The Secrets She Kept (Fairham Island #2) by Brenda Novak

Josephine is a toxic parent.  She is totally focussed on herself.  She keeps herself in shape, fixes any little flaws, has money, image and power in her world and she has no patience for anyone who might make her look bad, including her children...  

Mira Books sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published tomorrow and you can grab a copy then.  Or you could win my ARC!  See the last paragraph for how to enter the giveaway.
 
When she's found dead in her bathtub, her son knows she didn't commit suicide.  That was too messy and she never accepted any blame sent her way.  She was on a trip to Australia the next day.  She was even packed to go.  He and she might not have gotten along well, but he knows she was too proud to be found that way after death.  She would have been wearing good clothing and been made up and on the bed with her hands crossed.  No ignominious death for her.  The police chief and the coroner don't agree, so he goes home to handle it...

Keith had been involved with drugs but by moving away to California, working out like crazy and starting his own business, he managed to stay away from them.  Now that he's back home, his sisters worry about him.  He tells them he's been clean for five years but they worry.  He's executor of the estate, so he'll be around for a while.  Especially since he's trying to prove she was murdered.

Josephine had secrets from the past.  They had found that out in the previous book, when they discovered they had an older sister she never talked about.  They had located her and the family was complete now.  But there was another secret she never told.  And she lived a false life as well.

While Josephine was not a good mother, she did teach them life skills trying to stay ahead of her or away from her.  No one was all that sad that she died.  They regretted the lack of a healthy relationship with her but not her death.  Keith was right, though.  She had been murdered.  And it takes all the efforts of the siblings to solve the mystery.

This was a romantic mystery with dysfunctional people and death intertwined.  There's a lot of trauma but it was a good read overall.

I will be giving away the ARC I read.  To enter the contest, leave a comment here on the blog and email me:  info at www.bookfaerie.com.  Send me your name and address and I will pull a name out of a hat in a week.  Here's a chance for a free read!

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim review + GIVEAWAY!

Mattie is a slave.  Since she had recently birthed her son, she was ordered to come up to big house and be a wet nurse for the new baby.  After all, a new white mother didn't want to breastfeed her own child.  That's what a wet nurse was for.

The author sent me a copy of this book to read for review (thank you).  You can buy a copy now on Amazon.

I was touched by this book.  It's not all pleasant but it's typical of the era it represents.  Southern folk have slaves and treat them as less than human.  Any slave that runs take a chance of death on the way or sale to an unkind master.  This story gives you an inside look at a family that has slaves and sees nothing wrong with it.

Mattie isn't very impressed by the white baby.  She even has brief thoughts of smothering it so she could go back to Samuel, her son.  It passes quickly.  It's not the baby's fault.  Elizabeth is given over to Mattie's care almost exclusively.  Her mother doesn't appear to be interested in the child and only tries to teach her to eat properly and make a nice public showing.  Mattie is the one who comforts her, sings to her, and protects her from the bad things of the world.

When Lisbeth (nickname) talks to her parents, they tell her the slaves would be lost without them.  They need the work, lodging and food they provide them.  They're not as smart as whites and know no better.  As Lisbeth grows, she learns that's not true.  The blacks don't read because they aren't taught.  Many of them resent working for her father and never getting a share of the crops.  Nobody's home is very nice.  She begins to wonder if her parents can see that...

I enjoyed the camaraderie between Mattie and Lisbeth.  It's real, it's love, and it gives Lisbeth the courage and strength to carry on.  When Lisbeth's brother is born, Mattie is sent back to slave quarters and Lisbeth gets a new maid.  As Lisbeth learns more about the slaves and the way they are exploited, she's not sure she likes slavery as a whole.  It's a good thing she learned to be strong, she's going to need that strength.

OK, you've read my review.  Are you intrigued?  Does it sound like something you would like to read?  You've got a chance to win a free book here.  The author graciously sent me an extra copy of this book for giveaway.  Send an email to info at bookfaerie.com with your name and address and leave a comment on this blog post to be entered.  I'll choose a winner in about a week.  Don't miss your chance to get a free copy of this book that touched my heart.

