Cross your Heart (Jessica Bishop #2) by Kierney Scott

"I wanted her to have one perfect day, that's it."

Special Agent Jessica Bishop is finally back to work after an altercation with a killer destroyed the use of one of her hands. She's a mess in every way but fights for the right to return to her team. While she was off on sick leave, she found a link between missing young girls that indicated a serial killer was at work. At first her fellow agents don't believe her, but then another girl goes missing. The signature is the same. Can they stop another young child's death?

This was the second book in a series featuring this character and I can't say that I liked Jess Bishop well enough to continue on. Way too much mental angsting and she is really screwed up in many ways. I didn't care for her at all and honestly can't believe that the FBI would have someone so emotionally and physically damaged working for them. Most of this was unbelievable and I never got to involved with the story. The conclusion was unsurprising and I don't know that I care to see any more cases or a further story about Jessica Bishop. She's such a stereotype of all the messed up female law enforcement personnel and I'm tired of the lack of a normal woman in the role. The other characters were merely sidebars to Jessica and no one struck me as being of further interest. I never really felt much tension or suspense as the novel progressed so can't say this was a thriller for me. It was OK and I have no doubts that some fans will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

The Neighbor by Joseph Souza

"We all have secrets...Having secrets is a trait that all humans share."

But nobody has secrets like these neighbors -- a collection of seriously flawed, conniving psychopaths involved in a series of events that spiral out of control and escalate into murder.

Leah and Clay live with their 11-year-old twins next door to Clarissa and Russell and their two kids in an all but deserted cul-de-sac in Dearborn, Maine. The developer was a crook and skipped town before completing the rest of the subdivision and just those two families have homes. The Daniels are white and the Gaines family is black -- race is a huge issue in this psychological domestic drama/thriller. Clarissa and Russell have money and both are employed at nearby Chadwick College. Clay has started his own struggling brewery in town, works long hours, and Leah is a stay-at-home mom. Unfortunately for all, Leah is lonely and bored and curious. Leah is obsessive and gets sucked up into local drama especially with regard to the case of a missing female coed. She starts sneaking into the neighbor's house when they're at work -- and that's when she finds Clarissa's diary. Meanwhile, all sorts of other activities are going on behind the scenes. When the dust finally settles on all the lies and manipulative behavior, who will be left standing?

The reader is immediately engaged with this story despite finding it hard to believe that this much craziness can exist side by side in one little neighborhood. The relationships between all of the characters are so messed up that it almost defies belief. Add in extra-marital affairs, racial tension, secrets and lies and you get an explosive reaction. It is the kind of book that you just can't put down because you just can't imagine people acting like this and doing the things they do. I don't want to spoil the twists and turns for anyone, so I'll leave it here -- make sure you have some uninterupted time to get through this in one sitting. I really enjoyed it! Thank heavens I was able to catch my breath after its conclusion. The book is narrated by Leah and by Clay, but I daresay you won't be able to guess how it's all going to end! Who will you believe?

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I definitely will read more by this author. The book was not what I expected, but that was all to the good.

Finders Keepers by K.T. Finch

"Something bad is going to happen. I can just feel it. But I have no way of stopping it."

What would you do if you found 2.2 million dollars in a duffle bag alongside a frozen dead girl in a car on a snowpacked Alaskan side road?

Noah -- high school English teacher, aspiring novelist, husband to Emily and father of Ava -- decides to take it. Who will find out, right? The trouble starts almost immediately when his ex brother-in-law, Colton Hays, happens to come by and finds Noah counting the money in his home office. One thing leads to another and, NO SPOILERS, soon Noah has to wonder if his lies are going to catch up to him in a fatal way.

This was a fast-paced story told from two different voices -- one is Noah's and the other is Charlie's -- a neighbor who inadvertently gets very involved with Noah's plot to keep the cash despite all that goes wrong. Noah is determined to leave his unsatisfying teaching career behind him spends a lot of effort justifying all he does to ensure that his new-found wealth is going to fund his dreams. Basically the average family man gone rogue. Big money will do that to a person.

