Until Proven Guilty (J.P. Beaumont #1) by J.A. Jance
My Review: 5 of 5 Stars

Title:  Until Proven Guilty (J.P. Beaumont #1)
Author:  J.A. Jance
Length:  352 pages
Publisher:  Harper Collins E-Books
Published:  October 13, 2009
Genres:  Fiction; Mystery
Subjects:  J.P. Beaumont; Police; Seattle, Washington


Synopsis:
The riveting debut appearance of Seattle detective J.P. Beaumont, from The New York Times bestselling author of Kiss of the Bees andBirds of Prey. 

The little girl was a treasure who should have been cherished, not murdered. She was only five too young to die and Homicide Detective J. P. Beaumont of the Seattle Police Department isn't going to rest until her killer pays dearly. But Beaumont's own obsessions and demons could prove dangerous companions in a murky world of blind faith and religious fanaticism. And he is about to find that he is himself the target of a twisted passion ... and a love that can kill.

My Review:
This was my first J.A. Jance novel, and I absolutely plan to continue the series.  It's not often that I read books where the main character is a male, but it certainly was a welcomed change.  I enjoyed the testosterone of the story and hearing about a love-type story coming from a male's perspective!

J.P. Beaumont is one hell of a main character and I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of the book.  It was not like any other plot that I've ever read, and it kept me interested and entertained, and certainly kept me guessing clear to the end, as I was holding my hand over my gaping open mouth in awe!  Very well done Ms. Jance!!

I am interested to see where the series goes for J.P. Beaumont, and although I haven't bumped the series up to the top of my favorite list, I will continue reading the series, at least for now!  Overall, I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story, and was certainly shocked at the outcome, so I was quite impressed with the writing of J.A. Jance.  I am glad that I stumbled upon this book at the library, because it was honestly just a chance meeting, one that I wouldn't regret for a moment!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Part of a Series

• J.P. Beaumont #1

Maggie's Man (Family Secrets #1) by Alicia Scott [aKa Lisa Gardner]
My Rating: 4 of 5 Bookworms

Title:  Maggie's Man
Author:  Alicia Scott [aKa Lisa Gardner]
Length:  306 pages
Publisher:  Signet (Penguin's Group)
Published:  August 6, 2013
Genres:  Fiction; Love Stories
Subjects:  Family Secrets; Hostages; False Arrest


Synopsis:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Catch Me and The Perfect Husband...

Three siblings searching for the truth about their family are about to find more than they bargained for.

When shy and reserved Maggie Ferringer was called for jury duty, she never expected to be kidnapped by an escaped convict. But when Cain Cannon, disguised as a prison guard, pulls a gun, she has no choice but to be taken hostage. Cain claims that he’s innocent of killing his girlfriend six years ago and now he wants revenge on the people who put him behind bars.

Soon, Maggie becomes more than just a hostage to Cain. As they slowly begin to share the secrets of their respective pasts, Maggie discovers that she wants to fight for Cain’s freedom—because he just might be the kind of man she could love. 

My Rating:
I was pretty excited to read this, but also carried many reservations about it, as Lisa Gardner is my absolute all-time favorite author, so I was excited to read more of her work, but very apprehensive about a different type of book from her, but I must say that I honestly wasn't disappointed.  I have heard a few people say that they just aren't up to par with her mystery books, but I didn't have a problem with the book at all!  As a matter of fact, I think I finished this book in an all-time record quick 1 day.  I read some of it one evening until I fell asleep, and finished the rest the very next evening after work!  It was so easy to read and hard to put down, so I enjoyed that!

I thought that the story was an intriguing story which kept me interested throughout.  I had to find out what happened with Maggie and Cain!  Even though Cain was the antagonist throughout the story, I couldn't help but find myself rooting for him.  Some of the story even made me giggle, thinking about what was happening!  I thought that Scott/Gardner did well adding in the romance as well.

Scott/Gardner sure has found the perfect career in writing because man can that woman do it all!! She is such a phenomenal writer, and I am so pleased to have found her many years ago and admire her work and writing!

Overall, I thought that it was a great, quick story, which kept my full attention from the beginning until the end, so I absolutely will not hesitate to go out and get the remaining two books of the Family Secrets series!  I want to learn more about Maggie's brother's!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Part of a Series

• Family Secrets #1

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Black Irish by Stephan Talty
My Rating:  3 of 5 Stars

Title:  Black Irish
Author:  Stephan Talty
Narrator:  David H. Lawrence XVII
Length:  Unabridged; 10 hours, 4 minutes
Publisher:  Random House Audio
Published:  February 26, 2013
Genres:  Fiction; Mystery
Subjects:  Policewomen; Serial Murderers; Irish American Catholics; Mystery & Detective; Buffalo, New York

Synopsis:

My Review:
I have found that topics of books written by male author's don't seem to garner as much of my attention as those of female author's do, and I think, more or less, that was the case with this book. It surely had to be a man that came up with a story about the Irish Catholics of New York!!

The narrator, David H. Lawrence XVII, seemed to be one of the most professional and seasonal narrator's that I have ever listened to, and especially lately, I have listened to a lot of audio books! He truly did a phenomenal job of narrating this book and capturing the very essence that Stephan Talty meant to capture when writing Black Irish!

I feel like sometimes, mystery books seem to always follow the same type of theme or story, and I must admit, that although it wasn't my most favorite plot, it was a very unique plot that I don't think you're going to find in any other book! It was full of mystery and was very difficult to try and predict what the ending was going to be, and never in my life would I have guessed that it would have ended the way that it did, and who the serial killer was!

Talty hit me in the heart when he designed the main character, Absalom Kearney.  There's nothing that I like more than a strong, independent woman, who can hold her own, maybe even more than the men she's around, and isn't afraid to show them or tell them that she can.  She proves to be an excellent cop in a land where female cops are very blatantly not welcome and I loved that!  I also enjoyed listening to the budding relationship between Abbie and her father, that she seemed ever so desperate to achieve, after, as I interpreted, she had failed a child!

I did start to listen to this book about a year ago, and according to my Goodreads progress, I had gotten 38% into it, but I have absolutely no recollection of ever listening to any of it, so after listening to it this time, I can only figure that I just wasn't in the mood to listen at that time (I actually took about a 3 month hiatus from listening to audio books shortly thereafter), because I didn't have one bit of problem listening to it this go around!  As a matter of fact, I felt like it really took off from the very beginning and kept me interested throughout!

Overall, this book didn't have me screaming from the mountain top that this was my most favorite book that I have ever read in the world, however, I wasn't disappointed that I had read it!  As a matter of fact, I will read the next book that also stars Abbie (although I haven't pinpointed if this is becoming a series or not!) when it is released this Spring!  The only reason I only gave it 3 of 5 bookworms is because the subject at hand was not my favorite!

Would I Recommend This Book?
Sure!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Stand Alone (At this point I think it is part of a series, however, a new book is being released with Abbey Kearney as the main character, but it still is not listed as a Series Book!  Should that change, I will edit my review!)

My Rating:  3 of 5 Bookworms

Dark Horse (Elena Estes #1) by Tami Hoag
My Rating: 3 of 5 Bookworms

Title:  Dark Horse
Author:  Tami Hoag
Narrator:  Beth McDonald
Length:  Unabridged; 13 hours, 56 minutes
Publisher:  Random House Audio
Published:  September 20, 2002
Genres:  Fiction; Suspense
Subjects:  Ex-Police Officer; Teenage Girls; Kidnapping; Florida

Synopsis:
In a trailer in a Florida swamp, time is running out for Erin Seabright. A pawn in a kidnapper's terrifying game for a ransom no one can pay, her last hope is a washed-up ex-cop who has already lost it all - not once, but twice.

My Review:
This was my first read by Tami Hoag, and I must say that I wasn't disappointed, so I certainly will pick up more by her in the future.  This was book 1 in the Elena Estes series, and I absolutely will (at some time) seek out book 2 to read!

The narrator does an excellent job of not only bringing the characters to life, but also distinguishing the characters throughout the book.  There were quite a few characters to keep up with, but I thought that Beth McDonald did a great job of helping me distinguish which character was which while she was reading.  I wouldn't hesitate to listen to another audio book narrated by Beth McDonald!

