Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do.

Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancee and an upcoming wedding? Not so much.

That’s why-a mere four days before the nuptials-Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal.

But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancee. Fearing that his one-track mind won’t lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down.

When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

My Review: I have read most of these books and enjoy them a great deal!  Nick, the main character is so funny.  He says whatever he is thinking whether or not it’s appropriate and I find that refreshing!  I must have missed the book where he got engaged, so I ordered it to read.

There were a few funny, unexpected twists and turns that kept me so engaged that I read this book in just a couple of days.  I found it difficult to set down.  I just love that Alena and Nick both solve mysteries, but in different ways – she with dogs and he with bugs.  I learn by reading these books as well as enjoy them.  I highly recommend this series by Tim Downs!

I received an e-copy from NetGalley – thank you very much!  The publisher is Thomas Nelson and it was released May 17, 2011.

Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author’s own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns—and powerful truths about today’s medical field.

Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University’s Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn’t exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment.

One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next.

But Janessa’s marriage is already rocky. She’s so sick she can hardly move or think. And her husband denies she has Lyme at all.

Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa.

My Comments: I had a very difficult time putting this book down, and I read it within 24 hours.  From the first page onward, I was hooked.  I do not know much about  Lyme Disease, although I was in a Bible study with a gal that has it.  She must have had it pretty much under control by the time I got to know her.  The symptoms, the disbelief and disagreement in the medical community shocked me!  I haven’t had the best treatment by the medical community (including insurance), but never have I experienced anything like this.

Collins definitely surprised me with her twists and turns.  She related to the mom in me very well and the desperateness of keeping children safe and healthy.  As far as I can tell, Collins also did lots of research as well as having the disease herself.

Over the Edge is a great and educational read.  I highly recommend it!

Elizabeth Avery could easily be the girl next door.

But what she has planned will make your blood run cold.

At first glance, the crimes appear random. Arson. Theft. Fraud. Murder. But these are more than random crimes. They’re moves in an increasingly deadly game. And the one element they have in common: a woman who is gorgeous, clever . . . and lethal.

Elizabeth Avery has a winsome smile and flawless figure, but underneath is a heart of ice. She’s a master at manipulating people, convincing strangers to do the unthinkable. And she orchestrates it all without getting too close. Until now.

When Elizabeth ruthlessly disposes of an inquisitive young reporter, her crime catches the attention of Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce, FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, and crime reporter Cassidy Shaw. They know they’re dealing with a cold-blooded murderer who could strike at any time. What they don’t know is that they’re already on a first-name basis with the killer.

And one of them may be next on her list.

Because Elizabeth has no intention of getting caught – not when she’s having this much fun. She learned a long time ago that the safest place to hide is in plain sight . . . and the greatest way to defeat those weaker than her is to make it personal.

My Comments: Heart of Ice kept me on the edge of my seat, and I had a hard time putting it down.  I have often read about a male serial killer, but never a female.  This book is the third in a series (Triple Threat Novels) and I will be looking for the first two soon.

I always wonder what makes someone who can kill someone without a second thought tick.  I am pretty sure I couldn’t even hurt an animal, let alone a person.  I don’t think a person becomes a killer without many complex issues in their lives.  Of course everyone is an individual and there are many different type issues involved.

The heroines in this story are not your average amateur detectives – we have a reporter, an FBI agent, and a Federal Prosecutor – three very capable, very strong women.  They each have their own issues but easily could be somebody you know or have known.

Heart of Ice has a light Christian emphasis – not preachy at all – and could be enjoyed by anyone – person of faith or not.  The main characters are a mixed bag as far as faith is concerned.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys suspense novels.

This book will be released the beginning of April.  I received my e-book copy via NetGalley. Thank you!

When fifteen-year-old Lance Covington finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of a car, he knows she’s the newborn daughter of a meth addict he’s been trying to help. But when police arrest him for kidnapping, Lance is thrust into a criminal world of baby trafficking and drug abuse. His mother, Barbara, looks for help from Kent Harlan—the man whom she secretly, reluctantly loves and who once helped rescue her daughter from a mess of her own. Kent flies to her aid and begins the impossible work of getting Lance out of trouble, protecting a baby who has no home, and finding help for a teenage mother hiding behind her lies. In this latest novel of suspense and family loyalty, bestselling author Terri Blackstock offers a harrowing look at drug addiction, human trafficking, and the devastating choices that can change lives forever.

My Comments: This book kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how it was going to play out – definitely suspenseful!  Ms. Blackstock explores a world I know little about except through movies and television.  Two types of family are portrayed in this book – both with single moms.  One mom will do anything for her kids, the other will use her kids for anything – quite a contrast!  The Christian single mother, Barbara, is definitely a hero.  She is fiercely loyal to her children and will fight for them with little thought of herself.

Lance, the main teen character is quite likable and could be your friend’s son.  The little bit of romance between Barbara and Kent is sweet as well.

This is a second book in a series and I have read both and enjoyed both.

So much of this story reminds me of the television program “Breaking Bad,” which I’ve recently been watching, except this book has a Christian element the television show lacks.  Both “Vicious Cycle” and “Breaking Bad” bring us into that ugly world of drug addiction and rehab.  Vicious Cycle provides hope and answers, while Breaking Bad shows the hopelessness of it all as well as how deep some people are willing to go.

As always, Terri Blackstock has written a riveting book and I recommend it, especially to those who enjoy suspenseful novels without the graphic violence.

When her comatose husband dies in the ICU while on life support, the whispers about Dr. Elena Gardner begin. Another death during her training puts her under suspicion. When the pattern is repeated in the hospital where she is attempting to start over, the whispers turn into a shout: “mercy killing.”

