New Release Tuesday!

It's Tuesday! And that means NEW book releases today! There are always plenty to choose from... These are my top 3 picks for this week...

The Museum of Second Chances by Jo Leevers...
A heartfelt story of lost things and second chances.

Every morning, Evelyn Silver walks the shoreline before the rest of Portheast wakes, gathering what the tide leaves behind. Broken cups. Lost trinkets. Objects others have discarded. In her small Museum of Maritime Curiosities, each one earns its place—because to Evelyn, every forgotten thing deserves to have its story told.

At the heart of the museum lies her most precious possession: a fragment of Cornish lace, found pinned to her blanket when she was abandoned as a newborn. For over sixty years, she has kept it close, hoping someone might one day recognise it and tell her who she really is.

So when the local council threatens to close the museum, Evelyn stands to lose far more than her livelihood. Forced out of her solitude, she rallies the community around the museum's curious collection—and as the objects begin to give up their secrets, lives start to intertwine in ways nobody expected.

Because sometimes, the most precious things aren't lost at all. They're simply waiting to be claimed.

This sounds like such a great read! I love the idea of "the objects in the museum giving up their secrets"!! And I love that the main character has been waiting for someone to share with her where the piece of Cornish lace came from that was pinned to her blanket as an abandoned baby! I actually pre-ordered this at the beginning of June when it was a great price AND as of Monday night, the Kindle version was still only $4.99!

Published by Lake Union Publishers.

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The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson... 
An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town. A frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship, from the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

When Caroline Lash arrives in Greenhead, Massachusetts, she falls head-over-heels for Van Whittaker, a fleece-wearing, litter-collecting kayak enthusiast with long, floppy hair and the personality of a Border collie. Born and raised in this picturesque coastal village, Van runs with the same crowd he did as a kid: His ex-girlfriend, Bailey, a beautiful girl who attracts men like moths to a flame; Augusta, old money, horsey, and snobbish; and Fran, surrounded by brothers and sons, too fed up with boys to ever consider marrying one.

Together, the group runs wild through the marshes, beaches, and bars of Greenhead, drinking on houseboats, spending long afternoons sunbathing with their children, and playing games the way they always have. But when Bailey discovers that she is pregnant with Van’s baby, the delicate balance of the group’s friendship is thrown off. Soon Caroline is cast out of the circle and what she does next—in a potent mix of fury and heartbreak—exposes long-held secrets and works the entire town of Greenhead into a lather.

Dazzlingly funny, sexy, and as juicy as it is astute, The Shampoo Effect is a story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, the dawn of midlife, and a group of old friends finally growing up despite all their best efforts to the contrary.

This book sounds like the best beach read! I love stories with groups of friends and the drama that comes from that. This is also a Read with Jenna pick for this month. On my TBR list too!

Published by Pamela Dorman Books.

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The House Wife by Natalie Barelli... 
She married the man of her dreams, only to become his worst nightmare.

Jodie always dreamed of being the perfect housewife. And after a whirlwind romance, she marries renowned psychologist Dr. Roy Davies and moves into his perfect Beverly Hills home. But the fairy tale fades fast. Roy is distant, his friends view her as a gold-digger, and the house still reveres his late wife, Deborah, whose presence looms over everyone and everything.

When Jodie learns that Deborah became a recluse before her death, she begins to suspect Roy was behind it. And the deeper she digs, the darker Roy's past appears―obsessive, controlling, unfaithful. Jodie knows she should go to the police but she has her own secrets, such as three dead bodies and a prison sentence she still claims was a misunderstanding.

But Jodie doesn’t care how long it takes. She’s going to clean every inch of that house until she finds proof that Dr. Davies killed his first wife.

And then, she’ll make him pay.

House wifes gone wild are all the rage these days and this book sounds like a dark read with murder and secrets everywhere and from everyone! 

Published by Furphies Press

Which are you going to add to your TBR list?! Hope you found something that you just HAVE to read today... Happy Reading, Suzanne.

