Curious Minds - Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton (Review)

Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich & Phoef Sutton
Series A Knight and Moon Novel
Genres: Adult Fiction, Mystery, Action
Publication date: August 16, 2016
Publisher:  Bantam
Format: ebook, 336 pages
How I got it: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 3/5
 
Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.

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My thoughts:

I am a huge Janet Evanovich fan and love her books.  They are easy, quick reads, that I can typically laugh the whole way through and finish in one sitting.  I love books that you don't have to focus that much on to read because they are the easiest ones for me to get lost in.

This is the first book of the A Knight and Moon Novel following Riley who is working from the Blane-Grunwald bank when Emerson wants to see his gold, she is the one they send to convenience him his gold is safe.  Riley just started working for the bank so she really doesn't know exactly what is going on or really what to say to convenience Emerson the gold is safe.   Emerson then decides to take Riley directly to the bank to see his gold.

The book flows in typical Janet Evnavoich style where it doesn't really make sense how one event leads to the next, but somehow it really does make sense in the end.  So Riley and Emerson know team up to find the missing gold and also missing Grunwald.   They work up an investigation that Emerson is pretty much leading and putting the facts together.  Riley basically becomes the sidekick and driver for the getaways. 

Things I loved was Emerson as a character.  He has a zillion quirks to him and his character took on a life of his own.   From the wild animals running around his house to his jumping from one clue to the next you could tell he was very intelligent and maybe to intelligent for his own good.  I loved the schemes he would come up with to get out of different situations throughout the book.   He has a great set of friends in high places and lives a crazy life with all of this traveling.  Emerson is extremely smart.

Although, this is another series that I felt like didn't captivate my attention enough while reading.  I didn't really find that much humor in the book, which is what I have personally come to expect from Janet Evanovich writing.   The book is an easy read, but nothing struck out as to crazy to me or very memorable.   I probably would read the next book in the series, but for me Riley and Emerson didn't really click as a pair that would bond together.   I have also come to expect instant chemistry between the main characters and I didn't get that vibe at all in this book.   Emerson's personality is so different from any other character I have read by Janet so I don't think he relates well to Riley.

I would suggest this as a nighttime read, it was easy to pickup and put down while reading.  It is easy to follow along in the story and remember what was going on or even just dive right back in and pick up on what is going on.     

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of providing an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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About the Author

 

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.


  

Phoef Sutton started as an actor and playwright in college; he was lucky enough to go to a small liberal arts college in Virginia, James Madison University, which encouraged student playwrights. Phoef was one of the only undergraduates to win the Norman Lear Award for Comedy Playwriting. After graduation, Phoef had plays produced at various regional theaters around the country, had his award winning play BURIAL CUSTOMS selected for publication by the Theatre Communications Group and was awarded a National Endowment for Arts Playwrights Fellowship.

After marrying and moving to Los Angeles, Phoef started his career at the NBC television show CHEERS. He stayed with the show for eight years, working his way up from staff writer to executive producer, winning two Emmys and a Writer’s Guild Award. A greater training ground for a writer could not be imagined.

After CHEERS, Phoef has produced and created a number of television shows and consulted on others, including NEWS RADIO and BOSTON LEGAL. He is honored to have won a Peabody Award, a GLAAD award and a Television Academy Honors award for this work on BOSTON LEGAL. Recently, he has worked on critically acclaimed series TERRIERS for FX and THE SOUL MAN for TV Land, DEFIANCE for SyFy Channel and ALPHA HOUSE for Amazon.

He has directed a short film – a suspense tale called ‘TIL DEATH. ‘TIL DEATH has been shown and various film festivals around the world and received prizes at the Garden State Festival and WorldFest in Houston, Texas.

Phoef has also worked for many years as a screenwriter and script doctor. MRS. WINTERBOURNE, directed by Richard Benjamin was an adaptation of a novel by one of his favorite authors, Cornell Woolrich. THE FAN, directed by Tony Scott and starring Robert DeNiro was an adaptation of the novel by Peter Abrahams.

