ARC Review: The Caretaker by A. X. Ahmad

The Caretaker

Author: A. X. Ahmad

Publication: Minotaur Books (May 21, 2013)

Description: Who is the caretaker hiding in the shadows of the Martha’s Vineyard mansions he tends?

Back in India, Ranjit Singh commanded an elite army squad. But that was years ago, before his Army career ended in dishonor, shattering his reputation. Driven from his homeland, he is now a caretaker on the exclusive resort island of Martha’s Vineyard, looking after the vacation homes of the rich and powerful. One harsh winter, faced with no other choice, he secretly moves his family into the house of one of his clients, an African-American Senator. Here, his wife and daughter are happy, and he feels safe for the first time in ages. But Ranjit’s idyll is shattered when mysterious men break into the house. Pursued and hunted, Ranjit is forced to enter the Senator’s shadowy world, and his only ally is Anna, the Senator’s beautiful wife, who has secrets of her own. Together, they uncover a trail of deception that leads from the calm shores of the Vineyard to countries half a world away. And when his investigation stirs up long forgotten events, the caretaker must finally face the one careless decision that ruined his life- and forced him to leave India. 

A gripping tale of hidden histories, political intrigue and dangerous attractions, A. X. Ahmad's The Caretaker introduces a new hero for our times: an immigrant caught between two worlds and a man caught between two loves.

My Thoughts: THE CARETAKER was a wonderful suspense novel that was so well-written that I didn't even notice the prose because I was so involved in the story. Ranjit Singh is a Sikh and a disgraced army officer who has brought his family to the US to make a new life for them. But, after working unhappily in his wife's uncle's store, he has moved his family to Martha's Vineyard and become a landscaper. However, winter is coming, the jobs are ending, the house they are renting is falling apart, and his wife is sinking into depression. 

When the wife of a Senator he worked for during the summer offers him a caretaking job and leads to other jobs, he feels confident that they will survive the winter. But a series of break-ins makes the area dangerous. When the furnace in their rental house dies, he moves his family into the Senator's house. Then armed men break in searching for something and start a string of events that involve international politics and Singh's own past as a soldier in the Indian Army.

The story has a marriage that is breaking, an affair that has no future, clashes with Homeland Security and all sorts of dangers. Through it all Singh holds fast to the plan to save his family and shows both strength and honor. Singh is a well-rounded character. We learn about his past through the dreams and sometimes hallucinations he still has about the events that ended his army career.

Fans of suspense novels with unique main characters will really enjoy THE CARETAKER.

Favorite Quote:

"This place—" James gestures at the corridor. "—this whole place is full of men hiding from something. Druggies here, and plenty of ex-cons. But you, Captain, you're different. You show up with a turban and a beard, then it's gone. Now you have some sort of microfilm. And last night the elevator was working, so I went down. Tow men were in the lobby, asking the night manager questions. They showed him a picture, an old picture, but it was you, wearing an army uniform."

I got this eARC through Minotaur Books' Early Reviewer program. You can buy your copy here. 

Blog Tour Review: Bare It All by Lori Foster

Bare It All
Author: Lori Foster
Publication: Harlequin HQN (April 30, 2013)

Description: A cop's craving to know more about the woman next door could prove fatal in the steamy new novel from New York Times best selling author Lori Foster

As the person responsible for taking down a brutal human trafficker, Alice Appleton fears retaliation at every turn. No one knows about her past, which is exactly how she prefers it…until the sexy cop next door comes knocking.

Detective Reese Bareden thinks he knows what makes women tick, but his ever-elusive neighbor keeps him guessing like no other. Is his goal to unmask Alice's secrets? Or protect her from a dangerous new threat? One thing is certain: their chemistry is a time bomb waiting to explode. And with no one to trust but each other, Reese and Alice are soon drawn into a deadly maze of corruption, intrigue and desire—and into the line of fire….

My Thoughts: For heart-pounding suspense and heart-pounding romance, you can't do better than Lori Foster. As this book begins, Detective Reese Bareden wakes up on Alice Appleton's couch after being licked away by his puppy. Since his apartment was the scene of a crime and Alice came to his rescue, she gave him a place to stay. Reese had been fascinated with Alice since she met him but it took a rescued puppy before she would give him a chance. 

Alice has learned to guard herself closely since being rescued by human traffickers. She doesn't have any desire to get close to anyone because she doesn't know who she can trust and because of the guilt she feels about assisting the traffickers until she could escape. Alice is quiet and shy and not convinced that she would be attractive to any man.

Reese is first attracted to her quiet beauty but soon learns to appreciate much more about her including her bravery and the way she cares for his abused puppy. When she impulsively rescues another woman from abuse, she puts herself in the crosshairs of a very bad man. It takes Reese, his partner Logan, Rowdy Yates and the elusive Trace to keep her safe.

I loved watching the relationship between Alice and Reese develop. Their love scenes were hot and filled with emotion. I also liked seeing Logan and Pepper (from Run the Risk) and catching up with their lives. Pepper's brother Rowdy had a substantial role in this story, too, and I enjoyed watching his view of the cops change as he gets to know Reese and Logan. I liked that the group of them forged a strong unit of love and respect. 

Fans of romantic suspense will really enjoy this story.

Favorite Quote:

Fully dressed, Detective Reese Bareden was a heartstopper. Half-naked, he was enough to turn her stupid with lust.

Here is the book trailer:

I got this eARC from NetGalley for the blog tour. You can buy your copy here. 

Teaser Tuesday: The Caretaker by A. X. Ahmad

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from The Caretaker by A. X. Ahmad. I got this eARC through Minotaur Books' Early Reviewer program. This mystery will be released on May 21. Here is the description:

Who is the caretaker hiding in the shadows of the Martha’s Vineyard mansions he tends?

Back in India, Ranjit Singh commanded an elite army squad. But that was years ago, before his Army career ended in dishonor, shattering his reputation. Driven from his homeland, he is now a caretaker on the exclusive resort island of Martha’s Vineyard, looking after the vacation homes of the rich and powerful. One harsh winter, faced with no other choice, he secretly moves his family into the house of one of his clients, an African-American Senator. Here, his wife and daughter are happy, and he feels safe for the first time in ages. But Ranjit’s idyll is shattered when mysterious men break into the house. Pursued and hunted, Ranjit is forced to enter the Senator’s shadowy world, and his only ally is Anna, the Senator’s beautiful wife, who has secrets of her own. Together, they uncover a trail of deception that leads from the calm shores of the Vineyard to countries half a world away. And when his investigation stirs up long forgotten events, the caretaker must finally face the one careless decision that ruined his life- and forced him to leave India. 

A gripping tale of hidden histories, political intrigue and dangerous attractions, A. X. Ahmad's The Caretaker introduces a new hero for our times: an immigrant caught between two worlds and a man caught between two loves.

Teaser:

If Anna had arrive a few minutes later, he would have killed that man. He imagines sharp glass entering the man's soft throat, the screams of a butchered animal...

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 13, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I had a great week. I finished four books and got a chance to meet Eoin Colfer. Here are the books I read:

Don't let the sort of boring cover put you off! The Caretaker by A. X. Ahmad was a very entertaining thriller with an unusual main character. I don't think I have ever read a book about a disgraced Sikh Army officer. My review will be posted on May 16 for this May 21 release.

The Rising by Kelley Armstrong finished up her Darkness Rising series and includes a finale for the Darkest Powers trilogy too. I like Armstrong's writing style and enjoyed this book. Look for my review on May 16.

The Last Girl by Jane Casey was also a mystery. I got this eARC from Minotaur Books' Early Reviewer program. The book will be released on May 21. I enjoyed the well-developed characters and the twisty plot. My review will be posted on May 18.

Bare It All by Lori Foster was a romantic suspense title that I really liked a lot. My review will be posted on May 15 as part of the blog tour. 

I am currently reading the eARC of The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross. This is the third book in her YA steampunk series. 

