What Are We Reading And Reviewing in November 2019?

What are your reading plans for November? I don't believe the turkey has any!

What Carol Has Gobbled Up for November

📌 - ★
Group Reads
📌The Bone Garden- Kate Ellis - 4.5★

Pick A Winner...Make A Friend
📌The Craftsman - Sharon Bolton - 5★

Others
📌The Last To See Me - M. Dressler - 5★
📌The Stopped Heart Julie Myerson - 3★
📌The Secret of Cold Hill - Peter James - 5★++++
📌The Shape Of Night - Tess Gerritsen - 5★
📌Bloody Genius - John Sandford - 3.5★
📌Lock Every Door - Riley Sager - 4.5★
📌Thereby Hangs a Tail - Spencer Quinn - 3★
📌Someone We Know - Shari Lapena - 3★
📌Dangerous Games To Play in The Dark - Lucia Peters - 4.5★
📌The Final Silence - Stuart Neville - 4★
📌Deep Storm - Lincoln Child - 4.5★
📌A Torrid Piece of Murder - C.F. Roe - 3★
📌The Alexander Cipher - Will Adams - 3★
📌Imaginary Friend - Stephen Chbosky - 3.5★
📌Picnic At Hanging Rock - 4★
📌Sins of The Fathers - J.A. Jance - 4★
📌Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz - 4.5★
📌Finding Peter - William Peter Blatty - 4★
📌No Exit - Taylor Adams - 4★
📌Blue Moon - Lee Child - 4★
📌Dead At First Sight - Peter James - 5★
📌No Bad Deed- Heather Chavez - 4.5 ★
📌White Oleander - Janet Finch -1★
📌Close To Home- Lisa Jackson - 4 ★

The Shape of Night – Tess Gerritsen
5★

In the isolated seaside mansion, Ava finally feels at peace . . . until she glimpses the long-dead sea captain who still resides there. Rumor has it that Captain Jeremiah Brodie has haunted the house for more than a century. Ava soon learns that the house she loves comes with a terrible secret… a secret that those in the village don’t want revealed.:

Meet Ava… a cookbook author with a big fat Maine coon cat named Hannible., and a load of guilt. Ava isolates herself in a century and a half old house called Brodie’s Watch. At first she was sure that the house didn’t want her there…but she soon learned that the house had another resident that very much wanted her there…And so the terror and the story begins. She feels that her initial reactions were all wrong. Indeed, she is most welcome…as the shadows in her bedroom coalesce into the shape of a man, a man who may well be the ghost of Capt. Jeremiah Brodie. He stalks the house most nights, seducing Ava into not only the passions of love, but also atonement through punishment meted out for her sins. In a moments notice the story shifts from a murder mystery and right into a Gothic thriller…replete with an unsteady widow’s walk…a secret alcove…strange smells…ominous sensations…and a ghost that may well be something more evil and menacing than any ordinary ghost. This book has it all: a murder mystery…a supernatural element… romantic nights (with the ghost!) and a lovable, brave cat. All ghost story enthusiasts will absolutely love this standalone novel by this fantastic author.

Bloody Genius - John Sandford
Virgil Flowers series Book # 12
4.5

At the local state university, two feuding departments have faced off on the battleground of science and medicine. Each carries their views to extremes that may seem absurd, but highly educated people of sound mind and good intentions can reasonably disagree, right?
Then a renowned and confrontational scholar winds up dead, and Virgil Flowers is brought in to investigate . . . and as he probes the recent ideological unrest, he soon comes to realize he's dealing with people who, on this one particular issue, are functionally crazy. Among this group of wildly impassioned, diametrically opposed zealots lurks a killer, and it will be up to Virgil to sort the murderer from the mere maniacs.

I liked the Virgil Flower’s character from the first time he appeared in the Lucas Davenport series many years ago. He has grown and developed in his career with the Minnesota Criminal Apprehension Bureau into a first rate investigator that always “gets his man”…even if he is sometimes a little off the wall in his methods. The investigation into the murder of Professor Quinn is intricately plotted…who would have thought someone could have been murdered with a computer. We also see more details of Virgil and Frankie’s family life. The twins should have been born by the next novel in the series. Those were the good things. The only fault I can find is not with the story or the police investigation, but with most of the other characters…there were way too many of them and they were, in a word, “brainless”. The book could have been just as good but half as long without this parade. Still worthy of a 4.5 rating.

