The Stranger You Know - Andrea Kane - Review AND Giveaway

Andrea Kane is an author whose name I recognized, but hadn't yet sampled their writing. Kane is a fairly prolific writer, with a number of series to her credit.

The Stranger You Know is the third entry in her Forensic Instincts series. FI is a group of experts with specialized skill sets and deep pockets, able to go and do what formal agencies can't. In this book, they have been asked to assist by local law enforcement.

The founder of FI, Casey Woods, was the bait for a serial killer in the past. He's still behind bars, but it seems his reach extends beyond the prison yard. Someone else is either doing his bidding or is carrying on where he left off. And it's personal. The victims? All redheads - just like Casey. A series of taunting phone calls lets her know that her turn is coming...

Kane has populated the FI crew with an interesting group of support players - a computer expert who has wired their headquarters with an electronic presence known as Yoda, an ex Navy SEAL tough guy, an FBI boyfriend, Hero, the bloodhound and most interesting - a clairvoyant. Claire the clairvoyant plays a large role in this latest entry. All members of the FI team are dedicated - and attractive.

Kane's writing is easy and flows well. However, the whodunit is easily discerned and I wondered about some methods. But Kane's book is more about the delivery. Her first novels were firmly in the romantic fiction category. She has expanded into the romantic suspense field with her latest series. And quite successfully. The dynamics of the FI team includes a strong shot of romantic interest and tension between two pairs of players. The crime is designed to shock the reader - and Kane does that. The reader is privy to the killer's thoughts and actions. Gentle readers - the violence described is graphic and there are sexual scenes. Action is the order of the day in The Stranger You Know, with the body count increasing at a rapid pace as the killer makes his way to Casey. I did find the final scene a bit rushed.

While not my usual style of mystery, this is an excellent entry in this genre. It would be a great series to recommend to readers who enjoy Iris Johansen, Allison Brennan and fans of the Monkeewrench series. It's a quick read, one you can easily tuck in your purse, pick up and put down. Read an excerpt of The Stranger You Know.

"Andrea Kane's psychological thriller The Girl Who Disappeared Twice became an instant New York Times bestseller, the latest in a long string of smash hits. It introduced Forensic Instincts, an eclectic team of maverick investigators, each with different personalities and talents, all with one common bond: a blatant disregard for authority. The Man Without a Face is the next exhilarating installment in the Forensic Instincts series.


With a worldwide following and novels published in more than twenty languages, Kane is also the author of eight romantic thrillers and fourteen historical romances. She lives in New Jersey with her family, where she is plotting new ways for Forensic Instincts to challenge the status quo." You can find Andrea Kane on Twitter and on Facebook.

See what other bloggers on the TLC book tour thought. Full schedule can be found here. And thanks to the generosity of Harlequin/Mira, I have a copy of The Stranger You Know to give away to one lucky reader. Simply leave a comment to be entered. Open to US and Canada, no po boxes please. Ends Nov 1/13.

She Loves Me Not - Wendy Corsi Staub

Wendy Corsi Staub is a new to me author, but definitely not a new author - she has close to eighty books to her credit!

She Loves Me Not has been recently released as an audio book.

Rose Larrabee is a widowed mother of two. She's working hard to keep things together, both financially, physically and emotionally. When someone leaves a heart shaped box of candy on her car seat, she figures she has a secret admirer. But when someone repeatedly calls in the middle of the night, she starts to get worried. And when the 'attention' escalates, she gets downright terrified.

I chose to listen to this book. The reader was Allyson Ryan. Her portrayal of Rose was good, capturing the innocent, bewildered woman in peril tone of the character very well. Rose has two small children and I thought she did a great job of coming up with a believable and distinct child's voice. (Although I must admit, I tired of hearing Leo after awhile) Accents for various characters were authentic and easily distinguished who was speaking. I did find the voice for the female neighbour we're not quite sure of, to be quite annoying though - it was whiny and somewhat petulant. But in all fairness, it suited the character.

I always find listening to a book much different than reading - I think I take away different experiences from the two formats. In She Loves Me Not, we are privy to much of the various player's inner thoughts - maybe a few too many.  Staub does mix in action in the last half of the book and populates her plot with plenty of suspects - enough to keep the reader guessing. Although, I have to admit to feeling cheated over the final whodunit.

Staub seems to have perfected the woman in peril with a touch of romance, mystery and suspense for good measure formula. And I would say she excels at it. Although this isn't my favourite type of read, it was an entertaining listen for the ride back and forth to work. This author would definitely appeal to fans of Mary Higgins Clark. Listen to an excerpt of She Loves Me Not.

