REVIEW: EDGE OF SHADOWS BY CEGE SMITH

EDGE OF SHADOWS

SHADOWS #1

CEGE SMITH

GENRE: PARANORMAL THRILLER

SYNOPSIS

Fresh off a marriage that spiraled into a dangerous self-destructive tailspin, Ellie Coulter doesn’t believe in fate or luck. Darkness has been a constant companion since her parents’ untimely death, and she harbors a secret that never fails to remind her that she’s different.

Ellie's protective bubble includes nothing but her coffee shop, her few friends, and her dog. The attention of a handsome young doctor, David Mitchell, pushes her out of her comfort zone, and Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found another risk worth taking.

Then one of Ellie’s friends abruptly leaves town; entrusting her home to Ellie’s care. The house has its own mysterious past that draws Ellie into a new darkness. Her ex-husband resurfaces with premonitions of Ellie’s death. And suddenly Ellie’s life is being turned upside down yet again, and even David can’t help her make it right.

Ellie is running out of time. Something old and evil has awakened and it wants Ellie all to itself. She must solve a century-old mystery and keep a grip on her sanity in order to survive.

MY TAKE

4 STARS

I was pleasantly surprised by Edge of Shadows. It held my attention easily, which is really saying something (I swear sometimes it feels like I have A.D.D.).

The opening chapter starts out strong with Ellie packing up to leave her husband Jake. It's obvious he has an explosive temper when he pushes her and causes her to gash her head open. He's got a drinking problem, but it becomes clear that the drinking is a result of far deeper problems.

During most of the book I was trying to unravel the mysteries that plagued Ellie, Jake, and even this mysterious “Linda” that is introduced. It's evident there is something going on with this lady but you can't quite put your finger on it.

When I started this book, I did realize it was part of a series, so I expected the ending to be somewhat open, and expected it to leave me with questions. I got exactly what I expected. I have a lot of questions left to be answered with the ending of this book. As a matter of fact, I had one of those “Oh, WTF did she do!?” moments.

All in all, Edge of Shadows was a pretty good read. I will be purchasing the next book, Shadows Deep, in hopes of getting some of those answers I was left with at the end of this book.

*I got this ebook through the LibraryThing Member Giveaway program in exchange for a honest review.

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REVIEW: HAUNTED HOUSE FOR SALE BY JANE MONSON

HAUNTED HOUSE FOR SALE (PARANORMAL MYSTERY)

JANE MONSON

GENRE: PARANORMAL MYSTERY

SYNOPSIS

Catherine, a realtor, doesn't know she can see ghosts. She doesn't even believe in ghosts—until the day she shows a haunted house. Worse, she shows it to her friend Lori, who doesn't sense any ghost. What she senses is a deal, and now she wants to buy the house.

Catherine does everything she can to discourage her. But even when Catherine finds out the house was the scene of a murder not long ago, Lori doesn't care, unless that means she can get an even better price.

Every time Catherine goes to the house, the ghost begs her help, till she's drawn into investigating its murder. Catherine doesn't see how ghosts can do anything other than scare you but in case they can be dangerous, she wants the ghost gone before Lori moves in.

MY TAKE

3 1/2 STARS

Haunted House for Sale is a short novella (roughly 49 pages). This little e-book was a quick entertaining read. The author wrote Catherine's character in a not-so-serious, humorous, slightly sarcastic voice which reminds me a bit of J.R. Rain or P.J. Jones. The cover art for the book is cute and quirky and fits the tone of this novella.

I thought I had the whole “mystery” in this book figured out well before the ending, which was leaving me with a bit of a disappointed feeling—until the mystery unraveled and I realized I didn't have it quite so figured out. This was a plus and a nice surprise.

There was a few errors in grammar which aren't really worth mentioning. One thing that I found to be somewhat bothersome was the overuse of commas. It seemed to disturb the flow of the commentary and dialog at times.

Overall, I liked the story and think it would fit the bill if you are looking for a quick and entertaining read.

*I acquired this book through LibraryThing's member giveaway program.

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REVIEW: EVERY DEAD THING BY JOHN CONNOLLY

EVERY DEAD THING

CHARLIE PARKER #1

JOHN CONNOLLY

GENRE: MYSTERY/THRILLER

SYNOPSIS

When former New York City detective Charlie Parker is pulled into the search for a missing woman, he finds insight into the murderer responsible for the slayings of his own wife and daughter -- a monster/artist/serial killer who uses the human body as his canvas and takes faces as his prize. Aided by a beautiful young psychologist and two career killers, Parker becomes the bait in a trap set in the Louisiana bayous and faces a brutal confrontation with the killer known only as the Traveling Man.

