Fiction Addict

Genre: Drama, Romance

Publisher: WaterBrook Multnomah

Publication Date: September 2011

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

Karen Kingsbury’s Forever Faithful Trilogy brings together three heart-wrenching stories that confront readers with some of life’s most difficult trials. Kingsbury takes her readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride they will not soon forget.

In Waiting for Morning, Hannah Ryan’s closest companions are bitterness, anger, and hatred. A drunk driver took the life of her husband and oldest daughter. Propelled solely by revenge, Hannah is determined to see the driver pay dearly for his actions. In the process, she shuns God, alienates her only surviving daughter, and rejects anyone who doesn’t support her agenda. Soon her life has spiraled so far out of control that Hannah is not sure she can find her way back. It will take a kind prosecutor called Matt, a widow, and her husband’s dying words to set Hannah on the path to healing.

The second novel, A Moment of Weakness, follows the lives of Tanner and Jade, two childhood friends, who are separated only to find each other again as adults. They enjoy a wonderful summer together falling in love, growing in their faith, and learning who they are. Nonetheless, bad choices tear them apart once more. This time, it appears that all their dreams are gone for good. However, ten years down the road, Jade’s cheating husband wants to destroy her in a custody battle that is obtaining national attention and the only person who can help save her son is none other than Tanner himself.

Halfway to Forever, the final novel in the trilogy, reunites the readers with Hannah, Matt, Jade, and Tanner. Hannah has rebuilt her life with Matt. They are in the process of adopting a little girl, but when new information comes to the light, Grace is ripped from their home and lives. After having lost two loved ones already, Hannah isn’t sure she can survive losing yet another daughter. Meanwhile, Tanner and Jade are fighting a life-threatening illness. After years of waiting for the woman he loves, Tanner could still lose her and this time forever.

With these two couples, tears will be shed and lessons learned. In Waiting for Morning, Kingsbury explores the world of drunk driving and its devastating effects for everyone involved. She also shows that when hate and bitterness creep in, they corrode the soul like rust. Suicide is another topic touched in this novel. In A Moment of Weakness, Kingsbury expertly tackles the issue of sex outside of marriage and all the pain and suffering caused by stepping outside of God’s perfect plan for our lives. The last book, Halfway to Forever delves into life-threatening illnesses, abortion, and adoption. All three novels cover themes such as repentance and forgiveness. They show us, as the name of the trilogy so clearly states, God is Forever Faithful. This series is not a light read. It is for those who are willing to be challenged and confronted with truth. One doesn’t have to experience these specific issues for the books to apply. I was continually amazed at how many times I felt like the lessons or scriptures were written just for me.

The novels are infused with raw emotions and gritty reality that seize the reader. Relevant themes make the stories relatable. And while the author embarks upon controversial issues, Kingsbury handles them delicately from a faith and love-filled stance. Be prepared for tears. I had to pull out a Kleenex on more than one occasion. Many of the characters wiggled their way under my skin as I rooted for some and became utterly frustrated with others. Each book in this series forced me to stop, think, and analyze experiences in my own life. I recommend the Forever Faithful Trilogy to readers who are looking for happy endings without completely sacrificing realism.

Genre: Dramatic/Suspense

Publisher: Urban Books / Kensington Publishing Corp

Publication Date: January 2012

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

D.L. Sparks, recently voted in as the newest member of the Atlanta Georgia Peach Authors, caught the attention of readers with her debut and sophomore novels is back with her latest dramatic suspense novel Between Friends, about A DEA agent and an APD Lieutenant who lock horns during a joint investigation that unearths cold-blooded corruption and heartless manipulation in this fast paced drama.

Between Friends opens as DEA Agent Orlando “Trip” Spencer has returned to his home town Atlanta to help with a complicated investigation. Trip didn’t want to take the case, he didn’t want to be back in Atlanta, but what he least wanted to do was to work with APD Lt. Lincoln Briscoe.

