The Ultimatum

The Ultimatum by Karen Robards

Bianca St. Ives, an international thief with a heart of gold. In this intriguing dance of crooks, cops, and killers, Robards provides us with a harder-than-diamonds heroine who’s soft in all the right places. Although her father taught her ‘the rules’, a code that ensures her survival even at the expense of others, Bianca often finds herself making ‘exceptions’.

Bianca has been trained since childhood by her father to be a master of disguise, thief, con artist, security specialist, martial artist and part of his team. A huge heist goes horribly wrong in Bahrain, leading to an explosion that takes the life of her father. Bianca must pick up the pieces, returning to her ‘cover’ life in Savannah as the head of a her own security firm. Doc, the only surviving member of his team, returns with her and acts in the capacity of her internet and computer expert. While monitoring her father’s email, Doc and Bianca get an offer for a job directed to her dad. Bianca takes the job. When things go from bad to worse, she tries to get out of the job, to no avail, as the lives of others hang in the balance. Bianca’s journey leads her to discover more about her origins, true identity, and her family’s past. The cliffhanger ending readies the reader for the next installment in the series, leaving us wanting more.
For fans of Robards’ previous Romantic Suspense novels, this first installment may leave you feeling the romantic aspect is lacking. Bianca has steamy chemistry in her cat-and-mouse game with Mickey, but it never goes deeper. There is potential for fleshing out a deeper relationship in later books. A lot of questions about Bianca’s past remain unanswered. In this book, you’ll find a lot of descriptive spy activity, suspenseful action, and a couple of interesting twists.

Amazon Review

Book Scavenger

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

           Hide a book somewhere. Anywhere. Create a puzzle that will lead someone to that book. Solve other people's riddles. Find other hidden books. Earn points!

These are the rules for the game that has taken the nation by storm; Book Scavenger. And one of it's players is Emily, a 12 year old girl, who spends every spare minute either reading, or solving a puzzle.

Emily's family has recently moved to San Francisco, home to the eccentric game creator, Garrison Griswald, who is often referred to as the Willy Wonka of Books. They have arrived at the perfect time, because Mr Griswald is expected to announce a new game. However, poor Mr Griswald is attacked on a subway platform on his way to make the big announcement. But before he is sent to the ICU at the hospital, he is able to hide the first clue to his puzzle; a one of a kind book, made by Gary Griswald himself.  He can only hope that the right person will find it.

And Emily, and her new friend James, are the right people. They happen upon the book without knowing what they have found. But, through some serious puzzle solving skill, they begin to solve the mystery of the book, and the game Mr Griswald had intended to give to the world.

Unfortunately, they aren't the only ones trying to solve the puzzle, and things start to get dangerous when they realize  that the stakes are much higher in this game.

Book Scavenger is a Beehive Nominee for 2018, and one intermediate aged readers would really enjoy. There's a little bit of everything. A little danger, a little adventure, a bit of history, lots of puzzling, and some fun lessons about friendship and family.

This is a perfect book to read aloud to your family, or to listen to while on a road trip.

August Book Club This Thursday!

The Alice Network

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Tight narrative focused upon a number of historically based Women spies for the British and French military intelligence during World Wars I & II. The plot begins a few years after the Wars ending and elegantly weaves the reader from early 1900's to peaceful endings for righteous male and female warrior spies and spymasters. Focusing mainly upon female spies who kept the brits apprised of almost daily German military positions.

Amazon Review

Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants 

By Sylvain Neuvel

"A girl named Rose is riding her new bike near her home in Deadwood, South Dakota, when she falls through the earth. She wakes up at the bottom of a square hole, its walls glowing with intricate carvings. But the firemen who come to save her peer down upon something even stranger: a little girl in the palm of a giant metal hand." -from jacket cover

So begins quite a different story then anything I have read in a while.  This was really cool! It's told in interviews, and journal entries. A giant hand is found under the ground and soon other pieces are found as well, and lots of questions are raised. Where did they come from ? Who buried them? And what are they for? Will the builder come back for them ? A group is assembled to deal with the scientific, military, & ethical aspects of these "pieces" and what it means for humanity. This group is able to assemble these pieces *spoiler alert* and begin to see if this is something that humans can pilot, and try to figure out what it even is for!!?? I really enjoyed this page turning story. I took it as a back up book on a vacation and didn't even crack open the original book I planned on reading. I was hooked from the first.  If you liked "The Martian" by Andy Weir, there is a very good chance this is right up your alley on what to read next. 

Several characters play a role in this... a scentist ( the girl who fell), 2 army soldiers, a linguist from Canada, maybe a really cool robot, and a nameless entity who seems to be behind a lot of what is going on.  I didn't realize it was a series until I finished and I'm super glad it is. There is lots more I want to find out! This title and Book #2 "Waking Gods" are available in our Adult Fiction section. Book #3 in the series has not been released yet. (less)

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The Lonely Lake Monster

The Lonely Lake Monster

by Suzanne Selfors

Only a few people know about the real creatures treated in the small town of Buttonville’s new hospital. Ten year old’s Pearl and Ben begin an apprenticeship caring for imaginary creatures with Dr. Wo, and come face to face with creatures they have only ever heard about in stories. This book is number two in the Imaginary Veterinary series.