Book Review: The Darkest Evening (Vera Stanhope #9) by Ann Cleeves

Title: The Darkest Evening (Vera Stanhope #9)

Author: Ann Cleeves

Stars: 4 1\2 

Review:

As a big fan of British Police Mysteries I was not disappointed in this offering by the author. It builds from the onset untill the finish. You are able to visualize yourself in a small English village and watch, as an informed bystander, the drama unfold before you. You are shown the class snobbery and petty malicious gossip that swirls just beneath the seemingly calm waters. The big question is will the heroine (DI Vera Standhope), with the assistance of her team, be able to see justice done for the victim who was murdered so brutally on a cold and snowy night.

This character is also, aptly portrayed, in the excellent British television mystery series Vera.

I have rated this book 4.5 stars

l received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Synopsis:
On the first snowy night of winter, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope sets off for her home in the hills. Though the road is familiar, she misses a turning and soon becomes lost and disorientated. A car has skidded off the narrow road in front of her, its door left open, and she stops to help. There is no driver to be seen, so Vera assumes that the owner has gone to find help. But a cry calls her back: a toddler is strapped in the back seat.

Vera takes the child and, driving on, she arrives at a place she knows well. Brockburn is a large, grand house in the wilds of Northumberland, now a little shabby and run down. It’s also where her father, Hector, grew up. Inside, there’s a party in full swing: music, Christmas lights and laughter. Outside, unbeknownst to the revelers, a woman lies dead in the snow.

As the blizzard traps the group deep in the freezing Northumberland countryside, Brockburn begins to give up its secrets, and as Vera digs deeper into her investigation, she also begins to uncover her family’s complicated past.

Hardcover, 384 pages

Expected publication: September 8th 2020 by Minotaur Books

About The Author:
While she was cooking in the Bird Observatory on Fair Isle, she met her husband Tim, a visiting ornithologist. She was attracted less by the ornithology than the bottle of malt whisky she saw in his rucksack when she showed him his room. Soon after they married, Tim was appointed as warden of Hilbre, a tiny tidal island nature reserve in the Dee Estuary. They were the only residents, there was no mains electricity or water and access to the mainland was at low tide across the shore. If a person's not heavily into birds - and Ann isn't - there's not much to do on Hilbre and that was when she started writing. Her first series of crime novels features the elderly naturalist, George Palmer-Jones. A couple of these books are seriously dreadful.

In 1987 Tim, Ann and their two daughters moved to Northumberland and the north east provides the inspiration for many of her subsequent titles. The girls have both taken up with Geordie lads. In the autumn of 2006, Ann and Tim finally achieved their ambition of moving back to the North East.

For the National Year of Reading, Ann was made reader-in-residence for three library authorities. It came as a revelation that it was possible to get paid for talking to readers about books! She went on to set up reading groups in prisons as part of the Inside Books project, became Cheltenham Literature Festival's first reader-in-residence and still enjoys working with libraries.
Ann Cleeves on stage at the Duncan Lawrie Dagger awards ceremony

Ann's short film for Border TV, Catching Birds, won a Royal Television Society Award. She has twice been short listed for a CWA Dagger Award - once for her short story The Plater, and the following year for the Dagger in the Library award.

In 2006 Ann Cleeves was the first winner of the prestigious Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers' Association for Raven Black, the first volume of her Shetland Quartet. The Duncan Lawrie Dagger replaces the CWA's Gold Dagger award, and the winner receives £20,000, making it the world's largest award for crime fiction.

Ann's success was announced at the 2006 Dagger Awards ceremony at the Waldorf Hilton, in London's Aldwych, on Thursday 29 June 2006. She said: "I have never won anything before in my life, so it was a complete shock - but lovely of course.. The evening was relatively relaxing because I'd lost my voice and knew that even if the unexpected happened there was physically no way I could utter a word. So I wouldn't have to give a speech. My editor was deputed to do it!"

The judging panel consisted of Geoff Bradley (non-voting Chair), Lyn Brown MP (a committee member on the London Libraries service), Frances Gray (an academic who writes about and teaches courses on modern crime fiction), Heather O'Donoghue (academic, linguist, crime fiction reviewer for The Times Literary Supplement, and keen reader of all crime fiction) and Barry Forshaw (reviewer and editor of Crime Time magazine).