The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill

He has everything he could possibly want and life is lovely.  So how did he end up in jail?

HarperCollins is publishing the US edition of this book and sent me an ARC for review.  It is in your local bookstore now, so check with them for a copy.

This is a very complex story covering 519 pages of words that toy with you.  This the first time I've read Mr. Hill's work and I'm impressed with how much of everyone's lives he manages to insert in his work.  This is all a no nonsense account of how Wolf finds himself accused of being a pedophile, with lots of evidence to support it.  Wolf declares his innocence; no one listens, not even his wife.  An abortive attempt at escape puts him in the hospital in a coma and years pass before he wakes again.

Wolf is a very complex character.  He's a dangerous man to cross.  He has friends in high places and his position is secure.  Or maybe it isn't...

As he learns about the treachery around him and tries to take action to find out the truth, the agency he used to work comes to life and starts meddling in the affair.  It's not until the very end that you realize just how badly everyone has manipulated Wolf.

I didn't really like Wolf and the book seemed almost too long, but I think the author used that space to get his points across.  I know this isn't a book I will forget easily.  If you're ready for a dangerous ride, this is the book for you.

If you'd like to win my ARC, leave a comment here on my blog and email at info at bookfaerie.com with YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS and why you'd like to read the book.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.

Happy reading.

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

He's orphaned, blind, and a thief; but he's a good one!


Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, sent me an ARC of this book to review (thank you).  The book has just been published, so you can snag a copy at your local bookstore.


This story reminded me of a cross between Peter Pan, the Harry Potter series, Oliver Twist and other fantastic fantasy tales.  It reads like a great classic tale and Mr. Auxier has an excellent imagination.


This is written for ages 10 and up, but I sure enjoyed it.  The author takes you to new worlds, lets you travel magically and with fantastic friends, and gives his main character several challenges to deal with.  It's exciting and full of never-ending action.


I can see a child reading this book more than once because there are so many things going on.  Each reread will let them understand and see something that they may have missed on the first read.


If anyone in your family enjoys a delightful fantasy tale, this is just the book for them.  It could also lead your young readers to become inspired to write their tales of further adventures for Peter.  Why stop at the end of the book?


If you'd like my ARC of this story, please leave a comment here on my blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com with your NAME AND ADDRESS and why you'd like to read the book.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading!

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

The subtitle of this book is "The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein" and it is indeed a dark tale...

Simon & Schuster sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It will be on sale August 23rd, so watch your local bookstore for a copy.

This is the story of a young man that has a brilliant mind and loves his twin brother.  They do everything together.  And their cousin, Elizabeth tags along.  When Konrad gets ill, Victor is determined to help him get well.  After all, the doctors aren't helping...

Horror, evil, alchemist works, and more fill this tale.  If your young one hesitates at violence, this is probably not a book for them.  But if your child enjoys adventure, action, impossible odds, and ironic endings, this is a wonderful book for them.

Victor uses information he finds in books that are hidden in a library forbidden to him to try to find a cure.  He gets in touch with an evil alchemist and asks him for help translating the text to create an "Elixir of Life".  Once it's translated, he has to obtain three ingredients.  And try not to die in the process...

This book is busy from beginning to end. If you'd like to know how the book ends, grab yourself a copy and read it.  It's written well, has a good flow, and is entertaining to read.  I also believe there will be a sequel to this book; Victor's story is not done.

If you'd like my ARC of this book, please leave a comment here on my blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com and give me your name AND address and why you'd like to read it.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.

Happy reading.

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

Vivienne found herself feeling unsure while at the dock waiting for the boat to evacuate the island.  It was so small and she wanted to keep her children safe.  When she decides to stay on the island of Guernsey, her decision will change her life...


Voice, an imprint of Hyperion, sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It has now been published and you can get a copy at your local bookstore.


