Blog Tour | BLOOD TIES by Nicholas Guild

Blood Ties by Nicholas Guild
Thriller / Murder Mystery published May 12, 2015
Forge Books
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Homicide detective Ellen Ridley of the SFPD is tracking a serial killer terrorizing young women in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ridley is sure she's cornered her most likely suspect: Stephen Tregear, a hacker and code breaker who works for U.S. Naval Intelligence. But Tregear is not the killer... he's the killer's son.

Ridley and Tregear team up to look for Tregear's father, Walter, in an elaborate game of murderous cat and mouse. As the body count rises, Ridley must race against the clock to stop Walter before he kills any more women--and Tregear must finally confront the father who has been trying to kill him for twenty years. Blood Ties is an elegant and frightening thriller from Nicholas Guild.

My Thoughts...

I just finished this book this morning and it was a pretty quick read for me.  Once I got started I didn't want to put it down.  I am not sure where to start my review.  There isn't really much in the way of spoilers as it's pretty cut and dry on who the killer is, etc... Most of it is just a psychological maze of piecing together the reasons why.

Review | "Ark Storm" by Linda Davies

Ark Storm by Linda Davies
Crime Thriller published August 19, 2014
Forge Books
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads

The Ark Storm is coming—a catastrophic weather event that will unleash massive floods and wreak more damage on California than the feared “Big One.” One man wants to profit from it. Another wants to harness it to wage jihad on American soil. One woman stands in their way: Dr. Gwen Boudain, a brave and brilliant meteorologist.  

When Boudain notices that her climate readings are off the charts, she turns to Gabriel Messenger for research funding. Messenger’s company is working on a program that ionizes water molecules to bring rain on command. Meanwhile, Wall Street suits notice that someone is placing six-month bets on the prospect of an utter apocalypse and begin to investigate. Standing in the shadows is journalist Dan Jacobsen, a former Navy SEAL. War hardened, cynical, and handsome, Jacobsen is a man with his own hidden agenda.

Linda Davies's Ark Storm brings together the worlds of finance, scientific innovation, and terrorism in a fast-paced thrill ride that will leave readers gasping.

My Thoughts...

This was a great page turner type book for me.  It's a fairly long book, but it's written in a lot of shorter chapters which is always a great way to move the reader through the story quickly.  The chapters, in most cases, are from different perspectives as well.  At first it was a little confusing because there are so many characters to keep track of, but once you figure out who is who you are completely hooked.

Dr. Gwen "Boudy" Boudain is a pro surfer turned meteorologist.  She lives right on the water and still surfs whenever she can, but her passion is Oracle.  She is working in California, but she has a counterpart in Peru whom she works closely with.  Gwen grew up in Peru with parents who were also in the weather business.  Gwen and Joaquin are noticing strange weather patterns and are trying to predict the next Nino weather event.  They need more funding so she goes to Gabriel Messenger who is more than happy to get involved.  He's already in the game, working on a program that uses drones to, in a nutshell, create rain from the ionized water molecules already in the air.  What they don't know is that someone is planning to hijack what Messenger's company has created to commit an act of terrorism.  They also have Gwen's fore knowledge of the impending ARk Storm to use as the catalyst.

Dan Jacobsen is a seemingly harmless journalist looking to find out what Gwen knows about ARk Storm.  There's more to Dan than what she sees though.  He's smart and cunning and as they grow closer she comes to depend on him more and more.  Will he be there for her when she really needs him though?

This story was very well crafted and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I got so wrapped up in it that I was able to read it really quickly.  There is a little romance, a lot of science, a lot of intrigue, murder, and venture capitalists trying to cash in on a disaster, throw in an act of terrorism and you have a well rounded story!  If you like a good thriller then this is definitely a book to check out.

XOXO, Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Review | "Father of Fear" by Ethan Cross

Father of Fear by Ethan Cross
Mystery/Thriller published August 19, 2014
The Story Plant
Author's website  |  Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A father returns home to find that his family has been kidnapped and the only way to save their lives is for him to kill another innocent person…

So begins a journey that will force Special Agent Marcus Williams of the Shepherd Organization to question all that he believes, unearth his family's dark legacy, and sacrifice everything to save those he loves. In order to stop the serial murderer whom the media has dubbed the Coercion Killer, Williams must enlist the help of one of the world's most infamous and wanted men...the serial killer Francis Ackerman Jr.

Rippling with intensity, charged with tension, and brimming with a relentless spirit of humanity, FATHER OF FEAR is the latest evidence that Ethan Cross is one of the finest suspense novelists on the planet.

