Fatal Tide By Lis Wiehl, with Pete Nelson

Book Description In East Salem, the elite St. Adrian’s Academy is at the nexus of a satanic apocalypse—and the fatal tide is rising. When Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights is reunited with the pagans who commissioned it, a dark prophecy begins to unfold in East Salem, beginning with a savage double-murder by hellish creatures straight out of the painting itself. The lone survivor of the attack, a seventeen-year-old Brit, finds sanctuary at Tommy Gunderson’s home—and the place is soon surrounded by demons who seem to be biding their time…but for how long? Tommy’s pond has been contaminated with Provivilan—an insidious drug that could transform New York City’s children into an army of violence-addicted murderers. But for an occult cabal in the upper echelons of Linz Pharmaceuticals, contaminating the water supply is just part of an ancient conspiracy against all of humankind. As the clouds gather, Tommy and Dani realize they must infiltrate Linz and St. Adrian’s to stop the dissemination of Provivilan. Even then, it could take a tangible eruption of the battle between angels and demons to save humanity from the supernatural evils that have been summoned to East Salem.

Finally, the last installment of the East Salem series is here. I was so excited when I know it's coming out and couldn't resist myself to get the book immediately. And similar to the 1st and 2nd installment of the series, Lis Wiehl together with Pete Nelson did not fail to surprise me with more suspense and excitement in this final book of the series. The story continues from the ending of the 2nd installment. So it is recommended that you read the series from book 1 onward to understand the whole story.

In this last book, the characters introduced from the 2nd installment were playing more important role, working hand in hand with Tommy and Dani on fighting the demon. The battle started right from the beginning of the book, making me so nervous and at the same time worry for them. In the whole book of more than 300 pages, many things happened and the time span was only 5 days, detailing the role of each person played and the dangerous of their actions in the whole battle. The authors have shown excellent skills on weaving the emotion, suspense, and twist and turns of the events into the story. I would say there is no single hero in the whole battle, everyone plays an important role in fighting the demon. And of course, God already has his plan for everyone in this whole thing.

I love this series very much. The whole series is full of mystery, suspense, excitement and definitely a page turner. And I love the ending too. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.


Note: I receive the ARC of this book from the publisher through 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."

The Prophet by Amanda Stevens (The Graveyard Queen series: Book 3)

Title:         The Prophet SubTitle:   The Graveyard Queen series: Book 3 Publisher:  Harlequin Imprint:     HarlequinMira Pub Date:  April 24, 2012 ISBN:       9780778313397 Author:     Amanda Stevens My name is Amelia Gray. I am the Graveyard Queen, a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. My father passed down four rules to keep me safe and I’ve broken every last one. A door has opened and evil wants me back. In order to protect myself, I’ve vowed to return to those rules. But the ghost of a murdered cop needs my help to find his killer. The clues lead me to the dark side of Charleston—where witchcraft, root doctors and black magic still flourish—and back to John Devlin, a haunted police detective I should only love from afar. Now I’m faced with a terrible choice: follow the rules or follow my heart. The Graveyard Queen Series: Book 1: The Restorer (May 2011) Book 2: The Kingdom (April 2012) Book 3: The Prophet (May 2012) About the author: Amanda Stevens lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and a black cat named Lola. She is an avid reader, a fledgling taphophile and a collector of Alfred Hitchcock memorabilia. When she’s not writing, she likes taking road trips to Austin. You can fi nd her online at www.AmandaStevens.com or www.TheGraveyardQueen.com.

In The Prophet, Amelia was back to Charleston, which also means back to her haunted Devlin. The interactions between Amelia and the ghosts made the story more creepy. The ghost detective who had requested Amelia to help investigate on his death, had added some mystery and suspense to the story, which also made Amelia becoming more dangerous. While Devlin was trying very hard to keep Amelia away from him, in order to protect her. I wish to see more on him telling Amelia about his feeling, and letting go of his death wife and daughter. I also wish to see a stronger Amelia when she's around Devlin.

Simple story line and yet the author is capable of presenting it in a very beautiful and not too complicated writing style. I enjoy reading the twist and turns, and the unexpected outcome from the whole investigation. I wish there would be more books for this series, as I really wish to see a more happy ending for Amelia and Devlin. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Note: I receive the digital 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 Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

Title:         The Kingdom SubTitle:   The Graveyard Queen Series: Book II Publisher:  Harlequin Imprint:     Harlequin MIRA Pub Date:  March 27, 2012 ISBN:        9780778312772 Author:     Amanda Stevens Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town… My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I’ve been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I’m coming to think I have another purpose here. Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I’ve discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth. About the author: Amanda Stevens lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and a black cat named Lola. She is an avid reader, a fl edgling taphophile and a collector of Alfred Hitchcock memorabilia. When she’s not writing, she likes taking road trips to Austin. You can fi nd her online at www.AmandaStevens.com or www.TheGraveyardQueen.com.

The Kingdom is the second book of the Graveyard Queen series by Amanda Stevens. I love The Restorer very much and has recommended to quite a few friends who also like it. So when I know the second book is out, I can't wait to get hold to continue reading the story of Amelia Gray.

