The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty... A Review

A smart, addictive treat! It's not just "The Husband's Secret" we are pining for, it's all the secret's Liane Moriarty dangles in front of us that we want to discover! And it's the fabulous way Liane brings what seems to be three separate stories to a crashing halt together! 

One of my reading group members chose this book for us to read this month. I assumed that it was going to be a chick lit book, and that the premise of Cecelia Fitzpatrick finding a letter addressed to her, written by her husband and to be read upon his death sounded interesting... especially since her husband was "very much alive" when she found it. It seemed that the story would revolve around the question of whether Cecelia should "open the letter or not" now that she's found it and the results of that decision. Ah, yes, the letter... What deep dark secrets does that hold? But that "secret" is just the beginning! Yes, there is the letter and the "moral" decision, and that delicious dark secret, but the story takes such a turn from there that I absolutely could not put this book down. I was sucked into this story from say page 20 on... EVERYone has secrets! There is a murder, a mystery, jealousy, infidelity, and secrets, secrets, secrets!

I don't want to spoil all the fun, so let me just give you a little bit of the layout of the story... There are three "stories" here. First, Cecelia Fitzpatrick, the "perfect" wife, right down to her arrangement of Tupperware in the pantry, who married the wonderful John-Paul, from one of the wealthiest families in town and they have 3 wonderful children. Second, there is Tess, Will and Felicity. Tess and Will are married with a little boy and Felicity is Tess's cousin and closet friend. And lastly, there's Rachel, Grandmother of Jacob, and the mother of Rob who is married to Lauren. All three families have ties to the same town, all three families have an interesting story, and all three of these families are going to experience life altering changes because of one another. And just when you think that the story has reached its' climax, you'll be saying to yourself, "OMG!"

Liane Moriarty's writing is kind of light and airy, like you'd find in a good "Chick Lit" book. (I haven't really heard much about 'Chick lit' these days either, does it still exist?!). BUT, just when you think that the story will be a "light" read, the story teasing you along to a place you THINK it's going, Liane pulls the rug right from under you, and she doesn't stop there. This "light" read turns into such a great read with twists and turns that you wouldn't expect. A story much more complex then you'd think at its humble beginning. Definitely a book I would recommend to almost anyone who enjoys their fiction with a mystery and a bit of Tupperware mixed in! I will now be reading more of Liane Moriarty! This book was her debut novel, which became a #1 hit in the UK back in 2013. She now has 6 more books under her belt, one of which, Truly Madly Guilty, was published this year. Just make sure you put The Husband's Secret on your TBR list!!! 5 stars from this Chick!

*P.S. Something to keep in mind when reading The Husband's Secret... there are a lot of characters that Liane throws at you right from the start. With out any "formal" introductions, early chapters seem to jump right into the middle of a story that you don't know anything about, or the people that are involved. At first, I found it confusing and was trying to sort out who these people were. Eventually you'll see that there are three separate families and it will not seem confusing any longer. You'll be able to follow these "separate" stories seamlessly. Keep a list of characters if you need to at first, but don't let this "complication" deter you from the story. READ IT!

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Beat, Slay, Love by Thalia Filbert... A Review

Ever watch one of those chef competitions on TV? Hells Kitchen? Master chef Junior? Top Chef? Ever wonder what happens to the losers of those competitions? Do they all lose gracefully? Not on your life, or on the lives of those demeaning celebrity judges! Meet Hannah, whose humiliating 30 minutes on 86ed, the chef competition show she had waited all her life to win, have been relived over and over again in her mind and on multiple media outlets. But that wasn't the only revenge she was looking for...

Beat, Slay, Love is the delectable murder mystery by Thalia Filbert (who in reality are writers Taffy Cannon, Kate Flora, Lisa McClendon, Katy Munger and Gary Phillips, who all got together to have some fun writing) It's all about Hannah White, daughter of a infamous chef and whose culinary education left her with a long list of recipes and chefs that needed to learn a thing or two about humility. Her plan includes a cross country tour of food fests, sharp knives and revenge. Along the way we learn about food, poison, kinky sex, sabotage, and tv kitchens.

