August | 2015 | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES by Denise Grover Swank

August 6, 2015

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Rose Gardner has been the dutiful daughter for twenty-four years despite her abusive momma. Rose is a charming character, incredibly naïve and sweet, but she finally snaps; she tells off her momma and creates a list of 28 wishes on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt that includes things like wear high heels, kiss a man, and get cable TV.

While working at the DMV, she has a vision about herself being murdered; turns out her momma is the one who gets murdered and Rose is the prime suspect. Her mysterious new neighbor, Joe, is incredibly helpful and adds a bit of romance.

There is a lot of humor in this book that borders on but never quite crosses over to silly, and the mystery here almost takes a backseat to Rose and her declaration of independence.

This is the first book in a new series, with the next two following in September and October, respectively. It is light, fluffy Southern fun and should appeal to Mary Kay Andrews and Charlaine Harris fans.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES by Denise Grover Swank. Crooked Lane Books (August 11, 2015). ISBN 978-1629532196. 288p.

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THE ETERNAL WORLD by Christopher Farnsworth

August 5, 2015

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The proverbial Fountain of Youth is a legend that has filled the minds of mankind for centuries. The Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon is reputed to have looked for it on his trips to the new World five hundred years ago with no success. Suppose a group of Conquistador’s had actually found it. Would it have brought them great happiness as well as financial rewards, or would it prove to be a curse making living forever a horror because of its unnatural state.

Christopher Farnsworth brings us a novel based on the supposition that it was discovered by a group of Spanish soldiers 500 years ago in what is present day Florida. The soldiers kill the Utiza, i.e., the Indians living around the fountain in order to keep the prize for themselves. The only survivor is the Chieftain’ daughter, a girl named Shako who commences to hunt her people’s killers down through the ages to our times.

The source of the fountain is destroyed in our day and Simon de Olivares, the leader of the conquistadors is forced to try and get the water fabricated in order to continue life. The Spaniards have evolved the means to set up a very successful company and hire David Robinton, a scientific genius, who has been on the verge of a great discovery to come work for them in order to replicate the water needed to continue eternal life.

While David goes to work for the group the battle between the former Spanish soldiers and Shako nears a climax. Shako sets up a meeting with David and the two initiate a love affair while events move forward towards a climax between her and the Spaniards.

The reader must postulate the possibility of an actual fountain of youth in the hands of a group of people, but doing that will allow for a fast and rewarding read An engrossing novel, that while not an all-nighter is entertaining and keeps the reader entertained. Certainly a book that will cause further investigations of Farnsworth present and future novels.

8/15 Paul Lane

THE ETERNAL WORLD by Christopher Farnsworth. William Morrow (August 4, 2015). ISBN: 978-0062282927. 352p.

Kindle

Audiobook

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THE INSECT FARM by Stuart Prebble

August 4, 2015

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Roger Maguire is mentally challenged, probably somewhere on the Autism spectrum, and as an adult, his childhood obsession with an ant farm grows into a full-blown insect farm housed in buckets, crates and aquariums filling the backyard garden shed. His younger brother Jonathan also has an obsession, his girlfriend Harriet, a musician.

Jonathan knows he will eventually have to take care of Roger, but when his parents die in a house fire, that responsibility comes much sooner than expected. Jonathan and Harriet marry quickly but she remains at college, and they maintain a difficult, long distance relationship, which grows more complicated when Jonathan realizes that another musician is after his wife.

Things come to a head with Harriet, who ends up dead with Jonathan covered in her blood. He has no memory of the murder, but goes into panic mode, hiding the body and plotting ways to throw blame elsewhere. Roger remains in his own world, and Jonathan continues to care for him as events unfurl around them.

This book starts out super creepy, but quickly morphs into an extremely compelling story about brothers. A compelling read.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE INSECT FARM by Stuart Prebble. Mulholland Books (July 7, 2015). ISBN 978-0316337366. 320p.

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THE DEAD GROUND by Claire McGowan

August 3, 2015

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Paula Maguire is a forensic psychologist working with the Missing Persons Response Unit in Ballyterrin, a small town in Northern Ireland’s border country. She usually investigates old cases, but when a newborn baby goes missing from a hospital, Paula is assigned the case.

To complicate things further, she is pregnant and not sure who the father is. Then a woman is ritualistically, brutally murdered, and the pressure becomes intense. Someone in this tight-knit community is taking very young babies and even cutting them, unborn, from their mothers.

Paula follows this bloody trail with little to go on, while she is agonizing over a deeply personal decision. The history and culture of Northern Ireland are explored, along with themes of religion and fanaticism, but at its soul, this is a tale of motherhood and loss. All of the victims are children and pregnant women, which makes for very dark reading.

This is the second book of the series (after The Lost,) and probably should be read in order. While not for the faint of heart, this compulsively readable thriller should appeal to Meg Gardiner or Val McDermid fans.

