Book Reviews of the Three-Book Instinct Series by James Patterson

James Patterson has created a suspenseful trilogy of novels in the Instinct Series, which inspired the hit CBS TV series starring Alan Cumming. This series of novels begins with Murder Games (now called ‘Instinct’); continues on in Killer Instinct, and concludes in Steal.  Following is a brief synopsis of each. 

There are two main characters in this 3-book series.

• Dr. Dylan Reinhart, a psychology professor at Yale, who wrote what has become a definitive book on criminal behavior. 
• Elizabeth Needham, a brilliant NYPD Detective.

Instinct (Murder Games)

As Book One begins, we learn that a copy of Dylan’s book has turned up at the scene of a gruesome murder, along with a threatening message from the killer. Detective Needham recruits Dr. Reinhart to help with the investigation, as well as helping to interpret another souvenir left at the scene: a playing card. This is followed by another murder…. and another card.

Dylan begins to suspect that the cards are not the killer’s signature, but actually a deadly hint pointing toward the next victim.

Can a criminal behavior expert and an NYPD detective track down a criminal the media is calling “The Dealer” before New York City completely descends into panic?  A shocking novel of suspense.

Killer Instinct

Dr. Dylan Reinhart reunites with Detective Elizabeth Needham to find a killer when an Ivy League professor is murdered. 

As the duo begin their investigation, suddenly there is a terrifying attack at Times Square in New York, sending the city into chaos. A name on the casualty list rocks Dylan’s world as it brings back a long-buried secret from his past that could possibly threaten his current life.

Then, Elizabeth performs a courageous act that makes her a reluctant hero. The resultant attention also makes her a prime target for the ruthless murderer behind the attack. 

Dylan, who wrote the book on the psychology of murder, and Elizabeth have solved cases that have baffled conventional detectives. But now they face a sociopath unlike any other. With threats of another attack looming, failure is not an option.

 

STEAL

A student in Dr. Dylan Reinhart’s Abnormal Psychology class, who happens to be the son of the extremely wealthy hedge fund CEO, posts on Instagram he plans to kill himself. When his sailboat returns without him, a massive search begins. Did Carter really kill himself, or is something else going on? 

Carter’s father doesn’t believe his son is dead. There is also the matter of an extremely valuable painting that represents a dangerous secret and has gone missing at the same time that Carter disappeared. He cannot go to the police without revealing the secret, so he convinces Dylan to look for him.

Wrapped up in multi-million-dollar secrets and danger, Dylan is going to need every bit of his wit and the help of his headstrong and brilliant friend, NYPC Detective Elizabeth Needham, to stay ahead of both his enemy … and his employer.

Summary

A trio of thrillers introduces two fascinating new characters to James Patterson’s  suspense novels. The first book in the series (Instinct ~ formerly Murder Games) also became the basis for a hit TV series starring Alan Cummings as Dr. Dylan Reinhart. It ran for two seasons and is now available on DVD. I truly enjoyed this trilogy of novels by James Patterson.

*Book Reviews of the Instinct Series by James Patterson, written by Wednesday Elf

The 'Instinct' Triology and the "Instinct" TV Series: 

Instinct (previously published as Murder Games)

Killer Instinct

Steal

Instinct: Season One

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National Beach Day (August 30)

A review of an awareness holiday for everyone who has ever enjoyed a day at the beach. 

National Beach Day

Having spent a great number of years living near beaches of many kinds, from ponds to lakes to oceans, National Beach Day ‘speaks’ to my soul. 

I spent some of my growing up years in ‘beach’ communities, from my birthplace of Canandaigua, NY (one of the Finger Lakes) to Rochester, NY situated on Lake Ontario (one of the Great Lakes). My adult married life brought me to communities on the Gulf of Mexico, the California Central Coast and the Southeastern Shores of South Carolina and Georgia. So beaches have been an integral part of my life. 

Between beach community times, I  have also lived as a ‘landlubber’ in the Midwest, but this quote keeps me going away from the beaches:

"The beach is not a place, it's a feeling"

So I can truly say: The beach is my ‘happy’ place. 

Origin of this Holiday

Begun by animal activist, Colleen Paige, in 2014, National Beach Day is designated as a day to clean up the natural resources of the beach. Keeping beaches beautiful and sustainable allows everyone to enjoy them for a long time into the future. 

