Framed in Death (Eve Dallas #61) by J.D. Robb

 Another excellent and absorbing book in this long running crime thriller series.

When an author reaches book #61 in a series that features the same characters I can imagine it’s hard to create something new and different, but JD Robb always manages to do just that. This series is as fresh and fun as it was since I began reading it many years ago. Though many of the same characters are still featured, they keep changing and growing to hold my interest in their welfare and their lives.

In this novel, Lt. Eve Dallas and her cohort are on the hunt for a serial killer who fancies himself a great artist. Unfortunately, he has no talent, but his ego is such that he is using murder to create a sort of immortality. He is determined to receive the accolades and fame he knows he deserves, and nothing will stop him. 

I enjoyed this immensely as always. The futuristic setting, the details of that life in New York City, the cool toys, and such make it fun. The snark between the characters provides humor as they interact and that whole dynamic is a huge part of the success of this series. The plots are always well developed and the writing is excellent. I could do without the descriptive passion scenes but oh well, I know some like that. Yeah, Eve and Roarke are still going hot and heavy. Always a good blend of mystery and their personal lives entwined as they investigate. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Susan Ericksen, always does a fantastic job of bringing all the characters to life with her dynamic performance. She captures different accents to help differentiate between the characters and brings the right amount of dramatic flair. A well done production on audio always enhances my enjoyment of a book. 

This is #61 in a series that is best read from the beginning in order.

Genre - crime fiction, police procedural, futuristic, murder, art

Runner 13 by Amy McCulloch

 Lots of action in this survivor thriller.

An elite runner, Adri, returns to do an ultra marathon in the Saharan Desert after years away from the sport. The race is 250 miles long under additional extreme circumstances and the goal is not only for her to finish, but to win. She knows most of the other elite runners on this course, but there's also a contingent of fun runners who won't be forced to endure the same rigid rules and conditions. It all starts out as expected, but then some of her friends are hurt or are being kicked out on some flimsy evidence and she wonders if there is more danger on the sand and weather or if it comes from someone else in the competition. 

The story is told from a dual point of view -- two female characters, one is Adri and the other is Stella. The premise, while initially intriguing, ultimately felt contrived and the depth was just not there to turn this from mediocre to great. I'm not a runner, in fact a lot of extreme physical activity scares me, so I couldn't relate to any of the reasons for someone to want to do this. So much so that I really can't even believe the things those runners did and endured. I never connected with or liked any of the characters. The whole mystery thing with the killer part seemed so artificially inserted with the motivation quite lame. There were so many clues for all that led up to what was supposedly the big twist at the end so I found the conclusion predictable and way too tidy a wrap. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. There were two female narrators for the parts of Adri and Stella, and I honestly didn't care for either voice. They just didn't sound right for their characters to me. Also for specific spots, ie the podcast, the two male voices did a fine job. Unfortunately the production wasn't enough to really enhance my appreciation of the book.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags - ultra marathon running, killer, mystery, desert, sexual abuse, suicide, attempted murder 

Departure 37 by Scott Carson

 Captivating premise isn’t enough to make this Cold War mystery thriller a standout for me.

The calls come in the middle of the night, ostensibly from the moms of pilots meant to fly the next day. The message is clear and results in a callout that empties the skies. 

That’s a pretty exciting opening and honestly, that whole concept would have been enough to get me really going, but the whole Seeker Script plot line just fizzled. Then the dual timeline starts and we are alternating between a brilliant physicist, Dr. Martin Hazelton, doing experiments in 1962 and then to present day when two teenagers left alone in Ash Point, Maine, can’t escape their little peninsula when electricity and internet go off when the airline shutdown occurs. Just so happens they are close to a supposedly inactive airfield owned and maintained by the US Navy. And then a B-62 bomber appears out of the sky and lands. Charlie and Lawrence, both 16, learn about secrets and bizarre aviation events from the Cold War. 

