Valley of Secrets by Morgan Knight

Well now, this was a pleasant surprise. A tapestry of genres: paranormal, fantasy, romance, erotica, thriller, crime, suspense. The first four are my least favourite…not on my never-read list, just not my go-tos. But I'm weak and succumbed to the temptation of the latter three. My submission was well rewarded. 

When very young, Emilia was adopted by her parents' good friends when they were tragically killed in a car accident. Years later, as a college student, an attorney traces her to tell her that there is a family estate in a small village in Europe and that she needs to travel there promptly. A holiday in Europe with her much loved adopted sister, Amanda, is too good an opportunity to miss. And it might help distract her from some rather sensual dreams she's having, which feature an irresistibly attractive man, Massimino. Emilia and Amanda's jaunt turns out to be quite something. Little did they expect that Emilia would uncover some unsettling truths about her family, the village and that Massimino is a ruthless sorcerer. 

Good quality writing and a well-formulated plot made this very compelling, along with a striking contrast of well-portrayed good and bad (some evil, in fact) characters and an unguessable ending. Despite having to suspend my disbelief, I was transfixed till the end, which, although complete with no loose ends, left a door ajar for a sequel. I'll certainly be all over that.

Twerk by Isobel Blackthorn

I don't know much about the world of strippers and lap dancers…but my concept of it has certainly been endorsed. It's a bit seedy, unsophisticated, unglamorous and a bit pathetic. Attended by either men who need company, to forget their unhappy lives or merely just to objectify women. The strippers are women trying to survive financially by earning a quick and lucrative buck: let's face it, their shelf life is pretty short in this industry. 

But the thriller set in this backdrop was quite accomplished. Lana is trying to finance herself through law school by working as a lap dancer in the club and finds herself turning into a bit of a sleuth when a rather undesirable regular to the club, Billy, collapses and dies. Amber is Lana's best friend and falls in lust with the paramedic who comes to attend to the dead man. But Lana is concerned. She's not so sure Billy's death is quite so cut and dried. And Amber isn't picking up her calls. And Lana seems to be getting trolled on social media. And her ex-boyfriend is sending her death threats…or is he?

This moves along at a very decent pace and keeps you fully engaged right to the (perhaps a little over-dramatic) end. I could have done without the constant mention of every detail of every song played by the club's DJ, and the present-tense narrative didn't work for me at all, but that aside, this was packed with suspense, darkness, sizzle and drama. 

Not for late-night reading, though…and be prepared to be quite a little bit shocked…

A Sudden Gust of Gravity by Laurie Boris

I don’t hesitate for one single nano-second when it comes to a new novel by Laurie Boris. And I start it with lip-licking relish and always finish it with a satisfied ‘Wow, that was good’. And this certainly did deserve a ‘Wow, that was excellent’. 

I’ve never read a book set in the world of abracadabra, so I found this rather unique.

Christina Davenport’s obsession with magic….and becoming a respected magician…is hardly surprising when her magician father nurtured her interest. But it’s a man’s world. So, when the opportunity to become a street magician’s assistant arises, she jumps at the chance, despite Reynaldo the Magnificent being a smug and arrogant (albeit rather irresistible) so and so. However, she works hard to please, but more importantly to learn and gain confidence…which doesn’t come without a few bumps and bruises when you’re perfecting your juggling and disappearing techniques. Bruises which do not escape one particular member of the street audience, Dr Devon Park, who becomes mesmerised not just by those rather worrying bruises but also by their owner: a petite, attractive assistant.

An unlikely tug-of-war for the affections of a pretty girl ensues. Who’s going to be the victor? The confident, brash, good-looking, cocky and resolute Reynaldo, who wants to win, whatever it takes, or the gentle, caring, kind, slightly baggage-laden doctor with some demons he needs to lay to rest.

Boris can turn her hand as adeptly to a tale of romantic suspense as she can to one of humour (The Joke’s on Me) or heart-wrenching poignancy (Drawing Breath). Meticulously researched, set in the fascinating world of magic, with engaging characters and brilliantly written.

