Faceless

Faceless by Debra Webb ~~

Deputy district attorney Carson Tanner has dedicated his life to justice. But he is still haunted by one case that was never solved: the murder of his entire family in cold blood. Back then, the teenage Carson was protected by his girlfriend’s influential father, Senator Randolph Drake. But now, fifteen years later, Carson finds himself facing a whole new world when a man confesses to the Tanner killings. His name is John Stokes. And his confession only scratches the surface of the truth…
Carson knows that Annette Baxter uses her brains and beauty as a fixer for the rich and powerful, making their indiscretions disappear in exchange for security and influence. But now someone is using her clients’ secrets—and her own—against her. And even though Carson can’t ignore his attraction to her, he is dead-set on making Annette pay for her crimes…but what if she holds the key to the burning secret he’s spent his whole life seeking? (From Amazon)

Fifteen years after the fact, someone finally confesses to the murder of Carson Tanners family. Now someone has confessed and he should be putting it behind him. But on the eve of the confession, Carson is seduced by a beautiful woman, Annette Baxter. At the same time he's being groomed by his mentor to become the next District Attorney, and handed a case that will make his career and guarantee him the top spot. Too bad the one woman that can help him is the one that seduced him. Beginning to feel like he's been set up, Carson starts digging into the case, only to find the dead bodies piling up in his wake. While Carson tries to get Annette to flip, she begins to feed him information about what happened to his family and he needs to decide if he can trust her or not. Is she playing him too??? Carson and Annette end up working together to figure out who is responsible only to find out it's the one person they least expected.

Watch Me

Watch Me (Last Stand, Book 3) by Brenda Novak ~~

Teenagers Sheridan Kohl and Jason Wyatt were parked at the lake in Whiterock, Tennessee, when a stranger wearing a ski mask shot them both. Sheridan lived but Jason died—and the stranger was never caught. Even though Sheridan's family moved away right afterward, she's never been able to put the crime behind her.

And now that someone doesn't want her to come home

Because of a new development in the case, Sheridan returns to Whiterock. But when she's attacked a second time, it's only because of Jason's stepbrother, Cain Granger, that she survives—and Cain's the last person she wants to face. If not for their history, if not for her, Jason wouldn't have been in that parked car.

Cain knows that whoever killed his brother probably isn't a stranger at all. But figuring out that person's identity is easier said than done—especially since the killer seems to be taunting them both:

watch me.

When Sheridan is a teenager, she and her boyfriend Jason are shot. Jason dies, but Sheridan lives. Now due to new information in the case, Sheridan returns "home" to find out who is responsible. Not long after she gets home, Sheridan is attacked and nearly killed. If not for Cain, a former love interest and step-brother to Jason, she would have been buried alive. Now together they must work to keep Sheridan safe, but at the same time find out who is responsible for the murder as well as fight their growing attraction to each other (again!). This was a very past faced thriller with enough red herrings to keep you guessing. Although if you pay close enough attention to the clues, you might just be able to figure out who the killer is before i'ts revealed. I was glad to find out that there will be another book in this Last Stand series.

Miss Zukas & The Stroke of Death

Miss Zukas and the Stroke of Death (Miss Zukas Mysteries) by Jo Dereske ~~

Librarian par excellence Miss Helma Zukas is a woman of many talents—and civic-minded to boot. Which is why she agrees, albeit reluctantly, to employ her long-dormant canoeing skills in the service of the Bellehaven Library relay race team in the famous Snow to Surf Race. But first she has a more pressing obligation—namely keeping her dear, somewhat flaky artist friend, Ruth Winthrop, off Death Row.
Flamboyant Ruth, it seems, has rejected the advances of a dirty old man in a local bar, who later, rather inconveniently, turns up dead just outside her studio. Helma knows Ruth is no killer, even though the police consider her the prime suspect. Now, time is running out. By asking too many questions about one unsavory dead man, Miss Zukas is paddling in dangerous waters. And the carefully buried scandals her snooping is uncovering could sink the inquisitive librarian permanently. (From Amazon)

Once again Helma finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation. This time it's her good friend Ruth who is the prime suspect. In the meantime her co-worker Patricia suffers the loss of her beloved Binky and Helma is persuaded to join the Snow to Surf race. In between working at the library and training for the race, Helma tries to help Ruth clear her name. And of course she asks one to many questions and puts herself in danger. Helma accidentally finds out who the killer is, and when confronted the killer persuades her to keep the info quiet. She feels bad for the killer and shockingly agrees to it. Does Helma do the right thing by keepng her mouth shut or does it come around and bite her in the butt??? This is one book that was so well written the killer will come as a shock to all that read it!