The Sunday Salon and Catch me if you can... Murder, Mystery, Thrillers and the Detectives who solve them

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine Some university library’s vast reading room. It’s filled with people — students and faculty and strangers who’ve wandered in. They’re seated at great oaken dests, books piled all around them, and they’re all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they’ll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon’s literary intake. That is the Sunday Salon, but all virtually. Book Bloggers from around the world sharing their bookish finds with one another in a virtual place called The Sunday Salon. Thank you to Deb at ReaderBuzz for keeping us all together on Sundays and hosting The Sunday Salon now! I also visited with Kim at The Caffeinated Reader, another Sunday gathering place for us bookish people called The Sunday Post and the ladies at Mailbox Monday

Before I started my Book Club I only read mysteries and thrillers. It all started with Nancy Drew, those books I totally absorbed and loved so much! I moved onto Agatha Christie then Mary Higgins Clark and on from there.  So today we're coming back to my "roots" and looking at some great who dunits from 3 familiar faces and a new face! 

Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown... Author Sandra Brown returns with a fast-paced, emotional
thriller where the lives of a young mother and a high-rolling consultant collide under devastating circumstances—culminating in a desperate manhunt that will change their futures forever.   

 

At a Texas county fair, amidst carousels and a bustling midway, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite cowboy: her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable happens: a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them. Also caught in the melee was corporate consultant Calder Hudson. Arrogant, self-centered, and high off his latest career win, he’s frustrated and confused when he wakes up in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on his arm.  The doctor tells him that he was lucky—that as far as gunshot wounds go, he pulled through remarkably well.  Others weren’t so lucky, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice . . . a goal shared by Elle. Their chance encounter at the police station leads to a surprising and inexplicable gravitation to one another, but even as the attraction grows, Elle and Calder can’t help but wonder if the unimaginable tragedy that brought them together is too painful and too complicated to sustain—especially while the shooter remains at large.

My Mother introduced me to Sandra Brown many years ago. This author writes both romance and thrillers. Out of Nowhere, Sandra Brown's newest book, is one of her thrillers. Published August 1st 2023 by Grand Central Publishing, I have a copy of this on my Kindle to review thanks to the generosity of the publisher. And I look forward to diving into this one next week. Be on the lookout for my review to follow!

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The Watchmaker's Hand by Jeffery Deaver... The "most clever plotter on the planet"(Publishers Weekly) Jeffery Deaver returns in this twisty new thriller, as forensic criminalist Lincoln Rhyme and detective Amelia Sachs track a criminal with a bizarre and catastrophic m.o.—toppling the construction cranes in New York City.  

                                                                                                     

When a New York City construction crane mysteriously collapses, causing mass destruction and injury, Rhyme and Sachs are on the case. A political group claims responsibility for the sabotage and threatens another attack in twenty-four hours, unless its demands are met. The clock is ticking. Then a clue reveals to Rhyme that his nemesis, known as the Watchmaker, has come to town to fulfill his promise of murdering the criminalist. Now Rhyme and Sachs have to dodge his brilliant scheme to destroy them both,  while racing against time to stop the construction site terrorists. With New York in a panic, Rhyme and his team must unravel a handful of plots as tightly wound as a timepiece—before more cranes fall, raining down death and destruction from above.

Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis confront a baffling, vicious double homicide that leads them to long-buried secrets worth killing for in this riveting thriller... LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis sees it all the time: Reinvention’s a way of life in a city fueled by fantasy. But try as you might to erase the person you once were, there are those who will never forget the past . . . and who can still find you.

I generally read Jeffery Deaver's Horror novels, but I do like his Lincoln Rhyme novels, so in my Kindle is this book. I started reading this last week and am really enjoying it! A good sink your teeth into kind of read. Jeffery Deaver really knows how to develop "evil" characters and that's one reason these are so much fun to read. The Watchmaker's Hand will be released on November 28th, 2023 by PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sonsso make a note of that because if you like Lincoln Rhyme novels or crime novels, you're going to want to pick it up. My review coming soon. 