Next Week:

Of Triton by Anna Banks is an ARC I got from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. This sequel to Of Poseidon will be released on May 28.

SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows is an eARC I received from a publicist at Entangled Publishing. It was pitched to me as similar to Suzanne Brockmann who is a favorite of mine. 

Monument 14: Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne also arrived via Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. This is also a sequel to a book I read and will be released on May 28.

Dare You To by Katie McGarry was an eARC I requested from NetGalley because I really enjoyed her earlier book—Pushing the Limits. It will also be released on May 28.

If time permits, I will also be reading these since they have been sitting on my review stack forever:

The Spanish Revenge by Allan Topol

Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel

Time may be a factor though. I plan to attend another author signing at the Red Balloon this Wednesday night. Jeri Smith-Ready will be signing.

I had a great time at the Eoin Colfer signing last week. He is a very engaging speaker and he was traveling with a magician too. I was pleased to see that at least a third of the audience were middle schoolers with mothers in tow. Lots of fun!

What are your plans for the week?

Stacking the Shelves (May 12, 2013)

Tynga of Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

This week I added five books to my stack.

Kindle:

I bought a copy of Crystal Flame by Jayne Ann Krentz. I have a print copy of this book but wanted a more portable copy of one of my favorite science fiction romances. 

I also bought Bare It All by Lori Foster. I just finished reading the eARC and wanted a finished copy because I anticipate reading this romance again. 

Claimed by Evangeline Anderson combines science fiction and vampires and was available at a very reasonable price. I couldn't resist.

SEAL of Honor by Tonya Burrows is my only review book of the week. I got this romantic suspense eARC from a publicist at Entangled Publishing. The book will be released on May 28.

My only print book of the week was Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris. I have been following the Sookie Stackhouse books from the beginning. I am sad to see the series end and am eager to see how it ends. (I have been avoiding all internet spoilers until I get a chance to read it.)

What did you get this week?

ARC Review: Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt

Cuts Through Bone

Author: Alaric Hunt

Publication: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (May 14, 2013)

Description: Winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition

At first, Rachel Vasquez found her new job working for private detective Clayton Guthrie promising. He got her a gun and a license and took her to target practice. But lately she’s just been doing surveillance, and it’s not her idea of an exciting time. She is contemplating quitting when Guthrie lands an intriguing case that will take all their wits and guts to solve.

Camille Bowman, a beautiful blond Columbia student and Manhattan heiress, is found dead, shot by a gun that belonged to her fiancé Greg Olsen, an Afghan war veteran. Guthrie is hired to prove Olsen’s innocence, and fortunately he thinks Olsen smells clean. The detectives return to the scene of the crime where they see a vagrant who claims he heard the shots and picked the girl’s wallet. Tiring of their questions, the vagrant flees, and Vasquez and Guthrie must track a man who’s an expert at disappearing while also butting heads with the NYPD, cracking doors at Columbia University, and crawling through the city's subterranean tunnels.

To complicate matters, the murder could be part of a spree of killings being called the Barbiedoll murders, in which women are killed for no apparent reason and with no suspect in sight. The NYPD would like to pin them all on Olsen, and his life will depend on Guthrie and Vasquez catching the real culprit. In a race against time, the detectives gather clues that culminate in a bloody chase of one very determined and surprising killer.

Cuts Through Bone is a suspenseful ride, a novel that is atmospheric, stylistic, and gritty to boot. In Vasquez and Guthrie, youth and brashness meet experience and resolve, making for one of the most intriguing PI teams around. Debut author Alaric Hunt has penned a riveting hardboiled mystery, a contemporary story with the feel of a classic PI novel and a scope as large and complex as New York City, and even reaching beyond.

My Thoughts: Alaric Hunt channels Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler in this mystery that is reminiscent of the hard-boiled detective stories of the 1930s and 40s. However, Hunt does bring the mystery up to the present by adding computers, cell phones and a young female Puerto Rican assistant to our hard-boiled detective.

