Cat & Mouse by James Patterson

Gary Soneji is back.

He is lurking in the darkness. Spying on his prey. Waiting for the correct moment to make his move.

But, will someone else steal his spotlight?

Now introducing: Mr. Smith

Mr. Smith is a crime fighter over in Europe. But there is a darker side to Smith that emerges as the novel goes on.

Will Cross be able to stop Soneji? Will he finally put an end to the madman who has terrorized his life for years?

This is the most fast-paced Alex Cross novel that I have read so far. It kept me turning the page over and over until I was finally finished. I was hooked from the very first page.

With Cross’s life in danger, you will find out who lives, and who dies!

5/5 Stars. Wonderful thriller. Kept me hooked from cover to cover. Definitely recommend it!

Read Ahead for spoilers!

Midnight Club by James Patterson

I'm going to start by saying it took me about a month maybe a bit longer to get through this one. It wasn't longer, about the same length. It just took me way too long. 
The novel is about Organized crime and the NYPD trying to fight it. What they don't realize is how they are always one step behind the top mob bosses and business men involved in these mob and drug wars. 
The main character is John Stefanovich. He meets a writer Sarah McGinnis, and they start talking about the "Midnight Club" and how to go about catching and prosecuting them. 
Through all of this, they form a close bond and eventually a relationship. 
Stefanovich is confined to a wheel chair after being shot. He lost his wife and his partner of many years. 
It takes you through some of his struggles of being a cop. 


One thing I  noticed while reading through this one is, I didn't really care about any of the characters. 
Thats a risk writers have to take with stand-alone novels. Most of Patterson's books come in series so it is easier to get attached to the characters. 
But with this one, I had no connection which ultimately made it more difficult to get through. 


Overall 
3/5 
The ending of the novel picked up and kept me engaged, but the road there was bumpy!

Jack & Jill by James Patterson

Jack & Jill gives a creepy insight into the inter-workings of our government. Although, it is a fiction novel, Im sure the plans that took place in this novel have been attempted before. 


Jack & Jill are two high profile killers in Washington D.C. They kill people that are held high in the public eye and are working their way towards their ultimate goal --  Killing the real Jack & Jill -- Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States. 

Can Alex Cross catch them before it is too late?

At the same time, there are mysterious children murders happening in Cross's neighborhood. With his heart in trying to solve the case, he gets pulled off and put on the Jack and Jill case.

He goes undercover with his partner Sampson and a few guys from their department to try to solve the cases themselves. The cases aren't getting much attention because of the high profile murders. 

This novel is fast paced and keeps you guessing until Patterson is ready to reveal the whole story to you. The Jack and Jill killings were intimate but lacking emotions. The child murders left me quite sad and cringing. 

Patterson nails another great book. 

4/5 stars. There were a few boring parts, but over all exciting!

Beach Road by James Patterson

This novel is about Tom Dunleavy and Kate Costello fighting the case of Dante Halleyville. They both know he is innocent, and he has a bunch of supporters from around the country. Dante was on his way to becoming a NBA player when he was falsely accused of four murders. 


In this book Patterson brings up the issue of race and corrupt city officials. 
The whole time, I found myself rooting for Dante and siding with Tom and Kate the whole time. All of the characters were likable. 
When I first started the book, I thought it was pretty slow and not as exciting as his other novels, and as quick as I came to that conclusion, I realized I was already over halfway through it. 
It is a novel that keeps you hanging on even though you aren't exactly sure why. 


And then there is the end. 


Guilty vs. Non Guilty. 


Who do you think is the criminal? Well, you will just have to wait until the end of the book. Make sure you are sitting down for this one. 
It blew me away, and I can usually figure out the endings of books. 
Ill insert one of the reviews from the back of the novel here

"Gripping... Races toward a conclusion so shocking that even longtime Patterson devotees won't see it coming." - Booklist

Once I read that review, I knew I had to give it a shot. i didnt understand how it could be so shocking. 


Then I realized that Patterson had pulled more tricks out of his sleeve. 


A Must Read!


4.5/5 Stars for me. Slow start, but it will keep you going right up to the last page. 


I'm not even going to add spoilers to this one. It's too good of an ending. 

Step - Ball - Change by Jeanne Ray

I was walking around at work one day bored, and I saw this book. I read the back and it seemed like it would be a light-hearted funny books to read so I picked it up. 


It took me awhile to actually pick it up off my shelf. I kept buying different books, and this kept being pushed further back in to the queue. Once I finished my last book, I didnt have another to read, so I finally took the time to read this one. 


It is definitely a book you would want to read if you dont want to pay attention to detail. It is a fun book with a funny family story line. 
The main character is Caroline. She and her husband Tom have kids and are in their 60's. Through a few turn of events, Caroline's sister Taffy ends up living with them for awhile and they grow closer than they ever were before. 
There are also a few marriages that come along with money problems.


Its a fun book to read, I suggest picking it up!


4/5 Stars!

Vengeance Is Sacred by Peter Healy

Im going to start off by saying that Historical Fiction/Supernatual is not usually my genre' of choice. When Peter approached me and asked me to read his novel, I was more than willing. I figured it would be interesting to dive into a genre that I am not used to reading!

When I started off the novel, I often found myself spacing out because it was just not what I was used to. 

