When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt’s home, it’s immediately clear that the manor is cursed. The endless creaking of the house at night and the eerie stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too—questions that Silla can’t ignore: Why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Who is the beautiful boy who’s appeared from the woods? And who is the tall man with no eyes who Nori plays with in the basement at night… a man no one else can see?
I stayed up until 1 am to finish reading this book. I had to finish this book because it had such a grip on me. It scared me to death and fascinated me at the same time. It was good when I can’t sleep after finishing a book because it creeped me out.
This book is written in such a different fashion it is hard to explain. In one chapter, you are reading in 1st person, and then you could be reading in 3rd person. I don’t like it when the book jumps around like that, but it worked in this case. There were also excerpts from Silla’s diary that were creepy. I got the chills from reading it.
This book also fucks with your mind. I won’t go into it, but, baby, things are not what they seem in this book!!!
Like I said above, this book is a mind fuck. The huge twist at the end threw me for a loop. I didn’t even see it coming. Not a hint, nothing.
I would recommend And the Trees Crept In to anyone over 21. It is a clean book with no violence and mild language.
If you enjoyed And the Trees Crept In, you will enjoy these books:
Before the Scorpius Syndrome tore through North America and nearly wiped out the population, Vivienne Wellington was the FBI’s best profiler. The bacteria got her anyway. But she survived. She recovered. And when she woke up from a drug-nightmare of captivity, her trust in her fellow man had gone from shaky at best to nonexistent. Her mysterious rescuer wants to convince her he’s the exception. But no matter how tempting he is, with his angel’s eyes and devil’s tongue, Vinnie knows she shouldn’t trust him.
If the FBI were still around they would rate Raze Shadow as one of the bad guys. His military training can’t wipe out his association with the Mercenaries, the most feared gang in a thousand miles. His loyalties are compromised. He won’t even tell Vinnie his real name. But there’s no FBI in the new America of fear and firepower, only instinct and risk. And the way his arms wrap around her tells its own story. Whatever else Raze is concealing, he can’t hide his desire . . .
Oh. My. God.
I LOVED this book. Forget that it is the 2nd book in a series. Forget it. This book is that awesome.
Raze, oh, where do I start with him? He is so bad that he’s good and oozed sex appeal. What appealed to me about him was that he was 100% devoted to his family and those he considers family. Even when he got sick with the Scorpius Syndrome, he was still a badass.
Vinnie (or Vivienne) Kennedy was a mess when she was introduced. She is dealing with the aftermath of her kidnapping by the President. She was also infected with Scorpius Syndrome, and her brain was all wonky. She is seeing hallucinations of her dead schizophrenic stepmother, and she believes that she can read minds (or can she??). She doesn’t have a filter. I laughed out loud when she told Jax, Lynn, and Trace that Raze had a huge erection because she wouldn’t have sex with him.
President Atherton and Vice President Lake were creepy. I got chills when I read their scenes. I can’t wait to see them get what they are due.
The main storyline was great, but I called what would happen with it. Not that it took away from the story in any way. I liked the 2nd storyline, and the way the author wrapped that up was great. The 3rd storyline annoyed me for some reason. The Reverend was sneaky. I don’t understand why Jax didn’t shoot him the first time Vinnie told himhe was up to something. But then again, I can see why he didn’t.
The ending was great and left open for Trace and Sami’s story. Which I can’t wait to read. I have to read the first book, and I will be all set.
I would recommend Shadow Falling to anyone over 21. There is sex, language, and violence.
If you enjoyed Shadow Falling, you will enjoy these books:
Jake Brogan, retired U. S. Army Special Forces, is hunting for his daughter’s killer. But in the course of his search, he stumbles upon a mother whose daughter has been kidnapped by a ring of human traffickers, and their tentacles reach all the way to Washington, D. C. Jake agrees to detour from his search in order to help recover the missing girl. They don’t know it yet, but the traffickers have just messed with the wrong person.
Back in February, I reviewed Deadbeat and loved it. When I got contacted by the author to review Skintrade, I was excited about reading it.
I wasn’t disappointed.
