Review: The Rosary Girls

 

 

 

The Rosary Girls

Richard Montanari

Ballantine Books

 

 

Sprawling beneath the statue of William Penn, Philadelphia is a city of downtrodden crack houses and upscale brownstones. Somewhere in this concrete crazy quilt, one teenage Catholic girl is writing in her diary, another is pouring her heart out to a friend, and yet another is praying. And somewhere in this city is a man who wants these young women to make his macabre fantasy become reality. In a passion play of his own, he will take the girls–and a whole city–over the edge.

Kevin Byrne is a veteran cop who already knows that edge: He’s been living on it far too long. His marriage failing, his former partner wasting away in a hospital, and his heart lost to mad fury, Byrne loves to take risks and is breaking every rule in the book. And now he has been given a rookie partner. Jessica Balzano, the daughter of a famous Philly cop, doesn’t want Byrne’s help. But they will need each other desperately, since they’ve just caught the case of a lifetime: Someone is killing devout young women, bolting their hands together in prayer, and committing an abomination upon their otherwise perfect bodies.

Byrne and Balzano spearhead the hunt for the serial killer, who leads them on a methodically planned journey. Suspects appear before them like bad dreams–and vanish just as quickly. And while Byrne’s sins begin to catch up with him, and Balzano tries to solve the blood-splattered puzzle, the body count rises. Meanwhile, the calendar is approaching Easter and the day of the resurrection. When the last rosary is counted, a madman’s methods will be revealed, and the final crime will be the one that hurts the most.



My Review:  This is another author that is new to me. I found this book while on goodreads and read the above description. I thought I would give it a try because it is in my adopted city. So, I picked up a used copy of it. I was not disappointed. This was a dark and fast paced crime story that pulls you in and keeps you guessing till the end. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. I liked how the author introduced them and then build on the foundation and back story of them. Not giving you full background before the story develops.
    The roller coaster of a ride that was this book was outstanding. I held on to my seat for dear life. I am now a fan of Mr. Montanari. I was captured by every aspect of this book. The crimes, the mystery, the characters, and their struggles.

Review : The Graveyard Book

 

 



The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman

Harper Collins

 

 

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own.

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . .

My Review: What can I say about this book. It was ..... amazing, wonderful, shocking, surprising. This book has it all. I was a little shocked at the description of the murders at the start of the book, but it worked and gave the story the suspense that made me continue to read. I could not put down this book. I wanted to know what happened faster than I could read it.
    This is the first book I have read by Neil Gaiman and I was blown away. The authors descriptive writing drew me in and I felt like I was in the graveyard too. I look forward to discovering the other worlds and adventures Mr. Gaiman has in store for me. I usually give book away or donate them but this has a permanent place on my shelf.



Review : Whispers

 

 

 

Whispers

Lisa Jackson

Zebra

 

The suspenseful story of a woman with shocking secrets who is drawn into a journalist's web...and an obsession that could destroy her. In the chill of an Oregon Night, a man plunges to his death. Another vanishes without a trace. A third drowns in the murky waters of a quiet lake. Alone in the dark, a ruthless killer is certain that every loose end has been cut, every enemy silenced...except one. It's been sixteen years since Claire St. John fled in terror from her family's home on Lake Arrowhead. Sixteen years since her fiancé's tragic death and the shocking secret she promised never to reveal to anyone. But that was before journalist Kate Moran began probing the mystery of that horrible night, turning a light on the darkest corners of Claire's life, exposing her once again to a cold-blooded murderer's vicious fury. Now, as Claire returns home to face a past she's tried to forget, another body is unearthed, revealing the twisted nature of a killer who is ready at last to make Claire pay the ultimate price.

 

 

 

My Review: In the past I have always enjoyed Lisa Jackson novels. I started to really enjoy this novel and it was a compelling mystery I was drawn in. The characters were well developed and you get history that gives the story teeth to sink into you thoughts. I did try to figure the crime even when I was not able to read on. The plot twist and relationships are great. I had one problem with this book. The way the author repeats the plot at the last chapters of this book. Every other line seemed too dwell on the main plot. I could not get over that and it drove me nuts. I wanted to scream that I remembered what was going on. I almost put the book down and walked away, but because it was a compelling story I finished the book and I was glad I did.

 

     

 

 

Review : The Girl in the Steel Corset

 

 

 

The Girl in the Steel Corset

Kady Cross

Harlequin Teen

 

 

 

 

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her.When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no "normal" Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of "them." The orphaned duke takes her in from the gas lit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help--and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on--even if it seems no one believes her.

 

 

My Review: This is the first Steampunk novel and I did not know what to expect. I really liked this book. The plot was intriguing and pull you in from the beginning and keeps you reading. Character development was wonderfully done and you are interested to see what happens to them. The secondary characters bring depth and interesting smaller plots to the story and gives you a connection to all of them . This is a series I am going to continue and I hope to love all the books. I am interested to  see what happens next, and how the adventure continues.