Book Review: Sunset Beach

I read this book simply because of the author as from reading the Amazon synopsis I wasn't completely sold.  It sounds sort of mediocre to me but I gave it a chance.  It wasn't a big thriller or anything but it was cute and did throw you for a couple loops.  I was waiting on the father and evil step-mother to turn out to be complete frauds but SPOILER ALERT...it isn't them who's the fraud....you will have to read the rest to find out.  There is also a bit f a funny mistaken romance and some good ole fixer upper action on the beach cottage as well so I think this book has a little of something for everyone.  

Amazon Synopsis:

Drue Campbell’s life is adrift. Out of a job and down on her luck, life doesn’t seem to be getting any better when her estranged father, Brice Campbell, a flamboyant personal injury attorney, shows up at her mother’s funeral after a twenty-year absence. Worse, he’s remarried – to Drue’s eighth grade frenemy, Wendy, now his office manager. And they’re offering her a job. 

It seems like the job from hell, but the offer is sweetened by the news of her inheritance – her grandparents’ beach bungalow in the sleepy town of Sunset Beach, a charming but storm-damaged eyesore now surrounded by waterfront McMansions. 

With no other prospects, Drue begrudgingly joins the firm, spending her days screening out the grifters whose phone calls flood the law office. Working with Wendy is no picnic either. But when a suspicious death at an exclusive beach resort nearby exposes possible corruption at her father’s firm, she goes from unwilling cubicle rat to unwitting investigator, and is drawn into a case that may – or may not – involve her father. With an office romance building, a decades-old missing persons case re-opened, and a cottage in rehab, one thing is for sure at Sunset Beach: there’s a storm on the horizon. 

Sunset Beach is a compelling ride, full of Mary Kay Andrews' signature wit, heart, and charm.

Book Review: The Weekenders

Another Mary Kay Andrews book I recently finished is The Weekenders.  The luxury and grandeur of having an island vacation home drew me into this book but when the main characters life unravels in the first few chapters you are quickly invested in her life, the destiny of the island and its inhabitants. Not to mention it is a true who done it type of mystery.  My Mom had also just read this book so I was constantly throwing out my guesses on who the murderer was but I never thought of the guilty party!  Another fun and easy Summer read to unwind with.

Amazon Synopsis: 

Some people stay all summer long on the idyllic island of Belle Isle, North Carolina. Others come only for the weekends-and the mix between the regulars and “the weekenders” can sometimes make the sparks fly. Riley Griggs has a season of good times with friends and family ahead of her on Belle Isle when things take an unexpected turn. While waiting for her husband to arrive on the ferry one Friday afternoon, Riley is confronted by a process server who thrusts papers into her hand. And her husband is nowhere to be found. 

So she turns to her island friends for help and support, but it turns out that each of them has their own secrets, and the clock is ticking as the mystery deepens...in a murderous way. Cocktail parties aside, Riley must find a way to investigate the secrets of Belle Island, the husband she might not really know, and the summer that could change everything.

Told with Mary Kay Andrews’ trademark blend of humor and warmth, and with characters and a setting that you can’t help but fall for, the New York Times bestseller The Weekenders is the perfect summer escape.

Book Review: Digging In

I have had this book on my kindle for close to a year I would say and going into our Christmas vacation I had only read 6% of it.  I found it a bit hard to get invested at the very beginning but once I finished all my MUST reads that I was really looking forward to I was left to read this on our flight back from Europe.  I finished the book over the 8 hour flight and was please at how it ended.  Like I said it takes a bit to get invested but once the story got rolling I really became invested in finding out how the main character transformed herself and her life.  I recommend this book to more of a middle age crowd as I think they will find it more relatable but it was a good cheap read either way.  It was way better than siting bored on an airplane that is for sure!

Amazon Synopsis:

In Loretta Nyhan’s warm and witty Amazon Charts bestselling novel, a widow discovers an unexpected chance to start over—right in her own backyard.

