Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay (ARC)


Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay

In this tense, mesmerizing thriller by Linwood Barclay, critically acclaimed author of Fear the Worst and Too Close to Home, a man’s life unravels around him when the unthinkable strikes.

A warm summer Saturday. An amusement park. David Harwood is glad to be spending some quality time with his wife, Jan, and their four-year-old son. But what begins as a pleasant family outing turns into a nightmare after an inexplicable disappearance. A frantic search only leads to an even more shocking and harrowing turn of events.

Until this terrifying moment, David Harwood is just a small-town reporter in need of a break. His paper, the Promise Falls Standard, is struggling to survive. Then he gets a lead that just might be the answer to his prayers: a potential scandal involving a controversial development project for the outskirts of this picturesque upstate New York town. It’s a hot-button issue that will surely sell papers and help reverse the Standard’s fortunes, but strangely, David’s editors keep shooting it down.

Why?

That’s a question no longer at the top of David’s list. Now the only thing he cares about is restoring his family. Desperate for any clue, David dives into his own investigation—and into a web of lies and deceit. For with every new piece of evidence he uncovers, David finds more questions—and moves ever closer to a shattering truth.

Release date: March 2, 1010

W..W....W.... Wednesdsay


To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions!…

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? ~

Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub (ARC)~ I am a huge fan of this authors and could not wait to dive right into this exciting, intense thriller. (Release date: February 23, 2010)









What did I recently finish reading?


Tie Dyed and Dead: A Stain-busting Mystery (Stain-Busting Mysteries) by Sharon Short
~ This is the final book in the Stain-busting Mystery series. I'm sad to see it end, but I am very satisfied with how everything was wrapped up.







What do I plan on reading next?

Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay (ARC) ~ When I got this in the mail yesterday I almost fell over. I LOVE his books. I'm so glad I'm leaving work early today so that I can finish up Live To Tell and then jump right into this! (Release date: March 2, 2010).




Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Sleeping With Anemone: A Flower Shop Mystery by Kate Collins

Maybe Abby Knight shouldn't have chosen a home and garden show sponsored by Uniworld Food as the venue for her protest against the corporation's harmful farming practices. But being bodily removed from the event won't stop her campaign. Nor will a burning brick thrown through her flower shop's window.

After she narrowly escapes being kidnapped three times, Abby calls in the big guns-her ex-Ranger boyfriend Marco and her friends and family. And then the stakes are raised by murder...

  • Paperback: 336 pages
  • Publisher: Signet; Original edition
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0451228901 / 978-045122890
  • Release date: February 2, 2010
  • Amazon Price: $6.99

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Teaser Tuesday


It’s that time of week again, everyone, and time for the Tuesday Teaser.
Again the reminder of what this is all about. We are asked to:
  1. Grab your current read.
  2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
  3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
  5. And again remember – avoid spoilers.
Here's mine ~

As Garvey learned once before, a long, long time ago, one obstacle - human or not - is insignificant, indeed, in the grand scheme of things. You do what you have to do in order to remove it, you make sure no one will ever be the wiser, you move on....and whatever you do, you never, ever look back.

My teaser comes from Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub. What's YOUR teaser?

Book Giveaway - Apple Turnover - WINNER

Congratulations

Kristie

I've sent an email requesting their address. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)

Monday, January 4, 2010

212 by Alafair Burke (ARC) - Giveaway


In New York City, nights are dangerous. Days are numbered.....When NYU student Megan Gunther finds personal threats posted to a website specializing in campus gossip, she's taken aback by their menacing tone. someone knows her daily routine down to the minute and is watching her 00 but thanks to the anonymity provided by the Internet, the police tell her they can do nothing to help. Her friends are sure it's someone's idea of a joke, but when Megan is murfered in a vicious attack, NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced that the online threats are more than just empty words. As Ellie, with smooth, straight-talking partner J.J. Rogan at her side, tries to identify Megan's enemies, she begins to wonder if her murder was more than just the culmination of a cyber obsession. Through phone records, they find a link between Megan and a murdered real estate agent who was living a dangerous double-life. They also learn that the murdered real estate agent shared a secret connection to a celebrity mogul whose bodyguard was mysteriously killed a few months earlier. And when Megan's roommate suddenly disappears, they know they have to find her before another young woman dies.

