Blog Tour and Giveaway Closed: One Scream Away by Kate Brady

Thank you to Anna at Hachette Books for letting me participate in this blog tour.



Summary

Killer Chevy Bankes is a master of disguise, and just paroled, he's coming after the woman who sent him to jail, the beautiful antiques expert Beth Denison. A set of antique dolls brings Beth into his sight, and inspire Chevy's disturbing crimes as he draws closer to Beth and her young daughter. Chevy sends the dolls to Beth one-by-one and she soon realizes that these antiques carry the same marks as his victims, signaling that the final piece in his collection will be for her.

Neil Sheridan gave up his FBI shield five years ago, but his best friend Rick, a cop, pulls him in as a consultant on a case involving a serial killer who is eerily similar to a murderer Neil encountered in the past. The investigation leads Neil to Beth's doorstep, and he is certain she isn't telling him the truth. Neil is the only one who can get through Beth's defenses and, as they grow closer, discover the secrets that Beth is hiding about her fateful night with Chevy.



My Review

I can't recall ever reading any really suspenseful novels, and if I have they haven't made an impression on me like this one. This book was tense, suspenseful and kinda scary. I would say that this book is exactly how suspense is supposed to be written!

There were some things about the story that were explained a little too conveniently... but they weren't major parts of the plot, so that was ok. The things that mattered: characters, major plot points, and writing were done very well. This killer, Chevy Bankes, was really messed up. I can't even imagine what kind of emotional toll it took on Kate Brady to write this book. As we learn bits and pieces of the past we get to see how messed up Bankes is and you almost start to understand why he does what he does. Getting inside the mind of a killer is crazy, especially when you begin to really understand him.

About halfway through the book it felt like the climax was coming and that the rest of the book wouldn't be as suspenseful as the beginning, but the twist that keeps the story going came out of nowhere and really made the book.

The romance that sprouts between Neil, and ex-FBI agent, and Beth, the killer's main target, doesn't detract from the story. I've read books where the romance seems to take over and the plot takes a seat on the sidelines, but not in this one. The romance does play a part, but it's not what the book centers on.

This was a great suspense novel, and what makes it even better is that it was Kate Brady's debut novel. Given the way this book propelled you into the story and didn't let go I'll be anxiously waiting for her next novel: Last to Die.

To find out more about One Scream Away, or to purchase a copy for yourself please visit Hachette Book Group.

The Giveaway

I'll be giving away 5 copies of this one!!!

This contest will run till 11:59pm July 22nd.

To enter simply leave a comment with you email address. (No email no entry)
For an extra entry become a follower. (Let me know in your comment)
If you already are a follower let me know, you'll get the extra entry also.
Lastly, post the link to this contest on your blog, twitter page, facebook, wherever (just leave the link to where I can find it in you comment)

Please US and Canada entries only
Also NO PO Boxes!

Thank You and Good Luck!

Blog Tour Review: Last Light over Carolina by Mary Alice Monroe

Let me thank Sarah at Pocket Books for allowing me to participate in this one.



Description

From beloved New York Times bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe comes a new novel of the sultry South Carolina lowcountry, and the proud traditions and earthy resilience of the people who live there. Publishers Weekly embraced Time Is a River, Monroe's "novel of strong Southern women," saying "the author's love for her characters is palpable throughout." Now she returns with Last Light over Carolina, the deeply moving story of another strong woman, Carolina Morrison, struggling to prove that love is a light that never dies.

Every woman in the lowcountry knows the unspoken fear that clutches the heart every time her man sets out to sea. Now, that fear has become a terrible reality for Carolina Morrison. Her husband, shrimp boat captain Bud Morrison, the only man she's ever loved, is lost and alone somewhere in the vast Atlantic fi shing grounds, with a storm gathering and last light falling.

As the action unfolds on this one terrifying, illuminating day, Carolina and Bud Morrison look back across thirty years of love and loss, joy and sorrow. Carolina walked away from a well-to-do upbringing to marry Captain Bud Morrison. She embraced his extraordinary lifestyle by the sea and the customs of a historic shrimping village. Yet lately, hard times and the loneliness of long separations have driven them apart -- and driven her to make a mistake that threatens to shatter their once-unbreakable bond forever.

When Bud Morrison is overdue at the docks, the close-knit community rallies together to search for one of its own. But Carolina knows that it is their love that must somehow call him home, across miles of rough water and unspeakable memories. And she swears that if she is given one more chance -- for love and for forgiveness -- nothing will ever take her from this man's side again.

In Last Light over Carolina, Mary Alice Monroe once again explores a vanishing feature of the southern coastline, the mysterious yet time-honored shrimping culture, in a convincing and compelling tale of an enduring marriage.

My Review

After reading the description I thought this book would be a lot like The Perfect Storm. I was wrong. It was a great story and a truly touching and emotional book.

While the story's main plot revolves around Bud and the perilous situation he is in there is so much more to this one. As Bud and Carolina go through their day they recall memories from their past. Not all of them are good, but they all show how life can take it's toll on a marriage. How just loving someone may not always be enough and how the heart works in mysterious ways.

The writing was great. Mary Alice Monroe did a great job capturing the dialect and portraying it in her writing. The two main characters are very well developed and the secondary characters aren't just two dimensional. The flashbacks were done perfectly and they didn't make the story feel choppy.

Even at almost 400 pages it didn't really take me that long to read. The story keeps you connected and wanting to know more. This one was really good, I'm adding her last novel to my To Read list!

To find out more about Last Light over Carolina or to purchase a copy please visit Simon and Schuster.