Summer of the Beast by Michael Burns

Two detectives get put on a case that involves a string of mind-boggling, gruesome murders.

Hidden up in the mountains on Arizona, these crime scenes are unlike anything these two men have seen. The bodies are ripped apart in a way that seem only a large animal can pull off. The thing is, there is no trail. There are no clues that anything disrupted the two campsites turned murder scenes.

Palmer and Rivera make a good detective partnership. Kino Rivera has a Native American background, and his father taught him from a young age to get in tune with his environment in order to search for animals and hunt. He brings the most unique aspect to the Police Department and to the case. When his special skills also fail in locating a trail to lead them towards a suspect, they know something really weird and unexplainable is going on up in the mountains.

Once Rivera finds a footprint, the case becomes even weirder. What type of animal leaves only one print?

They team up to try to bring this creature down themselves, but end up being rescued by the military and debriefed on what is actually going on.

They will never be the same.

One thing I really liked about this book all along is how it made me feel reading it. It legitimately freaked me out and even made me scared at times in the beginning because of how weird the case was. There aren’t many books that I have read that actually freaked me out to the degree of a well-made horror movie.

That being said, this book didn’t go in the direction I thought it was going to take.

I thought it was going to be more of a paranormal mystery than anything. I felt like that is how it was set up because it was so crazy.

The ending seemed like a movie to me. I could picture it in my mind while I was reading it, and it seems like something that would round out a movie.

It keeps you wondering after you have finished it though. There is one conclusion to the story, but then the ending blows it wide open again with so many more possibilities.

Even though it is kind of open-ended, I am glad that it was left this way. The story doesn’t need to be dragged out longer. The story that needed to be told was told, and a sequel wouldn’t be as good.

I really liked the characters in this book. They all worked really well together and the relationships didn’t seem to be forced. It was a nice added dimension to the book with all of the dialogue that it had.

4/5 stars. I thought the relationship story line was a little unnecessary, but it wasn’t a major distraction from the main story.

Memorable quotes:

“All the textbooks say that when a serial killer starts killing and gets a taste for blood, they don’t stop killing. They never stop until they get caught, or they die.”

“This part of the desert was absolutely surreal and as he looked out upon it, dozens of questions flooded his mind, but none of the questions had an answer.”

“This is a time of great danger and violence. This will be the summer of the beast.”

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Cover Reveal: Reflection Pond by Kacey Vanderkarr!

Set to release on April 1st, 2014!

Synopsis:

Sometimes you find home, sometimes it comes looking for you.

Callie knows a lot more about pain than she does about family. She’s never belonged, at least, not until she falls through a portal into her true home. The beautiful faerie city of Eirensae doesn’t come free. Callie must find her amulet and bind herself to the city, and most importantly, avoid the Fallen fae who seek her life. Seems like a small price to pay for the family she’s always wanted.

Then she meets cynical and gorgeous Rowan, who reads the darkness of her past in her eyes. He becomes Callie’s part-time protector and full-time pain in the ass. He has secrets of his own for Callie to unravel. What they don’t know is that the future of Eirensae lies with them, and the once peaceful city is about to become a battleground for power.

About the author:

Kacey Vanderkarr is a young adult author. She dabbles in fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, complete with faeries, alternate realities, and the occasional plasma gun. She’s known to be annoyingly optimistic and listen to music at the highest decibel. Kacey is the president of the Flint Area Writers and the Social Media Director for Sucker Literary. When she’s not writing, she coaches winterguard, and works as a sonographer. Kacey lives in Michigan, with her husband, son, crazy cats, and two bearded dragons. Kacey’s debut novel, Antithesis, is available from Inkspell Publishing.

Find Reflection Pond on Goodreads Here!

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Mary, Mary by James Patterson

Alex Cross thinks he is finally able to get a nice vacation away with his family. After catching The Wolf, he tries to take some time off and visits Disney Land in California with his kids and Nana Mama.

Then he gets the call.

Famous women in California are turning up dead after being brutally murdered. A gun shot wound to kill them, and grisly slashes across their faces to take their beauty away.

Even more disturbing, they are all mothers. The killer doesn’t harm anyone else in the family, only the women and leaves a strange signature of children’s stickers that are the letter A, A, B.

The person behind the killings – Mary Smith. The killer has been writing emails to a local newspaper writer detailing the killings and why they have happened. They don’t include all of the details though. The details are special. They are the killer’s story.

Who is Mary Smith?

Is Mary Smith even a female at all? The LAPD seem to be convinced it is a woman carrying out these crimes. Based on the email signatures and one single piece of hair found at only one murder site, which is all they need to be convinced that they are dealing with a female serial killer.

Alex Cross isn’t convinced.

The Storyteller

The story teller is the one committing the murders. The storyteller is very interesting character because of how they handle themselves.

Being afraid before committing murders

Getting upset about committing some

Ultimately getting addicted to killing

I was honestly shocked to read who the killer was. I was not expecting it at all. I think I may have entertained the idea earlier in the book but then forgot about it.