Although there were several times that I had to suspend my disbelief at different turns of events, I did enjoy the story and kept reading to see how this was all going to play out. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'll look for other titles by this author in the future.

The Family at No. 13 by S.D. Monaghan

"Life was a series of decisions and reactions and then it was over."

A body lies near death on the driveway. Who is dead and who is the killer?

Oh what psychopathy! This was a complete trainwreck of a domestic drama, but I actually ended up enjoying it! Despite despising every single character within the pages, the narrative gives an up close view of a really messed up family dynamic. Let's just say that I am so glad that I don't live anywhere near St. Catherine's Hill.

There are 3 main characters in this novel and their interactions and conversations with each other reveal that secrets and lies are the order of the day. When it all erupts, it's obvious that this was years in the making. Mary, married to Andrew, has a passionless existence as she cares for the very damaged Finn, the son of her mentally ill and institutionalized sister, Erme. Brona, the youngest child, seems to have it all -- looks and fortune -- and seemingly escaped the trials endured by her sisters. Connor, the hapless psychologist who ends up living in their midst, is completely blindsided by the mess he's waded into and can't stand by as merely a voyeur to the drama. What a story -- but no spoilers. This is one you have to read carefully for all the nuances.

I'm going out on a limb and disagreeing with the negative reviews here, I actually liked it and will look for the other title by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the e-book to read and review.

Then She Ran by Charlie Gallagher

Fast-paced crime thriller/police procedural featuring Detective Inspector George Elms of the Major Crimes Unit based out of Langthorne Police Station. In this standalone novel by a prolific author of the Langthorne Police Series, a young woman, Jenny, escapes after a shootout on the main roads in Dover kills her boyfriend. She leaves her 4-month-old baby on the bonnet of a police car and runs for her life.

While most of the force is occupied with figuring out the details of the shooting spree, George is tasked with investigating the case of a home invasion robbery gone wrong. The elderly couple was awakened by masked men and the woman, Janice, has been killed by a shotgun blast. Her husband of 60 plus years, Stan Wingmore, is devastated. George attempts to get the information he needs and eventually it comes to light that these two cases may be related.

Lots of action and typical police investigative teamwork though George tends to want to handle everything quickly and on his own. He's definitely a maverick and has personal problems that make him keep on working the case rather than going home on his own. A couple of other team members are mentioned but their characters are never really fully developed, they are more sidekicks that George uses to get what he needs to solve the crimes. The results are a bit unexpected with a little twist toward the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffee Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Never Goodbye by Adam Mitzner

Are you looking for a really good legal thriller? Then queue this one up and prepare yourself for a dizzying whirl of a ride! Better yet, read the first book featuring one of the characters (this is a sequel -- which I did not know and I am so sorry to have missed out) titled DEAD CERTAIN. And a little endnote tells me that there may be another one. Definitely for you if you're a fan of Law and Order or any of the other crime dramas featuring special victims.

It doesn't get much better than this -- lies, secrets, betrayal and great courtroom action with all the authentic legalese that only an author who knows it can tell it. I loved the details! This author is new to me, but I intend to rectify that by going to the backlist.

"The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law"

Ella Broden, former sex crimes prosecutor with the Manhattan DA's office, now lounge club singer, is in therapy recovering from the fallout after the murder of her younger sister. She's trying to get her life back together and is working on her relationship with Lieutenant Gabriel Velasquez of the NYPD.
Though she misses the practice of law, she needs this break.

Dana Goodwin has Ella's old job and is working under the tutelage of Lauren Wright, the chief of the Special Victims Bureau. Dana is married to Stuart and they have a 5-year-old son. Dana loves her new job and gets some information that allows her to dream of taking over as head of the office soon.

But -- NO SPOILERS -- things change as an explosion of events dramatically shift everything and this puts the two women at odds with each other. In the courtroom. I don't want to say any more and hope that you enjoy the twists and turns of this story as much as I did!

I can't wait for more! Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.

The Girl I Used to Be by Mary Torjussen

Fifteen years ago, Gemma went to a party with her classmates to celebrate exam results. The next day, she was not the girl she used to be.

