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CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff

November 10, 2016

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Eve Rossi, Book 2

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is at the center of this New York City thriller. A riot breaks out the night before the parade and Police Commissioner Logan Donovan is shot.

Luckily, it’s not as serious as it first appears, until he realizes that during the confusion, his thirteen year old daughter has been kidnapped. Fearing for her life, he turns to the FBI, specifically to Eve Rossi.

Rossi heads Vidocq, a strictly undercover team of ex-cons with specific skills that can be put to good use here. Then another child is kidnapped, one with serious medical issues.

The kidnapper has several demands and Eve and her team scramble to meet them all, but panic ensues when they realize there may be more than just a kidnapping at stake. This appears to be a personal vendetta against the police commissioner, with possibly horrific consequences for the thousands of people lining the streets for the parade.

This is a worthy follow up to the first Eve Rossi thriller, and should appeal to Linda Fairstein or Meg Gardiner readers.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff. Bantam (November 15, 2016). ISBN 978-0425284452. 400p.

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Guest Blogger: Chris Formant

November 9, 2016

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Please welcome my guest blogger, Chris Formant!

One evening, I was walking through my rock memorabilia gallery, with The Doors music in the background, and I stopped to study my latest addition: a two-page article in the Record Mirror from 1964 announcing a hot new band: The Rolling Stones. What struck me the most was how young they were; a fresh-faced Keith Richards, a teenaged Mick Jagger, and Brian Jones, the founder of the Stones. Hanging right next to Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison memorabilia.

Jones, Hendrix and Morrison all died at the age 27 under cloudy circumstances. Urban legends and conspiracy theories have swirled around their deaths for almost 50 years.

An idea got in my head at just that moment that I couldn’t shake and kept haunting me for days. What if they didn’t die by accident? What if they all were murdered?

That is how Bright Midnight got started. A fictional murder mystery that re-imagines the deaths of chris_abbey-road-1-300dpi iconic late 60s and 70s rock stars, not as accidents but as murders.

Creating the original story line was the easy part. More difficult was crafting a sophisticated investigation that would be intriguing to a 21st-century reader.

A former editor of Rolling Stone magazine helped provide unique insight into the personalities of many of the stars. While gaining access to the archives of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including original editor and reporter files on each rock star, brought the era vividly to life.

Additionally, former FBI and NYPD investigators, helped me understand the forensic processes and modern cold-case investigative techniques that could apply. Lastly, a top neurosurgeon and researcher from Johns Hopkins Medicine helped interpret the autopsies and suggested alternative means by which the stars could have died physically and chemically.

That set the stage for a creative reimagining of the deaths, seen through the lenses of modern forensic practices and with the application of the latest technology. But even the latest technology couldn’t bridge some of the investigative gaps.

So, being a technologist, I imagined new technologies that are not currently in existence or considered highly experimental. The joys of fiction!

One of the technologies I created was a digital fabric analysis via photo analytics, not unlike the technique used when actual clothing fiber is found at the murder scene. In Bright Midnight, this allowed the FBI to identify the fabric type, the manufacturer, and the possible retail outlet and time period.

Another imagined technology was the use of a virtual crime scene simulator that created life-size holographic murder scenes from the original crime scene photos. Extremely graphic, these allowed a unique 3-dimensional recreation of the murder scene that could be simulated and alternative scenarios tested. Both technologies sound like they could be possible in the future, so their application in Bright Midnight seems realistic.

One thing that proved key to creating unique murder delivery vehicles were actually the autopsies themselves, combined with the limited forensic techniques used at that time. That combination allowed me to envision a much wider set of possible murder options and allowed me to engineer possible chemical causes of some of the murders that would leave consistent chemical traces to the original autopsy.

The result of this melding of modern forensic techniques, imagined future technologies, and advanced analytics with old fashioned investigative gut instincts created a unique, fictional rock-and-roll murder mystery that brings the craft of thriller writing to the genre for the first time.

