Tag Archives: Mystery

Sycamore Row is Out Today

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John Grisham’s A Time to Kill is one of the most popular novels of our time. Now we return to that famous courthouse in Clanton as Jake Brigance once again finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial-a trial that will expose old racial tensions and force Ford County to confront its tortured history.

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Rules of Crime Detective Wade Jackson Series

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by L. J. Sellers

A wild ride that doesn’t disappoint!!

RulesofCrime Sellers

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When a call from his daughter, Katie, interrupts his much-needed vacation, Detective Wade Jackson knows it’s bad news. As Katie tearfully announces that her mom—Jackson’s ex-wife, Renee—is missing, Jackson suspects alcoholic Renee has climbed back inside the bottle that destroyed their marriage. But the truth is far worse: kidnappers have snatched Renee and are demanding ransom from her wealthy fiance.

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The very same night, someone dumps a savagely beaten University of Oregon coed on the doorstep of the ER. Jackson’s protege, Detective Lara Evans, must identify the unconscious victim, then track down the assailant with no leads to go on…except the whispered rumor of a secret sorority.

Meanwhile, Eugene’s new FBI liaison, Agent Carla River, takes charge of Renee’s high-tech ransom operation while Jackson comforts his distressed daughter and retraces the steps of the mother she holds dear. But as the rescue takes a deadly twist and the suspects seem willing to let Renee die rather than crack under interrogation, Jackson worries that Katie will never forgive him if her mother is lost forever.

My thoughts…

So far “Rules of Crime” is my favorite of the Detective Wade Jackson series.  A Hawaii vacation cut short.  A kidnapping gone wrong.  What else could possibly happen?

This is not your typical ending for Wade Jackson, this one.  L. J. Sellers will take you on a wild ride with Detective Wade Jackson on his search for his kidnapped ex-wife through the streets of Eugene, Oregon.  L. J. Sellers is a master in utilizing her imaginative-creativity with her characters, taking care to make sure you relate to each and every one of them.  You quickly become engrossed in the plot to find Renee.

I’m looking forward to what the future holds for Detective Wade Jackson and wondering if Lara Evans will be a part of the next exciting plot.  A highly recommended read.

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Think of a Number by John Verdon

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by John Verdon

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An extraordinary fiction debut, Think of a Number is an exquisitely plotted novel of suspense that grows relentlessly darker and more frightening as its pace accelerates, forcing its deeply troubled characters to moments of startling self-revelation.

Arriving in the mail over a period of weeks are taunting letters that end with a simple declaration, “Think of any number…picture it…now see how well I know your secrets.” Amazingly, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial murder investigation.

What police are confronted with is a completely baffling killer, one who is fond of rhymes filled with threats and warnings, whose attention to detail is unprecedented, and who has an uncanny knack for disappearing into thin air. Even more disturbing, the scale of his ambition seems to widen as events unfold.

Brought in as an investigative consultant, Dave Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that leave local police in awe. Yet, even as he matches wits with his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney’s tragedy-marred past rises up to haunt him, his marriage approaches a dangerous precipice, and finally, a dark, cold fear builds that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.

In the end, fighting to keep his bearings amid a whirlwind of menace and destruction, Gurney sees the truth of what he’s become – what we all become when guilty memories fester – and how his wife Madeleine’s clear-eyed advice may be the only answer that makes sense.

A work that defies easy labels — at once a propulsive masterpiece of suspense and an absorbing immersion in the lives of characters so real we seem to hear their heartbeats – Think of a Number is a novel you’ll not soon forget.

My thoughts…

I read this book quite some time ago, the plot still lingers whenever I see the book. This was definitely a pulsating thriller. As you read be very mindful of the clues that are scattered throughout the entire book. You may think you have it figured out just to find the author has added another striking twist to the story.

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Web of Evil

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by J. A. Jance

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The New York Times bestselling author of Edge of Evil is back with another masterful thriller featuring Ali Reynolds, an ex-television journalist who finds herself in a twisted web of mystery and murder.

