Killfile: A Novel by Christopher Farnsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Could Killfile be any better? I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from Edelweiss. I can start by saying that I have always been a big fan of Christopher Farnsworth's work. He knows his way around a good thriller and writes excellent fight scenes. Killfile is about John Smith, a guy who has some interesting gifts, the ability to read the thoughts of others. He went through extensive training with the CIA and strikes out on his own. He leaves under good terms and uses his gifts to help businesses with problems that regular investigators would have trouble investigating. His latest client is a tech genius who thinks a former employee stole something extremely valuable and asks John Smith to investigate. He begins what should be a pretty easy investigation using his talents when things go completely wrong and John Smith ends up on the run from someone who has extreme tech skills that he uses to put John's back against the wall, not to mention the fact that he is working with one of his client's employees, Kelsey. It is Kelsey's job to help John out in the field so when things go bad Kelsey also becomes a target of the target of their investigation.

Killfile stands is a great addition to Christopher Farnsworth's bibliography. He wrote some really complex and interesting characters. We see how John and Kelsey's backgrounds drive them and affect their lives. They are both successful at what they do and it helps them stay ahead of Preston as he chases them across the country. There is also a great mystery in Killfile as the reader tensely waits to find out what made the meeting between Preston and John go so wrong that he reacted with violence. The reader also is along for the ride as John builds up to pushing back and showing what his gifts really can do when he lets them go full strength. I can see this going into a series and hope to see more in John Smith's world. Either way, I will continue to be a Christopher Farnsworth fan.

Death of an Assassin by Ian Hiatt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Is it okay to root for someone who kills people for a living? I received an early release copy of Death of an Assassin through NetGalley. I was totally at odds with how I should feel about Layla given her nature. She was raised to kill and not have any feelings about her actions. The story takes place in Saint Roch, a town where non-humans are very well known by humans, with the exception of all of the types of non-humans running around the city. Layla is a siren who was raised by her mother, well part of her life. I am not positive about Layla's age, but, I get the impression she is about 19 or 20 years old based upon comparisons she made of herself against another siren she runs into. Layla has killed a lot of people and she is very good at her job. She has been hired to kill two brothers for a great deal of money. It is a job that she initially declines because she knows it could be trouble. She is right. This job goes very wrong and brings a great deal of trouble literally to Layla's doorstep.

One of the great things about this book is how the non-humans are so well described. The dragons are awesome and a bit gross. The reader is treated to some really good politics, both within the non-human world and the human world. It is interesting how the non-humans and humans interact and what seems like an obvious pecking order. The great thing is that the reader can anticipate being introduced to more non-humans and the political machinations between the non-humans. One of the best things about this book is that just because a non-human is weaker doesn't mean they will always lose. Layla shows that she can use her gifts to keep herself above the fray, even when she might be the weakest non-human in the room. I really look forward to more from this series.

Wanderlost by Jen Malone
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a completely awesome book! Wanderlost is this thrilling, travelogue told from the perspective of a teenager that has never been away from home. I received an early release copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say this was a great book. Aubree has just graduated from high school and what starts out as a small house party while her parents are away overnight celebrating their anniversary, turns into a drunkfest with underage drinking. Of course the police are called. But, Elizabeth, Aubree's older sister is home from college and things go from crazy to worse than crazy when the police show up. Elizabeth is in a real bind and she has a Summer job as a tour guide for several senior citizens who are touring Europe for three weeks. She is not able to go, however, she has a brilliant plan. Aubree can go in her place. It's the least she can do since Elizabeth was covering for her. Aubree, who has never left the city they were raised in, let alone, leave the country. The baby sister whose mom still does pretty much everything for her. I'll leave the details of how they work that part of it to the reader because it is one of the best parts of the story.

