The Quiet Game by Greg Iles

When recently widowed Penn Cage leaves Houston with his young daughter and returns to his hometown seeking peace, he finds something very different. Natchez, Mississippi, is the jewel of the antebellum South, a city of old secrets and older money. Upon learning that his father is being blackmailed, Penn finds himself reopening the most highly charged murder case in the town's history, searching for the evidence that could bring down the judge who nearly destroyed his father years ago. As the town closes ranks against him, Penn is joined by Caitlin Masters, a young newspaper publisher, on a deadly quest to find answers to one of the darkest chapters of American history, a quest that pits them against the FBI, a band of brothers still fiercely guarding the tainted legacy of J. Edgar Hoover. But Penn's most dangerous journey must be made alone--into the abiding mystery of his own past, into the mind and heart of a woman he lost twenty years ago, and who still has the power to save or destroy him.

An amazing book. I almost put it down in the beginning because it appeared 'evil'. But I stuck to it and found that I couldn't put it down. The feelings are charged, and the characters are brought to life. Strong characters that were living larger than life. I really enjoyed this book.

Night Sins by Tami Hoag

One error in judgment...that’s all it takes for a family’s life to be torn apart. Dr. Hannah Garrison is on her way out the hospital door to pick up her son, Josh, when an emergency car accident prompts her to be late. An hour and a half later, when she finally arrives at the ice rink to retrieve her son, he’s no where to be found. It soon becomes apparent that this is more than a missing child case. Something much more sinister is at work...a psychopath, delighting in an evil game, taunts police, steering them in a myriad of directions where everyone in this peaceful Minnesota town is a potential suspect. Is it the maintenance man from the ice rink, Olie Swain, who unbeknownst to anyone is a convicted pedophile? Or perhaps it’s the overly zealous deacon, whose piety has led him into his own maddening world. Or maybe it’s even Josh’s own father, Paul Kirkwood, who is having an affair with the neighbor’s wife.

In an unlucky turn of events, it falls upon the hands of Agent Megan O’Malley to sort out the twisted details of the case. Being the first female investigator on the force, she’s got everything to prove and no one who believes she’s competent, except for Chief Mitch Holt. Working under such intimate circumstances, Megan and Mitch soon become romantically involved, a secret that could destroy both of their careers. Not to mention the fact that Chief Holt is still battling the demons of a tragedy in his own family. Is he too close to the case to perform his job? Will Megan’s overwhelming drive to succeed put her own life in danger?

Night Sins has enough twists and turns to keep you riveted from cover to cover of its 540 pages. Just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, Tami Hoag unveils a new, juicy tidbit that’s sure to have you second guessing. There is a sequel to this novel, entitled Guilty as Sin. So, don’t expect ALL the details to be tied up into a tidy package at the end. If, however, you love to be left guessing, Night Sins is definitely for you.




I really liked this book, but wish I had read it before Guilty As Sin. The books have a definite order and I read them backwards :(. I started reading this one and was very confused because I thought I had read it before... all of the details and story line were familiar. That's because Guilty as Sin had all of the final conclusions to this book. Oh well, if you're going to read them be sure to read Night Sins first than Guilty as Sin. Quick read.

Guilty as Sin by Tami Hoag

Although the publisher is curiously silent about this important detail, Tami Hoag’s thriller picks up the action where her previous novel, NIGHT SINS (1995), concluded. In the earlier story, rural Deer Lake, Minnesota, was shattered by the abduction of eight-year-old Josh Kirkwood. The first suspect, a known child-molester, committed suicide before he could be questioned about where the boy was hidden. During the continuing investigation, state investigator Megan O’Malley was captured, blind-folded, and nearly beaten to death by a ski-masked assailant. She was saved by the timely intervention of Deer Lake Sheriff Mitch Holt, who gave chase and shortly arrested a suspect—college professor Garrett Wright, a neighbor of the Kirkwood family. As NIGHT SINS concluded, Wright was protesting his innocence and Josh Kirkwood had suddenly returned home unharmed, but unable to say where he had been or what happened to him.