And as celebrity chefs start meeting their ends in spectacular ways, the FBI gets involved as well as a food blogger, whose behind the scenes knowledge of food and chefs helps the FBI lead the charge against violence in the kitchen.

What did I think? For the most part, I thought this was a fun, light-hearted murder mystery, that I loved more so because, yes, I have been addicted to watching those kitchen cook-offs. Hannah was a great character, who you could actually feel sorry for because the chefs in question were such conceited jerks, and nobody deserves to be humiliated the way she was. But murder is going a bit too far and the story built up bigger and bigger until you learned Hannah's biggest humiliation of all and what she was going to do about it. Though you knew who the killer was right from the start, her plans and adventures along the way, are what make the story fun. All done with a bit of tongue in cheek, as the chefs are exaggerated to the max (I think!?)

My initial feelings while reading the book, were that the style of the book was like a cozy, with no bad language, no gory murder details and sex that happens off screen, BUT towards the end of the book, one of the chefs makes arrangements for some kinky sex and blew that "cozy" analogy right out of the water! I really didn't think that "part" was necessary, it didn't add anything to make the story better or even seem as though it had anything to do with the story. Then, celebrity chef #2, makes arrangements to have some kinky sex herself and I was wondering if I was reading the same book. Now I have to say that kinky sex part #2, at least was tied into the murder investigation (I can't tell you how because I don't want to spoil the story), but geez, can we say gratuitous sex just a little.
(And believe me I'm not a prude in any way!) In any case... I did enjoy Beat, Slay, Love, even though I rolled my eyes at that first gratuitous kinky sex scene. I also love the cute play on words of the book title, which is a take off of Eat, Pray, Love. I read originally they were going to title the book, Beat, Flay, Love, but didn't want to be sued by Bobby Flay for slander.

If you ever watched the food channel and/or any chef throw downs you will enjoy this book! It's the perfect 3 course meal! My rating is 3 1/2 stars ( would have been 4 stars except for the eye rolling part)

P.S. If you have a Kindle, it's at a bargain price of $3.49 right now! You can find it HERE if you're interested.

Natchez Burning by Greg Iles.. a Review

I read this book so fast that it wasn't just Natchez Burning, it was the pages of the book burning!

When I was checking out the new books coming out at the end of April, I stumbled upon The Bone Tree by Greg Iles. It sounded like just the thing I was in the mood for at the time… kind of a murder/police procedural with a gung ho ex-procecutor in the heart of the deep south. BUT, then I read that this was part of a trilogy and this was book 2. It's not always a sin to read books out of order, and The Bone Tree seemed as though it was dealing with new circumstances with the same characters, but ultimately I decided to read what was considered the first book in the trilogy, Natchez Burning. And I am so glad I did!… But first let's talk about Natchez Burning by Greg Iles…

The setting for Natchez Burning is Natchez, Mississippi. The book opens in the 1960's, the era of the Ku Klux Klan, where 3 unsolved murders of black men, will remain in the mind of a young white man who grows up to be a journalist and spends his adult life trying to find justice for them.

Greg Iles delves deep to make this an incredible read. Not just for the way he writes about the historical time period, but for the way this book comes alive with such amazing characters that truly breath life into the story. As the pieces of the 50 year puzzle came together, I was literally on the edge of my seat and flipping those pages as fast as I could. It was exciting, frightening, and heart stopping. Good cops, bad cops, surprising twists, bad guys looking for redemption, a swamp you never want to be taken to… and a great start to a planned 3 book trilogy… my only "not so glowing" part of this review is that the ending was a bit monotonous. There are quite a few characters and as the story hit that pivotal moment when all hell breaks loose, it got a bit crowded with too many characters having major parts. But up until that point the book was superbly written. And just because it got a bit muddy at the end does not mean I would steer you away from reading this. READ THIS!

And now, why you need to read this book first and the trilogy in order… Because when I started book 2, The Bone Tree, it started off exactly where book one ended. And for the next 80 pages (give or take a few) the story rehashed the ending of book 1. Now if I had read book 2 first, I would have known what happened and how everything worked out without the thrill of the surprise. It almost seemed as though the first 2 books were really just a huge tome that the publishers had to cut off somewhere because who's going to read a 1700 page book, right?! The first book is about 875 pages and book 2 is about 800 pages. I am on page 89 of The Bone Tree (yes, I had to immediately start book 2 because I am hooked) and waiting for things to heat up again.

