Synopsis: Welcome to Cozy Creek, a quaint tourist town nestled along the Pacific Coast. Daisy McDare is busy nursing a broken heart, trying to build up her interior decorator business, and baking cookies when murder strikes Cozy Creek. At first she leaves the investigation to Chris Crumple, the local bumbling police detective. But when Crumple arrests the wrong suspect, Daisy takes the investigation into her own hands. Cracking the case won't be easy. She'll need help from her pastry-baking best friend Samantha, her wise-cracking Granny Annie, and her trusty West Highland Terrier Shamus. It's up to Daisy McDare to find the murderer in Cozy Creek before they strike again. My Thoughts: I was disappointed with this read. I have read the book 1 and I really enjoyed it but in this one, not. This is the second book in the series and I was confused when I read about the same introduction about the Cozy Creek, and the characters of Samantha and Granny Anie. It was the same like in the book 1 (exact words). I think that wasn't necessary since this is a series so no need for repeated introduction of characters. Not only that, Daisy said she had never been questioned by the police in her life but she had already solved the murder mystery in the book 1. So that was really confusing. Aside from some editing errors, there were repeated lines from book 1. Here's example. Book 2: "....They don’t call me the Cozy Creek Cupcake Queen for nothing,” “Who calls you that?” “I figured if I floated it out there enough, maybe it would catch on as a thing,” Book 1: “....they don’t call me Granny Gumshoe for nothing.” “Who calls you Granny Gumshoe?” “I figured if I said it about myself enough, maybe it would catch on. It has a nice ring to it after all,” It's not only those repetitions that frustrated me. It's the plot also and the predictable events. It is almost exactly the same with book 1. Daisy was hired to redecorate and when she came back from shopping, the selfish and cheating husband was murdered. People around the victim didn't even shed a tear for him and all of them have motives for the crime. Daisy started investigating again with the same method in the first book, snooping around, approaching the suspects and talking to them about the information she gathered about them from her snooping. Then at the end, one of the suspects said something that clicked the idea who's the killer. Daisy confronted the killer, the detective and his men showed up, the killer spilled the truth then that's it. No mystery, no suspense, no thrill. Nothing. Those who have read the book 1 would understand my rating for this read. I just hope the third book would do much better. I don't think I can recommend this but if you haven't read the book 1, you might enjoy this read since you can't compare the two. Rating: 1 star AVAILABLE ON AMAZON About the Author:
K.M. Morgan loves baking, crafts, cute cat videos, and reading mysteries.
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Synopsis: A pharmaceutical company under cyberattack from China. The chemical formula for their Alzheimer's drug at stake. Can elite hacker Brody Taylor fortify their cyber-defences before it's too late. And can he be trusted? Hired by a global pharmaceutical company to test their digital defences, elite hacker, Brody Taylor, applies his computer mastery and repertoire of audacious confidence tricks to penetrate their most secure systems. Can Brody obtain the secret chemical formula for their latest drug? Are his motivations as pure as they first appear? Could his new girlfriend somehow be influencing Brody’s actions? Accurately depicting real-world, modern-day computer hacking techniques, Social Engineer is a standalone novella that introduces Brody Taylor, the elite hacker hero of the Deep Web Thriller series. My Thoughts: Now i know what a social engineer is. This read was too short for me but i did enjoy it. The plot was interesting. When you thought you know what this read is about, then you will be surprised with the twist! The ending left me wanting more! I wish this read was longer. I wanna know more about Brody and Dr. Moorcroft and the progress of the formula for the Alzheimer's drug. I wanna know what will happen to Brody and Mel's relationship... and the usb! it stores important information! I need answers to the questions left but this is a stand alone novella so I guess I wont get the answers and that's frustrating. Rating: 4 stars AVAILABLE ON AMAZON, GOOGLE PLAY, iBOOKS, KOBO, SMASHWORDS About the Author:
Ian Sutherland used to be a computer geek. A nerd. An anorak. A techie. There are even pictures, but they were printed on old-skool Kodak photo paper and will never be allowed near a digital scanner. Unsurprisingly, Ian left school to become a computer programmer. But soon his suppressed personality started to eek out, getting in the way of his programming, and Ian accidentally discovered that he could communicate with people. And not just through email but occasionally even face-to-face! Slowly, Ian’s IT career morphed and he became an IT consultant, advising companies on their use of technology. Eventually, Ian completed his transformation and became an IT salesman, his geeky past from 25-years before mostly forgotten. Even now, his customers and colleagues have no idea that hidden beneath the 46-year old’s charismatic outgoing personality – ahem! – is that young geek. The only visible clues are in the overly complex spreadsheets he