Cold Mourning: A Stonechild and Rouleau Mystery by Brenda Chapman

Cold Mourning is the first book in a new series and I must say what a wonderful way to start off. If the rest of the series is anything close to this first installment then us readers of the mystery/thriller genre are in for a really nice treat. Native American Kala Stonechild moves to Ottawa not in search of a new job but actually in search of something else altogether and she has a past that she just can't seem to shake. Stonechild lands herself a job in a special unit of the Ottawa Police Department headed up by detective Jacques Rouleau. Detective Rouleau is a good man that made some mistakes in his past but he is doing what he can to right some of those wrongs. Both Stonechild and Rouleau have a past they must work through in order to move on and that is one of the good aspects of this novel, to be able to get to know the characters on a deeper level. As for the main mystery, business man Tom Underwood goes missing and Rouleau's team gets assigned to the investigation of his disappearance which later turns into a murder investigation where family, friends,  and business associates alike could all have a possible motive and nothing is as it seems with anyone. With possible motives from practically everyone Tom Underwood was associated with and very little stone cold evidence the case seems almost impossible to crack. I had a few supicions along the way but was never quite able to put my finger on who was responsible. This book definitely kept me guessing up until the very end which of course is what makes a good mystery novel! I can't wait to see what else Brenda Chapman has in store for us and I will absolutely be picking up the next book in what has started out to be an incredible series.

Vanishing Trail: The Taking of Jonathon Bishop by Stephen Kosa

Jake Bishop seemed to have the kind of life that most people dream of.  Married to the woman of his dreams, an extremely successful career, and a new baby, life couldn't get any better. Things are going great for Jake and his family until one fateful day that changes everything, leaving Jake a widower and a single father. After the untimely death of his wife Blanca, Jake does his best to put his life back together and be a good father to his young son Jonathon. Jonathon is everything to Jake so when he is abducted from his elementary school, what semblance of a life Jake had left is shattered and Jake will go to the ends of the earth to try and find his son and have him safely returned home. The author of this book makes the characters relate able and very likable, taking you with them on their emotional journey, the entire time hoping that things work out the very best for them. The story line moves along smoothly and is written at just the right pace that makes it almost impossible to put down until the very end. Vanishing Trail is an amazing book that is above all a mystery/thriller but it also shines on things such as family and friendship, love and the ties that bind us to one another. Well written and beautifully crafted I recommend this book to anyone that has a passion for reading a good story.

Heart of Venom by Jennifer Estep

I have found that I really enjoy reading about the adventures of the assassin known as the Spider and this book is no exception. Jennifer Estep has lived up to my expectations yet again with another explosive addition to the Elemental assassin series. Gin Blanco lost most of her family when she was just a young girl so she is very protective when it comes to her 'adoptive' family. One of the people she cares deeply about gets kidnapped, so Gin being the badass assassin known as the Spider, will stop at nothing short of death to get them back.  One of the great things about this book is that no matter if you have been following Gin throughout the Elemental Assassin series or if this is your very first taste, the author does a wonderful job of catching you up to the present time and getting you familiar with the characters enough to know their background story without being overly repetitive for the ones of us who have read the entire collection. Action packed at every turn, you are sure NOT to get bored with this one!

Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Jaycee's best friend Rachel just died. They haven't spoken to each other in six months and yet Rachel tried to reach out to Jaycee just before her death. Jaycee hasn't told anyone that Rachel asked her for her help, and that just maybe had she not ignored the text, Rachel's fate could have been different. Rachel and Jaycee were just hanging out, Rachel wanted to go to an old abandoned house when they stumbled upon a gruesome site, a boy dead. Did someone see them? Does it have something to do with what happens to Rachel or is it something more? The police are saying that it is gang related but with the cryptic messages that Rachel left behind for her, Jaycee decides to take the investigation into her own hands, hoping to get real justice for her friend. Rachel left warnings not to trust anyone but as Jaycee digs further she may have put herself in real danger. Dead Girls Don't Lie will definitely keep you intrigued as you try to figure out just what happened, who done it, and why? A very well put together y/a mystery. If your a fan of Pretty Little Liars, you are sure to enjoy this book.

Hollow Bones by CJ Lyons

Hollow Bones is a hauntingly incredible story. Maria Alvarado is a college student that absolutely loves the study of ancient culture and dreams of one day becoming an archaeologist. Maria's parents are the owners of a tissue procurement lab, and her father wants Maria to go into the family business, in the world of science. Maria is suppose to be on a cruise with friends when she leaves to go on an expedition of ancient Mayan ruins, or so she thinks, until everything goes wrong and nothing is as it seems. FBI agent Caitlyn Teirney is called in to investigate when the Alvarado's do not hear from their daughter. Caitlyn quickly learns that this is not your ordinary kidnapping for ransom, that there may be much more to this than money.  The  Alvarado's may be keeping some very big secrets and Maria could possibly be in much more danger than anyone realizes. This book hooked me from the very first attention grabbing chapter. I stayed up well into the early morning hours unable to put the book down. It has a well built plot and easy to like characters. I don't want to give too much away so I will leave you with this, if you like a good mystery/thriller this is the book for you. Absolutely engaging!

The Breathing Series

I just finished reading Out of Breath, the third installment in The Breathing Series. The book was a wonderful way to end such a wonderful story. I have really enjoyed accompanying Emma Thomas on her journey through some of the most trying times in her life. In this last book Emma has to learn how to live with her overwhelming guilt, guilt that she has held on to so tight and for so long that sometimes living at all seems impossible. Emma has to figure out to forgive herself so that she can try to repair one of the most important relationships in her life, her relationship with Evan Matthews, but even before that she has to let herself trust Evan enough to open up to him. Evan loves Emma but she walked out on him two years ago. He wants to forgive her so they can start to rebuild things between them but Emma is still holding on to a secret. A secret that is threatening to destroy her. Will Emma be able to open up and be strong enough to face the things that haunt her? It truly is a great read about trials people go through and how with the help from the ones we love it is possible to find our inner strength and face and overcome almost anything that may come our way. I highly recommend this book and the two that proceed it.

My Bookshelf

Here is the list of titles I am currently reading.

I have this rather strange habit of reading several books at once. As soon as I finish one I will be back with a full review and to let you know which of these three will come in #1 on my list. Until then... keep reading!