Ritual in Death

Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb (Part of the Suite 606 Anthology)

What was this book about?

Detective Eve Dallas is at a society party with her husband Roarke when a man stumbles in naked and covered with blood. They find a woman dead (and it is quite a grisly murder) in another room in the hotel. The room – Suite 606 – but a quick bloody swipe has made the room much more menacing.

Eve will do anything to find the killers. But it quickly is figured out that there is more to this then just a murder. Satanists are involved. They have destroyed several people’s lives as well as killed. Can Eve stop them? Who could do this?

What did you think about the book?

If you have read this blog before you may have noticed that I have a thing for J.D. Robb books. They just make me happy. I love revisiting the characters I have grown to love over and over – and there is almost nothing that J.D. (Nora Roberts) can do to make that change.

So despite my overall hatred (maybe that is too strong a word) for short stories – I picked this book up. I find that authors who are not normally short story authors have a problem making a concise, short story that doesn’t feel rushed. I was afraid that would be the case with this one.

Maybe it is my love of all things Eve Dallas – or maybe it really is pretty good – but I didn’t feel that about this story. Was it short? Yes. Did I wish it was longer? Yes. But did I feel I got a complete story where I wasn’t rushed into the beginning or the end? Yes.

Overall, therefore I was happy with it.

What genre would you consider this?
Mystery

Overall:

Question for You!
What is your favorite short story author?

The Pagan Stone

The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

What was this book about?

For Gage, Fox, Cal, Quinn, Layla and Cybil it is almost the 7th of July. This means that the demons that have been haunting the Hollow for the last 21 years is coming and this time it is going to be an all out war.

They have each been preparing and trying to do their part in solving this mystery of sorts. How to defeat evil. Meanwhile relationships have been formed between all of them – they are brothers, sisters, and lovers.

The last holdout for love are Gage and Cybil. They are each used to being travelers and not staying in one place. They aren’t looking for long term relationships. They just want to help out their “family” so they will stay and fight with them against this evil. Can love rule the day?

What did you think about the book?

I enjoyed this series immensely. It is a combination classic love story – combo supernatural thriller. While I love Nora Roberts in general this is just another of her classic trilogies that she has had with a paranormal twist to.

Sometimes I am just not sure how she is going to close everything out in just one novel. But she definitely does it. I would love to get more of the characters in terms of a wrap up (because how can you not want to know about life after – when you have been reading about their lives for three books).


What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall:

Question for You!
What is your favorite trilogy or books in series? How do you read them – wait till they all come out and read them at once – or piece by piece?

Salvation in Death

Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

What was this book about?

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is out to solve another murder. This time a Catholic priest is poisoned in the middle of giving a funeral service. Once they start trying to figure out who may have done this evil thing they find out that the priest is not who they think he is.

There is a history with this person, this area. And it will mean decoding all the lies that have been told over the years. Eve is the perfect person to make sure that this death is figured out.

But for once it isn’t a strict case of right and wrong. Eve will have to confront her own past to solve this murder. When is killing someone justified?

What did you think about the book?

Sometimes with this series I think I am a bit biased. I have read every single book in the the “In Death” series that has come out and they have become my favorite book series to read. Which means I am so excited when the book comes out that I almost don’t want to read it because then it will be over and I will have to wait months for the next one to come. It also means that I pretty much always LOVE the book.

I can’t say that it is any different with this one. Yes I probably would have liked to see more of the other characters that I have grown to love – Mavis, Nadine, Roarke, Feeny, I could go on and on. I almost feel like friends have come to visit when the book is at my house waiting for me to read. I can’t wait to see where things have gone with them.

Either way once again I think Nora Roberts/ J.D. Robb has hit another one out of the park. I wish there were more series like this that make me feel the same way.

Overall:

Question for you?
What series of books make you so excited when it comes out you can’t wait to read it (but don’t want to because then it will be done)?

Tribute

Tribute by Nora Roberts

What was this book about?

Cilla is a former child star who has had enough of the movie making business. She went through the normal child star disappointment as she became an adult and has moved on to flipping houses. Of course it isn’t that easy when your mother is still in the entertainment business and your grandmother was a very famous actress who died young.

Cilla has decided to return to her father’s hometown and to her grandmother’s famous estate. It has been left vacant for years and has deteriorated to the point where something needs to be done. Cilla is finally ready to settle down and she wants to make this her home.

She meets and can’t help but be attracted to neighbor Ford Sawyer. A comic book artist who has roots in this town as well – and connections to Cilla and her family.

When Cilla finds letters that were written to her grandmother she begins to wonder more about what her grandmother’s life was about. What caused her to tick? Who was her romantic companion? How did she deal with the death of her son?

All these questions and Cilla returning to town has caused a bit of an uproar. And someone seems to be out to get her. Can Cilla get the answers to the secrets that she needs to know in time to save her own life?

What did you think about the book?

“Nora Roberts is cool.” Stephen King is definitely right about this one (it is printed on the back cover jacket of the novel). Nora Roberts writes books that keep you interested – that you don’t want to put down. And she keeps doing it. I love that she always has books out – so that you don’t get tired of waiting for her next one. In fact because of the high quality of her books – if she didn’t write as prolifically as she does – it would be upsetting.

She knocks this one out of the park – just like she does with many others.

What genre would you consider this?
Romance

Overall:

The Hollow

The Hollow by Nora Roberts (Book Two of the Sign of Seven Trilogy)

What was this book about?

We return to the three men Fox, Gage, and Cal and the three women Quinn, Cybil, and Layla trying to fight off what is to come. There is a demon after them and the people of the town. The three men accidentally released the demon when they were only 10 and every 7 years it has come back only to cause havoc on this small town.

Quinn, Cybil, and Layla – like the men – were destined to come to this town and help. They have all been given special abilities that will help in this fight. They move one step closer to defeating this evil.

Quinn and Cal forge a special bond in the first book, and this time it is Layla and Gage who must confront their fears and form a bond of love if they want to be victorious.

What did you think about the book?

This was good – and I can’t wait to see how things end. We move forward in their fight of evil, find out more about their ancestors that led them to this, and also see their friendships and love interests grow. There seems to be so much to find out in the last book – I have no idea how she will fit it all in.

If you like Nora Roberts books – this is a must read.

What genre would you consider this?
Paranormal Romance

Overall: