Mind Games, Book One, The Disillusionist Trilogy by Carolyn Crane + Happy Release Day!!

Publisher:  Spectra/Random House
Pages:  384

(Released:  March 23, 2010)

From the Cover:

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

Justine Jones has a problem and she's been dealing with it her whole life... since she was 13 and watch her mother die.  Now, almost 30, she's worse than ever before and it's ruining her life, her relationships, and her job.  She's a hypochondriac, frightened that any minute she'll suffer from a vein star rupture, leading to her death, just like her mom.  Her boyfriend, Cubby, is sick to death of hearing about a supposed brain bleed.  The girls in her shop, watch her with that look in their eyes, the poor sick crazy look, she can't continue to live this way.

Sterling Packard, a highcap intuit, has his own set of problems, mainly that he can't step outside of his restaurant, Mongolian Delites, trapped there eight long years by his nemesis.  He'd like nothing more than a stroll on the beach.  Instead, he forms a gang of sorts, a gang responsible for disillusioning the criminal element that's come to make Midcity their home.  How do they do this, you may ask?  His gang are all those sick crazy people and they force their fears into those who become their prey.  But, are the prey the only bad guys?

Otto Sanchez, Police Chief of Midcity, has problems too, one of which is the growing worry of his own possible vein star rupture, and not only does he have those fears to contend with, but also, maintaining his will over those he deems a threat to the citizenry.  He appears to be all goodness and strength, but is there more than what the eyes can see?  Could be he a dangerous mastermind stirring up the criminal element, only to contain it, prop himself up before the cameras to become the darling of Midcity?

Mind Games by Carolyn Crane is the first book in the Disillusionist Trilogy, and it's a great beginning.  Our heroine, Justine Jones starts out with hurdles to overcome, decisions to be made, and a life to live, if she can get passed her hypochondria, and that's a big IF.  She wants a normal life with normal problems, not hours spent sitting in emergence rooms and doctors looking at her like she's lost her mind.  In walks Sterling Packard, who swears he has all the answers to her problems.  The hypochondria can be controlled, a better job with more money, and a better boyfriend, namely him.  And, he'll give all this to Justine for a small price, her free will.  She has to become one of disillusionist hit squad, taking on the criminals by taking away their illusions, stripping them down to where there's no place to go except up.  He's disillusioning them and reboot them, from the goodness of his heart, oh, and for money.  But, what he really wants, is to be freed from his cage, and he'll need Justine to do it.  Otto Sanchez, Police Chief extraordinaire, want to citizens of Midcity to be free from the crime spree set in place by the collapse of the criminal underground some eight years ago, and he's working himself dizzy, as well as worrying about his own vein star problems.  And, he's afraid he's losing his grip on his bound criminal element.  When Packard sends Justine to disillusion the Police Chief, he's playing with fire, because either Justice will prove be his greatest accomplishment or his most dismal failure, and only time will tell.

Mind Games is a fast paced urban fantasy with just the right amount of pararomance, a little eroticism, and James Bond, all rolled up in a neat little package.  Justine has no idea what she's letting herself in for when she agrees to become a disillusionist.  There's more going on in Mongolian Delites than she knows about, and when she meets her idol, the one who's going to make Midcity safe again, Otto Sanchez, she doesn't know what to believe.  She can see the goodness at his core, but she's also seen the pictures of torture and death at his hands.  Can this be real?  Who is Packard and for that matter, Sanchez?  Who will gain her trust and her heart?  Mind Games provides a roller coast ride, and just when you want to believe Sanchez or Packard, the story twists, and Justine (and the reader) have left hanging by the seat of their pants.  There's a weird like kink in the DNA that allows children to become paranormals, mayhem abounds either from the disillusionists acts or those they're trying to disillusion.  The characters themselves are quirky and fun, some are dangerous and have an evilness just below the surface.  Carolyn Crane has made a great first start here with Mind Games, her world found in Midcity sounds like life in any big city, except for the supernatural twist, and I enjoyed it immensely.  I recommend it to lovers to urban fantasy (light or dark), pararomance (several juicy man candies), and those who love a good mystery/thriller, you'll find it all here in Mind Games.

Happy Release Day Carolyn!!

Congrats and Many More!!

Double Cross, Book Two, The Disillusionist Trilogy

Publisher:  Spectra/Random House
Pages:  336

(Release Date:  September 28, 2010)

From the Cover:

SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT. OTHERS COME TO KILL.

