Book Review: Wrong Number by Rachelle Christensen

Title: Wrong Number

Author: Rachelle J. Christensen

Series: No but one of the characters is in Rachelle's next book Caller I.D. 

Publisher: Bonneville Books

Released: March 1, 2010

Website:  http://www.rachellechristensen.com/ 

Book Summary:

One mysterious phone call that's all it takes to turn Aubree's perfect life completely upside down. Without warning, the seams of her idyllic existence begin to unravel, and with each new shocking revelation, Aubree finds she knows far more than is good for her. With help from the FBI, Aubree races to protect herself and what's left of her family. The only thing she forgets to protect is her own heart.
This award-winning debut novel from Rachelle Christensen is impossible to put down and keeps you guessing with every page you turn. It's a chillingly good read that will have you jumping whenever the phone rings.

I guess I'm more of a fan of mystery/suspense novels than I first thought.  When I finished reading Rachelle's book Caller I.D. I headed to the library to get a copy of her first book Wrong Number.  Although not really a series there is one character who crosses over from Wrong Number into Caller I.D.

Wrong Number was full of twists, turns and suspense with a little romance mixed in.  It was one of those quick-easy reads that held my interest and I easily finished in one day.

Recommend to those who enjoy clean suspense/mystery novels (with a sprinkling of romance thrown in).

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book

Content: Clean

Source: From Library

Book Review: Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

Title: Untraceable
Author: S.R. Johannes
Series: The Nature of Grace Book #1
Publisher: Coleman & Stott
Released: November 29, 2011
Website: http://www.faeriality.blogspot.com/


Book Summary:

16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

At the heart of Untraceable is a mystery. Grace's father has been missing for three months and is presumed dead. Grace refuses to give up hope that he is still alive.  The authorities are ready to close the case but Grace is fighting to keep it open.

Raised in the Smokies, Grace's forest ranger father has taught her a lot about survival.  She's not afraid of much when it comes to the great outdoors.  Determined to find her father Grace spends her time searching for clues about her father's disappearance.  What she uncovers goes much deeper and is darker than she could have imagined.

Untraceable has a good mix of adventure, mystery and romance.  There were several things in this book that seemed a little far fetched and unbelievable and there were a few editing/continuity issues but over all I enjoyed the story.

Untraceable has a great ending.  I enjoyed the book but loved the ending.  In fact this felt like a stand alone novel and I could have easily passed on the sequel until the last couple of chapters when it became obvious that there was a lot more to this story than I had realized.

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book

Content: A little language including 1 use of the F word. Mild innuendo, some gory details and violence.

Source: Review Copy from Smashwords

2/6- Teens Read & Write, review

2/7- Fire & Ice, character interview with Grace

2/8- I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, review

2/9- Reading Lark, character interview with Mo

2/10- Once Upon a Twilight, review

2/11- Mundie Moms, author interview

2/12- Eve's Fan Garden, guest post

Also by S.R. Johannes

Book Review: Hang 'Em High by Tristi Pinkston

When Ida Mae Babbitt receives an invitation to visit her son Keith¹s dude ranch in Montana, she¹s excited to mend their broken relationship, but not so excited about spending time with cows. Arlette and Tansy go along with her, ready to take a vacation that does not involve dead bodies or mysteries of any sort - one must have a break from time to time. But it seems a no-good scoundrel has moseyed into Dodge City and is bent on causing all sorts of trouble for the ranch. Unable to keep her curiosity in check - especially when it seems her own son is the most likely culprit - Ida Mae decides to investigate. Can she lasso the varmint and get him to the sheriff in time?

Hang 'Em High by Tristi Pinkston is a cozy mystery.   It is only recently that I even learned what a cozy mystery is.
From cozy-mystery.com

• The crime-solver in a cozy mystery is usually a woman who is an amateur sleuth.
• The cozy mystery usually takes place in a small town or village.
• In a series, it is important that the characters are likable, so that the reader will want to visit them again.
• Cozy mysteries are considered “gentle” books… no graphic violence, no profanity, and no explicit sex.
• Cozy mysteries tend to be fast-paced, with several twists and turns throughout each book.
• The cozy mystery puts an emphasis on plots and character development.

Hang 'Em High is most definitely a cozy mystery. A really good one!

• Ida Mae is our amateur sleuth who with the help from her friends solves the crimes.
• Small town setting? Yep! Omni, Utah is the small town setting for the first books in the series, Hang 'Em High takes us to a dude ranch in Montana.
• The characters are likable, quirky and humorous which makes me want to visit them again, can't wait for the next book in the series.
• Totally "gentle" - no swearing, sex or graphic violence.
• A very fast-paced, quick read with enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end.
• The Secret Sisters Series is character driven - it's the likable characters that bring me back to the series.

Hang 'Em High has been my favorite of the series. It's a quick, easy read that made me smile.

There are currently 3 books in the Secret Sisters Series
Secret Sisters


Dearly Departed


Hang 'Em High


Coming Soon...
Targets in Ties (Nov. 2011)
Tell Death Do Us Part (May 2012)

Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend

Source: From Author for Review

Content: Clean

Giveaway:  Manuscript Evaluation
To celebrate this book's release and blog tour, you are invited to participate in a contest! If you leave a comment on this review, you will be entered to win a manuscript evaluation done by Tristi, up to a $75.00 value. Horror and erotica excluded.  If you aren't a writer, you can give the evaluation to a writer friend as a gift. The winner will be chosen at midnight, October 5th MST so leave a comment ASAP! For more chances to win you can visit Tristi's site to leave a comment on the other participating blogs as well - http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour: Book Review - Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs

How does an intelligent woman find herself mired in a web of deception, abuse, and danger? In Depth of Deceit, author Betty Briggs pulls her readers into the life of Stephanie Saunders, a lovely young attorney with a big heart, keen mind, and a trust in others that nearly proves disastrous. Her handsome and wealthy boyfriend strikes her as perfect, but is he too good to be true? Her boss hovers around her like a protector and friend, but is he? Stephanie’s work focuses on defending the indigent, and one client earns her trust and friendship, but why is he showing up at the oddest places? It seems that she can trust only the horses she trains and loves, magnificent beasts who remind her of life’s purposes and meaning. In a dramatic turn of events, Stephanie must make a decision that will affect her life forever. While fans of the author’s earlier novels will be thrilled to discover a familiar character, this novel stands alone in plot and dramatic impact.

Given the title of this book I was on alert from page one and had trouble trusting any of the characters assuming they were all deceiving the main character Stephanie. I was pulled in to a web of lies and deceit in this well told mystery. Although I guessed from the start who could be trusted, the book kept me turning the pages to the end to figure out just how deep the deceit went and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Although I would classify some of the subject matter in this book as "adult" in nature, I would still consider it to be a clean read with nothing graphic, no language, no sex scene.

There were a couple plot points I had trouble buying... such as a lawyer not knowing how to use the Internet to do a background check... but those implausibilities didn't deter me from enjoying the storyline. I enjoyed the ending of this book. So many books end too quickly. There were still 50 pages left to wrap everything up after the book hit the climax which left plenty of time to answer all the questions I had and left me satisfied with the story. I'll definitely be adding another one of Betty Briggs' books to my to read list.


Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author for Review

Thanks to Tristi Pinkston for asking me to be part of this blog tour: