When a Secret Kills by Lynette Eason

I didn't realize while reading When a Secret Kills that it is the third of a series.  To me, that means it is a great stand-alone book.  I never felt I was “missing something,” and I never thought that there were back-stories that needed to be explained.  We do know at the beginning that the two main characters, Colton & Jillian, had a previous relationship, and that trouble follows Jillian everywhere. 

This is a good mystery with a light romance. The main characters are believable and likable even when the story is not quite as believable. Even though I had not read the previous books in this series, I felt I had a good idea of the personalities of the characters involved.

The story is a rather complex twisting tale that managed to hold my interest.  There are more than enough suspects, and the story comes to a satisfying ending. This is my first Lynette Eason book, but it won’t be my last. 

Available May 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

If You Were Me and Lived in Mexico... by Carole P. Roman

If You Were Me and Lived in Mexico by Carole P. Roman is part of a series of books to introduce children to different cultures around the world.  It is a nice way to establish an understanding of children who may look different but are the same in many ways.  The book explains common names, terms for parents, coins, and a variety of other daily activities in which children are interested.

The book has brightly colored full-page illustrations that bring the book to life.  A few simple Spanish names and words are introduced, and included is a pronunciation guide at the back of the book.  I enjoyed the mini tour of Mexico with this book and highly recommend it for young children.  

There Was an Old Woman by Hallie Ephron

Although There was an Old Woman was not at all what I expected, I was pleasantly surprised.  I also think that this is one of the better books I’ve read so far this year. While it doesn't have the intensity that is usually consistent with a psychological thriller, I still think it belongs in that category. If you are waiting for a slasher to jump out and cut someone’s throat, this isn’t the book for you, but if you like a slower steady story that reaches a climax and has well-developed characters, you will like There was an Old Woman.

It was a good story that held my interest but I also found myself totally annoyed with the main character.  The family dynamics with sisters’ resentment of each other and their mother plays a large role in the story.

Evie is called to her childhood home to help her hospitalized mother. She finds that in a short amount of time her mother’s home and health have inexplicably deteriorated dramatically.  Evie becomes involved in events that surround her mother’s neighbor, Mina, an active 91 year old.

Mina is a wonderful portrayal of this elderly character.  She is determined and active, but not the stereotypical depiction I often see of the wise crackin’ grandma.  She is strong, but reserved and refined.

My only disappointment was that the mysterious story from Mina’s past of Mina was lacking the drama I expected, but did still enjoy the book very much.

Frozen Solid by James M. Tabor

A unique location and unique characters, Frozen Solid is set at the remote ASRS, Amundsen-Scott Research Station at the South Pole. The settings and are described very well, as is the deadly cold temperatures and their impact on the human body. The main character Hallie takes at short-term job at the Station. She is replacing a friend that died suddenly while working there. She has a complicated relationship with Wil Bowman and complicated problems that will have to wait. The book is interesting and starts off at a fast pace. I had a difficult time relating to the main character and her actions. For example, at the beginning of the book when Hallie had just arrived at the pole, she stumbles to her bed tired and obviously overwhelmed by the change in environment. Before falling asleep she found a camera above pointing at the bed with some disturbing video on it. Had that been me, I would have been yelling up and down the halls about finding the camera let alone what was on it. Hallie, however, decided to keep quiet about it. She didn’t trust anyone, but had not been there long enough to develop distrust. Also, several people died in short succession, but there was an odd lack of panic. I will also mention a language alert for those who find it offensive. In spite of that, it was a good solid and very unique thriller.

The Amish Canning Cookbook by Georgia Varozza

The Amish Canning Cookbook by Georgia Varozza is a very detailed look at canning.  It begins with a short a bullet point intro How to Fit Canning into Your Busy Life and then a short history of canning. There is detailed information on the types of canners, jars, and assorted equipment that makes canning easier. 

It also has techniques and recipes for canning butters, jams and jellies, vegetables, meats, soups and stews, and various other canning projects.

If you are a complete beginner, this book will explain everything you need from preparation through the canning process.  If you are an experienced canner, this book will also be helpful.  I have canned for quite a few years, but I found information I didn’t know, products I didn’t know about, and recipes I had never thought of canning. I make pretty good pickles, but I just may have to try her Sweet Gherkins this summer, and I definitely want to try the Pickled Hot Peppers.

There is something for everyone in this book, but I was especially impressed with her detailed instructions.

Submerged by Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Submerged is a tense drama/mystery/thriller that held that tension through most of the story. All of the characters, both good and bad, are believable. The main character is Marcus Taylor, a recovering drug addict and disgraced EMT, working under supervision as a 911 operator. Unfortunately, his boss hates him and is trying to set him up for failure. Marcus takes a frightening 911 call that could destroy him or save him emotionally. There was truly an edge-of-your-seat tension through the book as Marcus tries to help a woman involved in an auto accident. It is also a light romance, mostly focused on both of their troubled pasts. I have to say I didn’t expect to enjoy the book as much as I did. It held my interest from beginning to end and I would definitely read more books by Cheryl Kaye Tardif. While the end may not have been a total surprise, it was certainly a satisfying ending.