Muttering About

I say.......and you think.....?

Memory :: loss
Original :: first
Exclusively :: Solely
Listings :: homes
Bucket :: list
Knight :: shining armor
Dusty :: sneezing
Choice :: option
Sunglight :: warmth
Change of plans :: cancel

Murder on Lenox Hill

Murder on Lenox Hill (Gaslight Mystery) by Victoria Thompson ~~

Midwife Sarah Brandt, a member of a socially prominent family in turn-of-the-century New York, chooses to work in the tenements. Her new patient is the retarded 17-year-old daughter of the Lintons, an affluent Lenox Hill family. The young woman is never alone, and she denies that any man has ever hurt her, but she is pregnant. As Sarah and her friend, Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy, investigate, they uncover a scandal that casts suspicion on members of the Lintons' church, including the minister, Reverend Upchurch. When Upchurch drops dead during a service, the victim of cyanide-laced communion wine, Sarah and Frank must find the murderer before the scandal hurts more innocent people. This is the seventh installment in Thompson's atmosphere-drenched historical series. The developing relationship between Sarah and Frank, who both must overcome parental objections, adds a new dimension to the series. (From Amazon)

Sarah Brandt is a midwife to the poor. So imagine her surprise when she gets called to the home of the Linton's in the affluent section of Lenox Hill. She can't image what it is they want to see her for. Soon enough she finds out that their impaired daughter is pregnant - and they have no clue how it could happen. She is never out of their sight. With their permission, Sarah contacts Frank and together they try and find out how this young girl became in the family way. Little did they know the horrible truth they would come to find out about a beloved minister. What turns into a case of rape quickly becomes a quest to find a murderer. Once again the tension exists between Sarah & Frank. Frank's mother still can't stand Sarah. He also continues on in search of Sarah's husbands killer. Brian has entered a school for the deaf and is learning sign language. And Sarah has "adopted" Aggie from the mission as well as hired Maeve as her nanny. I love this series. I enjoy watching the characters grow as the story progresses and hope one day Sarah and Frank can find their way to one another :)

The Mercedes Coffin

The Mercedes Coffin: A Decker and Lazarus Book (Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus Novels) by Faye Kellerman ~~

Billionaire genius Genoa Greeves never got over the shocking death of her favorite teacher, Bennett "Dr. Ben" Alston Little, murdered execution-style and stuffed into the trunk of his Mercedes-Benz. No arrests were ever made, no killer charged for the brutal crime. Fifteen years later, the high-tech CEO reads about another execution-style murder; this time the victim is a Hollywood music producer named Primo Ekerling. There is no obvious connection, but the case is eerily similar to Little's and Genoa feels the time is right to close Dr. Ben's case once and for all—offering the L.A.P.D. a substantial financial "incentive" if justice is finally served for Little.
Lieutenant Peter Decker resents having to commit valuable manpower to a fifteen-year-old open case simply because a rich woman says "Jump!" Still, the recent murder of Primo Ekerling does bear a disturbing resemblance to Little's case, even though two thug suspects are currently behind bars for the Ekerling murder. Decker can't help but wonder about a connection. His first phone calls are to the two primary investigators in the Little case, retired detectives Calvin Vitton and Arnie Lamar. Lamar is cooperative, but Vitton is not only reluctant to talk, he winds up dead of a suspicious suicide twelve hours later. Plunging into this long-buried murder, Decker discovers that even though the two slayings are separated by a decade and a half, there is still plenty of greed, lust, and evil to connect the dots.
Decker's team of top investigators not only includes his favorite homicide detectives, Scott Oliver and Marge Dunn, but also his newly minted Hollywood detective daughter, Cindy Kutiel, whose help proves to be invaluable. His wife, Rina Lazarus, continues to be his backbone of support, offering a cool, rational outlook despite her growing concern for her husband's welfare and safety. Rina's worries and fears begin to build at a fevered pitch as past and present collide with a vengeance, catapulting an unsuspecting Peter Decker closer and closer to the edge of an infinite dark abyss.
A relentlessly gripping tale spun by a master, Faye Kellerman's The Mercedes Coffin races through a dangerous urban world of fleeting fame and false dreams, making heart-pumping hairpin turns at each step of a terrifying journey, where truth and justice are fine lines between life and death. (From Amazon)

