The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman (Goodreads Author)

<The Life She Was Given by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

There are several reasons I disliked this book.

First it was the constant flipping between Lily's story and Julia/Phoebe's story. I never really got to make a connection with either character as just as I was getting into their story the book switched to the other. It was like reading two books at the same time and I think this book would have been much better if it had been written as two separate books and more character development given to Lily and Phoebe.

No happy ending for Lily, which really bummed me out and then the horrible murder of Pepper. Also we never found out what happened to Cole (Phoebe's father) and Phoebe's Grandfather (Hank). Why didn't Julia/Phoebe try to find them when she found out the truth? Why didn't Hank try to find his Granddaughter? And how could Lily's parents remove her and Phoebe from the hospital without the authorities knowing that 1.) They were Lily's parents and Phoebe's grandparents and 2.) that they had sold Lily to the circus as a child.

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A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders (Goodreads Author)

A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brilliantly funny, when one of Sam's favorite authors goes missing she fears the worst as his latest book revealed a money laundering scheme and a murder. With help from her Mother and new boyfriend (Inspector Field) the investigation into Kit's allegations about money laundering and murder are confirmed, but Kit is still missing and the people everyone assumed were responsible for his disappearance don't have a clue.

Slowly Sam comes to realize that Kit's disappearance doesn't have anything to do with the money laundering and murder and everything to do with obsession.

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Walking Shadows (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus, #25) by Faye Kellerman

Walking Shadows by Faye Kellerman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When a young man winds up dead Peter at first thinks it's related to the ongoing mailbox vandalism done by the local teens when they get high. But after he discovers that Brady Neil's Father (Brandon Gratz) was convicted of a 20 year old murder (before Decker came to town) he starts to think the past played a part in his demise.

Decker's investigation pits him against the police chief of the neighboring town and he soon uncovers police corruption going back 20 years. Unfortunately the police corruption (encouraging a witness to commit perjury and taking part in the robbery/murder) allows Brandon Gratz and Kyle Masterson to go free. Decker isn't convinced that Guerlin Sr committed the most recent murders even though he confessed to them before he died, but with no evidence against his son's they are still walking around free.

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Lover Unveiled (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #19)

Not sure why I started this series at book 19 (I am actually baffled about how I woulnd up witht the book). 

 

Lover Unveiled by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I only gave it three stars because I found all the acronyms (many of which I couldn't decipher and google didn't know) annoying.

Mae is determined to bring her brother back to life and in order to do so summons a book. The book seems to be alive and comes with a lot of baggage, namely a demon (Devina) who wants the book in order to find "her true love". And Devina is willing to kill anyone who gets in her way, along with killing couples who have found their true love.

Sahvage has been searching for his cousin (Rahvyn) for centuries. He was sworn to protect her and died doing so. Rahvyn used the book to bring him back to life and now he is immortal. But it's Mae who brings his heart to life and he will protect her at all cost.

In the end Devina walks away with the book, Mae gives up her quest to bring her brother back to life and lets him go in order to embrace her future with Sahvage. And Sahvage is reunited with Rahvyn (who he somewhat fears) and Lassiter (the angel) is puzzled that he never saw Rahvyn in his visions.

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The Lost Boys (Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus #26)

The Lost Boys by Faye Kellerman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has several stories in it and sets the scene for the next book The Hunt

A mentally challenged adult goes missing while on a field trip, while scouring the woods for him they discover the corpse of a young man ( a cold case from 10 years ago before Peter Decker was in town). The cold case involved 3 college boys that went into the woods and never came out. Once the corpse is identified Decker and McAdams notify the family and delve into old files, when the corpse of another of the young men is found several miles away and the wounds on the two corpses are identified as injuries from a grenade Decker comes up with a theory that a vet suffering from PTS is in the woods and that he is responsible for the boys death. He also believes the 3rd boy is alive and that he inflicted the fatal gunshot wound to the 2nd corpse as a form of mercy killing. After confronting the boy's Mother he convinces her to take him to where the boy is hiding out and get him the help he so desperately needs and closure for the other two families.

