Motion to Kill

Goodreads Summary:
Richard Sullivan was at the top of his profession, a rainmaker in a powerful Kansas City law firm until his body washed up on the shores of a Missouri lake. Now questions about his death, and his life, reverberate through a firm that has more to cover up than it ever knew. Dark secrets pit partners against each other and their clients in a desperate struggle to stay alive.

My Review:
This was a great novel that was thoughtfully done and well crafted. Following the main character, Lou Mason, as he tries to find out who murdered his partner makes for a riveting read. Around every corner there seems to be an unexpected surprise and the closer Mason gets to the truth the more danger he is in evidenced by things begin blowing up around him and the dead bodies that keep appearing.

At first Lou is just seeking justice and then he is trying to stay alive on this quick-witted, fast-action thriller. It's different than most in this genre as it's a wonderful blend of police procedural and law. There's money at stake, a big name law partner has died, others may be next, and Lou decides to team up with the Sheriff to expedite things. There is no author to compare Joel Goldman to because this really was so unique and as far as one could get from a stereotypical thriller in any sub genre. And of course the two intelligent, attractive women trying to get Lou into bed just adds to the excitement. Extortion, explosions, murder, FBI, a hot sheriff and hot law partner, and sex. It seems damn perfect to me.
4/5 stars

The Dead Man: The Dead Woman

Goodreads Summary:
Fourth book about Matt Cahill, a man who died in an avalanche, but didn't. Now he sees evil where other people can't and is plagued by a being called Mr. Dark.

My Review:
This was one of my favorite installments. I found it to have an interesting storyline and for the first time there was a serial killer loose among all of the other supernatural forces at work in the book.

As usual this was a one session, couldn't put the Kindle down read and I'm eager to see what happens next. In this one Matt meets a hot woman, Abbey, who helps him along on his mission of discovering who he is and what his purpose is. After all, a man isn't brought back from the dead for no reason...as the serial killer is letting bodies pile up and Matt is searching for Mr. Dark, Abbey brings a sexy and unique aspect to the book. A must read!

5/5 stars

Case Histories

Goodreads Summary:
Set in Cambridge, England, it introduces Jackson Brodie, a former police inspector turned Private Investigator as he encounters three seemingly unconnected family tragedies - the disappearance of a three-year-old girl; the brutal murder of a husband; and the apparently motiveless murder of a solicitor's daughter.

My Review:
I really didn't like this book very much. I found it so slow moving and that stayed true from beginning to end. It's about 3 cold cases that a private investigator brings together and finds links that were not seen before. Case one involves the disappearance of a young child, case two involves a seemingly innocent young adult who is slashed to death on her first day of work at her fathers office, and case three involves an unstable mom who comes unhinged one day and lashes out at her husband.
3/5 stars

The Circle of Blood

Goodreads Summary:
As the assistant to her father, the county coroner of Silverton, Colorado, Cameryn Mahoney gets to witness all aspects of death, including the autopsy room. Yet somehow that feels easy, compared to her personal life. Now that her long-lost mother has made a surprise return, Cameryn's more confused than ever. Things only get worse when she and her mother pick up a mysterious young hitchhiker. Cameryn senses that the girl is running away from something, but before she can find out more, the girl is found dead a gun in her hand. Is it suicide? Or something even more sinister? Mixing forensic details and ripped-from-the-headlines themes, Alane Ferguson makes her reader's hearts pound yet again with this edge-ofyour- seat forensic mystery!

My Review:
I just loved this book and can't believe I started at number 3 in the series. This is, in fact, a series and I would advise anyone to start from book one.

This book has as much suspense and gore as any adult thriller. I found it hard to put down and totally enthralling. The story is about a 17 year old assistant coroner, Cameryn Mahoney, whose father is the coroner. The author clearly has done extensive research to bring this book to life. In a quiet town two people die on the same day, which is very rare. The second one presents as a suicide and the book hinges on this as Cameryn's mom could be the only suspect if she doesn't act fast...
4/5 stars

Peeps

Goodreads Summary:
For use in schools and libraries only. Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism, and must hunt down all of the girlfriends he has unknowingly infected before they can create even more of their kind.

My Review:
This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys biology. The author weaves actual biological facts about parasites into the story, which is about vampires that are also parasites according to the author. It's somewhat of a historical take on vampire lore integrated into a very interesting and fast paced story.

The main character, Cal, is somewhat of a vampire hunter while being a vampire himself (but all he requires is pretty much an Atkins diet). Before he knew what he was he infected several ex girlfriends with vampirism and must track them down before they become a harm to themselves and others. It's very much an action adventure vampire story. I thought it was pretty fast paced and interesting.
3.5/5 stars

Switched

Goodreads Summary:
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

My Review:
When I started reading this earlier today I didn't think I was going to finish it. Actually I found the first 50 pages a little boring and moving quite slowly. I decided I would give it a few more pages before abandoning it...and that's all it took to hook me. I just couldn't put it down once I got past a certain point. This book is the first one I can fairly say was exactly like Twilight but with trolls (albeit pretty ones) rather than vampires.

The book begins with Wendy, a six year old, dissatisfied by her birthday party so much that her mother tries to kill her...literally attacks her with a butcher knife. As the story progresses an elusive boy at school, Finn, turns out to be the one there to take her to her other life, the life of a troll where it turns out the whole society is awaiting her arrival. She turns out to be a very special girl...
4/5 stars

The Dead Man: Hell in Heaven

Goodreads Summary:
Third book in the series about Matt Cahill, a man who'd died, but didn't, now wandering the country looking for answers. He sees the evil in people that others don't, possibly infected by Mr. Dark, the entity that he alone sees, that takes great delight in taunting him.

My Review:
This is book #3 in the series and I loved it just as much as the first two. The main character, Matt Cahill, is finally fully realizing that he is dead and he's taking on the role of saving the world quite well. In fact, he glories in the power a little bit in this installment and the result of that is endearing and funny. I love this character because he never seems to realize quite how good he is, and watching him struggle in an effort to do the right thing makes for great entertainment. How these authors created such a likable, out to save the world, good-natured character who also happens to be going down on women, whether in remembrances of things past, or in the present, in almost every book I'll never know. It does make it interesting and I'll admit it's done well. It's smoothly weaved in without mushy or overly sexual scenes. What can I say, these boys know how to write!

So Matt finds himself in a town called Heaven in this installment. It's exactly what it sounds like as it's the last stop for many. Matt is stuck in the middle of a feud that he must fix before he can continue on his mission of scouring the country to find the people who can shed light on who he is and his greater purpose. Once again, between a cyst filled evil, intestine leaking woman, and men fighting with animistic-type power, there are more than a few bodies left in Matt's wake, which after all, is why we're reading this to begin with. It's graphic in a good way and has just enough adult humor to make it a perfect mix and a perfect supernatural thriller in this reader's opinion.
4/5 stars