WHO LET THE DOG OUT? by David Rosenfelt

July 22, 2015
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An Andy Carpenter Novel (Book 13)

Andy Carpenter is a very wealthy man due to a large inheritance and is also a lawyer. He works at the law as little as possible as his interests lie mainly in his partnership with Willie Miller. In a previous book, Andy had saved Willie from death row and proved his innocence. The two formed the Tara Foundation, which is involved with saving dogs.

Willie calls Andy and tells him that there has been a break in at the foundation. It turns out that the only thing missing is a rescue dog they named Cheyenne. With the help of a chip that is placed in the body of all dogs, they have Cheyenne traced to a location in downtown Paterson, New Jersey.  When Willie and Andy go to that location they find the dog, and a dead body of someone obviously recently and brutally murdered.

The two notify the police and take Cheyenne back to the Tara Foundation thinking that their part is now over. But Andy’s curiosity keeps him looking at the case, and when the police arrest a man named Tommy Infante and charge him with the murder, Andy has his doubts. He takes Infante on as a client and in looking for evidence to clear him finds that the murder is just one cog in a much larger and more dangerous wheel.

The story is told in first person by Andy Carpenter and showcases the wise cracking personality he has. His wife Laurie helps with advice. The usual associates are there – his secretary who is practicing for a crossword puzzle tournament and Marcus, a man of very few words but the ability to take care of the physical work. He also has contacts that help him with the local police and the FBI.

Each of the Andy Carpenter books is an enjoyable treat into some brilliant legal work coupled with a lot of humor, and the presence of dogs. All are fast reading and keeps the reader awaiting the next one in the series.

7/15 Paul Lane

WHO LET THE DOG OUT? by David Rosenfelt. Minotaur Books (July 21, 2015). ISBN: 978-1250055330. 336p.

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MOVIE STAR by Lizzie Pepper Giveaway!

July 21, 2015

I’m really excited to offer this terrific book plus some goodies!Movie Star_Giveaway

MOVIE STAR BY LIZZIE PEPPER is the book to bring to the beach this summer and has already been causing quite a splash. People magazine, Entertainment Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, Vogue.com, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan have all already selected it as one of the best books of the summer.

Included in the giveaway is a copy of the book, a pair of branded sunglasses with a Lizzie Pepper hangtag, and popcorn all packaged in a gold envelope!

This is a fun prize and I have one of these to offer. Read on for all the details on how to enter.

About the book:

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The “It” book you absolutely must pack in your beach bag—an addictively juicy novel of celebrity love gone wrong

Chosen by USA Today, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, and Vogue.com as a Great Summer Read

“Liftin, who’s cowritten memoirs with celebs including Tori Spelling, presents her first novel as a tell-all by a star she calls Lizzie Pepper. Married young to an actor involved in a cultlike religion, Lizzie ends up leaving him and…Sound like someone we know? Liftin’s not saying, but her book is dishy fun.”
—People Magazine

“A hilarious, tabloid-trashing gotcha novel.”
—Vanity Fair

“A juicy work of shocking betrayal.”
—Us Weekly

“I’ve had a million meetings in my acting career, and I had no idea that this would be the one that would change my life forever. I walked into the room, and there was Rob . . . in the flesh.”

Actress Lizzie Pepper was America’s Girl Next Door and her marriage to Hollywood mega-star Rob Mars was tabloid gold—a whirlwind romance and an elaborate celebrity-studded wedding landed them on the cover of every celebrity weekly. But fame, beauty, and wealth weren’t enough to keep their marriage together. Hollywood’s “It” couple are over—and now Lizzie is going to tell her side of the story.

Celebrity ghostwriter Hilary Liftin chronicles the tabloids’ favorite marriage as Lizzie Pepper realizes that, when the curtain falls, her romance isn’t what she and everyone else thought. From her lonely holidays in sumptuous villas to her husband’s deep commitment to a disconcertingly repressive mind-body group, Lizzie reveals a side of fame that her fans never get to see. Full of twists and turns, Movie Star by Lizzie Pepper is a breathless journey to the heights of Hollywood power and royalty and a life in the spotlight that is nearly impossible to escape.

