Kitty Sewell - Bloodprint: A Novel of Psychological Suspense

70. Bloodprint: A Novel of Psychological Suspense by Kitty Sewell (2009)
Length: 351 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 24 July 2013
Finished: 28 July 2013
Where did it come from? From Christmas Tree Shops
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 December 2011
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Kitty Sewell is a new author for me. Mareena and I went shopping sometime in early December of 2011 with our friends Lisa and Sylvia, and Mareena bought five books for me as Christmas presents.

Madeleine Frank, born and raised in America, is the daughter of a mentally unstable Cuban mother and her father is an internationally prominent English artist. After losing her husband Forrest in a freak accident during a hurricane, Madeleine flees her island home in Key West, Florida and follows her parents to the ancient city of Bath, England to start life anew. Training and practicing as a psychotherapist, Madeleine has finally found a measure of peace through helping others.

Though devastated by her loss, her grief covers another much deeper scar from her past. Madeleine's demons have never truly left her and may, in fact, be closer than ever - in the mad visions of her mother, formerly a priestess of Santeria, the mysterious Afro-Cuban religion. Rachel Locklear appears in Madeleine's office, seeking therapy. A hostile, deeply mistrustful, and severely damaged young woman - Rachel is willing to try anything to break away from her Ukrainian lover, who has subjected her to years of cruelty and brutality and now threatens to kidnap their son.

As Madeleine learns more about her patient's history, she becomes increasingly troubled by the eerie similarities she discovers between Rachel's childhood and her own. Reluctant to act unprofessionally and risk having Rachel walk out of her life forever, Madeleine keeps her suspicions to herself. But she is unaware of the sinister forces gathering strength in her patient's life. Desperate to keep her son safe from his father's ruthless "associates", Rachel eventually has no choice but to involve the only person she can trust in a murderous web of revenge and deception.

From the tropical lushness of Key West to the imposing Georgian streets of Bath, two women with painful pasts collide dangerously with a world of Cuban sorcery, prostitution and cold-blooded murder - culminating in a tale as terrifying as it is compelling.

I have to say that while this book certainly had an exciting plot, I found that it was just a bit too convoluted and slow for my taste. In my opinion, this book was definitely not quick reading, and I had to give it a B+! However, I'm certainly interested in reading Kitty Sewell's debut novel, Ice Trap at some point.

B+! - (89-85%)  

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Giovanni Arpino - A Crime of Honor

69. A Crime of Honor by Giovanni Arpino (1963)
Length: 150 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Started: 22 July 2013
Finished: 23 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 30 October 2001
Why do I have it? I like historical fiction and Giovanni Arpino is a new author for me. 

Gaetano Castiglia was a distinguished Italian doctor, the son of a wealthy land owner - the very soul of respectability. In his late thirties, Gaetano chose as his bride a girl of seventeen - Sabina - a beautiful peasant girl. Ever the true gentleman, he refused to give her up simply because public opinion was against the match. Even over his own mother's bitter objections, he planned to train Sabina, make her a lady and then marry her. All was proceeding according to Gaetano's intentions...until he discovered something that shocked him to the very core. 

This was an extremely intriguing book for me to read. Giovanni Arpino is a new author for me, and A Crime of Honor is a translation from the Italian. In my opinion, this book superbly showcased the changing social mores of Italian society during the time between the World Wars. I give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Roxanne Pulitzer - Twins

68. Twins by Roxanne Pulitzer (1990)
Length: 287 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 20 July 2013
Finished: 22 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 July 2001
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Roxanne Pulitzer is a new author for me. 

No woman could resist Dexter Portino, handsome and gorgeous king of the jet set. Beautiful, talented photographer Anne Graham fell under his seductive spell, and when she won his love, she gained entrance into the extravagant, exclusive world of Palm Beach society. The birth of her beautiful twin daughters made her fairy tale marriage complete. 

Then all the glitter and glamour began to tarnish. For behind Dexter's dazzling smile lay the heart of a ruthless man driven by lust, greed, and revenge. A man who would wield power to manipulate both Palm Beach society - and the law - to destroy her.

At the center of the scandal are Carrie and Gracie - twins who have shared everything, even the same man. Born into a world where being 'in' means everything - intoxicating, indulgent, insane, even incestuous - they've grown up fast. Now they're headed on a collision course with fate, when even the incredibly wealthy can't hide all their secrets.

I certainly liked Twins by Roxanne Pulitzer; it was not the sort of book that I typically read, but was surprisingly enjoyable nevertheless. The plot actually turned out to be more interesting than I was expecting. I must say that the writing reminded me slightly of Jackie Collins; "Wealthy, bored socialites living scandalous lives among the jet set." I give this book an A! 

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Lauren Grodstein - A Friend of the Family: A Novel

67. A Friend of the Family: A Novel by Lauren Grodstein (2009)
Length: 302 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 18 July 2013
Finished: 20 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Lauren Grodstein is a new author for me.

Peter and Elaine Dizinoff have been friends with Joe and Iris Stern since college. Living the perfect life in a wealthy New Jersey neighborhood, their children have grown up together and they have shared everything. However, sometimes the wrong decisions can be made for the right reasons...