About the Author

CHRIS FORMANT, who got his start in rock and roll in his early “garage band’ days, never dreamed he would one day hold a seat on the Board of Trustees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Today he is still a student of rock and roll and an avid collector of rock memorabilia. As an executive in a leading global company, running a multi-billion-dollar business, Formant is the unlikeliest of authors of a murder mystery. However, the continued unanswered questions surrounding the deaths of our most iconic rock legends led Formant to first speculate and then re-imagine what would happen if cutting-edge technology were applied to these famous cold cases. By conducting exhaustive research into the archives of the Hall of Fame, studying advanced forensics techniques and gaining creative insights from top doctors, FBI investigators and a former editor of Rolling Stone magazine, Formant crafted what is being referred to as the “The DaVinci Code for Rock and Roll Fans.”

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

BRIGHT MIDNIGHT by Chris Formant. HighLine Editions; New edition edition (October 27, 2016). ISBN 978-1941286920. 275p.

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YUGE! by G. B. Trudeau

November 8, 2016

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30 Years of Doonesbury on Trump

“Doonesbury is one of the most overrated strips out there. Mediocre at best.”

“A third-rate talent trying to get publicity on my back.”

–Donald Trump

Consider yourself warned; if you couldn’t tell from the title, the cover, or the author, Trump supporters may not appreciate this book, or my review.

Garry Trudeau may be prescient. He first ran a “Trump for President” cartoon in 1987. If only it had remained a joke.

“Analysis: Donald Trump talks to voters at a fourth-grade level.” USA Today headline

This book is a compilation of Trump cartoons that started in the 1980’s and continues up to the present day campaign, he ends prior to the first debate – so no Billy Bush, but that’s probably too easy anyway.

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If you are a regular Doonesbury reader, or like me have missed a few over the years, this collection will bring home all the fun Trudeau has had at Trump’s expense over the years. And it couldn’t happen to a more deserving candidate.

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“I know words. I have the best words.” –Donald Trump

That may be, but Trudeau has the last word here.

I loved it.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

YUGE! by G. B. Trudeau. Andrews McMeel Publishing (July 5, 2016). ISBN 978-1449481339. 112p.

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NIGHT SCHOOL by Lee Child

November 7, 2016

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Jack Reacher Series, Book 21

In this 21st entry in the hugely popular series, Jack Reacher is still in the Army as it is 1996. That means he’s not wandering and he’s following orders. It also means no internet, no cell phones, no 9/11.

Reacher has been given a medal for his mission in the Balkans, and immediately is ordered to attend night school. But when he gets there, he realizes this is not school at all, but a secret mission.

There are rumors that an American traitor has something to sell to Islamic terrorists for $100 million. Reacher is working with other government agents from the FBI and CIA, along with Frances Neagley (Without Fail.) Of course Reacher takes lead on the case, despite being low man on the totem pole, and eventually figures out what’s going on. This involves an extended stay in Hamburg, Germany with a variety of bad guys popping up.

I found this to be one of the slowest moving books in the series, the action doesn’t really take off until beyond the half way point. It’s an interesting story, especially given the time period, but I’m sorry to say it is not my favorite Reacher book.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

NIGHT SCHOOL by Lee Child. Delacorte Press (November 7, 2016). ISBN 978-0804178808. 384p.

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THE MAGNOLIA STORY by Chip & Joanna Gaines

November 6, 2016

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with Mark Dagostino

In case you are not familiar, Chip & Jo Gaines are the stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. Set in Waco, Texas, the couple shows a prospective buyer three homes, all fixer uppers. They determine a budget, pick a house and go to town on it. Chip is the contractor and Jo is the designer who has single handedly made shiplap the most sought after design element in any fixer upper.

The couple have four children and live on a farm with dogs and goats and chickens and a pecan orchard. They started off the show by fixing up their farm house, and have never looked back. They have since renovated and opened a B&B that sold out for the year within a few hours. They purchased an old mill with silos and turned it into a shop that sees thousands of customers a day. And they have an online Magnolia Market [https://magnoliamarket.com/] as well that sells all sorts of home decor, accessories and their own line of paint. This book, a memoir, is their latest project. and follwing soon is a design book. They have partnered with the Meredith Corporation to create a new lifestyle magazine, The Magnolia Journal (or subscribe here.) Yet they seem to remain the same down to earth happy family.