Ann's books have been translated into sixteen languages. She's a bestseller in Scandinavia and Germany. Her novels sell widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Raven Black was shortlisted for the Martin Beck award for best translated crime novel in Sweden in 200 

Book Review: The Deception (Maximum Security #2) by Kat Martin

Title: The Deception (Maximum Security #2) 

Author:  Kat Martin 

Stars: 4 1\2 

Review:
Kat Martin never disappoints with her action, romance, and characters who come alive keeping readers wanting more.
Readers will keep the loss Kate Gallagher feels when she finds her sister is dead and is determined to save others after not being able to save her sister.
The story is raw look at human trafficking how it truly effects the world around us and while the every day person turns a blind eyes to it these Characters are driven to end it.
Kat Martin made sure to research to make the story real as well as keeping it fiction with flawed characters who created a world of fighters, lovers and everything in between.
The Deception pack a punch that readers will love!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher HQN Book for the advance copy of Kat Martin The Deception.

Synopsis:
After searching for her sister for two long years, Kate Gallagher is devastated when she’s called to the morgue to identify Chrissy’s body, the runaway teen the victim of a brutal attack. Guilt and grief send Kate into a tailspin. She failed Chrissy once…she won’t do it again. Even if finding her sister’s killer means following a lethal bounty hunter into the heart of darkness, placing both their lives in danger.

Working at Maximum Security has taken Jason Maddox down some dangerous paths, but never for a client he’s so drawn to, or for a case so monstrous. As clues lead them deeper into the city’s underbelly, connections to human trafficking draw them closer and closer to peril, but even Jase’s warnings can’t convince Kate to walk away. As the deadly operation puts a target on their backs, they’ll have to decide what matters most: the truth…or their lives.

ebook, 384 pages

Expected publication: September 10th 2019 by HQN Books

About The Author:

Kathleen Kelly was born on 14 July 1947 in the Central Valley of California, USA. She obtained a degree in Anthropology and also studied History at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She was a real estate broker, when she met her future husband, Larry Jay Martin. A short time after the two became acquainted, Larry asked her to read an unpublished manuscript of an historical western he'd written. Kat fell in love with both the book and the author! Then, after doing some editing for him, she thought she'd try her own hand at writing. She moved on to become a full time writer.

Published since 1988, she singed her books with her married name, Kat Martin, but she also used two pseudonyms: Kathy Lawrence for a book in collaboration with her husband Larry Jay Martin, and Kasey Mars for her first contemporary romances. The New York Times bestselling writer, among her many awards, has won the prestigious RT Book Review Magazine Career Achievement Award. To date, Kat has over eleven million copies of her books in print. She has been published in seventeen foreign countries, including England, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Germany, Italy, Greece, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Bulgaria, China, and Korea.

Currently residing with her husband, a Western-writer and photographer, in Missoula, Montana, USA. But when they are not writing, they also enjoy skiing and traveling, particularly to Europe. 

"I've always loved books. I was an avid reader, with any number of my own stories rolling around in my head. Writing them down seemed a logical step."

"I love anything old," Kat says. "I love to travel and especially like to visit the places where my books are set. My husband and I often stay in out-of-the-way inns and houses built in times past. It's fun and it gives a wonderful sense of a by-gone era." 

Book Review: He Is Watching You by Charlie Gallagher

Title: He Is Watching You 

Author: Charlie Gallagher 

Stars: 4 1/2 

Review:
The lead characters are like Oil and Water and will take some time getting used to the way they react to each other.  This story is dark and the killer is sadistic with the treatment and killing of the woman he takes.   The characters have dept but readers might struggle with relating to the lead characters.
Thank you to Netgalley for a Copy of Charlie Gallagher He Is Watching You.
  

Synopsis:
A young woman’s body is left in a metal container in a remote location. The killer is careful to position her under a camera that links to his smartphone. He likes to look back at his work.

HE IS WATCHING HER. BUT SHE ISN’T DEAD.

So he will go back to finish the job. He can barely contain his excitement at the thought of getting to do it all over again. But he must be careful. He cannot rush. Rushing makes you careless.

Detective Maddie Ives is new to the area. She is handed a missing person report: a young woman with a drink problem who’s been reported missing fifteen times. It looks like a waste of time. But DS Ives has a bad feeling about the woman’s disappearance.

DI Harry Blaker is called to a hit and run of an elderly man left to die on a quiet country road. There is no motive and it looks like a tragic accident. But he’s been working Major Crime long enough to know that something isn’t quite right. The two officers find their investigations intertwine and they will need to work together.

Paperback

Published November 20th 2018 by Joffe Books

About The Author:

Charlie Gallagher has been a serving UK police officer for eleven years. During that time he has had many roles, starting as a front-line response officer, then a member of a specialist tactical team and is currently a detective investigating serious offences.