If you love murder mysteries, Natchez Burning is right up your alley. It is a kind of police procedural, but not as stringent as you would normally expect. The murders are ultimately revealed and solved as each character reveals their part it either the act or the hunting down of the people responsible.

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins… A Review

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins… OMG! This has to be one of my absolute favorite reads so far this year! Murder, obsession, evil, jealousy, cruelty and heartbreaking at times, The Girl on The Train has what it takes to keep you turning those pages and let me tell you… the twist at the end will have your jaw drop! It is so deceptively simple in some ways, that as you are reading, suddenly the sun is setting, day turns into night and your eyes have not left the page. I wasn't furiously turning the pages, I was absentmindedly turning the pages because I was so engrossed in the story.

Here's the gist… Rachel Watson rides the train everyday past a housing complex and becomes obsessed with this couple she sees most days lounging on their patio… until Rachel sees something that she shouldn't see. But because Rachel has some problems of her own, when she tries to tell someone what she saw, no one believes her… until…

 Read this book! Both a great murder mystery and literary fiction. Well written characters, a leading lady that you can empathize with, and a great story. If Hitchcock were to write murder mysteries, this would be it!

I give this 5+ Train Tickets! Hop aboard and enjoy!

Brody's Ghost (Book 1) by Mark Crilley... A Graphic Novel and a Review!

Brody's Ghost (Book 1) by Mark Crilley... Brody is a lost soul in a futuristic kind of dystopian world. He doesn't care too much for shaving or cutting his hair. He gets by with dead end jobs, like stocking shelves at what appears to be a grocery store. He also plays guitar to earn a little cash, and one day makes his way to a street corner with his tip jar to work his magic. But instead of seeing the money go in the jar, he gets this feeling he's being watched and notices this pretty young girl giving him the eye across the street. When she comes floating out of the top of the van and over to him, he can't believe his eyes...

The girls name is Talia, she's a ghost, she's been dead for about 5 years from Leukemia, and can't get into heaven (she doesn't want to talk about what she did to be banned from heaven). But if she does this "super good deed", a "life task" she's got a chance at the afterlife. Her life task is a big one - to solve the Penny murders, a series of unsolved murders all involving young women. But even with all her ghostly ways, she can't figure out who the murderer is. Then it comes to her - what she needs is a ghostseer! Someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. AND use his psychic abilities to figure who the murderer is! She searches long and hard for 5 years until she finds "The One"... And Brody is it! Of course Brody doesn't know about any "abilities", and so begins the story...

A hero who doesn't really want to be a hero, and a sassy little ghost who means to get into heaven any way she can- and if it means making Brody shape up, she's going to do it. Oh, and part of that "shaping up" is training by a centuries old samurai warrior ghost, but Brody's got to prove himself before the guy will take him on as a student. The theme is simple, but the story is engaging. And the artwork is beautiful. Mark Crilley's artwork is heavily influenced by Manga and his characters are beautifully drawn, stylistic but not cartoonish. He doesn't just focus on the characters in his artwork either, the surrounding landscapes are well developed too. At the beginning of Brody's Ghost it feels like you are walking through actual streets. The details in the streets and the buildings are a nice touch. The story is well written, with an easy, natural flow between characters. Of course this should be no surprise to fans already familiar with Mark Crilley's work, he is the creator of the Manga series Miki Falls, and the comic book series Akiko, which started out as a comic and was soon turned into a story book series for Random House.

Brody's Ghost will be six volumes total. This first volume is a slim 89 pages, but a wonderful introduction into what looks to be a great story. BTW, at the end of Book 1, Mark gives us a look at the development of the characters, from the way he first envisioned them on the page to his final developed drawings, which I thought was pretty interesting.

