Book Review: Fatal Affair by Marie Force

Fatal Affair
Author: Marie Force
Series: The Fatal Series (Book 1)
Publication: Carina Press (February 25, 2014)

Description: Another scandal at Watergate, only this time it's murder...

Detective Sergeant Sam Holland of the Washington, D.C., Metro Police needs a big win to salvage her career--and her confidence--after a disastrous investigation. The perfect opportunity arises when Senator John O'Connor is found brutally murdered in his bed, and Sam is assigned to the case. Matters get complicated when Sam has to team up with Nick Cappuano, O'Connor's friend and chief of staff...and the man Sam had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their sexual chemistry still sizzles, and Sam has to fight to stay focused on the case. Sleeping with a material witness is another mistake she can't afford--especially when the bodies keep piling up.

My Thoughts: FATAL AFFAIR was a engaging romantic suspense novel that reminded me, in lots of ways, of J. D. Robb's In Death series. Sam Holland is a police sergeant for the DC Metro police. She is dealing with the fallout of the death of a child in a raid on a meth house and is given the case of the death of a senator to, hopefully, save her career. However, the senator's chief of staff is Nick Cappuano. The two of them have a history. Six years ago they had a one-night stand that neither of them have been able to forget.

The middle of a murder investigation is not really the best time to start a new relationship or to rekindle an old one, but Sam and Nick do despite Sam's best judgment. The case is a tricky one. Was the senator killed by a discarded girlfriend? Was he killed because of an immigration bill that he was pushing? And when Sam is almost killed the questions just continue to grow. Is it because of the meth raid? Is it because she is looking for the senator's killer? Is it her obsessed ex-husband?

Sam was a great character. I like her devotion to her father. I liked that she was excelling despite a learning disability. I loved the relationship that Sam has with her partner Freddy. Their banter lightened a story that could have been too grim. And I loved her relationship with Nick who is strong enough to deal with a tough police officer and a sensitive woman.

I finished the book and immediately added the rest of the series to my Kindle. I can't wait to find out what happens next for Sam and Nick.

Favorite Quote:

"Here again, I find myself learning from you."

"Keep that up and you're going to piss me off. I like her for the murder. So far, more than anyone else, I like her."

"I liked her, too," he joked.

"I could tell by the tongue hanging out of your face, but she's too scary and experienced for an innocent boy like you. She'd chew you up and spit you out."

"And that would be bad how exactly?"

"Pardon me while I get busy poking out my mind's eye."

I got this book for review from Amazon Vine. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Fatal Affair by Marie Force

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 Fatal Affair by Marie Force. This is the first book in the Fatal series and came out in 2010. I got this book for review from Amazon Vine. Here is the description:

Another scandal at Watergate, only this time it's murder...

Detective Sergeant Sam Holland of the Washington, D.C., Metro Police needs a big win to salvage her career--and her confidence--after a disastrous investigation. The perfect opportunity arises when Senator John O'Connor is found brutally murdered in his bed, and Sam is assigned to the case. Matters get complicated when Sam has to team up with Nick Cappuano, O'Connor's friend and chief of staff...and the man Sam had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their sexual chemistry still sizzles, and Sam has to fight to stay focused on the case. Sleeping with a material witness is another mistake she can't afford--especially when the bodies keep piling up.

Beginning:

The smell hit him first.

Friday 56:

"He's been kind of..."
"What?" Sam asked, immediately on alert.
"Off. He hasn't been himself for the last few days."

ARC Review: Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach

Heaven's Queen
Author: Rachel Bach
Publication: Orbit (April 22, 2014)

Description: From the moment she took a job on Captain Caldswell's doomed ship, Devi Morris' life has been one disaster after another: government conspiracies, two alien races out for her blood, an incurable virus that's eating her alive.

Now, with the captain missing and everyone -- even her own government -- determined to hunt her down, things are going from bad to impossible. The sensible plan would be to hide and wait for things to blow over, but Devi's never been one to shy from a fight, and she's getting mighty sick of running.

It's time to put this crisis on her terms and do what she knows is right. But with all human life hanging on her actions, the price of taking a stand might be more than she can pay.

My Thoughts: The excitement and danger ramps up even more in this conclusion to the Paradox series. Devi, who is carrying a virus that kills plasmex users and will kill her too, has to find a way to change her world. In this episode, she isn't alone against her host of enemies. Eye Rupert Charkov has abandoned the Eyes and is solidly on Devi's side. Their romance is a strong focus in this story.

It is hard to talk about the plot of this story without spoilers, so I won't. I will say that Devi Morris is a wonderful character who has great courage, a strong sense of honor, and a reckless streak a mile wide. The story is fast-paced and filled with excitement and danger.

I highly recommend reading the whole Paradox trilogy in one big gulp, as I did. It was a great thrill ride!

Favorite Quote:

I let out a frustrated breath. Forget the lelgis, this was going to be the death of me. It'd be fitting, too. My mother had always said my temper would get me killed. Of course, she'd been talking about picking fights with bigger kids, but the idea still stood, and I hated it. From my earliest memories, my rage had been my ally, my power, the strength I could draw on when everything else was gone. Now it was working against me, and I felt like I'd just gotten stabbed in the back by my lifelong partner.