Between Friends, draws heavily on drug kingpins turning up dead and weapons being funneled into the county jail, but there is more than just a cat and mouse game of intrigue being played as this drama unfolds it is also packed with romantic complications and there is no telling what will happen when Trip and his closest friend, Idalis Arrington come face to face again.

Although they have been friends since early childhood, there is a wedge between Trip and Idalis’ relationship and that wedge is none other than Lincoln “Linc” Briscoe, Trip’s nemesis who’s been on a collision course with Trip since college. And just so happens to be engaged to marry Idalis, a complication that may very well affect Trip’s ability to focus on the case.

Trip learns that Idalis is in trouble and his efforts to protect her and investigate the slaughters taking place on the streets of the Dirty South take him all over the city of Atlanta – from Atlantic Station through Spaghetti Junction to a house in Cascade – a house full of secrets.

As the investigation gains speed the novel peaks up even more; emerging secrets threaten the pending marriage between Idalis and Linc. Unfortunately while trying to protect Idalis Trip’s partner, Philip “Big Phil” Porter is shot and left for dead.

Readers will appreciate that Between Friends does not disappoint once the mystery of Phil’s shoter is revealed,  as other suspense dramas tend to do. The adrenaline does not stop pumping and instead the rapid pace continues. The story does not become boring and readers will learn that the innocent aren’t always as innocent as they seem.

Sparks may not win an award of excellence (though there’s no reason she shouldn’t), she is still an author of quality that deserves recognition and merit for the realism she brings to her characterization skills. The realistic characterization of Trip comes to life while he investigates corruption, his relationship with his best friend Idalis and some childhood demons.

Some books defy expectations, some books defy critics, they are often the books readers call a darn good read – and Between Friends is one of those books. I have no doubt that Between Friends could very well become a New York Times bestseller and I’m hoping it will be adapted into a big-screen movie.

Between Friends is a must read and highly recommended for anyone who wants to become engrossed into a suspenseful entertaining storyline. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a book for the story content and the characters that come alive throughout the pages. I want to thank both the author for her talent for being able to tell a story in such an entertaining matter.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Supernatural, Speculative

Publisher: Harper Collins

Publication Date: June 2011

Reviewed by Kaci Hill

Halloween, haunted towns, creatures that live in the dark and feed off people’s dreams—what more could a writer ask? Feast: Harvest of Dreams is the first book of Destefano’s I’ve read, a dark, otherworldly tale with a contemporary setting.  It starts out simple enough: a best-selling young adult fiction writer and divorcee named Maddie finds herself in need of inspiration for her book and relief for her soul, so she returns to a place she hasn’t been since childhood, a little cabin in a town called Ticonderoga Falls, taking her son and their dog with her.

Now, I would say that “little does she know, this is the wrong time to visit the woods,” but, to a writer, the lurking doom that awaits her really is a bit of a sadistic thrill and absolutely perfect for inspiration.  The downside, however, is that the inspiration luring Maddie is also likely to kill her. She doesn’t know what happens over Halloween weekend.  She doesn’t know about the creatures in the shadows who feed off people’s dreams and memories, or of the curse that’s settled on the town.  Nor is she aware of a childhood savior whose grief is responsible for all of this. She is, however, aware of something following her and the bodies that turned up, and she’s determined to find out what’s responsible.

Meanwhile, she’s met Ash, a strange man who claims to be the son of a man she met once as a child. We quickly learn Ash’s identity, but Destefano is very careful and very particular about how much she reveals when.  I’ll admit, it took forever, even in Ash’s point of view, to figure out exactly what kind of person he was, but I very much appreciate her care in not saying too much too quickly.  The truth is, Ash is all too familiar with the curse and its origins, and the creatures—eventually named Darklings—who feed off dreams and memories and once a year have a great hunt in which all of their marked humans are prey. Ash is master of Ticonderoga Falls and in command of the Darkling hunt, but he has a hidden wound that spells the end of the town if his enemies find it.

As a fair warning, Destefano’s story structure is different, and might it might take a few chapters for some readers to acclimate. However, she develops three-dimensional characters, even the bad guys, and her tale is steeped in rich history and various layers.  Maddie’s described as the protagonist, but in many ways, I believe that really falls to Ash, even if he’s a bit complicated and difficult to define as especially good or evil for most of the book.