Nightsiders by Gary McMahon

I am not going to waste a lot of time on this review because the book was horrible. This book should have a warning for readers concerning the strong language and graphic sexual situations. I got the book for review through NetGally and there definitely was no indication as to how bad it was.   Not only that, it isn't a book, but a short story  Novella (see note below).  I decided early that I wasn't interested in reading this, but then I realized I was almost to the end.  This book was truly horrible and I can't believe that this book would pass for a good horror book these days. Without giving a spoiler, I can only say that the end is just the author giving himself a big kiss. Horrible!

4/9/13- Just received a message from someone upset that I called this trash a short story.  They claim it had more than 10,000 words and was, therefore, a Novella. I didn't count the words, but since it was about a 20 minute read, I considered it a short story.  Novella sounds so nice doesn't it?

4/10/13 Received another hate-filled comment (of course Anonymous) on this review. Also they are claiming a larger word count so it is not a Novella after all.  I guess this author has some friends that are just as vulgar as the book.  

Night Blind by Michael W Sherer

Some people have the worst luck and Blake Sanders has the worst.  His lost his son, career, wife, and now one of his only friends. He is also accused of murder.  Although it sounds like he has the life of the Biblical Job, I liked the character of Blake Sanders and especially the friendship he struck with the elderly woman, Midge Babcock. 

When there are several different story lines going at the same time as this story had, I only ask that they smoothly connect at some point in the book.  Night Blind was a little confusing at first because the storylines were so different that I couldn’t imagine how they related. At first it was like reading a book of short stories, all different, and it was little difficult to keep them straight.  There was even a confusing point in which there was mention of an event that turned out not to take place until later in the book. I re-read the that chapter several times before I gave up only to find later in the story where it was explained. 

I thought Night Blind started out as a great story, turned into a good story, but then after traveling down way too many rabbit trails, it turned into an OK story. By the end of the book, honestly, I actually didn’t care much who did what.

Amazon Link for Night Blind

I received a review copy of this book in return for an honest and fair review.  I provide a link to Amazon.com to purchase the book, but it is only as a courtesy and I receive no compensation if purchased.

Congo Dawn by Jeanette Windle

I was really looking forward to reading Congo Dawn. I especially enjoy books that are very descriptive of their location and enjoy heart pounding thrillers with a Christian influence. Unfortunately, Congo Dawn was not at all what I expected.

The story was rather slow and drawn out, and I certainly wouldn't call it heart-pounding or edge of your seat suspense. It is actually much more of a romance novel. Even worse, it follows the same type of plot outline used by the typical harlequin romance novels. The story revolves around a woman and man with a past relationship that ended badly and they are now thrown together again. There is rudeness, tension, and plenty of pouting and stomping. In spite of this, they are drawn together. To be honest because of the behavior and "chemistry" between of the two main characters I simply didn't care about them. The only difference is that this, thankfully, is a clean romance.

There are some very good issues of faith that are discussed, especially suffering. The book is very descriptive, but almost too much so. Even the dialog is overly descriptive. For example, "She said firmly" and "He answered harshly...." I could clearly tell by what was said that it was harsh or firm, and I didn't need the author to tell me so.

To purchase Congo Dawn at amazon.com

I received a review copy of this book in return for an honest and fair review.  I provide a link to Amazon.com to purchase the book, but it is only as a courtesy and I receive no compensation if purchased.

A Journey of Voices, Stewards of the Land

Book Description: Stewards of the Land is the second book in Diane McAdams Gladow's nonfiction series about common, ordinary families who lived American History and in some cases helped to make it. This book tells the story of the Crume family by interweaving old letters, pictures, land documents, Bible records, and historical references with an account of the family's life and movement through seven generations. The story of this family is truly the story of American history from 1746 to 1946 and the story of American agricultural life and how it changed over two hundred years. 

I honestly thought I would love this book. I have been researching my genealogy for more than 10 years and love reading old documents and information. This book, however, just did not capture my attention or imagination. It was almost like an enhanced software generated genealogy report. This person was born here, lived here, moved here, with facts and dates. Had anyone in the book been a member of my ancestry, it would have been much more interesting, although as a genealogy book it also would fall short because of the supposition sprinkled throughout. There were quite a few statements made with “may have felt” or “Perhaps this was the reason…”, in which the author tried to imagine what happened or how the person felt.
Some of the letters were interesting, but then some were just about resting over a holiday, taking a train ride, or a sore foot. The most interesting information in the book is the shirt-tail connection to Abraham Lincoln. While there is a generation list of the Crume family, a surname index would have been very helpful. I think the key words in the book description are "ordinary people".