I can suspend disbelief about lots of scientific things in a heartbeat, but what I just could not wrap my brain around was the inclusion of these two teenagers and them having such a huge impact on what happens in the story. Seriously? If I want my heroes and main characters to be that age, I’ll read young adult literature. It ruined the book for me honestly. I’m sure I’m an outlier, and that’s fine, because it would have made a better and more realistic climax and ending if it wasn’t for that “perceptive” teen girl and her tagalong. Maybe I’m not the right audience but I do like science fiction and the whole concept of being able to disappear a plane and then call it back was quite interesting. All of the characters felt incomplete and at times the flip between past and present was disorienting. There were other issues I might expand upon as well too explain why this book didn’t really work as well for me as I had anticipated, but that would be spoilers.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrators, Mia Barron, Catherine Ho, and Johnny Heller, were a mixed bag. I liked the voices and performance of both women, but Johnny Heller consistently mispronounced the word, nuclear, and that got on my last nerve. I finally had to just skip over his part because I did not find his voice fitting for the part.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Tags and genre - science fiction, time travel, Cold War, pilots, dual timeline

Kiss Her Goodbye (Frankie Elkin #4) by Lisa Gardner

 The search for a missing woman turns deadly.

 

This is the 4th book in the Frankie Elkin series. This time, she makes her way to Tucson, Arizona, to find a missing Afghan woman.

Frankie, a missing persons expert, heads out with her meager belongings and finds temporary lodgings at a huge gated mansion in Tucson where she is hired to pet sit an iguana and some snakes. Also in residence, since the owner is absent, are a transgender cook and a big tough chauffeur with an obviously checkered past. The three team up to investigate the local Afghan refugee community while searching for the missing Sabera Ahmadi at the behest of her friend. The local police are uninterested and Frankie immediately ascertains that there is much more going on than a missing wife who left her 4-year-old daughter and husband behind. It seems that Sabera has some very unique skills and abilities that made her a target for those who want the information she hides.

I was looking for a classic escape into the typical but this was too sad, too emotional, and too real for the type of suspense thriller that I was expecting in this series. I just couldn't get into all the background of what happened (twice) in Kabul with the Taliban and the people of Afghanistan. Their terrible struggles to survive and their treatment in refugee camps both abroad and in USA were just not what I was anticipating in a beach read. Also the whole ghost thing isn't something I like to read in a novel in any case. It was just too realistic on one hand and too out there with the visions on the other. There were other aspects that detracted as well. And can we please stop with the main characters being able to find the passwords and get into computers and/or phones they happen to find lying about? For the most part, I just couldn't buy into the whole story arc and how it all played out.

Anyway, this was an OK read, but wasn't what I was looking for in a book in this series. It seems I'm an outlier in my review and reaction and I'm find with that. If there's another in the Frankie Elkin series, I'll likely check it out. This one can stand alone as everything you really need to know requires no backstory to be appreciated. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Hillary Huber, did a nice job with all the character voices, particularly with the accents. I always believe, however, that a production would be enhanced by having a male speaker as well. In any event, enjoying both simultaneously enhances my appreciation of any novel.

This is the 4th in series. You  may want to read them from the beginning but this worked for me as a standalone.

Genre - crime, murder, Afghanistan, Afghan refugees in USA, Kabul, missing persons 

The Tapes by Kerry Wilkinson

 

Blog stop for Bookouture - 3.5 stars

A murder mystery with an old school feel.

Eve Falconer is clearing out her recently deceased father’s house when she finds a box of old cassette tapes. When she listens to one marked with her name, she hears her mother’s voice reaching her over time and space for her mom disappeared out of the blue over 13 years prior. On the tape Angela talks about her life, with some exaggerations and what Eve knows are outright lies in some spots. But one thing she can’t wrap her head around is when her mom’s recording tells Eve that she’s probably been murdered. 

Eve can’t believe what she’s heard and even more worrisome is that she’s concerned that her mother was a victim of a serial killer that hunted in her town of Sedingham for many years and was never caught. Her mom left a clue that she knew who it was and Eve becomes obsessed. Unfortunately, the killer doesn’t want Eve to figure it out.