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A pool boy enters a secluded Bel Air property and discovers two bodies floating in the bright blue water: Gio Aggiunta, the playboy heir to an Italian shoe empire, and a gorgeous, even wealthier neighbor named Meagin March. A married neighbor. An illicit affair stoking rage is a perfect motive. But a “double” in this neighborhood of gated estates isn’t something you see every day. The house is untouched. No forced entry, no forensic evidence. The case has “that feeling,” and when that happens, Milo turns to his friend, the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware. As Milo and Alex investigate both victims, they discover two troubled pasts. And as they dig deeper, Meagin March’s very identity begins to blur. Who was this glamorous but conflicted woman? Did her past catch up to her? Or did Gio’s family connections create a threat spanning two continents? Chasing down the answers leads Alex and Milo on an exploration of L.A.’s darkest side as they contend with one of the most shocking cases of their careers and learn that that some secrets are best left buried in the past.

Another mystery/thriller writer favorite, Jonathan Kellerman has many great books starring psychologist Alex Delaware and here Alex is again leading the investigation. You'll have to hold off until February 6th, 2024 to read The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman, but should be worth it! I'll let you know because Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine sent me a copy on my Kindle to read and review recently.

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Killer Hooks by by Betty Hechtman...

Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers have to read between the lines when a bookstore event turns fatal in the new Crochet Mystery by national bestselling author Betty Hechtman.

There’s never a dull moment for amateur sleuth Molly Pink. Without warning, her infant granddaughter has been dumped in her lap for babysitting duties, her son has reluctantly enlisted her help investigating a potential investor in his business, and now she has to manage a high-profile bookstore event for a former Hollywood columnist who’s dishing the dirt in a juicy tell-all. And when the author collapses and dies in the store just as she’s about to reveal an incriminating tidbit, the police suspect foul play and zero in on Molly as the likely culprit.  Getting herself off the hook won’t be easy, but Molly and the Tarzana Hookers are convinced that whoever did the deed wanted to silence the author before she could expose their dark secret. As the police continue to needle Molly, certain she’s trying to pull the wool over their eyes with her claims of innocence, she’s also in over her head in a mommy group run by Hollywood power couples—all of whom may have something to hide. As she finally stitches together the loose ends and figures out the killer’s identity, they decide it’s time to silence her too, and Molly has to think fast before she makes a quick trip from her granddaughter’s cradle to the grave . . .

Includes a crochet project and a scrumptious recipe!

And what better way to end the day than with a cozy killer read! Killer Hooks by Betty Hechtman will be released by Beyond the Page Publishing later this month of September 26, 2023. Betty Hechtman is a new author to me, but she has published over 2 dozen novels and Killer Hooks is #15 of her "crochet mysteries"! And if you don't know, I do a bit of crocheting with my business Shawl Y'all so a crochet mystery is right up my alley! And I like to read cozies too, so I'm looking forward to sitting down with this book! I love that the author includes a crochet project and a recipe! And Beyond the Page Publishing has generously sent along a review copy of this book to my Kindle ! Thank you so much!!

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Weekly Recap...

It was a busy week at Chick with Books! If you missed anything, here are the links for this weeks posts.

Monday, 9/11... Memoir Monday was all about a smash hit memoir right out of Korea! You need to read this one!

Thursday, 9/12... #TBT , Throwback Thursday was a look back at what I was reading way back in 2014, and my review of a book that is still one of my favorite reads! If you haven't read it you should!

Friday, 9/13... First Lines Friday was the first lines of a soon to be published book that has a very familiar character (and author) if you love mysteries/thrillers. Follow the link to see who it is!

Saturday, 9/14... Book Bracketing! Have you bracketed your books this year? Read all about doing it and why. 

What kind of books do you read? Has it changed over the years?

