Fast Money by Colleen Helme-5 stars

Helme, Colleen, Fast Money. AUDIBLE, 2013. AUDIOBOOK. $17.46

Ever since getting hit by a bullet by a gunman, Shelby has been able to read people’s thoughts and it’s caused her a fair amount of trouble. After her last encounter with Uncle Joey, a local mob boss who’s not her uncle, Shelby Nichols thought she was done. She was wrong. When $5 million dollars makes its way into her account that Joey set up for her, she knew trouble was sure to follow, she just didn’t realize how much. While waiting for her husband, Chris, to get out of her trial, Shelby witnesses a hired hitman come in and kill a defendant in the adjacent courtroom. The only witness to seeing the man at the scene of the crime, Shelby is now the next target. To make matters worse, a lot of people are coming around wanting the money Uncle Joey left in her account. With Uncle Joey nowhere to be found and Ramos, the bodyguard/hitman for the man injured in action, Shelby is left with her and her husband’s own devices to get out of it. Even worse than that, the hitman is somehow connected to it all. Can Shelby get out of this predicament or are her days numbered?

Narrator, Wendy Tremont King does a great job of bringing to life Shelby’s world. Her unique intonations do a great job of bringing out the mannerisms and unique personalities of the characters, male and female.  The humor and narrative devices are amusing and draw the reader in. The plot itself is well-developed and engaging with lots of plot twists and turns.  Although it’s better to have read the first in the series, Carrots, first, it isn’t necessary to have read the first one to enjoy this one. Despite the fact that this book is missing a Ranger or Morelli like Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Ramos and Chris sure come close.  Perfect for mystery fans who like a little paranormal and humor mixed in their novels.

 5 stars, ADULT

Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer-5 stars

Boyer, Susan M., Lowcounty Boil. Henery Press, 2013. prod. by Audible, Inc. Narrated by Loretta Rawlins. BOOK: $14.36. EAUDIOBOOK: $21.95.

After her grandmother’s death, Liz Talbot returns to Stella Maris to take over her grandmother’s house. Her return to her hometown, however, is tainted. Discovering her grandma was murdered, Liz puts her private investigator skills to the test to find out whodunit. Things are a lot more complicated than she thought, though. Not only is her ex-husband, Scott, involved, but also her sister, her scheming cousin, a friend’s husband, and a hitman who dated her sister all for the sake of an Oceanside resort most townspeople would do anything to stop if they knew the truth. With time running out and  more lives on the line, can Liz find out the truth before she or someone she loves winds  up dead?

Narrator, Loretta Rawlins does a great job of bringing to life Liz’s world. Her southern accent is realistic and her intonations do a great job of bringing out the mannerisms and unique personalities of the characters.  Although some of the voices are a little hard to tell apart, the humor and narrative devices make up the difference. The plot itself is well-developed and engaging with lots of plot twists and turns. Although this is not the first one in the series, it isn’t necessary to have read the first one to enjoy this one. Readers who like mystery, a little paranormal mixed in (main character sees and talks to her dead friend, Colleen), and a little bit of Southern charm will enjoy listening to this book.

5 stars, ADULT.

Carrots by Colleen Helme-5 stars

Helme, Colleen, Carrots. Amazon Digital Services, 2013. Pgs. 183.

When Shelby Nichols walks into a grocery store to get some carrots, she never expected her life to change so drastically. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman tries to rob the bank inside the store. When a customer pulls off the guys mask, he is shot and so is Shelby. Soon, the other customer dies and the masked robber comes to find her, so no one can tell his secret. To make matters worse, when Shelby awakens after being shot, she finds herself able to read minds. Her dangerous new ability leads her to finding out a nasty secret about a mob boss known as Uncle Joey and somehow her husband,  Chris’ coworker, Kate is somehow involved . To top it all off, the mob boss has a murderer after him too. Are the two situations related? Who is the robber after her head? Will Shelby survive to find the murderer or murderers or will she be another victim?

A humorous, action-packed mystery for fans of books like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum or other paranormal mysteries. The characters are likable and entertaining, even the bad guys. The plot is well-developed and engaging. With lots of twists and turns along the way, readers will have a hard time putting this book down.
5 stars, Adult

Orb of Truth by Brae Wyckoff-5 stars

Wyckoff, Brae, The Orb of Truth. Amazon Digital Services, 2012. Pgs. 233. $12.99

When Bridazak and his friend, Dulgin, a fellow Ordakian, discover a mysterious, magical artifact, they never imagined how much their lives would change. Thrust into an adventure that will challenge their faith, their purpose, and everything they know about life, they must cross the realm of Ruauk-El to fulfill an age-old prophecy that will herald the return of God, the City of Righteousness, and the days of old. There is an ancient evil, however, who will do anything to stop the prophecy from coming true, and he has enlisted the help of the two’s old enemy, King Manasseh. The two will encounter many new friends, lots of danger, and even more enemies. Will they succeed in fulfilling the prophecy or will the ancient evil take over?

