The Shop - Black, J. Carson

The Shop is about a government agency that lost sight of its mission and control of its agents. Conspiracy theory much?



Cyril Landry is a husband and father, and he's a government killer. Cyril is about to discover his job isn't what he thought it was. Jolie Burke is a police detective for the Palm County sheriff's department. She's a widow with some family issues that need to be resolved. It takes almost the whole story, but these two are destined to meet and the meeting is intense. Along the way there's plenty of action and suspense. It started a little slow but this book builds as you read. Highly recommended.

Zombies Don't Cry - Fischer, Rusty

Zombies Don't Cry is a hoot. It might be considered an attempt at a zombie version of Twilight, but it never takes itself that seriously. Zombies are the new vampires! BTW, this was a free Friday nook book.



Maddy Swift is one of those teenage girls who fades into the background. She's got a best friend who likes the spotlight so she goes along, and life at Barracuda Bay High is pretty good. Maddy's Dad is the town coroner and Maddy likes to do grave rubbings, so things lean toward the morbid right from the start.

Then Maddy is struck by lightening and becomes a zombie. (I didn't know that could happen, but there's lots of good information on zombies in this book.) By coincidence, there's a budding zombie outbreak in Barracuda Bay. Maddy and her good zombie friends are doing their best to keep the rest of the town living and themselves undead.

This is the first book I've read where zombies are the good guys. Well, some of the zombies. A great read, but a little too much teenage angst for my taste, like Twilight. Still, highly recommended.

Spell Bound - Hawkins, Rachel

Spell Bound is the third book in the Hex Hall series. Since there is no cliff hanger this time I assume it's the last. I hope not though. They were all great books.



Sophie is back, but her powers have been locked. Considering she's still in a fight for her life, and maybe the whole world, that's not a good thing. And just when she thought her parents were half normal she finds out about her Mom. There's a shocker. Keep wondering who lives and who dies this time. You'll be surprised. Good ending to the series. Very highly recommended.

Someone's Watching - Potts, Sharon

Someone's Watching is a murder mystery about spring break. Perfect timing. If your kids or grandkids are going to Florida, wait until they get back before reading this!



Kate Brooks and her friend Joanne Sparks decided to do something a little more daring on spring break than drink, throw up, and get sunburned. Turns out it was more dangerous than they thought. When the two teenagers go missing, Kate's sister Robbie is enlisted by their father to help find Kate. Of course, before Robbie's father showed up, Robbie never knew she had a sister. A good convoluted murder mystery. Highly recommended.

Demonglass - Hawkins, Rachel

Demonglass is the second book in the Hex Hall series. Another cliff hanger, only this one is really hanging. I have to get that third book!



Sophie is spending the summer in England with her father, who's the head of the Prodigium council. They're living outside London at the Prodigium council headquarters in Thorne Abbey. Sophie is in for a surprise when she finds out who else is staying at Thorne Abbey, and once again her life is in danger. This time from a direction she never expected. Very highly recommended.

Hex Hall - Hawkins, Rachel

Hex Hall is book one in a series. When I finished it last night I started the second, and had to pay for it. Enough said.



Sophie Mercer has magical powers. This makes her a member of the Prodigium. She got her powers from her Dad, whom she's never met. When she finally crosses the line with her magic one too many times she's sentenced to the magical reform school for Prodigium kids, Hecate Hall. The witches, fairies, shape shifters, and other kids who live there know it a Hex Hall. Sophie doesn't fit in right away because she's never met any other Prodigium members. What Sophie doesn't know about herself is going to come as quite a shock, and a dangerous one. Perfect for teens and maybe a little younger. Very highly recommended.

Last Breath - Prescott, Michael

Last Breath is a murder mystery that kept me reading way past bedtime. This is another 99 cent gem.



C.J. Osborn is a seasoned L.A. cop. She's still haunted by an event that took place when she was 10 years old, but she combats her fear by facing the danger her job entails every day. Then somebody targets C.J. for death and the danger is coming from a whole new direction. Prescott never fails to please. This book is no exception. Very highly recommended.

Bubba and the Dead Woman - Bevill, C.L.

