If I Should Die, By Jennie Hansen

A great mystery with a surprise ending!

One morning on a routine jog, Kallene’s running partner, Linda, confides that she’s filing for divorce. The next morning, she’s gone without a trace, leaving behind her frightened young daughter. Since Linda’s enraged husband refuses to notify the police, Kallene steps in to initiate a missing person search, not knowing it would soon become a murder investigation—or that she’d soon fall for the charming lead detective.

With Linda’s handsome brother also on her mind, Kallene must navigate the rapids of a double romance as well as the deepening suspicion in her upscale Utah neighborhood. Intrigue turns to danger as Kallene faces the consequences of hasty judgments. And when startling new evidence casts Linda’s murder as the work of a determined killer, Kallene needs the intervention of unlikely heroes to avoid being the next victim.

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clarke

Who has not read about—or experienced—with a sinking feeling the fear that someone else out there may be using your credit cards, accessing your bank account, even stealing your identity?
In I'll Walk Alone, Alexandra “Zan” Moreland, a gifted, beautiful interior designer on the threshold of a successful Manhattan career, is terrified to discover that somebody is not only using her credit cards and manipulating her financial accounts to bankrupt her and destroy her reputation, but may also be impersonating her in a scheme that may involve the much more brutal crimes of kidnapping and murder. Zan is already haunted by the disappearance of her own son, Matthew, kidnapped in broad daylight two years ago in Central Park—a tragedy that has left her torn between hope and despair.

Now, on what would be Matthew’s fifth birthday, photos surface that seem to show Zan kidnapping her own child, followed by a chain of events that suggests somebody—but who? Zan asks herself desperately, and why?—has stolen her identity.

Hounded by the press, under investigation by the police, attacked by both her angry ex-husband and a vindictive business rival, Zan, wracked by fear and pain and sustained only by her belief, which nobody else shares, that Matthew is still alive, sets out to discover who is behind this cruel hoax.

What she does not realize is that with every step she takes toward the truth, she is putting herself— and those she loves most—in mortal danger from the person who has ingeniously plotted out her destruction.

Even Zan’s supporters, who include Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner and amateur detective, and Father Aiden O’Brien, who thinks that Zan may have confessed to him a secret he cannot reveal, believe she may have kidnapped little Matthew. Zan herself begins to doubt her own sanity, until, in the kind of fast-paced explosive ending that is Mary Higgins Clark’s trademark, the pieces of the puzzle fall into place with an unexpected and shocking revelation.

Deeply satisfying, I’ll Walk Alone is Mary Higgins Clark at the top of her form.

Faithful, Fit and Fabulous by Connie E. Sokol

According to Connie, when we're unhappy, we've likely looked in the wrong direction--sideways rather then upward. In this competitive world, she says, we women can be our own worst enemies.

In her new inspiring book, she encourages you to get Back to Basics, and transform your life in just eight weeks by focusing on creating a personal life plan, setting goals and rewarding your efforts along the way.

Faithful, Fit and Fabulous is filled with humor and "I can relate" life experiences. It's the ideal life boost--no guilt, no feeling overwhelmed and no reaching for that pan of brownies. She shares gospel principles from scriptures, priceless gems from general conference addresses and much more along with ways to readily apply them in your busy daily life and shows us how to focus on priorities while enjoying the process.

So many of us reach for the moon and two days later fail and are shoveling down cake. Instead she says, be a B+ girl. Shoot for 80-85% to start then work towards refining it higher. Be realistic, be wise...don't be overwhelmed. Build "line upon line, precept upon precept" and you will create a joyful and purposeful life.

Visit her website, 8basics.com to learn more or ask her questions. Find her book here, you'll be glad you did!

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

In between a checkered past and a fairytale future, a decision awaits. Brad Cutler, twenty-eight, is a rising star at his New York ad agency, about to marry the girl of his dreams. Anyone would agree he has it all---a great career, a beautiful and loving fiancee, and a fairy tale life ahead of him ... when memories of a high school girlfriend begin to torment him. Lost innocence and one very difficult choice flood his conscience, and he is no longer sure what the future will bring except for this: He must go back to the shores of Holden Beach in search of his first love, and a forgiveness neither of them has ever known. Three people must work through the repercussions of a decision made long ago before any of them can look toward a new future.

This is the first book of Karen's I have read. She came highly recommended as a great author by a close friend. Shades of Blue didn't disappoint and I look forward to reading more of her books. The lesson on forgiveness in this book is very powerful.

Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

Someone is watching . . .

As a young widow, all Elaina Bryant wants is a fresh start. Determined to put ten painful years behind her, she returns to her hometown and moves in with her sister, Natalie. Elaina soon accepts a job working at a small bookstore owned by the handsome Ryan Hill and his mother. Despite her reluctance to become romantically involved with anyone, she is drawn to Ryan and finds herself falling in love.

But someone isn’t happy with Elaina’s new life and is watching her every move. Her tormenter seems determined to destroy her sanity and her future, but Elaina can’t convince anyone the threat is real. Natalie is preoccupied with her own blossoming romance, and their friend Peter, a police officer, seems to believe the threat has been manufactured in Elaina’s own mind as a result of her guilt and grief.

Now Elaina’s plans for a new start are crashing down around her. She knows she will have to find the answers before she can overcome the past and enjoy love and happiness again. But how can she protect those she loves when she doesn’t know whom to trust?

This is the first book of Stephanie's I've read. I bought it a while back and was slow in reading it. Once I got into it all I wanted to do was read it. Romantic-Suspense is one of my favorite genres. I will have to check out her first book now, Finding Rose.

http://www.stephaniehumphreys.net/

Perilous, by Tamara Hart Heiner

Jaci Rivera has plans for her sophomore year-- to make the honor roll and eat too much pizza with her best friends, Callie and Sara. Her biggest concern is Amanda, the pushy girl who just moved into town. What Jaci doesn't plan for is catching a notorious robber red-handed, or being kidnapped. The desperate thief drags her and her friends 2,000 miles across the Canadian border. Then Jaci finds something out about her family. Something which irrevocably connects her to their kidnapper, and makes her question their chances of escape.

Author Tamara Hart Heiner lives in Arkansas with her husband and three children. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English. She teaches English in the mornings and spends the rest of the day avoiding the laundry and other chores, all in the name of parenting. Sometimes she gets to sit down in front of the computer and write for a few hours.

To learn more or get your own autographed copy of Perilous: http://tamarahartheiner.blogspot.com

NEW Book Review: The Upside of Down, by Rebecca Talley

"Hmmm," the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

The author:

Rebecca grew up in Santa Barbara, CA, with her sister and grandparents. She attended BYU and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Communications. While at BYU, she met and married her sweetheart, Del.

Del and Rebecca are the parents of 10 wildy-creative, multi-talented children. They live on a small ranch in rural CO with 7 of their kids, a dog, cats, a spoiled horse, and a herd of goats.

When Rebecca isn't writing, she likes to date her husband, play with her kids, swim in the ocean, make jewelry, and dance to disco music while she cleans the house. She loves chocolate and ice cream. Her favorite ice cream flavor is Chocolate Seduction.

She is the author of a children's picture book, "Grasshopper Pie" (WindRiver 2003) and three novels, "Heaven Scent" (CFI 2008), "Altared Plans" (CFI 2009), and "The Upside of Down" (CFI 2011). I've also authored numerous children's magazine stories and articles.

You can find her online at: www.rebeccatalley.com