Iron House by John Hart

From Goodreads: "An old man is dying.

When the old man is dead they will come for him.

And they will come for her, to make him hurt.

John Hart has written three New York Times bestsellers and won an unprecedented two back-to-back Edgar Awards. His books have been called “masterful” (Jeffery Deaver) and “gripping” (People) with “Grisham-style intrigue and Turow-style brooding” (The New York Times). Now he delivers his fourth novel—a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping thriller no reader will soon forget.

HE WOULD GO TO HELL

At the Iron Mountain Home for Boys, there was nothing but time. Time to burn and time to kill, time for two young orphans to learn that life isn’t won without a fight. Julian survives only because his older brother, Michael, is fearless and fiercely protective. When tensions boil over and a boy is brutally killed, there is only one sacrifice left for Michael to make: He flees the orphanage and takes the blame with him.

TO KEEP HER SAFE

For two decades, Michael has been an enforcer in New York’s world of organized crime, a prince of the streets so widely feared he rarely has to kill anymore. But the life he’s fought to build unravels when he meets Elena, a beautiful innocent who teaches him the meaning and power of love. He wants a fresh start with her, the chance to start a family like the one he and Julian never had. But someone else is holding the strings. And escape is not that easy. . . .

GO TO HELL, AND COME BACK BURNING

The mob boss who gave Michael his blessing to begin anew is dying, and his son is intent on making Michael pay for his betrayal. Determined to protect the ones he loves, Michael spirits Elena—who knows nothing of his past crimes, or the peril he’s laid at her door— back to North Carolina, to the place he was born and the brother he lost so long ago. There, he will encounter a whole new level of danger, a thicket of deceit and violence that leads inexorably to the one place he’s been running from his whole life: Iron House."

This is one of the best books I have read this summer!  It has a little something for every reader....  Romance, politics, mystery, an unpredictable plot line , suspense and lots of murder (warning: some scenes are very graphic)!  It has well written, interesting characters and did I mention an unpredictable plot?

Just when I was sure I had it all figured out, John Hart would throw me a curve ball and I would have to start all over.  I love to try to second guess the author and while I like the fact that I can figure out the whole plot before  the ending of the book, I REALLY enjoy being stumped! 

I addition to the exciting plot, this is a story about the importance of family, the scars that remain from an unstable childhood and the struggle to overcome the past.

It takes extraordinary skill to write a likable hero that is a professional killer who doesn't have remorse for the murders he has committed.  Hart managed this and more!  Michael is the James Bond of mafia hit men. You will fall for this bad boy with the tortured past.

Hart also captivates his audience with the character of Julian, Michael's mentally ill younger brother.  My only critisim is that Julian's illness  is described as schizophrenia, when in fact it is more likely another diagnosis.  I won't go into detail here because it is an essential part of the plot line.  I would have omitted any attempt to actually label Julian's illness, I found the error to be a distraction.


Overall, Iron House is a refreshing change of pace with an exciting original story.  It is so well written that reading it was effortless!  This book is on the top of my  "Must read list for 2011"!

Losing Addison by Marty Beaudet

From the book cover
Les McCubbin is an ordinary guy, but he doesn’t think much of himself. “I’m dull, mercurial, and often morose. Always Les,” he tells us. But he is passionate about his fraternal twin brother Addison who, he says, “is everything I’m not: tall, blond, athletic, outgoing.”

Despite the psychic bond the brothers share with one another, Addison comes and goes as he pleases, in and out of Les’s life, often leaving a trail of trouble for his brother to clean up. His final act upon the stage, however, leaves both lives changed forever


 I owe Marty Beaudet an apology! This slim little book got lost in the "to read pile" and I came across it as I was trying to organize. I have had this book for some time. Sorry for the delay in the review, Marty! 

Losing Addison is a wonderful novella. It is well written and a fast read. I finished it in a few hours, which was good. Had it been any longer, I would not have done anything else until I finished it!

This is a psychological thriller. It has some surprises along the way. Some that you might see coming and others that are more unexpected. It was totally different than I was expecting, which is in my opinion part of what makes a good thriller!

I would love to read some more by Marty Beaudet!
Thank You to Marty and GoodReads for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Wraith

by Goodloe Byron

"Itching for freedom, Linus leaves home and moves into a trailer park with some of his friends. There they are free to live as carefree wastrels. But it is not what Linus expects. His best friend Rex abruptly vanishes, his roommate John begins to surround himself with criminals and his job at the local gas station becomes increasingly unstable. At the same time Linus is haunted by his neighbor Clyde, an elderly security guard who seems to appear at any place and anytime, often spending all evening at the window watching them and peering into their lives."

