The One / John Marrs / 412 pgs / Missouri Book Challenge Wildcard / Double Letter

I am so impressed by this book. It was a thrilling ride and each chapter left you hanging and waiting until the story came back to that character. The book is set up so each chapter is from the POV of a different character. The characters are Mandy, Christopher, Jade, Nick, and Ellie, and they have all been matched on a website called Match Your DNA, which purports to find your one, true love based on you and your match's DNA. In each story, you learn about the character and who he/she has been matched with, and how that works. 

There are lots of twists and turns. One character is a serial killer. One is the person who discovered the DNA and is now the CEO of the company. One moves to another country to be with her match. One is a divorcee. And one is engaged to be married. I highly recommend if you like a little speculative fiction in your big thriller/suspense books.

The Girl Next Door/ Jack Ketchum/ 370 pages/ Horror

David lives in what seems to be a happy neighborhood to grow up in. Nice homes, lots of boys in the area his age to hang out with. However, happy home life is not the case for Meg and her sister Susan. Their family was in a car accident causing the death of both their parents and they must move in with their aunt Ruth and her sons. Shortly after arriving to their new home they are imprisoned in the basement where Ruth allows the neighborhood boys to torture Meg and if Meg doesn't behave Susan is punished.
This book was extremely disturbing and grusome. If you are sensitive to that I do not recommend you picking this book up.
I think this book was very well written and accomplished what it intended to do. Jack Ketchum wanted his readers to be uncomfortable reading this in order to make an impact. It was an excellent example for us to listen to those around us who come to us for help and for us to get help fast. If David went to get help from the beginning he could have stopped things before they escalated to the point they got. Because of the content, I didn't have an enjoyable time reading this but at the same time I could not stop reading and I felt like it is a good story that makes an impact and sticks with you. One that I won't be forgetting anytime soon with lessons I want to keep. If you're looking for something disturbing and horrific for Halloween-time you may want to try this.

Rose Madder/ Stephen King/ 608 pages/ Horror

          After fourteen years in an abusive marriage, Rose Daniels leaves her husband, Norman. Her first step is to find a place he won't find her and start her life over again.
          Rose meets new people, finds friends, gets her own apartment, a job, and meets a new guy, Bill. Even with all this that she has built for herself she still is nervous of Norman finding her. He is a cop and is very good at hunting down who he is looking for. As we follow Rose and her new life we also follow Norman and see his mind as he mentally unravels while searching for his wife.
           This novel had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was an incredible novel with a terrible villain that had me checking over my shoulder while reading. The fantasy in the novel is a little out there but still interesting. Before starting, I was thinking this was going to be boring since it's not like other King novels but I was very wrong. I would recommend looking into this one if you are looking for a mystery/horror novel to try.

Verity/ Colleen Hoover/ 333 pages

           Verity Crawford was a  famous author when she suffered an accident leaving her unable to finish her series. Verity’s husband, Jeremy, hires Lowen Ashleigh to come stay at the Crawford home to look through Verity’s notes and complete the series for his wife. While Lowen is staying with them she discovers an unfinished autobiography that Verity was working on and learns some bone-chilling secrets about the Crawford family. 

           This book is a fast read that you won’t be able to put down. Such an addicting story that leaves you speechless.

The Girl Who Lived/Christopher Greyson/284 pages

     Faith was 12 years old when her sister, best friend and father die in a

bloody knife massacre at the family's lake house.  Faith survived but for the past 10 years she has been hospitalized with crippling survivors guilt.  The official ruling from the investigation was that Faith's father was the one who killed everyone and then took his own life.  No one believes her story of a rat faced man who hums being the killer.  Everyone is convinced that Faith is crazy, that she would harm herself if left alone.