Here is my review


Release date: March 23, 2010

Here's how to enter ~
  • U.S. addresses only please
  • Leave a comment here with your email address or PBS ID (I need to have a way to get in touch with you!)
  • Follow my blog (on lower right sidebar) ~ get an extra entry
  • Rate my blog ~ get an extra entry
  • Blog about it ~ get an extra entry
  • Tweet about it ~ get an extra entry
Contest ends January 14th. The winner will be announced on January 15th.

Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Congratulations

Amy L

I've sent an email verifying her email address. Once I get that I'll send it via email. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)

House Rules by Jodi Picoult - WINNER

Congratulations

Shooting Star Mag

I've sent an email requesting their address. If I don't hear back in 48 hrs, I'll choose another winner. Thank you to those that have entered :)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Live To Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub (ARC)


Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub

Secrets can scandalize . . .

In a lovely suburban town just north of New York City, the gossip mill runs more efficiently than the commuter-train line. And in every impeccably decorated house, they're talking about Lauren Walsh. They say that nothing could be worse than being abandoned by your husband for another woman. They're wrong . . .

Secrets can shock . . .

All Lauren wants is to protect her children from the pain of her messy divorce. But when their father goes missing, a case of mistaken identity puts all their lives in danger, and a stealthy predator lurks in the shadows, watching . . . waiting . . .

Secrets can kill . . .

Lauren is about to uncover an unfathomable truth—a truth this cold-blooded mastermind would never let her live to tell . . .

Release date: February 23, 2010


Saturday, January 2, 2010

Tie Dyed & Dead by Sharon Short


Tie Dyed and Dead: A Stain-busting Mystery (Stain-Busting Mysteries) by Sharon Short

As if running a successful laundromat and writing a perennially popular (and soon to be national!) household tips column weren't enough to keep Josie Toadfern busy, she's taken a gig on the side. The Mayfair Sisters, a local singing group from way back when, are reuniting for a benefit, and they need Josie to perform her stain-busting magic on their old tie-dyed costumes. But the dresses go missing, only to reappear in a fashion more deadly than retro.

Although Josie's the prime suspect in the murder and mayhem that ensue, she's not about to allow her squeaky-clean reputation to be soiled by some false accusations. But this time, her snooping will land her in some very hot water . . .


Friday, January 1, 2010

The Red Thread by Ann Hood (ARC)


The Red Thread: A Novel by Ann Hood

“In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?”

After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens The Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child. Their painful and courageous journey toward adoption forces her to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters’ lives. Heartrending and wise, The Red Thread is a stirring portrait of unforgettable love and yearning for a baby. (From Amazon)

Friday Fill-ins


1. Last night I had dinner at my brothers house with my nieces & SIL.
2. Things can only get better this year.
3. The funniest thing was watching Sadie jump through the snow and sink.
4. 2009 is over...so where do we go from here?
5. He said hip; she said hop.
6. The answer is right around the corner, and it's up to us to find it.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to reading, relaxing, and shaking this cold, tomorrow my plans include a waxing, pedi, reading, relaxing, sleeping and more cold shaking, and Sunday, I want to the same as Saturday minus teh waxing and pedi!

Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 Books Read


  1. A Crazy Little Thing Called Death by Nancy Martin
  2. A Deadly Yarn by Maggie Sefton
  3. Find Me by Debra Webb
  4. Getting Old is A Distaster by Rita Lakin
  5. Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy
  6. Leftover Dead by Jimmie Ruth Evans
  7. In The Dark (The Watcher) by Brian Freeman
  8. The Spare Room by Helen Garner
  9. Torn by Chris Jordan
  10. Trick My Truck But Don't Mess With My Heart by LuAnn McLane
  11. Bronx Justice by Joseph Teller
  12. Fed Up by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant
  13. Prime Time by Hank Phillippi Ryan
  14. A Wedding To Die For by Leann Sweeney
  15. Breakneck by Erica Spindler
  16. Fatal February by Barbara Levenson
  17. Killer in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
  18. Out of Circulation by Jo Dereske
  19. Whisper of Warning by Laura Griffin
  20. Evil Without A Face by Jordan Dane
  21. Bookmarked For Death by Lorna Barrett
  22. Shadows Still Remain by Peter De Jonge
  23. Run For Your Life James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
  24. Evil in Carnations by Kate Collins
  25. Corked by Cabernet by Michele Scott
  26. Malice in Miniature by Margaret Grace
  27. Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber
  28. The Diary by Eileen Goudge
  29. Unseen by Nancy Bush
  30. Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle
  31. Shelter Me by Juliette Fay
  32. While My Sister Sleep by Barbara Delinsky
  33. Still Life by Joy Fielding
  34. The Whispering Room by Amanda Stevens
  35. Murder Melts In Your Mouth by Nancy Martin
  36. Cream Puff Murder by Joanne Fluke
  37. Death Takes The Cake by Melinda Wells
  38. The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner
  39. Quick Study by Maggie Barbieri
  40. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
  41. Don't Look Twice by Andrew Gross
  42. Sudden Death by Allison Brennan
  43. Long Lost by Harlan Coben
  44. Hounding the Pavement by Judi McCoy
  45. Hung Out To Die by Sharon Short
  46. Final Notice by Jo Dereske
  47. Chili Con Corpses by J.B. Stanley
  48. Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
  49. Dying to Meet you by Jennifer Appodaca
  50. Willing Spirits by Phyllis Schieber
  51. Saddled With Trouble by Michele Scott
  52. True Detectives by Jonathan Kellerman
  53. Mama Does Time by Deborah Sharp
  54. The Trouble With Magic by Madelyn Alt
  55. The Book of Matthew by Thomas White
  56. Dead Giveaway by Leann Sweeney
  57. The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library by Alice Kimberly
  58. Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark
  59. Nice To Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers
  60. The Fiction Class by Susan Breen
  61. Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
  62. The Dead Man by Joel Goldman
  63. Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
  64. Little Lamb Lost by Margaret Fenton
  65. The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair
  66. Intent To Kill by James Grippando
  67. The 8th Confession by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
  68. Dead Before Dark by Wendi Corsi Staub
  69. The Pretend Wife by Bridget Asher
  70. Killer Cuts by Elaine Viets
  71. Love Stories In This Town by Amanda Eyre Ward
  72. Where The Dead Lay by David Levien
  73. I Can See You by Karen Rose
  74. The Scarecrow by Michael Connelly
  75. Fatal Secrets by Allison Brennan
  76. Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child
  77. Best Intentions by Emily Listfield
  78. By Hook Or By Crook by Betty Hechtman
  79. The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir
  80. The Diva Takes The Cake by Krista Davis
  81. Drawn in Blood by Andrea Kane
  82. Murder on Waverly Place by Victoria Thompson
  83. Sucker Punch by Sammi Carter
  84. Alex Cross's Trial by James Patterson
  85. I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
  86. Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb
  87. Fear The Worst by Linwood Barclay
  88. Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain
  89. I'm So Happy For You by Lucinda Rosenfeld
  90. Crush by Alan Jacobson
  91. The Perfect Couple by Brenda Novak
  92. Dixie Divas by Virginia Brown
  93. The Cheater by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg
  94. The Midnight Room by Ed Gorman
  95. Purses & Poison by Dorothy Howell
  96. New Tricks by David Rosenfelt
  97. Fingerprints and Facelifts by Rick Copp
  98. Michele's Manuscript
  99. Four Wives by Wendy Walker
  100. The Cutting by James Hayman
  101. Miss Zukas in Death's Shadow by Jo Dereske
  102. The Missing Ink by Karen Olson
  103. Whack N Roll by Gail Oust
  104. Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain
  105. The Buryin Place by Brian Freeman
  106. Cutting Edge by Allison Brennan
  107. Dancing Shoes & Honky Tonk Blues by LuAnn McLane
  108. Chosen to Die by Lisa Jackson
  109. The Perfect Liar by Brenda Novak
  110. Stiffs N Swine by J.B. Stanley
  111. Dead Write by Sheila Lowe
  112. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke
  113. Blindman's Bluff by Faye Kellerman
  114. Miss Zukas Shelves The Evidence by Jo Dereske
  115. Murder Unfolds by Sharon Short
  116. Depraved Indifference by Joseph Teller
  117. Vengeance Road by Rick Mofina
  118. The Battered Body by J.B. Stanley
  119. Nine Dragons by Michael Connelly
  120. Dead Men Don't Get the Munchies by Miranda Bliss
  121. Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske
  122. Urge to Kill by John Lutz
  123. Doom With A View by Victoria Laurie
  124. Death Loves A Messy Desk by Mary Jane Mafini
  125. Makeovers Can Be Murder by Kathryn Lilley
  126. Silent Killer by Beverly Barton
  127. Catalouge of Death by Jo Dereske
  128. The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman
  129. Worst Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
  130. Dying Scream by Mary Burton
  131. Happy Hour by Michele Scott
  132. Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett
  133. The Night Monster by James Swain
  134. Cook The Books by Jessica Conant-Park & Susan Conant
  135. Knit The Season by Kate Jacobs
  136. Final Exam by Maggie Barbieri
  137. Our Lady of Immaculate Deception by Nancy Martin
  138. Snake in The Glass by Sarah Atwell
  139. The Murder of King Tut by James Patterson
  140. The Perfect Murder by Brenda Novak
  141. Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle
  142. Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman
  143. Dipped, Stripped & Dead by Elise Hyatt
  144. He's No Prince Charming by LuAnn McLane
  145. Mourning in MIniature by Margaret Grace
  146. I Scream, You Scream by Wendy Lyn Watson
  147. Heir of the Dog by Judi McCoy
  148. Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs
  149. A Slice of Murder by Chris Cavendar
  150. Vanished by Joseph Finder
  151. Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence
  152. The Wrong Side of Dead by Jordan Dane
  153. Scandal Sheet by Gemma Halliday
  154. El Patron by Michele Scott
  155. Money to Burn by James Grippando
  156. White Picket Fences by Susan Meissner
  157. Redneck Cinderella by LuAnn McLane
  158. Dying For Dinner by Miranda Bliss
  159. Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky
  160. Dial Om For Murder by Diana Killian
  161. Down To The Wire by David Rosenfelt
  162. Life After 187 by Wade J Halverson
  163. Murder Has A Sweet Tooth by Miranda Bliss
  164. Untraceable by Laura Griffin
  165. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
  166. Murder Takes The Cake by Gayle Trent
  167. Truly, Madly by Heather Webber
  168. A Note From An Old Acquaintance by Bill Walker
  169. Can't say right now
  170. Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy
  171. Dead Air by Mary Kennedy
  172. Apple Turnover Murder by Joanne Fluke
  173. 212 by Alafair Burke
  174. Blood Vines by Erica Spindler
  175. Index To Murder by Jo Dereske