Could there possibly be a connection between two murders 15 years apart? No one seems to think so until someone offers the LAPD a seven figure endowment if they are able to solve the 15 year old cold case. Even though Peter is a lieutenant, the chief assigns him to the case. Of course his top detectives Marge & Scott are there to help him. As well as his detective daughter Cindy. The going is tough at first, yet slowly but surely Peter and his team start connecting the dots and can't believe where it leads them. Has Peter pushed it to the limit one to many times??? I'm a huge fan of this series. I've read them all from book one. I love how the characters have grown along with each book - no soap opera rapid aging syndrome here. I can remember when Peter and Rina got married and had Hannah - and now she's got her license and has become her own person. The one thing I didn't like about this book was that Rina seems to have been turned into a boring cooking, cleaning and gardening housewife. She's not as active in this investigation as she usually is. Other than that - another great book by Ms. Kellerman.

Friday Fill Ins

1. I believe whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

2. If you're good at something, teach others.

3. Why can't I get one good night of sleep?

4. Something is out there, it's just beyond my grasp.

5. If my life were a sitcom, it would be titled You've Got To Be Kidding Me.

6. Sitting on my back porch [if you don't have one, use your imagination] I see the library.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to starting a new book & playing with my new phone, tomorrow my plans include getting my hair colored and Sunday, I want to read & relax !

Nominated ~ Not once - but TWICE!

Wow. I don't know what to say :) I've only been blogging for a short while, but everyone here in the book blogging community has made me feel so welcome. My friends always tell me what a great blog I have - but I never listen. I think when you're so close to something, you don't see it as others do. I do want to thank everyone that has supported and encouraged me - especially when I thought no one was reading this :)

What I think is great is how everyone supports each other. Whether it's a small post on someone's blog or posting about another great giveaway. We all come together as a group! And it's great to belong to such a wonderful circle of people. You're what keep me blogging ;)

Both Tracy at Book Room Reviews and Lallybroch at Shh I'm Reading nominated me for this awesome award. Lally is both a member of LT and PBS and always has great posts & links to other blogs with giveaways. I won a contest through the link she had on her blog. Tracy is just fantastic. She always has great indepth reviews on her site, links to giveaways and has become a blog friend ;) Thank you both for thinking of ME :)

Now here is what you all need to do ~~ Once an award is received, the rules are as follows:

1. Put the logo on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least seven other blogs.
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.
5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

Love To Read -- Melanie ROCKS. Not only is she a fellow PBSer, she's also a great friend. Not to long ago she was hesitant to reallly get blogging, and now look at her now!! We've shared so many good times and great books with each other!

Sexy Pineapple -- Tracey is my late night insomniac buddy. I can always count on her to be up in the middle of the night with me ready for some scrabble moves or just to chat. She's also a friend I met over at PBS. We love the same types of books - and she might just have been the one to give me my bookpimp title!

Rhonda's Corner Of The World -- Another PBS friend who has jumped into the world of blogging. Another fun filled book blogging site. Rhonda and I went through similar situations a few months back and it was great to be able to have someone there who knew what I was going through.

She Is Too Fond Of Books --Dawn does a fantastic job of reviewing her books. She gives the reader just enough info to grab them in without giving the book away. She's also great with keeping up to date on the latest contests and giveaways. I know I've gotten more sign ups for my contests through her posting about them on her blog. Thanks Dawn :)

No More Grumpy Bookseller -- I met Becky through Shelfari. She is great. We've got similar reading styles and have even traded some books. I always make sure to check her blog to see what's out there I may be missing!

