Summer Beach Pick: Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence

Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence
by David Samuel Levinson
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2013
320 pages

Available June 4, 2013

Wondering what to pack in your beach tote? Sunglasses, sunscreen, a cold drink and this tasty and tempting new adult fiction novel.


Antonia Lively Breaks the Silence has everything you could want in a novel: a twisty, turn-y plot with several torrid secrets about to be exposed, three writers and a few others whose lives and loves are intertwined, secret passions and simmering jealousy, latent contempt, and a career fall from grace, a secret affair, a suicide? or possible murder? and it's written with such finesse, the reader is immediately taken into the tale and completely surrenders to it.

Catherine Strayed is a lonely widow living in a sleepy college town. Her husband Wyatt--a talented writer who enjoyed great acclaim until a scathing review nearly ruined him--died recently  in a car accident. Catherine works at a small bookstore and wonders how she will be able to keep her home on her meager income.

When the critic arrives in town and accepts a teaching position at the local college, Catherine's world is rocked. She never told Wyatt, but before their marriage, she had an affair with Henry--the man who  ruined her husband with his poison pen review. Catherine knows it never was about Wyatt's talent; the review was meant to hurt her. And it did, and it continues to rip her life apart. Not only that, Henry has brought exotic, eccentric, talented, and much younger Antonia Lively with him as his latest protege and romantic conquest.

Antonia appears everywhere. She shows up at the book store and on Catherine's porch. She continues to push her way  into Catherine's life. Catherine fights her friendship at first, but then accepts Antonia just enough for Antonia to gain foothold. There is nothing she won't do to find "pay" dirt that will become her next bestseller. Antonia has tasted success and the good life; she yearns for the attention of the posh New York glitterati and the pompous literati.

Antonia also carries a secret. Her famous book is based on a story her uncle told her, and now he's in town for revenge. Catherine feels drawn to Antonia, and she seems almost a mother figure to her. She takes care of Antonia and keeps her safe.

 The lives of all the characters are twisted through the plot and the narrator finally comes forward in the last pages--that is the beauty of this novel. As readers, we see all the main characters and their actions, yet the narrator is never revealed. The narrator seems a part of the action, yet apart from the action. In the end, we see the narrator has been there all along and it's sublime storytelling.

Levinson portrays the world of writers and publishing through his characters. Antonia says about fiction, "There is no right or wrong when you're writing fiction. There is no truth. It's all lies." Henry is sick of the publishing industry and he lets them have a piece of his mind at Antonia's party, "You used to buy good books...Literature is art. Remember? Literature exists in spite of us...You find 'beauty' in cheap stories told by opportunists, given legitimacy through your complicity. You pay ridiculous sums of money to celebrities and politicians who don't need it. Yet you're stingy with the real writers who can't make ends meet."

Highly, highly recommended for book clubs and lovers of fiction. This is real storytelling and a compelling plot.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.


This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Early Reader Pick: A Funny Little Bird

A Funny Little Bird
by Jennifer Yerkes
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2013
48 pages

Whimsical, tender, and terrific, A Funny Little Bird will entertain young readers. A lonely little bird who feels invisible and unappreciated dresses up in finery borrowed from nature--feathers borrowed from another far pretttier and ostentacious bird and beautiful leaves from plants and flowers, and he gets noticed for the first time.

Sometimes it's better in life to go unnoticed and under the radar. When the bird attracts the attention of a hungry fox, he realizes his mistake. He sheds his borrowed finery and becomes special once again. He makes friends who accept him as he is.

Illustrations by the author use whitespace (negative space) to show the bird. Color illustrations around the bird show his presence.This children's book is innovative and interesting. "Something truly new..." raves Bologna Children's Book Fair Honor Award (from the cover).

Highly recommended age 4-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Nerd-y Pick: The Summer I Became a Nerd

The Summer I Became a Nerd
by Leah Rae Miller
Entangled Publishing
2013
352 pages

Calling all nerds, geeks, fangirls, comic book lovers, Doctor Who watchers, Trekkies, Star Wars fanatics, Comicon geeks, live action role-players (LARPs), and wannabes: The Summer I Becomae a Nerd is cute, clever and contemporary and the perfect, sweet romance.

Popular cheerleader Maddie has spent the last five years erasing her middle school mistake of dressing up as a comic book character. Now she's a cheerleader dating a football player, but Maddie harbors a horrible secret: she still  secretly buys and reads comic books and hides the fact from everyone. When her mailed copy of the Super Ones #400 is out of stock, Maddie realizes she simply can't wait 5-7 weeks to read it. This calls for drastic action! Maddie "disguises" herself and heads down to the Phoenix, the local comic book store praying that no one will see her entering such a geeky establishment.

