Baby Doll

By Hollie Overton

3110 days that's how long the man who claimed her for his own held Lily captive.  Lily was taken as a teenager and escaped eight long years later - now an adult and a mom.  Why he forgot to lock the door that day, Lily didn't know, but she wasn't going to dwell on it and miss her only opportunity to escape in eight years.  Lily cautiously left her "prison" with her daughter and once exposed to the fresh air Lily carried her daughter running and running until they were both safe.  

Lily not only was able to identify her abductor, but she knew him.  She led the authorities to him, and while he was at work, he was put in handcuffs and taken into custody. Lily thought she would be able to finally breathe a sigh of relief and let the healing begin, until she heard him whisper, "You've made a big mistake, Baby Doll."  Lily realized this was not the end but just another beginning...the beginning of her next nightmare.

I came across the book Baby Doll accidentally and while the premise was very interesting, I found the short biography of author Hollie Overton just as interesting.  I was planning to read another book but went out and got this one instead.  I also like how Overton incorporates some of her own life into her story, like her identical twin sister.  Baby Doll was action packed and I really enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns.  I am looking forward to reading her second novel The Walls.

Right Behind You

 

By Lisa Gardner

 

Every time I thought I figured out who did what and why, there was another twist and turn to the story Right Behind You.  Telly and Sharlah are siblings separated 8 years ago after Telly killed their father in order to protect them. Though Telly saved Sharlah back then, it seems now he's the one that needs saving.  Sharlah and Telly have not seen or spoken to each other since that dreadful night and both are now with loving foster families.  When Telly's foster parents are found murdered in their own home, Telly is the most likely suspect.  If he killed once, what's to stop him from killing again?  When two other victims turn up dead at a local gas station and Telly's image is found staring into the camera right before he shoots it out, it seems there is no doubt. 

In the meantime, Sharlah is awaiting her permanent adoption by Quincy and Rainie - a true law and order family. When they find evidence that Telly seems to be stalking Sharlah, her safety becomes their number one priority even though Sharlah is convinced her brother (the Telly that she remembers) would never hurt her.  Is Telly still that protective figure Sharlah remembers, or is he now a predator that she must fear? 

As a Lisa Gardner fan, it was good to have Quincy and Rainie back.  I liked the characters of Telly Ray and Sharlah May Nash.  I think Lisa Gardner did a great service by allowing them to tell their own story. It definitely brought more dimension to their characters and it made their problems that much more real.

Every Fifteen Minutes

By Lisa Scottoline

One day it seemed Dr. Eric Parrish woke up on the wrong side of his life.  He was on his way to divorcing his wife and subsequently separated from his little daughter.  He found solace in his work, an area in which he excelled.  See, Dr. Eric Parrish was a psychiatrist and after being a patient himself some years before, he not only had the knowledge and expertise, but also the personal experience to help others. It wasn't a surprise then when long-time friend and fellow doctor Laurie Fortunato asked Eric for his professional input on a situation, a situation that resulted in Eric seeing a new patient in his private practice.  Little did Dr. Parrish know that his life was about to change...just about every 15 minutes, it seemed. 

 While in the midst of chaos and trauma with his new patient, Dr. Parrish finds himself in the middle of a sexual harassment claim made by a subordinate at the hospital.  Dr. Parrish is suspended until the facts (or lies) are sorted out.  If all of this isn't bad enough, there's a sociopath out there executing a plan to fully destroy Eric Parrish.  How do we know this? The sociopath was kind enough (even though the sociopath doesn't actually feel kindness) to tell us about the upcoming plan of destruction.  Who is the sociopath is another question all together. Lisa Scottoline artfully gives us clues to this person, but there are so many twists and turns, it's hard to figure out who Dr. Parrish's nemesis really is.

Will Dr. Parrish's life make a turn for the better or is it already too late for him?

Expecting to Die

By Lisa Jackson

Grizzly Falls lives us to its name in Lisa Jackson's latest Pescoli and Alvarez novel.  There is an awful lot happening in this small Montana town, least of which is that Pescoli is over 8 months pregnant.

A teenage girl disappears only to be found dead by Bianca Pescoli, the detective's daughter. If that wasn't frightening enough, what led Bianca to this gruesome scene was her being chased by some "monster-type figure" she likened to Big Foot.