Vivienne's husband is in the war, but their marriage was over before he left.  His unfaithfulness had broken it in two.  Vivienne is on her own, with two daughters and a mother-in-law.  She's hoping she made the right decision.  But when the Germans move in to the abandoned house next door, she's fearful.


Occupied Guernsey now has new rules and the people who stayed behind begin to change.  War touches whole families, even those who stay behind.  Soldiers feel conflicted about what they must do and how it offends their conscience.  Good people find themselves in bad situations.


For a while, Vivienne takes comfort in the arms of a German, but then the reality of the situation hits her and she must make a difficult decision.


This has the flavor and taste of how war impacts people and how it influences their lives.  The author does a nice job of showing how merciless people must be to survive and how innocent people can trigger events that become cataclysmic.  There are no easy answers during war and sometimes grabbing a slice of comfort is the best you will get.


If you would like my ARC of this book, please leave a comment here on my blog and email at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address and tell me why you'd like to read it.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading. 

The Paradise Prophecy by Robert Browne

God banished Lucifer to hell.  Now he's on earth and attempting to destroy it to get even with God...


Dutton sent me an ARC of this book for review (thank you).  It was just published the 21st of this month and you can get a copy at your local bookstore.


I wasn't sure how much I'd like reading this book since it included angels who are spirits and occupy human bodies and it included a war with God, but the story is vivid and lively. The special agent the author creates, Bernadette Callahan, works for the "Section" which is almost as secretive and odd as the angels...


Batty LaLaurie is a religious historian, and Callahan nabs him to help her with her case.  She's going after a serial killer, but she finds that there are some religious factors involved that she can't interpret.  Batty tries to help, but they just keep getting in deeper and deeper.


Here is a link to the YouTube video that gives you a small excerpt of the story to entice your interest:  The Paradise Prophecy .


There is plenty of action, multiple plots, and it has a totally unexpected ending.  I found I enjoyed reading this book a lot.  Why not give it a try yourself?


If you'd like my ARC, please leave a comment here on my blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address and why you'd like to read the book.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading.

Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott

Sam made love to his pregnant wife and then went to work as usual.  Suddenly Lucy calls him and tells him to get out of the building and come down to her on the street.  As he goes out the door, the building explodes!


Hachette Books provided me with an ARC of this book to review (thank you).  It was published July 1st, so you can get a copy at your local bookstore now.


Sam attempts to save his wife from the thug who was holding her hostage in the car outside the building, but he escapes.  And then Sam is gathered up by the CIA (his employer) to talk about what just happened.  He also gets accused of being a traitor.


Sam is a good man trying to make a difference in a world gone violent and mean.  Now they are accusing him of being a traitor.  Or even worse, suggesting that Lucy might be a traitor.


Sam Capra has a problem.  He has a big problem.  They don't want him to go after Lucy or his child.  They are monitoring him to make sure he doesn't escape.  They are threatening to kill him if doesn't stop trying.  And he's NOT going to stop trying to get his wife and child back.


Mr. Abbott has written a story of corruption across all levels.  Everyone that Sam has trusted and believed in is not his friend.  What he finds out during his search for his son will destroy his faith in the power of good and ruin his life.  But he doesn't back down.


This is a thriller with no end of bad, violent people who are trying to make money from sex slaves to assassinations to weapon running.  Sam has to negotiate through them to find his wife.  Adrenaline is actually a location in the story, but your adrenaline will be working while you read this story.


Fast paced and filled with ugly truths, this story will leave you thinking of what if it's true???


If you'd like to race through this story like I did, grab yourself a copy at your local bookstore.  Or you can enter the contest to win my ARC by commenting here on the blog and sending an email to info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address and tell me why you'd like to win it.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading.

Bloodline by Mark Billingham

Why would a domestic murder victim have a piece of an X-ray in her hand?


Mulholland Books, a division of Little, Brown and Company, sent me an ARC of this book for review.  It was published mid-July, so you can find a copy in your local bookstore now.


This is a police procedural with a creepy twist to it.  I really enjoyed Mr. Billingham's writing style, and his story is very realistic.  When Thorne finds he's facing a serial killer, the chase is on and it will hold you in your seat until you reach the end of story.