I got this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

TBR Pile (June 4, 2014)

Hello. My name is Kathy and I am a bookaholic.

It is time for a look at my TBR mountain. Here are the print books that are waiting patiently for me to find the time to read them.

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

I don't have a TBR shelf. I have a TBR room. LibraryThing tells me that I have 1431 unread adult books. Fortunately, given the size of my house, about 800 of them are Kindle books.

These books are more or less in alphabetical order by author. Anthologies fill most of the top shelf.

How would you tackle this problem? Finish series already started? Look for favorite authors? Begin at top left and keep going? Read the ones that have been on the stack the longest first? (Some have been here at least since Feb. 8, 2008 when I entered the first books in my LibraryThing account.) Would you read the newest first?

I need a plan and admit that I am at a loss for a good one. I'm planning to bring at least 20 of these beauties home with me for the summer to read between review books and young adult books. Which ones should I take?

Teaser Tuesday: Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach

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!

Teaser:

He cut off as a deep groan rattled through the ship. The noise was more pressure than sound, squeezing his mind in a way Caldswell recognized too well.  It was a phantom's scream, but he'd never heard one this deep or this huge.

This week my teaser comes from Heaven's Queen by Rachel Bach. I requested this eARC quite a while ago from Orbit books. It was finally approved on April 23. Here is the description of this April 22 science fiction novel:

From the moment she took a job on Captain Caldswell's doomed ship, Devi Morris' life has been one disaster after another: government conspiracies, two alien races out for her blood, an incurable virus that's eating her alive.

Now, with the captain missing and everyone -- even her own government -- determined to hunt her down, things are going from bad to impossible. The sensible plan would be to hide and wait for things to blow over, but Devi's never been one to shy from a fight, and she's getting mighty sick of running.

It's time to put this crisis on her terms and do what she knows is right. But with all human life hanging on her actions, the price of taking a stand might be more than she can pay.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (June 2, 2014)

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.

Last week was great. The weather was beautiful and school is winding down. My students have finished all their projects. All I have left to do is fill out the report cards. We have four days left this coming week and then a final work day before summer vacation begins. I really should start packing and deciding which books I am going to carry home with me for summer reading. 

I hope to leave on Saturday and will be able to spend most of the summer up in Duluth. Right now, only one trip back here is planned for the summer. I'll be here for one night early in July as I pick up a friend and we head to Michigan for NerdCampMI.

It is hard to overestimate how eager I am to get to my summer home and be able to live without a schedule.

Read Last Week

I had a week that was very unusual for me. Every book I read was from my TBR mountain. In fact, I even took the time to re-read one of my favorite series.

Shadow Spell by Nora Roberts is the second book in her Cousins O'Dwyer trilogy. It suffered from Middle Book Syndrome but was still an entertaining story. It is Nora Roberts, after all. My review will be posted on June 19.

The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer begins a new YA series for her. This alternate history/steampunk story was also entertaining. My review will be posted on June 19.

The Collector by Nora Roberts was an excellent romantic suspense title. I loved the main characters and their relationship. My review will be posted on June 21. 

I am also re-reading the Theo Waitley novels. Theo is an interesting side character in the Liaden Universe. I began with listening to the audiobook of Fledgling by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller but switched to the print book at chapter 13. I've decided that audiobooks are okay for car trips but I don't want to listen to them when I am just sitting around at home. They go too slow!

And, like potato chips, I couldn't stop at one book. I also re-read Saltation which is the second book in the series and Ghost Ship which is the third book. I have previously reviewed these books here and don't intend to do so again. 

Currently

I am currently reading the latest book in the Theo Waitley series - Dragon Ship by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. I am kind of on a Liaden Universe kick and may read some of the other books in the series again. While I don't intend to read the whole series, I might. I really love this world and these characters. 

Next Week

This week will be a mix of my books and review books as I finish up June and start July titles.

I just got Skin Game by Jim Butcher which is the latest in the Harry Dresden urban fantasy series. I plan to read that first this week. 

Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton is a review book that I won from Penguin's First to Read program. It will be released until July 1. It is the most recent in the Play by Play series. If it follows the trend, it is a spicy romance with professional athletes. I have read all but one of this series and may read the missing book before I get to this one since my review isn't on my calendar until the end of June.

I have three YA ebooks for review this week too.

The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor, On the Fence by Kasie West, and The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson are late June/early July releases. All of these came to me via Edelweiss.

Reviews Posted

• The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst
• Honor's Knight by Rachel Bach
• The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
• Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel

Stacking the Shelves (June 1, 2014)

Tynga of Team 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.

Just a small haul this week.

My copy of Skin Game by Jim Butcher arrived. I'll be taking this to my summer home to read and then share with my brother. We are both big fans of the Harry Dresden urban fantasy series. 

I downloaded the two free SYNC audiobooks this week. I got The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie and Confessions of a Murder Suspect by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

What did you add to your stack this week?