The Postcard Killers [Hardcover]

I've finished "The Postcard Killers" by James Patterson and Liza Marklund.

Product Description

Paris is stunning in the summer

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him -- he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each cafe through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

The killing is simply marvelous

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

Wish you were here

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm -- and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet.

Product Details
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1st Printing edition (August 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316089516
ISBN-13: 978-0316089517

My Review:
 
Storyline:  Young couples have been killed in Rome, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm.  Detective Jacob Kanon is determined to find out who is killing and why ever since his daughter and her husband were killed!  Only thing connecting them is a postcard at each scene of the crime and the killers take pictures of their killings!

Characters:  Jacob wasn't a really a likeable guy because when he didn't get his way he would yell at people and throw things and besides he stunk all the time.  Also he would flash his badge and people would do whatever he wanted (I thought his badge wouldn't mean anything outside his jurisdiction?)

Dessie was kind of strange because at first she was a lesbian and then she wasn't?  She's a reporter who thought she should solve all the cases for the police!

Romance:  The romance between Jacob and Dessie was kind of strange because I thought Dessie was a lesbian (at least that's the impression I got) and Jacob had a bad temper!

Killer(s):  They were really strange and sicko!  Interesting background!

3/5

Favorite Re-Read Challenge

This is a challenge to re-read any favorite books/series between Jan 1st through Dec 31st. Any books read before Jan will not count.

You can pick any *old or new release it doesn't matter. But remember this is only for the Favorite Re-Read Books/Series Challenge. If you have any questions please email me or leave a comment, thanks.

If you are participating in the Favorite Re-Read Challenge, please leave a comment, thanks!

Majorie M. Liu Challenge

This is a challenge to read, re-read or any Majorie M. Liu Dirk and Steele series you have in your TBR pile books between Jan 1st through Dec 31st. Any books read before Jan will not count.

You can pick any *old or new release it doesn't matter. But remember this is only for Majorie M. Liu Dirk and Steele series. If you have any questions please email me or leave a comment, thanks.

If you are participating in the Majorie M. Liu Challenge, please leave a comment, thanks!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Dec 13)

Post the books you read last week, book currently being read and books you plan on finishing this week.

Last week I read:

1. Fiber and Brimstone - Laura Childs
2. The Perfect Murder - Brenda Novak
3. Stealing Kathryn - Jacquelyn Frank
4. Honky Tonk Christmas - Carolyn Brown
5. The Postcard Killers - James Patterson
6. Vampire Knight Vol. 11 - Matsuri Hino

I’m currently reading:

1. Wolf Fever - Terry Spears

Books I’m planning on reading this week:

1. Last to Die - Kate Brady
2. Tempted by Fate - Kate Perry
3. Bad Blood - John Sandford
4. Otomen Vol. 8 - Aya Kanno

Here's the link:

http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-66

Library Haul (Dec 12 - 18)

Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Hardcover:

1. Bad Blood - John Sanford

Manga:

1. Vampire Knight Vol. 7 - Matsuri Hino

What books/manga did you pick up from the library this week?

Chasing the Night [Hardcover]

I've finished "Chasing the Night" the 12th book in her Eve Duncan series by Iris Johansen.

Product Description

A CIA agent’s two-year-old child was stolen in the night as a brutal act of vengeance. Now, eight years later, this torment is something Catherine Ling awakens to every day. Her friends, family, and colleagues tell her to let go, move on, accept that her son is never coming back. But she can’t. Catherine needs to find someone as driven and obsessed as she is to help her— and that person is Eve Duncan. She knows that Eve shares her nightmare, since closure is also something that eludes Eve after the disappearance of her daughter Bonnie. Now, Eve must take her talents as a forensic sculptor to another level, using age progression as a way to unite Catherine with her child. As Eve gets drawn deeper into Catherine’s horror, she must face looming demons of her own.

Bonnie’s killer is still out there. And a new killer is taunting Eve and Catherine at every turn. Is Catherine’s son alive, or not? These two women endure the worst fear any mother can imagine in Iris Johansen’s latest thrill ride, a gut-wrenching journey into the darkest places of the soul.

About the Author

IRIS JOHANSEN is the New York Times bestselling author of Blood Game, Deadlock, Dark Summer, Silent Thunder (with Roy Johansen), Pandora’s Daughter, Quicksand, Killer Dreams, On the Run, Countdown, Firestorm, Fatal Tide, Dead Aim, No One to Trust and more. She lives near Atlanta, Georgia.
 
Product Details
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (October 19, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312651198
ISBN-13: 978-0312651190

My Review:

Chasing the Night is a very action packed and thrilling book and I highly recommend reading!