Summary

So if you enjoy lying around soaking up the sunshine on your favorite beach, with access to salt-water oceans or fresh-water lakes, and love outdoor activities such as swimming, walking on the beach and building sandcastles, use National Beach Day on August 30 to participate in a ‘beach clean-up’ to keep your favorite places enjoyable for all. Then reward yourself with a 'fun-in-the-sun beach day’. 

My favorite beach picture, taken (at the request of our daughter) at dawn on the first day of the new millenium (January 1, 2001) on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Related Reviews:

• Moonstone Beach in Cambria: A Review in Photos written by BarbRad
• A Review of Jupiter Beach Park written by mbgPhoto
• South Carolina Historic Vacation Reviewed written by Sam Monaco
• Mid-Atlantic Beaches written by Dawn Rae

Happy National Beach Day

August 30

*National Beach Day holiday review written by Wednesday Elf

+All images in this post are personal photos taken by (c) Wednesday Elf

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Beach Gear:

 

HAUSHOF High Back Beach Chair, Mesh Back Folding Chair, Lightweight Low Seat Camping Chairs with Cup Holder, Carry Bag, Padded Armrest for Outdoor Beach Lawn Camping Picnic Festival

Genovega 2 Packs Oversized Beach Towel Set 36 x 72 in Large Big Pool Camping Swim Clearance Soft Towels Travel Essentials Accessories Must Haves Vacation Necessities Adult Gifts Shark Turtle

Beach Umbrella - Beach Umbrella for Sand Wind Portable with Tilt Pole, 6.56 FT Arc Length 5.9 FT Diameter, Heavy Duty Wind Resistant Striped Large Umbrellas, UV 50+ Parasol with Anchor Screw Adjustable Height

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Book Review of Heaven Adjacent

A novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde

What if you have been living a high-powered life, where work is everything and your time is totally organized? Then, something drastic happens that makes you realize that there may be more to living than what you have been doing. This is what happens to Roseanna Chaldecott the day her best friend and law partner suddenly dies.

Heaven Adjacent

Synopsis of Heaven Adjacent

Something snaps in Roseanna’s life one morning when she takes a step back and realizes that all she and her law partner had worked for now has no real meaning anymore. Instead of dutifully going off to the office as usual, and feeling unsure of her future, Roseanna leaves her home in New York City and begins to drive upstate on one tank of gas with no plans to return. Nothing seems to matter anymore; she lives alone and is estranged from her grown son, and work no longer seems important. 

Hours later, Roseanna’s need for gas occurs in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains where she discovers a ramshackle farm located on seventy-six acres that is for sale. Deciding this is the perfect hideout, she purchases the property and arranges to have her Manhattan apartment closed up and her belongings shipped to the farm. She also notifies her secretary that she won't be back.

The farm appears to be full of possibilities, but also includes a few surprises. It seems there is a young mother and her small daughter who have been squatting on the property. Having company is the last thing Roseanna wants, but she reluctantly allows them to stay. 

As time goes by, it is discovered that there is a lot of old farm equipment and other metal things stored in and around the farm and its many buildings. Roseanna and the young girl begin sculpting zoo animals using this ‘junk’. As a result, others are drawn to the farm; some of whom stay on, camping on the many acres. Eventually, a newspaperman writes a story about the sculptures and even her estranged son, Lance, shows up. Lance pleads with her to return to the city, but Roseanna has finally discovered where she belongs. And, soon Lance also discovers a simple truth. 

Summary

Roseanna thought she needed space and solitude when her new adventure began, but, although her new life does not provide the solitude she first sought, her heart has found room for much more.

This is a wonderful, yet bittersweet, story about slowing down and discovering what can be gained when leaving everything behind! 

People come into our lives and it’s not always a forever kind of thing, and not always meant to be. Not every deal is for keeps.

~from Heaven Adjacent by Catherine Ryan Hyde

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*Book Review of ‘Heaven Adjacent’ was written by Wednesday Elf

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Invisible and Unsolved ~ the Invisible Series by James Patterson

Book Reviews of the Two-Book ‘Invisible’ series of novels by James Patterson and David Ellis

Synopses of the Invisible Series

Invisible

Emmy Dockery is an FBI researcher in Washington, DC who often finds patterns to crimes that seem to point her toward cases she believes the FBI needs to investigate.  She comes across a great many unsolved cases all across the country which Emmy is convinced are connected. She becomes obsessed with finding a link between these cases, to the point where she even takes a leave from her job to continue gathering information on hundreds of kidnappings, rapes, and murders. 

