The shut-in by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski

Tricia Celano has a medical condition that basically means she is allergic to sunlight - so her daylight hours are spent holed up in her studio apartment.  Because of a fear of wandering at night she also doesn't go out at night, so she has become a shut-in over the past few years.  Everything she needs she can order online, and to get her fix of people time she uses her small drone to explore the world beyond her apartment. 


When she catches sight of a murder through the lens of her drone, Amelia, it is just the beginning of a dangerous game of cat and mouse.  Tricia is used to observing the world from a distance, but this time someone is looking back at Amelia and understands what the little drone means.  As the game of cat and mouse escalates, Tricia has to figure out how to stop the killer from adding her to their list - especially when the Police don't believe pretty much anything she has to say.


Bookshots have a wide variety of books in the series - some tie in with other full novel series, while others are stand alone novellas.  The shut-in is a stand alone novella which means you can dive in with no background and enjoy with no strings attached!  

I have read quite a few Bookshots, and this is the second one I have read by these two authors and they have a real zing when writing together.  Patterson is always a sharp writer, but pairing with Swierczynski adds a darker and more twisted edge that makes them delicious little dark treats to enjoy!

If you like this book then try:

• The house husband by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski
• Private Royals by James Patterson and Rees Jones
• Zoo 2 by James Patterson and Max DiLallo
• The hostage by James Patterson and Robert Gold
• Black and Blue by James Patterson and Candice Fox
• Chase by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
• Airport code red by James Patterson and Michael White
• Level 26: Dark origins by Anthony E. Zuiker & Duane Swierczynski

Reviewed by Brilla

Pegasus in flight by Anne McCaffrey

Pegasus in flight is the second book in the Talents of Earth series, and while you can read it as a stand alone book you will enjoy it more if you have read To ride Pegasus as this review contains some ***SPOILERS*** about the first book.

The world is crowded, and the sprawling city of Jerhatten is no exception.  The poor are crowded into massive Linears, buildings that soar high into the sky, full of tiny apartments where the residents have all the basics of life but very little hope.  Because of the over crowding there is a strict population law, each couple is allowed one child only, any other children are automatically classes as illegal citizens.  The residents of the Linears flout the law and continue to have child after child, raising them in secret and teaching them to distrust any authority.  In a world where every building soars into the sky the Centre of Parapsychic Talents of the North American Coast, set on it's sprawling grounds is a carefully guarded secret sanctuary for parapsychics registered with the centre.

The only hope for the future of Earth is the space station that is being built, a launching point for space ships taking colonists to new worlds.  It is a project that must be completed - no matter what the cost.  The fates are about to intervene in the destiny of the Talents of Earth once again, because a young boy paralysed in an accident has an amazing Talent - both in terms of the strength of his mind, and because he is both a powerful telepath and powerful telekinetic.  At the same time as the Centre searches for him, another youngster is showing her Talent in the Linears.  Although they don't know it yet both of them are in danger, and so is every parapsychic on Earth, because sometimes it doesn't pay to be the best at what you do.

Pegasus in flight is an enjoyable and thoroughly engaging sequel for To ride Pegasus, partly because of the change in focus and partly because it has a more traditional chapter structure than it's predecessor.  The change between the two books shows the amount of change and polish in Anne McCaffrey's novels over the years, and her ability to write characters that you really care about.  This is my favourite book in the series, and it was finished way too quickly!  Although I have read the book before it was a book that I got lost in almost straight way, and even though I knew what was going to happen I didn't care because I enjoyed the repeat journey so much.

Talents of Earth series:
To ride Pegasus
Pegasus in flight
Pegasus in space

Tower and the hive series:
The Rowan
Damia
Damia's children
Lyon's pride
The tower and the hive


If you like this book then try:

• The crystal singer by Anne McCaffrey
• The ship who sang by Anne McCaffrey
• Decision at Doona by Anne McCaffrey
• Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
• Alien taste by Wen Spencer
• Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon

Reviewed by Brilla

To ride Pegasus by Anne McCaffrey

Henry Darrow knew to avoid the road that night, he had seen the future and knew that taking the road that night would lead to an accident - but even though he knew it was coming fate made sure that he didn't miss his date with destiny.  That fateful crash not only led Darrow to his future wife, it also lead to incontestable proof that psychic phenomena were real.  The Goosegg equipment in his hospital room captured the moment he saw the future, and led his future wife to discover that the Goosegg was also able to capture her own small Talent in action. 

