A few weeks, my daughter had the opportunity to interview Dakota, the collie in the Emily Dahill series by Lindsay Downs. You can listen to the result here. It certainly was a different experience, but FUN :-)
ENJOY !
Iris Blobel
Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Lady Be Good
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 978-0380794485
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lady Emma Wells-Finch, the oh-so-proper headmistress of England’s St. Gertrude’s School for Girls, is a woman on a mission—she has two weeks to lose her reputation. World-famous playboy-athlete Kenny Traveler is suspended from the sport he loves, and only one thing will restore his career—complete and utter respectability. When a gorgeous man who can’t afford another scandal meets a hardheaded woman who’s determined to cause one, anything can happen. (A spin-off of FANCY PANTS. Dallie Beaudine and Francesca Day Beaudine appear in supporting roles, along with the delectable “Teddy.”) (susanelizabethphillips.com)
My thoughts
Hallelujah - SEP at her best again.
After a few Phillips books which didn't really rock my reading world, I was really happy to have enjoyed another SEP book to the fullest.
Gist is, Lady Emma Wells-Finch, Headmistress at St Gertrude's Girls School in the UK travels to the US to lose her reputation. Yes, indeed, to lose it! And Francie Fancy Pants has the perfect (or not?) guy to look after her: Golfer Kenny Traveler, who has to avoid any scandals at all costs! Perfect match - or not?
The dialogue is witty and funny. The characters great and interesting. The plot has twists and turns which makes this book hard to put down. The secondary story involves Tory, Kenny's sister. She's just a hoot, and I really liked her character, including her foul language.
All in all - LOVED IT. Wonder what point #6 is :-)
http://astore.amazon.com/iriblo-20/detail/0380794489
View all my reviews
Janice Thompson - Fools Rush In
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Company
ISBN: 9780800733421
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Bella Rossi may be nearing thirty, but her life is just starting to get interesting. When her Italian-turned-Texan parents hand over the family wedding planning business, Bella is determined not to let them down. She quickly books a "Boot Scoot'n" wedding that would make any Texan proud. There's only one catch--she's a country music numbskull because her family only listens to Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Where will she find a DJ on such short notice who knows his Alan Jackson from his Keith Urban?
When a misunderstanding leads her to the DJ (and man) of her dreams, things start falling into place. But with a family like hers, nothing is guaranteed. Can the perfect Texan wedding survive a pizza-making uncle with mob ties, an aunt who is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and a massive delivery of 80 cowboy boots? And will Bella ever get to plan her own wedding? (amazon.com)
My thoughts
I got this one as a freebie - I'm always open for new authors and stories.
This romantic comedy is about Bella, an Italian-American, who's taken over her parents' wedding planning business in Galveston, Texas. For her first big event she's on the search for a deejay, but ends up with DJ Neely, a gorgeous looking Texan. And from here on the story just trickles along like a little creek in the forest, a few hiccups, misunderstandings and a lot of praying is about all you get here.
In all fairness, there were a few giggles. Janice Thompson has a witty writing style, which I really liked, but it was the lack of the plot which made me skip pages along pages to finally make it finish. I don't think I missed much.
Not my cup of tea I'm afraid!
View all my reviews
Lee Child - Running Blind (Reacher #4)
Running Blind by Lee ChildPublisher: Jove
ISBN: 978-0515130973
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It's tough being a high-flying woman in the Army. Very tough. When Sergeant Amy Callan and Lieutenant Caroline Cook are found dead in their own homes—in baths filled with Army-issue camouflage paint, their bodies completely unmarked—Jack Reacher is under suspicion. He knew them both—and he knows that they both left the Army under dubious circumstances, both victims of sexual harassment. A former U.S. military policeman, a loner and a drifter, he matches the psychological profile prepared by the FBI, and is arrested by ambitious Special Agent, Julia Lamarr.
But when the body of another woman, Sergeant Lorraine Stanley, is discovered, killed with similar precision, Reacher is released. Everyone fears there is a serial killer on the loose. But the FBI have strong persuasive powers, and before long Reacher finds himself heavily involved in the murder investigation. What have these women got in common and why is someone out to do them harm?
In this magnificent and utterly ingenious thriller, Reacher once again saves the day, proving that he is a unique hero, capable of holding his own in any situation. Running Blind confirms that Lee Child is more than capable of challenging the established names currently writing in this genre.(leechild.com)
My thoughts
You either love or loathe the story, I guess. I haven't decided yet, so I settle in the middle.
Reading "Running Blind" was a bit like a emotional rollercoaster - interesting, pageturner, you're kiddin' right back to interesting.
The book starts with a bang and Reacher being picked up by the FBI as a "person of interest" in a serial murder case. Women are being killed and nobody can figure out how and why, but an FBI profile states it's someone like Reacher ... and he ends up working as a "consultant" for them.
Personally I think the plot is great, brilliant and well executed into a story, even though I had an inkling half way through about the killer.
Parts I wasn't really convinced about were: the FBI characters were lousy. For me as a non-US citizen sometimes to the point that it was unbelievable. Perhaps naive thinking on my behalf, maybe not. Also, the relationship with with Jodie made me grinch. She came across very selfish and even though Reacher hadn't been a "good boy" himself, he, IMHO, deserved better.
Lastly - I didn't like was Reacher's openness to violence. Though I "know" he's no angel, I didn't like his (as it seemed to me) more aggressive nature in this story.