Book Review: The Medical Marijuana Guide: Cannabis and Your Health by Patricia C Frye, MD, Dave Smitherman

Title: The Medical Marijuana Guide: Cannabis and Your Health 

Author:(s) Patricia C Frye, MD,  Dave Smitherman

Stars: 4 1\2 stars

Review:
As a text book this works as a book anyone would pick up and read I find it a little difficult at times. The author is well informed and gives the pros and cons to this form of medication.  They do not tell you to use it without making sure you as a consumer are well informed. The author talks about legal allegations, the political side effect and you can tell by the passion they want this to become more main stream with the guidance of professionals. 

Did she convince me? I am still on the fence due to lack of evidence on long term use on teens though adulthood with mental disorders.

The review will becomes more personal and opinionated from this point on. (Just a Warning)

I have seen the effect of Medical Marijuana though friends who couldn't find relief from though chemical medication. I have seen others who have gone though the process of getting their card and found it was more expensive than conventional medication and found no relief and worse side effects then chemical mediation.


I think everyone has the right to make the decision of their mental and physical health with the proper guide of medical professionals.  I think there are benefits to the use of Medically guided Marijuana when it is handled professionally and not handed out like gummy bears.  (Which has helped a friend of mine out with her ADHD and mood swings.)

I do see Marijuana as a gateway drug if not taken though the guidance of a medical professional that is able to help those needing relief from pain, anxiety, Adhd and more. 


Have I looked into using Medical Marijuana for my Anxiety and ADHD? Yes but the cost is more than all of my chemical medications and drs visit put together.

This was wonderful information and insight into a very misunderstood medical Marijuana.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for a chance to review Patricia C Frye, MD,  Dave Smitherman The Medical Marijuana Guide: Cannabis and Your Health 



Synopsis 
After decades of misinformation about cannabis largely due to the well-funded propaganda campaign in the 1930s, public attitudes toward the drug have finally begun to evolve. In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana and since then, 28 other states, 2 U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia have followed suit. Now countless patients are reaping the benefits of this amazing resource which has been used to effectively treat everything from chronic pain to debilitating illnesses. In The Medical Marijuana Guide: Cannabis and Your Health, Dr. Patricia Frye takes a direct, no-nonsense approach to educating readers about cannabis and its medicinal qualities. After having retired from medicine, Dr. Frye was offered an opportunity to practice cannabis treatment. Intrigued, she educated herself on this emerging alternative and is now ready to share with others what she has learned. In this book, using humorous and touching stories from the many situations she has encountered in her practice over the years, Dr. Frye provides valuable information about the undeniable medicinal qualities of cannabis. This book helps to de-stigmatize this misunderstood drug and educate readers on the history of cannabis and how it is used by the medical community today. This is an accessible, enjoyable resource that will not only entertain readers, but may change their lives for the better.

Paperback, 240 pages

Published November 8th 2018 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

About The Author(s)

Patricia C Frye, MD Takoma Park Alternative Care in Takoma Park, MD is a medical clinic here to help you. Our patients have adequate time with the doctor to discuss medical concerns, ask questions, and review options. We provide ongoing medical management of cannabis therapy and alternative pain management.

Our mission is to inform patients of the medicinal properties of Cannabis and how it alleviates symptoms and promotes homeostasis and well-being. Patients will learn how to benefit from medical cannabis without experiencing undesirable psychoactive side effects.

We are honest, ethical, well educated. experienced, knowledgeable, and provide exceptional patient care, pediatric patient evaluations with extensive experience in medicinal cannabis therapy. We provide ongoing care in a private, discreet office setting; no crowded waiting rooms; person-to-person consultation with physician who is knowledgeable and experienced in the field of medical cannabis. We are 2 blocks from Metro with on site parking.

We are licensed to practice medicine in Maryland, District of Columbia (DC), California, and Nevada; Member of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians; Fellow of the American Academy of Pain Management, Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics.

https://www.takomaparkmedicalclinic.com/

Book Review: Witness Betrayed (Will Novak Thriller #3) by Linda Ladd

Title: Witness Betrayed (Will Novak Thriller #3)

Author: Linda Ladd 

Stars: 4 1/2 

Review:
This is the first of the Will Novak Series as well as a first time read of Linda Ladd.  I was surprised how quickly as a readers I was pulled in unable to put the story down. 
Will Novak is smart, quick and only to do what is right.
The characters jump off the page as readers can't get enough of the fast pace story.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Lyrical Underground for the advance copy of Witness Betrayed By Linda Ladd

Synopsis: 
NO FRIENDS
Mardi Gras whips New Orleans’ French Quarter into a whirlpool of excess, color, booze, noise, motion. So the woman in the sights of Will Novak’s binoculars stands out. She’s bruised, barefoot, wearing a man’s raincoat. And she’s looking right at him.

NO FAITH
In a moment she’s fleeing into the crowd, but Novak knows she’s not gone for good. When she comes back, it’s with a gun to his head—and a story about crony politics, a crooked judge, a kidnapped whistleblower, and children in deadly danger. Novak can’t let this one slide.

