Fiction | Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

PANDEMIC by Scott Sigler

May 29, 2014

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In spite of literally saving the nation, Margaret Montoya has never been able to forgive herself for her part in the destruction of Detroit. Years have passed with no new sign of infection but the nation is still on guard and the military has been running a top-secret search for pieces of the downed Orbital. Finally divers report a discovery – an artifact has been found. Within days everyone who comes into contact with the piece is dead and Margaret is asked once again to help. Evidence of infection is found in two of the bodies, but this time it appears the organism has adapted. Before they know it, the infection has begun to spread and it’s up to Margaret to find a cure before it’s too late.

Scott Sigler’s gory and gross out epic infection trilogy comes to an end with Pandemic. This is definitely not a series for the squeamish. I am, however, a big fan.

Sigler’s attention to detail and care in keeping his stories scientifically sound makes them totally convincing and that much more creepy. The plotting and pacing are clever and quick, and his created “Siglerverse” is one that I love returning to over and over again. This particular title, while obviously the follow up to Infected and Contagious, is also connected to one of Sigler’s stand alones, Ancestor.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

PANDEMIC by Scott Sigler. Crown (January 21, 2014). ISBN 978-0307408976. 592p.

6 Comments | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Thriller | Permalink
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ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare

May 28, 2014

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Spindle Cove (Book 4)

Pauline Simms is a serving girl in Spindle Cove, AKA “Spinsters Cove”, vacation spot for unmarried women looking for a husband. Pauline has no illusions about her life; she takes care of her challenged sister, works hard, and hopes to one day have her own bookshop. Then she meets Griffin York, the Duke of Halford.

The Duchess of Halford, Griff’s mother, has dragged her son off to Spindle Cove to find a wife. He has no interest, and decides to teach his interfering mother a lesson. She demands he picks a woman, any woman, at the tavern, and she will train her to become a duchess. Of course he chooses Pauline.

The Duchess abides by her bargain and the Duke makes a deal with the serving girl; she must submit to a week of Duchess training by his mother, and fail miserably. He will pay her enough money to move out of her father’s house and open her own bookshop.

The Duchess is nobody’s fool and even she can see that there is an attraction between her son and Pauline, but neither of them will admit to it. Shades of “My Fair Lady” run throughout, along with some light humor and some interesting sex, including a bit of S&M.

This is a well written historical, sexy romance, and a really fun read.

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

ANY DUCHESS WILL DO by Tessa Dare. Avon (May 28, 2013). ISBN 978-0062240125. 384p.

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I AM PILGRIM by Terry Hayes

May 27, 2014

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Make sure to read on for two reviews!

The perfect murder involves an unidentifiable victim; a young woman found face down in a bathtub of acid, teeth removed, fingerprints and face gone, and a murder scene devoid of fingerprints, DNA or any other identifiers.

The homicide detective in charge is a long time friend of the “Pilgrim,” a retired CIA operative who has penned a textbook on criminal investigations that the murderer has apparently read, and he is called in to help investigate. It becomes an international manhunt moving through the United Kingdom, France, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, but this is more than just a murder mystery; there is also a biologic threat against the United States that somehow ties in with the murder.

The characters are skillfully brought to life in this action packed worldwide adventure, and the main protagonist is quick-witted and just plain likeable. Growing up the adopted son in a very wealthy family, he is a brilliant loner who is recruited by the “Division,” a top secret black ops group that is eventually disbanded.

Another loner nicknamed Saracen, grew up in Saudi Arabia where his father was beheaded for criticizing the King; international politics makes for fascinating back story here. While gruesome at times, none of the violence is gratuitous and unfortunately, it all feels quite real and believable.

Don’t be put off by the length of this book; the story is tightly plotted, the pages fly by ferociously fast and the book is simply unputdownable.

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

An extremely literate story about a battle between two titans of their respective sides. One is an American, adopted son of a family with a great deal of privilege, currently an agent for a U.S. government agency only depicted as higher than the CIA. The other is a poor Arab boy born in Saudi Arabia but turned into a terrorist by the Saudi’s execution of his father for no apparent reason. The American uses the name of Pilgrim in order to hide his real identity and has become one of the most effective agents his agency has.

The Arab is turned onto terrorism by the Saudi’s execution of his father just because the man spoke badly of the king. He decides that revenge against Saudi Arabia would be best served by a massive terrorist attack on the United States, which he deems the Saudi’s ally. He proceeds to build up a well prepared background while becoming known as the Saracen in order to effect this attack.

Hayes is brilliant in developing the two characters, their motivations, their reactions to each other as mortal enemies. The reader knows each one intimately through the author’s descriptions and can relate to their actions on an ongoing basis. What the Saracen decides to use to attack the United States demands a preparation that only a very bright mind could conceive of and work towards. It is a credible threat that the reader will be able to identify as possible. Pilgrim’s planning and actions against this enemy must be even more clever in order to win the mental battle between them.

The action moves back and forth starting with a murder investigation in New York and ending in Turkey.