Lynda and Oliver's November Reading Plan

Mystery and Suspense

🎶 Blue Moon - Lee Child - 3 Stars - 11/9/19
🎶 Bohemian Murders - Dianne Day - 3.5 Stars - 11/3/19
🎶 Bone Garden - Kate Ellis - 4 Stars - 11/13/19
🎶 Chain - Adrian McKinty - 3 Stars - 11/1/19
🎶 Dangerous Collaboration - Deanna Raybourn- 4.5 Stars - 11/15/19
🎶 Dust to Dust - Tami Hoag - 4 Stars - 11/7/19
Freedom Broker - K. J. Howe
High-End Finish - Kate Carlisle
🎶 I Am Watching You - Teresa Driscoll - 4Stars - 11/8/19
Life We Bury - Allen Eskins
Long Call - Ann Cleeves
Mortal Fall - Christine Carbo
Perish the Day - John Farrow
🎶 Rain Girl - Gabi Kreslehner - 3.5 Stars - 11/4/19
Surgeon - Tess Gerritsen
🎶 Triple Jeopardy - Anne Perry - 4 Stars - 11/16/19
🎶 Tumbled Graves - Brenda Chapman - 4.5 Stars - 11/10/19
Uncommon Grounds - Sandra Balzo
🎶 Unexplored - Anna Hackett - 3 Stars - 8/14/19
What Remains of Heaven - C. S. Harris

Other

11/22/63 - Stephen King
🎶 Hard Truth About Sunshine -Sawyer Bennett - 5 Stars - 11/2/19
🎶 Iron Kissed - Patricia Briggs - 4.5 Stars - 11/12/19
🎶 Kitty's Countryside Dream - Christie Barlow - 3.5 Stars - 11/5/19
🎶 Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore - Matthew Sullivan - 4 Stars
Resistance Women - Jennifer Chiaverini
🎶 Shell Shaker - Leanne Howe - 4.5 Stars - 11/11/19
Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris
🎶 Women of the Copper Country - Mary Doria Russell - 4 Stars - 11/17/19

No advance planning for me, i will decide one book at a time and hope my list will end up to be more than the two i’m currently reading.

On audio i’m listening to the witch elm by Tana French
In print: i’m reading written in bone by Simon Beckett. I started the book for the group read and didn’t realize it was the wrong one until i finished section one...and was hooked. Lol

>6 bluebird_: I really like this series and it is certainly capable of hooking you right into the story. Enjoy.

Someone We Know - Shari Lapena
3★

Maybe you don't know your neighbors as well as you thought you did ."This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out." In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too. Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets? In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide. You never really know what people are capable of.

This story began with a great deal of promise for a 5 star story. A missing woman… dead body...a computer hacker…seems to have had all the makings. Then it slowly lost steam. I began to loose track of who the police were interviewing and who was sleeping with who. I couldn’t even keep straight who was married to who. The characters were unlikable and all were lying about something. The ending was a little unrealistic and almost as if the story wasn’t quiet finished. We were left not really knowing if the killings were really over for this neighborhood and if not who might be next.

Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark – Lucia Peters
4.5

I imagine that many of us…me included…may have played some of these games at slumber parties or just as a dare with a group of friends on a slow, dark night when we were bored. I don’t think many of us really expected to conjure anything…hoped maybe…but if by chance we did…we would have run one anther down trying to escape. In this little book we have 24 “games” covering 6 chapters. Suitable warnings are given about not setting the house on fire with lit candles or stabbing one another with the sharp objects, as well as having sufficient room to carry some of them out…and the necessary material that will be needed. I’m not sure if the author actually believes any of these games were possible of producing any results much less the indented ones... or if she is mostly wishing to sell the book. My voice of common sense reasoning would like to think that most adults would maybe be intrigued, but still have that inner little “no-nonsense” voice that would whisper loudly while hitting you in the head with this book...“forget this whole insane thing”!!!! . In spite of the levels of risk and other warning given at the beginning of each game….and the more dire warnings given at the end… I’m not 100% convinced that these games are really “games”…or that they are “safe games.” The one thing that I immediately noticed was there were no instructions telling you how to get rid of what you might encounter…and you are told over and over that this is a “possibility” and that it /they may not leave, if you achieved your objective. I would consider that a BIG one that should also be included.

I do have to say as a ghost story junkie that I found the idea of these games intriguing…I remember how they fired my 14 year old imagination. There were some that I had never heard of since they originated In Japan and Indonesia but may have gone by other names in the U.S., and some have sprouted up as recently as 2011 with the availability of the internet. I believe the author…while presenting exacting information that would be guaranteed to scare the devil out of most folks…she takes the subject a tad too lightly by failing to include more warning and caution about actually trying any of these games and the possible outcome. My grandmother was from Ireland and she had grown up with many stories and legends. Her beliefs of “things that go bump in the night” was pretty vivid…and I remember her warning us as kids about inviting things in…that they were not, and would not be, our friends. These games were not all designed to appeal to the younger crowd, but that is going to probably be the target audience. While they are intended to be played in fun…anyone that reads or watches movies knows how the possibilities can fire the imagination and sometimes those fires are never entirely extinguished. The term “figment of your imagination” is not entirely a figment of your imagination. For some people these games will present a real danger. Not for anything the games called but for what they imagined they called. The mind and the imagination are extremely powerful instruments… even if that is the only place these “demons” are dwelling. I would suggest that anyone think long and hard before indulging in any of these pastimes. I gave the book a 4.5 rating. Anyone that can take it with a grain of salt will enjoy it…but bear in mind by the very way it is written and designed…it IS an instruction manual.

I received an advance copy of this book from Chronicle Books in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are entirely all my own.

