Find The Killer Pt. 7: The Thrillogy

Again, I will follow the same pattern as Tuesday and blog about one amazing series. A series full of murders, mysteries, betrayals and, of course, a couple of psychopathic killers. Who wouldn't want to read about this? Well, if you do, stay on because this post will make your summer that much better. This amazing, thrill-seeking series? Todd Strassers's Thrillogy.


Book #1. Wish You Were Dead


The day after anonymous blogger Str-S-d wishes the popular girl would die, Lucy vanishes. The students of Soundview High are scared and worried. Especially frightened and wracked with guilt is Madison Archer, Lucy’s friend and the last person to see her the night she disappeared. Days pass, and there is still no sign of Lucy, and before long, two more of Madison's popular friends go missing. Madison starts to recieve notes that might mean she's next, but she doesn't know who to trust. She wants to trust the new student, Tyler, but he has his own msyterious background and Madison is starting to think he may be involved.


Time is ticking, and Madison needs to find Lucy and the others before they die, but it may be too late for them, and for her.



Book #2. Blood On My Hands


When Callie Carson discovers ice queen Katherine Remington-Day sprawled on the ground one night, she bends down to help her. It’s only natural—the party’s been a bit wild, after all. And it’s only natural for her to pull out the fake knife she discovers, irritated at one more example of Katherine’s callous disregard of other people’s feelings. But the knife is real and bloody. And then Callie hears the click of one cell phone, followed by another, and another. In minutes, images of her holding the bloody knife have gone viral.


Now Callie is wanted for murder, and she is on the run from the police. All the evidence points to her guilt, but she’s determined to prove her innocence, which means the real killer is still out there, and she has to find out who it is.



Book #3. Kill You Last


Shelby has always been comfortable in Soundview. Her father is a photographer of teen models, which pays very nicely. But, girls start to go missing in local towns. But, these girls have one thing in common that puts Shelby's life on hault. The girls are all clients of her fathers. Shelby's life turns upside down as she starts getting threatening e-mails, not to mention the press and media that is turning the town against her and her family. But, Shelby is persistent on clearing her dad's name beause she is certain that he's innocent.


But, as the secrets of her father start to come out, Shelby starts to doubt everything she knows, including the fact that the killer is so close to her, and may have it in for her.


 RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 to 4 1/2 out of 5 for all of the books. These really are thrillers and they will have you guessing all the way until the minute you find out who the killer really is. I think you'll be surprised.

Click here! for all three books on Amazon.

Two For Tuesday: Find The Killer Pt. 6

So, the two books I have picked today are actually in one series. but both of the books are so good that they both need to be included in my post. The story is of a missing person and the search to find them when there is nothing to go on except instinct. The story is that of high school student, Christopher Creed, in Carol Plum-Ucci's critically aclaimed series.

Book #1: The Body Of Christopher Creed

Christopher Creed was the biggest freak at the high school in Steepleton. He was constantly bullied and no one stood up for him because he was just so wierd. But, then Chris goes missing. But, not just missing, he just dissapears. Usually there is some kind of evidence left behind, a note or a bus ticket or something. But for Chris Creed, there is nothing to indicate that he's anywhere; he's just gone. The town is being ravaged by the oddness of the dissapearance, and its affected everyone inside Steepleton. Sixteen-year-old Torey Adams decides to investigate the dissapearance as much as he can, but it leads him to a world of lies, pain and the need to blame someone for what has happened.

Book #2: Following Christopher Creed

Four years later, the dissapearance has still not been solved. Chris Creed is still missing, but not for long. A body is found in Steepleton, which brings hope to people that the case will be closed. Torey Adams blogs about the finding, which catches the eyes of a college reporter, Mike Mavic,eager to make the big-times. So, he sells his laptop, jups a plane to Steepleton and tries to dive into the mystery surrounding Christopher Creed. But, the town is still on edge from what happened four years ago, even though thwey have tried to forget it, and they just want to put it behind them. But, Chris's little brother, Justin, just wants to find out what happened to his brother, even if it takes his life or his sanity.


RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: For both books this is a no-brainer.  4 1/2 out of 5 stars easy! These books have so much suspense and thrills, you will not put these down until its over. 


Click here! to get to the amazon page for these books, and others by Carol Plum-Ucci.

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt. 5

 Sometimes scary things happen to people, and sometimes we are to blame. There was something we could have done, or shouldn't have done that would have altered what really happened. In the next book, a normal high school student, gets involved with a gang war and a plot by the school thug. He is forced to do something terrible and bad things happen because of what he does and doesn't do. The book is Anthony McGowen's The Knife That Killed Me.

Paul Vanderman could be at any normal high school where bullies, girls, and annoying teachers are just part of life. But “normal” doesn’t apply when it comes to the school’s biggest bully, Roth. Roth is completely twisted in the head, and he expects things to go his way. he also has a plan for something really bad, and he expects Paul to help him with it.   

When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. Paul is scared, but it feels so good in his hands, and he feels more powerful than ever before.

RED'S ALL STAR REVEIW: 3 out of 5. Good, but scary creepy at times.

MASS APPEAL: A good thriller, but somewhat disturbing about what goes on in the characters' heads. Read it for a thrill.

Two For Tuesday: Find The Killer Pt. 4

Another Two for Tuesday, and this time I'm bringing out some thrillers. These aren't exactly like the other books that I have blogged about. One is about a boy on trial for murder, and his sister's daring attempts to prove his innocence. The other, about the eyewitness to a pair of murders and the fight for what he believes is right when the police begin to interrogate him. Both are shorter than some of the other books, but both will have you reading right up to the climax wondering what's happening next.

The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall

Seventeen-year-old Hope Long's life revolves around her brother Jeremy. So when Jeremy is accused of killing the town's beloved baseball coach, Hope's world begins to unravel. Everyone is convinced Jeremy did it, and since he hasn't spoken a word in 9 years, he's unable to defend himself. Their lawyer instructs Hope to convince the jury that Jeremy is insane, but all her life Hope has known that Jeremy's just different than other people. As she works to prove his innocence, joined by her best friend T.J. and the sheriff's son, Chase, Hope uncovers secrets about the murder, the townspeople, her family, and herself. She knows her brother isn't the murderer. But as she comes closer to the truth, she's terrified to find out who is.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW:  3 1/2 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Interrogation of Gabriel James by Charlie Price

Gabriel James, a seemingly normal Montana fourteen-year-old, has his life turned upside down in one day. He is the prime eyewitness to two brutal killings, and now he is being interrogated by the police. He tells them the shocking story of what he remembers in flashbacks. But, the police ask him about a classmate of his who is connected to a rise in crime in the past few months. But, this classmate has a troubled and disturbing home life that may have led to the crime, and Gabriel doesn't want to put them away for things their family has done. Confused and torn, Gabriel has to choose between the law and his own moral compass.  

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Non-Murder Monday

It’s a little monotonous, if you ask me about my Death-themed month, which makes sense because death is such a dim, flat topic. But, the murder mysteries are getting to me. I need to take a break for the day and talk about some other books that are NOT murders or suicides etc. My solution? I dub today Non-Murder Monday, a day where I blog about a few books that are just about people who die peacefully, or learn they are going to die.

Book #1. Before I Die by Jenny Dow

Tessa has just months to live. Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, and drugs with excruciating side effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. Released from the constraints of 'normal' life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up. Tessa’s feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, and her new boyfriend, are all painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa’s time finally runs out.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Book #2. The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him, as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It's a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: 'Why was I here?' Eddie comes to a startling conclusion of what he has done that he wishes now he could take back.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. This is a classic that my old English teacher recommended to me. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Book #3. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

Elsewhere is a beautiful paradise. You can’t get sick or any older. It's where you go when you've died, to reflect on your life and wait for a new one. Elsewhere is where fifteen-year-old Liz Hall ends up, after she has died. It is a place so like Earth, yet completely different. Here Liz will age backward from the day of her death until she becomes a baby again and returns to Earth. But Liz wants to turn sixteen, not fourteen again. She wants to get her driver’s license. She wants to graduate from high school and go to college. And now that she’s dead, Liz is being forced to live a life she doesn’t want with a grandmother she has only just met. And it is not going well. How can Liz let go of the only life she has ever known and embrace a new one? Is it possible that a life lived in reverse is no different from a life lived forward?

RED's ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Non-Fiction Saturday

These non-fiction books are not about murders, but near brushes with death and the consequences of surviving. In one book, an illness that keeps coming back haunts a woman, and her body. In the other, a family dissapears after they are threatened by a gunman. Both of these memoirs are told in brutal detail about the horrors of near-death experiences.


My One Night Stand With Cancer by Tania Katan.

When Tania Katan was 21 years old she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She survived, minus a breast. Exactly 10 years later it happened again. By age 31 Katan was a two-time breast cancer survivor with the scars to prove it and a sense of humor forged by the unthinkable. Her memoir, loaded with rage and blistering humor, tells the tale of living through two bouts with death and is woven through with stories of picking up women while bald, coping with her supportive but neurotic family, running in two 10K races, and pledging to never ever date a psychotic woman again. An unforgettable account of survival.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. It's a really funny memoir, and it's very inspirational at the same time. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Year We Dissapeared by Cylin and John Busby

When Cylin Busby was nine years old, she was obsessed with Izod clothing, the Muppets, and her pet box turtle. Then, in the space of a night, everything changed. Her police officer father, John, was driving to work when someone leveled a shotgun at his window. The blasts that followed left John’s jaw on the passenger seat of his car—literally.

Overnight, the Busbys went from being the "family next door" to one under 24-hour armed guard, with police escorts to school, and no contact with friends. Worse, the shooter was still on the loose, and it seemed only a matter of time before he’d come after John—or someone else in the family—again. With their lives unraveling around them, and few choices remaining for a future that could ever be secure, the Busby family left everything and everyone they had ever known…and simply disappeared.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5. This memoir is told by both Joh, and his daughter, Cylin, and that's what makes it great. It was insane and amazing at the same time. Loved it. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt. 3

Sometimes, when something bad happens to someone, people try to blame other things and other people. Or they make accusations that are false because they want it to be true. In Karen Healey’s novel The Shattering, the main characters convince themselves that a string of suicides are really murders. At first, this sounds crazy, but something doesn’t feel right. But, as they dig deeper, they find out that it is a real possibility.

Keri used to be best friends with Janna van der Zaag. They were friends until middle school where they found themselves in different places. But, Keri and Janna still talk, but not often. But, their old friendship is sparked by the apparent suicide of Keri’s older brother, Jake. Jake was extremely close to Keri and was never a bad or troubled kid, so when Keri found her brother dead, she couldn’t believe that he would commit suicide.

But Jake is not the only one. Janna’s older brother himself committed suicide strangely too, years ago. And others, Sione and Tarquin, have also had older brothers that have committed suicide. After investigation, it seems there has been a boy killed almost every year, all ruled a suicide, all older brothers and all visiting the same town for New Year’s Eve. It seems that there is a serial killer in town.

Keri, Janna and Sione dig into the pasts of their brothers, trying to find a common line, a person or group that could connect all the victims. But their investigation turns a little strange. These murders are not normal, and this serial killer has more to hide than then first imagined. But, they know that if they don't catch this guy then he will kill another person again. All they have to do is find out who the killer is before he finds out what they're doing.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 1/2 out of 5. It gets a little strange towards the end, and the setting is in New Zeland, so it's slightly unrelateable. But, overall, it is a good book.

MASS APPEAL: If this book is for you, you know who you are. I don't think I need to write it out.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt 2

When someone that you know or someone close to you dies, people tend to do one of two things. They 1. Blame others and make wild accusation to try and justify what has been done. Or, they 2. blame themselves beause the somehow connect what happened to something they did or did not do that they should have or shouldn't have. That happens to the characters in this next novel I'm blogging about.

