Count to Ten by James Patterson

Private #13

Ok, technically this one is a series. BUT you don't need to read the Private novels in any particular order. Nor do you have to read them all. Case in point, this is the first one set in Private's new India office.

Private India is dealing with a serial killer who may be in the market to harvest human organs. A shocking premise and one I can certainly find interest in. My initial take on the Private India characters was that they were a little dry. I found more to like about them as the story went on, but I'm not overly invested in them. This tends to be a theme in Private novels. Patterson seems to want us to forget about the various detectives he uses in favor of remembering Jack (the owner of the Private industries and guest star in the books). My problem with that, as you may know from previous book reviews, is that I'm not actually a fan of Jack. But I enjoyed this book for the way it would down after the climax. I enjoyed the ending and I enjoyed the suspense. It took a lot of build up to get there, but hang in and you'll like it.

Three smiles.

Barefoot by Elin Hilderbrand

Three women all dealing with different blows life may deal you decide to escape to the beach in Nantucket for the summer.

This is a great beach read. More importantly, I found exceptional life lesson buried within the characters. This is recommended for anyone looking for life balance or needed a reminder of how important family is.

I expected to pick this one up and have a nice, quick summer read about a beach that made me want to go to the beach. It delivered on that AND on so much more.

I'm giving this one 4 smiles and recommending you give it a chance.

Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah

The relationship between sisters is something you simply cannot understand if you do not have one. This book follows two sisters who have a rather broken relationship as they try to pull together at a time in their lives when they just need a sister.

I liked the chemistry between the girls, I liked the way their lives had unfolded without each other, and I liked the reasons they came together. Their relationship felt completely real to me.

The book did, however, take a twist that I wasn't expecting. The twist itself was good, but it felt like a stretch. Ok, no problem, I can handle one small stretch. Then it kept stretching as we learned a bit more. The ending was not my favorite.

Have you read it? I'd love to know what you think!

My rating: 3 smiles

The Gift of Darkness by V.M. Giambanco

This book stars a young detective named Alice Madison. As with detective novels, we are going to follow the case she's working and learn a little about Alice in the process. I'm an avid reader of detective novels, and I enjoyed this one. Alice is a refreshing take on the main character detective.

The direct plot line was enjoyable for me, probably more like 4 smiles, but I felt like it got bogged down a little by the subplots. Someone who really likes psychological books with a lot going on would think this bumped it up.

Overall: The book was good, I recommend it.
3 smiles.

Have you read it? Let me know what you thought!

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Let me start by saying books like this are important. Books that remind us of events in human history when we were not at our best. Books that remind us of the real people who lived through such events. Books that remind us of the people who did not. Those books will always be important.

This book approaches the events surrounding WWII differently than many do. The book is a work of fiction, following Bruno. Bruno is a young boy (9 according to the book although he certainly reads younger, in my opinion) who is completely out of touch with what is going on in Europe despite having a father who would be very in touch with it. Bruno is a child, he reads like a child, and yet it reminds us that such characters would've existed. Characters who wouldn't known what was going on.

Historically, I'm sure there are problems with this story. It certainly paints a different picture of the camp than I've had in my head when reading other novels centering around the Holocaust. I don't intend to pick this one apart for details. It was intended to be a work of fiction, I think, and to give us another viewpoint. One we, maybe, haven't heard.

Overall, I was shocked by the ending. I was intrigued with the viewpoint. I would recommend this one.
4 smiles.

Sweet Revenge by Nora Roberts

I read my very first EVER Nora Roberts book in March of 2018 (Chasing Fire rated it 3 smiles). I liked it enough to give it another go.

This book fell a little flat for me. I liked the concept on the surface. The things Adrianne does are very unique and her story definitely has a feel of something you haven't heard before. But something about the story lost me. It may have been the story line with Phoebe, who I wanted to be a stronger character than she was. It may be the way the King was presented. Honestly, I'm having a hard time pinpointing exactly what my problem was.

Overall, I just didn't get into this one like I wanted.
I suspect people may feel VERY differently and would actually really enjoy the strong Adrianne.

Have you read it? Drop your own review in the comments.
2 smiles from me.

The Rook by Steven James

This is the 2nd book starring Special Agent Patrick Bowers. The first, The Pawn, I reviewed previously (January 2018) and rated 4 smiles. You certainly do NOT have to read The Pawn to appreciate The Rook (although it was good so you absolutely can).

My previous comments regarding the writing style still hold up here. This is a fast-paced book that thrills the reader from beginning to end. This one will make you question things a little more than the first, making it better (in my opinion).

The first round I accused this one of having characters who were a little too cliche. Some of those cracked their cliche molds on this one (they're not broken yet, but at least I can see the cracks).
If I could give this one 4 1/2 smiles I would.

4 smiles for this one. Great for thriller fans.