The Running Bibliophile

Wild Dark Shore  by Charlotte McConaghy  takes place on a remote island of Shearwater. Dominic Salt and his three children are the caretakers of the island where it houses the world's largest seed bank. They're all that remains after the researchers fled the island due to rising sea levels until a woman named Rowan is washed ashore. As the Salt family takes care of the woman, they begin to realize Rowan isn't telling the truth about why she's there. This novel was chosen by one of the book clubs I belong to for our June discussion. I thought the premise of the story was intriguing, and I was excited to dive into it. However, I struggled in the first few chapters because it just wasn't capturing my attention. Once the plot began to unfold, the story became more compelling, the suspense kept building, and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what would happen next. McConaghy does a fantastic job of showing the reader the story instead of telling it. I ...

No Easy Target by Iris Johansen is a stand alone book that mentions characters from the Eve Duncan book series. Margaret Douglas had a troubled youth due to the fact that her father considered her a freak because she could talk to and influence animals utilizing telepathy. Escaping her father, she goes on the run to only be kidnapped and held prisoner by criminal Nicos. After escaping his grasp, Margaret has been on the run again for three years, that is until former CIA operative John Lassiter breaks into her apartment and eventually apprehends her. This is the third book I've read by author Iris Johansen and by far my favorite so far. It was chosen as a book club read, so I'm not sure if I would have picked up to read on my own, but I am definitely glad I did read it. No Easy Target had a bit of everything in it . . . action, suspense, mystery, fantasy, and romance. It definitely had me on a roller coaster ride as I wasn't exactly sure how it would play out, but ...