If I didn't Care by Kait Nolan

If I Didn't Care was my N in the series.  It is about best friends Judd and Autumn who have a shared trauma from the past which shapes their future lives - Autumn's father tried to kill them both. Set in the small town of Wishful, the story centres on these two characters as they try and deal with the fact that Autumn's father is being released from prison.

The blurb says:

He has one mission

Since they were children, career cop Judd Hamilton has built his life around taking care of his best friend, Autumn Buchanan. While he might once have dreamed of a different future for them, everything changed the day her father tried to kill them both. Determined to keep her safe, Judd put his feelings aside and turned his focus to protecting her, always.

She leads a double life

Nobody in their small town would ever dream that Autumn, Wishful's friendly librarian, is really successful erotic romantic suspense author, Rumor Fairchild. No one knows that the swoon-worthy hero of her series is based on her best friend, Judd. He's been fulfilling her rescue fantasies for years, and now she's ready to catapult them out of the friend zone to make her real life romance come true.

Their nightmare returns

But when the past comes full circle and Autumn's father returns to Wishful, even the power of Judd's badge isn't enough to keep her safe from the madman. If he wants the chance at a future with the one girl he's always loved, Judd may have to toss everything he's worked for aside to do the one job that matters.

This book is a romance, but with a definite suspense element to it. Though the who-done-it side of things was quite predictable (I won't say more as to not give it away), the build up of suspense and the plot was really good. There are plenty of humorous scenes too, especially at the book club...

If I Didn't Care is the first of the Wishing For A Hero series, and I happily spent a day being immersed in Autumn and Judd's lives.

Run by Patti Larsen

I chose this book based on it being L in my list.  I hoped by the title it would be a thrilling read, and I was not wrong.

Reid is a 16yo boy who wakes up bound and gagged in the back of a truck.  When his abductors release him into the forest, he knows he has to run. And run he does - immediately finding the body of a kid who is pinned to a tree, with body parts trailing.

The blurb says:

Sixteen-year-old Reid thinks life is back to normal. His sister Lucy pulls herself together and cuts him free from a year of foster care. She promises to take care of him, that her new boss and her new life are what they both needed to start again. Until Reid is taken in the middle of the night, dumped in a wild stretch of forest far from home with no idea why he is there. Lost and afraid, he learns to run from the hunters who prowl the darkness, their only pleasure chasing down kids like him. And killing them.

The book is extremely well written.  It manages to keep the adrenaline pumping through every single page.  There is terror bleeding from this book, so much so that despite the protagonist being 16, I wouldn't suggest children read these books until they are at least this age.  It definitely has a feel of The Hunger Games about it, so if you liked that, you'd like this.

I loved this book and couldn't put it down.  I started reading it yesterday morning, and just over 24hours later, I am about to start reading Book 4 in The Hunted series.  They are all just as good.  A tense, enjoyable story.

Black Virus and Black Rust by Bobby Adair

We're in the middle of a pandemic.  What better way to pass the time than to read about a pandemic that sweeps the whole world?

Black Virus is a short story prequel about the virus itself...

Virus. Chaos. Survival.

Alienated in a world where he doesn’t fit in, Christian Black survives because he’s different. Then the virus came, and made the world turn different, too.

Now people are dying by the million. Food supplies are short. Riots are blazing through the streets, and Christian’s only goal is to keep his family alive. But safety lies far from the city, and just getting out will be tougher than anyone knows.

...whereas Black Rust is set 15 years later, and is about how people deal with the aftermath.

The virus came, and the world fell into an abyss.

Starvation camps, corporate farms, endless ghettos, and failed states darken a future where most of the population has been twisted by the disease.

To protect itself, a corrupt system pays Christian Black and others like him to exterminate violent degenerates who would destroy what's left of the world. Unfortunately, a mistake has been made and Christian has put too many of the wrong ones to death.

Laws have been broken. Punishment comes for Christian, but he will stop at nothing to keep his freedom.

Fortunately, the Brisbane Strain is nothing like the Coronavirus we're currently dealing with.  Rather this is type of zombipocalypse - though those badly affected by the virus become degenerates, rather than zombies who die and come back to life.

