BOOK REVIEW: THE HIT BY DAVID BALDACCI

Title: The Hit

Author: David Baldacci

Genre: Thriller

Published on: April 23, 2013 by Grand Central Publishing

Master assassin Will Robie must track down a deadly rogue agent, but the attacks conceal a larger threat that could send shockwaves through the U.S. government and around the world in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller. 

 

Will Robie is a master of killing.

A highly skilled assassin, Robie is the man the U.S. government calls on to eliminate the worst of the worst—enemies of the state, monsters committed to harming untold numbers of innocent victims.

No one else can match Robie’s talents as a hitman…no one, except Jessica Reel. A fellow assassin, equally professional and dangerous, Reel is every bit as lethal as Robie. And now, she’s gone rogue, turning her gun sights on other members of their agency.

To stop one of their own, the government looks again to Will Robie. His mission: bring in Reel, dead or alive. Only a killer can catch another killer, they tell him.

But as Robie pursues Reel, he quickly finds that there is more to her betrayal than meets the eye. Her attacks on the agency conceal a larger threat, a threat that could send shockwaves through the U.S. government and around the world.

Most of the time, I'm not the kind of reader who judges books by their cover. The one for The Hit really caught my eye, as it's so good. The main characters posing like that looks rather impressive. This is the second novel in a thriller series featuring Will Robie. He's a forty-year-old hitman who works for a clandestine agency under the DOD. Their focus is to take out targets who are close to becoming great danger for the world. Robie in particular has only ever killed bad people. It's been a few months since the ending of the previous book. The Hit finds Robie embarking on his newest and most dangerous mission yet.

One of the agency's higher-ups, referred to as Blue Man, is the guy who assigns Robie the mission. He learns that one of their own people has turned against them. While people within the agency normally don't know each other (for security reasons), Robie knows his latest target really well. She's Jessica Reel, the only female assassin in the agency. Reel is reputed to be as good at what she does as Robie is. That's why he was picked to eliminate her. Reel murdered her handler while she was supposed to be taking out someone on the other side of the world.

BOOK REVIEW: SIEGE AND STORM BY LEIGH BARDUGO

Title: Siege and Storm

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Published on: June 4, 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.

Enter the Grishaverse with Book Two of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.

The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.

But as the truth of Alina’s destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.

After the shocking ending in Shadow and Bone, the Grisha trilogy continues with Siege and Storm. The main protagonist is Alina Starkov, who lives in the fictional kingdom of Ravka. She and her best friend, Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, are on the run. In the previous book, Alina learned that she’s a Grisha, a human with special powers. In her case, Alina can control and generate sunlight. This earned her the name of Sun Summoner. Ravka is partially divided by a dark magical barrier called the Shadow Fold. Alina is the only Grisha alive who could be capable of destroying it.

Alina spent most of the first book training with Ravka’s Second Army, the Grisha. She was also under the protection of their leader, who calls himself the Darkling. He seemed to want to help Alina develop her power enough to destroy the Fold. The two started growing close, seeming to be on the way to become a couple. To Alina’s shock, the Darkling stole control of her power (temporarily) and used it to extend the Fold. This revealed the Darkling as the series’s main antagonist. It turns out he’s also the Black Heretic, the ancient Grisha responsible for creating the Fold in the first place.

BOOK REVIEW: THE STAR THIEF BY JAMIE GRAY

Title: The Star Thief

Author: Jamie Grey

Genre: Science Fiction, romance

Published on: December 29, 2013

Experience the romance and adventure of the best selling futuristic romance.

Stealing another galactic secret will get her arrested, but playing by the rules might just get her killed.

At twenty-three, Renna Carrizal is the most notorious thief in the galaxy. There's just one problem - all she wants is to get out of the business.

But after Renna rescues an injured boy on her final job, she finds herself on the run from the mob instead of enjoying retirement. She unwittingly becomes ensnared by MYTH, the empire's top-secret galactic protection agency, who offer her a choice - either help them on their latest mission, or spend the rest of her life on a prison ship.

Forced to work under the watchful eye of handsome but arrogant Captain Finn, Renna learns the former mercenary-turned-space marine has a few dirty secrets himself. As Renna works to discover the truth about Finn's past and keep the tantalizing man at arm's length, she unearths a plot to create an unstoppable army. The target? The human star fleet.

Now Renna must pull off the biggest job of her career - saving the galaxy. And maybe even herself.