Jake was his usual badass self and was continuing his search for Donnie. While he was in Nashville, he meets Heather. He finds out that her daughter was kidnapped by human traffickers. Jake decides to look for Kelsey after hearing that the local cops aren’t squatting about it. That sets in motion a series of events proving his badass.
I have a bit of a book crush on Jake. This guy is unflippingbelievable, and in my eyes, he walks on water. He is the total package for a book crush. Who else can walk away from being captured by mercenaries and turn it around on them? Jake can!!!
There was very little of Randy in the book, but that’s OK. I dealt with it. I did get to meet Grey and Russ (hopefully, there will be more Randy in his next book!!!).
The ending of the book was perfect. I must say that everyone got what was coming to them. EVERYONE got what they deserved.
I would recommend Skin Trade to anyone over 21. There are sexual situations and violence.
Bestselling Polish crime by award-winning author Zygmunt Miloszewski.
All eyes are on famous prosecutor Teodor Szacki when he investigates a skeleton discovered at a construction site in the idyllic Polish city of Olsztyn. Old bones come as no shock to anyone in this part of Poland, but it turns out these remains are fresh, the flesh chemically removed.
Szacki questions the dead man’s wife, only to be left with a suspicion she’s hiding something. Then another victim surfaces—a violent husband, alive but maimed—giving rise to a theory: someone’s targeting domestic abusers. And as new clues bring the murderer closer to those Szacki holds dear, he begins to understand the terrible rage that drives people to murder.
From acclaimed Polish crime writer Zygmunt Miloszewski comes a gritty, atmospheric page-turner that poses the question, what drives a sane man to kill?
What drives a sane person to kill? That question could be answered by looking at today’s headlines. “She cut me off,” “He cheated on me,” and “She grabbed the last pair of socks in the discount bin” as a few examples. I mean, we have all heard them. What the author did is backtrack from the murder and examined the circumstances.
This is the 3rd book in a series, so it could be a standalone book. There were a few references to past books, but other than that, this book was its own animal.
I was not too fond of Helena’s (Hela’s) or Teodor’s characters. Hela came across as a spoiled brat, and Teodor came across as a cold, unfeeling person. He had this edge when comforting people, which made me uncomfortable.
The plot was fantastic, and it was fast-paced. The two storylines meet up towards the end of the book. The way that the author did it was great!!! I couldn’t put my finger on the murderer/vigilante. It could have been anyone. The big twist at the end was a surprise.
I would recommend Rage to anyone over 21. There is explicit sex, instructions on how to kill someone with lye balls, a descriptive scene where a man is throat raped with a pole, and mild language.
If you enjoyed reading Rage, you will enjoy reading these books:
The ultrawealthy families of Chouteau Forest may look down on a woman like death investigator Angela Richman, but they also rely on her. When a horrific car crash kills a Forest teenager, Angela is among the first on the scene. Her investigation is hardly underway, however, when she suffers a series of crippling strokes. Misdiagnosed by the resident neurologist, Dr. Gravois, and mended by gauche yet brilliant neurosurgeon Dr. Jeb Travis Tritt, Angela faces a harrowing recovery.
It’s a drug-addled, hallucinating Angela who learns that Dr. Gravois has been murdered…and the chief suspect is the surgeon who saved her life. Angela doesn’t believe it, but can she trust her instincts? Her brain trauma brings doubts that she’ll ever recover her investigative skills. But she’s determined to save Dr. Tritt from a death-row sentence—even if her progress is thwarted at every turn by a powerful and insular community poised to protect its own.
Before reading Brain Storm, I had never been disappointed in a book. I had such high hopes for it by the Goodreads descriptions and all the 4 and 5-star reviews. I was like, “Yes, this is going to be awesome to read,” and it was for the first few chapters.
I enjoyed reading about Angela’s job, her community, and her friends. The author did a great job setting up her backstory. Then the misdiagnosis and stroke happened, and this is where the book took a nosedive. We got to read all about Angela’s recovery and her hallucinations. That wasn’t bad, but there was so much going on in the backstory!!!
