Book Review: “The Chemist” by Stephenie Meyer

Title:  The Chemist

Author:  Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis (from Amazon.com):

She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning.

Now she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon.

When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous.

Resolving to meet the threat head-on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of.

Synopsis:  Well I would love to say that this book was fantastic . . . but I just can’t.  The overall premise of the book was great in theory – ex US government employee goes underground the escape from her ex bosses in a tale of intrigue and suspense.

The book in my opinion was about 200 pages too long . . . just unneeded detail and wild jumps in plot lines to me.  500 pages was way too long for this one.

The book would have been so much better for me if the author would have simply focused on the  primary storyline of government intrigue rather than somehow going into this odd love story between two characters.

There were parts where they storyline really picked up the pace and I had great hope, but then it was gone.

Overall, an overly long attempt at great drama, interrupted by an unrealistic love story and a ridiculous amount of details.

And remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather

Book Review: “The Woman in the Window” by A. J. Finn

Title:  The Woman in theWindow

Author:  A. J. Finn

Synopsis:

For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, to be published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.

My thoughts:  One word . . . WOW!  I thought this was an amazing read.  It has been a long time since I have read a book that I literally couldn’t put down . . . I kept trying to put it down to go do some housework and I kept picking it up.

Think Hitchcock meets Girl on the Train . . . although even better.

The psychological nature of this book was just spellbinding . . . creepy, mesmerizing.   The way the author crafted the writing, I could literally feel the main character spiraling out of control in her mental illness and drinking, getting more and more confused and isolated!  What a ride.

I will admit that I am not one who figures things out in books before they happen and I did figure out the interesting plot line about 2/3 through the book, was pretty much a no brainer.

People online were just raving about the ending of this book . . . I must admit it wasn’t my favorite, it was a bit anticlimactic to me.  The rest of the book made up for it in spades for me though.

Loved, loved, loved this book!

Do yourself a favor and jump on this one.

And remember,

Books Are Life

heather

Book Review: “Miracle Cure” by Harlan Coben

Title:  Miracle Cure

Author:  Harlan Coben

Summary (from bn.com):  A Harlan Coben Classic-Now Back in Print!

In a clinic on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a doctor has dedicated his life to eradicating a devastating disease. One by one, his patients are getting well. And one by one, they’re being targeted by a serial killer.

There’s only one cure, but many ways to die…

My thoughts:  I didn’t realize when I picked this book up that is was a reprint from 1991.  That certainly explains the dated references . . . such as car phones & beepers . . . and in general the dated overall topic of AIDS, AIDS research and funding.

Putting that aside . . . I really, really enjoyed this book.  I sat down and read its 500 pages in about a day and a half – which is not exactly like me if its not a Patterson book :).  I felt it was fast paced, thoroughly enjoyed the characters, and my jaw dropped a bit when the mystery was solved . . . I thought I had it figured out, but I didn’t go there.

Overall, a fast paced great read!!

And remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather

Book Review: “16th Seduction” by James Patterson (Women’s Murder Club #16)

Title:  16th Seduction

Author:  James Patterson

Series:  Women’s Murder Club #16

Synopsis (from bn.com): 

Detective Lindsay Boxer faces a heart-stopping threat in the newest Women’s Murder Club thriller.

Fifteen months ago, Detective Lindsay Boxer’s life was perfect—she had a beautiful child and a doting husband, Joe, who helped her catch a criminal who’d brazenly detonated a bomb in downtown San Francisco, killing twenty-five people. But Joe wasn’t everything that Lindsay thought he was, and she’s still reeling from his betrayal as a wave of mysterious, and possibly unnatural, heart attacks claims seemingly unrelated victims across San Francisco. As if that weren’t enough, the bomber she and Joe captured is about to go on trial, and his defense raises damning questions about Lindsay and Joe’s investigation. Not knowing whom to trust, and struggling to accept the truth about the man she thought she knew, Lindsay must connect the dots of a deadly conspiracy before a brilliant criminal puts her on trial.

My thoughts:

I don’t care how much others make fun of James Patterson and his writing, I just love a couple of his series including of course the Alex Cross series, NYPD Red, and this series . . . the Women’s Murder Club.

I find all of his writing extremely fast paced, interesting, with great characters and interesting story lines.

In this novel he again weaves together at least 2 storylines that while seemingly wonderful separate, don’t always seem to fit together nicely into one cohesive story.

I felt as if in this book Patterson was really keeping the focus on one of the Women’s Murder Club – Lindsay Boxer and her struggling relationship with her husband.  Therefore, although the other 3 women were woven into the story – I could have used a bit more of their camaraderie in this one!

Overall, a great offering in a wonderful series!  Give it a try if you haven’t.

And remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather

 

 

Book Review: “Reckless Creed” by Alex Kava (Ryder Creed series #3)

Title:  Reckless Creed

Author:  Alex Kava

Series:  Ryder Creed #3

Synopsis (From bn.com):   In the new edge-of-your-seat thriller from New York Times–bestselling author Alex Kava, Ryder Creed, his K-9 search-and-rescue dogs, and FBI agent Maggie O’Dell find themselves at the center of a dire and mysterious case.
 