Storyline:  Catherine Ling is a very risky and highly skilled FBI agent with past of childhood poverty and abuse while living on the streets.  Nine years ago her 2 yr. old son Luke was kidnapped and she believes he's still alive.  She convince Eve to help her reconstruct an age progress model so she would know what he looks like when she rescues him.  Eve is reluctant at first but is won over by her passion.  She's aided by Kelly a 14 yr. old genious who can see patterns like no one else can and who Catherine rescued, Joe and Venables, Catherine's CIA superior.  They find out where Luke is hidden and set out to rescue him.
 
Characters:  Catherine is a very strong, capable, stubborn, clever and deadly women I have read about!  Kelly is a very likable and smart who is a great asset to the team.  Joe's miliatary training comes in handy in this book.
 
Romance:  The romance between Joe and Eve is very sweet and I'm glad that he's supportive and very protective of his family/friends!

Killer(s):  All the killers and their henchmen were very sadistic and very evil psychopaths/sociopaths.  They were quite brutal in their torture and killings.

I hope to see more of Catherine, Kelly and Luke in future books!

4/5

Thanks Rita from H.B. Fenn and Company for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Manga Review: Vampire Knight, Vol. 11 [Paperback]

I've finished "Vampire Knight Vol. 11" by Matsuri Hino.

Product Description

Reads R to L (Japanese Style), for T+ audiences

The Night Class at Cross Academy has been abolished. Zero still attends the Day Class while carrying out his duties as a vampire hunter. Yuki now lives hidden away at the Kuran residence with Kaname, but can she embrace the life of a pureblood vampire?

About the Author

Matsuri Hino burst onto the manga scene with her title Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over), which was published in LaLa DX magazine. Hino was a manga artist a mere nine months after she decided to become one. With the success of her popular series Captive Hearts and MeruPuri, Hino has established herself as a major player in the world of shojo manga. Vampire Knight is currently serialized in LaLa magazine.
 
Product Details
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; Original edition (December 7, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1421537907
ISBN-13: 978-1421537900

My Review:
 
I really love the gorgeous cover with Zero pointing his dagger at Yuki!
 
Zero is still attending Day classes while still carrying out vampire hunting duties for the Vampire Hunter Society.  He's living off campus in a one-bedroom apartment and is next in line to be president of the Vampire Hunter Society.  His blood thirst isn't quite under control yet and it's obvious he's still in love with Yuki!
 
Yuki is living in the Kuran residents with Kaname and the rest of the Night Class.  She's having trouble adjusting to the ways of the vampires and unable to control her blood thirst.  For a pureblood the thirst can only be satisfied by the one you love.  Kaname is fine with Yuki's blood, but half of Yuki's heart belongs to Zero so only half of her blood thirst is satisfied!
 
The school is still open but the Night Class is no longer there and most of the students have their memories erased except for a select few!  The senate is completly gone and most of the younger generation support Kaname while others aren't sure if having a pureblood ruling over them is a good thing.
 
We meet a new character Kaito who use to train with Zero who befriends Yori.  He seems like he is teasing or antagonizing Zero with his promise to kill Yuki!  That man is up to something!
 
There is a Soiree at the end of the volume where it shows that vampires and hunters can be friendly.  The two questions are how many vampires will show to support Kaname and how about Zero's promise to kill Yuki next time he sees her!
 
5/5
 
Thanks Maylene from Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this manga to review, greatly appreciated!

ARC Review: Honky Tonk Christmas [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Honky Tonk Christmas" by Carolyn Brown.

Product Description

One cowboy, one bar, one hell of a holiday!


She Means business...

Sharlene Waverly is determined to have the "new and improved" Honky Tonk up and running before the holiday. For that, she'll need Holt Jackson, the best darn carpenter in the state. But his warm, whisky-colored eyes make her insides melt, and before she knows it, she's sharing her darkest secrets and talking about the nightmares...

He's determined to keep things professional...

Holt Jackson needs the job at the Honky Tonk, but is completely unprepared to handle the beautiful new bar owner he's working for.

Sharlene and Holt try like crazy to deny the sparks flying between them, but their love may just be the best Christmas present either one of them ever got.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Original edition (October 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402242018
ISBN-13: 978-1402242014

My Review:
 
Wow I really enjoyed reading this one and highly recommend reading this series!  The books keep getting better and better!
 
I really liked Sharlene's character because she was sassy, stubborn and she's dealing with some bad memories and dreams. She's very determined to have the Honky Tonk up and running!
 
