ARC REVIEW After She's Gone by Lisa Jackson

My mother-in-law got me into Lisa Jackson books and one of my all time favorites fall back reread books is one of hers, unfortunately this is not going to be one of those books. I enjoyed the mystery it's what keep me reading the book instead of just DNFing it. The first half of it is whiny and a mishmash of other Lisa Jackson books updated. Cassie is annoying, her heart is in the right place but the poor me attitude got old real quick. It did get better when Trent showed up and took control of Cassie. The detective wasn't any better, it alluded to a hard past but she was just to annoying for me to care about her past. Allie evidently suffers from affluenza, she thinks everyone owes her something and nothing his her fault; she's a narcissistic bitch who got off lightly in the end. Trent is the only main character I liked.

After She's Gone is the third book in Lisa Jackson's Northwest series, it is a direct sequel to her 2005 release Deep Freeze which centers on actress Jenna Hughes and Sheriff Shane Carter. Cassie and Allie survived the events of the previous book only for it to screw up their lives. Cassie tries to escape by moving to L.A. to become an actress only to suck at it. Allie fought for her mother's attention and was jealous of all the attention Cassie got after the attack and growing up the daughter of Jenna Hughes she felt she was in constant competition with both her mother and sister. But after she moved to L.A. at Cassie's insistence Allie became famous. Cassie jealous of her sister's easy ability to act, gave it up and found screenwriting was more her thing. Because of Allie's easy start to stardom Cassie felt jealous and became even more self conscience with anything pertaining to Allie, especially when it came to Cassie's own husband.

There is an accident on set, the actress who was shot was originally supposed to be Allie. But now Allie is missing and Cassie had a nervous breakdown and admitted herself into a psychiatric hospital. But the longer Allie is gone the more worried Cassie gets and an ominous visit from an old timie nurse gives Cassie the kick in the butt she needs to find out what's going on. The longer Allie is gone the more police think Cassie did it especially after she is seen with an actress the night before she was murdered. Two dead, one almost paralyzed and one still MIA and Cassie is at the top of the suspect list. Thankfully she has her mother, stepfather, and Trent to lend a hand and support her in her need to find Allie. But what they discover is even more shocking than anything they had to deal with before.

Overall, I kept reading because the mystery was good, I was only half right in my initial guess. The characters, except for Trent, Jenna and Shawn, were all so shallow you just didn't care what happened to them.            

ARC REVIEW A Talent for Trickery by Alissa Johnson

A beautiful cover for a great book. I can't wait for the other books in this series the characters are all memorable and I know the rest of the Walker Family is going to have exciting tales to read. I loved the way this book was written; how the story played out. Charlotte Walker has been through so much in her life, growing up she was taught the tricks of the thief by her father and when she thought she left it all behind her she experiences the bruised emotions of first love and the misguided love for her father. Owen Renderwell was awarded his viscountcy for saving the life of a kidnapped Duchess, he is the renowned "Thief Taker". Earning his title has made his life any easier he left the Scotland Yard and started in the private sector.

Eight years has passed since Owen used the help of an infamous thief and his beautiful and brilliant daughter to crack the codes other thieves and and track down the missing jewels and kidnapping of a duchess. Owen had previously caught William Walker red handed and offered him the choice help or go to prison; because of his three children he choose to help. Also willing to help is William's eldest daughter Charlotte. In the end William ended up dead Charlotte and her two siblings changed their last name and retired to the country. Lottie and Esther to protect their little brother, Peter, have lied to him about who their father was. Lottie always blamed Owen for what happened and thought that her father should have been exonerated and forgiven for what he has done and remembered for the good he was trying to do when he died. But there is a side to the story that Lottie never considered and that was Owen's. He tried but she never let him explain and now that Owen is back asking for a favor Lottie must come to grips with her feelings and the truth of what happened. Now Owen is back and a string of thiefs and one murder has him asking Lottie for help. An encoded letter has been left at every scene of the crime and only the ingenuity of Lottie can figure it out.

It's a tangled web of lies, secrets and manipulation that pull this story along in an exciting and fun easy read. It's a very subtle easy flowing storyline, and I must concur with another review who stated it was reminiscent of early Amanda Quick books.        

