Book Review: The General's Daughter, by Nelson DeMille

I almost forgot to review this book!  I'm not sure why The General's Daughter came on my radar, but I enjoyed it. It' is an old book, and only one other book has been published in the series (Paul Brenner Series). Maybe that's a good thing.  The General's Daughter has also been made into a movie starring John Travolta.

The general's daughter has been found dead on a firing range.  Naked, her hands tied to stakes, and her underwear around her neck. Paul Brenner, a member of the Army's investigative team, happens to be on base investigating another case, and he is called in. His involvement in the case is complicated by the politically charged atmosphere the case creates, as well as the fact that he will be working with a rape investigator with whom he has had a previous affair that ended badly.

Turns out the general's daughter, an upstanding Army officer, has secrets. A sex room is discovered in her basement with pictures of all of her conquests. Their faces are hidden, so did one of these men murder her? Or was this a risky sexual encounter gone wrong? The twists and turns keep you interested and guessing.

I liked how, with about 100 pages left, the investigators and the readers are pretty sure who the murderer is. It is still interesting though, as they work to get the proof (or the confession or the disproof.)  The banter between Paul and his ex is entertaining, and the idea that they might get back together adds another element of intrigue to the story.

I flew through The General's Daughter. It was the right book at the right time, and I enjoyed the military aspect, the politics involved, and the twisted lives these people lived. It all added up to a compelling mystery/thriller. Recommended to those who enjoy the genre.

Published by Warner, 1992
eBook obtained from the library
454 pages

Rating: 4.5/5

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Book Review: Fast Track, by Julie Garwood

I've never read a book by Julie Garwood before, and Fast Track was an entertaining introduction to her writing.

When Cordelia's father is on his deathbed he tells Cordelia that her mother, who supposedly died when Cordelia was a baby, is still alive. Cordelia decides to find her mother to see why she just gave up on Cordelia and her father.

Her quest takes her to the upper echelons of Australia. Her mother is very wealthy and has a whole new family.

Cordelia's adventure is helped by her two life-time best friends and the brother of one of them, Aiden, who owns hotels all around the world. Cordelia used to have a crush on Aiden -- or does she still?

The romance is very slow burning and doesn't take over the story, but it's still exciting. Cordelia's discoveries about her family also put her in danger, which ramps up the suspense factor.

So Fast Track has romance, danger, friendship, and a lot more to keep your interest. Fast Track is an adult book, and contains some pretty explicit sex scenes, so be warned if recommending this to teens.  It's all very well paced and easy to read. Fast Track doesn't really break any new ground, and it probably won't be one of those books that sticks with me forever, but I really enjoyed my time, and I would recommend it to fans of adventure/romance books.

Published by Dutton Adult, July 29, 2014
eARC obtained from NetGalley
352 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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Book Review: Sex & Violence, by Carrie Mesrobian @CarrieMesrobian

Sex & Violence introduces an authentic teen narrator, but left me wanting more.

Evan's mother is dead, and since that happened, his father (a workaholic) has moved him from condo to condo and from boarding school to boarding school. Evan appears to be a typical teen boy -- obsessed with girls and particularly with having sex with them. But he's strictly a one-time guy, deleting their numbers from his phone after the deed is done. Until he meets Collette. While Evan isn't interested in an emotional relationship, he enjoys the regular sexual encounters with Collette. Collette's former boyfriend finds out about this relationship and beats both Evan and Collette to within inches of their lives.

Evan's father decides to take him to their family cabin in Minnesota to heal -- both physically and emotionally. So that's pretty much the rest of the book. Evan's healing. He has a therapist, he makes friends, his body heals and he begins to even strengthen it. There are some little surprises and even a couple of romantic relationships.

Sex & Violence reads quickly and easily. I must caution that there are really a lot of instances of the F-word. Not that it wasn't authentic, but even I noticed it (and usually I can't remember if there was any swearing in a book by the time I've finished.) Also, as the title indicates, there's sex. Talking about sex, thinking about sex, having sex. Not explicit, but it's a theme.

Sex & Violence is all about the character of Evan. He's telling the story. We get his inner thoughts and feelings, and Mesrobian gets Evan's voice perfectly, I think (having never been a teen boy.) I enjoyed reading the story, all the time hoping for better things for Evan.

And Evan does end up better. Well, I think he does. The story just leaves off a bit too soon. I'm not all about perfect, happy endings, but I did feel like I needed a bit more closure for Evan. I think I needed him to not only heal, but mature. And I think he still has a long way to go in the maturity department. I still don't feel right about his situation at the end of Sex & Violence.

If you are all about authentic teen characters, then Sex & Violence is a MUST read. But if you are mesmerized by a great plot and the satisfying resolution of conflict, you may be left wanting.

Published by Carolrhoda Books, October 1, 2013
Copy obtained from LMC Magazine
294 pages

Rating: 3/5

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Book Review: Original Skin, by David Mark @davidmarkwriter

Aector McAvoy is at it again in Original Skin. As in Dark Winter, he is the best thing about these twisted crime thrillers.

Aector is a Scottish detective working in Hull, England. He has a wife and two small children. His wife was formerly a traveller (a nice term for gypsy). So you could say they have an unlikely and unusual relationship. But it's so sweet and romantic, you can't help but fall in love with these people. Aector is so genuine -- and he has such a knack for solving crimes.

This time there are two problems. The marijuana trade has turned particularly violent and it appears that a new person has taken over and is taking no prisoners. Some of the descriptions of the torture and violence dished out during this investigation really had me a little queasy. And some of the travellers seem to be in the middle of this mess too, which makes it a bit sticky for Aector.

Secondly, Aector finds a cell phone and after analyzing it he discovers it belongs to a man who committed suicide. But as he finds more and more information on the phone, he becomes convinced that it wasn't a suicide. This leads Aector and his boss, Pharaoh, down a twisted and unlikely path to the killer.

The path, in part, leads to kinky sex clubs and very promiscuous behavior, so this is an adult book for that reason (although the sex is not described in detail, just in general.)

Pharaoh is my other favorite character. You just can't help but be entertained during Aector's and Pharoah's scenes. Their non-verbal communication is as engaging as the verbal.

The setting is dreary, and not glamorous. These are just regular people in a regular town trying to make a living and keep people safe. There are many references to Brittish items and ideas -- most of which I could figure out from the context ("parking lots" are "car parks," and things like that.)

It's definitely the main characters that do it for me. The story, at times, gets a bit bogged down with lots of characters and subplots, but we soon return to the antics of Aector and all is well again.

If you enjoy a mystery that I think isn't too easy to figure out, and engaging and quirky characters, Original Skin is recommended. You have to be able to handle some pretty graphic violence too.

Published by Blue Rider Press, May 16, 2013
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
448  pages

Rating: 3.5/5

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