Mailbox Madness (Nov 1 - Nov 7)

In My Mailbox is hosted Sundays at The Story Siren.  Mailbox Monday's host for November is Julie at Knitting and Sundries. Please visit these posts and take a look at what packages everybody else got this week!

For Review:

When No One is Watching

by Joseph Hayes

On the eve of announcing his run for Congress, a charismatic Chicago politician causes a deadly accident.  Panicked, he frames his best friend, a good-hearted alcoholic, and flees the scene.  As one man tries to pick up the pieces of his shattered life, the other embarks on a meteoric rise to political stardom.  But when a dogged detective digs deeper into the case, the political superstar must decide just how far he is willing to go to keep his dark secret.  Author Joseph Hayes combines page-turning suspense with a poignant tale of inspiration and redemption as he asks, is "the greater good" just a lie we tell ourselves to justify the sins we commit when no one is watching?

Black Ties and Lullabies

by Jane Graves

A good girl can be bad for one night. . .

Bernadette Hogan doesn't make mistakes.  Not when it comes to caring for her mother, and not at her job protecting Texas's most eligible -- and infuriating -- bachelor.  Maybe that's why she's overcome with guilt after one tiny indiscretion: a passionate fling with her boss that's left her confused, intrigued.. . and pregnant.

but can a bad boy be good for a lifetime?

To self-made millionaire Jeremy Bridges, women are like fine wine: if held for too long, they sour.  But one wild night with Bernadette changed all that.  She makes him laugh, she makes him think, and soon she's going to make him a father.  For the first time, Jeremy wants to be a one-woman man.  So how can he convince the fiercely independent Bernadette he's ready to change from partying playboy to dependable dad --- and become the loving husband she deserves?

My Immortal Assassin

by Carolyn Jewel

Tempted by revenge. . .
Grayson Spencer is hellbent on killing the dark mage who destroyed his life.  But when her attempt fails, she is forced to turn to Durian, a feared demon and expert assassin.  Newly armed with powerful magic she's barely able to control, she'll do whatever it takes to complete her mission -- even surrender to a dangerous fiend whose eyes promise unimaginable pleasure.

Bound by desire. . .
Sworn to protect all mages, Durian can't let Gray threaten the uneasy peace among demons, humans, and mages.  So he proposes a deal: He'll train Gray to master her gift if she'll bind herself magically to him, submitting to his control.  As Gray's powers intensify, so too does Durian's hunger for this fierce, irresistible woman.  When the dark mage makes a final play for Gray, will the passion she and Durian share be the key to their survival or the seed of their destruction?

Won from Colossal Pop:

 

The Reversal

by Michael Connelly

Longtime defense attorney Mickey Haller never thought he could be persuaded to cross the aisle and work for the prosecution.  Then convicted child killer Jason Jessup, imprisoned for twenty-four years, is granted a retrial based on new DNA evidence.  Haller is convinced Jessup is guilty, and he takes the case on the condition that he get to choose his investigator, LAPD detective Harry Bosch, and his second chair, deputy DA Maggie McPherson.

But there's a serious political taint on the case, and Haller and McPherson must face off against a celebrity defense attorney who has already started trying it in the media.  Bosch searches for the runaway eyewitness who was the key to Jessup's original conviction, but that trail has long since gone cold.  Jessup, out on bail, grandstands for an eager press by day, but his nocturnal actions make Haller and Bosch fear the worst: this killer may have just gotten started.

More for Review:

How Sweet it Is

by Sophie Gunn

Single mom Lizzie Bea Carpenter learned long ago that no white knight was coming to save her.  A hardworking waitress at the local diner, she's raising her daughter to be like the independent women in her "Enemy Club" -- high school rivals turned best friends, promising to always tell each other the whole truth and nothing but!

Yet part of Lizzie wishes she did have a man's help, just for small stuff, like fixing up the house.  Her fairy godmother must have been listening, because Dante "Tay" Giovanni soon appears.  He's sexy, kind, and offering assistance -- no strings attached.

Slowly, steadily, Lizzie's heart opens.  But the girp of the past is fierce, and nothing in life is ever really free.  Tay has his own tragedies to overcome, but if he can, he'll fix more than Lizzie's home.  He'll show her just how sweet it is to be loved by him.

Deadly Heat

by Cynthia Eden

Six months after her lover died in an arsonist's blaze, firefighter Lora Spade calls in the FBI's elite Serial Services Division to track the elusive killer.  When Special Agent Kenton Lake is lured into a violent inferno, Lora pulls him to safety and is stunned -- not by the fire, but by her own searing attraction to Kent.  For the first time in months, she longs for something other than vengeance.