     The 10th anniversary of the killing is coming up.  Faith's mom (who wrote a tell-all book that made Faith and her story famous) helps get Faith released into her custody with strict rules--survivors meetings, therapy sessions, AA meetings.  Faith tried but it really seems that the deck is stacked against her.  Chapter after chapter gets her roughed up, stolen from, terrified, stalked and more.  Many people try to help her but she becomes convinced that the original killer is back.  Faith wants to find and kill him and she doesn't care what happens to herself.  Worst of all, she doesn't know who to trust.

     What a powerful book!  The story grabs you as soon as you start reading and you simply cannot put it down.  Towards the end of the book you start doubting that everything Faith is experiencing is real which makes the ending perfect!  Really a great story.

                                                                                                                            

Tailspin/Sandra Brown/424 pgs

Most pilots avoid flying in extreme or bad weather, but not Rye Mallett.  This pilot agrees to fly on Thanksgiving in heavy fog that has closed nearly every airport in the Atlanta region.  The cargo, unknown to him, is time sensitive and has an anxious recipient.  However, the person meeting the plane, Brynn O'Neal, has other ideas for the cargo.  Mallett's landing is compromised when someone shines a laser at the plane blinding him as he attempts landing.  Climbing from the wreckage, he unexpectedly meets Brynn and they head to the airport office to find out what happened.  There they find the air traffic controller of the small, rural airport injured and unconscious.  The situation gets heated when Brynn and Rye Mallett realize that they are in danger and must run to protect themselves and the "cargo."  This is a good thriller worth reading.

Look for Me/Lisa Gardner/391 pgs.

In the early morning, a family is murdered--all except one: 16 year old Roxanna "Roxy" Baez. She's missing, plus the family's two elderly dogs. When she doesn't return, speculation abounds: was Roxy in on the murder of her family, and if not, why doesn't she go to the police? Enter Sergeant Detective D.D. Warren, and unofficially, Flora Dane--a survivor turned vigilante. They join forces to find Roxy, and to unravel the mystery of her family's deaths. Riveting! Highly recommended.

On a side note: this will be my last post since I am retiring from the library district. I have enjoyed the SCCCLD Book Challenge, and hope that other SCCCLD staff will take up the challenge!

The Woman in the Window/A.J. Finn/427 pgs.

Similar to The Girl on the Train, and Gone Girl, The Woman in the Window has the reader questioning what is real and what isn't. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic, hasn't left her house for months. She spends her days spying on her neighbors, mixing her medications with wine, and is a total mess. Then she sees the unimaginable--or did she? I went into reading this book somewhat jaded--I thought it was going to be too much like the above mentioned titles. I was wrong--I read it in two days. Highly recommended!

Enigma:an FBI Thriller/Catherine Coulter/479 pgs.

In this latest Sherlock and Savich series entry, FBI agents Sherlock and Savich are on the hunt for a kidnapped baby. As they delve deeper into the baby's mysterious disappearance, it becomes apparent that this is more than a random hospital kidnapping. While Sherlock and Savich are dealing with this disturbing event, other members of the FBI team are trying to track down escaped criminal Liam Hennessey, a.k.a. Manta Ray. Who helped him escape from prison, and why? Both story lines keep the reader's attention, resulting in an enjoyable, fast, read. Recommended!

The Hanging/Lotte & Soren Hammer/298 pgs.

Two school children make the gruesome discovery of five naked, mutilated bodies hanging from the ceiling in the school gymnasium. Homicide detective Konrad Simonsen is called in to lead the investigation into these disturbing murders. As the victims' identities and pasts are revealed, public opinion sides with the person/persons responsible for the hangings. It is up to Simonsen and his team to make sure that justice is upheld. The Danish authors, a brother and sister team, keep the reader engrossed from the very beginning; this is the first in the Konrad Simonsen series. Highly recommended--if you can get past the graphic descriptions and the subject matter!

Night Watch/Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen/342 pgs.

