Book Review: No Turning Back

No Turning Back
by Susan Lewis
2012
544 pages

Synopsis:
Eva Montgomery is at the peak of her career when she is viciously attacked by a stalker. While still traumatised, she makes the biggest mistake of her life -- one she can never turn back from.

Sixteen years later, Eva has managed to rebuild her life in a way that seemed impossible after the attack. Her home in Dorset, high on the cliffs overlooking the sea, is as elegant as she is, but bears none of the scars. To an outsider, her world seems perfect in every way.

Then the past invades the present -- with shattering consequences.

Hurt, frightened and confused, Eva struggles desperately to put right the terrible mistake she made sixteen years ago and finally break free from a past that nearly destroyed her.

Rating: 2 / 5 Stars

My Review:
At first I thought I wouldn't be able to finish this book. The beginning was really long and drawn-out, and somewhat confusing. I decided to keep plugging along, and I'm glad I did, because the story did pick up and get more interesting. The characters were interesting and the dialogue was pretty good. There were many spots where I had to go back and re-read a section because I wasn't sure what was going on, or who did what, etc. Then there were other parts that I skimmed quickly because it was a lot of drawn-out detail. I'm glad I stuck through it though, as I really enjoyed the ending and how things came to a close. I will try more of her novels because she has good story ideas, but I hope the writing style improves or differs from this one.

Recipe: Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 cups oatmeal
• 1 cup coconut
• 6 Tbsps cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla

Steps

1. In a large pot, combine butter, sugar and milk.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring often.
3. Meanwhile get other ingredients ready, in separate bowls/containers.
4. Once mixture has boiled, remove from heat.
5. Add in cocoa and stir.
6. Add in vanilla and stir.
7. Add in coconut and stir.
8. Add in oatmeal and stir.
9. When mixture is stirred in completely, drop by spoonful onto wax paper on baking pans.
10. Refrigerate/Freeze until set.

- Taken from my Mom's recipe

Book Review: Her Last Breath

Her Last Breath (Kate Burkholder #5)
by Linda Castillo
2013
320 pages

Synopsis
An extraordinarily beautiful Amish woman, a dangerous femme fatale, is the central figure in a story that reveals a dark side of Painters Mill and its seemingly perfect Amish world

A rainy night, an Amish father returning home with his three children, a speeding car hurtling toward them out of nowhere.
What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident  suddenly takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the crash is accidental.  But who would want to kill an Amish deacon and two of his children? He leaves behind a grieving widow and a young boy who clings to life in the intensive care wing of a hospital, unable to communicate.  He may be the only one who knows what happened that night.  Desperate to find out who killed her best friend’s husband and why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of Painter’s Mill.  It is a search that takes her on a  chilling journey into the darkest reaches of the human heart and makes her question everything she has ever believed about the Amish culture into which she was born. 

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
I found this one really intriguing because it tied in part of Kate's past that was talked about in the first book of the series. I think it'll still come up in the next one, and I'm curious to see how it'll be resolved. The murder in this book of the series was absolutely crazy and not what I was expecting at all. It makes me happy when I'm reading that the author just pulls off a random and crazy twist to make me realize that I wasn't on the right track. It keeps me guessing, book after book, what really took place. I'm eagerly waiting the next book to get into the library so I can read it. Lastly, I was very pleased with how Kate dealt with the Tomasetti situation. I love that man, and it frustrated me to see how she could so quickly and easily just toss that away. I'm glad that at the end of this novel she finally came to her senses!

Recipe: Mac & Cheese w/ Cheez Whiz

Ingredients

• 1 lb macaroni
• 1/2 cup butter
• 24 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup Cheez Whiz
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup crushed crackers, Corn Flakes or Special K cereal

Steps

1. Butter a 9 x 13 pan.
2. Cook macaroni.
3. Once the macaroni is cooked, pour it into the pan.
4. Mix in the butter throughout the macaroni
5. Spread in the Cheez Whiz and shredded cheese. Mix in well.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Pour milk overtop of cheese and macaroni.
8. Sprinkle crumbs overtop.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

- Pinned from Food.com

Book Review: Gone Missing

Gone Missing (Kate Burkholder #4)
by Linda Castillo
2012
288 pages

Synopsis
Rumspringa is the time when Amish teens are allowed to experience life without the rules. It’s an exciting time of personal discovery and growth before committing to the church. But when a young teen disappears without a trace, the carefree fun comes to an abrupt and sinister end, and fear spreads through the community like a contagion.

A missing child is a nightmare to all parents, and never more so than in the Amish community, where family ties run deep. When the search for the presumed runaway turns up a dead body, the case quickly becomes a murder investigation. And chief of Police Kate Burkholder knows that in order to solve this case she will have to call upon everything she has to give not only as a cop, but as a woman whose own Amish roots run deep.

Kate and state agent, John Tomasetti, delve into the lives of the missing teen and discover links to cold cases that may go back years. But will Kate piece together all the parts of this sinister puzzle in time to save the missing teen and the Amish community from a devastating fate? Or will she find herself locked in a fight to the death with a merciless killer?

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
Once again, Castillo did not disappoint me with this 4th book. The most surprising thing was the ending, which ended in a cliffhanger - so part of the mystery was left "unsolved," by Kate, although the readers got an understanding of what happened afterwards. There was less of a poignancy of Kate's character growth in this one, as I didn't get too see as much of an emotional connection to the cases as I did in the other ones. There was still a definite connection, but not one that truly affected her or changed her character. I'm very excited to get started on the fifth one, especially to see how her and Tomasetti move forward in their relationship, especially after he dropped the question of moving in together.