Plague by H.W. Bernard

Terrorism is frightening enough without the thought of a terrorist attack by a deadly airborne Ebola-type virus.   The story starts out strong as the first victims fall ill and the doctors realize what they are facing. The main character, Richard Wainwright, steps in as a temporary CEO of a bio-tech company after the entire administration was killed in an airplane crash. He soon finds himself in more trouble than he can handle.

I did have a few problems with the book.  While the character of Richard was likable he didn't seem very competent in his position, and some of his actions just didn't make sense.  One character in the book came across too much like a cartoon ninja character. Then there was Richard’s love interest, an odd, not very devout Methodist minister.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but it seemed to go down too many rabbit trails before if found its way back. I would have liked more medical and fewer escapades.

The Atria International Book of Mysteries

Sample excerpts from 15 different authors from around the world.

This book delivers exactly what it promises.  The Atria takes the works of authors from around the world and gives just of a sample of each.  Some samples are just one chapter and some a little longer, but all of them leave the reader hanging. 

Choosing a book by the title and a short description of the story line can sometimes leave me disappointed. Although the plot may be good, the writing is flowery or overly descriptive which is just not what I enjoy.  With a sampler like this, I was also able to determine whether I like the style in which the author writes. 

I think the one that piqued my interest the most was the sample from Shunning Sarah by Julie Kramer. Her main character, Riley Spartz is a female a television investigative journalist in Minneapolis.  I not only was interested in the topics, but was able to decide whether or not I would like her writing style.

Link to purchase The Atria International Book of Mysteries

Live Second by Doug Bender

I was looking for a new yearly devotional and was happy to find this new one.  It didn’t take long, however, to decide this wasn’t the one for me.  This seems to be an attempt to be a new and modern devotional, and it may very well be attractive to the under 25 age group. 

The first assignment of the week is to go to a website and watch a video.  For this review, I decided to try a couple of random videos.  The first two links took me to “page not found”.   The third was an odd lecture on a sensitive topic and a testimony.   I tried another and this one was rather long, but in the end was a beautiful testimony of God performing a miracle.  The backdrop for the videos is a single white chair in the middle of a room with a spotlight overhead. It reminded me of the old movies when someone was being interrogated by detectives.  There is also quite a bit of bouncing camera shifts for artistic value.

I was taught to put God first. This modern version is put self second. In the attempt to put self second, you bring the vision of self forward, and to me seems self defeating.

The e-book presentation has a QR code by each weekly entry which really seemed to be there just to prove how new and youth oriented it is.  I believe the movement is sincere. However, links to the website and the constant requests to tweet your thoughts using the website hashtag appears to be an attempt to get everyone to advertise the website which just happens to have books, materials and t-shirts for sale.

Amazon link for Live Second

The Death Relic by Chris Kuzneski

The Death Relic starts out strong in this archaeological mystery. Dr. Maria Pelati is invited to Cancun to discuss employment working for an archaeologist studying Mayan civilization, Terrance Hamilton. It is out of her expertise, but she is curious and decides to at least meet with Mr. Hamilton.  At their initial meeting, he steps out to retrieve some information and disappears.

The book is compelling as it introduces us to Maria, Hamilton, and her friends, Payne and Jones.  This is a “buddy” type story with Jonathan Payne and David Jones, long time friends. The information about the Mayan people and civilization was interesting, and the description of the area was done well.

Unfortunately, there were a few things that kept this from being a 5-star book for me.  First the crude language added nothing to the personalities of the characters and left me thinking they weren't as smart or sophisticated as they were supposed to be.  As the book progressed, the bantering between the two friends started to wear thin. It was like listening to the dialog of 14 year old boys, not adult men. Another distraction for me was the repeated references to a previous case and the relationships between the characters in some previous story.  If you have read his previous books, you may enjoy this one, but I came to a point where I just didn't care how it ended.

I received a review copy of this book in return for an honest and fair review.  I provide a link to Amazon.com to purchase the book, but it is only as a courtesy and I receive no compensation if purchased.

Rally 'Round the Corpse by Hy Conrad

This would have to be my dream vacation.  Travel around Europe with a guided tour and collecting clues while trying to solve a crime. In Hy Conrad’s new book a real mystery develops during one of Amy Murano’s agency tours. Before the tour is over the writer of the mystery tour is found dead 

There is a little of everything in Rally ‘Round the Corpse with a real mystery, a light romance, and travel.  There was a good balance of dialog and narration, which is always an important factor for me. The writing is good with plenty of lighthearted banter.    The characters are a good variety of personalities and they are well defined. 

I also read his previous book, Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know, so I had a feeling I would be in for a delightful mystery experience with this book.

I received a review copy of this book in return for an honest and fair review.  I provide a link to Amazon.com to purchase the book, but it is only as a courtesy and I receive no compensation if purchased.

Link to purchase Rally ‘Round the Corpse by Hy Conrad