develops to track sales performance metrics. But all the way through his IT career, Ian has harboured a secret desire to be a published author. An A-level in English Literature deluded him into thinking he could pull this feat off, but after twenty years and numerous attempts he had never made it past the third chapter. Before it became too late, Ian knuckled down and, three years later, finally completed his first novel in early 2014. Synopsis: Jada and her friends have been living in America for over a year now. At school she blends in with the other children, but she knows that she is different. They didn’t have to kill for their freedom. The memories of her past haunt her each time Gerard takes her to visit someone from her father’s list as they try to find out where he is being held. But what they don’t realize is they would have been safer in Syria… A hidden enemy is attacking America from the inside, and no one is safe… Annabel dreams of a happier life. One with a normal family instead of one that chooses heroin and the Wild Boar Riders biker over her. The only person she can trust is Brandon, another person living on the streets. They bond over their hatred towards Troy, a pimp and drug dealer who takes great pleasure in ruining lives. As the passion grows between Brandon and Annabel, so does the chaos in New York City as it is now under attack. They are forced to flee to an unknown hideout beneath the heart of the City. Ethan is scarred by his father’s death. He has spent his entire life planning for revenge. …And the day has finally come... My Thoughts: **I received the free ebook copy from the author but this has not affected my review and rating in any way. There were new characters introduced. There's Annabel, the only key witness to the Wild Boars Rider gang's trial; Brandon, who helps Annabel to escape from Big Red (the crazy leader of WBR) and his gan; Ethan, the guy behind the chaos, and there's the homeless funny Meemo. Jada and his group escaped the war in Syria but now they're caught up in the middle of terrorist attacks... This was such a tight-gripping read that took me on the edge of my seat and not wanting to stop reading because I just so love the adrenaline rush this book gives. The author did a great job with the plot, the character development and the shifting of POVs. From drugs, to suicide bombers, terrorist hiding in an US airman uniform, and crazy Wild Boars Rider gang; this read has so much thrill and suspense. Then there's the heartbreaking scene in the Brooklyn bridge after the bombing. The people running for safety, the cries and pleas for help from those injured and trapped, the people killed by the bombing, the others who fell for their death on the river and there's the unexpected death of Victoria. The ending was unexpected and left more questions. Were they gonna actually leave Haytham? Where's Kyra's father and Haytham's family? Were they safe? Will they be able to get in the second plane? All these questions are swarming in my head and I really can't wait to read the next book. I was totally absorbed in this read that I lost track of time. I finished reading this at 3Am! This second book lived up to my expectation of more action-packed scenes. There should be a film adaptation from this book! I know I will be having that book hangover from this read for days.... This is a highly recommended read to anyone especially those who wants an adrenaline rush of a book. Rating: 5 stars AVAILABLE ON AMAZON About the Author:
H.J. Lawson was born in Lancaster, England. As a young child she found a passion for drawing, and continued this into adulthood, she graduated from the University of Central Lancashire, England with a BA(Hons) in fashion design. At aged twenty seven, she and her husband packed up their belongings for a lifelong dream to move to California. Her American dream was completed with the birth of their daughter. Her love for traveling, continued after the birth of her daughter; traveling around America with the family, and the best traveled dog. A new job position opened up in New York, and the family decided to relocate to Long Island, NY, which is where she currently resides. On August 21 she was moved by the images of the Syrian conflict, and embarked on an unlikely journey of writing her first novel. My Thoughts: **I received the ebook copy from Booklikes giveaway but this has not affected my review and rating in any way. This is a collection of eight interesting short stories. Hue and Cry: A dying father who, for the sake of forgiveness went along with his daughters to meet the sex offender neighbor and invited him for a dinner La Tristesse Des Hérissons: A couple who spends hundreds of dollars for their depressed hedgehog Strings: A rabbi who ended up helping her ex-boyfriend to perform in an orchestra with 400 cellos Limerence: A high-school boy who had a crush with a beautiful but rebellious girl but years after did he realized he was the one who got away and not the once-beautiful popular girl Einstein's Beach House: A family who ended up leaving their house because of the money-making scheme of the father The Rod of Asclepius: A little girl who goes to hospitals with his father to inject syringes to patients and thought his father was a doctor Sharing the Hostage: A couple kidnapping a tortoise Paracosmos: A family with their daughter's imaginary friend staying with them and later on, the mother had an affair with the imaginary friend's father. Some of the stories were odd but this read was well written, entertaining and thought provoking. Some of the stories were touching and other were humorous with an unpredictable and interesting endings. My favorite was “Limerence”, “The Rod of Asclepius” and "Paracosmos". I was left wanting more. This is unlike the other short stories I've read before and this is really a good read that I will recommend to anyone. Rating: 5 stars AVAILABLE ON AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE, BOOK DEPOSITORY About the Author:
Jacob M. Appel's first novel, The Man Who Wouldn't Stand Up, won the Dundee International Book Award in 2012. His short story collection, Scouting for the Reaper, won the 2012 Hudson Prize. He has published short fiction in more than two hundred literary journals including Agni, Conjunctions, Gettysburg Review, Southwest Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, and West Branch. His work has been short listed for the O. Henry Award (2001), Best American Short Stories (2007, 2008), Best American Essays (2011, 2012), and received "special mention" for the Pushcart Prize in 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2013. Jacob holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Brown University, an M.A. and an M.Phil. from Columbia University, an M.S. in bioethics from the Alden March Bioethics Institute of Albany Medical College, an M.D. from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons, an M.F.A. in creative writing from New York University, an M.F.A. in playwriting from Queens College, an M.P.H. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He currently practices psychiatry in New York City. Synopsis: Her soft golden skin, her warm smile...these are the only images Veronica Austin has left of her mother who disappeared without a trace twenty years ago on the streets of Minneapolis while researching the Ramanga, the Lamia, the Metusba, and the Lugat. Known only as the Deamhan, they are a different breed from the modern bloodsucking vampire. A stranger to this world, Veronica s search for the truth about her mother s unexplained disappearance takes her into their sinister and precarious world. She gains the trust of the only other human familiar with the Deamhan lifestyle. With his help she finds not only can the Deamhan not be trusted but it s her own father, president of a ruthful organization of researchers, who has diabolically maintained that distrust. My Thoughts: *I received the ebook copy from Booklikes giveaway but this has not affected my review and rating in any way. As usual I didn't read the synopsis of this book (I always prefer that) so I had no idea this is about those vampire-like creatures called Deamhans. I'm a fan of vampire stories and it's been a while since the last time I read a book in this genre so I was really excited to see the turn of events after learning about the vampire-like creatures called Deamhans. The different types of Deamhans, their history, and how they feed were really interesting. They're not just the ordinary bloodsucker creatures! I like the strong character of Veronica, but I was drawn to the character of Remy and I wish there had more about him in this book. There were actually lots of stuffs going on that I had to slow down reading to process it all. More secrets, lies, actions and mysteries unfold As Veronica continues her search for the disappearance of her mother. I didn't get thrilled that much until the action scene when Lucius appeared at Kei's congregation. More questions were left that frustrated me but that's what the sequel is for and the ending really surprised me because of the traitor who was revealed! I need to read the sequel! I need answers to the left questions. I wanna know what happened to Sean! I want more of Remy! Can't wait for Lucius to kill that traitor Kei! This is a mystery/thriller/action read with twists and turns with not only Deamhans but also vampires and the ruthless The Brotherhood that will keep you turning the pages! I would recommend this read especially those into paranormal genre. Rating: 3 stars AVAILABLE ON AMAZON AND BARNES AND NOBLE About the Author: Isaiyan Morrison was born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At an early age she read whatever she could get her hands on. She had her parents buy her as many books in those Scholastic paper magazines they used to give out in school. She was exposed to plenty of books like Boxcar Children to Scary Stories to Jillian Jiggs. Along with reading, She was also an avid gamer. She loved playing Street Fighter II on the SNES and going to Arcades were she would practice her moves on other people. Apparently, she was so good at it that players around the arcades started to know who she was. In 1999, she joined the military on a whim and ended up in San Diego California. She served four active years and received an Honorable Discharge. Instead of going back to Minnesota she decided to move to Hollywood and spent a few years there partying, drinking, but no writing. Eventually she moved back to Minnesota and decided to take her writing seriously. In 2009., she started to play video games and she neglected her writing. Everything she wrote from the time she went back to Minnesota until 2009 ended up locked away in her closet. She was sponsored to travel and play in video game tournaments. However, she wasn’t happy. She knew that writing was something that she needed to stick with.
