Love and Loss: the Bond Between Sisters: The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic

Magdelena and her sister Jadranka were raised by their grandparents on Rosmarina, a small island off the coast of Croatia. Magdelena loves the island and has no desire to leave. Although the one boy she was interested in leaves the island, she decides to stay. Rather than marry someone else, she chooses to be a teacher. Jadranka was never happy with island life. When her cousin, Katarina, invites her to visit New York, she jumps at the chance. At first all seems to go well, but then Jadranka disappears. Unable to believe her sister would just walk away with no communication, Magdelena travels to New York to find her.

The is a well written book, but it moves very slowly. Although the disappearance of Jadranka and subsequent search for her are interesting, the constant flash backs to the grandparents days on the island slow the story. The island setting and characters are beautifully portrayed, but I thought too much time

was spent following the characters' daily lives.

The novel is primarily a character study examining the bond between sisters. The pace is slow with an emphasis on the characters' thoughts and descriptions of the island. At first I found it interesting, but it begins to wear as the plot develops.

I recommend this book if you enjoy a character study with lots of description. If you're looking for a fast moving, absorbing plot, this isn't the book for you.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.

A Murdered Gill: Hamilton and Burr for the Defense

The mysterious death of Elma Sands created a furor in 1800s New York. The young girl disappeared from the boarding house where she lived with her cousin and her husband. The body was recovered days later from a well, dug as part of the Manhattan Water Project, the brain child of Aaron Burr. A young carpenter, Levi Weeks, was immediately arrested for the crime. He lived in the same boarding house as Elma and had shown interest in her, but did he kill her?

Not only is this a fascinating criminal trial but it gives a compelling picture of New York in 1800. Conditions for the poor were dreadful, yellow fever periodically decimated the population, and political rivals wrote scurrilous articles about each other. Burr and Hamilton, although both served under Washington, were bitter rivals, each believing the other a blackguard. However, both were attorneys, two if the best in New York, and being in debt to Levi's older brother, Ezra, they found themselves on the same defense team. It's a fascinating dynamic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It moves smoothly though New York City history, the details of the murder, and subsequent trial. If you like historical murder mysteries don't miss this one.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

A Human Wolf Pack Trolls for Victims

Quinn Lighthorn, acted as a bounty hunter for the FBI until his problems with anger management landed him in a clinic for psychiatric evaluation. He's been released from the clinic to help the FBI locate two agents who went missing on an assignment to discover what's going on at Safe Haven. Safe Haven's business is to buy up insurance policies from the terminally ill in hopes of being able to collect quickly at a profit.

Quinn signs on as an intern and during his first morning witnesses the murder of one of the policy holders. He wasn't supposed to view it as murder. The setup was to make appear to be an unlucky accident, but Safe Haven is trying to finance a more lucrative policy, knowing this Quinn believes that the accident was in fact a murder.

I found the book difficult to get into. Quinn is not an engaging character. He seems too withdrawn from the action. If he didn't like what was going on and felt at risk there was no reason to stay, but then he becomes involved with one of the policy holders. I found the

twist unbelievable. Quinn is a new hire, and this is a very important policy. I saw no reason why they would trust him. This is an example of the author forcing the characters to act in the service of the plot, and for me, it didn't work.

Each chapter starts with a quote about the behavior of wolves. These are interesting factoids, and I'm sure the author believed they gave insight into the motivations of the characters. However, they broke the stream of action from one chapter to the next and became more annoying than enlightening.

I wish I liked this book better. The idea of the plot is good, and the writing is clear. My problem is that the characters are driven by the plot instead of driving the action. Quinn isn't an attractive character, and the other staff at Safe Haven appear to be caricatures based on the behavior of the wolf pack.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.

A Runaway Bride Ten Years Later: Chose the Wrong Guy Gave Him the Wrong Finger by Beth Harbison

Quinn is at the church ready to walk down the aisle to marry Burke, the love of her life, when Burke's brother, Frank, asks her to step outside. He has something important to tell her. Burke has been playing around with another girl. Devastated, Quinn runs back into the church,walks down the aisle, and smacks Burke effectively ending the wedding. Then she goes off for a weekend in Vegas with Frank, but that isn't the happy ending of the story.

