Books Read in August

I completely forgot to post this earlier this week, and then I never got back here to post it.

All ratings are on a scale from 1 (bad) to 5 (great).

YOU'RE NEXT by Gregg Hurwitz - 4

Mike Wingate grew up in foster care, not even knowing his real last name.  But as an adult he's going to need to figure out his past quickly because someone is out to kill him for it.  What secret does his family hold?  I felt this thriller was pretty slow getting going, but once it did, it was another roller coaster ride of action.

PAMPERED TO DEATH by Laura Levine - 5

Jaine Austen is off to a spa thanks to neighbor Lance.  Only when she gets there, she learns it's really a fat farm.  When another of the guests gets murdered just before Jaine is going to escape, she decides to find the killer so she can grab some real food.  This is another funny adventure for Jaine, and I laughed my way through it from start to finish.

THE REAL MACAW by Donna Andrews - 4

With four month old twins, Meg is finding life unpredictable and crazy.  And that's before her father and grandfather show up with a bunch of animals rescued from the local shelter.  When their "get away" driver is found killed, Meg keeps finding more information that leads to some shocking discoveries.  I found the plot of this book very interesting, and I can't wait to see how it plays out in further volumes.  The usual cast of characters are present, but they don't provide the laughs they used to.  They are still amusing, and fun to be around, which will keep fans of the series happy.

DEATH ON TOUR by Janice Hamrick - 2.5

No one is too upset with the tour group busy body is found dead on the groups first day in Egypt.  But Jocelyn soon begins to suspect that the death wasn't an accident.  As the trip continues, strange things seem to happen wherever they go.  What's going on?  I enjoyed the tour parts of the book, although they did seem to slow the book down.  That's not necessarily a bad thing because it is painfully obvious what is happening very early on.  Add to that characters that aren't always likeable, and you've got something that could have been fun but winds up only average.

A BAD DAY'S WORK by Nora McFarland - 5

TV shooter Lilly Hawkins gets the scoop of the year, footage of a murder scene.  But when she returns to the station her tape is blank.  She thinks it is just bad luck until someone starts threatening her to get that tape.  What has she stumbled into?  The plot of this book is a little thin, but the action more than makes up for it.  I also really liked how the characters developed over the course of the novel.  I am very anxious to read the next book in what looks to be a great series.