In GUILTY AS SIN, the focus shifts to Assistant County Attorney Ellen North, who is prosecuting the case against Garrett Wright. Beyond the sheriff’s statement that Wright is the man he pursued from the building where Megan O’Malley was being beaten, there is no physical evidence to connect Wright to either O’Malley’s assault or Josh Kirkwood’s kidnapping.

Two additional developments make Ellen North’s job more difficult: Her boss has granted best-selling true-crime writer Jay Butler Brooks full access to the investigation, and Garrett Wright’s high-powered defense attorney is Ellen’s ex-lover—the man who betrayed her trust and cost her an earlier case. To make matters worse, while Ellen is developing her case against the incarcerated Wright, another eight-year-old boy is kidnapped and then murdered in a neighboring town. Ellen starts to receive anonymous telephone calls taunting her that she is part of a game she does not understand and suggesting that her own life is in danger.

While GUILTY AS SIN contains enough chills and puzzles to satisfy the average fan of this genre, the real impact of the story is seriously diminished for anyone who has not read NIGHT SINS.



Great book. It brought to mind someone that sticks to their gut feelings as everyone else is jumping ship. Trying to prove it is a whole other story. The book was kind of slow in the middle with you just wanting something to happen, but then near the end it starts to explode and you can't get enough.

The Neighbor by Lisa Gardner

None of the neighbors really knew Jason and Sandy Jones. She worked days as a teacher; he worked nights as a reporter. And, they doted on their four-year-old precocious daughter. So, why were their doors made of steel, and the windows blocked in the relatively safe Southie neighborhood of Boston? That only came to light, when Sandy disappeared from their house, leaving behind their daughter. And, Jason insisted she never would have left Ree.

But, there's something suspicious about Jason Jones' reaction to his wife's disappearance, and Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren is determined to discover if he killed her. He has almost no reaction to her disappearance, only caring about Ree, who might be the only witness. And, isn't it always the husband?

But, there's also no blood, and no proof Sandy was killed. And, Aiden Brewster, the neighbor down the road is a registered sex offender. What about the brilliant thirteen-year-old boy who is totally in love with his teacher? Everyone knows teachers get caught with their students nowadays. And, why did Sandy run off with Jason in the first place, a few years after her mother's death?

Who are the Joneses, those secretive people who lived behind steel doors? Jason Jones knows he'll be the primary suspect. The husband always is. Aiden Brewster knows he'll be suspected, and his life is over. The sex offender down the road is always the suspect. D.D. Warren isn't at all happy with her choices.

So where is Sandy Jones? The Neighbor will keep readers in suspense right until the final chapter. I'll admit, I was hooked. That doesn't mean I'll read more suspense now. It means Lisa Gardner's latest book is intriguing, with constant red herrings. Good luck in guessing the ending.





Another real thriller.... thanks Tammy. Don't start this book unless you have time to finish it lol. It twisted and turned right up to the end. Very intriguing.

