Jenny Brown – Lord Lightning

Genre: Historical Romance
Releasedate: October 1 2010
Part of the Zodiac Sign series
For sale at: The Book Depository Store
SYNOPSIS
They call him "Lord Lightning". . .

For his shocking behavior. An unrepentant rogue with a wicked reputation, his outrageous conduct ensures no woman will get close enough to hurt him.

But demure and lovely astrologer Eliza Farrell casts a chart that tells her Lord Hartwood is capable of great, passionate love. When Hartwood indulges in one of his famous pranks and invites Eliza to become his new mistress, the virginal country miss must meet her fate armed only with her knowledge that the cynical lord will become the tender lover she sees predicted in the stars.

Though Eliza is nothing like the brazen strumpets he prefers, the seemingly incorruptible seer excites Lord Lightning much more than the hard, calculating women he is accustomed to. Eliza's trusting spirit and quick mind touch his cold heart - and when the bewitching innocent surprisingly agrees to be seen on his arm, neither can predict the sparks that will fly between them . . . or resist the electric passion that will threaten to transform them both.


JR Ward – Crave

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Releasedate: October 5, 2010
Book 2 in the Fallen Angel series
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

SYNOPSIS
The battle between good and evil has left the future of humanity in the hands of a reluctant savior and his band of fallen angels. Seven deadly sins that must be righted. Seven souls that must be saved.

While his first task was success, Jim Heron is battling a demon that can take any form for the soul of someone he must identify on his own. If that weren't enough, his old boss Matthias wants Jim to assassinate an AWOL member of The Firm - Isaac, the man Jim is pretty sure he is supposed to save. Jim knows first hand that once you're in The Firm, there's no getting out. But when Jim finds Isaac to warn him, he has been picked up by the police for illegal street fighting, and it is clear that Isaac is falling for his gorgeous public defender. Is their love the redemption that will save Isaac's soul? Or has the demon Devina set an elaborate trap?


Robin Young – Insurrection

Releasedate: October 14, 2010
Book 1 in the Insurrection trilogy
For Sale At: The Book Depository Store

SYNOPSIS
The year is 1286 and Scotland is in the grip of one of the worst winters in living memory. Some believe the Day of Judgement has come. The King of Scotland is murdered by one of his squires, a deed pre-meditated by his own brother-in-law, the King of England, a thousand miles away in France. The Prophecy of Merlin has decreed that only when the four relics of Britain have been gathered will one man rule a united kingdom, and Edward I is determined to fulfil it. The murder of Scotland's king is thus just the first in a chain of events that will alter the face of Britain forever. But all is not destined to go Edward's way. Out of the ashes of war, through blood feuds and divided loyalties, a young squire will rise to defy England's greatest king. His name is Robert the Bruce. And his story begins in INSURRECTION.


Sarah McCarty – Tracker’s Sin

Genre: Erotic Romance
Releasedate: October 1, 2010
Stand-alone novel
For Sale At: The Book Depository Store

SYNOPSIS
Before his trade became his name, "Tracker" Ochoa was a scrawny Mestizo runaway. Now as fearsome as he once was frightened, he's joined the notorious Hell's Eight.and they have a job for him.

He must rescue kidnapped heiress Ari Blake and deliver her safely to the Hell's Eight compound - by any means necessary. Turns out that includes marrying her, if he means to escort her and her infant daughter across the Texas Territory. Tracker hadn't bargained on a wife - especially such a fair, blue-eyed beauty. But the erotic pleasures of the marriage bed more than make up for the surprise.

Tracker's well-muscled bronze skin and dark, dangerous eyes are far more exciting than any of Ari's former debutante dreams. In the light of day, though, his deep scars and brooding intensity terrify her. But he's her husband and she's at his mercy. With the frontier against them and mercenary bandits at their heels, Ari fears she'll never feel safe again.

Tracker, too, remembers what fear feels like. Though he burns to protect Ari, to keep her for himself always, he knows that money, history - and especially the truth - can tear them apart.


Stephanie Tyler – Lie With Me

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Releasedate: October 26, 2010
Book 1 in the Shadow Force series
For Sale At: The Book Depository Store

SYNOPSIS
Forced together by fate, bound together by desire

Framed for a double murder, Delta Force operative Cameron Moore is given a new lease on life by the CIA - provided he pays them back by doing their black ops dirty work. But now Cam is ready to renegotiate the deal, and he thinks he's found the perfect bargaining chip: Skylar Slavin, bestselling author of espionage thrillers and the daughter of the CIA man who saved Cam from a prison sentence.

Skylar has been living in anonymity, never suspecting that someone so dangerous - and so desirable - would plunge her into a world as treacherous as one of her spy novels. But how can Cam go through with his plan to kidnap Skylar when just the sight of her sets off an explosive attraction he's never experienced before? And when Skylar falls prey to an even more perilous threat, this special ops soldier must call upon all his combat skills to protect the one person who can help him win his freedom - and the only woman he's ever loved.