Yes. Boris certainly has pulled a rabbit out of the hat with this one.

See also:

Don't Tell Anyone

Sliding Past Vertical

Fleischerhaus by Melissa Bowersock

This was a superb little package. I really enjoyed it.

Julia Martin decides a long holiday in Europe, visiting her best friends in Germany, will be just the ticket to help her get over her divorce after her cheating husband’s infidelity. The Bavarian chocolate-box countryside is just what she needs. One afternoon, when out cycling with her friend, they come across a concentration camp. Insignificant in terms of notoriety, but just as significant in terms of the well-known atrocities that took place in such camps. A tour round the museum-converted camp turns out to be a shocking experience for Julia. Horrifyingly, she realises that, in a past life, she was murdered there as a young girl. With the help of her good friends and a very handsome doctor, she tries to unravel the mystery of who murdered her. As the facts slowly reveal themselves, the truth is quite shocking.

I don’t believe in the concept that we all have a past-life. As far as I’m concerned, we’re the product of an egg and a sperm, end of. This didn’t make a scrap of difference to my enjoyment of this book, however. It’s a story well told with a balanced mix of elements: the developing relationship between Julia and Theo, the doctor, was tender and endearing and provided a mellow contrast to the horrors of the Holocaust. There are also some surprises: in Julia’s love life and in the outcome of the research into the events of her past life.

There’s passion and emotion in Melissa’s writing. You can feel it both in the romantic part of the book and in the portrayal of events in a war which will never be forgotten.  Talent, indeed.

Highly recommended.

See also:

Stone's Ghost

Escape to Love by Emma Calin

Escape to Love is a short story featuring Maria, a young single mother trying to put her years of physical abuse at the hands of her violent partner behind her, along with her young autistic daughter, Lucy. When her daughter is late home one evening, her anxiety is heightened by broadcast news that two prison escapees are on the loose, after a prison officer has been hit over the head and killed. One is a convicted rapist and murderer, the other a fraudster. Her daughter arrives home safely: but one of the escapees also turns up on her doorstep. Which one is he?

I have to be honest, the whole thing is just a tad incredible and unlikely, especially as Maria’s feelings towards the escapee turn to something quite improbable. The writing is rather ‘raw’ and unrefined, the text is riddled with punctuation errors and omissions, and the dialogue is a bit stilted. I think there’s more mileage in the plot which would have made it all a little more believable. And yet, I have to say it’s quite an enjoyable story that you can read in just an hour, and Maria’s emotional confusion over the situation in which she finds herself is well conveyed. The author shows promise: a good developmental and technical editor will buff this shortie to a shine. 

The Affect of Red by P. A. Davis

In essence, this had the makings of a promising novel about the heinous crime of human-trafficking, especially of young children. Camille is a young attorney, living in San Francisco, about to expose a huge trafficking operation, masterminded by the Russians, but for her own safety finds herself in a witness protection programme, taking with her a man, Robert, she has just met (love at first sight in a bar, wearing a red dress). When the heat is off, she and Robert return to San Francisco and make a life together. Although deliriously happy together, they both realise that they cannot take their safety for granted, especially when the Russians make their presence felt in a way that touches their lives in a devastating manner. 

Unfortunately, I found this book rather frustrating. Camille and Robert’s flee to anonymity was far more public than I would have thought a witness protection programme should be, and they head for proximity to one arm of the Russian operation, which seemed a bit daft to me, nor did you get any sense of fear of the danger of their situation. Robert just seemed to walk out of his job without so much as a by-your-leave; I wanted to know more about why Camille was in so much danger; there just wasn’t enough information about the atrocity of the Russian operation, and most frustratingly, whenever the story was moving towards some action or intrigue, we were cut off and abruptly taken to 10 or 2 or 4 years later. Most regrettably, this novel was seriously under-edited, with misspellings, missing words, and poor punctuation which really marred the reading experience. I kept wanting to say The Effect of Red and it seems even the characters couldn't make up their minds whether it was the 'affect' or effect'. 

