"The Bruce Springsteen Vault" by Meredith Ochs

Buy "The Springsteen Vault" now on Amazon: click here!

Is it another book about the American blue collar hero, Bruce Springsteen? It’s not your typical story that’s already been told. I reviewed a computer version, but the actual copy promises to be pretty cool. With pictures and removable memorabilia, this is “For You,” Springsteen fans.

Reading about Bruce and his life never gets old. I’ve been a fan for many years. This is a performer that has stayed on track and never lets his fans down. He’s also a genuine person in real life, as is his wife. Yes, we’ve met. This book is about the guy that tells the stories about real life. The stories of the places a lot of us come from. It’s why we relate to him so closely. He’s lived it and so have we. The author did a fine job of capturing that about Bruce.

Seeing the wonderful history of the man who will turn 70 next year, is truly a treat for your senses. There were some things I’d not read before, along with the usual history. Also, more in depth stories told by a few people who were with him, and still remain friends.

I’ve yet to find out the one answer to a question I’ve had for 25 years. Bruce told me he named his son, Evan, after a character in a book. I’ve regretted not getting that directly from him ever since. My son, Evan, wonders also. I read Springsteen books hoping to find that out one day. Not that it’s really relevant to anything. A curiosity to what kind of books Springsteen reads.

This is the kind of biography that actually honors Bruce and his roots. I was glad to read and review it, and enjoyed the photographs. Would make a wonderful gift for us Springsteen fans. It was actually a fun and entertaining read.

Thank you Meredith Ochs, Netgalley, and Quarto Publishing Group

#BruceSpringsteen #Netgalley

"Pippa" by Malynda Schlegel

       



"Thoughts buzzed around my head like flies, and I flinched. Had they been talking about leaving, together, without me? Well, it wasn't like I needed to be part of it if I wasn't going anywhere, I told myself. But still. I didn't like they were talking about leaving, possibly together, behind my back. Like it would be so easy to do, to just leave. "

Pippa, a young girl in the town of Pepper Rock. Small Town, USA. Pippa lives with her parents. Can we say dysfunctional?

From the moment the story started, and took us through the years with Pippa, I was totally hooked. I kept thinking I knew what was going to happen, but had to keep going until the end. The life Pippa has created for herself may not be the reality of what everyone else sees.

Pippa learns to make friends, read others, and basically survive on her own. Heartbreak, reasoning, and reality will enter soon enough. How will Pippa turn out? What have her parents done to her?

A story totally inside the head of this young girl. Very intriguing. A few surprises. Great read!

Thank you Malynda Schlegel

Buy "Pippa" now on Amazon: click here!

"The Deadliest Sins" by Rick Reed

                                                                                    








"Jack agreed that it wasn't something they could do on the telephone. But he believed that sooner or later they would have to follow their guts to wherever that would take them. Tracking a serial killer through five states wasn't something he'd had to do. "

Jack Murphy is back in book 7 of this detective series. I have read and reviewed the previous six, and am totally addicted to “Jack Murphy.”

The story begins with the gruesome murders of immigrants, found in an abandoned vehicle. Is this a political statement? Is it a reflection of how people feel about immigrants, or is it something more sinister? Jack, along with his partner, Lydell, have every intention of solving these murders. 

I love the interaction between Jack and Lydell. There is an underlying sense of humor that runs throughout each book. Some of the characters are too annoying not to make fun of them. Jack is a master at putting people in their place, in a subtle way. 

The characters in these books are so well written you believe they exist. Many layers make for an interesting read. The suspense and action also ring true. 

Many things are at stake this go round. A child, families, wives and FBI agents are also in the daily life of Jack and his partner. Doing what they do best, seeking justice for those that no longer have a voice. 

Jack is on a wild ride to solve these murders. Who would leave people in a truck to die a cruel death? 

Thank you Rick Reed, Netgalley, and Kensington Books.

Buy "The Deadliest Sins" on Amazon Oct. 16th 2018: click here!

#TheDeadliestSins #Netgalley

"Accused" The Unsolved Murder Of Elizabeth Andes By Amber Hunt and Amanda Rossmann

Elizabeth Andes was murdered in Ohio in 1978. This book is written from the transcripts from a “True Crime” podcast. The police originally believed they’d solved the case almost immediately. It didn’t turn out that way, and the man originally charged was released.

Now, many years later, two Cincinnati reporters re-examine the murder and uncover new information that showed the police may have ignored useful information. Will Elizabeth’s murder ever be solved? Or was it solved with no justice served?

Such a sad story for Elizabeth, and her family and friends. While I found the book interesting, in the end there is still a dead young woman. It doesn’t make me feel any better about her death. The book provides the facts of the case, and the outcome of where it stands some 40 years later. It also leaves you with possible clues to who may have been the actual killer. Actual pictures and news articles also appear in the book.

It was told with empathy, and I feel it may be comforting to those that actually knew her. She is not forgotten, and more people in the world will now know who she was. A tribute to one lost so young. Authors who don’t plan to give up until the truth is told.

Thank you to authors, Amber Hunt, and Amanda Rossmann, Netgalley, and Diversion Books.

Buy "Accused" on sale Sept 18th on Amazon: click here!

"The Lies We Told" by Camilla Way

"You can't stop me. You know you can't. She was right, of course. She knew that the secret she held over us ensured that we would never try to force the issue.".......

This psychological suspense is enticing from the very beginning. We meet Clara first, wondering where her boyfriend, Luke, has disappeared to. A secret she uncovers scares her even more. Where is Luke?

