Saturday, June 30, 2007

The Next Thing On My List by Jill Smolinskit

June Parker decides to complete a to-do list left by a woman Marissa. So one by one, with the help of her friends she checks them off. She even makes the decision to finish them by Marissa’s 25th birthday. June does not seem to realize how fast time passes and so she starts wondering what to do. Will she complete the list in time or just give up?

Ms. Smolinski is a fabulous writer. She had me laughing or crying through the entire book. The dreams this one woman had for her life were simple but resonated within me. Now mind you, I am a mom of a young child, but I could even understand why they were chosen. I had to keep turning the pages to find out if she completed all of them in time or not.

June is a sensible girl and had no ideas of trying to get herself ahead in her world. But she realizes that she can do something for someone else and so sets out on her journey. Not all of them go well but that is to be expected. She really has her heart in the right place and I was pleased with her committing to such a daunting task. Her friends at work were awesome. They cheered her on and really did their best to help her figure out how to complete the tasks.

I don’t want to give much away. I was impressed with the book with the fact that I know people who have not been able to finish it. That can happen with any book and I have had my share. But when it came down to the end, June truly had to rely on herself to complete the tasks. Yes, friends helped and that was a wonderful thing. But at the same time, she had to make quite a few tough decisions for her life and then figure out if she could stick with them. I hope to read the other book by this author cause I hope it is just as good if not even better than this one. She has a newfound fan in me!
288 pages/New Author/Chick-lit/ 5 out of 5

Well I am off to read Taste of the Forbidden by Tambra Kendall. I do not know if I will be able to post my review tonight but we'll see. :) Have a great night all!

Friday, June 29, 2007

Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

The new computer game coming from Monkeewrench has a lot of people dying. Grace McBride and her eccentric partners are trying to keep their past a secret. The new game Serial Killer Detective is being acted out in real life. So the cops are breathing down their necks to find out what is happening. But if they keep stuff to their selves 18 more people could die.

P.J. Tracy are a fabulous writing team! I could not believe all the twists and turns that kept me turning pages. It was never a slow pace book. It kept going and going and going. Yet it was easy to follow along cause once they started adding up all the clues they had to figure out who the killer was. Everything was explained really well and things that were not essential to the case was not touched. That was nice.

Grace McBride was always thinking her past problems were her fault. And the current killings based off her new computer game were once again her fault. Her friends Harley, Roadrunner, Mitch, and Annie all tired to get her to where she would know it was not her fault. They wanted to go on the run once the killings started, but Grace knew there was no point to running. At least, she had her head on her shoulders about most things. I was impressed with her even though she was a little paranoid. I could understand why she was now because of the things that had happened long ago. I really liked Harley and Roadrunner because they both had their eccentricities but were fun loving guys that anyone would want on their side. Officer Magozzi was a sweetie. He wanted to solve the crimes and did his best with the powers that be breathing down on him. He also seemed to have a soft spot for Grace.

This book was awesome! It was fun to read a book set not to far from where I live now. It really helped me get in the mindset of what was going on. Now mind you anyone could read and enjoy this book. I am sure other people feel the same way about books set in the town where they live. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more in this series.
404 pages/New Author/Author of the Month/ 5 out of 5

Off to reading The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinski. :)

Thursday, June 28, 2007

The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Jerry Renault is having a tough time adjusting to the new school. His mom died from cancer and is trying to find his place now. He wonders if he should finally stand up for himself. When the chocolate fundraiser starts, he decides he does not want to sell anything. First the Vigils, the school’s secret society, decide to turn against him. Who will survive this one?

This is the second Cormier book that I have read. I can see why this could be a challenged book not only for how the secret society deals with stuff as well as the torture brought upon the students and teachers. His writing style is one I enjoyed. It has been awhile since I have read one of his books but I was a little disappointed.

Jerry was not a kid who just took things sitting down. He fought back for himself. Also with losing his mom, he had a tough time getting to know the kids. Making his dad proud was one of the top things he wanted to do. The secret society was not so secret. Everyone knew about it but did nothing to stop it. That bothered me to no end. Now mind you some of the assignments made for the boys to carry out were not harmful. But at the same time, some of them were down right mean. I could not believe some of the ideas that the boys came up with but then I am not a boy nor do I think like one.

It was an interesting read. Though I was not impressed with the book, I do intend to read more by this author. It opened my eyes to a lot of things that are dealt with in school systems. The book may have been written over 30 years ago, the ideas and themes are still relevant. I am hoping I will like the next book more but that is not a definite.
253 pages/Banned Book/Young Adult Fiction/ 3/5

Taking on more responsibilites at Coffee Time has cug my time of reading through my library and my stack of books. But I'll be okay. Just learn to take time for it all. :) lol I just started Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Mermaid Chair Movie

I watched the movie earlier this afternoon and really liked it. They changed a lot of things but other than that they kept the general theme going. It was cool to see Sue Monk Kidd as a extra in the movie. She is in the second hospital scene and I will leave it at that if you have not read the book. :) I highly recommend seeing this one. Now Lifetime plays it once in awhile but you could also check their dvd secon on their website to see if it is in DVD yet or not. :)

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The Screaming Room by Thomas O'Callaghan

Alright this did not want to post the first time around so I am hoping it will go better this time.

John Driscoll is finally moving on with his life until tourists start getting killed all over New York City. Then he is stuck trying to figure out who is doing the killing before the whole city becomes completely panicked. With the city breathing down his neck, he pulls in a team he think will help even though he is unsure of a few of the members. The papers are leaking information and John has to go up against a very powerful man and try to keep the guy quiet. It is not an easy job when someone is one step ahead of you all the time. But somehow John seems to be able to stay focused. He is the man for the job.

Mr. O'Callaghan's second book is surely a hit. It is not nearly as gruesome and I really liked it. It was still just as creepy which made me keep turning the pages. I had to be careful of when I read it or I would get rather jumpy. The details of the crimes were so precise and the information shocked me with how people come up with the ideas due to the things that have happened in the past. Mr. O'Callaghan really gave a new spin on the sins of the father revisits the son complex.

John truly is growing a little bit. He is seeing things they way they are and trying to be as helpful as possible. He struggles with the crimes that happen and is completely baffled because he does not quite understand how they are happening under their watchful eyes. With the help of Cedric Thomlinson, things get to be a bit clearer. Cedric is usual happy go luck self. He knows what he knows and works very hard to prove his theories. He makes me laugh! I was also happy to see Magaret back and to see how she was changing and seeking things out. She is one tough cookie but this case was even driving her nuts. And in my opinion it was rightfully justified, this brother sister team were doing things that I am glad were never truly described in detail but you got the just of what was going on. To be able to write characters like that was pretty darn good. I was impressed even though I hope there is no one close to being like those two out there. I would fear for my life.

This book continued the story from The Bone Thief very well as focused on the case at hand wonderfully. It was a great combination and I can't wait to see what is coming out next year from this author since it appears he is going to continue with the same main character. I give this book a 4/5 because it held my attention and I had to find out what was going to happen. If you can't handle the littlest of details then you probably want to read it just during the day. It is well-written and I can see why it is well recieved by authors. But please make sure to read The Bone Thief first. I know it is not required but it makes a lot more sense if you do.

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd

Jessie Sullivan is trying to figure out where her life is going. Her marriage to her husband Hugh and taking care of their daughter Dee has been her main focus. But now with Dee off to college, she is wondering what she will do now. Getting a phone call from her mom's best friend Kay, Jessie goes back to Egret Island to take care of her mom. But when she gets there, she is finding out that the death of her father Joe was not as simple as she thought. Along the way she meets a monk by the name of Brother Thomas and finds she has feelings for him. She is getting confused and needs to know what she truly wants for her life. Jessie has some very tough questions ahead of her and wonders if the answer she needs will be found sitting in the Mermaid chair.

Ms. Kidd knows how to express emotions in a way that grips you from the beginning. She never says what is right or wrong but shows you the process that the characters have to go through. I really liked that! Now mind you, her characters express their beliefs but I really felt like she left it up to me to decide what to think. Her descriptions put you right there beside the characters.I was truly impressed with how she worded everything.

Jessie was truly struggling with everything. Going back to the island almost seemed to make it worse. There were a few timesthat I wanted to hit the woman up side the head for not talking to her hubby. But I know so much was going on inside her that she could not think clearly if she tried. I really liked her mom's friends Kat and Hepzibah. Kat ran a gift shop and Hepzibah did Gullah tours. They were both so different from Nelle but the three of them really were great friends! Kate and Hepzibah wanted to see Nelle get out again and try to recover her lost spirit.

I really enjoyed this story and look forward to watching the movie that was done on Lifetime since I recorded it. I give this booka 4/5 because it kept me turning pages. I thought it was a very insightful book and I look forward to reading The Secret Life of Bees.

338 pages/TBR Challenge/New Author

Well I have another two books to read and review so off to reading I go. :)

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss

If you are working on reading this book I don't recommend reading it. I also hope I am not giving too much away. :)


Katie Hollis wanted to get the closure she never got with her ex-boyfriend Jake Sharpe. Problem is that he is a famous rock star and she can’t get near him. Until she gets a phone call from her best friend Laura to say he is back in their hometown. So Katie hops on a plane to see him one last time. She has no idea what kind of a circus she will find when she gets there.

Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Krauss show us that nothing ever turns out like we hope but it is still worth it in the end. Friends are what truly matter because family can’t always be relied upon. These two women authors give us every girl’s dream by showing an ex-boyfriend what he is missing out on.

Katie had this dream life of being with Jake. She was finally seeing the reality of it. She is a sweet person but was always curious about how life would have been with Jake. Jake sold out on his friends, which really made me want to throttle Katie because she never saw it at first. Jake was a sweet guy but got caught up in the fame and popularity not realizing what it would cost him. Laura put up with a lot from Katie but was still a true friend. She really wanted Katie to be happy so that is why she called and told her about Jake being back.

I liked this story. I also appreciated the flashbacks because I got better feel for what was happening in present day life. Ms. McLaughlin and Ms. Krauss are quite the team. I was impressed with how the story flowed. The ending was good because Katie did get a glimpse of real life. It was not easy for her to see but she had to make a decision about what her life was going to be. She was not selfish wanting a real life yet she felt horrible for having to do what she did. I hope to read more by these two because it sounds like they have some great books that they have written and I would love to see more of what they can do.

I give this book a 4/5 because it was well written. The characters drove me nuts but I never threw the book across the room. Jake was not selfish but used to the fame while Katie didn’t know what to do with it. She just wanted quality time and never seemed to get much of that. She wanted to know the feelings ran deep more than just a roll in the hay from the past. I can emphasize with her because I had to deal with some of the same feelings at one time or another. I never had the roll in the hay but wanted to be liked for who I was and my deep feelings about things. Not just to have someone roll his eyes at me and tell me I have completely lost my mind.

278 pages/New Authors/ Chick Lit

Now off to send the review to Simon and Schuster as well as off to bed. Been a long day. :)

Monday, June 11, 2007

The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene

Patricia Bergen has an interesting summer when she turns twelve. The town of Jenkensville, Arkansas becomes the home of a camp for captured German soldiers. And on one of their trips into the store that Patricia’s family owns she meets one of them named Fredrick Anton Reiker. He is the translator for the bunch so that they can buy hats. Little does Patricia know that the time she spends with him that day will not be the last. After he escaped from camp, she hides him in her background and brings him food. He is the only friend she has and that friendship will cost her everything.

The story that Bette Green writes is full of emotions. I could tell it was a dated story but at the same time she wrote the characters very well. The storyline was great and easy to follow. She had a difficult topic to talk about but I found it very interesting. One of my favorite things was that she would write how a person would talk for the colored folks as they were referred to in the book.

Patricia really did not have an easy life. Between the fact that her parents didn’t care for her since they thought she was ugly to being a Jew who wanted to help a German soldier in hiding from the authorities. She always seemed to find herself in some kind of trouble. Her housekeeper Ruth was a sweetie. She really looked out for Patricia while her parents seemed to have more important things in mind. Her sister Sharon was the favored one since she looked so much like her mother and I found that to be rather harsh. Anton was a sweet heart and so civilized. I was completely impressed with him.

This was a great book but again I could see why it would be challenged since it had a lot of foul language as well as repeat use of a slanderous word towards African Americans. I was appalled at how much it was used but that is what it was like during that time. I give this book a 4/5. I was upset with the ending even though I knew it was not going to be happy. I think things should have been different but then again I was not born during that time. I could have had a completely different reaction. But all in all, I was impressed and look forward to reading the sequel, Morning Is A Long Time Coming.

199 pages/Banned/Young Adult/ New Author

Well I was hoping to finish up Dedication today but was not possible. I will most likely finish tomorrow evening and will post my review then and then after that I have 2 romance stories to read and review. :)

Sunday, June 10, 2007

The Terrorist by Caroline B. Cooney

Laura Williams worked on living the most normal life that she could in London. Going to school at London International Academy is not an easy thing to do for her or her brother Billy. They have to keep their opinions to themselves and try to figure out where they fit in the whole world. Billy takes the tube while Laura takes the bus to school. They have had bomb drills all the time but Laura can’t believe what happens when she gets off the bus to meet Billy and he never shows. All she hears is something about a bomb and her world changes in one instant!

Ms. Cooney is a fabulous writer who writes about many things. She takes this topic on with the tenacity that I am familiar with. She never says who is right or wrong but describes the workings of a terrorist. She also lets you get to see how grief can affect a family and what they need to do to move on.

Laura was a sweet girl who should have not had to experience grief so early. She was just trying to be a teenager and adjust to being in a different country. Her parents even went so far as to truly trust her. Though she had never done anything to make them think otherwise. Billy is a sweet boy who just makes people love him no matter how annoying he is at that time. He is an innocent boy with dreams. Even the students of L.I.A. are trying to figure out who they are but completely sheltered because of who their parents are, who their parents support, or if they had to leave their country for some reason or another. It is surprising how well these kids do at all and just want to be kids.

I could see why this book would be challenged since it deals with terrorists. This type of thing has always been a touchy subject to cover and even more so since 9/11. I thought it was well explained and well told. I think this book could teach a lot of kids things like how sheltered we are and how we truly need to give it our all to try to know other people before making irrational judgments. I give this book a 4/5. I love this author and have read other of her books and will continue to do so.

198 pages/Challenged Book/ Young Adult Fiction

Now off to start The Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Green and then after that Dedication by Emma McLaughlin and Nicole Krauss. After that to books to review, I have 6 new ones. :)

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Dean Robilliard’s world gets hit when he sees a woman in a beaver costume. He helps her and then finds her in his house in the country. Finding out who his housekeeper is another surprise he has to deal with. Yet Dean soon finds his heart stolen by Blue Bailey. But she is used to traveling the world and never looking back. She loves to paint but was stifled by her teachers in college. Now she is unsure of her talents and Dean wants to help her out in any way that he can. Blue doubts that he could even love her. Will these two ever realize what they mean to each other?

Ms. Phillips does a great job with this book. There is so much that both characters have to come to grips with. She really shows how family dynamics can or cannot work and how that can affect relationships. She knows how to present real people in her stories. Yes, she created them but I always able to really feel a part of the story.

Dean is a real sweetie if he would just get over the fact that he can be happy with anyone he wants. He kept driving me nuts about that kind of thing. Blue was a sweetie but didn’t want to give her heart away too easily so that she could walk away when she needed to. Both had commitment issues but then looking at both sets of parents, I could completely understand. They seemed to need each other more because of the hurt that they shared. I found myself laughing at the silly things that they would do in order to get what they wanted. I also really liked the character Riley. She was only 11 years old but wise beyond her years. She could be a little stinker but when shown the right way to fuel her energies she was a great girl! She just needed a little encouragement from her dad.

This book held my attention though I should not have waited so long to write this review. A lot of my enthusiasm for the book is gone but I do recommend it highly. Some of the characters from Match Me if You Can are in this book so I recommend reading that one first even though this is not a series. I give this book a 4/5 and look forward to reading more from this author.

Now off to read one more review book and then Terrorist by Caronline Cooney. :)

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Sisters by Danielle Steel

Four sisters finally get together over the Fourth of July weekend or face their mother’s wrath. Candy is a supermodel who goes all over the world. She is young and inexperienced. Though she seems to think she knows it all. Annie is an artist spending time in Florence Italy. She thinks she has finally met someone she can settle down with. Tammy produces a show in L.A. and loves her job most of the time. She has a lot of headaches and feels like she only attracts weird men or divorcees. Sabrina, the oldest, has a loving relationship with her boyfriend Chris. She is a lawyer who mainly focuses on divorces and child custodies. But they will never know how much their lives will change on this trip home. Can they handle what will happen and how will it affect their lives?

