ALERT a Michael Bennett Novel by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

Alert is the second book that I had personally autographed by James Patterson at the Vero Beach Book Center

Another intense police drama with NYPD Detective Michael Bennett and FBI agent Emily Parker.
Bombs go off in the underground subway system of NYC, causing panic and lots of problems for NY.  Then the mayor is killed during a news conference.  What is going on?  Is someone out to destroy NYC?  Emily comes in and along with Michael begin trying to figure this puzzle out.  It turns out to be a real race against time.  During all this Michael still has to find help with his 10 children. Seamus his grandfather goes missing and with his health issues, Mike will need to find a sitter or nanny.  Seamus finds Martin who turns out to be a god send  especially since Mary Catherine, Mikes girlfriend was not able to return to the states with Mike.


AMAZON - Alert a Michael Bennett Novel

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE MURDER HOUSE by James Patterson and David Ellis

A town in the Hamptons where the rich play is a perfect backdrop for a murder mystery.
Jenna leaves her job with the NYPD under a cloud and moves there where her uncle the police chief has offered her a job.  It may not be the best move for her, when she was little she disappeared and begins having nightmares about it.  Add in several gruesome murders and a house know as the murder house and you have a good story.  I didn't like the going back and forth in time though, it disrupted the flow of the story for me.  This a book I had autographed by James Patterson

AMAZON - The Murder House

SANDY SAYS 2/3 STARS

JAMES PATTERSON BOOK SIGNING AT THE VERO BEACH BOOK CENTER

Sunday November 8, 2015 I was lucky to attend a book signing by James Patterson at the Vero Beach Book Center.  James answered questions for about 45 minutes and then signed books.  He was funny and very nice taking lots of time to answer all questions.  The Vero Beach Book Center is very nice, lots of books and children's toys.  If you are ever in the area, I recommend this store.   I bought and had autographed The Murder House as well as Alert a Michael Bennett Novel.  I am reading the Murder House now, review to follow shortly.




Vero Beach Book Center

James Patterson signing my books

NYPD RED by James Patterson and Marshall Karp

Another fast mystery from James Patterson.
Go inside the life of elite detectives.  New York City is hosting Hollywood in an attempt to get them to film there.  You have mega stars in town.  The NYPD Red are designed to cover crimes of the elite.  Then they start having a rash of murders and the race is on the find the killer.
How many will die before the catch the killer?  Will they catch the killer?

AMAZON - NYPD RED

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

SCARLET NIGHTS by Jude Deveraux

Do you like mystery and romance stories?  This is a quick read.

Mike is an undercover detective, someone that does not share his personal life with anyone.  He sometimes is undercover for months at a time.  He does have a sister recently married.  He ends up on an investigation in the town his sister lives in and where they had lived with their grandparents.  He is to stop Sara from marrying Greg who along with his mother had been hunted for a long time.  They are really bad people.

What will happen?  Will Mike be able to save the day?

AMAZON - Scarlet Nights

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

CAPE FEAR MURDERS-A Carroll Davenport Mystery by Wanda Canada

Do you like mysteries?  This is a quick and enjoyable read.

Carroll lives in a small town and runs a construction company.  She has been through a lot, she was married to the son of a man involved in organized crime.  Her husband was murdered.  While volunteering at the Arboretum one day they come across a couple murdered.  Then she gets a call that her ex mother in law has passed away, she intends to go to the funeral even though there may be a safety issue.  Her part time helper introduces her to a girl that may have witnessed the murders at the Arboretum.  With murder, crime, her friend an FBI agent and hiding her ex father in law things get very complicated.

AMAZON - Cape Fear Murders-A Carroll Davenport Mystery

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

CALICO JOE by John Grisham

Do you love baseball?  I practically grew up on a baseball field as my brother played and our dad coached the team.

This is the story of two players, told by the son of one.  Paul's father Warren was a pitcher for the NY Mets and Paul lived and breathed baseball.  His dad however was absent most of the time and when home tended toward drinking and abuse if the family.  Paul rarely got to talk baseball with his dad or even have a game of catch.  Joe was a minor league player who was moved up to the Chicago Cubs, where he went about breaking lots of records.  Until the fateful day he came up to bat against Warren.
Both lives will be shattered.  What will happen?


