i, michael bennett

i, michael bennett
michael bennett series #5
james patterson & michael ledwidge
suspense
little brown & co.
published 2012

Detective Michael Bennett arrests an infamous Mexican crime lord in a deadly chase that leaves Bennett's lifelong friend Hughie McDonough dead. From jail, the prisoner vows to rain epic violence down upon New York City-and to get revenge on Michael Bennett.
To escape the chaos, Bennett takes his ten kids and their beautiful nanny, Mary Catherine, on a much-needed vacation to his family's cabin near Newburgh, New York. But instead of the calm and happy town he remembers from growing up, they step into a nightmare worse than they could have ever imagined. Newburgh is an inferno of warring gangs, and there's little the police-or Bennett-can do to keep the children safe.
As violence overwhelms the state, Bennett is torn between protecting his hometown and saving New York City. A partner in his investigations, federal prosecutor Tara McLellan, brings him new weapons for the battle-and an attraction that endangers his relationship with Mary Catherine.

I really did like the last book in the series, Tick Tock.  So sometime during the events in I, Michael Bennett my mind was completely changed.  I am close to hating Michael Bennett.

This time the story and writing were lacking so much that I just wanted to throw the book, or at least return it to the library and never look at it again.  I HATE cliches in abundance.  One or two throughout the book aren't so bad, but when you have entire chapters which contain some stupid pun or 90s commercial tagline in every paragraph it starts to grate on my nerves.  'I'd taken a licking, but I kept right on ticking.'  Followed by 'The luck o' the Irish indeed!'  Then there were some that just didn't make sense like 'I'm talking bed-bath-and-beyond pissed.'  Um, what?  Couldn't you just say I was beyond pissed?  Because I don't really associate Bed, Bath & Beyond with being very extreme.

Then we have the blaming the single mother for the state of the drug war in America.  Really??  Seamus on a conservative, religious rant says 'A mother can't control a fifteen-year-old young man by herself.'  Oh really?  Screw you.  I know plenty of single mothers who handled their sons just fine thankyouverymuch you sanctimonious prick.

He has to tell the reader every time he talks about her that Tara is 'his friend, assistant US attorney'.  Yes, we know she's your friend and yes, we know she's an assistant US attorney because we're reading and we don't have the memory of a goldfish.

Hughie is not a name from a grown up.  It's just not.

Bennett is no longer believable as a cop.  And he's a complete idiot when it comes to Mary Catherine.  I mean, complete idiot.  I find it hard to believe that he's so irresistible to the women in his life.  And they even have Tara saying moronic things like 'I've made a resolution to stop being nuts, okay?  Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.'  Seriously?  Who talks like this?!  I find it irritating that Patterson & Ledwidge want to portray women as insecure and so desperate for this man's attention that they will act completely out of character if he rejects them.  And what's wrong with Bennett simply saying to someone, 'I'm sorry, but I'm not available.'?  It never happens.  And when shit hits the fan he blubbers around like a baby and I can't say that I was rooting for a happy ending for him.

And speaking of ending.  WTF?  I was thinking to myself as I finished up the last quarter of the book, I'm done with this series.  Move over, Alex Cross my ass (that's the tagline on the cover of this book in hardcover).  Bennett doesn't come close to knocking Cross out.  But then that ending....it's not one where you think, 'oh wow!  I can't wait for the next book!'.  No, no, no.  More like 'What the fuck?!?!  Where's the rest of the goddamn book?!'

I'll give the Bennett's one more try.  Maybe things will get better?  Maybe this was just a hiccup?  I hope so.

delusion in death

delusion in death
in death series #35
j. d. robb
suspense/romance
putnam
published 2012

It was just another after-work happy-hour bar downtown, where business professionals unwound with a few drinks . . .until something went terribly wrong. And after twelve minutes of chaos and violence, eighty people lay dead.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is trying to sort out the inexplicable events. Surviving witnesses talk about seeing things—monsters and swarms of bees. They describe sudden, overwhelming feelings of fear and rage and paranoia. When forensics gives its report, the mass delusions make more sense: It appears the
bar patrons were exposed to a cocktail of chemicals and illegal drugs that could drive anyone to temporary insanity—if not kill them outright.

But that doesn’t explain who would unleash such horror—or why. And if Eve can’t figure it out fast, it could happen again, anytime, anywhere. Because it’s airborne. . . .

You would truly think that after 35 books and numerous short stories I would tire of Eve Dallas, but strangely I never do.  Even if the stories begin to feel a little predictable or repetitive (which, actually, they don't) I still get engrossed in the book, happy to be in Dallas's world.