Bones by Jonathan Kellerman

Bones is one of Kellerman’s better efforts in recent years. It’s definitely not one of his best (check out “The Butcher’s
Theater” and “The Conspiracy Club”), but it’s an improvement over “Compulsion” and “Obsession.”
In “Bones,” Delaware is wittier and more energetic and seems to have a renewed passion to solve the case at hand, which has a lot of tentacles.
A young woman’s body is discovered at the Bird Marsh nature conservancy near Marina Del Rey in California. Los Angeles homicide detective Milo Sturgis, a mainstay in the Delaware stories, investigates, and he soon uncovers a horrible scene. More female bodies are found — they’re all prostitutes. A serial killer is apparently on the loose. Sturgis calls in Delaware for assistance.
At this point, it looks like a paint-by-numbers mystery. But the most recent victim is a talented young musician from the East Coast. Her name is Selena Bass, and she had been employed by a wealthy family, the Vanders, to tutor a musical prodigy.
This strange twist puzzles Delaware and Sturgis, and the two launch a wide-ranging, bumpy investigation that leads them to all corners of L.A. They first discover that the Vanders are nowhere to be found, and the Vanders’ estate manager, Travis Huck, seems to be a little suspicious.
“His sad, crooked mouth straightened into a position of neutrality, at odds with the tension around his eyes,” writes Kellerman, describing Huck during the duo’s questioning. They soon realize he has a criminal background.
Sturgis, playing the starring role for once in a Kellerman novel, and Delaware don’t settle for the obvious, however, and unearth more startling details about the marsh deaths.
Not surprisingly, there are some surprises in the investigation, which leads them down a path with some combative characters and a brooding sense of violence.



I enjoyed the storyline and the mystery was intriguing, but it was a little muddled in the middle. I would recommend this book.

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, and a mystery. The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton.

Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, ...moreA foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, and a mystery. The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton.

Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra's life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace - the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century - Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself.



I LOVED this book. The friend that loaned it to me did it kind of off handed saying... 'don't know if you'll like this book. It jumps around a lot.' So I must say it covers a time from the early 1900's, 1975 and 2005 - and going back and forth among the times. I did read it in a short period of time and didn't find it hard to keep the characters in order. The story line was good, the characters well described and the mystery was very fasinating. Let me know if you read it and what you think of it.

Secrets of Eden by Chris Bohjalian

From the bestselling author of The Double Bind, Midwives, and Skeletons at the Feast comes a novel of shattered faith, intimate secrets, and the delicate nature of sacrifice.

"There," says Alice Hayward to Reverend Stephen Drew, just after her baptism, and just before going home to the husband who will kill her that evening and then shoot himself. Drew, tortured by the cryptic finality of that short utterance, feels his faith in God slipping away and is saved from despair only by a meeting with Heather Laurent, the author of wildly successful, inspirational books about . . . angels.

Heather survived a childhood that culminated in her own parents' murder-suicide, so she identifies deeply with Alice’s daughter, Katie, offering herself as a mentor to the girl and a shoulder for Stephen – who flees the pulpit to be with Heather and see if there is anything to be salvaged from the spiritual wreckage around him.
But then the State's Attorney begins to suspect that Alice's husband may not have killed himself. . .and finds out that Alice had secrets only her minister knew.

Secrets of Eden is both a haunting literary thriller and a deeply evocative testament to the inner complexities that mark all of our lives. Once again Chris Bohjalian has given us a riveting page-turner in which nothing is precisely what it seems. As one character remarks, “Believe no one. Trust no one. Assume all of our stories are suspect.”


I really like the way Bohjalian (wish I knew how to pronounce that name :)) unfolds a story. He really goes into each characters thoughts and feelings, giving each persons take on every situation. So, basically you're seeing the same story from several points of view and wondering all along who's telling the truth. And, once again the truth is in the final sentence. So no reading the end first, it would ruin everything.

Trace by Patricia Cornwell

"Kate Scarpetta, a former Chief medical examiner in Virginia, Richmond, now resides in South Florida. She, along with her good friend, Marino, also formerly of Virginia, are summoned to her former workplace by the new chief medical examiner, Dr. Joel Marcus. Scarpetta and Marino are asked to investigate the murder of a 14 year old girl named Gilly Paulsson. While trying to pry the details of the murder from Gilly's game-playing, supposedly grief-stricken mother, Scarpetta and Marino must deal with Dr. Marcus' political machinations in his attempt to destroy Scarpetta's unassailable reputation and cover up his own incompetence. Then, Marino gets seduced into playing a game with Suz, Gilly's mother and is wrongly accused of rape. An added twist occurs when a construction worker is run over by a tractor and killed on site of her old building. Somehow, the same trace evidence found on the worker's body is also found in Gilly Paulsson's mouth.