Book Review: Breaking Silence

Breaking Silence (Kate Burkholder #3)
by Linda Castillo
2011
302 pages

Synopsis:
Police Chief Kate Burkholder is called to the scene of a horrific tragedy on a peaceful Amish farm.

The Slabaugh family are model Amish farmers, prosperous and hardworking, with four children and a happy extended family. When the parents and an uncle are found dead in their barn, it appears to be a gruesome accident: methane gas asphyxiation caused by a poorly ventilated cesspit. But in the course of a routine autopsy, the coroner discovers that one of the victims suffered a head wound before death—clearly, foul play was involved. But who would want to make orphans of the Slabaughs’ children? And is this murder somehow related to a recent string of shocking hate crimes against the Amish?

Having grown up Amish, Kate is determined to bring the killer to justice. Because the other series of attacks are designated hate crimes, the state sends in agent John Tomasetti, with whom Kate has a long and complex relationship. Together, they search for the link between the crimes—and uncover a dark secret at work beneath the placid surface of this idyllic Amish community.

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
Once again, I wasn't disappointed by this novel. The third in the series, and just as captivating as the others. I was thrown for a loop at the end with the final twist, but I find that extremely intriguing about her writing - I never know how she'll make the plot lines interconnect or finish. I also really enjoyed reading about the continuing relationship between Kate and Tomasetti - I'm really in love with John's character and how he has grown. I just hope that in the future books that he doesn't die or they don't break up. I will be truly heartbroken if that happens. This particular novel in the series has shown a great growth in Kate, and it was good to see some real raw emotion from her.

Book Review: Pray for Silence

Pray for Silence (Katie Burkholder #2)
by Linda Castillo
2010
304 pages

Synopsis:
The Plank family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary.

State agent John Tomasetti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a volatile relationship. They soon realize the disturbing details of this case will test their emotional limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts—and for Kate, a personal connection that is particularly hard to bear.

When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? Could the brother—a man with a violent past, rejected and shunned by his family and the Amish community, have come to seek out revenge? As Kate’s outrage grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
I found this one just as captivating as the first in the series. The author has a really great art of tying tons of different plots together, and making tons of twists and turns throughout the novel. Plus she's pretty good at depicting raw and true emotions of all of her characters. This one has more "shocking" details to the types of murders, and I will admit to being scared at night when hearing noises in the house. This one didn't take me too long at all to read, mostly because I knew all of the characters from the first book, so it was just like another "episode" that I was watching/reading. I'm working on the third one as we speak.

Book Review: The Fault In Our Stars

The Fault In Our Stars
by John Green
2012
318 Pages

Synopsis
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

My Review:
It was a slow start getting into this book, but after the part of them being in Amsterdam, that's when it picked up for me. Some of the parts were either confusing or a bit much for me (like discussing the books that they enjoyed - I know that was a main part of the plot, but it didn't appeal to me at all). The dialogue was realistic for sure, as were the depictions of the characters going through the different stages of disease, suffering, survival and mourning. I of course cried during the sentimental parts between Hazel and her parents. Maybe as a mother now reading these types of YA novels will hit me differently than before.

Book Review: Sworn to Silence

Sworn to Silence (Katie Burkholder #1)
by Linda Castillo
2009
321 pages

Synopsis
A killer is preying on sacred ground....

In the sleepy rural town of Painters Mill, Ohio, the Amish and “English” residents have lived side by side for two centuries. But sixteen years ago, a series of brutal murders shattered the peaceful farming community. In the aftermath of the violence, the town was left with a sense of fragility, a loss of innocence. Kate Burkholder, a young Amish girl, survived the terror of the Slaughterhouse Killer but came away from its brutality with the realization that she no longer belonged with the Amish.

Now, a wealth of experience later, Kate has been asked to return to Painters Mill as Chief of Police. Her Amish roots and big city law enforcement background make her the perfect candidate. She’s certain she’s come to terms with her past—until the first body is discovered in a snowy field. Kate vows to stop the killer before he strikes again. But to do so, she must betray both her family and her Amish past—and expose a dark secret that could destroy her

Rating: 5 / 5 Stars

My Review

This book was fantastic. I found it extremely intriguing and I loved all of the characters. At first I wasn't expecting there to be so much discussion about the Amish lifestyle - I thought they were just using an "Amish town" as the setting, but it really goes much deeper than that. I thoroughly enjoy reading Amish Christian Fiction (which is of course much more happier and positive than that of a suspense thriller), so I was happy to appreciate all the Amish aspects of this novel. I found the writing really easy to follow, and it was quite realistic. The characters were great and easy to connect with. I especially enjoyed reading about the up-and-down relationship between Tomasetti and Katie. I'm so excited to read the rest of the series!

Recipe: Homemade Pizzas (with premade shells)

A family favourite for sure. Now I just need to learn how to make my own shells/dough.

Ingredients

• Premade frozen pizza shells (we buy them from Buns Master)
• pizza sauce
• green pepper
• pepperoni
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• any other toppings you like (mushrooms and onions - my parents like those on it)

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spread sauce onto shells. Make sure it reaches close to the edges and is even throughout.

3. Add diced peppers.

4. Add sliced pepperoni.

5. Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top of everything.

6. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges of pizza shell are brown.

Great for toddlers ;)