My favorite type of character is a strong, independent female, and I found just that in Elena Estes. That was probably one of my favorite things about this book, Elena's character and her ruthlessness and brutal honesty!  I also couldn't help but fall in love with Molly Seabright, and have nothing but utter dismay and disgust at her mother and step-father!

Dark Horse did a great job of making me feel the emotions of the story that I was reading, although it felt like the story did drag on a bit at times, which is why I only gave this book 3 of 5 bookworms!  The plot was suspenseful and was initially difficult to figure out the kidnapper was!  I did enjoy the extra "drama" included throughout the story!  I heard many people complain that they didn't care for all of the horse talk and reference throughout the book, but that didn't bother me a bit, but then again, I love horses!  I just thought it was fitting, giving the kidnapping took place at a pretty prominent stable!

Overall, other than the story seeming to move a little slower than I would have liked, I don't have any complaints about Dark Horse and will absolutely eventually get around to reading The Alibi Man, Book 2 in the Elena Estes series, mainly because I loved Elena so much!

Would I Recommend This Book to Others?
Sure.  I plan on reading Book 2 of the series!  Then again, I hate to tell someone NOT to read something, because your taste may vary from mine!  But yes, I would say try it!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Part of a Series

• Elena Estes #1 of 2

Close My Eyes by Sophie McKenzie
My Rating: 2 of 5 Bookworms

Title:  Close My Eyes
Author:  Sophie McKenzie
Narrator:  Marisa Calin
Length:  Unabridged; 14 hours, 22 minutes
Publisher:  MacMillan Audio
Published:  July 9, 2013
Genres:  Fiction; Psychological Fiction; Suspense Fiction
Subjects:  Daughters; Death; Grief

Synopsis:

My Review:
First off and fore most, I must admit that I am a major slacker and over the holiday's, managed to let my reviews get absolutely out of control, so now I am trying to play catch up on all of them. With that being said, I finished this book in early November, and had to actually re-read the Synopsis and other reviews just to trigger my memory as to what the conclusion of the book actually was.  That is why I had to give this book only 2 of 5 bookworms (which I REALLY hate to do, as you will see from many of my other reviews, which consistently stay around 4 to 5 bookworms!)  So, with that being said, let's get to it!

I know that Sophie McKenzie typically writes YA novels, and I found that this book seemed to more stay within that realm than I think she initially wanted it to.  For it being a psychological fiction novel, I thought that it was incredibly tame and laid back, which I correlated with being more of a YA feel!

I was totally excited to read this book based on the synopsis, because what better of a plot than for a grieving mother to honestly believe that her child may still be alive?!?  With that being said, the plot was full of twists and turns, however, a lot of them were more confusing than concise.  At times it was really hard to follow this book, and some moments found me totally screaming at Gen, the main characters, saying HELLO, why don't you get it!?!?  The result of the plot didn't come out until the very end, but I felt like the ending was left wide open, so if felt a little confusing.

The characters of the book were good characters, and I felt myself totally empathizing with Geniver and staying totally on her side throughout the book, cheering for her as it went along!  I found myself mistrusting Art, her husband, and even her so-called friends.

The narrator did a wonderful job of reading the story she was given to read. There is only so much you can do with what you have, and I think that was more or less the case with Close My Eyes.  It absolutely wouldn't hinder my decision in picking up another book narrated by Marisa Calin!  I loved her accent (which is odd for me, because English accents usually totally throw me off!)

Overall, I absolutely wouldn't reread this book (but then again, I've never reread a book, but I wouldn't even have the slightest desire to do so)!  This book may be great for some, but it wasn't good enough to leave a decent impression about the story, to where I couldn't even recall the ending without some prompting.  I think that if you love to read YA novels, you might like it more, but I think it's definitely out of its league comparing itself to books such as Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson.  These author's have truly perfected their writing in the Psychological genre, and I don't believe that Close My Eyes has quite gotten there yet!

