Review: Face of Betrayal by Lis Wiehl, April Henry

A young Senate page home on vacation turns up dead. The resulting investigation reveals a possible relationship with a Senator. Three friends, a reporter, a Federal Prosecutor, and an FBI Special Agent work the case to its conclusion.

The story has a familiar ring to it. I like fiction stories that pull their subject matter from the headlines. Somehow it makes the story seem more real and draws you in. This story also adds the interesting dynamic between three friends working the case from different angles. This dynamic allows the reader to experience the action from every angle.

Face of Betrayal is a fast-paced book with a compelling story and interesting twists and turns. It is an interesting blend of a political and crime thriller that was fun to read.

Review: I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse by Michael Franzese

As a capo in the Colombo crime family, Michael Franzese operated businesses that generated millions of dollars each week. Then he left that life behind. After turning his life around and serving time, he now helps teach others how to run legitimate businesses.

I really didn't know what I was going to think about this book before I read it. I must say that it has a different perspective from any business book I have read. The principles Michael lays out are simple and sound, but the perspective he brings is compelling. I found the personal stories interesting and informative. While none of the ideas are ones I haven't heard before, the new perspective reinforced them in a different light. The book is well thought out and an interesting read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone. And I'm not just saying that because the author used to be a crime boss.

Review: Kiss by Ted Dekker, Erin Healy

I read every Ted Dekker book I can as soon as I can. And as soon as I'm done, I can't wait for the next one. Kiss is no exception. In this book, Ted Dekker partners with Erin Healy to tell a powerful story that has it all - suspense, mystery, twists, emotion, and best of all, it makes you think.

Dekker and Healy use a paranormal device where the main character, Shauna McAllister, finds that she can steal the memories of others, even as she struggles to regain her own recent memories after a traffic accident. What follows is a thrill ride that takes the reader to the very end of the book and leaves them breathless and wanting more.

Some people don't understand or object to the paranormal aspect of this book, but I liked it. It is imaginative and makes you think. I think maybe because so much literature that makes use of the paranormal is dark, people are cautious of it. But if you look at C.S. Lewis' popular Narnia series, the very foundation is built on the paranormal.

If you want an exciting, engaging book, you can never go wrong with Ted Dekker, and if her first book is any indication, I will be reading everything from Erin Healy in the future too.

Review: The Unseen by T.L. Hines

Hines describes the genre of his books as "noir bizarre".  You can see his blog for more of an explanation, but I think bizarre is a pretty accurate description.  In his latest book, "The Unseen", the main character is a little hard to like at first.  Lucas is a loner who likes to hide in public places and observe the people around him.  He limits himself to public places, but soon gets caught up with a group who spies on people in their homes.  He struggles with the morality of what they are doing, but also gets caught up trying to help out the people they are spying on.  At the same time, Lucas is dealing with his past, which he has a hard time remembering.  While I started out a little put off by the topic, I soon found myself intrigued and wondering what was going to happen next.  Ironically, I realized that reading a book is very similar to what Lucas is doing, putting yourself in a voyeur position in the lives of the characters of the book.  Overall, this is a pretty good book with several twists that you won't see coming.  The ending was a little strange, but that just brings us back to the bizarre part of "noir bizarre".

You can find this book on the Thomas Nelson site here.