A winner, a review (Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante), and some hops

First of all, I want to congratulate Kelly from the Book Sanctuary Blog, she was the winner of The Devil's Diaries!

Opinion dear readers....would people be interested in winning used books?  Sometimes I review a book that I know I will probably never read again, but would love to pass it on.  Would people think it tacky if I gave away my copy that I reviewed?  These would be released books only, no ARCs.  Leave me your thoughts in the comments.





Amanda Delany was a young starlet.  Talented, sexy, scandalous.  All the makings of a big name star.  So when she ends up brutally murdered, no one can make heads or tails of the situation.  As the investigation goes on, Detective Inspector Anna Travis begins unraveling a lifetime's worth of secrets and lies, showing the truth behind who Amanda was, and why someone would have wanted her dead.  Was this a crime of passion, of revenge, or covering up some treachery?  Anna is determined to find out.

This is my first time reading one of La Plante's thriller mysteries, and I can tell you this, it will not be my last.  Apparently, other Anna Travis stories have been published, and I now want to read them all.  La Plante kept me on the edge of my seat, and though the book was lengthy, I finished it in 24 hours, because I simply had to!  I needed to know, who killed Amanda, and how was this going to play out.

La Plante puts plenty of plot twists in this book, so that you are compelled to keep reading, but you are never confused with where the action was, is, and is headed.  The characters are real, and memorable.  Although other Anna Travis stories exist, this is a great stand alone novel.  You need not have read any other stories to fully appreciate this book for the masterful work that it is.  I could literally hear the characters' voices in my mind, which is fantastic, because I get to imagine them with British accents.

This is the first modern novel set in England that I have read since the Bridget Jones books hit the stands, and I have to say, very rarely did I run across anything that was confusing or vastly different from American cultural references, which I found refreshing as a reader.  You are always aware that the setting is in England, but it rarely seems odd, and you can equally imagine the plot playing out in Hollywood.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers, mysteries, dramas, and due to the storyline anyone who likes celebrity gossip, because although these are fictional characters, there is a lot of juicy gossip to be found in the book!

I received a copy of this book for review purposes courtesy of the publisher.

Finally, I am participating in some Friday blog hops, so be sure to check them out!