Sunday, October 25, 2015

Review of Deadlock by DiAnn Mills


Nutshell: This is book 3 in An FBI: Houston Novel. Two completely different FBI special agents are put together as new partners. They hit their first day together with a horrific murder that needs to be solved immediately. In a race against time, these two opposite personalities need to come together as one to stop this murderer who is wreaking havoc on the city of Houston. Agent Bethany Sanchez is not only trying to bring down a murderer, but keeping an eye out for her brother, who just got out of jail himself. Agent Thatcher Graves is trying to turn around his reputation and live life in a new way. With twists and turns, leads that turn to dead ends, murders on the rise, and two opposites learning how to partner with each other, this book will have you trying to figure out what in the world is going to happen next.

Pro's: DiAnn Mills does a great job in keeping the reader sucked in to this book! I thought I had it all figured out halfway through and then a wrench was thrown in to keep my guessing as to who the murderer was. The storyline kept me turning every page all the way to the end. Even with it being the third book in the series, it does very well as a stand alone novel. You didn't feel as though you were trying to play catch up from previous books. It was a great clean slate from the first page.

Con's: The romance was a bit much. I think it could've been toned down a bit. Other than that, a great book!!

Recommendation: If you like murder suspense, this is the book for you! A great read that keeps you locked in all the way to the end.

Tyndale House Publishers sent me this complimentary book to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart

Nutshell: Start with a quiet town, add a nosey busy body, throw in a stranger, a wandering, angry teen and a dash of murder and end up with a cozy mystery that needs to be solved. The citizens of Hidden Springs, KY are thrown for a loop when the town busy body finds a stranger dead on their courthouse steps. Not only are the citizens thrown for a loop, so is the law enforcement where the most excitement they encounter is a traffic ticket. Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane is assigned to the case and is in charge of finding out who this stranger is and who killed him. The case leads him on some unexpected turns and down roads that he doesn't understand.

Pro's: If you can call a book a refreshing mystery, this is it. It wasn't a bloody gory murder suspense, but a snuggle up and feel good murder mystery. Gabhart does a spectacular job of keeping the reader engaged throughout this light hearted story line. I enjoyed this book very much! The flow, the style of writing, the plot, the lightness.

Con's: It took a few chapters to wrap my brain around the characters (more so the law enforcement characters between deputy chief, chief, deputy, sheriff, deputy sheriff etc).

Recommendation: Need a book to snuggle up on a rainy fall day or a bitter snowy cold evening? Choose this one! A great read! I look forward to the second book in this series!

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Review of The Lost Heiress by Roseanna M. White

Nutshell: Brooke Eden knows she's not who everyone says she is, but doesn't know exactly who she is. She entrusts her friend, Justin, to find out what her identity is. After it is revealed, everything shifts  around her and she finds herself in an unknown land with unknown people trying to stay afloat with a new identity. She soon finds out why she was hidden away for so long and the reason could turn deadly.

Pro's: I love the description of the setting of this book. I could smell the ocean, feel the sun on my skin and hear the lilt of accents in the voices of the characters.

Con's: Hard to remember all the characters and keeping them all apart. I feel like these characters may have been introduced in a previous book and I'm coming in the middle of a story. It was hard to stay focused while figuring out who went with who. The character list at the beginning helped, but several times I needed to stop and refer back to this list. The story line was a bit slow in the middle section, but then picked up the pace the closer the book came to a close.

Recommendation: A pretty good book that would be one to pick up on a rainy day. If you enjoy historical fiction, you may enjoy this book set in the early 1900's.

Bethany House Publishers sent me a copy of this to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.