This book was not what I expected.  Unfortunately, that was a bad thing in this case.    The title suggested a paranormal tale.  Dictionary.com defines the word, "wraith" as " an apparition of a living person supposed to portend his death" or "a visible spirit".  I love the title and the cover art.  It was just a bit old fashioned and gave it a spooky feel right from the start.

I really wanted to like this book.  I put it on the top of my "to read" pile because it was mailed to me directly by the author.  Normally, books are mailed out by the publisher.  I really respect the efforts that authors make over and above what the publisher is doing to promote their book.  After writing my review and reading the reviews from others, it appears you either love this book or you don't.  I didn't.

The first two thirds of the book involve a detailed description of the life and times of Linus.  He spends most of his time drunk, stoned or both.  The rest of the time he is planning to get drunk or stoned.  A lot of time is given to sarcastic, immature conversations with his friends.  The 'wraith", Clyde, makes an occasional appearance in this part of the book, but he appears to be a lonely little man who entertains himself by spying on Linus and his friends as they proceed to get stoned. 

In the  last third of the book Clyde pops up in various locations during Linus's daily routine.  Clyde does nothing overtly scary or otherworldly.  This set Linus off on a paranoid, sleep deprived mission to follow Clyde.  He does this for days.   Again, this journey is described in minute detail.   The book ends suddenly with many issues left unresolved.  It appears as if the author got bored with his own story and decided to end it.  There just isn't much of a story here.

I think, with some work,  that this could be an interesting story.  The writing is good.  It is easy to read and very descriptive.   It has a nice flow to it.  It needs a lot of cutting and a better ending.  Tie up those loose ends! Such as what happened to Rex, who has the money and why did Linus move from the trailer into a basement apartment?  What is the purpose of the job at the shoe store?  Make this more clear to your reader, instead of appearing as random, unnecessary details.  Give the characters some more dimension, instead of just appearing to be stoned teenagers looking for the next party.

I'd skip this book for now, but I would definitely read a second effort by this author.  With a pen name like Goodloe Byron, how could you not give him a second chance?

Thanks to Goodloe and GoodReads  for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory

In 1968, after the first zombie outbreak, Wanda Mayhall and her three young daughters discover the body of a teenage mother during a snowstorm. Wrapped in the woman’s arms is a baby, stone-cold, not breathing, and without a pulse. But then his eyes open and look up at Wanda—and he begins to move.

The family hides the child—whom they name Stony—rather than turn him over to authorities that would destroy him. Against all scientific reason, the undead boy begins to grow. For years his adoptive mother and sisters manage to keep his existence a secret—until one terrifying night when Stony is forced to run and he learns that he is not the only living dead boy left in the world.

I had no idea that this book was about zombies when I started to read it.  If I had, I might not have read it.   I am really tired of the vampire, werewolf, zombie books that have been published since the Twilight series .  I avoid these kinds of books without hesitation.  None of them seem to have an original plot idea and feature the same type of characters.  Boring!

I am happy to report that this book has something new to offer!  

The character of Stony is well written with a unique quirkiness that endears him and his family to the reader.  The story follows Stony through a childhood and adolescence in seclusion with only a few close friends aware of his existence.  As he reaches adulthood, the plot gets a little weird, but I found that I was able to accept the strange twists in the plot because the character of Stony was so believable.

This book also includes some interesting social commentary and really made me think about some issues that I have not encounter in other books of this genre.

Stony is a character that stays with you long after you finish his story.

I would recommend this book for young adults as well as adult audiences.

The Beginners by Rebecca Wolff

The chilling, hypnotically beautiful story of a girl whose coming of age is darkened by the secret history of her small New England town. 


Theo and Raquel Motherwell are the only newcomers to the sleepy town of Wick in fifteen-year-old Ginger Pritt's memory. Hampered by a lingering innocence while her best friend, Cherry, grows more and more embroiled with boys, Ginger is instantly attracted to the worldliness and sophistication of this dashing couple.

But the Motherwells may be more than they seem. As Ginger's keen imagination takes up the seductive mystery of their past, she also draws closer to her town's darker history-back to the days of the Salem witch trials-and every new bit of information she thinks she understands leads only to more questions. Who-or what-exactly, are the Motherwells? And what is it they want with her?

Both a lyrical coming-of-age story and a spine-tingling tale of ghostly menace, The Beginners introduces Rebecca Wolff as an exciting new talent in fiction.