I haven’t read many space opera novels. They’re a fascinating sci-fi subgenre for me, especially when done right like Skyward by Brandon Sanderson. After I came across The Star Thief, I thought it sounded cool. The protagonist is 23-year-old Renna Carrizal, and she’s perhaps the best thief in the galaxy. The novel doesn’t specify how far into the future the story is set, only that it’s several centuries after our time. Renna is introduced while she’s in the middle of an assignment. Someone hired her to steal some tech prototype. Renna is able to find it, of course. When she’s about to leave, Renna gets into a snag. She is forced to outrun the building’s guards with extra cargo that she hadn’t anticipated.

Just when Renna thinks she’s made it away, an unknown group shows up. They’re not the goons Renna just stole from. These newcomers seem to be some sort of paramilitary unit. Renna can’t help but think of them as ninjas, especially as they use swords. She tells the reader that swords went out of fashion eons ago. They’re highly effective in the hands of these guys, though. The squad make short work of the goons and take Renna hostage. Of course, Renna tries to escape and almost manages it...until she sees who sent the ninja soldiers after her.

BOOK REVIEW: SHADOW AND BONE BY LEIGH BARDUGO

Title: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Published on: May 7, 2013 by Square Fish

Discover the adventure that started it all and meet Alina, Mal, and the Darkling in Shadow and Bone from #1 bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

I’ve come across this book a few times, yet hadn’t got around to reading it. I didn’t think I was missing much. Boy, was I wrong. Shadow and Bone turned out to be a lot more entertaining than I expected. It’s part of the Grishaverse, which is about as popular as Harry Potter or the Twilight novels. The protagonist is Alina Starkov, a mapmaker who lives in the fictional kingdom of Ravka. She’s seventeen and has been working for the Army for about a year. Alina’s childhood best friend, Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, is also in the Army. He’s a tracker rather than a mapmaker.

There’s something that has afflicted the land of Ravka for generations. It’s called the Shadow Fold, a sort of dark magical sea infested with monsters. One day, Alina and her regiment must cross the Fold and get to the other side. They use skiffs for this purpose. Among the crew are several Grisha, the elite members of the Second Army. The Grisha have special powers. Some of them have control over wind, which is how they propel the skiffs. Others have control over fire, which provides light and protection.

BOOK REVIEW: MORE THAN HER BY JAY MCLEAN

Title: More than Her

Author: Jay McLean

Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 18, 2013, self-published

Please note that this is the second book in the series and should not be read prior to reading More Than This.

"For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."
For every choice you make there are rewards, or there are consequences.
It was my choice to walk away the first time. And my choice to chase her the second.
But sometimes you don't get a choice, and all you get are the consequences.
Unless that someone is Logan Matthews.

Because loving him didn't give me the strength to walk away.
It didn't give me the courage to fight for him.
And when it was over, all it gave me was a broken heart.
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”

Despite having liked More than This and More than Forever so much, I’ve hesitated to read this book. It’s part of a romance series, and each book focuses on a particular couple. Jake and Micky were great, just like Cameron and Lucy. More than Her focuses on the character of Logan Matthews. He was introduced in the previous book, as one of Jake’s best friends. Part of the reason I put this book off for so long is that Logan’s, well, a bit of a jerk. He loves girls, but isn’t as good at treating them well as Jake and Cameron are. I also confess that Logan seemed so much like high school me, except with the jerkiness dialed down two or three notches.

Like me, Logan absolutely worships women. He is very eager to meet the girl who’ll sweep him off his feet, like Micky did Jake. Actually, Logan happened to have met Micky first (by a few minutes). He had a big crush on her, but backed off as soon as Jake showed interest in her. It didn’t help that Logan made a very poor first impression on Micky. Things turned out more than fine in the end. Logan eventually meets another girl who gets way deeper under his skin than even Micky did. Pity that he once again had bad luck when it comes to how they met. It started out okay, but Logan seriously misread the situation and royally screwed things up.

BOOK REVIEW: SPEAK OF THE DEVIL BY ALLISON LEOTTA

Title: Speak of the Devil

Author: Allison Leotta

Genre: Mystery, thriller

Published on: August 6, 2013 by Gallery Books

In this gripping legal thriller by “the female John Grisham” (The Providence Journal), sex-crimes prosecutor Anna Curtis must stop a vicious street gang before it destroys more lives—and her own family.

On the very night she gets engaged to the man she loves, Assistant US Attorney Anna Curtis’s professional life takes a shocking turn that threatens everything she holds dear. A few miles away from where she’s enjoying her romantic dinner, two separate groups are gearing up to raid a brothel. A vicious killer known as Diablo—the Devil—leads one group. A few minutes later, Anna’s own investigative team heads in to search the brothel, as part of an ongoing fight against human trafficking in DC. Both groups are caught off guard, with deadly results.

