“The Secret” by K.L. Slater

Narrated by Lucy Price-Lewis

Blurb:

You turn your back for a minute. And now your son is in terrible danger …

Louise is struggling to cope.  As a busy working mum, she often has to leave her eight-year-old son Archie at her sister Alice’s flat.

Alice and Louise used to be close.  But there’s a lot they don’t know about each other now – like the bottle of vodka Louise hides in her handbag, Alice’s handsome new friend and the odd behaviour of her next-door neighbour.

Archie is a curious little boy. He likes to play on his own at his auntie’s flat until one day when he sees something he shouldn’t. Now he has a secret of his own.  One he can’t tell his mum. One that could put him and his family in terrible danger.

My Thoughts:

Twisted! That’s what this story is. There are so many unexpected turns that I wasn’t sure who to believer in until the end. I was immediately drawn to Alice and her vulnerability and cheered her on as she grappled with her fears in order to help her nephew. Louise, I didn’t like much because she just seemed to be so selfish and unconcerned about her son or her sister. But the psychology between these two sisters is way more complicated than it at first appears. And then you add in Louise’s husband and Alice’s neighbor and the drama just keeps building. I also really liked how the author was able to incorporate Alice’s neighborhood into the story in a way that it almost became a character in itself. Finally, the narrator’s voice was perfect for this story. She did a great job of relating the different characters and bringing them to life. Very compelling listen!

Alinefromabook’s rating:  

Happy Reading!

Links:   Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Author’s website

 

5/25/2019 at Alinefromabook

Friday Night Bunny Hop

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned here before that we have wild rabbits around our neighborhood. I look forward every spring to the arrival of the bunnies in my yard and this year was no different. Most years I’ll see a momma and baby in the spring and by the end of summer the babies are all grown up. Well, this year I’ve been waiting and waiting, checking the yard every time I go by a window and no bunnies had arrived. Then last night I’m sitting on the sofa and my husband is at the kitchen sink and all of a sudden he starts saying “Bunnies, Bunnies!” So I run to the window and sure enough there are 2 bunnies in the yard.

The 1st one pretty quickly hopped off the the first and disappeared and I said to the 2nd bunny, “Oh, come over here where I can see you better”. And the next thing I know this rabbit is hopping UP the steps of my deck toward where I’m standing at the patio door. He pauses there and I so wanted to get my camera but was afraid he would see the movement and get scared and go away. So instead I watched and admired him while he did a little turn around the patio table, paused again where I could get a good look at him, and hopped off down the stairs. Now, I’m not an outdoorsman and you won’t find me up close and personal on an African safari. But I do enjoy these kid of chance encounters with wildlife and this was the perfect ending to my busy week.

White-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii)

Primarily clad in brown and gray tones, white-tailed jackrabbits get their name from their conspicuous, white tails. Native to the Western and Midwestern portions of the United States and Canada, white-tailed jackrabbits are most active at night–an adaptation that helps them avoid birds of prey. White-tailed jackrabbits consume a wide variety of herbaceous plants, twigs, bark and fruit.

“A Game of Ghosts” by John Connolly

Narrated by Jeff Harding

Blurb:  It is deep winter and the darkness is unending. A private detective named Jaycob Eklund has vanished and Charlie Parker is assigned to track him down. Parker’s employer, Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has his own reasons for wanting Eklund found. Eklund is no ordinary investigator—he is obsessively tracking a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now Parker is drawn into Eklund’s world: a realm in which the monstrous Mother rules a crumbling criminal empire, in which men strike bargains with angels, and in which the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in a game of ghosts…

My Thoughts:  Book 15 in the Charlie Parker series and my admiration and respect for him continues to grow. There is so much depth to John Connolly’s characters in this series that I just drown in their world every time I listen. Jeff Harding’s excellent narration just adds to the mystery and thrill of the story itself. Rather than try to review this book, because I loved every minute of it and have no critiques, I just want to say thank you to John Connolly for creating this series which has given me so much pleasure. I have just started listening to book 16 and am on pins and needles waiting for book 17 to become available in the U.S. After listening to this book, I am very excited to see where Mr. Connolly is going to take the character of Sam, Charlie’s daughter. I will never regret the day I picked up my first Charlie Parker novel.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Links:   Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Author’s website

 

 

Writing Prompt – Zodiac

When I hear the word zodiac the first thing that pops in my mind is stars and mystical creatures. And then I remember that as a child I was taught to stay away from anything related to the zodiac. “Never read your horoscope” “Don’t ever talk about what your sign is.” “These things are Satanic and will corrupt you, stay away!” As I grew older and came to the realization that God was not going to strike me down with a bolt of lightning if I did the things I was forbidden to do, I began to be a little curious. So one day, I read a description of the characteristics of my sign, Leo, and I didn’t identify with any of them! But often I will see the characteristics of a particular sign in other people. So maybe I’m just an oddball or maybe there’s a lot more to the zodiac and astrology that I every thought. I don’t know if I will ever be a believer but I don’t avoid the topic anymore. Like with other religions, I think it is helpful to have a basic understanding of other systems of belief so that we can better understand the people that subscribe to those systems of belief. And even if you are a staunch conservative Christian it remains part of your belief system that a star led the wise men to Jesus. So maybe there is something to the zodiac.

Thank you to Sammi Cox for providing today’s writing prompt.

5/17/2019 at Alinefromabook

So we have arrived at the end of another week. I’m am worn out and since I don’t have to work this weekend I may not even get out of my recliner until Monday morning. The weather will be offering no incentive either as there is a 100% chance of rain tomorrow. I haven’t done too much actual reading this week but I have finished 2 audiobooks. If I can bear the strain of typing maybe I’ll get some reviews written while I’m relaxing.