In Chicago, a young man jumps from his thirtieth-story hotel room; along the Missouri river, a hunter and his son stumble upon a lake whose surface is littered with snow geese, all of them dead; and in southern Alabama, Ryder Creed and his search-and-rescue dog Grace find the body of a young woman who went missing in the Conecuh National Forest…and it appears she filled her pockets with rocks and walked into the river. Before long Ryder Creed and FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell will discover the ominous connection among these mysterious deaths. What they find may be the most prolific killer the United States has ever known.

 

My thoughts:  I love, love, love this series by Alex Kava and truly hope it goes on for awhile.  I am so glad I took the chance on this series as I was afraid nothing could match the quality of Kava’s Maggie O’Dell series, but this certainly does.

I absolutely love how Kava weaves together the new characters of Ryder Creed and his crew with the beloved Maggie O’Dell characters – brilliant.

The plot of the novel was fast-paced and well done in my opinion.

Overall, a great new series by a beloved author.

And remember,

Books Are Life,

heather

 

Book Review: “Hide Away” by Iris Johansen (Eve Duncan #20)

Title:  Hide Away

Author:  Iris Johansen

Series:  Eve Duncan #20

Synopsis (from bn.com): 

DARK SECRETS

Forensic sculptor Eve Duncan lies in a well-guarded hospital room in Carmel, California. But she and Joe Quinn have sworn to protect an innocent young girl, Cara Delaney, whose enemies are getting closer by the hour. Weighing her own health against Cara’s safety, Eve decides they must disappear—and so she turns to her daughter, Jane MacGuire, for an unexpected solution.

DESPERATE MEASURES

After years of resistance, Jane has finally succumbed to the inevitable: John MacDuff’s insistent plea to track down a treasure presumed buried in Scotland. The remote mountains should be a perfect hiding place for Eve and Cara, but they soon realize there is nowhere distant enough from the ruthless predators who are on their trail. Greed and power war with honor and justice in this thrill-ride from the incomparable Iris Johansen.

 

My thoughts:

Oh man, what can I say about this book.  Again a book in a series that I have loved in the past, but in my opinion is really slipping and changing in ways I at least am not enjoying.

This Eve Duncan series started with really intriguing storylines of Eve’s work as a forensic sculptor, focusing on her work and just really good mysteries.   Now that we have moved beyond the incessant Bonnie storyline, somehow the series has moved lately into not focusing on Eve’s work or cases at all but rather having Eve/Joe/Jane chasing around various places trying to save different people.  This storyline (which by the way takes place over 3 different books. . . hmmmmm) felt to me to be a bit disjointed and repetitive, didn’t make me want to turn the next page.

I am also personally not enjoying how the author is weaving in the seemingly odd supernatural aspects to some of her characters – such as the character who can change bloodflow in a human to the point of healing someone and saving someone’s life.  I know these supernatural characters and storylines are all the rage recently, but don’t interweave them in what is normally a great mystery and psychological thriller.

Overall, clearly this wasn’t my favorite book in the series which really disappoints me since this really was one of my favorite series.  Ugh, oh well . . .you win some and you lose some.

And remember,

Books Are life,

Heather

 

Book Review: “Fireproof” by Alex Kava (Maggie O’Dell Series #10)

Title:  Fireproof

Author:  Alex Kava

Series:  Maggie O’Dell series #10

 

Synopsis (from bn.com):

New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava returns in a blaze of glory with a gripping, action-packed thriller featuring special agent Maggie O’Dell,who is leading the search for a serial arsonist whose crimes threaten Maggie dangerously close to home.

When a building bursts into flames on a cold winter night in D.C., investigators see a resemblance to a string of recent fires in the area. There is one difference, however: This one has a human casualty. The local team insists they’re looking for a young white male, suffering from an uncontrollable impulse to act out his anger or sexual aggression. But when special agent Maggie O’Dell is called in, everything she sees leads her to believe that this is the work of a calculating and controlled criminal.

 

My thoughts:  Well it seems as if I am working my way through the Alex Kava series and now new Ryder Creed series  . . .

This is another great novel in the wonderful Maggie O’Dell series.  Main character Maggie O’Dell is of course fabulous . . . fast-paced storyline . . .

I do have one significant complaint about this book – the killer was so entirely obvious I had the book figured out by about a quarter of the way through it, which I never, ever am able to do.  I am in no way the type who ever figures out the mystery before the end, but this one was obvious.  It really was just too obvious and of course took quite a bit away from the book as there were huge holes in the storyline that just made the killer entirely too obvious.

Overall, another great Kava book . .. and I’m off to start Ryder Creed series #2.

And remember,

Books Are Life

Heather

Book Review: “Breaking Creed” by Alex Kava (Ryder Creed series #1)

Title:  Breaking Creed

Author:  Alex Kava

Series:  Ryder Creed series #1

Synopsis (from bn.com):  From the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie O’Dell novels comes a thrilling new series featuring an ex-marine turned K9 rescue dog trainer…

Ryder Creed and his dogs have been making national headlines. They’ve intercepted several major drug stashes smuggled through Atlanta’s airport. But their newfound celebrity has also garnered some unwanted attention.