As Anna investigates the bloody face-off, the boundaries between her work and home life begin to blur when she discovers a web of long-buried secrets and official lies that lead straight to her doorstep. And everything Anna counted on—the happiness she seemed so close to securing—comes into question as Diablo moves in for yet another kill.

Allison Leotta draws on her experience as a DC sex-crimes prosecutor to take you into the back rooms of the US Attorney’s Office, the hidden world of the Witness Protection Program, and the secret rituals of one of America’s most dangerous gangs. Universally praised by bestselling authors from Catherine Coulter and George Pelecanos to Lisa Scottoline and David Baldacci, Leotta weaves fact and fiction to create her best novel yet.

 

This is the third entry in a mystery/legal thriller series centering on protagonist Anna Curtis. She's an Assistant U.S. Attorney in DC. Anna has handled a couple of major cases so far. In Speak of the Devil, she'll work on her most dangerous one yet. The story picks up with Anna on a date with Jack Bailey, her fiance. He's the head of the Homicide Unit at the USAO (Anna's in Sex Crimes). Anna and Jack have had a somewhat rocky relationship so far. At least the interracial aspect of it hasn't been a big obstacle. It now seems as if Anna and Jack may soon get their happily ever after.

Several miles away, a group of MPD officers conducts a raid at a brothel. What was supposed to be a routine crackdown turns into a deadly confrontation. A couple of gang members manage to escape, but the cops are able to capture a third one. The guy's nickname turns out to be Psycho. Fitting for a dude involved with the MS, one of the most violent gangs in America. Psycho is found carrying something that causes MPD to bring Anna and Jack into the case. The former learns about it first, as she prepared a document enabling the police to conduct the raid. Detective Tavon McGee (a friend of Anna's and Jack's) is the one who brings the evidence.

BOOK REVIEW: ANCILLARY JUSTICE BY ANN LECKIE

Title: Ancillary Justice
Author: Ann Leckie
Genre: Science Fiction

Published on: October 1, 2013 by Orbit

Ancillary Justice is Ann Leckie's stunning debut -- the only novel to ever win the Hugo, Nebula, and Arthur C. Clarke awards -- about a ship's AI who becomes trapped in a human body and her quest for revenge. A must read for fans of Ursula K. Le Guin and James S. A. Corey.

"There are few who write science fiction like Ann Leckie can. There are few who ever could." -- John Scalzi.

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Once, she was the Justice of Toren -- a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

 

 

Where to start with this one? I started Ancillary Justice with high expectations. I mean, it's won the three most significant awards a sci-fi novel can get. It's gotta be great, no? The main character is Breq Ghaiad, a super-advanced AI occupying a human woman's body. Ancillary Justice is told from her third-person point of view. Breq tells the reader that she used to be a spaceship called the Justice of Toren. Apart from controlling the ship, Breq was also its army of special soldiers, all connected together. It wasn't exactly a hive mind; the Breq AI was just one mind split among a ship and several bodies. The soldiers themselves are known as "ancillaries". They are human, but they're, well, not alive per se. Some people actually refer to them as corpse soldiers. It reminded me of Amy Tintera's Reboots.

Why is Breq a single body now? The novel doesn't reveal that until later. It introduces Breq when she's on an alien planet. It's winter, and while going around, Breq stumbles into a barely-alive soldier she once knew. The soldier's name is Seivarden. Breq collects this person and heals them. It doesn't seem like Seivarden will stick around at first. Then the book reveals how long Seivarden has been missing: a thousand years. Breq herself has been "alive" for way longer than that. It's been twenty years since she was reduced to a single body, though.

BOOK REVIEW: CITY OF LEGENDS BY CHEYANNE YOUNG

Title: City of Legends

Author: Cheyanne Young

Genre: Science fiction, Young Adult

Published on: September 7, 2013

Maci Knight has grown up in the shadow of legends. Her father and her brother, Max, are Heroes, worshiped by humans and Supers alike for their strength and valor. All she’s ever wanted is to follow in their footsteps, to fight villains and protect humankind. But Maci has a secret—one that could change everything.

Maci had a twin sister who died the same day they were born. In their world, one twin is always good, while the other always eventually turns evil. There’s no way to tell which twin will go rogue . . . which means no one knows if Maci will suddenly become a villain.

The closer she gets to her eighteenth birthday, the more she has feelings she can’t control: Violence. Rage. Revenge. Maci wants to be a Hero. But she may not have a choice . . .

The first in a trilogy, City of Legends introduces a new superhero mythology and an unstoppable heroine.

