Caught in the Act, by Jeannie McDonough

 

Caught in the Act:

Author: Jeannie McDonough

Published By: Berkley Books

Genre: True Crime, Non-Fiction

Date Published: January 26, 2011

Pages: 287

Recommended Age: Mature Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating:B/ 4

"Justice isn't served until crime victims are"-pg. 282

I borrowed this book from the library

Summary:

Jeannie and Kevin McDonough wake one hot summer night to the sound of their 15 year old daughter in what they thought were the throes of a nightmare.  Their first inclination was to let it be, but something compelled BOTH of them to get up and check on her. This is their story of how they saved their daughter’s life and helped bring down a serial killer.

My Thoughts:

I liked reading this book.  It was well written and easy to read. I really liked that Ms. McDonough was a spiritual person and believed in guardian angels like I do.  I like how when she looked back at the little things that lead up to the attack on her daughter she sensed that God was preparing them for the attack and to capture the intruder.  She recognized there were angels among them during the ordeal.

What I didn’t like was that some wanted the death penalty.  I don’t believe in the death penalty. Not only does it cost the taxpayers more money to put a person on death row than it is to house them for the rest of their lives, but it’s barbaric.  We are told throughout our lives that it is wrong to cause harm to another person and not to take another person’s life, not only is it immoral but also a crime; yet the government can kill another person. I feel that family members that want the death penalty do not want justice but vengeance, which is wrong as well. What does it accomplish? It doesn’t bring the love one back.  I have already made it clear to my family that if I am ever murdered not to ask for the death penalty, but for a life sentence.

I gave this book four stars and a grade of B because I really liked the way McDonough told her family’s story about how they survived and dealt with Survivor’s Guilt.  If you like books about true-crime I recommend Caught in the Act.

Parents:

Language: very little

Adult Content:  Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: violent and brutal murders

Dark Shadows: The Salem Branch, by Lara Parker

 

The Salem Branch

Author:  Lara Parker

Published By: Tor Books

Date Published: July 11, 2006

Genre: Paranormal, Vampires, Suspense

Pages: 288

Recommended Age: Mature Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: C/3

 I bought this as a Kindle book.

Summary:

This is the second book in Lara Parker’s Dark Shadows series, following Angelique’s Descent. Barnabas is no longer suffering the vampire curse that was put on him by Angelique because of Dr. Julia Hoffman’s treatments.  Barnabas finds him getting reacquainted with the day-today activities of the living and gets himself engaged to Julia Hoffman, a woman he feels no physical attraction to or romantic love for, just gratitude.  

 He also finds himself falling in love with a woman named Antoinette.  Antoinette is the mysterious woman who has bought The Old House on the Collins property and is restoring it while living in the woods with a bunch of hippies.  She also looks like Barnabas’ nemesis Angelique.

Antoinette has a daughter who lives in the nearby mental hospital. She suffers from flashbacks from her previous life as Miranda du Val who was burned as a witch during the Salem witch trials. Barnabas is determined to win Antoinette’s heart and protect her and the town of Collinsport from the newest vampire that has come to town.

My Thoughts:

Being a fellow Dark Shadows fan I could not wait to read this book. I love the way Parker writes.  The way she puts words together is beautiful. She can weave a story together like an artist painting a landscape on an easel.  I enjoyed the back story of the Salem witch trials, and how Parker had humanized Barnabas.  I can see him comparing what he can and cannot do in his new life with what he could and could not do in his life as a vampire. It makes sense that he would miss some of his powerful attributes he had when he was a vampire.

What bothered me were the few scenes that Quentin Collins had.  If he’s going to be in the story, I think he should have a bigger part than have a few quarrels with Barnabas and competing over the same girl.  I also had a hard time picturing Julia trying to get Barnabas to kiss her and share her bed.

I gave this book three stars and a grade of B, because I liked this book but not as well as the first book.  Something seemed to be lacking in this book.  I don’t know if it was missing Angelique’s presence or what, but with Parker’s talent I know it could have been somewhat better.  If you are a fan of Dark Shadows, or just have an interest in the paranormal and vampires I recommend The Salem Branch.

Parents:

Language: some swear words

Adult Content: Sexual Content, Drugs/alcohol use, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: brutal attacks

A Dog's Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron

 

A Dog’s Purpose

Author: W. Bruce Cameron

Published By: Forge Books

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Date Published: July 6, 2010

Pages: 320

Recommended Age: Young adults, Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: A/5

 "What is your dog's purpose?"-Theresa

I got the book from the library.

Summary:

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of our beloved dogs or if they have souls?  This is a tale of one dog that spends his lifetime wondering what his purpose in life is and has many adventures trying to figure what that purpose is.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. I always liked how books and movies give animals their own personalities and working thoughts because I believe they do have them.  Cameron wrote an excellent book.  He has way of writing that can make the reader laugh on one page and cry on another.

 I gave this book five stars and a grade of A because he made me laugh and cry.  Bravo!!! I look forward to Cameron’s next novel. If you are an animal lover, especially a dog lover I recommend A Dog’s Purpose.  It will leave you looking at you pet in a new way.