Logan works for his parents at their comic book store, and he's a classmate of Maddie's. He recognizes her right away and loans her his own personal copy of #400. The chemistry between Maddie and Logan is romance gold. This is what dreams are made of! Football player boyfriend Eric doesn't stand a chance with geeky, sweet Logan around.

Maddie begins to ignore phone calls and texts from Eric and best friend Terra. She enters the world of comicdom and loves it. Maddie learns to embrace her inner geek and be her true self and discovers what she loves.

Highly recommended for comic geeks and fans grade 9-up. Some language, underage drinking, parties.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I recieved this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Early Reader Pick: Where's the Scone

Where's the Scone
by Beth Dexter-Smith
Illustrated by Calvin Innes
My Little Big Town Ltd
2013
32 pages
ISBN: 978-1-907746-13-0

for more information and the Ipad app

Simply charming text, quaint rhyming verse, and adorable animal illustrations make Where's the Scone an imaginative counting book for young learners.

The author wisely chose unique animals: llamas, bream, yeti and gnu to eat equally unique foods: tofu, scones and prunes. American children may not have ever heard of or tasted tofu or prunes. Scones are not usually a part of the American diet, but hail originally from Scotland and are as common to the British as biscuits are to Americans. Young children will encounter bream (a type of fish), gnu (also known as the wildebeest), and yeti (abominable snowman) for the first time.

The illustrations are clever, colorful and quirky and the rhyming text is creative and innovative. Consider "6 gnu tasting tofu/ 5 Yeti sucking spaghetti..." and you know that children will giggle as they learn.

Where's the Scone will have wide appeal with young learners and toddlers learning to count.

Highly recommended ages 1-up. Available from the publisher and other fine booksellers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Giveaway: Spies and Prejudice

                                                     Win the book before it hits the stores!




Spies and Prejudice by Talia Vance
Egmont
2013
304 pages

Available June 11, 2013

I have FIVE copies of this new YA title up for grabs!

A cross between Veronica Mars and Pride & Prejudice, readers will love Spies and Prejudice. It "... will captivate readers as love and espionage collide" (from the publisher's website).


Reviews from the publisher's website:


"Berry is a likable, tough character whose acerbic wit is tempered by moments of vulnerability...Fun and tightly plotted...." -Kirkus Reviews

"...a first-rate mystery with some major twists." -Library Media Connection

"A charming sleuth story with a unforgettable heroine. Funny, fast-paced and utterly endearing." –Veronica Rossi, New York Times best-selling author of Under the Never Sky

"The perfect combination of romance, gadgets, and a strong heroine. We especially loved the Pride and Prejudice connection." –Lisa and Laura Roecker, authors of Liar Society and Lies That Bind

“I loved this book! Full of humor, heart, and intrigue, this twisted mystery kept me turning pages deep into the night. A captivating read from beginning to end." – Megan Miranda, author of Fracture and Hysteria



For your chance to win a copy, simply post a comment to the blog. Please include your first name, city, state, and email address.

Deadline for posts is June 3 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by Randomizer and notified the afternoon of June 3. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York courtesy of Egmont and my bff Katie!

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Hilarious Pick: Gorgeous

Gorgeous
by Paul Rudnick
Scholastic Press
2013
320 pages


Scathingly satirical, causticly comic, wickedly witty, in-your-face pun-y, and filled with more laughs per second than any comedy show, Gorgeous slapped me in the face and made me laugh until I cried. From the very first irreverent paragraph,  I was hooked and better yet, pleasantly shocked! Rudnick has that rare, ethereal gift of winsome wit that many fiction writers would kill for. David Sedaris (the funniest writer I've ever read) says, "Paul Rudnick is a champion of truth and love and great wicked humor, whom we ignore at our peril."

Becky Randle grew up in a trailer in East Trawley, Missouri, the daughter of a morbidly obese mother who dreams of Hollywood, glamour, movies and the good life. Just before her mother dies, she makes Becky promise that if something magical shows up, Becky should play along. She swears there will be magic and that Becky should use it. When getting some of her mother's old clothes ready for charity, Becky happens upon a phone number with an area code in New York. Becky calls the number and a woman sends her a plane ticket and some cash to come to New York. Becky is confused; why would someone, a complete stranger, send her money and a ticket to New York?  She enlists the help of best friend Rocher--whose mother named her after the box of fancy chocolates, famous for their gold wrappers. Rocher convinces Becky to take the ticket already  and get on that plane. If this isn't magic, what is?