Well that is my week in a nutshell! Some great new books, a new author to me, and a fun week on Chick with books. Hope you found something interesting today! And share any interesting books came your way this week!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer... A Review

The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer is a really good book. It's not often that I start a review with such a simple observation, but as I tried to wrap my thoughts around the book I just read, that's what stuck in my head. I read it steady from start to finish, but not in a desperate kind of furor. It held my interest, I enjoyed it, it just wasn't an OMG kind of read. And that's okay. Not every book I read has to be the second coming...

The gist of the story... Single mother, Beth, has always worried that she'd lose her daughter. Then one day it happens... When a moment's distraction at a crowded fair separates Beth and Carmel from each other, a man posing as Carmel's estranged Grandfather takes the opportunity to whisk her off with the words, "Carmel, it's your mother. She's had a terrible accident."And so begins the story of Eight-year-old Carmel's abduction, told in the alternating voices of Beth and Carmel, mother and daughter. Beth's story is the struggle to find Carmel and live through the process. Carmel's story is a bit more complicated... how she learns to grasp the lies she is told and keep true to herself. We also come to find out that Carmel's abduction wasn't some random kidnapping, but a more deliberate action because the man posing as Carmel's grandfather believes there is something very special about little Carmel... As life slowly moves forward for Beth and for Carmel, the ending of the book fulfills the need for some kind of closure.

The plot was very well done. This is NOT your typical child kidnapping mystery! I really liked reading the two perspectives of the story, and Carmel in particular was interesting because you generally never get to "hear" what the victim is thinking along the way. But then again, Carmel doesn't quite think she's a victim, at least not because of being taken away by "Grandad".

This is a story of loss, of moving on with your life after a loss and a story of the close ties of a mother and daughter. It's also the story of every parent's nightmare- their child being abducted. It's not a loud story, but one that is quietly powerful. Well developed characters and a good story make this definitely a good read. And as I said, I really liked the alternating voices of Beth and Carmel moving the story along. Would I recommend the book? Yes!


*This book is part of my I Love Libraries 2016 reading challenge! Because I borrowed this book from my local library! 

The Sunday Salon and Train Rides...

Welcome to The Sunday Salon! Find yourself a comfy chair, grab a cup of joe and relax- it's that time of the week that we talk books! And what better to talk about then books that make you go "Ahhhhhhh". Those books that leave you so satisfied and happy. And isn't that the way we feel when we read a really good book? With all the books I read, there are always a few clunkers, but the last 3 books I read were so good it made reading all the more fun again. What were those books? I'm glad you asked... Let's take a ride on a train or two, because the first two books do just that- involve trains rides. The last book doesn't have anything to do with train, but will take you on a eerie ride none the less...

The Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins...  Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost. And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

This was a book club reading selection, but I had heard such great things about this book that I would have read it anyway! The beginning of the story innocently nudges you along, until you just can't stop reading. Poor Rachel, our protagonist, how did her life spiral so out of control? So pathetic? And was she imagining things when she saw what she did that fateful day riding on the train? And if she wasn't, how is she going to convince anyone that she did see it and it wasn't the alcohol messing with her ability to make a judgement call? Yes, Paula Hawkins hit one out of the park with this book. The writing was great, and the story even better. The subtle twists and turns led me to the shocking, never saw it coming , ending that left me saying, "OMG". READ THIS BOOK if you haven't.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline... A captivating story of two very different women who build an unexpected friendship: a 91-year-old woman with a hidden past as an orphan-train rider and the teenage girl whose own troubled adolescence leads her to seek answers to questions no one has ever thought to ask. Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from "aging out" of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie and worse. Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly discovers that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance... The closer Molly grows to Vivian, the more she discovers parallels to her own life and discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life - answers that will ultimately free them both.