I dont plan ahead either. I choose which book I'm in the mood for. The Witch Elm is on my tbr list. Hopefully I'll get to that soon.

The Dry by Jane Harper
4 ★

Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke’s steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the crime. Falk and the local detective question what really happened to Luke. Long-buried mysteries resurface, as do the lies that have haunted them.

I liked Falk and found his interactions with the locals to be interesting since some were friendly, some were suspicious that he had gotten away with murder and a few outright hated him. The Australia setting during a severe drought added to the tensions between everyone. The resolution to what happened to Luke and what happened twenty years ago was plausible. I enjoyed this book and plan to read more by this author.

The Final Silence - Stuart Neville
Belfast Novels Book #4
4★

Rea Carlisle, daughter of influential Northern Irish politician Graham Carlisle, has inherited a house from an uncle she never knew. It doesn’t take her long to clear out the dead man’s possessions, but when Rea forces open a locked room, she finds a leather-bound book. Tucked in its pages are fingernails and locks of hair: a catalog of victims. Horrified, Rea wants to go straight to the police, but her father intervenes—he’s worked too hard to have his brother’s twisted legacy ruin his promising political career. Thwarted by her father, Rea turns to the only person she can think of: disgraced police inspector Jack Lennon. Meanwhile, Lennon finds himself the lead suspect in a murder investigation led by one of the force’s toughest cops, DCI Serena Flanagan. His implication in the murder, coupled with the story Rea has brought to him, leaves Lennon more than slightly suspicious that the two are part of a grisly conspiracy.

I was very hopeful at the start for this book to get a 4.5 or 5 star rating...but after the murder it began to loose momentum. I became very disillusioned with the police investigative team as they refused to listen to reason having already made up their minds. To make matters worse Jack Lennon had already been tried and found guilty by most of his co-workers for previously killing a fellow police officer that was trying to kill him. I just didn't get how they came to that conclusion. Stuart Neville has portrayed his characters to fit very well into the environment of Belfast and the unrest of this beautiful little island that was present at the time that this story took place. Overall, it was a good solid thriller in spite of a few loose ends at the conclusion. I believe that there is going to hope for Jack and his little daughter reflected in future books.

The Last To See Me - M. Dressler
The Last Ghost Series Book #1
5★

Over one hundred years ago, Emma Rose Finnis was born and died in the remote northern California town she now haunts. When she was alive, she was a lowly chambermaid and worse, a Finnis. Now, no one remembers her hardworking life and her grand dreams—because there are none left to remember. In a world where phantoms are considered "unclean," the spirits of her town have already been removed. All except Emma Rose. But when a determined hunter arrives with instructions to extinguish her once and for all, Emma Rose refuses to be hounded from her haunt, the stately Lambry Mansion. She's earned her place and she’ll keep it—even if it means waging a war on the living. After all, she's got nothing left to lose. The same might not be said for those who still enjoy the luxury of a breath.

It's an atmospheric and beautifully written story. I ask you...who doesn’t like a good ghost story with a twist? In this particular story there are several twists as well as some really nasty turns. If you add a tragic love story...a blood-thirsty rose bush... the ghost of a beautiful young girl who is struggling to remain "alive" in the only home she has ever known...you have the makings of a first rate series that should please any ghost story enthusiast. A great beginning. I'm looking forward to more.

Schedule for Group Reads for November :

Provisional :

The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis - Starting Sunday 10th November

What Remains of Heaven by C S Harris - Starting Monday 25th November.

Please let me know if can get the Kate Ellis book for Sunday, if not can delay the start until people are ready.

Deep Storm - Lincoln Child
Jeremy Logan series Book #1
4.5★

Twelve-thousand feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean . . . scientists are excavating the most extraordinary undersea discovery ever made. But is it the greatest archaeological find in history—or the most terrifying? Former naval doctor Peter Crane is urgently summoned to a remote oil platform in the North Atlantic to help diagnose a bizarre medical condition spreading through the rig. But when he arrives, Crane learns that the real trouble lies far below—on “Deep Storm,” a stunningly advanced science research facility built two miles beneath the surface on the ocean floor. The top secret structure has been designed for one purpose: to excavate a recently discovered undersea site that may hold the answers to a mystery steeped in centuries of myth and speculation. The discovery of Atlantis might, in fact, be a cover for something far more sinister . . . and deadly.

I always enjoy this author rather he writes alone or with his co-author Douglas Preston. There was a lot of science in the book...however Lincoln Child did an excellent job of explaining it and giving it to us a little at a time. Dr. Crane was our protagonist. I felt rather sorry for him. I think that he found his role in the project confusing at times...and he didn't always have the final say which was strange for a man that was supposed to be in charge of something this big. The story remained exciting until the very end. The reader just has to find out what this project was actually about and it really was more mystery than science fiction. There are numerous things at play in the book producing a steady feeling of suspense and paranoia. Anyone that has read the books that Lincoln Child has written with Douglas Preston will like this offering.