Ten years later, Dottie. Burke and Frank's grandmother, is getting remarried. Quinn, who now owns a bridal

shop, is making the wedding dress and Frank and Burke are back in town to help Dottie clear up the farm in order to sell it. The boys aren't sure they want the farm sold. Quinn isn't sure how to deal with her old beaus, and Dottie is hoping for a second happy marriage.

This is a fun romance. Middleburg, Virginia, in the middle of horse country, is a beautiful setting. The characters are like people you know. This gives the book a cozy feel. Getting to know Quinn and her men is a good way to spend a quiet weekend.

Although I enjoyed the book, I couldn't get into it until after the first chapter. I felt the author spent too much time in Quinn's head going over and over the same ground. It may be realistic. She was contemplating a life changing step, but I got bored with the emoting and wanted to see what the outcome would be. However, the book does pick up after the first chapter and by moving back and forth between ten years ago and the present, we got to know the characters well and understand their motivations. If you like romance and beautiful settings, this is a great book. The title says it all.

I reviewed this book for Net Galley.

Fast Paced Thriller with a Medical Background

Leaving the hospital late at night, Dr. Matt Newman is kidnapped. His quick thinking lets him escape from the trunk of his car and get away from the kidnappers. Unfortunately, his chosen hiding place is reached by crawling up an unstable stack of crates. When the kidnappers leave, he starts to come down, falls, and sustains a serious head injury. This is the start of his nightmare.

Instead of treating him like a victim, the police accuse Matt of murder because a dead woman was found in the trunk of his car lying on top of his wallet. No one believes in his innocense except his attorney, Sandra Murphy, and his missionary brother. His girlfriend, Jenny, pushes him away, the hospital puts his new position on hold, and the police are out to get him. When Matt hits bottom, he begins to look at God's promise.

This is a fast paced thriller it's hard to put down. I kept reading because I wanted to know how Matt could have gotten himself into this situation. Although the answer is hard to figure out, the author leaves enough clues throughout the book that you don't feel cheated at the end by a solution that comes out of left field. The characters are realistic and the budding romance is a plus.

If you like thrillers with a touch of romance and a medical background, this is a book for you. I highly recommend it.

I reviewed this book for the Thomas Nelson Booksneeze Program.

A Great Overview of Wedding Photography

Digital Wedding Photography for Dummies is an excellent overview of all the skills required to be a wedding photographer. These include not only taking pictures and printing them, or making them available of DVD. It also goes into how to handle clients, set up you business and use social media to get your business recognized.

If you're already an experienced photographer, the photo sections are a good review, but are too simple for a serious photographer. Basically, they tell you how to use techniques to get the mood you want, but it requires a great deal of practice, as the author points out. Likewise, photo editing is discussed in terms of Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop. I enjoyed the discussion. It was a good review, but having used both programs, I know you need a great deal more information to make them work the way you want.

The sections on building your business: writing a business plan, researching the requirement for getting your business registered with the proper authorities, and learning how to write a contract, are excellent. Again, this gives you a start and places to look, but a great deal more work is required to bring the business to fruition.

I particularly enjoyed the sections on dealing with clients. I love the idea of bringing your clients into the decision making process, but not letting them take over and delay the final product. It's a section well worth reading.

This book is not only good for wedding photographers, or aspiring wedding photographers, it could also be used by anyone who plans to photograph an event. Since the wedding covers skills from portraiture to photo journalism there's something that applies to almost any event where a photographer is required.

This is a great basic treatment of the subject. If you want to get your feet wet, this is the way to do it.

I reviewed this book for the Amazon Vine Program.

A Celebration of Earth

Our world is both magnificent and terrible. These poems celebrate both aspects. I delighted in the lush images of places I've loved seeing them through the eyes of someone who loved them, too: Santa Ana winds, poppies, the plains of Kansas. There are also harsh poems like “Trash Tree” that show us the dark side of ourselves and the world.

My favorite is “The Man I Love and the Writing Spider” because it's so close to my own experience. I watch the spider build a web of silver threads delighting in the intricacy, but when it leaves the web and wants to come inside, it becomes the enemy. I want to squash it, but I'm grateful when some braver person rescues it and gives it another chance at life or death.

The poems not only invite you to relive sensuous experiences, but they make you think about the world, how important it is, and how we need to care for it. The book is a wonderful gift for Earth Day. A good time to meditate on the magnificence of the world.