Hidden Agenda
Southern Crimes, book 3
by Lisa Harris
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: January 6, 2015
ASIN: 978-0800721923
Pages: 320
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

I took a slight break after Christmas from reading/reviewing books and I'm now I'm back at full steam, so you'll be seeing me featuring more book titles on here in the next couple of weeks.

While it may seem a little bit odd for a male to like reading romance novels, but romance is in fact one of my favorite genres in the literature world. Typically, I prefer to read historical romances, but I thought I would try something new by reading the modern day romantic suspense Hidden Agenda by author Lisa Harris. I wasn't aware when I signed up to review the title through Revell that this was the third book in the Southern Crimes series as I don't care for jumping into the middle of a series without reading the prior novels, but luckily for me this is more of a standalone tale.

Hidden Agenda centers a Michael Hunt, a cop who has left his family and friends believe that he is dead in order to go deep undercover for the past eight months. All his hard work becomes in jeopardy when his cover is blown. Now injured, he is only hope for help is Olivia Hamilton, who happens to be the daughter of the man he has been trying to take down. To make matters even worse, the cartel have put a bounty on his head. Plus, seeking help for the Atlanta police department will do him no good as the department is corrupted. And of course Michael has to deal with his unexpected feeling for Olivia.

The Doll
by Taylor Stevens
Publisher: Broadway Books
Pub. Date: March 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-0307888808
Pages: 352
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Being a book reviewer has its ups and downs, well, at least for me it does. There are times when I get behind on reviewing and I have to shove some books aside to focus on those that I'm stuck with a specific post date in a book blog tour. Unfortunately, I sometimes forgot about these books completely, which is what happened with The Doll by Taylor Stevens, a book I had signed up to review back in April or May. Luckily, I have been doing some fall cleaning and found the book last week.

The Doll centers on Vanessa Michael Munroe who is kidnapped on the streets of Dallas and is forced to work for the Doll Maker, a crazed "baddie" who kidnaps famous and beautiful girls for rich clients. One of these clients has their eyes on a rock star, Neeva, which is why the Doll Maker grabbed Munroe, as the Doll Maker want her to escort the lovely rocker to the client's location.

Of course Munroe tries to resists, but it seems the Doll Maker is one step ahead of her and threatens the life of one of her dearest friends - Logan. Munroe is known for being a chameleon and a hunter, but her skills will be put to the ultimate test in this intense thriller.

A Promise To Protect
Logan Point, book 2
by Patrcia Bradley
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: October 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-0800722814
Pages: 336
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Available now on paperback is exciting second novel in the Logan Point series from author Patrica Bradley, titled A Promise to Protect. Unfortunately, I have a new habit of picking out books by their covers alone, especially when the author is new to me. The cover to this book looks like an advertisement for a made-for-television movie on Lifetime. By the cover alone, I predicted that the plot would be either a thriller or mystery with a little bit of romance tossed into the mix. And I wasn't too far off.

I would like to point out that I have never read the first book the series, Shadows of the Past, and it never really bothered me, as 2nd installment is more of a standalone sequel, well at least in opinion it is.

A Promise To Protect centers on single mother, Dr. Leigh Somerall, who has a full set of problems in her life from paying her tuition bills to raising her son. Her life takes an unexpected turn when her brother Ben needs her help, therefore she turns to her ex-love, Ben Logan - the now acting sheriff, for help, but too little too late as her brother is murdered! Though their relationship ended rocky ten years ago, Sheriff Ben Logan vows to protect Leigh and her son from the incoming danger that threatens them.

Autumn Blood
Director: Markus Blunder
Starring: Sophie Lowe, Peter Stormare, Gustaf Skarsgard
Studio: ARC Entertainment
Release Date: October 21, 2014
Retail: $20.99
ASIN: B00M1CFU8C
Running Time: 100 minutes
Rating: R
Buy Link: Amazon 

Review:

Arriving on DVD from ARC Entertainment is the thriller Autumn Blood from director Markus Blunder. The movie made its round at the film festivals last year, winning Best Narrative Feature from the San, Diego International Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival and winning Best Cinematography from the Irvine International Film Festival. There are no special features or extras on the DVD.