Paige Moresco found her true love in eighth grade—and lost him two years ago. Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. Her house is a wreck, the grass is overrun with weeds, and she’s at risk of losing her job. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig.

As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. The neighbors in her tidy gated community are more than a little alarmed. Paige knows nothing about gardening, and she’s boldly flouting neighborhood-association bylaws. But with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself.

Book Review: The High Tide Club

My reading goal for 2020 is to read 15 books. That averages out to about 1 book every three weeks and I'm already hitting my goal.  I finished my first book of 2020 a few days ago and it feels great to be one down.  This is my third Mary Kay Andrews book since November.  I fell in love with this author back in like 2008 when I really got into reading again as an adult.  Her books are so fun, a touch of romance, and really easy beach reads.  They are all set in the south usually and this book is no different.  It's a story of unexpected friends and new family that has plenty of fun twists and turns.  If you want to feel the heat of Summer then jump into this book or put it on your to read list for a beach vacation.  

Amazon Synopsis:

When ninety-nine-year-old heiress Josephine Bettendorf Warrick summons Brooke Trappnell to Talisa Island, her 20,000 acre remote barrier island home, Brooke is puzzled. Everybody in the South has heard about the eccentric millionaire mistress of Talisa, but Brooke has never met her. Josephine’s cryptic note says she wants to discuss an important legal matter with Brooke, who is an attorney, but Brooke knows that Mrs. Warrick has long been a client of a prestigious Atlanta law firm.

Over a few meetings, the ailing Josephine spins a tale of old friendships, secrets, betrayal and a long-unsolved murder. She tells Brooke she is hiring her for two reasons: to protect her island and legacy from those who would despoil her land, and secondly, to help her make amends with the heirs of the long dead women who were her closest friends, the girls of The High Tide Club—so named because of their youthful skinny dipping escapades—Millie, Ruth and Varina. When Josephine dies with her secrets intact, Brooke is charged with contacting Josephine’s friends’ descendants and bringing them together on Talisa for a reunion of women who’ve actually never met.

The High Tide Club is Mary Kay Andrews at her Queen of the Beach Reads best, a compelling and witty tale of romance thwarted, friendships renewed, justice delivered, and true love found.

Currently reading- Sara Shepard's The Heiresses!

Book Review: Last Seen

I'm on a roll when it comes to my yearly reading goal.  As of now I've read 7 books out of my goal of 15 for the year.  Last Seen, the last book in the Amateur detective trilogy, is a great book where one of the amateur detectives is now in the trap of the killer they are chasing.  The remaining detectives must not only figure out how to save their friend but also uncover the remaining pieces of the killers sorted past all while solving SEVERAL other crimes.  I think it had a perfect end to the trilogy.

Amazon Synopsis:

The stakes are higher than ever in this third installment of The Amateurs, as Aerin finds herself kidnapped by the killer she knows all too well, and her friends must work to solve a puzzle laid out by the villain in order to save her. At first, the mystery they're tasked with seems to have nothing to do with Aerin or her kidnapper. But as Seneca, Maddox, and Madison hit the Jersey Shore to gather clues, they begin to uncover the true background of the killer and the horrors that shaped him into who he is. The scavenger hunt leads them to the family of a recently kidnapped boy, a serial child-snatcher, and dark secrets they could never have seen coming. As Aerin struggles to play nice with the person who killed her sister in order to buy herself time, her friends work feverishly against the ticking clock that could mean her life, and every clue they uncover leads Seneca to suspect she's more connected to the killer's history than she ever realized. With nail-biting suspense, twisted secrets, and non-stop action, this final installment in #1 New York Times best-selling author Sara Shepard's The Amateurs series will shock even the savviest of readers with its big reveal.