However, Camille and Robert were very likeable, as was her best friend, Stacey, who had the most expressive southern phrases, and I could almost detect her appealing drawl. Love, loyalty, friendship, courage, goodness and bravery were qualities that stood out in the story and Davis has a pleasant, easy-going style. 

Overall, the novel lacked substance and turned out to be a romantic suspense, when I think it really wanted to make an appeal and create awareness about an appalling crime that is a present-day curse. With a seriously thorough edit, though, it would make a pleasant read.  With a little extra attention to the plot, it will make an excellent read.

And Night Falls by Tommie Lyn

This drew me in from the start, and I was well and truly engrossed right to the end. I really enjoyed this. Tommie wove intrigue, murder, suspense, and romance into a well-conceived and well-plotted thriller. 

Shelley Goodnight becomes an unwitting suspect in the murder of a blackmailer, who happens to have been an office colleague. The blackmailee is very close to home… Deputy Clay Cameron is the honourable policeman who pieces things together and in whom Shelley not only puts her trust, but comes to rely on and falls for. 

The story is compelling; Tommie leaves no loose threads and masterfully squeezes the right emotions from the reader for each of the characters—the good ones, the bad ones, the weak ones, and the greedy ones, and keeps you guessing about those with a huge question mark over their heads. I did like Shelley: the daughter of wealthy parents who has become used to a privileged life style with Daddy sorting her life out when it goes awry. I liked her for seeing that there was a real world beyond all that privilege and for turning her back on the bank of Mummy and Daddy. Standing on her on two feet made her grow up and become independent, not just financially, but emotionally as well. Clay Cameron was delightfully—in an old-fashioned way—honourable and upright, seeking to protect an innocent Shelley. 

This was well-written: there was tension, action, and mystery keeping you enthralled right to the very end. This was my kind of book, and I’m going to read more by this author. 

Lust and Honor by Harriet Schultz

This is a very short prologue to Legacy of the Highlands, a romantic suspense novel.

Diego is best man to Will at his wedding to Alex, for whom Diego has rather a penchant. But the best man has to do what a best man has to: the bride and groom are very much in love, and he wishes them health, happiness, and time to enjoy their long life together…time… 

This is a short teaser-prequel, and I can’t deny I was drawn to the characters and am keen to find out how the trio will fare. But I did feel I was left dangling on too narrow a ledge, and I’m not really sure why such a short prologue is published as a separate ‘book’. The first chapter of Legacy is also included, I presume to entice you even more. I’m happy to download a short story or novella—something that is structured within those parameters—but this just left me frustrated. It’s merely a scene setter for the novel—a first chapter—and I don’t particularly want to buy my books in chapters. 

If the standard of this is anything to go by, then Legacy is going to be an enjoyable novel. It just doesn’t need this kind of build-up.

Color My Horse by Bev Pettersen

I did enjoy this book set in the world of horse-racing – I’m an animal lover and a sucker for any story with a four-legged creature. Although I don’t ride, I love horses, and this book did not disappoint.

Jessica Boone’s skiing career is seemingly over after a severe knee injury and her wily, controlling and ruthless grandfather – her guardian after the loss of both parents – is keen for her to join his company. She has more independent ideas, however. She bets her grandfather that if she can last an agreed period working in the stable that trains her Gramps’ colt, supporting herself financially, he will respect her wishes and agree to fund her plans to run a dog kennel and not insist on imposing his own intentions for her future. The stables are run by Mark Russell – a good-looking and, of course, irresistible, trainer of horses. He and Jessica are undeniably attracted to each other. His efforts to try and keep her at arm’s length are impeded by her attractiveness, her personality, her unexpected affinity with the horses, her willingness and capacity to learn. 

There is a smart thread of suspense that runs through this romance which is neatly interwoven into the horsey setting – there’s a murder, an attempted murder, theft and a potential terrorist threat. Bev’s knowledge or research of the horse world is impressive and credible – the pace of the story ran along enjoyably with the nail-biting horse races. 

However, I did think this book was struggling to decide what it wanted to be. There was a fair amount of explicit sex in this – I don’t have an aversion to that, but this wasn’t an erotic novel – it was a romantic/suspense story and perhaps the emphasis should have been on the mystery side of it rather than the afternoon bonkathons. 

My only other niggle – and this is personal, other readers might be perfectly happy with it – I just didn’t like the slightly irritating absence of pronouns in the sentences, a style which peppered the novel and made for rather jerky reading, eg: 

“Flexing his knuckles, he turned, reluctant to look. Stared down the walkway. 

She glanced at the thick-chested man next to her. Could see his program spread against the rail.“ 

Aside from that, I was smitten by the characters – they were caring and likeable, and it was hard to not to have a soft spot for the horses – Bev managed to give them endearing personalities, and I’ll admit I had the odd lump in my throat. 

A satisfying and entertaining read.

Prior Sins by D J Gross

Another brilliant novel by Deborah Gross.  Her first – Stolen Justice – had me gripped, and this one was equally riveting.

Criminal psychologist, Hadrian, assists the Thames Valley Police in Oxford, UK in hunting down sadistic killers. Repaying a favour to a long-standing colleague, he swaps teaching positions with him to take up a post in Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, where he predicts that lecturing at the university there will be a quiet, rather more mundane job and anticipates he will have to supplement his police-assisting duties with a new hobby. At the same university is pretty Classics professor, Sarah – a lecturer favoured and much loved by her students.  Quiet and insular, she is haunted by dreams of blood and sinister words from her now dead mother.

It's not long before Hadrian's sabbatical starts to mirror his Oxford life, when a serial rapist starts targeting the university attendees.  Hadrian, Sarah and a killer obsessed by the (mythical) Labors of Hercules are brought together at a thriller, edge-of-your-seat pace, as clever Hadrian pieces the puzzle together.

The mythological elements in this story were fascinating, very well recounted and interwoven into the story seamlessly and enjoyably.  I think I can say I learned a little about Greek and Roman mythology – only a little, but memorably! Deborah's knowledge and/or research were impeccable.  Along with her skilful, very readable style, this book was a compelling but effortless race to the end.

Deborah neatly incorporates a story sidekick – the events responsible for Sarah's nightmares are beyond traumatic and Hadrian's innate curiosity and psychological background qualify him to help her.  Not only that, the two are, of course, hopelessly attracted to each other.  Just the right amount of emphasis is put onto their developing relationship; the scales of the romantic elements and the murder mystery are perfectly balanced.

There were some avoidable typos/punctuation errors in this book and the portrayal of Hadrian as an Englishman, was slightly flawed, but I am a staunch and avid fan of this author and eagerly await her next novel.

Reverb by J Cafesin

This was an excellent book – I thoroughly enjoyed it.  There is absolutely no doubt that this author is talented and insightful – the book is extremely skilfully written and the main character was very well portrayed – he is a deep and complex person – and I was captivated by him from the start.

James Whren is an ultra-talented and brilliant musician who lives and breathes music – he is also beautiful – not in a hunky, six-pack way, but mesmerizingly and charismatically so.  Tragedy obliges him to visit his wealthy, estranged father's stately home – a fleeting visit which is one he is to regret.  His father, misguidedly and cruelly, orchestrates a series of events which plunge this enigmatic young man into the depths of despair and torture that lead to desperate actions.  He ultimately finds refuge in the arms of Elisabeth in the quiet countryside and sultry heat of Corfu, a beautiful young woman who is also seeking solace and quietude from her own personal tragedies.

His experiences however have destroyed him:  his passion and gift for music seems to have escaped him irretrievably, his ability to connect with, love and trust a fellow human being is lost.  The wise and rational Elisabeth and her baby son are tasked with the sometimes insurmountable challenge of helping James overcome his demons.

This really was an outstandingly conceived novel:  the plot was original and well organised.  The main characters were enthralling and arresting and you become hopelessly and hopefully embroiled in their lives.  James' father is presented as a harsh and dispassionate man whom you dislike intensely – but he is yet another character that is superbly portrayed by the author, to the point that ultimately you manage to have some sort of understanding for what initially appear to be unforgiveable and unpaternal actions.

