Hold Tight by Harlan Coben

(source) Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they’d spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his best friend Spencer Hill, they can’t help but worry. Within days of installing a sophisticated spy program on Adam’s computer they are jolted by a cryptic message from an unknown correspondent that shakes them to their core: “Just stay quiet and all safe.”

As if Mike Baye isn’t dealing with enough, he also learns that Lucas Loriman, the sweet kid who grew up next door, is in urgent need of a kidney transplant. As the boy’s doctor, Mike suddenly finds himself in possession of an explosive secret that threatens to rip the Loriman family apart at the seams.

Nearby, while browsing through an online memorial for Spencer, Betsy Hill discovers a surprising detail about the night of her son’s death. Before she can find out more, Adam disappears, taking the truth with him and sending shockwaves through the neighborhood.

As the lives of these families collide in tragic, unexpected, and violent ways, long-hidden connections in their small suburb begin to work their way to the surface. And when an unidentified Jane Doe is beaten to death not far away, those connections threaten to turn this quiet community upside down—and force these desperate parents to decide whether there is any line they won’t cross to protect those they love most in the world.

I am glad that I was persistent enough to continue reading Harlan Coben books because the last few books featuring Myron Bolitar was too unrealistic for me to really like it. In my personal opinion, Myron is always portrayed as a smart-aleck which I did not really like.

Even though there were some instances in this book which is similar to some of the characters featured in Myron Bolitar range but somehow, I like this book enough to continue to support him.

This book touches alot on parents and children and how they think, believe and behave. If you are a parent, this will touch a chord in you.

Check out  Hold Tight by Harlan Coben paperback or kindle version from Amazon

Give a book, get a book at the Infinite Book Exchange

Date: Sat, 24 April 2010
Time: 8.30am to 6.00pm
Venue: The Plaza, National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street

1) Bring your used books* to any Public Library from 10 to 23 April, 11.00am to 9.00pm. On 4th April, used books are accepted only at the National Library Building.

2) Drop off your used books* an get book exchange coupons for one for one exchange.

3) Bring your coupon down to The Plaza, National Library Building, on 24 April to redeem for used books.

Frankie - Kevin Lewis

Synopsis

Homeless, streetwise and running away from a past she would rather forget, Francesca Mills is just another face on the streets of London. When a violent encounter leads to a man’s death, however, she is forced to leave the harsh world that has become her home and forge a new life elsewhere.

On the run, Frankie unknowingly stumbles across a dangerous secret, a secret so powerful that men will stop at nothing to protect it. She tries to build a new life, but you can only stay anonymous when no one wants to find you. Hunted by both the police and shadowy assailants with powerful connections, the odds are stacked against a woman who will do whatever it takes to protect herself – and those who mean most to her…

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Kevin Lewis do write fiction books because books I came across from him are usually about his abused childhood.

I read his " The Kid Moves On" sometime back in 2008 and it was quite a sad story.

Needless to say, I was expecting some abused story in this book as well, which came up as part of the story of the female lead, Francesca Mills. Its not much and just bits and pieces here and there to explain why Francesca ran away from home, simply because her step-dad abused her.

This is quite a nice book, nothing too heavy. Because of this book, I have decided to read more from this author. 

Get the book from here.

The Alibi - Sandra Brown

Assistant DA Hammond Cross has his sights set on the DA's office. Prosecuting a high-profile murder case practically ensures him the job. But a Saturday night encounter with a mysterious woman is the start of a living nightmare

I only started reading books by Sandra Brown late last year even though her books have been around for ages. This author was never in my list, for some unknown reason.
In fact, my mum was surprised to see me reading her books as she was an avid reader when she was young.

Well, I just have to recommend this book to you. Even though the whole book revolves around 1 story, but its a compelling read. It cleverly brings the reader back to the start of the story at the ending which most authors fail to do just that. It captured the essence of the main story.

I am starting to like her books and will continue to read her books.
If you are a book-lover into mysteries and murders, then don't miss this out.

All about Sandra Brown

You can purchase the The Alibi from Amazon.

Dead Wrong - J.A. Jance

Juggling a family and a career is never easy-and it's becoming a real challenge for Sheriff Joanna Brady. Coping with the impending delivery of her second child as well as a staff shortage, the last things Joanna needs are two serious crimes.

First, the body of an unidentified man is found in the desert, all of his fingers savagely severed. Following the scant clues, Joanna learns that the victim was an ex-con who had served twenty years in prison after confessing to the murder of his pregnant wife. During his last days he was seen following and photographing a young woman.

Then one of Joanna's officers is brutally attacked and left for dead while on an unau-thorized stakeout. Because the officer is one of its own, the department throws its resources into finding her attacker.

But the murder haunts Joanna. Being a sher-iff is no longer an empty position she wants to hold-somehow it has become what she is. Her job is to avenge man's inhumanity toward man, and finding out who the victim was and why he is dead is what she has been summoned to do with her life. Strapping on a bulletproof vest, she'll risk everything to see that justice is done.

He was a convicted murder and an alcoholic. Nobody should have cared much when Bradley Evans turned up dead. But Sheriff Joanna Brady feels a tie. Her father was the man who arrested Evans years before and now someone has killed the man. She intends to track down Evans's murderer and make him pay for his crime. Life, and other crimes, though, have a way of getting in the way. For one thing, Joanna is nine months pregnant. For another, her county is near the Mexican border and Border Patrol often calls for local assistant. For a third, dead pit bulls have been turning up at a disturbing pace--evidence of illegal dog-fighting. Since Animal Control falls under the Sheriff's office, Brady needs to do something about that, too.
 
This is my 2nd book from J.A. Jance. I am starting to enjoy it although I wish that all the ends are explained.

It did not tell how and when Bradley Evans' wife become dead, is Rory Mackham really having an affair with Ruth, etc. Readers are left to their own imagination and conclusion as to why and how it happened. Its frustrating because I like books which have a start and an end.
I hope that all her books are not like that.

You can get her book from here.

                                               

Born on a Blue Day - Daniel Tammet

Wednesdays are blue in Daniel Tammet’s world. His book “Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant” is his stunning autobiography. That he has written such a precise and yet fascinating record of his existence to date opens a door on the world of this uncommon but growing condition.
Autistic people, especially those who also suffer from Asperger’s Syndrome have great difficulty socially and communication skills at Tammet’s level are uncommon. The majority of his life has been spent in a withdrawn state punctuated by his fame as a savant. His ability to sense the world of numbers and dates as shapes and colors, otherwise known as synesthesia, led to his record breaking recitation of the mathematical proportion “pi” to 22,514 decimal places that took five hours.

I enjoyed his book thoroughly, as he brings us to his extraordinary mind and his perspective of the things around him. He is considered a celebrity in his own rights and its a comfortable thought that he have achieved more than a normal human being on the street. He deserved our applause.

Kudos to his families and his partner, Neil for always being there for him and not giving up on him. It matters so much and made a huge difference in someone's life.


                               

Source : Optimnem