Ms. Steel did it again. I found her writing style refreshing. It was a book that had me from the beginning. I don’t know how she does it but she just makes her characters come alive and they show their insecurities somehow through out the book. I think having her daughters probably influenced the book a little.

I felt sorry for Candy. Yeah so she is 21 but I could not believe how sheltered she was. I almost wanted to throttle her myself. Sabrina was the most stubborn but she could take over when things needed to be done. She fought with commitment from day one. Tammy wanted to be loved but never seemed to find the right guy. She wanted children and was willing to go to any lengths. Annie was passionate about her art. It was a true blessing how much her parents supported her in her dream.

This book was wonderful. I give it a 4/5. As much as I really liked it, there were parts of the story that were over done and a little over the top. Now I have never been what those four women went through. I just couldn’t imagine it. I will continue to read Ms. Steel’s novels cause she has a wonderful way with words that keeps me hooked.
341 pages/Fiction

Now I am going to start Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and then I have another romance to review. :)

Monday, June 04, 2007

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni

This story is told through the eyes of two women Miriam and Lilia. Miriam is an illegitimate child and is eventually married off to Rasheed who has his own shoe shop. She endures life with him as her mom Nana did on her own with not much help. Miriam and Rasheed take in Lilia after she loses her family. Miriam and Lilia have to figure out their relationship to each other as well as how it will work with Rasheed. With the Taliban starting to take power, the women also need to decide if they feel safe to stay or if they must flee to save their lives.

Mr. Hosseni is a talented and very wonderful writer. His writing got better and it was more emotionally involved. He showed all aspects of his characters extremely well. The depth that he took his writing truly amazed me.

Miriam was my favorite because she endured the most of both. She really had to bounce back from situations multiple times. Yet she never seemed to stay bitter. Lilia was a woman who got thrown into a marriage for no other reason than her reputation. She thought no one was left around to save her or take care of her.

This book took me on a wonderful experience. It taught me more about that culture and what was expected of both men and women. I give it a 5/5. It is difficult to write this review because I am grasping for words to tell you how great it is. I don’t want to give anything away! Please check this book out and if you have not already read Kite Runner they are not linked in any way. Mr. Hosseni is an amazing author and I look forward to his next book.

372 pages/ fiction

I finished this one before I posted The Last Summer. It took me the longest time to write the review for the current book mentioned. Now off to read a romance novel. :)

The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

Riley and Alice, who have grown up, come back to the island and who shows up but Paul. Paul was best friend with Riley but always seemed to pick more on Alice. Alice realizes what he was really doing and throws out a challenge to Paul. But yet with that comes another realization that their world is not the same anymore. The girls have to deal with feelings that they have for each other, their parents, and Paul. Paul must come to terms with his feelings towards the aforementioned. But will it turn out like a fairy tale or is there more than meets the eye?

Ann Brashares of Sisterhood of Traveling Pants fame decided to write her first adult book. The characters were gripping; emotion filled and had conflict all around them. I enjoyed her expression of all characters and how she could really distinguish between each one. Yet she took her writing to another level by being able to describe things in more depth and have more soul searching in this book. She was really able to step up and write a good book.

Riley and Alice truly had to deal with how things had changed in their world. Alice wanted things to stay the same in some ways yet she also wanted to experience new things. She knew Riley had a difficult time handling change. Riley loved to swim and was best as a lifeguard. She knows something is going on and has secrets of her own.
Paul is just battling with his feelings, his friendships, and even memories of his father who died when he was just a child. It is not so much realizing that the world isn’t what they thought but more of embracing reality. There are sacrifices that are made because of guilt yet it is all part of figuring out what life holds for each one of them.

Ms. Brashares has a talent in writing and really gets emotional with her characters, the situations, and the events happening all around the story. I enjoyed that emotion and it is what kept me turning the pages. I give this book a 5/5 because it kept me finding out whom the romance was going to be with, what the secrets were, and how it was all going to turn out in the end. I found it to be very well written and it expanded on the great stories she had already written.