Becky is whisked away by chauffeur to meet mysterious Tom Kelly, a designer so revered that he has become a recluse even from the world of high fashion. He tells Becky he will make her three dresses: one red, one black and one white. The dresses will magically make her the World's Most Beautiful Woman. The magic only lasts one year. Within that year, Becky must meet and marry Mr. Right or the magic wears off.

Wearing Tom's couture designs, Becky is immediately transformed to Rebecca Randle.  Her legs morph into supermodel legs, her skin becomes flawless, she is drop dead gorgeous.The kind of gorgeous that is simply other-worldly.  Everyone clamors to meet the new "It" girl. Soon, she's on the cover of Vogue and tapped to film a movie with hot Hollywood teen hunk Jate Mallow. The press is soon calling them Jatecca and papparazzi snap their every move.

Rebecca revels in the attention but finds it a bit vapid...that is, until she meets Prince Gregory, heir to the British throne. Suddenly, Becky knows what she must do. She must marry the prince and use her beauty and his power to help change the world!

What happens when a normal girl from nowhere rubs elbows with the A-list and British royalty? A hilarious romp that will have readers laughing out loud and quite possibly rolling around on the floor, gasping for breathe.

Libba Bray, no slouch to fierce and sardonic wit herself, wrote," Rudnick's considerable talents as a satirist as he uproariously eviscerates our celebrity-mad, class-concious, appearance-obsessed, reality-TV-vapid culture with puckish delight." (New York Times Book Review).

Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. Profanity runs amok but it's so funny!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Teen Pick: A Trick of the Light

A Trick of the Light
by Lois Metzger
Balzer + Bray
2013
208 pages

Available June 18, 2013

Stunning, heart-wrenching, and painful, yet uplifting and hopeful, A Trick of the Light is an important book for teens. Mike Welles is an intelligent teen who loves stop-action cinema and classics like the original 1933 King Kong film; he and friend Tamio spend hours discussing cinema and playing video games. Things at home are...sad and different. Suddenly, there's a wedge between his family.

As Mike's mom falls into despair and depression, sleeping all day and not working, Mike's dad strays from the household. Mike begins to hear a voice in his head that controls him. To control his situation at home, Mike listens to the voice and turns to Amber. She knows everything about food and what foods to avoid--Mike stops eating and begins to run for miles, the voice grows stronger--urging him to stay strong and lose weight. The voice controls Mike, but he's getting weaker.

People start to notice. Mike has a fight with Tamio and won't return his phone calls. Mike's mom and dad both think he's losing too much weight. Mike resorts to tricks to keep them off his back. He's hiding his food intake and weighing himself with extra weight in his pockets.

Told from the male point of view, A Trick of the Light addresses negative body image and weight issues for boys. Recommended for readers who liked  Halse's Wintergirls.

Recommended grade 7-up. Amazon and the publisher says for readers 14-up, but it has no profanity and no mature content other than eating/purging/ anorexia discussion.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Pick: A Really Awesome Mess

A Really Awesome Mess
by Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin
Egmont
2013
288 pages

Available July 23, 2013

Poignant and true, laugh out loud hilarious and  at the same time gut-wrenchingly sad, A Really Awesome Mess is the story of two broken teens who are desperate for answers even if they think they have life all figured out.

Emmy is sent to Heartland Academy when she pulls a prank on a male student. Her parents are mortified and realize that Emmy needs help. Emmy is angry; she has never fit in with her "perfect" American family. Her parents and sister are tall and white. Emmy is adopted from China--not tall, not white-- and while she is grateful for her opportunity to live a "normal" life, in the back of her mind she wonders what happened to her real mother. Who could walk away from her own child? Emmy harbors resentment that she's not the perfect American daughter and feels like her white parents love their own natural child more than her.

Justin is sent to Heartland Academy when his rich father catches him in an embarrassing situation with a girl and Justin takes a handful of Tylenal and lands in the emergency room. Heartland counselors work with Justin on his anger issues. Rounding out the group of teen misfits is Mohammed--an angry, aggressive kid from Sierra Leone--who is pretending to be something he's not, Jenny  who refuses to speak--she has "selective mutism," Chip--a real "tool"  and Diana--the girl who likes to stir things up. The group has to work together for one week and get no demerits to begin to earn extra phone and Ipad time. The kids are on their best behavior and some of them are doing better than they have ever done.