AMAZON - Calico Joe


SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE by J. K. Rowling

Book 6 in the series.
Harry,  Ron, Hermione and Ginny go back to Hogwarts.  Not before Harry and Dumbledore go on a mission.  This year at school Harry will have private lessons with Dumbledore, which involve going inside people's memories.   There are all kinds of danger about and lots of extra security as well in the wizarding world.   Harry also gets a used book for a class that he hadn't expected to take, this book was once used by the half-blood prince, but who was he?  He did write notes all in the book that really helps Harry with potions.

AMAZON - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE ANGELS OF MORGAN HILL by Donna VanLiere

A quick read, that takes you back in time.  Back to the 1947, in a small town in Tennessee.  Lonnie Gable dies, leaving a wife who finds out she is pregnant, daughter Jane and son John.  They are poor as a lot of people were then.  On the day of his funeral, Jane and John see the first "colored" person of their lives.  Milo is a boy about their age and along with his family has come to work on a neighboring farm.  This didn't sit well with some,  but Jane and her family made friends with them. One night Milos house burned, killing his father and sister and shortly after his mother.  Abby-his mother doesn't pass until Fran-Jane's mother promises to raise Milo.  This is not easy and follows along their ups and downs.

AMAZON - The Angels of Morgan Hill

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE CHRISTMAS BUS by Melody Carlson

If you like stories about Christmas, you will like this book.
You have a modern day story about Jesus birth.  Edith and Charles own a bed and breakfast and Charles is the pastor of the church across the street.  Their children will not be able to make it for Christmas and Edith decides to open the B & B for the holidays.  Soon the inn is filled.  Then a young couple driving an old brightly painted bus come to see if there is a room.  They are allowed to park their bus on the street.  Amy is due to have her baby soon.  Lots of fun and a disagreeable guest make this a fast read.

AMAZON - The Christmas Bus

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE HORSE WHISPERER by Nicholas Evans

Do you like horses?  I have only ridden a few times in my life.  I think they are beautiful animals.

This story will take you into the horse world of ranching and whisperers.  Also, what happens when a horse and his rider a young girl are in a horrible accident.  As well as her friend, she and her horse were killed.  Grace loses half of one leg and her horse has such severe injuries the vet felt like he should have been put down.  To make matters worse once he recovers he is so frightened he is aggressive and is abused by the stable owners sons.  Will Grace recover, will her horse?

AMAZON - The Horse Whisperer

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

ONLY YOURS-a Fool's Gold Romance by Susan Mallery

A fun and easy story.  Simon is a surgeon who works with burn patients.  He has come to Fool's Gold for a few months to help treat patients.  Montana lives there and is pressured by the mayor to get to know and try to convince him to stay there.  Montana works with therapy dogs and her first meeting with the Dr is literally a run in, where Fluffy got away from her and knocked the Dr down.  He is very serious and Montana is happy and fun.

AMAZON - Only Yours

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

TEXAS HEAT by Fern Michaels

A very fast and enjoyable book.  Travel from Texas to New York to Hawaii and more.  Near Austin, Texas the Coleman's have a ranch-Sunbridge.  Maggie has inherited it and invites the family to spend the 4th of July with her. Which includes her estranged daughter, her son, her nephew, aunts and sisters.  The boys are the same age and Cole, Maggie's son takes a dislike to his cousin.  Maggie's daughter and her boyfriend, break up.  Just your everyday run of the meal problems, except they are rich.

AMAZON - Texas Heat

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

FIRST IMPRESSIONS by Jude Deveraux

Eden found herself as a teenage girl expecting a baby.  She was raped and then her parents threw her out.  She gets on a bus and leaves ending up in a small town in North Carolina.  There she ends up working for an older woman who is quite wealthy and she finally has someone that loves her.  Years later she finds out she is the sole heir of that woman.  Going down to take possession of the home leads her into an FBI investigation.
I found it hard staying with this story


AMAZON - First Impressions

SANDY SAYS 2/3 STARS

THE SUMMERHOUSE by Jude Deveraux

Are you looking for a fun quick read?  This is it.

Three girls, all pretty, all with the same birthday arrive in New York City to follow their dreams.  They meet at the DMV.  They don't see each other for 19 years and decide to spend their 40th birthday together.  They have all changed.  Did anyone of them realize their dream?  They meet up at a summer house that was loaned to them for the occasion.  Where they begin to tell each other what has happened to them in those years.  They come across a psychic who claims she can send them back in time to whatever time they want.  They will only be gone a few seconds, but will be back in time for three weeks.  When they come back they can choose the old or new life.  What will they choose?

