Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen

Whistling In the Dark
New American Library
A Division of the Penguin Group
Published 2007

This book was recommended to me by author Rochelle Staab when we "met" discussing her new book coming out in November, Who Do, Voodoo?.  I was thrilled to learn she was from Wisconsin and she told me I had to read this book and that I would want to read it's sequel too, Good Graces. Thank you Rochelle!!!!

Whistling In the Dark takes place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1959, and is written from 10 year old Sally O'Malley's point of view. She has a little sister Troo, and a older sister Nell, her father was killed in a car accident, her mother then married Hall who is not much of a step father.  

Her mother ends up spending most of the summer in the hospital due to complications of surgery. Nell is caught up with her boyfriend and Hall is busy with another woman or has drown himself in liquor or both.  The two little girls are left on their own but it is back in the time when your neighbors knew everybody and everybody watched out for each other.  Sally and Troo were fed and taken care of my the good folks of the neighborhood.

The area is living in fear of a child molester and murderer.  Two little girls have gone missing and one was found dead in the park where Sally and Troo play everyday. Sally is sure she will be the next victim. She even believes she knows who the killer is and will do everything she can to keep her and her sister safe.

My Thoughts

There are so many reasons I loved this book.  First Sally has a very active imagination just like I was told I had while growing up so it was so easy to relate to her.  I wasn't born until 1961 but references in this book were true to what I remember or had been told as I grew up. The trips to the zoo brought back such memories. There must to be very few people from Southern Wisconsin that do not remember going to see the Gorilla named Sampson at the Milwaukee Public Zoo!

"The Ape That Made Milwaukee Famous"

Beyond the memories this story churned up, it is marvelously written.  Funny, surprising, and full of charm yet tragic in places. Sally's innocence will have you laughing one minute and wiping a tear from your eye the next. All the characters were wonderfully created. 

The story reminds us of simpler times, when kids played outside until the streetlights came on and the neighbors watched out and took care of your skinned knees or brought out a plate of cookies to share. I understand completely why it was a national bestseller. This book is definitely a must read, plus a sequel to the bookGood Graces that came out in September and I can't wait to get my hands on it.  I am anxious to read everything by this author.

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THANK YOU ROCHELLE!!!

WISCONSIN

RELEASING GILLIAN'S WOLVES by Tara Woolpy

Bats in the Boathouse Press
Release Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 098320330X
ISBN-13: 978-0983203308
This appears to have been released early by Amazon.

I love featuring Wisconsin Authors and Books Set in Wisconsin and this story has both.  Tara will be here on August 30, with a guest post and a giveaway, so mark your calendars today.

Gillian has been been married to Jack Sach for thirty years. Throughout most of those years Jack has been a politician, currently he is a United States Congressman representing the great state of Wisconsin.  Gillian has always been the faithful, dutiful wife.  Hosting parties and fundraisers, takes care of her mother-in-law, was the parent  at home for their two children until they were grown.  Jack, of course travels a lot due to his job, but he has never been faithful. More affairs than Gillian can count, but she always turned a blind eye, to spare her family the public spotlight and humiliation that would occur if the affairs would be made public.

Gillian's grandfather was a very astute business man and he and his partner left their children very well off, they have a trust fund worth millions and 2 beautiful homes and property on a Northern Wisconsin lake.  Edward and Gillian grew up together almost like brother and sister and they are each other's rock.  Edward is openly gay, a successful photographer and in a new relationship, but has a past full of addiction and bad relationships.  Gillian has ways to escape from her everyday pain. She loves to cook and garden and is a painter, she can let her despair, sadness and aggression bleed out on her canvas, but leans heavily on Edward. 

Edwards life is hitting a great path and Gillian's is about to spiral out of control.  She will need him now more than ever.  She is starting to worry that she will never be happy and continues to worry about the effects her actions will not only have on her, but her children, her friends and even her mother-in-law. 

Gillian has a heart so big and a man in her life to stupid to appreciate it.  He is a man that thinks he can do no wrong and rules, vows and laws don't apply to him.

Tara Woolpy has given us characters to fall in love with and one big character to hate.  I loved it!!!!! When I started reading this book I thought it was going to be like one of my favorite television shows, The Good Wife, but Gillian blew that assumption away within the first chapters.  Gillian was beaten down on the inside and hemmed in on the outside trying to do the right things for everyone but herself.  When could she start living for herself not others? Ever?

This is the second book in a week that I could not put down.  Both debut novels.  Unbelievable!! 

This story is excellently written, flows at a perfect pace, has fabulous settings and wonderful characters.  A great piece of Woman's Fiction. While the book is nowhere near autobiographical the author knows her subject matter well.  Her mother represented Northern Idaho in the state senate seven times.  She works in the same academic field as Edward's new love and she currently lives in Northern Wisconsin the main setting of her story and I assume from the descriptions of other places in the book she has traveled a little bit in her lifetime.