The Secret of Cold Hill - Peter James
5★★★★★

Cold Hill House has been razed to the ground by fire, replaced with a development of ultra-modern homes. Gone with the flames are the violent memories of the house’s history, and a new era has begun.
Although much of Cold Hill Park is still a construction site, the first two families move into their new houses. For Jason and Emily Danes, this is their forever home, and for Maurice and Claudette Penze-Weedell, it’s the perfect place to live out retirement. Despite the ever present rumble of cement mixers and diggers, Cold Hill Park appears to be the ideal place to live. But looks are deceptive and it’s only a matter of days before both couples start to feel they are not alone in their new homes. There is one thing that never appears in the estate agent brochures: nobody has ever survived beyond forty in Cold Hill House and no one has ever truly left.

Peter James could write an instruction manual for installing toilets and I would eagerly read every single word of it. I've read all of the Roy Grace books that he has written thus far and always eagerly await the next one...I'm almost positive that his Cold Hill series is going to be the same. The Roy Grace series and the Cold Hill books are a universe apart in subject matter but both are absolutely fantastic. Roy Grace fans be aware that there is also a big difference in the subject matter...Roy Grace is mystery & suspense genre...Cold Hill is terror at it's very, very best. Read The House on Cold Hill first so that you will have a clue what is happening here...as if we really do. Please, Mr. James...write more of this series and please do it sooner rather than later.

The Stopped Heart - Julie Myerson
3★

Mary Coles and her husband, Graham, have just moved to a cottage on the edge of a small village. The house hasn’t been lived in for years, but they are drawn to its original features and surprisingly large garden, which stretches down into a beautiful apple orchard. It’s idyllic, remote, picturesque: exactly what they need to put the horror of the past behind them. One hundred and fifty years earlier, a huge oak tree was felled in front of the cottage during a raging storm. Beneath it lies a young man with a shock of red hair, presumed dead—surely no one could survive such an accident. But the red-haired man is alive, and after a brief convalescence is taken in by the family living in the cottage and put to work in the fields. The children all love him, but the eldest daughter, Eliza, has her reservations. There’s something about the red-haired man that sits ill with her. A presence. An evil.

It was a very good story...well written and well told... however the constant switching from past to present was a bit annoying. It would have been easier and a smoother transition to have stated that it was "past" or "present" at the start of that section. Oh well...no one asked for my input:) I love supernatural, physiological suspense stories and this one was building to a stunning conclusion...but then it was like the door closed and someone said "That's all folks." We never found out what actually happened to the villain or what the future was to hold for the couple or the family in the past. That was disappointing and it lost the book half a star. Still very worth the reading time.

Picnic At Hanging Rock - Joan Lindsay
4★

It was a cloudless summer day in the year 1900. Everyone at Appleyard College for Young Ladies agreed it was just right for a picnic at Hanging Rock. After lunch, a group of three girls climbed into the blaze of the afternoon sun, pressing on through the scrub into the shadows of the secluded volcanic outcropping. Farther, higher, until at last they disappeared. They never returned.

It could best be described as a sinister tale, laced with touches of the supernatural. The biggest mystery is... is it fiction or is it fact? There are arguments for both sides, but the author leaves the final theory to the reader to decide for themselves. I personally believe that it is entirely possible that parts of the events were based in fact but over time had been exaggerated allowing it to gain momentum for the side of reality in the retelling of the story. There is no exact answer and therefore... the book becomes an exercise in frustration. I do recommend it for those who love to read a real mystery. On a side note...the story is on DVD which I really perfected to the book.

Lock Every Door - Riley Sager
4.5★

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind. As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story . . . until the next day, when Ingrid disappears. Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's sordid past and into the secrets kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

I liked the book. I've read two others by this author and so far this one was the best in my humble opinion. Jules was an odd one though. I thought that Jules should have been more aware and concerned about this "wonderful job opportunity" than she was. If you went for a job interview and found out that the interviewer wanted to know about your health history... you were informed that you are not allowed to have guests in the apartment.... you are warned that you must not interact with or talk to anyone else about the building’s wealthy and famous inhabitants... and last, but certainly not least, you find out that you will be paid the promised $12,000.00 under the table...wouldn't anyone of these things send up red flags to you?? Not so for our Jules who is so broke and desperate that she accepts this as normal. So when the really scary stuff starts happening she finds herself up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Riley Sager does get extra points (the 1/2 star) for the blind-sided reveal. Good job with that one.

>11 gaylebutz: - I really liked The Dry and the second Aaron Falk book Force of Nature. I read her standalone book The Lost Man earlier this year and it's one of my 2019 favorites. It's rare to read a great mystery novel where the main characters aren't professional police and most of the action takes place between the characters.

I just finished the latest Jack Reacher novel Blue Moon. I can't say I've been a fan of the last few books but didn't like this one at all. I feel like Lee Child wrote the whole thing as a screenplay for his upcoming Amazon tv series. For me, his personality and the way he acted throughout the book didn't really match the Reacher of earlier books. He still likes his coffee though. I'm giving it 3 Stars.