Devourer of books -- What an indepth book site. I love reading her blog and seeing what she's up to. I've discovered so many other great book blogging sites by just clicking through all the wonderful links she has here.

I know there are so many great blogs out there that I have listed. And to those that I visit regulary I apologize for not posting about it here. I'm afraid I'd just go on and on and would run out of room. Thank you all for teaching me about blogging, helping me grow and making my TBR get bigger by leaps and bounds!

Remain Silent

Remain Silent by Jamie Denton ~~

Arrested in L.A. and charged with the murder of her art restoration business partner, Jonathan Linton, Laurel Jennings fears that the evidence against her is strong enough for a conviction, especially with her fingerprints found on the murder weapon. After an anonymous tip, her ex-lover, former Los Angeles DA Damon Metcalf, returns to L.A. to represent her at her bail hearing. The Linton family's connections reach far and wide, and Damon stays on as Laurel's lawyer when no reputable L.A. criminal defense attorney will take on her case. A break-in at Laurel's business, a suspicious theft and a lucrative but sketchy restoration project deepen the mystery surrounding the death; soon there are more murders, and Laurel herself is in danger. Laurel and Damon can't keep it just collegial for very long. As the novel races toward its explosive conclusion, creative plotting insures that they have to stay together, right where romantic suspense fans will want them. (From Amazon)

*~*~* Calling All Book Bloggers *~*~*

Author Joy Nash is kind enough to offer 50 copies of her October release, Immortals: The Crossing. These are advance copies because she'd like you to give them away during the 50 days preceding her release date.

This means, she's looking for 50 book bloggers or websites who'd like to participate in the 50 Days 50 Books Giveaway. All you'll have to do is feature The Crossing on your site for an online giveaway between August 12 and September 30. Participating sites will be advertised on the publisher's website and on Ms. Nash's own homepage.

If you’d like to participate, please email joy @ joynash.com with your website/blog name, and the date you’d like to give away a copy of Immortals: The Crossing on your site. Giveaway runs from Aug 12 to Sept 30, 2008.

Keep an eye out for my giveaway of this book. I'll be giving it away on August 25th. The info/sign ups will be posted the week before.

Leave a comment here if you're going to participate and I'll add you to my the list of blog contests.

The Brush-Off

The Brush-Off (Reyn Marten Sawyer Series) by Laura Bradley

Make an appointment for intrigue at Reyn Marten Sawyer's hair salon! Outrageous, flirtatious, and as colorful as a magenta mohawk, Reyn tracks twisted crimes, untangles tight knots,
and never, ever leaves loose ends.
Someone clearly meant business when they targeted San Antonio's hair salon king, Ricardo, who was fatally stabbed with a one-of-a-kind weapon: a sharp plastic hair pick. Reyn had loaned Ricardo the tool -- and now she's not only mourning her friend and mentor's murder: she's also a suspect. And in the eyes of sexy detective Jackson Scythe, she's one alluring stylist who should drop her insistent sleuthing like a hot roller. But Reyn's wound a little too tight to stay out of the thick of things, including teasing and taming the stubbornly single Scythe while taking short cuts to catch a killer -- and uncovering the past of a dead man, whose secrets will make Reyn's hair curl....(from B&N)

Death for Dessert

Death for Dessert by T. Dawn Richard ~~





Here's a wry, witty, cozy mystery in the tradition of Carolyn Hart's "Henrie O." mysteries, featuring a feisty senior sleuth who finds blackmail and a mysterious death at the senior-citizen complex she just moved into. In an effort to clear her name, May teams up with a goup of flimflammed, wildly wicked seniors to solve the murder and recover their dignity and their money. Death for Dessert will have cozy readers cheering for this new mystery heroine and riveted to the very last page.