The victim's mother had been murdered by Raymond Garvey.  The bad news is Raymond Garvey is dead now.  So who is the killer and what does an X-ray have to do with the case?  Garvey had no family, no children.  Thorne is driven to find a common denominator, but there just aren't enough clues...


The story has a good pace, was originally published in the UK so it has a British flavor, and Thorne is an enjoyable character.  He works hard, is diligent, and worries about who might die next.


Why not find your favorite armchair and follow Thorne through on his adventures?


If you'd like my ARC, please leave a comment here on my blog and email at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address for mailing.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading.

Iron House by John Hart

He was an orphan, but he was tough.  He took the blame to save his younger brother from a murder charge and ran...


Thomas Dunne Books, a division of St. Martin's Press, sent me an ARC of this book for review.  It went on sale in mid-July, so you can snag a copy at your local bookstore now.


The author says he got discouraged writing this book and almost gave up.  Boy, am I glad he didn't!  This is an amazing read.  I kept reading to see what was going to happen next.  Mr. Hart's writing style is hard hitting and holds no punches.  The plot is complex and the connections are hard to believe, but it's plausible.  And it sounds real.


Michael ran from the orphanage and fell into the hands of a mob leader.  He became an assassin.  Then he fell in love.  The old man tells him he will set him free to let him start a new life, but the old man is dying.  Soon, the old man's son is after him and people around him start dying.  He has two vulnerabilities:  his girlfriend who carries his baby and his little brother.  The mob intends to kill them both.


In some ways, it's like a game of charades.  Nobody is what they seem, there are connections Michael didn't know about, and most people have alternate agendas he's not familiar with. 


It's fast paced, full of action and violence, and I struggled to try to formulate an ending myself, but I sure couldn't see one.  Mr. Hart did a very nice job of tying the pieces back together again.  Not everyone lives happily ever after, but those who do live are moving on and getting on with their lives.


I don't think anyone would be disappointed in this book.  It's well written and I recommend it.


If you would like my ARC (which has a different cover), please leave a comment here on the blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address to be entered in the contest.  I'll pick a winner in about a week.


Happy reading!

Perfect Copy by Judith Gaines

This story will keep you awake at night thinking:  "What if.."


I am participating in Menage a Blog, and chose this book to "taste" this author.  It's a thriller and I was sure I would enjoy reading it, plus it has an added almost science fiction side to that really enhanced the story line.  You can pick up a copy at Smashwords or on Amazon as an ebook.


Brina lost her husband and son in an ugly accident that scarred her for life.  When she was hired to take of a child who didn't speak and was easily upset, she was more than willing to care for Roman.  She was still a mother even if her child had died.  She realizes that Matthew scientifically created Roman for the black market, so she tries to shower him with love to show him another side of humans.


The excitement all starts with the death of Matthew.  A park ranger tells her he's found him dead.  Was it an accident or was it murder?  Who would have killed Matthew?  Why would anyone want to kill Matthew?  The search for the answer to the questions sets the stage for the fear and trauma that follow.


This author does an excellent job of describing the snowbound cabin they occupy and the monsters inside and outside the building.  Bri is determined to protect Roman, but the odds aren't in her favor.


If you want a fast read that make you catch your breath as you live the nightmare that Bri faces, this book is for you.  It's a twisted tale that doesn't end happily ever after.  It ends realistically though.  And I greatly enjoyed the read.


Here is the best part:  If you leave a comment here on my blog with your email address, you'll get a link to the book for free.  Isn't that a deal?  Just comment below.  And read a good book!


Happy reading.

The Return of Captain John Emmett by Elizabeth Speller

His wife and child died while he was in the war.  When he returned he was a bit lost, so he decided to write a book about the history of the local churches.  However, the note from Mary about her brother's suicide suddenly took him in another direction...


Houghton Mifflin Harcourt sent me an ARC of this book to review (thank you).  It was published the 5th of July, so you can purchase a copy at your local bookstore now.