Would I Recommend This Books To Others?
After having read it, there is absolutely no reason that I would read it again, but hey, it may be your cup of tea, and just not mine!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Stand Alone

The Murderers' Club by P.D. Martin
My Review - 5 of 5 Stars

Title:  The Murderers' Club
Author:  P.D. Martin
Length:  448 pages
Publisher:  Harlequin MIRA
Published:  December 1, 2007
Genres:  Fiction; Suspense; Thriller
Subjects:  Serial Murderers; Criminal Profilers; Reality TV; Tuscon, AZ


Synopsis:  
Six months ago, a case nearly cost Sophie her life. So when a detective friend asks her to visit Arizona, she welcomes the break. But her vacation ends abruptly when bodies are found at a university and she gets pulled into the case. The horrifying methodology—deliberate body positioning, a distinctive red heart scrawled on each victim—indicates to Sophie that a new serial killer has claimed the area. Oddly, though, certain signature elements differ between killings. Fortunately, the FBI database has a record of many of the signatures—but each belongs to a different serial killer.

As the bodies continue to appear, Sophie must hone her terrifying skills and suffer the horrors in her head in order to stop this killer.

My Review:
I am so thrilled that I have found P.D. Martin and also that I have been able to share it with many friends, as I have found the Sophie Anderson series to be so entertaining and enjoyable to read. The Murderers' Club certainly was no exception!

Every book of Martin's that I read, the more impressed I become with her writing skills!  I've said it before and I'll say, that I thoroughly appreciate the descriptive nature of Martin's writing.  She doesn't over indulge, making the story incredibly too wordy, she just adds descriptions of things that you may need to know to better understand the process that you are reading about!  I also love the fact that she includes full blown profiles so the reader can understand what exactly a profile is! I feel like the more the read, the more knowledgeable I become, so I really feel like I am invested in the story, because I am learning from it and I love that!

This story was weaved with such an intricate and freaking suspenseful and twisting plot, and I loved all the flipping twistedness of it all!  I absolutely couldn't figure out who the mastermind behind The Murderers' Club was, and still at the conclusion, don't know for sure, although I have my reservations!  I just love Sophie's character and that she's the psychic profiler, and I enjoy learning as she learns about her abilities!  I think it's a great twist to an already totally unique plot!

Overall, I love this series and I absolutely LOVED this book!  As a matter of fact, I loved it so much, that I immediately tried to get my hands on book 3 in the series, Fan Mail!  I am only disappointed in the fact that the series is only 6 books long, and I don't get to enjoy Sophie Anderson greatness for much longer!

Would I Recommend This Book to Others?
HECK YEAH!!!!  This was one of the best books!!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Part of a Series

• Sophie Anderson #2

Weekend Warriors (Sisterhood #1) by Fern Michaels
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Title:  Weekend Warriors
Author:  Fern Michaels
Narrator:  Laural Merlington
Length:  Unabridged; 6 hours, 6 minutes
Publisher:  Brilliance Audio
Published:  October 17, 2008
Genres:  Fiction; Psychological Fiction; Domestic Fiction;
Subjects:  Female Friendships; Revenge; Victims of Crimes; Vigilantes

Synopsis:
Life isn't fair. Most women know it. But what can you do about it? Plenty...if you're part of the Sisterhood. On the surface, these seven women are as different as can be - but each has had her share of bad luck, from cheating husbands to sexist colleagues to a legal system that often doesn't do its job. Now, drawn together by tragedy, they're forging a bond that will help them right the wrongs committed against them and discover an inner strength they didn't know they had. Growing bolder with each act of justice, the Sisterhood is learning that when bad things happen, you can roll over and play dead...or you can get up fighting...
My Review:
I have to start this review by saying that I think I would have rated this book higher, had I actually read the book rather than listen to the book!  Listening to it just did not do it for me for this type of book!  It's just one of those that is better of read!  So that is most likely the source of my lower rating (which is actually pretty low for me!)

That being said, I had a hard time listening to the Narrator, Laurel Merlington.  For the humor that was added to this type of mystery, I just didn't feel like she captured that very well!  I don't know that I would ever seek out this narrator, and I might be able to say that I would be less inclined to listen to a book if I actually knew that she was the narrator!  I would consider giving her another shot for a different author though.