My TBR currently stands at exactly 200 which I think is an increase since I last checked but to be honest, I have been paying very close attention recently. The most exciting thing for me in books is that John Connolly’s latest, which is scheduled for release in October, came available for request on NetGalley this week. I would be over the moon with excitement if I get approved. Wish me luck! I have 2 books that I’ve started and, fingers crossed, I’ll finish one in the next couple days.

In family news, my son finished his first year of college and started a summer course. And today, in a rare burst of energy, he cleaned up the kitchen for me and made crepes. With the school year ended and students leaving the 3 local colleges the city is starting to feel a little empty. The exodus will continue after Memorial Day as local families move out to the lakes for the summer. We however, are among the few locals who don’t really get into lake life and will stay put until vacation time.

We were watching a couple of political commentators on PBS this evening and come to find out there is a division between voters over age 45 and voters under age 45 in this country. I can’t help but chuckle at this because they say it like it’s some kind of new thing but I could swear that I remember hearing the adults in the 70’s talking about a very similar division when they were electing Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. The older I get, the more I realize that as a society we just keep fighting the same battles over and over. The names and faces change but ultimately the issues don’t really change. Yes, it’s time again for the presidential race in the US. We have a year and half to sort through the dozens of candidates before casting our votes upon the winds of fate next year. Let the scandals begin!

Happy Reading!

“The Murderer’s Son” by Joy Ellis

Blurb:

Crimebusting duo DI Jackman and DS Evans are back, solving another crime that will make your skin crawl.

Twenty years ago: a farmer and his wife are cut to pieces by a ruthless serial killer.

Now: a woman is viciously stabbed to death in the upmarket kitchen of her beautiful house on the edge of the marshes.

Then a man called Daniel Kinder walks into Saltern police station and confesses to the murder.

But DI Rowan Jackman and DS Marie Evans of the Fenland Constabulary soon discover that there is a lot more to Daniel than meets the eye. He has no memory of the first five years of his life and has a rather unusual obsession with his mother….

Full of twists and turns, this is a crime thriller that will keep you gripped until the shocking ending.

My Thoughts: Once again Joy Ellis had me guessing for 9 1/2 hours as I listened to this book. I really find her to be a master of plot twists in the 2 books I’ve listened to so far. And hats off to Richard Armitage for being the voice of these stories. At times I get so lost in the story itself that I hardly realize I’m listening, it’s more like the narrative is just unfolding in my mind. The characters continue in this book to grow in complexity and depth. Jackman and Evans have a very unique working relationship and seemed to be a little shocked themselves that they work so well together. I think Jackman has more confidence in his leadership role in this one but at the same time manages to appreciate the individual strengths of his team members. Evan, in working with Jackman, seems to have finally found an opportunity to shine and at times seems to carry the investigations forward. In the first book, I struggled a bit with the setting in Fenland but after listening to this book the place is starting to grow on me. I can’t wait for the chance to read more in this series.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Links:   Amazon   |   Goodreads

 

“The Night Window” by Dean Koontz

Blurb: A visionary young filmmaker hunted for sport across a vast Colorado ranch by the celebrated billionaire at the heart of a monstrous cabal . . .

A brilliant computer hacker slipping through top-secret databases a whisper ahead of security trackers, gathering the facts to fight the all-powerful perpetrators of mass murder . . .

A pair of brutal operators, methodically shadowing their targets with every cutting-edge tool in the arsenal of today’s surveillance state . . .

A sequence of quiet heroes—everyday citizens—stepping up, stepping forward, intent on countering the advancing darkness . . .

A Vegas mob boss teamed with a homicidal sociopath, circling a beloved boy and his protectors, aiming to secure him as leverage against his fugitive mother . . .

And that fugitive mother herself, ex-agent Jane Hawk, closing in on the malevolent architects of ruin she has stalked as they stalk her, prepared to sacrifice herself to finally bring them down.

These are the people and circumstances of The Night Window, the thrilling new novel in Dean Koontz’s acclaimed Jane Hawk series. Replete—and then some—with the ingenious twists, the spellbinding action, the resonant themes, the sheer heart that have characterized Jane’s journey from the start, The Night Window follows its extraordinary heroine to her long-sought objective, in a stunning, unforgettable finale.

My Thoughts: This finale is definitely unforgettable, but will it be the end of Jane Hawk or the end of the Techno Arcadians? You’ll have to read to the last page to find out the answer. This story is so full of thrills and chills I had to take breaks to let my heart rate go back to normal. Jane is still on the hunt to bring down the Techno Arcadians but you can really tell in this book that the strain of the mission and the separation from her son are starting to get to her. She has a new partner in this installment as the computer whiz Ragnesh, formerly of the FBI, joins her for the final push. I’ve been surprised at how much I have enjoyed this series and my only disappointment is that this is the final installment. Dean Koontz’s imagination continues to surprise and thrill me and after reading this series I will definitely be picking up more of his books in the future. This book releases on May 14th so plan your book shopping accordingly.

Alinefromabook’s rating:

Happy Reading!

Links:   Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Author’s website

 

5/6/2019 at Alinefromabook

Hello faithful followers and visitors. Lest you start to think I’ve fallen off the face of the earth, I’m here to tell you that I have not. I have merely been working 10-12 hour days for the last week and a half. This week will be better though because I get to take 2 days off . . . to have dental surgery! How exciting is that! Maybe while I’m recovering I’ll have a chance to get caught up on my reviews.

I’m currently listening to “A Game of Ghosts” by John Connolly and today I downloaded the audiobook of “The Woman in the Woods”. Yesterday I was able to finish the last chapters of “The Night Window” by Dean Koontz and my next read is “Montauk” by Nicola Harrison. So that’s what’s happening over here in my little corner of the world. Hope you all have a great week!

Happy Reading!