About the author:

Hilary Liftin is a ghostwriter/collaborator specializing in celebrity memoir. Since 2006 she has worked on fifteen books, ten of which hit the New York Times bestseller list. sTORI Telling by Tori Spelling was a #1 New York Times nonfiction bestseller, stayed on the list for 19 weeks, and won the 2009 Bravo A-List Award for Best Celebrity Autobiography. Miles to Go by Miley Cyrus was a #1 New York Times children’s bestseller. Other bestselling titles include High on Arrival by Mackenzie Phillips and It’s All Too Much by Peter Walsh.

Hilary has also written three books under her own name. The first, Dear Exile, is letters that she exchanged with her co-author, Kate Montgomery, when Kate was in the Peace Corps in Kenya and Hilary was in New York. It was published by Vintage in 1999 and is still in print. Candy and Me: A Love Story is Hilary’s memoir told through different kinds of candy.

Hilary Liftin grew up in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Yale University, where she was the editor of the Yale Literary Magazine. Before becoming a full-time writer in 2006, Hilary worked in the publishing industry for ten years, holding positions in editorial, marketing, and business development at Houghton Mifflin, Barnes & Noble.com, and the ebook division of Time Warner Books (now Hachette). She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

To win this fabulous MOVIE STAR book & gifts, please send an email to contest@gmail.com with “MOVIE STAR” as the subject.

You must include your U.S. street address in your email.

All entries must be received by Aug. 1, 2015. One (1) name will be drawn from all qualified entries and notified via email. This contest is open to all adults over 18 years of age in the United States only. Your prize will be sent by the publicist.

One entry per email address. Subscribers to the monthly newsletter earn an extra entry into every contest. Follow this blog to earn another entry into every contest. Winners may win only one time per year (365 days) for contests with prizes of more than one book. Your email address will not be shared or sold to anyone.

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

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FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER by Susan Spann

July 20, 2015
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Shinobi Mysteries (Book 3)

The morning starts out regular enough as Hiro and Father Mateo make their way for their favorite noodle vendor, but the day takes a turn when they witness Ginjiro the brewer being arrested for murder.

A fellow brewer has been found dead in Ginjiro’s alley, apparently beaten with one of Ginjiro’s own flasks. Just hours before, patrons at Ginjiro’s brewery witnessed the two of them arguing and overheard Ginjiro threaten the dead man. With such damning evidence, Ginjiro’s guilt is the simplest conclusion. But Hiro and Father Mateo aren’t so certain. The two are given just a few days to try and find the real killer before Ginjiro is put to trial and almost certainly hanged, but will it be enough time to prove their friend’s innocence?

Susan Spann’s Shinobi series is an excellent blend of history and mystery. With feudal Japan as the backdrop, Spann explores the intricacies and politics of the era, weaving those details into well-conceived plots of murder and more.

Though Flask is technically the third in the series, it does stand quite well on its own. There are a few mentions of previous investigations on the part of our heroes, but nothing that would ruin Claws of the Cat or Blade of the Samurai should you decide to go back to those later.

7/15 Becky LeJeune

FLASK OF THE DRUNKEN MASTER by Susan Spann. Minotaur Books (July 14, 2015).  ISBN 978-1250027061. 304p.

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THE BLUMHOUSE BOOK OF NIGHTMARES ed. by Jason Blum

July 18, 2015
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THE HAUNTED CITY

Horror fans, have you ever wondered what happens when some of the bigwigs in the industry get together and pen a collection of short stories? Apparently someone has and the result is the new Blumhouse Book of Nightmares release. The theme is “The City” and the only stipulation was that the contributors had to write something that fit within the theme. Beyond that, the stories vary wildly. From haunted houses and gypsy curses to Nazis and demon hunters, these tales run the gamut of horror.