Justine Jones lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she was lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard, who gifts her with extraordinary mental powers—dooming her to fight Midcity’s shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity’s new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will. 

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men—one on a journey of redemption, the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

Ohhh, rubbing hands together.... I feel another buying frenzy coming on.....  Congrats CJ!!!

 

I picked up Mind Games for my own enjoyment.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Relentless by Dean Koontz

Publisher: Bantam Books, imprint of Random House Publishing
Pages: 356



From the Cover: #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense Dean Koontz delivers a mesmerizing new thriller that explores the razor-thin line between the best and worst of human nature—and the anarchy simmering just beneath society’s surface—as a likeable, successful family man is drawn into a confrontation with a foe of unimaginable malice….

Bestselling novelist Cullen “Cubby” Greenwich is a lucky man and he knows it. He makes a handsome living doing what he enjoys. His wife, Penny, a children’s book author and illustrator, is the love of his life. Together they have a brilliant six-year-old, Milo, affectionately dubbed “Spooky,” and a non-collie named Lassie, who’s all but part of the family.

So Cubby knows he shouldn’t let one bad review of his otherwise triumphant new book get to him—even if it does appear in the nation’s premier newspaper and is penned by the much-feared, seldom-seen critic, Shearman Waxx. Cubby knows the best thing to do is ignore the gratuitously vicious, insulting, and inaccurate comments. Penny knows it, even little Milo knows it. If Lassie could talk, she’d tell Cubby to ignore them, too.

Ignore Shearman Waxx and his poison pen is just what Cubby intends to do. Until he happens to learn where the great man is taking his lunch. Cubby just wants to get a look at the mysterious recluse whose mere opinion can make or break a career—or a life.

But Shearman Waxx isn’t what Cubby expects; and neither is the escalating terror that follows what seemed to be an innocent encounter. For Waxx gives criticism; he doesn’t take it. He has waysof dealing with those who cross him that Cubby is only beginning to fathom. Soon Cubby finds himself in a desperate struggle with a relentless sociopath, facing an inexorable assault on far more than his life.

Fearless, funny, utterly compelling, Relentless is Dean Koontz at his riveting best, an unforgettable tale of the fragile bonds that hold together all that we most cherish—and of those who would tear those bonds asunder.

Cubby seems to have it all, a beautiful wife, Penny, and amazing kid, Milo (who may be just a little too amazing), and the best dog in the world, a mutt named Lassie. That is until he comes under the scrutiny of Shearman Waxx.

Waxx finds he's a hack, people had been fooled by Cubby's best selling books. But, once you've been Waxxed, you can never go back.

His editor, Hud Jacklight, thinks that this is the cherry on top of the sundae, but Waxx means to do more than just rip Cubby's book. He means to Waxx Cubby and his family. With the help of their loyal babysitter and super pal, Vivian Norby, and Penny's demolition family, Grimbald and Clotilda Boom, Cubby does the impossible, he survives where many others have been lost.

Relentless by Dean Koontz is classic Koontz' and it doesn't get much better. He's the one writer that I've found who cannot only weave a spellbinding story, but he does it with wit and grace. The story of Cubby, Penny, and Milo is almost idyllic. They seem to have it all. Cubby and Penny are both best selling authors and Milo is brinking on the edge of supernatural genius. Cubby is an inept hero, he can't change a light bulb without a minor catastrophe happening. Penny is super Mom, our heroine, able to fix automobiles and supper in a single bound. Milo is scary smart, one word speaks a sentence. And Lassie is the wonder dog of the story, she is literally able to jump space at will, either naturally or supernaturally, who knows? She just knows where she needs to be.

To say I was enchanted by Relentless would be an understatement. I was not only enchanted, but spellbound, anticipating, laughing so hard my kids thought I was nuts, and amazed. How can one person do all of this in a single book? I was cringing with the thought that Cubby would answer Waxx's critque, then cringing with the thought of what Waxx was capable of, and believe me, it was not only cringe worthy, but duck and cover worthy, hide under the blanket worthy because he is truly evil, beyond redemption. There really are monsters in the dark and Shearman Waxx is one of them. And at the same time it's told with such humor that I was laughing out loud. Koontz shines in this book like he has in so many others, and I'm reminded why I to love his stories so much. Yes, some are scarier than hell, some take place outside the normal bounds of human existence, and some emphasize the loneliness and longing of humanity. But in Relentless, you get all three with a twist, the humor that Koontz employees to make you want more. And I do, and so continues my love affair with Dean Koontz' books. I'll be picking up Breathless, release date 11-24-09, very soon. This is an very quick read and for all the mystery/thriller/supernatural lovers out there, I highly recommend it.

