batkat

Summary Short:
Samantha Holland, makeup salesgirl is a suspect in the death of the stepson of the man she is having an affair with.

My Review:
The book starts out with the stepson creating havoc and then quickly losing his life, hit by a car. The following underlying quest, for Samantha, is to figure out whether it was she who hit the son.
Samantha suffers from a mental disorder, one she is not sure of. Is she bipolar or schizophrenic? Thoughts about this are constantly running through her mind, along with the self-awareness of memory loss. I followed Samantha (at a fast pace) as she was on a continual move towards finding out the truth while trying to hide her involvement if it did happen to be her fault. Her affair with the politician and the jealousy of his wife combined with using a man who is in love with her ping-ponged the reader back and forth on whether Samantha is a mean girl or just vulnerable due to her medical and family history.
I was rooting for the main character the whole story, which lead me to finish this book quickly. The author kept me interested with never letting the action die down for long and upping the ante with some bizarre events. Even though the actions/words of the detective and sheriff seemed silly at times, I liked the twists in the story. All in all, a great read.

Legal Mishmash

This is not a book about Steven Avery. It's the author using Avery's name to get attention so he can get up on a soapbox about the legal system as he sees it. Waste of time.

Waste of time

Who wrote this book? And who published it? It was such a rambling mess. At times the author seemed to be talking to themselves and at other times ranting on a soapbox. Parts of it didn't make sense and many parts were hard to decipher due to a great multitude of grammatical errors. Not helpful for the not guilty defense. Would not recommend.

Husband and wife move into a new house in a new state. The wife, Kacy has therapy-type issues that came from a former coworker lying about her, and in the end, she was the one that was fired. Kacy's new friend and her husband turn out to be quite the opposite of what they were looking for in next-door neighbors and new friends. In the meantime, there are mysterious murders happening all around their new location.

Kacy obsesses over this other person who betrayed her the whole book. None of the other characters get as much attention and the story fell flat for me. I followed along with the slow pace of Kacy trying to get out of her shell to make new friends, then the quick appearance of Kacy and one of the friends all of a sudden having the families they want to the boring events that should have been the excitement of it all. The ending added nothing. I did not care about any of the characters.

Summary Short: Girl kills herself. Revenge is taken. The reader finds out by who in the end.

A girl hangs from a beam in the garage, found by her father.

“And because of the shame that accompanies suicide, the Ryans severed all ties with their extended family, friends and neighbors.”

It is a case of cyber bullying and whoever was responsible so many years ago, had gotten away with pushing a person over the edge, to her death. Not so. Someone remembers what happened very well and that someone is taking revenge in a most unconventional way.

Twelve years later, Caitlin Rourke steps into the story of revenge without knowing it. She becomes immersed in the story of a councilman who has just lost his political career due to being found with drugs in his system and a prostitute in the passenger seat of the car he has just driven through a hotel lobby.

What follows is the spread of wrongdoing among some highly respected men in the community and eventually the trail that leads back to Alexis, the girl who committed suicide and the one who never forgot her.

I wish the author would have developed the character of Alexis and let me get to know her so the suicide would have meant something. I think she could have really run with the quoted sentence above, showing how suicide isolated the family of Alexis and I could have rooted against the person(s) who caused her to feel there was no reason to live. That would have added another dimension to the story. Even so, I did enjoy reading as Caitlin, the reporter went about figuring things out.

This book brings about the problems of the “connected” world we live in today: cyber bullying, sexting and how easy it is for a teenage girl to share photos of herself, not understanding where they may go afterward. The book focuses more on the legal affect it would have on the grown men who buy these photos, not on the girls themselves. As the title suggests, it is a book about revenge.