Phoef is a published novelist – FIFTEEN MINUTES TO LIVE, a romantic-thriller; DEAD MAN: THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, a horror novel and its sequel DEAD MAN REBORN.
2015 is a promising year for Phoef, with the debut of his collaborations with Janet Evanovich, WICKED CHARMS and publication of his hard-boiled crime novel CRUSH.

Phoef lives in South Pasadena, California with his wife Dawn and his daughters Skylar and Celia.

The Death of Anyone - D.J. Swykert (Book Review)

The Death of Anyone by D.J. Swykert
Genres: Adult Fiction, Action, Mystery, Suspense
Publication date: February 25, 2013
Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
Format: ebook, 222 pages
How I got it: I received a copy from the author for an honest review
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 4/5

Detroit homicide Detective Bonnie Benham has been transferred from narcotics for using more than arresting and is working the case of the killer of adolescent girls. CSI collects DNA evidence from the scene of the latest victim, which has not been detected on the other victims. But no suspect turns up in the FBI database. Due to the notoriety of the crimes a task force is put together with Bonnie as the lead detective, and she implores the D.A. to authorize an as yet unapproved type of a DNA Search in an effort to identify the killer. Homicide Detective Neil Jensen, with his own history of drug and alcohol problems, understands Bonnie’s frailty and the two detectives become inseparable as they track this killer of children.

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My thoughts:

I love mystery and suspense books and this one is great! It focuses on Bonnie a detective in the Detroit homicide that was working a case about a young girl who was violated and than killed.   The book does have very graphic scene descriptions right from the start so this is geared more towards adults and anyone that really enjoys police/law books.  The writing style seems very factual with the way the police handle these matters and the importance of gathering evidence.   

The author does a great job in developing the characters for this book.  We get a true look into Bonnie right from the beginning she opens up about her past with her narcotics episode along with losing her serious boyfriend.  As a reader I feel like she is a cop that you would want on your side just like all the characters say in the book.  She feels like someone who really cares about her job as well as catching the correct felon.   It makes you connect with Bonnie as a detective and Bonnie as a person.  

The author also focused on the challenged of police work, that typically they need a lead to start to develop a case.  In this case they talked about using Familiar DNA, which was a conversational police tactic since it wasn't well used in the US.  It showed the importance of thinking outside the box  in police work and always looking for new techniques to catch the felon.

 

The story really takes a turn towards the end so I quickly finished it.  I really didn't see where the book was going, but when they got a suspect closer towards the middle of the book I knew a turn was in store for the reader and that maybe looks aren't always as they appear.  

The book goes into a lot of police details, which are easy to follow along with as a reader.  The author does a great job in breaking down the police process. 

I suggest reading this as a book before bed, if you can handle some graphic police case details.  I am a fan of Law & Order so this book was easy for me to read before bed.

I was received this copy from the author for the purpose of providing an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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About the Author

DJ Swykert is a former 911 operator, and wolf expert, living in Northern Kentucky, USA. His short fiction and poetry has been published in: The Tampa Review, Monarch Review, Sand Canyon Review, Zodiac Review, Scissors and Spackle, spittoon, Barbaric Yawp and BULL. His novel, Maggie Elizabeth Harrington, won a literary competition with The LitWest Group in Los Angeles in 2002.

His books include Children of the Enemy, Alpha Wolves, The Death of Anyone, The Pool Boy's Beatitude and Maggie Elizabeth Harrington.

                         Author's Website          Good Reads Page          Twitter

Risen: First Book of the Nameless Chronicle - M. T. Miller (Book Review)

Synopsis:
In the middle of nowhere, a nameless individual rises from the dark. With barely any knowledge apart from how to speak and how to kill, he finds himself in a world gone mad. Worse off, nearly everything that moves is out for his blood.