MY TAKE

3 ½ STARS

Every Dead Thing is a dark mystery/thriller. This book really pulled me in at the start. I felt Charlie Parker's (Bird) character was very well developed and my heart broke for the guy over and over during this book. The story itself is complex and engrossing. Connolly did his research while writing this book and it shows.

There were many details that needed to be included to tell this story, and the author made this happen. The problem that I had with this book was not in the detail that needed to be included to tell the story, but the excess of detail that was included that wasn't needed to tell the story. At some points is almost seemed long-winded to me. There is also a lot going on in this book and if you aren't careful, you may just get lost.

Even with that said, please don't let it turn you off to this book. The story is really worth reading and I enjoyed it very much. This was my first Connolly book and I will be continuing with the Charlie Parker series soon. 

 

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No Rest for the Dead

Synopis (Goodreads)

More than twenty New York Times bestselling authors team up to create a first-rate serial novel -- a collaboration that combines the skills of America’s greatest storytellers to produce a gripping, spellbinding mystery.
“The lineup of writers who have contributed to this mystery is akin to the Murderers’ Row of the 1927 New York Yankees. There is not a weak spot in the bunch.”
—David Baldacci, from the Introduction
Alexander McCall Smith. Sandra Brown. Faye Kellerman. J.A. Jance. Jeffery Deaver. Kathy Reichs. Lisa Scottoline. Jeff Lindsay. These are only a handful of the names that make up the all-star lineup of authors behind No Rest for the Dead, a tale of vengeance, greed, and love that flows seamlessly, in the words of David Baldacci, “as it passes from one creator's mind to the next.”
When Christopher Thomas, a ruthless curator at San Francisco’s McFall Art Museum, is murdered and his decaying body is found in an iron maiden in a Berlin museum, his wife, Rosemary, is the primary suspect, and she is tried, convicted and executed. Ten years later, Jon Nunn, the detective who cracked the case, is convinced that the wrong person was put to death. In the years since the case was closed, he's discovered a web of deceit and betrayal surrounding the Thomases that could implicate any number of people in the crime. With the help of the dead woman's friend, he plans to gather everyone who was there the night Christopher died and finally uncover the truth, suspect by suspect. Solving this case may be Nunn’s last chance for redemption … but the shadowy forces behind Christopher’s death will stop at nothing to silence the past forever.
In this innovative storytelling approach, each of these twenty-five bestselling writers brings their distinctive voice to a chapter of the narrative, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale. No Rest for the Dead is a thrilling, page-turning accomplishment that only America’s very best authors could achieve.
From the Introduction of No Rest for the Dead:
There is always that case, the one that keeps me awake at night, the one that got away. It’ll always be there, gnawing at the edges of my mind. It doesn’t matter that ten years have passed, it doesn’t matter that the case is officially closed. An innocent woman was executed, I was the one who helped make it happen, and on the sad night when the needle was inserted into her arm, injecting her with death, part of my life ended too.
It never felt right, never made sense. Sure, there was motive and opportunity, there was the physical evidence. But if you met her, if you knew her the way I got to know her . . . It wasn’t until later, after I’d taken a step back from the case, that I realized it had angles I hadn’t seen, layers I hadn’t uncovered, back when it mattered, back when I could have saved her….

With contributions from:
David Baldacci (Introduction)
Jeff Abbott
Lori Armstrong
Sandra Brown
Thomas Cook
Jeffery Deaver
Diana Gabaldon
Tess Gerritsen<P>Andrew F. Gulli<P>Peter James<P>J.A. Jance<P>Faye Kellerman<P>Raymond Khoury<P>John Lescroart<P>Jeff Lindsay<P>Gayle Lynds<P>Philip Margolin<P>Alexander McCall Smith<P>Michael Palmer<P>T. Jefferson Parker<P>Matthew Pearl<P>Kathy Reichs<P>Marcus Sakey<P>Jonathan Santlofer<P>Lisa Scottoline<P>R.L. Stine<P>Marcia Talley


_________________________________________________________________________

My Take
4 Stars

First of all, this book is interesting because twenty-six authors collaborated to write this story. You would think with this many authors (with different writing styles) the story would not flow well and would equal disaster. That is not the case with this book.

The prologue really drew me into this book. It was gripping and a very strong start. As the story continued, it took many twists and turns and had me changing my "who-did-it" list over and over. It wasn't until page 199 (out of 256)that I truly had it figured out.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery-thriller read that keeps you guessing!

One last thing that I thought was very special about this book is that all the proceeds (after author compensation) is donated to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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