A great adventure filled with action, old truths, and good vs. evil. The characters are entertaining and well-developed. The plot is intense, well-written, and engrossing. The author does a great job of implementing different plot devices such as cliffhangers that make it really hard to put the book down. Not to be read while trying to go to bed, readers who like fantasy and adventure will plow through this book easily and quickly an eagerly await the next one.

5 stars. MS, HS.

The 500 by Matthew Quirk-5 stars

Quirk, Matthew, narr. by Jay Snyder. The 500. Little, Brown and Company, 2013. 

AUDIOBOOK.

Everyone has a price at which they can be bought. At least, that is what Matt’s lawyer boss, Henry Davies says. When the debt from his mother’s death and school loans get to be too much to bear, Henry Davies, a professor at Harvard, offers Mike a job at his firm. For $200, 000 a year plus 30%, Mike will be able to pay off his debts, get his dad out of jail, and live the happy life he’s always wanted. With a criminal juvenile past, that can be hard to obtain, so when mysterious circumstances lead Mike to believe that his boss is a murderer, he decides to covertly investigate. Soon, however, a Supreme Court justice and another woman are murdered, Matt finds himself in some really hot water. With Davies having anyone who matters wrapped around his finger as well as Mike’s girlfriend. Suspected of the double murder of the Supreme Court judge and the other person, Mike has to race against time to find the evidence that got the man murdered in order to clear his name and beat Davies at his own game. Will he succeed or wind up dead as well?

The characters are well-developed and hold the reader’s interest. The plot is action-packed, well-paced, and engaging. The narrator, Jay Snyder has a unique voice that truly captures the characters and captivates the reader. His intonations and smooth transitions masterfully draw the reader into Mike’s world. Readers and listeners alike who like suspense, legal thrillers, and mysteries will enjoy this book.

Adult, 5 stars

The Tinkerer's Daughter by Jamie Sedgwick-4.5 stars

Sedgwick, Jamie, The Tinkerer’s Daughter. Timber Hill Press, 2008. Pgs. 313.

Breeze is an outcast. She’s a Halfling whose father was killed in battle. Taken by a reclusive tinkererer, Breeze never knew her fae elven mother. Looked down upon by the villagers, Breeze takes solace in helping her adoptive father create inventions. When one of his inventions turns out to be a plane, Breeze sees potential to end the war between her mother’s and father’s people. Things grow worse when she discovers that the Kanters, another local race that is cannibalistic, is the reason the war between the two has never ended. Breeze realizes she will have to become a traitor to both countries in order to save them from the greater evil. Will she succeed?

The characters are likable and entertaining. The plot is well-developed and does a great job of keeping the reader’s engaged. Readers who like fantasy, adventure, suspense, and stories dealing with elven/human relations will enjoy reading this book.

Gr 5 to 9, 4.5 stars

Ginger High by Melissa Burmester-3.5 stars

Burmester, Melissa, Ginger High. Infinity Publishing, 2008. Pgs. 229.

In a school where the students have special powers, unexplained deaths are popping up around Ginger High. All of the victims have bite marks on their necks.  After having to back to their parallel, supernatural world of Animist, supernatural beings, Matthias, Taeru, and Amanta, are brought back to help solve the mysterious deaths. After her old school burns down, Daisy Fisher starts at Ginger.  As if learning to control her newfound supernatural powers wasn’t enough, she discovers a deep, family secret. She soon makes friends with Amanta and teams up with him to try and solve the deaths, but could the family secret and the deaths be somehow connected? Will the 4 people be able to solve the mystery before they too wind up victims?

This book has a great concept and a unique plot, especially with the parallel universes. The characters were likable and entertaining, but needed fleshed out more. The plot was fast-paced, but had a few holes and the transitions weren’t smooth. It also would have been nice to have a little more detailed description in some parts. The story was a fun read, however, and well worth the time. Overall, a pretty good book for a first-time young novelist.

Grades 7 to 10, 3.5 stars