Suspicion by Kate Brian

Book Synopsis:

Forbidden fruit...

Reed, Noelle, and former Billings Girls Kiran and Taylor have been living it up on St. Barths over winter break. The tropical sun has melted away all the tensions of last semester, and for the first time in months, Reed is happy. She's got her best friends by her side, she has a palatial suite with an ocean view, and she's landed Upton, the most sought-after guy on the island.

Reed is falling in love.

But dating Upton makes Reed St. Barths' highest-profile guest — and not in a good way. Upton has a dark past, and he's broken a lot of hearts. One of his exes still wants him. And she'll do whatever it takes to get Reed out of the picture.

My thoughts:
Suspicion begins where Paradise Lost ended. Reed is mysteriously pushed off a yacht during a party and is treading water. She's eventually rescued by Sawyer and later taken to the hospital for observation. Terrified that someone tried to kill her, she immediately decides to go home. However, Noelle talks her into staying for the remainder of their vacation. During this time, Reed's life is threatened again, she learns the secret that Upton has been keeping and the reader learns the identity of the person who wants Reed out of the picture.

I have to say this edition to the Private series was my least favorite. I thought it was mostly "a filler" book and found myself struggling to stay focused while reading. The saving grace was the last chapter when Reed and her friends returned to Easton Academy from winter break. The unexpected has happened to their beloved Billings House. Most importantly, there's a new student starting at Easton. Which will make for quite an interesting semester for Reed. Scandal, book eleven will be released on March 9, 2010.

Book details:
Series: Private #10
ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-5885-7
Pages: 211
Year Published: 2009
Genre: YA Fiction (Series)
Source: Library
Date Finished: October 30

Swimsuit by James Patterson

I heart James Patterson. He is one of my favorite authors and Alex Cross is one of my favorite series. When I hear about upcoming releases by Mr. Patterson, they immediately are added to my TBR list. So, I eagerly anticipated the release of Swimsuit.

Granted, I knew very little about the synopsis. A swimsuit model goes missing in Hawaii and her parents head there to learn more about her disappearance. A former cop turned author (also a crime reported for the LA Times) is also on the case. I thought it would be a classic JP style: missing person, lunatic killer and fast-paced plot. Actually, to me, Swimsuit wasn't liked that at all. It was much, much more.

Ben Hawkins meets Levon and Barbara McDaniels, the parents of the missing model Kim, while covering the story for the LA Times. He gains their trust and soon he is privy to meetings and discussions between the police and the McDaniels. He introduces them to Eddie Keloa, a private investigator, who takes on Kim's case.

Meanwhile two more murder victims are found and the police pondered if these crimes are linked to Kim's disappearance. The plot gets scarier when the McDaniels disappear without a trace.

Ben is a likable character. He's a good guy trying to make an honest living. He doesn't know how significant his role will be when he meets the McDaniels. The killer has targeted Ben to write a masterpiece: a book about the killer's murderous spree.

When Henri approaches (okay, threatens) Ben with writing the book, Ben has two choices: write the book or be killed (along with his girlfriend, Amanda). So, I ask you. . .what would your response be if you were Ben? Fearing for both his and Amanda's life, Ben agrees and spends several days interviewing Henri about his violent (and yes, psychopathic past).

What I didn't see coming was Swimsuit being a novel about the killer, not a novel about the missing person. That was a great twist for me. The killer is extremely violent (the scene with the ceiling fan was the worst and that's all I say about that), deep and twisted. The scenes are very graphic and being a visual reader, made it hard to read at times.

As Ben discovered more and more about Henri's relationship with the "Peepers", I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see how this would end. Unfortunately, when the book ended, it ended. I had to read the last few pages several times because I didn't think it could be over. But it was. The ending didn't feel right to me as it was so abrupt. Now looking back, I wonder if it was done intentionally. Maybe Mr. Patterson has plans for Ben in future novels. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Book details:
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-01877-7
Pages: 391
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Date Finished: August 23
Rating: C+

Still Life by Joy Fielding

Title: Still Life
Author: Joy Fielding
ISBN-10: 1416585273
Pages: 369
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Mystery
Date Finished: April 12

From the dust jacket: Beautiful, happily married, and the onwer of a successful interior design business, Casey Marshall couldn't be more content with her life, until a car slams into her at almost fifty miles an hour, breaking nearly every bone in her body and plunging her into a coma. Lying in her hospital bed, Casey realizes that although she is unable to see or communicate, she can hear everything. She quickly discovers that he friends aren't necessarily the people she hought them to be—and that her accident might not have been an accident at all. As she struggles to break free from her living death, she begins to wonder if what lies ahead could be even worse.