Meanwhile, Benton Wesley, Scarpetta's lover, and Lucy, Scarpetta's niece, are investigating a seemingly unrelated case of attempted murder of Henri, Lucy's employee and friend. Lucy runs The Last Precinct, which is an undercover organization which investigates FBI-calibre cases in confidence.

As Kay Scarpetta and Marino sift through the rubble that is left of her former place of employment, Scarpetta finds that not only is the building falling apart, so are the capabilities of the new chief medical examiner and the morale of her former staff. One former staff member, in particular, seeks revenge against Dr. Scarpetta and her feisty niece Lucy for causing his disability, a lung condition which makes it difficult to breathe. While Scarpetta and Marino attempt to circumvent Suz's games, and Benton and Lucy get closer to the truth about Henri's attacker, the killer methodically sets up his final revenge. "


Another good read by Cornwell. Coincidence... small world... just weird... some of my thoughts while reading this. Who would think in this small world of ours that so many lives will cross and for what weird reasons. Great read.

Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell

Always packed with unrelieved tension and constant surprises, a new novel from Patricia Cornwell is cause for celebration. Virginia's chief medical examiner, Kay Scarpetta, is called in to examine the remains of a woman found in a landfill, her body dismembered in the same expert way she'd seen before. And while Scarpetta is investigating, the bold killer contacts her through the Internet, inviting her to download the police photos, and signs off with the chilling name, deadoc. When Scarpetta and her niece discover that the victim was exposed to a rare smallpox-like virus before she died, she realizes that they re up against a killer with access to an incredible arsenal of deadly force -- and now it's directed at her!

This novel was real scary for me. The thought that someone could destroy a whole city or country through disease is just too real a possiblity to look the other way. Lots of details and again another serial killer - or is it? Copy cats are always a possibility. Great Read

Worse Case by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Alex Cross has Washington, DC. The Women's Murder Club has San Francisco. Detective Michael Bennett has all of New York City—chaos capital of the world.

Best case: Survival
The son of one of New York's wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. His parents can't save him, because this kidnapper isn't demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury. In this exam, wrong answers are fatal.

Worst case: Death
Detective Michael Bennett leads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can't begin to understand what could lead someone to target anyone's children. As another student disappears, another powerful family uses their leverage and connections to turn up the heat on the mayor, the press—anyone who will listen—to stop this killer. Their reach extends all the way to the FBI, which sends its top Abduction Specialist, Agent Emily Parker. Bennett's life—and love life—suddenly get even more complicated.

This case: Detective Michael Bennett is on it
Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI's intrusion on his case, the mastermind changes his routine. His plan leads up to the most devastating demonstration yet—one that could bring cataclysmic ruin to every inch of New York City. From the shocking first page to the last exhilarating scene, Worst Case is a nonstop thriller from "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes).

Liked the book. The serial killer is trying to bring social awareness to the forefront by exploiting wealthy family's children. He is really bitter about the rich and all that they have which he thinks they received on the backs of the poor. Great 'pageturner'.

Before Women Had Wings by Connie May Fowler

My name is Avocet Abigail Jackson. But because Mama couldn't find anyone who thought Avocet was a fine name for a child, she called me Bird. Which is okay by me. She named both her children after birds, her logic being that if we were named for something with wings then maybe we'd be able to fly above the shit in our lives. . . .
So says Bird Jackson, the mesmerizing narrator of Connie May Fowler's vivid and brilliantly written, Before Women Had Wings.

Starstruck by a dime-store picture of Jesus, Bird fancies herself "His girlfriend" and embarks upon a spiritual quest for salvation, even as the chaos of her home life plunges her into a stony silence. In stark and honest language, she tells the tragic life of her father, a sweet-talking wanna-be country music star, tracks her older sister's perilous journey into womanhood, and witnesses her mother make a courageous and ultimately devastating decision.

