Life in Review: “Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims” by Lynda La Plante
Silent Victims is the third and final installment in Lynda La Plante’s Prime Suspect series. Be sure to read my posts on Prime Suspect and Prime Suspect 2: A Face in the Crowd.
The author wrote these three stories specifically for the television show. These are the only three episodes that she wrote. Jane Tennison has worked hard to get where she is in her career, but she is still continually being held back and challenged because she is a woman in a man’s world. Her current case involves a young teenage boy that was killed. This case is going to take her deep into a world that will expose the twisted secret lives of some prominent people.
I highly recommend this book. I’m not sure whether Jane grew on me a little over the series, or if I just became more invested after spending time in the books. In the first book I really did not like her at all. In the second book I started to like her more, and by the third book I found myself actually rooting for her. She will never be one of my favorite characters, but I don’t dislike her quite so much anymore.
This story is filled with drama, mystery and intrigue, and very intense suspense. There are plenty of twists throughout this episode. You could read this book as a stand alone, but I would really recommend reading all three in the series. It will give you a better feel for all of the characters.
Book Summary:
Chief Detective Inspector Jane Tennison has moved up the ranks, fighting every step of the way to break through the station house’s glass ceiling. Now, on her first day as the head of the Vice Squad, a case comes in that threatens to destroy everything she has worked for.
As Vera Reynolds, drag queen and night club star, swayed onstage singing “Falling in Love Again,” a sixteen-year-old rent boy lay in the older man’s apartment, engulfed in flames. When Tennison’s investigation reveals an influential public figure as her prime suspect, a man with connections to politicians, judges, and Scotland Yard, she’s given a very clear message about the direction some very important people would like her investigation to take. Suddenly, in a case defined by murky details, one fact becomes indisputably clear—that for Tennison, going after the truth will mean risking her happiness, her career, and even her life.
Buy Prime Suspect 3: Silent Victims
About Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante’s fourteen novels, including the Prime Suspect series, have all been international bestsellers. She is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and a member of the UK Crime Writers Awards Hall of Fame. She runs her own television production company and lives in London and Easthampton, New York.
Visit her at her website.
Lynda’s Tour Stops
Monday, January 23rd: Sidewalk Shoes (Prime Suspect)
Wednesday, January 25th: Wordsmithonia (Prime Suspect)
Tuesday, January 31st: Jenn’s Bookshelves (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Monday, February 6th: Sara’s Organized Chaos (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, February 8th: Jenn’s Bookshelves (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, February 14th: Jen’s Book Thoughts (Prime Suspect)
Wednesday, February 15th: Life In Review (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, February 16th: My Two Blessings (Prime Suspect)
Thursday, February 23rd: Life In Review (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, February 28th: My Two Blessings (A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, February 29th: Wordsmithonia (A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, March 1st: Mockingbird Hill Cottage (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, March 14th: Jen’s Book Thoughts (A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, March 15th: My Two Blessings (Silent Victims)
Monday, March 19th: Sidewalk Shoes (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, March 20th: A Bookworm’s World (Prime Suspect, A Face in the Crowd, and Silent Victims)
Wednesday, March 21st: Chunky Monkey (Prime Suspect)
Thursday, March 22nd: Book Reviews by Molly (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Monday, March 26th: Sara’s Organized Chaos (Silent Victims)
Wednesday, March 28th: Wordsmithonia (Silent Victims)
Thursday, March 29th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage (Silent Victims)
Date TBD: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms (Prime Suspect, A Face in the Crowd, and Silent Victims)
This book was provided for review by Harper Paperbacks and TLC Book Tours.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “Honor Redeemed” by Loree Lough
Honor Redeemed by Loree Lough is the second book in her First Responders Series. It’s a captivating story of two people who are both searching for different things.
Honor Mackenzie had her life destroyed by unscrupulous reporters who chose to print sensationlism rather than truth. She is trying to pick up the pieces and go on with her life, but it’s a tough thing to do when everyone looks at her differently now, and almost everyone shuns her.
Matt Phillips is a single father with twins boys that he has raised on his own. After the death of their mother he was left on his own with twin infants. He chose to devote his life to raising his sons to the best of his ability, which almost meant giving up his role in SAR work.
After a passenger jet crashes on a highway one night, Honor and her SAR dog are working at the scene of the crash when she meets Matt, who happens to be attempting to blend in with the first responders. Just another dishonest journalist. That’s the immediate impression Honor has of Matt.