The author chose to write about the soldiers of the Great War.  Many died in battle and many came home wounded in both body and spirit.  I almost expected the story to be a bit dry and slow, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Ms. Speller imbibes her characters with life.  They may be reserved, but they have strong emotions and will persevere.  She describes the war only to the extent that it ties to her story line and she does a piece at a time.  Her clues to the mystery are like bread crumbs.  You never know when one is going to show and many times the search is futile.


The main character finds himself discovering more about his friend than he knew while he was alive, which is a bit discerning.  He also finds that many of the people he wants to talk to are dead before he gets there.  Perhaps there is a conspiracy?


The mystery is complex and unpleasant and the connection between all the people is murky.  The author leads you through the tale until she finally shows you the solution.  She surprised me with it.  Maybe you should read it and see if you can figure it out before the end.  It's a very good read.


I am giving away my ARC.  If you'd like to win it, leave a comment here on my blog and email me at info at bookfaerie.com with your name AND address and tell me why you'd like to read it.  I will be picking a winner in about a week.


Happy reading.

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas

It's 1877, and a flock of purple and white hoopoes are roosting outside the house while a new mother is inside delivering a baby.  Why???


Harper, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, sent me an ARC of this book for review. (Thank you.)  The book was published February 8th, so you can get a copy at your local bookstore now.


This book is a mix of magic and history about the Ottoman Empire set in an exotic location much like Turkey.  Mr. Lukas uses words that float through the air and paint a picture of a country that has extreme poverty at the common residents level and an abundance of wealth for the high-born.  He can even make you smell the spices in the market place.  His vivid descriptions come from his personal work experiences in Turkey, Tel Aviv, and Tunisia.


His main character is the baby being born in the first chapter.  Her mother dies after delivery, and Eleanoro is raised primarily by her father.  Her aunt arrives shortly after her mother's death and marries her father, but she's never a mother to Eleanoro.  The friction between the two grows as time passes, but when Eleanoro learns to read she has a way to escape...


Mr. Lukas adds mystery, intrigue, spies, and political ploys to the story.  It's an intriguing read with a totally unanticipated ending. 


Buy yourself a copy of this book and visit another world, watch purple and white hoopoes following Elearnora around, and learn what prophecy she was meant to fulfill.  


Here is the list of those before and after my blog tour post.  Visit the sites to read more about the book and the author to entice you!

Friday, February 18th: Jen’s Book Thoughts

Friday, February 18th: Luxury Reading

Monday, February 21st: Chocolate & Croissants

Tuesday, February 22nd: Journey of a Bookseller

Tuesday, February 22nd: The Feminist Texan [Reads]

Wednesday, February 23rd: My Two Blessings

Wednesday, February 23rd: Man of La Book

I will be giving away my ARC as part of the blog tour, so leave a comment here on the blog and email me at info @ bookfaerie.com with your name and ADDRESS and tell me why you'd like to read it.

The Magnificent 12: The Call by Michael Grant

This is an interesting tale of a 12 year old boy who is just medium in everything: build, brains, ambition and even in his life. Nothing outstanding. So why would he be told he's one of the Magnificent 12? And how can the guy talking to him be three-thousand-years-old?

This is a Katherine Tegin Books publication and they sent me an ARC for review. (Thank you.)

One of the most interesting twists in this book is that Mack's worst enemy, a very big bully, suddenly becomes his protector because Mack saved his life. That's real handy for Mack, because his life suddenly becomes very dangerous, leaving medium way behind...

It's a fast paced action story for young adults aged 10+, and there is enough humor interspersed to keep it from becoming too intense.

If you would like my ARC of this book, follow the steps below:

1) Leave a comment here on the blog;

2. Send me an email at info @ bookfaerie.com (take out the spaces) with your name and address and why you would like to read this book.

I'll pick a winner in about a week.

The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel

The subtitle on this book is: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. It's very accurate.

It's World War II, and we know of all the sacrifice and pain that peoples of all types felt, especially Jews.