Kendra Michaels was born blind, and as a result, spent the first twenty years of her life in darkness. It wasn't until she was accepted into a trial study program with Dr. Charles Waldridge that her life changed drastically. His experimental operation on Kendra was a success--she was able to see for the first time in her life. Fast forward around ten years later, when Dr. Waldridge unexpectedly shows up at a conference in which Kendra is the speaker. They have dinner, but during the evening Kendra gets the feeling Dr. Waldridge is withholding something from her. The next day, Kendra is called in by the police--Dr. Waldridge is missing. Kendra has astute investigative skills, and calls in Adam Lynch, an agent-for hire, to help her unravel the mystery of Dr. Waldridge's disappearance. There is more going on under the surface than a random missing person case, and the Johansens take the reader on a wild ride throughout the story. Highly recommended.

All the Missing Girls/Megan Miranda/371 pgs.

Nicolette (Nic) Farrell had left her hometown, Cooley Ridge, right after high school, and right after her best friend, Corinne, had gone missing. It's ten years later, and Nic has established a good life in Philadelphia (fiancé and all), when she receives a letter from her father (who has dementia) that he has seen "that girl." Nic returns to Cooley Ridge to see her father, when another girl goes missing. This is one of those books that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning! It is told in reverse order, which makes it all the more fascinating. Highly recommended!

Sting/Sandra Brown/408 pgs.

Shaw Kinnard has been hired to kill Jordie Bennet. Jordie's brother, Josh, was to turn testimony against his gangster boss, Billy Panella. Josh escapes from FBI protection, so Panella wants to kill Jordie in order to send Josh a message. Also, there is the 3 million dollars that Panella is missing--and believes Josh is going after. There are red herrings, romance, etc., which is pretty typical of Sandra Brown's books. However, I found this one of her better suspense mysteries. Highly recommended!

Dark Matter / Blake Crouch / 342 pgs

I can't even begin to describe how much I adored this book. Blake Crouch's Dark Matter is a nail-biting, science fiction, thriller unlike any other I have ever read. I cannot go into much detail because the fun of the book is trying to figure out what is going on and how it could all be happening. Jason Dessen, a family man with a wife and son, an undergraduate physics professor is kidnapped and wakes up in a world in which he has no wife, no son, but does have a prestigious physics award and a group of people who hail him as a hero. Which world is real? Does it matter? And how can Jason get back to the world he knows?

The suspense is off the charts and I found myself thinking that the audio book was just too slow, so I bought the book. I never buy books anymore, but I bought the Kindle edition of this one because I know that I'll be wanting to read it again sometime in the near future. Highly recommend for fans of science fiction, thrillers, suspense, and mysteries.

IQ / Joe Ide / 321 p

Isaiah Quintabe was a 16 year old urban teen in LA with a great future. Teachers were already beginning to talk about Ivy league school applications when Isaiah's brother and guardian was killed by a hit and run driver. From that point on Isaiah had two goals - stay out of the foster care system and find his brother's killer. He drops out of school and by chance helps someone in the neighborhood solve a mystery. He realizes that his Sherlock Holmes-like deduction skills can be used to help others and support himself. He calls himself IQ. Soon he is being inundated with requests for help.  Unfortunately, the people who need help. Years later, a sketchy friend from his past hooks him up with a famous rapper who barely escaped a murder attempt. IQ must find who is trying to kill him and somehow keep himself out of the hit-man's cross-hairs. As IQ gets closer to solving the mystery, the author weaves in IQ's backstory and we learn why he funnels most of his money to a young Hispanic teen who is disabled with a traumatic brain injury.

This book would be a good recommendation for those who liked the Girl With the Dragon Tatoo books. The language is gritty and not for those wanting a cosy mystery. I suspect we might be seeing more IQ books in the future.

Apprentice in Death/J.D. Robb/375 pgs.

It begins with what appears to be a random sniper shooting at an ice skating rink; the year is 2061, and this is the latest entry in J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas series. Lt. Dallas is called in to head up the investigation, and to ultimately put a stop to anymore killings. Early on in the investigation, it becomes apparent that the police might be looking for two killers instead of one. Once the identities of the suspects are known, it's a battle against time in order to stop more murders. This is one of Robb's best efforts, and furthers the reader's enjoyment of the series. Highly recommended!

