The Quality of Silence

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

Publisher: Random House

February 2016

ISBN: 978-1-101-90367-4

Pages: 306

Contemporary Thriller

Alaska

 Yasmin, a beautiful astrophysicist and her precocious daughter, Ruby, who is also deaf, arrive in a remote part of Alaska only to be told that Ruby’s father, Matt, has been the victim of a catastrophic accident. Yasmin and Ruby are unable to accept his death as the truth so they set out into the hostile winter of the Alaskan tundra to get some answers.  Yasmin soon realizes that a very human danger is keeping pace with them as a storm closes in on them. They have to keep moving as there is no one else on the road to help them and they are now alone and terrified moving through an endless Alaskan night.

This is a story that will take readers on a roller coaster ride that doesn’t stop until the very end. Just as the reader thinks they know what is going on another clue is revealed to make them start guessing all over again. This proves to be a book that is very hard to put down once the reader starts it.  Seeing how resilient Yasmin and Ruby are makes for an amazing story that will have readers hoping that everything turns out okay for them both.  This is a thriller that is a must read. It is also a thriller that will have readers wanting to read more from this author. The ending is excellent though some readers will be wishing for a more definitive ending than the one provided.

I give this one 4-1/2 red roses

LRH

Foolish Games

Foolish Games Family Heirloom Series Book 3 by Karen Wiesner

Publisher: Writer Exchange E-Publishing

August 2014

Pages: 246

Contemporary Inspirational Romance

Peaceful, Wisconsin

Just one year ago Peter Samuels lost his beloved wife, Lydia, to a brain tumor. Now that he is the sole caretaker of their growing children his grief continues to overwhelm him especially now that he is alone again in the world without a partner.

Kimberly Wolfe has always loved Peter from afar even though he is also her boss. She has also endured for years Lydia’s misguided attempts to set her up with one Christian man after another. She envied the love Peter and Lydia had for one another. Though more recently she has been consoling Peter in his grief of losing his wife and her close friend. Kimberly’s ability to trust men was destroyed by her domineering father when he used the bible to justify his God-given place as the head of the household while he destroyed her mother at the same time. Being a committed Christian she struggles to find forgiveness for her father especially as he refuses to repent and see the wrong he has committed.

With just one innocent kiss shared on New Year’s a growing awareness grows between Peter and Kimberly. Peter wonders if he can find love again after such devastation. Kimberly wrestle with her fears that the past has caused. Now the questions are can Peter see Kimberly as more than just an employee and a shoulder to lean on and can he accept her as a Christian woman that isn’t content to live a life without the love of a man or a family.

This is a good book for those that enjoy inspirational stories. It pulls at the reader’s heartstrings as both Peter and Kimberly work through their problems and issues.  It is a good addition in a series that is proving to be very interesting.  The characters are realistic and relatable and bring the story to life. It will also have readers looking for the next book to see how things ultimately turn out for the different characters. 

I give this one 4 red roses

LRH

The Darkest Minds

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Publisher: Hyperion

December 2012

ISBN: 978-142315932-2

Pages: 488

Dystopian Young Adult

West Virginia

Ruby had something change her when she woke up on her tenth birthday.  Frightening enough that her parents end up locking her in the garage and then calling the police. It is also something that got her sent to a brutal government “rehabilitation camp,” Thurmond. A mysterious disease killed most of America’s children but those that survived, including Ruby, emerged different and with something far worse.  They have frightening abilities and they can’t control them.

At sixteen Ruby is now one of the dangerous ones.

Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life when the truth comes out. Ruby is running and desperate. She is looking for the only safe haven for those like her, a haven called East River. When she finds a group of kids that escaped from another camp she joins them. Liam is their leader and is falling hard for Ruby. She can’t risk getting close to anyone no matter how much she aches for Liam. Especially after what happened to her parents.

Once they get to East River nothing is as it seems especially its mysterious leader. There are also other forces at work, ones that want Ruby to fight against the government and those people will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight. Ruby is soon faced with a choice, a terrible choice that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

This is the start of an amazing series that will have readers eagerly reaching for the next book to find out what happens next.  It is full of action and suspense with some wonderful characters that make for an unforgettable story that will stay with the reader long after they finish the book.  The story takes so many twists and turns that it makes for a book that is completely unpredictable and will have readers devouring it just to see what will happen next.  Ruby proves to be a lot braver and stronger than she thinks she is and makes for enjoyable read.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Sanctuary Bay

Sanctuary Bay by Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

January 2016

ISBN: 978-1-250-05136-3

Pages: 320

Contemporary YA thriller

Sarah Merson has received an opportunity of a lifetime and it seems too good to be true. A chance to attend the most elite prep school in the country, Sanctuary Bay Academy.  Nothing could sound more appealing than a chance to escape to its tranquil setting on Swans Island especially after bouncing around from foster home to foster home. Now she has been thrown into a world of privilege and secrets.  Sarah quickly comes to the attention of Nate who is the class charmer and also her roommate’s boyfriend, Ethan who is dangerously attentive. These things also prove to be the least of her worries. Sarah finds herself in a race against time when her roommate suddenly goes missing. Sarah races to find her but she also needs to save herself and discover the truth behind Sanctuary Bay’s glossy reputation no matter how dark that truth is.