Having scientific proof of his precognition should be the start of something new and exciting, but fate is not always kind and Darrow soon finds himself fighting battles on many different fronts as proof of precognition opens the way for psychics to be sued - and for the greedy tax man to come demanding his share of the money that is flooding into the newly created Parapsychic Centre.  Darrow may know what the future holds, but the journey to get there is challenging and not set in concrete.  The dawn of Talent is here, and for Darrow and his team the battles they fight now will echo far into the future.

To ride Pegasus was first published in 1973, and was a brilliant piece of speculative science fiction - and it is somewhat bizarre to know that events that are described in the book are now in our past!  To ride Pegasus is quite different from other science fiction written by Anne McCaffrey, one of the biggest differences being that it does not have a traditional chapter structure, with the book broken down into large sections.  I didn't really notice until I decided to stop at the next chapter and read most of the book!  This book is also more 'science fiction' than a lot of McCaffrey's other works, with a heavier focus on the technology and world rather than the people.  It lays the perfect foundation for the next book in the series, but it may be off putting for some readers as it seems a little more impersonal than her other works (don't let it put you off though because the series is brilliant and leads into the Tower and the hive series).

This is an interesting series, and makes you wonder just what could be around the corner.  We are making scientific leaps all the time, and it is very easy to see flying cars and scientifically proven psychics just around the corner.  I picked this series up because I had run out of library books to read and didn't want to stop reading until new books arrived so I browsed my own shelves and this series jumped out as something I hadn't read for a while.  If you have not discovered this series already then I highly recommend giving it a try.  The best part is that once you have read all three books in the Talents of Earth series, you can jump straight into the Tower and the hive series.

Talents of Earth series:
To ride Pegasus
Pegasus in flight
Pegasus in space

Tower and the hive series:
The Rowan
Damia
Damia's children
Lyon's pride
The tower and the hive


If you like this book then try:

• The crystal singer by Anne McCaffrey
• The ship who sang by Anne McCaffrey
• Decision at Doona by Anne McCaffrey
• Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey
• Alien taste by Wen Spencer
• Sassinak by Anne McCaffrey and Elizabeth Moon

Reviewed by Brilla

If you dare by A.R. Torre

If you dare is the sequel to The girl in 6E, and Do not disturb and while you can read and enjoy this book on it's own, you will understand more and enjoy more if you read the books in order.  I highly recommend reading The girl in 6E and Do not disturb first so there aren't any ***SPOILERS**** when you read the review for If you dare.


Deanna has settled into life with her boyfriend Jeremy, but it always feels like she is only one step away from losing control and taking another life.  He wants to draw her out into the world, become a normal person, but Deanna knows that deep down a killer is just waiting to come out.  When Jeremy starts pressuring her to come to a family dinner, Deanne pushes back, refusing to be drawn out of the safety of her apartment.  It places pressure on their relationship, as does her all consuming jealousy and rage when Chelsea from-down-the-hall starts flirting with Jeremy.


When Deanna wakes up with a broken nose and a bloody face she has no memory of how it happened - and that leaves her feeling unbalanced and wary.  What happened when she blacked out, did she kill someone?  When the Police come knocking on her door she tries not to freak out, but it soon becomes clear that something is very wrong.  Going into survival mode Deanna starts preparing for the worst, but she is till totally unprepared when she finds out that Jeremy has been stabbed and is in intensive care.  Did her worst fears come true, did Deanna just prove to be the danger she always thought she was?


This series continues to defy classification - part murder mystery, part sexually explicit romance, and part psychological thriller it messes with your mind and keeps you wondering what is coming next.  If you dare makes clever use of chapters, jumping around in time to keep the tension really high and keep you guessing about what is really happening.  This is the first time we really see Deanna at something of a loose end, as she has no idea about what happened to cause the broken nose and it leads to some interesting moments.  If you dare was a real treat, and I sincerely hope that there is more to Deanna's story as it has been a very enjoyable ride (even if I do have to describe the series as a guilty little pleasure!).

If you like this book then try:

• The girl in 6E by A.R. Torre
• Level 26: Dark origins by Anthony E. Zuiker and Duane Swierczynski
• Darkly dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
• Eeny meeny by M.J. Arlidge
• The silence of the lambs by Thomas Harris
• The basement by Stephen Leather
• Swimsuit by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
• Vodka doesn't freeze by Leah Giarratano
• The bone collector by Jeffery Deaver
• One step too far by Tina Seskis
• Kill switch by Neal Baer & Jonathan Greene
• The edge of normal by Carla Norton

 

Reviewed by Brilla

Silence fallen by Patricia Briggs

Silence fallen is the tenth book in the Mercy Thompson series so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** of what happens in the previous books.  If you like to read series in order then don't read anymore of this review until you have read the other books in this series - a series that really benefits from being read in the right order.  I highly recommend reading Shifting shadows first too as the short stories will help you make sense of some of the characters.

