Review: Dying Hours by Mark Billingham

Let me start this review with my final thoughts: If you are a Billingham fan this is a must read because: 1-You need to read this to be ready for the next and 2- It's Tom Thorne do you need another reason? 
Seriously though this was not a show stopping read. The writing is good, as it usually is but the story line was just ok for me. There were no surprise twists or uh-oh moments and I'm still not sure about Thorne in a serious relationship. New readers to Billingham should start with some of the older books. Release date August 6th 2013.

Review: The Dinner by Herman Koch

I certainly ran through some emotions reading this book. The beginning third of this book I found myself laughing out loud in several spots. The way Paul describes fancy restaurants is pretty much I feel about them, also. Unlike Paul I have never ate in the type of establishment described and I am not sure I ever will. The middle is where we learn why the dinner is taking place and I find that I can sympathize with the parents to a point because as parents we know our kids make mistakes. We hope they are small ones, they can learn from in the end. The end of the book..amazement..well...it is a book and anything can happen, it would be hard to talk about without giving away to much. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others. -Jennifer        
*This would be a good book for a reading group it has several topics and interesting characters to be discussed.

Review: The Doll by Taylor Stevens

The third book featuring the character Vanessa Michael Munroe does not disappoint readers. Munroe is not hired for a job this time but kidnapped and forced to deliver "a package" and if she does not cooperate, people she cares about are going to pay the price.

The action is non-stop between Bradford in Texas and Munroe in Croatia and later Italy that you will not want to stop reading day or night. The characters are well developed and I loved the involvement of the sub-characters. 

If you are a fan of Taylor Stevens you will dive right in to this and by the end of the book you will be asking yourself how long you have to wait for book four. If you have not read The Informationist or The Innocent you are missing out on one of the best new authors that I have read in awhile. Publication date is June 4,2013 -Jennifer

Review: Widow's Might by Sandra Brannan

By volunteering to take part in a Twitter Book Club I received a copy of each Liv Bergen novel. (Click here to learn more about the book club.)

Widow's Might is the 3rd book in the series and I had no problem picking up the story line (for those who like to read in order). The characters are unpredictable and the story-line keeps you hanging until the end. A couple of times I thought I might have it figured out but I didn't. I love characters that are drawn into investigations, Liv is "recruited" to help by the FBI. I think I like this story line because well lets face it I'd love to help the FBI or the CIA solve a mystery. 

When I first saw the covers of these books I thought I would be reading something in the horror genre but it was not horror at all. If you like mystery/suspense you should really look into this series. -Jennifer

Review: Safe House by Chris Ewan

Safe House by Chris Ewan

A stand-alone from the author of Good Thief's Guide.

From the start of this book, I was hooked and was not able to read fast enough. Set on the Isle of Man this thriller will have you wondering whom Rob should trust. There is plenty of action, mystery and suspense. A must read for any Ewan fan and a great starter book for new readers.

Jennifer

Review: The Last Minute by Jeff Abbott

The Last Minute by Jeff Abbott

 The follow up to Adrenaline picks up the story of Sam Capra. Searching for his son he is about to find out if there is anything he will not do to save his newborn son. The Last Minute has plenty of action and suspense. Although not necessary, I do believe the 2nd book will be more enjoyable if you have read Adrenaline. The background on the characters is worked in over time in this book and if you haven't read the 1st book I don't think the beginning of this book will be as interesting while you are taking in character development.

 Both books are well worth the read for mystery/suspense fans. - Jennifer