Yet most profound is Bird's own story--her struggle to sift through the ashes of her parents' lives, her meeting with Miss Zora, a healer whose prayers over the bones of winged creatures are meant to guide their souls to heaven, and her will to make sense of a world where fear is more plentiful than hope, retribution more valued than love. . . .



Although I didn't come from an abusive home I really related to Bird's situation. The 'feelings' that she spoke of seemed to really ring true for me. At a very young age I knew we weren't rich, but I never realized how poor we were. Now that I'm older and can see the whole picture I really see just how poor we were. My older siblings really lived through a lot more, but I remember all the other girls in school had much nicer cloths than we did and they could get involved in school activities because they had supportive parents. My parents were not 'bad', but because there were nine of us, they didn't have the individual time to spend on each of us.

This was a very well written book and like I said I could really 'feel' what she was portraying. It brought a whole new perspective to some of the other things I've read lately. I remember a few books that spoke of Dad being a pilot and all that comes with that kind of finances and another book that spoke of buying a new home and how Mom was home cooking and baking - I was trying to remember those things in my life and they just weren't there. At a time when there were very few Mom's working mine had a full time job and we were on our own after school til someone got home.

This book reminds me a lot of my past and makes me really appreciate all that my Mom did to protect us and keep us safe. It brings to light all that could have gone wrong that didn't. Although we didn't have a lot we had each other and there was kindness and lots of fun.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark

At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow knows she has little time left. The last of her line, she faces a momentous choice: expose a long-held family secret, or take it with her to her grave.

Olivia has in her possession letters from her deceased cousin Catherine, a nun, now being considered for beatification by the Catholic Church—the final step before sainthood. In her lifetime, Sister Catherine had founded seven hospitals for disabled children. Now the cure of a four-year-old boy dying of brain cancer is being attributed to her. After his case was pronounced medically hopeless, the boy’s desperate mother had organized a prayer crusade to Sister Catherine, leading to his miraculous recovery.

The letters Olivia holds are the evidence that Catherine gave birth at age seventeen to a child, a son, and gave him up for adoption. Olivia knows the identity of the young man who fathered Catherine’s child: Alex Gannon, who went on to become a world-famous doctor, scientist, and inventor holding medical patents.

Now, two generations later, thirty-one-year-old pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, Catherine’s granddaughter, stands as the rightful heir to what remains of the family fortune. But in telling Monica who she really is, Olivia would have to betray Catherine’s wishes and reveal the story behind Monica’s ancestry.

The Gannon fortune is being squandered by Alex’s nephews Greg and Peter Gannon, and other board members of the Gannon Foundation, who camouflage their profligate lifestyles with philanthropy.

Now their carefully constructed image is cracking. Greg, a prominent financier, is under criminal investigation, and Peter, a Broadway producer, is a suspect in the murder of a young woman who has been extorting money from him.

The only people aware of Olivia’s impending choice are those exploiting the Gannon inheritance. To silence Olivia and prevent Monica from learning the secret, some of them will stop at nothing—even murder.

Clark’s riveting new novel explores the juxtaposition of medical science and religious faith, and the search for identity by the daughter of a man adopted at birth.



This book reminded me of an Agatha Christi mystery. Good read in a dorky kind of way. I do like reading about how people live. Olivia was a meticulous old lady... no children how could her house be dirty? Dr. Farrell also single and house neat as a pin.... guess that's just a dream of mine - a clean house. I don't even have an excuse anymore! Oh well, too many other things to do - like read books.

I've told myself no more books before I do some of the projects that I have started or bought stuff to make. Gotta clean up before I want to be outside in the garden.

Run For Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

A calculating killer who calls himself The Teacher is taking on New York City, killing the powerful and the arrogant. His message is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror. Only one man can tackle such a high-profile case: Detective Mike Bennett. The pressure is enough for anyone, but Mike also has to care for his 10 children-all of whom have come down with virulent flu at once! Discovering a secret pattern in The Teacher's lessons, Detective Bennett realizes he has just hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. From the #1 bestselling author comes RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, the continuation of his newest, electrifying series.