These are two thrilling stories, and even though Christian Black is portrayed as 'different' and needing a therapist, actually he doesn't seem that different to me.  He just makes hard choices and sometimes goes too far.

At the very end of Black Rust there is a twist in the plot that I didn't see coming (and I like it when I don't see them coming!).  According to Amazon, the next book is due out August 2016 and to my knowledge it hasn't been written yet.  If/when it does, I would happily read what happens next in the saga.

Saints and Sinners series Books 2 & 3 by Dayo Benson

After reading Book 1 in this series the other day, I finished the next two books in less that 24hrs: City of Angels and Unholy Ground. 

These two books go into much more detail about why the series in named as it is - Saints and Sinners is a TV reality show where 'Saints' try to change the behaviour of 'Sinners', and 'Sinners' try and change the behaviour of the 'Saints'.  Colby persuades Chloe to audition for a part on the show, and they both get picked, but on competing teams.  This book is still a romance, albeit more about unrequited love, so there is sexual tension amongst the TV cameras in the Saints and Sinners house.

I loved these books.  They are very easy to read, and I devoured them.  There are highs and lows in the story, areas of tension (both romantic and thriller), serious topics and humour. 

The only slight negative I have with these books, is that it explores Satanism somewhat.  When/if there is a 4th book, I'm sure that will be resolved, but as it is for the 3 books, that plot-line didn't add too much to the story so seemed unnecessary.  I think the books would have been just as enjoyable as a trilogy without that complication.  But, as I said, that's only negative I have. 
Read these books, they're good!

Broken Halo by Dayo Benson

I've read books by Dayo Benson before, and this one was just as good!

It starts with Colby, sat in his car, contemplating ending his life.  He shouts out to God asking for one last sign. And not some wishy-washy sign either, but it needs to be a girl, whose name begins with C, asking him a specific question, and he has to see her 3 separate times that day.

Chloe is that girl.  She's a good Christian girl, going to church every Sunday without fail; she is engaged to a pastor, yet instinctively drawn to Colby, in a way she never way with her fiance.

The book is a Christian romance, but it is not a simple sweet story.  As you can imagine, Colby has his own demons. Despite being brought up as a Christian, he has strayed from that path. At the end of the book, you find out what Colby has hidden, but rather than hate him for it, it intrigues you to know how he has ended up where he is.  There are hints along the way, but it has left me wanting to know what happens next and wanting to read the next book.

The blurb says:

What do you call a knight in shining armor if the knight is a woman?

Colby:

I’m trying not to stare at this blonde knockout when I get robbed.

I don’t expect the blonde to chase the thief, blast him with pepper spray, and retrieve my money.

And that’s how I met Chloe Campbell.

The last thing I need is my lady knight thinking she can save me in other ways. I certainly don’t want to start believing that she can.

She’s everything I want in a woman, but she must be missing some vital self-preservation instincts because she thinks she’s in love with me.

I’m a stark sinner whose future is a big, fat black hole.

If she was like many girls her age, she would have heard of me. I’m pretty famous among that demographic.

But she has no idea who I am.

Chloe:

Colby is a bundle of secrets packaged as a drop-dead gorgeous, ‘he belongs on movie screens’ man.

I have every reason to walk away and forget that we ever met:

1. He’s out of my league.
2. He doesn’t seem to want anything to do with me.
3. I’m engaged. To a pastor, no less.

This feels like a disaster waiting to happen.

But it might be just what I need.

Falling from grace was never Chloe’s plan. Finding his way back to God was never Colby’s.

Could God be trying to get their attention?

Whether you're looking for Christian fiction or love your difficult romances, this book is for you.
Now I need to go and read book 2 in the Saints and Sinners series!

The Ravagers by Alex Albrinck

I've still been working through my list of books from my old kindle that I had bought, but hadn't read.  Now I have a new one, there's a feature where I can automatically see all the books that I have and haven't read, so I don't need to keep my paper list any more.  Anyway, The Ravagers by Alex Albrinck was next on my list to read, so I have read it this month.  Having read previous books by him, I knew I wouldn't be able to put this down, and I wasn't wrong.