This was another book club selection. One in which I was NOT looking forward to. This book had been plastered on all the book club reading selection sites, but I wasn't buying into any of it... Until I was forced to read it. And then, I was so wrapped up in it I couldn't put this book down either! My initial thoughts were "here we go again with a WWII story and the exploitation of innocent children and how it all works out in the end." How many similar stories does one really need to read? BUT, aside from the writing that was wonderful and would justify reading "another similar story", this story was nothing like I expected! The story flips back and forth between present day 2011 and 1929. In the present day, we follow Molly and 91-year-old Vivian. In 1929, we learn about the life growing up of Vivian, which is so interesting, sad and makes us see how Vivian and Molly are not so different even though they were born in different era's. The two stories are wonderful and as the stories merge, the ending has a great twist! The author really gets deep down with Molly and Vivian and as a result these characters come alive off the pages. How wrong I was about this book initially. Now, I'd have to say it's one of my favorite books of the year. I can't wait to talk about it with my reading group members, and I'll be reviewing this soon. If you haven't read this yet, DO IT!

The Night Sisters by Jennifer McMahon... Once the thriving attraction of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, alive only in the memories of Amy, Piper, and Piper's kid sister, Margot. The three played there as girls until the day that their games uncovered something dark and twisted in the motel's past, something that ruined their friendship forever. Now adult, Piper and Margot have tried to forget what they found that fateful summer, but their lives are upended when Piper receives a panicked midnight call from Margot, with news of a horrific crime for which Amy stands accused. Suddenly, Margot and Piper are forced to relive the time that they found the suitcase that once belonged to Silvie Slater, the aunt that Amy claimed had run away to Hollywood to live out her dream of becoming Hitchcock's next blonde bombshell leading lady. As Margot and Piper investigate, a cleverly woven plot unfolds—revealing the story of Sylvie and Rose, two other sisters who lived at the motel during its 1950s heyday. Each believed the other to be something truly monstrous, but only one carries the secret that would haunt the generations to come.

I have read a few books by Jennifer McMahon and have never been disappointed. What's great about her books besides the wonderful writing, is the twist that always comes at the end. Both of the books I read left me with "OMG" at the end and this book was no different. It's fun, it's creepy, it's a heart pounder. The writing drew me in, but the mystery kept me reading. It has elements of coming-of-age, ghost stories and paranormal all wrapped together. The paranormal bend caught me a bit off guard, but fit the story. I had no idea until the very end how it was all was going to end. A good solid story. I would not say it was "The Best" mystery/ghost story I've read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What good books have you read lately?! And do you feel like you wasted part of your life reading a book that was just so-so? I enjoy reading, and for the most part, even when I read a book that didn't quite resonate with me, I have no regrets.
And the book I'm reading NOW is another winner in my opinion... Circling the Sun by Paula McLain! It's about famous aviator Beryl Markham and I am loving it! It vaguely reminds me of Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. But we'll talk about that book next week...

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon and I'm Thrilled to Meet You… OR 3 New Mysteries,Thrillers & Suspense You'll Need to Leave the Lights on For

Welcome to the Sunday Salon! What is the Sunday Salon? Imagine some university library's vast reading room. It's filled with people--students and faculty and strangers who've wandered in. They're seated at great oaken desks, books piled all around them, and they're all feverishly reading and jotting notes in their leather-bound journals as they go. Later they'll mill around the open dictionaries and compare their thoughts on the afternoon's literary intake....

That's what happens at the Sunday Salon, except it's all virtual. Every Sunday the bloggers participating in that week's Salon get together--at their separate desks, in their own particular time zones--and read. And blog about their reading. And comment on one another's blogs. Think of it as an informal, weekly, mini read-a-thon, an excuse to put aside one's earthly responsibilities and fall into a good book.