Told in alternating chapters by Emmy and Justin, A Really Awesome Mess captures teen angst and anger at its best and at its worst. A trip to the fair turns manic when the kids "rescue" pigs--and it reminded me a bit of Bless the Beasts and the Children. Readers who like novels told from the male and female point of view will like this novel. Readers who liked Notes From the Blender--Cook's and Halpin's first venture--will likely enjoy their second novel.

Highly, highly recommended for grade 9-up. Language, mature situations, sexual situations, snarky, bad teen behavior. Not for middle school!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Zombie Invasion (in Fort Worth!)

                                                                       author Ilsa J. Bick

I attended the Texas Library Association conference in Fort Worth April 23-27 and had a great time! So many authors and books. So many old and new friends! I kept track of the experiences in my Iphone and am sharing the first one now:

From Ilsa Bick, author of the Ashes trilogy. Her new book Monsters, the third and last in the trilogy is available this September. I was lucky enough to share breakfast with Ilsa, a few fellow Texas librarians including my bff's YA blogger Naomi and Katie and Allison from Egmont.


The conversation was fascinating! We talked about writing fiction and zombies, we talked about "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad." We asked questions about fiction and the zombie apocalypse. I asked  Ilsa how she is able to plan/plot her story. She uses a story board or outline, she said. She also told us that she knew how the story ends, BUT...and this is a big but, sometimes the characters lead an author in a different direction.

Ilsa asked librarians about our jobs and what we felt. The consensus was that all of us LOVE our kids/patrons. We LOVE our libraries and books. The conversation made Ilsa reminisce. She told us this story:

When she was in grade school, she visited her library many times, often checking out a book on stargazing. She wanted to be able to identify the constellations and stars, and would take the book outside and stare at the night sky.  She checked the book out again and again and on the last day of school, the librarian handed her the book. The librarian told her that since she clearly loved the book, she should have it as a gift from the library. Ilsa took that book home that day, cherishing it and keeping it safe. She still owns that stargazing book after 30+ years! Ilsa said something like this: That was a long time ago....but I still have that book...that librarian....well, she's dead by now!

Gasps from around the table! Nervous laughter....Ilsa sees our faces and laughs. She said, "What...did you think the story was going to have a happy ending?" From a writer who ends the world with a zombie apocalypse? I thoroughly enjoyed Ilsa's wit and wisdom.


Another Ilsa funny moment: When she met a certain publisher who shall remain nameless here, Ilsa reportedly said, "Oh, xxxx (name withdrawn) don't worry, you would be the first to die in a zombie apocalypse!" The publisher was shocked but amused!

Who would be the first person you know to die in the zombie apocalypse? Post your comments on the blog. The five best comments (keep them clean, please) will win a fantastic prize! Deadline for posts is: May 20 at noon MST.

For more on Ilsa J. Bick, her experiences in Fort Worth, a story of a fox and her kits versus a mean neighbor, and writing...read more

Dystopian Pick: The 5th Wave

The 5th Wave
by Rick Yancey
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2013
480 pages

Gripping, dynamic, and hard core, The 5th Wave will scare the daylights out of readers! Yancey creates a dystopia that is unspeakably terrible.  Aliens have taken over the Earth, but have they, really? Trust me, The 5th Wave is the best dystopian novel in years!

Cassie (short for Cassiopeia) has survived the 1st, 2nd and 3rd waves, but living terrified of dying 24/7 is nearly killing her. The only rule is "Trust no one." And it's worked for her so far. The Others look like humans, they talk like humans, they learn the rules that make them appear human, and for that reason, Cassie trusts no one. When her little brother Sams is taken away with all the other children, Cassie's father tells her take the guns and warns her with a silent signal--Run! Every human is slaughtered  back at Cassie's camp, and she's lucky to have escaped. She stays in the woods for weeks, learning to exist on bottled water and canned sardines. She knows she has to move on as winter is rapidly approaching.

When on the move, Cassie is wounded. She wakes up in a farmhouse and is nursed back to health by a boy named Evan. Cassie trusts no one, not even her savior. She knows something is "off" about Evan's story but can't figure out what it is. Cassie vows to find her little brother Sam and rescue him.

Evan agrees to help Cassie but she knows she has to go alone. Evan confides that he has fallen in love with Cassie, and he finally tells her his secret. Together, they face the enemy.

The 5th wave is humans turning on themselves. The aliens have been watching Earth for centuries; they know how humans think and act. They know they can defeat us, but do they know the sheer, brave will of one very determined teen-aged human  female? Cassie says, "But if I'm it, the last of my kind, the last page in human history, like hell I'm going to let the story end this way...Because if I am the last one, then I am humanity. And if this is humanity's last war, then I am the battlefield."