AMAZON - The Summerhouse

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

SUGAR DADDY by Lisa Kleypas

A very quick and enjoyable story.
Liberty Jones father has passed away and she and her mother move to a new trailer in Welcome, Texas.  A small town.  Liberty's father was Mexican.  Liberty meets Hardy and in turn he introduces her to his sister and family and others in the trailer park.  She gets a crush on Hardy but he is older and won't go further than being there as a friend.  Libertys mother has a baby.  Liberty takes on the responsibility of raising her after her mother dies.  Its a hand to mouth existence.  Then she meets a rich oil man who takes her under his wing.
Will things get easier for Liberty and her sister Carrington?  Will she ever see Hardy again, after his leaving for a job?

AMAZON - Sugar Daddy

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

EARTH UNAWARE-the First Formic War by Orson Scott Card and Aaron Johnston

This is a prequel to the Enders Game.  We go back to when the Formica first show up in space.   Each chapter jumps between three groups, the soldiers on Earth a free mining family and a corporate ship.
The free mining family are working an asteroid when the corporate ship decides to claim jump it.  In the process killing one of the miners.  While the eye, the system that constantly scans the surrounding space; spots something out of the ordinary.  Something coming faster than humanly possible.  They also come across debris from three mining ships that have been attacked.  They soon discover a pod ship like they have never seen.
What is it?   Can they warn everyone in time?
It took some for me to get into this book.  I enjoyed the chapters about the ships in space, however the chapters on the soldiers on Earth slowed me down.


AMAZON - Earth Unaware-the First Formic War

SANDY SAYS 2/3 STARS

BREAKFAST IN BED by Sandra Brown

Sloan owns a bed and breakfast in San Francisco. Her friend Alicia asks if she would rent her fiancé a room for a month.  Carter is a famous author and has one chapter left to finish and hopes to do that before the wedding.  Alicia is craters friends widow and has two small sons.  Sloan has been hurt from love and has built a wall around herself.  Carter is very handsome and chemistry is felt from the moment he meets Sloan.
Will they fight it?  Will the wedding proceed?

The book is predictable.

AMAZON - Breakfast in Bed

SANDY SAYS 2/3 STARS

MOONLIGHT IN THE MORNING (Edilean) by Jude Deveraux

Kim and Jecca are college roommates and become best friends.   They are studying art.  Jecca is from New Jersey and Kim is from a small town.  After graduation and several years of living and working in New York City, Jecca goes to Kim's small town for the summer.  She plans to paint the whole summer and have some pieces that she might be able to sell.  She meets Kim's cousin Tris- the local Dr after he stumbles on a lawn chair she has moved and falls on top of her.  They can't see each other as its dark.  They begin meeting and getting to know each other in the dark.  Tris is very handsome and likes that Jecca is getting to know him for himself.  However, Jecca is determined to go home to New York at the end of the summer.  Can love find a way?


AMAZON - Moonlight in the Morning (Edilean) by Jude Deveraux

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

LIFE EXPECTANCY by Dean Koontz

Jimmy Tock was born on a stormy night in a small mountain town in Colorado.  There was another baby born that night.  The other baby was born to circus people.  The father was a clown and the mother an aerialist.   Jimmy's grandfather was in the same hospital.  Just before Jimmy was born he became alert and insisted his son write down 5 dates, he also gave the time and details of Jimmy's birth then died.  All Jimmy's life his family has been waiting for those dates and what might happen on them.

I didn't care for the story, and had to make myself finish the book


AMAZON - Life Expectancy

SANDY SAYS 2/3 STARS

WHEN YOU CALL MY NAME by Sharon Sala

Glory has the gift of visions.  One such vision wakes her in the middle of a snowstorm and has her and her father and brother heading out to the hospital.  Where she saves the life of a stranger, by donating blood.
Later the stranger, Wyatt is home healing on his family's home.  He hears a calling of his name, he knows it is the girl that saved his life.  So he heads to find her and she is in trouble, someone is trying to kill her.  Wyatt's brother in law is a US Marshall and Wyatt enlists his help.  all of this taking place in a small mountain town.