The weather is getting colder, and winter is definitely settling in in Connecticut. I'm not one to venture outside for winter activities, my winter activities are hot cocoa, winter soups and curling up with a BOOK! Mysteries use to be my normal reading, but I've branched out to a lot of different genres since starting the blog. But in the next month or so, there are some great books coming out from some favorite mystery/thrill writers that are making me grab the "who dun-it's" once again. Let's to fall into some great NEW mysteries or better yet, thrillers from some great authors! First, Tami Hoag is coming out with a new mystery/thriller this coming tuesday, January 13th!  It's called Cold Cold Heart and Danielle at Dutton wanted to know if I'd like a review copy. What did I say? YES of course! I started reading this as soon as I got it and I was hooked! The prologue had me on the edge of my seat. Tami Hoag is always a great read. I'll be reviewing this in the next week, so stay tuned. In the meantime,  here is the description from the publisher…

Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag…
Dana Nolan was a promising young TV reporter until a notorious serial killer tried to add her to his list of victims.  Nearly a year has passed since surviving her ordeal, but the physical, emotional, and psychological scars run deep.  Struggling with the torment of post-traumatic stress syndrome, plagued by flashbacks and nightmares as dark as the heart of a killer, Dana returns to her hometown in an attempt to begin to put her life back together.  But home doesn’t provide the comfort she expects.

Dana’s harrowing story and her return to small town life has rekindled police and media interest in the unsolved case of her childhood best friend, Casey Grant, who disappeared without a trace the summer after their graduation from high school.  Terrified of truths long-buried, Dana reluctantly begins to look back at her past.  Viewed through the dark filter of PTSD, old friends and loved ones become suspects and enemies.  Questioning everything she knows, refusing to be defined by the traumas of her past and struggling against excruciating odds, Dana seeks out a truth that may prove too terrible to be believed…

Another favorite Mystery/Thriller/Suspense author of mine is Tess Gerritsen. I use to read just her Rizzoli and Isles novels, but then got hooked on her medical thrillers. Here's a post I did last January on Tess's medical thrillers. But, at the end of this past December, Tess Gerritsen came out with a new Rizzoli and Isles novel called Die Again. This sounds heart pounding to me! Definitely on my wish list now! Here's what the description is for Die Again…

Die Again by Tess Gerritsen…
Detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are back—and they’re going into the wild to find a killer. Die Again is the latest heart-pounding thriller in Tess Gerritsen’s New York Times bestselling series, the inspiration behind TNT’s hit show Rizzoli & Isles.

When Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are summoned to a crime scene, they find a killing worthy of the most ferocious beast—right down to the claw marks on the corpse. But only the most sinister human hands could have left renowned big-game hunter and taxidermist Leon Gott gruesomely displayed like the once-proud animals whose heads adorn his walls. Did Gott unwittingly awaken a predator more dangerous than any he’s ever hunted?

Maura fears that this isn’t the killer’s first slaughter, and that it won’t be the last. After linking the crime to a series of unsolved homicides in wilderness areas across the country, she wonders if the answers might actually be found in a remote corner of Africa.

Six years earlier, a group of tourists on safari fell prey to a killer in their midst. Marooned deep in the bush of Botswana, with no means of communication and nothing but a rifle-toting guide for protection, the terrified tourists desperately hoped for rescue before their worst instincts—or the wild animals prowling in the shadows—could tear them apart. But the deadliest predator was already among them, and within a week, he walked away with the blood of all but one of them on his hands.

Now this killer has chosen Boston as his new hunting ground, and Rizzoli and Isles must find a way to lure him out of the shadows and into a cage. Even if it means dangling the bait no hunter can resist: the one victim who got away.

Finally, Lisa Gardner is also coming out with a new thriller February 3rd called Crash & Burn. I haven't read a lot of her books, but what I have I have really enjoyed. Crash & Burn sounds like it will be a great read. I like the whole "gaslight" kind of feel to it.

Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner…

My name is Nicky Frank. Except, most likely, it isn’t. 

Nicole Frank shouldn’t have been able to survive the car accident, much less crawl up the steep ravine. Not in the dark, not in the rain, not with her injuries. But one thought allows her to defy the odds and flag down help: Vero. 

I’m looking for a little girl. I have to save her. Except, most likely, she doesn’t exist.

Sergeant Wyatt Foster is frustrated when even the search dogs can’t find any trace of the mysterious missing child. Until Nicky’s husband, Thomas, arrives with a host of shattering revelations: Nicole Frank suffers from a rare brain injury and the police shouldn’t trust anything she says. 