Book Review: Follow Me

A couple months ago I did THIS review of the first book in The Amateurs series by Sara Shepard and I couldn't wait to move on and read the rest of the trilogy.  These books are perfect for young adults or really anyone.  A perfect Summer read, the second book in the trilogy is Follow Me.  It follows some newly graduated high schoolers and a few college kids as they try to uncover and catch a complete psychopath and murderer that is playing a serious game of cat and mouse.  The young adults really learn about themselves as they chase a friend/killer around the East coast.

Amazon Synopsis:

It was the perfect night for a party. That is, until twenty-one-year-old Chelsea Dawson disappeared. The social media star was last seen enjoying a beautiful summer night at the Jersey Shore with her friends. But after an explosive fight with her ex-boyfriend, she vanished without a trace. When Seneca, Maddox, Aerin, and Madison hear about the suspected kidnapping, they notice a jarring detail about the victim: she looks exactly like Aerin's sister, Helena, who was killed five years earlier. Seneca is convinced she knows who killed Helena, and she can't shake the feeling that the same person has taken Chelsea. Desperate for answers about the two girls, and the truth behind her mother's murder, Seneca will stop at nothing to find out if the cases are linked. So when Maddox receives an invitation to the Shore from none other than their primary suspect, the Amateurs begin an intense new investigation. Full of disturbing secrets, startling twists, and horrifying revelations, the second book in #1 New York Times best-selling author Sara Shepard's The Amateurs series follows the team down a twisted path—one crafted by a 

Book Review: 18th Abduction

Each year or if I am lucky twice a year I wait for James Patterson to put out a new women's murder club book.  The  most recent addition to this series is the 18th Abduction.  I really had no clue where this story was going to end up but I really liked how it looked back on a situation in Lindsey and Joe's past and tied it into a current situation.  This book and really the entire series are all such good books and easy, fun reads.  Perfect for a beach vacation!  I just hope another comes out by the end of the year so I can also cozy up in the Winter to the Women's Murder Club.

Amazon Synopsis:

Detective Lindsay Boxer's investigation into the disappearance of three teachers quickly escalates from missing persons to murder in the newest Women's Murder Club thriller.

For a trio of colleagues, an innocent night out after class ends in a deadly torture session. They vanish without a clue -- until a body turns up. With the safety of San Francisco's entire school system at stake, Lindsay has never been under more pressure. As the chief of police and the press clamor for an arrest in the "school night" case, Lindsay turns to her best friend, investigative journalist Cindy Thomas. Together, Lindsay and Cindy take a new approach to the case, and unexpected facts about the victims leave them stunned. 

While Lindsay is engrossed in her investigation, her husband, Joe Molinari, meets an Eastern European woman who claims to have seen a notorious war criminal -- long presumed dead -- from her home country. Before Lindsay can verify the woman's statement, Joe's mystery informant joins the ranks of the missing women. Lindsay, Joe, and the entire Women's Murder Club must pull together to protect their city, and one another -- not from a ghost, but from a true monster.

Happy Reading….currently re-reading Fifty Shades for the 3rd time :)

Book Review: Its always the husband

The first book I finished in 2019 was It's Always the Husband.  I really liked this book but it was a bit slower paced than I like.  It jumped in time a lot so you really had to follow along well.  The entire book my suspicions of who killed the troubled Kate jumped from character to character and I really wasn't expecting for the blame to land where it did or the actual results to pan out the way they did because they ARE DIFFERENT!  This is a tale of college roommates that had a connection but not so much a friendship.  It was a good read but I think I would give it only 2.5 stars out of 5 due to the slow pace and sort of dull details.

Amazon Synopsis:

A suspenseful, absorbing novel that examines the complexities of friendship, It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell will keep readers guessing right up to its shocking conclusion.

Kate, Aubrey, and Jenny first met as college roommates and soon became inseparable, despite being as different as three women can be. Kate was beautiful, wild, wealthy, and damaged. Aubrey, on financial aid, came from a broken home, and wanted more than anything to distance herself from her past. And Jenny was a striver―brilliant, ambitious, and determined to succeed. As an unlikely friendship formed, the three of them swore they would always be there for each other. 

But twenty years later, one of them is standing at the edge of a bridge, and someone is urging her to jump. 

How did it come to this?

Kate married the gorgeous party boy, Aubrey married up, and Jenny married the boy next door. But how can these three women love and hate each other? Can feelings this strong lead to murder? When one of them dies under mysterious circumstances, will everyone assume, as is often the case,that it’s always the husband?

Book Review: Girl Wash Your Face

Lauren raved about this book while she was reading it.  She even screenshot an entire chapter to me one night LOL!!! She breezed through it and then passed it along to me insisting that I read it.  It sat beside my bathtub for a month or two but when we went to Switzerland last month I knew I had to take it and read it so I could give it back to her.  I breezed through it on the airplane and it was really a good book, for nonfiction. I'm not a nonfiction person but Rachel is so witty and spoke a lot of truths it kept me entertained through the end.  A lot of the chapters were related to being a mother or having children and although I don't fall into either of those categories currently I loved reading those chapters and hopefully feel more prepared for those actual chapters of life one day.  I think that the majority of that book is so spot on to ALL females.  I mean HELLO CHAPTER 7!!!!  I told my mom about it so next the book it traveling to her.  I know I'm probably late to this party as this book was all the rage last year but better late than never with self-improvement .  

Amazon Synopsis:

As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often we don’t even hear them anymore.  With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy, and reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be.  With unflinching faith and rock-hard tenacity, Girl, Wash Your Face shows you how to live with passion and hustle--and how to give yourself grace without giving up.

Book Review: The Amateurs

Most will know Sara Shepard from her books Pretty Little Liars, which unless you've been living under a rock for the last 10 years, also know that series was turned into a VERY successful TV show on ABC Family. I  LOVE the show and I've also read almost all of the books in the Pretty Little Liars series so when I saw her name pop up for a series called, The Amateurs, I was ready to buy before I read the first synopsis.  I'm a sucker for a good mystery and young adult fiction.  I maybe should be reading something more sophisticated at my age but reading is a nice escape for me and one that I just want to enjoy and not think about too much.  The Amateurs is the first of the 3 novels in this series....so far. It centers around Helena a girl who went missing 5 years ago and a small group of amateur sleuths who uncover what REALLY happened to Helena.  While unraveling the mystery of the young girl's disappearance each member of the group opens up about their own hardships and struggles that the case brings forward.  Each member grows alone and together forming an unbreakable friendship.  The twist at the end was never seen by the reader or the other characters and it left me wanting to jump right into book two.  

Amazon Synopsis:

Five years ago, high school senior Helena Kelly disappeared from her backyard in Dexby, Connecticut, never to be heard from again. Her family was left without any answers--without any idea who killed Helena, or why.  So when eighteen-year-old Seneca Frazier sees a desperate post on the Case Not Closed message board, she knows it's time to change that. Helena's high-profile disappearance is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It's the reason she's a member of the site in the first place.  Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, she agrees to spend spring break in Connecticut working on the case with Maddy Wright, her friend from Case Not Closed. However, the moment she steps off the train, things start to go wrong. Maddy's nothing like she expected, and Helena's sister, Aerin, doesn't seem to want any help after all. Plus, Seneca has a secret of her own, one that could derail the investigation if she's not careful.  Alongside Brett, another super-user from the site, they slowly begin to unravel the secrets Helena kept in the weeks before her disappearance. But the killer is watching... and determined to make sure the case stays cold.

I started another book and only in the first few pages decided to buy the second book in this series and read it first.  Currently reading Follow Me on my NEW paper white Kindle and I'm loving it so far. 