Schedule for the Group Read of The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis, which is Book 5 in the Wesley Peterson Series. Some longer and shorter sections as a result of the leennggtthh of some of the chapters. First and third longer, fourth quite short.

Sun 10th Nov : Prologue, Chapter 1 - 4
Mon 11th Nov : Chapter 5 - 7
Tues 12th Nov : Chapter 8 - 11
Wed 13th Nov : Chapter 12 - 14, Epilogue

The Craftsman - Sharon J. Bolton
5★

Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Grassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago in a small village in Lancashire. Like something out of a nightmare, the victims were buried alive. Florence was able to solve the mystery and get a confession out of Larry before more children were murdered…and he spent the rest of his life in prison. But now, decades later, he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves. Is someone copying the original murders? Or did she get it wrong all those years ago? When her own son goes missing under similar circumstances, the case not only gets reopened... it gets personal.

Assistant Commissioner Florence “Flossie” Lovelady, tells her story from two points of view… the present…the 1990s… and the past…the 1960s. We first meet her as she is attending a funeral where apparently people hated the dead guy. This already creates an immediate curiosity for the reader. The book starts out as a creepy, but still straight-forward crime mystery with plenty of suspects. As the story progresses, we are slowly transported to a slightly supernatural environment. Since I love supernatural stories, I was intrigued and hoped that the author will continue to explore this area in her writing. If you are not a fan of the supernatural, don’t worry…the book is not of this genre. You will get a coven of witches with real powers…and whether they are trying to help the case or undermine the investigation, you’ll have to decide for yourself. I loved the book and found it just slightly creepy. I also loved the twists and turns that the book offered, especially towards the end. Sharon Bolton has a great way with words and knows how to insert you in that dark atmosphere where you forget about time, about eating or sleeping until you finish the very last page. This is a standalone novel and not a part of the Lacey Flint series.

>23 Carol420: I enjoyed this too. Looking forward to the second one in the trilogy.

>20 Olivermagnus: That’s good to hear. I really enjoyed The Dry and plan to read Force of Nature. Your recommendation for The Lost Man sounds good too and I’ll check that out.

A Torrid Piece of Murder - C.F. Roe
Dr. jean Montrose series Book #5
3★

Failing to determine the cause of death when the body of a young choir singer is discovered at the local church, Dr. Jean Montrose suspects foul play and calls upon Inspector Douglas Niven to help seek out the truth

The book is short but the characters are good and they are all believable. Seems that this series is not very popular in the U.S...I don't know about other countries. My library spent almost three months trying to find it and they finally bought it somewhere used. Even though it was advertised on Amazon, even they said they hadn't had a copy in over two years.

The Alexander Cipher - Will Adams
3★
Daniel Knox series Book #1

Workers in Alexandria are excavating for a new building when they discover the ruins of an old tomb, and all work crashes to a halt. According to federal law in Egypt, all discoveries must be properly cataloged by archaeologists and this tomb has unusual relics and representations, apparently contemporary with Alexander the Great. Daniel Knox's first love is history and archaeology, specifically on Alexander the Great. When he pisses off a local mobster on the coast of Egypt, he heads to Alexandria to an archaeology colleague's apartment to hide out for a while. He learns his friend is getting to participate on the dig for this newly discovered tomb. Sneaking in with his friend, Daniel sees signs that the find is far bigger than anyone realizes and might hold clues to finally unraveling one of the world's greatest mysteries: Where is Alexander the Great buried?

The book was interesting but it lacked the suspense factor that would have made it an outstanding book. I liked the character of Daniel Konx and I believe he will develop over time...but the majority of the characters were just a little too much on the unrealistic side in their reactions. Fans of the thriller genre with an interest in Egyptology and Alexander The Great will find that there is a great deal to like here...but those of us that seek more action and adventure in our books will find they are bogged down in too many subplots and historical facts.

The Bone Garden - Kate Ellis
Wesley Peterson series Book #5
4.5★

An excavation at the lost gardens of Earlsacre Hall is called to a halt when a skeleton is discovered under a 300 year old stone plinth, a corpse that seems to have been buried alive. But DS Wesley Peterson has little time to indulge in his hobby of archaeology. He has a more recent murder case to solve. A man has been found stabbed to death in a caravan at a popular holiday park and the only clue to his identity is a newspaper cutting about the restoration of Earlsacre. Does local solicitor Brian Willerby have the answer? He seems eager to talk to Wesley but before he can reveal his secret he is found dead during a 'friendly' game of village cricket, apparently struck by a cricket ball several times with some force. If Wesley is looking for a demon bowler this appears to let out most of the village side. But what is it about Earlsacre Hall that leads people to murder?

This is a really good mystery series. You will need patience as it's not fast paced. Kate Ellis is an expert at pulling the storyline along at a pace that presents the facts in such a manner that you are almost sure that you know who the murderer is only to have your theory shattered in the next chapter. However...you rebuild and then find that you may not have it yet. No matter how long it takes, or if you are not successful at all...you will find that you have had a great time just trying. The characters are not always all likable...but they are always human. There is also always a bit of history that provides a clue from the past that usually relates to the present. Again you just have to be able to put 100 -200 years together. From the first sentence..."The man stared at the shape lying beneath the faded cover on the ancient iron bed and took another sip of wine." ... the fun begins.