The contributors themselves are people whose work you already know even if you don’t know them by name – authors like Sarah Langan and Michael Olson, actors like Ethan Hawke and Jeremy Slater, and the minds behind Sinister, The Lazarus Effect, Hostel and more – and of course they’re all brought together by Jason Blum and Blumhouse.

The overall collection is quite fun. A few of my own personal favorites include Leslie Bohem’s “Geist” an excellent ghost story in my opinion, Eli Roth’s twisted revenge tale “Valdivia,” and Simon Kurt Unsworth’s eerie “Gentholme.”

Table of Contents:

Hellhole by Christopher Denham
Valdivia by Eli Roth
Golden Hour by Jeremy Slater
A Clean White Room by Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
The Leap by Dana Stevens
Novel Fifteen by Steve Faber
The Darkish Man by Nissar Medi
1987 by Ethan Hawke
Geist by Leslie Bohem
Gentholme by Simon Kurt Unsworth
Donations by William Joselyn
The Old Jail by Sarah Langan
The Words by Scott Stewart
Dreamland by Michael Olson
Meat Maker by Mark Neveldine
Eyes by George Gallo
Procedure by James DeMonaco

7/15 Becky LeJeune

THE BLUMHOUSE BOOK OF NIGHTMARES ed. by Jason Blum. Doubleday (July 7, 2015).  ISBN 978-0385539999. 384p.

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SECRETS OF THE LAST NAZI by Iain King

July 17, 2015
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Myles Munro Action Thriller Series

The story opens with the discovery of a well connected Nazi SS commander dead in Berlin in 2015. Werner Stolz guarded the last secret of  Hitler and the Nazis for 70 years. A secret so deadly that if discovered could plunge the world into a fight for power because of it. Military historian Myles Munro and an international team he leads are tasked with piecing together the complex puzzle left by Stolz.

When one of his team is killed, Myles realizes that the stakes are much higher than originally perceived and quite possibly his group includes a traitor. The hunt for the secret and its ramifications broadens all across Europe. What comes out are factors that might be useful in predicting future events. It appears that the Nazis had used the secret to try and ascertain major future happenings. King indicates in an afterwards that the ingredients of the secret were used successfully in the real world for much of recorded history and have applications for our future.

What the secret is and where and when it originated comprise one of the most original and carefully thought out stories that have yet to appear in print. King introduces facts and dates to substantiate his thesis making this a mesmerizing novel with the distinct possibility that it introduces new truths in a world of science previously debunked as fakery. Great thinkers out of the past are introduced as discovering and using these ideas.

Not only a better than average conspiracy book, but one also backed up by research that brings new ideas into the possibility of reality. A book that will thrill and one already followed by another Iain King novel featuring Myles Munro and delving into further proof of the ideas that he espouses.

7/15 Paul Lane

SECRETS OF THE LAST NAZI by Iain King. Bookouture (July 14, 2015). ISBN: 978-1910751107. 454p.

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THE MALL by S.L. Grey

July 16, 2015
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Rhoda left the kid alone for just a few minutes and now he’s gone. Sure, she shouldn’t have taken him to the mall in the first place. But she needed a score and she was only watching the kid as a favor for her cousin. Given her appearance and attitude, mall security isn’t taking her seriously in her search for a white kid, but she knows the guy at the bookstore saw them together and lied about it.

Dan only caught a glimpse of the kid running through the mall tunnels, but it isn’t until Rhoda attacks him in the parking garage that he puts two and two together. Now he’s basically a hostage leading her through the warren of back halls and stairwells after hours in search of the boy. As they wind their way down and down and down, though, Dan realizes that they’re lost. The place still looks like Highgate, but everything looks just a little off. What’s worse, now Dan and Rhoda are getting weird texts from someone who calls themselves management and a large and foul smelling creature seems to be tailing them on their journey.

