From the author of the critically acclaimed Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell thrillers, here is a heart-stopping ride that Cheryl Strayed (author of #1 New York Times bestseller Wild) called “deeply intelligent and grippingly suspenseful…a wickedly brilliant masterpiece.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Kick Lannigan has taught herself to be dangerous. She can pick any lock, fire any weapon, throw any knife, and aim a punch at her opponent’s trachea. She has also taught herself to be safe. So when enigmatic John Bishop shows up asking her to help him rescue missing kids, Kick has every reason to be wary. He appears to have access to limitless money, high-level contacts, and details of Kick’s background long kept sealed by the court. Yet everything he tells her about himself seems to be a lie.                                                                                                                           Headstrong by nature, suspicious by circumstance, and a smart-ass by self-determination, Kick can’t help but see the writing on the wall: together, she and Bishop could make an unstoppable team, willing to do whatever it takes—legal or not—to see justice served…if they don’t kill each other first. For Kick, whose interest in child abduction is deeply personal, it’s a gamble worth taking.                                                                                                                                                 Critically acclaimed as “excruciating…compelling” (Booklist, starred review) and “a propulsive new thriller” (People), One Kick is an engrossing, entertaining new novel you won’t want to miss.

It's tough to resist a summary that intriguing, don't you think?  I certainly couldn't.  Even though the novel concerns child endangerment/abuse through abduction, isolation, and exploitation—subjects which always turn my stomach—I kept reading.  Why?  Believe me, I asked myself that more than once.  The answer is simple: Kick Lannigan is a fascinating character.  After her own traumatic childhood, the now 21-year-old promised herself she would never be vulnerable again.  And she isn't.  She's tough, she's shrewd, she's cool under pressure.  Yet, she makes mistakes.  She's not one of those slick kick butt heroines whose methods and decisions are always spot-on.  No, Kick is very real.  Because of her painful childhood as well as her devotion to those who need protection (her brother, James; her blind/deaf dog; the kids she tracks down with Bishop), she's a sympathetic character.  You can't help rooting for her, even if her tactics are not always admirable.

Besides Kick, the novel's compelling because it's suspenseful, action-packed, and just all-around engrossing.  I couldn't put it down, even though it's seriously disturbing.  Now I'm kinda regretting that I read it, seeing as how the sequel, Kick Back, is coming out in January 2016.  I have no self-control because darn it, I'm going to read it, I'm excited to read it.  I'm just not sure my stomach will be able to handle another wild ride with Kick Lannigan ...

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

A couple weeks ago, the Top Ten Tuesday topic was books on my Spring TBR list.  Today's isn't much different, but that's okay.  I love TBR lists in any form.  Book recommendations come at me all the time from all kinds of sources, so I'm happy to share them with you.  I love seeing yours as well. Joining the fun is simple:  click on over to The Broke and the Bookish for instructions, then create a TTT list on your blog, and share it with the rest of us.  Easy peasy.

This week's topic:  Top Ten Books You Recently Added to Your TBR List



1.  The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury—I just finished a Christian novel about a sin eater in Appalachia and found the idea fascinating.  This YA book continues the theme, but in a completely different way.  It will be interesting to compare/contrast the two stories.


2.  Something by Kristin Hannah—I just finished Hannah's newest novel, The Nightingale, which I enjoyed.  I'm looking for something else by her.  Any recommendations?  I already have Fly Away, so I'll probably start with it.


3.  Kick Back by Chelsea Cain—I try to avoid the type of "gory thrillers" Cain writes, but I got totally sucked into One Kick.  The novel features Kick Lannigan, who was famously kidnapped as a child.  Now a tough, paranoid adult, she's roped into helping find children missing in the Portland, Oregon, area.  As gruesome as the book is, it's also a compelling, adrenaline-rush of a read.  I'm anxiously awaiting the publication of Kick Back, the next installment in the series.


4.  Mind of Winter by Laura Kasischke—This one has been getting so-so reviews, but I'm still intrigued by the premise.  A couple adopts a little girl from a Siberian orphanage.  A short time later, in the middle of a blizzard, the child is acting mysteriously and her mother begins to wonder just what she's brought home.


5.  One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis—My kids' elementary school has a homegrown reading program that requires lots of volunteers, of which I am one.  Because of that, I spend a couple of hours each week at the school library.  As you can imagine, the topic of books often comes up among the volunteers, teachers, librarians, etc.  During one such conversation, one of the librarians mentioned how much this book kept her guessing.  I like a good psychological thriller, so I stuck One Step Too Far on ye olde TBR list pile mountain mountain chain.



6.  The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths—I need to stop perusing Kay's Reading Life because Kay's always got great-looking recommendations.  My TBR mountain chain can't take it!  She loves Griffith's series about a forensic archaeologist who helps to solve mysteries.  The Crossing Places is the first installment.


7.  Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner—Bookbub.com recently published a Top Ten list of their favorite WWII novels.  The Nightingale is among their selections, as is this novel about an American scholar interviewing an elderly woman who has dark secrets connected to the war.  Not the most original premise in the world, but one that always manages to hook me nonetheless!


8.  Fig by Sarah Elizabeth Schantz—I noticed this YA novel while perusing Scholastic's catalogs on Edelweiss.  It's about a girl dealing with her mother's schizophrenia and her own emotional/mental issues.


9.  Fifth Avenue Fidos by Holly Schindler—I always enjoy Schindler's books, so I'm looking forward to reading her first new adult novel.  Fifth Avenue Fidos is a fun love story about two lost souls—and their dogs.  Sounds super cute.


10.  All About Aussies: The Australian Shepherd From A to Z by Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor—Speaking of poochies ... The breeder from whom we bought Rory, our Aussie puppy, really recommended this book as a great guide to the breed.  Unfortunately, it's out of print.  None of the libraries in my area have it, nor can I find a copy online for less than $30.  Boo hoo.  I really want to read it.

So, there you have it, ten books I've recently added to my TBR list.  How about you?  Have you gotten any good recs lately?  Any great titles I should be snatching up?  Leave me a comment and I'll be happy to stop by your blog to check out your list.

Oh, and before you go, don't forget to enter my giveaway for a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card and two Book Buckles.  A winner will be chosen (randomly, via Rafflecopter) on Easter Sunday, so don't miss your chance to win!

*All images from Barnes & Noble or author websites