Defy

Sara B. Larson

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect? (from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

I totally enjoyed this first book in the Defy series. Alexa can kick butt with a sword. After having to disguise herself as a boy, she is confused on how to handle herself and her feelings once her secret is out and she can live life as a girl. I was racing through the last pages to see how this story would end. I’m anxious to continue this tale to see what becomes of Alexa.

Thanks to Scholastic Press, via Netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Publish date: January 7, 2014.

Snapshot

Lis Wiehl

Two little girls, frozen in black and white. One picture worth killing for.

Federal prosecutor Lisa Waldren’s estranged father wants her to investigate a cold case from his FBI days. Lisa nearly refuses, even though a wrongly convicted man faces execution for murder. Then her father reveals a photograph: a little white girl playing alongside a little black girl at a civil rights rally in 1965 where the crime—the shooting of a civil rights leader—took place. She recognizes herself in the photo.

She was there.

Lisa agrees to help, resolved to boldly seek answers she’s skirted for decades. What she discovers are layers of deception, both personal and professional, reaching as high as the head of the FBI. Possibly even the president.

And though Lisa and the other girl may have escaped the 1965 shooting physically unharmed, her little friend, now grown, bears the scars of it. All because of the color of her skin. As Lisa and her father get closer to the truth, the real killer turns the hunt around.

My Thoughts:

Lisa Waldren is a hard working, highly ethical prosecutor who has a very limited relationship with her Dad, retired FBI agent James Waldren. When he calls for help in trying to save a death row inmate from being executed for a crime he did not commit, she reluctantly agrees to help.

This was an enjoyable read. I though the characters were believable and I liked how the different relationships developed as the story progresses. I’ve always liked Ms. Wiehl’s writing and this is a good example why. Good pacing and a nice level of suspense.

I’d like to thank Thomas Nelson, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Cross and Burn

Val McDermid

Internationally best-selling crime writer Val McDermid’s work speaks for itself: her books have sold millions of copies worldwide, won numerous accolades, and attracted a devoted following of readers around the globe. Her latest, Cross and Burn, picks up where The Retribution left off: following the best crime-fighting team in the UK—clinical psychologist Tony Hill and police detective Carol Jordan—who when we last saw them were barely speaking, and whose relationship will now be challenged even further.

Guilt and grief have driven a wedge between long time crime-fighting partners psychologist Tony Hill and ex-DCI Carol Jordan. But just because they're not talking doesn't mean the killing stops.

Someone is killing women. Women who bear an unsettling resemblance to Carol Jordan. And when the evidence begins to point in a disturbing direction, thinking the unthinkable seems the only possible answer. Cornered by events, Tony and Carol are forced to fight for themselves and each other as never before.

An edge-of-your-seat page-turner from one of the best crime writers we have, Cross and Burn is a chilling, unforgettable read.(from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

This is book #8 in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series. Prior to this I had only read #7. At this point, I am so totally hooked on this story line that I have no choice but to go back to the beginning to fill in some of the blanks.

Cross and Burn takes the reader on quite a ride. The whole MIT team have been disbanded, Carol and Tony don’t even speak to each other any more. Is it really true that this incredibly complex relationship is no longer going to exist? When something totally inconceivable happens to one of them, a small portion of the old team has to pull together to try and make things right. Do they succeed?

Val McDermid is an amazing story teller. She knows how to take the suspense right down to the very end. The one thing I know for sure is that I want more! Nobody is more excited than mean that I gave this series a go.

Many thanks to Gove/Atlantic, via Netgalley for allwoing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

In The Blood

Lisa Unger

LANA GRANGER LIVES A LIFE OF LIES. She has told so many lies about where she comes from and who she is that the truth is like a cloudy nightmare she can’t quite recall. About to graduate from college and with her trust fund almost tapped out, she takes a job babysitting a troubled boy named Luke. Expelled from schools all over the country, the manipulative young Luke is accustomed to control­ling the people in his life. But, in Lana, he may have met his match. Or has Lana met hers?

When Lana’s closest friend, Beck, mysteriously disappears, Lana resumes her lying ways—to friends, to the police, to herself. The police have a lot of questions for Lana when the story about her where­abouts the night Beck disappeared doesn’t jibe with eyewitness accounts. Lana will do anything to hide the truth, but it might not be enough to keep her ominous secrets buried: someone else knows about Lana’s lies. And he’s dying to tell. (from Netgalley)

My Thoughts

Lana Granger has a secret and has spent many years trying to keep it hidden. The question - just who is Lana and what will one person do to keep her past from being discovered?

Whoo doggie - this was excellent. My first read from this author and I’m hear to tell you, I will not hesitate to read more of her writing. I loved the suspense and couldn’t read fast enough to find out what Lana’s story was about. I must add - the ending - spot on!

Many thanks to Touchstone, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Published date: January 7, 2014.