Tara, I know you are teaching to pay the bills but you have a great gift given to very few, you are a wonderful storyteller.  I can't wait to read more of your work.

This is a book I highly recommend.  It should not be missed and you will want to read more from Tara Woolpy, I guarantee it.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Is It Safe? by Jerol Anderson

Whiskey Creek Press
ISBN-10: 1603138838
ISBN-13: 978-1603138833

May Johnson leaves behind her mother, sister June, and her dull life in Minnesota for the big city of San Francisco.  It doesn't take long and she finds herself the girlfriend to a mobster and is the only witness to his murder.  The authorities try to make it look as if May was also killed and put her into the Witness Protection Program.  US Marshall Durst is assigned as her handler and she goes through 4 different identities to keep her barely one step ahead of the mobsters who want her dead and want something they believe she has.

We follow May from San Francisco to Chicago, to rural Wisconsin as she tries to blend in to each new identity and keep herself alive. There are plot twists and turns that keep the pages turning as this becomes a fast paced story.  It is very well written with an unexpected surprise some readers may find a little unbelievable but it sure is an interesting twist.  I am anxious to read more by this author.

The author is from my home state of Wisconsin and will be signing books at Book World in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on July 9th from 10:30 - 2:00 p.m. Anderson is the author of four books -- the first three feature Special Agent Jessica Tyson, while her latest is the stand-alone thriller Is It Safe? Meet her and get your signed copies!

Reviewer's Note:  My only negative comment is about the book synopsis on the back cover of the book.  The synopsis names May's sister, June, as the main character in error. This is one of the pitfalls to self publishing and smaller publishing firms.  So this is a great example of not judging the book by it's cover or edit your mind to read May where is says June on the back cover. 

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Called Home Two Hearts Answer by Gloria Schumann

Cover Photo & Design
by Daniel S. Janik

Savant Books

Emma Benson has returned home to Wisconsin to help her mom with the family farm.  Her father abandoned the family  and her brother died as a child.   She has real trust issues especially when it comes to men.

David Schlosser also returns to Wisconsin from New York as a well known author.  No matter how hard Emma fights it, these two just seem to connect.  Can they be happy or will David let her down like every other man in her life? With all the drama in their lives are their dreams too big? Will there be a happily ever after?

Being set in Wisconsin really drew me to this book and was pleasantly surprised the this was more than a romance story, it is filled with mystery and a little suspense as well.  

I would have liked more history about the main characters and for some reason the event in story being continuously called a rodeo without ever mentioning a horse or horse like events nagged at me a little.  I think the author really meant a fair, like a county fair held all around the U.S. in the summer months.

I had a hard time liking Emma at first but she grew on me and while the romance seems to overshadow the mystery, the mystery is well plotted and more complicated that I first suspected.

This is a really good debut from this author and the story is very enjoyable.  Gloria Schumann is an author I will continue to watch.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

On Maggie's Watch by Ann Wertz Garvin Review & Giveaway

Cover Design
by Lesley Worell
Cover Photo
by Ben Fink Photo Ink

Published By Berkley Books
A Penguin Group


Available Now
ISBN-10: 9780425236789
ISBN-13: 978-0425236789

This is truly a story of a woman who has suffered a tragedy and her efforts to get her life back on course.  Maggie Finley first child was still-born and while the grief was overwhelming for both her and her husband, it has turned Maggie into a entirely different person.  When she finds out she is pregnant again, they pull up stakes and move back to her hometown in Wisconsin, where she reconnects with her best friend.

But Maggie becomes obsessed with protecting herself and her family.  She restarts the Neighborhood Watch and even becomes the president. Then she learns from the internet that there is a sex offender in the neighborhood.  This seems to push her over the edge and causes some  very unusual actions.

Her friends and family are very worried about her and work hard to bring the old Maggie back.  It may take the birth of this new child to set things right.  

This was a very compelling book and the local connection made it even better.  Yes, the Wisconsin town was fictional, as was the county, but this book could of took place practically in my backyard.

The topics taken on in this story are very relevant in today's world. The author handles these hot topics with care and makes it so easy to read and feel Maggie's pain and fall totally in love with her and want to be her friend.  

I am amazed that this the author's first novel.  I hope she is working on her next novel as I write this because I definitely want to read more by Ann Wertz Garvin soon.  This is a perfect book for my blog because it will give you an "escape" for a few hours of pure pleasure with a peek into Maggie's life.  

To learn more about this brand new author check out her Web Page.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from THE AUTHOR. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  

I loved this book so much I can't wait to share it with you so, you guessed it GIVEAWAY!!!

U.S. and Canadian Residents Only

Winner will be chosen using Random.org

Followers will receive 2 extra entries for each of their entries. 

Contest Ends May 28, 2011