My thoughts: After reading the first few pages, I was immediately hooked. The story begins with Casey eating lunch with her two best friends and the first chapter ends with the hit and run accident. When Casey "wakes" up in her hospital bed and learns she's in a coma, it began to get uncomfortable for me to continue reading. To her family, friends and the hospital staff, Casey was in a coma and her prognosis was grim. For Casey, however, she was trapped inside a body that did not respond, but yet her mind was fully alert. This was really hard for me to read. I began to imagine what it must be like to feel trapped in my own body. The author did a great job with portraying Casey's frustration, anxiety, fear and thoughts of her own mortality.

Soon we realize her accident was indeed intentional. The killer's identity is revealed early, however as Casey's condition continues to improve, the killer must strike again before she gains consciousness. The killer's identity doesn't come as a surprise, but the reader does learn more about his/her past.

Shoots to Kill by Kate Collins

Title: Shoots to Kill
Author: Kate Collins
Series: A Flower Shop Mystery #7
ISBN-13: 9780451224743
Pages: 315
Year Published: 2008
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Date Finished: February 15

From the back cover: Last I heard, being a five-foot-two, green-eyed redhead wasn't a crime. But that's precisely why I, Abby Knight, was yanked out of my Corvette by a state trooper, handcuffed, and thrown in jail.

This isn't your average case of mistaken identity.

Eight years ago Abby babysat Elizabeth Blume, a teen who seemed intent on making Abby's life miserable. Elizabeth imitated Abby's dress, pored over her diary, and sabotaged her love life. Now Elizabeth is back in New Chapel, and she soon adopts a new look: Abby's. Elizabeth, now going by Libby, copies Abby's entire life-she even drives a bright yellow car and opens a nearly identical shop. But when Libby comes between Abby and her boyfriend, Marco, imitation becomes the sincerest form of trouble, and that's before Abby is accused of murder. Is Abby's devious double the real killer? Or is there a more sinister suspect in town who's using them both to cover his evil crime?

First sentence: As far as I knew, being a five-foot-two-inch green-eyed redhead wasn't a crime.

My review: Abby Knight is back for the seventh book of A Flower Shop Mystery Series. This time Abby finds herself involved with a former charge who gradually steals Abby's life. Right away Abby feels Libby is up to no good, however everyone else thinks Abby is overreacting. Things soon turn from bad to worse when Abby is mistakenly arrested for murder. Abby thinks Libby set her up, however Abby doesn't have any proof.

Libby comes between Abby's relationship with Marco which leaves Abby no choice but to end the relationship. As Abby starts her own investigation, she finds herself, unwillingly, working with Marco. Together they try to solve the murder, while trying to avoid their feelings for each other.

Random thoughts about the series: Shoots to Kill is a good addition to the series. Abby Knight is an amateur sleuth with common sense. She constantly finds herself in the middle of murder investigations (sometimes she's a suspect) due to her meddling, but she means well. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a new cozy mystery with a hint of romance.

Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Title: Shopaholic & Baby
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Series: Shopaholic #5
ISBN-10: 0385338716
Pages: 358
Year Published: 2007
Genre: Chick Lit
Date Finished: January 25

I started reading the Shopaholic series in 2004. I loved the first book, Confessions of a Shopaholic and immediately jumped into Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, which is still my favorite of the series. It's filled with humorous situations, however it takes a real look on the consequences of impulsive shopping. I read books 3 and 4, but when Shopaholic & Baby was released, I started it and then put it down.

Fast forward to 2009. It's two years later and I've finally picked this up again to read. I decided to listen to the audio book and the narrator, Rosalyn Landor, did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. Becky and her husband, Luke, are expecting their first child. Always wanting to have the latest "in" thing, Becky convinces Luke they must have Dr. Venetia Carter as their OB-GYN as she is also the physician to the celebrities. During their initial visit, Becky learns that Dr. Carter and Luke are former school mates and previously dated! Becky is stunned by the news and gradually begins to feel insecure about herself and her marriage.

True to the series, Ms. Kinsella fills the pages with humor as we read about the predicaments Becky finds herself in. Having doubts about her marriage, Becky hires a private detective, only what he discovers is not what she asked for. Becky learns that things are not always what they seem.

So is it a girl or boy? I guess you'll have to read Shopaholic & Baby to find out!