Bubba and the Dead Woman is a surprising book. It's a murder mystery that never takes itself too seriously. Think of Bubba as a kind of Texas redneck Stephanie Plum. If you don't know who Stephanie is you probably don't read. The best part is, this book is free for the kindle and the nook.



Bubba Snoddy is having a bad day. He's the just the mechanic, but he's the only person left to work Bufford's Gas and Groceries on a lonely Thursday night. If figuring out the cash register and the hot dog machine weren't enough trouble, when he gets home the next morning there's a dead woman in the weeds beside his house. Bubba is the number one suspect and he's got to fight to find out who really done it. Great book, and did I mention it's free! Very highly recommended.

The Awakened: Book Three - Tesar, Jason

The Awakened: Book Three is the last book in the series, kind of. I'm not going to spoil it for you, but there has to be more. In the words of Peggy Lee, "Is that all there is?"



Kael comes back, from what seemed a life ending injury, to help the empire in their struggle against the ancient demon that thinks of itself as a god. Great book and great, ending but it's not the end. There are little hints about Kael's father Adair, who seems to have been sucked into a time warp and brought to the present time. Nothing in that thread of the story is resolved however. In the end... Well read it! Very highly recommend.

Hostile Witness - Forster, Rebecca

Hostile Witness is a great legal thriller. If you like novels about the law by the likes of Grisham and Connelly, you'll never regret reading this book. And it's free!



Josie Baylor-Bates is a relatively young lawyer who has purposely ducked out of the limelight. The last big case she won was three years ago, and it was a disaster. Now an old friend drops by to ask Josie to defend her daughter. Against her better judgement Josie takes the case, and it looks like a train wreck is heading down the tracks again. Amazing writing that I couldn't put down. Very highly recommended.

From the Ashes - Burns, Jeremy

From the Ashes was a free Friday nook book. If you're into conspiracy theories you'll love this story.



Jon Rickner's life is turned upside down when his brother Michael commits suicide. But Jon and his brother's fiancée Mara discover it wasn't suicide. They begin a search to find what Michael was working on that could make him a target for assassination. What they find is a conspiracy that's been covering up a disastrous decision the government made since before WWII. The question is, can they expose the truth before they become the next victims of this coverup. Highly recommended.

I really liked this book. However, once in a while I come across a good story that is buried in way too many words. This is one of the rare occasions when I wish I'd read the Reader's Digest Condensed version. The author clearly suffers from logorrhea.

The Grail Conspiracy - Sholes, Lynn & Moore, Joe

The Grail Conspiracy is a new twist on the search for the holy grail. In this book it's been found. It's how it's being used that's interesting.



Cotton Stone is a reporter, and a good one, but she's something else she's not even aware of. When Cotton stumbles into an archeological dig in Iraq, she comes into possession of a strange artifact. She has no idea how this simple wooden box will change her life. She's drawn into a conspiracy of world wide proportions. If she survives she could be the key to it all. Highly recommended.

Hearts at Stake - Harvey, Alyxandra

Hearts at Stake was a free Friday nook book. Every Friday Barnes & Noble has a nook book that's free for anyone to download. Even if you don't have a nook you can run the nook app on your computer or android device and take advantage of this free offer. Just check in on Fridays at The NOOK Blog.



Solange Drake is the first female vampire born in hundreds of years. That's turning out to be something of a problem. Solange turns 16 in a few days and she is the object of interest for a great many male vampires. She's also a major problem to the current de facto vampire Queen. Salonge and her best friend Lucky are in for some major trouble as this story closes in on that 16th birthday.

This is definitely a young adult book. I enjoyed it, but it's not a challenging read. The author's continued change of first person narrative between Solange and Lucky was distracting most of the time and didn't add anything to the story. The story was also cluttered with too many factions feuding and fighting with each other. On the whole I'd recommend it for young adults.

Graceling - Cashore, Kristin

Graceling is an amazing novel. It's 99 cents. It's clearly priced to introduce you to a new author, but it's an introduction I'm very grateful for. If you like fantasy kingdoms, where good an evil are championed by heroes with powers that defy explanation, you'll love this book. This is a young adult book and I'd recommend it to my older grandkids.