Hayes, in an afterward, indicates that film rights are in process and I would certainly be a fan of that if it comes out. In the meanwhile I do trust that the author is planning more books for the near future, and those I will grab as soon as available.

5/14 Paul Lane

I AM PILGRIM by Terry Hayes. Atria/Emily Bestler Books (May 27, 2014). ISBN 978-1439177723. 624p.

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CASEBOOK by Mona Simpson

May 26, 2014

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Miles is a snoop. He can’t help it. It begins with him eavesdropping on his parents’ conversations. He escalates to listening in on the phone and rifling through his mother’s desk and computer. It’s his snooping that first reveals his parents’ marital issues. He discovers that his father will be moving out, that he’s seeing another woman, and finally that his mother has a new boyfriend. When he sees a man who looks very much like said boyfriend in a place where he shouldn’t be, Miles goes on an all out investigation. With the help of his best friend, Hector, the two make some startling discoveries about the adults in their lives.

I’m of two minds about this book. First, it is rather well written. Miles begins as a young boy and Simpson very aptly narrates through him, aging him along the way. It makes for a fun read considering the resulting interpretation of various overheard snippets as imagined through the eyes of a young boy.

My issue with this book is that it wasn’t really what I’d expected it would be. I’d gone in expecting a mystery and what I got was the story of a boy growing into adulthood.

My other complaint is that the book is set up in the beginning as being a book written by Miles and Hector. There are a handful of footnotes meant to be conversations between the two boys peppered throughout the story, but it wasn’t fully developed enough to truly be convincing. Overall it was an element that felt unnecessary and somewhat distracting given that it was so infrequent in appearance.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

CASEBOOK by Mona Simpson. Knopf; First Edition edition (April 15, 2014). ISBN 978-0385351416. 336p.

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SEKRET by Lindsay Smith

May 25, 2014

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An empty mind is a safe mind.

Yulia has a gift: with just a touch she can see the history of an object or a person. It’s this gift that a secret branch of the KGB hopes to use to their advantage in 1963 USSR.

The country is in the midst of the Space Race and convinced that the Americans have spies within the Russian program. Yulia and her fellow comrades – other teens who share similar abilities – are tasked with various tests and ops to advance the country’s efforts. But Yulia has no desire to help the KGB, especially considering she’s basically a hostage with her mother and brother being used as bait to keep her in the program. The temptation to escape is overwhelming but the punishment linked to such an attempt may not be worth it.

Sekret is a fabulous debut. Smith incorporates real history into the tale, including the Space Race, the Kennedy assassination, and bits about Russia’s move into Communism (and the results). And of course there’s the psychic spy aspect as well. (I especially appreciated the author’s note in the end outlining much of the factual basis for the book.)

The characters and setting are built wonderfully and the paranormal aspects aren’t too overwhelming for readers who may not normally gravitate to that kind of subject.

Sekret is an intense and quick read with great cross over appeal for adults.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

SEKRET by Lindsay Smith. Roaring Brook Press (April 1, 2014). ISBN 978-1596438927. 352p.

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THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison

May 24, 2014

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For years Jodi has endured her husband’s philandering in silence. She knows, after all, that he’ll always come home to her. Which is not to say that Jodi doesn’t get her revenge – she punishes Todd in little, almost insignificant ways. It makes her feel better. But when Todd’s latest affair leads to their separation, Jodi begins to lose it.

Given the comparisons to Gone Girl and all the hype around A.S.A. Harrison’s first and only release (she sadly passed away last year), I had high expectations in going into The Silent Wife. But not far into it, I was set to write this one off as something that just wasn’t my cup of tea. Fortunately for me I did stick it out to the end – and oh, what an end it was.

Todd and Jodi are both pretty equally unlikable. I found it hard to sympathize with either of them given their natures. A.S.A. Harrison actually does a pretty phenomenal job in that regard, as I’m certain the reader isn’t really supposed to like either of them. To say much more would be to give too much away and I wouldn’t want to spoil this one for anyone. I will say that fans of Gillian Flynn will likely enjoy The Silent Wife and I would also add that if you’re like me and waffling at the start, do stick it out to the end.

5/14 Becky Lejeune

THE SILENT WIFE by A.S.A. Harrison. Penguin Books (June 25, 2013). ISBN 978-0143123231. 326p.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Historical, Paranormal, Thriller, Young Adult | Permalink
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CATNAPPED! by Elaine Viets

May 23, 2014

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This is the latest entry in the Dead-End Job series, one of my favorite cozy mystery series. While it is a series, each book does stand alone, and Elaine is very good about including pertinent information for newcomers to the series.

The series started out with Helen Hawthorne, the main character, working for cash under the table to keep her ex-husband from finding her or her money. The series has evolved, and Helen is now married and running a private detective agency with her husband, Phil. But never fear, she still ends up working minimum wage jobs, but now she’s going undercover to help solve the case.

