TWO-FER SPOTLIGHT: Two for the Show & Four Night Run

I'm happy to bring you all the info you need on two awesome mysteries... TWO FOR THE SHOW by Jonathan Stone and FOUR NIGHT RUN by

Two for the Show, by Jonathan Stone
Publish Date: May 31, 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: adult mystery
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

(Synopsis) Chas is a detective who doesn’t stake out cheating husbands, track down missing persons, or match wits with femmes fatales. Instead of pounding the pavement, he taps a computer keyboard. He can get the goods on anyone, and it’s all to make sure superstar Las Vegas mind reader Wallace the Amazing staysamazing. Thanks to Chas’s steady stream of stealthy intel, Wallace’s mental “magic” packs houses every night.

But when someone threatens to call the psychic showman’s bluff, the sweet gig takes a sour—and sinister—turn. Who’s the clean-cut couple gunning for Wallace with an arsenal of dirty tricks? Why does Wallace keep upping the ante instead of backing down? And just how much does Chas really know about his mysterious boss’s life…or his own? The tangled truth—of blackmail, kidnapping, and false identities—quickly becomes the biggest case of his strange, secret career.

Jonathan Stone, author of the Julian Palmer novels, is a graduate of Yale University, where he was a Scholar of the House in Fiction Writing and twice won the English Department's John Hubbard Curtis Prize for Best Imaginative Writing. He works in advertising and lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

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Four Night Run, by William Lashner
Publish Date: May 24, 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: adult mystery/thriller
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

(Synopsis) J.D. Scrbacek has just won the biggest trial of his career, but even as he crows to the press, his entire life blows sky-high. Was the bomb meant for him, or for his mobster client? In this seaside casino town where the tables run hot and the tensions run high, the odds say the attorney is a marked man.

Alone and on the run, Scrbacek flees into the city’s forgotten underbelly, a ruined corridor called Crapstown, where he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past, his present, and his future. Somewhere in the sordid stream of his own existence lie the answers he needs. But in order to emerge from the depths of Crapstown, Scrbacek must argue for his life before a jury of the forgotten and the damned. Is he lawyer enough to save his own skin?

From the bestselling author of The Barkeep comes a raucous tale of reckoning, racketeering, and revenge.

William Lashner is the New York Times Bestselling creator of Victor Carl, who has been called by Booklist one of the mystery novel's "most compelling, most morally ambiguous characters." The Victor Carl novels, which have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages and have been sold all across the globe, include BAGMEN, KILLER'S KISS, FALLS THE SHADOW, FATAL FLAW, and HOSTILE WITNESS. He is also the author of BLOOD AND BONE, THE ACCOUNTING, and, most recently, THE BARKEEP, which was a Digital Book World Number One Bestselling Ebook.

Lashner was a criminal prosecutor with the Department of Justice in Washington D.C. before quitting the law to write fulltime. A graduate of the New York University School of Law, as well as the Iowa Writers' Workshop, he lives with his wife and three children outside Philadelphia.

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REVIEW: Two of Hearts

Two of Hearts, by Christina Lee
Publish Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: ARC, provided by the author
Genre:  adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble 
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Dakota Nakos was always the resilient, strong-willed achiever. But when her father dies and she’s entrusted with the family’s casino, she feels vulnerable, scared, and more than a little emotional —not exactly the best time to see an old lover she’s never really gotten over.

Dakota once meant the world to Shane Garrity. Then suddenly he left town to train as a U.S. Marshal, and their love for each other crashed into a memory. Now he’s come home for her father’s funeral, and one look at the girl he left behind stirs up both memories and regrets, and reignites a fire he feared he’d lost forever.

Dakota may be the same driven girl she always was, but she’s also changed in ways neither could have anticipated. She’s not just a young woman searching for own identity in the Native American community in which she was raised, but one questioning her new life outside her father’s shadow. Above all she wonders if Shane can push past her weakened defenses to rekindle what they once had, or whether the intense blaze between them will ultimately reduce her heart to ashes.

I've loved everything I've ever written by Christina Lee. I'm a huge fan of her Between Breaths series. But, TWO OF HEARTS was something completely different. I mean, it had a great story and a compelling romance and a super sexy man. So, you know, all those things were the same. But what Two of Hearts had that was new was a fantastic mystery set among the backdrop of a Native American culture. 

Dakota and Shane have a history. They were perfect together until their life choices separated them. Years later, Dakota's father's death brought the two of them back together again. And, although she is still really angry with Shane, he's there right when she needs him. Because, someone is out to destroy her and her family's business, and she doesn't know who. 