My husband claims he’ll do anything to save me. Except, most likely, he can’t. 

Who is Nicky Frank, and what happened the night her car sailed off the road? Was it a random accident or something more sinister given the woman’s lack of family and no close friends? The deeper Wyatt digs, the more concerned he becomes. Because it turns out, in the past few months, Nicky has suffered from more than one close accident. . . . In fact, it would appear someone very much wants her dead.

This is my life. Except, most likely, it’s not. Now watch me crash and burn.

So, are you a mystery/thriller/suspense reader? Have any favorites from the ladies here today?! And, what other favorite suspense writers do you read?!

*P.S. My reading group is going to read The Girl on The Train by Pamela Hawkins. I mentioned it in my first Sunday post of the year under Best New Books. It's gotten a lot of great press and it's a murder mystery thriller, that I just started and I am totally hooked already. The writing is very clever, but more about that in my review to come soon. In any case, The Girl on The Train would also be a great mystery to put on your TBR list!
  Weekly Recap…
On Monday, I shared my review of At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen. I really enjoyed it! Historical fiction, WWII, forbidden love, the Loch Ness Monster... If you have not read it yet, READ IT! Here's MY REVIEW.

On Wednesday, it was a tiny book of short stories I reviewed called The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories: Vol. 1 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. They are like bits of Haiku, but are really 1 or 2 line stories submitted from people all over the world, some of which are collected in these wonderful little books. I reviewed volume 1, but there are 3 volumes so far. Really enjoyed reading these. Here's MY REVIEW.

Thursday, I was part of the Not Without My Father Release Day Blitz.  Written by Andra Watkins, it's about her 444 walk along the Natchez Trace. You can read all about the book from my THURSDAY POST.

On Saturday I shared my review of Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton. It's suppose to be the next Hunger Games. It's the start of an epic fantasy that book 1, Seeker, lays down a great foundation for future books. I really enjoyed Seeker, which was told alternately by the three main characters. Here's my REVIEW.

What's on your reading plate these days? Hope you found something to munch on here! And in the meantime…

Happy reading… Suzanne

The Sunday Salon.. It's a Mystery to Me: 2 New Mystery Writers & Bookish Buzz for the Week Ahead!

It's the Sunday Salon! The time to relax, chat with other readers and see what's new in our bookish worlds. I'm on my second cup of coffee this morning, having just come back from a leisurely walk with the family through the historic cemetery that's located in our town. Wooster Cemetery is rolling hills, plenty of trees, wildlife and joggers. Headstones date back to the early 1800's, with a rich history of revolutionary war heros, and is in fact named after General David Wooster, a major general in the militia of Connecticut in the American Revolutionary War. General Wooster was killed during an attack on Gen. Tryon's British troops, who had come to our town and burned 19 of our buildings, searching for the supplies Tyron knew Wooster was storing for the patriots. It's interesting to walk through the old section of the cemetery, and glance at the names on the headstones, recognizing so many of which the streets are named for. Even recognizing names of families still living in our town. Something you may not know about me is I'm a genealogy buff, and enjoy the research involved in finding out the histories behind the names. There are many mysteries behind the histories usually... which is what today's Sunday Salon is really all about- MYSTERIES! (OK, maybe not the best segue into today's post, but, Hey, I'm only on my second cup of coffee!...)

One of the authors I met at BookExpo America was Alan Orloff. He was signing copies of his new book, Diamonds for the DEAD, at the Mystery Writers of America table, and I couldn't resist seeing what Diamonds and Dead had in common! Here's the Back of the Book Description...

Diamonds for the DEAD by Alan Orloff... When Josh Handleman returns to his boyhood home to sit shiva for his estranged father, he gets the shock of his life: his frugal dad was a diamond collector worth millions. Now the gems are missing and Josh begins to suspect his father’s death might have been murder, not an accident.