Cal Claxton is a lawyer who has moved from the big city to live with his dog, Arch in a rural, slower-paced setting. Danny Baxter, a street kid, rides his bike from the city to hire Cal to help him put the person he believes murdered his mother in prison. This sets Cal (the bleeding heart) on a chaotic journey to find out who killed Nicole Baxter.I had never heard of this author or series before but found myself enjoying the book in this series. Cal is a very laid-back investigator who puts himself into multiple risky situations and seems to have the luckiest time coming out on the other side. I liked that Arch wasn't a “wonder” dog but a loyal companion and the romance crap was kept minimal. The story creates some realistic characters of street life in the homeless kids and a war veteran. Anna, the love interest, has a life mission of helping them and Cal can't stop himself from giving to the multitude of street people with their hands out. I will continue with [b:Dead Float 18669450 Dead Float (Cal Claxton, #2) Warren C. Easley https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403175514l/18669450.SY75.jpg 26496189] the second of an eight-book series.

The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone else is aiming for base hits. There is just less competition for bigger goals. Doing big things begins with asking for them properly.

Tim Ferris is a wealth of ideas that don't stay anywhere near the proverbial “in the box” thinking. The first third was the best for me, with a lot of reframing of conformist ideas about work and how, when or where to do it. The rest is more for entrepreneurs. Lots of advice on how to start a business on the cheap and travel tips. I highlighted a lot in this book and have started listening to his podcast.

Recommended for: people who want to go beyond the comfort zone, are ambitious and/or want to get out there and live.

So disappointed in this book, series and author.

Out of the blue, Pete Marino is married to Scarpetta's sister. Lucy has lost her partner and adopted child. No spoilers - that happens in the first five minutes of the book. There is nothing left of either character from this series' roots. This is not characters developing, this is an author throwing stuff against the wall to see if something sticks. What a waste.

Dot calls

Dot calls and Keller is on h I s way to White Plains. Then a murder or two and back home to fill the time until the next call. Not much of a story really but the back and forth between Dot and Keller is entertaining and obviously a basis for more to come.

This started a bit slow. I was almost tired of the flipping back and forth between Joe's foster home upbringing and the murder case when it picked up. The stiff way Joe acts with most people seemed to be a bit much but maybe needed to really drive her personality home to the reader.

The relationship between Joe and her abuser came off thin and needed to be fleshed out but it worked somewhat for some terror at the end. There were a couple of points where I was turning pages a bit faster to see what happened and I definitely cared about Roger. So the author got me involved with some characters - which is a win.

The book starts off with a bang when Tess, Sara Linton's sister, is attacked in the woods with dire consequences. It continues with Jeffery and Sara going from crime scene to crime scene trying desperately to make sense of why Tess was attacked and how the crimes are linked. Lena, the dismissed detective, continues a horrible slide downhill after the cruelties of the last book.I enjoyed this book a lot. It's the best of the series so far. I do wish the author would stop with the silliness of Jeffery and Sara's relationship and deepen it in some other way. The ending of Book #2 left Lena in such a state and I was rooting for her to dig down and recover in this book. She certainly took a path that I wasn't expecting and was disappointed with. But I am still rooting for her and cannot wait to read the next book in this series. It will also be interesting to see how Sara's family is going to recover after Tess was injured. I loved the twist ending. Well, not the person, but that there was that type of ending. There was a resolution to the main case but not for a lot of the characters involved. On to reading the next in the series: [b:Indelible 182012 Indelible (Grant County, #4) Karin Slaughter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1299703450l/182012.SY75.jpg 2392798]

My first meeting with Jack Reacher of a popular series of books by Lee Child.

Jack is wandering here and there and ends up in a small boring town. Or so he thinks. He is quickly involved in a recent murder and jailed. Things went from bad to worse from there.

I enjoyed the book, not so much all the lovey dovey stuff between Jack and a small town policewoman, last name Roscoe. It didn't round his character out for me, but maybe this is just the start that will flesh out better in coming books. i did enjoy the two old barbers who have small but interesting parts.

I wasn't disappointed by the action. There was lots of it and lots of blood and small town secrets. Lee Child's way of writing is something to get used to. Lots of small clipped sentences. But at points, these were really good.

