Skeleton Picnic by Michael Norman

Third generation Kanab, Utah residents, Rolly and Abigail Rogers, come from a long line of dedicated pot hunters who scour the desert southwest in search of valuable antiquities. When the couple fails to return from a weekend skeleton picnic, (pot hunting trip)along the desolate Arizona Strip, local Sheriff Charley Sutter turns to BLM Law Enforcement Ranger J.D. Books for help. When Books searches the missing couple’s home for clues about their disappearance, he discovers the house has been burglarized and a valuable collection of ancient Anasazi and Fremont Indian antiquities stolen. Soon a search and rescue operation finds the Rogers’ truck and trailer at an abandoned campsite near an ancient Anasazi ruin that has been recently excavated. Footprints and other evidence lead Books to conclude that the couple may have been overpowered by a small group of unknown assailants. Sheriff Sutter assigns an attractive young deputy, Beth Tanner, to investigate the burglary of the Rogers’ home under the watchful eye of Books. Together they track some of the stolen property to a pawn shop in St. George, and ultimately to a young Navajo man with a criminal record and a serious drug problem. Keeping this man alive long enough to make him talk, however, proves difficult. Books and Tanner soon learn of a shadowy group of armed Indian police who patrol vast swaths of tribal and federal lands in search of anyone desecrating ancient Native American burial sites. They also discover several recent unsolved cases in the Four Corners region where individuals disappeared into the desert wilderness under suspicious circumstances, never to be heard from again. Could the disappearance of the Rogers, and others, be the responsibility of this group? As Books and Tanner close in on those responsible, Books’ own survival skills will be tested when he is unwittingly drawn into a remote part of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. There he is forced into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where the hunter becomes the hunted, and only one person gets to go home alive.


4.5/5 stars

I lived in the southern part of Utah at Lake Powell for awhile and reading this book and the descriptions of the scenery brought it all back of how beautiful that area of the country is. The story of the locals digging for Native American artifacts is a real issue that I've dealt with although, thankfully, never to this degree. Of course this is the second in a series that I didn't even know existed until I read this book, but I'll be sure to go back and read the first one (On Deadly Ground) now. The only problem I had with the book was the amount of characters. It seemed like every couple of pages we were meeting new people- even the last chapter there were two new people.

My Birthday

So this year for my birthday I went to Indianapolis for a NBA game. I've been a fan of the Boston Celtics since I was about 7, but this was the first time I've seen them play in person. Wow, what an awesome experience for my 37th birthday! And they won so that made it even better.

A Perfect Storm (Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor, #4) by Lori Foster

He never saw her coming…

Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring—and continue avenging his own tragic past—the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.

Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan—and their chemistry—shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero….

3/5 stars

While I really like this series and all the books have been really good I must say that I didn't like this book as much as the previous ones. I just didn't like Arizona all that much. I mean she's suppose to be this kick-ass 21 year old woman with a horrible past, but to me she came off as a bratty 12 year old who uses her past as an excuse to go off and do dangerous things by herself because she thinks she doesn't deserve anything else. I understand her history with human traffickers and prostitution makes her leery of men but she acted as if she knew nothing of what goes on between two people or why two people would even want to be together. And Spencer must have the patience of a saint to put up with her and the stuff she pulls. I did like the idea of Spencer being brought into the company with the other guys and hopefully there will be others brought in. With the way the book ended it sounds like there will be a follow up. These books definitely need to be read in order to get the full effect.

Chase in Shadow by Amy Lane

Chase Summers: Golden boy. Beautiful girlfriend, good friends, and a promising future. Nobody knows the real Chase. Chase Summers has a razor blade to his wrist and the smell of his lover's goodbye clinging to his skin. He has a door in his heart so frightening he'd rather die than open it, and the lies he's used to block it shut are thinning with every forbidden touch. Chase has spent his entire life unraveling, and his decision to set his sexuality free in secret has only torn his mind apart faster. Chase has one chance for true love and salvation. He may have met Tommy Halloran in the world of gay-for-pay-where the number of lovers doesn't matter as long as the come-shot's good-but if he wants the healing that Tommy's love has to offer, he'll need the courage to leave the shadows for the sunlight. That may be too much to ask from a man who's spent his entire life hiding his true self. Chase knows all too well that the only things thriving in a heart's darkness are the bitter personal demons that love to watch us bleed.


5/5 stars

When I first started reading this I was sure I wasn't going to like it (even though it's by the fabulous Amy Lane) because a huge part of the story is about cheating. But really in this instance I think to really understand Chase and his struggles there had to be that story line. Poor Chase was such a troubled man that knew what he really wanted , but was sure he couldn't have it. When he takes such drastic measures to "fix" his life I began to see a man who was so upset with his choices in life that he'd rather slit his wrist then own up to anything. The last 1/3 of the book was so heart-wrenching it made me tear up in quite a few places. The strength he gets from Tommy was a beautiful thing to read. Once I finished I went back and reread the first chapter and realized once again what a wonderful writer Ms. Lane truly is. I think anyone who loves romance will love this book. Hopefully some of the other guys in this book will also get a HEA. They deserve it and I definitely want to read about it!