This is a story that takes off right from the beginning and doesn’t stop until the end.  It is full of suspense that keeps building and proves to be entirely engrossing for readers. The characters are intriguing and move the story along at a fast pace and make for a story that is extremely hard to put down.  It will also have readers wanting to check out more books from the authors and hoping for more from Sanctuary Bay.  For readers that enjoy both Young Adult and Suspense this is a definite must read. 

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

After the Crash

After the Crash by Michel Bussi

Publisher: Hachette Books

January 2016

ISBN: 978-0-316-30967-7

Pages: 400

Suspense

An airplane that is flying at night from Istanbul to Paris plummets into the Swiss Alps with 169 holiday travelers. Right before a fire rages through the aircraft the only survivor, a three-month-old girl is thrown from the plane onto the snowy mountainside. Since there where two infants on board the question becomes who is the miracle baby? Is it Lyse-Rose or Emilie? The families of both come forward for the child. One is powerful, wealthy, and dangerous and the other poor.

A private detective is suicidal and eighteen years later he has failed to solve the mystery of the girl that is now known as Lylie.  He is about to pull the trigger as he sits at his desk when he finally uncovers a secret that changes everything.  But will he live to tell?

This is a book that has some fantastic twists and turns and truly takes the reader on an amazing ride.  Just as the reader thinks they know the answer to the mystery another clue is uncovered that will have them second guessing whether or not they have any idea where this story will end up.  It proves to be a book that is very hard to put down once the reader starts it.  The reader will want to know just how the story ends and will devour each and every page to see if they will be able to figure out just how it turns out. The ending does not disappoint at all.  This is a must read for lovers of suspense.

I give this one 5 red roses

LRH

Baby, Baby

Baby, Baby Family Heirlooms Series Book 1 by Karen Wiesner

Publisher: Writers Exchange E-Publishing

July 2014

ISBN: 978-1-921314-29-2

Pages: 178

Contemporary Inspirational Romance

Peaceful, WI

Tamara Wolfe is Thirty-Seven years old.  Her life has been filled to capacity since she married her high school sweetheart, Robert, right out of high school and having several children.  Now that her last child is in preschool, Tamara makes the decision of taking her long time love of creating designer baskets and to turning it into a business.  What she doesn’t expect is for Robert to be against it so she seeks wisdom by praying. She just wants a small space of time for herself and that has her questioning if she is actually being selfish.  She also wonders if it is actually God is leading her in that direction or is He leading her to continue being the outdated model of a wife of being submissive but not equal.

This is an interesting story that shows how faith can lead the faithful.  For those that enjoy inspirational stories they will greatly enjoy this one. The reader is taken on a journey as Robert and Tamara find their way though Tamara’s decision of having her business and what it means for them together.  It is interesting to see how they grow through the story. The characters are complex and well written and move the story along very well.  For readers that enjoy this genre this is definitely a series to check out.

I give this one 4 red roses

LRH

Instructions for the End of the World

Instructions for the End of the World by Jamie Kain

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

December 2015

ISBN: 978-1-250-04786-1

Pages: 224

Contemporary, Young Adult

Sierra Foothills

Nicole Reed’s father prepared his family for every natural disaster that is known to man. The problem is that the one that struck was the one they were not prepared for.  Nicole and her family are forced to move to a remote area in the Sierra Foothills by her father. It is also a place without any modern conveniences.  For her mother it is too much to handle and she abandons them in the middle of the night. Nicole’s father heads out to track down her mother and leaves Nicole in charge of taking care of her younger sister, Izzy, and the care of the house. Nicole is doing fine running things on her own or at least at first she is. Then a forest fire starts to slowly inch closer, the pipes crack and they start to run out of food. From the neighboring community comes a handsome boy named Wolf that offers to help her out at a time when she needs it the most. Soon she must make a decision especially when she starts to have feelings for him. Feelings that she knows she will not be allowed to act on once her father comes back. As her family falls apart she must decide if she is going to start living for today or keep preparing for tomorrow’s disasters.

This is a good book that keeps the reader engrossed in a story that proves to take the reader on an emotional roller coaster. As Nicole tries to keep everything together and do what is expected of her the reader gets a glimpse of what she is dealing with and thinking as she tries to figure out what is best for herself and her younger sister. Both sisters do some growing up as they deal with all that is suddenly happening in their lives.  It proves to be a memorable book. 

I give this one 4 red roses

LRH