Don of The Dead - Casey Daniels

TITLE: Don of The Dead

AUTHOR: Casey Daniels

SUMMARY: She sees dead people

Beautiful, smart, and chic, Pepper Martin never had to work a day in her life -- until her surgeon daddy was convicted of fraud, her wealthy fiancé took a powder, and the family fortune ran bone dry.

Suddenly desperate, the inexperienced ex-rich girl was forced to take the only job she could get: as a tour guide in a cemetery. But a grave situation took a turn for the worse when a head-on collision with a headstone left her with an unwanted ability to communicate with the disgruntled deceased . . . and now Pepper has a whacked Mafia don demanding that she hunt down his killers -- and threatening to haunt her until she does. - From Publisher

REVIEW: Another series that I am past fashionably late to read. I have a few of these. However, the nice thing about being late is that there are now 7 books out (in total for this series) there for me to read. I sorta loved that when I started to reach Rachel Vincent's Shifters series I had so-so many books to read and I didn't need to wait for 'em.

Anyway, onto the review because none of you probably really care about how I seem to have been missing out on various series.

I was a bit leery when I picked up this first book. Worried that it would be cliche and that Pepper would annoy me, because realistically she has the makings of a character that would annoy readers. A rich girl that falls out of money and now has to work? I was scared that Pepper wouldn't have any endearing qualities and that she'd be so selfish and fashion centered that I wouldn't be able to make it through the book. Thankfully, that wasn't the case. Yes, Pepper has some room to grow but I found her enjoyable despite those flaws. She was a well balanced character; having flaws that I am assuming Daniels will slowly weed through and but I didn't feel I had to push through this first book. I loved Pepper, so I am excited to see how much more I love her as I continue to read this series.

The plot was at a steady pace and kept you wanting to read. Even when the characters weren't doing much, all the back history and sleuthing into Gus's past was so much fun. I loved the humorous moments and how Pepper learned so much from DVDs and her trying to explain that to her friendly ghost. Daniels mixed so much together in just the right blend, from humor to Pepper really succeeding in her digging. I dislike when characters seem overly klutzy and manage to always escape unscathed. Daniels put Pepper in situations that allowed for some really great moments, but in no way was Pepper a sleuthing genius.

I am so happy I got into this series and I cannot wait to catch up on the rest of this series. Two thumbs up!

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Desires of The Dead - Kimberly Derting

TITLE: Desires of The Dead

AUTHOR: Kimberly Derting

SUMMARY: The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.

Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.

As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger. - From Publisher

REVIEW: This series has got to be one of the best out there. The style and plot is right up my alley. I love that while it is teen/ya I feel that the characters don't fall into the pitfalls of annoying teen.

The plot for this sequel moves at the perfect pace. I enjoyed how we got to see the repercussions from the first book and how it has affected Violet. Nothing was swept under the rug and I enjoyed reading, and being shown how Violet dealt with the previous event and how these new events affected her and her decisions. Often her choices felt authentic, sometimes a bit stupid (had a few moments where I wanted to yell at her to run the other way), but if she always made the right choice it wouldn't read realistically.

Violet and Jay have to be the cutest book pairing. (Sidenote: am I the only one who pictures Jared P. off Supernatural as Jay??) I liked the course that Derting is taking these two on, I sense some huge moments in the coming books for these two. They are strong, but life isn't always easy on young love. Their relationship in both books seem to add and enhance the story, and again they are just so darn cute!!

The plot was good, however I found the mystery element of it a bit weak and lacking the previous books punch. Bringing in the FBI filled the void that the murder left, at least for me, and again I am loving where Derting is going with this series.

It has such potential for growth and story line progression along with spinoffs into other characters backgrounds. If you haven't picked up this series you need to!

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting

TITLE: The Body Finder

AUTHOR: Kimberly Derting

SUMMARY: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies-or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer-and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself. - From Publisher

REVIEW: A kudos to Derting for writing a strong female lead.

Violet has captured my heart and she's the sorta female lead that I love. The struggle she has with these new-found feelings for her best friend Jay was beautifully written and so realistic. The push and pull and fear of 'outing' herself and ruining their lifetime friendship was a thrill to read. There were so many aspects that made me love their story. How long they'd been friends and the comfort they had with one another along with Jay knowing her secret ability and him never viewing it as creepy or doubting it. Finally, we had a female that wasn't going to be walked on. There are scenes where Jay and her are arguing and I love that Violet didn't back down. She wasn't annoying stubborn or written in a way that rubbed you the wrong way, she just wasn't a pushover or a lovesick puppy. What clinched my love for this character was that when Jay was being obtuse or they was friction between the two she didn't allow him to walk over her or push her into anything. Often, I feel like the female lead allows for poor behavior because she loves him. It was refreshing to see how healthy and strong a female she was. To appreciate what he did but still not excuse bad behavior.

The plot itself was amazing! It had a far more adult feel to it and that often came from chapters being written from the villains point of view. It gave it a grittier, darker edge to the book, which I loved. Plus, Violet and her family had already come to terms with her special skill. It wasn't a taboo topic or something they shunned. In fact her parents worked around to try and discourage her searching out some of the 'echos' but at the same time finding answers (the little cemetery) to give her peace. The parent child dynamic was very refreshing. They were as normal as you could be considering that their child could hear the echos of those (human and animals) that were murdered. The way the book started off with Violet (at a young age) going for a walk with her father and her discovery was chilling and the perfect answer to set the stage of her skills. I love when an author shows us rather then tells us.