AMAZON - When You Call My Name

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

RIDER ON FIRE by Sharon Sala

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a DEA agent?   What about Native American?
Sonora is just that, only she thinks she is Hispanic.  She was left at an orphanage when she was hours old and never connected with any family.  While on a take down of a drug cartel, she has to kill one of them and now has the brother after her.  Her boss tells her to hide.  She has been having weird dreams.  Little does she know it is The Old Ones come to guide her home to her father.  Throw in that she rides a motorcycle and you have an interesting story.


AMAZON - Rider on Fire

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

A THOUSAND TOMORROWS-Cody Gunner Series # 1 by Karen Kingsbury

Have you ever wondered about Rodeos?  Bull riders or Barrel Racers?  This story follows Cody a bull rider and Ali a barrel racer.  They are both aloof and go in compete and keep to themselves.  Both of them are fighting demons.  They see in each other, themselves.  Eventually they start talking, neither one wanting anything other than friendship.  Can that happen?   Will they each find a someone they can confide in?  Ali desperately wants to be National Champion.  Cody has won twice.

AMAZON - A Thousand Tomorrows-Cody Gunner series # 1

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

NANTUCKET NIGHTS by Elin Hilderbrand

Kayla, Val and Antoinette have been friends for 20 years.  They met when they all went to Nantucket and rented rooms in the same house.  They start a tradition on Friday night before Labor Day of going out to a secluded beach at midnight, there they eat, drink and swim.  They also tell secrets.  Now something tragic happens Antoinette goes missing while swimming.  Everything begins to unravel as secrets come out.  Is Antoinette alive is she dead?

AMAZON - Nantucket Nights

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

FLY AWAY by Kristin Hannah

Katie and Tully met when they were young and became lifelong best friends.  Tully did not have a good childhood shuttled between her stoned mom and her grandmother.  After the death of her grandmother she was brought to live with Katie's family.  Then years later Katie is married and has three children.  Tully is an on air reporter with her own show.  Then their world falls apart, Katie is diagnosed with cancer.  Tully quit her job and goes to Katie.
The story follows different people and tells their story.  What I didn't like is that it kept jumping around.


AMAZON - Fly Away

SANDY SAYS 2/3 STARS

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX-book 5 by J. K. Rowling

Once again Harry is forced to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle and cousin.  This summer he does not hear from anyone, and that makes for a very long break for him.  Then dementors come after him and his cousin.  Harry is taken to his godfathers home, which happens to be the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.  Back at school Harry starts to have dreams which turn out not to be dreams at all.  He is seeing events as they happen.  He is able to save Mr Weasley after one such dream.  Then of course the Ministry of Magic desires to install one of their own as a teacher at Hogwarts.  A teacher that loves to discipline and make new rules for the students.  Lots going on in this story.

AMAZON -  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-book 5

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

ZOO by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge

A very fast and interesting read.

What would happen if all the animals, wild and domesticated started hunting humans?  That is what this story is about.  All over the world animals are staring to exhibit strange behavior.  Jackson Oz well on his path of a PHD, starts to notice.  He starts to track and study these attacks.  Even going to Africa to witness them, where he ends up being one of the hunted.  He helps Chloe who is being hunted as well and together they try to figure out what is causing this and how to stop it.
Will they be successful?  Will they survive this new and frightening world?

AMAZON - Zoo

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE INNOCENT by David Baldacci

Interesting and quick mystery.

Will Robie is an assassin working for the US government.  Even though if he is ever caught he is on his own.  He gets an assignment that he does not kill at the last moment.  However this puts him in the middle of multiple attack son him and people around him.  While running he comes across a teenage girl who is also on the run.  Can he figure it all out before they kill him?

AMAZON - The Innocent

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

SEVERE CLEAR-a Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods

Another great mystery and a very fast read.

Stone is on the board of directors of a new hotel about to open up in California.  The grand opening will include a concert, the presidents of the USA and Mexico will be there prior to sign an agreement as well as lots of the most rich and powerful.
The hotel is on the grounds of his wife and her first husbands estate.  They have passed away and Stone has found out he is the father of their son.  Add in secret service and other such security and bombs and you have a great read.

AMAZON - Severe Clear-a Stone Barrington Novel

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

LOITERING WITH INTENT-a Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods

If you like mysteries, you will like this.

Stone Barrington is a former NY police officer, he is now a lawyer.
He gets a job to go down to Key West to locate a man and have him sign off on the sale of the family business.  First off, he is not easy to locate.  Once located all kinds of fun happens, Sistine gets knocked out, people are shot at....


