Some Thoughts: Cover Shot

Cover Shot

by LynDee Walker
Book 5 of A Nichelle Clarke Crime Thriller

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

Cryptic online messages and a murder in a swanky condo complex don't strike crime reporter Nichelle Clarke as related--until a gunman sends a hospital into chaos.

When a body is discovered in a high-rise in Richmond, Virginia, crime reporter Nichelle Clarke races to the scene.  The victim is a brilliant doctor with an unusual past.  But before Nichelle can decide what to make of the murder, the local police radio is filled with a dreaded distress call.

There is an active shooter at a nearby hospital.

The gunman has taken hostages on a patient floor, and gives the police a single demand.

He wants to speak with Nichelle.

In person.

Cover Shot was another enjoyable installment of the Nichelle Clarke series, with more convoluted twists to Nichelle's investigation, and a sort of personal touch involving some emotional back story on Nichelle's part, even if only touched upon briefly.  This particular book was also a bit more subdued on the dark and gritty than the previous book was--you don't even get to see the first murder victim, and the entire "hush-hush" on the investigation thing almost made me forget that there'd been a murder victim in the first place from page one.

There isn't a whole lot to say, as Nichelle is as spunky, resourceful, and persistent, as usual... except I DO wish she would stop trying to get herself killed while proclaiming that she has no desire to get herself killed.  As an investigative crime reporter, TSTL seems to be one of her traits that I've learned to live with, and meeting unknown sources in back alleys is probably one of the few ways she depends upon for information.

Meanwhile, I absolutely enjoyed focusing more on the multiple lines of investigation going on, with two crimes occurring that verge together in the end to make sense.  Gone are the 'Mean Girl' cat claws and hissing between Nichelle and Shelby, and even Charlie seems more subdued after her first sarcastic insult at Nichelle.  Unfortunately, without those, the book seems to fade the two rivals out, as if their only purpose was to be rude and antagonistic to Nichelle.  But whatever, at least we can skip all of that, because Nichelle had more worries on her mind to deal with in the first place.

We've also set the romance on the back burner, as Nichelle had officially made her choice previously, so we got to kiss the love triangle good-bye... even IF I still don't see the chemistry between her and Joey, and even IF the male posturing still continues on.  In fact, the mystery mafia man still doesn't strike me as all that appealing, and it seems that aside from a mutual attraction, food, and sex, the two don't really have a whole lot in common.  And since Joey remains so shrouded in shadows, you don't get to know him well enough, and neither does Nichelle, to understand why he's the better choice.  Although in the long run, I suppose Nichelle's feelings on the matter are truly all that matter.

On the flip side, Kyle has grown a bit petty.

Anyway, another strong, solid entry into the series that I'm still enjoying!


***

Booklikes-opoly 2019

Roll #17:
Square: The Stay-cation 9 | Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library, or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.

How it fits:  Author's name begins with the letter 'L.'
Page Count:  360
Cash:  $3

Thoughts: Her Deadly Secrets

Her Deadly Secrets

by Laura Griffin
Book 2 of Wolfe Security

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

Private investigator Kira Vance spends her days navigating the intricate labyrinth of Houston’s legal world, and she knows all of its shadowy players and dark secrets.

On a seemingly normal day, she’s delivering a report to her top client when suddenly everything goes sideways and the meeting ends in a bloodbath.  Twenty-four hours later, the police have no suspects but one thing is clear: a killer has Kira in his sights.

Fiercely independent, Kira doesn’t expect—or want—help from anyone, least of all an unscrupulous lawyer and his elite security team.  Instead, she launches her own investigation, hoping to uncover the answers that have eluded the police.  But as Kira’s hunt for clues becomes more and more perilous, she realizes that she alone may hold the key to finding a vicious murderer.  And she knows she must take help wherever she can find it if she wants to stay alive…

It's quite signature of Laura Griffin to give you a few main POVs to follow during the course of one of her books--it's kind of a way for her to very subtly, and sometimes very naturally, introduce more characters into her series, and setting up a background for them for future books.  And so while this book's main focus should have been Kira Vance and her bodyguard, Jeremy Owen, Her Deadly Secrets also spends a lot of time following around police detective Charlotte Spears and her partner as they investigate the death of Kira's mentor, Ollie.

