Fall-Winter Mystery Reading Challenge Wrap Up

I did not finish this challenge as I would have hoped. I only read 3/7 themed books planned.

FALL WINTER MYSTERY CHALLENGE

1 Paranormal or gothic mystery for Halloween - Violets are Blue by James Patterson
2 Autumn/harvest/Thanksgiving related mystery -
2 Winter/snow/Xmas/Hannukah etc related mystery -
1 resolutions/new begininngs related mystery - Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger
1 Romantic mystery/Valentine's related - Pitch Black by Susan Crandall

Pitch Black by Susan Crandall

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Madison and her adopted son, Ethan, leave Philadelphia for a better life in a small town in Tennessee. Madison finally starts to open up to the town and a certain someone and allows Ethan on a camping trip when a tragic accident happens and all hell breaks lose in this small town. Madison and Ethan being outsiders have a harder time with the locals because of this event and figures get pointed everywhere but where they should.

This was my first Susan Crandall and I enjoyed her writing but I felt that too much was given away too quickly. I also didn't like how the narrator changed throughout the book, I thought it was a little too much flip flopping around.

This book fills the following Categories/Challenges for me:

Booktivity November Special: I thank for... ...not living in Pitch Black.

Fall Winter Mystery Challenge: Romantic Mystery

PBT Tag: Other

Monthly Mixer Mele Challenge (B in novemBer)

Violets Are Blue by James Patterson

Rating: 4/5 Stars

We all know Vampires aren't real, right? So then why are people all around the United States being killed and found with bite marks and drained of their blood?

That's where detective Alex Cross comes in: In Book #7 of the Cross series, Alex delves into the underground world of the Vampire to find the truth around these killings. Cross finds a whole underworld of people living their lives as Vampires, even partaking in the drinking of blood. Meanwhile, the Mastermind is back and is harrassing Cross with phone calls and threats, and then he starts to follow through on his threats. Alex Cross has to deal with many professional and person issues in this book which could probably have been broken out into two books. The Vampire Murders and the Mastermind plots are both individually enjoyable. Together they seem to try to take your mind of who the Mastermind could be, even though it's pretty obviously early on with the not so subtle hints given by Patterson.

All in all, I loved being back in the world of Alex Cross - I read Roses are Read early this year after being away from the series for some time and I was a little disappointed by the ending. Having read many Patterson novels over the years, including ones he's written with other authors, I have to say there is nothing like a PURE James Patterson novel. I am convinced that when he writes with other authors its mostly the other authors work and he put very little input in, and coming back to the old days when it was just him writing I am even more convinced. Patterson knows how to write a story that creates suspense and excitement that you can't wait to read on until the last page is read. Although I knew early who the Mastermind was, I did not know who did the Vampire killings and I was thoroughly entertained throughout the story. I really like when the Mastermind is reveiled they relive some of the old cases where the Mastermind was intertwined in that we didn't necessarily know about originally... I thought this aspect was pretty cool. I feel bad for the women he loves as they have all been attacked and/or killed because of their affiliation with Cross.. he's certainly not lucky with the ladies.

This book fits the following Groups/Challenges:

• Fall Winter Mystery Challenge - Paranormal or gothic mystery for Halloween
• PBT OCT Tag: Contemporary Fiction

Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

Life is all about the choices we make and our response to the choices that others make. Ridley Jones has had a good life, that is until she saves a boys life and her face is splattered all over the papers and news. Her life is turned upside down when she receives a mysterious note with a picture, taken in the 1970s, of a women who looks eerily a lot like her.

Ridley's life is quickly unveiled as a web of beautiful lies and she must find out the truth, but who does she trust? Her Parents? Her ex-fiance Zack? Her new neighbor Jake? As her life as she knows it is unfolded there is no going back to the life that she once knew - there is only going deeper into the mystery to learn the truth.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and was so happy to see the end actually saying, "The Beginning..." I cannot wait to read more of Ridley Jones' story and see what her future holds. The book had great character development and some good twists and turns.

Favorite quote: "The universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it."

This book fills the following challenges:

• PBT Oct Debut
• Grammar Rules Challenge #3 Adjective (Beautiful)
• Fall Winter Mystery Challenge (resolutions/new begininngs related mystery)