"Scare Me", By Richard Jay Parker

I am amazed how some authors have such twisted imagination to pen gory, creepy thrillers that slowly draw its readers deep into a fictional world and leave them speechless because passing time with them is such a thrill…yes this one is that good

“When did you last Google yourself”. Aren’t you a bit curious?

This is the story of a wealthy businessman, Will Frost, who after being woken up in the middle of the night by a mysterious caller goes online to find a site in his name showing photos inside his home along with six other houses he has never seen before. A murder was committed in the first house and then he is told his daughter has been kidnapped and to save her he needed to visit each of the houses before the police shows up. Given tidbits of information Will is then on a wild chase around the world and founds himself running the deserted streets and smack into violence and murder…..is it scary…maybe…maybe not…

What a read. This psychological thriller has kept my full attention throughout. This story is so full of tension and intrigue I simple had to push on to see what would happen next. There is so much action and so many unexpected twists and turns to keep us on our toes, I had little chance to get off. It is such a very hard story to put down. Vividly said, the images described are imprinted in my mind. I definitely wouldn’t want to be in Will shoes.

Mr. Parker’s background as a TV script writer shines in this story and shows how skilled he is in portraying action and his characters’ emotion with the right words. Ok, I admit this story is far-fetched borders implausible but it makes for a very entertaining read. I love how the suspense exceeds the last words….Maybe a sequel….hope so..

I received “Scare Me” as a complimentary book from Lume Books with no obligations to write a review.

"The Book of Lost Names", by Kristin Harmel

This latest chronicles the story of a skilled forger who risks her life to help hundreds of Jewish children escape the Nazis during World War 11. This unforgettable historical novel is inspired by an astonishing true story. “The Book of Lost Names” is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of evil. This is the story of Eva Traube, her story transitions between 2005 in Florida and France 1940 where the life of a young Polish-French changed for ever.

The dual time line is easy to follow, it is smoothly done. Mostly set during the war, of course there is a great deal about the French Resistance and the incredible important role the forgers had to play in order to save thousands of lives. We follow Eva’s journey into a world of inner working of networks and into Eva’s personal sacrifice. We also have a love story of two people which time is not on their side.

The writing is touching and much care is brought to each character making this one of the most engaging stories I have read in some time. Who to trust and who not to trust were on everyone’s mind and the author highlights the struggles Eva suffered to find the right balance. There is a lot to this story, so much humanity in the words, so much pain…In Eva`s clandestine group we will meet other forgers, a priest, a bookstore keeper, her landlady and her mother who plays an important role. These good people are just a drop of good people doing dangerous activities under the nose of the Nazis.….many of them will be betrayed and will never be seen again…

The author tells us although her story is based on true historical facts she took liberty to change place, names and modified events to give her more freedom to transport us into a heart-warming story that would stay with us after the closing page….This page-turner surely did for me. This is one novel I had a very hard time to put down. Well-done.

I receive the ARC from the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada via Netgalleys for my unbiased and voluntary opinion.

"The Heart of a Hero", by Susan May Warren

Global Search and Rescue book # 2

This sequel to “Way of the Brave” continues the story of Jake Silver, a former Navy Seal working for a global search and rescue organisation, and Aria Sinclair, a surgeon who takes care of children with heart conditions. Jake had rescued her on Mount Denali in book #1. In this second edition, Aria heads to Florida to speak at a medical conference when a misdirected text is received by Jake. He immediately assumes Aria is in trouble and needs rescuing…He heads to Florida even if Hurricane Lucy is raging…..and the fun begins….or the nightmare….

In a background of a devastation scenario, this soft romance story is packed with emotions and deep feelings. Jack is a broken hero that carries a lot of baggage but he has a heart of gold. Aria is so prone to natural disaster and again has taken immense risks…. how many problems these two can get into…you wouldn’t believe it. Pages after pages of trouble….and we are deed into a drama filled with twists hard to imagine. One would say this story is a mixture of faith, suspense and action, maybe a buddy romance….

“The Heart of a Hero” does not let the two protagonists take a break, one problem after the other crosses their paths. These two are so well- defined they simply grab your heart and you soon forget they simply characters. Jake and Aria are not the only ones playing a particular role, Jake’s Navy body Ham and wife Signe have an interesting second chapter in their lives recounted, hopefully we will learn more in the future. Too many open questions not to be resolved…..We have other captivating characters that helped propel the story forward and added a human side to this gripping story.

This story is clean, no sex and no bad language and also has religion connotations. If you don’t mind reading a Christian adventure story you will enjoy this book. It left me with mixed feelings…..but curious for book #3

I received a copy from the Publisher Revell via First Reviewer Program for my thoughts