NO FURY
Through the grit of Houston’s underbelly to the grime below Beverly Hills’ glamor, a trickle of rot connects the powerful to the desperate and corrupts the men and women who are supposed to stand against it. Deceit is everywhere. If he’s going to do right, Novak is going to have to do it alone . 

Kindle Edition

Expected publication: October 2nd 2018 by Lyrical Underground

About The Author:

I love to write and I love to read.

I've written nine books in my detective mystery/suspense series featuring Homicide Detective Claire Morgan at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. Claire runs up against some very dark and disturbing serial killers in these books, but trust me, she can hold her own.  She also has a very devoted and good-looking man in her life by the name of Nicholas Black who helps her solve her cases.  I hope you'll get a chance to read them and will let me know what you think!

I guess my biggest fear is that nobody will show up for my book signings. : )

I also administer diagnostic developmental tests  to pre-schoolers (three and four years old), which is very rewarding and enjoyable.

I'm married to a wonderful man who is a  famous teacher in our town and the best carpenter around.  My daughter is also a fantastic teacher and a lovely person with the biggest heart in the world.  She is married to a crack attorney.  I have a son who is a CPA, and his wife is the comptroller of a bank.  I also have two beautiful little grandsons named William Tucker and Cooper Russell. They are the smartest kids I've ever encountered. : )

I love cryptograms, crosswords, scrabble, and any kind of word game or board game. I recently bought a game called Loaded Question, which is very interesting to play and gives players insight into how and what their friends and family think and feel. Apples to Apples is also a lot of fun, as is Catch Phrase.

I like playing tennis and sitting in my swing and gazing out over the lake. I do yoga to relax and love all Italian food, bar none. I collect Blue Willow dishes and etched crystal goblets. I especially love animals and have dogs and cats. I lost both my old dog and old cat within a 2-week period, and it nearly killed me. My pets are like members of my family. I'm a big University of North Carolina Tar Heels basketball fan, because Tyler Hansbrough is from my home town. Congrats to Tyler on all the awards he won there! He is awesome, as is his younger brother, Ben Hansbrough  who attended Notre Dame. They both played for the Indiana Pacers for awhile, but now Tyler is playing for the Toronto Raptors so I am now a big Raptors fan!   I also support the St. Louis Cardinals. GO CARDS!

I like Toby Keith because his videos usually make me laugh, and I love to laugh. I love Taylor Swift because she is a breath of fresh air and her music videos are romantic instead of vulgar. I like the new country and all the oldies goldies, but truth is I like just about any kind of music, except really, really high-pitched opera. Ouch!

I am absolutely obsessed with the TV show, Supernatural, which chronicles the hair-raising escapades of brothers, Dean and Sam Winchester.  Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are superb actors, and if I wasn't under contract to write my Claire Morgan novels, I would beg producer Eric Kripke to let me become a writer on Supernatural!  His writers on that show are unbelievably talented.  Love the realistic dialogue!

I thought The Departed was beautifully written and acted. I recently enjoyed The Cider House Rules again. I thought Mystic River was very good, both the book and the movie. I liked Little Miss Sunshine, and I thought Elizabeth with Cate Blanchett was excellent. She should've won the oscar for that performance. I thought the Changeling was gripping and very well acted.

I enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris and watching the HBO series True Blood. I find it hilarious and think the cast and the casting are fantastic. After that, I have a stack of Philippa Gregory's historicals to read, as well as The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

I also liked the Lord of the Rings and Star Wars movies. I loved all the Bourne films because I think Damon does an outstanding and realistic job as Jason Bourne, especially in The Bourne Identity.I like the crime shows, of course, especially the ones featuring real-life law enforcement officers. The First 48, Cold Case, City Confidential, Psychic Detectives, Haunting Evidence, all of them.  I love NCIS, but not as much as I did when Ziva David was a character on the show.  She was very interesting and her dynamic with Tony can never be duplicated.

I watch 48 Hours Mystery, Rome, and The Sopranos. I did not like the ending but thought it was clever to end it that way. I love The Tudors and Boardwalk Empire and Breaking Bad and Mad Men.  I also like Justified, Banshee, Dexter, and Duck Dynasty.

I am a HUGE fan of Lee Child and read all his books.  I love Jack Reacher--I would love for him to meet Claire Morgan.  Now that duo could create some fireworks!  ; )  I am now reading the Gods of Guilt  by Michael Connelly and have finished Jolie Blon's Bounce by James Lee Burke, both of which are excellent. I also enjoyed Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen and Fatal Flaw by William Lashner. That was the first time I've read Lashner's work, and I really like his style, especially the humor.