What is the dark secret that keeps Allison’s lips sealed when she should be defending herself? Despite her move to a new city, the midnight phone calls that started after her husband’s death follow Elena. Who is the woman who sobs out, “I know what you did?” What does she mean by “You’ll pay?” And what can Elena do to prevent it?

Two physicians, widowers themselves, offer support, telling Elena they know what she is going through after the death of her husband. But do they? And is it safe to trust either of them with her secret?

My Comments: I enjoyed this book  It is described as Christian fiction, but it is light on the Christian side.  In fact, the main character is questioning her faith throughout the book.  Other characters offer faith, but it is not at all didactic.

The mystery is good and kept me engaged throughout.  I had no idea who committed the crimes until I was told, so that kept me going and enjoying the story.  Actually I was way off in my guess!  I enjoy medical dramas almost as much as I enjoy law dramas, and  I especially feel like I’m learning because the author is a true physician.  Usually I don’t like a male writer having a lead female character, but it worked fine in this story.

This book is third in a series, but can stand alone.  I would like to read the other two, however.  If you like medical dramas/mysteries from a Christian world view, you will enjoy this book.

The book will be published in April of 2011 by Abingdon Press.  I received a review copy from NetGalley (thank you!).

NYPD detective Jack Kanon is on a tour of Europe’s most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren’t what draw him–he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each restaurant through a killer’s eyes.

Kanon’s daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have become victims of the same sadistic killers. Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson. Every killing is preceded by a postcard to the local newspaper–and Kanon and Larsson think they know where the next victims will be.

My Review: It has been a while since I read a James Patterson book and I enjoyed it!   For the most part the book kept me totally engaged and reading much longer than I should have – being later to work than I originally planned.  I never felt inside the heads of the main characters, however, especially Dessie Larsson.  They kept adding new insights throughout the book.  For some reason, reading about cold-blooded murderers is fascinating.  These seemed more troubled than the usual.  Although this is not a “short” book, it is a quick, easy read.  James Patterson has a cowriter, Liza Markland.  Together they created an interesting story.

I received this book for review from Net Galley.  It is already published.

He’ll Choose Them. . .Detective Regan Pescoli has worked the -Star Crossed Killer- case for months, never imagining she’d be captured by the madman she’s been hunting. Regan knows exactly what he’s capable of–and avoiding the same fate will take every drop of her courage and cunning.

Abduct Them. . .

Regan Pescoli is unlike any woman Nate Santana has met before. But now she’s missing, and Nate knows something is dangerously wrong. The only person who can help him find her is Detective Selena Alvarez, Regan’s partner. As Nate and Selena dig deeper into the Star-Crossed Killer case and the body count rises, the truth about Regan’s disappearance becomes chillingly clear.

And Kill Them. . .

In the desolate Montana woods, evil is lurking. And with time running out, the only way to save Regan will be to get inside a killer’s twisted mind and unravel a shocking message that is being revealed, one body at a time. 

My Review:  I found this book to be a real page turner, just as other Lisa Jackson books have been.  In fact this book continues the series with Detective Regan Pescoli.  It also continues the story.  Pescoli has the kind of bravery I wish I had, but know I never would.  She wants to get the killer and goes to sometimes extreme lengths to do so.  Throughout the book I had my guesses as to who the killer was, but not until near the end of the book did I figure it out.  This book contains some language and sex scenes, but overall a great read!

1.  Postmortem  -  Synopsis:

From the cover: Natalie Raines, one of Broadway’s brightest stars, accidentally discovers who killed her former roommate and sets in motion a series of shocking vents that puts more than one life in extreme peril.

Natalie and her roommate, Jamie Evans, were both struggling young actresses, Jamie had been involved with a mysterious married man to whom she referred only by nickname.  Natalie comes face to face with him years later and inadvertently addresses him by the nickname Jamie had used.  A few days later, Natalie is found in her home in Closter, New Jersey, dying from a gunshot wound.

Immediately the police suspect Natalie’s theatrical agent and soon-to-be-ex-husband, Gregg Aldrich.  He had long been a “person of interest” and was known to hav stalked Natalie to find out if she was seeing another man.  But no charges are brought against him until two years later, when Jimmy Easton, a career criminal, suddenly comes forward to claim that Aldrich had tried to hire him to kill his wife.  Easton knows details about the Aldrich home that only someone who had been there-to plan a murder, for instance,-could possibly know.

The case is a plum assignment for Emily Wallace, an attractive thirty-two-year-old assistant prosecutor.  As she spends increasingly long hours preparing for the trial, a seemingly well-meaning neighbor offers to take care of her dog in her absence.  Unaware of his bioletn past, she gives him a key to her home…

As Aldrich’s trial is making headlines, her boss warns Emily that this high-profile case will reveal personal matters about her, such as the fact that she had a heart transplant.  And, during the trial Emily experiences sentiments that defy all reason and continue after Gregg Aldrich’s fate is decided by the jury.

In the meantime, she does not realize that her own life is now at risk.

My review: I enjoyed this book.  The story seems a little different from the typical Mary Higgins Clark story, but none-the-less compelling and a page-turner.  Actually there are two main stories that really never connect, but they deal with one character, Emily Wallace, I guess that is where they connect.  I read this book in two days.  I always enjoy books authored by Mary Higgins Clark because they have a great story line, but they are clean.  I don’t have to worry about language and graphic sex.  In a book of this nature, you would expect violence, but even that is not offensive to me.  This is Clark’s 28th suspense novel and I’m sure we will see more in the future.  This is a great summer read!