Previously published by Amazon Publishing and Alloy Entertainment, LLC

 

This is a book I came across when searching for superhero-genre novels. In particular, I wanted to read something that wasn’t Marvel or DC. City of Legends sounded right up my alley. The main character is Maci Knight, a Super. In this world, Supers evolved from humans not long after the dawn of mankind. The reason given is that they were exposed to a special fictional element found in caves. This gave Supers an extra set of silver power veins that grant them strength, speed, enhanced senses, and an increased healing factor. In the present time, most Supers live in King City, a secured city in Utah.

Max grew up in King City with her older brother, Max. Their father is the President of the Super community. His name is not mentioned in the book, though. Max and the President are both in the Hero Brigade. This inspired Maci to follow the same path. She’s been training to become a Hero ever since she was a kid. Now that Maci is about to turn eighteen, she’s going to take a test that will decide whether she gets into the Brigade. Fate may have other plans for Maci, though. She discovers a family secret that rocks her world. It causes Maci’s already short temper to be more on edge.

BOOK REVIEW: THE EDGE OF ALWAYS BY J.A. REDMERSKI

Title: The Edge of Always
Author: J.A. Redmerski
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: November 5, 2013 by Forever Romance

He was taking the long road. She was taking the road to nowhere. It just so happened that they led to the same place…

When everything falls apart, love remains . . .

THE EDGE OF ALWAYS

Camryn Bennett has never been happier. Five months after meeting on a Greyhound bus, she and her soul mate Andrew Parrish are engaged—and a wedding isn’t the only special event in their future. Nervous but excited, Camryn can’t wait to begin the rest of her life with Andrew – a man she knows in her heart will love her always. They have so much to look forward to—until tragedy blindsides them.

Andrew doesn’t understand how this could happen to them. He’s trying to move on, and thought Camryn was doing the same. But when Andrew discovers Camryn is secretly harboring a mountain of pain and attempting to numb it in damaging ways, there is nothing he won’t do to bring her back to life. Determined to prove that their love can survive anything, Andrew decides to take Camryn on a new journey filled with hope and passion. If only he can convince her to come along for the ride…

The Edge of Never is one of my favorite 5-star-rated books. It’s even first on my list of the best novels I read in the 2010 decade. While it may not be a literary masterpiece, TEON was still really enjoyable. It also wraps up the story well, with no major loose ends. This is why I was slightly surprised to hear about a sequel. More Camryn and Andrew, though? Sign me up right away! This second entry picks up a short time after TEON ended. Andrew and Camryn are now engaged and living in Galveston, the former’s hometown.

Right from the first page, Andrew tells the reader Camryn is expecting his child. They give the good news to their family and friends. There’s happiness all around, but a few doubts plague Camryn. If you remember, she’s someone who wants to avoid a monotonous, robotic life at all costs. Andrew is much the same way. They’re trying to decide whether to live in Galveston or Raleigh, North Carolina (where Camryn’s from). It doesn’t matter nearly as much to Andrew as it does to Camryn. Wherever she wants to go, he’ll follow.

BOOK REVIEW: SHE CAN SCREAM BY MELINDA LEIGH

Title: She Can Scream
Author: Melinda Leigh
Genre: Romantic suspense, mystery

Published on: September 17, 2013 by Montlake Romance

Winner of the 2014 Golden Leaf Award

In one moment, high school teacher and single mother Brooke Davenport interrupts a vicious assault, saves a young woman’s life, and attracts the attention of a serial killer.

Sixteen years ago, Brooke lost her roommate to a brutal murder. Now she teaches women’s self-defense, still trying to heal from the guilt and grief that plague her. Convinced the predator knows his victims and is stalking his prey online, she is determined to find him before he strikes again. Her brother’s friend, Luke has the computer expertise to help. But Brooke’s unexpected desire for Luke complicates her investigation, and her fixation with the case provokes a deadly reaction from the killer.

Injured in terrorist bombing overseas, computer expert Luke Holloway is still haunted by flashbacks of his young assistant’s death in the explosion. But Luke can’t refuse the request of a deployed friend to look after his sister, Brooke. Taking on responsibility for Brooke’s safety threatens Luke’s tenuous recovery, especially after he develops feelings for her that transcend a promise to a friend. When Brooke saves a young girl from a brutal assault and becomes a killer’s obsession, Luke vows to protect her at all costs.

The She Can series gets a bit of a refresh with She Can Scream. It takes place in Westbury, just like the previous two books. The characters are new this time, though. This novel first introduces Brooke Davenport, the protagonist. She’s a high school teacher who gives self-defense classes for young women in her spare time. Brooke is running late with a class when the book starts. When she prepares to head home, Brooke hears a scream. There’s only one, so most people would just dismiss it. Not Brooke. She’s a very safety-conscious woman, and decides to investigate with the help of the building’s janitor.