You can tell that Christina Lee did her homework with this one. One of my favorite aspects of Two of Hearts was the Native American culture that was threaded throughout. Dakota's family owns a casino on a reservation. I've been to a few of those, but I had no idea how important they are to the Native American community. Or how traditional the owners and operators can be. Dakota's father was a full-blooded Native American, but he married a Dutch-American woman. When he died, he passed ownership of the casino along to her, and even though she's the CFO and has worked and lived among these people for many years, they just can't accept a non-Native American in possession of one of their reservation's casinos. That kind of prejudice broke my heart. 

Dakota already has an uphill battle as COO of the casino. She's half white, she's young and she's female. Plus, she's still mourning her father and freaking out over the return of the only man she's ever loved. I would be rocking in a corner some where, but Dakota is made of some crazy strength. She deals with all of it with poise and grace. Well, all of it except for Shane. She's sort of a mess around him. 

And, who can blame her, really? He's hot and they have a lot of unfinished business. Once again, their split was the cause of some serious miscommunication on both sides. And, because these two couldn't just sit down and talk about what was bothering them, they spent five years miserable and apart. Luckily, Shane gets his head on straight first, and when Dakota's dad dies, he decides it the right time to come home and claim what is his. 

I loved seeing the professional and proper Dakota reduced to mush around him. It's obvious from the beginning that they were so perfect together. And, I love how protective he is of her. Someone is trying to remove her family from their casino - by any means necessary. Shane, who is a US Marshall, steps in right away, calls in backup, and starts helping Dakota figure out who is behind the threats, all while watching her back. Gradually, he works his way back into her life, and gradually, she realizes it's where she's wanted him all along.  

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Dirty Little Secrets (J. J. Graves Mystery #1)

Dirty Little Secrets (J. J. Graves Mystery #1), by Liliana Hart
Publish Date: December 4, 2012
Publisher: Createspace
Genre: adult crime/suspense
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4 STARS


(From Goodreads) J.J. Graves has seen a lot of dead bodies in her line of work...

She's not only in the mortuary business, but she's also the coroner for King George County, Virginia. When a grisly murder is discovered in the small town of Bloody Mary, it's up to J.J. and her best friend, Detective Jack Lawson, to bring the victim justice.

The murders are piling up...

The residents of Blood Mary are dropping like flies, and when a popular mystery writer shows up on J.J.'s doorstep with plans of writing his new book about the Bloody Mary Serial Killer, J.J. has to decide if he might be going above and beyond the call of duty to create the spine tinglers he's so well known for. It only clouds the issue and puts her reputation on the line when the attraction between them spirals out of control.

And passions are rising...

J.J and Jack are in a race against time. They discover each victim had a shocking secret, and the very foundation of J.J.'s life is in danger of crumbling when it turns out she’s harboring secrets of her own—secrets that make her the perfect victim in a deadly game.

After a string of new adult and adult audiobooks, I wanted something different. I had heard good things about Liliana Hart's J. J. Graves Mystery series, and when I saw it was on sale, I decided that a good mystery was just what the doctor ordered. Not to mention the fact that it's Liliana Hart - I love her MacKenzie Family series. 

The thing is, Dirty Little Secrets is completely different from Liliana Hart's other series. J. J. Graves is a completely different heroine. It was a fun departure from what I've been listening to as of late. The characters in this book would be enough for me. They're all interesting and quirky and so full of color and life. But, in addition to the awesome characters, there's a twisty mystery that kept me guessing through the entire story. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was shocked to find out I didn't. 

J. J. Graves is the medical examiner/coroner/funeral director in the small town of Bloody Mary, VA. In such a small town, her life isn't all that interesting, even with all the hats she has to wear. That is, until people start getting murdered. Then she and her best friend, the town sheriff Jack, have entirely too much to do. 

Dirty Little Secrets really had it all. First, there's a fantastic mystery. One person dies, and you think you know who did it. But, as J. J. and Jack start their investigation, things don't exactly fall into place that neatly. Because, then another person dies. And, once again, you think you have it all figured out. And by the time the third murder occurs, you just throw your hands up and abandon all theories, because every one you come up with is thwarted. 

I love mysteries like this. The ones where the who-dun-it sneaks up on you. They're thrilling and they give my brain a work out. 

There's also the characters. J. J. is hysterical and cynical and snarky. I love her relationship with her bestie Jack. They've been friends since they were kids and they've been there for each other through all the bad things. Their relationship is unique and special. They go through some more tough times in this book, but you just know that they'll come together again. 

