LET’S IGNITE SOME CURIOSITY: “TRUTH BE TOLD”

 

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by A Daily Rhythm.

Today’s featured book is Truth Be Told, (e-book), by Hank Phillippi Ryan (A Jane Ryland Novel).

 

 

Intro:  “I know it’s legal.  But it’s terrible.”  Jane Ryland winced as the Sandovals’ wooden bed frame hit the tall grass in the overgrown front yard and shattered into three jagged pieces.  “The cops throwing someone’s stuff out the window.  Might as well be Dickens, you know?  Eviction?  There’s got to be a better way.”

Terrible facts.  Great pictures.  A perfect newspaper story.  She turned to TJ.  “You getting this?”

TJ didn’t take his eye from the viewfinder.  “Rolling and recording,” he said.

A blue-shirted Suffolk County sheriff’s deputy—sleeves rolled up, buzz cut—appeared at the open window, took a swig from a plastic bottle.  He shaded his eyes with one hand.

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Teaser:  The glowing green numbers of the clock on her nightstand clicked ahead.  After eight thirty?  Jane frowned.  Her cell phone was in her yoga pants pocket, silent.  Not even a text.  Where was Jake? (p. 74).

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Blurb:   Truth Be Told, part of the bestselling Jane Ryland and Jake Brogan series by Agatha, Anthony, Mary Higgins Clark, and Macavity Award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan, begins with tragedy: a middle-class family evicted from their suburban home. In digging up the facts on this heartbreaking story–and on other foreclosures– reporter Ryland soon learns the truth behind a big-bucks scheme and the surprising players who will stop at nothing, including murder, to keep their goal a secret. Turns out, there’s more than one way to rob a bank.

Boston police detective Jake Brogan has a liar on his hands. A man has just confessed to the famous twenty-year-old Lilac Sunday killing, and while Jake’s colleagues take him at his word, Jake is not so sure. But he has personal reasons for hoping they’ve finally solved the cold case.

Financial manipulation, the terror of foreclosures, the power of numbers, the primal need for home and family and love. What happens when what you believe is true turns out to be a lie?

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What do you think?  Are you curious?  Engaged?  Want to know more?  Thanks for stopping by.

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AN EARTHQUAKE, ITS AFTERMATH, & UNEXPECTED CONNECTIONS — A REVIEW

On a warm night in May, in San Francisco, California, a glittering crowd gathers for a charity dinner dance. A celebrity headliner, a gorgeous venue, and the sparkle of the good life promise a wonderful and profitable evening.

Sarah Sloane, the wife of a wealthy hedge fund manager, is the hostess. And she knows just how to excel at bringing successful events to fruition.

But before the night is over, everything about her life and the lives of all those attending will be upended. A shake, the horrific sound of glass shattering as lights go out, and the unmistakable realization of a huge earthquake changes everything.

In the aftermath, which goes on for days, then weeks, and ultimately for the rest of their lives, four attendees will be forever impacted by the events, as well as the connections and experiences of those early days.

What subsequent event, triggered by the earthquake, will implode Sarah and Seth Sloane’s lives, almost as horribly as the natural diaster? What betrayal will blindside Sarah, even as the detritus of the earthquake reveals itself? How will a journalist, a nun, and the event headliner connect in unexpected ways, and find new meaning and direction for their lives?

The stories of each of these characters were fascinating and engaging, albeit fairly shallow. Predictably, love connections are formed, even as career and life changes come about. Amazing Grace is a sweet tale of finding hope and renewal in the face of tragic circumstances. 3.5 stars.