I very highly recommend this book! As always, Loree Lough’s writing is outstanding. I have been a fan of her books for quite some time. This is the second book in the First Responders series, but you won’t be lost if you have not read the first book. I personally would recommend reading them both because it’s worth the time!
One thing that makes this series a little different is that the stories have realistic endings where things work out, but maybe not necessarily in a “fairy tale” ending. Stick with the series, though, because some of the characters’ stories are continued throughout the series. In the series, one or more of the characters’ lives was drastically changed by 9/11. In this case, Honor is the one who had a tragic experience on 9/11 and she changed the course of her life after that. The story is full of drama, suspense, sweet romance, and it’s all woven together with a beautiful message. I am looking forward to book 3, A Man Of Honor, which is due out in the fall of this year. She gives a little sample of book 3 at the end of this book.
Book Summary:
During rush hour one cold November night, a jumbo jet crashes on a busy highway…most of it, anyway. Honor Mackenzie and Rowdy, her trusty Search and Rescue dog, join the SAR team to search for the tail section, reported by witnesses to have landed in the dark and rainy woods along Baltimore’s Patapsco River.
Pulitzer prize-winning columnist Matt Phillips, forced to leave his SAR work behind to ensure his motherless twins would always have a dad, leaves the boys with a neighbor and heads to the woods, intent on getting another breaking story. It takes weeks to figure out why she’d given him such an icy reception: Another headline-hungry reporter–whose less-than-accurate story–ended her career with the fire department. In his effort to prove that not every reporter sacrifices “truth” for “story,” Matt finds himself attracted to the beautiful sad-eyed redhead.
As weeks pass, they discover that SAR missions aren’t the only things they have in common. Haunting attachments to 9/11 and the loss of a spouse have kept them lonely and alone…until they find comfort with one another. Much as he and his boys have come to care for her, Matt isn’t convinced that Honor will ever fully commit to him or the twins…especially after she takes a job in New York without even discussing it with him.
During his annual ski weekend with the boys, the heartbroken Matt gets word that Honor has gone missing during a search for a lost girl. He leads the search team, desperate to find her before a blizzard moves in. But even if he does, will they find their way back to one another…
…or back to living life alone?
Buy Honor Redeemed: First Responders Book #2
Author Bio:
With more than 3,000,000 copies of her books in circulation, best-selling author Loree Lough’s titles earn 4- and 5-star reviews and industry/reader’s choice awards. She has received nearly 10,000 letters from fans who write to say she’s “a gifted writer whose stories touch hearts and change lives.” Her 9/11 series, First Responders (From Ashes to Honor, Honor Redeemed, A Man of Honor) is no exception, and it’s raising awareness and funds for organizations that assist soldiers and first responders, and their families. (For more information about these worthy groups, visit http://www.loreelough.com)
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | YouTube | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | ChristianBook.com | Abingdon Press | BooksAMillion l Official Tour Page
*Click on the banner to follow along with the blog tour.
This book was provided for review by Abingdon Press & PUYB Promotions.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “Delicacy” by David Foenkinos + Giveaway!
*Please read through to the end of this post for instructions on how to enter the giveaway.
Delicacy by David Foenkinos is a beautiful love story that is a short, quick read, but packed with so much charm.
Natalie has the perfect life with Francois. Even their story of how they met is perfect. No couple has ever been more in love or had a happier marriage than the two of them. Then a horrific tragedy strikes and Natalie has to figure out how to go on with life when she really doesn’t even want to anymore. She throws herself into her work, but her boss, Charles, is interested in more than her work. Then odd circumstances have pushed her toward a coworker, Markus. He is someone she normally would not have given a second thought. Now she finds that she is definitely thinking about him.
I very highly recommend this book. It is a delightful and charming story with drama, romance, and even some great humor. The author is French and the book was first published in France. When I read it, I kept thinking how I could absolutely see this as a wonderful movie, and now I see that indeed it is already a movie that will soon be released in the US. (Which actually shows how much I really studied the book cover because I should have recognized Audrey Tautou.) It’s mostly a story about Natalie and her life and her journey to heal after her world is turned upside down. It is a really sweet story about love, loss, and the process of healing. It’s also actually quite light-hearted and humorous.
And just for fun, here is a link to some info that I found about the movie HERE and HERE.
I received an extra copy of this book, so I’m offering a giveaway. Please see the bottom of this post for entry details.