Actually I've been reading a lot: The Ruins by Smith, The Road by McCarthy, Cage of Stars by Mitchard, The Innocent Man by Grisham, Water for Elephants by Gruen.

I am waiting impatiently for the new Robert Crais, Michael Connelly, Eileen Dreyer, John Connolly, and James Lee Burke. I admire so many authors, it's hard to narrow it down. I've been hearing some good things about Stephen King's new book and look forward to that, too.  I miss my friend, Beverly Barton, and her wonderful books.

I think our men and women fighting overseas to defend our country are the greatest heroes. They, and their families and loved ones sacrificing at home.

Also, the rescue workers after 9/11 and everywhere else. Pretty much all the doctors and nurses, too, and teachers, who are overlooked, underpaid, and under appreciated. And our law enforcement officers and fire fighters, who risk their lives for us every day.

http://www.lindaladd.com/

Book Review: Watched From a Distance (Love Under Fire #3) by Allison B. Hanson

Title: Watched From a Distance (Love Under Fire #3)

Author: Allison B. Hanson 

Stars: 4 1\2 Stars

Review:
The one down fall of this series is when you see how many chapter are in the book but when you realize the chapters are short it makes for a fast read.
The story starts off with a bang well at least to the head that is.  I wouldn't call this a stand alone novel because it bring in characters from the other books but at the same times they are secondary characters that backgrounds are covered in this story quickly.
With this series there is steamy scenes, romance, guns and lots of fighting.  Moms who are romantic suspense readers will contact quickly with Lena Scott characters and cheer when she wins the battle.

I enjoyed this book and the fast pace and quickly writing will keep readers wanting more.  The story seems to have moments of not sure where it was going and the ending was wrapped up in a nice little bow.

Thank you to netgalley and the publsher Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara) for the advance copy of Allison B. Hanson Watched From a Distance.

Synopsis:

Lena Scott is in a world of hurt. She’s being forced to pay off her ex’s debts to people who’d rather kill her than look at her…and are making demands she’s desperate to avoid. But kidnapping and murder? Hell, no. When the threats turn deadly, Lena refuses to be a pawn any longer.

Five years ago, U.S. Marshal Dane Ryan left his old life and went into witness protection alone to keep his family safe. Working for Task Force Phoenix under a new identity, it’s his job to protect others from those who’d harm them.

When the beautiful and mysterious Lena lures him into danger, he suddenly doesn’t know who to trust. She has her own agenda, and they both have big secrets, but for either to survive, they’ll need to work together to defeat their mutual enemy. Falling in love will only mean more to lose…

ebook

Expected publication: September 24th 2018 by Entangled Publishing, LLC (Amara)

About The Author:

One very early morning, Allison B. Hanson woke up with a conversation going on in her head.  It wasn’t so much a dream as being forced awake by her imagination. Unable to go back to sleep, she gave in, went to the computer, and began writing.  Years later it still hasn’t stopped.

Allison lives near Hershey, Pennsylvania. Her contemporary romances include paranormal, sci-fi, fantasy, and mystery suspense.  She enjoys candy immensely, as well as long motorcycle rides, running and reading.

https://allisonbhanson.wordpress.com/

Book Review The Watchdogs Didn't Bark: How the NSA Failed to Protect America from the 9/11 Attacks by Ray Nowosielski, Emanuel Stoakes

Title: The Watchdogs Didn't Bark: How the NSA Failed to Protect America from the 9/11 Attacks

Author(s): Ray Nowosielski,  Emanuel Stoakes

Stars: 4 1/2

Review:
I hate to say this might come off more personal than it should because of the topic that is being written about.
Readers will not be able to get though the first 100 pages without wanting to pull their hair out.  Realizing the people who were suppose to be protecting us failed at their one job is hard but seeing how easy it would have been for them to prevent something like this from happening years before the first bomb that failed to take down the towers years before 9/11.  I can't say how much I wanted to punch something.
I understand there are always two view points but these author make a compelling story that will have readers demanding more answers.  I understand there are things as normal people we do not need to know.  I can see the debate of transparency vs allowing Americans to sleep in their beds at night with a fake since of security everything is alright with the world.

History isn't going to judge this time in history well because there is so many falsehoods and well as the buried truths.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Hot Books for the an advance copy of Ray Nowosielski and Emanuel Stoakes The Watchdogs didn't Bark.