Synopsis:
When Jada wakes up in a hospital, the last thing she thinks is that her life has completely changed forever. But when the very real civil war forces her to flee from every open space, she must use the firearm skills her father taught her to reunite with him and protect herself. Armed with a single gun and a key to an unknown locker, Jada crosses Syria on a journey with a group of children called the Fearless Freedom Fighters. With the leader, Zak, they mount a plan to rescue their fathers while they try to cope with the merciless murders of their families. As Jada and Zak lead the group together, love blossoms, but with soldiers hot on their tail, they need to stay vigilant in the face of war. War Kids is a story about the Syrian Civil war through the eyes of a group of teenagers. My Thoughts: *I received the ebook copy from the Booklikes giveaway but this has not affected my review and rating in any way. I didn't read the synopsis nor other reviews before started reading this, so I didn't have any expectations. And I always prefer that way because I might just read some spoilers. This is not what I normally read but I'm glad the author gave a free copy because this was such a great timely read. We see news updates about wars on televisions, we feel sad for those victims but this book is an eye-opener about wars and the victims. I've witnessed through this book what it must feel to be caught up in the middle of a war. The killing of innocent children, the bombings , the piles of dead bodies everywhere, those kidnapped and missing family members, the terror and at the same time the rage to take revenge for the death of loved ones and the innocence taken away from the children, the hope to be reunited with the remaining family members, these all heartbreaking scenes made me literally cry. This was such an emotional, thought provoking and action-packed read with a dash of teen romance. I like all the F3 characters, despite of what's happened they still have the hope and courage to fight. This book will make you realize the small things you have in your life that should be appreciated because while you're yelling at your parents for not getting what you want, other children in a country with ongoing war is willing to do anything just to be with their parents again. There was an error in the POV shifting of Jada and the man who tried to harm her in their house but I read the Smashword edition so I'm not sure if it's been re-edited in other editions. Other than that, I didn't have any problem with the different POVs since I didn't find it hard to follow. Overall, I love this book! Will definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a good read. I cannot wait to read the next book! I wanted to know what's happened to Haytham, Zak, Ali and the other F3 members. This book left questions that the sequel might have the answers. Can't wait for more action-packed scenes. Rating: 5 stars About the Author: H.J. Lawson was born in Lancaster, England. As a young child she found a passion for drawing, and continued this into adulthood, she graduated from the University of Central Lancashire, England with a BA(Hons) in fashion design. At aged twenty seven, she and her husband packed up their belongings for a lifelong dream to move to California. Her American dream was completed with the birth of their daughter. Her love for traveling, continued after the birth of her daughter; traveling around America with the family, and the best traveled dog. A new job position opened up in New York, and the family decided to relocate to Long Island, NY, which is where she currently resides. On August 21 she was moved by the images of the Syrian conflict, and embarked on an unlikely journey of writing her first novel.
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June 2016
The Bookish Ailurophile
Shin is a 27-year-old bookworm who loves books that give her adrenaline rush and makes her feel the characters' emotions. When she's not reading, she's either spending her time listening to oldies music while making some crafty stuffs made out of old book pages, or spending her time reading books with children at an orphanage. |