I was sorry when I had turned to the last page. The 5th Wave is unputtdownable; readers will empathize with Cassie--she is the kick-butt girl I want on my side at the end of the world. This is a dystopia with a human heart. Often, dystopian fiction is devoid of heart and soul, but not The 5th Wave. Yancey allows hope for dystopia and humankind. I have to love a writer who lists his trusty (now deceased) dog Casey in the acknowledgements; Yancey writes, "I will miss you, Case."

Highly, highly recommended and a MUST READ. Suitable for grade 7-up. One f-bomb when Cassie tells the alien commander off; violence, a few kisses. Cassie has to cut shrapnel out of Evan's backside, but it's not sexy in the least; it's a necessary medical procedure.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC  from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review. Quote taken from the ARC and may not be in the final bound copy.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Mother's Day Pick: Oh, The Things My Mom Will Do

Oh, The Things My Mom Will Do...Because She Loves Me Through and Through!
by Marianne Richmond
Sourcebooks
2013

What a cute book sure to delight mothers and children and a great gift for Mother's Day!

From the publisher:

What a child sees as everyday routine is anything but for a mom! Oh, the Things My Mom Will Do is a celebration of the unpredictable adventure that is motherhood with its sometimes silly, always heartfelt, and wonderfully important moments--all rooted in love. This sweet and amusing book will have book moms and kids smiling with recognition while spotlighting all the different ways a mom shows her devotion.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Tween Pick: Twice Upon a Time

Twice Upon a Time
by James Riley
Aladdin
2013
340 pages

Simply hilarious hijinks and playful, pun-y dialog with snarky insight and in-your-face sarcasm, James Riley's characters shine! May, Jack and Phillip are in search of May's true identity. She won't believe the evil Queen is her real grandmother; there has to be some other explanation. Traveling through a normal fairy tale would be easy; if only May's  adventures were  really like the ones in a book. May's fairy tale is entirely different. Mermaids aren't friendly, the big bad wolf is hungry, and fairies are evil. The Land of Never is full of overweight, middle-aged, clueless ninnies--not imaginative, playful children who never grow up.

The wolf says the Queen wants the intruders alive and unhurt, but,"...if you resist, I could just tell her that it wasn't possible, that I was forced to bite off an arm here or there." After escaping the wolf and some goblins, the three find themselves in the Land of Never, where no one ever grows up--oh, people age, but they just  never grow up. Middle aged adults act like happy children who want to play make believe and swim in the chocolate river. May tells them to stop their inane singing and to stop acting like kids and they run off. Next adventure, rescuing  Peter from the friendliest pirates in history.

After a run-in with Bluebeard and evil Mer-people, May hears about her family's secret. Jack's heart is broken and he leaves for the next adventure. The series promises to have a fun ending; pick up Once Upon: The End to complete the series.

A must-have for fans of fractured fairy tales and fairy tale inspired books, Twice Upon a Time is fun entertainment at its best and is sure to leave readers laughing.

Highly, highly recommeded grade 5-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensationf or this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Adult Fiction Pick: Daddy's Gone A Hunting

Daddy's Gone A Hunting
by Mary Higgins Clark
Simon & Schuster
2013
338 pages

Suspenseful, powerful, and masterful, Daddy's Gone a Hunting will not disappoint Mary Higgins Clark 's fans. When a powerful fire and explosion destroys their family's antique furniture reproduction plant, sister Hannah is injured and in a coma. Officials know someone set the fire, possibly to recover insurance money that will bail out the failing business. Kate doesn't believe her sister Hannah has anything to do with the explosion, but what on earth was she doing at the factory in the wee hours of the morning? Kate suspects her own father, Doug Connelly. He is dogged in his attempts to save his business and will stop at nothing to save his own name.

As officials tighten the investigaion, the real arsonist is getting jumpy. A cold case of a missing girl is reopened when her body is discovered, further complicating matters. Hannah is starting to come out of the coma and remembering things...things that happened a long time ago, and her memories will blow the case wide open.

As entertaining as Daddy's Gone a Hunting is, it lacks depth of character, at least  for me. I wanted to know more about Kate--other than the fact that she's an up and coming designer and that she loves her sister Hannah, Kate was underdeveloped. The reader never knows Hannah either. It's a real missed opportunity to build the story of their sister bond.

Recommended for fans of crime capers, murder mystery and fans of Mary Higgins Clark.
No sex; no language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)