My Thoughts...

I said it in my review of the last book in this series and I will say it again....these really should be made into movies, they would be excellent!  This book was more of a psychological thriller than the last one, at least in my opinion.  Ethan Cross can definitely write crazy and it's so, so good.

In this installment we find Marcus and his crew in Kansas City trying to catch the Coercion Killer.  He is someone who kidnaps every family member but one and forces the remaining member of the family to kill someone he has chosen.  If they refuse he kills a member of the family until they complete the task, if they follow his orders he releases the family unharmed and virtually unaware of the situation.  Marcus enlists the help of his brother, who happens to be a wanted serial killer.  He's also the perfect person to help because of the way his mind works. Both Marcus and Francis are quite brilliant and they work well to kind of balance each other out.  Marcus the light half to Francis' dark.

Marcus is having his own problems, trouble sleeping, headaches, etc... He's kind of a loose cannon on the job, but Maggie helps keep him in check.  Despite his qualms he's also bonding with Francis as they work together.  Things go from bad to worse and Maggie is forced to work along side Francis, whom she despises.  It's a race to the finish to save someone they care about as well as the lives of countless others and they have to learn to trust people they wouldn't ordinarily trust in order to see it through.

This book is written in third person through the eyes of many different characters depending on what's happening at the current time.  It's fast paced and most of the chapters are short and succinct.  That combined with the quick pace makes for a very quick read if you have the time to sit for a couple hours.

This is a very dark read filled with lots of action, but a fair amount of gory imagery as well.  Not only from the serial killers view, but from Francis as well.  I have to admit that I loved Francis' character in this book.  He is clearly still a very unstable person, very prone to violent outbursts, still a killer no doubt about it, but he's changing.  He's a smart guy who knows that someone made him this way, and it's not necessarily who he wants to be anymore so he's trying very hard to change.  He reminds me of Dexter just a little bit.  He knows that what he is is wrong, but it's not entirely his fault that he's like this.

If you like a good thriller then I highly recommend this series.  You will be on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

XOXO, Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Blog Tour Review | "Favors and Lies" by Mark Gilleo

Favors and Lies by Mark Gilleo
Mystery/Thriller published July 1, 2014
The Story Plant

Where to find Mark Gilleo Online:

Website
Goodreads Author Page

Buy the Book:  Amazon   |   Barnes and Noble

Synopsis from Goodreads

Dan Lord is a forty-year-old private detective with a law degree working the blurred line between right and wrong in the Nation’s Capital. As a self-employed solutions broker and legal consultant, he works for a very select clientele. He doesn’t advertise and only takes cases on referral. But when two people close to him are murdered, Dan's work becomes very personal.

With the assistance of a newly hired female intern, extracting clues from a ladder of acquaintances, Dan bounds through both the underbelly and elite of society, each step bringing more questions and yet ultimately taking him closer to the answer he seeks. A bail bondsman, a recluse hacker, a court clerk, a university student, an old-school barber, a high-class madam, an intelligence officer, a medical doctor, and a police detective are among the list of people Dan must cajole for help. His quest will lead him to discover things he never wanted to know, and put him in the position to reveal things that important people would prefer remain unrevealed.

Tense, ingenious, and filled with the unforgettable characters that have become a Mark Gilleo trademark, FAVORS AND LIES is the most thrilling novel yet from one of the great new voices in suspense fiction.

My Thoughts...

This is the second book by Mark Gilleo that I have read and I must say that I enjoyed this one even more than the first one.  I think I managed to finish this one in 2 sittings, I was hooked from the first chapter and I really didn't want to put it down.  

Dan Lord is a 40 year old man with a very complicated past that lends a thick air of mystery to his character throughout the course of the book.  Dan gets a call in the middle of the night that changes the course of his life and it takes all the resources he has in his repertoire to solve this case.  As he gets more involved things become more dangerous for him and anyone he has contact with.  Even the people he starts to trust aren't who they seem and when we finally find out who is behind the whole thing it's a huge shock.  This is all I am going to say about the plat for fear of spoiling it and that would be a shame to do since this whole book is so plot driven.

The whole book is full of twists and turns and it's pretty much non stop from the very first chapter.  The characters are very well written and Dan is just one of those guys you love from the first page.   There were a few rambling bits that I didn't feel were altogether necessary to further the story.  They did provide back story for some of the more minor characters and I suppose they did lend them an air of credibility in the end.  Marks' writing style is very easy to be drawn into and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next, although I would love to see more of Dan Lord in the future!