What would possess May List, a woman who has left her husban of 35 years, to not report the murder of her neighbor for 3 days??? After living the good life with her surgeon husband, May finds herself living in a senior's development. Each of her neighbors is just wacky enough for May to ask herself what she's doing there and has her trying to figure out how soon she can leave. Her next door neighbor is a bit of a recluse whom everyone is afraid of, yet know one will say way. But, May is determined to find out what the "deal" is. One day May stumbles across the body of her dead neighbor. What does she do? Tell the police?? Heck no - she and the friends she has made hide the body for 3 days while they try to solve the murder themselves!! A quirky book of murder, mayhem and blackmail. I'll definitely be checking in to see what else May and her new friends get in to!

Muttering About

I say ... and you think ... ?

Flicker :: Sparkle
Styling :: Gel
Episode :: Event
Sexier :: Hotter
Studious :: Nerdy
Mushroom :: High
8 minutes :: Dates
Bald :: Sexy
Immunity :: Safe
Sectioned :: Halved

Book Giveaway - THE HOST

It's time for a new giveaway :) This time I'm giving away a copy of The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer. This is a brand new copy I picked up just to give away here!!

Now to get down to the business of THE RULES

1. Open to residents of the US only.
2. Leave a comment here - could it be any easier????
3. You MUST LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS OR ACTIVE BLOG ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT. Any comment that DOES NOT INCLUDE this information WILL BE DELETED. I have to have a way to contact you if you win!!!!
4. If you blog this contest and leave a link in your comment so I can check it out, you will receive an extra entry to the contest.
   

Contest ends at midnight on July 31st. I will pick the winner on Friday, August 1st. Good luck!

Crime Seen

Crime Seen (Psychic Eye Mysteries, Book 5) by Victoria Laurie ~~




Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye, is having a hard time getting over a gunshot wound from her last case-especially because she didn't see the shots coming. Out of work and second-guessing her abilities, she tries to get back in the saddle by helping her boyfriend Dutch with some of his FBI cases. And soon enough, her intuition returns-with a vengeance.

Abby is living with Dutch while recovering from the gunshot wound she received at the end of the last book. She hasn't been back to work yet as she's afraid her "guides" had let her down by not forewarning her about being shot. But she starts to have faith in her "friends" as she helps Dutch with several of his FBI cold cases. Not only is she helping Dutch with his cases, but she has formed a partnership with her PI friend Candace - which of course lands her smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. Will her guides let her down again or is Abby back to her old self? I loved this book. It's one my favorite cozy series. And based on the ending, it's going to be hard to wait until September 2nd when Death Perception comes out.

Book Giveaway -- WINNER!

CONGRATULATIONS TO

Melanie of Melsy's Place

My friendly Randomizer picked Ms. Melanie (Research Randomizer Results ~ Set #1: 8 ) as the lucky winner of the autographed copy of The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Clayton! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Send me an email with your address and I'll get the book out to you a.s.a.p. (If I don't hear from Melanie by Tuesday I will pick another winner.) Thank you to everyone who signed up.

Keep your eye out for another contest starting later today as well as more contests with more autographed books in the coming weeks!!

Cooking Up Murder

Cooking Up Murder by Miranda Bliss ~

Annie and Eve are life-long best friends who have absolutely nothing in common-except a lack of skill in the kitchen. So when they sign up for a cooking class at the local gourmet shop, they figure the only things at risk are a few innocent fruits and vegetables. But on the first night, Annie and Eve see their fellow student Beyla arguing with a man-a man who later turns up dead in the parking lot. Now the friends feel bound to uncover whatever secrets she's hiding, before someone else's goose-perhaps one of their own-gets cooked (From Amazon)

A really cute cozy read and good start to a new series. Best friends, yet complet opposites, Annie & Eve take a cooking class to help Annie get over her recent divorce. Which is a great idea since neither one can cook! What they didn't expect was to get involved in a murder investigation the very first night of the class. While Annie continues to struggle to get her recipes right she wonders if the instructor is having the same feelings she's starting to have for him. In the meantime, Annie and Eve become more interested in what happened to the dead guy and decide to figure out what happened to them on their own. They will soon find out that everything isn't necessary what it seems! My one small problem was that Annie went from a quiet litte thing to Ms Aggressive practically over night. A quick and easy read with enough curve balls thrown at you to keep you guessing until the end.