Like the Angel of Death working at the hospital, the little boy dying because Dr. Gravois testified before the insurance company that he didn’t need treatment, and the romance between Monty and Kate. The focus, instead, was on Dr. Tritt and the accusations that he killed Dr. Gravois. Which was silly.
The ending was anticlimactic, and I didn’t have that “Aha” moment when the bad guy was caught. Because the said bad guy didn’t show up until 3 chapters before the end.
There were some redeeming qualities to this book. The author knew how to make a character come off the page, and she knew how to make you care about the main characters. Which is huge in a book.
I would recommend Brain Storm to anyone over 16. There is minimal violence, no sex, and a gruesome car accident description.
If you enjoyed reading Brain Storm, you will enjoy reading these books:
A reincarnated evil is stalking the women of Houston. With each murder, the madman quotes an excerpt from the Oscar Wilde poem, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” A huge smokestack belching smoke, a ragged flea market double-breasted wool coat, and an old antique picture frame, bring the distant past back to haunt Houston Homicide Detective, Sean Jamison. With those catalysts, Jamison knows who he was in a past life and that he lost the only woman he could ever love. Searching for his reincarnated mate becomes Jamison’s raison d’être as he and fellow detectives scour Houston for a brutal serial killer. The memory of timeless love drives Jamison’s dogged search for a serial killer, determined to finish what he started decades earlier. Each clue brings Jamison closer to unmasking his old nemesis. Tenacious police work, lessons learned in the past, and intuition may be the only weapons he has in preventing history from repeating itself.
I wasn’t sure what to think of this book in the first couple of chapters. The book was slow in the first couple of chapters. I struggled through those chapters because of the above issues. Get past those first few chapters; the book is a great read!!!
I enjoyed the storyline. A serial killer comes back. A cop remembers his past life, tries to find his lost love, and develops psychic premonitions. How all 3 are melded together makes a fascinating story. Throw in some very creepy stanzas from “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” and the story becomes chilling.
From the minute I met Sean Jamison, the pace of the book picked up. When all his past lives return, he becomes obsessed with finding his long-lost soul mate. When he finds her, he is devastated that she doesn’t remember him or their lives together. But not is all that it seems, and there was a twist in that storyline that made me go, “Seriously.”
I wish that there were more scenes with the serial killer. He was a creeper, and I wish the author had spent more time in his brain. Once Darla was killed, the serial killer wasn’t in the story until the end.
The author shouldn’t have made Sean’s captain fall in love with him. Only Sean dropped that past-life tidbit on her in the office. It went from being cute and obsessive after findinghissoul mate to creepy and gross.
The ending was great and, for the book, perfect. The author brought all the storylines together in a way that satisfied me. Nothing was left open-ended, which was great.
I would recommend Death Unmasked to anyone over 21. There is violence, rape, and murder.
If you enjoyed reading Death Unmasked, you will enjoy reading these books:
A battle for control turns explosive as a beautiful con woman takes a bad-boy biker hostage in this edgy, seductive novel set in the world of Everything I Left Unsaid and The Truth About Him.
The only thing that matters to me is rescuing my sister from the drug-cooking cult that once enslaved us both. I’ve run cons my whole life, and I’ll use my body to get whatever I need. Max Daniels is the last connection I have to that world, the one person reckless enough to get involved. Besides, now that his brothers have turned on him, he needs me too.
The deal was supposed to be simple: a place to hide in exchange for rescuing my sister. Now he’s my prisoner. Totally at my mercy. But I’m the one captivated. Enthralled. Doing everything he asks of me until I’m not sure who’s in control.
We both crave the heat. The more it hurts, the better. But what if Max wants a different life now, to leave the game . . .tolove me? I thought I knew better than to get burned. Now I’m in too deep to pull away. And the crazy thing is . . . I don’t want to.
This book was a first for me. I had never read an MC book before, so I didn’t know what to expect. I am happy to say that this book turned me on to MCbooks. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in this series. I also liked that while this was the 3rd book in the series, you could read it as a stand-alone book. If you have been following my reviews, you know how much I hate reading 2-3 books into a series.
The sexual element of this book was over the top, but in a good way. The sexual tension was through the roof. Joan is bisexual, and she doesn’t hide it from Max. That leads to an exciting encounter when they are in Florida. When Max and Joan finally bump uglies, holy crap. Talk about igniting the pages!!!
The plot of this book was great too. Joan’s sister is involved with a drug-cooking cult, and Joan is looking to get her out. She figures that she could get the leader alone by doing something illegal. Then somehow, get to where he moved the camp too. But everything doesn’t go to plan, and she ends up with Max after he is shot and beaten by his MC brothers. After that, it takes off.
I loved the ending. It fits in perfectly with the book.
I would recommend Burn Down the Night to anyone over 21. There are erotic sex scenes, graphic violence, and language.
If you enjoyed reading Burn Down the Night, you will enjoy reading these books:
Chicago cop Brendan Donovan loves the adrenaline rush of his role on a tactical team. So when he’s assigned to an undercover job to ferret out the supplier of a new and deadly sex drug, he’s thrilled. His partner is Cilla Marini, a detective he’d met recently during a traffic stop. He’s intrigued by Cilla, but his sister told him that Cilla doesn’t date cops. Which is exactly what they have to pretend to do. Brendan loves a challenge.
Cilla is shocked to find out that Brendan is her mystery partner. After an incident that forced her to transfer from her district and isolated her from her fellow cops, Cilla knows relationships with cops are off the table. But she’s spent far too much time thinking about Brendan since he pulled her over for speeding. Now, not only are they working together, they have to pose as a couple to find the source of the sex drug that’s already killed several men.
As the action heats up, Cilla and Brendan don’t have to pretend they want each other. But when secrets put them both in danger, will they have each other’s back? Or will their quarry divide and conquer them before they can find their way to happily ever after?
I was surprised by this book. As you all know from previous book reviews, I wouldn’t say I like reading books out of order in a series. They are hard to read because there are references to the other books that have come before in the series.
But not this book. You can read Cover Me as a standalone book. There are references to the other books, but (and stress but) they are for the story only. Which is another reason why I liked this book.
I first met Brendan Donovan as he was sitting outside a drug house, doing surveillance. When a vintage Mustang speeds past him, he assumes it was stolen. So he gives chase and pulls the car over. Imagine his surprise when not only does he pull over a woman, but she is a cop and a hostage negotiator on her way to a scene. Her name is Priscilla (aka Cilla) Martini.
Brendan and Cilla do meet again. This time they are partners and are looking for the dealer(s) of a deadly street drug that has killed 5 people. This drug is used as a sexual stimulant like Viagra. Cilla is going undercover at the pub where the drug seems to be dealt. Brendan is going as a pub regular who starts to have a relationship with Cilla after meeting her there. Cilla got a heads up about a serial rapist that is striking the local clubs/pubs in the area and to keep her eyes open.
The sexual attraction and the heat between Brendan and Cilla were unfreakinbelievable. Cilla could get aroused by a look from Brendan, and Brendan from Cilla was awesome. When they finally do have sex, it rocketed off the page.
What I loved about this book was that the sexual tension was the second fiddle to the story. The author used the sex scenes as delicious interludes to Brendan and Cilla’s police work. This is how a romance is supposed to be. The storyline and then sex. Not sex and then storyline!!!
I did get frustrated with Cilla and her not wanting to have a relationship with a cop. Which was based on her aunt’s experiences. Her aunt’s experience was bad. But it is something that shouldn’t have been reiterated to a child over and over and over again. I didn’t like that Cilla was the fixer for her family. Every time someone had a problem, they called her. Her mother acted like a small child when Cilla kept telling her to see her Uncle Donny get her brakes fixed. I wanted to reach through the book and smack Cilla and her mother.
I did figure out who the serial rapist was early on in the book. No fault of the author, but the fake name (and Cilla’s reaction to it) was a dead giveaway. I liked that it led to another storyline and that one was left open-ended at the end of the book.