Fired from her dream job as a Los Angeles new anchor and still recovering from the truth about her cheating husband, Ali is content to lick her wounds far away in Sedona, Arizona.  But before she can leave the past behind, she must return to L.A.: her ex, Paul, is in a hurry for a divorce so he can marry his very young, very pregnant fiancee.  But the day before the final proceedings, Paul’s bound and broken body is found in the Palm Springs desert.  Ali finds herself the sole heir to his wealthy estate – and the prime suspect in his brutal murder.  As the evidence piles up against her, she must navigate a torturous path strewn with danger – and bodies – to expose the real cold-blooded thriller.

Web of Evil is the first book I’ve read by J. A. Jance and I intend to read more by this author.  Web of Evil was a very thrilling, suspenseful read.  I’ve noticed other reviews that classify the book as “Hokey” but I thoroughly enjoyed reading of Ali’s adventures.

 

A Patriot’s Betrayal

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by Andrew Clawson

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The last thing Parker Chase expected to find after burying his murdered uncle was a cryptic letter from the dead man. Parker realizes that his death was far more than a robbery gone bad, and soon finds himself pursued by the very men who killed his uncle. Joined by his brilliant ex-girlfriend, Parker fights to stay one step ahead of a shadowy organization hell-bent on silencing him forever.

Desperate to discover why his uncle died, Parker realizes that he had uncovered information about a centuries old mystery involving America’s Founding Fathers. Soon both the CIA and police join the death-dealing group of murderers in the chase to capture Parker, who must run for his life while unraveling the greatest conspiracy in American history.

My take:

“A Patriot’s Betrayal” is a brilliant debut novel and clearly a 5-star read.  This is my first experience reading Andrew Clawson’s writing, I must say it was extraordinary in every way; it inspires me to read more of his writings.  The characters were well developed and authentically true to life.  The story was incredible, realistic, and historically intriguing.  “A Patriot’s Betrayal” did remind me of the movie “National Treasure” with Nichols Cage; maybe it was the similarities of the clues that lead Parker and Erika down the path to find the reason behind the murder of Parker’s Uncle Joe.

“A Patriot’s Betrayal” will keep you turning the pages long into the night.

Hanged to Death

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When Rachel takes a college internship at a museum, all she expects to do is help with exhibits. What she doesn’t expect is to find her boss murdered.

The list of suspects includes a cranky museum director, a sweet administrative assistant, and a know-it-all board member. Throw in a cute detective who plans on shutting down Rachel’s exhibit unless the murderer is found, and you have one college intern who might just be in over her head. However, the show must go on, and Rachel finds herself getting more than college credit to find out who killed her boss.

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Rogue Wave by Boyd Morrison

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A minor seismic disturbance in a remote section of the Pacific causes barely a ripple of concern for Kai Tanaka, acting director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu. But when an airliner en route from L.A. to Sydney vanishes in the same location, Kai is the first to realize that a mysterious explosion has unleashed a series of massive waves destined to obliterate Hawaii. In just one hour, Kai will lose all he has ever known—including his wife and daughter— unless he can save them from nature’s most destructive force.

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Before Her Eyes

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In a remote mountain community, the execution of a grocer and the abduction of a world-renowned model leave the local sheriff searching for a connection, two killers and a woman who is running for her life. In the next 48 hours, Sheriff Dove Connelly will peel back the layers of intrigue beneath the tranquil camaraderie of his mountain enclave and find that nothing is what it seems.

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Half-Inch

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On a lovely spring day in April, he finally pushes her just that tiny bit too far and she snaps. Deep within her, a cold, cruel voice she barely recognizes as her own pronounces those fateful words, “I’m going to kill you, Bobby Hilts.” Ride the crazy train along with Pammy as she gleefully plots her soon-to-be ex’s bizarre demise and devises the diabolical means that ensure his body will never be found. Soon, Pammy will be free of him forever. Or will she?

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