I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Merrie Destafano.

Genre: Young Adult/Science Fiction

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: December 2011

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Abby Goyer doesn’t know what her dad was thinking when he decided to move the two of them to Alaska. It seemed crazy – so remote, so out of the way. But that has Abby’s mind overworking: why would her dad move out here? When strange circumstances begin to circle her life in Alaska, Abby becomes convinced something evil is happening in the town, something her dad might just be involved in. And when a strange bald boy calling himself Martyr ends up with her, all Abby can do is piece together the strange facts and boil it down to the truth. The only problem is that when the truth is more horrible than a lie, how can anyone face it?

Jill Williamson has created something otherworldly all right with Replication: The Jason Experiment. She immediately captures the reader within the first few pages and never lets go. I found myself staying up late nights reading until my eyes couldn’t stay open any longer. I loved the characters, the plot, and pretty much everything else Williamson has done here. Taking a break from the fantasy worlds she built in her Blood of Kings trilogy, Williamson takes a definite turn into a realistic sci-fi world. No space ships or aliens, but plenty of creepy science to fill the pages.

The strongest thing going with Replication is definitely the characters: Martyr, who is so innocent and naïve, is written extremely well. The parts of the book told from his point of view are amazing. Williamson never deviates from describing the world Abby lives in with those innocent lenses over Martyr’s eyes. A parking brake becomes a strange stick with a button. Anything green is always related in shades relative to peas. It’s perfect. Martyr feels new and fresh even as he learns more about the strange world he’s arrived in.

And Abby Goyer comes across as a well-rounded female lead – going through the motions of a new high school, but retaining a very fresh voice and style in the writing and her actions and dialogue. Abby goes through some subtle character growth by the end of the novel, and it feels just right.

The plot twists around well enough. Sometimes it was a little easy to see where things were going to end up, but then Williamson surprises. The epic finale felt like something right out of Fringe or the X-Files. There’s a creepy tone in some places, and once a few parts of the story are revealed, it’s easy to be slightly put off by the implications. But by the time the book was finished, I kept thinking there had to be a way to continue the story in a sequel. Things do wrap up by the end, but it’s the characters I wanted to spend more time with.

Christianity comes up quite a bit in the novel, and at a couple of moments, it did feel like there was a lot of it. But that’s Abby’s character. She’s trying to work through her father’s issues with science vs. belief, and without her conversations with different characters, she couldn’t have had that growth. And that leads in to the large ethics questions Williamson raises throughout the book: how far is too far with science? Can there be places it can go that cross over a line? In the end, Williamson answers these questions through Abby and Martyr’s journey.

Replication is definitely a must-read. It’s got all the right things going for it: a creepy sci-fi plot, raw characters, and a great ending. Don’t miss this one. I know I’m now eager to go back and read Williamson’s other books, because one thing is certain: she has a very unique voice. And that makes for very unique books.

Last summer we fell in love with Isaac Marion’s debut novel, Warm Bodies. We’re thrilled to be able to share this new video interview with Isaac from Regal Literary.

Be sure and check out our review of Warm Bodies and our podcast interview with Isaac Marion.

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Marcher Lord Press

Publication Date: October 2011

Reviewed by Tim George

Man is man regardless of the century. Every struggle is ultimately with one’s self. Every decision a choice. An opportunity to be either zero of one. More often than not, we choose zero. But sometimes we don’t. Sometimes we win over the darkness. Exceed our specifications. He stoops. Touch the steam. Be a one.

(from Freeheads)

Sandfly is a debugger. For all us freeheads that means he serves at the whim of my masters, the Abduls, to correct whatever goes wrong with their machines. And they have many machines, all designed to do their work for them. But is hard for us to understand that since we are freeheads, unhindered by the constraints of an implant that prevents us from disobeying our masters in any way.