Amanda Stevens did not disappoint me in The Kingdom. It is even more spooky, scary, mysterious and again made me can't put it down. Amelia has been commissioned to restore a cemetery in Ashen Falls. It is a small town with no access to outside except by ferry. Amelia was hoping by going away from Charleston away from Devlin, she could try to forget him. However Ashen Falls is place much more dangerous to Amelia than she has expected. Things happened after one another that she could not understand why. She knew she should go away from this town but for unknown reason she was drawn to it and believed that she should stay. 

Despite being the second book of the series, The Kingdom can be read by itself with the new story and new characters. But if you read from The Restorer, you get to understand Amelia Gray in great details. I love how Amanda Stevens presented the whole story, how the mystery tension are being build up. She's definitely has talent on words with the vivid description of the places and the people. It's a page turner. I enjoy reading it very much.

I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.



Note: I receive the digital 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 Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna

Title:         The Wedding Gift Publisher:  Bell Bridge Books Pub Date:  October 19, 2011 ISBN:        9781611940527 Author:      Kathleen McKenna From Goodreads: 17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift. Thirty years before, the same house had hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins had all been slaughtered, his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide. The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion but has stood empty since the tragedy. It's intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ... "A rip roaring murderously good time," Tiffany Harkleroad of Tiffany's Bookshelf.

This book is totally out of my expectation. I don't mean it's badly written, but I never expect it's a journal. It's actually Leeann's journal. So it's in first POV, with Leeann narrating the story from beginning until the end. Thus you only get one side of the story. Surprisingly it is not boring at all. She started with how she get to know George and how they got married, and what happened after that.  Leeann was just 17 years old and she's a funny person. So you have to set your expectations on the way a 17 years old girl will talk, as this is how she wrote her journal. Some people may find the haunted house creepy, but not to me. I'm not sure what should I expect from a 17 years old, but I do find Leeann a little immature and too vain. But being forced into marriage seems do make her grow. She was lucky to have a very good friend that always there for her. The ending was unexpected but it's a good ending. It's a story with some romance, mystery, suspense and horror.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Note: I receive the digital 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 Black Stiletto by Raymond Benson

Title:         The Black Stiletto Publisher:  Oceanview Publishing Pub Date:  09/05/2011 ISBN:       9781608090204 Author:     Raymond Benson “My mother was the masked vigilante known as The Black Stiletto.” Was Martin Talbot’s elderly, Alzheimer’s-stricken mother really the Black Stiletto? When he discovers several hidden volumes of her diaries, he is stunned beyond all imagination. In them, Judy Talbot claims to be the renowned underground heroine who operated in late 1950s New York City, battled Communist spies, took on the Mafia, and stalked common crooks. In a fascinating story that alternates between past and present, the Black Stiletto’s legend unfolds. What caused her to begin her quest for justice? Why did she decide to act outside the law? What are the facts behind her feats as the infamous and feared crime-fighter? As Talbot struggles with shocking revelations, the reappearance of one of the Stiletto’s old enemies with a thirst for merciless revenge threatens to jeopardize his mother’s closely-guarded secret—and her life.

The story is written in first POV, switching between Martin, Judy and Roberto (Stiletto’s old enemies). However majority of the story is from Judy's diaries. She wrote down her background, what happened to her, how she becomes Black Stiletto, and the adventures after that. It is actions packed, and details fight scenes allow you to imagine the fights visually. Some parts are quite emotional too.

At first I thought reading a journal is boring but I was wrong. It was beautifully written and made me just want to keep on reading and reading. I actually enjoy the part on Judy's diaries the most. I was actually sweat for her on her very first appearance as Black Stiletto. No matter how good was her, there were times she got injured too.

Judy has few diaries and this book only covers one of the diaries. So I guess there will be more books on this series. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.


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.


Book Trailer




Additional info

The Black Stiletto was a legend in her own time, an underground heroine who made a name for herself during the late Eisenhower years and early Kennedy years as a New York City vigilante. Although she was wanted by the law and would have been arrested had she been caught or had her secret identity been revealed, the Black Stiletto was a competent and successful crime-fighter. A feminist before the term was in everyday vernacular, she battled common crooks, Communist spies, the mafia, and worse—and was responsible for their capture and, in some cases, their deaths. But the Stiletto disappeared midway through the sixties and was never heard from again. Most people thought she had died, and no one ever knew her identity. Like pinup queen Bettie Page, her mythical image resurfaced in comics and other media during the 1980s and 90s. Millions of dollars were made by others exploiting her likeness and persona. Today, the questions remain. Who was she? Is she still alive? If so, where is she now?

The answers can be found in THE BLACK STILETTO, by internationally-known New York Times best-selling author Raymond Benson.

The July 2011 issue of Library Journal calls THE BLACK STILETTO "a mashup of the work of Gloria Steinem, Ian Fleming, and Mario Puzo, all under the editorship of Stan Lee."

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.