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

W..W....W.... Wednesdsay


To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions!…

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you'll read next?

What am I currently reading? ~

Undercover in High Heels by Gemma Halliday ~ This is the 3rd book in the Maggie Springer series. I love this series and wish I started catching up on it sooner!









What did I recently finish reading?

Index to Murder: A Miss Zukas Mystery (Miss Zukas Mysteries) by Jo Dereske~ This was the last book in the Miss Zukas series. Unfortunately Avon/Harper collins decided to let it go :( I'm sorry to see it end. Although the ending dead leave it open for (hopefully) more stories featuring Helma, Boy Cat Zukas and the other lovable characters we've come to know and love. It
was also the last book I needed for my 2009 e-book reading challenge ;)





What do I plan on reading next?

The Red Thread: A Novel by Ann Hood ~ I received an ARC of this in the mail (it's due out May 3rd). I've been waiting to read her next book since I read the last one and was beyond excited when I received the ARC in the mail (thank you to whomever sent it to me!) I wanted to dive in right away, but I wanted to save it for tomorrow so it can cound towards my 2010 challenges. It's by the same author of The Knitting Circle, one of my favorite books from last year.


Waiting on Wednesday


"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



The 9th Judgment by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro

The most personal

A young mother and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down while returning to their car in the garage of a shopping mall. There are no witnesses, and Detective Lindsay Boxer is left with only one shred of evidence: a cryptic message scrawled across the windshield in bloodred lipstick.

The most dangerous

The same night, the wife of A-list actor Marcus Dowling is woken by a cat burglar who is about to steal millions of dollars' worth of precious jewels. In just seconds there is a nearly empty safe, a lifeless body, and another mystery that throws San Francisco into hysteria.

The most exciting Women's Murder Club novel ever

Lindsay spends every waking hour working with her partner, Rich--and her desire for him threatens to tear apart both her engagement and the Women's Murder Club. Before Lindsay and her friends can piece together either case, one of the killers forces Lindsay to put her own life on the line--but is it enough to save the city? With unparalleled danger and explosive action, The 9th Judgment is James Patterson at his compelling, unstoppable best!

  • Hardcover: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
  • ISBN-10: 0316036277 / 9780316036276
  • Release Date: April 26, 2010
  • Amazon price: $18.47

Undercover in High Heels by Gemma Halliday

Undercover in High Heels by Gemma Halliday

Secret affairs, hunky gardeners, and housewives desperate enough to bare it all... welcome to Magnolia Lane, TV's newest hit show. As the new wardrobe assistant, shoe designer Maddie Springer is in fashion heaven. But then a young starlet is found dead. Now it's up to Maddie to sift through a secretive leading lady, an actor on the verge of a nervous breakdown, a sexy cyber scandal, and one tabloid reporter who'll stop at nothing to get the story of the century. Not to mention her tangles with the infuriatingly sexy lead detective, Jack Ramirez. In a biz where lies and deception earn Emmys, Maddie will have to play the role of a lifetime to catch Hollywood's hottest killer. But if she doesn't watch her step, Maddie's fifteen minutes of fame just may be her last.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Teaser Tuesday


It’s that time of week again, everyone, and time for the Tuesday Teaser.
Again the reminder of what this is all about. We are asked to:
  1. Grab your current read.
  2. Let the book fall open to a random page.
  3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from, so people can find the book if they like the teaser.
  5. And again remember – avoid spoilers.
Here's mine ~

After seven rings she left off flossing and answered the telephone, bracing herself. Very little good news arrived after ten o'clock in the evening.
"Hello?" she said warily.
The whispered answer was intelligible.
"Ruth, is that you?" Helma asked.
"Shh. Just come pick me up."
"Why? And where are you?"
"I'm not in a bar. I'm cold sober and I'm not in trouble. At least not yet."

My teaser comes from Index to Murder: A Miss Zukas Mystery (Miss Zukas Mysteries) by Jo Dereske. What's YOUR teaser?

Monday, December 28, 2009

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.

Here's what I got ~


English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack ~ High Crimes at High Tea Things to Do in England Visit Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, and the London Zoo Take the Jack the Ripper tour creepy! Sample authentic English scones and crumpets Discover a dead body What begins as a holiday trip for amateur sleuth and cooking aficionado Sadie Hoffmiller and her daughter, Breanna, turns into a bizarre mystery when they discover a dead body in the sitting room of an English manor. Breanna's boyfriend, Liam, is heir to both the family title and the family estate of Southgate, where everyone seems to have a secret . . . or two. When the body in the sitting room disappears, Sadie and Breanna are stranded at the estate until the police can clear them to leave. With their departure delayed, they might as well solve the murder. Armed with a jogging whistle, her personal recipe collection, and an unfailing sense of American justice, Sadie begins her own investigation to find the killer. But as Sadie uncovers layer after layer of misdirection, secrets, and outright lies, she wonders if anyone is telling the truth or if the case is really as hopeless as it appears to be. Take a missing family history, toss in a secret romance, mix with a mysterious murder, and this is one vacation Sadie will never forget.

