Threshold by G.M. Ford

Threshold by G.M. Ford 254 pages, Paperback Published April 2015, Thomas and Mercer Source: From publisher for review as part of a TLC book tour
My Review
This was an interesting book-part police procedural, part supernatural mystery. 
It started off a bit rough. It was a little hard to figure out what was happening due to the changes in perspective from character to character. It seemed like two different stories that had nothing to do with each for awhile. However, once I figured it out, I couldn't stop reading.
Detective Mickey Dolan has been charged to locate the wife and daughters of a politician. A custody battle ended with the father being given sole custody and now his family are on the run. Through Dolan's investigation he discovers that there were sexual abuse allegations and iffy legal doings to not prosecute the father.
The Royster family is in fact being helped by a mother and her daughter. They are a bit of a mystery. The daughter, Grace, seems to have the power to awaken people out of comas and by selling her gift to families with comatose family members, they are able to fund the help they give women and their children to escape abusive situations. Interesting, right? I enjoyed it and seeing how it all would come to an end. Would it be a happy ending for all? Guess you'll have to read it to find out.
About the Author

G.M. Ford broke onto the mystery scene with Who in Hell is Wanda Fuca?, a gin-soaked tome featuring Seattle private investigator Leo Waterman. The six-book Leo Waterman series was nominated for several awards, including the Shamus, the Anthony, and the Lefty. In 2001, Ford launched a new series featuring disgraced reporter Frank Corso and his goth assistant, Meg Dougherty. In 2011, after a twelve-year hiatus, he decided to write a new Leo Waterman novel, Thicker Than Water, which Thomas & Mercer promptly bought. His eighth Leo Waterman book, Chump Change, followed in 2014. Ford lives and works in Seattle, and is married to the beautiful and talented mystery author Skye Kathleen Moody.

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore

352 pages, Paperback

Published February 2015, William Morrow and Company

Source: provided by publisher for review, TLC Book Tours

About the Book

New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in The Serpent of Venice, a satiric Venetian gothic that brings back the Pocket of Dog Snogging, the eponymous hero of Fool, along with his sidekick, Drool, and pet monkey, Jeff.

Venice, a long time ago. Three prominent Venetians await their most loathsome and foul dinner guest, the erstwhile envoy of Britain and France, and widower of the murdered Queen Cordelia: the rascal Fool Pocket.

This trio of cunning plotters--the merchant, Antonio; the senator, Montressor Brabantio; and the naval officer, Iago--have lured Pocket to a dark dungeon, promising an evening of spirits and debauchery with a rare Amontillado sherry and Brabantio's beautiful daughter, Portia.

But their invitation is, of course, bogus. The wine is drugged. The girl isn't even in the city limits. Desperate to rid themselves once and for all of the man who has consistently foiled their grand quest for power and wealth, they have lured him to his death. (How can such a small man, be such a huge obstacle?). But this Fool is no fool . . . and he's got more than a few tricks (and hand gestures) up his sleeve.

My Review

I have a limited history with Christopher Moore books, but the one I have read I loved. You Suck was hilarious and fun. It made me excited to read this book that was published last year. (It is now available in Paperback.)

Not sure if you know, but I love Shakespeare and Poe. Who doesn't? So how cool that this book draws on these two great writers? A little Merchant of Venice, a little Cask of Amontillado...

I understand the characters are from another Moore book, Fool, which I have not read. I was worried I would be lost having not read it, but I wasn't. So, no need to read that one first if you haven't already. You can if you like, though.

This book was fun...reminded me a bit of Monty Python. Similar absurdist, satirical humor. I really enjoyed it.

About the Author

Christopher Moore (born 1957 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American writer of absurdist fiction. He grew up in Mansfield, OH, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA.

Moore's novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters suddenly struggling through supernatural or extraordinary circumstances. Inheriting a humanism from his love of John Steinbeck and a sense of the absurd from Kurt Vonnegut, Moore is a best-selling author with major cult status.

For more info on the book and author visit his WEBSITE.