Synopsis:
The Watchdogs Didn't Bark takes a fact-based, character-driven approach to telling the shocking, previously unrevealed story of the NSA's failure to protect America on 9/11. Citing new insider testimony, the book explores how and why the world's most powerful and least understood intelligence agency failed to stay true to its most basic objective: protect the homeland from a Pearl Harbor style attack. No one was fired for 9/11, and many of the worst failures went on to play lead roles in running programs and operations utilized in the War on Terror. 
Emanuel Stoakes and Ray Nowosielski examine for the first time this episode of America's secret history in full-detail, conveying the psychological imperative felt by NSA leadership, which was caught red-handed withholding actionable intelligence that could and should have saved nearly 3,000 lives, the unprecedented program embraced in secret under the direction of Vice President Dick Cheney to reclaim the agency's place in history, and the successful cover-up undertaken to preserve power long enough to ensure the secret initiative they had begun would be embraced and protected. The byzantine nature of the contemporary national security state and its push for less and less transparency and oversight can be clearly traced back to this formative episode. We have inherited the unchallenged legacy of this failure and continue to pay the price.

Hardcover, 160 pages

Expected publication: September 11th 2018 by Hot Books

About The Author(s):

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Ray+Nowosielski&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3ARay+Nowosielski

Book Review: A Gut Feeling: A Guide to Surviving Your Sweet Tooth by Rebuilding Your Gut Microbiome by Heather Anne Wise

Title: A Guide to Surviving Your Sweet Tooth by Rebuilding Your Gut Microbiome 

Author: Heather Anne Wise

Stars: 4 Stars

Review:
Heather Anne Wise contacted me about reading her book A Gut feeling and quickly sent me a link to Netgalley.
Now having a Huge sweet tooth I wanted to better understand what microbiome and how it effects my gut.
I found so much amazing information that I hadn't been told about before. 
The author set up the book so that is it easy to follow Chapter overview and summaries along with bullet points for the most important information you need to watch for.
I can say I found information to be helpful as I try to find a healthier way for my little family to eat.

Thank you to Netgalley, The Author and Publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers for the advance copy of A Gut Feeling

Synopsis:
Dead foods--devoid of any microscopic life--are causing us to feel sick, tired, and depressed. In Sweet Palate: How to Survive Your Sweet Tooth by Healing Your Microbiome, Heather Wise takes you through her personal journey uncovering a hidden inner world of microflora that shapes our mood, physical health, sweet cravings, and even genes. 

Sweet Palate gives practical steps in rebalancing and healing our gut microbial balance to relieve stress, digestive upsets, inflammation, bloat, excess belly fat, and improve our mood. Wise offers a much sought after alternative to the complex world of fad diets and calorie counting in this easy, evidence-based guide for wellbeing. Rooted in scientific research and providing a number of healthy sweet fixes high in prebiotics and probiotic foods that support the growth of healthy gut flora, this book is a practical guide to help heal our relationship with food and tune into what our gut has been trying to tell us. 

ebook, 210 pages

Expected publication: September 8th 2018 by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

About The Author: 

Heather Wise, MPH is a certified holistic health coach, wellness consultant, herbalist, certified yoga instructor, and author of the book, A Gut Feeling: Conquer Your Sweet Tooth by Tuning Into Your Microbiome. She studied with pioneers in the field of holistic wellness at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, accredited by Columbia University’s Teacher’s College and the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and holds a masters degree in Public Health from Boston University School of Public Health. Additionally, Heather has worked in health communications at a some of the most robust and pioneering preventative health organizations in the country including the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Division of Prevention and Wellness, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Department of Prevention and Wellness. She has crafted her own unique message on the transformative power of re-balancing the gut microbiome using the latest scientific research and has been invited to speak and give workshops at yoga studios, wellness centers, and universities, including at Harvard Medical School. She lives in the Boston area with her husband and daughter. 

http://www.heatherannewise.com/

Book Review: Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1) by Laura Griffin (Review 2 of 2)

Title: Desperate Girls (Wolfe Security #1)

Author: Laura Griffin

Stars: 4 1/2 stars

Review:
I have read many book by Laura Griffin and while each one if different and unique she has the ability bring readers into her world of action, romance, mystery and suspense.  The characters are human with their abilities to bring their lives front and center where readers began to care about what happens to them.

Desperate Girls is a mix of legal dialogue and police procedural that readers will drown in but than the action starts to pick up once again keeping readers hooked needing to know who and why.

The story is told from different points of view which doesn't  pull away from the story and only adds to the mystery and action that will pack a punch.  Filling readers of suspense with what they have been missing and romance readers enough to keep them wanting more.
Readers will want to yell at Brynn Holloran several times in the book trust me I did.

The lack of emotions from the male lead characters don't detract from the book but readers might have a hard time connecting with him.  This might sound funny but this story I think would be a solid 5 if there had been a little humor added into the story.
The story has a large cast of characters that are introduced and the author did a great job of keeping everyone in a line and I can't wait to see where this series goes from here.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Gallery Books for the advance copy of   Laura Griffin  Desperate Girls

Synopsis:

Defense attorney Brynn Holloran is right at home among cops, criminals, and tough-as-nails prosecutors. With her sharp wit and pointed words, she has a tendency to intimidate, and she likes it that way. She’s a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom, but in her personal life, she’s a mess.