A parallel world where stores are run by mindless slaves and shoppers literally shop until they drop, The Mall is seriously fun and creepy. The book does essentially poke fun at retail culture, and much of the book has a tinge of dark humor to it, but the deeper criticism also makes the premise that much more scary.

The Mall is the first in the Downside series penned by S.L. Grey (aka Sarah Lotz and Louis Greenberg). It was first released in 2011 but has only been available here in the US for the past year. I can’t recommend it enough; seek it out, it’s well worth it!

7/15 Becky LeJeune

THE MALL by S.L. Grey. Atlantic Books; Reprint edition (April 1, 2014).  ISBN 978-1848878877. 320p.

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2015 ITW Thriller Awards

July 14, 2015

If you follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page, then you know I spent the weekend in New York at ThrillerFest, my favorite conference! I got to chat with all pf my favorite authors – Lee Child, Greg Iles, Sandra Brown, Jon Land, Nelson DeMille, Clive Cussler, Joe Finder and so many more. But for me the best part is meeting new authors, and finding new books to read! And did I mention they give away tons of books at this conference? It’s a book hoarder’s, I mean book collector’s dream, especially as all the authors are there to sign their books.

The conference ends with the Thriller Awards banquet. I admit I skipped it and went to see Jason Alexander in Larry David’s Fish in the Dark on Broadway, but I did find out who won all the awards – congratulations to all the nominees and all the winners.

Best Hardcover Novel

The Fever, by Megan Abbott (WINNER)

Broken Monsters, by Lauren Beukes

Natchez Burning, by Greg Iles

Suspicion, by Joseph Finder

That Night, by Chevy Stevens

Best Paperback Original

Moonlight Weeps, by Vinent Zandri (WINNER)

The Buried, by Shelley Coriell

My Sister’s Grave, by Robert Dugoni

Shadow Maker, by James R. Hannibal

Whirlwind, by Rick Mofina

 Best First Novel

The Weight of Blood, by Laura McHugh (WINNER)

The Axeman’s Jazz, by Ray Celestin

Invisible City, by Julia Dahl

The Life We Bury, by Allen Eskens

The Martian, by Andy Weir

 Best E-Book Original Novel

Hard Fall, by C. J. Lyons (WINNER)

13 Hollywood Apes, by Gil Reavill

The Metaxy Project, by Layton Green

Post, by Sean Black

Wannabes, by Michael Logan

Best Young Adult Novel

Nearly Gone, by Elle Cosimano (WINNER)

The Eighth Guardian, by Meredith McCardle

Tabula Rasa, by Kristen Lippert-Martin

The Unbound, by Victoria Schwab

Wicked Little Secrets, by Kara Taylor

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BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber

July 12, 2015
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Blossom Street #10

This is the latest entry into this very gentle series. It encompasses everything Debbie Macomber readers expect; women’s friendship, a sweet romance and knitting. The series is set in Seattle and centers around A Good Yarn, a knitting shop.

This time the story centers around Lauren Elliott, who works in a nearby fine jewelry establishment. Lauren and Todd, the handsome and ambitious TV newscaster, have been dating for a few years and Lauren feels like they should be ready to move on to the next step – marriage. But Todd wants to wait until he gets that coveted anchor spot, so Lauren decides to break it off.

Bethanne and her husband Max are separated – not because they don’t get along, but because they are newly married and he owns a business in partnership with Rooster in California; Bethanne’s business is in Seattle. And her ex has decided that maybe he made a mistake and wants her back.

Lauren meets Rooster at A Good Yarn, he’s a biker and totally out of her comfort zone but she decides maybe she needs to make a new list of what she wants in a man.

There is additional intrigue when baskets of yarn are found around town with notes to knit a scarf that will be donated to the homeless shelter, and the knitters are asked to turn in the finished product to A Good Yarn. But the proprietor, Lydia, doesn’t know anything about it, although she is certainly enjoying the good will and increase in business.