Flash forward to present day in this work of psychological fiction. Gemma is married to Joe and they have a son named Rory. She owns her own business, an estate agency, and Joe is a stay-at-home carer for their child. Gemma works all the time trying to make a go of her business and has several employees. She doesn't think anything of David Sanderson when he comes into the office wanting to be shown some properties and she takes him around but he doesn't buy anything. When Gemma meets him later when she is out of town at a conference, it seems natural for her to offer to buy him dinner -- after all, it's business and he is a client so she can write it off. Great conversation and two bottles of wine later, Emma barely makes it to her room before passing out. Her hangover the next day is fierce. She returns home and gets back to work. It's then that the trouble begins -- in the form of a copy of the restaurant bill sent in the mail. More incriminating pieces are sent and Gemma knows that she can lose everything if her husband finds out that she has not been truthful. NO SPOILERS.

The reader experiences the tension as the blackmailing escalates and Gemma is in a state of anxiety not knowing what to do. Of course we want her to just TELL JOE already, and go to police and figure out what is going on, but Gemma has her own way of doing things and wants to figure out who is behind this and why. It was an easy, fast read and the conclusion was satisfying and it all turns out the way you would expect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the e-book ARC to read and review.

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

"You can't believe people when they look you in the eyes. You gotta look behind them. See what they're standing in front of. What they're hiding."

Maggie Ippoliti Alderson is married to a widower, Dr. Noah, and she's ectastic when she gets a call from her long absent 17-year-old daughter, Anna Desroches. Maggie had lost custody of the infant Anna due to post-partum psychosis. She hasn't seen Anna in all that time. Anna wants them to meet and soon it is arranged that she will come live with Maggie, Noah and Noah's son, Caleb. Anna's wealthy father has died, and she wants to make up for lost time. Maggie and Noah help Anna move in and everything is finally as Maggie has dreamed -- until it all starts to go wrong. The next thing they know, Anna is dead and Noah is on trial for her murder.

The narrative starts at trial and goes backward in time with present day interspersed. Courtroom action, family disintegration, emotional pain and bewilderment as the happy family implodes. But it's not over, yet...NO SPOILERS

With an unusual twist that almost completely defies belief, the story concludes in a very unexpected way given all the events that transpired. The denouement took the book in a completely different direction to what was anticipated. Not sure I bought it, but I was definitely glued to the pages. Some of what transpired was hard for me to buy, but I did enjoy the action, the drama and the writing even it didn't ring plausible. I love a good legal thriller and all the legalese, but this ended up more being a bit off of that path. I'll continue to read books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-book ARC to read and review.

The Last Thing I Saw by Alex Sinclair

What would a mother do to protect her family? "You understand more than anyone how people are when it comes to family. It brings out the best and worst in all of us."

Emma Turner is in a psychiatric hospital after an event that has shattered her. She and her husband, Darren, and 14-year-old son, Jayden, lived in a lovely home in Clearwater Hills, Illinois. Darren owned a construction company and, when an employee accident happens that threatens their financial livelihood, they try to make things right. Threats against their safety and wellbeing drive them to desperate acts -- but it's money that's wanted.

From her vantage point as an in-patient, during therapy, and through interactions with others, Emma is trying to force herself to remember exactly what happened on the night that preciptiated her breakdown. But will total recall restore her to the life and family she loved more than anything else?

Tense psychological drama told in "before" and "after" first person narrative. A savvy reader of this genre may be able to figure out what is going on before the big reveal, but NO SPOILERS here. The pace is smooth and, even as the narrative highlights some of the horrors of being in a psych hospital, it keeps the reader engaged and involved in getting to the truth of the matter at hand. I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

The Girl with No Name (Josie Quinn #2) by Lisa Regan

Police Chief Josie Quinn has her hands full in this second book of the series. A badly beaten woman, a stolen newborn, a woman who claims she doesn't know her own name, and a missing fiance. Her missing fiance, Luke. How are all of these connected? The investigation keeps Josie and her team busy as they search in Denton for clues and evidence. Bodies keep turning up in town and Josie can't make the pieces fit until she gets some very important information from a most unusual source.