If you love a good suspense, murder mystery story then I can't recommend Mark Gilleo enough and this book is a great way to get a sense of his writing style for sure.

XOXO, Shelly

Author Bio

Mark Gilleo holds a graduate degree in international business from the University of South Carolina and an undergraduate degree in business from George Mason University. He enjoys traveling, hiking and biking. He speaks Japanese. A fourth-generation Washingtonian, he currently resides in the D.C. area. His first two novels were recognized as finalist and semifinalist, respectively, in the William Faulkner Wisdom creative writing competition. 

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Review | "You're Not Safe" by Mary Burton

You're Not Safe by Mary Burton
Mystery Thriller Published March 25, 2014
Zebra Publishing
Author's Website  |   Goodreads  |  Buy the Book on Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads: 

He Will Never Forget
The broken body hanging from a tree in Texas Hill Country. . .the frozen figure huddled in a meat locker. . .only at second glance does the truth become apparent. What seems like suicide is far more sinister, and the terror is only beginning...

Never Forgive

One devastating moment changed Greer Templeton's life and ended two others. Now, with a body found on her property and Texas Ranger Tec Bragg on her doorstep, Greer's nightmare has returned. With each new victim, her link to Tec's case grows, and soon it will be too late to run.

And Never Let Them Live. . .

Greer hoped the past was behind her, but an obsessed killer has never forgotten the bond that unites them. One by one, he will track down his victims, finish what was started--and make Greer's dying wish come true. . .

My Thoughts...

I literally just finished this book minutes ago.  I blew through this book in no time at all, once I started it I couldn't put it down.  This is the 3rd of the Texas Rangers series that I have read and this was most definitely my favorite of the 3.  The story is intense and fast paced and the characters are well written.  This book would do just as well as a stand alone book, but Tec does work with Brody Winchester on this case.

This story opens with a murder staged to look like a suicide.  Rory, the murdered man is someone that was connected to Greer Templeton back years ago when she was still a teenager.  Before Ranger Tec Bragg even meets Greer she approaches his nephew Mitch and offers him a job working on her vineyard.  Greer has has a troubles past and she still feels the weight of that every day, she is working off a debt to her aunt Lydia when she seeks Mitch out.  Lydia helped her when she needed it most and she promised her that one day she would pay that forward and help out someone else.  Mitch is that someone.  He is going through much the same thing that she went through all those years ago.

Tec isn't so sure about Greer when he meets her initially, but he soon learns that there is a living, breathing woman under the tough exterior she projects.  We don't know much about Tec, but he's a good Ranger there is no doubt about that.  He did a lot of work on the Border and has the scars to prove it, but since his nephew Mitch returned from Iraq with physical and emotional problems he has started to put down roots in the Austin area.  Mitch is the only family Tec has left and vice versa, but they aren't exactly close.  Tec has tried to break through to Mitch with no luck until he starts working with Greer.  There is something about her that speaks to Mitch and he starts to change slowly, but it's a start. Tec doesn't want to like Greer, but the change in Mitch is one more reason for him to get to know her better.

When more bodies start turning up, much the same as the first they all start to lead to Greer.  It soon becomes clear that she is in danger and that riles Ranger Bragg up.  He is tough as nails and will stop at nothing to solve this case and keep Greer safe.

This story unfolds just perfectly and I had no idea who the killer was until the moment they were revealed.  if you like a good mystery / thriller, then I highly suggest this book.  I was engrossed from the minute I started reading. This was a 5 star read for me, without a doubt.  It's an adult read and it has some tastefully done love scenes, but not too much detail and very little, if any profanity.

XOXO, Shelly

*Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*

Mini Suspense Review "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn

Title:  Sharp Objects
Author: Gillian Flynn
Genre:  Suspense / Thriller
Format:  Paperback 252 pages

Synopsis from Goodreads

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart 

Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.

NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg 

Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.

HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle 

As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

My Thoughts...

Ok, I know I said, after I read and reviewed Gone Girl, that I was never going to read another Gillian Flynn book!  I borrowed this one from a friend after we discussed Gone Girl and she assured me that this one was better.  She was right.  I enjoyed this one so much more.  I am still going to keep this as a mini review though.