Set in the Austrian mountains, the film centers on a nameless 16-year-old girl (played Sophie Lowe) and her 10-year-old brother (played by Maximilian Harnisch), who are living on a farm outside of a small lawless town with their mother. Their father was murdered in front of them several years ago and the family have now shut themselves off from the outside world.


After their mother suddently becomes ill and dies, it is up to the Girl to take care of the Boy. She tells none of the townsfolk of her mother's passing and tries to live their lives the way they always did. The Girl even goes into town to pay her mother's bills, which the townfolks finds peculiar. The mayor's son, the Hunter (played by Samuel Vauramo) and his pals, the Butcher (played by Gustaf Skarsgard) and the Friend (played by Tim Morten Uhlenbrock), suspect something is foul and drive up to the Girls' farmhouse, where they rape her.

Fearing that the Girl or the Boy will tell someone, the Butcher and his pals return to the farmhouse with guns in the attempt to silence them forever. The Boy drags the Girl away from their home and into the mountains, a place they are familiar with. There they try to out run the the Hunter, the Butcher and the Friend, but they soon realizes that they must fight back.

Friend Me
By John Faubion
Publisher: Howard Books
Pub. Date: February 4, 2014
ISBN: 978-1476738727
Pages: 368
Blog Tour: http://litfusegroup.com/author/jfaubion
Buy Link: Print, Kindle

Review:

When I sign up for a blog tour, I make it my mission to make sure my review, author interview or author guest post gets scheduled on the blog and posted, but for some odd reason I didn't get the blog tour schedule for Friend Me, as this was suppose to be published on February 14th. I must have accidentally deleted the blog tour email. I would like to apologize to the author, John Faubion, and to Liftuse Publicity Group for my lateness with my review.

It seems everyone these days has a smart phone, tablet, computer or some kind device to access the internet. In my opinion, we are all getting a little too lazy with all the advanced technology. That being said, the internet is full of online friend finders and dating sites. It can be a great place to find someone special and it can also be a place to find danger.

Friend Me centers on a troubled businessman, Scott, and his lonely housewife, Rachel, both of whom seek to find friendships on the world-wide-web through a website called Virtual Friend Me. At first neither one knows the other one is on the website, but that doesn't stop one dangerous woman, Melissa, from entering their lives.

Merry Christmas, Alex Cross
By James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Pub. Date: November 12, 2012
ISBN: 978-0316210683
ASIN: B007BGQBFY
Pages: 352

Review:

It’s been several years since I have read a James Patterson novel. My grandmother was a huge fan of his books and after her death I have continued to buy each new release. The latest Alex Cross novel has been sitting on my coffee table for a few weeks. With some free time on my hands, I started reading it yesterday afternoon.

In his nineteenth outing, Detective Alex Cross is looking forward to spending a quite Christmas Eve with his family, but one phone call will change his holiday plans. A distraught man, Henry Fowler, forced himself into his ex-wife's home on Christmas Eve. Henry has taken her hostage along with her new husband, Dr. Barry Nicholson, and her three children. Alex knows that man is on a short fuse and could begin killing the hostages at any second, but Alex is their only hope of surviving the night.

Just as Alex is ready to return home to his family, an enemy from his past emerges from the shadows and intends on bring deaths millions.

BY: Mozelle Richardson
PUBLISHED BY: Mount West Publishers
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-61658-244-9
Pages: 460
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

The Thyssen Affair is a cold war novel set during the year 1980. Russians steal a skull from a World War II grave in Colorado. A retired OSS operative Canyon “Cane” Eliot is called back in to help the CIA solve the mystery. The CIA isn’t the only ones interested in the skull, the Israeli Mossad wants it too.

Cane must travel around the world to Munich, Italy and Germany to try to figure out what is going on. While in Germany, he crosses paths with ex-Nazis. Everyone wants the skull. There are several twists and turns.

The author, Mozelle Richardson, is 96 years old and received her BA in Journalism at the age 90. That’s a major accomplishment.

I felt that the book had too much dialogue at times. There should have been more descriptions of the surroundings. The plot takes Cane to different countries, but I never felt he left Colorado. There are several twists in the story, and at times I found it very annoying. The plot was original and it kept me interested in it. The book is over four hundred pages, but it’s fast paced. If you enjoy spy thrillers, you might want to check this out.

* I would like to thank the Cadence Group for sending me a copy to review.

BY: Pamela Samuels Young
PUBLISHED BY: Goldman House Publishing
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-0-9815627-1-1
Pages: 419
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

“Buying Time” is author Pamela Samuels Young’s fourth novel. Waverly Sloan is your typical nice guy being disbarred from his job - a lawyer. Afraid of losing his high-matinance, younger wife, Deidra, he takes a job as an insurance broker at Live Now, a new insurance company.

At his new job, Waverly signs on terminally ill people in exchange for quick cash to pay for medical bills, house payments, and other expenses. Investors, some of them doctors, advance the cash, and then those investors become the sole beneficiary of their life insurance polices when the client dies.

Waverly gets a broker’s fee for every deal he makes. Within a few months, Waverly has paid off all of his debts, and he has finally gotten the home that Deidra has always dreamed of. Life is good, until his clients starting dieing off, one by one.

Angela Evans, a U.S. Assistant Attorney, starts investigating Live Now and Waverly Sloan.

Waverly starts questioning his new job and wants to find out why his clients are dying so fast.

“Buying Time” is fun thriller to read. The plot is cleverly written, and the characters are entertaining enough to keep you turning the pages. The main character Waverly Sloan is very likeable, but at times can be a little annoying. He’s suppose to be an ex-lawyer, but he had no clue what was happening to clients at the insurance company. Why would an ex-lawyer join Live Now to begin with is beyond me? Besides this little silliness, I enjoyed the book. If your into thrillers, you should give this book a look.

Note: I would like to thank the author for sending me a copy to review.

Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Detective Jody Brae, a Korea war veteran, begins investigating the fires on the same day he gets up the nerve to ask out the lovely Ruth. He’s assigned a new partner, a black man, Detective Harrigan. While Jody relationship with Ruth scorches, so does the streets of Boston. The arsonist strikes again, this time taking innocent lives.

Soon, Jody is abandoned by his own police department. He must go into the dark underworld of the Boston streets to solve the mystery of the fires, and his own past.

Jody Brae is your typical hero character with a troubled past. Unlike other mystery novels, this is set during the 1960s, and just like I mentioned before, there are no electronic gizmos to help Jody out. The dialogue is cleverly written, and so is the descriptions of the Boston streets. I didn’t care much for the love story, it’s been done to death. Overall, this is a entertaining read from a debut author. I recommend reading it.

- I would like to thank the author for sending me this copy to review.

Heat Wave
BY: Richard Castle
PUBLISHED BY: Hyperion
PUBLISHED IN: 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4013-2382-0
Pages: 196
Ages: Adults
Reviewed by Billy Burgess

Being a fan of the television show “Castle,” I was excited about reading “Heat Wave” by Richard Castle - the fictional character on the show. I think the real author was either James Patterson or Stephen J. Cannell.

The main character is Nicki Heat, a NYPD Homicide Detective. The commissioner assigns a famous magazine journalist, Jameson Rock, to follow her on the job. Jameson is a wisecracking idiot who keeps getting in her way - similar to the Richard Castle character on the show. As Nicki investigates the death of a real estate tycoon, she starts to fall for Jameson.

I was disappointed that “Heat Wave” is just under 200 pages. More of a novella than a novel. The characters, dialogue and plot all mirror the television show. There is nothing original here. If you’re a fan of the show, you may tolerate this so-so crime novel.