This book is the story of their lives, from childhood through dating, marriage, family, the businesses and God. Apparently God talks to Joanna and helps her make all her life decisions. These are people of strong, abiding faith who seek to live a life of good work, and it has rewarded them well.

I do enjoy the show and am constantly shocked at how inexpensive housing is in Waco. And FYI, if you don’t live within a 30 minute commute of Waco, they won’t fix up your house.

Joanna is half Korean, and writes about growing up in Kansas and being the “other”, different, and how that affected her. She considers herself to be an introvert. Chip is a good old Texas boy who apparently is as goofy and fun loving in life as he is on TV.

Their story is sweet and funny and a bit too religious for a heathen like me, but that’s a very personal thing. As of 10/31/16, the book is #2 on Amazon and debuts at #1 on the NY Times bestseller list on Nov. 6. They are doing something right and I couldn’t be happier for them.

11/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE MAGNOLIA STORY by Chip & Joanna Gaines. Thomas Nelson (October 18, 2016). ISBN 978-0718079185. 208p.

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GOLIATH by Shawn Corridan & Gary Waid

November 5, 2016

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A powerhouse story of men against the sea in the tradition of authors that pioneered the genre such as Jack London. Russia launches the world’s largest supertanker on a secret mission during it’s maiden voyage. The only person with knowledge of what is to be accomplished is the captain.

An engineer discovers a minor defect in the ship’s mechanism and informs the captain. But in spite of attempts to correct the problem a fire erupts and in spite of efforts to control it, it spreads to engulf the entire ship.

Two hundred miles from the stricken vessel, Sonny Wade, the owner of a failing salvage business, is telling his crew that a salvage attempt just completed has not produced any money. The business is not able to continue operations.

Just after he has dismissed his men including his daughter who sails with him and attempts to keep the business going a mayday is received. It is from the Bennkah, the 700,000 ton Russian tanker that is aground and filled with petroleum worth a fortune. The name Bennkah is Russian for Goliath and that is also the Herculean task Sonny seizes as his way out of the financial doldrums his business is in.

Sonny quickly gets the crew together and goes out at an attempt to pick up the Bennkah and in so doing collect the huge amount of money salvaging the ship will bring. But sailing also to grab the prize is Dan Sharp, Sonny’s former employer and currently his nemesis.

The novel is a tale of men arising to great heights in fighting the eternal sea for the prize. The book moves with a rapid pace and is guaranteed to keep the reader transfixed. Sonny’s knowledge and understanding of the ocean and problems and solutions it brings is showcased. A new member of the crew picked up before sailing due to his knowledge of underwater welding provides a love interest for Sonny’s daughter who has had a bad relationship with Dan Sharp’s captain. She fights her attraction but it does let her come to understand that things have a way of working out.

Excellent book and hopefully the beginning of a series.

11/16 Paul Lane

GOLIATH by Shawn Corridan & Gary Waid. Center Street (October 11, 2016). ISBN 978-1455530441. 384p.

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THE HOPEFULS by Jennifer Close

November 4, 2016

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I think this was the review snippet that got me to pick up this book:

“Jennifer Close’s fresh, smart, realistic portrayal of two young Washington couples is a must read for House of Cards junkies…. [D.C.] almost functions as a fifth character in the book, with its own quirks and dynamics and idiosyncrasies.” —Kimmery Martin, The Huffington Post

I love House of Cards (British version even more so,) love politics (although this election season has just about driven me around the bend) and I am a West Wing fanatic (re-watching the entire series to follow along with the West Wing Weekly podcast, amazing!) So this sounded like a book I would love.

I didn’t love it, but I did enjoy it. It was more about the relationships between husbands and wives and friendship than about politics. Although that is not a bad thing, it wasn’t what I expected. And D.C. was a very minor plot point.

Beth and Matt are newly arrived in Washington D.C., where Matt has secured a job in the Obama White House after working on the campaign. Beth hates it immediately, missing New York City. Matt loves it. He comes from a family that models itself on the Kennedy’s, with ritual Sunday family dinners, super competitive football in the yard, and a week every August at the family compound on the shore.