The blurb says:

In the distant future, humanity staggers as wave after wave of population decimating catastrophes push humanity near its extinction point.

A gift from the past provides them a way forward, and soon the human race is exploding its numbers, recreating civilization, generating art and commerce, and expanding its technological capabilities. The growing human civilization also bring back the concepts of war; East and West wage an eternal detente, neither side willing to attack, neither willing to announce peace.

In the midst of resounding success, a dark force conspires against humanity: the unleashing of a shockingly deadly, destructive weapon that will leave humanity on the brink of extinction once more.

Five people must deal with the launch of this weapon, work to survive, atone for their role in its creation, and try to discover and thwart the plans of those who launched it. 

Before it's too late. Before everything is gone.

The Ravagers is set in the future and refers to our time as "The Golden Ages".  It is interesting because it has advanced technology in some areas, but not in others (for example, no air travel) and people are scattered around the world in densely populated, walled citiplexes, that keep everyone safe from the beasts that roam the land.  One of the ways that technology is advanced, is in the area of weaponry - Ravagers are robots that can deconstruct any material (except Diasteel!) down to its atomic constituents, before using those elements in order to create more ravagers.  As such, a few can easily become a thick oily sea of ravagers ravaging the country.

It took me barely a week to read all the books in this series.  I don't want to go into too much information, but there were some surprises that actually did surprise me!  There were also some I could spot too, but was riveting nonetheless.  This series is set in the same universe as the aliomenti series, but you certainly don't have to have read that to read this - I personally recommend you read both!

The Forgotten Girls by Alexa Steele

Going through the books on my kindle that I haven't read yet (regular readers of my blog will know that I had over 600 books, and am now down to around 500) I decided to read this one yet, not knowing anything about it other than the title.  As has been known to happen on more than one occasion, ahem, I got hooked and ended up buying the rest of the series...

I will insert a Trigger Warning here: the main character of the books works for the Sexual Victims Unit - as such, the theme of these books is sexual violence against girls and women.

The blurb for The Forgotten Girls says:

In an elite suburb of New York City, girls are dying. That doesn’t happen in Greenvale, with its immaculate lawns, exclusive yacht clubs and multi-million dollar mansions. But behind its perfect façade, its trimmed hedges and luxury cars, a darkness lies. Girls, dependent on Adderall, outmaneuver each other to get into top colleges, while the mothers’ need to live vicariously only makes it worse.
Bella DeFranco is one of the Bronx’s top SVU detectives. At only 37, she disarms everyone with her stunning good looks, yet she is as tough as most men—and a lot smarter, too. Yet when is summoned to Greenvale, she finds herself getting lost in a case that even she can’t comprehend. She stumbles into a land of secrets, a place where husbands hide their pasts from their wives, where friends are not what they seem, and where no one wants to know too much. As she digs deeper into layers of suburban dysfunction, she comes to learn that, behind all the fake smiles, there is a subtle violence--rivaling even her crime-ridden streets of the Bronx.
With a killer on the loose, time running out, and a new partner who never recovered from his washed-up alcoholic days, the odds are stacked against Bella. She is determined, though, to save these girls, whatever the cost. Yet as she gets close, the depth of psychosis she discovers shocks even her….

When I read this book, I immediately related to Bella - not least because I also have stunning good looks and am smarter than most men...  No, what I liked was her determination, drive and ambition.  She squirrels away, determine to find the truth and bring justice for the girls.

In the second and third books of the series, the investigations are stand-alone but the character of Bella and her partner Mack develop. You learn that something happened to Bella in her childhood that is the reason why she works so hard for the SVU, but it doesn't go into details.

I read the whole series in less than a week, it was that riveting.  Alexa Steele really knows how to pull you into a story.  You enter their world and get caught up into the lives of the rich and exclusive, and the seedy and violent dark side.  At the end of the 3rd book, it does say that there will be a 4th book at some point. I hope it's soon!

Sei Thrillers by Ty Hutchinson

Last September I reviewed book 1 of this series.  Books 2 and 3 continue the story of Sei and her attempts to be reunited with her child.