All in all, I wasn't really convinced, but I loved the Reacher in this one as well. Lee Child has created such a great character smooth and edgy. Can't get enough of him!
Reacher #5 next !! :-)
View all my reviews
Kay Springsteen - Camp Wedding
Camp Wedding by Kay SpringsteenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A blind Marine, a nervous bride, and an adorable child with Down syndrome who loves them both is an equation for another tug on the heartstrings in the story behind the Heartsight nuptials. Is Trish ready for life as a military wife? Is Dan ready for the challenges of being a father to a precocious 6-year-old? How will Bella add her special brand of magic to the day? Formerly published in the Matrimonial Mayhem anthology by Astraea Press. (http://www.goodreads.com/)
My thoughts
When I found out that Trish & Dan's story was continued, I just had to read it! I loved Heartsight and the wedding story was just beautiful. It was wonderful to be "part" of their lives again."Camp Wedding" does not disappoint and is a sheer pleasure to read from the start to the very end. It's Trish and Dan's special day, but before the final "I do" there's a bit of excitement - and I'm not talking about Trish's nerves before meeting Dan's family.
If you have read Heartsight, this is a must. It's beautifully written and another page turner.
View all my reviews
Lindsay Downs - A Body in the Attic
A Body in the Attic by Lindsay DownsPublisher: Astraea Press
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Special Agent Emily Dahill, Dakota along with her team of technicians are sent to Master Sergeant Annabelle Carlyle’s Victorian style house for what they think is a simple break-in. What they find however, turns out to be even more ominous. A secret passageway leads to a mysterious gunshot. When the prime suspect is cleared they still have no clue who the shooter is, or why. Could the shooter be the same individual who took a shot at Dakota?
Add into the mix the FBI and their unexpected involvement in the case. Soon they learn the break-in had been a cover-up for a more nefarious crime. One that involves Emily’s nemesis, the brown-haired man, and millions of dollars being sent to terrorists. Will they solve the case before the money disappears forever and more bodies turn up? Not even the inestimable Dakota is sure. (www.astraeapress.com)
My thoughts
I was looking forward to this book for quite a while and Lindsay Downs did not disappoint. A page turner from the very beginning.
Inspector Rex step aside, here comes Dakota!
Private First Class Dennis Logan disappears and the CID is called to investigate, with the help of the collie Dakota. But at the same time Master Sergeant Annabelle Carlyle's house is broken in. Coincidence?
This is a fast paced story and interesting. Lindsay has her very own style to set a scene and includes chapters from the dog's point of view, which gives the story that special something. I can only recommend it.
View all my reviews
Lee Child - Tripwire (Reacher #3)
Tripwire by Lee ChildPublisher: Berkley Trade
ISBN: 978-0425206225
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In Tripwire, Child pits ex-military policeman Jack Reacher against his most deadly and merciless adversary yet. Kirkus Reviews noted that "Reacher swashbuckles with the best of them" and Booklist called Tripwire "edgy, exciting reading."
Jack Reacher washes up in the Florida Keys with his savings running out; he spends his days digging pools and his nights as the bouncer in the local strip club. But a private investigator intrudes upon his tropical refuge, seeking Reacher out. When he discovers the PI's lifeless beaten body lying in the street, Reacher heads north to determine who is trying to find him and why.
Tracing the dead man's trail to New York, Reacher discovers the PI was working for Reacher's former commanding officer, mentor and close friend Leon Garber. Reacher teams up with Garber's daughter Jodie, a sharp Wall Street lawyer, to find out why Leon needed Reacher's help and they find themselves embroiled in a life-threatening search for the truth—and the deeper they dig, the more dangerous and twisted their path becomes.
In this third novel featuring Jack Reacher, author Lee Child masterfully intertwines the domains of the underworld and the bureaucracy of the U.S. Army. Reacher and Jodie uncover 30 years of deceit—and their love for each other—in a thriller that reaches its heart-stopping, plot twisting climax on the 88th floor of the World Trade Center. (www.leechilds.com)
My thoughts
Another great book! BRILLIANT. Right from the very beginning I was hooked on to the story and found myself picking it up again and again for "just another few more pages". So much so, I will need to catch up on sleep and life now. :-)
Jack Reacher has taken on two jobs, but his daily life gets interrupted when PI Costello is looking for him. When he finds Costello dead in the streets, Reacher heads to New York to find out who is looking for him and why. And that's when the rollercoaster starts and won't let go of the reader until the very end.
What can I say. It was simply good, and IMHO even better than the first one. Fast flowing, interesting plot, great characters - Reacher is becoming more 'likeable' as he ponders more about life, about whether there's more to just live life on the road. Great development and with Jodie in his life now I can't wait to see where Lee Child's going with it.
About 3/4 into the book there's a lot of backstory all of a sudden. At the time it seemed long but probably only because I was so eager to get to the end, to find out about mystery, yet without really wanting the book to finish. For me it killed the flow of the story a tiny little bit, though I admit it's necessary!
The end seemed quick and we never find out what actually happened to Marilyn and Chester Stone who I thought were important characters in the story. But I would have also loved to know more about Tony - Hobie's sidekick. With such a detailed backstory I would have imagined there'd be a paragraph about him.
So I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars. Is the above really enough to lower it to 4 stars when I spent the last three days eagerly reading?
This was a great book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
View all my reviews
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)