This was very fast-paced and, though Josie seems to require no food or sleep, the action moves the narrative forward in classic police procedural. Although I like the character of Josie, she -- like seemingly all other female detectives -- is quite messed up in her personal life. Josie takes risks and trusts in her own judgement no matter how dangerous the situations in which she becomes involved. She's nursing old wounds both physical and emotional and a little more of her backstory is revealed in this book. It would be best to read the first one in the series before reading this one as there are several references to the previous case. I hope Josie will get herself together so she can find some personal satisfaction as all she seems to do is work.

I enjoyed this and look forward to reading the next one in the series. Very easy to get through this in a day and just as well in order to keep all the characters and their relationships straight as the case is very complicated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.

White Lies by Lucy Dawson

"The truth does not always out, and for that we must all be thankful."

Dr. Alexandra Inglis has what she says was a one night stand while on a girls weekend to Ibiza. The other party, a boy she didn't realize was 17 years old, Jonathan Day. He says that Alex had come on to him and that they had been carrying on previous to the trip. He was her patient at the clinic where she worked. What follows is a classic tale of two people telling a story, but which one of them -- if either -- is telling the truth?

This drama is sort of like a train wreck. You don't want to look, but you can't help yourself. Throughout the narrative, I had to come to grips with the fact that I had no clue who was revealing an accurate depiction of the events. First I believe one, and then the other. NO SPOILERS. But the conclusion was unexpected.

The novel is compulsively readable and kept my interest. That said, I am still not sure what to think of the whole fiasco. Definitely would be a book where the themes beg discussion. Would it ever be OK for a 40 year old woman to have a sexual affair with a 17 year-old boy -- consensual or not? Read it and see what you think.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Deadly Secrets (DCI Erika Foster #6) by Robert Bryndza

Who is stalking the streets of London wearing a gas mask? With six sexual assaults on record and now a murder, DCI Erika Foster and her team must work to find and apprehend whoever is responsible.

The murdered girl was Marissa Lewis, a young and beautiful burlesque dancer, who was moving up in the world. She was viciously stabbed to death right outside her front door while her mother slept inside. No CCTV and no witnesses. The narrative moves forward with the investigation and a solid police procedural follows. Lots of possible suspects to detain, question, eliminate. They have a little trouble trying find a motive but it soon becomes obvious that Marissa had a bad reputation and was not well-liked at work or in her neighborhood.

This 6th book in the series is another hit and the whole team is back together until Erika needs to take some time off and puts Moss in charge. I always enjoy reading more about the characters and, in each book, some undergo changes that occasionally affect the dynamics and relationships within the team. It was nice to see Moss move into a stronger role though a bit disappointed when Erika had to save the day at the end. I do have to ask, however, why do these police characters always end up putting themselves in danger by rushing in alone and unarmed. I'm sure being headstrong and independent are decent qualities in a police officer, but can't a book climax occur without one of the main characters ending up alone with the suspect and getting harmed?

The story was fast-paced and this series is addictive. Erika is making some changes in her life and I can't wait to see where her story goes next. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Too Close to Breathe (DCS Frankie Sheehan #1) by Olivia Kiernan

''There is an unsettling truth to be learned when profiling a killer. That is: how incredibly alike all humans are; how worrying similar our desires, our drives, our fears."

DCS Frankie Sheehan, recently severely injured in the course of a case, has big problems at hand in Dublin. She's preparing for the court case regarding the murder of Tracy Ward (when Sheehan was stabbed) as well as investigating the deaths of Eleanor Costello and Amy Keegan. Their chief suspect is nowhere to be found. What follows is an excellent police procedural that deals with a very unsavory subset of people -- those who enjoy pain, seek it out, revel in it. What secrets lie behind the faces of those that others see and interact with everyday? And what is the meaning of the main clue -- Prussian Blue paint found on the victims. Frankie intends to find out through dogged police work with her team and they work every lead as they attempt to discover the identity of the killer before another murder takes place.  