I picked up this book myself for my own enjoyment. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Undone (ARC) by Karin Slaughter

Publisher: Delacorte Press / Random House
Pages: 436

(Release Date: July 21, 2009)

From the Cover: 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.

In the backwoods of suburban Atlanta, where Sara's patient was found, local police have set up their investigation. But Georgia Bureau of Investigation detective Will Trent doesn't wait for the go-ahead from his boss--he plunges through police lines, through the brooding woods, and single-handedly exposes a hidden house of horror buried beneath the earth. Then he finds another victim....

Wresting the case away from the local police chief, Will and his partner, Faith Mitchell--a woman keeping explosive secrets of her own--are called into a related investigation. Another woman--a smart, upscale, independent young mother--has been snatched. For the two cops out on the hunt, for the doctor trying to bring her patient back to life, the truth hits like a hammer: the killer's torture chamber has been found, but the killer is still at work.

Faith Mitchell can't believe her luck. First, she had to spend the entire day in a courtroom, then she passed out in the parking lot; and the icing on the cake was that her partner, Will Trent, brought her to the hospital. Faith hasn't told anyone yet, but she's pregnant. Not married and pregnant, again. Her son, Jeremy, was born 18 years ago when she was only 15 years old. She's a cop, just like her mom, but Mom may not be as understanding as when was the first time, after all, Faith isn't 15 years old anymore.

Will Trent grew up in foster homes and orphanages. He's had a hard life. It's all not sunshine and roses in foster families where he was hurt in more ways than one. The kids at the orphanage stuck together, becoming their friends and rivals. It's also where he met his wife, Angie. She was a cop in undercover drugs and prostitution. She's even more damaged than Will with a sick, sadist streak who tries to solve her problems with sex. Enough that Will would like nothing better than Angie to stay out of his life, she keeps walking back in and he keeps letting her.

Dr. Sara Linton was a cop's wife until he was killed. It was a stupid, useless death. Now, Sara carries around a letter from his killer, unable to open it; unable to throw it away. He wasn't the best husband; he wasn't even faithful. But, he had changed and they were happy. She's the doctor on call when the patient of a motor vehicle accident is brought in. But the victim is more than hit by a car; she's beaten, battered, cut, bruised, starved. And the most horrific of all, someone has literally ripped one of her ribs out of her body.

When Will sees the accident victim, he's outraged. How could anyone do this to another human being? He speeds to the site of the accident and makes a gruesome discovery. An underground cavern has been dug out, and more than one person has been kept there. So the hunt is on for another victim; when Will feels something dripping on his hands and glances up to find the other victim, lifeless hanging from a tree.

Faith and Will, partners in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, now are on the hunt for a killer. Amanda, their boss, is demanding action and answers, but the case is at a stand still. Other women have started to disappear. And there's a pattern, only single difficult successful women without attachments have been taken. They all belong to an anorexia chat room, enjoying anorexia as a way of life; all psychologically damaged. There are few clues to be followed. How many more women will have to die before the killer is caught?

Undone by Karin Slaughter is a psychological thriller that takes place over four incredible long exhausting days filled with questions and very few answers. It takes all the investigative prowess of Faith and Will with the help of Sara Linton to discover the answers to the questions that will help solve the case. It was a surprise ending that had me saying, how did that happen? It takes the ingenuity of Faith and Will, along with that of the women taken by the deranged killer for the case to meet it's end. And it all revolves around a homeless shelter.

Undone by Karin Slaughter gets it's title not only from the way the story is told, and lives that become undone, but also from the events in Sara Linton's life leading up to this story. She has become "undone" by the death of her husband. She no longer functions as she once was able. Working on this case helps her to come to grips the facts of her husband's death, to move beyond that life has given her and to move forward; hoping to once again to recapture happiness that life has to offer. It was an incredible taunt read, full of danger that demanded your attention. I would recommend this book to all those readers who enjoy a mad ride through unknown dangers. It's full of mystery, suspense, and all touching upon all the societal taboos of anorexia and orphanages. We'd all like to think that anorexia is being addressed in our society. We would like to believe that our world is safe for children, but it is not so. For more information about Karin Slaughter or her books, please visit her website. I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviews.