The premise of this book is so different than anything out there...a group of vigilante women, seeking justice for the wrongs they've received in their lives!  I typically read serious mystery and suspense books, so to read one with humor in it, was a nice and welcomed change!  This is Book 1 in the Sisterhood series, and some of the plot in this book was just down right funny and I can't believe that type stuff!  It was intriguing enough to make me want to check out book 2 to see what else the Sisterhood comes up with!  It definitely was a quick easy read, which can be appreciated!

The characters in this book were all something else!  Oh my goodness, there was such a smorgus board of different characters, but I loved it!  They are all so different and unique, it's just great!  I'm sure we'll learn a little more about each one as the books progress, so I look forward to learning what makes each one tick!

Overall, I will definitely give book 2 a try and see what else is going on in the Sisterhood, however, I will be making sure that I READ book 2 and not listen to it!

Would I Recommend This Book to Others?
I liked it enough to want to pursue book 2 in the series, however, I would not recommend it on Audio!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Part of a Series

• Sisterhood #1

Kill You Twice (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #5) by Chelsea Cain
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Title:  Kill You Twice
Author:  Chelsea Cain
Narrator:  Christina Delaine
Length:  Unabridged; 10 hours, 58 minutes
Publisher:  MacMillan Audio
Published:  August 7, 2012
Genres:  Fiction; Suspense; Mystery
Subjects:  Women Serial Murderers; Women Journalists

Synopsis:

My Review:
I was slightly a little disappointed after reading The Night Season compared to the other books in Chelsea Cain's Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell series, but not disappointed enough to stop me from reading another book!  In true Chelsea Cain fashion, Kill You Twice definitely lived up to all the hype that was built up in the other books in the series!

I was glad to see that Gretchen Lowell was back in Kill You Twice, and as in the first few books, she holds back nothing!  She is back to her truly psychotic ways and I LOVE IT!  Cain sure knows how to write a totally sick book!  She never fails to leave me reeling and wondering, who thinks of this stuff, but gosh I love it!  Does that make me demented as well?  The more sick and twisted the plot, the more I enjoy it, and Kill You Twice fell right into that!

I enjoy that each book is a character builder and lets us see a little bit more about a particular character!  The more I read about Archie, Gretchen, Susan, Henry and Claire, the more I want to keep reading!  I think the characters in this series have got to be the most diverse, unique set of characters that I have ever read.  I mean seriously, I don't think anyone else is capable of creating such greatness in characters.

The narrator, Christina Delaine, did this series much more justice than she did in The Night Season, and was easy to listen to and follow in this book.  She did the characters justice and was a great reader, especially given the content of what she was reading!  Great job!

Overall, I am so glad that this series picked back up from the last book.  All too often, I find that the deeper you get into the series, the worst each book gets, and I was totally afraid that was what was going to happen with this series, but oh how Chelsea Cain pulled it off again!  I am so thrilled to have read this book and can't wait to check out the next (and last for now) book in this series, Let Me Go!

Would I Recommend This Book?
Absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Part of a Series

• Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell #5

The Missing by P.D. Martin
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Title:  The Missing
Author:  P.D. Martin
Length:  38 pages
Publisher:  Murderati Ink
Published:  March 4, 2012
Genres:  Fiction; Suspense
Subjects:  Criminal Profilers; Kidnapping


Synopsis:
The Missing is two Sophie Anderson short stories - one set before book 1 in the series (Body Count) and one set after Body Count. The first five books in PD Martin's Sophie Anderson series have been released in 13 countries to date, and to international acclaim. 

Story 1: Sophie Anderson is working in Victoria Police's homicide department when her boss assigns her to a local kidnapping case. Her boss's deal is simple: 'Find my friend's ten-year-old daughter and I'll send you on the FBI course you've been nagging me about.' But Sophie doesn't need incentive to rescue a young girl. She throws herself into the case, racing against the clock to bring the girl home...only too aware of what the perpetrator might be doing to her. 

Story 2: Sophie Anderson is still a relative newcomer to the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit when her profiling skills are called on for a kidnapping case in DC. Presidential candidate Senator Keen's daughter is missing and Sophie's mission is simple: find her and keep it quiet. But as Sophie investigates the senator and the daughter who's kept out of the public eye, she discovers more than a straight case of kidnapping.

My Review:
These books go right along with true Sophie Anderson fashion!  I was particularly happy to get some more insight on Sophie's life in Australia!

I think that P.D. Martin is a phenomenal writer, and I certainly appreciate in her writing that she educates the readers on different techniques that she is writing about.  I feel like I have a better knowledge of how Profiling and FBI Procedures work from reading her books.  I just have a better general sense of understanding for what's going on when reading one of Martin's books!

Even though the stories were short, they seemed to be the perfect length to get the story across!  I really enjoyed the fact that Story 2 had an alternate ending that was available to readers!  Both endings were great endings, but very different from each other, so it was very cool!

Overall, as with all of Martin's other books, I loved The Missing just as much as I have all of her others!  I am only saddened by the thought that I am halfway through her series, and am just hoping that she comes out with some new books very soon!!

Would I Recommend This Book to Others:
I would!  It was an easy, quick read!  I absolutely LOVE this series!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series:
Part of a Series

• Sophie Anderson (2 Short Stories - 1st takes place before Book 1, second takes place after Book 1)

The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike #1) by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
My Rating: 3 of 5 Stars

Title:  The Cuckoo's Calling
Author:  Robert Galbraith
Narrator:  Robert Glenister
Length:  Unabridged; 15 hours, 54 minutes
Publisher:  Hachette Audio
Published:  May 16, 2013
Genres:  Fiction; Crime; Mystery & Detective
Subjects:  Private Investigators - England; Afghan War 2001; Murder Investigation

Synopsis:
You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this.

My Review:
I think I should first start out with letting it be known that I was one of the few people that DID NOT and I repeat, did not jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon, so I went into reading this book not knowing or expecting anything, after media outlets very quickly ousted J.K. Rowling as writing this book under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith (I'll never understand trying to be a male author!!).  I had heard all of the hype and hoopla of The Cuckoo's Callings and everyone was complaining about the wait list for their library, but to be quite honest, the book didn't scream out to me and wasn't my typical cup of tea, so it didn't bother me one way or another.  As a matter of fact, I put the book on hold for a friend, and forget to remove it after she bought it, so when I got the email that the book was ready, I thought...why not?

I must say that I liked the book better than what I thought that I would.  I think that even though I declared I went into this book without expectations, I think I still had reservations, because let's get read, this is the same author that wrote The Harry Potter series (just to explain where my reservations were coming from, and that I am totally not a Sci-Fi or Fantasy reader!!) I did feel like it moved at a little slower pace than what I am used to and have come to love and appreciate.

I do find that I have a harder time "getting into" books that are read by English Narrators, so I did find difficulty in listening and being fully absorbed, as I usually am, while listening to Robert Glenister read.  He did do a good job of reading with great reading tones and animation, it was just hard to follow the English accent, but hey, the setting was in London, so an English narrator was to be expected and I can't knock him for that!  I think maybe if the story was a little faster paced, I would have noticed the accent less!  Overall, he was a fine narrator!

I enjoyed the characters more than I did the actual story of this book!  I really enjoyed Robin, Cormoran Strike's new temporary assistant/secretary!  She was his level-headed reason, and was so astute and professional in her demeanor, when a lot of people wouldn't have been, and I loved that about her!  She was discreet in what she had knowledge of with Cormoran's personal life, and didn't make him feel any less than what he already felt and even pretended like she didn't know certain aspects that she thought he might not feel comfortable with her knowing!  Cormoran seemed to be a good detective, as well, finding out what nobody else could, in a must shorter time period!

Like I said before, the story moved at a snail pace for me, so that is what took the likability out of this book for me.  I think the story would have been much more successful in a much shorter format, and if the author would have just gotten to the point.

Overall, I wasn't thoroughly impressed with this book, but I didn't think it was a horrible book, by any means.  It just wasn't a favorite of mine, nor could I say that I loved it and would run out to be first in line for the second book!  If I needed something to read and came upon book two, I would definitely pick it up, because I am interested to see where Galbraith/Rowling goes with Strike.  I actually feel indifferent as to the author after reading this book.  I am open to try another, but am not dying to get my hands on it!

Would I Recommend This Book To Others:
This wasn't a favorite of mine, but for fans of J.K. Rowling, I am sure it is a great read!  I may or may not read the next book in the series...not quite sure bout that yet!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series:
Part of a Series

• Cormoran Strike #1

Hush by Kate White
My Rating:  4 of 5 Stars

Title:  Hush
Author:  Kate White
Narrator:  Aimee Jolson
Length:  Unabridged; 10 hours, 34 minutes
Publisher:  Harpers Collins Publishers
Published:  March 2, 2010
Genres:  Fiction; Suspense; Mystery
Subjects:  Separated People/Crimes against Physicians/Murder Investigation

My Rating:  4 of 5 Bookworms

Synopsis:

My Review:
I just stumbled upon Hush by Kate White while browsing my online library, and I am certainly pleased that I did!  I would more so give this book a 3.5 rating, rather than a solid 4, but since I can't give half stars, the book wasn't so horrible that I couldn't give it the higher star.  The only reason I would rate it the 3.5 was that some of the things that the main character Lake did, just absolutely drove me batty, leaving me screaming at her while listening!!

That being said, I certainly wouldn't mind trying out another book by Kate White, because I felt like she wrote a good, solid mystery and suspense novel!  Although I did have conflict with some of her character's actions, I did enjoy the cast of characters that were in the book!  I also enjoyed the plot of the story and just the whole story line in general.

The narrator, Aimee Jolson, did a great job of keeping me entertained throughout and followed the highs and lows of the book nicely!  She was a smooth, crisp, clean reader that was pleasant to listen to.  I wouldn't hesitate to listen to another book narrated by her!

Overall, I did enjoy Hush, and my only real complaint about the book was some of the, "What were you thinking" moments that I found throughout, especially the beginning of the book!  However, I think that part of it made the story what it was!  I will seek out other books by Kate White and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others that they read Hush!

Would I Recommend This Book to Others?
I would!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Stand Alone

Check out all of my reviews on Goodreads, HERE!

Married to a Stranger by Patricia MacDonald
My Rating:  5 of 5 Stars

Title:  Married to a Stranger
Author:  Patricia MacDonald
Narrator:  Bernadette Dunne
Length:  Unabridged; 9 hours, 49 minutes
Publisher:  Books On Tape
Published:  July 11, 2006
Genres:  Fiction; Suspense
Subjects:  (Marriage/Extortion)
My Rating:  ✮✮✮✮✮

Synopsis:
Patricia MacDonald, whose finely honed suspense novels have won her a worldwide audience of readers, delivers a stunning new novel inspired by the headline-making murder case of Laci Peterson, the chilling story of a young wife and mother-to-be who must confront the possibility that her husband is trying to kill her.


My Review:
I have to start out by saying that I am absolutely appalled at the current rating of 3.53 (on Goodreads) of this book, because I thought that it was such a good book!!!  This was my first read by Patricia MacDonald, but since finishing, I've already sought out other titles that I can pick up by her!

Bernadette Dunne is a fantastic narrator, and does this title all the justice in the world!  She has such an easy listening voice and keeps it an entertaining read.  She has the perfect reading tones and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her!  It was quite an easy, quick read/listen!

Patricia MacDonald did an awesome job writing this suspense novel and keeping the reader guessing the outcome throughout the whole book.  Throughout the whole book, I kept changing my mind as to what the outcome was going to be, only to find out after 6 or 7 guesses, I was still wrong!  This is exactly the kind of book that I love!!  The plot was well thought out and concise with a nice ending. The characters, although cliche, were good characters to read about!

Overall, I am so happy that someone steered me toward Married to a Stranger and the writing of Patricia MacDonald, because I found a new author to watch out for, and found a book that satisfied all of my mystery and suspense needs!!

Would I Recommend This Book?
I would, Yes!!  I loved it!

Stand Alone or Part of a Series?
Stand Alone

Check out all of my reviews on Goodreads, HERE!