ARC REVIEW After Midnight and Cries in the Night by Kathy Clark

Last week I participated with the Release Blitz for Kathy Clark's release for After Midnight and Cries in the Dark. Here are my reviews for both of these fabulous books.

After Midnight was originally self published released in '12 under the same name but under the series name Denver After Dark, it was picked up by LoveSwept and changed the series name to Denver Heroes. After Midnight is a great story, I love romantic suspense and this is a nice blend of suspense and romance, it was enticing and captivating I just breezed right through it, I could not put it down. It's a great first book, it introduces all the characters and the family dynamics. The Morgan family are all Type A personality types but familial ties are strong.

Sam Morgan patrolled the absolute worst part of Denver, but he didn't care he loved his job and he loved his city. One summer night he had a ride along with him when it went all wrong he ended up getting shot twice and another officer ended up dead as well as one dead pimp. The only other witness beside the ride along is a prostitute who disappeared after back up finally showed up. After Sam was released from the hospital he tracked down this mysterious prostitute, who turns out isn't really a hooker but was paid to play the part of one for that night. Kate McKinney was traumatized by what happened that night but was scared about coming forward because it would reveal who she really is and just who her father is. When Sam tracks her down she is scared of what is going to happen next but he promises it will stay private. Strange things keep happening to Kate and Sam being on medical leave is  determined to protect her and get down to the bottom of who hired her and why two people died that night.

Unfortunately I guessed the Who, What and Why right off the bat, but it doesn't take away from the story. Sam and Kate are such a cute couple it's ridiculous it really is a great read.  




Cries in the Night picks up a couple of month after the events of the previous book. We met both Rusty Morgan and Julie Lawrence before; in this book they meet for the first time. They are like a slow lit fuse, an initial spark and a gradual seduction that leads to some nice fireworks.

Julie Lawrence is the Victims Advocate for Denver PD, helping all victims. She keeps to herself and keeps busy doing her job never making any close connections to anyone. Rusty Morgan is a ladies man never lacking a date if he wanted one, but meeting Julie after a domestic abuse and house fire call he can't seem to get her off him mind. She impresses him further when he gets taken hostage with a fellow firefighter by a man who has the whole rigged to explode, Julie knows him, he was one of her first she helped and she managed to talk some sense into him. A friendship buds between them but Rusty is frustrated with his attraction to her it seems like she is the only woman to be immune to his charms. Julie isn't as immune as Rusty thinks and as much as she wants to keep him at arms length she feels a strong pull to him.
 Someone is after Julie and Rusty is determined to protect her, giving into their desires just happens. It obvious to every one how Rusty feels about her but she is afraid her secret past may change that.

Overall this was a great read another one I could not put down; a straight through read. It wasn't as predictable I was torn between the obvious and the not so obvious. Yeah It's good. You get to see more of the Morgan family and love them even more, especially Mom.  

REVIEW Cinderella and the Ghost by Marina Myles

Cinderella isn't one of my favorite fairy tales but this one intrigued me and it paid off. Cinderella and the Ghost was a fresh take on an old classic. This is book four in the series The Cursed Princes, and a stand alone story. I was not expecting the story line to go as it did. I think that is why I enjoyed as much as I did, it wants predictable and it was a very pleasant surprise.

Jean-Daniel Girard died and it was rumored that it was either murder or suicide. His ghost was trapped in the painting his mother commissioned for him free raine of his old castle after the strike of midnight. He has been biding his time waiting for a woman gathering things together for when she finally arrives; four hundred years of waiting and she has finally arrived.

Ella Benoit lost her mother at an early age her father remarried a woman with two daughters of her own. Years later her father dies and her stepmother and stepsisters use her make a maid out of her and when her stepmother becomes sick Ella becomes a nursemaid. When her stepmother finally dies and leaves nothing but debt Ella was expecting it what she didn't expect was that her father left her a trust and a castle in France. Ella moves to France excited to be starting over and with high expectations of the castle. What she finds is a castle that needs more work than she thought and with a spooky reputation. Ella starts renovation on the castle but it also stirs up more activity. The painting of the original owner in the Georgian garb and the intense blue eyes starts to haunt Ella's dreams. Jean-Daniel knows he has found his Ella and will do anything to get her back.

I loved the story and where it went it makes me want to find the other books in the series just to see what she did with the other fairy tales.