Now, I personally am not a Big Foot believer, but there is a group in Grizzly Falls that are true Big Foot enthusiasts.  So when reality TV personality Barclay Sphinx comes to town to do a show about the elusive Big Foot, you could imagine the town's response.

But, as more girls go missing, and with little to no evidence to help them, detectives Pescoli and Alvarez have their work cut out for them in finding the real monster that is terrorizing their town.

I will say that I thought I knew for sure who the "bad guy(s)" were in this story, but part of the ending was a real surprise!

The First Wife

 

By Erica Spindler



The met on a whirlwind vacation and were married three weeks later.  Now, as Bailey dreamed, she would finally have her 'happily ever after'.  But as Bailey learns more about her husband Logan and his family, 'happily ever after' seems like it might not come after all. Between women who have disappeared, including Logan's first wife, and people dying tragic and strange deaths, Bailey must decide if she trusts her husband as much as she loves him.  Will she get her 'happily ever after' or come to realize that is just something found in a storybook?

The Book Thief

The Book Thief is a beautifully written story by Markus Zusak. 

A story narrated by Death.

Reading it was like watching a painting being created: 26 letters of the alphabet put together like paint on a canvas, varying combinations forming words, words forming pictures, sentences creating scenes, all forming a work of art. 

Zusak definitely shows that art comes in many forms. 

This is a story of contradictions showing both the beauty and viciousness of what happens to a war-torn area during WWII. Zusak really brings the characters to life and even though Death keeps telling us (the readers) what is coming at the end, he doesn't reveal everything.  I finished the story with tears in my eyes and though it was heartbreaking, there was a glimmer of light at the end.

As for Death, he witnessed much during WWII. His work was unending - for those who didn't deserve his services at all and for those who were much more worthy of them.  By the end, he made his darkest revelation, "I am haunted by humans."  Who would have actually thought it was possible to feel a bit sorry for Death?

I read the Kindle version of The Book Thief and I wanted to thank Markus Zusak 

for the book extras at the end.  It was very interesting to read how his story came about, the hard work that went into the novel, the length of time he took to write it, and the insight into his writing process.  For me, it added another layer of appeal to the story line.

Bluefish

By Pat Schmatz

After being a teacher for over 25 years, Bluefish has a ring of truth to it.  Here are some of those truths:

• When teachers put students into groups, no matter how creatively teachers name those groups, it doesn't take students long to know what those groups really mean.
• Moving and going to a new school is sometimes scary, sometimes awkward, and sometimes just plain weird.
• No one likes change.
• Sometimes you find friends when you least expect it.
• Not all knowledge comes from books.
• Everyone has his or her own set of "strengths".
• The grass may seem greener on the other side of the fence, but it may not be.
• Being a teenager come with its own set of challenges.
• Finding someone you can trust in life is important.

Travis is a very likeable character.  He's in a new town at a new school and learning doesn't come easy for him.  It's not because he's not smart, but somewhere along the way reading became challenging for him.  Luckily for Travis, he now has Mr. McQueen as a teacher.  Mr. McQueen epitomizes what we'd all love in a teacher - a teacher that doesn't give up on a student even when the student has given up on himself.  This was my favorite passage in the story, "The lines of ink on the page were a secret code. For the first time Travis wanted to crack it."  What an "aha" moment for Travis and what a thrill for his teacher.  

  

When Travis meets Valveeta it doesn't seem like a quick friendship would blossom, but Valveeta's wit and sarcastic humor helps this friendship along.  It took awhile, but they come to realize they have much more in common than they first thought. 

Finally, there's Bradley.  When Travis helps him on the first day of school without even knowing who he is and without making a scene, it tells us a lot about Travis as a person. Travis also learns that even though Bradley lives with both of his parents, he's very smart, has computer games, a great house, and a seemingly perfect life, Bradley faces challenges of his own. 

Their world is definitely not perfect, but they teach us that hardships and challenges can be overcome.

 Is it easy? Not always. 

Is it worth it?  Most definitely Yes! 

On a personal note, I love the way the author, Pat Schmatz, incorporates parts of another book in her story.  She tied it together so well that I started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak as soon as I finished Bluefish.