Despite the heat we see in Liliana Hart's other books, it's not in Dirty Little Secrets. J. J. has a bit of a romance, but any sexy times are all non-descript and fade-to-black. The focus of the story is truly on the mystery at hand, as well as the mystery surrounding what really happened to J. J.'s parents. 

Laura Faye Smith did a fantastic job narrating Dirty Little Secrets. Her intonation and inflection were perfect for all the characters in the story. This was a fantastic audiobook, and a pretty short one too. At less than six hours long, it can be finished quickly. I'm really looking forward to listening to the other books in this series, especially given the events at the very end of this book. I have a feeling some really good things are in store for J. J.

REVIEW: The Naturals (The Naturals #1)

The Naturals (The Naturals #1), by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published November 5, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Format: audiobook, purchased
Genre: young adult suspense/crime/mystery
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.

Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

The Naturals is different from what I usually read. It's not driven by a romance. It's not paranormal. And, it's just a little bit scary. I felt like I had gotten in a bit of a rut lately, and was looking for something outside of the box I had found myself in. The Naturals sounded interesting to me, so I decided to go for it, and I was astounded at how much I enjoyed it!

Cassie has an uncanny ability - she can tell you all about a person just by observing them. She lives with her overbearing Italian extended family after her mother was murdered and her military father threw himself into his work. When Cassie is approached by the FBI and asked to work with them to use her gift to help solve cold cases, she jumps at the chance to do some good. The four other kids in the program have similar abilities to hers, and Cassie thinks she's finally found a home and a purpose. Until a serial killer the FBI is currently tracking seems to set his sights on her. 

The Naturals was like two parts Psych and one part The Alphas.

Cassie finds herself in a house with four other kids. There's Sloane who is like a walking encyclopedia, Michael who can tell people's feelings and emotions by looking at them, Lia is like a human lie detector and Dean is also a profiler like Cassie. Dean and FBI agent Lacey Locke take Cassie under their wings to teach her how to hone her ability and use it to help the FBI solve cold cases. 

Cassie is a really strong female main character. She is ballsey, takes chances, and goes for what she believes in. Despite the grisly nature of what these kids do, Cassie remains compassionate and sensitive. She's like most other 17-year-olds - she only wants to fit in and make friends. But, with her tragic past and her ability to pick people apart just by observing them, it's a little hard for her to be "normal." She thinks she's finally found her place in the world among the other teenage freaks. 

Her reception in the house is varied. Sloane, who is, by nature, very logical and calculating, takes her arrival in stride. I enjoyed Sloane's no-nonsense attitude and the fact that she's been banned from coffee because of what the caffeine does to her. Poor girl. 

Michael loves Cassie. He's a bit of a player with a screwed up home life. He sets his sights on Cassie and sets to work wooing her immediately. But, Cassie seems to be most interested in Dean, perhaps because of all the kids there, he is the most like her. Except for the fact that Dean is a brooder. He always seems angry and withdrawn, so it's hard to get close to him. That makes the moments when he lets his guard down around Cassie all that much sweeter. There's a reason for Dean's aloofness, and when it's revealed, you can sort of understand why he is the way he is. 

Finally, there's Lia, who is the book's token mean girl. She's BFFs in a weird way with Dean and an on-again, off-again hook-up with Michael. You can't tell even a little white lie around her or she will call you out. Do you have any idea how many itty bitty fibs you tell in a day? And how hard it would be to be around someone who knew every single time you let one slip? It would get old, fast. Lia was a great mean girl. You get the impression that, perhaps, she's not really as bad as she makes herself out to be. But, the uber bitch in her always comes out, and your temporary softening toward her disappears immediately. 

The overarching mystery was awesome. There is a serial killer giving the FBI trouble. He's killing girls, and although the kids were only hired to take on cold cases, they're eventually brought in on this active one after the killer starts leaving little presents for Cassie here and there. I loved seeing the two boys in protector mode - they both care for Cassie in their way, and it was clear she was in deep. I enjoyed watching all five kids use their abilities to work together to try and get to the bottom of the mystery before another girl turns up dead. 

I'm really excited for the next book! Although the mystery was solved, the love triangle was not. I use the term "love triangle" loosely - the romance angle was not pressed hard in The Naturals. It was more of an afterthought, which was fine since the mystery took center stage. But, there was a triangle of sorts between Cassie, Michael and Dean. I have my favorite, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see if I will get my wish.