I really liked Holt's character because he's a really nice guy, sexy, knows what he wants, treats his lady right, loves his niece and nephew and is a damn good carpenter.
 
Love the way both of them deny the attraction between them (I though it was very funny and amusing)!
 
4/5

Thanks Danielle from Sourcebooks for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

Stealing Kathryn (The Gatherers) [Paperback]

I've finished "Stealing Kathryn" the 2nd book in her Gatherers series by Jacquelyn Frank.

Product Description


Sandman. Angus. Morpheus. He is known by many names, except his true one, Adrian. When he departs his world, it is to enter the sacred space of sleep, and he is not there to sow sweet dreams. Adrian's mission is to reap the dark energy of nightmares, work that has twisted his soul as well as his once-handsome face. Now, he lives only to await the day darkness finally overcomes him...and to collect exquisite reminders of what he's lost...But there is one treasure that stands apart. Having risked everything to obtain her, Adrian soon realizes his mistake. For Kathryn has a wholly unexpected power over him, not only for what she represents, but for what for she is: a soul with desires as strong as his own, tempered by compassion that could save Adrian from his self-made hell - or condemn them both...
 
Product Details
Paperback: 354 pages
Publisher: Zebra (May 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420109847
ISBN-13: 978-1420109849

My Review:

I feel so bad giving this book such a bad rating (I hardly do that!)

I had a really hard time getting into this book!

This book reminded me of Beauty and Beast which I'm not a big fan of!

I skipped some parts in the book and quickly read the end!

2/5

The Perfect Murder (Last Stand) [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "The Perfect Murder" the 3rd and last book in the Perfect series by Brenda Novak.  This is also a book in the Last Stand series!

Product Description

For more than a year, Sebastian Costas has been trying to unravel the truth behind the murder of his ex-wife and son. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he's convinced that her second husband — a cop — committed both murders, then faked his own death. Now Sebastian has followed the slimmest of leads to Sacramento…and that's where he finally gets the break he needs. Jane Burke, an investigator with The Last Stand, calls him in connection with a separate crime — a crime that could lead him straight to the man he's been looking for.

Once married to a serial killer, Jane has spent the past five years rebuilding her life. And with Sebastian she finally has a chance at happiness. But the man they're after is after them, too. For him this has become a personal battle, one he's determined to win. Whatever it takes…

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Mira; 1 Original edition (September 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0778327256
ISBN-13: 978-0778327257

My Review:

Storyline:  Malcolm Turner killed his wife and stepson and then commited suicide!  He thought he planned the perfect murder but did he?  Sebastian ex-wife was married to Malcolm and believes Malcolm is still alive and took Emily's money to start a new life and is determined to bring him to justice!  Police believe that Malcolm is dead because the body and DNA found at the scene of the crime proved to be his!  Emily and Colton (Sebastian's son) were both shot but Malcolm committed suicide somewhere else!

Then Sebastian is contacted by Mary McCoy a ex-girlfriend of Malcolms when they were in highschool.  She believes it's Malcolm because he knows too much about her and calling himself Wesley Boss.  Sebastian flies to Sacramento to trap Malcolm and tells Detective Willis that Malcolm is alive and goes by the alias of Wesley Boss.

Malcolm was bored and his money was running about because of his gambling.  So he kidnapped two girls to do his housework and laundry.  One day while he went to the grocery store he left one girl Marcie gagged and chained up in his van with his cell phone which he forgot.  Marcie managed to call her older sister Gloria when Malcolm comes back to the van.  He took the phone and threw it away.  The police manage to trace it back to a Wesley Boss and a fake address.

Gloria gets in touch with Jane who works at the Last Stand since the police couldn't get a lead on finding her two sisters Marcie and Latasha.  She tells Jane that Marcie called her but she was whispering very low and was cut-off.  Jane agrees to take Gloria's case and to work with the police. 

Jane calls Detective David Willis who tells her to get in touch with Sebastian Cotas.  He is looking for the same man Wesley Boss (aka Malcolm Turner).  Jane and Sebastian agree to work together when they realize they are looking for the same person.

Characters:  I really liked Sebastian because he was very determined to bring Malcolm to justice.  He has the looks that makes all the women to stop and stare (when I read that part I was laughing).  I thought Jane was okay and I really feel for her after what she went through.

Romance: The romance between Jane and Sebastian was very steamy when they got together even though she denies it.  When she was fighting her attraction to Sebastian I thought it was quite funny!

Killer:  The killer had no conscious and didn't care who got in his way!  I couldn't believe what he did to the girls especially Marcie.

4/5