All the characters were well rounded. I enjoyed that Violet wasn't an outcast with one or two friends, but rather she was like most kids in school. She had her own group of friends, she wasn't in the 'it' group but she wasn't the kid that got picked on. It gave the book a far more realistic feel to it and it allowed for you to connect with the characters.

Derting's debut novel knocked it out of the park! I'll be eagerly awaiting her second book Desires of the Dead and highly recommend that you all pick up The Body Finder.


RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Heat Wave - Richard Castle

TITLE: Heat Wave

AUTHOR: Richard Castle

SUMMARY:

HEAT WAVE is a tie-in to the ABC primetime show, CASTLE, that premiered in March 2009. The main character of the show, Richard Castle, is a bestselling mystery writer. HEAT WAVE is his next book: Mystery sensation Richard Castle, blockbuster author of the wildly best-selling Derrick Storm novels, introduces his newest character, NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat. Tough, sexy, professional, Nikki Heat carries a passion for justice as she leads one of New York City's top homicide squads. She's hit with an unexpected challenge when the commissioner assigns superstar magazine journalist Jameson Rook to ride along with her to research an article on New York's Finest. Pulitzer Prize-winning Rook is as much a handful as he is handsome. His wise-cracking and meddling aren't her only problems. As she works to unravel the secrets of the murdered real estate tycoon, she must also confront the spark between them.

We will be making the first ten chapters (approximately) available for digital download from ABC.com over the summer to coincide with the repeat schedule of the show. Then, in the fall, the entire book will be published as a trade paperback. We will be working with ABC Marketing to publicize the downloads and the book. - From Publisher

REVIEW: Once my fandom shaped heart imploded from delight in reading this book I realized something. Non-Castle fans probably wouldn't enjoy this as much as I did.

I loved the characters because I both love the show and know the history of how and why this book came to fruition. If you don't watch ABC's "Castle" my gut tells me that you wouldn't be giving this book such a high rating. Not because the book itself wasn't readable or enjoyable but because unless you're a fan it wouldn't be memorable. This book is different than most tv tie-ins. The general tie-in takes the actual characters and works a plot around them. For example in Keith DeCandido's "Nevermore" (a Supernatural tie-in) you've got the Winchester brothers on a hunt. You probably wouldn't pick it up unless you are a "Supernatural" fan. Whereas "Heat Wave" is about fictional-fictional (head hurt yet?) characters. Theoretically you wouldn't have to watch the show to read this book, though to truly enjoy this read it'd probably be a good idea.

My favorite part of this book is that we got "Rook" and "Nikki" finally together, which isn't a spoiler if you've watched the show and specifically the scene with Stana Katic's Kate hiding in a bathroom stall trying to find the smut in said book. The pairing is something I really hope in another season or two we do finally get. I loved the way they played off each other and their characters are very tangible in book form. I'd be quite happy if we got more of these as the seasons continue.

If you've watched even one or two episodes of "Castle" or if you are simply a fan of Nathan Fillion you'll probably enjoy this book. However, if you are addicted to Nathan Fillion and "Castle" you'll be bouncing about deliriously happy while reading this.

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

To see more books I've read and reviewed, plan on reading or currently reading please check out my Shelfari

Undone - Karin Slaughter

TITLE: Undone

AUTHOR: Karin Slaughter

SUMMARY: In the trauma center of Atlanta's busiest hospital, Sara Linton treats the city's poor, wounded, and unlucky-and finds refuge from the tragedy that rocked her life in rural Grant County. Then, in one instant, Sara is thrust into a frantic police investigation, coming face-to-face with a tall driven detective and his quiet female partner…. In Undone, three unforgettable characters from Karin Slaughter's New York Times bestselling novels Faithless and Fractured collide for the first time, entering an electrifying race against the clock-and a duel with unspeakable human evil. - From Publisher

REVIEW: If you're looking from a purely evil killer with some hard edged, driven and "intense" Special Agents then you'll enjoy this book, however read "Faithless" & "Fractured" first.

This was my first dive into Slaughter's work and I wish I had read all her previous books. It's not part of a trilogy but the characters are from two of her previous books and I think having some more back ground knowledge and knowing more would've helped me a bit. Especially with it came to the hard edged Special Agent Faith. I found myself more often than not annoyed with her childish behavior and somewhat ignorant attitude. Perhaps if I had known her story more I would've had justification for her action. She still wouldn't have been a favorite of mine but I'd like to at least enjoy her input and views rather than wish she's disappear.

My favorite character of all was Dr. Sara Linton. This didn't surprise me as she had the heart break factor that often sways me. I adored her character and felt like she was the most honest and real character of them all. Her story about losing Jefferey, her husband, was heart breaking and that tugged on my heart-strings. She alone makes me want to pick up Slaughter's book so I can get more of her.

Special Agent Will Trent was also fascinating. The way he's over come various life obstacles to get where he is made his character dynamic and layered. He wasn't your typical handsome SA. Of course some of that love was lost when it came to his estranged wife Angie. Again, I don't know the full back history but not a fan and I felt like it made Will a weaker character. I understand the connection between the two I just hated how shitty she treated him and how he allowed it. I didn't like that Will hasn't realized and embraced his self worth. And on that note I move on before this turns into a group session.

The plot itself was good. I wasn't hooked and addicted until close to the end of the book. I felt like there were times when the plot slowed and I became bored. But when we were in the thick of the investigation or in dark caves I was hooked. Or when Will & Sara had any scenes together I was innately curious. But just when I was sinking into the book we hit a slow part.

All around, I didn't love and I didn't hate this book. I lacked passion for it and that is, in my opinion, worse than hating a book.

RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

To see more books I've read and reviewed, plan on reading or currently reading please check out my Shelfari