Brooke’s decision proves to be pivotal. She manages to thwart a kidnapping attempt. The community center where she teaches self-defense is bordered by woods at the back. A man almost took a teenage girl with him. The girl, Maddie, is hurt but otherwise all right, and gets sent to the hospital. When Wade, Brooke’s older brother, hears about what happened, it worries him deeply. Wade is about to be deployed by the army. He’s concerned about leaving Brooke alone. This compels him to ask his best friend, Luke Holloway, to look after Brooke.

BOOK REVIEW: ALSO KNOWN AS BY ROBIN BENWAY

Title: Also Known As

Author: Robin Benway

Genre: Young Adult, mystery

Published on: February 26, 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

From New York Times bestselling, National Book Award winning author Robin Benway comes the first book in a hilarious and romantic duology about a normal girl . . . who just so happens to be a spy.

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.

Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

There’s a certain appeal to stories about spies. It’s likely about escapism. Spies (at least the way they’re portrayed in fiction) lead risky but arguably glamorous lives. They get to travel the world, for one. The protagonist of Also Known As certainly gets to do just that. She’s Maggie Silver, a teenage daughter of spy parents. The trio work for a covert organization called the Collective. When the story starts, the Silvers are finishing a mission in Iceland. Maggie’s part of the mission because she has a particular specialty. At just fifteen, Maggie is perhaps the best safecracker in the world. She can break into any safe or lock. Maggie’s been doing it all her life.

If you ask Maggie, one drawback about the spy life is how lonely it is. She’s rarely ever interacted with people her own age. Couple that with moving to different countries all the time, and it’s obvious Maggie hasn’t had the chance to make friends. So, when the Collective assign a new mission, Maggie is thrilled. This will be the first time Maggie handles a mission on her own. She feels ready to prove herself. Maggie and her parents fly to New York for the mission. The objective is for Maggie to attend a private high school. There, she must find a student by the name of Jesse Oliver. Maggie must befriend him to get access to his father, a journalist. The Collective believe that he is about to expose their organization.

BOOK REVIEW: RIPPLER BY CIDNEY SWANSON

Title: Rippler
Author: Cidney Swanson
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Published on: March 8, 2013, self-published

Discovering she can turn invisible terrifies Samantha, especially when she learns a geneticist who murdered her mom wants her too. Handsome Will Baker offers help and secrecy, but soon Sam will have to choose between keeping her secrets and keeping Will in her life. Suspenseful and romantic, Rippler and its sequels capture the collision of the beautiful with the dark.

Two further sequels form a complete trilogy. Four additional books in series for those who fall in love with the Ripple world and want even more!

RIPPLER is the free first book in a teen and young adult paranormal fantasy series set in a contemporary world where invisibility has long been a well kept secret. It combines the heart pounding action of a thriller with a touch of clean romance and a science fiction twist.

Looking forward to reading another contemporary sci-fi novel, I picked up Rippler. It’s the first entry in a trilogy, and it was free when I got it, so that was a boon. I began reading it, not expecting to be significantly wowed or anything. After finishing it, I was eager for more. Books that have characters with special abilities are among my favorite, and Rippler does not disappoint.

The main protagonist is Samantha Ruiz, a teenage schoolgirl from some tiny town called Las Abuelitas. Supposedly, it’s located somewhere in California. The town doesn’t actually exist, just so you know. Personally, I found the name a bit silly, no offense to the author. Anyway, Rippler starts out drawing your interest right from the first page. Samantha’s just suffered an incident in front of her classmates while rowing: she turned invisible. Lucky for Sam, no one notices…except for a boy named Will. He pulls off a well-thought distraction to allow Sam to return to normal.

BOOK REVIEW: THE CUCKOO'S CALLING BY ROBERT GALBRAITH

Title: The Cuckoo's Calling

Author: Robert Galbraith

Genre: Mystery

Published on: September 22, 2015 by Mulholland Books (first published April 18, 2013)

When a troubled supermodel falls to her death from the balcony of her London home, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts and calls in private detective Cormoran Strike to investigate.

Strike is a war veteran--wounded both physically and psychologically--and his private life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's world, the darker things get and the closer he comes to terrible danger.

As a huge fan of both the Harry Potter series and of mystery/thriller novels, I was looking forward to reading this book. I was piqued when I heard J.K. Rowling started writing mysteries under the name Robert Galbraith. It took me longer than I wished to read it. My reading list is miles long and time just kept on passing. Anyway, I’ve finally got to the Cormoran Strike series. Was it worth the wait? Read on.