You can find Wendy Corsi Staub on Facebook and on Twitter.

Sister - Rosamund Lupton

I took one book on vacation with me and Sister by Rosamund Lupton was it. Thank goodness I waited until I was on the train home to start it  - I would not have been able to put it down. What an absolutely addicting read.

Sister is told as a past tense narrative in letter form by Bess to her younger sister Tess. We learn early on that Tess is dead. Was it suicide? Everyone but Bee believes so.  The account follows Bee's attempts to make sense of what had happened to Tess. She was so full of life - she couldn't have possibly chose to end it.

"You painted abstract canvases, expressing large truths in bold splashes of vivid color while I was perfectly suited to my job in corporate design, matching every color in the world to a Pantone number. Lacking your ability with broad brushstrokes I will tell you this story in accurate dots of detail. I'm hoping that as in a pointillistic painting, the dots will form a picture and when it is completed, we will understand what happened and why."

Lupton deliciously and slowly inserts details into every chapter, gradually filling us in on what has already happened. We learn that Bee is being interviewed by a lawyer and her statement recorded.  What did Bee discover? What happened to Tess? What is happening to Bee? As the interviews continue over the course of several days, her health seems to be failing.

Sister is a fantastic mystery, but also a beautiful retrospective of the love between the two sisters. Lupton's prose are thoughtful, evoking emotion easily.

There were numerous suspects possible, but I am thrilled to say that I never saw the ending coming. Planning to read this one? DO NOT read the end first. But you can get a head start and read the beginning of Sister.

 Best. Twist. Ending. Ever.

This was a debut for Lupton - I  will be hunting down her second book for sure. You can find Rosamund on Twitter and on Facebook.

Come and Find Me - Hallie Ephron

Here's an interesting, but not unexpected crossover. Hallie Ephron is a noted mystery reviewer for the Boston Globe newspaper. Come and Find Me is her second stand alone suspense novel.

Ephron has come up with a great plot and an interesting protagonist. Diana Banks has been confined to her home with severe anxiety and panic attacks following the death of her husband Daniel two years ago. However, she has managed to carry on working with their third partner, Jake, in their Internet security business. Diana has managed to do this by holding meetings in OtherWorld (techies and net savvy gamers will recognize the concept of Second Life here) Basically, it's a complete virtual world. This allows Diana to function - to a certain degree. However, when her sister goes missing, Diana is forced to venture outside at last - and it looks like someone really would be happier if she didn't.

I find the concept of people operating and living behind an avatar fascinating. (Indeed there have been quite a few movies using this vehicle) Really, is anyone who they say they are or as they present themselves online? The idea of virtual meetings is reality based. Ephron's use of agoraphobia as the reason for Diana's self imposed incarceration is well written, but I do question Diana's ability to do what she does once she 'escapes' with the help of a few pills.

I found the plot moved along very quickly but it was a bit jarring in places.  The focus seemed to be on action, rather than character development. I never really connected with the players and found them somewhat stilted and one dimensional.

Come and Find Me is a pager turner, one I read fairly quickly. A good, entertaining read that won't strain your brain too much. Romantic suspense fans would enjoy this book. And you might think twice about what you put out there on the web - nothing is as it seems....

Read an excerpt of Come and Find Me.

Love Me To Death - Allison Brennan - Review & Giveaway

Allison Brennan is an author I'd definitely heard of, (she's a New York Times bestselling author) but one I'd not had a chance to read yet.

Love Me to Death is the first in a series that will feature Lucy Kincaid. This book picks up 6 years after Lucy was horrifically attacked and almost killed by a man she met online. Rather than hide away from the world after her terrible experience, she has decided to join the FBI. She specifically wants to target on-line predators. Until she has final acceptance from the Bureau, Lucy volunteers with a victim's rights group, tracking predators in chat rooms and passing on the information to the police.

When the predators that Lucy identifies start turning up dead, as does her attacker's partner, suspicion is turned on Lucy herself.  With the help of her brothers' security partner, Sean Rogan, she sets out to find the truth, danger be damned.

Lucy is an interesting choice for a protagonist, in that she is very young and not fully a member of the law establishment yet. I liked her and think Brennan has a solid character to build further books on. The premise of the plot is certainly current - cyber predators are a real and current threat. (Some readers may find the crimes described a bit too graphic) The action is definitely fast paced, there are lots of twists and turns and some red herrings that will keep you on your toes.