Sins of The Fathers - J.A. Jance
J.P. Beaumont series Book #24
4★

Former Seattle homicide cop, J. P. Beaumont, is learning to enjoy the new realities of retirementdoing morning crossword puzzles by a roaring fireplace; playing frisbee with his new dog; having quiet lunches with his still working wife.But then his past comes calling. When a long ago acquaintance, Alan Dale, shows up on Beau's doorstep with a newborn infant in hand and asking for help locating his missing daughter, Beau finds himself faced with an investigation that will turn his own life upside down by dragging his none-too-stellar past onto a roller-coaster ride that may well derail his serene present.It turns out that, even in retirement. murder is still the name of J. P. Beaumont's game.

It's been two years since the last J.P. Beaumont novel. It's good to have him back. He's still struggling with retirement, his drinking, and with time on his hands, he welcomes the opportunity to put his newly acquired P.I. licence to use. He soon finds that the baby's young mother is not the only one he's looking for. Seems the father is also missing. Beaumont always did a top-notch job of investigating and leaving no stone unturned when he was with the police department and he does no less of a job as a P.I. What he finds though is much more than he ever bargained for. Fans of this series will fall right back into the life of J.P.

No Exit - Taylor Adams
4★

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do? On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers. Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate. Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her? There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one? Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape. But who can she trust?

It's a brilliant and edgy thriller about four strangers...a blizzard...a kidnapped child...and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath. Although you will probably, like myself, find Darby Thorne's actions sometimes reckless and careless...you will, at the same time, find yourself rooting for her. I also thought that Taylor Adams may not have had much experience with children since he portrayed the kidnapped girl doing and saying things that seemed way too mature for a 7-year old. I ran across this little gem on the "new book" table at my local library, I looked at it but since I already had many, many books...I almost left it. Another patron passed by and whispered..."take it...you will love it and it will stay with you for weeks." She was so right. I recommend highly that anyone that loves a good nail biting, edge of your seat thriller, take it home and enjoy.

Magpie Murders - Anthony Horowitz
4.5★

When editor Susan Ryeland is given the manuscript of Alan Conway’s latest novel, she has no reason to think it will be much different from any of his others. After working with the bestselling crime writer for years, she’s intimately familiar with his detective, Atticus Pünd, who solves mysteries disturbing sleepy English villages. An homage to queens of classic British crime such as Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, Alan’s traditional formula has proved hugely successful. So successful that Susan must continue to put up with his troubling behavior if she wants to keep her job. Conway’s latest tale has Atticus Pünd investigating a murder at Pye Hall, a local manor house. Yes, there are dead bodies and a host of intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced that there is another story hidden in the pages of the manuscript: one of real-life jealousy, greed, ruthless ambition, and murder.

If Anthony Horowitz collected royalties for this book by the pound he could retire a rich man and never have to write another word:) This story is written in layers. When you peal one away another appears. When Elizabeth Blakiston is found dead at the bottom of a staircase and the doors are all locked from the inside...we have the first layer of our murder. Sir Magnus Pye provides the second layer...beheaded with a sword that usually hangs on the wall of the manor. But wait...they are only a part of a murder mystery manuscript with the last chapter missing. We soon find that the entire fictional murder mystery is filled with a mind-boggling variety of games whose solutions cast new light on all murders both fictional and nonfictional. A wildly inventive plot worthy of Agatha Christie fans.

Blue Moon - Lee Child
Jack Reacher series Book #24
4★

“This is a random universe,” Reacher says. “Once in a blue moon things turn out just right.” This isn’t one of those times. Reacher is on a Greyhound bus, minding his own business, with no particular place to go, and all the time in the world to get there. Then he steps off the bus to help an old man who is obviously just a victim waiting to happen. But you know what they say about good deeds. Now Reacher wants to make it right. An elderly couple have made a few well-meaning mistakes, and now they owe big money to some very bad people. One brazen move leads to another, and suddenly Reacher finds himself a wanted man in the middle of a brutal turf war between rival Ukrainian and Albanian gangs. Reacher has to stay one step ahead of the loan sharks, the thugs, and the assassins. He teams up with a fed-up waitress who knows a little more than she’s letting on, and sets out to take down the powerful and make the greedy pay. It’s a long shot. The odds are against him. But Reacher believes in a certain kind of justice . . . the kind that comes along once in a blue moon.

I've always liked the character of Jack Reacher, He's independent, fair to a fault, the man you want on your side in a fight... and he always takes up the cause of the underdog. This time there was an entire community of underdogs because of the two rival gangs that ruled their section of town with an iron hand and a big gun. Jack chose to take the case of two elderly people who had been taken advantage of by having to borrow from the gangs to try to pay for their daughter's cancer treatments...which they shouldn't have had to pay for at all. Another case of the system taking advantage of the helpless and those that don't know how things work. I love to watch Jack in action but in this book there was almost too much action. If I hadn't read 23 of the other books in this series I would have probably rated it higher but I knew how over the top with the action this one was. Still worth 4 stars.

