Make-up Mystery

Frosted Shadow is my first Nancy Warren book. At first, I was thought it was going to be a lightweight that I’d just have to get through. But as I continued reading I was roped into it. A young woman Toni Diamond (and she wears a lot of them - although fake) is the main character who is a cosmetics rep and motivational speaker. There’s a murder at the hotel where her company is holding a convention. Toni gets involved and ends up as a bit of a sleuth. As the book continues and the mystery deepens, Toni’s involved with the detective on the job. The book is light, funny and definitely keeps your interest. A great read for a snowy weekend in front of the fire!

A Cartel Saga

A. K. Alexander’s The Cartel is a full-packed thriller/soap opera. Set in Mexico, it’s the story of a cartel and political family. Although it consistently outlines the story more than it tells it, it’s still quite interesting and keeps the reader glued to the book. Two close friends, Antonio and Javier, are partners in a large cartel business. Javier also a big man in politics. The story covers their business and the family with a lot of emphasis on the wives and children. There are many twists and turns and some areas of the story are barely touched upon while others have a great deal of detail. The story tells the pain of the Mexican poor, the dangers of escaping their life for better times (or not) in the U.S., and how the other half lives. This is an intriguing story if you don’t mind not getting all the details throughout the book. I have to admit I enjoyed reading it and did have a hard time putting it down, although it’s by far not the best book I’ve read. I think many will get caught up in the saga of the families themselves and will forgive the author for the lack of “meat” while also learning a great deal about the workings of the cartels. Fair warning: there is a great deal of violence but if you can deal with that you will enjoy reading about the Mexican cartels.

Motivating Story!

Rudy: My Story, by Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger with Mark Dagostio, is as enjoyable as the film Rudy was. The book tells about Rudy as a child, his family, ethics and present life as a motivator. Rudy had big dreams and few believed he could fulfill them, but he did. And he did it through hard work and perseverance. Sure, he had many failures along the way, but most of those who “make it” usually do! They just don’t always talk about it. Rudy has shared his past and present in this book. And his story can motivate anyone because his family was dirt poor and he MADE it! The book is also very easy to read and interesting. I thoroughly enjoyed Rudy’s story. You will too.

Good Light Read

Hysterical for Harvard, by M. A. Wentworth, is an easy, enjoyable book to read. Jack, an on-again-off-again actor is working as a waiter in Los Angeles – just what struggling actors do. A former friend from Harvard appears with an offer he tries but can’t refuse. It’s a lucrative tutoring job for a high school over-achiever from a wealthy Korean family. April, the young woman, is more than Jake can deal with but she becomes a challenge. Eventually, he finds there’s much more to this family than meet the idea. Jake’s funny and comes up with some ingenious ways of dealing with an impossible young woman and her impossible family. Parts of the story are a bit on the farfetched side but a good read nonetheless.

A Delightful Story!

Veera Hiranandani’s new book, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, is a delight to read. Aimed at young adolescent girls, it’s full of lessons for almost anyone, male or female aged 10 to adult. It’s about a 6th-grader Sonia Nadhamuni whose mother is white and father is Indian. She’s also half Jewish and half Hindu, but the family practices neither. Attending a small private school, she doesn’t realize she’s half anything or that it really matters. But things suddenly change for her and for her younger sister. Sonia’s father loses his job and the girls can no longer attend their small school. Sonia’s entry into the public school is scary. She makes friends, but are they real friends? Other students question her color and religion. She doesn’t know how to dress “right” or handle herself. She slowly learns but there are many bumps along the way. Her father is dealing with depression. Her mother is working long hours. There are so many questions Sonia needs answered while trying to keep up her new school life with cheerleading, jealousy, and new and ex-best friends. Something has to give. And it does. Read this book and then give it to your daughter (or son). It’s a good easy read and teaches many life lessons.

No Meat in This One

Poseidon’s Daughter, by Diane A.S. Stuckart is a book about finding Atlantis. I was looking forward to reading this book as finding Atlantis should have included some exciting adventures. And the writer’s outline was probably exciting, but the actual writing turned it into a romantic novel. And the romance was a bit farfetched as were some of the adventures. When authors work hard to research, they need to follow through and use what they’ve learned. The reader receives some knowledge but the book is mostly about a man and a woman fighting falling in love, but falling indeed. If you like romantic novels, enjoy. If you’re looking for something with more meaning, move on to something else.

Pass On This One

Frozen, by Daniel Powell is a thriller and starts off okay. But then it becomes just too way out and unbelievable! Having recently moved to Colorado from Florida, Sheldon and Terri and their son and daughter are thrown into a nightmare when they meet another new neighbor. The woman, Vivian, apparently has followed the family from Florida where Sheldon was involved in a hit-and-run accident. Vivian’s daughter had been killed. Sheldon panicked and soon moved his family to Colorado. Vivian wants revenge of the worst kind. Now the sickness of this whole thing begins – kidnapping the children and leaving them stranded to freeze while setting Terri and Sheldon off to find them. Meanwhile, Terri learns more of Sheldon’s secrets and ends up searching for the children alone. It gets even worse. Unless you’re really hard up for something to read, I’d suggest you pass on this one.

Thriller and Chiller

Robert B. Lowe’s mystery thriller, Project Moses, doesn’t leave you when you finally put down this book. It’s full of drama and action. Enzo Lee is a journalist who accidently gets thrown into a mystery of murder and corruption. He, along with Kate whose aunt was murdered, run around the country finding clues and dodging bullets. The story reveals a web of corruption all for the benefit of a group with interesting goals. Not to let the story out, I’ll end there. But this book will not disappoint you if you’re into thrills and chills. And the surprise ending really surprised me. I didn’t see it coming at all. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my review.