Sandfly is sent by his master to a place few of his world ever go – space. There he discovers a fantastic secret tool of interstellar exploration known as Dark Trench. What happens next is left for you to find out. You, meaning all you freeheads that dare read A Star Curiously Singing. People like Sandfly have paid a terrible price for instant and direct access to all the information of the world, freedom to think for themselves. And, freedom to know the truth.

More importantly it leads the reader to consider what Sandfly discovers on Dark Trench. “A” is not God. There is another. One who is so much more. He is “A³”.^. Does “A” stand for Allah in this story? We are never told. But there is no doubt who “A³”is. He is the One “who stoops” down to man and becomes one of us. He is the One who created all. The One who the stars sing about.

Continuing Sandfly’s story in The Superlative Stream, Nietz carried us on an adventure with Sandfly and his female companion, Hardcandy that is both dazzling and introspective. What they discover when they reach their destination challenges everything they have ever believed and known. With Dark Trench disabled, Sandfly and Hardcandy find themselves on a world of seeming blissful perfection. On this planet, the beings all seem to work in perfect harmony with no laws or implants to force them to do anything. But like many things in life, Sandfly comes to wonder if there might some hidden agenda in the beings’ interest in earth. What follows is beyond description.

Completing the Dark Trench Saga, we now have Freeheads. Sandly is determined to return to earth and see what has become of those he sent back with his revelation of a Star Curiously Singing. But Einstein was right about the speed of light (more or less). The 300 or so days Sandly has been on his journey equates to 40 years when he returns. Much has changed – much has not.

In spite of a brief stop on the moon and a reunion with an old friend, Sandfly can’t shake the calling he feels to take his newfound freedom to Earth. He’s been found by the One who Stoops – one totally opposite to “A”, the tyrannical god invoked to enslave earth’s masses. Now faithful to the true God, A Cubed, he determines to stoop as low as required to free mankind. In the words of Eric Wilson, “Burroughs and Bradbury, it’s a thrilling, deeply intelligent and deeply spiritual journey through a future that is all too real.”

Review copy provided by author. 

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Romance

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc

Publication Date: Feb 2012

Reviewed by Melody Ballard

When Owen Allen began his journey from England to America, he left with the hope  of a new life for his sister Annie and himself.  Owen, selfless and optimistic knew that this new beginning would release his sister Annie from the tyrannical grip of their aunt, Eleanor Hargrave.  And so he sailed on that fateful voyage of the Titanic with shoots and seeds that he so carefully cultivated in order to renew the garden that was both his life’s work and his heart’s desire.  It was in America that 30 acres of Owen’s land was being cared for by his Aunt Maggie and it was here that he knew he would fulfill his destiny.

Owen’s journey intersects with that of Michael Dunnigan, a young stowaway on the Titanic from Shannon Ireland.  Michael was also a victim of  cruelty and was tormented by the fate that had befallen his mother and young sister. Michael’s life was forever changed by Owen’s kindness and strength that was a manifestation of Owen’s strong and unwavering faith. As Owen saw that Michael was safely in the lifeboat of the Titanic, he asked him to promise that he would continue his journey, would see that the garden in America would prosper, and that he would take care of his sister Annie.

Annie Allen, Owen’s sister was devoted to her brother.  She endured the difficult  times with cold-hearted Aunt Eleanor by believing that she would somehow complete Owen’s dream in America.   Her will was fueled in part by her anger toward Michael because he lived and Owen died. The fact that she had never met Michael had little effect on this grief and anger.

Twists of fate continue to impede Michael’s promise to Owen of bringing Annie to America. In time, through correspondence with her Aunt Maggie and later with Owen himself, Annie found that she could forgive. Her heart once hardened, opened through her faith; and hope and anticipation took the place of the darkness that had so consumed her. World War I soon changed all this.

