Cold Shot

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In college, Griffin McCray and his three best friends had their lives planned out.  Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore Police Department, Declan Grey would head to the FBI, and Parker Mitchell would study to become a crime scene analyst.  But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world – and friendships – crumbled.

Now years later, Griffin has left the police and his friendships behind.  Still trying to forget a case that went bad when he was a SWAT team sniper, he’s living a quiet life as a park ranger at Gettysburg.  Quiet until skeletal remains are uncovered near Little Round Top – and they aren’t Civil War-era.

Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott discovers evidence pointing to the work of an expert sniper.  When FBI agent Declan Grey steps in to take over the case, past and present collide.  Griffin soon realizes he’ll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he – and those he cares about – are going to escape a downward spiral of crime, danger, and murder. 

Review 

Holy smokes, what an intriguing mystery novel!  Encountered with a case colder than the Antarctic, ranger Griffin McCray and forensic anthropologist Finley Scott team up to unravel a twisted mystery that spans generations and brings danger right to their doorstep.  It isn’t long after they start investigating the crime, that attempts are taken on their lives resulting in a thrilling cat-and-mouse game in Griffin’s and Finley’s quest for the truth.  With the inclusion of a few other strong characters to nicely round out the novel, Dani Pettrey has done a fabulous job with the debut story in her new series “Chesapeake Valor”.  In short, Cold Shot was a great mystery read, which kept my attention to the very end, and left me itching to read the next book!    

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

A Fool & His Monet

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Serena Jones has a passion for recovering lost and stolen art – one that’s surpassed only by her zeal to uncover the truth about who murdered her grandfather.  She’s joined the FBI Art Crime Team with the secret hope that one of her cases will lead to his killer.  Now, despite her mother’s pleas to do something safer – like get married – Serena’s determined to catch thieves and black market traders.

When a local museum discovers an irreplaceable Monet missing, Serena leaps into action – and a whole heap of trouble.

Review

A Fool & His Monet was a more light-hearted mystery novel.  Infused with a strong dose of humour and a keep-you-guessing mystery, A Fool & His Monet is an easy read that would appeal to a wider variety of readers who like a little mystery, but not heavy suspense or dark subject matter. 

Serena Jones is a likeable heroine who I found admirable in that she would push through situations that gave her pause or made her nervous (her elevator phobia aside).  She is very tenacious, not willing to let any stone go unturned in her quest for the truth. 

The only downside to the novel was I felt the motives behind the criminal mastermind could have used a little more “oomph”.  The crimes were elaborate to the extent that it felt as if the motives didn’t quite meet the severity of the crimes.  But of course, criminals aren’t always the most reasonable of individuals!  (lol)  

Overall, A Fool & His Monet, is an easy read, laugh-out-loud funny at times, and held a twisty mystery that kept me entertained and intrigued until the very end.  I’ll be interested in reading about Serena’s next escapades, and I’m very happy that I won’t have to wait too long.  The next instalment is due out in the fall of this year – woohoo!  

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Thin Ice

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After losing her parents and her sister, Christy Reed has been mired in grief.  Now, life is finally starting to feel normal again – until an envelope addressed in her sister’s handwriting arrives in the mail.  And the note inside claims she is still alive.

FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator, is assigned to reopen the case…but he’s coming up with more questions than answers.  Is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse game—or the target of a sinister plot?  As Lance digs deeper, one thing becomes clear:  someone in the shadows has a deadly agenda. 

Review 

Irene Hannon is seriously the Queen of romantic-suspense novels.  The plots are always original, the characters well-developed, the romance swoon-worthy, the spiritual element very real and encouraging, and the suspense of the “edge-of-your-seat” variety.  I don’t think I’ve ever been disappointed in reading one of Irene’s novels.  As an aspiring writer myself, she is an author I very much look up to as she always delivers – and her writing is superb! 

Thin Ice is the second novel in the “Men of Valor” series, and is Lance McGregor’s story.  Readers were introduced to Lance’s older brother, Mac McGregor, in Buried Secrets.  There is a third brother, Finn McGregor, who is featured in the third novel, due out in the fall of this year, which I am eagerly anticipating.  I’ve already read the teaser for Finn’s story twice, and the cliff-hanger ending gave me the shivers.

But back to Thin Ice – it was one of those rare books that I wanted to read all over again after I turned the last page.  From the tense opening, to the explosive climax, it was a fabulous read.  For all the mystery/suspense lovers out there – I highly recommend this book!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Taming the To-Do List

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Ever just wish the world would stop for a day so you could catch up?

No matter how much we accomplish in a day, we nearly always feel a little guilt over what we didn’t do.  But do we really have more to do than the women who came before us?  Maybe not.

In Taming the To-Do List, Glynnis Whitwer exposes a seismic shift in society:  from one in which most of us were proactive to one in which we carry the burden of having to respond – to every email, text, tweet, and message we receive.  This creates a cycle where everyone else sets the priorities for our days rather than us directing our own lives.  The result?  We procrastinate, putting off the important stuff for later while we tend to the “urgent” stuff right now.

It’s time to take back your schedule!  Ready to tame that to-do list?  This book shows you how.

Review

Even though my job is fast-paced and ruled by strict deadlines whereby procrastination is an unfathomable thought, I’ve found that in my personal life, I can sometimes too easily “put off to tomorrow, what could be done today”.  And it’s always a variety of supposed reasons – (it’s amazing how many different excuses one can think up of when they are trying to get out of something!).  But really what is the root cause for all those excuses?

In Taming the To-Do List, Glynnis points out that procrastination can sometimes arise from is a fear of the outcome which perhaps results in failure - i.e. putting off starting a task or project for fear that it won’t be completed in the way we would have liked (which really is perfectionism), or failing to complete the task or project at all.  Of course, upon digging even deeper into that, one can see a root of pride.  We only accomplish things we can do and do well so that our image is protected.  But to take on a new project where one feels the odds of completing it in a worthy manner are not in your favour, and risk everyone seeing that and thinking badly of you?  Perish the thought! 

That begs the question: if we never challenge ourselves, how can we ever grow?  And it isn’t just growing in our natural abilities – what about our faith and walk with Christ?  If fear of failure is keeping us from accomplishing a personal goal, could it also be preventing us from following God’s plan for our life – thereby being disobedient to His call?  Yes, that’s a troubling statement, isn’t it!  Further it reveals a trust that is placed in our own abilities, and not in the power of Christ.

Of course, there are other reasons for procrastinating, and one of them I believe is “biting off more than one can chew”, as in, saying “yes” to one to many things when we really don’t have the time for it all!  Further, as Glynnis points out, some procrastination is a good thing.  On page 189 she states “all procrastination is delay, but not all delay is procrastination”.  For as it says in Ecclesiastes, “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”.  What I learned is that it’s just learning to recognize when procrastination in a certain situation isn’t a good thing, or is becoming a bad habit, and having the willingness to learn to change.

Glynnis doesn’t leave the reader at a standstill upon listing various reasons for procrastination.  She goes into detail about what can be done to help us overcome procrastination.  Some of her very helpful tips include creating a step-by-step plan for a “big project” so it doesn’t seem so daunting to start; implementing realistic timelines for completion of tasks; planning and adhering to simple routines; identify timewasters; have specific goals; enlisting the help of friends and/or family; having an accountability partner, etc.

Taming the To-Do List is a very practical book, but spoken from the heart of someone who cares.  Glynnis’ kind character shines throughout her writing and it felt more like sitting down over coffee with a girlfriend than actually reading an instructive book.  I highly recommend it, and will definitely be striving to apply her helpful advice to my life.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.