Everyone, including her ex-boyfriend, field agent Harrison “Books” Bookman, think she is crazy. No one believes her until Emmy finds a piece of evidence which cannot be ignored. 

Could one person be responsible for all these crimes, even though no motives or murder weapons or suspects have ever been proved? 

James Patterson takes you on a chilling and scary thriller in Invisible!

Unsolved

In this follow-up to Invisible, we find a series of perfect murders, each of which look like an accident. But as the bodies begin to pile up, Emmy Dockery realizes that something horrible is happening. She also begins to believe that her twin sister’s death in a house fire several months ago, believed to be accidental, is anything but! 

Emmy has a unique skill at seeing connections others miss. As a result this has brought her an impressive string of arrests. But these cases where the victims all appear to have died by accident, seemingly with nothing in common, have not only baffled Emmy, but have left her findings so unbelievable that she cannot get anyone to investigate. 

The FBI Director talks to former special agent Harrison (Books) Bookman, now running a book store called “The Book Man”, into returning to look into these cases because one of the suspects is Books’ ex-fiancee Emmy Dockery. Books accepts because he wants to prove the agency is wrong about Emmy.

But, someone else is also watching Emmy and waiting until the perfect time to strike! 

Summary

In each book in this series, the villain is someone you would never suspect. I was fooled right to the end. Surprising endings indeed, typical of James Patterson. This was definitely a series well worth reading. 

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*Book Reviews of James Patterson's The Invisible Series was written by Wednesday Elf

The Invisible Series by James Patterson and David Ellis:

Invisible

Unsolved (Invisible Book 2)

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The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde - A Book Review

Among the many interests and activities which author Catherine Ryan Hyde enjoys, is that of horses. She is an avid equestrian and often posts pictures online of her horses. In addition, Catherine has featured horses in several of her books. The Language of Hoofbeats is one such book. This is my review of this fascinating and interesting novel. 

Synopsis

Two of the main characters, Clementine and Jackie, each narrate the story, taking alternating chapters to tell their side of the events.

The Language of Hoofbeats

The story begins when Jackie and her wife, Paula, looking for a quiet life for their kids - a young adopted son and two teenage foster children - move in across the street from Clementine. Paula is a veterinarian and this move has brought her to a remote country area in need of another vet. Jackie is a stay-at-home mom for the kids. 

Clementine is a terribly unhappy person who is so damaged by her daughter’s suicide that she cannot be civil to most people, including her husband. The husband finally cannot take her negativity any longer and he moves out about the time Paula & Jackie and the kids move in next door.

Clem has a horse named Comet who used to belong to the now-dead daughter. Comet is quite high-strung and has not been receiving very good care because Clementine is rather scared of the horse and the husband has moved out. When the foster teen Star, a quite unhappy girl herself, is drawn to and bonds with Comet and attempts to begin a friendship with the horse. Clementine, in her usual horrid fashion, resents the friendship developing between Star and the horse and chases her away from her property several times. Clem is extremely nasty to Star and also to her foster mothers, Jackie and Paula. Finally, not being able to stand the way the horse is neglected, Star steals Comet and they become lost. The real action in the story begins as Jackie and Clementine join forces to search for both Star and Comet. 

Throughout the story, we also become acquainted with the other foster child, Mando, and the younger adopted son, and learn what happened to Clementine’s daughter. 

Summary

From the book jacket: 

When a troubled girl steals a horse, her foster moms are thrown together with their reluctant neighbor 

The Language of Hoofbeats shows us the complexity of human relationships and points out how very relatable characters can sometimes be intensely flawed. But, by facing the scars they carry and the choices they have made, along with forgiving the regrets, a diverse group of people often can be transformed into a family. An extremely good read! 

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Catherine Ryan Hyde

*Book Review of “The Language of Hoofbeats” is written by Wednesday Elf

 

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Holiday Review of National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

On August 2nd we celebrate the fun food holiday, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day. It is the perfect cool treat for a hot summer day. It is a delicious summertime follow-up to July’s National Ice Cream Month. 

Some Fun Tasty History of National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

On National Ice Cream Sandwich Day, we celebrate a delicious delight that is over a century old. We know this to be true because of an article published in the New York Mail and Express (a daily New York City newspaper) in 1899 to verify that there were ice cream sandwiches for sale by street vendors in New York at that time. For one penny! 

