Graveyard Games by Sheri Leigh

I picked up this book on a whim, when my kindle wasn't completely full and gave it a whirl. Firstly it's well written and I enjoyed it. There were lots of twists, some predictable story-lines but in general lots of fun to read, slightly graphic but not so much it makes you squirm. The characters are relate-able and draw you into there backgrounds, you want to know the story of what makes them, them.

I liked the relationships between the characters, especially between Dusty and her brothers best friend. I love the tension between them and the way there story is built up. I like the mood set in the book, the way all the different characters respond to grief and trauma. It's true to life in that way, no one deals the same way. So grab a hot cocoa, snuggle under a blanket and settle in for a night and get to reading.

The synopsis of the book is:

Dusty has always been the hothead in the pair -- her twin, Nick, he was the calm, cool and collected one. But now Nick is dead, found murdered in their local cemetery, and Dusty, on forced leave from her job as a Chicago police officer, goes back to her childhood home to attend the funeral.

It becomes quickly apparent to Dusty that the local authorities aren’t being straight with her, or anyone else, about what’s been going on in the little Midwestern town she grew up in. The detective in her kicks in and she decides to find out what--or who--has killed her brother, so she moves in temporarily with her father and stepmother, takes a job in a local bar, and starts asking questions.

Her focus soon fixes on Shane, her brother’s best friend--the town bad boy and bad seed. The tension between the two of them has always been palpable, and nothing has changed. Sparks fly as they collide, and while Dusty finds herself sinking in deeper with Shane, the mystery of what happened to her brother--and an ever growing list of victims--grows even stranger.

Dusty finds her past haunting her everywhere she goes as she continues to dig deeper into the circumstances of her brother’s death, and her future looms large as her fate as a police officer is about to be determined back in Chicago. With everything coming to a head, she focuses on one thing: What happened the night her brother was killed in the cemetery? She’s sure Shane knows... something... and she’s determined to find out what it is, one way or another.

It's 242 pages long. You can pick up a copy of the Ebook on Amazon right now for $2.99, I definitely say its worth it. Yes from time to time the story is a little too slow paced or too fast paced, or a little off the mark, but for the most part the characters are solid, the story line is moving in the right direction and you will find it hard to put down, you'll want to know what happened and what will happen next.

Doglands by Tom Wilcox

Doglands a new book by Tom Wilcox.

I sat down and read this wonderfully heartwarming, heartwrenching tale in an afternoon. If you are an animal lover you are gonna be pulled in by the story for sure. My mother read it after me, and kept saying " Thankfullly I didn't read this when I was a kid, I would have constantly been freeing dogs to run free." I believe it too, that's just the way she is.

Furgul is a puppy born in a slave camp for racing greyhounds, and he has a terrible secret--he is himself only part greyhound. When the cruel owner of the camp recognizes Furgul's impure origins he takes Furgul to be killed, but Furgal manages a spectacular escape. Now Furgul must confront the indifference, complexity, warmth, and ferocity of the greater world, a world in which there seem to be two choices: live the comfortable life of a pet and sacrifice freedom or live the life of a free dog, glorious but also dangerous, in which every man will turn his hand against you. In the best tradition of The Call of the Wild and Watership Down, novelist Tim Willocks offers his first tale for young adults, an allegorical examination of human life through a dog's eyes, infused with heart, heroism, and the mysteries of the spirit. From the Hardcover edition.

I fell in love with Furgul. He is such a courageous puppy and you just want to root for him. I really love the way the author writes from a dogs point of view so you really feel connected to Furgul and to all the other characters. The other thing I loved is even though the story is about dogs, I know a lot of people can relate to the things the dog is going through, like not knowing his dad, wanting his mother to be proud of him, not understanding everything that is happening around him, and wanting to stand up and fight when no one else is willing too.

I really enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to my animal loving friends, its not a hard read and you won't be disappointed in the story telling.