Buy the Book

Amazon

IndieBound

Barnes & Noble

Happy Reading! _________________________________________

My Father's Wives

My Father's Wives by Mike Greenberg Hardcover, 304 pages Published January 2015, William Morrow

Purchase Links Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
About the Book The co-host of ESPN's Mike and Mike follows up his New York Times bestseller All You Could Ask For with this poignant story of one man's search to understand himself , his marriage and his father. My Review
Jonathan Sweetwater comes home early from work to discover that his wife may be having an affair. Instead of confronting her, he goes on a quest to discover more about his father, who was out of his life by the age of nine. His high profile Senator father had six wives before he died and Jonathan travels the world in search of them and what they can teach him about Percy Sweetwater.
Jonathan is a likable character. His journey seems more appropriate for a midlife crisis, though, rather than a response to thinking his wife may be having an affair. He went two weeks suspecting without ever confronting her about it. Seems a little unlikely, right? But despite that, I enjoyed meeting his father's wives and visiting Aspen, Chicago, London, and Nevis. 
So, did his wife have an affair? Guess you will have to read the book.
About the Author
Mike Greenberg is the co-host of ESPN"s Mike and Mike, the highest-rated sports talk program in the United States, and the author of the New York Times bestselling novel All You Could Ask For. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and a native of New York City. He currently lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children. Connect with the Author Twitter: @ESPNgreeny Publisher's Author Website 

Happy Reading!

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 Disclaimer: Book was received from publisher for review as part of a book tour.

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes

Cathy Bailey is a prisoner in her own home and to her own fear. She is unable to leave her home without going through numerous obsessive compulsive checks to make sure her place is secure and to help make her feel safe. She is always in complete terror that her ex boyfriend will find her.

Is her fear real? Would her new friends and therapists believe her this time?None of her old friends believed that Lee, the handsome, charming, lucky-to-have boyfriend, was capable of the things she accused him of.

This book had me checking my doors more than once. There are no vampires or werewolves in this story but this was much scarier than any other book I have read in awhile. Nothing is more scary than something that can truly happen. And this obsessive, manipulative and abusive man is the scariest.

There have been a lot of great reviews of Into the Darkest Corner and has been on many lists for good beach reads. Not sure I would consider this a beach read, but it definitely deserves to be on your must-read book list.

Source: Publisher for review

You will find more information on the book and Elizabeth Haynes here:
Website
Twitter
Facebook

Check out more reviews from the Book Tour here.

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Book Review: State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
State of Wonder is very different from Bel Canto, the only other Ann Patchett novel I have read, but in some ways it is also very similar. It has the same subtle but hypnotic prose that draws you in. Every word written with purpose, every nuance of character important to the story. It was so hard to put down and so hard to stop thinking about when I did.
When I started reading I immediately started drawing parallels to Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Dr. Marina Singh is sent to the deep jungles of Brazil to try and find her former teacher, Dr. Annika Swenson, who has stopped communicating with the pharmaceutical company that is funding her research for a new fertility drug. She has ensconced herself in the village of the Lakashi, she rarely leaves and no one knows if any progress is being made. I kept expecting Marina to go down the river to Dr. Swenson's hidden lab in the jungle and find a Kurtz like character.
It wasn't quite that dark of an adventure into the jungle once Marina gets on the boat, but Dr. Swenson is definitely a different person from spending years away from civilization, immersed in her work in the jungle. You learn more and more about her and the others as you delve deeper into the jungle and into the story. 
I absolutely enjoyed reading State of Wonder. There is a bit of everything I like in my books- adventures in a foreign country, medical/science questions and ethics and a slightly mysterious death. 
5/5Source: pubisher for review
State of Wonder was released on June 7th in Hardback.
For more information about the book and author visit Ann Patchett's website.For other reviews, here is the list of others who participated in the book tour.