The last book in the Grant County Series. It took me a few days shy of three weeks to read and I enjoyed them. Well except for the ending of this book. For several reasons.Again, it is the three main characters in a triangle involving a death at the beginning of the book. This time though Sara and Jeffrey of more of a team. Something I had hoped for but not in this way. Lena has come back to the force. She is strong but even more broken than ever. The setting is Lena's hometown, where Hank still lives. The bad characters involve swastikas, thugs, and drugs.Lena's hunt for the truth of her mother's demise continues and nothing is as it ever seemed. The resolution is so near but alas, Angie Adam's secret stays that way. I hated the way so many loose ends were not tied by the end of the book. The ones that were, did not satisfy me. Angie's final secret fell flat. I was so disappointed after this author surprised me so many times in previous books. The very end was unexpected for one sentence and then I felt, “Oh, well yeah, not a surprise.” And certainly not the big moment it should have been. A few paragraphs and that's it. So much stuff still to unpack. I would have liked two, maybe three more books with these main characters. I am waiting (on hold) for[b:Triptych 21717 Triptych (Will Trent, #1) Karin Slaughter https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442531921l/21717.SY75.jpg 2479325], the first book in the Will Trent series. I read online that I should read the Grant series before those so I am hoping to see or hear about these characters again.

Summary Short: Journalist goes back to the college town where she was raped years ago and gets involved in the case of a missing girl.

The book starts out with Caitlin Bergman going back to the university she fled twenty years ago to receive her diploma. An author now, her impromptu speech to the student body is a shocker. She admits that, before she suddenly left, a young man she knew and trusted violently raped her and left her for dead.

She meant only to come back for a short time to receive the diploma and do a book signing for her new book. And maybe in the back of her head, she is really just searching for closure to that night so long ago. But when a body is found, she is quickly dragged into wanting to know what happened to another college girl who has been missing for two years.

I liked Caitlin. She runs in the morning, she drinks at night. She isn't the perfect person. And she cares for others. Her long-lost best friend and her husband, the missing girl's best friend and mother, and a new love interest. Following Caitlin as she investigates is definitely interesting and I wasn't prepared for the ending and how she deals with being trapped by a man again. I would definitely read this author again.

This was a good time First 5 star of the year

I loved listening to Billy Wheatley talk about his big adventure when a girl goes missing and how it turns back and affects him and his dad greatly. But I also loved after the story - hands down best author about me and acknowledgement I've read in years. Kudos Gregg Dunnett. I hope you get your adventure!

Serial Killer Plays Games With FBI Agents

The story has been told many times. Sam and Clarke (girl not boy) are on the hunt for a serial killer who kidnaps and murders red-headed females. Until now. This last one is blonde and the FBI agents are certain he still has the last red-head who has not been found. He has broken his pattern. Yes, he. They know who he is - Simon.

Sounds captivating right? Not so much. I was sick of hearing Clarke's inner thoughts and flashbacks before I got through half of the book. It was hard soldiering on to finish, because the Clarke parts never end. The backstory with Adelaide and Simon were a lot better and kept my interest as to what would finally happen. Except the author was trying too hard to put those “I never saw it coming” moments in. No spoilers but there were too many solutions that never had a build up or foreshadow to make any sense except for the want of a twist ending. It fell flat for me.

Disappointing

#bookborrowedfromthelibrary

The first part of the book when Cecilia was trying to guess what was in the letter her husband wrote had me interested. But after the huge secret was revealed the book wore me out. I was glad to get to the end but then there was the cutesy epilogue that wasn't. I liked the dead girl's mother, Rachel. I disliked how hard the author tried to weave the Berlin Wall into the story. It didn't work.

Received from: June Amazon Prime First ReadsRecommend for: true crime fans

I have not heard of this case or book. I was appalled as most people would be at the crime. How could someone just throw their children off of a bridge and walk away, leaving them for dead? Of course, one thinks of notable cases such as Diane Downs convicted of shooting her “kids” and Susan Smith convicted of drowning her children. It does happen and probably more frequently than most of us are aware.

I have read many true crime novels. This one wore me out with the author going back and forth continually between events and characters. The story and timeline were a mess. I am sure there is a good story here and possibly more support than Amanda received by legal entities or family and friends. I couldn't figure out where the author was going with their viewpoint. Her unedited (and often not understandable) thinking was liberally sprinkled throughout the book. I would have rather heard more from or about Amanda, more actual court transcripts, more legalities explained, and more about the psychology of the relationships and events that led up to this event.

