Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle

Book Synopsis:
Sometimes you find happiness where, and when, you least expect it.

For Mirabelle Zielinski's children, happiness always seems to be just out of reach. Her polished oldest daughter, Katya, clings to a stale marriage with a workaholic husband and three spoiled children. Her son, Ivan, so creative, is a down-in-the-dumps songwriter with the worst taste in women. And the "baby," impulsive Irina, who lives life on a whim, is now reluctantly pregnant and hitched to a man who is twice her age. On the weekend of their parents' anniversary party, lies will be revealed, hearts will be broken...but love will also be found. And the biggest shock may come from Mirabelle herself, because she has a secret that will change everything.

My thoughts:
I enjoy reading books about family dynamics. Each family member has his/her own role that allows the family to function. In Real Life and Liars, Ms. Riggle explores the depth of family relationships.

The story is told by the four main characters in alternating chapters. There's Mirabelle, the hippie, nonconformist mother; Katya, the oldest, materialistic daughter; Ivan, the insecure, middle son; and Irina, the youngest daughter without a sense of direction. The children come home for a weekend visit to celebrate their parents' wedding anniversary. As each child arrives, with his and her personal problems, Mira is also keeping a secret of her own. She's made her decision about her fate, and now she hopes her family can accept it.

Ms. Riggle did a fantastic job of writing each character and allowing him/her to have his/her own voice. Only Mira's point of view is written in first person and I thought that only added to the richness of the story. Readers will feel compassion for this family when Mira finally shares her secret with her children.

Real Life and Liars is an honest look into what makes a family a family. The Zielinskis are far from perfect. They may not see eye to eye on things, however when it's time to come together, they show up ready to support each other. I liked the uniqueness of each child and how he/she played a significant part to the family dynamic. As I read each scene, I could vividly picture each character in my mind and thought this would make a great movie.

Real Life and Liars is Ms. Riggle's debut novel which I highly recommend. The next time you're at a book store or your local library, pick it up. You won't be disappointed...it's that good!

Recommended for: a reader who is in search of his/her next great read.

Book details:
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-170628-8
Pages: 327
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Fiction (Family relations)
Date Finished: August 29
Rating: A

Red Hot Lies by Laura Caldwell

Usually I pride myself on my intuition. I listen to that voice that says, “Something bad is happening…”or maybe “Get out. Now.” But on that Tuesday at the end of October, my psyche must have been protecting the one remaining day I still believed life was orderly and the universe liked me. Because I didn’t hear that voice. I never saw it coming.

They say bad things happen in threes. When her fiancé, Sam, disappears on the same day her mentor and biggest client is killed, hotshot Chicago attorney Izzy McNeil starts counting. But trouble keeps coming. Sam is implicated in the client’s death, her apartment is broken into and it’s not just the authorities who are following her.

Now, to find Sam and uncover her client’s murderer, Izzy will have to push past limits she never imagined. Lucky for her she’s always thrived under pressure, because her world is falling apart. Fast. And the trail of half-truths and lies is red-hot.

My review:
Red Hot Lies is the first book in the Izzy McNeil trilogy. I've read two of her suspense novels, Look Closely and The Rome Affair, and enjoyed them both. When I heard she was writing a new trilogy, I immediately added the titles to my TBR List.

At first glance, life appears to be going well for Izzy McNeil. She's an entertainment lawyer working for one of the richest men in Chicago, Forester Pickett. She's planning her wedding with her successful and gorgeous, fiancé Sam. She's feisty, beautiful and is satisfied with how things are in her life. Until one evening when several bad things happen in a row that cause Izzy's life to spin rapidly out of control.

Izzy is a character that I liked from page one. Ms. Caldwell did an excellent character portrayal of Izzy, that it seemed as though she was a friend. I immediately pictured her in my mind and rooted for her as she scrambled to find the truth behind Sam's disappearance and Forester's murder.

Red Hot Lies is a good, solid mystery. It kept me engrossed until the ending. There's twists and turns and plenty of suspects. Red Hot Lies did not disappoint. The good news is books two and three, Red Blooded Murder and Red, White & Dead, are now available and I'm looking forward to reading what happens next with Izzy.

About the author:
Laura Caldwell is becoming a favorite author of mine. She is a former lawyer now an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola University Chicago. She's the author of Look Closely, The Night I Got Lucky and The Good Liar, just to name a few. To see her entire book list, click here.

Book details:
Series: Izzy McNeil #1
ISBN-10: 0778326500
Pages: 439
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Mystery
Date Finished: August 13
Rating: B+

Revelation by Kate Brian

The biggest mystery of all...and Reed is dying to learn the truth.

Two months after Cheyenne Martin was found dead in her Billings House dorm room, exclusive Easton Academy is rocked by another stunning revelation: Cheyenne was murdered. No one knows who the killer is, but everyone agrees that Reed Brennan, who took over Cheyenne's role as Billings's president, gained the most from her death. Once the most powerful girl on campus, Reed is now powerless to stop her classmates' accusing whispers. Rumors begin to swirl that she killed Cheyenne.

And just like that, Reed is kicked out of Billings.

She's lost everything -- her friends, her home, her boyfriend -- and Reed knows the only way to get it all back is to figure out who really murdered Cheyenne. And she has to do it fast because the killer is still out there. The more Reed investigates, the more she uncovers. And as any Billings Girl knows...secrets can be deadly.

My Review:
In Revelation, Reed finds herself ostracized from the Billings House. She now resides in a single room adjacent to her ex-boyfriend's current girlfriend. Reed is in disbelief with how quickly she has fallen. Once she had everything within her grasp and now, well now. . . she's an outcast.

I liked that Reed had the chance to escape the chains of the Billings House. Together, these girls are so one-dimensional that it's hard to like them. I thought Reed finally had the chance to discover her true self. She oscillated between grieving for her former life and taking a stand against those who doubted her involvement in Cheyenne's murder.

The only issue I had with the book was the author gave away the killer's identity in one innocent sentence. As soon as I read it, I knew this person killed Cheyenne. The sentence was so random, so innocent, that if the reader wasn't paying attention, he/she would have missed the clue. Now, on the other hand, the motive behind the murder and sending Reed those haunting e-mails, was a twist. I didn't see THAT coming at all.

Recommended for: for readers who enjoy young adult series.

Run for Your Life by James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge

Title: Run for Your Life
Authors: James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge
Series: Michael Bennett #2
ISBN-10: 0316018740
Pages: 373
Year Published: 2009
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Date Finished: February 22

From the dust jacket: A calculating murderer who calls himself the Teacher is taking on New York City, slaughtering the powerful and the arrogant. Everyone is his potential student—from the loud-mouthed girl on her cell phone to the city's snooty upper crust. His message to them is clear: remember your manners or suffer the consequences! For some, it seems that the rich are finally getting what they deserve. For New York's elite, it is a call to terror.

There is only one man in the NYPD who can tackle such a high-profile case. Detective Michael Bennett. For anyone else, the pressure would be overwhelming, but Mike is ready to step up—taking care of his ten children has prepared him for the job. As the media frenzy escalates, all of Mike's children fall victim to virulent flu bug—almost as challenging an assignment for Bennett as tracking down the killer!

A secret pattern emerges in the Teacher's lessons, leaving Detective Bennett just a few precious hours to save New York from the greatest disaster in its history. Run for Your Life is the most speed-charged, adrenaline-packed novel ever from "the man who can't miss" (Time magazine).

First sentence: Getting stuck on a bus in New York City, even under normal circumstances, is a lesson in frustration.

My review: When I read Step on a Crack, the first novel featuring Michael Bennett, I did not know it was the start of a new series. Michael Bennett is a character that is easy to like. He's a dedicated police detective, but sometimes fantasizes about a career change. He's determined to make the streets of NYC safe. At the end of the day, Detective Bennett wants to be a great dad to his ten children. Having just lost his wife to cancer, Mike tries to pick up the pieces and move on while dealing with his grief. He stumbles and sometimes makes mistakes, but his family is his first priority.

While taking care of his sick children, he's also dealing with a serial killer: the Teacher. At first the string of murderers appear to be random, but soon Mike learns the victims were targeted. The question is why? As Mike races to find the answer to this question, little does he realize the Teacher just added a new name to his list.

True to Mr. Patterson's style, Run for Your Life is packed with suspense and twists and turns. The chapters are short, so it's easy to find yourself reading 50 pages before you know it.