Pete has spent his whole life working towards building an adulthood that would be, by all measures, judged successful. And in nearly every respect, he has accomplished just that: a skilled and intuitive internist with a loyal following of patients, Pete has built a thriving medical practice in Round Hill, New Jersey. He has a loving and devoted wife in Elaine; a network of close friends, a comfortable suburban status, and an impressive house with a good view from the porch.

Pete and Elaine have only one child, and Pete has pinned all his hopes on his son Alec. Pete only wants the best for Alec, and to that end, he and Elaine have done everything within their power to make his life successful. They've afforded him every opportunity, bailed him out of close calls with the law, and, despite Alec's lack of interest, have even managed to get him accepted into a good college.

But Pete never counted on the wild card: Laura, Joe and Iris Stern's daughter. Ten years older than Alec, irresistibly beautiful, with a history so shocking that it's never spoken of, Laura sets her sights on Alec, who falls under her spell. And with that, Pete sees his dreams for his son not only unraveling but completely destroyed. With the belief that he has only the best intentions at heart, he sets out to derail the romance. But Pete could never have foreseen how, in the process, he might shatter his whole life and devastate his entire family.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It was a gripping plot that was absolutely believable to me. Quite a book! I give this book an A+! and have put Lauren Grodstein's other books on my Wish List.

 A+! - (96-100%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Jennifer Weiner - Best Friends Forever: A Novel

66. Best Friends Forever: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner (2009)
Length: 359 pages
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Started: 16 July 2013
Finished: 18 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2013
Why do I have it? I like contemporary fiction and Jennifer Weiner is a new author for me.

Adelaide Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever - at least that's what Addie believes after Val moves in across the street when both girls are nine years old. But in the wake of a betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while a mousy, overweight and somber Addie becomes her school's scapegoat. 

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weather girl at the local television station. Adelaide Downs lives alone in her parents' house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for her brain damaged brother Jonathan and attempting to meet Prince Charming over the Internet. She returns one night from Bad Date Number Six, opening her door to find her long-ago best friend standing there; a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat.

"Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you are the only one who can help." Sometimes the deepest bonds can never be broken, no matter how much Addie may wish that they could. 

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was an easy reading page-turner filled with interesting characters and an engaging plot. I give this book an A+! 

A+! - (96-100%)
 
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

F. G. Cottam - The Magdalena Curse

65. The Magdalena Curse by F. G. Cottam (2009)
Length: 324 pages
Genre: Horror
Started: 13 July 2013
Finished: 16 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 2013
Why do I have it? I like horror and F. G. Cottam is a new author for me. 

It only takes a couple of visits to convince Dr. Elizabeth Bancroft that Adam Hunter is not just having nightmares - he is a child possessed. His father is desperate: adamant that his son's affliction is the result of a curse he incurred in the depths of the Amazon rainforest many years ago. Mark Hunter would do anything to protect his son Adam, but he knows that the roots of Adam's terror lie in Mark's own past, deep within the jungles of the Amazon. 

Twelve years ago in Bolvia, Mark Hunter had been part of a misguided military operation that went terrifyingly wrong, leaving only two men alive to face the macabre events that followed. Two women held the key to Mark's future - one was more bad than good; one was more good than bad. Both of these women had dark and dangerous, very powerful abilities - and Mark had incurred the wrath of one of them who was capable of wreaking an unholy vengeance.

To save his son's very soul, Mark Hunter will travel from a sleepy village in the Scottish Highlands to a fortress high in the Alps, in search of this mysterious woman, hoping against hope that she will help him break the curse that ensnares Adam. He will leave his son in Elizabeth's care - who is about to discover there are equally dark secrets on their doorstep...and in her blood.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very unusual, interesting and well-written. It was a very involved plot, but I was captivated by the story's creepiness. I give this book an A! and have already placed three more of F. G. Cottam's books on my Wish List.

A! - (90-95%)

Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight

Lawrence Sanders - McNally's Puzzle

64. McNally's Puzzle by Lawrence Sanders (1996)
Archy McNally Series Book 6
Length: 343 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 11 July 2013
Finished: 13 July 2013
Where did it come from? From a Library Book Sale
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 11 September 2001
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and have read and enjoyed several books by the same author in the past.

Bird store owner Hiram Gottschalk is a wealthy widower with a paranoid son and heir, twisted twin daughters, and shady employees. As the owner of Parrots Unlimited, Hiram believes that his life is in danger, so he hires playboy-turned-Palm Beach private investigator Archy McNally and his sidekick Binky to protect him. Apparently Hiram had good reason to be frightened, Archy soon realizes - when the bird shop owner's mutilated body is found sometime later.

Hiram has been stabbed in his sleep, so Archy tries to solve the deadliest case of his career. But for Archy and Binky, the biggest piece of this scandalous puzzle is still missing - who has the motive to kill two more birds with one stone.

Although I eventually enjoyed reading this book, I did have some slight trouble at first getting into the style of the writing. I suppose it just took me a while to get used to the way Archy McNally expressed himself - to me, he seemed affected and somewhat pedantic. It was annoying at first, but I did eventually get used to Archy McNally as a character. This book was certainly enjoyable, and I have several more books from this series sitting on my bookshelf, but McNally's Puzzle was the first Archy McNally book that I've actually read. I give this book a strong A!

A! - (90-95%) 
  
Till we Meet Again, Glow Brightly as Moonlight