The blurb says:

Sei learns about an individual involved in the abduction of her daughter—a man so vile, so foul in every way, that the mere thought of him turns Sei’s stomach. Has her daughter fallen victim to him?

To make matters worse, Sei must do the unthinkable when she finds this sicko. She must befriend him.

Again, this is well written by Hutchinson, keeps your attention and I read the books very quickly as I didn't want to put them down. Sei gets within a hair's width of her daughter, and has to use all her skill and ability to keep tracking her.

The tension continues, and while I was disappointed that Sei hadn't found Mui at the end of book 3, it does mean that there are two more books to enjoy in this saga.

Adam's Journey by Alex Albrinck

Last year I read and reviewed books 1-7 of The Aliomenti Saga.  It's a great series that I loved all the twists and turns, bringing SciFi, time travel, and fantasy together with an innocent man who is told he's the saviour with an egotistical maniac who wants him dead.  Go on, read it.  The series is great.

Anyway, I held off reading the eighth instalment, Adam's Journey, because I didn't want to ruin the series as some sequels who go back to a story line don't quite hit the mark... Boy, was I wrong!

As soon as the book started, I was swept away into the world of nanotechnology and magic, immediately remembering everything that had happened previously and watching wide-eyed as I saw the same stories from another perspective, getting better whilst simultaneously being more complex.

The blurb says:

The greatest journeys in life are often those taken in silence, with no one else watching. They are the journeys of self-discovery, when one learns one's true history and destiny. They are the times when self-discipline must trump the massive desire to act in a manner that offers a short term benefit... but a long term disaster.

Adam long knew he faced such a journey, one he'd face completely alone. He didn't know how he'd ever begin; fate seemed stacked against him. And yet he knew the stakes, knew that his failure -- or his discovery -- could doom him and those he loves most.

And then... fate smiled on him. For just a few brief moments, the window opened, and he commenced that journey.

He--and the world--would never be the same.

Despite me saying the plot is intricate, it is actually an easy read.  The story is well written so you always understand as much as you need to know at that time, without it becoming too complicated or difficult to follow.  Though some things you don't fully understand until later in the books, there are no plot holes, and everything comes neatly to an end, without it becoming twee.

I have some more books written by Albrinck that I can't wait to read.

Contract Snatch: by Ty Hutchinson

I read this book as part of a double-book by Ty Hutchinson - one Abby Kane book and one Sei Assassin book.

Sei is an ex-assassin, having given up the trade when she found she was pregnant. After suffering the loss of her child, she lives in seclusion away from the rest of the world.  One day she is found by a friend who encourages her to start accepting contracts again, and the first one she sees shatters her world - her daughter is alive.  In exchange for the whereabouts of her daughter, Sei must successfully accomplish one last mission.

The blurb for Contract: Snatch says:

They used her daughter as bait. They messed with the wrong mother. 

Sei abandoned her life as an assassin to try to find peace—but when contacted by a source claiming to have information about the daughter she thought she’d lost, Sei finds herself taking on one last mission. Can she unravel the truth before time runs out?

Though this book took me longer than a day to read, it was mainly because I was no longer on holiday so didn't have as much time.  I tried to grab minutes to read when I could, as this was another can't-put-down novel by Ty Hutchinson.  A thriller with lots of gore and plenty of killings (as you would expect in a book where the main character is an assassin), this book keeps you on the edge of your seat as you hope that Sei can achieve her mission and finally get her child back.  There is even a twist at the end that I didn't see coming (until the story led up to that point) which, when invested in a story as much as I was with this one, is a good surprise.

I would recommend this book and rather than just adding the sequels to my wishlist, I have actually bought the next two books to read immediately (because at time of writing, they are currently free on the Kindle).

Russian Hill by Ty Hutchinson

I read this book as part of a double-book by Ty Hutchinson - one Abby Kane book and one Sei Assassin book.

Russian Hill is an absorbing book about a murderous game that FBI Agent Abby Kane needs to join in order to solve. It is part 1 of the CC Trilogy and Book 3 in the Abby Kane Thriller Series.

The blurb says:

A killer is loose in San Francisco, and he’s collecting body parts. FBI Agent Abby Kane believes a dead hiker found ten miles north of the city is the key to solving those crimes.