The Cuckoo’s Calling introduces private investigator Cormoran Strike. He’s about as interesting as his name is (by which I mean “a lot”). It sounds a bit like a military rank instead of a name. Cormoran Strike. The story is set in London. It opens with the death of supermodel Lula Landry. The event shocks everyone in the city. The Metropolitan Police conduct a thorough investigation. Lula’s death ends up being ruled a suicide.

BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF TIME BY JEN MCLAUGHLIN

Title: Out of Time
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: December 1, 2013, self-published

Desperate to keep him...

I've finally gotten everything I ever wanted: love, freedom, happiness, and, most importantly, Finn. Our love is everything I expected it to be and more. We've finally found each other, but the world seems determined to tear us apart. We thought my father was the only obstacle between us, but now it's the military. With Finn’s departure looming, we’re squeezing in every moment together before we run out of time.

Trying to make every moment count…

Being Carrie’s bodyguard was one thing. Being her boyfriend is another. Every day she’s mine is a day the sun shines in my life. Yet our time together is running out. Her father will never think a tattooed Marine will be good enough, so I’ll do whatever it takes to be worthy of her love. But the road will take me away from the girl who makes me feel alive--the girl I can't live without.

Time only gets us so far...

This is book two in the Out of Line trilogy. It’s a New Adult romance, and the main character is Carrie Wallington. She’s a college freshman who moved from the East Coast to LA to have more freedom. Her father, a prominent senator, takes overprotective to the extreme. The senator wanted to send Carrie with bodyguards, but she put her foot down. He deployed one anyway: Finn Coram. He’s a Marine, selected to protect Carrie in secret because his youth allows him to blend in among college students.

Carrie and Finn are now dating. She spotted him early on, and he couldn’t stay away from her. They ended up falling deeply in love. Carrie was furious when Finn told her who he really was. That’s all over now, and Finn promised Carrie there wouldn’t be any more lies. Senator Wallington can’t know about their relationship, though. Carrie is sure her father would not approve of her dating a guy like Finn, partly because of his tattoos. Finn is acting as if nothing had happened, keeping Senator Wallington updated about Carrie.

BOOK REVIEW: TRAIL OF DEAD BY MELISSA F. OLSON

Title: Trail of Dead

Author: Melissa F. Olson

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published on: June 4, 2013 by 47North 

As a null, Scarlett Bernard possesses a rare ability to counteract the supernatural by instantly neutralizing spells and magical forces. For years she has used her gift to scrub crime scenes of any magical traces, helping the powerful paranormal communities of Los Angeles stay hidden. But after LAPD detective Jesse Cruz discovered Scarlett’s secret, he made a bargain with her: solve a particularly grisly murder case, and he would stay silent about the city’s unearthly underworld.

Now two dead witches are found a few days before Christmas, and Scarlett is once again strong-armed into assisting the investigation. She soon finds a connection between the murders and her own former mentor, Olivia, a null who mysteriously turned into a vampire and who harbors her own sinister agenda. Now Scarlett must revisit her painful past to find Olivia—unless the blood-drenched present claims her life first.

After solving a pivotal case in the previous book, Scarlett Bernard’s place in the Old World is more secure. She’s a null, a human who negates all magic around them. Thanks to this power, Scarlett works as a crime scene cleaner for LA’s supernatural groups. Trail of Dead picks up after a hiatus of several weeks. Scarlett flew to New York to meet with another null and learn more about what their power can do. This would be a big help for future missions.

Scarlett barely puts one foot back in LA before Detective Jesse Cruz approaches her. He’s another main protagonist and a love interest for Scarlett. Jesse had been waiting for her arrival so he could ask about a new crime scene. At the moment, though, Scarlett and Jesse’s relationship is strained. They like each other, but issues keep holding them back. One of them is Jesse’s expressed dislike of Scarlett’s job. This is because she sometimes makes dead bodies disappear. When they have obvious signs of magical harm, Scarlett can’t allow the police to see them. Jesse is a righteous cop and won’t condone tampering with evidence in such a drastic and permanent way.

BOOK REVIEW: SACRIFICE BY CLYDE PHILLIPS

Title: Sacrifice

Author: Clyde Phillips

Genre: Mystery, police procedural

Published on: August 13, 2013 by Thomas & Mercer (first edition: June 17, 2003)

San Francisco homicide detective Jane Candiotti’s life is finally looking up, thanks to a new promotion and a new husband. But navigating newlywed life takes a backseat when Philip Iverson, a powerful Bay Area philanthropist, is found murdered in a downtown hotel. An hour later, a homeless man is stabbed to death at the docks, a crime most cops would shrug off. But Jane isn’t like most cops.