Book Review: A Steep Price

A Steep Price is the 6th book in the Tracy Crosswhite series by Robert Dugoni that I read the majority of last year.  while I was hung up on The President is Missing this book came out and it really motivated me to push through what I was reading so I could get back to the characters and story telling that I love so much with these books.  I raced through this book never wanting to put it down and was so sad when it ended since now I'm caught up with his writing.  It is sort of unclear at the end of this book if there are going to be more added to this series because it really could end here but I REALLY hope it doesn't.  This series really reminds me a lot of how much I enjoy reading James Patterson's Women's Murder Club series.  If you haven't read either one I highly recommend the.  I suppose now that I'm caught up with Tracy I need to venture out and read some of his other novels and see if they are also just as captivating!  

Amazon Synopsis:

Called in to consult after a young woman disappears, Tracy Crosswhite has the uneasy feeling that this is no ordinary missing-persons case. When the body turns up in an abandoned well, Tracy's suspicions are confirmed. Estranged from her family, the victim had balked at an arranged marriage and had planned to attend graduate school. But someone cut her dreams short.

Solving the mystery behind the murder isn't Tracy's only challenge. The detective is keeping a secret of her own: she's pregnant. And now her biggest fear seems to be coming true when a new detective arrives to replace her. Meanwhile, Tracy's colleague Vic Fazzio is about to take a fall after his investigation into the murder of a local community activist turns violent and leaves an invaluable witness dead.

Two careers are on the line. And when more deadly secrets emerge, jobs might not be the only things at risk.

Currently reading and starting on 2019 with Girl Wash Your Face and Its Always the Husband!

Book Review: The President is Missing

My 12th book that I finished for 2018 was a collaboration with President Bill Clinton and James Patterson.  I bought this book while in Europe for some travel and night reading and it took me a full 5 months to finish it!!!  If that doesn't tell you a bit about the book them let me say...they drug this sucker on, and on, and on, and on and on and...well you get it.  The entire book happened over a time period of like 5 days to a week and literally I felt like everything could have been said in a few pages.  It was very anticlimactic and the only reason I even finished it was that I'm not type A that I had to finish what I started but I don't recommend it.  It's really slow moving and drawn out and I just felt like the story wasn't a great story.  

Amazon Synopsis:

The President Is Missing confronts a threat so huge that it jeopardizes not just Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street, but all of America. Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyberterror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view . . . 

Set over the course of three days, The President Is Missing sheds a stunning light upon the inner workings and vulnerabilities of our nation. Filled with information that only a former Commander-in-Chief could know, this is the most authentic, terrifying novel to come along in many years.

Currently reading and trying to finish by the end of the month Girl Wash Your Face & A Steep Price

Book Review: The Couple Next Door

I picked up this book in the Denver airport on my way home at the end of October and as soon as I started reading it at the gate I couldn't stop.  I read it in under a week and not that I'm a slow reader at all but I usually savor the book by only reading at night but I HAD TO KNOW!!! The suspense is held in this book all the way through with a million twists and a couple MAJOR curve balls being thrown at you at the end to wrap it up nicely.  It is a horrifying story of how people can lose their humanity over money and I wouldn't doubt one bit if this has or does happen in our society.  Although it is named The Couple Next Door it is really all about what is happening right in your own home and your own family.  Definitely 5 *****s!  

Amazon Synopsis:

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .  Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately lands on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.  Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.  What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Happy reading...I'll be over here trying to finish up The President is Missing!

Book Review: Close to Home

I was so surprised when I noticed the fifth installment of Robert Dugoni's Tracy Crosswhite series was on Amazon while I was on my European vacation. I started reading it while I was gone but didn't get far and it took me a a bit longer to finish once I got home.  This book was interesting to me because I just could never figure out ANY of the pieces.  The mystery was there but I had no idea where the author was going with the story but he kept me reading the entire time.  The ending was so sweet and that is a piece I did pick up on early on but it wasn't actually said until the the last few pages.  I'm so excited where the author is going to take these characters in the next book which is on my list and the last book that is actually published from this series.  I hope he keeps them coming!!!