It was an interesting twist in the story.

This was one of the better books I have read in awhile as well. The story line is crazy, the murders are brutal, and it really keeps you guessing up until the very end.

And what more could you ask for than a bad ass fight scene where Alex is just awesome?

This is a high point in the series. It is emotional, hectic, and shocking.

5/5 Stars.

Memorable quote: "'I thank God for you every single day of my life, Alex, and I thank him for letting me raise you, and see you turn into the man you did. But I want you to think about why you came to me in the first place, what was going on between your poor parents before they died. Simply put, Jannie and Damon and Ali deserve better than you had. Don't make them orphans, Alex."

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Soul on the Run by Robin Korth

Soul on the Run is a book of self-discovery; A story of coming from a dark and damaged path to finding hope and light in life.

It is not a book that is going to sugarcoat everyday struggles, and that is apparent from the very beginning. The introduction sets the tone for what Robin Korth has to say to her readers.

Soul on the Run is basically a collection of the author’s thoughts and feelings about different things in life. They are little tid-bits of suggestions, advice, or questioning.

I think I expected a bit more out of this. Instead of just little thoughts, I thought she was going to talk about her life experiences and how she recovered.

I think that may have been the intention of this, but it sort of gets lost. It seems more like a pick-me-up book rather than a book about coming out of the dark to see the light.

One good point I found form this book is that the author is directly talking to the reader. You can almost hear a voice behind the words. It makes reading the book very personal, and some people may need that if they are going through a rough time and are seeking some sort of guidance.

I received an advanced review copy, so the final piece is not out yet. When it is released, I would like to see some nice formatting on the pages. Since there is so much white space available on the pages, there is a chance for some nice framing and typography to be added.

Whether this is going to happen or not, I do not know.

Overall, from the intro, I was expecting a bit more from this book.

3/5 stars

Memorable Quote: “To truly hate another human being, we must have a dead spot within ourselves.”

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HOT DEAL: River of Desire by J.K. Winn

An exciting new release from one of my favorite authors! 

River of Desire is available on Amazon for .99 for a couple of days only!

I have not read the book yet, but it is going to be read and reviewed within the up coming weeks. 

Knowing J.K. Winn's previous work, I would definitely recommend picking up a copy while it is on sale. I highly doubt you will be disappointed. 

Click To Purchase! 

Synopsis:

Imagine traveling deep into the Amazon Jungle, where every step is a struggle through thick undergrowth, any rock or tree may mask a venomous creature and somewhere, at some time, you will run up against a mysterious Hemorrhagic Fever.
River of Desire tells the tale of Leah Roberts, a reporter on assignment in Peru, who hires professional guide, Dylan Hart, to escort her into the Amazon jungle on the trail of a deadly Hemorrhagic Fever. On the river, Leah and Dylan encounter treacherous rapids and carnivorous creatures, but what they fear most is the attraction growing between them. Their travels finally lead them to a reclusive doctor who holds the answer to the sudden appearance of the lethal viral strain.
Don’t expect the ordinary when you begin a trip down the River of Desire. So, hop on board the boat and take a thrilling, sometimes life threatening, but always action-packed ride down the mighty Amazon with Leah and Dylan, who face daunting adventures, but know that love is the most amazing adventure of all.

Previously authored under the name J.S. Winn, here are my reviews of her previous titles

Out of the Shadow

The Spirit Keepers

London Bridges by James Patterson

London Bridges was full of the action and drama I expect from an Alex Cross book. The past couple had taken a little of that away; they were more about Alex and Sampson’s personal lives with a side of action and crime fighting.

In London Bridges, two of Alex’s worst customers team up to cause mass destruction for seemingly no other reason than being terrorists. The Weasel and The Wolf are back and they are stronger than ever.

Alex has a few days and a strict deadline to meet The Wolf’s monetary demands, or major cities around the world will be blown to pieces. With the weight of that and trying to keep his family happy on his shoulders, Alex has to fight through the stress and keep his mind focused on catch The Weasel and The Wolf.

The Wolf is one of the most dangerous villains Cross has ever come up against. Even with him being crazy and mysterious, I just really couldn’t like him as a villain. I liked the story line of Alex trying to figure out the case, but The Wolf himself was kind of uninteresting to me.

But, on the other hand, he was also super mysterious and it made me want to know who he was and why he was so set on causing to harm to so many people.

I have to say I was pretty disappointed by the end of the book. Alex finally encounters The Wolf, but we as readers learn absolutely nothing aside from a name. If the next book doesn’t at least give some follow up story then I am pretty confused as to why The Wolf was around for two whole novels.

Spoiler for my reason under the read more further down the page

4/5 I really liked this book, but I still don’t really understand The Wolf, and depending on how the next one starts, the ending seemed like a bit of a cop-out

Also, I already have a HUGE fear of bridges, so reading about bridges being blown up wasn't the most delightful thing in the world!

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Read ahead for spoilers!