Review: Parallux View

Once again, I've found a new author that I am really enjoying! I recently read Allan Leverone's book, Parallux View, and found that I couldn't put it down. I think that I ended up reading this book in about hours. That is always a good sign for me when it comes to reading a book. If I can't put it down to do the everyday things that need done, then I must be enjoying it.

The story was well written and packed a great deal into a very small time frame. It was interesting to consider this story as a "what if" scenario of what was happening toward the end of the Cold War. Could this really have happened?

The characters in this story were intriguing. I found myself journeying right now to Tracie and Shane as they traveled from Maine to D.C. while being pursued by members of the KGB.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more of Mr. Leverone's work.

FTC Notice: I received a copy of this book from the author.


Join Allan Leverone, author of the thriller, Parallax View, as he tours the blogosphere May 6 - June 28 on his third virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!  

ABOUT ALLAN LEVERONE

Allan Leverone is the author of five novels, including the Amazon Top 25 overall paid bestselling thriller, THE LONELY MILE. He is a 2012 Derringer Award winner for excellence in short mystery fiction, as well as a 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee. Allan lives in Londonderry, NH with his wife and family, and a cat who has used up eight lives. Visit his website at www.allanleverone.com.

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ABOUT PARALLAX VIEW

It’s late in the Cold War, and the Soviet Union is slowly disintegrating. In the midst of this uncertainty and upheaval, a mysterious group of KGB officials has concocted a desperate plan in an attempt to maintain power. And one beautiful young CIA operative is all that stands between this shadowy cabal and the outbreak of World War Three. Spring, 1987. CIA Special Operations agent Tracie Tanner is tasked with what should be a relatively straightforward mission: deliver a secret communique from Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to U.S. President Ronald Reagan. After smuggling the document out of East Germany, Tracie believes she is in the clear. She's wrong. There are shadowy forces at work, influential people who will stop at nothing to prevent the explosive information contained in the letter from reaching the White House. Soon, Tanner is knee-deep in airplane crashes and murder, paired up with a young Maine air traffic controller and on the run for their lives, unsure who she can trust at CIA, but committed to completing her mission, no matter the cost.

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Parallax View Virtual Book Publicity Tour Schedule

Monday, May 6 - Book reviewed at Author Rebecca Graf

Wednesday, May 8 - Interviewed at Examiner

Thursday, May 9 -Book featured at Authors and Readers Book Corner

Monday, May 13 - Interviewed at Literal Exposure

Wednesday, May 15 - Guest blogging at Janna Shay

Thursday, May 16 - Guest blogging at The Book Connection

Monday, May 20 - Book reviewed at Vic's Media Room

Tuesday, May 21 - Guest blogging at My Cozie Corner

Wednesday, May 22 - Interviewed at Digital Journal

Thursday, May 23 - Book reviewed at Miki's Hope

Monday, May 27 - Guest blogging at Rainy Day Reviews

Wednesday, May 29 - Book feature at Book Lover Stop

Friday, May 31 - Interviewed at Review From Here

Wednesday, June 5 - Interviewed at I'm Shelfish

Monday, June 10 - Book reviewed at Celtic Lady's Reviews

Monday, June 10 - Book featured at Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews

Tuesday, June 11 -Book reviewed at Mary's Cup of Tea

Thursday, June 13 - Interviewed at Broowaha

Monday, June 17 - Book Featured at Community Book Stop

Tuesday, June 18 - Guest blogging at Allvoices

Wednesday, June 19 - Book featured at The Writer's Life

Thursday, June 20 - 1st Chapter Reveal at Gina's Library

Friday, June 21 - First Chapter revealed at Rainy Day Reviews

Monday, June 24 - Book reviewed at Create with Joy

Tuesday, June 25 - Book reviewed at Queen of All She Reads

Wednesday, June 26 - Book reviewed at Review From Here

Wednesday, June 26 - Book featured at Confessions of a Reader

Thursday, June 27 - Book featured at My Cozie Corner

Thursday, June 27 - Book reviewed at My Reading Table

Friday, June 28 - Book reviewed at My Book Retreat

Friday, June 28 - Book reviewed at Must Read Faster

Review: Lessons Learned

Lessons Learned by Nora Roberts

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a fun, light-hearted read. It is obviously one of her older books. The characters are not too serious or deep. It is a good book for curling up with in the winter or taking to the beach if you are looking for something that is an easy read.




