Scandal, Starlets, and Attempted Murder

Expected Publication:  March 3rd, 2015

Dead To Me

By: Mary McCoy

Disney-Hyperion

ISBN-13:  9781423187127

"Don't believe anything they say."

Those were the last words that Annie spoke to Alice before turning her back on their family and vanishing without a trace.  Alice spent four years waiting and wondering when the impossibly glamorous sister she idolized would return to her -- and what their Hollywood-insider parents had done to drive her away.

When Annie does turn up, the blond, broken stranger lying in a coma has no answers for her.  But Alice isn't a kid anymore, and this time she won't let anything stand between her and the truth, no matter how ugly.  The search for those who beat Annie and left her for dead leads Alice into a treacherous world of tough-talking private eyes, psychopathic movie stars, and troubled starlets -- and onto the trail of a young runaway who is the sole witness to an unspeakable crime.  What this girl knows could shut down a criminal syndicate and put Annie's attacker behind bars -- if Alice can find her first.  And she isn't the only one looking.

Review

     A bit of a change of pace from my normal reading, what with the noir and all.  Not my usual, but I do enjoy a noir mystery film from time to time - I even took a Film Noir class in college.  Would you believe that some of it actually stuck?  That said, this is also set during what could be conceivably called the Golden Age of Hollywood, when there were so many stars and great films it's almost unreal.  Add into that particular time period an average teenaged girl, with a father who is a promoter in the film business and whose sister left home years ago without a backwards glance.  The girl, Alice, is startled to receive a call from the hospital that her sister Annie has been found almost beaten to death and they need her to come up there.  When she meets a private eye in the hospital room, who claims to be Annie's friend, things spiral completely out of control.  It becomes a game of cat and mouse, with the very real danger of death just around the corner.  Is this a mystery that Alice can survive?

     I appreciated that it's pretty clear whodunnit, and that's not where the mystery lies.  The mystery of the story is the motivations, the connections and the how of the situation!  There is a lot of action and I was always on the edge of my seat.  No character was truly safe and the psycopathic movie star described in the book summary was truly terrifying once he became a major player in the novel.  The reasons were not quite what I was expecting, but with the sleazy side of 1940s Hollywood being what it was, it wasn't entirely surprising in and of itself.  Mostly, the bits and pieces of this one - story, plotting, characters, etc. - came together to form an entirely pleasant reading experience and genuinely intriguing mystery.  This is an author I will definitely be watching in the future.  Please excuse the vagueness of this review, as I'm trying to avoid spoilers due to the March 2015 release date!!!

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

**I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication date is March 3rd, 2015.**

Happiness Is A Warm Gun...

Published:  April 2nd, 2013
This Is What Happy Looks Like
By: Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
ISBN-13:  9780316212823

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review

 

     Graham Larkin is a famous movie star with a career on the rise.  Ellie O'Neill is a small-town girl who has a quiet life, with a few secrets of her own.  When Graham accidentally send her an e-mail about his pet pig Wilbur they start sending e-mails back and forth, opening up and telling each other things no one else knows.  So when Graham's newest movie needs to change location at the last minute he suggests Ellie's small hometown in Maine.  All he wants is to meet the girl he thinks he could fall in love with.  But a series of misunderstandings and outside influences threaten their attempts to get to know each other in real life.  Can Ellie and Graham work through their issues and allow themselves to be open to true love?  Or is it just another internet hook-up gone wrong?

     Out of Ellie and Graham, he was definitely my favorite character.  He obviously was bewildered by his sudden fame and had originally wanted to go to college, never even considering acting.  But now that he's in the Hollywood sphere, he only does it because he loves the job.  And Graham is far from a cocky douchebag like most teen mega-stars are portrayed as being.  Ellie herself is a bit more of an enigma, being the illegitimate daughter of a very famous politician her Mom had an affair with.  They changed their last name and moved far away from D.C. when the scandal broke.  Ellie's Mom is far from pleased when she finds out her daughter's potential boyfriend is famous and will put her in the limelight again.  My only thing is that the drama between Ellie and her best friend was overblown and annoying.  I felt like the best friend was a complete bitch about things and Ellie just allowed it and made excuses for her, practically being a puppy when she started talking to her again.  After ignoring Ellie for practically an ENTIRE MONTH!  WTFH???  This book was fluff and after Smith's last book, I went in expecting a short and sweet puffy cotton ball.  And that is exactly what I got from this book.  Although I will say that the revelation of the paparazzi exposing who Ellie's Dad is, and nobody caring sort of pissed me off.  Seriously, after making such a huge deal out of the situation/secret it's just a (and I quote from the book) 'footnote' and Graham is more important???!!!  Yeah, I don't think so.  But the romance was sweet, the underlying satire and witty exchanges made me smile and though the relationships were fairly 2-D they were realistic enough.  Overall a fun read, but don't go into it expecting Sarah Dessen-style character development, because you won't get it.

 

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**