Promise Me This is filled with characters so complex and alive that one might believe they are members of ones own family. This riveting story is mesmerizing and compelling  as well as historically accurate. Cathy Gohlke has extensively researched the times and lifestyles of those who may have lived during them; Owen was an actual person on the manifest of the Titanic. This novel of hope, redemption and promise amidst profound despair is one that will bring the story of the Titanic alive during her 2012 centennial.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Children’s / Young Adult

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Publication Date: September 2011

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

It has been such a long time since I found a book I truly could not put down — a book that made me want to skip sleep because I had to finish. And finally, I’ve found it: RETURN TO EXILE by E.J. Patten. Rarely can a book keep surprising me, keep me flipping pages faster and faster, and genuinely thrill me as a reader. But Patten has succeeded on so many levels.

Sky Weathers is a loner. He’s always been a loner, and probably always will be. Especially since his family moves all the time. Just as soon as the Weathers settle in somewhere, they pick it all up and leave. But at least Sky’s Uncle Phineas is usually around. Uncle Phineas always has a new puzzle for Sky to solve, another riddle to figure out, or some strategy game to play. And then the family makes the final move. To the town of Exile. And that’s when everything goes haywire. Uncle Phineas is missing, something terribly strange is going on in the creepy manor across the road, and Sky cannot figure out why oversize crows seem to be following him everywhere. But that’s just the beginning. Because Sky has landed right in the middle of a massive battle — between evil monsters and sinister hunters. But what’s even worse: all of them are out to kill one person: Sky Weathers.

Patten’s debut is exactly what middle grade fiction needs: a high action, thrilling mystery, with enough original monsters to fill up the pages. And top all of that off with some great characters — including the lead, Sky. While he is a loner, he never comes across as a cliché: he has a complicated history, and a very complicated personality. In many respects, his attitudes felt very real to life, and his conflicts unfold naturally throughout the story. The surrounding cast is fun and quirky, and the villains are equally complicated and highly surprising.

There is a high amount of fantasy that sneaks into this novel, and it is some downright fun stuff. Just when I thought Patten couldn’t top the last monster, he introduces another one just as frightening. One chapter later on introduces a pretty scary monster and delivers an epic action sequence that just does not let up. Throughout the entire book, whenever there is action it never drags. It keeps moving the reader along nonstop and straight to the end. The last third of the story is one epic final battle that really reminded me of Rick Riordan’s THE LAST OLYMPIAN. It’s one of the best climaxes I’ve read in a novel in a long time. It felt like this could be the last book in a series, not the first. I cannot wait to see what happens next in book two.

The plot twists around well, and if a reader isn’t following super closely, they might miss what’s happening. Patten often brings back small details from the beginning that have great meaning later on. In some ways, Patten uses some very J.K. Rowling-esque writing in his use of distraction. Rowling often had a reader looking off to the left when everything was actually happening on the right. Patten does this often as well, and it’s brilliant.

There isn’t much more to say. In some ways it’s astounding that RETURN TO EXILE is Patten’s first novel. He executes it so well that it makes anything else coming next that much more exciting. Time cannot pass soon enough until book two.

Review copy provided by the Amazon Vine Program.

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: January 2012

Reviewed by Shaun Stevenson

Colt McAlister thought they had beaten back the evil alien race, the Thule. After shutting down a plot to mine earth’s resources, Colt hopes he can now return to regular life. You know, that thing where you can just go to school, hang out with friends, maybe get a part-time job at the local pizza place? But that’s where Colt is very wrong. Because the Thule are already plotting a new way to destroy humans and take the planet. Word has spread of a deadly virus appearing throughout the globe. The virus is incurable. People are dying. The government is hiding. And now, to top everything off, Colt and his friends Oz and Danielle are about to head out to the C.H.A.O.S. Academy to train. But before he can get there, someone is trying to kill him. Someone who looks very familiar. Someone he thought he could trust. Because it looks more and more like everyone he knows might just be in on it. Colt will have to trust in God more than ever before if he’s even to survive another day.