Matt is Harvard smart and dreams of running for office himself one day. Beth isn’t so sure about any of it. They befriend another young couple, Jimmy and Ash. Jimmy has a great job as advance man for Obama, and Matt envies his career path and the easy way he charms every one he meets. Ash is a Texas Southern belle, but quickly she and Beth become the closest of friends, two fish out of water in D.C. and clinging to each other.

The book follows the ups and downs in their lives and is told mostly from Beth’s point of view, so it is a complete bitchfest, although there are some very funny moments that help balance it out. When Jimmy runs for Railroad Commissioner in Texas (yes, there is such a thing, and even though I lived in Texas for five years I never heard of it) Matt becomes Jimmy’s campaign manager. The two couples move to Texas, share a huge house and a life until ten months later the election is slipping away. All their relationships have slipped away as well. Matt and Jimmy are fighting. Ash and Jimmy are fighting, Matt and Beth are just ignoring each other, and even Beth and Ash drift apart.

Eventually things work out the way they are supposed to, Matt finds a better job in DC, as does Beth, and they live happily ever after. We hope.

11/16 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

THE HOPEFULS by Jennifer Close. Knopf (July 19, 2016). ISBN 978-1101875612. 320p.

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THE TWENTY-THREE by Linwood Barclay

November 3, 2016

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The third book in Linwood Barclay’s series set in the town of Promise Falls, New York. All of the people described in the first two books are present and following the patterns set previously. But this novel dives right into a problem never before encountered in the small city and devastating for the people living there. It is Memorial Day weekend and suddenly hundreds of people become sick with flu like symptoms rushing to the hospital, with many dying almost at once. The water supply quickly becomes the culprit and it is found to be so. Who would poison the town’s drinking water and why? Private investigator Cal Weaver starts to look at the situation and investigating who would benefit from this catastrophe and what would be gained by it.

Meanwhile Barry Duckworth, a detective with the Promise Falls police department has another set of problems. A coed at the local college has been murdered. Duckworth sees the same pattern in the homicides of two other women in the past. Strange recent happenings in Promise Falls begin to make sense; bloody mannequins found in car 23 of an abandoned Ferris wheel, a fiery out of control bus with the number 23 on the back and the same designation on the hoodie of a man accused of assault. The number 23 seems to represent the reason for the harm brought to the townspeople with both Weaver and Duckworth looking into the situation as quickly as possible.

Barclay has succeeded in making a variety of people in the stories lifelike, with characteristics that are painstakingly followed through in the three books. All of the principal characters continue to act in accordance with the personalities and interests inherent in them from the beginning. And while the Promise Falls books seemingly were to be a trilogy, some factors coming out in the end of book three point to another novel coming up. I certainly would look forward to reading more books centered around the people and town of Promise Falls in the near future.

11/16 Paul Lane

THE TWENTY-THREE by Linwood Barclay. Berkley (November 1, 2016). ISBN 978-0451472724. 464p.

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SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult

November 2, 2016

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Let’s start out with the fact that I loved this book. I read it in one sitting on my iPad, and had no idea it was almost 500 pages because the pages just flew.

If the title seems familiar, it is because it was taken from a very famous Martin Luther King Jr. quote:

“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.”

This is a book about racism and inclusiveness. Written by a white, privileged woman mostly for other white, privileged women and anyone else who likes a good read with a lesson. There is a strong message here and Picoult delivers it without hitting anyone over the head, but rather by showing, more than telling, if that makes sense.

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse in New Haven, Connecticut. She grew up in Harlem, the daughter of a maid who pushed her to be more. Ruth was a smart girl who ended up with a scholarship to the Dalton School, followed by college and finally nursing school at Yale. She is a bright, dedicated nurse who takes pride in her work; in fact, she thinks of it as a calling.

Until a white supremacist family demands she be taken off the care of their newborn son. A note is placed in his file that states no African Americans are allowed to touch the child. This is a small hospital and the note hurts. But Ruth is a pro, so when an emergency takes the other duty nurses to the operating room leaving her in charge of watching the baby after his circumcision, she resents it but knows she has no choice. And then the unthinkable happens.

The baby appears to be in respiratory distress. Does Ruth try and save the baby, ignoring a direct order from her supervisor? The child dies, and the family decides that Ruth is the reason. The hospital is happy to have someone to blame that leaves them in the clear, and Ruth is arrested and charged with murder.