The more Abby digs, the more she begins to think the killer is playing an elaborate game and there’s an audience cheering him on. But to catch the monster, she’ll have to join in his twisted game.

This book is definitely a thriller.  It is gruesome in places and there are sex scenes, so not suitable for younger readers, but as an adult reading this I couldn't put it down.  The plot is believable that it could actually happen, and you always want to try and solve the clues to see if you can predict and prevent the next murder from happening.  As I was reading, I imagined the killers to be like an older version of Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette in True Romance.

Ty Hutchinson certainly knows how to write to keep you involved and invested in the book.  The sequel went straight on my wishlist, as did the first two books in the series, and I couldn't wait to read the Sei Assassin book.

Agent with a History by Guy Stanton III

This book is really enjoyable.  It has NYPD, ritualistic killings, mafia, and an Indiana Jones-esque treasure trail seeking Biblical gold. 

Cop Lisa has to investigate an unusual murder, where it is clear the perpetrator has access to much money in order to pull it off in the fashion he has. As she delves deeper into the investigation, it is clear that she cannot get free of her past which has finally caught up with her.

The blurb says:

It’s been one long day for Lisa and her headache is living proof of it. Most of it she blamed on the full moon outside. Things always got crazy this time of the month, but this month was exceptional. She needed sleep bad and only hoped the nightmares that haunted her would leave her alone for at least one night. They don’t. She wakes up as usual screaming only to find out that her nightmare has just begun, because she’s not alone in her room.

One man has been gruesomely tortured to death in a ritualistic killing. An entire police precinct has been reconstructed down to the smallest detail in an abandoned warehouse and a mysterious stranger known only as Flint seems to be the cause of it all. It’s a case that is fast turning into one big headache for Lisa Tauranto a detective for the NYPD, but it gets much worse when her past, that she’s tried so hard to bury, rises up to engulf her in its golden grip once again. Lisa is ripped from the existence that she so pain stakingly built for herself into a mixed up world of intrigue, where nothing is as it seems. It’s a fight to survive and to protect what she is sworn to, but will love conquer all? Will she betray her oath to be happy? Does she even have a choice anymore or does a several thousand year old mystery hold enough weight in treasure to drag her down with it? Everyone wants her dead, everyone that is but for one man who is the cause of all her upheaval in the first place. He’s an agent working for someone, but she doesn’t know who. She only hopes he’s as good as his kisses make her believe him to be.

This book wasn't predictable (or at least the main bits of the plot weren't.  All books are somewhat predictable), and took many twists and turns as Lisa moved through the investigation.   Being a Christian I liked the references to the Old Testament, even though this is clearly fiction.  It is fast-paced, and keeps you on your toes.  There is also a romance with the mystery man who helps her.

I'd recommend this book, and have added the next in the series to my wishlist.

Dev Haskell Private Investigator by Mike Faricy

I read this book on holiday last week.  Actually, that's not strictly true.  I read most of this book before I went on holiday.  On holiday, however, I did finish the book, and continue to read books 2-14 in the series!

These books centre around Dev Haskell, a PI who I guess to be late 30s/40s (it may have said, I can't remember, but that's how I imagine him).  He's a bit of a ladies man to say the least, but not successful in love at all.  He shares his office with his lawyer, Louis, and together they spend much of their time in the pub opposite.  That said, he does keep getting employed for short-term contracts, which inevitably end up not being as easy as expected and he sometimes ends up on the wrong side of the law.  Whilst there are adult themes and violence, this isn't actually heavy or gruesome, but very enjoyable and funny in places.

The blurb reads:

The FIRST in the Dev Haskell series, Russian Roulette is an entertaining tale of intrigue, rank ineptitude and one night stands. Dysfunctional Private Investigator, Dev Haskell wakes up in bed with his latest client only to learn she's signed him up with the Russian mob. Their 'special' relationship quickly finds Dev at odds with the local police and an FBI task force. In the process Dev is forced to place one foot on both sides of the law.