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Review: The Gutenberg Rubric

The Gutenberg Rubric by Nathan Everett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



You can tell when a writer knows the subject matter that they are writing about and when they only have a limited knowledge of the subject. Mr. Everett has obviously done his homework on the subjects of the history of print and alchemy because he did a great job blending these two areas into a story that keeps the reader interested from the beginning. To me, the story is intriguing and believable. The characters are interesting and well written. Together, this made the book one that I had a hard time putting down.

I enjoyed reading this book and hope to see more from Mr. Everett in the future.

FTC Notice: I obtained an electronic copy of this book from the author.



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Review: New York to Dallas

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I always enjoy getting background information on Eve and Roarke. This book definitely provided the reader with more information about Eve's early years on the NYPSD. It was nice to finally see how she and Feeney hooked up originally.

I missed the interaction between Eve and Peabody, and the NY cast as a whole since this book was primarily set in Dallas. I found it a little hard to believe that the Dallas PD, and the FBI for that matter, would let her take over running the case even though she knew so much about the killer. This is fiction though so I can see how it could happen.

Looking at this book, if I took out the Dallas LT, I could almost see Eve in command of the Dallas squad that she worked with on this case. There was a similar feel to the interaction of the squad as there is in Eve's squad in New York. Some might disagree with me on this, but it's just a thought.

It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. While there are still gaps in Eve's background and Roarke's background is similar to the Black Hole of Calcutta since he did such a good job at erasing his past, there isn't that much left for these characters to accomplish. While the cases are different, the method through each is pretty much the same. Eve, backed by Roarke, Peabody, Feeney and McNabb, lands a case that she puts everything into as she tries to solve it. In the process, she will work until she is exhausted and she and Roarke will end up having at least one fight. In the end, the case will be solved and they will have made up earlier.

Overall, this was a good book and I enjoyed reading it.



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Review: Bride of the Night

Bride of the Night by Heather Graham

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I usually love Heather Graham books, but this one was hard for me to finish. I could not seem to get into either the story line or the characters themselves.

The story is about a female vampire, living in the South during the Civil War who wanted to protect President Lincoln and a member of his security team who is trying to track down threats to President Lincoln. Ms. Graham did a good job with her descriptions of locations and her characters, but this story is one that just didn't "speak" to me.

Hopefully, the next Heather Graham that I pick up will.

FTC Notice: I obtained an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley.



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Review: The Murder at the Vicarage

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading Agatha Christie novels! I had never read the first Jane Marple and was delighted to find a copy of it for my Nook.

Miss. Marple kept me guessing as to who the real murderer was until the end. I love that in mystery! Off to read another Dame Christie.



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Review: In Close

In Close by Brenda Novak

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I am hit or miss on novels by Ms. Novak. Sometimes I enjoy them, others I need to walk away. "In Close" had me from the beginning. I couldn't put it down.

This book involves the 15 year old mystery surrounding Claire's mother's disappearance. Claire is obsessed with finding out what happened to her mother even though everyone around her tells her to let it go. On top of her grief over her mother, Claire lost her husband the previous year. This has everyone walking on egg shells around her and pushing her to let the past go so that she can heal and move on with her life.

While I read this novel, I kept trying to figure out what happened to her mother. This book has a nice balance of mystery and romance in it. I have to say that I felt that Claire's sister, who has her own problems, is very self-centered and out to destroy herself, but she doesn't mind playing the pity card when it suits her.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to others.

FTC Notice: I received a galley copy of this novel from the publisher.



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Review: The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I saw this when I was at the local library and picked it up because it is one of this month's reading group books. I had seen it before but never really thought about it. After reading "The Thirteenth Tale", I have to admit that I really enjoyed this book and wish that I had picked it up sooner.

The book was well written, although a bit confusing every now and then. I thought that the characters were interesting. The story made me think as I tried to puzzle my way through the tale that Vida Winter was telling to biographer, Margaret Lea. I have to admit that as her story was unfolding, I was wondering who Vida Winter really was.



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Review: Cooking the Books

Cooking the Books by Bonnie S. Calhoun
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was intrigued by the title of the book and found that I enjoyed it a great deal. It is well written and the characters and situations that they find themselves in are more "real" then some that I have read. This book actually had the feel that it might be happening right now some where in the country.

Sloane Templeton is an unhappy bookstore owner when you first meet her. She does not want to spend her time running her late mother's bookstore. She is also getting over a bad marriage to an abusive husband and a breakup that involved an abusive boyfriend. While she is in a new relationship and thinks that she has met "The One", her family, including her late mother, and her friends feel that he is wrong for her and keep trying to set her up. While she is trying to get her life on track, she also has to deal with her aunt and her mother's best friend as well as people trying to kill her.

It was fun to watch her juggle the current boyfriend and the potential boyfriend as well as watching her aunt's culinary attempts.

I look forward to reading more Sloane Templeton books.

FTC Notice: I obtained an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley.

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Review: Smokin' Seventeen

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I enjoyed this book more than I did Sizzling Sixteen. Sizzling Sixteen seemed to drag a little and wasn't as enjoyable, but in Smokin' Seventeen, I found myself laughing at Stephanie and the crew.

The story was interesting and watching Stephanie try to avoid her mother's matchmaking attempts was fun. Hopefully, the next book will be better as well.



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Review: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I have to say that I did enjoy this book. I wasn't sure, but the title intrigued me and I had to read it. It's an interesting premise of Abraham Lincoln being a vampire hunter throughout his life.



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Review: Fatal Consequences

Fatal Consequences by Marie Force

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is the first Marie Force book that I have read and I really enjoyed it. The characters pulled me in right from the start which is always a good sign for me with a new author. I enjoyed the interaction between Sam and Nick. In some ways, they reminded me of Eve and Roarke from J. D. Robb's In Death Series which I love.

I didn't want to put this book down. The story and characters kept pulling me back to read whenever I needed to put it down. When I find a book or series that does that, I need to read more by that author. Since this book is the third in a series, I am going back to read the first two books. I am looking forward to seeing how these characters develop over time.

FTC Notice: I obtained an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley.



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Review: The Mogul's Maybe Marriage

The Mogul's Maybe Marriage by Mindy Klasky

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have to say that I thought that this was a little "heavy" for a Harlequin romance. When I pick up a Harlequin, it's because I am looking for something that is easy to read and won't engage my mind that much. This book dealt with some serious issues that, while interesting to read about, I'm not normally expecting to have to deal with in a Harlequin.

Having said that, this book was well written and I did like the characters. The characters were engaging and how they handled their situation was interesting. They did have me laughing at some of their antics, especially with Daisy.

I did enjoy this book, it was just heavier then I wanted/was expecting to read.

FTC Notice: I obtained an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley.



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Review: The Fifth Kingdom

The Fifth Kingdom by Caridad Piñeiro

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I obtained a copy of this book from NetGalley. The premise of the story caught my eye and intrigued me. I greatly enjoy reading about other cultures, especially their history so I was looking forward to reading The Fifth Kingdom. I was not disappointed.

The characters were enjoyable and well written. I enjoyed traveling through Mexico with Bill Santana, a CIA agent, and Dr. Deanna Vasquez as they searched for Deanna's long, en-strangled mother, Miranda, and the location of Montezuma's lost tomb, which Miranda claims to have located before disappearing.

The chemistry between Bill and Deanna was fun to watch. Their romance was a interesting foil to the mystery of finding her Miranda and the possibility of finding Montezuma's tomb. Ms. Pineiro did a great job of blending Mexican history and the search of Montezuma's lost tomb into this suspense.