Her gut tells her there’s something bigger at play here, something linking the victims in death when it’s likely their paths never crossed in life. But uncovering the truth won’t be easy: the Powers That Be are demanding that the SFPD focus all their resources on the Iverson case, despite alarming evidence that a serial killer is at work. If Jane can’t solve these murders—and fast—she could lose more than just her job…

It takes great characters to make a reader stay with them for three books or more. Jane Candiotti and Kenny Marks certainly are more than interesting to read about. This is their third book, and it’s just as good as the other two. Candiotti is now the lieutenant of the Homicide division at the SFPD. She’s said to be the first woman to hold the position. Candiotti took over after her previous boss resigned due to the events in Blindsided.

The first character we’re introduced to in Sacrifice is Philip Iverson. He’s a billionaire philanthropist and apparently San Francisco’s most beloved citizen. After a gala event he organized, Philip is found dead in a parking lot. Jane and Kenny rush to the scene, and are shocked at what they find. The police manage to keep Iverson’s death secret at first, to avoid scaring the public. Later that same night, Jane comes across another murder. This time, the victim is a homeless man.

BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF LINE BY JEN MCLAUGHLIN

Title: Out of Line
Author: Jen McLaughlin
Genre: Romance, New Adult

Published on: April 30, 2013, self-published

Desperate to break free…

I've spent my entire life under my father’s thumb, but now I'm finally free to make my own choices. When my roommate dragged me to my first college party, I met Finn Coram and my life turned inside out. He knows how to break the rules and is everything I never knew I wanted. A Marine by day and surfer by night, he pushes me away even as our attraction brings us closer. Now I am finally free to do whatever I want. I know what I want. I choose Finn.

Trying to play by the rules...

I always follow orders. My job, my life, depends on it. I thought this job would be easy, all the rules were made crystal clear, but when I met Carrie Wallington, everything got muddy. She's a rule I know I shouldn't break, but damn if I don’t inch closer to the breaking point each time I see her. I’m ready to step out of line. And even worse? I’m living a lie. They say the truth will set you free, but in my case…

The truth will cost me everything.

If I could choose a few novels that represent my "cup of tea" when it comes to reading, Out of Line would be among them. Although I’m a guy, I enjoy romance novels (as long as they don’t gush over the male protagonist or have a shirtless dude on the cover). This is the kind of book I wish I’d written if I were an author. I liked the relationship between Finn and Carrie. It develops steadily over the course of the book. They first start out as friends, but right from the start they're aware that they feel something stronger towards each other.

Finn is supposed to be a student at the same college Carrie attends. However, he has a secret of his own: he's Carrie's bodyguard. Finn was sent by her father to make sure she's safe at all times. Yeah, he's that kind of father. I'm frankly horrified by how far this man will go to "protect" Carrie. He's so overly paranoid it's not funny: this weirdo went so far as to have two guards watch Carrie sleep. If he could have some Secret Service agents follow his daughter around (perhaps with a helicopter or two and a SWAT team just in case), he would. It's no wonder that a suffocated Carrie flat-out refused to have a bodyguard. Her father agreed but slipped her one under the table anyway.

BOOK REVIEW: BLINDSIDED BY CLYDE PHILLIPS

Title: Blindsided

Author: Clyde Phillips

Genre: Mystery, police procedural

Published on: August 13, 2013 by Thomas & Mercer (first edition: March 1, 2000)

Homicide inspector Jane Candiotti's personal life is taking a turn for the better: still single and nearing 40, she's about to set up housekeeping with her partner on the force, Kenny Marks. Her future at the San Francisco Police Department is looking good too, until Skip Lacey, a former cop who's fallen on hard times, turns up dead in a railway yard, his eyes brutally gouged out. The killer's got a big score to settle, as well as a talent for turning up in the strangest places, like the funeral of Jane's father. He also has a sharpshooter's eye and a deadly aim: bent on revenge for a 15-year-old miscarriage of justice, he picks off six more cops, all in Jane's precinct.

In this second outing after the Hitchcockian Fall from Grace, which also starred Candiotti and Marks, Phillips telegraphs the killer's identity early on, but that doesn't keep the suspense from mounting. This gripping police procedural has a wallop of a denouement that will come as a surprise to most readers. The action is well paced, the characters sympathetically drawn, and the love story adds a nice touch without sinking into sentimentality.

The first book in this series left me wowed, so I was eager to find out what’s next for the protagonists. They are Inspector Jane Candiotti of the SFPD, and her partner Kenny Marks. Fall from Grace ended on sort of a bleak note. Jane went through a huge disappointment that almost cost her her life. Now, she and Kenny are closer than ever. Jane’s starting to realize that he’s the man she loves after all.