Book Summary:
Reminiscent of novels by Nick Hornby, Muriel Barbery, and Jonathan Tropper, internationally acclaimed novelist David Foenkinos delivers a heartfelt and deftly comedic tale of new love brightening the dark aftermath of loss—and of wounded hearts finding refuge in the strangest of places. After her husband’s unexpected death, Natalie has erected a fortress around her emotions—and Markus, clumsy and unassuming, will never be her knight in shining armor. Yet slowly but surely, an offbeat romance begins between these two mismatched, complex souls, and contrary to everything Natalie knows of affection, her perfect suitor may turn out to be love’s most unlikely candidate—the fool, not the hero, who is finally able to reach her heart.
Buy Delicacy: A Novel (P.S.)
About David Foenkinos
David Foenkinos is a French novelist and screenwriter. His novels have been translated into twenty-five languages and garnered ten awards around the world. Delicacy, which was first published in France, garnered nominations for all five major French literary prizes and has sold one million copies. Delicacy is now a film starring Audrey Tautou of Amelie and will be released in the United States in March 2012. David lives in Paris.
David’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, February 14th: The Lost Entwife
Wednesday, February 15th: Reading Lark
Thursday, February 16th: For the love of books
Thursday, February 16th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Monday, February 20th: Book Hooked Blog
Tuesday, February 21st: Life In Review
Monday, February 27th: Colloqium
Wednesday, February 29th: girlichef
Wednesday, February 29th: Books Like Breathing
Thursday, March 1st: Good Girl Gone Redneck
*If you would like to enter the giveaway for a copy of Delicacy, then here is how:
1. Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment with an email address. You must leave an email address to be entered.
Here are some ways to get bonus entries:
2. Follow to this blog – Follow this blog or subscribe to the RSS feeds. Then come back and leave a comment for your additional entry. (1 extra entry)
3. Become a Facebook Fan – Like Life In Review’s Facebook fan page here, then come back and leave a comment for your bonus entry. (1 extra entry.)
4. Subscribe via email – Subscribe to Life in Review via email then come back and leave two comments for your bonus entries. (2 extra entries.)
I will leave comments open through 02/28 and will notify the winner on 02/29.
**US only, please.**
This book was provided for review by Harper Perennial and TLC Book Tours.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “The Quran Dilemma” Volume One
The Quran Dilemma (volume one) is a wonderful resource that is written by former Muslims who have become Christians. The book contains a translation of the Quran as well as analysis and background information. This book would make a wonderful resource for anyone in ministry.
I have not read this whole book, but I have been reading parts of it. It is a wonderful tool for someone in ministry or for anyone who would like to understand more about the doctrine behind the Muslim religion. It would be a very valuable resource for anyone in ministry because it offers the chance to know what Muslims believe in order to be able to communicate with someone of that faith and directly address the differences between their doctrine and Christianity.
I would highly recommend this valuable tool for anyone in ministry or missions. It is also designed for people who are from a Muslim background, because most of them have never actually read the Quran. Traditionally someone of the Muslim faith doesn’t ever actually read the text, but relies on their religious leaders to interpret and relay the doctrine to them. Below you will find more details about this book as well as volume two.
About The Book:
A book of terror or a book of peace? An inspired text or a political agenda? How is one to know the truth about the Qur’an? Where does one even begin? How can an English speaker ever hope to wade through the history, the translations, the sects, and the commentaries to begin making sense of the issues?
During the last decade, interest in Islam and the teachings of the Qur’an has grown globally. In order to allow Westerners to investigate the truth about Islam, this research text was translated from Arabic to give English speaking readers the opportunity to see the Qur’an with clear lenses that are not fogged by propaganda or missionary zeal. This book provides the background of the Qur’an in an objective manner . It also presents the text of the Qur’an with parallel commentary, addressing important issues that Muslim scholars have wrestled with throughout the centuries, shedding light on their attempts to solve them and giving a rounded view of the various schools of thought.
The critical approach in this book is inspired by the courageous tradition of those who have dared to analyze the Qur’an throughout history, while also incorporating the contemporary intellectual productions available in Arabic and foreign sources. The discoveries made through these scholarly critical methods are directed to non-Muslims and Muslims equally:
To non-Muslims who want to unravel the mysteries of Islam, this book presents information that Islamic resources rarely disclose–to allow those who seek the truth to comprehend the full picture with all its outlines, colors, and dimensions.