There are numerous references to the case in which Lucy was attacked, which was no problem. Where I did have a problem was keeping track of the huge cast of supporting characters. The references to this brother and that brother did confuse me. I think if I had read the previous book (Fear No Evil), I would have been a little more up to speed.

Love Me to Death is described on the cover as a novel of suspense - and yes it is. But I think romantic suspense is a better descriptor. The romantic and sexual tension smolders between Sean and Lucy and is a large part of the book.

Fans of Iris Johansen and Tami Hoag would enjoy Allison Brennan.

Check out what the other stops on the TLC tour  think of Love Me to Death.

The second book in the Lucy Kincaid series is due out Feb 22/11. If you'd like to read Love me to Death, I have a copy to giveaway courtesy of the publisher Ballantine Books. Open to the US and Canada, simply comment to be entered. Ends Sat. Jan 29/11 at 6 pm EST.

The Search - Nora Roberts

Okay, I admit it - I was a Nora Roberts virgin. I know, I know, 191 books in print - 169 of them New York Times bestsellers and I hadn't read a one. So trying to be a well rounded reader, I  picked up her latest - The Search - on a hot lazy Sunday afternoon in the hammock. Perfect choice!

Fiona Bristow was the lucky one. Destined to be the 13th victim of the Red Scarf Killer serial killer, she fought back, escaped and he was captured, prosecuted and jailed. Fiona's fiancee was also a victim. She has retreated to Orcas Island where she works as a  dog trainer and also leads a volunteer canine search and rescue group.  Simon, a talented wood artist, is also looking for peace and quiet when he moves to Orcas. But his puppy Jaws needs professional help and he seeks out Fee. Well, sparks fly.... But danger is afoot as well. Although the killer is safely behind bars, someone seems to be on a mission to duplicate his work. Is Fiona in his sights?

Roberts has created a strong female lead in Fiona. Simon is the rough and ready, not looking for a relationship kind of guy (who of course just happens to be really attractive) The interactions between the two are entertaining if not wholly believable. I got a little tired of hearing Simon say shut up. There's some steamy sex scenes between the two that did a steamy day justice. For the most part, the story is more on their budding relationship with the killer taking a back seat. Yes the suspense is there, but those looking for a high level thriller won't find it here.

As a dog lover, what I did really like were the dog training scenes. Lots of good information, some I've tried - I've got one who likes to jump up on people - and it worked! I found the search and rescue operations and methodology just as interesting. Some readers may find this slows them down. Great dog quote from the book "One of the best things about dogs, to Fiona's mind, was their absolute joy in welcoming you home, whether you'd been gone for five minutes or five days. There lay unconditional and boundless love. 'And I really liked her descriptions of the setting she chose. A cute little cottage in the woods, with beaches nearby? Sign me up. Orcas Island is real.

So I enjoyed my first foray into Roberts' territory - great escapist reading that didn't tax my brain. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy Nora Roberts. It kind of reminded me a bit of Iris Johansen's writing. I can see why she's at the top of her game.

Read an excerpt of The Search.

Roberts also writes under the nom de plume of J.D. Robb and has a highly successful 30 book series - the futuristic In Death books.

Shattered - Karen Robards

Karen Robards is a New York Times best selling author with over thirty books to her credit. I had never read Robards before Shattered.

Little Marisa Garcia is afraid of the woods near her new home. She knows there are shadow people hiding there - and they're watching her.....and she's right.

Fast forward thirty years. Lisa Grant has been assigned to work cold cases for Scott Buchanan, the District Attorney. While going through the file of a family gone missing - the Garcias - Lisa is stunned by a photo in the file. The mother of the family is a dead ringer for herself. As Lisa follows up with the case, it seems that someone is just as determined that she won't. Complicating things further are her feelings for Scott - their pasts are intertwined -will their future be as well?

Now having never read Robards before I had no idea of her writing style. For those who love romantic suspense, I would say - put her to the top of your list. She skillfully combines romantic tension with an interesting plot. I was happily ensconced on my couch for the day with a wicked head cold and was quite happy reading steamy scenes and smoldering glances. The mystery is really not the main thrust of the plot, more the vehicle to carry the relationship between Lisa and Scott.

I do prefer my mysteries a bit more convoluted, if you will. I did have the plot figured out before the end. The 'bad guys' are easily identified, as are the red herrings. But it was a thoroughly entertaining read for the day.

Read an excerpt of Shattered.

Fans of Sandra Brown, Linda Howard or Julie Garwood would enjoy Karen Robards.