8/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

THE DEAD GROUND by Claire McGowan. Headline Book Publishing; First Edition edition (April 1, 2014). ISBN 978-1472218568. 400p.

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NAME OF THE DEVIL by Andrew Mayne

August 2, 2015

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A Jessica Blackwood Novel

A church explosion in Virginia has led some to theorize the devil could be at work. It’s true, there’s little evidence of the cause of the explosion. There’s also no sign of the reported victims. The latter is easily explained, though, as Jessica Blackwood can attest. Called in alongside Agent Knoll to assist in the investigation, Jessica quickly realizes that the search perimeter is too narrow. They find the first victim hanging upside down from a tree just outside their search field. Less easily explainable is the strange symbol etched in blood across the man’s chest.

In this follow up to Angel Killer, Andrew Mayne once again pits Blackwood against a criminal mastermind whose motives and methods are truly baffling and bizarre. But baffling and bizarre are exactly what Jessica Blackwood excels at.

There are just so many things Mayne does so perfectly here – the cases are super odd, Jessica Blackwood is completely unique and kick ass, and all of the weirdness is couched in a premise that ultimately comes across as believable.

As a second in a series, this is also a great follow up because we finally get to meet some of Jessica’s family and learn more about her background. As such, and due to the fact that there are some references to Angel Killer, I would suggest reading these in order. Trust me, they’re worth it.

8/15 Becky LeJeune

NAME OF THE DEVIL by Andrew Mayne. Bourbon Street Books; Uncorrected Proof edition (July 7, 2015). ISBN 978-0062348890. 432p.

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Win the August ’15 bookshelf of signed thrillers!

August 1, 2015

No summer doldrums here…just an awesome collection of signed thrillers!

THE DEVIL’S BRIDGE by Linda Fairstein
In her seventeenth Alexandra Cooper thriller, New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein takes readers where they have never been before: Inside the mind of NYPD Detective Mike Chapman. Nelson DeMille says Fairstein is “one of the best crime fiction writers in America today.”

IRON WOLF by Dale Brown
New York Times bestselling author Dale Brown goes beyond the headlines in this high-tech, high-tension military thriller in which a resurgent Russia inflames sectarian unrest and violence in Ukraine and Poland, setting off a stealth robotic war and escalating an international crisis. Kirkus Review says, “The action’s relentless. … High-tension, all-out action-adventure. … Brown out-Clancys Tom.”

CENTER OF GRAVITY by Laura McNeill
Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem. Booklist says, “Readers will find this tale of domestic suspense deeply compelling as a once-happy family unit disintegrates and a woman summons her heretofore hidden strength. Told from multiple perspectives, McNeill’s gripping tale explores family, trust, and how lives are rebuilt.”

CRACKS IN THE COBBLESTONE by Susan E. Sagarra
St. Louis-based author Susan E. Sagarra has penned her first mystery novel in which two women take a crack at adulthood in vastly different worlds. Sagarra has earned numerous journalism awards, including first place in the National Federation of Press Women-Missouri Chapter annual contest.

THE ULTIMATE THREAT by James Osborne
Mark is in the way of ISIS’s plans – and they want him removed. Can Mark stave of ‘The Ultimate Threat’ in his mission to save not only his family but the freedom of America as well? Osborne is a novelist and the author of more than 100 short stories. His award-winning stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, both in print and online.

BELIEVE NO ONE by A.D. Garrett
The race is on to catch a serial killer and save a nine-year-old boy in this gripping sequel to A. D. Garrett’s highly praised forensic thriller, Everyone Lies In a starred review, Publishers Weekly says, “Fine attention to forensics and investigative techniques distinguishes this stellar thriller.”

SILENT CREED by Alex Kava
Ryder Creed and his K9 search-and-rescue dogs return in the second installment of an exciting new series, teaming up once more with FBI profiler Maggie O’Dell in their riskiest case yet. Publishers Weekly says, “Exciting . . . . [an] intense thriller, which builds to an explosive conclusion.”

THE ETERNAL WORLD by Christopher Farnsworth
If you could live forever, what would you die for? Kirkus Reviewsays, “A fantastical witch’s brew of Spanish conquistadors, biotechnology, and hubris . . . with cinematic pacing and colorful action scenes, Farnsworth blends a unique premise into fun summer reading . . . entertainingly explores the border where science fantasy meets reality.”

BLACK-EYED SUSANS by Julia Heaberlin
Shocking, intense, and utterly original, Black-Eyed Susans is a dazzling psychological thriller, seamlessly weaving past and present in a searing tale of a young woman whose harrowing memories remain in a field of flowers—as a killer makes a chilling return to his garden, sure to appeal to fans of Laura Lippman and Gillian Flynn. Publishers Weekly says, “Gripping . . . The suspense builds as Tessie uncovers devastating secrets from the past en route to the shocking ending.”

You can win autographed copies of all these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author!

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books page for more information on all these books and how you to enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!

Just wanted to add congratulations and thanks to the

November winner for sending in this picture!