"She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.
The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims―but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.
Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…"
"She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.
The first victim is wealthy businessman Nigel McEnroy. His company’s human resources department has already paid out settlements to a couple of his young victims―but they don’t know that his crimes go far beyond workplace harassment. Lady Justice knows. And in one shocking night of brutality, she makes him pay a much steeper price.
Now Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, are combing through the evidence of McEnroy’s secret life. His compulsive need to record his misdeeds provides them with a wide range of suspects, but the true identity of Lady Justice remains elusive. It’s a challenging case, made even more difficult by McEnroy’s widow, who reacts to the investigation with fury, denial, and threats. Meanwhile, Lady Justice’s criminal crusade is escalating rapidly, and if Eve can’t stop this vigilante, there’s no telling how much blood may be spilled…"
October 1, 2019 is for The Shape of Nightby Tess Gerritsen (Stand-Alone)
"Ava Collette is punishing herself for an unspeakable tragedy. So she flees Boston and rents an old home named Brodie's Watch on a remote coastal peninsula of Maine, hoping to work on a cookbook inspired by New England cuisine that she's been trying to finish for months. She immediately feels at peace in the isolated house--until she starts to hear strange noises.
Rumor has it that a sea captain named Brodie has haunted the house for decades. Then, one night, Ava is awakened to find herself face to face with an apparition who looks--and feels--all too real. Meanwhile, there's been a series of accidental deaths nearby that don't add up. And as Ava starts to check into the previous renter's mysterious disappearance, she starts to realize that there's a disturbing secret some in town are desperate to keep hidden.
Soon all of Ava's waking hours are consumed by her investigation, and her nights are ignited by Captain Brodie's ghostly visits. But even as she questions her own sanity, she knows she must uncover the truth before a killer strikes again."
"China and Ruby Wilcox are presenting their annual ''Not Just Plain Vanilla Workshop,'' always a huge hit with customers at Thyme & Seasons Herb Shop. But someone involved with the workshop is driven by a deadly motive, and China soon finds herself teaming up with the very pregnant Pecan Springs police chief Sheila Dawson to solve a vanilla-flavored murder.
Sheila, happy to get out from behind the chief's desk, is investigating the death of a botany professor, a prominent researcher specializing in vanilla orchids. China is trying to help a longtime friend: the dead professor's ex-wife and a prime suspect in his murder.
However, there's no shortage of other suspects: a betrayed lover, a disgruntled graduate student, jealous colleagues, and a gang of orchid smugglers. But the lethal roots of this mystery reach back into the dark tropical jungles of Mexico, where the vanilla vine was first cultivated. At stake: a lucrative plant patent, an orchid that is extinct in the wild, and the life of an innocent little girl.
A Plain Vanilla Murder is a flavorful blend of mystery and herb lore, present sins and past secrets, and characters who are as real as your next-door neighbors—stirred together in an absorbing novel that only Susan Wittig Albert could create."
"Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.
Dust jacket/Flaps
Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.
Inside flap. A New York map marked with all the 1st murders from each book
Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…"
A puzzle. Can you solve where the next book's murder will take place?
Connections in Death by J. D. Robb (Amazon affiliate link)
I must’ve put my name, email address, and home address down somewhere recently. I got this neat-o supreme-o In Death/Eve Dallas/J. D. Robb t-shirt in the mail the other day. Along with the cute Connections in Death Pop Out Christmas Tree ornaments. I kept trying to wrack my brain on any recent activities I’ve participated in about my fave, J. D. Robb. Anyway, super surprised and super gleeful. And, most of all, I’m ready for Connections in Death. Though I rather live in the present and not press the future, February 5th seems too far away for its release. UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Waiting is a BITCH! Equally stressful now that I know the following book is titledVendetta in Death. And we won't see that one until September 2019!
By the way. The books featured in the image DID NOT COME WITH THE SHIRT. LOL. Wanted to make that clear. I ordered the hardbacks from Turn the Page Bookstore earlier this year. I placed them here for decorative... or... festive... purposes...?
So thanks to the publishers St. Martin's Press. J. D. Robb. And my girl, Eve Dallas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads―and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering―whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.
Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison―and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.
Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…"
Everybody loves when his or her library unloads the 25 cent book sale. I managed to make it to mines a weekend or two ago (depends on when this post goes up), and didn’t find much. Yet, for what I did get, I took the opportunity. I upgraded two mass market books, featuring series I enjoy reading, into hardbacks. And another two… well… like any reader, there’s always an “interest” story to tell. But first the hardbacks.
"The devastating fire tore through the horse farm, destroying everything it touched. Picking through the wreckage, Dr. Kay Scarpetta uncovers human remains—the work of an audacious and wily killer who uses fire to mask his brutal murders. And when Scarpetta learns that her old nemesis, Carrie Grethen, has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is somehow involved, the investigation becomes personal. Tragedy strikes close to home. And Scarpetta must match Grethen’s every move with one of her own to douse the inferno of evil that threatens everyone around her..."
Yeah. Yeah. Read the book almost ten years ago. Since I found myself in the mood of changing my mass market copies into hardback, this decent copy will do. This is the book where Cornwell made a wild misstep by killing off one of the series main characters. Why? Because she brought his ass back three books later. It was clear she needed him. Either way, it is what it is.
I haven’t done a book haul in a hot minute. I haven’t actually WRITTEN a blog post in an extra hot minute. So I said, “what the hee-hah”. I’ll combine the two forces (go Captain Planet), and see what the hell I can get out of the experience. Mainly, I’m looking for my mojo for writing blog posts back. I miss it. And, considering in July I paid for another year of ownership of my domain name, I’ve got to get something here back in order...
(Already it feels good pounding on the keys.) So I’m going to share my recent purchases from Thriftbooks. I have a few criticisms with the site–as a consumer. Yet, I still use it because the books are in fairly good condition. Also they're cheap and you get free shipping on orders $10 and over, which takes some of the guilt of purchasing books you'll take forever to even read away. So they–essentially–have your ass over a barrel. Anyway, I was inspired by these picks for a few different reasons, and I’ll share those reasons as I move along in the post. And as always, for those of you who are familiar with the books, drop me a comment concerning your thoughts (though try not to spoil them) on each. I always love hearing from other readers. So one overarching reason I purchased at least three of the books is because I checked them out from my public library–though I never found myself in the mood to read them. Or, in the case of Moon Called, I started reading the book a day before J. D. Robb’s latest release [Leverage in Death] came out. Which, essentially, halted the whole process because everything stops with a new In Death release. And I mean EVERYTHING, bih. Nonetheless, here goes…
My information on Immortal in Death was wrong. I called him Leonard. His name is Leonardo. I knew that in the video, but for some odd reason second guess myself. I suppose this too shall pass.
Turn the Page Bookstore where you can get your copies (not affiliate): https://bit.ly/2BGwvu6
#1 New York Times bestselling author J. D. Robb presents the thrilling second novel in her In Death series. When technology can reveal the darkest of secrets, there’s only one place to hide a crime of passion—in the heart…
The first victim was found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second was murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas had no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims were beautiful and highly successful women. Their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provided Eve with a long list of suspects—including her own lover, Roarke. As a woman, Eve was compelled to trust the man who shared her bed. But as a cop, it was her job to follow every lead...to investigate every scandalous rumor...to explore every secret passion, no matter how dark. Or how dangerous.
In the third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas uncovers a world where technology can create beauty and youth, but passion and greed can destroy them...
She was one of the most sought after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted—even another woman’s man. And now she was dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas put her life on the line to take the case when suspicion fell on her best friend, the other woman in the fatal love triangle. Beneath the façade of glamour, Eve found that the world of high fashion thrived on an all-consuming obsession for youth and fame. One that led from the runway to the dark underworld of New York City where drugs could be found to fulfill any desire—for a price…
***************************O T H E R ~ L I N K S***************************
A reclusive author, Beryl Madison finds no safe haven from months of menacing phone calls—or the tormented feeling that her every move is being watched. When the writer is found slain in her own home, Kay Scarpetta pieces together the intricate forensic evidence—while unwittingly edging closer to a killer waiting in the shadows.