To Muslims who seek genuine choices far from the culture of “indoctrination,” this book opens a world of understanding to them, so that they can decide for themselves their intellectual and spiritual paths.
The Quran Dilemma (Volume One) – available now both in English and in Arabic - covers the first nine suras (chapters) of the Quran. The remaining suras will be covered in Volume Two, due for release in 2011. Articles and commentary found throughout this masterfully executed book – which explain and analyze each sura – are based on authoritative Islamic sources.
For more information visit: http://www.thequran.com/Home/TQDilemma
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“This book has the potential of destroying the concept that th Quran is perfect. But it says it in a scholarly fashion that strangely is not offensive.” GEORGE HOUSSNEY, Founder and Director, Horizons International, Boulder, CO
“I consider this book to be a clear reference that would help me as a minister in dialoguing with my Muslim brothers. Every Christian minister interested in communicating the gospel message to a Muslim brother needs a copy of this book.”
SAMUEL FAWZI, Elder, Kasr El Dobarah Evangelical Church, Healing Channel Television Host, Cairo, Egypt
Buy this book HERE.
This book was provided for review by the publisher and Glass Road Public Relations.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “The Dispatcher” by Ryan David Jahn + Giveaway!
*Please read through to the end of this post for instructions on how to enter the giveaway.
The Dispatcher by Ryan David Jahn is a fast-paced thrill-ride with very intense suspense that will keep you completely glued to the pages from start to end.
Ian Hunt is a police dispatcher in the tiny little town of Bulls Mouth, Texas. It’s a pretty boring job since nothing much ever happens in the tiny little East Texas town. Until one day he answers a 9-1-1 call and it’s his daughter, Maggie, on the other end. The daughter who was kidnapped 7 years ago. Ian never gave up hope that she was still out there alive somewhere, and now after all of these years he hears her voice. But, before he can get to her, he has to listen to her screams as her kidnapper snatches her back again. Once again she has vanished into thin air without a trace. Ian doesn’t care what it takes, his sole purpose in life is to find Maggie and get her back.
I very highly recommend this book! I was immediately hooked and did not want to put the book down for a second. The author keeps you in such intense suspense, hanging on the edge of your seat the whole way through. I also loved his characters. Ian hasn’t had much to live for these last few years after his daughter’s disappearance, and he is just going through the motions day in and day out. As a parent myself, I could only imagine, and I was rooting for Ian throughout the whole story. Maggie has been trapped in her Nightmare World for seven years, but she has survived and she is strong and determined to be free one day. It is an excellent read that draws you in and consumes you. Once you start this one you’re not going to be able to put it down! This is the first book that I have read by this author but I am definitely an instant fan. I’m hoping to get a chance to read his previous book, Good Neighbors, as well.
Book Summary:
The phone rings. It’s your daughter. She’s been dead for four months. So begins Ian Hunt’s fight to get his daughter back. Hunt is a police dispatcher in the small East Texas town of Bulls Mouth. The call comes at the end of his shift, and it’s from his daughter, Maggie. Maggie, whose funeral he recently attended.
The call is cut-off by the man who snatched Maggie from her bedroom seven years ago. Up until that moment, the assumption was that Maggie had been murdered, but Ian has never given up hope of finding her. A basic description of the kidnapper is all Ian has to go on.
The trail leads to a local couple, but this is just the start of Ian’s battle to get his daughter back. What follows is a bullet-strewn cross-country chase along Interstate 10, from Texas to California.
You can watch the video trailer HERE.
Buy The Dispatcher: A Novel
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About Ryan David Jahn
photo credit: Noel Bass
Ryan David Jahn won the Crime Writers Association debut novel prize for Good Neighbors (Penguin, 2011). He left school at sixteen to work in a record store and subsequently joined the army. Since 2004 he has worked in television and film. He grew up in Arizona, Texas, and California and recently moved from Los Angeles to Louisville, Kentucky, where he plans to set his next novel.
For more info about Ryan and his work, please visit his website, www.ryandavidjahn.com.
