Now Available: BITTEN by Dan O'Brien

Synopsis: A predator stalks a cold northern Minnesotan town. There is talk of wolves walking on two legs and attacking people in the deep woods. Lauren Westlake, resourceful and determined FBI agent, has found a connection between the strange murders in the north and a case file almost a hundred years old. Traveling to the cold north, she begins an investigation that spirals deep into the darkness of mythology and nightmares. Filled with creatures of the night and an ancient romance, the revelation of who hunts beneath the moon is more grisly than anyone could imagine.

What readers are saying about Bitten

“Bitten is an extremely well-balanced and engaging novel. It contains mystery, suspense, horror, romance, and best of all – a creative, genre-bending twist on werewolf mythology. The story is quick-paced and dark without being too heavy or overdramatic. The protagonist is a strong and courageous FBI agent who is able to assert herself without casting aside her femininity. She reminds me of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum…. If a sequel follows, I will definitely read it.”

“Author Dan O'Brien left his mark with Bitten. I’ve now read three books by O'Brien, but BITTEN is by far my favorite. It not only showcases his literary skills, but leaves the reader wanting more. What else could an avid reader ask for?”

If you love supernatural fiction, a good mystery, and a fun story, then you’ll want to give Bitten a look. Releasing in July as well is the follow-up novella, Drained. The third novella in the series, Frighten, will be released in early 2019.

Get it today on Kindle!

Dan O’Brien has over 50 publications to his name––including the bestselling Bitten, which was featured on Conversations Book Club’s Top 100 novels of 2012. Before starting Amalgam Consulting, he was the senior editor and marketing director for an international magazine. You can learn more about his literary and publishing consulting business by visiting his website at: www.amalgamconsulting.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AuthorDanOBrien.

The Shack by WM. Paul Young

Synopsis:

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend.

Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever.

In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant The Shack wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

This is way out of my normal genre of book. If you thought yolo came out of nowhere, hold on to your seats, because this one is even more outside of my bubble. But, it was referred by a good friend, so here we are.

Even though it’s different from my tastes, I went in with a completely open mind and I didn’t dislike it.

It took me awhile to get over how many times “God” is written on each page. I mean, I get it, that’s what the book is about. But WOW. Mix it up with “Him” at least. Not to be confused with he band HIM of course.

The Shack is quite the journey from start to finish tackling all sorts of tough topics along the way leading Mack to question God and want justification for all of the pain and evil in the world. Spending time with the Holy Trinity does a number on his state of mind, and he comes out the way I believe most people wish to feel.

The Shack raises a lot of questions and makes you ponder your own life along the way. Every person who reads it will look at it differently depending on what they’re dealing with in their lives. I, myself, wanted to rip it in half and burn it a few times.

Id like to have a conversation like this with God. I’ve got a bone to pick.

4/5 Stars. Definitely worth the read. If for nothing else than a different take on what God is like.

Memorable Quotes: “Each relationship between two persons is absolutely unique. That is why you cannot love two people the same. It simply is not possible. You love each person differently because of who they are and the uniqueness that they draw out of you. And the more you know another, the richer the colors of that relationship.”

Click To Purchase!

yolo by Lauren Myracle

Synopsis:

Through texts and messages, the mega-bestselling, beloved Internet Girls series followed the ups and downs of school for three very different, very close friends. Now it’s freshman year of college for the winsome threesome, and *everything* is different. For one, the best friends are facing their first semester apart. Way, way apart. Maddie’s in California, Zoe’s in Ohio, and Angela’s back in Georgia. And it’s not just the girls who are separated. Zoe’s worried that Doug wants to break up now that they’re at different schools, and Maddie’s boyfriend, Ian, is on the other side of the country.In the face of change and diverging paths, Maddie’s got a plan to keep the friends close, and it involves embracing the present, making memories, and . . . roller derby! Using of-the-moment technology, Lauren Myracle brings her groundbreaking series into the brave new virtual world of texting and tweets.

So, I know this isn’t my typical genre, but I have loved these books since I was a little youngen.  So, when this one came out, I jumped on the opportunity to get back into these girls’ lives. It took me awhile to get to it, because I was waiting for the right moment, but I’ve finally done it!

yolo is a pretty typical “feel-good” young adult book. Well, except for the fact that it’s written in all text messages. That’s what initially drew me to the series. Maybe it had something to do with growing up with the Internet, but I’ve always had a soft spot for these types of books.