Getting Old is Criminal

Getting Old is Criminal (Gladdy Gold Mysteries) by Rita Lakin ~~

Gladdy Gold had reached a golden moment. There she was, soaking in a hot tub with a man she adored, far from Fort Lauderdale and her nosy neighbors…until an urgent message sent her running home. Now her exotic vacation is a memory, Gladdy’s would-be beau, Jack, is furious, and not only are the girls of the Gladdy Gold Detective Agency all alive and well—they’re onto a hot new murder case.Is a retirement-home Romeo to blame for the mysterious deaths in Florida’s most luxurious communities? Gladdy and her curious kibitzers will have to go undercover to find out—covering themselves with as many fancy-schmancy airs as possible. But with Gladdy’s drama queen sister Evvie playing the role of a Palm Beach flirt, their fun and games turn deadly. For by the time the girls ID their perp, Evvie is in the arms of a killer—and loving it.…

Gladdy and her friends are back - hot on the trail of another killer. While trying to share a romantic rendezous with her boyfriend Jack, Gladdy is called home, thinking one of her friends is seriously ill. Only to find them all alive and well and stuck in the middle of another murder case. Jack is not happy with Gladdy's decision to choose her friends over him and decides they need a break. Gladdy and Evvie go under cover at a retirement home to smoke out the killer - only to find Evvie falling in love with him. I love this series. The characters are hysterical and remind me SO much of the time I spend in south Florida with my grandparents. All the alta kockers hanging out by the pool kibbitzing to their hearts content. I can picture it all so vividly in my head it's like I'm right there with them :) This is probably my favorite so far :)

The Ghost & Mrs. McClure

The Ghost and Mrs. McClure (Prime Crime Mysteries) by Alice Kimberly ~~

Penelope Thornton-McClure manages a Rhode Island bookshop rumored to be haunted. When a bestselling author drops dead signing books, the first clue of foul play comes from the store's full-time ghost-a PI murdered on the very spot more than fifty years ago. Is he a figment of Pen's overactive imagination? Or is the likable, fedora-wearing specter the only hope Pen has to solve the crime?

After her husband dies Penelope (Pen to her friends) and her son move to a small down in Rhode Island to help her Aunt Sadie save her book store. Pen has lots of big ideas for the store, including expanding and adding author signings. When one of the most famous authors around decides to kick off his book tour at Buy The Book, Pen and her aunt couldn't be happier. Until the author dies write in the middle of the signing. All of a sudden, Pen starts hearing a voice - the voice of a PI who died 50 years ago in the exact same spot. Pen believes she's going crazy, but quickly comes to believe that the ghost is real. With the help of Jack (the ghost) and several of her friends in the area, Pen is able to help solve the murder of the author. I am a huge fan of the Cleo Coyle coffeehouse series, so I couldn't wait to get started on this one. While it was pretty easy to figure out the culprit early on, I enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing how it all played out - devouring the book in one sitting. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series - and to see what just "happens" with Pen and Jack.

Death in the Cards

Death in the Cards: A Stain-busting Mystery (Toadfern Mysteries) by Sharon Short

Paradise, Ohio, laundromat owner Josie Toadfern is content with her life. She loves owning her own business (especially because she learns everyone in town's dirty little secrets from their dirty little clothes); she has plenty of friends, she has a beloved cousin she dotes on; and her blossoming romance with a professor named Owen Logan is about to hit full bloom. She's even earning some extra money by renting out the second apartment over her laundromat to a nice young couple who own a New Age bookshop and Tarot Card reading room in town.
But when a psychic who is in town for the upcoming Paradise Psychic Fair stops Josie on the street and warns her of impending danger and sorrow in the small town, Josie worries she may just be right. For Josie's nice young boarders and their New Age friends who are attending the Psychic Fair have the more conservative Paradisites pitted against them, and an economic downturn has hit local businesses. But when Josie and Owen stumble upon a body one dark night, it seems that matters are much more grave than anyone expected. And what's worse, another gruesome murder may be in the cards... (from B&N)