The Greek island was an inspired setting – the changing seasons of this Mediterranean island is the perfect backdrop and mirror every emotion that is experienced by both James and Elisabeth – individually and together.  The searing summer heat intensifies your own feelings – the skill of this author is such that you can almost feel every tragic, painful, desperate, angry, hopeful and 'closure' moment - her style is intelligent and expressive, but never cumbersome or over-ambitious.

Highly recommended.

Expendable by Maggie Jamieson

This is not a book to start reading if you have a busy day ahead of you – you won't want to put it down!

I was gripped from the start with the early introduction of a murdered woman, Tanya, who is found by an ex Special Ops Marine soldier, Reed Adler, with a severely traumatised young boy by her side.  While Reed tries to establish the boy's relationship to this woman and break through his barrier of silence, he has his own demons to face after serving in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the dead woman's sister, Jenna, has to deal with her grief, intensified by the fact that when they last met 10 years previously, not only did they have a bitter confrontation, but it was to be the last time they saw each other.

Her sister's murderers catch up with Jenna and fate unites her with the nephew she never knew existed and the man who found and looked after him.  Reed, Jenna, his close Marine comrades and her nearest friends work together to find Tanya's murderers and uncover an unscrupulous, immoral and unethical operation by a deranged and delusional doctor scientist.

Maggie tells a very good story:  her style is easy, uncomplicated and very readable, her characters are well-conceived:  the cameradari between Reed and his ex-Marine associates is warming and his PTSD is particularly poignantly portrayed; it weighs heavily against the undeniable and inevitable attraction he feels for Jenna.  Maggie depicts an evil villain with conviction;  there is a perfect balance of action, tension and romance in this book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Silently Loved by Annie Lee

I love the title of this book – it's so very apt and poignant.

This is the second of Annie Lee's books I have read and was just as impressed as I was with the first (Keeping Grace Alive).  Beautifully written, it's a story of a young woman, Hailey, who flees from her violent and abusive husband to take up a job as a sign-language teacher under an assumed name and falls in love with her landlord, Noah – who happens to be deaf and almost completely blind as a result of a tragic car accident when he was a young child.  He is a bear of a man, but kind and gentle.  They are drawn to each other, but she is damaged by the physical and mental abuse from a vile and selfish man.  Their relationship develops slowly and tenderly. There is something very endearing about this physically mismatched couple – he is a gentle giant and she is petite, beautiful and fragile, but they are bonded not only by their attraction to each other, but also by their ability to communicate with each other because of Hailey's sign-language training.

The romance in itself is compelling - Annie conceives her characters with credibility – and there is an added undercurrent of tension through the novel.  Is it really that easy to escape a possessive, egotistic and abusive man?  The threat of whether he will catch up with Hailey and what he will do to her if he finds her contributes to a poignant, feel-good novel with a touch of suspense:  the dialogue is natural, the characters well-conceived and Annie paints a beautiful picture of the scenery around Hailey's new home.  A lovely novel.

A Brother's Love by Sandy Wolters

This book had a promising start.  A bank robber is shot dead by FBI Special Agent, Pilar Campos.  The dead man's brother, Boone, vows the ultimate revenge – her death:  a life for a life.  She is then forced into hiding until such time her safety can be guaranteed.  Her boss decides that the ranch belonging to her working partner's brother, Amos, would be the perfect hideout, but Pilar is, independent, argumentative, feisty and not always compliant and somewhat irregular methods have to be adopted in order to get her to the ranch.  Once there, despite her annoyance at her abduction (however well-intentioned), she finds herself becoming endeared to her new environment and beloved by all on the ranch;  not only is she smart and spunky, but she has an uncanny knack of being able to be 'communicate' with the four-legged residents of the ranch.  Beloved by all, however, except Amos himself…….at first.

The story had good components, but I felt the proportion allotted to the somewhat predictable love-hate relationship between Pilar and Amos was greater than it needed to be;  I was waiting for the action surrounding the contract on her life by the brother of the man she killed and his attempts to find her, but the drama was rather hurriedly condensed into the last 15-20% of the book and Pilar's reaction to the revenge taken by Boone was not what I would have expected after those nearest, and most definitely dearest, to her were targeted by him.