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Ryan David Jahn’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, February 13th: Chaotic Compendiums
Tuesday, February 14th: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms
Thursday, February 16th: A Bookworm’s World
Monday, February 20th: Life in Review
Wednesday, February 22nd: Reading on a Rainy Day
Wednesday, February 29th: Dan’s Journal
Thursday, March 1st: Wordsmithonia
Monday, March 5th: Book Reviews by Elizabeth A. White
Tuesday, March 6th: Man of La Book
Wednesday, March 7th: Unabridged Chick
Thursday, March 8th: Crime Fiction Lover
Monday, March 12th: Book Addict Katie
Tuesday, March 13th: The House of Crime and Mystery
Wednesday, March 14th: A Library of My Own
Thursday, March 15th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage
Monday, March 19th: Raging Bibliomania
Wednesday, March 21st: Fiction Addict
*If you would like to enter the giveaway for a copy of The Dispatcher, then here is how:
1. Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment with an email address. You must leave an email address to be entered.
Here are some ways to get bonus entries:
2. Follow to this blog – Follow this blog or subscribe to the RSS feeds. Then come back and leave a comment for your additional entry. (1 extra entry)
3. Become a Facebook Fan – Like Life In Review’s Facebook fan page here, then come back and leave a comment for your bonus entry. (1 extra entry.)
4. Subscribe via email – Subscribe to Life in Review via email then come back and leave two comments for your bonus entries. (2 extra entries.)
*I will leave comments open through 02/27 and will notify the winner on 02/28.
**US & Canada only, please.**
This book was provided for review by Penguin and TLC Book Tours.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “Mornings with Jesus 2012″ Devotional + Giveaway!
*I have an extra copy of this book that I will be giving away. Please read through to the end of the post for the giveaway instructions.
Start your mornings off with some quiet time with the help of this great devotional: Mornings With Jesus 2012.
Each day is a one page reading that begins with a verse from Scripture. Each of the seven talented authors have contributed personal thoughts and stories from their lives that demonstrate a message from God’s Word and help us to apply it to our daily lives. They end the page with a challenge that will encourage you to follow through rather than merely reading words on a page. It’s a really great devotional for someone who is busy and has a limited amount of time in the mornings, which I think it probably most all of us. They may be short but they are rich with great messages that are practical and solidly based in Scripture.
I very highly recommend this devotional book! I have been using this as my daily morning devotional and it has been such a blessing! Often the messages have spoken straight to me with something I really needed to hear that day. The authors are very open and honest about sharing personal stories that we can relate to. Is your life overly busy? Do you find yourself overwhelmed at times? You will find encouragement here. These devotions are written by women who live real lives in the real world like you and me. Could you use a little more peace in your life? You will find wonderful, practical advice and I think you will find that taking just a few minutes to start your day this way will make a big difference in your day. If you’re looking for a devotional to start your day with, then this is an excellent one!
About the book:
The warm and friendly voices of seven women reflect on the character and teachings of Jesus, and encourage you to draw near to Him and invite His presence, truth and relevance into your life. Each devotion includes a Scripture verse, an insightful reflection on Jesus’ words, wisdom, compassion and comfort, and faith step that will and inspire and challenge you.
Buy Mornings with Jesus
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The Giveaway:
*If you would like to enter the giveaway for a copy of Mornings With Jesus 2012, then here is how:
1. Mandatory Entry – Leave a comment with an email address. You must leave an email address to be entered.
Here are some ways to get bonus entries:
2. Follow to this blog – Follow this blog or subscribe to the RSS feeds. Then come back and leave a comment for your additional entry. (1 extra entry)
3. Become a Facebook Fan – Like Life In Review’s Facebook fan page here, then come back and leave a comment for your bonus entry. (1 extra entry.)
4. Subscribe via email – Subscribe to Life in Review via email then come back and leave two comments for your bonus entries. (2 extra entries.)
I will leave comments open through 02/24 and will notify the winner on 02/25. **US only, please.**
*Click on the LitFuse button below to follow the full blog tour schedule.
A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher and LitFuse Publicity.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “Bridge Of Scarlet Leaves” by Kristina McMorris
Bridge of Scarlet Leaves by Kristina McMorris is a stunningly beautiful World War II era story that covers an aspect of this time period that is rarely seen in stories from this era.
Maddie Kern and her brother TJ have been on their own ever since their mother died. TJ felt it was his responsibility to become a parent to Maddie. He has not been the same, and he goes way overboard trying to act like Maddie’s father instead of her brother. He can’t seem to accept that she is not a child anymore, but a 19 year old young woman. That is why she’s been keeping this secret from him. For months she has been sneaking around and seeing his best friend, and they are in love. Then suddenly everything spirals out of control. She and her boyfriend elope and at the same time a war starts. Everything is going wrong and Maddie is losing everyone she loves all at once.
