Review: Bend Me, Shape Me by Debra R. Borys

Bend Me, Shape Me
by Debra R. Borys
Series: Street Stories #2
Publisher: New Libri Press
Publication date: March 2013
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Source: Author in exchange for unbiased review
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Bend Me, Shape Me is the second novel in the Street Stories suspense series and tells the story of Snow Ramirez, a bi-polar street kid about to turn 18. She’s convinced that psychiatrist Mordechai Levinson is responsible for one kid’s suicide, and may be targeting her brother Alley as his next victim. Once again, reporter Jo Sullivan finds herself the only person willing to listen to one of Chicago’s throwaway youth. Snow Ramirez hasn’t trusted anyone in a very long time, not even herself. Memories of her childhood on Washington’s Yakama Reservation haunt her even on the streets of Chicago. When her squat mate Blitz slits his own throat in front of her, she knows it’s time to convince someone to trust her instincts. Blitz may have been diagnosed bi-polar, like Snow herself, but no way would he have offed himself like that if the shrink he’d been seeing hadn’t bent his mind completely out of shape. Normally she wouldn’t care. Who wasn’t crazy in one way or another in this messed up world? After all, she’d gotten out from under the doctor’s thumb weeks ago and it was too late for Blitz now, wasn’t it? Snow’s little brother Alley, though, there might still be time to save him. If only she can get reporter Jo Sullivan to believe her story before Snow loses her own mind.

While the cover did little to impress me, I was curious after reading the synopsis to Bend Me, Shape Me and I am delighted I agreed to read it. Borys offers fascinating characters, a look at inner city homeless children and combines it with a suspenseful mystery that kept me flipping the pages. This is the second book in the Street Stories series but each work as a standalone. Three world review: suspenseful, enlightening and well done.

The tale begins with Blitz and Snow in an abandon building. Blitz is having a bi-polar episode when he begins chanting about warriors and the CIA. He kills himself right in front of eighteen year old Snow Ramierz and she is convinced their doctor had something to do with this. Now she must find a way to prove it and protect her brother Alley..but first she will have to learn to trust others.

Snow is a powerful character who has seen way to much darkness for a young girl of eighteen. She is street wise and has spent her youth protecting her brother Alley and drowning her sorrow in pills.  Snow and Alley are half Native American and left the Washington Yakama Reservation with her mother and father. Their life went downhill from there. Orphaned they have become wards of the state and both show signs of mental illness. Snow is strong, brave, troubled and incredibly fierce.  Watching her open up and trust was profound. Jo Sullivan is a reporter plagued by the conditions of the homeless children on the streets. When Blitz dies she begins researching and eventually meets Snow. I liked Jo; she cares and takes an active role in bettering her community. She can be fearless and I enjoyed watching her work to find the truth. Ben runs the center and while we didn’t have a lot of interaction with him, I enjoyed those we did. Dr. Mordechai Levinson is someone you will love to hate and I found him to be pompous and manipulative.  We meet other characters you help round out the tale including the Ramirez’s uncle.

Borys spun a fascinating and suspenseful tale all while weaving in the lingo and life of homeless children in the intercity. She cleverly wove in government experiments and repressed memories keeping me on edge. The tale has darker sides with drugs, and implied sex. The novel is well researched and it clearly shows in the characters giving the tale a realistic feel. There was one or two characters and scenes I felt could have been eliminated for a tighter tale. The pace slowly built towards the climatic conclusion keeping me engaged. Borys did an excellent job of bringing all of the threads together.

Bend Me, Shape Me is the second novel in the Street Suspense series and my experience with Borys work. Fans of realistic suspense and unique characters will appreciate this tale.

Four cups of coffee out of five

Review: Tin God by Stacy Green

Tin God
by Stacy Green
Series: Delta Crossroads #1
Publisher: Twisted Minds Press
Publication date: April 30,2013
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Source: ARC from author in exchange for unbiased review
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

Getting pregnant as a teenager and being coerced into giving her baby up for adoption left a festering scar on Jaymee Ballard’s life. Trapped by poverty and without many allies, Jaymee nearly gives up hope of getting her daughter back after her best friend is murdered. Now, four years later, a wealthy woman with legal connections hires her as a housekeeper, and Jaymee gathers the courage to seek her help. But Jaymee’s last chance ends up in a puddle of blood in one of the historic antebellum mansions in Roselea, Mississippi. I just murdered your wife...again. An unsigned letter consisting of six horrifying words turns Nick Samuels stagnant life upside down. Stuck in emotional purgatory since his wife’s unsolved murder four years ago, Nick is about to self-destruct. The arrival of the letter claiming credit for his wife’s murder and boasting of a new kill sends Nick to Roselea, where he and Jaymee’s worlds collide. Jaymee and Nick realize exposing the truth about her daughter’s adoption is the only way to solve the murders. Up against years of deception, they rush to identify the killer before the evidence–and Jaymee’s daughter–are lost. But the truth doesn’t always set the guilt-ridden free. Sometimes, it destroys them.