Catnapped! revolves around the cat show industry and Helen ends up working as a cat groomer for a breeder. A divorcing couple can’t agree on anything except their shared love of their show kitten. But when the kitten is kidnapped (catnapped!) Helen & Phil are on the case. Unfortunately, the ex-husband ends up dead, and the wife arrested for the murder. Meanwhile, things aren’t all good on the home-front either. The Coronado apartment building is in need of major repairs, and Margery seems more inclined to sell than renovate.

One of the best things about this series is how Viets shines a light on the minimum wage jobs and the people that work so hard for so little. Invariably I learn something new in every book – like the grooming involved with show cats! I love the south Florida setting, not only because I live there but because Viets really brings it to life – the setting becomes almost another character. This is another smart mystery with intrigue, laughs and a lot of heart.

Check out Elaine Viets’ guest blog for an inside look at bathing a cat!

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

CATNAPPED! by Elaine Viets. NAL Hardcover (May 6, 2014). ISBN 978-0451466303. 288p.

1 Comment | Book Reviews, Crime Fiction, Fiction | Tagged: Humor, Mystery | Permalink
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THE TARGET by L. J. Sellers

May 22, 2014

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With her latest Agent Dallas outing, Ms. Sellers has once again hit it out of the park. Focusing on the world of industrial espionage and cutting edge medical technology, Sellers shows that while greed is universal and seemingly boundless, you can’t keep a good agent down, and Agent Dallas is the best of the best.

Dallas lives for the thrill of working undercover and rides high on the adrenaline rush from a tense situation. The death of another agent in San Diego under suspicious circumstances starts her on the new assignment, which quickly becomes high risk. The stakes are high and the other side thinks nothing of taking those who interfere off the board. permanently.

Intertwined with the case is the murder of an aging film star. Are the two cases connected? Few authors can do one successful series, but Sellers has two – with Detective Jackson and with Agent Dallas. Which is better? Try both and decide for yourself.

05/14 Jack Quick

THE TARGET by L. J. Sellers. Spellbinder Press (May 20, 2014). ebook. ASIN B00JLSQH2M. 300p.

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WOO’D IN HASTE by Sabrina Darby

May 21, 2014

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The Taming Series

Biana Mansfield has been stuck at home for two seasons now while her older sister, Kate, has been off having a grand old time. After their mother passed, their father indulged Kate’s every whim and her latest is making sure she doesn’t have to compete with Bianca for a husband. Kate convinces her father that she needs to marry before Biana debuts, and he aquieses. Bianca and Kate have a temptestuous relationship but luckily, Kate’s been away with their stepmother for months.

Their little brother needs a tutor, and when Lucian Dorlingsley, heir to the Earl of Medford, sees Bianca he is smitten. His friend convinces him to become the boy’s tutor, “Luc Dore”, insuring that he gets to know Bianca. That ruse works, until they fall in love and Bianca finds out he’s been lying to her.

This is a very quick read but could have used a little more depth. The plot is thin, the characters interesting albeit shallow, and the predictable ending lacks spark. A very quick read for sure.

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WOO’D IN HASTE by Sabrina Darby. Avon Impulse (May 20, 2014). ISBN 978-0062304858. 160p.

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RESISTANT by Michael Palmer

May 20, 2014

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Dr. Lou Welcome is a fine Boston emergency room physician who also happens to be a recovering addict. He is asked to cover for his boss at a medical conference in Atlanta, and takes his best friend, Cap, along.

While out trail running, a slippery slope causes Cap to severely injure his leg, and Lou manages to get him to the hospital but that’s just the beginning of Cap’s problems. He picks up a new bug, nicknamed the “Doomsday Germ” by the press, while hospitalized.

Turns out a right wing domestic terrorist group was the creator of the germ, which they planned on using to blackmail the U.S. government into shutting down all entitlement programs. But the flesh eating bacteria just grew out of control and completely resistant to all known treatments, including the cure the terrorists thought they had, and even the Center for Disease Control is stumped. The F.B.I. gets involved, and the race between the government and the terrorists is on to find a cure before thousands die.

Over the years, Palmer has grown an audience for his medical thrillers, and this page turner should keep them happy.

Michael Palmer, Stacy Alesi (me), Daniel Palmer

On a personal note, I need to add how saddened I was when Michael Palmer passed away in late October, 2013. I had the privilege of meeting him on several occasions, and he was a real mensch – warm, charismatic and just a wonderful human being. He always remembered to ask about my kids and was always available to anyone who needed anything.

I met Michael through the International Thriller Writers organization at ThrillerFest, their annual convention. I was always so happy to see him at conventions because he always seemed so happy to see me; his smile was infectious.

When I was looking for authors willing to visit my library, I only had to ask him once. Not only did he come down, he brought Daniel along, too, and my library patrons got to meet two authors, who not only spoke about their books, but played music and sang. It was such a fun event and a real treat for me & my patrons.

I checked with St. Martin’s Press and they informed me that Michael left one more book behind, which is scheduled for May 2015.

Michael holds a special place in my heart and I will always remember him fondly.

5/14 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

RESISTANT by Michael Palmer. St. Martin’s Press (May 20, 2014). ISBN 978-1250030924. 400p.

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