Wicked Appetite

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Reena Library

Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Life in Marblehead has had a pleasant predictability, until Diesel arrives. Rumor has it that a collection of priceless ancient relics representing the Seven Deadly Sins have made their way to Boston’s North Shore. Partnered with pastry chef Lizzie Tucker, Diesel bullies and charms his way through historic Salem to track them down—and his criminal mastermind cousin Gerewulf Grimorie. The black-haired, black-hearted Wulf is on the hunt for the relic representing gluttony. Caught in a race against time, Diesel and Lizzie soon find out that more isn’t always better, as they battle Wulf and the first of the deadly sins.

Snip Credit to www.amazon.com

Deserves to Die

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Reena Library

Deserves to Die

Deserves to Die by Lisa Jackson

As he watches, her body drifts below the water’s surface, forever altered. Before he disposes of each victim, he takes a trophy. It’s a sign of his power, and a warning – to the one destined to suffer most of all…In Grizzly Falls, Montana, Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli are struggling with a new commander and a department in the midst of upheaval. It’s the worst possible time for a homicide. A body has been found, missing a finger. Alvarez hopes this means a murderer with a personal grudge, not a madman. But then a second body turns up…As the clues begin pointing towards a suspect, Pescoli’s unease grows. She senses there’s more to this case than others believe. A killer has made his way to Grizzly Falls, ready to fulfil a vengeance years in the making. And Pescoli must find the target of his wrath – or die trying…

Snip above is from www.amazon.com

Joy School

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Reena Library

Joy School (Ballantine Reader’s Circle)

Joy School by Elizabeth Berg

This book was mainly about a girl named Katie, a teenager whose mother has died, so now she is living with her father. To make times worse for Katie, she has moved from her Texas home to Missouri. She doesn’t fit in at her new school or in her neighborhood. She has one friend, Cynthia, in her new town. One day she goes ice skating at a nearby pond, and falls through the ice. She manages to get out of the water, and wanders to a gas station across the street. The gas station is run by a man named Jimmy, who Katie develops an instant crush on. Jimmy is ten years older, however, so Katie only tells a few people.
Later on in story, Katie meets Taylor Sinn, a new girl at school. Taylor and Katie become friends, and Katie learns some things about Taylor that she would rather not be a part of. For instance, Taylor steals outfits from stores and doesn’t pay for meals when she eats out. Taylor also does other things, which I will not go into detail on. I can’t say much more without giving away some key plot points, so I’ll stop here with the plot outline.
Katie, the narrator, has relocated to Missouri with her distant, occasionally abusive father, and she feels very much alone: her much-loved mother is dead; her new school is unaccepting of her; and her only friends fall far short of being ideal companions. When she accidentally falls through the ice while skating, she meets Jimmy. He is handsome, far older than she, and married, but she is entranced. As their relationship unfolds, so too does Katie’s awareness of the pain and intensity first love can bring.

Beautifully written in Berg’s irresistible voice, Joy School portrays the soaring happiness of real love, the deep despair one can feel when it goes unrequited, and the stubbornness of hope that will not let us let go. Here also is recognition that love can come in many forms and offer many different things. Joy School illuminates, too, how the things that hurt the most can sometimes teach us the lessons that really matter.

Dark Witch – Book One

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Reena Library

Dark Witch: Book One of The Cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy

Dark Witch – by Nora Roberts
Book One of the cousins O’Dwyer Trilogy
Copyright 2013
ISBNB 978-0-425-25985-6

With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horsemen, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package.

Iona realizes that here she can make a home for herself—and live her life as she wants, even if that means falling head over heels for Boyle. But nothing is as it seems. An ancient evil has wound its way around Iona’s family tree and must be defeated. Family and friends will fight with each other and for each other to keep the promise of hope—and love—alive…

Devious

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Reena Library

Devious by Lisa Jackson
Copyright 2011 by Lisa Jackson
ISBN-13:978-1-4201-0275-8

Camille “Cammie” Renard has always been a troubled soul. An outgoing flirt in high school, she has delighted in flaunting her sexuality and living on the edge. After causing a break-up between her older sister Valerie (Val) and her husband Slade, she reassesses her life by retreating to St. Marguerite’s convent in her hometown of New Orleans in search of forgiveness and redemption. Old habits die hard, and Cammie finds it impossible to give up her wild ways.

While at St. Marguerite’s, Cammie gets pregnant. She plans to leave, but a twisted killer viciously murders her and her unborn child before she can escape. Cammie’s body is found — dressed in a yellowed bridal gown — in a chapel at St. Marguerite’s by Sister Lucia, a young nun with an unusual gift.

Detective Reuben Montoya is getting weird vibes while investigating. In his younger years, he dated Cammie, was a friend of Frank’s, and his brother dated Lucia in high school. Complicating the investigation, Sister Charity, the 60-year-old mother superior at St. Marguerite’s, withholds evidence and is secretive concerning what she knows about Cammie and the other sisters. The investigation heats up after another nun is found murdered in the same perverted fashion as Cammie, two more nuns go missing, and Val’s life is threatened.

Snip taken from review on Amazon.com

Plain Truth

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Reena Library

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-4781-5

Jodi Picoult has touched readers deeply with her acclaimed novels, such as Keeping Faith and The Pact. Gifted with “a remarkable ability to make us share her characters’ feelings” (People), Picoult now explores the complex choices of the heart for a young Amish woman — the compelling journey of discovery for an urban lawyer who befriends and protects her.
The small town of Paradise, Pennsylvania, is a jewel in Lancaster County — known for its picture-postcard landscapes and bucolic lifestyle. But that peace is shattered by the discovery of a dead infant in the barn of an Amish farmer. A police investigation quickly leads to two startling disclosures: the newborn’s mother is an unmarried Amish woman, eighteen-year-old Katie Fisher. And the infant did not die of natural causes. Although Katie denies the medical proof that she gave birth to the child, circumstantial evidence leads to her arrest for the murder of her baby.
One hundred miles away, Philadelphia defense attorney Ellie Hathaway has achieved an enviable, high-profile career. But her latest court “victory” has set the sands shifting beneath her. Single at thirty-nine and unsatisfied with her relationship, Ellie doesn’t look back when she turns down her chance to make partner and takes off for an open-ended stay at her great-aunt’s home in Paradise.
Fate brings her to Katie Fisher. Suddenly, Ellie sees the chance to defend a client who truly needs her, not just one who can afford her. But taking on this case challenges Ellie in more ways than one. She finds herself not only in a clash of wills with a client who does not want to be defended but also in a clash of cultures with a people whose channels of justice are markedly different from her own.
Immersing herself in Katie Fisher’s life — and in a world founded on faith, humility, duty, and honesty — Ellie begins to understand the pressures and sacrifices of those who to live “plain.” As she peels away the layers of fact and fantasy, Ellie calls on an old friend for guidance. Now, just as this man from Ellie’s past reenters her life, she must uncover the truth about a complex case, a tragic loss, the bonds of love — and her own deepest fears and desires.
Moving seamlessly from psychological drama to courtroom suspense, Plain Truth is a triumph of contemporary storytelling. Jodi Picoult presents a fascinating portrait of Amish life rarely witnessed by those outside the faith — and discovers a place where circumstances are not always what they seem, where love meets falsehood, and where relationships grow strong enough to span two worlds.