Initially I gave this book to my 15 year old daughter to read.   She returned it. Am I glad she did. She said she just didn't get it and I agree with her. 

This book is portrayed as a YA book that combines coming of age with the Salem witch trial/paranormal. Sounds like a great combination! It just never went anywhere. I kept reading, waiting for more information, more plot, more anything... It never materialized.

The 15 year old main character did not come across as a 15 year old, even a gifted one. Her thought were more adult than many adults I know. The Motherwell's, the new couple in town spoke as it they were paranormal philosophy majors. They weren't really all that paranormal. I'm not sure what they were meant to be, other than pedophiles.

Which brings me to the sex scenes. I am not opposed to graphic descriptions of sex in a novel if the sex enhances the plot, character motivation or in some way fits into the context of the story. The sex scenes in this book were none of the above. It includes descriptions of anal and oral sex that seem to be random and unrelated to the plot.

I am still disappointed in this novel. I really wanted to like it. I hate to write negative reviews. One positive: The cover art is beautiful. This is definitely not a YA book and I doubt that most adults would care for it. 
Thanks to LibraryThing for the opportunity to read and review this book

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel by Lola Shoneyin

Meet Baba Segi . . .

A plump, vain, and prosperous middle-aged man of robust appetites, Baba Segi is the patriarch of a large household that includes a quartet of wives and seven children. But his desire to possess more just might be his undoing.

And his wives . . .

Iya Segi—the bride of Baba Segi's youth, a powerful, vindictive woman who will stop at nothing to protect her favored position as ruler of her husband's home.

Iya Tope—Baba Segi's second wife, a shy, timid woman whose decency and lust for life are overshadowed by fear.

Iya Femi—the third wife, a scheming woman with crimson lips and expensive tastes who is determined to attain all that she desires, no matter what the cost.

Bolanle—Babi Segi's fourth and youngest wife, an educated woman wise to life's misfortunes who inspires jealousy in her fellow wives . . . and who harbors a secret that will expose shocking truths about them all.

This book has been in my" to read" pile for sometime.    I am not sure what  made me less than excited to read it.  Possibly the cover art and title implied that it would be a tedious folk story.  I did pull it out of the pile because it was smaller than the rest and would fit in my luggage as I packed for an out of town job.  I am glad I packed it!

This book is not a folk story.  


 If you can read this book without judging the polygamist life style and making any assumptions you will find it to be a very enlightening, brutally truthful  story.  


This is a  story of life in Nigeria.  A place most Americans know little about.  It is the story of four Nigerian wives and their polygamous  husband.  It brings some a very different view points to light. 


The characters are will written and three dimensional.  The writing style retains some of the African flavor  of the Nigerian language with many proverbs and colorful sayings throughout the book.  

Each chapter of the book is told by a different character.  At times, it was a bit confusing, because the character that was speaking was not immediately  identified.  As you read it became apparent who the chapter was about.  It kept me from becoming a lazy reader.
If you are looking for a change of pace, put this one on the top of your "to read" pile!

Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Before I go to sleep by SJ watson

Before I Go to Sleep

by S.J. Watson 

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...' Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story. Welcome to Christine's life.

Published June 14th 2011 by Harper

ISBN

0062060554 (ISBN13: 9780062060556)

I really didn't have any idea what to expect form this novel. I was very pleasantly surprised. The comparison between this story and the movie," 50 First dates” is inevitable. There is really no comparison, other than both main characters have amnesia and forget everything when they sleep. They awake each day with no memory. The similarities end there. This novel has believable characters and an interesting plot. The plot has some surprising twists that I did not anticipate. The confusion that is created in the main character related to her amnesia was very effective and totally believable. This book is set in the UK and many times I feel like the blond at the party when reading British novels, I just don't get it. I did not experience that “blond” feeling at all while reading this novel. This is easily one of the better books I have read recently. I highly recommend it!
Many thanks to GoodReads  and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read and review this book.  

Bloodmoney: A Novel of Espionage

by David Ignatius

Although her last outing nearly got her killed, CIA field operative Sophie Marx is eager to get out of the office again. She gets her chance with a dangerous assignment: She's charged with tracking down the source of a leak that has gotten four agents killed. What she uncovers leads to Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also to a wheeler-dealer on her own side. Once again, David Ignatius (Body of Lies; The Increment) delivers the goods with a realistic foreign intrigue thriller.