In a way, it felt like two separate investigations going on at the same time, following two different investigators, which all ultimately tied together in the end.  And it wasn't until closer to the end of the book that you realize that aside from having about equal book time for Charlotte as much as for Kira, there was also very little in the romance department, considering this book is filed as a romantic suspense.  And normally, I would have been quite disappointed that the romance was set on the back burner for so long... but, in truth, I enjoyed the entire book, as the murder mystery and both lines of investigations were quite interesting to follow.

Well... I take back one thing I just mentioned.  I did get slightly disappointed that the story was so light on the romance, because it kind of ended up sidelining Jeremy's character status to not-quite-main-hero, sliding him in right behind Charlotte.  Of course, while he didn't stand out all that well, he DID assume his role properly as the bodyguard.  But since I had a hard time recalling his name just to right this post, that kind of goes to show how memorable his character truly was.

But aside from that, I think I thoroughly enjoyed, and was entertained by, this second installment of the Wolfe Security series.

And I'm also quite happy to say that I'm glad that Kira wasn't TSTL and after her first attempt at resisting having a security team guarding her, she kind of readily relied on them to help keep her safe while she tried to do her job as a PI for the fancy defense lawyer who hired her.  It was a bonus that Jeremy also pitched in to help unearth some info for her investigations.  And so, in a way, while Kira and Jeremy's romance felt a little lackluster, they're working relationship turned out quite fun to follow.

As is typical of Laura Griffin, the pacing was non-stop the entire way through, starting from the murder at the beginning.  I'm looking forward to the next book now, and am hoping it will be following Charlotte, since I absolutely enjoyed her POV of things, romance or no, though there's a little hint of who might be her main love interest somewhere in this book.


***

Booklikes-opoly 2019

Roll #15 (July Fourth Bonus):
Square: The Stay-cation 9 | Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.

How it fits:  Author's name begins with the letter 'L'.
Page Count:  368
Cash:  $3

Booklikes-opoly 2019 | Roll #19

Booklikes-opoly

hosted by Moonlight Reader and Obsidian Blue

@ Booklikes, the book blogging social platform

Ani's BL-opoly Summary Page

Okie doke!  Here's a quick update.

I finished reading Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart the previous night, getting $3 for its 372 pages.  This brings me to my unofficial goal of breaking into the triple digits of cash by reaching $100!  Yay!

Because I finished this book right before midnight, I passed out before I rolled again.  So I rolled real quick this morning before heading to work, giving me a bit of time to think about what I wanted to read next.

My next roll was a 7 which took me to The Lake House 19, another square I've been to before; another square with loads of possibilities.

It's a party on the BL-opoly board tonight.  My younger brother and his wife went to a Harry Potter party that was being thrown for one of their nephews, and brought me some party favors.  And so Monkey and friends have decided to throw a small Harry Potter party of their own!  Monkey wields his magic wand to keep Teddy Bear on his spot, and Peek-a-Boo Penni plays her namesake's game from inside an HP-themed baggy.  =D

Fun times!

There were a bunch of other books that I could choose from, and even some books that I feel like I need to get read.  But I'm in the mood for a romantic suspense, and specifically I'm feeling Jayne Ann Krentz.  Deep Waters fits this square in both ways, where the cover is most definitely greater than 50% blue, and Jayne Ann Krentz's last name starts with a 'K' which fits the "first or last name starts with any letter in the word L-A-K-E".  Perfect!

Deep Waters is 376 pages, paperback version, which will give me $3 when I'm finished reading it.