So when does she get baby fever??

stolen prey

stolen prey
prey #22
john sandford
mystery/suspense/thriller
berkley
published 2012

Lucas Davenport has seen many terrible murder scenes. This is one of the worst. In the small Minnesota town of Wayzata, an entire family has been killed—husband, wife, two daughters, dogs.

There’s something about the scene that pokes at Lucas’s cop instincts—it looks an awful lot like the kind of scorched-earth retribution he’s seen in drug killings sometimes. But this is a seriously upscale town, and the husband was an executive vice president at a big bank. It just doesn’t seem to fit.

Until it does. And where it leads Lucas will take him into the darkest nightmare of his life.

Letty.

Letty is the most AMAZING fictional female character in literature at this time.  Screw Katniss, Letty is the biggest asskicker in the fictional world.  And she's not the main character in the book!

So let's back up here.  Twenty-two books in, I've been reading this series for about 19 years, maybe a little longer and I'm invested.  In the beginning it was just Lucas and he was great.  Then we met Weather in Winter Prey (book 5) and they went off and on for awhile.  Letty came along in Naked Prey (book 14).  She was twelve at the time and you could already see the potential there and obviously so did Lucas.

Not only have we seen the relationship with Weather develop, but we've also seen he and Letty grow closer and she has become as important to me as Lucas.

John Sandford writes the way that James Patterson wishes he could write.  There are seriously heart pounding moments, humor that will make you laugh out loud and plots so thick it's hard to see through until Sandford wants you to see the way.  

Stolen Prey is no different.  One of the quotes from a review printed on the back of the book states 'The climax will have you holding your breath - and the book's very last line will leave you hoping for me.'  Hit the nail right on the head.  I actually had to put the down at one point, my heart beating so fast, just so I could process.  And yes, the last line of the book?  Devious.

It is in this book that we come to see how much her family means to Letty and even more importantly, how much she means to Lucas.  That girl.  I love her.  She is the key that makes the Prey novels as brilliant as they are.

Now I have in my lap the next and most current book in the series, Silken Prey.  I'm anxious to get started, but at the same time I know that once I read this I won't have another Prey novel until next year.  Booo hoooo!

midwinterblood

midwinterblood
marcus sedgwick
ya/horror/supernatural
roaring brook press
published 2013

In 2073 on the remote & secretive island of Blessed, where rumor has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visitor arrives.  He is greeted warmly, but something is wrong.  Something is hidden on the far side of the island.  Something that, as if in a dream, he cannot reach.

And so it is that under the light of the waxing and waning moon, seven stories unfold: the story of an archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact; of an airman who finds himself far from home; of a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking.  And the story of a love so primal and passionate it slips the bonds of time. 

This is the story of Midwinterblood.

I found this book through my library's recommendation email that I get every couple of weeks.  It sounded so interesting and different so I went and picked it up.  It's a very short read.  I ended up reading it in just under and hour and a half, yet it took me forever to read it because I kept getting distracted by other stuff!

The book is set up in a series of short stories that start in the year 2073 and move backwards in time.  They are always on Blessed Island.  The stories are intriguing and captivating, but for many I just wanted more, which I suppose is what the author wanted!  It's one of those stories that when it's all over you find yourself piecing together moments you didn't put together while you were reading.  Everything is happening in a strange backwards foreshadowing kind of way.  Something is revealed, but there is no explanation for it and when the next story starts it takes place 50-100 years prior to the events you just read.

At times it feels confusing, incomplete, but what is happening is so interesting you have to keep reading.  Even at this point I wish there was more to it instead of just these glimpses into slices of time, but it was a good read nonetheless.

dead ever after

dead ever after
sookie stackhouse #13
charlaine harris
supernatural/horror/romance
ace hardcover
published 2013

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart....

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

 

The last Sookie Stackhouse book.  *sigh*

 

Let me tell you first off that this review will have spoilers because I can't talk about this without talking about it.  We do start off with a rant here, not necessarily about the book, but about the whiny naysayers out there.

After I finished the book I looked at some reviews on GoodReads and Shelfari and I was surprised to see so many one star reviews.  I mean, it wasn't the best book in the series, but shit got tied up and that's good enough for me.  Charlaine Harris isn't writing the Great American Novel.  She's written a tacky romance series with bad sex scenes and for some reason it's incredibly appealing.  So shut up already.  One of the most common complaints was that Sookie didn't end up with Eric and wasn't turned.  I'm sorry, but if you want to read a book where the 'heroine' ends up a vampire and married to a vampire go read Twilight.  This is a different story.