306 pages/ Fiction

This was a great book! I really enjoyed it! I will post my review of A Thousand Suns later today and then I have 2 romance novels to review. After that, not sure what I am going to read yet.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

My May Reads!

Deep Storm by Lincoln Child 4-30-07 through 05-03-07 A
Torc’s Salvation by Melany Logen 5-03-07 A
Blackberry Pie by Bonnie Dee 5-04-07 A
Savage Shores by Emma Wildes 5-04-07 A
Cupid on a mission by Laura Hamby 5-05-07 A
How to lose an ET in 10 Days by Susan Grant 5-05-07 through 5-06-07 A
Family Tree by Barbara Delinsky 5-06-07 through 5-07-07 A
The Innocent Man by John Grisham 5-07-07 through 5-09-07 B
The Gourdfellas by Maggie Bruce 5-09-07 through 5-10-07 A
10. The American Heiress by Diana Bold 5-10-07 through 5-11-07 A
100. Cake, a fairy tale by Dina Keratsis 5-11-07 A
101.Simple Genius by David Baldacci 5-12-07 through 5-14-07 A
102. By the Book by JoAnn Carter 5-14-07 A
103. Don’t Scream by Wendy Corsi Staub 5-14-07 through 5-15-07 A+
104. Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retelling by Lee Borwood 5-15-07 through 5-16-07 B
105. Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian 5-16-07 through 5-18-07 B
106. Step on a crack by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge 5-18-07 A+
107. Paradise Road by Connie Kennan 5-18-07 through 5-19-07 A
108. Alien Seduction by Jenna Leigh et all 5-19-07 through 5-23-07 A
109. Considering Doris Day by Tom Santopietro 5-23-07 through 5-26-07 A
110. The Girl Hunter by Sandee McCain 5-26-07 through 5-27-07 A
111. All Work and No Play by Julie Cohen 5-27-06 A
112. Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy 5-27-07 through 5-30-07 A+
113. Deadly Apprasil by Jane K. Cleland 5-30-05 through 5-31-07 A+
114. Thief of a Goddess Heart by Colleen Love 5-31-07 A


My stats:
May-
Total Books Read: 28
New Authors: 19
Fiction: 26
Non-Fiction: 2
Chunksters: 2
TBR:
Books I bought: 1
Books Sent to me: 6
Total Pages read: 5584

And for fun! I have quite a few reviews up on my page for Coffee Time Romance. :) Here is my link:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Reviewers/Krista.html

I love that group! We are like a family and I get to meet so many cool authors. :)

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

Abby is trying to find her way in the world. She loves the house she owns even though it is not in tiptop shape. She is a psychic who embraces her gift and helps other people. Though more often than not she blurts things out and has no idea where she got them. She gets herself in trouble when describing some ideas she has about a kidnapping case to her date. Her date turns out to be Detective Riches and he does not know what to think of what she does for a living. He is convinced she is making things up or is involved in the kidnapping. Abby does not know why she signed up to help on the case but doubts whether she can help solve it. Though someone else has other ideas.


Victoria Laurie is an amazing author. She also writes from her personal experience since she does readings herself. Since she has probably experienced some of the things that Abby went through first hand, it made the character more realistic and believable. Ms. Laurie really knows her stuff obviously and I was impressed with how she was able to turn that into a character that even I could relate to even though I am not a psychic.

Abby Cooper is a real woman though the only thing that makes her different is the gift she has for seeing the future. She is a woman who doubts herself but when things get her really down she looks to herself for the answers she needs. Someone needs to have confidence in her and that person is Detective Riches. Dutch is a man with a hurt past and needs time to turn things around. I also liked Dutch’s partner Milo. He is hilarious. He is always saying things to Abby behind Dutch’s back and just a regular jester. But when he is needed is someone you can count on for anything.

I give this book a 5/5. I can’t wait to read more in this series. This subject has intrigued me for the longest time. And since Ms. Laurie really writes from experience makes it that more intriguing to me. The characters were real, the conflicts were real, and I recommend this book to anyone who not only likes psychics but a good mystery. The twists got me for a loop. It seemed to get Abby as well before she figured everything out. I hope to read more in this series soon!

434 pages/ Large Print/ New Author

My library, the one that is near by, only had it in large print so I am not counting this as a chunkster. Well off to bed! I am wiped out.