Amaryllis Coltraine may have recently transferred to the New York City police force from Atlanta, but she’s been a cop long enough to know how to defend herself against an assailant. When she’s taken down just steps away from her apartment, killed with her own weapon, for Eve the victim isn’t just “one of us.”
Eve starts questioning everyone while her husband, Roarke, digs into computer data on the dead woman’s life back in Atlanta. To their shock, they discover a connection between this case and their own painful, shadowy pasts. The truth will need to be uncovered one layer at a time, starting with the box that arrives at Cop Central addressed to Eve, containing Coltraine’s guns, badge, and a note from her killer: “You can have them back. Maybe someday soon, I’ll be sending yours to somebody else.”
But Eve Dallas doesn’t take too kindly to personal threats, and she is going to break this case, whatever it takes. And that’s a promise.
Let’s talk about Kinsey’s past. We know of the aunt who raised her, the second husband who left her, and her long-lost family up the California coast. But what about Kinsey’s husband number one? He was always a blip on the radar―until now.
While trying to prove her innocence in the murder of her landlord, Lily Bard, karate student and cleaning service proprietor, finds plenty of skeletons in the closets of Shakespeare, Arkansas.
Struggling as a single mother to make ends meet on the mean streets of Newark, New Jersey, ex-cop-turned-PI Tamara Hayle races against time to find a murderer when someone begins killing her ex-husband's sons--and her own son might be next.
When a fellow ranger is injured in a caving accident, Anna swallows her paralyzing fear of small spaces and descends into Lechuguilla to help a friend in need. Worse than the claustrophobia that haunts her are the signs-some natural, and some, more ominously, man-made-that not everyone is destined to emerge from this wondrous living tomb. All the skills Anna has honed in the terrestrial world are called into play on precipitous climbs, exhausting treks, and descents into canyons that have never seen the sun. The terrain is alien and hostile, the greed and destructive powers of mankind all too familiar. In this place of internal terrors, Anna must learn whom she can trust, and, in the end, decide who is to live and who is to die.
“But suppose one doesn't quite know which one wants to put first. Suppose," said Harriet, falling back on words which were not her own, "suppose one is cursed with both a heart and a brain?
'You can usually tell,' said Miss de Vine, "by seeing what kind of mistakes you make. I'm quite sure that one never makes fundamental mistakes about the thing one really wants to do. Fundamental mistakes arise out of lack of genuine interest. In my opinion, that is.”
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
There’s a phrase that’s been popular at lot less longer than these old classic pioneers of the mystery genre. It’s “she gets it from her mamma.” In this case, we’ve tumbled deep into getting it from our great-grandmothers and fathers. Now I’m not one to manage numbers well, but anyone shooting for Patricia Wentworth or Mary Roberts Rinehart will nail this one. Unless I’ve miscalculated once again.
But hey. The default is anything by Poe or Christie, right?
They’re always a safe bet. But who wants to be safe this year?
~~~~~ The First or Sequel~~~~~
(Read the first book in a series, or the sequel to another)
“Even at a glance, even in this light, I could tell my friend was dead. He lay on his side in what common sense told me must be blood. Only it didn’t smell like blood.
My fingers clutched the flash. I stood for a moment, several moments. It seemed like hours. Finally I knelt and dipped my finger into the pool of liquid. It was thick and sticky. Paint. Bright-red house paint.
I straightened, wiping my finger on my jeans before I realized what I was doing.
‘Oh, Jake,’ I said, louder. My words echoed in the cavernous room, and then the old house enveloped me in ponderous silence. From outside came the bellow of foghorns on San Francisco Bay.”
The Cheshire Cat’s Eye by Marcia Muller
The question everyone wants to know is what happens next to our sleuth? What is the next logical or illogical step? Should the sleuth immediately call the police? Should the sleuth exam the body and, effectively, tamper evidence? Or the most important question: what is our sleuth's background? Or are you acquainted with his or her background and here for the next row of shenanigans? Or are you totally new to his or her system?
I guess the question is would you rather have new shoes or stick with your old hats?
Got rid of a lot, and brought plenty back in. Oh course, through store credits and bargain-area shopping. Kind of a strange mix–but not really. The Susan Wittig Albert books were simple enough to pick up. Toni Braxton memoir I found tucked in a low shelf in a bookstore bargain section for $5. I went ahead and grabbed Laurell K Hamilton's A Shiver of Light, because I'm compulsive when it comes to completing series. Even those I've grown to dislike. And, because I want more fantasy in my life, I decided to go back to my initiation into fantasy via a T. A Barron novel.
Apprentice in Death came out on September 6th. I moved heavy and earth to get to it. (Currently reading it. This is only the dust-jacket.) Salvage the Bones and Speaking from Among the Bones I got for $2.50 apiece. Both easily crossed off that Amazon wishlist.
(Disclaimer: This post may be meant for readers of the series.)
All right! Let’s get into this one. J. D. Robb’s In Death #42, Brotherhood in Death. The book where we finally get into Dennis Mira's story–including more “cuddle” talk about him. Which, to be frank, is annoying sometimes. We get it. Dennis Mira is a dreamy, gentle-hearted and harmless man of a certain age who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Now with that said. I do like how–after all these years–Robb gave us a book unwrapping pieces of his character's past.
But before I get into all that, let’s set the book up. Like any J. D. Robb book, the premise is pretty simple. In Brotherhood’s case, Dennis and his cousin, Edward, were meeting a real estate agent. It's time to address and settle an agreement on their late grandfather’s West Village brownstone. Having grew up in the home, Dennis wants to keep it. Yet Edward is ready to sell–with his former position as a powerful senator apart of the negotiations. This leaves Dennis preparing a defense.
Edward is calculating and tactful, and it’s those characteristics that left him dead in the brownstone. It may seem random, but the truth is Edward's past came back to snuff him out. Unfortunate for Dennis, he discovers the body upon entering the brownstone. And is swiftly hit over the head by Edward's killer, only to awake with the body of his cousin missing. Lucky for him, in his back pocket resides New York homicide Lieutenant, Eve Dallas.
Sweeping the brownstone leaves little forensic clues for Dallas and her team. Yet, that’s where her billionaire husband Roarke comes in handy. Though through an illegal search, Dallas uncovers some interesting details around Edward’s life. Particularly around his years at Yale University. A time where he formed a pact–a Brotherhood–with a string of other recently missing or murdered powerful men around New York. Of course, this leaves Eve Dallas and her team to draw the connections.
Someone–or many–are knocking these men out one by one. And leaving Dallas to clean up the mess. Yet, what she discovers asks who are the true victims in this case? Corrupt men like Edward Mira? Or the vengeful souls plucking him and his Brotherhood down, spurred by vigilance? Or is it justice?
And that’s how Brotherhood in Death is set up. Now turn away if you haven’t read the book because I’m about to spoil the hell out of it. It’s a blog post, not the New York Times review. So those who’ve read or don’t care, let’s talk about Brotherhood in Death. I only made this choice because writing my thoughts out were just too damn vague. So I had to lay it all out to make sense. It’s sort of like trying to ignore the elephant in the room.
Should I feel guilty for buying a copy of J. D. Robb's latest In Death book, Brotherhood in Death, early? Hell, no. I doubt my early contribution will stop her from stomping the New York Times Bestseller list. So here I am, with Tuesday's (2/2/2016) release of Brotherhood in Death already in my hands. Thanks to which employee works at my local Kroger's. Cheers. And keep up the "good" and "persistent" work.
Sometimes brotherhood can be another word for conspiracy. . .
Dennis Mira just had two unpleasant surprises. First he learned that his cousin Edward was secretly meeting with a real estate agent about their late grandfather’s magnificent West Village brownstone, despite the promise they both made to keep it in the family. Then, when he went to the house to confront Edward about it, he got a blunt object to the back of the head.
Luckily Dennis is married to Charlotte Mira, the NYPSD’s top profiler and a good friend of Lieutenant Eve Dallas. When the two arrive on the scene, he explains that the last thing he saw was Edward in a chair, bruised and bloody. When he came to, his cousin was gone. With the mess cleaned up and the security disks removed, there’s nothing left behind but a few traces for forensics to analyze.