The novel is All Unquiet Things, the first book by Anna Jarzab. The book is about a girl, Carley, who is shot to death. Carley was a smart girl, who knew her way around Brighton school, and the students. She might have known too much about the student in her school, and those secrets may have been the reason for her death. At least that's what is suspected by Neily and Audrey, the two people that used to be close to Carley.

Neily is a slight loner, but he was Carley's boyfriend still. He was dumped by Carley for a total loser not long before her murder. He recieved a phone call from Carley before she had died, which he now thinks may have been a phone call for help. He is also the one who found her body on the bridge. Audrey was one of Carley's better friends, but they had drifted apart recently.

The police have already found who they believe is the murderer and he is in custody. There was a trial and everything, and the suspect was found guilty. But, Audrey believes someone else was the murderer. She contacts Neily in hopes that he will help her solve Carley's murder and catch the real killer. Neily decides to help, but as they dig deep in their pasts with Carley, they realize how deep she was in everyone's secrets.

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 out of 5. I liked the secrecy of Carley in the book, but it was a little predictable, as most murder books are.

MASS APPEAL: Well, if you aren't interested in murder mysteries, you wouldn't be reading this.

Click here! and buy this book on Amazon!

Find The Killer: Mystery Month Pt 1

The first book in the official Mystery Month is quite a thriller. April Lurie has written other teen books, including my already-blogged-about Brothers, Boyfriends and Other Criminal Minds which was quite a refreshing mob tale. But, In her next novel, The Less-Dead, she goes even darker. It' about a town in Texas where gay teens are being murdered, and one boy who gets caught in the middle when he befriends a target.

Noah Nordstrom is the son of the famous Bible Answer Guy, a radio-show host who answers peoples questions about the bible. When Noah gets kicked out of school, starts skipping church regularly, and stays out all night without coming home, his parents start to give up on him. Even his best friend turned girlfriend has stopped talking to him. Noah only really cares about his music, and a recent string of murders in his city.

But, Noah meets Will, who seems like a really great guy. He writes poetry, he loves rock music and he goes to the same school as Noah and his best friend, Carson. But, Will is hiding a secret from Noah, one that freaks Noah out. Will is gay and has a crush on Noah, but he knows Noah is striaght, and he didn't want Noah to find out. Noah is scared though, because gay teens have been the target of those murders Noah has read about. Some religious nut job is trying to make a statement, and Will might become a victim.

And, Noah's gut is right. The next victim is Will. After Noah and him have a fight, Will goes to the woods alone and is murdered there. Noah is the first to find him, and one of only a few people to even care. Noah is overcome with guilt and is desprate to find out who the killer is and avende his friend's death. Noah teams up with his father, his ex-girlfriend, and Will's other friends to help the police catch the killer. But, Noah is putting himslef too deep into the murder for his own good.

Make Your Own Prediction! Who do you think is the killer?
A. Doomsday - A homeless guy who preaches about religion on the street
B. Warren banks - A radical church member
C. Quindlan - Another homeless guy who was friends with Doomsday

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 3 3/4 out of 5. It really is a thriller, and the ending is good. I would like to see more, and it's sad who the killer really is(you won't expect it) but it was well written.

MASS APPEAL: Anyone who enjoys a good mystery thriler, and likes some regular content between suspense chapters, will like this book.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon!

Bliss by Lauren Myracle

I'm not going to dive right into the murder books just yet, so I chose this next book. This book is by an author all you teen girls should all recognize. Lauren Myracle is the author of the best-selling teen series ttyl, ttfn and l8r, g8r. But, in this next book, she takes a trip to the dark side with Bliss. Bliss is a thriller about a friendshipthat goes wrong, and the deadly struggle for power within the walls of a private school.
In the late 60's, Bliss's hippie parents move her from the commune to her wealthy grandmothers house and then leave. Bliss learns how to talk, eat and dress like an upperclass young woman. She is even attending Crestview Academy, which will hold the biggest challange yet. Bliss, being new and naive, is happy to find friends, even if they don't always fit with her. She even befriends the school's resident loner, Sandy.