The article said the following:

There are ham sandwiches and salmon sandwiches and cheese sandwiches and several other kinds of sandwiches, but the latest is the ice-cream sandwich.

How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

In my day, the ice cream sandwich I remember (and enjoyed) the most as a child was the traditional brick of vanilla ice cream placed between two soft chocolate wafers. Ice cream and cookies - always a child-favorite!

Over time, many variations of the ice cream sandwich have come about and many can even be created in your own kitchen.

• There is the creation invented by an ice cream vendor in 1928 in San Francisco who used two oatmeal cookies instead of chocolate wafers.  He even had a version of this that he dipped into chocolate before he served it.

• Maybe you could add some chocolate chips around the edges of the ice cream. Or use chocolate chip cookies with chocolate chip cookie ice cream! :) 

• How about chocolate ice cream between vanilla wafers?  

• Making ice cream sandwiches can be as simple or as difficult as you choose them to be. Just select your favorite flavor of ice cream and the cookies/biscuits/wafers you like best and come up with your favorite version.

If you want a challenge and enjoy ‘fun in the kitchen’, try making your own cookies and your own ice cream for a tasty homemade impressive creation!

Summary

This wonderfully simple frozen dessert is an extremely tasty and delicious ice cream treat. So be sure to be ready with your favorites on National Ice Cream Sandwich Day on August 2.

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*Holiday Review of National Ice Cream Sandwich Day is written by Wednesday Elf

 

HOME NEATLY Ice Cream Sandwich Scoop, Easy Release Sandwich Cookie Scoops for Evenly Sized Gelato Scoops, Ice Cream Scoop with Trigger for Effortless Serving, Stainless Steel Food Scoopers for Kitchen

Chef'n Sweet Spot Ice Cream Sandwich Maker - Set of 2, Brown | Craft Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches with Ease | Gift for Family Fun and Parties

Jellybean Foods Ice Cream Sandwich Wafers - Crispy Chocolate Wafers For Ice Cream Sandwiches - Rectangular Sandwich Wafers - Chocolate Cookies - Rectangular Wafers Without Cream or Ice Cream(1 lb)

Nestle, Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches, 6 Count (Frozen)

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Dead Heat Book Review

A horseracing mystery by Dick Francis and Felix Francis

After a successful eleven-year career as a jockey in England (during which he became one of Britain's leading National Hunt jockeys and a champion steeplechaser, riding as jockey to the Queen Mother. Queen Elizabeth), Dick Francis wrote his first book, an autobiography (The Sports of Queens), which led to a job on a London newspaper as a racing correspondent. In 1982, he published his first mystery book that dealt with crime in the horse-racing world. Through a publishing career of nearly 40 books, Francis’ wife, Mary, was his researcher, proofreader and biggest fan. 

Mary died in 2000 and Dick, heartbroken, virtually gave up writing. Six years later, their son Felix talked his dad into writing again and they collaborated on Dead Heat. Herein, is my review of this book.

Synopsis of Dead Heat

Dead Heat

The main character in Dead Heat is Max Moreton. Max is locally known as a celebrity chef, enjoying success in his horse-racing themed restaurant in Newmarket called The Hay Net. Max also frequently caters special meals at nearby racetracks. His troubles begin when he caters a dinner at Newmarket races where dozens of guests end up with food poisoning. Max cannot figure out what went wrong.

But, that incident was just the beginning of Max’s problems. The very next day, he caters a VIP lunch in one of the special boxes at Newmarket races, and he is nearly killed in an explosion. It suddenly becomes time for Max to start trying to figure out what is going on and why it seems as though someone is trying to kill him. 

Summary

The clever plot of Dead Heat has some interesting and some quirky characters (there is the laughing lawyer for one) and a romantic interest between Max and a beautiful viola player from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London who originally starts out to sue him! In addition, the reader gets to enjoy the ambience of the world of haute cuisine. 

I enjoyed this first collaboration of Dick Francis with his son Felix. The team went on to publish 3 more books together. Since Dick’s death at age 89 in 2010, Felix Francis has continued on in the same vein, writing horse-racing mysteries. 

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*Book Review of ‘Dead Heat by Dick & Felix Francis was written by Wednesday Elf

 

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