You know that thrill you get when you open a new book and realize within the first few pages that you are going to enjoy the ride ahead?  The one where you know the laundry isn’t going to get done as the world melts away and the story surrounds you? That is exactly what happen when I opened up Tin God and began this suspense. Filled with secrets, murder and clues with a side dish of romance I quickly found myself immersed in Green’s book and the small town nestled against the banks of the Mississippi. Three word review: suspenseful, tightly-woven, thriller

The tale begins when we meet Jaymee Ballard a struggling waitress whose back history is enough to make you shudder. At seventeen she was forced to give up her newborn and with the help of a friend she had hopes of finding her daughter. It’s been four years since her friend’s murder and the noose of poverty is making it harder to fulfill her deepest desire. All of that changes when the wealthy woman she cleans house for is discovered murdered and her best friend’s husband returns bearing a note that says, “I just murdered your wife…again.” Nick Samuels failed his wife years ago and is determined to solve this case. A discovery that Jaymee’s daughter is somehow connected leads the two to work together and the tale that unfolds is riveting, filled with twists and turns that kept me on edge.

The characters in Green’s novel are fleshed-out, tormented and genuine. From the sinister to the sweet, Green fleshed them out bringing this town and its secrets to light. Jaymee is angry, frustrated and so courageous. She is also stubborn, independent and proud. I loved watching this emotional, head-strong woman makes steps to trust, and confront her past. Nick is a well-known investigative newspaper reporter but since his wife’s death he has just been stuck in a rut as he obsesses over everything he did and didn’t do in his marriage. The fact that her killer still roams free torments him. I liked the interaction between Nick and Jaymee, without trying to they help each other confront the past and deal with their own emotional baggage as they hunt down answers. A romance develops slowly and felt genuine as it held the promise of healing, hope and love. The suspects in the case, all affluent members of this society’s small-town gave us a glimpse into its dark secrets. There are giant pink elephants wandering the streets but townsfolk ignore them. We often see this dynamic in small town politics and Green captured it beautifully.

Stacy Green weaved a fantastic suspense thriller that felt plausible and made me shiver. Her descriptions from the homes to the oppressive heat in the small town of Roselea were captivating and so fleshed out that I could taste the humidity and smell the river. From the beginning she gave us a strong sense of the town’s mentality and deeply religious convictions. The more we learn about Jaymee and her baby the darker the tale becomes. Green wove all of the murders together with a common thread and I found it riveting as Nick and Jaymee unraveled clues and got closer to the truth. The tale gradually picked up intensity as the pieces clicked together. The facts and events had an air of believability about them and could have been ripped from today's headlines. Green added some twists that even I didn’t see coming, and anymore that is hard to do. The tale wrapped up nicely and I was delighted to hear there is a second book that deals with one of the secondary characters.

Fans of mysteries, thrillers and romantic suspense will find Tin God captivating. Green writes like a seasoned author, and could hold her own against some of the big thriller authors whom I love. I absolutely cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Four and half cups of coffee out of five

Waiting on Wednesday #42 Kensignton Books I am Waiting On

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme

 hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

The Night Caller
by John Lutz
Publisher: Kensington
Publication date: August 6, 2013
Genre: Adult Suspense Thriller 
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When he discovers his daughter's corpse in a deserted beachfront bungalow, devastated Ezekiel Cooper vows to find her murderer. The former NYPD detective doesn't know there have been other victims, women who seemingly had nothing in common, aside from a grisly fate. Then Coop crosses paths with Cara Callahan, who's determined to lure her sister's killer by transforming herself into someone just like her. But Cara's plan may be working too well. Because lurking in the shadows, just as Coop feared, the Night Caller watches her every move. . .preparing to strike again.

While the author is new to me, this suspenseful thriller sounds like it has all the elements I love; a serial killer, a former officer, and a fearless woman looking to trap her sister's killer..oh yeah! perfect summer storm read! 

The Sorority
by Tamara Thorne
Publisher: Kensington
Publication date: August 27, 2013
Genre: NA Paranormal
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They are the envy of every young woman—and the fantasy of every young man. An elite sisterhood of Greenbriar University’s best and brightest, their members are the most powerful girls on campus—and the most feared…

Eve- She’s the perfect pledge. A sweet, innocent, golden-haired cheerleader, Eve has so much to gain by joining Gamma Eta Pi—almost anything she desires. But only a select few can enter the sorority’s inner circle—or submit to its code of blood, sacrifice, and sexual magic. Is Eve willing to pay the price?

Merilynn- Ever since childhood, Merilynn has had a sixth sense about things to come. She’s blessed with uncanny powers of perception—and cursed with unspeakable visions of unholy terror. Things that corrupt the souls of women, and crush the hearts of men. Things that can drive a girl to murder, suicide, or worse…

Samantha- Journalism major Sam Penrose is tough, tenacious—and too curious for her own good. She’s determined to unearth the truth about the sorority. But the only way to expose this twisted sisterhood is from within…

First..I have a thing for university, boarding school and elite, exclusive clubs so that caught my eye. Then the whole sisterhood thing with blood sacrifice  magic and sex got me!  It has a creepy vibe to it and I am oh so curious!