Raquel Vasquez is new to the detective business. All she has done so far is learn to shoot and learn to observe. Surveillance isn't holding her attention though. When her boss Clayton Guthrie gets a new case, things start to look up.

Guthrie is hired by one of New York's Old Money types to find out who killed his niece. Another niece is convinced that it wasn't her boyfriend Greg Olsen even though the police have arrested him. Guthrie and Vasquez begins a hunt that takes them among the homeless in New York City, involves the Russian mob, and has roots in the war in Afghanistan. 

I liked Raquel as a character and empathized with her struggles to be her own person while not disappointing her loving parents. I disliked that Hunt continually described her as Puerto Rican as though nothing else about her mattered as much. 

I liked the colorful descriptions including "grilled her like a sandwich" but disliked the amount of description because I felt that it slowed the pace of the story and was sometimes inappropriately placed (like in the middle of a conversation).

I thought Hunt captured the grittiness of a hunt for a murderer, and the tedium of an investigation that required hours of following leads that may or may not pan out, well. I thought that the many threads that Guthrie and Vasquez discovered added to the richness of the story even though some of the threads were left hanging at the end. 

Fans of the hard-boiled detective stories of the 30s and 40s would be a good audience for this title.

Favorite Quote:

Vasquez cleared her throat and caught Whitridge's eye. "I gotta admit I thought of that," the young Puerto Rican said. "That first thing, he would kill Gagneau. I thought of that and didn't think it was a bad thing. Gagneau needs to be dead now, not a year from now, or however long it takes to convince the NYPD to look for him. I spent the past few days looking at women he's killed. Gagneau's not going to stop. He's killed almost two hundred women over the past year or so. Maybe a man don't find that much to worry about. Mister, he don't need another year, or even another week."

I got this eGalley through Minotaur Books eGalley Newsletter: March Edition. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting Cuts Through Bone by Alaric Hunt which is a mystery that I got from the Minotaur Books March eGalley Newsletter. It will be released on May 14. I thought it sound like an intriguing story. Here is the description:

Winner of the PWA Best First Private Eye Novel Competition

At first, Rachel Vasquez found her new job working for private detective Clayton Guthrie promising. He got her a gun and a license and took her to target practice. But lately she’s just been doing surveillance, and it’s not her idea of an exciting time. She is contemplating quitting when Guthrie lands an intriguing case that will take all their wits and guts to solve.

Camille Bowman, a beautiful blond Columbia student and Manhattan heiress, is found dead, shot by a gun that belonged to her fiancé Greg Olsen, an Afghan war veteran. Guthrie is hired to prove Olsen’s innocence, and fortunately he thinks Olsen smells clean. The detectives return to the scene of the crime where they see a vagrant who claims he heard the shots and picked the girl’s wallet. Tiring of their questions, the vagrant flees, and Vasquez and Guthrie must track a man who’s an expert at disappearing while also butting heads with the NYPD, cracking doors at Columbia University, and crawling through the city's subterranean tunnels.

To complicate matters, the murder could be part of a spree of killings being called the Barbiedoll murders, in which women are killed for no apparent reason and with no suspect in sight. The NYPD would like to pin them all on Olsen, and his life will depend on Guthrie and Vasquez catching the real culprit. In a race against time, the detectives gather clues that culminate in a bloody chase of one very determined and surprising killer.

Cuts Through Bone is a suspenseful ride, a novel that is atmospheric, stylistic, and gritty to boot. In Vasquez and Guthrie, youth and brashness meet experience and resolve, making for one of the most intriguing PI teams around. Debut author Alaric Hunt has penned a riveting hardboiled mystery, a contemporary story with the feel of a classic PI novel and a scope as large and complex as New York City, and even reaching beyond. 

Beginning:

The blare of car horns from Thirty-fourth Street in midtown Manhattan leaked though two tall windows on the far end of the rectangular office.

Friday 56:

"Don't be like that, Clay," she said, then paused. "You think they have the wrong man?""That's what I get paid for," he said.