"In Their Blood" by Sharon Potts

Book Details:

Title: In Their Blood

Author: Sharon Potts

Published: 2009- Oceanview Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-60809-005-1

Genre: Suspense

Pages: 354

Rating: 3 of 5

Read in: 9 days

My Review:

Jeremy has lived a very privileged life- his dad's a college professor and his mom's a successful partner at a CPA firm. He doesn't want that kind of 9-to-5 life for himself though, and drops out of college to travel around Europe and escape the responsibility of becoming an adult. When young Jeremy Stroeb's parents are brutally murdered in their home though, he must rush back to Miami to assume guardianship over his 16-year old sister, Elise. However, upon arriving home, he finds that little is known about who is responsible for the murders and he takes it upon himself to find out. Of course, he must then face the unbearable truths his parents had successfully kept from their children, and figure out which was worth their lives to keep hidden.

Potts' novel features many unique and unforgettable characters, which was what I liked most. An eccentric college graduate assistant, a drunken CPA has-been, a corporate mogul making all his money illegally- everyone has a secret waiting to be revealed and all roads lead to the murder victims. Were they killed for money? For lust? To protect a reputation? Something more scandalous? Jeremy throws all he has into trying to find out, and as it turns out, the killer isn't finished either.

A very typical murder mystery with a unique set of characters, I was sufficiently entertained and fully engaged from the first page to the last. I give this novel three of five stars and give the author props for a very successful first novel.

"The Burning" by Jane Casey

Book Details:

Title: The Burning

Author: Jane Casey

Published: 2011 by St. Martin's Press

ISBN: 978-0-312-61417-1

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 354

Rating: 4 of 5

Read in: 12 days

My Review:

Jane Casey's The Burning is a crime novel set in London during the reign of a particularly heinous serial killer. Known as the "Burning Man", he attacks women in the night, beating them and then setting their bodies on fire, destroying all evidence. Enter DC Maeve Kerrigan, a young detective assigned to the murder of Rebecca Haworth, who may or may not have fallen victim to the Burning Man. This novel follows Maeve as she tries to weed her way through Rebecca's past, determined to prove her murder was a little more personal than the assumption that she was the Burning Man's latest victim. The novel is also told from the point of view of Rebecca's shy and quiet best friend Louise North, whose always lived in her friend's shadow and by all accounts has loved and worshiped her since the day they met. Louise's story offers another account of Rebecca's past, as well as interesting insights into the current events taking place.

I enjoyed the book as a whole, but found it to be pretty slow to develop. Being told from two different points of views does help leave the reader guessing as to the conclusion, though. It's a classic whodunit with some modern flair. Set against the backdrop of London, it sometimes feels as though the detectives are following a modern-day Jack the Ripper- serial killer plaguing the streets of London at night, prowling on younger women and savagely killing them. I'd like the think this is the effect the author was going for.

One thing that really bothered me about the character development was the abrupt end to the budding romance between the main character and her colleague, Rob. Her attraction and affection toward him starts partially through the book, comes to a peak about three quarters through, and then... NOTHING. He's barely even mentioned in the last fifty pages! Although she explains that they could never be together because of their work relationship, the attraction would not just stop. However, Rob's appearances in the book seem to. Unfortunately, there's no closure to this particular side story.

I would like to see a series of crime novels featuring Maeve Kerrigan- she's a strong woman, a well-rounded character, and a brilliant detective. There is also a small group of great supporting characters who could be developed further later on, or left in the background to support and aid the hero. I give this book four out of five stars.

"Struck By Living: From Depression to Hope" by Julie K. Hersh

Book Details:

Title: Struck By Living: From Depression to Hope

Author: Julie K. Hersh

Published: 2011 by Greenleaf Book Group Press

ISBN: 978-1-60832-107-0

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 223

Rating: 4 of 5

Read in: 6 days

My Review:
Depression is a formidable enemy. It doesn't show up on an x-ray or a CAT scan. No testing of blood or urine can detect it's presence. That doesn't make it any less traumatizing or deadly, just more difficult to diagnose and treat. It's like a cancer of the soul- aggressive, debilitating, painful. If caught in time, medication, counselling, and support from loved ones can help reduce it back to nothing. Not everyone can get the help they need in time and fall victim to the dark hopelessness. And there's still never a guarantee that you won't relapse even years later. Julie Hersh suffered through this disease, just one of millions around the country. Her story is like so many others in many ways. Her suffering and constant battle to find relief is shared by an increasing number, but her path to and from depression is solely her own. Her memoir of her experiences with depression shows readers who may also be battling the same condition or know someone who is that life doesn't have to end to find a release. She invites the reader into her desperate, pained mind at her worse to prove it's never hopeless, there's always a way out, you just have to find what works for you. She also takes the reader into a psychiatric ward and a treatment center, sanctuaries for the mentally unstable to gain their footing and start the journey to wellness. She gives hope and understanding and shamelessly recounts even her lowest points. The effects on her friends and family, the toll months of little sleep and nourishment took on her body, her attempts to kill herself- she doesn't sugar-coat the illness the offer one of the most honest tellings of depression I have come across.

This memoir features a depression treatment option not commonly discussed- electroconvulsive therapy or ECT. The author discusses her experiences with this controversial therapy and how it may have saved her life. After several suicide attempts, ECT was a last option for her and her family and turned out to be their saving grace. I gave this book four out of five stars and would strongly recommend it to anyone suffering from depression, but especially to anyone close to someone suffering from it. Hersh gives a very accurate account of the mentality and thought processes that go along with the illness and could help others understand when they may have never experienced it themselves.