Ruth lost her husband in Afghanistan and has struggled to raise her son. He’s at the age where he is applying for college and the only money she has is tied up in his college fund, so she has no choice but to use the public defender as counsel.

Kennedy is a white woman, married to a doctor and able to do the work she loves – she also has a calling. She’s never tried a murder case but something about Ruth just makes her want to try, and she does. Along the way, Kennedy and Ruth become friends, and they both learn quite a bit from each other.

We also learn about white supremicsits like Turk, the father of the baby, and how they are recruited, trained and sometimes even have their lives turned around again.

All of these characters are fully dimensional which totally draws the reader in. There are major themes about parenting, the law, power, privilege and race. A lot of it is very uncomfortable to read, and I admit to crying more than once. It feels like an important book, and was extremely thought provoking but more than that, I needed to talk about it. As I was reading it, I told my husband about it, my daughter, my boss and my co-workers. Book clubs take heed, you will not want to miss this one. In fact, the publisher has thoughtfully provided a readers’ guide already.

I loved this book and will be reading it again. Picoult’s publicist had sent me an email about it, that said, in part, “Some books leave you thinking. This one gets you talking.” It’s gotten me talking for sure and I have a feeling I won’t be shutting up anytime soon.

Don’t miss it.

11/16 Stacy Alesi AKA the BookBitch™

SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult. Ballantine Books (October 11, 2016). ISBN 978-0345544957. 480p.

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Win the November ’16 bookshelf of signed thrillers!

November 1, 2016

Welcome to the November bookshelf of signed thrillers! Lots of new books to win – some favorite authors or find a new author. To enter, go to the Win Books page. Best of luck!

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TURBO TWENTY-THREE by Janet Evanovich: In the heart of Trenton, N.J., a killer is out to make sure someone gets his just desserts. The latest entry in the best-selling series starring intrepid bounty hunter Stephanie Plum finds her receiving support from prostitute-turned-bounty hunter Lula, gun-toting Grandma Mazur, on-again-off-again paramour Officer Hottie and mentor Ranger.

THE TWENTY-THREE by Linwood Barclay: When hundreds of people are sickened by deliberately contaminated water in a small New York community’s water supply, Detective Barry Duckworth scrambles to identify the culprit while investigating the murder of a college student whose crime scene disturbingly resembles those of two other victims.

SAY NO MORE by Hank Phillippi Ryan: Discovering that she has witnessed the collapse of an alibi after reporting a hit and run, Boston reporter Jane Ryland convinces a date rape victim to come forward as part of an exposΘ on college campus sexual assaults, an assignment that is complicated by an ominous threat.

RULER OF THE NIGHT by David Morrell: A conclusion to the popular Victorian mystery trilogy finds brilliant Opium-Eater Thomas De Quincey and his irrepressible daughter, Emily, confronting their most ruthless adversary with the assistance of period royals and Scotland Yard detectives Ryan and Becker.

LOVE YOU DEAD by Peter James: As he continues to look for leads about his missing wife, Sandy, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace investigates a dangerous and crafty Black Widow who is operating in the city.

CITY ON EDGE by Stefanie Pintoff: When an assassination attempt on the life of New York City’s Police Commissioner is discovered to be a smokescreen for the abduction of his teenage daughter, Eve Rossi and her team of ex-cons race the clock to save the girl and thwart a massive terrorist attack during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

BITTER MOON by Alexandra Sokoloff: FBI agent Matthew Roarke and fourteen-year-old Cara must race to find and stop a sadistic sexual predator before more young women are brutalized.

WE WISH YOU A MURDEROUS CHRISTMAS by Vicki Delany: When the son of Jack Olsen, who owns the Yuletide Inn, decides to no longer celebrate Christmas at the Inn, sending the local shopkeepers into a tizzy, Merry Wilkinson is faced with a holiday homicide when he is found stabbed to death.

MORE THAN A LAWMAN by Anna J. Stewart: A journalist and a sexy detective team up to catch a serial killer in USA TODAY bestselling author Anna J. Stewart’s new romance!

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! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

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!

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