Live By Night by Dennis Lehane

 

Prohibition, speakeasies, bank robberies, gangsters, mobsters, jail time, murders....LIVE BY NIGHT has it all. You will follow Joe Coughlin through his life as a privileged child, a gangster, and a mob boss.

Joe Coughlin is the son of Thomas Coughlin....the only problem is that Thomas is the Chief Deputy Superintendent of the Boston Police Department and his son is a criminal.  Joe feels he and his buddies are invincible, but he finds out they are not.  Joe has committed many robberies in his short life, but the last one did him in....he did jail time for this one.  He could have prevented jail time and a beating, but he had to see his "girl" before he left town. He should have just left town....she did him in and caused him trouble until the end.

This book is about the Roaring 20's and life on both sides of the law.  It is fast paced and lets you into that time period along with the characters.  You will see that you won't know if you are friend or enemy even if you are in with the gang you are a part of.  It is true to life and gives insight into how crime works behind the scenes.  It is not a pretty read...you will be part of many mob killings and brutal scenes. 

The beginning is interesting but the ending is somewhat slow and a bit tedious.  It is not one of his better books...sometimes there is too much information, and the scenes seem to drag on.  I really lost my interest about half way through the book, but kept reading because I know Mr. Lehane is an outstanding author and kept that in mind as I aimlessly kept turning the pages. 

To his credit he has creative titles for each chapter with content that lives up to the chapter's heading.  He has expressive, descriptive writing as always that brings that particular event, feelings, or person alive, but it lacks connectivity.   At times, I was completely lost.  I do have to wonder what he was thinking when he wrote this book....I am disappointed.

Going to rate it a 3/5.

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher with no compensation in return for an honest review.

One Eyed Jack by Christopher J. Lynch

Click on the book cover to watch a video of what will be coming your way in the book.
 
No one wants to be a blackmailer, but someone has to do it, and One-Eyed Jack was the master.

This book is entertaining right from the first sentence.  You will be drawn in by the humor, the creative writing approach, and of course the subject matter. 

Jack always would be the blackmailing master, but then he came across a situation that needed his blackmailing skills as well as intense detective work which he was also used to and good at. This case was one he had to help with and knew he could.  He would get Bill Batty and his crew no matter what.  But....what if someone else decided to get in on the deal?  That could get quite dangerous.

You will thoroughly enjoy "Jack".....a very likable character despite his dirty deeds. Underneath, though, he was one of the good guys.  You will follow Jack through his days of investigation, his personal sacrifices, his hideouts, his creative plotting, and he will amaze you with what technology is out there to spy on others...makes me want to keep my computer turned off and not let my cell phone out of my sight. 

This book is a quick, funny, enjoyable, tense-at-time read with a great plot.  A lot of research had to go into it unless the author is a tech wizard and just intrinsically knows all about these things.  Don't miss this book....it was a delightful, entertaining, creative read with a great main character....thanks, Jack.  Mr. Lynch is working on a sequel.

This e-book was given to me free of charge without compensation by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The Sholes Key by Clarissa Draper

 

The cover pulled me in, the characters kept me reading, and the plot had me guessing until the end. 

Two types of murder investigations were going on at once...one was an investigation of serial killings of single mothers and then a married author, and the other investigation was one dealing with a terrorist ring blowing up sites.  The murders of young, single mothers who loved to read seemed to be the main theme.  

Lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing as to who the killer really is.  But.....why was Sophia being targeted by the serial killer when she wasn't even a mother, and how did the killer know where she lived now and where she lived as a child. Could it be that the killer only wanted her attention or was he relying and testing her cryptogram skills to solve things?

The book was somewhat confusing as to what was going on and a little difficult to follow at times, but the characters were well developed and appealing...a few had depth and mystery themselves. 

I enjoyed trying to solve the "key" the killer left as a clue and the "key" they needed to find the killer because it was connected to the QWERTY Keyboard....very clever on the author's part.  All in all it was a good storyline, but since it was confusing and somewhat disconnected, I am going to rate the book a 4/5. 


This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway of MURDER TAKES TIME

DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS THREE E-BOOK GIVEAWAY.

MY REVIEW WILL TELL YOU WHY YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THE CHANCE TO WIN!!!  

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES AND ENTRY FORM ARE BELOW MY REVIEW:

Could childhood pranks carried into adulthood be purposely staged clues for solving murder investigations?  Murders were taking place in New York, and clues were being left behind that implicated individuals who definitely had not been at the scene and clues that were too close for comfort.

The chapters are organized by flashbacks to the childhood of Tony, Frankie, Nicky, and Paulie as well as present day and other years in between.  Their childhood friendship and the bond they had was difficult to overlook even though three of them were not upstanding citizens and one was a policeman.  They were the best of buddies during childhood and had nicknames that stayed with them into adulthood.  Their childhood antics and schemes were unbelievable and creative, but did this creativity and early start get them into things they shouldn't be in as adults....all except Frankie who turned out to be a policeman?  Would his being a policeman be a detriment and make him a scapegoat for some of the murders?

The title is a perfect description of the contents of this book, but the book is also about family, friends, food, ordinary people, organized crime, and of course murder.  If you are Italian, the sauce, meatballs, and nicknaming should be very familiar to you.  I learned a new ingredient for my spaghetti sauce in this book and also some things I really didn't want to learn.  There is a lot of brutality and profanity, but for the most part, the book is superbly written and flows very well.  The way the book was laid out and how the plot played out was very unique for a first-time author....brilliant and creative on his part. The characters are authentic, the descriptions of the scenes are vivid, and as the end nears, you will have your heart pounding along with the detectives as they race to arrest the murderer before he kills again.

