The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks (Goodreads Author) #MeetTheMrs

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first part of the book alternates between Vanessa and Nellie telling the story. Richard has left Vanessa practically destitute, she is reduced to living with her Aunt and working at a clothing store where she often winds up waiting on old acquaintances who can't wait to let her know how happy Richard is with his new fiancee. We also learn that Vanessa has a drinking problem and that she is obsessed with Richard. She claims he is the only man she has ever loved. And blames the divorce on the fact she had an abortion when she was in her early 20s long before she ever meet Richard. As a young college student Vanessa became involved with one of her professors. She didn't know he was married until the day she went to his home to tell him she was pg. When she realized he had a wife and children she choose to have an abortion. Her actions also indirectly lead to a young pledge she had befriended drowning when she wasn't at the sorority party to look after her because she had gone to confront the Professor. Vanessa feels tremendous guilt over both incidents. She is determined to confront Richard's new love. Nellie is a bubbly pre-school teacher that is thrilled to be engaged to Richard, but she is also insecure about fitting into Richard's world and paranoid that someone is watching her. She believes it to be Richard's ex and determinedly ignores all the warnings from her family and friends about how controlling Richard is.We are all primed for a show down between Nellie and Vanessa when we learn that they are the same person, Nellie was Richard's pet name for Vanessa and we begin to see how Richard undermined Vanessa's confidence from the beginning. She is determined to warn his new girlfriend (Emma) about him.

The second part of the book we learn more of the dark side of Richard and Vanessa's relationship and the things he did to "punish" her when she did something he disapproved of. We also learn that Vanessa orchestrated the affair between Richard and Emma in order to escape from her marriage. And that she feels guilty for putting Emma in harms way.

In the third part of the book we learn that Emma far from being the innocent assistant caught up in the undertow of a bad marriage, had plotted to take Richard from Vanessa the same way she thought Vanessa took her Father from his wife. We also meet the woman Richard was involved with before Vanessa and learn why Vanessa went to such lengths to escape her marriage.

View all my reviews

*In the interest of full disclosure I received an Advance Readers' Edition.  

Taken (Elvis Cole, #15; Joe Pike, #4)

Taken by Robert Crais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Krista learns her Mother entered the country illegally, she wants to visit the spot she entered the country and gets her boyfriend Jack to take her. Unfortunately the two are "taken" along with a shipment of illegal aliens from various countries. Realizing if the kidnappers learn their identity they will be killed Krista pretends to be a Mexican entering the country illegally and convinces Jack to ditch his wallet and all identifying papers.

Krista's Mother hires Elvis Cole to find them and when Cole's scheme to find Krista and Jack goes awry Joe Pike and Jon Stone vow to track down the whereabouts of their friend no matter what it takes. Jack's Aunt (who is a big shot with ATF) also gets involved in tracking the kidnappers down.

The only question is can Pike and Stone rescue the trio before they are liquidated.

View all my reviews

Execution Dock (William Monk, #16)

Execution Dock by Anne Perry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When Oliver Rathbone takes on the defense of Jericho Phillips (a known procurer of young boys for the twisted taste of the elite who can afford his prices) at his Father-in-law's request he is forced to discredit the testimony of Hester and Monk in order to win the murder case against him. When Phillips goes free Monk is forced to look more closely into Durban's past and the enmity between him and Phillips, in order to protect those who attempted to bring Phillips to justice.

Rathbone realizing how wrong he was to defend Phillips begins to look into those who helped him escape justice and is horrified to discover that the Judge was one of Phillips customers. Claudine determined to help Hester dresses as a match girl and while disguised recognizes Mr Ballinger (Rathbone's Father in law) coming out of a shop that sells pornography, but unfortunately he also recognizes her. Phillips kidnaps Scuff (young boy Monk and Hester have taken in) in an attempt to prevent Monk from using the information to bring him to justice. The friends will come together again in a desperate attempt to rescue Scuff and bring Phillips to justice.

View all my reviews

La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust, #1)

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A bit hard to get into but worth it once you get past the first few chapters. The book begins with Lyra as a baby being cared for by the nuns at the priory (The sisters of the Order of St. Rosamund). Malcolm Polstead the innkeepers son takes an interest in Lyra when he is helping out at the priory. He also becomes involved with Oak Street (a group fighting the CCD) after finding an acorn a spy dropped before being arrested by the CCD (Consistorial Court of Discipline).

Mrs Coulter (Lyra's Mother) comes to Malcolm's school and starts the League of St. Alexander, which encourages the students to inform the CCD on their teachers, parents and other students. Many of the children join including Malcolm's friend Eric. Through Eric Malcolm is able to gather intelligence on the League.

Lord Asriel comes to see his daughter even though he has been forbidden to do so by the CCD. Malcolm helps him see Lyra and loans him his boat (La Belle Sauvage) so he can get away. Lord Asriel arranges to have it returned after several improvements have been made to it.