Her Last Breath by Linda Castillo
4 ★

A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere. What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental. Desperate to find out who killed her best friend's husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter's Mill.

This was an interesting story of Kate as she tries to figure out why someone would purposely kill the father and why they used a vehicle to do it. Kate had to talk with quite a few Amish to get information, which is always interesting to get glimpses of their culture and their distrust of Kate. There’s a subplot of a murder that Kate was involved with in the past that added suspense and was left as a loose end at the end of the book. Kate and Tomasetti continue their relationship which adds a good balance to the story. I enjoyed this and want to read the next one to see if the loose ends gets resolved.

Finding Peter - William Peter Blatty
4★

For those who have lost a loved one to that liar and fraud named Death. So reads the dedication of William Peter Blatty's Finding Peter, a deeply moving memoir that tests the bounds of grief, love, and the soul. Blatty, the bestselling author and Oscar Award–winning screenwriter of The Exorcist, lived a charmed life among the elite stars of Hollywood. His son Peter, born over a decade after The Exorcist, grew from an apple-cheeked boy into an "imposing young man with a quick, warm smile." But when Peter died very suddenly from a rare disorder, Blatty's world turned upside down. As he and his wife struggled through their unrelenting grief, a series of strange and supernatural events began occurring—and Blatty became convinced that Peter was sending messages from the afterlife. A true and unabashedly personal story, Finding Peter will shake the most cynical of readers—and it will remind those in grief that our loved ones do truly live on.

To say that you "enjoyed" this book really takes a little work. Peter Blatty puts his heart and soul into making the reader meet, and love his son, Peter. He tells us little things about his child...much like any proud parent would do...however because of the huge impact that his movie The Exorcist has had Peter Blatty Has already had the aura of otherworldly occurrences...scary and divine things attached to him...so getting the reader to see and understand that what he believes about his son has noting to do with the movie...and is to him, real. I found the book both hilariously funny and profoundly moving... a rare combination in any book...and Blatty pulled it off in spades. It didn't matter if I or you believe that he communicated with Peter...he believed it and it helped to bring him comfort after the death of his child.

Riding the Waves of Life with Lavinia by Jill Darnell
2.5 ★

Lavinia, the heroine who is a Romani gypsy, takes you along on her life’s journey in the 1800s. Her connection with nature and spiritual beliefs are echoed throughout this adventure. Like all of us Lavinia learns that one of life’s hardest lessons is that events over which we have no control often cause our plans to change. We must adjust to the changes or risk losing our chance for happiness and the happiness for those around us.

There were a lot of ups and downs in Lavinia’s life and some of them were interesting. There was also a sprinkling of history and gypsy culture throughout, which added interest. But the writing needed polishing and editing and more dialogue was needed to add more life to the characters.

Got a three day review at work next week and going have to spend a lot of time preparing for it over the next week so unfortunately will have to delay the next group read and start it on Saturday 30th November. Apologies for this.

What Remains of Heaven by C S Harris

Dead At First Sight - Peter James
Roy Grace series Book #15
5★

A man waits at London Airport for Ingrid Ostermann, the love of his life, to arrive. Across the Atlantic, a retired NYPD cop waits in a bar in Florida’s Key West for his first date with the lady who is, without question, his soulmate. The two men are about to discover they’ve been scammed out of almost every penny they have—and that neither woman exists. Meanwhile, a wealthy divorcée plunges, in suspicious circumstances, from an apartment block in Munich. In the same week, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is called to investigate the suicide of a woman in Brighton, that is clearly not what it seems. As his investigations continue, a handsome Brighton motivational speaker comes forward. He’d discovered his identity is being used to scam 11 different women, online. Roy Grace realizes he is looking at the tip of an iceberg. A global empire built on clever, cruel internet scams and the murder of anyone who threatens to expose them.

There is just something about Peter James' writing and his books and characters that I just can't get enough of. I said once that he could write instruction manuals for installing toilets and I would eagerly read every single word. The story addresses a subject that is very much in today's forefront with the advances in cyber abilities and social media...the ever present SCAMMER! You read these different ways that these people were taken advantage of and ask yourself, "what is wrong with these folks? How could they fall for this? I would never get involved with an on-line romance and send thousands and thousands of dollars to someone whose picture is even fake"...but under the right circumstances...you just might. Great job Mr. James. Roy Grace at his very best.

The Roanoke Girls - Amy Engle
4★

“Roanoke girls never last long around here. In the end, we either run or we die.” After her mother's suicide, fifteen year-old Lane Roanoke came to live with her grandparents and fireball cousin, Allegra, on their vast estate in rural Kansas. Lane knew little of her mother's mysterious family, but she quickly embraced life as one of the rich and beautiful Roanoke girls. But when she discovered the dark truth at the heart of the family, she ran…fast and far away. Eleven years later, Lane is adrift in Los Angeles when her grandfather calls to tell her Allegra has gone missing. Did she run too? Or something worse? Unable to resist his pleas, Lane returns to help search, and to ease her guilt at having left Allegra behind. Her homecoming may mean a second chance with the boyfriend whose heart she broke that long ago summer. But it also means facing the devastating secret that made her flee, one she may not be strong enough to run from again.

