Water's Edge By Robert Whitlow

Book Description: Sometimes the smallest towns hold the biggest secrets. Ambitious young attorney Tom Crane is about to become a partner in a big-city law firm. One final matter has to be cleared from his docket—the closing of his deceased father’s law practice in the small town of Bethel. Killed in a tragic boating accident, John Crane didn’t leave his son anything except the hassle of a bankrupt estate. Then, within twenty-four hours, Tom loses his job, his girlfriend, and his cat. Job didn’t have it much worse. Returning to Bethel with his pride ground to powder, Tom’s plan to quietly shut down his father’s practice and slink out of town runs into an unexpected roadblock—two million dollars of unclaimed money stashed in a secret bank account. Tom follows the money into a tangled web of lies, theft, and off-shore financial transactions manipulated by powerful men who will do anything to stop him from discovering the truth.

I found this book is very inspiring. Unlike his father, Tom was not a very religions person. It is very interesting to see how he gets closer to the God, and refer to bible for guidance and answers. From losing his job, eventually he got few good options what he would like to do after he had settled his father's business. Just as he thought he had finally settled the matter, something unexpected and turned his life totally upside down. He did not know who to trust anymore. The story has a good pace, though I feel towards the ending was a little rush. Nevertheless it's a good ending and I enjoy reading it very much. I was feeling a little down and depressed but this book has uplifted my mood tremendously.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Note: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

Title:         Forbidden
Publisher:  Hachette Book Group
Imprint:     Center Street
Pub Date:  09/13/2011
ISBN:       9781599953540
Author:      Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee




What will it be like when all of us are emotionless except fear? Imagine no love, no passion, no happiness, and thus no sadness, no tears too. Why there is fear? Because with fear, we will follow rules. And thus the world will be peaceful without war. But is it really as what it seems? Or are we just a living corpse walking around the earth?

Rom was an artist. One day on the way going home, Rom met with an old man who claimed to know his father and told him a shocking news that his father was being murdered and not died from illness. This old man also gave him a vial of blood and asked him to go look for this man called Book who was detained in the Citadel. According to the rules, Rom was supposed to turn himself in and hand over the vial of blood to the Orders. However seeing the old man being killed by the citadel guard, Rom was freak out and he ran away. Due to this, his life was totally changed. He became fugitive. And yet he needed to stay around for the answers. He had a mission to complete.

This is my first book by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. And it is very well written. Fast pace, unpredictable, full of actions and adventures that made me can't stop turning the pages. The thoughts and emotion of the main characters are presented very well. The story plot is good and things always happen out of my anticipation. Even though this book is categorized under Thriller, however it is not scary or creepy at all. Rom was fearful but he's smart and intelligent too. The promise that he had made and his determination to protect his loved one made him to continue his mission. You can also find sacrifice, passion, love and loyalty from this book. I could not get enough and I'm looking forward for the next book in this series.

This is a wonderful book and I enjoy reading it very much. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.


Book Description:

A terrible truth has been revealed to one man: the entire human race has been drained of every emotion except one-- fear. To bring life back to the world, Rom must embark on a journey that will end either in his own demise or a reawakening of humanity.  But to bring love and passion back into existence will also threaten the powers of the world with the revolution and anarchy that had nearly destroyed them previously.

After happening upon a journal through strange circumstance,  Rom's world is shattered. He learns that humanity long ago ceased to "live," that it exists today in a living death of emotions. In a terrible risk, Rom exposes himself to the vial of blood folded into the old leather of the journal. His change is fearful and fraught with mind-bending emotion. A once-pious observer of the Order's passionless statues, he is filled with uncontrollable impulses. He is filled with love.

He is undone, terrified, and alone in the desolate world.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

TED DEKKER is a New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels with a total of more than 5 million books in print.   He is known for thrillers that combine adrenaline-laced plots with incredible confrontations between good and evil.

TOSCA LEE left her position working with Fortune 500 Companies as a Senior Consultant for the Gallup Organization to pursue her first love: writing. She is the critically-acclaimed author of Demon and Havah and is best known for her humanizing portraits of maligned characters. She makes her home in the Midwest.



Note: I receive the ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

 

Title:          The Restorer
SubTitle:     Book I in The Graveyard Queen series
Publisher:    Harlequin
Imprint:      MIRA Books
Pub Date:   04/26/2011
ISBN:        9780778329817
Author:      Amanda Stevens

When Amelia Gray was 9 years old, she saw ghost for the first time. Since then, her father who is a cemetery caretaker tells her the 4 rules that she must remember and follow:

Never acknowledge the dead.
Never stray from the hallowed ground.
Never get close to the haunted.
Never, ever tempt fate.

Now at the age of 27, Amelia Gray is a graveyard restorer. Her latest job is to restore an old Charleston graveyard. However before she can complete her job, a body has been found at the graveyard and she is requested to assist in the investigation together with John Devlin, the police detective who in charge of this case.

Amelia is attracted to John Devlin but Devlin is haunted by ghosts due to his guilt that he holds for his past. Amelia has vowed to keep away from this haunted man but she breaks the rules again and again, making herself more and more dangerous. At the same time, more bodies are found and the killer started to leave the hints at Amelia's blog. The clues to the killer and to his other victims; lie in the headstone symbolism that only she can interpret.

The Restorer is the Book 1 of The Graveyard Queen Series. The story is thrilling and chilling too. It is fast paced, full of mystery and suspense, very well plotted with lots of twist and surprises. At the same time the feelings between Amelia and Devlin, how she struggles to keep away from him, are presented very well. The characterizations are quite vivid; some parts can be quite creepy so if you are the nervous type maybe it'll be better if you don't read it at night. 

I enjoy reading it very much. And I'm looking forward for her next book in this series. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Here is the The Graveyard Queen series book trailer:



The Graveyard Queen Series:
Prequel: The Abandoned (April 2011)
Book I: The Restorer (May 2011)
Book II: The Kingdom (November 2011)
Book III: The Prophet (May 2012)

Click here for more info about this series.


Note: I receive the ARC of this book from the publisher Harlequin via Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.