Review: If It Bleeds by Linda Richards

When reading the summary of the book on the back cover, I was immediately drawn in and thought  this sounds like it's going to be a pretty intense book.  But I should have realized, being part of the 'Rapid Reads' series, that there really wasn't enough time for all of the intensity that the story had the potential to be.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good plot line with some interesting characters that the main character, Nicole Charles, interacts with.  Some things did really stand out for me while reading it though, how for her gossip column she had to make sure to get enough 'boob shots' because you know, that's what the readers want.  Or the fact that when she submitted her story to the editor, Mike, about the murder that both she and crime reporter Brent Hartigan were covering, that she received no recognition for the pictures that were printed, that Hartigan literally took her opening to the story and claimed it for his own.  Mike, when confronted, backed Hartigan's decisions on the story.  Later in the story, Nicole comes upon a big break in gaining information... she breaks into the murdered artist's studio. Did the police not find out the deceased had a studio, would they have not found this information? Was Nicole not worried about being charged with breaking and entering?
There were a lot of little things like this that just didn't hold true for me, but overall it was still a decent story. Perhaps some of the seemingly useless information that was spoken about in the book will be referred to in future novellas about this character.

It took me less than 2 hours to read this novella, recommend for a quick read when you're just looking for a quick moving  mystery to occupy your mind.

Review: Totally Unrelated by Tom Ryan

Nice easy going story for those who like a quick read. This book would also be suitable for tweens and teens to read.

Neil is a teenager who plays in his family band, "The Family McClintock" even though he really doesn't like the type of music that they play.  Like in the title of the book, he feels very unrelated to his family; He doesn't look like the rest of his family, or feel that he is as talented as they are either.  Neil wants to do his own thing, and that's what his friend Bert convinces him to do.

The book shows some of the ups and downs that Neil experiences as a teenager... liking different things from his parents/family, wanting to shine all on his own, even a bit of romance.  There are lots of compromises that people have to make in a large family, and even more when there is a family business (band in this case) involved.

The descriptions of the Family McClintock  performances was really great, making me want to listen to some of my own favourite Celtic bands.  Being from Cape Breton and a lover of Celtic music, it really lit my imagination and I could picture the performances.  Well done!

Review: My Sister's Keeper by Brenda Chapman

The Book Blurb:
Anna Sweet, ex-cop turned waitress, is bar-hopping her way across the USA. But a middle-of-the-night phone call to Anna's hotel room in Kermit, Texas, is about to end her life on the road.  The brakes on her sister Cheri's car have failed, and she's lying banged up in the hospital in Ottawa.  Cheri warns that unless Anna comes right home, she'll be dead by Christmas.
Anna has more than enough reason to stay away from her home town.  Yet her sister's terror is a calling card she can't ignore.  Is Cheri's life really in danger? Or is this another bid for attention? A doubting Anna Sweet is about to find out...


Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book, and it really caught my attention from the beginning. It's a very quick read being under 100 pages, but the author does a good job with character development.  Cheri doesn't know if it's her estranged husband Jimmy who is trying to harm her or not. Jimmy is the source of tension between the 2 sisters, as he was first engaged to Anna and ends up having an affair and later marrying Cheri.  The cast of characters are introduced and Anna begins to narrow down the list of suspects.  But is Cheri actually making everything up? Everything stops when Jimmy and their son, Evan, are going to move back in with Cheri.
When the story does come to a conclusion, I think it was a great ending.  (I don't want to give it away, it was very believable and tied up all the loose ends, something that I like!)  Anna now has agreed to stay in Ottawa and join her old friend in starting up a PI agency.

Recommend this book, great quick read for the beach or anytime really.  2 thumbs up!