The book did serve to make me aware of the event but not much else. The one thing that I loved and wish would happen in all true crime books is the photographs. Almost every other true crime book I have read either has no photos or the photos placed together in the middle of the book. This book (or at least the Kindle version of it) had the photos placed before or after description of them. It lent a lot to my perception of what people and places and events looked like. A+ for that part. Otherwise, I gave it two stars. I would not read again.

Rhys Lloyd, co-owner of a ritzy vacation area, is found floating dead in the lake. Friends, family, and community members of the small village were gathered there for a New Year's Eve party. The copper assigned, along with a great number of others have hidden secrets that may or may not give them a reason to have been involved in his demise.

This book did not get going until over halfway through the book. And then the author spilled secret after secret and twist after twist. There was way too much going on. It was hard to keep up and too much to be believed. The truth that came out about the murder was treated lightly and the story kept going on, adding and wrapping up less important things.

I felt I had whiplash going back and forth from historical happenings to the present day. The main character's name (Ffion) was a distraction to me. It seemed to be a speedbump slowing down my reading along with a lot of foreign words, sometimes breaking off into paragraphs of them. I won't be reading a DC Morgan #2.

IQ is contacted by Sarita, his dead brother's girlfriend, to help in rescuing her sister from a considerable gambling debt and the risk (loan sharks) that has come from it. IQ is closer to discovering what really happened to his brother and why he died.

This book had almost non-stop action like the first book but I didn't enjoy it as much. There were parts that were ginormous blocks of text, which made for hard reading and caused my attention to wander. Dodson is again by IQ's side but the things that happen toward the end with Dodson and his gal are ridiculous.

Thinking back, it is getting ridiculous how lucky IQ is when he gets himself in front of a gun or a deathly bad guy. I am not sure how long I will go along with it. Another thing that is getting old is the constant racist comments. I believe the author is going for an authenticism with street gangs and such, but when there is so much, it begins to seem like story filler instead of helping to portray a type of reality.

I enjoyed this book as it discusses fasting as a lifestyle and as a weight-loss tool.

Parts of it were hard to get through as the author provides all the long and confusing medical terms and explanations. And it does take a while to get to a big chunk of his solutions as he lays out a history of American food diets and studies. He also addresses a lot of long-held and cemented beliefs that are wrong. His focus for a correct diet is insulin in the body.

This book came to me (do you ever feel like books sometimes choose you? instead of the other way around?) at a time when I am re-evaluating and throwing away a bunch of mainstream beliefs. There are plenty of references included in his statements against many of the beliefs that Big Food and the government have soaked into our collective wisdom on what is good or bad to eat.

While grabbing on to a lot of what the author is spouting, I am not a groupie but do believe this book provides a great amount of “food” for thought (pun intended). And although I do not agree with extreme fasting, the information in the book added to thoughts I already have about it.

Emma's husband, Derrick is murdered in a seemingly random killing. She remarries rich. The police reopen the case and start asking questions.

In the first few chapters, I thought this would evolve into a fun whodunnit and was paying attention to who was who. Then it turned into Emma's thinking and rethinking day by day. Her interactions with other characters were dry as the characters themselves.

I plodded on, thinking that the ending would be satisfying enough to forgive the time it took to read this book. That did not happen. I hate when the bad guy/girl is such an unacceptable option.

The continued adventures and quite a bit of backlog about Sara Linton and Jeffrey Tolliver. This time they are held hostage in the police station and Lena has a chance to make a comeback.

The more I read this series, the more surprises come about the lovestruck pair. Jeffrey's past is quite different than just growing up poor. Sara should be half crippled by now, the injuries she gone through - in just four books. The brutality Lena went through previously is still having unbelievable effect on her. I thought she would bounce back quicker or better and so did Jeffrey, I guess.

I enjoyed this book though and am on my way to finishing the series. I believe I will be sad when I do. The characters are strong and I never know what is going to happen next.

Wear Me Out

At the beginning I liked Lucy but by the end I was bored to death with her and Sean. Too many characters that I didn't care about. Too many supposedly interwoven stories that didn't make one good one. All of the italic text of Miller was like wading through mud to read and way too much deep kissing between Lucy and Sean. Boring.