Rain Girl by Gabi Kreslehner

This was a Kindle First book that I chose because it looked like a good story. I had never heard of Gabi Kreslehner, so I wasn't terribly excited about it and it sat on my Kindle for a few months. This week, I had a business trip and chose this book to read while sitting in airports and flying. From the first page, I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days.

A beautiful but troubled young girl, Marie, is killed by a car on the autobahn near a rest area, and police detectives Franza and Felix take over the investigation. The plot thickens with many twists and turns, some that Franza can't handle. Her family has its own problems - her son has become distant and disappears for days at a time, she doesn't love her husband anymore, and she spends a lot of time with her lover. Kreslehner weaves the lives of the main characters, the suspects, and their relationships together beautifully. As the story unfolds and the clues are uncovered, we are also drawn into Franza's life and her inner struggles. The book is very well written and translated into English. I look forward to reading more of Gabi Kreslehner's work.

The Chocolatier's Wife by Cindy Lynn Speer

What a delightful book! Cindy Lynn Speer weaves a tale of murder, mystery, magic, fantasy, history, and romance that keeps the pages turning. Seriously, it would fit in all of these genres. The story of William and Tasmin is sweet and charming, told through letters and narrative beginning at their births, when a spell chose them for each other to be married. William lives in the South, and, horror of horrors to his family, his intended is an herb witch from the North. William, who owns a chocolate shop, is framed for the murder of the bishop, and Tasmin decides it's time to go South and save his butt, even though he still hasn't called for her to be married yet. She starts investigating, and their love grows as they turn over clues and tease each other with playful flirting. Speer has a wonderful imagination and talent for spinning words, drawing us into a world we never knew existed. I didn't want to put this one down!

Let's Get Digital by David Gaughran

I bought this book as part of the Indie Power Pack 3-book bundle for self-publishing authors. This is the second book in the bundle, and I found it to be straightforward and full of valuable information without the blatant and repetitive self-promotion of the first book. The book is up-to-date and well written. Anyone just starting out as an indie writer needs to read this book. There is no hidden agenda; it is just all of the information you need presented in an easy-to-read and logical format. If Gaughran doesn’t provide the answer to a question, he provides a link to it. There are so many links that lead to even more useful information! This is Indie Publishing 101, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who publishes online. Five stars!

Hidden by Catherine McKenzie

This was a Kindle First book that I received for free.

The reader is drawn immediately into the lives of Jeff Manning, his wife Claire, and his co-worker and close friend, Tish. Jeff is tasked with firing a man who used to be his boss, and is stressing about it, so he calls Tish, who works in HR, for advice. He gets through the firing and decides to walk home rather than take his car. Bad move. Jeff is killed by a car on his way home, but he continues to narrate every third chapter of the book. Claire and Tish, the women he left behind, narrate the alternate chapters.

When each new chapter begins, it takes a minute to realize who is speaking, but usually by the second sentence it is clear. Claire and Tish both mourn Jeff, but we’re never really sure of the extent of Jeff and Tish’s relationship. Did they or didn’t they? Claire gradually finds out more and more of the connection between Jeff and Tish, and it soon begins to consume her. To further complicate matters, Claire was once engaged to Jeff’s brother, Tim. As we go along through the chapters, McKenzie weaves the lives of Jeff, Tish, Claire, Tim, and even their children into an intricate, but very human, story.

The book is very well written and has a compelling story that kept me turning the pages. The characters are believable, as is the story. The only thing that bothered me is that a dead person was narrating. This is the second book I have read in the last couple months with a dead guy telling the story. Maybe it’s just me. I did like the book very much though.

Lady Sun by Marni MacRae

This debut novel by Marni MacRae has it all – a quirky main character, a wild and crazy adventure, danger, fear, and of course love and romance.

Sophia is an independent divorced lady who owns a farm in the state of Washington. Sick of the long winters, she decides to take the trip of a lifetime and finds a deserted island in the Maldives where you can stay in a secluded hut. “This is for me!” she thinks. So she drains her savings account and packs her sundresses and bikinis against the sage advice of her family. After an excruciatingly long plane flight, she finally boards the Lady Sun, a fancy yacht that will take her to her final destination. There is only one other passenger aboard – a tall, good-looking man dressed like a cowboy. Sophia tries to make conversation with Lucas, but he is standoffish and clearly not interested. And then the pirates board the yacht. No spoilers here, but I will say that Sophia and Lucas begin a journey that will take them through hell and back over the next few weeks.

This book was a great read. Sophia has a silly side, but she is strong and intelligent, and well prepared for whatever comes her way (she has everything but the kitchen sink in her purse). She is able to see humor in even the most dire circumstances and keep her cool. Her budding relationship with Lucas is believable and sweet. This was a book I truly did not want to put down, and I can’t wait to read more from Marni MacRae.