Karen Dionne is a master at leaving "hooks" at the end of each chapter. One time I got to the end of a chapter and the cliffhanger was so intense that I was forced to take a break and stop reading for a while, just to catch my breath. I didn't intend to spend all day reading this book, even though I had a cold and wasn't leaving the house, but I just couldn't stop. If you like novels with unique characters, a strong female protagonist, twists and turns, and plenty of suspense, you'll definitely enjoy this thriller. A short fantasy by Hans Christian Andersen, also titled "The Marsh King's Daughter," is the source of the book's title. That story weaves through the book. The opening of Andersen's story forms the prologue of this book. The first actual chapter starts like this: Book Beginning: Helena If I told you my mother's name, you'd recognize it right away. My mother was famous, though she never wanted to be. Hers wasn't the kind of fame anyone would wish for. Jaycee Dugard, Amanda Berry, Elizabeth Smart - that kind of thing, though my mother was none of them. You'd recognize my mother's name if I told it to you, and then you'd wonder - briefly, because the years when people cared about my mother are long gone, as she is - where is she now? And didn't she have a daughter while she was missing? And whatever happened to the little girl? Friday 56 from 56% on my Kindle:
The ice moved up and down as I walked, like the river was breathing, like it was a living thing and it was offended by this arrogant human girl-child who dared to walk across its frozen surface. I imagined the River Spirit reaching an icy hand up out of the water from one of the many gaps in the ice, grabbing my ankle, and pulling me in. Genre: Psychological Suspense Length: 314 Pages Amazon Link: The Marsh King's Daughter I borrowed this ebook from my local library. Synopsis (from Amazon): Helena Pelletier has a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a business that fills her days. But she also has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Helena, born two years after the abduction, loved her home in nature, and despite her father’s sometimes brutal behavior, she loved him, too...until she learned precisely how savage he could be.
More than twenty years later, she has buried her past so soundly that even her husband doesn’t know the truth. But now her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marsh. The police begin a manhunt, but Helena knows they don’t stand a chance. Knows that only one person has the skills to find the survivalist the world calls the Marsh King—because only one person was ever trained by him: his daughter.
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In a departure from her usual sexy murder mysteries, Kelly Marshall (with Larry Flanders) has created a love story in The Chair. The main character, Linda Bauman, has an unusual passion--highchairs! This fascination is tied to her parents' deaths when she was an infant. But now a man has surfaced who claims to be her father. Linda also must choose between the quiet relationship with widower Paul Bixby and an affair with her volatile boss. Kelly Marshall shows her writing versatility in this book, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
First Paragraph: When someone asks me how Linda and I got to know each other, I usually answer, "Highchairs." Ours was not what you would call a torrid romance. To the contrary, the relationship was almost platonic. Linda and I were comfortable together, relaxed, under no stress, neither of us inclined to go along with what everyone else might have considered a good relationship for two middle-aged people. Sexual intimacy was never a big issue, which is not to say that I didn't find Linda incredibly stunning. And, though some would have said I was past my prime, I wasn't ready to be cremated and have my ashes scattered over the Trout River. Those were the instructions I used to give my wife Gretchen.
Teaser (from 21% on my Kindle) (Linda searches through newspaper archives to find out more about her parents): My stomach roiled as I read the account of my mother's death. The article detailed how a close friend, Sandra Hardesty, had found my mother's bludgeoned body on the bedroom floor; her head haloed in blood. The friend testified how she had been drawn inside the house by a child's unrelenting terrified screams.
Genre: Women's Fiction / Romance Length: 133 Pages Amazon Link: The Chair Author Website: Kelly Marshall Books Interview with Kelly about The Chair:
Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please! Link at ADailyRhythm.com
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Who's really behind the shooting of Officer Kleinschmidt? Author Jamie Richmond, riding along in the patrol car as an observer when "Smitty" is shot, is determined to find out. If you like mysteries with strong female characters, humor and romance, then you'll enjoy Devious by Mark Love as much as I did.
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What's your favorite romantic movie made after 1980? Answer that question in your comment for a chance to win an ebook copy of DEVIOUS (and be sure to include your email address so we can contact you.)
First Paragraph (Prologue): I can't believe I'm standing here with a gun in my hand. And it's pointed at his chest. My heart's pounding in such a pronounced manner you would think I just ran five miles. But there's anger mixed with the adrenalin coursing through my system. Teaser (from 20% on my Kindle) (I love this description!) As I parked beside the gate, the meanest dog I've ever seen greeted me. It was one part Doberman, one part German shepherd, ten parts ugly. In case the dog was as smart as he was ugly, I locked my door and stayed inside. Genre: Mystery / Romantic Suspense Book Length: 211 Pages Amazon Link:Devious(Book 1 of the 3-book Jamie Richmond Mysteries) More About The Author:Mark Love's Amazon Author Page Synopsis (from Goodreads): Jamie Richmond, reporter turned author, is doing research for her next book. Attempting to capture the realism of a police officer’s duties while on patrol, she manages to tag along for a shift with a state police trooper. A few traffic stops and a high speed chase later, Jamie’s ride takes an unexpected turn when she witnesses the trooper being shot. Although it is not a fatal injury, Jamie becomes obsessed with unraveling the facts behind this violent act. While she is trying to sort out this puzzle, she becomes romantically involved with Malone, another trooper with a few mysteries of his own. Now Jamie’s attention is divided between a blooming romance and solving the crime which is haunting her. Jamie begins to question the events that took place and exactly who could be behind the shooting. It was a devious mind. But who?
Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Post two sentences from somewhere in a book you're reading. No spoilers, please! Link at ADailyRhythm.com
First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is hosted by Bibliophile By The Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you're reading or thinking about reading soon. Link at BibliophileByTheSea