Jon S. Lewis introduced us to the world of Colt McAlister in book one of THE C.H.A.O.S. TRILOGY, INVASION. And now, about a year later, we finally get to see what happens next. INVASION was a great first book, filled with action, suspense, and some pretty good twists to the plot. Picking up ALIENATION, book two, I was really hoping for more of the same. And to a degree, that is what Lewis delivers again. The first half of the book seemed to wander a little bit. It did have some great action sequences, and even right up front there is a pretty startling revelation about Colt, but it wasn’t until Colt and his friends arrive at the C.H.A.O.S. Academy that things really get rolling. In the last half, Lewis really returned to what made INVASION so great, and topped it off with two great climatic battles, all leading up to the final few pages, and a very exciting cliffhanger for book three.

Colt in some ways suffers from what seems to plague all “chosen ones” in books such as this. Colt is expected to lead C.H.A.O.S. against the Thule invasion, and he whines about it for a good chunk of the book. While not too excessive, and while it is the emotions Colt is feeling as his world is swept from beneath him, I couldn’t help but be reminded of other such heroes in YA fiction. Colt does go through some character growth as he battles these feelings, and that does make for a stronger ending to the book.

Lewis once again shines highly in his action scenes, and these are some of the best moments of the book — as Colt flies through the air on a hoverboard, facing down alien creatures and robots. The chapters move swiftly, and it’s not long before you realize quite a few pages have gone by.

ALIENATION definitely took a more futuristic approach in its setting and gadgets. Not that INVASION didn’t have a futuristic feel to it with aliens and planets and such, but INVASION had such a great throwback feel to it as well — with the idea of jet packs and the many World War II nuances. ALIENATION begins to move in a new direction as Colt moves on to the Academy, where future tools and ideas abound.

This volume also has some great bonus material, such as a graphic novel opening, and essays from Lewis on writing comics. He also provides a script for the comic pages, showing what goes into creating panels. Some drawings from different artists, rendering characters such as Oz, Danielle, and even Grandpa McAlister, are also included in the back.

All said, Lewis has delivered another great entry into this trilogy. And although it does suffer a bit from being the middle book of a series, it definitely promises good stuff to come for the finale. For fans of good YA science fiction, ALIENATION is worth a read.

Book purchased by reviewer.

Genre: Horror, Suspense

Publisher: Quirk Publishing

Publication Date: September 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

New York City residents Susan Wendt and her growing family need to find a bigger home. When Susan sees an ad for a walk-up brownstone in a good neighborhood at a steal, she can’t believe her luck. She and her husband Alex fall in love with the home and rent it immediately from an elderly and eccentric landlady. Almost immediately, Susan hears noises and learns of the horrible fate of the previous tenants. Susan starts to see bedbugs in her bed and on her body, but nobody else can see them. She even sees bedbug bites on a person in a portrait she has painted. It’s only after she almost loses her sanity that her family believes her, but by then things have turned for the worse.

It’s been a long while since a book has been able to capture this reader’s attention by being scary. Most scary books really aren’t, but this one is an exception. Maybe it’s because it is a psychological thriller and the story affects the mind. Maybe it’s because the story deals with creepy-crawlies, and one can just feel them on the skin while reading. Many times this reader has stopped and looked at her arm to check for bugs or bug bites. In short, Winters is able to scare the reader because he grabs the imagination’s attention and sends it to wild places. Not many people can tolerate bug infestation stories, and that is part of the fun. Truly, the reader will get the willies.

Bedbugs gets at that niggling little feeling that, even though the reader knows the story is fiction, it COULD happen, and that makes things all the scarier. While it doesn’t come at the reader with blood and gore and tons of suspense, it makes up for it by planting that seed of fear in the brain. From there, the reader takes over and helps to create a wonderfully fun and creepy story. Readers who want to be given a good scare won’t be disappointed. Because of the subject content, it is suggested for mature readers only.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Publication Date: October 2011

Reviewed by Jennifer Roman

A far cry from his usual fast-paced, gory, psychological thrillers, James Patterson’s Christmas Wedding instead focuses on family, love, and happiness. Gaby Summerhill, widowed at a young age, has decided to get married again. In a surprise twist, though, she is not revealing who the groom is- not even to the potential grooms! She has three dear friends, each of whom has asked her to marry him. Only when she walks down the aisle will she reveal her new husband. Of course, her adult children have to arrive at her home in time- and safe and sound. Each child’s arrival brings a back story that brings life to the characters.