Brody's Ghost will be my first entry in the 2011 Graphics Novel Challenge. Ever since "stepping out of the box" last year and joining in the 2010 graphic novels challenge, I've discovered some great books. A good graphic novel will be a treat visually as well as literally, and if you're still on the edge I'd say take a step over and see what you've been missing. It really is a different kind of reading experience and so much fun. I would recommend Brody's Ghost to to anyone who enjoys a story with that reluctant hero, a samurai and a bit of the supernatural- that would be that spunky Talia. There's also that element of good versus evil lingering in the background. It's hard to recommend the series after reading just the first book, but the story hooked me and I look forward to picking up Book 2 later this month.

Ashes to Water... A TLC Book Tour

Murder in a small Florida town...

Healing for two sisters that drifted apart...

It's hard to classify Ashes to Water by Irene Ziegler in just one category... I want to say it's a murder mystery/suspense thriller, but it's more than that... It's also literary fiction, written with a depth and caring towards her characters that might normally get overshadowed a bit by the action in a typical thriller. With a wonderful cast of small town characters, a mix of great narrative and a bit of wry humor, Ashes to Water proves to be a gem of a novel! I think Irene Ziegler will be making some "must read" lists once word gets around about this new author and her talent with the pen.

"Set in the 1980's, Ashes to Water is an atmospheric story of a small-town Florida murder and one young woman's reluctant involvement in its resolution..." inside book jacket

That reluctant woman is Annie Bartlett, who turned her back on her past and her father, and left that small Florida town years ago. And the murder is that of Annie Bartlett's estranged father. It's funny how other people perceived Ed Bartlett, Annie's father, as a "hell of a fisherman", handsome and a "ladies man". When Annie's mother drowned in Widow Lake, an apparent suicide, Annie's once tolerant view of Ed changed. That in part was due to her dead mother coming back to her and threatening to leave her if she didn't treat Ed the way he treated her... Yes, Annie has regular visits from her dead mother, but only her older sister Leigh knows... And Annie's complicated life doesn't stop with her murdered father and visits from her dead mother, Annie's sister Leigh, "the gorgeous one", is a drug addict, living off of booze, pills, and men. When Annie gets in contact with Leigh, at some bar Leigh hangs out in, to tell her of their fathers murder, the sisters are reunited in a story that delves deep in the heart of the small town lives that remained behind and the lives that the sisters thought they themselves left behind.

In the murder investigation, Irene Ziegler slowly lays out the pieces of the puzzle for us to put together. Ed's girlfriend Della Shiftlet is arrested and in jail for the murder, but there are just too many other questions that need to be answered in Annie Bartlett's mind before she's going to let the murder rest. In this small town there are motivations at work behind the scenes and the story weaves all of this together nicely. There are enough twists and turns (plus a pyromaniac on the loose), but what really makes this story shine is the way the author develops these characters (and there are a whole cast of them) so fully in addition to the great story itself. Annie is more than the dutiful daughter coming home to bury her father... Leigh is not just the junkie and loose woman we perceive... Meet the people of DeLeon where looks can be deceiving and coming home for the Bartlett girls proves healing and burying their father also helps bury some very open wounds...

Readers who enjoy character-driven novels, with murder & mayhem and a great portrayal of small town life will really enjoy Ashes to Water! Ashes to Water is Irene Ziegler's first "novel", but she has also published a short story collection called Rules of the Lake, which are 14 interconnected stories "chronicling the childhood and adolescence of Annie Bartlett from 1965 to 1972." Annie Bartlett is such a great character, that I look forward to reading Rules of the Lake to meet Annie as a young girl, and to see the origins of this complicated family.

About the Author... Irene is the author of Rules of the Lake and Ashes to Water, which are set in central Florida, where Irene grew up. Irene is also an actor. She has had recurring roles or guest starred in many notable TV series and films, and is probably the voice on your cell phone’s GPS, so kindly stop yelling at her. Among her plays are the staged adaptation of her first book, Rules of the Lake, and a comedy with music, Full Plate Collection. Irene is also a producer, and directs Virginia Arts & Letters LIVE, an annual event which features Virginia actors reading short stories by Virginia writers, accompanied by Virginia musicians. Irene lives on the James River in Virginia in a renovated English thrashing barn. She has one husband, one son and one wolf-dog. She was once yelled at by Anne Bancroft.