Parents:

Language: Clean language

Adult Content: No Adult content

Violence: Some hints of Animal abuse & Neglect, and arson

The Hancock Boys, by Thomas William Simpson

 

Author: Thomas William Simpson

Published By: Bantam

Date Published:  February 29, 2000

Genre: Suspense

Pages:  528

Recommended Age: Mature adult

Read and Reviewed By: Me

Rating: A/5

 "It will leave you in a state of shock"-Theresa

I borrowed this book from the library

Summary:

Two twin brothers at a young age decide to share one life.  They share the same career, wife, and family until one starts to lose his sanity.

Theresa's Thoughts:

I really, really loved this novel!  Simpson came up with a tale that keeps the reader riveted.  I could not put this book down, and when I was finished reading it I just sat in stunned shock.  At first, I didn’t like their wife because I couldn’t believe how stupid she was that she didn’t know one twin would come in and pretend to be her husband for periods at a time, but everything came together in the end, leaving the reader amazed.

I gave this book five stars and a grade of an A+.  This book was just off the charts. I liked it so much that I wrote the editor and publishers of the book, telling them how much I liked it and thought it would make a good movie.  I loved it that much!  I have never written editors or publishers of books before, but I felt compelled to do so on this one.  It was that good!

Parents:

Language:  swear words

Adult Content: Sexual Content, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: violent murder and suicides

The Disappearance, by Bentley Little

Author: Bentley Little

Published By: Signet

Date Published: September 7, 2010

Genre: Horror, Suspense

Pages: 390

Recommended Age: Mature Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: A/5

 "Father is coming."---A Homesteader

I borrowed this book from the library

 Summary:

Can you imagine being at a festival and finding you and your friends drugged and when you wake up your girlfriend or boyfriend missing?  Then the police don’t take you or your friends seriously because every trace of her/his existence has wiped from data bases across the world.  S/he has never attended college; her/his Facebook page has been deleted, and the number to his/her parents doesn’t exist.  Well, that’s what happened to Gary.

My Thoughts:

I just love loved this book.  Bentley has out done himself once again.  His creativity always boggles my mind.  Every time I read his books I know why he won the Bram Stoker Award.  I really liked how the main characters in this novel were college students.  Since I just recently graduated from college myself I can relate.

 I liked how the character Gary and his friends never gave up finding out what happened to his girl, but I did get annoyed by the fact the police always blew them off.  I wanted to crawl into the story line and knock some sense into them, the sign of well-written characters.

I gave ‘The Disappearance’ 5 stars and a grade of A because I loved it so much and I knew I would re-read it again one day like I do with a lot of Bentley’s novels, ‘The Store’, ‘The Ignored’, and ‘The University’ to name a few. If you want a good scare by a genius for horror, I recommend 'The Disappearance.'

Parents:

Language: A lot of swearing

Adult Content: Sex scenes, a lot of Drugs/alcohol use, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: violent murder and other death scenes

(A Scumble River Mystery #14) Murder of a Creped Suzette, by Denise Swanson

 

 Author: Denise Swanson

Published By: Signet

Date Published: October 4, 2011

Genre: Murder Mystery

Pages: 252

Recommended Age: Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: B/4

 New York Times Best-Selling Author

 I got this book from the library.

Summary:

The heroine, Skye Denison stumbles upon a dead body (once again) and wonders if it’s connected to another death that happened 27 years ago. With the assistance of her hot fiancé, who is the chief of police, she is able to solve another crime before the police department does.

My Thoughts:

The Scumble River Mysteries are my favorite series. I really like that the heroine, Skye, has a personal life outside of solving crimes.  The secondary characters seem like real people.  Skye has an over-bearing, protective mother and an ex-boyfriend that won’t leave her alone.

I gave this book 4 stars and a grade of B because Ms. Denison does a wonderful job in this book by having some of the characters have personal growth and become better people, some by finally seeing their self-worth.  If you have read previous Scumble River Mysteries, I recommend Murder of a Creped Suzette.  If you like mysteries and love a bit of sarcastic sense of humor, I recommend the Scumble River Mysteries starting with the first book Murder of a Small-Town Honey.

Parents:

Language: Some swear words

Adult Content: some sex, some alcohol, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: A murder scene and a scenes where a man is man-handles a woman.

The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

 

Author: Alice Sebold

Published By:  Little, Brown & Company

Date Published: August 29, 2006
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 384

Recommended Age: Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: 2

This book was a gift from my aunt.

Summary:

It’s a sad story about a murdered young girl, who from Heaven watches her family deal with her death and how her murderer gets away.

My Thoughts:

I didn’t care for this book. This book was very boring. If I was grading it on it’s boringness it would get an A, but I am not.  It’s surprising this was on the best seller list at all.  I feel I should be compensated for the time I lost reading this book instead of reading another more interesting one.

I did like the father of the dead girl.  He never wavered in trying to find out the truth and wanting justice for his daughter’s death.  I can’t say the same for the mother.  She just wanted to forget it about it and try to start a relationship with the handsome police office.

This book is most likely a fantasy, because we do not know what Heaven is like.  Everyone has a different perception of what the After-life will hold.  I gave this book 2 stars and a grade of D because it started out well, but after the first 2 chapters it plummeted.   If you like the book What Dreams May Come, then I would recommend this book, other than that, I would say stay clear of it.

Parents:

Language: none

Adult Content: Sexual Content, Adult Subject Matter, Heavy topics

Violence: Violent Rape and murder scene