AMAZON - Loitering with Intent-a Stone Barrington Novel


SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky

A fast and enjoyable read.

Set on an island some miles off the Maine coast.  Nicole and Charlotte were like sisters and had spent summers on the island at Nicole's family home.  They grew up and distance and secrets kept them apart for ten years.  Then Nicole gets a contract to write a cookbook and decides to go to the island.  She is into the farm to table long before it's popular and that's what the island is all about.  Charlotte travels the world writing, so she asks her to come to the island to help.  Through an island bad boy and medical problems into the mix.

Will the secrets come out?  Will it destroy the friendship?

AMAZON - Sweet Salt Air

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

MOON OVER EDISTO by Beth Webb Hart

A very fast, enjoyable read.

Julia is an artist living in New York City.  She and her sister grew up in Charleston and their summer cottage on Edisto.  She had a great childhood and loving family.  That all changed after she started bringing home her college roommate.  Marney and Julia's father had an affair, that ended up breaking up Julia's family.  She has been gone for a long time, then gets sucked back into it after Marney has cancer.  Julia spends a week caring for her half sisters and brother.  She also reconnects with a boy from her childhood.  However, she has a fiancé and is due to be in Budapest for the summer.

AMAZON - Moon Over Edisto

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE LAST ORIGINAL WIFE by Dorothea Benton Frank

A very fast read.  About beginnings and endings.

Leslie and Wesley had been married for a long time, they had two grown children and a granddaughter.  They lived in Atlanta and Wes and his friends were quite successful.  His friends, Harold and Paolo were married to new wives; Leslie called them barbies.  She is the last one still married to her first husband. The story is a little back in forth as it switches from Leslie and her counselor to Wes and his, once you get past that and the full story starts to emerge it gets really good.  At one point Leslie has had enough and leaves to go to Charleston, their home town to stay with her brother.  Where she reconnects with her high school boyfriend.
Will she and Wes survive?

AMAZON - The Last Original Wife

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

THE SUMMER WIND-the Low Country Summer Trilogy by Mary Alice Monroe

What can go wrong with a story about family, dolphins and the beach?  Nothing.  A very quick and enjoyable read.

Three half sisters are summoned to their grandmothers home, for the summer.  Her home Sea Breeze was on Sullivan's Island off the coast of South Carolina.   Their grandmother and her maid lived there together.  All the girls are going through things and Mamaw hopes they can reconnect.  She plans to sell the home in the fall.  Add in Dora's special needs son and a dolphin and a tropical storm among other things and you have the makings of a fun story.

AMAZON - The Summer Wind-the Low Country Summer Trilogy

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

DRAGONFLY IN AMBER-the second book of the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

This book is over 700 pages, so took some time for me to finish.  It is worth the time.

Claire and her daughter Brianna travel to Scotland.  It is 1968, the numbers that Gellie had given to Claire in a message.  Claire is looking to find out information on Jamie and to finally tell Brianna the truth, now that Frank her husband has passed away.  The truth that Jamie is her father.  The story goes back and forth between current day and the past.

AMAZON - Dragonfly in Amber

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

DON'T GO by Lisa Scottoline

A very quick read.

Mike is deployed with the military medical corps.  He is a podiatrist.  He is married to Chloe and they have a baby girl Emily.  A month before he is to go home, Chloe dies.  Mike comes home on an emergency leave to bury her and make arrangements.  He re ups for one more year, his sister in law and brother in law are watching Emily.  Mike goes home after being injured.  Then all kind of things start to happen, Chloe's best friend is murdered,  Mike finds out things that were happening with Chloe before her death.

Lisa has an easy way about her writing, easy and enjoyable reads.

AMAZON - Don't Go

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS

BE MY LOVE- A WALKER ISLAND ROMANCE BOOK 1 by Lucy Kevin

A quick fun read.  

Hanna Walker grew up on Walkers Island off the coast from Seattle.  She has three sisters.  For as long as she could remember there has been a feud between the Walkers and the Petersons.   The Walkers had the berry farms and the Peterson's  the boats and ferries.  Hanna's grandfather was to marry Poppy Peterson, but ended up marrying someone else.  Poppy then leaves the island never to be heard from again, presumed lost at sea.  Hanna trying to get into a masters film program needs to make a film for her teacher over the summer.  She comes home to film on the island and maybe uncover what really happened.

Amazon - Be My Love

SANDY SAYS 3/3 STARS