Since it is such a sharp contrast to Patterson’s usual storyline, it takes the reader a few chapters to become accustomed to the different format. Obviously, Patterson is not a romance or family drama writer, but he manages, along with the help of DiLallo, to do a decent job crafting a nice family story. The only thing that is somewhat distracting is the fact that Gaby believes it is fun to make such an important decision all by herself. By not telling anyone else who the groom will be, she appears a bit self-centered and spoiled. Readers will get to know her warm and caring personality as the story progresses, but this one major point keeps sticking out as well. Of course, the story has a happy ending, so everything is neatly tied up with a bow by the last page, which is probably what most readers of this genre want. In this particular situation, it works.

The Christmas Wedding deals with spousal abuse, alcohol abuse, and drug use, so it is intended for mature readers only. Otherwise, it is full of quirky family love. Patterson and DiLallo understand that families are not perfect, and they demonstrate that in the Summerhill family dynamics. While not everything will be resolved, there is definitely a strong sense of family love and support that makes the reader happy with how things go.

Review copy provided by publisher. 

Genre: Suspense, Drama

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.

Publication Date:  June 2011

Reviewed by Chrystal Dorsey

Since only a handful of books are worth reading past its opening paragraph, chances are most readers will pass on a novel and perhaps opt for mindless television, unless the author manages to capture their attention, and propel them to read chapter-after-interesting-chapter, and that’s what Miranda Parker has skillfully been able to do in, A Good Excuse to Be Bad.

Miranda Parker’s debut novel, A Good Excuse to Be Bad showcases a female heroine, Angel – but don’t get it twisted, the name Angel was given to her, but not necessarily earned. This former investigative reporter has become a tough bail recovery agent, aka – Bounty Hunter, with ballistics training, a black belt, and an array of weaponry; and she’s on a mission to save her twin sister, Ava from a scandalous murder charge, and when I say scandalous, I do mean the murder of Bishop Devon McArthur was scandalous.  The action, humor, and thrills keep this fast-paced suspense intriguing while the anticipation unfolds and until the final pages are turned.

Although Angel reluctantly promised the annoying pain-in-her-side detective Salvador Tinsley, that she would not interfere with the investigation, and despite the animosity between Ava and Angel, she is still compelled to save her sister from the death penalty or at the very least, life in prison – so Angel launches a private investigation of her own.  The road to the truth, leads her on a journey of lies, deceit and more dead bodies. At the same time, Parker throws Rev. Justus Morgan, the lavender scented handsome pastor into the mix as Angel’s wanna-be sidekick with hints of a taboo romance on the horizon – to learn how far it will blossom, readers will have to follow the story to a close.

While on the trail of clues, evidence and motives – not to mention romance, readers will discover some surprising elements that will keep them perplexed and captivated to find out where and with whom the trail will end.

Ms. Parker has cleverly added some twists and turns that are sure to keep any suspense reader fascinated until they uncover every mystery, including why Angel detested her brother-in-law and what caused her, her sister and the Bishop to be on such bad terms – how does their estranged relationship and the six-year old history between Angel and the sizzling-voice Detective Tinsley fit into this web of deception and the murder investigation?  Oh and then there’s finding out who Rachel is and what if anything, is her connection to Bishop McArthur’s murder.  This story will have readers on edge as they continue to clutch the pages to find out who amongst the suspects is actually guilty of the murder(s).

Readers don’t pass on A Good Excuse to Be Bad, by talented author, Miranda Parker – if you do, you will regrettably miss out on a very interesting read of dramatic-suspense with a cultural trip through the streets of Metro Atlanta and its surrounding areas.

After reading A Good Excuse To Be Bad, I know I want to find out what happen to put Angel on bad terms with Ava and Devon – so I’m really looking forward to joining Angel on her next manhunt in the latest Angel Crawford installment, Someone Bad and Something Blue, scheduled for release in July 2012 from Dafina Books.

Review copy provided by publisher.