There was a lot going on in this thriller with plenty of red herrings and many characters that were suspicious. Eve has a history of behaving badly and is an alcoholic on the wagon so people she talks to don’t always take her seriously. They feel she might be unreliable. Anyway, she investigates on her own asking questions all over town. This moved a little slow with a bit too much repetition of the particular tape segments until we get to the climax and the big reveal that might surprise some. 

I was able to read this in a single setting and it kept my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. Blog tour 8-14-2025

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Tags - murder, cassette tapes, alcoholism, unreliable narrator

Bless Your Heart by Leigh Dunlap

 Fast and fun debut mystery thriller.

Don’t mess with the Buckhead Betties. These affluent Atlanta women aren’t afraid of anything or anyone. Except outsiders who have no idea how hard it is to maintain their images in this social cesspool. They know everything about each other’s marriages, children, and lives; any secrets they have will soon be outed. When Anderson Tupper, a single, handsome, and wealthy Little League coach, is found murdered right after their big charity bash, tongues wag and everyone in their tight circle is a suspect. 

This was so entertaining as these women get down and dirty while the accusations fly. There’s a lot going on behind the closed doors of those mansions. The investigation, led by Detective Shay Claypool and her partner, Sergeant Dub Rattigan, is stonewalled and the pair is met with snubs and plenty of reasons why many of those residents would want Tupper dead. Lots of rich people cliches and designer name drops pepper the narrative, but it’s all satirical while showing that even people with tons of money have problems. Slowly but surely the truth is revealed and the climax was quite surprising with the conclusion taking a great twist. 

The narrative is told in a before and after fashion with each of the main female characters taking a turn at point of view. Keeping them straight got easier after awhile with trying to remember who was married to whom and the names of the kids. I liked the writing style and the themes involving social status, race, and family. I’ll definitely look for future books by this author. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. I loved the narrator, Hallie Ricardo, who did a fantastic job voicing the female characters giving them individuality with various accents, tone, and timbre. Her performance definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book and I highly recommend it. 

This is a standalone debut and is not part of any series.

Tags - south, Atlanta, wealthy, murder, society, family, female friendship

High Season by Katie Bishop

 Engrossing summer mystery thriller.

The beautiful Côte d’Azur is the setting for this nostalgic coming of age story that involves a murder. It’s got a dual timeline — 1999 to present day — so the back and forth allows multiple narrators and points of view to describe what happened on the fateful night in question.

Evelyn Drayton, a former “it” girl and her family have always summered here in the French Riviera. Her grandfather had designed and built the place where the entire family have spent years. Rarely interacting with any of the locals, the family has an air of magic attached to them. The 17 year old twins, Blake and Tamara, along with their little 5 year old sister, Nina, have the run of the place while their mother, Evelyn, tries to keep hold of her latest husband. When Tamara is found dead on the night of her mother’s birthday party, the entire town is in shock. It’s unbelievable to hear that one of their own, Josie Jackson, has been accused of killing Tamara. Motive speculated, but never known.

I loved the multifaceted characters in this story, especially Josie and Tamara. All of the things that were going on behind the curtain so to speak and led to Tamara’s death were never really exposed or explored. Nina’s testimony at trial when only 5 years old led to Josie going to prison for 10 years. It’s only twenty years later that a true crime blogger wants to delve deeper into the case and help to figure out what really happened that night. The author deftly weaves a web of connections that point to another as the perpetrator. Even tho I guessed the whodunit, I really enjoyed how the author got me there with all the revelations. 

I loved the writing and even though I don’t relish stories about teenagers and the ridiculous things they get up to, some of that was necessary to put the reader in the right headspace to understand all that led up to Tamara’s death.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Alix Dunmore, did a fabulous job of voicing all the characters in the story. Her dramatic flair and ability to adapt accents and tone really enhanced the production. The only voice that grated on my nerves was when she did the annoying podcaster’s voice. But that was fleeting thank heavens and probably quite an accurate portrayal. I’d highly recommend the audio book.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Tags. Coming of age, murder, mystery, teenagers, thriller, podcast