Tomorrow is August 1st, which is coming into the last two week (a little less than two weeks actually) stretch, which means even if I finished my books in time for each next roll, I'll only get to roll a whole of four more times.  I'm going to make the most of these last few rolls, but most likely, I'm just going to go with the flow since I've already made it to $100 and am quite satisfied with my progress.

Besides... I'm kind of gearing up for Halloween Bingo now!  Whoo-hoo!

Novelty Cards Currently In My Pocket

Novelty Cards Used

Roll #18
Book Chosen:
Madam, Will You Talk?
by Mary Stewart

My Progress

Current Bank:  $100
Bail Fund Donation:  0 pages || in table: remain in parentheses in (italics and red)
Books Read:  19
Pages Read:  6,337

Table notes:
*Dates link to corresponding dice roll updates / other links for related activities included.
*Book titles link to reviews if written.
*Page/Cash values in parentheses are still pending reads/ not yet cashed out.
*Doubles rolls are depicted as such (dbls) under the dice roll number.

Date (Roll #)	Dice Roll	Space/Prompt	Book Title / Author	Pages	Cash
5/20	Game Start				$20
#1	5	The Silk Road: Read a book set in any of the 40 countries along Silk Road, or by an author from any of those countries.	Hard Target by Pamela Clare	261	$3
5/22
#2a	8	Novelty Card Robot -- save for later (Create a numbered list of ten books, and let a random number generator pick for you)	n/a	n/a	n/a
#2b	4	Mountain Cabin 16: Read a book that is considered mystery/suspense genre, or which has a title that contains all of the letters in the word C-A-B-I-N.	Tightrope by Amanda Quick	320	$3
5/25	See Also: Roll #3 and Memorial Day Bonus Roll Activities
#3	5	The Lake House 20: Read a book that features a dog or which has a dog on the cover; or that is set in an area known for its lakes or on a fictional lake.	Run to Ground by Katie Ruggle	312	$3
	Memorial Day Bonus Rolls
#4	7	The Summer Blockbuster 27: Read a book that features a hero's journey or is a Bildungsroman (coming of age tale); or that has a word related to space in the title (i.e., star, planet, rocket).	Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier	516	$5
#5	9	European Vacation 35: Read a book set in Europe; or that was written by an author who was born in Europe; or that involves travel by boat or that has a picture of a ship on the cover.	A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber	433	$5
6/8
#6a	10	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		Novelty Card Race Car -- save for later (Race around the game board to the space of your choosing and read!)	n/a	n/a	n/a
#6b	11	Mountain Cabin 18: Read a book that is set west of the Mississippi in the USA, or that was written by an author who comes from that region, or that is considered part of the Western genre.	Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin	357	$3
6/10
#7a	7	BL Square:  Spin the Wheel Decide	n/a	n/a	n/a
		Wheel Decide:  Take one extra roll	n/a	n/a	n/a
#7b	10	European Vacation 33: Read a book set in the UK, or that was written by an author whose first or last name begins with any letter in the word L-O-N-D-O-N.	The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa	212	$3
6/13
#8	5	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		School's Out For Summer 1: Read a book that appears on any school related "summer reading list," or that is identified as YA or MG	Going Rogue by Robin Benway	321	$3
6/16
#9	10	Beach Week 10: Read a book that appears on any beach reads list, or a book whose author's first or last name begins with any letter in B-E-A-C-H.	Chasing Evil by Kylie Brant	324	$3
6/19
#10	6	Mountain Cabin 16: Read a book that is considered mystery/suspense genre, or which has a title that contains all of the letters in the word C-A-B-I-N.	Touching Evil by Kylie Brant	288	$3
6/26
#11	4	The Lake House 19: Read a book with a cover that is more than 50 percent blue, or by an author whose first or last name starts with any letter in the word L-A-K-E.	Facing Evil by Kylie Brant	314	$3
6/29
#12	6	The Summer Blockbuster 25: Read a book (or a book in a series) that has been adapted for film or television.	A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters	199	$2
7/2	July 4th Bonus Rolls
#13a	2 (dbls)	The Summer Blockbuster 27: Read a book that features a hero's journey or is a Bildungsroman (coming of age tale); or that has a word related to space in the title (i.e., star, planet, rocket).	Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo	374	$3
#13b	8	When? (34): Read a book that is time travel or historical fiction, or a book with the word "when" in the title.	Silence for the Dead by Simon St. James	386	$3
#14	5	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		Who? (2): Read a mystery or detective story, or a book with the word "who" in the title.	Sharp Edges by Jayne Ann Krentz	338	$3
#15	7	The Stay-cation 9: Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.	Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin	368	$3
7/21
#16a	4	Novelty Card Robot -- save for later (Create a numbered list of ten books, and let a random number generator pick for you)	n/a	n/a	n/a
#16b	7	Free Parking:  Roll 2 dice. A 2 or a 3 sends you to the robot; 4, 5, or 6, go to the race car; 7, 8, or 9, go to the Scottie dog; 10, 11, or 12 takes you to the cat.	n/a	n/a	n/a
#16c	9	Novelty Card Scottie Dog -- save for later (Post a list or poll of 4 books, and ask your fellow players/followers to "fetch" you a book.	n/a	n/a	n/a
#16d	10	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		Who? (2): Read a mystery or detective story, or a book with the word "who" in the title.	Devil in the Deadline by LynDee Walker	282	$3
7/23
#17	7	The Stay-cation 9: Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.	Cover Shot by LynDee Walker	360	$3
7/28
#18	5	Beach Week 13: Read a book with sunglasses, swimsuit, beach bag, beach towel, or other beach items on the cover, or a book that has a cover that is more than 50% yellow.	Using Robot Card	n/a	n/a
		Novelty Card Robot Create a numbered list of ten books, and let a random number generator pick for you.	Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart	372	$3
7/31
#19	7	The Lake House 19: Read a book with a cover that is more than 50 percent blue, or by an author whose first or last name starts with any letter in the word L-A-K-E.	Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz	(376)	($3)
TBA
TBA