It’s been almost a year since the events of the previous book. Blindsided starts by introducing the main villain, whose identity is revealed right away: Jacques Carpenter. He’s an ex-con who got released due to good behavior. Now, Jacques intends to exact revenge on those who he feels have messed up his life. His first kill doesn’t make much of an impact. Jane and Kenny all but dismiss it, thinking the victim just pissed someone off. The brutality of the kill leaves a huge impression on them, though.

BOOK REVIEW: OUT OF TURN BY TIFFANY SNOW

Title: Out of Turn

Author: Tiffany Snow

Genre: Romantic suspense

Published on: December 17, 2013 by Montlake Romance

Breaking up is hard to do, as Kathleen Turner discovers. After a falling-out with her ex, high-powered attorney Blane Kirk, she’s moving on the best she can. Unfortunately, someone from her past is set on revenge and nothing short of killing Kathleen will stop them.

Keeping his brother’s ex-girlfriend alive isn’t something new to assassin-for-hire Kade Dennon, but this time can he protect her from himself? She’s a woman he can’t convince himself to walk away from, no matter what it costs him.

Regret is a constant companion for Blane as he realizes the truth behind the lies he’s been told. Can love heal the past, or can some mistakes not be undone?

Murder reunites Blane, Kade, and Kathleen as the police put Blane in their crosshairs. Blane may lose everything unless he and Kade can find the real murderer before it’s too late. But if they can’t set aside their love for the same woman and work together, it will tear them apart.

In Out of Turn, Kathleen is caught between two warring brothers, and the consequences may be fatal.

After the way the previous book ended, I readily started Out of Turn. The stakes are higher than ever now. Blane Kirk, one of the protagonists, made a terrible mistake that may just have cost him the love of his life, Kathleen Turner. She’s been recovering from their breakup for the past few months. Kathleen’s done her best to live her life as usual, returning for work at The Drop (a place she used to bartend at). Everything’s normal for Kathleen now, almost monotonous. This doesn’t last long, though. Someone out th
ere wants to kill Kathleen yet again. And much to her dismay, Blane endeavors to protect her.

It must be extremely awkward to interact with an ex again after months of no seeing each other. To make it worse, the reason Blane and Kathleen broke up was awful. Even though she wants him out of her life, Blane won’t go anywhere while Kathleen’s life is in danger. Needing some buffer, Kathleen asks for Kade to return. Unfortunately, she suffers another attempt on her life. An unsettled Kade hightails it back to Indy to protect her.

BOOK REVIEW: FALL FROM GRACE BY CLYDE PHILLIPS

Title: Fall From Grace

Author: Clyde Phillips

Genre: Mystery, police procedural

Published on: August 13, 2013 by Thomas & Mercer (first edition: April 22, 1998)

Veteran San Francisco homicide detective Jane Candiotti never had a problem drawing the line between her personal and professional lives—until the night she meets David Perry after his socialite wife, Jenna, is brutally murdered. The facts are damning: the Perrys were embroiled in a bitter divorce and now David stands to inherit millions in the wake of Jenna’s death. But Jane’s instincts tell her there’s more to this case than just greed and love gone sour.

To uncover the truth, she must dig into the sordid secrets of the city’s most powerful families, a quest that will draw her inextricably closer to David and his teenage daughter…and to the cold-blooded killer who’s stalking their every move. But when the case takes a shocking turn, it’s not just Jane’s reputation that’s hanging in the balance—it’s her life.

A terrifying noir thriller from the executive producer of Dexter, Fall From Grace was hailed by Dennis Lehane as “a deftly plotted first novel with the pace of a hurricane and the impact of an earthquake.”

As I’m a fan of mysteries/thrillers with law enforcement characters, I picked up this book when it was discounted. By now, it’s 2016 and I’ve read several books with female investigators. In Fall from Grace, the protagonist is Inspector Jane Candiotti of the San Francisco PD. She is said to be one of the best officers in their force. The book starts with a liberal amount of backstory that hardly seemed relevant. After reading chapter one, I thought that it served only to humanize the characters in it. It’s apparent the author didn’t want them to just be faceless victims of a tragic accident. The following chapters introduce supporting characters. Then Jane Candiotti finally showed up.

One of Fall from Grace’s most important characters is David Perry. He’s an attorney who’s going through a divorce. His wife, Jenna, was having an affair with a close friend of hers. She’s not just any woman, though. Jenna comes from one of the richest families in SF. She kicked David out of her house, and he’s now living in a condo. David is still allowed to see his and Jenna’s daughter, Lily. She’s thirteen, smart, and rather endearing. As expected, Lily is deeply affected by her parents’ divorce. This comes a year after her maternal grandfather died in a plane crash.