Hidden Star by Nora Roberts

 Cade Parris takes one look at the beautiful blond that walks unannounced into his office and falls in love. Unfortunately, the stunning woman is there to hire the handsome private investigator to find a missing person: herself. Fragile and clearly vulnerable, Bailey James doesn't even know her own name. Nor does she know why she's carrying a tote bag filled with more than a million dollars in cash, a pistol, and a priceless blue diamond. Fortunately for Cade's heart, Bailey is as undeniably drawn to him as he is to her. However, neither of them know if she's free to give her heart. Together they search for clues to her identity in the sweltering heat of Washington, D.C., in July, but unveiling Bailey's past is hopelessly entwined with the mystery of the diamond, the cash, and the gun. Before Cade can claim Bailey as his own, they must follow a twisted path to a killer and survive a life-threatening attack.

Light, fluffy and entertaining.

Obsession Untamed by Pamela Palmer

They are called Feral Warriors—an elite band of immortals who can change shape at will. Sworn to rid the world of evil, consumed by sorcery and seduction, their wild natures are primed for release . . .

Every time she closes her eyes, Delaney Randall suffers another nightmare. A brutal serial killer has found his way inside the tough, take-no-prisoners FBI agent's head. Now she lives the murders through his eyes, from his deadly approach to his victims' screams—until the night he breaks into her apartment and she fears she's going to be the next to die.

But the man who snatches Delaney from her home isn't the murderer. He's Tighe, a dangerous Feral Warrior who needs her and her visions to stop the rampages of a creature as inhuman as he is evil. Tighe has little use for humans, but as he and Delaney join forces to track the dark fiend, he falls for the intense beauty and becomes wild with an obsession as untamed as his heart.

 It's the first book I've read in this series but it didn't matter. It works well as a stand-alone.
Lots of action and sex.

I'll be looking for more in this series.

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan ( is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot-if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent. Fortunately, they are now more than friends: They are a pack. They are Virals.

A really good mix of action and adventure with a touch of paranormal.

It may be a YA but being well written and not 'dumbed down' is what counts.

Judgment In Death by J.D. Robb

Eve Dallas is back in another installment of the In Death series, this time getting called in to investigate the murder of a cop in a club that belongs to none other than her husband Roarke. As Eve tries to determine what the motive was, she keeps finding threads leading to Max Ricker. Ricker used to do business with Roarke, when Roarke's business wasn't completely above board. Now they are enemies, with Ricker waiting years to get back at Roarke. Was he involved in the murder?

As the cops start to pile up, Eve's urge to bring justice gets more strong, as it always does. Eve always seems to over-do it in these novels, not sleeping for long period of time. I wonder if this is the most effective way to go about solving a murder. Surely some sleep could do wonders for Eve's frame of mind?

Even though Eve and Roarke have been married for a year now, she still isn't comfortable in her role as wife. The two get into a big argument that lasts about half the book. Of course, like any civilized couples, it's nothing a little chat and sex can't fix..

 Another excellent addition to the series. I enjoy Eve and Roarke's relationship as much, if not more, than the mystery. 

Ecstasy by Jacqueline Frank

Among the Shadow dwellers, Trace holds power that some as willing to kill for. Without a stranger's aid, one rival would surely have succeeded, but Trace's brush with death is less surprising to him than his reaction to the beautiful, fragile human who heals him. By rights, Trace should hardly even register Ashla's existence within the realms of Shadow scape, but instead he is drawn to everything about her - her innocence, her courage, and her lush, sensual heat.After a terrifying car crash, Ashla Townsend wakes up to find that the bustling New York she knew is now eerie and desolate. Just when she's convinced she's alone, Ashla is confronted by a dark warrior who draws her deeper into a world she never knew existed. The bond between Ashla and Trace is a mystery to both, but searching for answers will mean confronting long-hidden secrets, and uncovering a threat that could destroy everything Trace holds precious. 


Well developed characters, an interesting, well-thought out believable world, action and romance. A great read. 

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

 P.I. Charley Davidson sees dead people. Well, she not only sees them, they are drawn to her. Because she is shiny. Very shiny. You see, Charley Davidson is a grim reaper. Well, not just a grim reaper, she is THE Grim Reaper. And not just THE Grim Reaper; Charlie Davidson is the portal (the shining light) through which all souls must travel to gain entrance to Heaven. The advantage to having these miraculous talents is that Charley Davidson not only helps the dead move on, she also help the police solve "unsolvable" cases. It does help when the victim can point you to the murderer.

 A good start to a new series. Tried a bit too hard to be funny at times, and I just don't get the whole naming her breasts thing (Danger and Will Robinson).

My favourite bit was the sayings, many from T-shirts, that were at the beginning of each chapter.  My favourite was  " I wouldn't be so easily distracted if there weren't so many shiny things".

Visions In Death by J.D. Robb

On one of the city's hottest nights, New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is sent to Central Park-and into a hellish new investigation. The victim is found on the rocks, just above the still, dark water of the lake. Around her neck is a single red ribbon. Her hands are posed, as if in prayer. But it is the eyes-removed with such precision, as if done with the careful hands of a surgeon-that have Dallas most alarmed.

As more bodies turn up, each with the same defining scars, Eve is frantic for answers. Against her instincts, she accepts help from a psychic who offers one vision after another-each with shockingly accurate details of the murders. And when partner and friend Peabody is badly injured after escaping an attack, the stakes are raised. Are the eyes a symbol? A twisted religious ritual? A souvenir? With help from her husband, Roarke, Dallas must uncover the killer's motivation before another vision becomes another nightmare…

Not as good as others in the series. The psychic thread through the story seemed to be there just to add another, unneeded twist at the end.