I didn’t understand why ratting out a fellow cop for doing something bad was so bad. Cilla handled herself when meeting Ward was very classy and NOT how I would have handled myself. Also, Brendan and Connor’s defense of her was great too.
The ending was great, and I was surprised at who the dealer was. I didn’t think it was who I thought it was.
Oh, and I want to say I love Australian shepherds. Hehe.
I would recommend Cover Me to anyone over 21. There is sex, language, and violence. There is also drug use and one scene of attempted rape.
If you enjoyed reading Cover Me, you will enjoy reading these books:
In St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, Detroit, Carter witnesses the miracle of youth returned, and stigmata where none should be. The bleeding statue is no miracle: it is the embodiment of an ancient curse that draws people in by granting their deepest wishes—but at the price of serving an evil force, ultimately paid for with their lives. In a race against time to get to the bottom of the mystery, Carter and Stella have only the words of old friend and priest Father Malvan to guide them—yet he is long gone, turned monster then to dust.
This book takes place a year or so after The Harmony Scroll ends. I was delighted to find out that Carter and Stella are a couple. Stella has trouble coming to terms with their relationship during the book. Their interactions during this book cracked me up.
They are sent on a mystery after Stella’s friend contacts them about a mysterious statue. The events become a race against time to stop a powerful lawyer from fulfilling a prophecy.
The action was insane. Throw in the mythological element, which got my heart pounding at some points.
The ending was unexpected, and its twist threw me for a loop. I should have seen it coming; I should have but didn’t.
Would recommend The Byzantine Connection to anyone over 16. There is violence and language but no sex.
Book 2 – Stella Hunter Mysteries Stella Hunter’s adopted son was born with a curse. The curse lies dormant within him and the amulets that awaken it have been destroyed, but the curse is still a death sentence shadowing Gabriel’s life. Stella discovers Gabriel can be free of the curse forever. But the golden scroll holding the incantation that can free him was lost twelve hundred years ago. Now, knowing she can get her hands on the scroll, Stella will go to hell and back to save her son… and heaven help anyone who gets in her way!
This book starts about a year after Ribbons of Death ended. Carter undergoes plastic surgery to fix his face. While Carter is in rehab, he notices something off with a psychologist he is mandated to see. Then he hears that Gabriel and Stella were killed when their house exploded due to faulty wiring. He discovers more to these “deaths” than meets the eye. Stella and Gabe aren’t dead but are held hostage by sinister forces. After Carter frees them, they start on a multi-country jaunt to find the Harmony Scroll. A scroll that can get rid of Gabe’s Peacekeeper curse.
I did like this book. I loved that I got to see a softer side of Carter. I saw some of the romance hinted at in Ribbons of Death.
Stella and Gabe’s dynamic was great too. It evolved into a true mother/son dynamic. He even went from calling her Zee to Mom during the book.
I liked that instead of going all over the US, the characters were taken on a jaunt all over Europe this time. The violence seemed muted, almost. People still got killed, but it was through the police telling Stella and Carter.
The ending was anticlimactic. I thought I had missed something and had to reread the last chapters a few times before the “aha” moment.
I would recommend The Harmony Scrolls to anyone over 16. There is violence and language.
If you enjoyed reading The Harmony Scrolls, then you will enjoy reading these books:
![And the Trees Crept In by [Kurtagich, Dawn]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51lfwbPFH2L.jpg)
![Rage by [MiÅoszewski, Zygmunt]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51cK-pFcbuL.jpg)
![Brain Storm (Angela Richman, Death Investigator Book 1) by [Viets, Elaine]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/611oanyVCGL.jpg)
![Death Unmasked by [Sulik, Rick]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51aYvO%2BzzdL.jpg)
![Burn Down the Night (Everything I Left Unsaid Book 3) by [O'Keefe, M.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HF4ZGs65L.jpg)
![Cover Me (The Donovan Family Book 5) by [Watson, Margaret]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51kiPm8cMeL.jpg)
![The Harmony Scroll (Peacetaker Series Book 2) by [Petrick, Edita A.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MjdeCuHhL.jpg)
Escape Into Reading 