This book has a kind of dirty feel to it because of the subject matter.  I guess maybe gritty would be a better word.  I was intrigued from the very beginning and I have to say that while I thought I had it all figured out, I SO didn't.  I was totally surprised by how it ended.  It's a very dark and disturbing read that is filled with dysfunctional people.  It's not a feel good story in any way, not that anything I have read by Ms. Flynn is, but  this one is particularly creepy.  It's one of those books that you feel weird reading, but you just can't stop because you need to know what happens!

I hesitate to recommend it just because it's not something that will appeal to everyone.  It's full of profanity, self mutilation, sexual abuse, minors abusing alcohol and drugs, etc...  Definitely not for the faint of heart, but it's very well written.  Ms. Flynn does have a way with words that I don't come across often.

Blog Tour Thriller Review "The Big Exit" by David Carnoy

Title:  The Big Exit
Author:  David Carnoy

Publisher:  Overlook
Publication Date: October 11, 2012
Genre:  Mystery Thriller
Format: Hardcover 320 pages  | Kindle 513 KB

Where to find David Carnoy Online:
Website
Facebook

Twitter
Goodreads

Buy the Book:  Kindle   |  Hardcover

Synopsis: 

By the acclaimed author of the remarkable debut novel, Knife Music, The Big Exit is a suspenseful crime novel that keeps the surprises coming right up to the end.

Richie Forman is freshly out of prison. By night, he makes a living impersonating Frank Sinatra in San Francisco’s lounges and corporate parties. But then his ex-best friend—the man who stole his fiancée while he was in prison—is found hacked to death in his garage, and Richie is the prime suspect. In a murder mystery with the twists and turns of a microchip, Carnoy weaves his characters like a master. He has written an authentic, unputdownable thriller that is sure to chill and delight.

My Review

I have read a lot of Crime/Thriller novels over the past 6 months and while this wasn't my favorite, it did keep me turning pages right to the end.  It reminded me a little of Gone Girl, plot wise, but I didn't hate myself for wasting time when I was done with it like I did with Gone Girl!  I also finished this one much faster.

Richie is fresh out of prison and trying to make a fresh start when he finds himself accused of killing his former best friend.  This former best friend married Richie's ex-fiance while he was in prison for a crime he believes he didn't commit.  In real time, the time from the murder to the resolution is relatively short, but we have scenes that go all the way back to when Richie starts working for the Exoneration Foundation.  I think that the flashback scenes were nice and they helped to tell the story, but I had a hard time with the tense change as we went from past to present.  It's probably not something that will bother most people, but for some reason it did me.  In fact it may not even be noticeable to some, I am just really weird about stuff like this when I am reading!

I will say, that while I liked the story I never fully connected to any of the characters.  They were likable enough, but there was something that kept me just outside of the story throughout the whole book.  I kind of feel like I just got to know them on the surface and it never went any deeper than that.  I liked the (minor) character of Ashley the best, but she isn't explored in any depth at all since she was just a bit player in the story.  I know that this is somewhat of a sequel to Knife Music, which I haven't read, so that may be why I didn't get some of the characters.  There is a character, a lawyer, who is starting fertility treatments and there is a whole chapter devoted to her injections, etc...and then it's not really explored further.  These types of things may be connected to the first book.  I don't particularly feel the need to read the other book though.

All in all, it's a pretty fast paced read and there are some twists that you will see coming and some you won't.  I like that it had a nice tidy ending!  If you like thrillers, detective novels or anything about Silicon Valley then you may want to give this book a try.  It's not a read again book for me, but I did enjoy it!

Author Bio

While David Carnoy lives in New York City with his wife and children, his novels take place in Silicon Valley, where he grew up and went to high school (Palo Alto). His debut novel, Knife Music (2010), was a Top-10 bestseller on the Kindle and also a bestseller on the Nook. More medical thriller than high-tech thriller, to research the novel Carnoy spent a lot of time talking with doctors, visiting trauma centers, and trailed a surgeon at a hospital in Northern California to help create the book's protagonist, Dr. Ted Cogan.

The Big Exit (2012) isn't a sequel to Knife Music per se. However, a few of the characters from Knife Music figure prominently in the story. His second novel has more of a high-tech slant and reflects Carnoy's experiences as an executive editor at CNET.com, where he currently works and is trying resolve his obsession with consumer electronics products. He went to college at Wesleyan University and has an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University.

Disclaimer: Every Book received for review on the tours for Partners In Crime are given in exchange for an honest review. The eBooks are sole property (copyrighted) of the author and should not be sold, distributed to, or exchanged among other people not part of the tours, nor should they be listed on file sharing sites. Failure to comply with this disclaimer, will result in removal from all future tours.