Amazon Synopsis

While investigating the hit-and-run death of a young boy, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite makes a startling discovery: the suspect is an active-duty serviceman at a local naval base. After a key piece of case evidence goes missing, he is cleared of charges in a military court. But Tracy knows she can’t turn her back on this kind of injustice.

When she uncovers the driver’s ties to a rash of recent heroin overdoses in the city, she realizes that this isn’t just a case of the military protecting its own. It runs much deeper than that, and the accused wasn’t acting alone. For Tracy, it’s all hitting very close to home.

As Tracy moves closer to uncovering the truth behind this insidious conspiracy, she’s putting herself in harm’s way. And the only people she can rely on to make it out alive might be those she can no longer trust. 

Book Review: The Trapped Girl

Another Robert Dugoni novel from the Tracy Crosswhite series (#4 this time) and again just can't love these books anymore than I already do.  I'm now almost all the way caught up with the author so as soon as he releases the next I'm ON IT!!  All of the books in this series has a twist but I really never saw this one and really kept me guessing about the trapped girl and who she was???  Check out the synopsis below and then check it out!

Amazon Synopsis

In this #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, Tracy Crosswhite must first identify the victim to catch the killer.

When a woman’s body is discovered submerged in a crab pot in the chilly waters of Puget Sound, Detective Tracy Crosswhite finds herself with a tough case to untangle. Before they can identify the killer, Tracy and her colleagues on the Seattle PD’s Violent Crimes Section must figure out who the victim is. Her autopsy, however, reveals she may have gone to great lengths to conceal her identity. So who was she running from?

After evidence surfaces that their Jane Doe may be a woman who suspiciously disappeared months earlier, Tracy is once again haunted by the memory of her sister’s unsolved murder. Dredging up details from the woman’s past leads to conflicting clues that only seem to muddy the investigation. As Tracy begins to uncover a twisted tale of brutal betrayal and desperate greed, she’ll find herself risking everything to confront a killer who won’t go down without a deadly fight. Once again, New York Timesbestselling author Robert Dugoni delivers a taut, riveting thriller in the fourth installment of his acclaimed Tracy Crosswhite series.

Book Review: 17th Suspect

Every time James Patterson cranks out another book and adds it to the Women's Murder Club series I'm terrified it might be the last one.  I love all these books they are just so homey with the friendship of the women, the problem they face, and then the new mystery and cases of the characters.  They will never get old and I just keep waiting and watching the next!

Amazon Synopsis:

The newest Women's Murder Club thriller--and instant #1 New York Times bestseller 

A series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a methodical yet unpredictable killer, and a reluctant woman decides to put her trust in Sergeant Lindsay Boxer. The confidential informant's tip leads Lindsay to disturbing conclusions, including that something has gone horribly wrong inside the police department itself. 

The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction, and gets inside Lindsay in dangerous ways. She suffers unsettling medical symptoms, and her friends and confidantes in the Women's Murder Club warn Lindsay against taking the crimes too much to heart. With lives at stake, the detective can't help but follow the case into ever more terrifying terrain. 

A decorated officer, loving wife, devoted mother, and loyal friend, Lindsay's unwavering integrity has never failed her. But now she is confronting a killer who is determined to undermine it all.

Currenty up on deck for reading is another Tracy Crosswhite novel (Close to Home) and James Patterson's book with President Bill Clinton (The President is Missing)

Book Review: Treachorous

Treacherous by Sara Rosett is the 6th in the On the Run series and like always it was a really fun read while on vacation in Europe.  All the On the Run novels take place in a far off land and Treacherous is set in Madrid.  While I was on Amazon I happened to see that Sara Rosett had released yet another book and I had to double check to make sure I hadn't read this one.  It was really fun and had some surprising twists that never disappoint.  If you love travel, mystery, and a bit of art history then you will love this series, check them out!  