When Creed and one of his dogs are called in to search a commercial fishing vessel off the coast of Pensacola Beach, they discover a secret compartment. But the Colombian cartel’s latest shipment isn’t drugs. It’s human…

Meanwhile, FBI agent Maggie O’Dell is investigating a series of murders she suspects to be the work of a brutal assassin. By the time she uncovers a hit list with Creed’s name on it, it might be too late to help him. For someone is already on the way…

 

My thoughts:  I have been an Alex Kava fan for years – I absolutely love the Maggie O’Dell series.  I was a bit disappointed to see that she stopped writing the Maggie O’Dell series exclusively and had moved to a new Ryder Creed Series.  I was extremely reticent about the new series and honestly had no intention on starting the series as a story about a rescue dog and his trainer just didn’t fit me . . . but . . . WOW!  I was SO WRONG!

I absolutely loved this book and look forward to starting the next one already.  I really love that this series continues bringing us Maggie O’Dell and now Ryder working together on cases.

This new series has a great new main character in Ryder Creed – sexy, young, tough K9 trainer.

The story line is intriguing, fast paced, and gives the reader a super fast read.

And remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather

 

 

 

Book Review: “Stranded” by Alex Kava (Maggie O’Dell #11)

Title:  Stranded

Author:  Alex Kava

Series:  Maggie O’Dell #11

Synopsis (from bn.com): 

ONE MAN’S REST STOP IS ANOTHER MAN’S HUNTING GROUND

When FBI special agent Maggie O’Dell and her partner, Tully, discover the remains of a young woman in a highway ditch, the only clue is a map leading them to spot where they’ll find madman’s next victim.

As the body count rises, Maggie must race against the clock to unmask the monster terrorizing America’s highways, even if it means turning to a former foe for help. But as she gets closer to finding the killer, it becomes eerily clear that Maggie may be the ultimate target. . .

My thoughts:  Love, love, loved this book!  I read this Maggie O’Dell series years ago and realized recently that I hadn’t finished it – duh!  And Stranded reminded me how very good this series truly is.

The characters are great, the plot is exciting, fast-paced, sit on the edge of your seat.

In this novel the author introduces us to her latest character, Ryder Creed, who is ex-Marine turned dog trainer who is brought onto the scene in this plot to help with body recovery.   Ryder is the main character in the author’s next series of books – The Ryder Creed Series.  I was a bit skeptical about liking this new character – but I LOVE HIM and yes have already started reading the first book in that series . . . “Breaking Creed”.  Stay tuned for that review coming soon.

Overall a great, fast-paced psychological thriller for those that love fast action.

And remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather

 

Book Review: “Speaking in Bones” by Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan #18)

 

Title:  Speaking in Bones

Author:  Kathy Reichs

Series:  Temperance Brennan #18

Synopsis (from bn.com): No one speaks the language of suspense more brilliantly than Kathy Reichs, author of the acclaimed Temperance Brennan series. In Speaking in Bones, the forensic anthropologist finds herself drawn into a world of dark secrets and dangerous beliefs, where good and evil blur.

Professionally, Temperance Brennan knows exactly what to do—test, analyze, identify. Her personal life is another story. She’s at a loss, wondering how to answer police detective Andrew Ryan’s marriage proposal. But the matter of matrimony takes a backseat when murder rears its head.

Hazel “Lucky” Strike—a strident amateur detective who mines the Internet for cold cases—comes to Brennan with a tape recording of an unknown girl being held prisoner and terrorized. Strike is convinced the voice is that of eighteen-year-old Cora Teague, who went missing more than three years earlier. Strike is also certain that the teenager’s remains are gathering dust in Temperance Brennan’s lab.

Brennan has doubts about working with a self-styled websleuth. But when the evidence seems to add up, Brennan’s next stop is the treacherous backwoods where the chilling recording (and maybe Cora Teague’s bones) were discovered. Her forensic field trip only turns up more disturbing questions—along with gruesome proof of more untimely deaths.

While local legends of eerie nocturnal phenomena and sinister satanic cults abound, it’s a zealous and secretive religious sect that has Brennan spooked and struggling to separate the saints from the sinners. But there’s nothing, including fire and brimstone, that can distract her from digging up the truth and taking down a killer—even as Brennan finds herself in a place where angels fear to tread, devils demand their due, and she may be damned no matter what.

 

My thoughts:  The latest offering in the Temperance Brennan series!  I must admit that this wasn’t my favorite book in the series, but this series is so good that even a “so so” book is really good!  The overall plot of this novel seemed a bit slower to me than previous books, but oddly I must say one thing I really enjoyed was the setting of the book.  In their search for the answers to the crime they end up searching in a backwoods, mountainous area.  Her writing and description of the scenery, the landscape is so vivid that it truly felt like I was there and added a great deal to the story.

Overall, another good book in the Temperance Brennan series.  Looking forward to the next one!

And remember,

Books Are Life,

Heather