I want to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for inviting me to read Ashes to Water and being a tour host on Irene Ziegler's Book Tour! I thoroughly enjoyed both! You can find out more about Ashes to Water and the Tour Schedule at TLC Book Tours! You can also catch up with Irene at her blog, IreneZiegler.com

Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro... An Audiobook Review & Giveaway!

The world's most powerful investigation firm,

takes on three twisted,

almost unsolvable crimes...

Giveaway Has Ended!

CONGRATS TO...Kathy, Jessica & Allison! They each won a copy of James Patterson's Audiobook Privat! Thanks to EVERYone who joined in on the fun by entering, blogging and tweeting about the giveaway!

Like your mysteries & suspense with a PI hunting down the bad guy?! How about a story packed with not one but three crimes?! Then Private by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro is for you! Great characters whose lives are so cleverly entwined, and 3 great cases that Jack Morgan and his investigation company, Private, is working on that will have you on the edge of your seats.

Jack Morgan runs Private, a large private investigation firm, where the rich and famous go, but also anyone who wants discretion... Jack and his investigators have a world wide network of technically savvy resources to help them solve even the most difficult crimes... and they're going to need it. First Jack begins investigating a high stakes NFL gambling scandal. Looks like the games are rigged somehow, and with lots of money on the line, Jack's firm is hired to investigate if it's even possible, let alone happening. At the same time, Private is asked to be part of the police investigation of the unsolved murders of thirteen young girls. The crimes seem related, but at the same time they look to have been committed by different people, but how? and why? Finally Jack gets a call from his best friend; it seems his best friends wife ( and Jack's former lover) has been murdered. The husband looks guilty, but Jack knows his friend would never do it, and as Jack investigates who else may have a motive, secrets start coming out of the closet that turn his perceptions of who his best friend really is and who his ex-lover really was upside down. The story starts out slowly, laying down all the players, their relationships and the scenes, but quickly moves to a faster pace, with twists and turns that make you want to keep turning the pages, or in my case, because I listened to the audiobook, keep listening by driving around the block a few more times! Having 3 crimes being investigated at the same time really holds your attention. The characters are well developed with intertwined histories that are interesting and create a whole other set of possibilities in the story as people are motivated because of their past with each other. And Jack sure has a "past" with quite a few of the ladies in the story, but I guess that's common among PI's, right?!

But my review is really for the audiobook version of Private. And as much I can tell you I really liked the story, (And I really did!) the narrator really has a big part in how well you enjoy an audiobook. Peter Hermann is the narrator and does an excellent job of holding your attention with his wonderful buttery voice. Hermann's credits are in film, television and Broadway productions. He has full command of his characters (and there are quite a few) and does a great job of separating them through subtle nuances with his voice. Good timing, an interesting voice, the talent of Peter Hermann and a great story to back it all up make Private a great audiobook! Fans of James Patterson will enjoy this, but also fans of Maxine Paetro who is gaining a following in her own right.

Want to listen to a great audiobook?! Private by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is unabridged, on 6 CD's and is approximately 7 hours. AND Courtesy of Anna of Hachette Book Group, I have 3 copies of the audiobook Private to GIVE AWAY! Learn more about James Patterson! Then Listen to an excerpt of Private! And finally enter to win a copy of the unabridged audiobook of Private! Here's how to Enter...

Giveaway Has Ended!

To Enter this Giveaway...

*For one entry leave me a comment with your email address!

*Get an extra entry for following my blog! Just leave a comment letting me know you're a follower! ( Not a follower yet? No problem, sign up by clicking on the 'followers" button on the sidebar to the left! Just let me know you became a new follower!)

*Blog or tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (No PO boxes). The books will be shipped to the winners directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on August 14th. I will randomly pick the winners the next day and email them! (please check your email.. winner must reply to me within 3 days! Thanks!) Good Luck!

TLC Book Tour & Review: Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon

Four College Students...

One Deadly Secret...

Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon is a thriller, a murder mystery and a ghost story all wrapped up in one. Four college art students, Henry, Tess, Winnie & Suz, form what they called the "Compassionate Dismantlers". Their manifesto included the first rule, which was,

"To understand the nature of a thing, it must be taken apart"

What this basically means is vandalism, dangerous pranks, and other such things. But something goes wrong one night, and a dangerous prank turns deadly... Suz is dead, and the friends decide to cover it up...

Soon after we open the book, we meet Henry and a very pregnant Tess as they visit "the cabin". The cabin where 8 months before, they and two other college art students, Winnie & Suz, lived and breathed their "dismantler" philosophy. Where they plotted their pranks to prove their point that in order to "understand something, it must be taken apart". They were all idealistic, young, full of life. But when the pranks turned fatal and Suz died, it was last night they all spent in that cabin... But we're not quite sure how Suz died... We're not privy to that bit of information just yet...

The story then shifts to present day, 9 years later. Henry and Tess are leading their "normal" married lives with their 9 year old daughter Emma. We get to know their life as adults, as parents, and we get to know Emma who's a normal, sweet, curious girl, but who also has a secret- her imaginary friend Danner, who seems so much more than imaginary at times. She tells Emma things, things she shouldn't know... Or is Emma just hallucinating? Hmmm I wonder... We find things aren't that sweet between Henry & Tess anymore, as Henry is living out in the barn on his own. But Henry & Tess are held together by Emma and that terrible secret they've both buried in the back of their minds - what happened to Suz... In an attempt to get them back together Mel, Emma's best friend, says they need to investigate and find something they can use towards that purpose... The two find Suz's journal hidden away in the barn, with addresses for the other dismantlers, and decide to send postcards to each of them with only the phrase,

"Dismantlement = Freedom"

When the cryptic postcard arrives in the mail to 3 of the "dismantlers", things take a deadly turn. One of the recipients of the postcard commits suicide, and that leads to an investigation, and questions about what happened 10 years ago... Old wounds are opened up, strange things start to happen. Could Suz really come back from the dead? It sure seems so, and it's fantastic!

What Jennifer McMahon has done is amazing. The story shifts between the present to the past, giving us glimpses into the relationships (and secrets) & life between the four college students, and as Jennifer does this, the story slowly unfolds before our eyes. All the pieces magically fitting together. The characters are so dynamic. Their feelings shift between suspicion and desire and it's exactly how you'd expect people to deal with what is happening. The relationships between the characters are well written and you can feel the idealism they felt as young college students and you can understand the unique relationships that formed between them. Jennifer also did a great job developing Emma, Henry & Tess's little girl. The angst of a 9 year old trying to fit in, find herself, have people like her, and dealing with her best friend, was so well written it really brings her to life. The relationship between Emma and her imaginary friend Danner is downright eerie and wonderfully portrayed. And when strange things start to happen, the story takes on that ghost story kind of feel to it and I loved it!

I found the story quite an addictive page turner! I couldn't put it down, because I just had to know what was going to happen next! This was one of those books I stayed up WAY past my bedtime to keep reading! Filled with twists and turns to keep my attention, and the ending... let's just say I loved that too! I would definitely put it on your TBR list if you enjoy novels that are character driven with plenty of suspense, thrill and a twist of the supernatural!

About the Author:

Jennifer grew up in her grandmother’s house in suburban Connecticut, where she was convinced a ghost named Virgil lived in the attic. She wrote her first short story in third grade, graduated with a BA from Goddard College and then studied poetry for a year in the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont College. A poem turned into a story, which turned into a novel, and she decided to take some time to think about whether she wanted to write poetry or fiction. She quit her last real job in 2000 to work on writing full time. You can learn more about the author and her books at Jennifer McMahon's website. *BTW, my reading group read Jennifer's book, Island of Lost Girls and everyone really enjoyed it.

I read Dismantled as part of TLC Book Tours. And I want to thank Trish of TLC Book Tours for sending along a copy of Dismantle to review and the opportunity to participate in Jennifer McMahon' s Book Tour!

Hey, I'm sharing this book review at Cym Lowell's Book Review Party! You get follow the link to Cym Lowell's Blog to read more great reviews!