It took me back to being a freshman in college and how much of a culture shock it is from high school. It was kind of sweet reading it from their perspectives even though their first year isn’t treating them all well. They have their ups and downs. But, the one thing keeping them going is the promise of spending their Thanksgiving break together.

I know some people might say that the series should end here, but I would love it if it kept going. I read so many books about rough subjects, it’s nice to have one that’s up-beat even if everything isn’t always happy. I think Myracle does a great job giving each character their own voice and personality even though it’s all told through text.

I also want to know how their Thanksgiving went, so another book is necessary.

5/5 Stars

Click To Purchase!

The Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathan Kellerman

Synopsis:

A brilliant, deeply dedicated psychologist, Grace Blades has a gift for treating troubled souls and tormented psyches—perhaps because she bears her own invisible scars: Only five years old when she witnessed her parents’ deaths in a bloody murder-suicide, Grace took refuge in her fierce intellect and found comfort in the loving couple who adopted her. But even as an adult with an accomplished professional life, Grace still has a dark, secret side. When her two worlds shockingly converge, Grace’s harrowing past returns with a vengeance.

Both Grace and her newest patient are stunned when they recognize each other from a recent encounter. Haunted by his bleak past, mild-mannered Andrew Toner is desperate for Grace’s renowned therapeutic expertise and more than willing to ignore their connection. And while Grace is tempted to explore his case, which seems to eerily echo her grim early years, she refuses—a decision she regrets when a homicide detective appears on her doorstep.

An evil she thought she’d outrun has reared its head again, but Grace fears that a police inquiry will expose her double life. Launching her own personal investigation leads her to a murderously manipulative foe, one whose warped craving for power forces Grace back into the chaos and madness she’d long ago fled.

The Murderer’s Daughter was my first Jonathan Kellerman book, and I think I am going to have to invest in more of them.

Grace Blades is an interesting protagonist. Kellerman does a good job of making her a very deep character, using flashbacks from her past to paint the picture of what led to her life currently. I almost enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present time because it was a bit messy.

I felt like there were so many characters involved with the “present time” that it was hard to keep them straight. This also stems from them having a bunch of different names for one character. I still don’t know if I kept it straight in the end, but I got the point of the book and the story. I enjoyed it a lot; it was just a bit difficult to keep it all together at times.

One thing to really note about this book is the description of death and, later on, grief was really spot on. It was interesting to read, and I think people will be able to relate to what Grace saw and how she felt.

The Murderer’s daughter is a fast-paced mystery/thriller that will keep you turning pages until the very end.

3.5/5 Stars just for how difficult it was to keep some characters straight.

Memorable Quotes: "If people like you, maybe they won't hurt you."

"Whatever it took to survive. She'd always been driven to survive. Which is why she was still around. A bit of luck didn't hurt, either. Fate, karma, divine will, choose your delusion."

"Despite everything she told her patients about open communication, she craved the balm of ignorance. She supposed that could change. 
Meanwhile, she'd drive."

Click To Purchase!

Never Never by James Patterson

Synopsis:

When Sydney police department sex crimes detective Harriet Blue is called into her boss’s office, she never imagined it would be to tell her that her brother is the prime suspect in the brutal murders of three women.

Shocked and in denial, Harry is transferred to Perth to avoid the media exposure this case will attract. Harry is sent into the outback – the never never – to investigate the disappearance of mine worker Danny Carter. The mining town is a seedy place, full of money and immoral ways to spend it. As Harry delves deeper into the murky lives of these miners, she finds that Danny isn’t the first to go missing.

Never Never introduces a new heroine in James Patterson’s list of badass leading characters. This time, we are taken to the middle of the desert in Australia to solve the case of missing miners.

I think this book was more of a case of the co-author’s writing style shining through. It didn’t seem like a James Patterson book. I can’t pinpoint the reason why, it had the basic formula, it just seemed different.

I think Harriet Blue is a great new heroine. I love Lindsay Boxer more than any other novel protagonist, but Harry differs in that she has a “don’t give a crap” attitude and it can be funny to read. I’m still waiting for the James Patterson version of The Avengers when all of his detectives play a role in the book or in a separate series. I think it would be fun.

Back to this book – it keeps the bad guy a secret until the end, but I guessed the twist pretty early on. So, I wasn’t surprised when it was revealed, but that’s okay. It didn’t take anything away.

There was a depth to this book that I enjoyed. It was a great debut for the character and I can’t wait to read the next one.

4/5 Stars

Click To Purchase!