When a vicious murderer she once helped prosecute resurfaces and starts a killing spree to wipeout those who put him behind bars, one thing becomes clear: Brynn needs to run for her life.

With no help from the police, Brynn is forced to take matters into her own hands, turning to a private security firm for protection. But when Brynn defies advice and gets involved in the investigation, even the former Secret Service agent assigned to protect her may not be able to keep her safe. With every new clue she discovers, Brynn is pulled back into the vortex of a disturbing case from her past.

As the clock ticks down on a manhunt, Brynn’s desperate search for the truth unearths long-buried secrets and reignites a killer’s fury.

Paperback, 368 pages

Expected publication: August 7th 2018 by Gallery Books

About The Author:

http://lauragriffin.com/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Laura Griffin started her career in journalism before venturing into the world of writing romantic suspense. Her books have won numerous awards, including two RITA Awards (for Scorched and Whisper of Warning) and a Daphne du Maurier Award (Untraceable). Laura currently lives in Austin where she is working on her next book

Book Review: Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems (Cindy's Crusades #1) by Susan Jean Ricci

Title: Dinosaurs & Cherry Stems (Cindy's Crusades #1)

Author: Susan Jean Ricci 

Stars: 4 1/2 stars

Review:
Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems is a laugh out loud funny easy to read story.   
                                              This is a must read book!!
Susan Jean Ricci is able to create a laugh out loud story with fun dialogue, a protagonist that will have readers loving and a hate to love or is it love to hate characters.
Cindy shows the world what it is like to date online and the humor you need when the crazy happens.
Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems is the perfect read for anyone going though a divorce not to mention if you just need to laugh.

This story from what I have heard from friends is a very honest look at dating after 40.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Susan Jean Ricci Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems. 

Synopsis:
Twice divorced, cynical Cindy Layton feels like a relic with prehistoric baggage, and doubts she can muster the courage to establish a new relationship, even if it's on her own terms.

Her journey out of the Stone Age hits freaky, hilarious turbulence when she joins an Internet dating service. The scammers and weirdoes she meets in cyberspace make Cindy want to crawl back into her cave, until she receives an accidental email from Jay DeMatteo.

Jay has the dating blues, too, but after meeting Cindy, reconsiders his options. Now it's up to him to convince her it's never too late to pursue a meaningful relationship, even when a couple is struggling with midlife adolescence. 

Kindle Edition, 128 pages

Published September 14th 2012 by Jumping Jersey Jenkins Books

About The Author: 

An Award-Winning, From Women’s Pens Author and Humorist, Best Selling Author Susan Jean Ricci is best known for her Cindy’s Crusades Series, starring the hilarious duo Cindy and Jay DeMatteo. These cherished characters are first introduced in the novel Dinosaurs and Cherry Stems, and return to entertain you in the sequel The Sugar Ticket. Their mischief making continues in these shorts: Two Miracles for Christmas, A Valentine’s Day to Remember, and The Blind Seer. 

Most recently, Ms. Ricci’s novels have been included in the Sweet and Sassy Christmas - A Time for Romance Collection and the Unforgettable Christmas - Gifts of Love (The Unforgettables Book 3) Collection. Her novella When Saliors Play has been included in Uvi Poznansky’s Bestselling Anthology Love in Times of War. Her other titles are offered in the following anthologies: Unforgettable Heroes – Unforgettable Passion, and Sweet Heat – Where Love & Suspense Meet. 

Ms. Ricci’s Christmas stories and novellas have been published in the beloved Annie Acorn Christmas Treasuries 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Other selections appear in Annie Acorn's Romance 2015 Treasury, Annie Acorn's Romance Treasury 2016, and Annie Acorn’s Spirited Tales 2015. All may be purchased as stand alone stories, as well as other her titles, including those smoking, hot novellas available in Ms. Ricci’s catalogue, The My Sexy Chef Series. 

Susan and her husband Joe live in a beautiful town near the sea, and when time allows, they love to travel. Together they have seven children and ten grandchildren.