Kenton's interest in Lora should be purely professional.  But one fleeting kiss and he can't get her out of his mind.  Her combination of strength and vulnerability makes him want to protect her, and that means solving this case -- and fast.  For even the passion igniting between them can't hide a terrifying truth:  Lora is the next target in a murderer's sadistic, fiery game.

How to Marry a Duke

by Vicky Dreiling

Tristan, the Duke of Shelbourne, is a man with a mission: find a wife he can tolerate as long as they both shall live.  Love is not necessary -- nor desired.  But how to choose among a dizzying array of wealthy-yet-witless candidates?  Hire London's infamously prim and proper matchmaker.  Then pretend she's not the most captivating woman he's ever met. . .

Helping a devilish Duke create a contest to pick his perfect mate is the kind of challenge Tessa Mansfield relishes.  Her methods may be scandalous, but she's determined to find the notorious bachelor more than a wife -- she'll bring him true love.  Yet when Tessa watches the women vie for the Duke's affections, she longs to win his heart herself.  And after a stolen kiss confirms Tristan's desire, Tessa knows she has broken a matchmaker's number one rule: never fall in love with the groom.



Lipstick in Afghanistan

by Roberta Gately

Gripped by haunting magazine images of starving refugees, Elsa has dreamed of becoming a nurse since she was a teenager.  Of leaving her humble working-class Boston neighborhood to help people whose lives are far more difficult than her own.  No one in her family has ever escaped poverty, but Elsa has a secret weapon: a tube of lipstick she found in her older sister's bureau.  Wearing it never fails to raise her spirits and cement her determination.  With lipstick on, she can do anything -- even travel alone to war-torn Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11.

But violent nights as an ER nurse in South Boston could not prepare Elsa for the devastation she witnesses at the small medical clinic she runs in Bamiyan.  As she struggles to prove herself to the Afghan doctors and local villagers, she begins a forbidden romance with her only confidant, a charming Special Forces soldier.  Then, a tube of lipstick she finds in the aftermath of a tragic bus bombing leads her to another life-changing friendship.  In her neighbor Parween, Elsa finds a kindred spirit, fiery and generous.  Together, the two women risk their lives to save friends and family from the worst excesses of the Taliban.  But when the war waging around them threatens their own survival, Elsa discovers her only hope is to unveil the warrior within.  Roberta Gately's raw, intimate novel is an unforgettable tribute to the power of friendship and a poignant reminder of the tragic cost of war.

Sins of a Highland Devil

by Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Three proud warriors locked in a struggle for victory. . . Three beguiling women united in their vow to restore peace. . . A thrilling new trilogy from award-winning author Sue-Ellen Welfonder.

The king has ordered three clans to battle to the death.  The one left standing will reign over the Glen of Many Legends.  James Cameron, known throughout the Highlands as "The Devil," leads his men with ruthless determination.  He knows no weakness -- until a headstrong, flame-haired beauty from a rival clan tempts him to abandon his ironclad loyalties.

Catriona MacDonald's past encounters with James have proved that ladies who play with fire can get scorched.  But her brush with this devil leaves her burning to feel his touch once more, even though the fierce warrior is her sworn enemy.  Now "The Devil" must fight for his family, his honor, and his very life. . . even as he surrenders to his desire to possess Catriona at any cost.

To Tempt a Rake

by Cara Elliott

Kate Woodbridge has spent most of her life sailing around the globe, acquiring expertise in botany, along with a few less ladylike skills.  So when she comes to London seeking reconciliation with her grandfather, the imperious duke of Cluyne, her outspoken views and fiery temper soon set off sparks in Society -- especially with the rakish Italian Conte of Como.

A devil-may-care rogue, Marco finds Kate a tempting target for his flirtations.  But when murder strikes at the duke's country house, he suspects she's hiding a dark secret.  He has his own clandestine reasons for helping to prove her innocence. . .which leads them on a perilous journey from London to the glittering ballrooms of Vienna, where Marco and Kate must duel with a deadly villain -- and confront their own explosive attraction.

My first music review:

...Featuring

Norah Jones

Recorded from 2001 to 2010, the cameos, duets and collaborations on this compilation span the musical spectrum and show Norah Jones to be one of the decade's most diverse musical connectors.



What new things arrived in your mailbox this week?