Mass Market Paperback; 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books - June 29, 2010
ISBN-10: 1439152950
ISBN-13: 978-1439152950
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book: Book Two in Tracers Series
Main Characters: Elaina McCord & Troy Stockton
On sale at: The Bookdepository Store

Summary:

ELAINA MCCORD WANTS TO FIND A KILLER.
BUT HE’S ALREADY FOUND HER.

Elaina McCord’s dream of being an FBI profiler is in danger with her first case—investigating a string of murders near a Texas beach resort. The victims, all young women, were drugged and brutally murdered, their bodies abandoned in desolate marshland. Elaina’s hunch—met with disbelief by local police—is that these are only the latest offerings from a serial killer who has been perfecting his art for years, growing bolder and more cunning with each strike.

True-crime writer Troy Stockton has a reputation as an irresistible playboy who gets his story at any cost. He’s the last person Elaina should trust, let alone be attracted to. But right now Troy, along with the elite team of forensics experts known as the Tracers, are her only allies in a case that’s turning dangerously personal. A killer is reaching out to Elaina, taunting her, letting her know how ruthless he is and how close he’s getting. Now it’s not just her career that’s in danger—it’s her life. . . .

Pearl's Review: Elaina McCord wants to follow in her legendary profiler father’s footsteps and be a profiler too. Elaina is ambitious and responsible. She’s a no-nonsense type of woman with a hidden softer side. Fresh out of the Academy, she’s sent to a small Texas FBI office instead of one of the hotshot big town offices. A homicide investigation on Lito Island is her first shot at proving herself. Elaina has ideas about the homicide and suspects a serial killer but her male colleagues and the local police don’t care much for her opinion.

One of the few who believes her and is willing to help her prove her suspicions is former newspaper reporter turned crime writer, Troy Stockton. Troy is a smooth charmer and despite his surfer-dude look and his seemingly laidback attitude he’s as sharp as the come. When they start working together the sparks fly between them but both know that they have to focus on the case rather than the sizzling chemistry between them, especially when the killer starts focusing on Elaina.

Just as with all the previous Laura Griffin Books I was entranced from the moment I cracked the spine and started reading the prologue. UNSPEAKABLE is a romantic suspense novel that turned out to be right up my alley as it focuses on FBI and suspect profiling, which is one of my preferred suspense/law enforcement tropes. Reading it felt like watching a mix of my favorite TV crime shows (Criminal Minds and CSI) all rolled into one, topped off with a subtle yet sensual romance. Laura Griffin had me speculating and guessing who the killer was and it wasn’t until about 2/3 into the book that I pegged the killer after two false guesses. With subtle hints and clues she leads you in a certain direction and then steers you in the right one at the end. I love how she does this.

As with the first book in this Tracer series, the Delphi Center (elite forensic lab) and some of the Tracers played a significant role in the solving of the plot and finding the killer. There’s a cold case subplot with Mia Voss, the DNA expert, and police officer Ric Santos that not only gets nicely tied in with the main plot but is also a prelude to the next book, at least I think the romance part of that sub plot is. However, Laura Griffin has been known to lead me in a certain direction when pairing characters and then surprise the heck out of me with the end product, so I am not putting all my money on the Mia and Ric match.

When reviewing Laura Griffin’s books I am afraid I sound like a broken record. Again I loved the clean and crisp writing and the subtle way the romance was set-up, imbedded in the story and woven through the suspense plot. Again I was mesmerized by the suspense that made me go through the book like a warm knife goes through butter. UNSPEAKABLE is a quick-paced read as I couldn’t stop reading and had to know the outcome of the plot and I was kept entranced by the search for a (serial) killer who crept me out. And again I have nothing but praise for Griffin’s knowledge of law enforcement, her excellent writing skills and the amazing way she combines the two to deliver a story that wasn’t as heart-pounding as some of her other books I’ve read but this absolutely didn’t diminish the wonderful reading experience I had with UNSPEAKABLE.

For me Laura Griffin never fails to deliver and I hope this Tracer series won’t end with book 3: UNFORGIVABLE as there were enough secondary characters in UNSPEAKABLE to warrant at least a few more books in the future. Among them are Troy’s friend Cinco Chavez, Tracer Ben Lawson (cyber crime expert) and Tracer Kelsey Quinn (forensic anthropologist). With these three I think there’s enough material there to continue the Tracer series for a while, if not with their own books, maybe with secondary storylines. I’d especially like to reacquaint myself with Cinco in the future.

UNSPEAKABLE is another awesome Laura Griffin book. It was fast-paced with excellent suspense and just enough romance to take it out of crime fiction/thriller and into romantic suspense territory. When the Dutch networks fail in offering me new episodes of my favorite TV crime shows I know whose books I can turn to instead.