What are you Waiting on?

link up :)

Review: Let the Dead Sleep by Heather Graham

Let the Dead Sleep
by Heather Graham
Series: Cafferty and Quinn #1
Publisher: Harlequin 
Publication date: March 26, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
*purchase through buy links supports this blog

It was stolen from a New Orleans grave – the centuries-old bust of an evil man, a demonic man. It’s an object desired by collectors – and by those with wickedness in their hearts. One day, its current owner shows up at Danni Cafferty’s antiques shop on Royal Street, the shop she inherited from her father. But before Danni can buy the statue, it disappears, the owner is found dead…and Danni discovers that she’s inherited much more than she realized. In the store is a book filled with secret writing: instructions for defeating evil entities. She’d dismissed it as a curiosity…until the arrival of this statue, with its long history of evil and even longer trail of death. Michael Quinn, former cop and now private investigator, is a man with an unusual past. He believes that doing the right thing isn’t a job – it’s a way of life. And the right thing to do is find and destroy this object weighted with malevolent powers. He and Danni are drawn together in their search for the missing statue, following it through sultry New Orleans nights to hidden places in the French Quarter and secret ceremonies on abandoned plantations. Cafferty and Quinn already know that trust in others can be misplaced, that love can be temporary. And yet their connection is primal. Mesmerizing. They also know that their story won’t end when this case is closed and the dead rest in peace once again.

Let the Dead Sleep is the first in the Cafferty and Quinn series by Heather Graham and I was excited to get a chance to review it for you. I love mystery and suspense wrapped in a little paranormal woo-woo with a side dish of romance and Graham serves up a perfect dish every time. The setting is one of my favorites; New Orleans and I quickly consumed this.

The tale begins as Danni Cafferty sits by her father’s hospital bed after learning he won’t survive. As she holds his hand, she tells him he cannot leave and she needs him. Suddenly he sits up and tells her he loves her, that he did her a disservice by not telling her about her inheritance and that he thought he had more time and could keep things normal for her a little longer. He tells her she must keep the shop and look to the book for answers.  He then falls back on the bed. Danni calls for the doctor but he dismisses her claims that he spoke to her and informs her that her father passed before she arrived, and he wanted her to have a few moments before he told her. He indicates her father is already becoming cold and it’s true. Creepy right?  Danni keeps the shop on Royal Street filled with antiques and the staff she thinks of as family. She lives above it and paints. An elderly woman enters the shop and claims a marble bust killed her husband and is trying to kill her. She wants Danni to come get it, but before she can buy it the bust disappears and the owner is found dead. Michael Quinn is a former cop turned private investigator who claims to have worked with her Dad and demands her help in stopping this malevolent bust. What happens next turns Danni’s world upside down as she discovers secrets about her Dad and herself.

Graham has a way of creating characters that I connect with and ultimately end up rooting for and this was the case with Danni and Michael. Danni is a successful artist, and loved her father so she doesn’t hesitate to honor his wishes. Her journey of discovery and acceptance in events that occur was fun to watch unfold. I like that she is confident and puts herself out there even when she is totally freaked out on the inside. Michael and his back story were fascinating and I look forward to learning more about threads that were introduced. He is smexy, confident, level headed and I trusted him almost immediately. We meet cops, a priest and street thugs who all have their own unique voices and propel the story forward. I loved Natasha the voodoo priest and found facts about the religion fascinating and accurate. Michael’s dog Wolf was sweet, and I think I would love to have the oversized mutt looking out for me. The only character that didn’t ring true to me ended up being a key player in the mystery and my instincts and Graham’s subtle hints were spot on.

The mystery involved a malevolent bust created in the image of a horrific man. It is highly sought by collectors and as thieves try to steal it the death rate in New Orleans rises. Voodoo, satanic rituals and greed all play a part in this fast paced mystery that kept me turning the pages. Graham’s grasp of New Orleans, cults and voodoo made the tale feel very genuine and added to the creep-tastic tale. All of the pieces and clues thread together and I like how they are all brought together at the end. We do get a romance and it developed slowly out of respect and circumstances. Graham gave us some hot moments with just enough smoke to set our imaginations on fire. The relationship is fresh and undefined and I look forward to seeing how it develops. The plot possibilities with the overall ARC to this series is endless and I look forward to seeing what the author does with them.

Fans of mystery and suspense wrapped in paranormal woo-woo will enjoy Let the Dead Sleep and I look forward to the next installment. Heather Graham is an auto buy author for me, and I am never disappointed.

Three and half cups of coffee out of five from the Royal Blend Coffee & Tea Shop on Royal Street