I VERY highly recommend this book! The writing is outstanding and the story gripped me completely from start to finish! I first became a fan of Kristina McMorris after reading her book, Letters From Home. If you haven’t read that one, I would strongly encourage you to read it also. Both of these books are WWII stories, but they are from very different perspectives. Although I have learned about WWII in school, and read stories taking place in that era, and watched movies, I rarely see or hear much about the Japanese internment camps that were set up here in America where Japanese Americans were forced to stay during the war. This story takes a perspective I think is rarely seen. The story is heart-wrenching and highly emotional, but always with a sense of hope and promise. It will leave you feeling satisfied, uplifted, and inspired. It’s a story I will not soon forget. I look forward to seeing what Kristina McMorris will have for us next!
Book Summary:
Los Angeles, 1941. In spite of her Julliard ambitions and family’s wishes, violinist Maddie Kern secretly elopes with her Japanese American boyfriend—the night before Pearl Harbor is bombed. When her beloved Lane is interned at a relocation camp, she dares to remain at his side. Behind barbed wire, tension simmers and the line between patriot and traitor blurs. As Maddie strives for the hard-won acceptance of her new family, Lane risks everything to prove his allegiance to America, at tremendous cost.
Skillfully capturing one of the most controversial episodes in recent American history, Kristina McMorris delivers an authentic, moving testament to love, forgiveness, and the enduring music of the human spirit.
Behind-the-book backstory:
The premise of this novel began with a true account of two brothers during WWII, one who had fought for Japan and the other for America. While researching the subject, Kristina happened across a brief mention of roughly two hundred non-Japanese spouses who voluntarily lived in an internment camp. She was stunned and fascinated by the discovery, and immediately knew it was a story she needed to tell.
As the daughter of a Japanese immigrant father and Caucasian American mother, Kristina grew up living between these two cultures. Through Bridge of Scarlet Leaves she hopes to share with readers a unique perspective of an intriguing, and often tragic, portion of our country’s history, while also honoring a diverse range of quiet heroes.
Links to buy the book:
Amazon: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Amazon
B&N: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Barnes
Powell’s: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Powells
Indiebound: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-Indie
Books-a-million: www.tinyurl.com/BSL-BAM
Author Bio:
Kristina McMorris is a graduate of Pepperdine University and the recipient of nearly twenty national literary awards. A host of weekly TV shows since age nine, including an Emmy® Award-winning program, she penned her debut novel, Letters from Home (Kensington Books, Avon/HarperCollins UK), based on inspiration from her grandparents’ wartime courtship. This critically praised book was declared a must-read by Woman’s Day magazine and achieved additional acclaim as a Reader’s Digest Select Editions feature, a Doubleday/Literary Guild selection, and a 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Historical Fiction. Her second novel, Bridge of Scarlet Leaves (March 2012), has already received glowing reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, among many others. Named one of Portland’s “40 Under 40″ by The Business Journal, Kristina lives with her husband and two sons in the Pacific Northwest, where she refuses to own an umbrella.
For more, visit www.KristinaMcMorris.com
You can find Kristina:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Kristina-McMorris/206963412668555
Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/KrisMcmorris
GoodReads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/4384611.Kristina_McMorris
Thank you to Kristina McMorris for providing me with a review copy of this book.
Blessings
Michelle V
Prime Suspect 2: A Face in the Crowd by Lynda La Plante is book two in her Prime Suspect series. It’s a fast-paced crime drama full of mystery, action, and suspense.
Jane Tennison is put in charge of another murder investigation and she is determined to prove herself to her superiors in hopes of a promotion. The latest victim is found in an area where the citizens don’t look to the police with respect. The people in this area are not going to cooperate with an investigation even if the victim was one of their own. The first thing Jane is going to have to do is identify the victim, which is going to be a big challenge in itself. Then maybe they can figure out where to start looking for the killer. In the meantime there is still a killer out there who could be looking for another victim.
I highly recommend this book. In case you haven’t seen it, my review for the first Prime Suspect book is immediately before this one. You might want to read it first. I did like this second book a little more than the first. I still don’t like Jane’s character, but I did feel for her a little more in her struggles with her department who are all hoping she falls flat on her face. This case was a bit more compelling for me. There are plenty of twists that kept me guessing, and then at the end it becomes a race to catch the killer once they figure it out. It’s definitely a fast=paced page turner. Next week I will be reviewing the final book 3 in this series.
Book Summary:
The coroner’s report identifies the body as young, black, female, and impossibly anonymous. Yet one thing is clear to Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison about the latest victim discovered in one of London’s poorest districts—that news of her murder will tear apart a city already crackling with racial tensions, hurling Scotland Yard and Tennison herself into a maelstrom of shocking accusations and sudden, wrenching violence.
Even as London’s brutal killer remains at large, Tennison remains locked in a struggle to overcome her station house’s brutal chauvinism and insidious politicking. And as the department’s deeply rooted racism rears its head to overshadow every facet of her new investigation, the trail of her prime suspect is growing colder. Worse, when the details of the beleaguered detective’s stormy personal life explode across the headlines of London’s sleaziest tabloids, Tennison’s already frenzied determination to bring the killer to justice will be catapulted into obsession—one that could send her spiraling over the edge.
Buy Prime Suspect 2: A Face in the Crowd
About Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante’s fourteen novels, including the Prime Suspect series, have all been international bestsellers. She is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and a member of the UK Crime Writers Awards Hall of Fame. She runs her own television production company and lives in London and Easthampton, New York.
Visit her at her website.
Lynda’s Tour Stops
Monday, January 23rd: Sidewalk Shoes (Prime Suspect)
Wednesday, January 25th: Wordsmithonia (Prime Suspect)
Tuesday, January 31st: Jenn’s Bookshelves (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Monday, February 6th: Sara’s Organized Chaos (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, February 8th: Jenn’s Bookshelves (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, February 14th: Jen’s Book Thoughts (Prime Suspect)
Wednesday, February 15th: Life In Review (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, February 16th: My Two Blessings (Prime Suspect)
Thursday, February 23rd: Life In Review (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, February 28th: My Two Blessings (A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, February 29th: Wordsmithonia (A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, March 1st: Mockingbird Hill Cottage (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, March 14th: Jen’s Book Thoughts (A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, March 15th: My Two Blessings (Silent Victims)
Monday, March 19th: Sidewalk Shoes (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, March 20th: A Bookworm’s World (Prime Suspect, A Face in the Crowd, and Silent Victims)
Wednesday, March 21st: Chunky Monkey (Prime Suspect)
Thursday, March 22nd: Book Reviews by Molly (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Monday, March 26th: Sara’s Organized Chaos (Silent Victims)
Wednesday, March 28th: Wordsmithonia (Silent Victims)
Thursday, March 29th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage (Silent Victims)
Date TBD: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms (Prime Suspect, A Face in the Crowd, and Silent Victims)
This book was provided for review by Harper Paperbacks and TLC Book Tours.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “Prime Suspect” by Lynda La Plante
Prime Suspect by Lynda La Plante is a riveting crime drama full of mystery and intense suspense.
Jane Tennison has been trying to prove herself as a detective for years, but she has been continually passed over because she is a woman in a man’s world. She finally gets her chance when tragedy strikes the department and her superiors have no choice but to turn to her to head up a murder investigation. The men she needs to help her do not appreciate having to answer to a woman and they have no intentions of cooperating with her. Jane becomes obsessed with the case and her personal life begins to suffer. She is completely wrapped up in her career and this is finally her chance to prove herself. She’s not going to let anyone stand in her way.
I highly recommend this book. It’s full of great crime mystery and suspense. There are some great plot twists that will have you guessing until the very end. I tend to be a very character-driven reader and my only problem is that I didn’t like Jane’s character, so I had trouble rooting for her. Not everyone is such a character-driven reader, and the story is great and very suspenseful. This is book one in a three book series and I’m hoping that Jane will grow on me as I read the rest of the series. I completely understood that she has to be tough to get anywhere in her position, but she came across as over ambitious and willing to sacrifice anything to get ahead in her career. The book itself is great, and it is fast-paced and will keep you turning the pages. These books were written specifically to be a television series, and this author only wrote these three episodes.
Book Summary:
The moment Jane Tennison takes over Scotland Yard’s investigation into the death of sex worker Della Mornay, two grim facts become immediately clear to her. First, that the constabulary’s old boy club is determined to hinder, harass, and undermine the new female Detective Chief Inspector at every turn. And second, that their murder victim isn’t Della Mornay.