Here's the book trailer.

Chemical Cowboys - The DEA's Mission to Hunt Down a Nortorious Ecstasy Kingpin by Lisa Sweetingham

Publisher: Ballentine Books / Random House
Pages: 442

Release Date: February 24, 2009
(images and blurb from randomhouse.com)
From the Cover: For nearly a decade, Ecstasy kingpin Oded Tuito was the mastermind behind a drug ring that used strippers and Hassidic teenagers to mule millions of pills from Holland to the party triangle—Los Angeles, New York, and Miami.

Chemical Cowboys is a thrilling journey through the groundbreaking undercover investigations that led to the toppling of a billion-dollar Ecstasy trafficking network— starting in 1995 when New York DEA Agent Robert Gagne infiltrated club land to uncover a thriving drug scene supported by two cultures: pill-popping club kids and Israeli dealers.

Gagne’s obsessive mission to take down Tuito’s network met unexpected challenges and personal discoveries that almost crippled his own family.Weaved into the narrative are the stories of Tuito’s underlings who struggled with addiction as they ran from the law, and the compelling experiences of a veteran Israeli police officer who aided Gagne while chasing after his own target—a violent Mob boss who saw the riches to be made in Ecstasy and began to import his own pills and turf warfare to the U.S.

Chemical Cowboys offers a taut, behind-the-scenes glimpse into an international criminal enterprise as daring as it is deadly.

Our story starts out in 1973 with then President Nixon declaring an all out war on drugs, and bring into existence the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), almost a misnomer. As Lisa begins her story, she gives the background information of the DEA agents involved in this sweeping crime drama. Special Agents Robert Gagne (Gags) and Matt Germanowski are long time hard liners. Brought up through the ranks for Special Ops Forces, each as seen their share of death and destruction, each carry the weight of deaths of fellow soldiers, officers, agents and friends. Heroine, Cocaine, Crack -- all the drugs of choice for those looking to make quick money in the States. But now a new drug as arrived, Ecstasy, a tiny little pill sometimes stamped with cute little pictures in a multitude of colors, sometimes deadly enough to take out a whole party of teenagers, Kiddie Dope. Nightclub thorough fare, easily attainable, available for $5, $10, $20 a pop. But now it's not just the South American Drug Cartel involved in importing drugs. It has become a worldwide game, Israelis and other Middle Eastern countries involved, terrorists of another sort have arrived on the shores of America declaring of a different kind of war, leaving a wake of death even of rivals. Mob involvement from around the world, drugs are a big business. One drug kingpin attracts Gagne's attention above the others and it's the Tuito family. A ruthless druglord out to make as much money as possible, creating a powerful base and network, leaving fear in his wake. It's Gagne's wish to see the end of this inhuman being.

Chemical Cowboys by Lisa Sweetingham is crime drama with teeth. She is able to pull the reader, even unwillingly, into the web of crime that is the underworld of the drug culture. The characters in this story are real life cops in life and death situations. This is my first foray into true crime drama, but Chemical Cowboys left me wondering if it will be my last. The mystery and surprises that unfold for the reader are what has really happened. Ms. Sweetingham is able to recreate the underbelly of criminal activity that Drug Enforcement agents have to live with everyday and the criminals that become part of their daily existence. The struggles that they and their families have to endure. How some of the agents limit involvement of family, separate from friends and family, just so they have less to worry about, there's less to lose if you don't have anything to start with. It gives the reader a glimpse into the real world of criminal drug activity in the United States and aboard. Chemical Cowboys was an involved, exciting read pulling at the reader's emotions. The pain, agonizing loss, and the hope of catching and incarceration of criminals is felt throughout the book. If you are a fan of true crime drama, then Chemical Cowboys is the book for you. For more information about Lisa Sweetingham, please visit her website.

Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz

Publisher: Bantam Dell / Random House Inc.
Pages: 337
(click the title to go to Dean Koontz's new interactive website)

From the Cover: At thirty-four, Internet entrepreneur Ryan Perry seemed to have the world in his pocket -- until the first troubling symptoms appeared out of nowhere. Within days, he's diagnosed with incurable.....

Ryan Perry just isn't rich, he's mega wealthy. His Internet company, Be2Do, is the reason. He has all life can give and more. He is free to be anyone he wants to be, right? But he can't predict genes, can't tell the future, life expectancy is unknown. While Ryan is enjoying his life and his love, Samantha, his body betrays him. He starts having episodes of disorientation, anxiety, fear. His heart pounds, his nerves shaken. He no longer can hide from himself. Something is terribly wrong.

With a visit to his doctors, Ryan is diagnosed a debilitating chronic incurable disease, Cardiomyopathy. His only hope for survival is a heart transplant. As rich as he is, he can find no solution. Money cannot cure his ill. At thirty-four, he's going to die.

Into the picture strolls Dr. Hobb, renowned surgeon to the very wealthy. He assures Ryan that there is hope, that he won't let Ryan die. Ryan is unsure, paranoid, investigating all those around him. Even Samantha cannot be trusted. His life changes so that he encloses himself in a plastic bubble where only he has the keys, he trusts no one outside of Dr. Hobb and his private investigator, William Mott. He becomes secretive and furtive.

Then the call comes, a heart has been found, but he needs to travel to Singapore to receive it. With bells tolling, he arrives and is given the only thing that can save him, a young beating healthy heart of a car crash victim.

Now, a year later, fear of rejection passed, Ryan's life is lived inside a bubble, he doesn't interact his others, he will never suffer fear of his health again. Until, inexplicably, he finds tiny candy hearts on his pillow with one word--mine.
The next night he finds a heart pendent. He sees a stealthy figure on the lawn that's not on the security cameras. Is he finally going crazy, is his paranoia taking over?

Finally, he discovers the truth he has known in his heart of hearts, Dr. Hobb helped to take a life so that his could be saved. Can he live with this truth and will the survivors of the victim let him?

Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz was published in November 2008. Dean Koontz has been known to write under many names including Anthony North, Aaron Wolfe, Brian Coffey, Deana Dwyer, John Hill... and many others but most of his books have been re-released under his name. He has been prolific over the years with close 100 short stories and books in print. He has been one of my favorite authors since I was able to turn the pages. When I started to read this book, I was afraid that I had found one of his books I didn't like. For the first 190 pages, I wondered if I should stopping reading it. Then, the ride began, the roller coast took off and it was all I could do to hold on. This novel is all about subtext, the story within the story, lessons that Perry needs to learn. I wasn't sure I was going to like the self-imprisoned Ryan Perry. He was too into himself, looking at the world from a distance, almost like he was afraid to get dirty. But by the end of the book, I was shocked, surprised, stunned--Perry was human after all, and he put his good heart to good use. Though it starts slow, I suspect on purpose for those faint of heart, it ends with a bang. Try Your Heart Belongs to Me, I'm glad I did.

Dottie :}

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton

Publisher: Ballentine Books/ Random House Publishing
Pages: 384


From the cover: I am Meredith, princess of faerie, wielder of the hands of Flesh and Blood, and at long last, I am with child -- twins, fathered by my royal guard. Though my uncle, Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, claims that he is the true father since he abducted me from my home, betrayed, and defiled me. And now he has branded my guards as a threat to my unborn children.....


Princess Meredith Nic Essus is the daughter of Prince Nic Essus and wielder of the hands of flesh and blood. Her aunt, Queen Andias, has promised Meredith her throne and court if only she can conceive a child, the first birth in the court for many years. Prince Cel, the queen's son is mad with jealously, it's his court and he will kill to keep it.

Meredith has finally conceived. Her Royal Guards and Consorts are the fathers of her twins she now carries. The Unseelie Court will become her's with their births. But all is not well, not only does she have to contend with her insane cousin, Cel and his followers, her Uncle Taranis, King of the Seelie Court is eager to father a child as well. He attacks Meredith and brings her to the Seelie Court where she is bound and raped. He claims to be the true father of Meredith's unborn twins. While recovery from her ordeal, Merry is called to the Wild Hunt, but will her unborn babies survive?

An unholy war is about to be unleashed on the world of Faerie. The Goddess has all but forsaken their worlds, until the rise of Meredith. She has started to bring life and blood back to all the courts. The ancient artifacts are returning and blessing those whose call they hear and feel. But, will Merry survive her vile cousin Cel's quest for power? How many of her royal guard must be sacrificed before all of Faerie is appeased? Darkness, Galen, Rhys, King Sholto--all of her consorts have vowed their lives before her's. She has already lost her Killing Frost, will she survive the loss of another?

Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton is the seventh book in the Merry Gentry series. Ms. Hamilton website can be found @ http://www.laurellkhamilton.org/ where her whole series can be viewed. She also writes the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Series. Swallowing Darkness is not the place to start reading this series, Kiss of Shadows is the first in the series and I recommend starting there to avoid confusion. Laurell K. Hamilton weaves a world where the Faerie Courts are very real, and have been as far back as President Thomas Jefferson. Swallowing Darkness is urban fantasy at its best with a dash of romance thrown in; there is very graphic erotica through the story as well as, definitely not a PG13 rating. This series comes highly recommended, but be prepared for the graphic sexual nature the books, it maybe too explicit for some tastes.

Dating Dead Men by Harley Jane Kozak

Publisher: Doubleday / Randon House Publishing
Pages: 336


From the cover: Los Angeles greeting card artist Wollie Shelley is dating forty men in sixty days as research for a radio talk-show host's upcoming book, How to Avoid Getting Dumped All the Time. Wollie is meeting plenty of eligible bachelors but not falling in love.....

Wollie's store, Wollie's, Welcome! Greetings sells greeting cards, she also personally designs some of the better stock available. But, Wollie has a problem, her store has to be upgraded to Wollie's, Willkommen! Greetings or the Welcome Corporation will close the store and move the stock to different stores, and her life's dream and ambition will be gone! When Mr. Bundt, corporate big wig, pays a visit, everything must be perfect, instead everything seems to fall apart. P.B., Wollie's schizophrenic brother, calls with news of a murder at local mental hospital and a great need for aluminum foil, to block alien transmissions. Dr. Cookie's book deadline has been moved up, pushing her dating schedule into over drive. Uncle Theo's poetry club readings are not approved events at any Welcome! store.

To make matters worse, when Wollie sneaks P.B.'s aluminum foil into Rio Pescado, not only does she find the murder victim, but the man of her dreams (who kidnaps her and who she can only think of as Doc, even without shoes), and right in the middle of her Dating Research! Not only does she need the $5000.00 Dr. Cookie is paying, but now she has to worry that P.B. is involved in a murder! But, can she let Doc or Gomez, or whoever he is, slip out of her life? Why is he at a mental hospital in the middle of the night anyway? And, last but not least, why does he carry a ferret in his pocket?

For a really fun read, give Harley Jane Kozak's Dating Dead Men a try. It's funny, sweet, a laugh riot, and it has a good mystery begging to be solved. It's fun and easy to read, laughing until the end as Wollie gets herself into one tight spot after another. Dating Dead Men is the first of Ms. Kozak's Dating Series, written in 2004. Her newest novel A Date You Can't Refuse is set to be released in March 2009. You can visit her site @ http://www.harleyjanekozak.com/ where you can check out all of her fun books.

Blood Sins by Kay Hooper

Publisher: Random House
Pages: 304


Blood Sins is Kay Hooper's newest book and part of the Bishop Series, and the second in the Blood Series. She usually writes in a three book series, of course she has stand alone novels and the Quinn Series. The story revolves around The Church of the Everlasting Sin and Rev. Samuel who has had repeat performances in Kay Hooper's books. Noah Bishop works as an FBI operative and head of SCU (Special Crimes Unit) and he's psychic as are most of the people who work in his unit. His unit handles the crimes that fall outside of norm of criminal behavior. His specialty is telepathy and he is extremely strong with his wife, Miranda. As he positions his people, (including Haven, a civilian organization he started that can work outside the FBI confines), inside and outside Rev. Samuel's church, the killing begins. First with unknown subjects and then with some unfortunate church members, one of which is a Haven operative. This allow Bishop to find a deeper way into the church, but Rev. Samuel has been making changes of his own. Since the trauma of being born to an abusive prostitute mother, (he has been loosing time), the traumatic events leading to his mother's death (at his own hand, though richly desired),his psychic abilities began to emerge; but because of the trauma, his is a negative energy. He was struck by lightning and learned to absorb the magnetic and electrical energy. Gathering more energy increases his psychic abilities and he soon learns that he can steal another psychic's abilities. As Samuel's psychosis grows (Godlike cult leader qualities), Bishop gets closer to setting his trap, if he can only strike before more people are killed. Senator LeMott is also becoming more involved in the investigation than is wise, but who could blame him, after his daughter's murder. With the help of Tessa, the trap is sprung. The only question is who will walk away. Blood Sins is an exciting supernatural read. Crime novel with paranormal attributes. A great read!! Visit her site @ http://www.kayhooper.com/