being hunted by a psycho torture who works for the mob. If that isn't enough of a problem the two FBI agents aren't who they claim to be and the bodies soon start falling.

Now Pike and Cole are determined to make everything right or at least as right as they can.

View all my reviews

L'Oreal Pure Clay Exfoliate & Refining Face Mask.

The Dermatologist removed three large age spots on my face back before Christmas, which left my skin red and flaky. Not a good look so I decided to try this. L'Oreal Pure Clay Exfoliate & Refining Face Mask.

 Refines Pores Pure-Clay Face Mask addresses rough skin and deep clogged pores on face to reveal a polished, pore-minimized and smooth complexion. Immediately skin texture appears refined and smooth. Pore are visibly minimized. Facial pore cleansing removes dead cells, dirt and oil from skin. Imperfections are less visible. Not only will skin feel as though it can breathe, it will be healthy looking with a beautiful glow.

I have to say it worked wonders. I decided to use it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After only a week I saw visible improvement and now my skin is nearly flawless. I highly recommend it. It feels great while it's on you skin and it washes off easily.

~Alasandra

Murder on the Serpentine (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #32) by Anne Perry

Murder on the Serpentine by Anne Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved it!!! Amazing how large a role Narraway managed to play merely by being on vacation with Vespasia and out of touch.

The book begins with Queen Victoria summoning Pitt to Buckingham Palace, she wants him to investigate the death of her friend and confidant Sir John Halberd which has been ruled an accident by the local police. She informs Pitt that Sir John was investigating Alan Kendrick a friend of the Prince of Wales who she believes to be highly unsuitable, unfortunately he died shortly after he asked for an audience with her. She rightly fears someone killed him to prevent him from telling her the information he had uncovered.

Pitt is soon able to deduce that he was indeed murdered, but uncovering the killer and the information Sir John uncovered proves a bit more tricky. Using information Narraway collected to bend men to his will and with the help of Emily, Charlotte and Carlisle; Pitt soon uncovers the killer, but arresting him will destroy the reputation of Sir John and bring scandal to the Prince of Wales' door.

Pitt soon comes up with a scheme to make it look like the killer was working for Special Branch as a Double Agent leading his "friends" to take his life. Queen Victoria is so pleased with his work that she knights Pitt. I am so happy for Sir Thomas and Lady Charlotte.

View all my reviews

Treachery at Lancaster Gate (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #31)

Treachery at Lancaster Gate by Anne Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was nice to have Tellman and Gracie play a central role in this book, I have missed their characters.

When 2 policemen are killed outright and 3 are grievously injured in a bombing Special Branch is brought in as the bombing is blamed on anarchist. Tellman is the police liaison with Pitt. The reunion of the two friends doesn't go smoothly though as Tellman is outraged when Pitt suggest that the bombing was aimed specifically at the five policemen due to some misdoing on their part. But Tellman's innate honesty soon has him investigating the policemen in question and to his dismay he discovers that they were indeed guilty of wrong doing.

Meanwhile Pitt is forced into arresting the young man responsible for the bombing. Alexander Duncannon is a young man with a powerful Father. A riding accident has left him in unbearable and unending pain with no chance of the injury ever healing. Sadly he became hooked on opium and formed a friendship with Dylan Lezant another young man addicted to opium. One night when they were out buying opium the police were there an innocent bystander was killed and the police swore that Lezant shot him. Lezant was convicted and hung on the testimony of the five police officers who swore that Lezant shot the bystander and that Alexander wasn't there. Alexander tried to get someone to listen to him, but no one would take him seriously. Realizing that he is dying from his injuries and the opium Alexander decided the bombing was the only way to get justice for his friend and expose the police corruption.

Meanwhile the corrupt policemen corner Tellman in an ally and attempt to kill him. Thanks to Stoker's network of spies, Stoker, Pitt and Jack Radley arrive in time to save him.

Abercorn (who hates Godfrey Duncannon and has political ambitions) is the prosecutor in Alexander's case Narraway undertakes Alexander's defense against his Father;s (Godfrey) wishes. Narraway is determined to help Alexander get the justice he risked everything for. But it is Pitt who reveals that Abercorn was the drug dealer who kept giving Alexander more and stronger doses of opium and that Abercorn as Godfrey's bastard son was determined to destroy Alexander and set the terrible events in motion.

View all my reviews

A Matter of Life and Death by Sherrilyn Kenyon

When an editor dies she is haunted by her most difficult author.

Golden Prey (Lucas Davenport, #27)

Golden Prey by John Sandford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lucas is working as a U.S. Marshall and thanks to his political friends gets lots of special perks, one of which is getting to choose his own cases.

Being Davenport he chooses to hunt down Poole, who has recently robbed a Biloxi counting house. The drug cartel Poole robbed is also hunting him and they have sent Kort (a woman who is really into torture) and Soto after him. And both Davenport and the Drug Cartel are starting their hunt with Poole's family and friends. Things don't go so well for Kort when a young boy who was hidden in the house opens fire on her and Soto while she is torturing his Mother. Shot in the ass, she whines her way through the rest of the book until Box sticks a screwdriver in her brain. Deciding that Lucas is on the right track Kort and Soto start spying on him using his phone.