There were some slightly distracting changes of tense in parts of the story, along with random changes of POV that added to the inconsistency.

I did however like the characters – they were diverse, well-conceived and the balance between the good, the bad, the genial and good-hearted was just right.  My instinct however was to get a spoon and stir the novel up a bit to reduce the spicy concentration and add more boil and bubble.

Kinfolk by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

This story focuses on Katherine, a novelist who fleas her Californian lifestyle to escape a drug-lord who is owed a considerable debt by her now dead, drug-addicted husband.  She, as next of kin, as far as the drug lord is concerned, is responsible for repaying that debt.  She finds refuge in her hometown of Arkansas, where she stays with her Aunt Ruby.  There she meets Ben, the widowed husband of Ruby's deceased daughter, and therefore cousin to Katherine, Jill.  Ben is a former Navy SEAL, now working in a local poultry plant, but bears the physical scars of his SEAL years.  Keeping hidden from avaricious and ruthless drug lords would, you'd have thought, have been enough to occupy Katherine and keep her attention away from romantic involvement, but Ben provides too much of a temptation.  He too, withdrawn and uncommunicative since his wife's death, finds it difficult to maintain his reticence, as he becomes drawn to this beautiful and intelligent woman.  The threat of discovery by unscrupulous drug dealers casts a cloud over their happiness and future and when Katherine is captured by the drug mob, Ben uses his SEAL experience and initiative to get her back safely.

I enjoyed this book;  it was well written and whilst not error-free there were too few to mar the reading experience.  I liked the author's style – expressive, yet easy-going and flowing.  You might at this point get the impression that there is a 'but' coming on – and yes, there is!  Despite my enjoyment of the book, I would say that the Romantic/Suspense tag is a little hopeful.  75% of the book focuses on Ben and Katherine's deepening relationship, which develops a little too fast in my opinion and it is only in the latter 25% that Katherine's kidnap takes place and is all wrapped up just a tad too quickly and conveniently.

It's a delightful, romantic, albeit slightly predictable story, but don't expect a white-knuckle ride of thrills or tension;  just settle into your armchair for a comfy journey.

Run to You by Lynne King

What a great read!  Liz is a secretary given a temporary US transfer from her bank job in the UK to help her recoup after the tragic death of her parents and discovering that her ex-fiancé was not only unfaithful to her, but fraudulent as well.  The opportunity to get away from it all is one she grabs willingly.  One night with her new bank friends in a night club, she meets Shaun – a good-looking Irishman with roguish charm.  At the same time, she cannot help noticing attentive glances from an equally good-looking man, Jack, who is a detective on undercover surveillance………of Shaun, as it happens.  Liz’s attraction to Shaun ends up being a nightmare as she unwittingly becomes a victim of threats and blackmail, an unwilling participant of a bank heist and witness to coldblooded murder.  

Jack’s pursuit of Shaun results in his and Liz’s paths crossing and he has to decide if she really is innocently implicit in Shaun’s crimes or whether she is the wily Irishman’s cunning accomplice.  Simple, if he only he wasn’t so irrevocably attracted to this stunning red-head.

This was an extremely enjoyable and fast-paced story – tension-laden the whole way, both with the thriller tension of the chase of the unscrupulous heist criminals and the sexual tension between Jack and Liz;  both characters are strong and feisty and both have been hurt by ex-lovers - they are perfectly matched.

In just a few places I found it a little hard to keep up with who was saying what – there were times when there were a number of lines of dialogue with no ownership of the sentence – I found myself having to go back and find out who spoke first in order to confirm whose was the last line of conversation.  This, however, or the few editorial oversights, did not make it any the less enjoyable or gripping to read.  This was one I could not put down.

Highly recommended.

Stolen Justice by D J Gross

I just could not put this down.  