The title would lead you to believe that the book is set in Virginia but actually it takes place in Kansas. In spite of having nothing to do with Virginia...it has everything to do with missing girls. It seems that the females in the Roanoke family...are rich...beautiful...and usually, short-lived. Instead of graphic sex and violence, the author instead chooses to focus on the psychological damage that are often the result of the two. Some will find that the premise of the book will make them uncomfortable, but perhaps that is what a book as dark and twisted as this one is suppose to do.

No Bad Deed - Heather Chavez
4.5
While driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. After calling 911, the veterinarian makes a split-second decision that will throw her sedate suburban life into chaos. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name as well as her address. And he knows about her children. Though they warn her to be careful, the police assure her that the perpetrator—a criminal named Carver Sweet—won’t get near her. Cassie isn’t so sure. The next day—Halloween—her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare?

I usually don’t like to describe books with a line of adjectives but I have to say that No Bad Deed is compelling…hypnotic… suspenseful and down right menacing. I don’t want to give anything away, but there a few times that the reader will have suspend their disbelief as sometimes Cassie’s reactions seem a bit off. What it will succeed in doing is to make the “Good Samaritan” in most all of us think that maybe next time you should let the next guy help. Overall it is a thriller that will delight all fans of this genre.

I received an advance copy of this book from William Morrow/Harper Collins Publishers, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions are entirely all my own.

White Oleander - Janet Finch
1.5★

The struggle to build an authentic identity lies at the heart of Astrid's life as a foster child in Los Angeles after her poet mother, who has kept Astrid isolated from the world, is imprisoned for murder.

This is a book that most readers will either really love or really hate. I fell head-first into the latter category. It was depressing to put it kindly. I have to say that with a world filled with sadness and injustices... I found that the thing most unforgiving and disturbing was the authors assessment that the sex between a 14 year old and a 50 something adult was "consensual". Really? The law doesn't allow this child to choose to drink or to vote, but she can "consent"...and have it be okay... to have sex???? Someone explain that one to me please! I know that I fall into the minority since 70% of the reading population gives it a 5 star rating...could be because they found something different in the story...or they were reading and reviewing an entirety diffident book...or it may have been because Oprah recommended it. Whatever their reasoning was...I urge readers to approach this one very carefully.

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline
4 ★

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, her heart stops—the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and won’t be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can’t shake the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up?

I enjoyed the dilemma Ellen faced and the things she did to try to figure out if her son was the missing boy and then what to do about it if it was. The relationship between Ellen and her son came across as real and genuine. Ellen also had a budding romantic relationship that was a bit too good to be true. I figured out part of what was going on but there were still a few things that happened that I didn’t expect. Overall, the story was interesting and a bit suspenseful with enjoyable characters.

Close To Home - Lisa Jackson
2.5★

Vowing to make a fresh start, Sarah McAdams has come home to renovate the old Victorian mansion where she grew up. Her daughters, Jade and Gracie, aren't impressed by the rundown property on the shores of Oregon's wild Columbia River. As soon as they pull up the isolated drive, Sarah too is beset by uneasy memories--of her cold, distant mother, of the half-sister who vanished without a trace, and of a long-ago night when Sarah was found on the widow's walk, feverish and delirious. Ever since the original mistress of the house plunged to her death almost a century ago, there have been rumors that the place is haunted. As a girl, Sarah sensed a presence there, and soon Gracie claims to see a lady in white running up the stairs. Still, Sarah has little time to dwell on ghost stories, between overseeing construction and dealing with the return of a man from her past. But there's a new, more urgent menace in the small town. One by one, teenage girls are disappearing. Frantic for her daughters' safety, Sarah feels her veneer cracking and the house's walls closing in on her again. Somewhere deep in her memory is the key to a very real and terrifying danger. And only by confronting her worst fears can she stop the nightmare roaring back to life once more.

The story was good but just not really what I expected it to be....or what it really started out to be. It started out at the Blue peacock Manor in the year 1924...with a manic chasing his wife throughout the house with an axe. I thought that this was going to be an exciting murder mystery with a lingering, maybe revengeful ghost. Instead it turned mostly into a modern day romance with a disgruntled teenager. Almost made me wish that I had an axe. I think the story just had too many plots.

Schedule for the Group Read of What Remains of Heaven by C S Harris, Book 5 in the Sebastian St Cyr Series.

Saturday 30th November : Chapter 1 - 12
Sunday 1st December : Chapter 13 - 24
Monday 2nd December : Chapter 25 - 34
Tuesday 3rd December : Chapter 35 - 43

Apologies I have not posted it earlier but over the past week worked every minute that I haven’t slept, which has been very limited sleeping time too.