It's completely ridiculous the entitlement that readers have.  You did not write this series.  You did not create this world or give birth onto pages these characters.  Sure, you invested money into the books and fell in love with characters, but come on.  You don't get to say what happens to anyone and you shouldn't whine when it doesn't go the way you wanted it to.  I get being disappointed, truly I do, but seriously, get over it.  If you don't like it there's this thing called 'fan fiction' - go write some.  But I suppose like most, if you can't write, critique.

Oh, and to those people who said that the whole Sam thing was way out of left field?  You're idiots.  Plain and simple.  Since the first book I knew that someday Sookie would end up with Sam.  Good god people, Harris has been building that one up for YEARS.  If you didn't see that coming I don't know what to tell you.

And all that above is the reason why so many gave the book one star reviews.  Because they were being children who didn't get what they wanted.

That being said, the book was different.  We were taken out of Sookie's head for the first time ever as she touched upon different characters.  It was disconcerting and I truly didn't feel like I was reading a Sookie book until I was back with her.  It wasn't bad, it was just different.

There was too much going on.  I understand that she wanted to bring back as many characters as she could to tie up loose ends and to cement Sookie's life in place, but the whole devil/Copley thing was completely unnecessary.  Didn't need it, didn't add anything to the story as a whole and ended up being pretty anticlimactic.  And instead of having that business in there maybe she could've given more attention to the Eric/Sookie debacle.  I mean, it has been this huge thing that's driven the entire series so maybe spend a little more than a couple chapters on the demise of the relationship.  It was all so rushed.  We're introduced to a major new character (Karin) and then just kind of, 'well, see ya, bye.'

Everything did work out in the end and maybe that's what pissed people off?  But like I said, this stuff is fluff.  It was entertaining, but I don't need to sit and ponder about it.  It did what it should have done and entertained me for a couple of hours.

I can't say I'm sad it's over.  After probably the 5th book I was just kind of, 'meh'.  I was reading just because it was something to read.  But I'm glad there's an ending and I don't have to read about Bill anymore.

stopping time & old habits

stopping time
old habits
wicked lovely series between #2 & #3
melissa marr
harper collins
published 2010 & 2011

Leslie walked away from the Dark Court, determined to reclaim her life and live it on her own terms—even if it meant leaving behind the two faeries who love her. She knows Niall and Irial watch over her, and she would give almost anything to keep them from hurting. But she resists the pull to be with either one of them. Someone knows about Leslie's past, however, and is intent on using her to reach the fey. And he doesn't care who gets hurt.

Recently anointed king of the Dark Court, Niall struggles to forge a new relationship with his subjects—and with the former Dark King, Irial, his once-friend, once-enemy, and now possible-advisor. 

Of the fae, when a mortal touches Gancanagh they become obsessed and begin to wither away from want.  That's pretty much how I feel about the Wicked Lovely series.

In retrospect, these books were ridiculously unnecessary, but I loved them.  When I finished Ink Exchange I wasn't ready to be done with Leslie, Irial and Niall's story.  I thought more could be told and this was perfect.  I can see how both of these set up the next stories and it only makes me want to read them more!

darkness falls

darkness falls
immortal beloved #2
cate tiernan
ya/romance/supernatural
poppy
published 2012

Nastasya has lived for hundreds of years, but for some reason, life never seems to get any better. She left her spoiled, rich girl life to find peace at River's Edge, a safe haven for wayward immortals. There, she learned to embrace River's Edge, despite some drama involving the sexy Reyn, who she wants but won't allow herself to have. But just as she's getting comfortable, her family's ties to dark magick force her to leave.

She falls back into her old, hard partying ways, but will her decision lead her into the hands of a dark immortal? Or will it be her first step to embracing the darkness within her?

In between reading Immortal Beloved and Darkness Falls I decided that I must read her other books and I would start with the Sweep series.  I hated them.  The characters were annoying and over the top.  Not enjoyable at all.  Then I started wondering if maybe Immortal Beloved was a fluke and I would hate the next two books.  Thankfully, that wasn't the case.

Nastasya is getting better and better at River's Edge.  She's starting to accept that she can make a better life for herself and be a good person.  We get a lot of flash backs of the not-so-nice things she'd done in the past and we also get to see a bit of what River was like as a young immortal.

But things start to go awry and Nastasya begins to believe that she can't control the dark magick inside her so she decides to leave River's Edge to keep everyone else safe.  And then then the bad stuff really starts to happen.

A good follow up to a great book.  I think I'll have to jump right into Eternally Yours!