Laura Danvers, a computer hacker, needs a good thief of high-end art – a famous Van Gogh no less – JT and his team of ex-Marines have the necessary credentials and she needs to convince him to help her.  Too darned bad he is so attractive.  The lure of his old ‘past-time’ is not enough, however, so she throws a bit of blackmail into the mix.  Rob Autry, the CEO of a bank and owner of the Van Gogh, is also money-laundering for a crime cartel – crimes that are outrageously depraved.  The Van Gogh, it seems, has been purchased with blood money.  The theft will net JT and his team enough money to retire on;  whilst the theft is taking place, she intends to access the files she needs to bring the vile man to his knees.  The terms of the blackmail Laura sets out to JT are non-negotiable and he is left with no choice.  She gives JT and his dedicated team 5 days to pull this off. 

And so the edge-of-your-seat action picks up.  Laura’s dedication to her cause creates a barrier to the mutually powerful attraction between her and JT.  Can he break down the wall of resistance she has put up ?

Laura is a hacker but, it seems, a liar too and the many secrets of her past endanger her own life;  moreover, she and the team are unaware that one of Autry’s clients becomes his feuding opponent and the risks attached to the theft become dangerous and life-threatening, not only to her but to JT and his team.

The cast of characters is compact but diverse, and each character is well-defined.  The bond between JT and his comrades is strong; they have history and memories.  There is a pleasant diversion of an unrequited romance between two members of the team, but it never overpowers the intensity of the magnetism between Laura and JT.  The balance between the suspense-filled action and romance is spot on and the ending is perfect.  The author has a faultless, flowing style of writing – every scene of action, suspense and romance is honed to perfection.

The text does need a final tidy-up – there are several typos and the odd word is missing but that’s my only niggle.

I really hope JT and his team regroup for another nerve-racking ride.

This is an outstanding and highly recommended book.

Not What She Seems by Victorine Lieske

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-edited book.

The main ingredients of it are the usual: essential, good-looking, rich bachelor and the beautiful, but baggage-laden girl. They are poles apart, how will they ever get it together?  And that of course is what has you hooked – but throw in the elements of a who-did-do-it-really thriller and you are gripped by a book you cannot put down. The author keeps you guessing, right till the very end – I kept getting it wrong, making me even more desperate to finish! Her characters are well portrayed and her pleasant, unencumbered writing style guides you easily through all the clever twists and turns.

Do boy and girl get it together ?  That would be telling.  To find out, this is a must-read.

Keeping Grace Alive by Annie Lee

Very enjoyable. Credibility is stretched just a very little bit – an abducted girl, Gracie, falls in love with her conveniently good-looking kidnapper, a streetwise hitman, Jessie, who has been in love with her since the day he first saw her, but who has also been assigned to kill her, which of course he doesn't. It's very hard not to like Jessie and his band of 'brothers'; despite their dark and dangerous job in life, they have endearing and, yes, lovable qualities (again, really?).

But, just lose yourself – it's well-written, moves along at just the right pace, it's got hold-your-breath tense moments and some page-sizzling bedroom scenes – all really good stuff if you can let your imagination just run a little wild.

I do, really, really want to know, though – who looked after Brear and Honey, the Bernese mountain dogs in Jessie's mountain cabin, when Jessie and the gang were off snuffing out the bad guys?

Upgrade by Stephen Hise

This leave you open-mouthed at the end.

It is very well written, and the author deftly manages to portray the main character, Brent, as a slightly pathetic figure: very rich and successful but lacking in the looks department, so much so he is prepared to undergo an irreversible process to make people or, more importantly, the female of the species, notice him. He is not a likeable character at first because he wants to become attractive to women merely, it seems, for sex.

However, as the story continues you warm to him as he tries to focus on doing the right thing by the woman he loves, and you almost start to feel your sympathy cords being tugged. The nearer I got to end the more I realised I had really no idea how a satisfying (for a reader) conclusion was going to be reached. With only a few pages to go, I smugly thought I had guessed the ending. In fact, I only half guessed it. What I hadn’t predicted left me speechless.

Hise’s style is sophisticated, and easy-flowing. There is certainly a very serious moral to this excellent story – be very, very careful what you wish for.