A Time For Mercy by John Grisham

A Time For Mercy by John Grisham-464 pages

My favorite character Jake Brigance is back.  I love to see how his lawyer mind works and how he is all about getting justice.  The story is phenomenal, it has you pulling for the defendant and you are glad that Jake is his lawyer.  He uses his witnesses masterfully. Jakes whole family gets on board at a huge monetary risk.  And there is an extra special surprise at the end.  I am looking forward to seeing Jake in the court room again!  Another excellent novel by John Grisham.  Loved it! 

 

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan

Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan, 342 pages

Picture Perfect is a very well written book that tells the story of how Jodi Arias murdered her Mormon lover, Travis Alexander in a very gruesome way.  The author, Shannon Hogan, writes in great detail how the relationship spiraled out of control.  She interviews Travis' closest friends and writes details from the very beginning of their relationship. She even gives us background on Jodi's and Travis' childhoods.  Travis Alexander was an up and coming executive for the Prepaid Legal Group, which is how he came to meet Jodi Arias.  This book describes in great detail how their relationship started innocent enough, but then turned sexual and at many times, perverted.  Jodi was extremely obsessed with Travis and could not let go of him even when she discovered he had been seeing other women.  The author describes in great detail the day of the murder and the day Travis' friends discovered his body.  I had not known that the body had been in the house five days before it was discovered, but what was even more shocking was that he had two roommates that were living with the dead body and did not realize it.  This book covers so much more than the trial and reveals shocking details of Jodi and Travis' twisted and toxic relationship.  This was the best true crime book I have read in a long time.  Also, included in the book are many graphic and disturbing photos.

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers, 387 pages
(2nd book in His Fair Assassins series)

Dark Triumph focuses on Sybella's life more so than the historical facts of the time. Sybella has been raised by a monster of a father and has experienced all forms of abuse at his and her brothers' hands. Her story grips you to the soul as you experience the madness that touches her mind from being forced back into the life she thought she was free of upon becoming one of Death's handmaidens -- an assassin for the god Mortain. The abbess of Mortain has sent Sybella back to the very hell she came from. Her mission - to discover what her cruel earthly father is up to and how it can harm/help the cause for Duchess Anne. We first met Sybella in the first book Grave Mercy. I'm thrilled that this book was dedicated solely to her though we did get to visit with all the characters from the first book. From Sybella's cruel past to her most awesome future, this was a fantastic read. I have to be careful to not give too much away. The romance, mystery, murder, cruelty, compassion and loyalties that Sybella discovers in her story are well worth the read. I was very thrilled that the Beast had a role to play in Sybella's story as well. He was a very strong and like-able character in Grave Mercy -- deserving of some attention to his own story.

Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston

Black Helicopters by Blythe Woolston, 166 pages

Sick and twisted this book reads like you are in the head of a person with schizophrenia. Valley lives with her mom, Da and brother Bo in the wilds - or so you get the impression. They are survivalists living in the modern USA-- Although at some points it feels apocalyptic. Da is definitely not all there and teaches his children to be violent people who fear/hate the government. When the mom passes away, he blames it on the government. Everything that goes wrong is the government's fault. Bo is an odd ball. You get the impression that he might not be all there mentally or at least lacks a moral compass entirely. Valley is treated poorly by those around her. She is physically, emotionally and sexually abused. The extreme sexual abuse gets pretty descriptive at a certain point in the book and she is forced to watch it play back on video by her abuser. Most readers will find child pornography and child molestation very disturbing and should avoid this book. We watch as Valley slowly drifts into the world where her life no longer matters and she becomes a suicide bomber by her own choice. The book is bleak, sad, horrible, and shows just how sick and twisted a mind can become when subjected to extremes. There are no happy endings, no answers ... just complete chaos and confusion until the end.