Katsa is a Graceling. Her special power, or grace, is fighting and killing. Katsa's grace first appeared when she was a young girl and killed an older cousin who made her feel threatened. Her uncle, the king of Middluns, has honed her to be his enforcer ever since. She's the greatest fighter in the Seven Kingdoms. But Katsa also heads the Council, a group dedicated to providing justice for the people of the Seven Kingdoms. Katsa's mission to rescue the kidnapped father of the Lienid king turns into a much bigger challenge than expected. One that could decide the future of the whole Seven Kingdoms. This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Very highly recommended.

The Golden Acorn - Cooper, Catherine

The Golden Acorn is the first book in The Adventures of Jack Brenin series. I've already ordered the second because I have to know what happens next. This is a great book to share with your kids, or in my case grandkids. And it's free!



Jack Brenin was shipped off to his Grandfather's in England when his Mother passed away. He's sure he'll be bored to tears until he's hit in the back of the head with a golden acorn. That's when his adventures begin. Talking birds, rats, bats, dragons, and all manner of magical creatures populate this story. To make it more interesting, Jack learns he has to fly. A delightful read. Very highly recommended.

Weaving Destiny - Ching, G. P.

Weaving Destiny is the second book in The Soulkeepers Series. This time around the focus is on Malini instead of Jacob. More action and suspense. This is a great series.



Malini figures out what her power is in this book. She goes from the group hanger on to the most powerful soulkeeper of all. But someone has to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep the town of Paris Illinois safe. I couldn't put this one down. Now I have to wait for the next book in the series to come out. Very highly recommended.

The Awakened: Book Two - Tesar, Jason

The Awakened: Book Two is the second book in the series. The Awakened: Book One was free, but I had to pay to read the second book, and gladly did so. This series is the kind you have a love/hate relationship with. You love the book and can't seem to put it down, but you hate it when a book keeps you up past 2:00 in the morning when you know you have to get up the next day.



Kael survived the cliff at the end of book one and is now a man who's coming back to his birth place. But the Bastul he was taken from as a child is not the city he finds when he returns. The empire is being assailed from all directions by barbarians. He joins with a band of soldiers fighting to survive and eventually travels to the capital city of Orud where he meets the cause of all the kingdoms strife. His mother and sister, and his old mentor are all eventually in Orud. The threads of the story begin to draw together but there's still another book before the final conclusion. Very highly recommended.

The Detachment - Eisler, Barry

The Detachment is a novel about political intrigue, where assassins are the tools of the trade. This book was 99 cents. An amazing bargain.



John Rain is trying to live an unobtrusive peaceful life in Tokyo, and retire from his life as a government assassin. But he's being watched, and that means his old life is coming to find him. Someone is about to make him and offer he can't refuse and drag him into a race to save lives and maybe the US constitution. I will be reading more John Rain novels. Very highly recommended.

Too Close to Home - Eason, Lynette

Too Close to Home is a murder mystery with a distinct Christian message. This book was free when I downloaded it. The pace is fast and the suspense is palpable. A good read.



Connor Wolfe is a homicide detective working a case with missing teens who are turning up dead. Samantha Cash is an FBI special agent who's specialty is computers. When Connor's missing teens appear to have met their kidnapper online, Samantha is called in to track the killer. Plenty of action and a truly evil villain make this a real page turner. Highly recommended.

Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery) [Kindle Edition] Lois Winston (Author)

Assault with a Deadly Glue Gun is a murder mystery with some interesting differences. Billed as an Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, little recipes for craft projects appear in the text from time to time. This was another free book. It's worth the read.



Anastasia Pollack is the crafts editor for a women's magazine. Her life has been hit by a series of disasters, including her husband dying at a casino in Las Vegas when he was supposed to be on a business trip. Then Anastasia's glue gun is used to murder the fashion editor, who everyone hates, in Anastasia's office. At this point Anastasia decides to turn amateur sleuth. This is a fun story with some serious moments of danger and suspense, but mostly a hilarious misadventure. Highly recommended.