Bertram Lanz (the mentally challenged adult) is a German citizen and was in love with a young woman (Katherine) at the previous adult home he was at. His wealthy parents objected to him marrying her and had him transferred to another home. Peter is convinced that Bertram may have disappeared of his own free will with help from a former nurse Elsie. His theory is further advanced when he learns that Katherine disappeared from the home she was at. And her parents reveal that she called saying she was OK and in Germany. There are still unanswered questions (which I presume will be tied up in the next book) Why did Elsie help them? if she did and whose blood was it at Elsie's house?

Gabe's Mother (Teresa McLaughlin) is back in the States with her two children from her 2nd marriage. Fleeing her 2nd husband and the loan sharks he owes money to she ask Gabe for help. When both Gabe and Rina refuse to take her children in she flees to LA. At the end of the book she makes a desperate telephone call to Gabe stating that she is badly hurt and her children have been taken. With nowhere else to turn he calls his Father (Christopher Donatti) and Chris agrees to help the love of his life. This will be the main plot in The Hunt.

Peter has bought a home in Israel and plans to renovate it for his retirement. Before his plane takes off Tyler McAdams calls with the news that a body has been found in the woods and it's possibly connected to the Bertram Lanz case.

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The Scorpion's Tail (Nora Kelly #2)

The Scorpion's Tail by Douglas Preston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Action packed perhaps a bit to action packed and reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but a great escape book if you are willing to divorce yourself from reality.

The book begins with Sheriff Homer Watts arresting a treasurer hunter (Rivers) on federal land which brings Corrie into the picture and the discovery of a corpse and a "priceless" 16th century gold cross with no province has her asking Nora for assistance. The corpse is soon determined to be Gower a man whose home was taken from him by the government for the Trinity Project When Nora finds the campsite of the corpse she realizes the odd position of the body was the Apache burial ritual and that he wasn't alone at High Lonesome. Nora sets off to find the Apache that accompanied Gower and he tells her the story of how Gower came back to their camp at High Lonesome after being caught in the blast from the Trinity Project with the skin pulling off him and how he shot the mule to prevent it's suffering and buried Gower before fleeing with his half of the treasure map and Gower's gold watch. Gower had the gold cross and Nantan's medicine bag on him.

Meanwhile investigating a different avenue leads Corrie to the other half of the treasure map. But they aren't the only ones looking for treasure and their opponents are willing to kill as evidenced by the murder of River's in the hospital and the attacks on Corrie and Nora. And the torture and murder of Gower's grandson. One group is looking for Geronimo's rifle in High Lonesome the other group is looking for the Spanish Treasure.

Watts shoots his way out when he and Morwood (Corrie's boss) are surrounded in High Lonesome (think the OK Corral ) and Corrie, Nora and Skip seek refuge on the Navy base when they are taken hostage and forced to lead McGurk to the treasure.

Pendergast pops in at the end to explain things in case we aren't bright enough to figure them out for ourselves.


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Miss Benson's Beetle (Paperback) by Rachel Joyce

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The book begins in September 1950 Miss Margery Benson is tired of being the butt of jokes and living her boring life, so she decides to go in search of a beetle, that is suppose to be in New Caledonia. She advertises for an assistant and winds up with Enid Pretty who isn't exactly what she seems. And unbeknownst to them both Mundic (a former POW) is following them. The voyage to Australia consist of Margery being seasick and Enid miscarrying her baby.

Nancy Collett's deceased husband is discovered in their bungalow and Nancy is the subject of a police inquiry.

As they search for the beetle Enid and Margery become closer. Enid realizes she is still pg and shares the news with Margery as well as the disturbing fact that he is Nancy Collet. Margery determines to protect Enid and the baby and they make plans to leave New Caledonia before the authorities can find them. Unfortunately a deranged Mundic stops them from leaving and only Margery and Gloria (the baby) survive the confrontation.

I didn't like the ending I wanted Enid, Margery and Gloria to all survive and have wonderful adventures together and don't understand the purpose of killing Enid off. I also think help should have been provided for Mundic.

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