Now the police are a step behind, and a madman is loose on the streets of London. To apprehend the criminal stalking women through the city’s shadows, Tennison will have to steel herself against the hostility of her fellow officers and conceal her own mounting obsession with breaking through the glass ceiling of the station house—even as department politics, a crumbling relationship, and a wickedly elusive prime suspect threaten her very existence.
A dark and riveting race against the clock, Prime Suspect is an unforgettable introduction to this bestselling series from Edgar Award-winning author Lynda La Plante.
Buy Prime Suspect
About Lynda La Plante
Lynda La Plante’s fourteen novels, including the Prime Suspect series, have all been international bestsellers. She is an honorary fellow of the British Film Institute and a member of the UK Crime Writers Awards Hall of Fame. She runs her own television production company and lives in London and Easthampton, New York.
Visit her at her website.
Lynda’s Tour Stops
Monday, January 23rd: Sidewalk Shoes (Prime Suspect)
Wednesday, January 25th: Wordsmithonia (Prime Suspect)
Tuesday, January 31st: Jenn’s Bookshelves (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Monday, February 6th: Sara’s Organized Chaos (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, February 8th: Jenn’s Bookshelves (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, February 14th: Jen’s Book Thoughts (Prime Suspect)
Wednesday, February 15th: Life In Review (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, February 16th: My Two Blessings (Prime Suspect)
Thursday, February 23rd: Life In Review (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, February 28th: My Two Blessings (A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, February 29th: Wordsmithonia (A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, March 1st: Mockingbird Hill Cottage (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Wednesday, March 14th: Jen’s Book Thoughts (A Face in the Crowd)
Thursday, March 15th: My Two Blessings (Silent Victims)
Monday, March 19th: Sidewalk Shoes (Silent Victims)
Tuesday, March 20th: A Bookworm’s World (Prime Suspect, A Face in the Crowd, and Silent Victims)
Wednesday, March 21st: Chunky Monkey (Prime Suspect)
Thursday, March 22nd: Book Reviews by Molly (Prime Suspect and A Face in the Crowd)
Monday, March 26th: Sara’s Organized Chaos (Silent Victims)
Wednesday, March 28th: Wordsmithonia (Silent Victims)
Thursday, March 29th: Mockingbird Hill Cottage (Silent Victims)
Date TBD: Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms (Prime Suspect, A Face in the Crowd, and Silent Victims)
This book was provided for review by Harper Paperbacks and TLC Book Tours.
Blessings
Michelle V
Life in Review: “Beyond Molasses Creek” by Nicole Seitz
Beyond Molasses Creek by Nicole Seitz is a compelling and deeply moving story about love, loss, healing, and redemption.
Ally Green has been running for years. She can’t stay in one place for long and then she gets the need to escape. Now she finds herself back where her life began at her childhood home. Her father has passed away and left her his house, so she decides to reconnect with her roots. Her childhood best friend, Vesey Washington is still there and it brings back all the memories of her past. She tries to make the house her home and hopes to finally try to settle in one place, at least for a while, but she is still struggling with her need to run and escape to somewhere on the other side of the globe.
I very highly recommend this book! The writing is exquisite and the story hooked me from the very start. I loved Ally and was hoping she would finally find the peace she was seeking. The story is full of drama and mystery that keeps you glued to the pages. The author weaves the stories of two women on opposite sides of the world together in a intricate way that keeps you wondering what will happen to them, and curious how the pieces all fit together. It’s a very touching story that will stay with you long after you have finished the book. This is only the second book I have read by Nicole Seitz, and I have become a huge fan. I hope to get the chance to read more of her work. I have heard great things about her other books and I plan to go back and read the ones I’ve missed.
Book Summary:
Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.
Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.
As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.
A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.
Buy Beyond Molasses Creek
Author Bio:
Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, andThe Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design.
Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books.
Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook andwww.nicoleseitz.com for more information.
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About the Contest & Facebook Party:
Nicole is celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a fabulous “Friendship” Facebook party! She’ll be giving away a ton of great stuff (KINDLE TOUCH, some of her own beautiful artwork, a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies of the book for your small group/book club and a Live Skype Chat with Nicole), and more!
CLICK the button (in the right sidebar) to RSVP for the party – then join us on February 16th for a book chat, story sharing and prizes! Hope to see you there!
*Click on the LitFuse logo to follow the full blog tour schedule.
This book was provided for review by Thomas Nelson Publishing and LitFuse Publicity.
Blessings
Michelle V