I've seen specials on the history channel about the types of arts that were stolen from the Jewish people and stored for the benefit of the German commanders and their causes (sometimes just their own enrichment). But I'd never heard of the Monuments Men!

It all started when one man took a great interest in how well art held up when it wasn't protected as it should be. He did research on that, tried to get the powers to be interested in his efforts, and had no success. But then one day, he enlisted in the service. He was not a young man, but war times make the branches of the service a bit less critical about that. They needed manpower.

And by pure chance, he meets another man who feels art has an importance and should be preserved. So they manage to get support to develop a team to go and attempt to save what hasn't been desecrated in the war zones, and to bring back any art that is movable for preservation purposes. It also became a matter of returning art to the rightful owners down the road.

The story is fascinating. It's all men except for one French woman who actually functioned as a spy while dealing with the Nazis. They are universally disrespected, thought of as unnecessary and in the way of war, and got no supplies for their work.

But the people were kind, the team persevered, and save some treasures they did. Others, they cried over the loss.

You'll recognize the names of the commanders in this book, but I'd never seen them presented in quite this context.

It catches your attention and the pages turn quickly - it's good read and teaches you at the same time.

If you'd like my copy of this ARC, please email me at infoNOSPAM@bookfaerie.com (remove the no spam) with your name and address and tell me why you'd like it. Also, you must leave a comment here on my blog.

Happy reading!

The Link by Colin Tudge

OK, I have to be honest and admit I thought this one was fiction. I was looking for a rumble in the jungle tale with dinosaurs and such and then I find out it's non-fiction, ugh! However, it was still an intriguing read.

This is the story of Ida. She's 47 million years old, and died very quickly at a young age and fell into just the right kind of mudpit to preserve her body indefinitely. She was found by a private collector and then offered at a later date to Jorn Hurum, associate professor of paleontology at the Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo. First he had to determine if she was genuine and actually was that old. Then he had to find funding to buy her. Then he had to get her out of the country she was found in and back to Oslo. That alone was quite an adventure because she'd been in the Messel pit, and that pit was now a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. But he wiggle waggles his way through the corners and pitfalls and comes home with Ida.

From here, it gets even more complex. There are various theories on how humans have developed, how the animal kingdom became what it is. And Ida didn't really fit in any of them. Nor was anyone totally sure what kind of creature Ida was. She had attributes of several.

The photos of Ida and a few other creatures found in the Messel Pit are quite eyecatching. It's like taking a trip in a time machine to ages long ago.

And facts that are presented in this book are total news to me. You may know if you've studied the life cycle of ages/times of our earth, but I never knew India had been drifting north from Antarctica and ran into the southern coast of Eurasia and kept going until it ground up the base of Asia and created the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau!

Or did you know that fossil elephants of many kinds have been found all over Europe and in both North and South America?

They feel Ida is an in-between species and that without a species quite like her, there would have been no modern-day lemurs, monkeys or apes.

Of course, the evolution of life's trail is still muddy and there are disagreements about her significance, but she is another clue in our history.

I'm sure you'll learn something if you read this book!

If you'd like the copy I received for review, leave a comment here on the blog and then email me at info@bookfaerie.com with your name and address and tell me why you'd like to win the drawing.

Mating Rituals of the North American Wasp by Lauren Lipton

This one is a fun read. I don't normally do romances, but this story line caught my eye and I read the whole book in one evening.

First rule: Don't go to Vegas with your girlfriends and wake up in some strange man's room with no idea how you got there. Luckily she was still wearing all her clothes (and so was he), so she just quickly made her escape and went back home to her boyfriend - not even knowing who he was.

Next rule: Don't marry the guy right after you meet him in Vegas. When he calls her and reminds her of the fact that she's now his wife, even they don't really know each other, she panics.

She demands the marriage be annulled. He says fine. But then his lawyer's secretary calls his aunt, and it gets much, much more complicated.