Hounded by grief and remorse, Josh resolves to find his dad’s diamond stash. His emotion-laden treasure hunt throws him into the middle of a feud between two stubborn old Russian Jews—and puts Josh squarely in the sights of his father’s killer.

Diamonds For the DEAD has gotten glowing reviews from mystery fans. I want to thank Alan for signing a book at the MWA table and to Midnight Ink Books for the review copy of Diamonds for the DEAD! I'll be reading & reviewing Diamonds for the DEAD in an upcoming post, so keep on the lookout for that! (BTW, I love the cover!) In the meantime, I was doing a little research... Alan Orloff's book was published by Midnight Ink Books, so I thought I would take a look and see what other new books were coming out from their authors. One author in particular caught my eye... Sue Ann Jaffarian. I had missed Sue Ann at Book Expo, but am so excited to read about her upcoming book, Murder in Vein, which is her new vampire series! Here's the description from the publisher...

Murder in Vein ( A Fang-in-Cheek Mystery) by Sue Ann Jaffarian... The sight of the blood covered fangs exploded from her deep memory like a ball through a plate glass window. The man had bitten Bobby, torn into him like a barbequed rib on the Fourth of July. Women are going missing in Los Angeles. Two have been found mutilated and dead. And Madison Rose would have been the next victim if it hadn't been for Doug and Dodi Dedham. They saved her life that terrible night. And that's how she discovered what the harmless-looking, gray-haired couple really were—vampires.

Incredulous, terrified, and reluctantly fascinated, Madison gradually learns about the vampire way of life—and how the killer is putting their peaceful community at risk by posing as one of them. Despite the obvious danger, Madison helps the Dedhams and LAPD Detective Notchey piece together the clues to catch the killer. And there's a high price to pay if she dares to reveal their existence—her life.

Vampires are still Hot, and Murder in Vein sounds like a great start to a fun series, and is scheduled to be released in September of 2010... Alan Orloff and Sue Ann Jaffarian are new authors to me, and I'm excited about "trying them out"! If you like "trying out" new authors and enjoy mysteries, I encourage you to check out Midnight Ink Books and the authors they publish! There's also another way to check out some new authors MONDAY ONLY through Word Riot an online literary journal! For one day, and one day only, Word Riot is sponsoring "Published for a Day", where they will have links to downloadable novels and short story collections from writers who have been previously published on their site and other well known literary sites. These will be in PDF form, and as readers, we can download for free! Here is the link for the post on Published for a Day, and here is the link to Word Riot. Thanks goes to Michael Kindness of Books on the Nightstand for sharing this. He mentioned this because he's got a friend, Steve Himmer, who's book will be available for download. Check out Steve Himmer’s The Bee-Loud Glade while you're there, and remember this is only for ONE DAY! The downloads all disappear on tuesday!

There are a couple of HOT releases this week too! This summers "IT" book is The Passage by Justin Cronin and it's coming out this tuesday, June 8th! Everyone has been talking about it, It was the hottest book at BookExpo this year, and now everyone can read it! Also released this week, for all the Twilight fans, was The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephanie Meyer. What's even nicer is that starting at noon on June 7th, you can read the novella free at Breetanner.com!

Don't forget that June in Audiobook month, and you can enter to win an audiobook of WAR by Sebastian Junger until June 19th! I've been posting all the great recommendations from everyone on my June is Audiobook Month post, Plus, there will be ANOTHER audiobook giveaway tomorrow, June 7th for MEMOIR MONDAY! Want to know what it is?... OK, it's Queen Latifah's Put On Your Crown. It's an inspiring, uplifting memoir aimed at raising self esteem! It's like sitting down with your BFF and talking about life. I really enjoyed it and you can read my review and enter the giveaway starting tomorrow! And stop by on tuesday, June 8th as the book tour for The Art of Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin makes a stop at Chick with Books! It's a beautifully written novel and I'll have a full review!

What's on your literary plate this week?! What are you reading?! How about listening too?! I'd love to hear all about it!! So share it here!

Happy reading... Suzanne