Warned by his friends that Davenport is after him Poole and his girlfriend Pandora Box decide to leave town with the help of their friend Darling Sterling. They split up with the loot and Box is captured by the Police because they have the tags of the truck she is driving. She ditches the money and gold before they take her into custody and the drug cartel send Annie, Rosie and Kort to break her out of prison in hopes she can lead them to the money. Annie and Rosie make arrangements with Poole to trade Box for the money and they plan to meet up, but before they can Poole and Sterling wind up in a shoot out with Davenport and the Border Patrol. Leaving Poole and Sterling dead and the money recovered by the police.

Box attacks Kort (who eventually dies from the screwdriver in the head) and makes a deal with Rosie and Annie to share the money she ditched, with the news reporting the police recovered the money Rosie, Annie and Box are free to keep the money she had with the drug cartel being none the wiser.

View all my reviews

The First Rule (Elvis Cole, #13; Joe Pike, #2)

The First Rule by Robert Crais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Frank and his family are brutally executed by the Serbian Mob, Joe Pike sets out to avenge his death and find out why his friend was killed.

The trail soon leads him to the nanny who was caring for a baby at the time of the hit. The baby is the grandson of Jakovich and is being used as a pawn between him and Michael Darko. Pike is determined to bring both of the men responsible for his friend's death down and provide a better life for the baby.

View all my reviews

"Keurig Brewed" Under the Brewer 36 K-Cup Capacity Rolling Drawer by Nifty™

 I love it. The Keurig sets on top of it with room to spare. And since the drawer rolls out I can push the coffee maker back when it isn't in use giving me valuable counter space in my small kitchen.

 The drawer holds 36 k cups and it is easy to reach whichever one you want as the drawer pulls completely out. Just wish I had gotten it sooner. I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond but I am sure it can be found elsewhere too.

I miss having fresh fruit for breakfast. I have my fingers crossed that the strawberries make a comeback this Spring. The blueberries already look like we are going to have a bumper crop. ~Alasandra

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (Goodreads Author)

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The plot was nebulous and the implication that adoptive Mother's weren't real Mother's was distasteful to me.

The book takes place in Shaker Heights a place where conformity and following the rules is valued. Elena Richardson grew up in Shaker Heights and is complacent in her well ordered world, until her youngest daughter Izzy (who is a nonconformist) burns their home down and runs away to find Mia and Pearl.

Mia and Pearl are newcomers to Shaker Heights and Mia's unsettling photographs often reveal dark secrets. Mia has a dark secret of her own, she was a surrogate for a young couple and ran away with the baby (Pearl) she was carrying for them.

Lexie (Elena's eldest daughter) must deal with her choice to have an abortion.

And Bebe Chow kidnaps the daughter (May Ling/Mirabelle) she left on the fire station steps from the home of the McCulloghs after the judge rules in their favor in the custody hearing and takes her to China where the McCulloghs will be unable to find her.

View all my reviews

Study Guide available.  

Garnier Fructis Style De-Constructed Beach Chic Texturizing Spray with Black Fig

Pleasant scent and it does a great job creating an undone hairdo.

The Whispering Room (Jane Hawk #2)

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It picks up where The Silent Corner left off. Jane plans to enlist the aid of a journalist (Lawrence Hannafin) in her crusade only to discover he is a member of the Arcadians. He leads her to D. J. Michael's attorney Randall Larkin.

She kidnaps Larkin and learns of Furnace Creek a place she believes she will be able to get to D. J. Michaels. After she arrives in Furnace Creek she realizes that Larkin mislead her Michaels isn't there and the estate is being used to house children under 16 as apparently the nanotechnology doesn't work on them. Harley Higgins has already made several attempts to escape only to be brought back due to a locator in his shoes. Armed with this new knowledge he is planing a daring escape and planning to take the other 7 children with him.

Sheriff Luther Tillman is dismayed when his friend Cora Gundersun drives a car bomb into a hotel killing the Governor and several other people.Suspicious of the FBI's behavior he embarks on his own investigation and the trail leads him to Furnace Creek where he will team up with Jane Hawk to recuse the children imprisoned there at the risk of his own family.

Jane and Luther rescue the 8 children and take them to safety with the Sacket's. Luther plans to meet up with his family and go into hiding with the Sacket's too, but before he can his wife and eldest daughter are implanted with nanotechnology. His youngest daughter (Jolie) escapes but blames him for the loss of her Mother and sibling.

Jane goes after Michaels alone in his penthouse and is dismayed when he commits suicide. Suspecting that he was implanted by nanotechnology and that there is someone else pulling the strings she goes into hiding with her son to recover from the bullet wound she suffered when she confronted Michaels.

View all my reviews