The Business Trip - Jessie Garcia

The Business Trip is Jessie Garcia's fiction debut.

Garcia introduces us to the lead character - Jasmine. She's in a really bad domestic situation and has been planning for a year to get away. When her moment appears, she doesn't look back. And then she meets Stephanie. And an opportunity presents itself...

Garcia has penned a great suspense tale. There's no lack of twists and turns to be had. Those twists will take you right down to the last pages. Garcia has crafted a 'can't put it down" tale. You might have to suspend belief with some bits, especially the ending, but just go with it. The book is very entertaining.

  

I liked how the book was presented from many viewpoints and supporting characters. Who to tell? Who to believe?

See for  yourself - read an excerpt of the Business Trip.

I'm Still Here - Clélie Avit - Review AND Giveaway

I'm Still Here is Clélie Avit's debut novel.

After a horrifying mountain climbing accident, Elsa is lucky to be alive. But she's in a coma. Unknown to her doctors, friends and family, Elsa can hear what is going on around her, but cannot communicate.

A young man named Thibault is in the same hospital to visit his brother, who has also been in an accident. But, the circumstances are quite different and Thibault cannot bring himself to enter his brother's room. Instead he ducks into Elsa's room. Discovering she is in a coma from her chart, he happily sits down in the visitor's chair......and begins to talk. This is the first time, but it won't be the last. He finds himself drawn to Elsa, despite her being in a coma. And Elsa? She is just as drawn to Thibault - and determined to let Thibault know.

This isn't a new premise for a novel (or a story either - I thought of Sleeping Beauty as I started reading), but I enjoyed Avit's take on it. The reader is privy to the details of  both Elsa's and Thibault's lives.

Who knows if those in comas can hear what is happening around them? (And I think they can) Imagine the frustration and fear they must feel. Avit does a good job portraying what such a patient might feel with Elsa's thoughts, hopes and memories. And fears as well - she can hear what her doctors and family are discussing.

I quite liked Thibault. His open, unhindered, unscripted monologues revealed much about his life, his thoughts and his character. But, I thought the parallel storyline about his brother should have affected me more. (And I felt bad about that as it too has some serious overtones.) I'm not sure if it was 'lost in translation', but I didn't feel the emotion the situation warranted.

The pragmatic in me had to ignore Thibault's crossing of lines with a stranger (some of his behaviour in the hospital going ignored by staff is a bit of stretch) and just go with the fairy tale, hoping that Elsa can wake up and let Thibault know she has heard every word he's spoken.

I'm Still Here is a quick little romantic read, with a fairy tale feel.  Read an excerpt of I'm Still Here.

"Clélie Avit was born and raised in the Auvergne region of France. She works as a physics and chemistry teacher, while also teaching dance. Avit received the Prix Nouveau Talent for I'm Still Here (Je Suis La), her first novel."

And if you think you'd enjoy I'm Still Here, enter to win one of two copies I have to giveaway using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US and Canada.  Ends September 17/16. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Security - Gina Wohlsdorf

Security is the newly released debut novel from Gina Wohlsdorf.

Tessa and her team are scrambling the night before to put the final touches in place for the opening night of Manderly, an uber-luxurious hotel. In addition to the opulent touches, the security system is the ultimate in high tech.

"This place is something....supposed to be the safest hotel in the world, right?"

But is it enough to stop the two killers that are calmly strolling throughout the hotel, knocking off the employees one by one? The hotel is large, sprawling, and equipped with a hidden elevator - the employees have no idea that they are being hunted down - until it's too late.

But Tessa is a fighter, having survived a rough childhood with her foster brother Brian - who has stopped by the hotel to catch up. As the night progresses, they will have to draw on that toughness if they hope to see morning.

Wohlsdorf weaves a rich past and romance for Brian and Tessa amongst the carnage of the Manderly. These tender moments are juxtaposed by the calmness of the killer as they just go about their work. Romantic horror?

But - there's one more person at the Manderley - the one watching the security cameras. Who is he? The mastermind? Another hired assassin?

I loved the 'split screen' pages that echoed multiple camera views from someone watching in a security room. It was a unique idea and it really made the reader feel like they were in the room watching as well.

Wohlsdorf has a darkly wicked sense of humour. Which seems odd in what I've just described, but it really works.

Security really defies being slotted into a genre. I was kept completely off kilter. It's a nail biter and I can absolutely see it on the big screen. And, I might be a little paranoid the next time I check in at a hotel - "The most thorough safety is safety one's object of protection doesn't know about."  Read an excerpt of Security.

Starter House - Sonja Condit

And starting off the 2014 reading year is..... Sonja Condit's debut novel - Starter House.

I have to say right off the bat - I like scary movies (not gory) and scary books. So the premise of Condit's novel immediately appealed to me.....

A young couple expecting their first child are house hunting. After 108 viewings, Lacey knows the house on Forrester Lane is the one. The realtor's comments to a neighbour are a bit odd, but the price is right and their offer is accepted. But right from the beginning, there is an annoying young boy who seems to be hanging around their property.....but it's only Lacey that can seem him....and talk to him....and she quickly begins to sense that something is not quite right with their dream home....

Oh, dark, snowy night, pot of tea, and a solitary reading lamp set the tone for enjoying this modern day twist of a ghost tale.

Condit is not subtle about her haunting. It starts from the first few pages and builds momentum as the story quickly progresses. I found Starter House hard to put down - I really wanted to know what the final pages would reveal.

Condit's characters are a bit cliched - the husband Eric was somewhat predictable as the voice of reason and the disbeliever. But there has to be a non-believer in every ghost tale. I quite enjoyed Lacey's Mom - new age proponent Ella Dane. Her faith in her own beliefs was consistent and convincing. Supporting characters such as Eric's boss and secretary were predictable. I'm torn on Lacey - I thought her views as a teacher were spot on. Suspended disbelief is necessary to go along with her acceptance of the boy Drew and what he can do. But, of course we must - it's a ghost story! So without overthinking it too much, I just kept turning pages. Glimpses of the past provide clues to the secrets of the house on Forrester Lane - and the final reveal.

Starter House was a good debut and a fine way to start off my 2014 reading list. If you have an older house, Starter House will make you wonder about the history of your house. (Mine is 135 years old and I've had great fun researching who has lived in it and their stories.) Read an excerpt of Starter House.

 

"Sonja Condit received her MFA from Converse College, where she studied with Robert Olmstead, Leslie Pietrzyk, R.T. Smith, and Marlin Barton. Her short fiction has appeared in Shenandoah magazine, among other publications. She

plays principal bassoon in the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra and the Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium. She teaches at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities."


See what others on the TLC book tour thought. Full schedule can be found here.