Alternating chapters take us between Clara and her search in the present, to Doug and Beth and their past. This couple had a little girl named Hannah. Something evil has lurked in Hannah since she was a very young child. 

The lies that Doug and Beth have told to cover for Hannah, and their inability to control her, lead to a connection to Luke and Clara. What has Hannah done and does this connect to Luke’s disappearance?

A thriller story line and not the connections you might think. Fast paced and exciting throughout. I enjoyed this book immensely. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to Luke. Was he still alive? Who was stalking Luke before he disappeared? What does Hannah have to do with any of this, if she does? 

Thank you Camilla Way, Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing Group. 

Buy "The Lies We Told" Oct. 9th on Amazon: click here!

"Redemption Grove" by David Rawding

"Chris had started his own change by moving to Alaska. The homeless addict scraping by for his next bag of pills seemed like a different guy. He'd struggled to let that guy go, and there was no place for him up here. Chris was actually proud of the things he'd done.".....


This is a story of addiction, loss, and love. Chris is just 21, already having lived too much tragedy. A life of opioids leaves him alone and homeless. His sister Aida offers him a chance to leave L.A., and move to Alaska with her and her family.

It won’t be easy to change what he’s become. Aida’s friend, Max, may be able to help them. Maybe Chris can help Max in return. They struggle in the wide open, alone and overwhelmed.

I loved the Alaska background to this story. It was not the story I expected. I was fascinated from the very beginning. I couldn’t put it down.

How will Chris change his life? What will Max bring to it? New adventures await for all. Relationships change and new things are learned. One of the best books I’ve read. Written by the “Taking On Water” author, another great book.

Thank you David Rawding

Buy "Redemption Grover" on Amazon: click here!

"Forbidden Cure" Part 1 (Ravello #3) by William Rubin

"I feel for Dad. In the past sixteen months he's lost Ma and my wife, Michelle, and now his son faces a terrible choice regarding his own rapidly deteriorating health."........

This is the third book in the “Ravello series.” It’s also part one of two, in the life of former Detective Chris Ravello. 

The events in the last book take their shadow over Chris and his family, and friends. While his former partner is investigating strange deaths they come to a realization that may affect Chris’s life.

Still suffering from a disease that took his career from him. A doctor, who may be able to help him, may have knowingly killed others with the same treatment he’s now giving Chris.

Looking forward to the second part of this book. Will Chris survive the treatments? Recover? Will he help catch a killer, experimenting on unsuspecting patients?

Thank you William Rubin

Buy "Forbidden Cure" on Amazon: click here!

Happiness Is A Collage by Gita V. Reddy

This is a collection of fifteen stories from India. While these are written with India as the back story, they are also relatable wherever you may be. 

I always enjoy this author’s work. Always a nice change from my regular genre. These are stories we all experience in life. From love to loss and all that fall between. 

My favorite story? Would be hard to say just one, as I really became fond of each. As I finished one, I thought that was my favorite. Then onto the next, and now it was a toss up. So it continued. “The Square,” a story about artists and the competition they feel with one another. Things are not always as they appear. “Roheda” stands out, a story of dreams and love, or is it about nightmares and control? Many themes that will make you pause with thought. 

I think you’ll find this a pleasant read. A break from your everyday life to spend a moment somewhere else.

Thank you Gita Reddy

Buy Happiness is A Collage on Amazon: click here!

"Born by the River" by Jenness Clark

It’s 1963 in the south. Author Jenness Clark was 12 years old. Leaving her troubled family, she spent 9 months at her great grandfathers home along the Mississippi River. Visiting her many relatives in the area, and learning about history and culture of another time and place. The story reflects on her as a child then. and an adult now, and the history of her roots.

As a Yankee from New England, I was intrigued by the true story of this young girl. History of a time and place I am unfamiliar with. The events that occurred were unlike the place where I was raised. I have lived in thirteen states, but Illinois and Missouri are not ones I have been to. Culture is diverse in different parts of the country.

I found this book well written and interesting. Some places a bit confusing. I think it’s due to my unfamiliarity with this area. Hard to know where one is referring to without consulting a map. They’re were some interesting old pictures included.

Ultimately though, I had a good feeling for the area from which this author came. Her words made me feel as if I were the 12 year old seeing some of these things. A nice tribute to her family and history. Good with the bad. A remembrance of her past.

Thank you Jenness Clark

Buy "Born by The River" on Amazon: click here!

"Consumed" (Firefighters Series #1) by J.R. Ward

"As she got out her notes, she thought of her new boss's pep talk. Someone had died in at least two of those old warehouse fires. And hell, she had been permanently changed. So there were crimes to solve here. There was still something worth fighting to protect. And in this case, it was justice."....

Anne Ashburn is a fire fighter. She was, until one fateful night that changed the path of her career. Now she’s an arson investigator. The story takes place in New Brunswick, Massachusetts. An exciting and fast paced read right from the beginning.

One of her fellow fire fighters, Danny McGuire, is a hot shot. Suffering his own problems, and seemingly a death wish. Danny and Anne don’t exactly team up to investigate a string of suspicious fires, but their jobs tend to throw them together. Anne misses her firehouse crew.

Hopefully her new career direction will help both of them set their lives back on track. Until the arsonist decides to target Anne, maybe there will be no redemption for her. A bit of a love story, fast paced action and drama. I enjoyed reading this book. Life can “Consume” you in so many ways if you don’t fight back. Anne is a strong woman. If anyone is going to get through a storm, it will be her.

Thank you J.R. Ward, Netgalley, Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books.

Buy the first in this new "Firefighter" series on Amazon: pre-order now: click here!