The books are a very easy read, perfect for when relaxing by the pool, and were gripping and interesting enough for me to keep wanting more. If you want a serious(ish) insight into the life of a PI, these books are probably not for you, but if you want an enjoyable romp, then get yourself a copy.  As I said, I did read books 1-14 in less than a week, and thoroughly enjoyed them; I have put the next books (15 onwards) on my wishlist so that when I do start buying books again, I can continue to read about Dev's escapades. What I particularly liked is that some characters keep making an appearance, not only FWB Heidi or Detective Manning, but Swindle Lawless, Donna and Luscious, bit-parts who play key roles in helping (and hindering) Dev as he endeavours to solve crimes without ending up in jail himself.

The Fourth Element Trilogy by Kat Ross

I love reading, and consuming new (to me) books, and I'm glad to be back in the habit. I am very glad to have read the Bible in 6 months, as I'd not done that before, but I think I will go back to reading it slower over a year, and having more time to read other stuff.  As I've mentioned before, I do enjoy reading classics, (having just finished Lorna Doone) but they require more concentration, whereas I relax the most when I can submerge myself into another world and devour the contents.  I read quickly, and love it when I find a book that I cannot put down.


Four days ago I started reading The Fourth Element Trilogy by Kat Ross. I chose this book(s) because I am working through all the books I have on my Kindle, and am trying to read them before I buy more, as I'm a bit of an addict.  Before my actual Kindle died (I now use Kindle app on my phone) I wrote on a sheet of paper (that ended up being 12 sides of A4) all the books I hadn't read yet, because my Amazon account doesn't actually register whether I've read a book yet, just that I've bought it.  (Or if it does, I'm not technologically minded enough to work out how to do it!)  So, I choose my books based on the title alone.  I decided to read this one because the title sounded interesting, and because it's a trilogy, I knew I wouldn't read it too fast - or so I thought...


The blurb says:

They are the light against the darkness.
The steel against the necromancy of the Druj.
And they use demons to hunt demons….

Nazafareen lives for revenge. A girl of the isolated Four-Legs Clan, all she knows about the King's elite Water Dogs is that they leash wicked creatures called daevas to protect the empire from the Undead. But when scouts arrive to recruit young people with the gift, she leaps at the chance to join their ranks. To hunt the monsters that killed her sister.

Scarred by grief, she's willing to pay any price, even if it requires linking with a daeva named Darius. Human in body, he's possessed of a terrifying power, one that Nazafareen controls. But the golden cuffs that join them have an unwanted side effect. Each experiences the other's emotions, and human and daeva start to grow dangerously close.

As they pursue a deadly foe across the arid waste of the Great Salt Plain to the glittering capital of Persepolae, unearthing the secrets of Darius's past along the way, Nazafareen is forced to question his slavery—and her own loyalty to the empire. But with an ancient evil stirring in the north, and a young conqueror sweeping in from the west, the fate of an entire civilization may be at stake…

So begins an epic story of adventure, romance and betrayal that leads to undiscovered magical realms and a final confrontation with a demon queen bent on destroying them all.

Given that I have read nearly 1000 pages in 3 days (as I actually finished the trilogy yesterday), you can take for granted that I enjoyed it.  It is really well written, and set in a partly fantasy and partly historical world.  The writing was really good, and I liked the fact that we were looking on things from the pov of a different culture.  I'm not going to give anything away in this review, but when some of the historical aspects come to light, I was quite pleased with myself that I had worked them out beforehand, though the identity of the young king of the enemy was a surprise to me.

Having read the books so fast, I couldn't put them down.  I was only slightly disappointed in the ending, because I felt it ended and everything was wrapped up a bit too quickly, and I wanted to experience more.  However, there is a subsequent series called The Fourth Talisman* where you can see what happens next the the characters.  I haven't bought these books yet, because I am trying to work through the ones on my list, but I look forward to coming back to this world and seeing what happens next to Nazafareen.

Centrestage: Magnolia Steele Mystery #1 by Denise Grover Swank

I've just spent the weekend caught up in this series.  Pretty much as soon as it starts you get sucked in, and can't put it down.

It's about a woman named Magnolia Steele who returns to her hometown in shame after an incident that occurred on Broadway was filmed and went viral.  Her first night returning to work for her mother's catering company, Magnolia stumbles across the body of a music agent who she had publicly argued with minutes beforehand.

Not only does Magnolia have to prove her own innocence, we walk with her as she starts to remember what happened in the past to cause her to leave home in the first place.

The blurb says:

Ten years ago, Magnolia Steele fled Franklin, Tennessee after an incident that left her with

hazy memories and a horror of the place where she had been born and bred. Though her abrupt departure destroyed most of her treasured relationships, she vowed never to return . . . until she has no choice. When Magnolia’s breakout acting role in a Broadway musical ends in disgrace, there’s only one place she can go. She finds herself on her momma’s porch, suitcase in hand.

Drama follows Magnolia around like a long lost friend. She reluctantly agrees to help her momma’s catering company at a party for a country music star, only to find herself face-to-face with a sleazy music agent from her past. After a very public spat, Magnolia not only finds him dead but herself center stage in the police’s investigation. Now she must scramble to prove her innocence, relying on the help of acquaintances old and new.

But the longer Magnolia stays in Franklin, the more she remembers about the big bad incident that chased her away. The past might not be finished with her yet, and what she doesn’t remember could be her biggest danger.

I really enjoyed this series.  I have read books by Denise Grover Swank in the past and have always become quickly absorbed in the stories.  They are easy to read, but have enough content that keeps you wanting more.  This series is mystery/thriller, but there's a healthy dose of romance too.

A Cross to Bear by Vince Vogel

This is a detective/thriller/suspense book.  Fifteen years past a cop is murdered, crucified outside his police station and had his throat cut.  Today the cop's daughter is found brutally murdered in similar circumstances.  The story winds around different threads and looks to involve criminal gangs who smuggle sex workers into the country.  Containing adult themes, this is certainly not a book for children or the faint hearted, but draws you in as you try to solve the crime for yourself and see that justice is served.

The blurb says:

Once the star of Scotland Yard, burnt out East London detective Jack Sheridan is now a washed up cop working a low end station, estranged from his family and haunted by his past. The discovery in woodland of a young woman nailed to a wooden cross sends Jack spiralling into a direct confrontation with that past when the woman is identified as the daughter of a murdered cop he once knew. With a serial killer the media are dubbing the ‘Crucifix Killer’ slaying working girls on his patch, Jack must face his own demons and uncover a series of terrible secrets if he is to find the twisted killer.

On his way to the Tunisian border, Alex Dorring is informed that his sister has been murdered. Dorring is Agent 192 of Uriel, a clandestine assassins wing of MI6. With revenge on his mind, Dorring makes his way to London and begins investigating her death in his own special way. As he moves like a ghost through the underbelly of the city, he meets Chloe, a troubled nineteen year old trying to escape the very people Dorring has come to hunt. Could this girl be the key to leading him to the killer?

As both men operate under entirely different rules, the death of one girl sees a bed of lies, sexual violence, murder and corruption come rising to the surface as East London descends into chaos.

This book is actually the start of a trilogy, but I read it as a stand-alone.  I really enjoyed it (and is currently free on Amazon), but a bit heavy/dark for me to read as a trilogy.  I have added the second two books to my wishlist, but will read something lighter in between.

The Aliomenti Saga

I was talking to a friend yesterday about what books I have read recently that I couldn't put down. Instantly my mind came to The Aliomenti Saga by Alex Albrinck, Author.

It is described on Amazon as "A sprawling blend of science fiction, high technology, and fantasy, The Aliomenti Saga traces the rise and proliferation of a secret group of supernaturally gifted men and women through the life of their most dynamic member, Will Stark." and is full of twists and turns that kept you engaged throughout the whole series.

It's a page-turner from the very start, which begins "Will Stark is a phenomenally successful businessman, happily married, with a young son he adores. When he arrives home on his 35th birthday, he finds the guards to his gated community murdered, his home ablaze with his family inside, and his life nearly ended by those responsible. Will is immersed in the culture of the Alliance, a splinter group of the Aliomenti. He'll learn their secrets... and more about himself and his destiny than he ever imagined possible."

The first three books are currently free on Amazon:

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