Not knowing where to turn, the wanderer traverses the desolate landscape of a ruined continent. Along his travels, his mind and body are pushed to their limits as he desperately tries to make sense of what has happened to the world, what he is, and why he exists.

Foe after foe meets their end at his hands, yet each kill only serves to raise more questions. Is he even human? What has happened to the world? Where does his path lead?

The answer lies beyond the blood-stained horizon.

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Review:
Full disclosure, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank M.T. Miller for giving my the opportunity to read this apocalyptic fiction book.

This is a quick read about a man who wakes up from the grave.  He is originally trapped under the ground when he wakes up and needs to crawl out.  Nameless doesn't know what is going on in the world any longer or where he is.   So when the book first starts it jumps right into the action and might be confusing to the reader, but once the book gets going you are able to pick up more and more of what is going on.   As a reader I was able to feel comfortable with the writing style after the first few chapters.

The author sticks close to the original concept of Nameless not knowing what is going on as you basically learn as the narrator/main character learns what is going on.   The book is very fast paced and does cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.  The book makes you want to keep reading to learn exactly what is going on in the world and what is up with Nameless.

The book sets it self up really well for a squeal to be produced, I will be on the lookout to find out what is going to happen next!  

I would say this is a book to read right before bed, it takes your mind off the day.  It is a easy story to follow so you can pick it up and read whenever you are ready.

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My Rating 4/5

ASIN: B01ALZDY6A

Length 87
Format eBook

Link for Purchase: Amazon

Henchgirl - Rita Stradling (Book Review)

Synopsis:

The children of dragons and humans, the dracons, control eighty percent of the world’s governments. Humans worldwide are either subservient or prey. On the small vacation island of Mabi, humans call for war.

Sixteen year old Dakota Kekoa lives a double life. By day, she pretends to be a human to infiltrate Mabi Academy, a 'human's only' high-school. At night, she works as a henchman for her draconic mafia family, utilizing her ability to steal and manipulate emotions.

When Dakota’s human friend is kidnapped, she takes on the mission to find her. This is not just any mission though; she is diving head first into the escalating conflict between humans and dracons. As more girls disappear and some are discovered dead, Dakota realizes her first honorable mission may also be her last.

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Review:
I love when you read a book and after finishing it you want to read everything ever written by that author.  That is exactly how I felt about this book.   I went on a massive google hunt and now I added two additional books to my TBR list.  As well as patiently waiting on a squeal although this was just released so I know I will be waiting a little bit, but I need to know what is going to happen. 

I could not put this book down once I started it and pretty much finished it in one sitting.  The book opens with an explanation of what a Dracon is and from there we meet Dakota who is attempting to go into a night club that is very dangerous.  Dakota appears to be a very young girl who is a slightly unsure of herself, but once her first job is complete in the book you get to see a very independent and intelligent girl.  Sometimes looks can be deceiving.

The character development is amazing, you get a real feel as a reader of exactly how the characters look as well as the scenery around them.  From the night club to her grandfather's house to visiting the other side of the island as a reader you can almost imagine that you are there, which keeps the story moving along.   As a reader once I can visualize exactly what the characters are seeing I feel I am now part of the story.

I have read a few fantasy books before and this one is different the concept of focusing on Dragons.   The reader gets to learn about exactly what a Dracon in and that there are different levels of Dracons depending on the portion of human versus Dragon.  The whole Dragon world becomes intriguing to the reader and you want to know more about the different levels and what Dakota has to do with it.  Also, the Dracon's have special abilities that are mostly unique to that person.  It was interesting to see the author come up with so many aspects that a Dracon could have. 
   
To me this is a must read if you love fantasy books.  In my eyes this book hits exactly what a fantasy book should be with all the creative characters and a story that keeps you mind wandering into a fantasy world.  I would suggest having a longer time to read to complete this book because once you start you are going to want to know what is going to happen! 