The past few years have been a thrill ride for Mercy and her friends and family - it seems as though there is always a bigger (or badder) problem just around the corner, and some of the bad has been very bad indeed.  It seems as though life might finally be settling down for Mercy, Adam and the Pack, which of course means that disaster strikes when they least expect it!  When Mercy is in a car accident the last thing she expects is to wake up in a strange place on the other side of the world with her pack and mate bonds silent. 

Already trying not to panic, the last thing she needs is to discover that she has been rescued by a vampire with a fearsome reputation for getting anything and everything he wants.  With all her normal resources out of reach, Mercy has to look deep inside to find the courage and the strength to fight for herself - listening to the little voice of Charles in her head that tells her to take the chance to run for it while she still can.  Escaping from her temporary prison is only the first step though, because a coyote in the streets of Europe is very noticeable and makes a rather tempting target.

I love the Mercy Thompson series, not only because Mercy is amazing, but also because of the thoroughly believable world that Patricia Briggs has created.  Silence fallen was a nice change of pace for the series, which over time has grown to include a wider cast of characters and more complex storylines - which makes the series more appealing, but can also make the cast of characters seem like they are fighting for your attention.  With Silence fallen, Briggs appears to have taken a step to the side, choosing a story that is very much Mercy and Adam's story.  It feels like the series has taken a breather and returned to simpler times, and it was a thoroughly enjoyed treat!

There is a note at the start of the book from Briggs saying to pay attention to the comments at the start of chapters to help you keep track of the timeline, but I just didn't need them because the story unfolds so naturally and you get so caught up in the story that I stopped keeping track!  I was a little surprised that we got another Mercy story so quickly as I was expecting another book from the Alpha and Omega series, but I devoured the book in one sitting on Good Friday which made it a very good Friday indeed.  Now all we have to do is wait for the next book in the series (or in the world).

The recommended reading order is:

• Moon called
• Cry wolf (Alpha and Omega)
• Hunting ground (Alpha and Omega)
• Blood bound
• Iron kissed
• Bone crossed
• Silver borne
• River marked
• Fair game (Alpha and Omega)
• Frost burned
• Dead heat (Alpha and Omega)
• Night broken
• Fire touched
• Silence fallen

And to fill in the gaps there are some new (and old) short stories in:

• Shifting shadows: Stories from the world of Mercy Thompson

If you like this book then try:

• Tinker by Wen Spencer
• Night shifted by Cassie Alexander
• Kitty and the midnight hour by Carrie Vaughn
• Dark descendant by Jenna Black
• Burning water by Mercedes Lackey
• Blood price by Tanya Huff
• Urban shaman by C.E. Murphy
• Spiders bite by Jennifer Estep
• Dead witch walking by Kim Harrison
• Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway

Reviewed by Brilla

French twist by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo

Detective Luc Moncrief may have left the bright lights and bustling metropolis of Paris for the streets of New York, but he is still a Frenchman at heart.  His partner, Detective Katherine Burke is strong willed, beautiful, and way too smart to fall for his charms - which makes her the perfect partner. 


When Moncrief and Burke are called to the mysterious death of a beautiful young woman in an upmarket clothing store they discover that she is not the first victim, there have been other woman who have also died under mysterious circumstances.  The only apparent connection between the women is that they are all young, beautiful, and wealthy.  The case is meant to be their top priority, but when old friends reach out to Moncrief he doesn't have the heart to turn them down.  His friends are receiving threats about Garcon, their race horse.


With his attention drawn to his old friends, will Moncrief be distracted and drop the ball on the case they are meant to be working on?  Moncrief may be a self assured (sometimes arrogant) French detective who likes to do things his own way, but he is starting to grow on his partner, and his work seems to make the streets of New York a little safer - and definitely more interesting!


Bookshots have a wide variety of books in the series - some tie in with other full novel series, while others are stand alone novellas.  French twist is part of the Bookshots series that also includes French kiss and The Christmas mystery. 

If you like this book then try:

• French kiss by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
• The Christmas mystery by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo
• Private Royals by James Patterson and Rees Jones
• The hostage by James Patterson and Robert Gold
• Black and Blue by James Patterson and Candice Fox
• Let's play make-believe by James Patterson and James O'Born
• Chase by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge
• Heist by James Patterson and Rees Jones
• Airport code red by James Patterson and Michael White

Reviewed by Brilla