FTC Notice: I received an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley.



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Review - Dead Reckoning

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love Sookie, Eric and everyone else in their circle, but this book was a disappointment to me.


Parts of this book seems to be a stretch unlike previous books where the whole story flowed.  With all of the men being thrown at Sookie, I am wondering what exactly is happening with Sookie and Eric.  Is Ms. Harris looking to bring a new man into Sookie's like or just make their relationship more interesting?

There is also the information that Mr. Cataliades gave Sookie right before he went into hiding.  How does Sookie have so many enemies who are living??

Unless Ms. Harris is planning on something spectacular for Sookie in the next book, this looks like a sad ending to Sookie and Eric.  At least for my reading this series.


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Review - The Ideal Man

The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I started reading Ms. Garwood's books when I was in high school and loved her stories. I've just started to get into her contemporary romances and I was not sure how I would like reading her in this genre. Some writers can make this switch and others, it just doesn't seem to work as well. I have to say that I have been pleased so far with the stories that I have read.

This book did not disappoint me. The story and characters were well written and very interesting. I was rooting for Ellie Sullivan from page one of the book. Ellie is definitely a strong female lead who has had a lot to deal with while she was growing up. She has been stalked by a boy from the same town that she grew up in and had to leave her home at an early age and live under another identity to avoid being found. She rarely saw her family once she left for their safety and for her own.

The story begins with Ellie leaving the ER where she works and witnessing the shooting of an FBI agent. As a potential witness, the FBI assigns Agent Max Daniels to protect her. Max was there when the first agent got shot but didn't see the shooting. He is the perfect counter balance to Ellie. He is strong and wants to protect her even though he tries to avoid getting involved with Ellie on a romantic level. Watching the romance between the two of them as they went back to Ellie's home town for her sister's wedding was fun. The story had me laughing as I enjoyed their banter and growing romance.

Her younger sister, Ava, had me wishing that I could tell her to grow up. Ava was very self-centered and needed everything to be about her and would throw a big tantrum any time any attention went Ellie's way. She was also a good balance to Ellie with her attitude and behavior.

I truly enjoyed this story and was sad to see it end. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Garwood's contemporary romances.





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Review - Death By Darjeeling

Death by Darjeeling by Laura Childs

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I saw this one day when I was in the bookstore and decided that it sounded interesting. When I started reading it, I had a hard time putting it down.

The story line was well written and I liked how the characters were developed.

One of the things that caught my eye about this book was the title and the cover. I love tea and have several different types around the house.

This was a fun book to read. I will say that it seemed a light read to me but I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more of this series.

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Review - The 5th Horseman

The 5th Horseman by James Patterson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I loved the first Women's Murder Club books and was really looking forward to this one. I have to say that this wasn't one of my favorites, either of this series or that he has written in general.

The story line was good and the characters were well written, but I just didn't like this book.

I am waiting for a copy of "The 6th Target" to come from the library.


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Review - The Midnight Show Murders

The Midnight Show Murders by Dick Lochte

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have to say that this wasn't one of my favorite mysteries and that I kept having to stop myself from jumping ahead to the end. It was easy for me to skip pages at a time. I guess that I was just expecting more from this story and from Mr. Roker. I'll give "The Morning Show Murders" a try but I'm not expecting much from them either.

If you are looking for some really light reading than this book will provide it.



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Review - Homefires

Homefires by Emily Sue Harvey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Homefires is a story set in the Deep South centering around a couple, Janeece and Kirk Crenshaw, who have been together since high school.  It follows them as they grow as a couple, have children and deal with marital difficulties.  You see how Kirk's pastoral duties affect their lives and way of handling the world around them.

I enjoyed Ms. Harvey's descriptions of the characters and their surroundings as you followed their journey.  This was a good book and something that is outside my normal type of reading material.  I'm glad that I had the chance to read it.

I obtained a copy of this book from the author to review as part of her Virtual Book Tour.

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