Booklikes-opoly 2019 | Roll #18

Booklikes-opoly

hosted by Moonlight Reader and Obsidian Blue

@ Booklikes, the book blogging social platform

Ani's BL-opoly Summary Page

I had hoped to have had my previous BLopoly book read by Saturday, but that didn't happen.  So I finished reading Cover Shot on Sunday (7/28), so I took my roll last night.  Meanwhile, Cover Shot was an entertaining cozy mystery that banked in at $3 with it's 360 pages.  A review should be out sometime in the next few days.

On the personal front, I'm hoping that life starts settling down a bit more the next few weeks post-wedding hangovers and the like.  I've been on a weird work schedule as well, and am hopefully moving back to normal for the next while.

Also, my elder brother and his wife have returned from their travels, honey-mooning in the Grand Cayman Isles, then following by traveling for work purposes as well.  This just means that it was time to say good-bye to the pups that we've been dog-sitting for the past weeks, and the house will definitely be a lot quieter and maybe even a bit subdued for a while as we get used to not having Bear upending everything in sight.  Yogi was always the quiet, unassuming presence, but I loved that he would routinely climb right into my lap every evening whenever I sat down on the couch.

Here's a little pic of all three of the doggies, including our very own Baby, all enjoying a leisurely afternoon on said couch.

Since they live about six hours away in a different state altogether, it will probably be some time before we get to see them again.  Baby, certainly is showing some signs of depression, missing his companions, so we've been trying to play with him more lately, but all he wants to do is lay around.  Hopefully, he'll bounce back to his usual self in a few days, because if not, that means we might have to find a chance to take a road trip to visit the pups... Not that we wouldn't be happy to also see my brother and his wife.


And now onto the next roll of BLopoly...

Roll #18 was a five, which took me to Beach Week 13 (even though the photo shows 12, the square on the board is actually 13).

It's also a fairly subdued time on the board, with Monkey just hanging around and Penni adrift in her boat.  Maybe the excitement will come back soon, though I've said this before:  I'm not sure Penni is ever NOT looking excited about something.  Which is why we love her so much!


There are exactly two books I'd found that would have fit this roll's square.  But unfortunately, while perusing my shelves, I just wasn't feeling in the mood for either of them.  And so I'm finally throwing in a Novelty card.  Since I've got four in my pocket, and two of them are Robot cards, I decided to go ahead and use one of them.

1.  Lethal Lifestyles by LynDee Walker
2.  A Study in Death by Anna Lee Huber
3.  Surrender by Pamela Clare
4.  The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare
5.  Silken Threats by Addison Fox
6.  Open Season by Linda Howard
7.  Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart
8.  The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz
9.  The Dissociation of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa
10.  Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Mariller


My list of books weren't as much random as they were in the order of books I really wanted to read first, then following with whatever other book I thought of next.  Aside from Open Season by Linda Howard, I already own all of them, and there's a nice mix of historical and contemporary, as well as one fantasy.  There are ten different books by ten different authors (I hadn't even realized I'd done that until after I was finished).

And so then I went and found a random number generator app on my phone and came up with this:

The above cover for Madam, Will You Talk? corresponds to the Kindle edition I currently own, though I'm not sure I really like that cover.  But anyway, this book is 372 pages long, which will net me a $3 addition to my bank balance, and so with the completion of this book, I'll have hit exactly $100!  Yay!

I knew I wasn't going to be reading as much as I did the last time I played this game, and so one of my unofficial goals was to hit the triple digits by breaking $100.  And I'll be there soon!

I've already started reading Madam, Will You Talk?, which so far isn't as intriguing as previous Mary Stewart books I've read, but hopefully things will pick up soon.  The main character kind of reminds me of another main character from another book, though I can't quite place my finger on it.

Novelty Cards Currently In My Pocket

Novelty Cards Used

Roll #18
Book Chosen:
Madam, Will You Talk?
by Mary Stewart

My Progress

Current Bank:  $97
Bail Fund Donation:  0 pages || in table: remain in parentheses in (italics and red)
Books Read:  18
Pages Read:  5,965

Table notes:
*Dates link to corresponding dice roll updates / other links for related activities included.
*Book titles link to reviews if written.
*Page/Cash values in parentheses are still pending reads/ not yet cashed out.
*Doubles rolls are depicted as such (dbls) under the dice roll number.

Date (Roll #)	Dice Roll	Space/Prompt	Book Title / Author	Pages	Cash
5/20	Game Start				$20
#1	5	The Silk Road: Read a book set in any of the 40 countries along Silk Road, or by an author from any of those countries.	Hard Target by Pamela Clare	261	$3
5/22
#2a	8	Novelty Card Robot -- save for later (Create a numbered list of ten books, and let a random number generator pick for you)	n/a	n/a	n/a
#2b	4	Mountain Cabin 16: Read a book that is considered mystery/suspense genre, or which has a title that contains all of the letters in the word C-A-B-I-N.	Tightrope by Amanda Quick	320	$3
5/25	See Also: Roll #3 and Memorial Day Bonus Roll Activities
#3	5	The Lake House 20: Read a book that features a dog or which has a dog on the cover; or that is set in an area known for its lakes or on a fictional lake.	Run to Ground by Katie Ruggle	312	$3
	Memorial Day Bonus Rolls
#4	7	The Summer Blockbuster 27: Read a book that features a hero's journey or is a Bildungsroman (coming of age tale); or that has a word related to space in the title (i.e., star, planet, rocket).	Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier	516	$5
#5	9	European Vacation 35: Read a book set in Europe; or that was written by an author who was born in Europe; or that involves travel by boat or that has a picture of a ship on the cover.	A Grave Matter by Anna Lee Huber	433	$5
6/8
#6a	10	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		Novelty Card Race Car -- save for later (Race around the game board to the space of your choosing and read!)	n/a	n/a	n/a
#6b	11	Mountain Cabin 18: Read a book that is set west of the Mississippi in the USA, or that was written by an author who comes from that region, or that is considered part of the Western genre.	Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin	357	$3
6/10
#7a	7	BL Square:  Spin the Wheel Decide	n/a	n/a	n/a
		Wheel Decide:  Take one extra roll	n/a	n/a	n/a
#7b	10	European Vacation 33: Read a book set in the UK, or that was written by an author whose first or last name begins with any letter in the word L-O-N-D-O-N.	The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa	212	$3
6/13
#8	5	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		School's Out For Summer 1: Read a book that appears on any school related "summer reading list," or that is identified as YA or MG	Going Rogue by Robin Benway	321	$3
6/16
#9	10	Beach Week 10: Read a book that appears on any beach reads list, or a book whose author's first or last name begins with any letter in B-E-A-C-H.	Chasing Evil by Kylie Brant	324	$3
6/19
#10	6	Mountain Cabin 16: Read a book that is considered mystery/suspense genre, or which has a title that contains all of the letters in the word C-A-B-I-N.	Touching Evil by Kylie Brant	288	$3
6/26
#11	4	The Lake House 19: Read a book with a cover that is more than 50 percent blue, or by an author whose first or last name starts with any letter in the word L-A-K-E.	Facing Evil by Kylie Brant	314	$3
6/29
#12	6	The Summer Blockbuster 25: Read a book (or a book in a series) that has been adapted for film or television.	A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters	199	$2
7/2	July 4th Bonus Rolls
#13a	2 (dbls)	The Summer Blockbuster 27: Read a book that features a hero's journey or is a Bildungsroman (coming of age tale); or that has a word related to space in the title (i.e., star, planet, rocket).	Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo	374	$3
#13b	8	When? (34): Read a book that is time travel or historical fiction, or a book with the word "when" in the title.	Silence for the Dead by Simon St. James	386	$3
#14	5	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		Who? (2): Read a mystery or detective story, or a book with the word "who" in the title.	Sharp Edges by Jayne Ann Krentz	338	$3
#15	7	The Stay-cation 9: Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.	Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin	368	$3
7/21
#16a	4	Novelty Card Robot -- save for later (Create a numbered list of ten books, and let a random number generator pick for you)	n/a	n/a	n/a
#16b	7	Free Parking:  Roll 2 dice. A 2 or a 3 sends you to the robot; 4, 5, or 6, go to the race car; 7, 8, or 9, go to the Scottie dog; 10, 11, or 12 takes you to the cat.	n/a	n/a	n/a
#16c	9	Novelty Card Scottie Dog -- save for later (Post a list or poll of 4 books, and ask your fellow players/followers to "fetch" you a book.	n/a	n/a	n/a
#16d	10	Pass Go:  Collect $5!	n/a	n/a	$5
		Who? (2): Read a mystery or detective story, or a book with the word "who" in the title.	Devil in the Deadline by LynDee Walker	282	$3
7/23
#17	7	The Stay-cation 9: Read a book that includes a visit to a museum, a concert, a library or a park, or that the author's name begins with one of the letters in R-E-L-A-X.	Cover Shot by LynDee Walker	360	$3
7/28
#18	5	Beach Week 13: Read a book with sunglasses, swimsuit, beach bag, beach towel, or other beach items on the cover, or a book that has a cover that is more than 50% yellow.	Using Robot Card	n/a	n/a
		Novelty Card Robot Create a numbered list of ten books, and let a random number generator pick for you.	Madam, Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart	(372)	($3)
TBA
TBA