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My Rating 5/5

Author website http://ritastradling.wix.com/author

Publisher Gill Publishing

ISBN 9781517470777

Length 397
Format eBook

Link for Purchase: Amazon

The Dean Machine - Dylan Lee Peters (Book Review)

Book Synopsis:
Meet Dan Delacor, an utterly boring citizen of Yellow City. Every day he puts on his yellow shoes, yellow shirt, yellow pants, and yellow tie, and catches a ride on the Tunnel Runner from the suburbs into downtown. He has a job, a home, and a girlfriend, and he never wonders what waits beyond the giant glass wall that surrounds Yellow City.
Except… Dan isn’t as boring as he seems. He often wonders why everything in Yellow City has to be yellow. He wonders why he suffers frequent anxiety attacks, and why he can’t help himself from strolling through dangerous neighborhoods, or running wildly through the fields that separate downtown from the suburbs. Mostly though, Dan wonders why he can’t remember how he lost his right arm, or anything that happened before five years ago.
So, when Dan’s mundane yellow world is interrupted with the seemingly impossible presence of a little red dog named Dean, he quickly finds out there are answers to his questions, and that everything he knows is a lie.
Follow Dan as he learns the secrets of his true identity, the scope of the world beyond the wall, and the true intentions of Yellow City’s mysterious leader, Chancellor Elgrey Vinsidian. Meet Wendy, the twelve-year-old girl on a rescue mission, Echo Valkzdokker, the woman with a love for danger, James Perkins, the wily pilot who has a way with words, and Bianna Kensington, the cold-mannered rebel with a cause. Look through the cracks of this new world with Dan as he learns why his little friend is nicknamed The Dean Machine, what special bond they share, and why the dog deserves a legacy that should live on forever.
He lives to love.
He would die to protect.
His heart is a machine.

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Book Review: 

Full disclosure, I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Dylan Lee Peters for letting me read this amazing book!

I loved this book! The story is pretty complex and takes a large amount of twists and turns, but it kept me wanting to read more and more.  I needed to know what happened, what was actually happening in the story and honestly I didn't piece it all together to the way end.  The book makes you want to read, which is one of the hardest things I think an author must accomplish to produce a great book.  

I haven't read a great science fiction book in a while, but I feel this book crosses very close to mystery and suspense as well so it would capture the attention of a wider range of readers.   In the beginning of the book you learn a little about the mundane life that Dan is experiencing and he is just starting to sense something is not right in the world he is living in.   The book gives you bits and pieces of information that you take to be real as the reader in the beginning.  When the story begins to unfold you see a whole different concept develop, which is what is presented to you sometimes is not always real.  The characters in the story need to determine what is real and not real and also who they can trust if at all anyone, which leads to the mystery and suspense.

The character development of every major character in the story is great.  There are a lot of details given to the reader so you can imagine what everyone looks like as well as the great scenery details so you can almost feel like you are in Yellow City.  The story does visit some other locations and the descriptions allow you to get a clear picture of what is going on and what the characters are seeing.   It allows the reader to become part of the story.

The book touches on some topics about society today regarding how there are some very influential people at the top and their opinions give a large amount of sway in decisions.   A powerful influencer can change what people think and believe, which is exactly what happens in this book.  The author also gives their view on what can happen if this continues down the path of powerful influencers getting there way since no one seems to be stopping them.   It gives the reader a lot to think about while reading or after you’re finished with the book.

Dean is a rescue dog who didn’t have the best upbringing.  I love the story of Dean and how he became a machine.  I think it is imperative to the reader that you read the forward about the actual Dean.  I am a rescue pet owner myself and you never know what actually happened to the animal before they got to you; you can only move forward loving your pet and taking care of them.  

To me this is a must read if you love science fiction and mystery books.  It is more of an adult level read to me.  I would suggest this as a weekend read where you have enough time to sit down and really appreciate the book.  Also, you need time to digest the book once you have read it.

 

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My Rating 4.5/5
Author website www.dylanleepeters.com.
Publisher CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 4, 2015)
ISBN 9781519414663
Length 294
Format Ebook
Purchase Links: Amazon