As soon as the second chapter though, I started to get used to it, and began appreciating his writing style. As I have said numerous times, I am a huge fan of James Patterson novels, and those are the majority of the novels I have read for a good year now, so being faced with a whole new writing style threw me off for a little bit. 

Peter uses longer chapters and much more description, which I have begun to notice throughout the novel, is needed for the type of story he is telling! There are breaks in the chapters which allowed me to put the novel down for a few minutes, get something done, and pick it up again. I don't like leaving a book mid-chapter because I will likely forget what I had been reading, but the way he split up the chapters made it much easier for me. Not everyone is like that, though, which is where the length of the chapters would be good for those people!

Vengeance Is Sacred is based around Paolo Calefati. He has to run from his home country of Italy to "L'America" "The New World" or most commonly used today -- The East Cost of the USA. He ends up in Jersey City, NJ and faces the problems of new immigrants with finding work and love. Paolo’s battle between remembering his past, and trying to move on with his future is a reoccurring theme, as well as him striving to be an honest loyal man. The power of the Deva that he possesses makes him more powerful than people believe at first sight.

The way Peter tells the story expresses knowledge on the topics he is speaking about which makes me ask the question -- How much research did he do on the topic? I feel like he knew the information all very well. I was impressed. Especially with the different dialects, accents, and languages -- as well as customs of different cultures. 

Being a girl myself, I like the fact that Paolo really respects the female gender. I feel that is Peter's own personality showing through his character!

Overall 4/5 Stars!

The chapters were a bit long for me, but it was very well written and interesting!

I have found myself missing reading about Paolo, Maria, and Augie.


Please visit Peter's website to learn more information:
http://www.vengeanceissacred.com/

Read ahead for spoilers

Kiss The Girls by James Patterson

If I had to use one word to describe this book - WOW!!!!
Out of all of the Patterson books I have read, this one has to be in the top 5. 
It's a GREAT thriller. It is so fast paced and makes your heart beat fast. I had a really hard time putting the book down once I was nearing the end. I just HAD to know what was going to happen next. 


The Perfect Crime
Thats what this novel is about. Casanova abducting girls to use for his own sick mind tricks for the police and for his own sexual pleasures. 
The plot is twisted and disturbing, but keeps you hanging on until the very last page. 


Could you catch Casanova?
Alex Cross is at it again. He won't rest until the case is solved. 


This Time - It's Personal.


I highly recommend this book. One of the best books I have picked up in awhile!


5/5 stars. 
Click ahead for spoilers

Poemland by Chelsey Minnis

I work at a college bookstore. Upon putting up shelf tags one day, I saw this book and it caught my eye by its strange cover. 
I opened it up and read one poem. I was highly intrigued. 


I went online when I got home and ordered the book. 
It is a short book and only took maybe an hour to read. 


My first impression: Wow this is an interesting form of poetry. I must keep reading this. 
As I got further into the book, my impression changed. It was more of a -- What did I just read?


Now, I have never been good at deciphering the meaning behind poems, maybe thats why I didnt understand this book. 
It was all just very confusing to me. Maybe if I had taken more time to re-read every poem, I would have better understood it. 
Who knows. 
If someone could explain it to me, that would be wonderful. 


Overall
2/5 stars. Intriguing, I just didnt understand it.

Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi

I have been wanting to read this book for a long time. I bought a nook this weekend, so I figured why not have that be my first e-book?
I bought it, and I could not put it down. 
Now, some people don't liek to read autobiographies because they think they are boring, and indeed, some of them are. 
Unbearable Lightness, however, was written beautifully. It flowed well to make it a great/fast read, and you could really tell how much of an emotional roller-coaster she was going through. 
If you dont know, the novel is about Portia's struggle with her weight, anorexia, and her being a lesbian. All of them tie in together. 
It really gives you an inside look into the Hollywood lifestyle and what actresses and models go through on a daily basis. 
As the story started becoming more climactic, I found myself read faster and faster. In my opinion, that is the job of a good writer. They are taking you on THEIR journey, and making you feel what they felt. 


I think the only think I expected more from this book were more stories involving her and Ellen. She doesnt really explore their relationship until the epilogue. 
Don't get me wrong, that's how it was written to be. It was a documentation of her struggle, not her relationship, I guess I just expected there would be more than what she gave. 


overall rating 4/5
There were a few slow parts, but over all, well written, and mainly short chapters which kept my attention.

Along Came A Spider by James Patterson

I had been putting off starting the Alex Cross series for awhile now. There are a lot of books, and I get sucked in very easily. 
I figured I had to start sometime, so I went out and bought the first book - Along Came A Spider. 


And, it was WELL worth the purchase. The book had me hanging on every page. There are so many twists and turns it throws off most thoughts you have about all of the characters. 


The book is about a kidnapper who wants to be somebody! He wants to create the best crime of the ages. So, of course, it is a high-profile kidnapping. 
Detective Alex Cross becomes obsessed with the thoughts of the kidnapped children and doesnt let the case rest until it is solved. 
Along with it being a great story it also brings out different issues concerning race and gender within the police force and in personal lives as well. 
It is a great read, and you will never get bored. 


4/5 stars!
Explained by my first point int he spoilers


Click ahead for spoilers