Shortly after Bonneville arrives and makes several attempts to get Lyra. The nuns manage to thwart the attempts even after a young nun comes under his spell and leaves a shutter open. Malcolm witnessing one of the attempts goes to warn the nuns about Bonneville and the coming flood. The Mother Superior doesn't believe him about the flood and assures him she has the Bonneville situation under control, but while Malcolm is there the flood comes and Malcolm, Alice (a girl who works at the inn as well as the priory) and Lyra flee in La Belle Sauvage.

Malcolm plans to take Lyra to Jordan College and ask for Scholastic sanctuary for her even though he doesn't know the Latin phrase to do so, but the flood makes it impossible. He then decides to try to take her to Lord Asriel in London. Unfortunately Bonneville and the CCD are pursing them. Eventually Bonneville catches up to them and Malcolm is forced to kill him. Malcolm finds himself in possession of the lost alethiometer as well as Bonneville's research papers. The CCD is closing in when Lord Asriel comes to their rescue. Lord Asriel takes Malcolm, Alice and Lyra to Jordan College where he ask for Scholastic sanctuary for Lyra. Lord Asriel leaves them with the Master (who he trust to make a scholar of Lyra) and Malcolm gives Lyra the alethiometer.

Now we just have to wait for Book 2 to see what happens.

View all my reviews

Ceramic Egg Cooker (Pampered Chef)

I have to admit I HATE it and regret buying it. On the other hand I LOVE my Apple Slicer and Can Drainer (it fits over the tops of most cans for easy draining).

Papered Chef has come out with new instructions for the Egg Cooker, so apparently I am not the only customer displeased with it.

Count Karlstein by Philip Pullman

Count Karlstein by Philip Pullman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Hildi Kelmar overhears Count Karlstein planing to sacrifice his nieces Lucy and Charlotte to Zamiel she tries to hide them away in a mountain hut. But when the two girls wonder off from the hut Charlotte is quickly capture by Count Karlstein's henchman.

Lucy finds herself assisting a con artist but when Count Karlstein is in the audience her appearance would have lead to her capture if not for Hildi's quickly thinking. Hildi is also able to help Charlotte escape for a second time, but she is unsure what to do until they are able to seek the aid of the girls former teacher who just happens to be in the area.

Hildi's brother Peter, who is a true huntsman stands up to Zamiel and gains the girls life, Zamiel then goes after Count Karlstein, who it turns out had no legitimate claim on the title. The true Count is discovered and he happily agrees to have Lucy and Charlotte live with him and the con artist is reunited with his true love.

View all my reviews

Look For Me (Detective D.D. Warren, #9)

Look For Me by Lisa Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Roxanna's family is brutally murdered while Roxanna is out walking the family dogs the police are unsure if she is a victim or the perpetrator as they set out to find the young teen.

What D.D. uncovers is a heartbreaking tale of abuse while Roxanna and her younger sister Lola were in Foster Care. And how her Mother's new relationship with Charlie and their subsequent move back to town brought them back into their abusers orbit at school. How Roxanna fearing for her family's safety reached out to a survivors group while Lola joined a gang for protection and how unknown to Roxy her friend and protector from her Foster Days decided to protect her again, even from the family she loved.

View all my reviews

Night Moves (Alex Delaware, #33) by Jonathan Kellerman

Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When a disfigured body is dumped in Chet Corvin's den the police wonder why the body was left there. Suspicion falls on the weird artist (Trevor Bitt) next door, but the friendly neighbor (Paul Weyland) whose wife (Donna) just left him doesn't ring any alarms. When Chet winds up dead in a no tell motel the police become even more convinced of Bitt's guilt.

Then things start to unravel, turns out the weird artist next door isn't a pervert he is actually Chelsea Corvin's biological Father and is mentoring her in art. He also has iron clad alibis for the night the body was dumped and the night Chet was killed. So Alex gets to thinking what if Paul's wife was the woman Chet was having an affair with. Finally on the right track they discover that Paul Weyland isn't anything like they thought and that this isn't the first time he has killed. Tracking the killers down to their lair they are to late to save Paul from the murderous Donna/Trisha Bowker but they do manage to save Cory (Paul's stepson) before he becomes the latest victim of the murderous duo.

View all my reviews

Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell (Goodreads Author)

Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very few books begin and end with the main characters death, especially when the main character is telling the story. This one does.

Set in Elizabethan England, Richard Shakespeare (William's younger brother) weaves a tale of life as a player, the hazards they faced from the Puritans who were constantly trying to put the playhouses out of business and considered the players the vilest sinners, to the willingness of their competitors to steal plays (in this instance A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet), the difficulties young men who were forced to play women's parts faced, and the jealousies amongst the players.

View all my reviews