Old City Hall: A Novel by Robert Rotenberg ~ What appears to be an open-and-shut murder case turns out to be anything but in Rotenberg's overstuffed debut, a legal thriller. After celebrated radio host Kevin Brace (aka the Voice of Canada) confesses to killing his wife, Katherine, in their Toronto apartment, he refuses to utter another word, even to his attorney, Nancy Parish. The police, including homicide detective Ari Greene and ex-lawyer-turned-cop Daniel Kennicott, try to piece together a motive, while rookie prosecutor Albert Fernandez gears up for his first murder trial. As Greene and Kennicott dig deeper into Brace's life, they discover links not only to an ex-wife and son but also to Katherine's own checkered past.

212: A Novel by Alafair Burke (ARC) ~ In New York City, nights are dangerous. Days are numbered.....When NYU student Megan Gunther finds personal threats posted to a website specializing in campus gossip, she's taken aback by their menacing tone. someone knows her daily routine down to the minute and is watching her 00 but thanks to the anonymity provided by the Internet, the police tell her they can do nothing to help. Her friends are sure it's someone's idea of a joke, but when Megan is murfered in a vicious attack, NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher is convinced that the online threats are more than just empty words. As Ellie, with smooth, straight-talking partner J.J. Rogan at her side, tries to identify Megan's enemies, she begins to wonder if her murder was more than just the culmination of a cyber obsession. Through phone records, they find a link between Megan and a murdered real estate agent who was living a dangerous double-life. They also learn that the murdered real estate agent shared a secret connection to a celebrity mogul whose bodyguard was mysteriously killed a few months earlier. And when Megan's roommate suddenly disappears, they know they have to find her before another young woman dies.

Blood Vines by Erica Spindler (ARC) ~ When Alexandra Clarkson starts having terrifying visions filled with blood and ceremonial images, she tries to find a rational explanation – maybe her mind is playing tricks on her, resurrecting creepy tableaux from her research on religious ceremonies and sects. But when Alex’s mother, Patsy, commits suicide without leaving behind any information, Alex is left wondering: could she be haunted by something from the childhood she doesn’t remember? Naked, writhing bodies…Detective Daniel Reed was the last person to speak to Patsy. What he reveals to Alex is shocking. Twenty-five years earlier, Patsy was married to Harlan Sommer, one of Sonoma County’s most prominent vintners, when their infant son disappeared without a trace. The loss destroyed the Sommers’ marriage, causing Patsy to leave and take Alex with her. A dead child…Called on to investigate the identity of a baby’s remains unearthed in a Sonoma vineyard, Reed had picked up a trail that led him to Patsy in San Francisco. Now Reed and Alex both wonder if the cold bones could be her baby brother Dylan, and Alex decides to accompany Reed back to Sonoma for the investigation. No sooner does she arrive, however, than she is drawn deep into the search for a twisted killer…

Index To Murder by Jo Dereske

Index to Murder: A Miss Zukas Mystery (Miss Zukas Mysteries) by Jo Dereske

No one could be more orderly or organized than dedicated librarian Helma Zukas. No one could be more rash and raucous than avant-garde artist Ruth Winthrop. Yet the two women are best friends and a resourceful, ingenious, crime-solving team. So when two of Ruth's latest paintings—each depicting an ex-lover who met a very untimely and mysterious end—are stolen, the amazing amateur detectives get to work.

But digging through Ruth's romantic rendezvous turns up more than broken hearts. There's an angry ex-wife, a jealous fellow artist, and a rampaging group of local tree-huggers. There's trouble brewing in Bellehaven . . . and only Helma and Ruth can make certain that mayhem doesn't lead to murder.