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review: My Jane Austen Summer by Cindy Jones

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Parkby Cindy Jones
Do you consider yourself a Janeite? Have you read every Jane Austen novel so many times that you know Lizzy, Emma and Maryanne almost as well as your real life friends? Perhaps you feel more connected to the author than her characters?
Well, for Lily Berry, Jane Austen is more of an imaginary friend who offers advice about life and romance. Lily is guided by her friend as she gets to spend a summer in England re-enacting Mansfield Park, a great opportunity to escape the reality of her recent losses- mom, boyfriend and job. 
I admit to being a bit of a Janeite- I have read all her novels and have also enjoyed reading a couple of the new Austen inspired books. Surprisingly, My Jane Austen Summer seems to share some similarities with the two . In According to Jane by Marilyn Brandt, the protagonist hears Jane speaking to her in her head giving her advice and warnings about the men in her life. The protagonist in Shannon Hale's Austenland spends her vacation in an estate where guests get to live out their Austen fantasies. 
Yes, there are similarities but there also differences that sets it apart and makes it a very different read from the two novels I mentioned. I enjoyed the drama of setting up the re-enactment and imagining how much fun it would be to experience that. I also have to admit to really liking Fanny Price as does Lily. She doesn't get as much love as the other Austen heroines. 
3/5Source: Sent for review for TLC Book Tour. Thanks, Trish.

Links for more information about Cindy Jones and My Jane Austen Summer:
CindyJones.com (official website)First Draft (her blog)Facebook

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review: Horns by Joe Hill

Horns by Joe Hill

The author of Heart-Shaped Box and son of Stephen King has just released a new novel. I went in expecting thrills and chills but instead got something a little different. Horns is more of a dark comedy and a sort of study on good and evil.

Ig Perrish wakes up one morning after a night of hard drinking and finds that he has grown a set of horns and instead of the reaction he thought they would get from people, they instead cause others to confess their sins and share their deepest desires. No one seems immune and Ig uses this new found power to help discover who murdered his girlfriend a year prior to the day the horns protruded from his head.

We then get to see, through flashbacks, Ig's life from a teen to adulthood. How he met and fell for his girlfriend, their relationship with the murderer and the affect of her death on the community and Ig's family. At the beginning of the novel you learn that they all suspect Ig of her death despite the lack of evidence, the flashbacks make it much more obvious as to who was actually the murderer. Perhaps it's the teacher in me. Seeing the signs early on that will evolve into more when kids grow up.

A truly original and imaginative plot, interesting characters and some hilarious situations make this a great, fun read. Instead of being scared, I found myself laughing at the crazy thoughts and secrets people share with Ig. Not what I expected, but very enjoyable.

4/5
Source: Review book for TLC Book Tour. Thanks, Trish.

The first 1000 people to preorder Joe’s latest novel and then email joehill@harpercollins.com with proof of purchase will receive a specialized bookplate from Joe – he’s been signing and doodling all sorts of creations on bookplates for days now! For more information on this giveaway and the rest of Joe’s books, visit www.joehillfiction.com and follow Joe on Twitter @joe_hill.

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FTC Disclosure: Clicking on title and image links will lead you to my Amazon Affiliate page.

Book Review- Electric Barracuda by Tim Dorsey

Electric Barracuda by Tim Dorsey
Everyone is blogging these days, including Serge, the lovable serial killer of Tim Dorsey's  novel, Electric Barracuda. Serge has an idea - a tourist romp through Florida as a fugitive. a In the process of "researching" for his website, he finds himself along with his sidekick, Coleman, truly on the run as Mahoney and some other bumbling detectives try to catch him. 

A fun and hilarious book which, it turns out, is part of a long running series. Who knew? Well, many people did except for me. This is the first book I have read- number 13 in the Serge A. Storms series- and I am surprised I hadn't heard of them before now.  Having not read the previous books I was not as familiar with the characters as I should be. The story revolves around Serge and Coleman and knowing them would help immensely in understanding them, their relationship and appeal, as well as the detectives chasing them. 
Having said that, I still really enjoyed this tour of Florida through the characters' criminal eyes and I look forward to getting my hands on books 1-12. Here is the list of books for everyone else interested in reading this fun series:
Florida RoadkillHammerhead Ranch Motel Orange Crush Triggerfish TwistThe Stingray ShuffleCadillac BeachTorpedo JuiceThe Big BambooHurricane PunchAtomic LobsterNuclear JellyfishGator A-Go-Go Electric Barracuda 
3.5/5
Source: ARC for TLC Book Tours. Thanks, Trish.


Check out the links below for more info on the books and Tim Dorsey:

• His website
• Facebook
• Twitter: @Tim_Dorsey
• Book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASFYnVBStq4

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