Memory Man / David Baldacci / 13hrs. 16 min.

This is my first time reading a book by David Baldacci. I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. The twists and turns were interesting and although I thought I had figured out the "who-done-it" part at one point: I was wrong. I enjoy finding out about personality or human conditions that I previously possessed only surface knowledge. In this case it was Hyperthymesia - extraordinary memory capabilities. I listened to this on e-audio. It was performed by two people which was much more enjoyable to have a woman doing women's voices and a man doing men's voices. Easy to follow along.

11/22/63 / Stephen King / 842 pgs

This book has been recommended to me SO many times over the last couple of years, but for some reason, I have only now finally read it. I don't WHY it took me so long! I love alternative history. I love time travel. I just knew it was a really big book. Even then, I'm unsure why that would daunt me. I used to love reading long books.

Anyways, it was a great book. I have very little, if anything, I can say negative about it other than the length. I feel it could have probably thinned down a bit, cutting out a bit of the repetition, but the book intrigued me and put me on the edge of my seat regardless.

Jake Epping is a recently divorced high school English teacher in Maine. When a friend, the owner of a local diner, calls Jake to come over to the diner, Jake learns of sort of "rabbit hole" through which one can travel back to a certain date and time in 1958. However, Jake is given a task that will change his life, and perhaps the lives of everyone else in the world - stay in the past and find a way to stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

Horrorstor / Grady Hendrix / 243 pages / Horror

The book  is clean, fresh and attractive, even if the format, a furniture store catalog, at first seems odd. Then, you realize that it has to do with the content of the story, and it adds to the fun. It's a quick read, and I stayed up till 2AM to finish it, perhaps that was due to the fact that the nature of the  story reminded me a little of Clive Barker's Hellraiser movies.  Side note:  It drives me crazy that the main character sometimes makes decisions bordering on the idiotic (really? you're going to go through the creepy hallway that cannot possible be there?) but when you get to the end, it somehow makes sense. Horrorstor is enjoyable and I will never see Ikea the same way again.

But back to the cover/book format........There's clearly no way I can ignore how awesomely packaged this book is, so I'll begin there. It's designed like an Ikea catalog (which I ordered after receiving the book for review consideration, because I'm cool and wanted to compare.  Also, I love Ikea) with the beginning of chapters featuring different products and their descriptions (which slowly got creepier as the story progressed, but I'll get there). There were coupons for the store, an order form, and a map of the showroom. It was all wonderfully put together, and even though I initially thought it would be difficult to read because of the different column sizes and text, it was not at all, and my ability to read the book was not at all affected by the design, making it a super win.

Next I want to talk about just how imaginative this story was. It wasn't scary per se, but it was one of those that left me turning the pages quicker because I really just wasn't sure how things were going to turn out. It took so many twists and turns that I couldn't possibly have tried to guess the outcome, nor would I have wanted to!  No plot reveals here.....you'll just have to experience it yourself!

ONE KICK / Chelsea Cain / 306 Pages / December challenge (2 Turtle Doves: includes scenes involving flying)

Chelsea Cain introduces a fascinating pair of characters in One Kick, the first title in a new suspense series. I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of the author's newest book and was eager to see how is compared to her 'Archie Sheridan / Gretchen Lowell' series.

Kick Lannigan was kidnapped at age six and rescued five years later; she is a survivor. She has learned to defend her self and at age 21 devotes all her time, energy and talent to finding missing children. Just as she's starting to investigate a new kidnapping case, a mysterious man named John Bishop shows up and asks for her help to find two missing kids.

The dynamic between Kick and Bishop is intense, two such determined but flawed individuals working towards a common goal. But are they really working together or does Bishop have another purpose in pulling Kick into the case?

While the tone can be disturbing, the violence takes place off-stage in this fast-paced thrilling novel. Fans of psychological suspense without all the gory details might want to give this one a try.