Not your usual Patterson, in my opinion. Some of the dialog hinted at harlequinism and I'm not a fan of Harlequins. Almost made me chuckle a few times. It was a quick read though and kept my interest to the end.

The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven by Kevin & Alex Malarkey

In 2004, Kevin Malarkey and his six-year-old son, Alex, suffered an horrific car accident. The impact from the crash paralyzed Alex—and medically speaking, it was unlikely that he could survive. “I think Alex has gone to be with Jesus,” a friend told the stricken dad. But two months later, Alex awoke from a coma with an incredible story to share. Of events at the accident scene and in the hospital while he was unconscious. Of the angels that took him through the gates of heaven itself. Of the unearthly music that sounded just terrible to a six-year-old. And, most amazing of all . . . Of meeting and talking to Jesus. The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven is the true story of an ordinary boy’s most extraordinary journey. As you see heaven and earth through Alex’s eyes, you’ll come away with new insights on miracles, life beyond this world, and the power of a father’s love.

I received this book from a friend and coworker Tammy upon the death of my Mother. It was an interesting read... don't know if I'd describe it as spiritual, religious, motivational..?? Horrific story that didn't have positive results, but the way that the family managed to overcome and go on was amazing. It would truly have to be a work of God to go through what this family did and come out the way that they did. God truly works in mysterious ways and this book describes it beautifully.

Caught by Harlan Coben

17 year-old Haley McWaid is a good girl, the pride of her suburban New Jersey family, captain of the lacrosse team, headed off to college next year with all the hopes and dreams her doting parents can pin on her. Which is why, when her mother wakes one morning to find that Haley never came home the night before, and three months quickly pass without word from the girl, the community assumes the worst. Wendy Tynes is a reporter on a mission, to identify and bring down sexual predators via elaborate—and nationally televised—sting operations. Working with local police on her news program Caught in the Act, Wendy and her team have publicly shamed dozens of men by the time she encounters her latest target. Dan Mercer is a social worker known as a friend to troubled teens, but his story soon becomes more complicated than Wendy could have imagined. In a novel that challenges as much as it thrills, filled with the astonishing tension and unseen suburban machinations that have become Coben’s trademark, Caught tells the story of a missing girl, the community stunned by her loss, the predator who may have taken her, and the reporter who suddenly realizes she can’t trust her own instincts about this case—or the motives of the people around her.

Haven't read a Coben book in a while. This was a thriller that definitely held my attention. Scary stuff because it happens all the time. The scariest part to me is that everything you read on the internet isn't always true and so many times people take it as gospel. Another computer geek kind of thing and one that goes back years in the lives of college suite mates. Good read.

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian

In Midwives, Chris Bohjalian chronicles the events leading up to the trial of Sibyl Danforth, a respected midwife in the small Vermont town of Reddington, on charges of manslaughter. It quickly becomes evident, however, that Sibyl is not the only one on trial--the prosecuting attorney and the state's medical community are all anxious to use this tragedy as ammunition against midwifery in general; this particular midwife, after all, an ex-hippie who still evokes the best of the flower-power generation, is something of an anachronism in 1981. Through it all, Sibyl, her husband, Rand, and their teenage daughter, Connie, attempt to keep their family intact, but the stress of the trial--and Sibyl's growing closeness to her lawyer--puts pressure on both marriage and family. Bohjalian takes readers through the intricacies of childbirth and the law, and by the end of Sibyl Danforth's trial, it's difficult to decide which was more harrowing--the tragic delivery or its legal aftermath.

While reading this I had to check several time to be reminded that this was a fiction novel. So many times it all seemed so real and like it could really happen. Not a happy sort of book, but one that was hard to put down. Just found this author from a coworker and plan on reading a few more by Chris Bohjalian.