She wants to marry her boyfriend she's had for years, this new man lives in very small town that has typical small town idiosyncrasies - everyone knows your business, there are proper ways to act and lots of things you "just don't do". But her business is failing and if she stays married to Luke for a year, his aunt will leave him the old homestead (which is worth money) and they can sell it and split the proceeds. The only hang up is that she will have to come to the house on weekends and stay with he and his aunt.

That shouldn't be so hard, should it?

They avoid each other, don't talk much, and try to pretend everything is normal for his aunt. She's no dumb bunny.

In the meantime, her old boyfriend proposes. And life gets even more complicated as the aunt dies and she has to decide which of the men in her life she really wants to marry.

The action and suspense continue right up until the last chapter, and nobody knows what she's going to do - including her!

If this sounds like a book you would like to read, send me an email at info@bookfaerie.com and give me your name and address for mailing and tell me why you'd like it. You also MUST leave a comment on this blog.

Book Giveaway - An Honorable German - Five Copies!

The publishing house has graciously offered me five more copies of this book to give away.

Read my review and see if this might be something you'd like to read: Honorable German Review .

Part of what fascinated me about this book was the fact that it talked about him in a German prisoner of war camp in New Mexico. Fort Stanton is about 100 miles away from Las Cruces, and they did serve as a German war camp for a while, so it was like reading about actual historical fact. And since I was familiar with the desert, the possibilities of escape were as he stated.

I enjoyed reading this book and think you would, too.

If you'd like to win a copy of this book, leave a comment on my blog AND email info@bookfaerie.com with your name and address. I'll then pass on the info to the publisher. Again, this offer is limited to the US and Canada.

Cemetery Dance - Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have never written a book that bored me. This one is also full of action and with a hint of horror to add to the mix.

The adventure starts when an apartment neighbor attacks a man in his own apartment and kills him. They have video showing the killer, and the wife identifies him. But he died two weeks previously - how could he be the killer?

During the autopsy, they also find some strange markings and an odd thing in his mouth - which point to voodoo...

This leads to the thought that the killer could be a Zombie. The police detective is scornful, and continues to look for clues to a human killer, but then another murder happens. And it's the first victim who has returned and murders in front of a crowd that recognizes him.

They stumble upon a secret reclusive cult of Obeah and voodoo that no one would have imagined existed in Manhattan. They know they do animal sacrifices, but do they create Zombies? Intruders are not welcome, and they are not answering any questions.

Action picks up when the surviving wife gets kidnapped right out from under police protection and a video shows her in captivity and promises her death. Both police and FBI want to stop that, but how? They can't access the compound. They're not sure she's being held there anyway.

How all this ties together is fascinating. Nothing is what it seems to be.

It's a good mystery and has some horror for you, too.

If you'd like my ARC of this book, please leave a comment here on the blog, and then email me at info@bookfaerie.com with your name and address and tell me why you'd like to read it. I'll pick a winner in about a week.

An Honorable German - Charles McCain

The title on this one intrigued me. It's not that I don't think German's are honorable, it's that it is set during World War II, and this German becomes a U-Boat commander. That was an ugly war on all sides and Hitler only rewarded those who followed his ideas of honor.

Max is young when the war starts, and he is fighting for his country and plans to marry his girl down the road. Things change as the war continues and he suffers injuries to his body and his psych.

As Hitler's officers get more strident, he begins to fear he won't live through the war, he has to send his girlfriend to Mexico to keep her safe, and he begins to weigh what's more important - his orders or the moral responsibility of keeping non-combatant women and children from drowning.

He knows they are to take no prisoners, offer no help to anyone. But when he targets a ship and it was a passenger ship instead of a freighter, he can't let them die. However saving the passengers puts his boat in danger...

This results in the crew being captured and the U-boat being destroyed. When he's put in a prison camp, his own crew attempts to kill him for not following the rules.

If you want to know if he survives or if he ever gets back to his lady love, you need to read the book. The book is very realistic, so be prepared.

I'm giving away my ARC, so leave a comment here on the blog, and then email me at info@bookfaerie.com with your name, address, and why you'd like to have to the book. I'll pick a winner in about a week.