This novel a great read for anyone interested in learning a little about world politics while reading fiction. Not surprisingly, most of the characters are lying or hiding something...the book cover does say "A Novel of Espionage". It did take me awhile to decide who the "good guys" were. I was never entirely sure that I was right!

What I loved:
I loved that today's current events were woven through out this book. I loved the insight it gave into the Pakistani culture, the CIA and other covert operations may or may not be happening in the real world today.

The Pakistani culture is fascinating. This book gave me a better understanding into their ideological concepts of honor and revenge and a lesson about the tribal codes that I had been previously unaware of. I also loved the introduction into the language and proverbs of the Pakistanis.

I loved that the main character was female. I liked that she had a little romance on the side. It gave her character some much needed depth.

What I didn't love:
All of the characters were a little flat. They all could use some more development.

Sophie, the main character had a past with the CIA that could have been expanded upon. Her family life was revealed in little snippets of information. The information that was given was interesting and made me what to know more. Give me more! Sophie has the potential to be a great three dimensional character...she just needs a little work!

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and plan to read more of this author!
Thanks to the publisher, W.W. Norton and Company for allowing me to read and review this book.

  

A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley, Susan Donovan

Regency London’s most celebrated courtesan, The Blackbird, was a woman before her time—uninhibited, financially independent, and free to live by her own rules. Schooled in the sensual arts by the one man she loved the most, she recorded every wicked detail in her diaries…

Expected publication: May 24th 2011 by St. Martin's Paperbacks

ASIN

B004OA62UE

Let me start with the X rated sex...

For many readers this book with be way too bold, blatant  and detailed in the bedroom scenes.   If you are into erotic reading, this book has some interesting sexual twists and variety. It is interesting to note that  this book  addresses the issue that many women have with actually uttering the "dirty words" to their partners.  The masked male sex buddy, known only as "sir", seemed a bit sexist in concept, but worked in the context of the story.

I need to preface the rest of the review with this statement....I hate the "formula" romance books.  We have all read them....ugly, fat, virginal, shy or otherwise undiscovered ugly ducking girls that meet hunky, hot pirates, lords, millionaires or highway men and hook up.  Then there is some terrible misunderstanding, abduction or other traumatic event that tears them apart.  Ultimately the man comes to his senses, rescues the maiden or performs some other heroic deed to win her back and they all live happily ever after.  The End. 

So...if you enjoy this type of book, you should probably quit reading this review here.

This book does tend to follow the above formula, but with two heroines, one sent in  present day and one in the past and two different authors writing each story.  While I didn't hate this book(I think the sex made it at least a bit more interesting than the usual romance novels.) and I did actually read it to the very end, I did have some complaints.

Without going into great detail and spoiling the plot, for this of you brave enough to read this book...

I had problems with the basic concept of the character of Ophelia choosing to become a courtesan in order to escape marriage and the rules of traditional society.  I also had difficulty with "Sir's" choices and motivation (other than the obvious sexual motive).  His choices were never explained or justified within the story.  That said, I did like the characters of Ophelia, her story line better that the present day story, which seemed to exist only to provide a vehicle to tell Ophelia's story.    The present day plot with Brenna and Mick totally followed the "formula" of a romance novel and copy-catted the sex scenes from Ophelia's plot.

 If you enjoy this type of book, don't tend to question the choices of that the characters make and aren't offended by the sex, you will like this book.  

The Twisted Thread

by Charlotte Bacon

When beautiful but aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning, prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core. Everyone connected to school, and to Claire, finds their lives upended, from the local police detective who has a personal history with the academy, to the various faculty and staff whose lives are immersed in the daily rituals associated with it.

Publication date:  June 14th, 2011

Tired of reading romance novels?  Looking for a change of pace?  Give this novel a try!  This book is more than just a "who dun it" mystery.   While it does have a well planned plot, it also is a commentary on the privilege of the wealthy and provides a glimpse into their world.  It also has it's share of "mean girls", quirky adults and self involved parents.  

Charlotte Bacon has an elegant writing style that is easy to read.  She uses beautiful imagery that brings each scene to life.  It's the perfect read for those lazy summer afternoons!

My only criticism  is that the story seemed to slow down in the middle of the book.  Without spoiling the story and giving too much away, I felt  that certain parts of the plot should have resulted in an urgency to solve this mystery and I just didn't feel that from the characters that were investigating the death of Claire.  Towards the end of the book, the pace picked up again.  I thought I had the ending all figured out, but watch out for a few surprises!  

Thanks to Voice Publishers for allowing me to read and review this novel.