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

In THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, the second volume in the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, publisher Mikael Blomkvist and the police are conducting parallel investigations into three horrifying murders -- and their initial evidence points straight at young computer genius and social misfit Lisbeth Salander. Kalle Bastard Blomkvist (as Salander has begun referring to him) hasn't seen Salander in nearly two years, except for one night when he happened to witness a huge man attempting to kidnap her and both she and the attacker eluded him. He's bewildered about why she cut him off cold, but had accepted her decision -- until now. He doesn't believe Salander killed these victims. Well, at least not two of them. He has to contact her, find out how she's become embroiled in this, and help her. Salander, as usual, has her own ideas about who she'll see and when....

I'm always amazed by computer geeks, but Salander takes it to a whole new level. She does things that I can't even imagine let alone do. For example, at one point she has her apartment door rigged to let her know if anyone opens it while she is away. Then she can click a few things on her blackberry, or iphone or something and watch through cameras that she has set up. Not only that, but if the intruder doesn't have the password correctly then she has it programmed to dump a lot of paint on them. Now, who could even think of all this stuff, let alone carry it out? Murder, mystery, violence, the story line has it all. The reviews say that this one wasn't as good as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, but I thought it was just as good. Can't wait to start the third one.

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide. On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye. Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again. A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house. In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

A great book that I wouldn't want to read on a spooky night that I was home alone. But really, this was a good read with twists back and forth. The mind is a powerful, scary thing. Summer is coming (no really) this is a great read.

Angel Falls by Kristin Hannah

When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell him not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at her bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife’s secret past: a hidden first marriage to movie star Julian True.

Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah’s most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

Another really good read by Kristin Hannah. She really made you think. We all have pasts. What would happen if you woke up one day and 15 years had been forgotten and you were back in your memory to 15 years ago? I shudder to think. Kristin really goes into every family member's emotions and thoughts. We grow every day... 15 years!!

The Things We Do For Love by Kristin Hannah

The youngest of three daughters, Angela DeSaria Malone was always "the princess" of the family, a girl who thought she knew how her life would unfold. High School. College. Marriage. Motherhood. That was how it had gone for her sisters, her cousins, her friends. But it didn't work out that way for Angie. She and her husband tried desperately to have a child; year after year, their perfectly decorated nursery remained empty. Finally, their marriage collapsed under the weight of lost dreams.

After the divorce, Angie moved back to her hometown and rejoined her loud, loving, slightly crazy family. In West End, a place where life rises and falls in time with the tides, she will find the man who once again will open her heart to love…and meet the girl who will change Angie's life.

Lauren Ribido lives in a rundown apartment in a bad part of town with a mother who cares more about her next drink than about her daughter. At seventeen, Lauren knows that her aspirations in life may never come to pass.

From the moment they meet, Angie sees something special in Lauren. They form a quick connection, this woman who is desperate for a daughter and the girl who has never known a mother's love. When Lauren is abandoned by her mother, Angie doesn't hesitate to offer the girl a place to stay.

But nothing could have prepared Angie for the far-reaching repercussions of this act of kindness. In a dramatic turn of events, she and Lauren will be tested in a way that mothers and daughters seldom are. Together they will embark on an intensely moving, deeply emotional journey to the very heart of what it means to be a family.



Don't know how she does it, but Kristin Hannah has another really big hit in my opinion. I can't imagine writing about something unless you can pull from your experience... that's the difference between myself and a true writer, Kristin Hannah. She expands on all of the dynamics of a very involved family, throw in a family member that is the exact opposite of the others and you have fireworks at every occasion.

She really brings out the fact that I've come to believe in strongly... you always want what you don't have. The sister that has never left town and is raising a house full of children vs the sister that has the life, the job and the husband with all the travel and perks that go with it.... except the children. Both think that the other has it all. Great read and thanks Tammy - you always get me great gifts.