Highly recommended....I loved the Italian names and descriptions of the families and sadly the funerals. One thing that was confusing, though, was keeping track of who was talking....I thought it was being narrated by one character and then it turned out to be another.  Other than that, it is an amazing, outstanding, and gripping first novel for Mr. Giammatteo.   5/5

This book was given to me free of charge for an honest review. 

                                                                                          

Make note of these comments please - Giveaway Form below this:

 AUTHOR IS AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO COMMENTS ON THE DAY OF SCHEDULED POSTING

For anyone who buys a digital book during this tour and mentions the tour, I will offer a money-back guarantee, with these conditions:

1. Understand that this book contains several chapters with graphic violence. 

2. Understand that it contains rough, street language

3. Understand that there are two chapters with sexual scenes

4. Understand that the story is told in multiple Point of Views. 

If for any reason, other than those stated above, you do not like the book or aren't happy with it, just write me an email and tell me why. Email me a proof of purchase receipt, and I'll refund your money. This applies only to the digital books. I can't do it with print editions. 

  
                                                                                                              

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

1.  You can be a resident of the USA or International. 

2.  Please be NEW or Old Follower of my blog.

3.  Please complete the entry form here.

BEST OF LUCK to everyone.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

To be sixteen, to witness a murder, and to keep it a secret your entire life?  When would Laurel find out the "real" reason for the murder.  After fifty years, she needed to ask, but could she really find the answer? She had to.  Time was running out.

Set in England and moving from the 1930's to 2011, you will follow Laurel as she continues to keep this secret and attempts to find out why her mother stabbed a visitor on her brother's birthday.  Did the baby see or remember anything?  Could that be possible? What if he did remember?  Laurel, her father, and her mother were the only ones that were supposed to know, but were they?

The storyline is intriguing and the descriptions are amazing as you go back and forth in time to see what Laurel's mother's life was like as a  child and also as a young adult and what life was like for Laurel, her sisters, and her brother as they grew up on a quaint farm in a loving family.  Dorothy, Laurel's mother, lead a very significant life and had interesting people in her life that shaped her and her decisions.

The book seamlessly moves between time periods giving creative details of each era in the characters' lives and has you wanting to know more.  An amazing storyline that keeps you guessing about the real reason for the murder and one that makes you want to be a part of the story in order to be part of the life the characters lead in each decade of their lives.  

Finding out about her mother's motives and life before she was married was a goal Laurel was determined to solve before her mother died, and her mother is the only one who could give the answers to many questions, but could their dying mother tell all?   Once clues about Dorothy's past begin to surface, you will be as anxious as Laurel was to find out other secrets her mother kept to herself all her life and secrets that caused her mother to commit murder.

This book was marvelous and captivating as all of Kate Morton's books, and the ending is absolutely SUPERB.  

I thoroughly enjoyed the walk through Laurel's life and the flashbacks to her mother's life.   Don't miss this book or any book Kate Morton has written...you will be taken away with her exceptional writing and fantastic storytelling skills as she weaves lives and situations together into incredible books.  5/5 

This book was given to me free of charge by the publisher in return for an honest review.

 

Last Day for the Giveaway of THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF

Contest has ended and the winner chosen at random.org is:

#16 

Sally

CONGRATS...I will send Sally an e-mail.

Thanks to all 37 of you who entered.
 


Today is the last day for my giveaway of THE GIRL ON THE CLIFF.  My review is here.

I will choose the winner tonight, and I will post the winner here.

Here are the guidelines for the giveaway.

There are currently 37 entries.

                                                              

Giveaway Guidelines:

1.  Please a new or old follower of my blog.  

To become a NEW FOLLOWER, please don't forget to click the JOIN THIS SITE BUTTON down the right-hand side.

I think some folks are saying they are a NEW FOLLOWER but are forgetting to press that button.  :)

2.  Please be a citizen of the USA.

3.  Please complete this form.

Good Luck to all entrants.   

CROSSED by C. J. Graves

 

A murder on church grounds.  Two young people in the congregation involved...one dead and one the accused.  Could Eric really have murdered his girlfriend?  All evidence pointed to him, but his parents knew it wasn't so, and they hired a private detective.

Jayden, an army veteran, was the one hired to solve the case and to free Eric's name.  She had been asked by her sister to investigate and to try to find the real killer. And boy was Jayden ruthless...if you had her on your tail, you were not going to get away with anything. :)

CROSSED is a little slow at first, but don't give up.  The characters get interesting and are perfect for the storyline.  Jayden definitely was different in her own way and Miss Mildred will warm your heart.  Ms. Graves did a splendid job with description....you will feel like you were right there on the scene with her detailed and wonderful images.   Some of the characters from Light the Way church were odd and a bit out of character for church members, but all in all the story flowed nicely. Finding out who the real murderer was turned out well even though at one point it became obvious.  :)

The ending was gripping and a page turner as you feared for Jayden in the clutches of the murderers....yes plural...more than one. 

If you can see yourself through some of the scenes, this book is a great mystery with a good storyline, clever plot, humor, and a few twists. 4/5

This e-book was given to me free of charge by the author in exchange for an honest review.