Lee Child - Running Blind (Reacher #4)

Running Blind by Lee Child

Publisher: 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 !! :-)
















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Kay Springsteen - Camp Wedding

Camp Wedding by Kay Springsteen

My 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? Forme...moreA 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.


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Lindsay Downs - A Body in the Attic

A Body in the Attic by Lindsay Downs

Publisher: 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.










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Lee Child - Tripwire (Reacher #3)

Tripwire by Lee Child

Publisher: 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!




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Lindsay Downs - A Dog gone Christmas

Publisher: Astraea Press

A Dog Gone Christmas by Lindsay Downs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When a call for paws goes out, five friends bring their collies without question to a friend’s house. They learn the collies are needed to help seven children with the grief of losing a parent in Iraq or Afghanistan. Now, with seven friends, four collie yearlings and their mother, they set out to help the children. Not far away, a mother hopefully leads her seven puppies to safety from a man intent on selling them for illicit purposes. By a miracle of fate, the two mother collies find each other right before the man sells the puppies. That Christmas morning will be one the children will remember all their lives as they are united with the puppies.


My thoughts

This is a lovely little story. Though a story set around Christmas the reader can enjoy it at any time.

It's about children who will have to spend Christmas with either just one or none of their parents ... and Emily and her friends, incl the collies Dakota, Kebi and their dog family are there to help.

I really enjoyed this quick read and I'm sure it'll touch many readers heart!


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Guest Blog - Joanne Tropello

Welcome Joanne Troppello Today I have the pleasure to have Joanne Troppello as a guest here on my blog.  So I hope you all make her very welcome! Joanne Troppello is an author of romantic suspense novels. She has published three books: Shadowed Remembrances, Mr. Shipley’s Governess and Bella Lucia. Currently, she is working on her new writing project, The Paradise Redeemed Series. Joanne is married and loves spending time with her husband and family. She enjoys interacting with readers at The Mustard Seed Blog. Author Contact Links Joanne's Blog: The Mustard Seed Find Joanne on Facebook Find Joanne on Twitter What Makes a Love Story Great? Plain and simple, the formula for a romance novel is man meets woman and they fall in love. Of course, they run into various obstacles along the way, but there is always a happy ending. However, what sets a romance novel apart and makes it irrefutably memorable? Think about one of the most dramatic love stories through the ages—Romeo & Juliet, young love of the forever kind. Yes, this story ended tragically, but it shows the ingredients of a great love affair. Even death could not keep them apart. Let’s look at a more contemporary example, The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks. Two young people experience a passionate summer romance and life threatens to pull them apart. The heroine goes away to college while the hero enlists in the army. The hero wrote to her but she never received his letters and she thinks he doesn’t want to be with her. She gets engaged to a man from an affluent family and finally, circumstances bring the hero and his heroine together again. They marry and have a family, living a good life. Eventually the heroine has dementia and her loving husband stands by her, trying to help her remember the happy life they had. Even when she has lost her mental capacity, he stands by his wife. They die together in their sleep. Now that is a true testament of an everlasting love affair. So how do you create such an unforgettable love affair that breaches the limits of the run of the mill romance novel? You start by thinking outside the box. The formula is the same, but you need to make the plot your own. I write inspirational romance, so I bring an element of faith into my stories. In my opinion, that adds the cement to hold the romance together. If a couple wants to weather the storms of life, they need a higher power to give them the foundation to succeed. I believe that foundation is God at the center of their relationship. Now, I don’t want to get too preachy here—and I never do in my books either because I believe in real life. Not everyone believes the same way or has a strong faith in God, yet many people experience a great love affair in their lives. So, even if you don’t add an element of faith to your novels, you too, can write a memorable love story.  Your hero and heroine need to love each other unconditionally. That is real love. They love body, soul and spirit, every part of each other. A great love affair is one that begins in the realm of friendship or at least intellectual or emotional connection, before any inkling of physical intimacy enters the  picture. Passionate connections are wonderful, but passion eventually fades.  When it lessens, what remains? That agape, unconditional, love remains. It’s a love that knows no bounds. They overcome hurts and offenses and learn to forgive. It’s not about winning, but learning to compromise and serve one another’s needs first. A great love affair turns from friendship into a passionate love with your best friend. Physical intimacy obviously comes into play, but depending on the type of genre you write in, will determine the amount you show the readers. Your novel may not span the length of your hero and heroine’s years like in The Notebook, but you need to convey the same sense of long-term commitment. Your readers must get the sense that your characters are in it forever. However, if you write a sappy romance novel, most readers won’t appreciate that and it won’t be a memorable love affair. In real life, we face problems. Make your novel real and add reality to your story. If you do that, it will be believable and readers will relate. Own your own story. If you believe the love affair you are creating, your readers will believe it too. Currently, I’m enjoying the release of my newest book, Bella Lucia, and I’m busy making the rounds in my blog tour. I mentioned two great  love stories—Romeo & Juliet and The Notebook. What is your all-time favorite love story?

Book Blurb for Bella Lucia:

After being married for six years, Gwen and Lucas DeStefano are dealing with the pain of a childless marriage and trying to trust God for their future.  On a weekend getaway to the Poconos, they attempt to relax and renew their marriage, but witness an event that turns their lives upside down.  They see a body dump in the woods while they are on a hike and their lives become entangled in a web of suspense and God’s ultimate blessing in the form of a little baby girl, named Bella Lucia. Will Gwen learn to trust God with childlike faith and wholeheartedly accept His plan?

Det. Marc Abrams is assigned to the murder investigation of Sabrina Reysen and he will do whatever it takes to find her killer. He has his suspicions and is pleasantly surprised when he meets Samantha “Sam” Collins, the attractive US Marshall assigned to protect one of the witnesses in this case. Will Det. Abrams find the killer before it’s too late and is the attraction between him and Sam strong enough to survive?

You can buy Bella Lucia here!

Susan Elizabeth Phillips - Fancy Pants

Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

ISBN: 9781416505242

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


She was the most beautiful British bauble in Europe’s jet-set playgrounds. Now she’s broke, furious, and limping down a backwoods road in an ugly pink Southern Belle gown. He’s a tall, lean Texan who’s sure to regret stopping his car for this woebegone, surly Scarlett? Meet Francesca Day and Dallie Beaudine, two incredible characters whose tangled love affair is at the heart of this ravishing New York Times bestseller from award-winning author Susan Elizabeth Phillips



My thoughts

No wonder my mum didn't get me to read books in the 1980s!

I have absolutely no idea how to put my thoughts into words. Basically I'd give the first third a rating of '1' as in boring, the next part a '3' as in mildly amusing and interesting, we go back to '2' for more confusing backstory and another '3' for tying everything up nicely in the end ... so what does that make? I'd say a weak '3' .... :-)

So we read about Francesca. English born, spoilt rotten, up herself, the most unlikeable person you could read about in a romance. And it drags along and more and more about her upbringing. More or less to the point where I was considering giving up! Then we get to know Dallas 'Dallie' Boudine. Golfer in the US with his own demons to struggle. And back and forth both, Francesca and Dallie meet and loathe each other, yet end up in bed. You get the gist of it.

Result of the bedstory is Teddy, yet Dallie only finds out about ten years later. Even though it's a book and not real life and you've gotta give it a bit of leanway, but honestly I did struggle with that!

Who else is there? Heaps of people, makes your mind boggle, honestly! I really liked Holly Grace, Dallie's first wife, and mother of his first son. Anybody out there who can tell me if she has her own story ?

So all in all, I really can't recommend the book only to die-hard SEP fans. Perhaps one could argue that's the way stories were told in the 1980s .... I wouldn't know!