Book Review: A Risk Worth Taking (The Legionnaires #3) by Brynn Kelly

Title: A Risk Worth Taking (The Legionnaires #3)

Author: Brynn Kelly

Star: 4 1/2

Review:
Brynn Kelly is able to make characters who are in a fictional over the top world and make them feel real.  They deal with real life issues that weighed down a persons mind and soul. 
A Risk Worth Taking is a fast pace story that is able to focus on characters development while they are running from bullets.
This story can be read as a stand alone novel but it won't pack as much of a punch.  Readers are in a wild ride that is worth of sleepless night.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harlequin for the advance copy of Brynn Kelly A Risk Worth Taking (The Legionnaires #3)


Synopsis:
Legionnaire Jamie Armstrong lives in the shadows. A medic haunted by his mistakes, he knows better than to hope for redemption. But his latest mission brings a threat he doesn’t see coming—an attraction as irresistible as it is dangerous. Hacker Samira Desta is a woman he swore to forget, but as a key witness to a deadly conspiracy, Samira is his to protect.

But the woman he rescues might be the one who saves him

After a year in hiding, Samira’s worst fears come true when her cover is blown and the unlikeliest of allies comes to her aid—the secretive Scot with whom she shared one unforgettable night. Hunted by lethal forces and losing the battle against their desire, Jamie and Samira make a desperate play to take the fight to their enemy—but those at greatest risk of ruin may be themselves.

Paperback, 400 pages

Expected publication: May 29th 2018 by HARLEQUIN

About The Author:

As a journalist, Brynn Kelly once spent her days chasing stranger-than-fiction news reports. Now she spends them writing larger-than-life novels, in a happy bubble of fiendish plots and delicious words. 

She's a current RITA® finalist and RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Awards nominee.

She has a journalism degree, and has won several other prestigious writing and journalism awards, including the Valerie Parv Award, Pacific Hearts Award and Koru Award. Her debut novel finale in the Golden Heart®. She’s also a bestselling non-fiction author, in her native New Zealand.

Book Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Title: Then She Was Gone by

Author Lisa Jewell

Stars: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

I loved it and hated it at the same time - this author is talented and will make you think long after you finish this book.

Wow! this book grabbed me just a few chapters in and then turned dark really fast.  At one point I was not sure how deep or bizarre the book could get.  How can someones thinking be so convoluted and evil?  How could another person allow a person to do what she did?  Well, it started to get less psychological thriller(this would never happen in real life) and more believable as I continued to read.  The characters were struggling and I had great empathy for the mother especially since I am a mother.  Her life had been tossed and turned and she was adrift with nothing to anchor her to this world.  Her husband could not support her because she was lost and he could not figure out how to reach her.  Her other children could only watch as she drifted further and further from where they were and from who she had been.  What would you do if one of your children just disappeared without reason?  This book will make you think and some of those thoughts are terrifiying. Closure is so important and this book really showed that aspect of human nature.  You cannot always move on without it.  Also, if you have information even if it seems small you need to tell someone - you will understand once you read this book.

I read this book in less than 3 days because I had to know what happened to Ellie.  I would have read it faster had I not had to work, be a mother, and do all the other things that are necessary for this life to support a family...bummer somedays when you find a really good book. 

I give this book 4 1/2 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery that can be graphic at times.  This book was bizarre and yet not too bizarre like I started to think it was getting.  Unstable people seem to attract unstable people making some situations pretty scary, to say the least.  I had not read this author before but I will look at her other books and see if they are as good as this book.  

Make sure you have time to read this book when you get about 1/2 way because you will begrudge putting it down for any reason.  This would make a really scary movie because it could happen - happen to anyone.  This is not something out of the realm of possibilities and that is what scares me the most about this book.  It is good, but it is tense and will keep you wondering how could this happen and what if it happened to me?

Thank you Lisa Peters for your Review.

Synopsis:
THEN
She was fifteen, her mother's 
golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. 
And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone. 

NOW 
It’s been ten years since Ellie 
disappeared, but Laurel has never given up 
hope of finding her daughter.
And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. 
Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter. 
Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away. 

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age.
And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back. 

What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? 
Who still has secrets to hide?

Hardcover, 426 pages

Published July 27th 2017 by Century

About The Author:


Lisa was born in London in 1968. Her mother was a secretary and her father was a textile agent and she was brought up in the northernmost reaches of London with her two younger sisters. She was educated at a Catholic girls’ Grammar school in Finchley. After leaving school at sixteen she spent two years at Barnet College doing an arts foundation course and then two years at Epsom School of Art & Design studying Fashion Illustration and Communication.

She worked for the fashion chain Warehouse for three years as a PR assistant and then for Thomas Pink, the Jermyn Street shirt company for four years as a receptionist and PA. She started her first novel, Ralph’s Party, for a bet in 1996. She finished it in 1997 and it was published by Penguin books in May 1998. It went on to become the best-selling debut novel of that year.

She has since written a further nine novels, as is currently at work on her eleventh.

She now lives in an innermost part of north London with her husband Jascha, an IT consultant, her daughters, Amelie and Evie and her silver tabbies, Jack and Milly.