As a former lawyer, judge, and senator, Edward Mira mingled with the elite and crossed paths with criminals, making enemies on a regular basis. Like so many politicians, he also made some very close friends behind closed—and locked—doors. But a badge and a billionaire husband can get you into places others can’t go, and Eve intends to shine some light on the dirty deals and dark motives behind the disappearance of a powerful man, the family discord over a multimillion-dollar piece of real estate . . . and a new case that no one saw coming.
A great treat to end January and START February...
MY 10 FAVORITE READS (SEE LABELS FOR LINKS TO EACH BOOK'S RELATED POST)
My goodness. There’s so much I can say about the year 2015. A uniquely challenging year? Absolutely. I definitely feel like this was a year filled the hurdles to leap over–in both my reading and personal life. However, personal stuff aside, I read a little less this year than last. Right out the gate I started the year having taken down six books in both January and February. My reading slumped heavily in March and April, but picked up in July. August brought a new burst of readings where I took down either five or six book (too lazy to look up). The rest of the year was steady.
I love reading. I love books. I love reading what I want and falling into a story. And I can’t wait to see what 2016 has in store.
Did you reach your reading goals this year? What were your favorite reads? Share in the comments below!
Now, yes yes. Down the Rabbit Hole is an anthology featuring authors other than J. D. Robb. There’s R. C. Ryan, Mary Kay McComas, Elaine Fox, and Mary Blayney. True. Being the hyper sonic-speaking Robb fan I am–I’m pushing this post toward the featured In Death short, Wonderment in Death.
Like many In Death shorts in previous anthologies, it works with a theme (just as the other featured shorts). The theme of Wonderment in Death plays with–if you haven’t guessed–Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland.
This time around Homicide Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her tribe are solving the murder/suicide of a psychiatric patient. The patient left her doctor’s office with a swing towards her brother’s penthouse. Having killed him, she turned around and leaped out of the building. It appears the case is open/closed, with a sprinkle of M.O. details revolving around the relationship the patient and her brother had with their parents. However, it’s the hallucinogenic drugs found in her system that sends a red flag to Eve and her team. And they’ll follow that clue as it leads them to a “mad hatter’s” gas chamber.
Thrilling, face-pace, and entertainingly silly (but always charming) at times. But as always Eve and her tribe are present in this fun, short case. One that I walked away from cracking up. Robb always has a little extra fun in her shorts. This one is no different.
TODAY: Book number 41 in J. D. Robb’s insanely popular and lengthy futuristic police procedural series, Devoted in Death. And while it would help to provide a quick, peachy rundown of what this series contains... I’d rather not. No. Seriously. Condensing 41 books is asking for too much hell. Besides, I’ve been posting about this series all year. Ever since I decided to hop back on the Robb-Wagon (best decision ever) after taking two years off. Thus, this post is probably more objective to those familiar with the world of In Death.
Devoted to Story
So what murderous crime takes place in Devoted in Death–as the 41st book in the series? To start, New York homicide Lieutenant, Eve Dallas, investigates the brutal killing of a cellist. His body turns up in downtown Manhattan, in an area known as Mechanics Alley. Mechanics Alley ispart of New York’s low-level district. It's a district populated with seedy characters. The prostitutes, gang members, and drug dealers there are far removed from the cellist's circles. And the street is blocks away from his actual residents. With hisbody slumped before agraffiti-covered wall, Eve concludes the body was dumped. Further examination uncovers a carving in his skin. It consists of a heart with the initials E and D slashed inside.
So just who the hell are E and D?
E and D stands for Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl. These mid-west killers been hitting the road for New York, murdering and robbing along the way. And, unfortunate to them, Eve Dallas’s radar. The spree murders started when their car broke down in Arkansas. Unwilling to waste time, Ella-Loo proceeded to bludgeon a man to snatch his vehicle in its place. The couple’s taste for fusing murder and sex bloomed and intensified via a stream of murders. Murders leading to Ella-Loo's dream of New York. Dallas and her squad will trace their crimes. And with the help of a former detective handling one of the couple’s murders, as well as the FBI.
"She calls herself Lady Justice. And once she has chosen a man as her target, she turns herself into a tall blonde or a curvaceous redhead, makes herself as alluring and seductive as possible to them. Once they are in her grasp, they are powerless.
June 4, 2019 is for 