Also I love using Good Reads to keep up with all the books I have, am and want to read.  It is a great way to review and search favorite authors and make sure I haven't missed anything new they might have put out.  

Amazon Synopsis:

A mysterious package, a rumor of a masterpiece, and a dangerous game of hide and seek…

Zoe loves working as a consultant for a company that specializes in art theft recovery. Her only complaint is that the jobs are few and far between, so when she meets an eccentric collector who is on the hunt for a painting of a blue butterfly that might—or might not—exist, she jumps at the chance to look for it. She comes across shady dealers and a confusion of clues as her search for the elusive painting takes her from tropical destinations to the cobblestone streets of Madrid.

Treacherous is the sixth installment of the lighthearted On The Run series from USA Todaybest-selling author Sara Rosett, which features globetrotting art heists and international intrigue.

Kid Rock Concert

For our friend Paul's 30th birthday his wife got tickets to see Kid Rock at the Choctaw Casino in Durant, OK on January 26th.  We drove up that Friday afternoon to check in and get decked out for the concert.  We had never been to that casino and it was really awesome.  It is pretty much like a cruise ship on land with a ton of things to do other than gambling like the pool, bowling, and arcade, not to mention the 7 or 8 restaurants on site.  We ate dinner at the casino buffet which we all agreed wasn't that great for the price and then headed over to the concert hall to get our seats.  

Kid Rock put on an amazing show and we had so much fun singing along to our favorites and seeing just how white trash the outfits could get. LOL

After the concert Lauren spent a few dollars playing losing at blackjack and then we played a few games of bowling before turning in close to 2 am.  I sucked at bowling and Hendrik thought it was awesome that there was finally a sport I wasn't good at.  I took the coaching well and did improve by the end of the night.

This was a great night away with our best friends and much needed time just having fun with each other.  

Book Review: Her Final Breath

The second book by Robert Dugoni in the Tracy Crosswhite series is just as good as the first.  This book is a little bit more sinister but the intrigue is all around.  You have no idea who to suspect and until the end you are set on the culprit being someone else until the final chapter or two you are stunned to find the killer!  These books are so relaxing and interesting and have a great strong leading female character that give inspiration and strength to us all!  Not only do you have action and adventure but also romance.  Check out this series if you haven't yet.  I'm currently reading the 3rd book in this series and can't wait to read them all!

Amazon Synopsis:

Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life.

A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

Book Review: My Sister's Grave

Around a month ago I needed to find some good but cheap books and of course I turned to Amazon.  I stumbled upon Robert Dugoni's, My Sister's Grave, and read the synopsis and OMG I had to snatch it up.  I couldn't read this book fast enough.  I looked forward to going to bed each night just so I could read more.  You really are kept on your toes the entire time and I love the character of Tracy, the leading female detective that is bad to the bone.  I was even more excited to find out that once I finished this book there was more in store as it was just the first of a series that currently has 6 books. In the first book of the series Tracy heads back to her hometown to finally uncover what really happened to her sister 20 years ago after her sister's remains where discovered in a shallow grave.  What happens next you'll never guess!  For the price these books pack a lot of punch!

Amazon Synopsis:

Tracy Crosswhite has spent twenty years questioning the facts surrounding her sister Sarah’s disappearance and the murder trial that followed. She doesn’t believe that Edmund House—a convicted rapist and the man condemned for Sarah’s murder—is the guilty party. Motivated by the opportunity to obtain real justice, Tracy became a homicide detective with the Seattle PD and dedicated her life to tracking down killers.

When Sarah’s remains are finally discovered near their hometown in the northern Cascade mountains of Washington State, Tracy is determined to get the answers she’s been seeking. As she searches for the real killer, she unearths dark, long-kept secrets that will forever change her relationship to her past—and open the door to deadly danger.

Currently reading the 3rd book in this series!  They are so good!