Aubree is in trouble from the time she steps off the plane in Amsterdam. She meets awesome people along the way. They are friendly and helpful which is completely amazing when you are traveling alone in another country where you don't speak the language. The seniors she is traveling with are great, quirky and colorful. But, the tour group owner's mother is on the trip and Aubree is in more trouble than she even realized. She is even taking some fun, flirty calls from an employee of the tour owner, Sam, who makes things a bit easier for her and she is not as homesick when she gets to talk to him each evening and she gets the biggest surprise when she gets to meet him in person and see wonderful parts of Europe with him and the zany seniors. The thing about the characters in this story is the reader can see a bit of themselves in Aubree and Elizabeth. The people Aubree meets along the way help her grow and mature as she prepares to head to college after the Summer. Following Aubree as she works through the knots of lies she and Elizabeth have created is fun. I look forward to reading more by this author.

The Judas Contact by Heather Long
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Judas Contact was an action-packed thriller that I received an early release copy of in exchange for an honest review. It is the first book in a new series by Heather Long. Ilsa is a scientist working on a chip designed to help owners find their missing pets. She has had some success, but, like all scientists there has been some failure along with those successes. She is contacted by an old roommate, Rory, whom she has not talked to in quite some time. Rory is seeking Isla out because she has been helping a group of time travelers who are all too familiar with the chips since many years in the future the chips have advanced beyond anything that Ilsa can even imagine. Of course, she can't imagine time travel so not seeing her work morphed into what it becomes is not a stretch.

The Boomers, the time traveling group from the future, consists of all males including Garrett, who has the ability to poison with a touch. He is assigned to guard Ilsa and the chemistry between them is off the charts. It is too bad that Garrett's touch poisons, to the point that he has never been touched by another human being. The company that Ilsa is working for want her to start working on research which would be against the law and inhumane. She has declined to work on anything so controversial. But, her company is at the point where they might just insist on it despite Ilsa's morals. The Boomers and Rory are what stand between her and an evil corporation that has no moral boundaries.

The Judas Contact also is an endearing romance. The reader gets the chance to see two people fall in love and keeping pace with Garrett and Isla's story makes this book an even better read. It is a great introduction to each of the members of the Boomers and we get a good introduction to the future they came from, however, I look forward to learning more about why they traveled to the future. One of the surprises is how long they have been in Isla's time so I can't wait to read more about that part of the storyline.

Fool Me Once by Katee Robert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I started Fool Me Once not sure how things would work out. I had not read the synopsis but, I wanted to help out by giving the book a try. I received an early release copy in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say there was only one thing that did not work for me with this book and that is the "big girl pants" saying that I totally dislike in all books. However, Fool Me Once is a great book. I was not aware of this series prior to receiving this book. Aubry, whose name I almost forgot after Quinn gave her a nickname that sticks with you, is a loner in a small town. She has one friend who owns a really cool cafe. She has had a hard life which has taught her to keep to herself and not trust other people. Despite having a family she does not appear to be close to them so the reader expects some horrible things to have happened to her. Quinn was raised by rich parents that he does his best to stay away from, with the exception of family dinners. Quinn and Aubry have one thing in common. They both have events coming up where they need a buffer and agree to be each other's buffer, despite how hostile they have been towards each other in the past. What ensues is a crazy, sex-filled, fall into each other.

Quinn and Aubry are very well described. The reader gets a good feel for Aubry's no nonsense, tough, smart mouth attitude. You also get a feel for what she goes through when surrounded by a crowd of people. We empathize with Aubry because we can hear her start to hyperventilate. Quinn is leading a drama free life, though he can’t help be antagonize Aubry whenever he sees her. Aubry and Quinn typically have Aubry’s and Quinn’s friends around as buffers. They are on their own for an entire week as they go from one event to another where each is being tested. They both find out that they like each other a bit more than they thought and they especially like sex with each other. When the stress levels highest, will Quinn and Aubry come out of these two events as a couple or hating each other more than they did before the trip started? The reader cannot help but hope Quinn really does not want one of the socialite girls that keep throwing themselves at him and that Aubry will let down her guard and let Quinn into her life. One great thing about Quinn is that he does not mince words too often. When he decides he has something good with Aubry he goes for it.