But, there is something different about Sandy. She has a dark sense of humor, and is never very nice to Bliss. She also has an unusual obsession with Liliana. Liliana attened Crestview when it was a nunnery, but she wasn't cut out to be a nun. Liliana dabbled with witchcraft and reserection of the dead, and when she was imprisoned for her strange ways, she committed suicide in the academy. Bliss is starting to be afraid of Sandy, and the voices she has been hearing ever since she stepped foot in Crestview.

But, there is so much more drama at Crestview. Sandy is angry at the popular girl, Sarah Lynn, and is up to no good. Her friends Thelma, DeeDee and Jolene are ditching her at lunch, and not to mention the gorgeous Mitchell Truman, who happens to be a junior and may really like her. There's the forbidden relationship between Lawrence, the only black boy at the school, and Sarah Lynn, whose father is in the KKK. And there's always those voices that talk to her about Liliana's suicide.

Make You Prediction! Who do you think is in danger? I'll reveal in the next post.

A. Sarah Lynn                 B. Sandy

C. Bliss                            D. Lawrence

RED'S ALL STAR REVIEW: 2 3/4 out of 5. I would have loved more action, but the suspense was amazing. I loved the tie-in's with the Manson murders and the diary of S.L.L.. The ending was slightly dissapointing, and I would have loved to see Bliss not so traumatized by everything at the end.

MASS APPEAL: The suspense and thriller fans, especially girls, will like this book. Love it? I don't know; maybe Myracle should stay more into teen comed-drama.

Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Two For Tuesday

It’s finally April! Only a few weeks until school is out and summer begins! But, not yet, so I will continue to blog about this morose topic until the end of the month. Here’s how this is going to work: Some of these books are just regular deaths, and others are murder mysteries. The murder mysteries will be scattered as part of my Find the Killer Mystery Week (even though it won’t be one consecutive week). Some of these books are critically acclaimed, and others are less well-known, but are very good. I’m going to officially kick it off with two books.

Me & Death: An Afterlife Adventure by Richard Scrimger

Jim is a fourteen-year-old wanna-be gangster and car theif. One day, after stealing some fruit, he is run into by a car. Jim is in a coma, but while he is, an old friend who has passed on is going to take him on a journey through the afterlife. Jim is not a good person, but he has a chance to save himself. He gets a chance to see what happens to you after you die, and what you lost from when you were alive. Too bad he's hardly interested, or he thinks this is all a dream.

But, Tadeusz, an old hero of Jim's, and some other afterlife-dwellers are going to surprise Jim. There is Denise, a Mourner who is always sad. There is Wolfgang, who is a new Grave Walker, and Morgan, who comes off as mean and angry, but for good reason; he is and always will be a Slayer. They show Jim his life from a new prespective in hopes that he will change his ways and save the people he knows on Earth, including his crazy sister and his wimpy former target, from the neighborhood psychopath.

RED'S ALL STAR RATING: 3 1/4 out of 5. I loved the storyline and the characters. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

The Afterlife by Gary Soto
Chuy thinks he is such a cool guy. He is meeting Rachel, a girl from his English class, at a dance in the local club. While he is in the restroom, looking at himself in the mirror, a guy comes up next to him. After Chuy gives the guy a compliment, the guy thinks he is making fun of him. So, he grabs Chuy and sticks a knife into him twice. He leaves Chuy there to bleed out on the floor of this dirty restroom in a club. Some luck, huh?

But, Chuy, whose real name is Jesús, hasn't exactly finished his time on Earth yet. Not alive, but he is a ghost next to his own dead body. And, strangely enough, his body parts dissapear every once and a while. He goes to his own funeral, has a strange conversation with Rachel, and meets a new ghost. Crystal was a cheerleader, vice-president, and a major jock. She is also dead, and the only person who understands Chuy.

RED'S ALL STAR REVEIW: 3 out of 5 stars. I know Soto's work, and this isn't my favorite book, but it pretty good. Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.

Now, both of these books are extremely short. Less than 200 pages, for you non-readers. An easy start to a month that includes authors like Todd Strasser, Gabrielle Zevin, Lauren Myracle and Carol Plum-Ucci. These books will be coming quick, so keep up with the readings and have a bloody good time.