These women form a bond with each other and with the men in their lives, leading to a satisfying ending. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was completely captivating and entertaining. Narrated by Cassandra Campbell.

7/15 Stacy Alesi

BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (March 31, 2015). ISBN 978-0345528865. 432p.

Kindle

Audible

3 Comments | Book Reviews, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction | Permalink
Posted by Stacy Alesi

THE ASSASSINS by Gayle Lynds

July 10, 2015
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The Judd Ryder Books

After a time away from writing for personal reasons Gayle Lynds returns with an intricate story about six assassins seeking a prize worth many millions of dollars. The six found a common ground when they did a job for Saddam Hussein and were not paid half of the agreed upon fee due to his death. They settled upon stealing an ancient tablet with cuneiform symbols upon it valued at millions of dollars that is being exhibited at a museum in Baghdad. The theft was successful but the tablet accidentally dropped and broken into pieces while the six flee the scene.

Years later when Judd Ryder, formerly a spy for the U.S. is walking home from work he spots a man that looks exactly like him coming from Judd’s house. As Ryder approaches him the man is killed by a hit and run accident.

Investigating the incident Judd learns that the key to his doubles killing and to the events surrounding the theft of the tablet from the Baghdad museum lies with an assassin active during the cold war known as the Carnivore. He was one of the six killers that stole the tablet, and the other five are seeking him in order to finally put the pieces together and possibly sell it for the money Saddam owed them. Judd and a CIA trainee, Eva Blake were known to have seen the Carnivore a short while ago and are sought in order to get the information needed to catch him.

The chase pitting the assassins against each other and seeking Judd and Eva is played out on an international stage going from Washington D.C., Marrakech and Baghdad and is explosive in the speed of the action. The many details are held together neatly by Gayle and make for a very welcome return to the literary world for her.

7/14 Paul Lane

THE ASSASSINS by Gayle Lynds. St. Martin’s Press (June 30, 2015). ISBN: 978-0312380908. 416p.

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A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James

July 8, 2015
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I am really enjoying Julie James’ FBI/US Attorney series. I’ve read the first one, Something About You,  book 3, About that Night, book 4, Love Irresistibly, and book 5, It Happened One Wedding. I finally got hold of book 2; thank you library! Need I say I did not read these in order? Probably not, since I’m finally reviewing the second book in the series.

This is a terrific series, and one of the things I like best is that they don’t need to be read in order. But if you are one of those people that feel the need to do that, there are delicious little nods to the previous books, so go for it and enjoy.

The series centers around the Chicago U.S. attorneys’ office and the FBI agents that they work with so closely. A Lot Like Love is about FBI agent Nick McCall and the billionaire heiress Jordan Rhodes. Rhodes made an appearance in About that Night as her brother, Kyle, AKA the “Twitter terrorist” is at the center of that book. But that’s the next book in the series, so never mind…

Nick McCall has been working undercover for years, precluding any sort of relationship. His newest assignment is to help out a rookie, but when the rookie gets sick, Nick has to go undercover again. This time he’s Nick Stanton, wealthy businessman who is Jordan’s date at the swankiest charity gala of the year.

In reality, he is there to infiltrate the owner’s office and plant a few bugs that will hopefully tie up a big money laundering sting. Nick and Jordan take an instant dislike to each other; he has no use for high society, and she finds him sarcastic and thug-like. But when Nick finds out he’s being followed, he knows he needs to play the boyfriend full time.

Chicago is the setting once again, with a side trip to beautiful Napa valley. Believable characters and a suspenseful storyline make for a great read – the hot sex is just the icing on the cake. Hope there’s another book or two left in this series, I am seriously hooked.

7/15 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James. Berkley (March 1, 2011). ISBN 978-0425240168. 304p.

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