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In My Mailbox: Week of September 16

In Samantha’s Mailbox:

Title: Diners, Dives and Dead Ends

Author: Terri L Austin

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: As a struggling waitress and part-time college student, Rose Strickland’s life is stalled in the slow lane. But when her close friend, Axton, disappears, Rose suddenly finds herself serving up more than hot coffee and flapjacks. Now she’s hashing it out with sexy bad guys and scrambling to find clues in a race to save Axton before his time runs out.

With her anime-loving bestie, her septuagenarian boss, and a pair of IT wise men along for the ride, Rose discovers political corruption, illegal gambling, and shady corporations. She’s gone from zero to sixty and quickly learns when you’re speeding down the fast lane, it’s easy to crash and burn.

Part of the Henery Press Mystery Series Collection, if you like one, you’ll probably like them all! Diners, Dives & Dead Ends is the first book in the Rose Strickland humorous mystery series. Bonus: Includes book club discussion questions.

Title: Death Turns a Trick

Author: Julie Smith

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis:
Rebecca Schwartz, nice Jewish lawyer with a few too many fantasies, is happily playing the piano in a whorehouse when she suddenly finds herself assigned to make sure a near-naked state senator escapes a police raid. That dirty job done, a lovely evening turns even more delightful when she’s picked up by the cops and spends the next two hours at the Hall of Justice. Could this day get any worse? Of Course! Guess who arrives home to find a dead hooker on her living room floor?

Handsome Parker Phillips, Rebecca’s new beau and the most attractive man she’s met in ages, is arrested for the murder. (Worse, she suspects he might actually have done it.)

On the plus side, another very attractive man is following the case–reporter Rob Burns of the San Francisco Chronicle, a possible ally. And there are other possibilities.

Fans of Janet Evanovich, Joan Hess, and Elizabeth Peters will get a kick out of this one.

Title: The Saint’s Devilish Deal

Author: Kristina Knight

Received: Via CLP Blog Tours

Synopsis: Esmerelda Quinn has been looking for a place to belong since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was young. The closest thing to home has always been Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, so after a string of hotellier jobs, she’s coming home to run the villa.

Santiago Cruz has called the villa home for as long as he can remember. In between surfing events, Constance has always had a room for him. Color him surprised when Constance leaves him with a joint interest in the villa – along with her niece Esmerelda.

Esme isn’t thrilled to share ownership of the villa with the the youngest Cruz brother – especially as the Cruz family has been after the villa for years. But Santiago has grown up while she’s been away and soon she finds herself falling for the rich boy down the hall – all over again.
In Sara’s Mailbox:

Title: The Midwife of Hope River: A Novel of an American Midwife

Author: Patricia Harman

Received By: Heidi @ Harper Collins

Synopsis: Midwife Patience Murphy has a gift: a talent for escorting mothers through the challenges of bringing children into the world. Working in the hardscrabble conditions of Appalachia during the Depression, Patience takes the jobs that no one else wants, helping those most in need—and least likely to pay. She knows a successful midwifery practice must be built on a foundation of openness and trust—but the secrets Patience is keeping are far too intimate and fragile for her to ever let anyone in.

Honest, moving, and beautifully detailed, Patricia Harman’s The Midwife of Hope River rings with authenticity as Patience faces nearly insurmountable difficulties. From the dangerous mines of West Virginia to the terrifying attentions of the Ku Klux Klan, Patience must strive to bring new light and life into an otherwise hard world.

Title: What the Heart Remembers

Author: Debra Ginsberg

Received By: Erin @ Penguin Group

Synopsis: Whispers of the past…

When young Eden Harrison receives a heart transplant from an unknown donor, her seemingly charmed life falls apart. Haunted by dreams of people and places she doesn’t recognize, Eden is convinced that her new heart carries the memories of its original owner. Eden leaves her old life behind as she is mysteriously drawn to the city of San Diego.

Whispers of the mind…

There, Eden becomes fast friends with Darcy, a young woman recently widowed by Peter, her wealthy, much older husband. But Darcy is unsettled by her inability to mourn, and more unsettled by recurring thoughts of Adam, a young musician she was having an affair with–who has suddenly vanished.

Whispers of the heart…

Yet, the more Eden learns about Darcy, the more she realizes that all is not as it seems, and she begins to suspect foul play behind Peter’s and Adam’s fates. As the tension around them escalates, Eden’s mysterious dreams become more and more frequent. Can Eden listen to what her heart is trying to tell her before it is silenced forever?

What the Heart Remembers by Debra Ginsberg

Deeply engaging and haunting, What the Heart Remembers by Debra Ginsberg follows young Eden Harrison fresh off receiving a heart transplant from an unknown donor. At first things are fine, but things begin to change when Eden begins to have dreams of people and places that she doesn’t recognize. Convinced that her new heart has a memory of its own, she leaves her old life behind and moves to San Diego, where she meets and befriends Darcy, a recent widow. Adding more mystery to the story, Darcy was having an affair with a young musician named Adam, who has also suddenly vanished out of her life. Eden begins to suspect that there is more to the story than what meets the eye and tension escalates between the two girls. Will Eden be able to get to the bottom of the mystery? And will we ever find out how the two of them are linked? You must read the story to find out….

I have had this book scheduled for review but wasn’t sure if I would have it read in time in order to post a review due to a mailing mix-up … but I started reading What the Heart Remembers last night and couldn’t put it down. This book is amazing. Debra does such a fantastic job at creating a seamless mystery surrounding a donated heart that leaves you fully engaged and mesmerized. I loved the tension between the two gals and was absolutely blown away by the ending. Wow! I may be a little sleep deprived today but it was well worth it. It’s been a while since I’ve had my pulse quicken while reading, but this book was that good. Overall, a great read with a suspenseful plot!

[Rating: 5-5]