Frankie Sheehan is an interesting character but one whom readers of this genre will be quite familiar with. Of course she doesn't follow orders from superiors, she's messed up and work is her life. Since this is the first in a new series, I see there is room for character development as several hints about her past are dangled in front of the reader. I'd definitely be interested to read more.  I enjoyed this debut and the unusual aspects of this particular case. Technology and the Dark Web prove to be an integral connection, especially a site called the Black Widow. The site allows those with some dark fantasies to interact with others also interested in various forms of BDSM.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Lies by T.M. Logan

Oh, what a tangled web...

"The truth of the battle is whatever the victor deems it to be --Sun Tzu"

This was an action-packed domestic drama that centers on two couples, a "meeting, a fight, a lie." The scene -- Joe, on his way home with his son, sees his wife's car in a place where it should not be. A question -- who was she meeting there? One lie follows another as Joe is reeling from Mel's tearful confessions. Because of the circumstances, Joe is caught up as the person of interest in a murder investigation.  Dominoes start to fall and the truth is revealed in a surprising twist of events.

I first started out listening to this book on audio files. I confess, I simply can't stand audio books for the most part. The reading pace is way too slow and the voices always irritate me. (This narrator did OK for the male voices, but those of the females and William (the son) drove me out of my mind.) So I quickly asked for the e-book and was granted approval (THANK YOU) and could rip through it at a better pace.

As far as the story goes, it was the basic theme of average family man finds the strength to prevail against all odds. Common enough premise, and this one followed the same course. I had to suspend a lot of disbelief throughout as Joe ricocheted from one revelation to the next. I really didn't care for any of the characters and especially detested the obvious attempts to make me feel some sort of care and concern about Joe's family and his marriage. I must say, however, that I was not quite sure where this was going even as I was led along. Nice little twist, but NO SPOILERS here.

I did enjoy it and it certainly kept my attention as I finished this in a couple of hours. Despite some minor annoyances with the "family man" and "good guy" tags, I liked the writing well enough to want to read more by this author. If you like authors Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay, and the other male writers who tend toward this particular subgenre, you will like this book. If nothing else, the novel will make you think twice about your online presence, technology, and personal privacy.

Thank you to Edelweiss, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book (and audio) to read and review.

Dark Lies by Nick Hollin (Rhodes and Radley #1)

"We do know the truth about ourselves. We will always have our own secrets. And we will always seek  to uncover other people's."

A murderer known as "The Cartoonist" is on a killing spree. DI Kate Rhodes enlists the help of a former partner profiler, Nathan Radley, to help find him. Regrettably, both of them have history and terrible memories of the past. The killer knows them very well.

This could have been a brilliant suspense thriller. Unfortunately, the narrative was so disjointed and so full of distractions and distortion that the reading was frustrating and so much work. I personally don't like to have to put so much effort into reading a story -- I just want it all laid out in an organized fashion so I can follow the plot and enjoy the ride to catching the bad guys. I'm sure that the way the author wrote this was designed to increase intrigue and suspenses, but I found myself extremely irritated at the way it all developed. I don't feel that I got to know the main two characters or that they had any depth that would make me want to read about them again. I guess the main feeling I came away with was disappointment. A good premise but poorly executed. I see this is the first in a series, but I don't think I would want to continue if the writing and the style is the same. Yeah I get that Kate and Nathan are really messed up people. I probably would have identified with them more if the story had not included so much of their fractured lives with just hints dropped here and there. I failed to connect all the dots.

Again, I find that the blurb doesn't really tell you accurately what this book is about.

This book, when I read it, was titled IN THE BLOOD. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

The Next Girl (DI Gina Harte #1) by Carla Kovach

"The world wasn't a good place. It wasn't all roses, cake, parties and nice things. It was a dark place, a place that she'd yet to fathom."

DI Gina Harte is looking for a missing woman, Deborah Jenkins, who vanished on the way home from work 4 years ago. Deborah's husband, Luke, and their two children were moving on with the help of Deborah's mother, Cathy, until an abandoned baby shows up -- and is purported to be the daughter of Deborah. She's still alive! The squad goes all out to look over past witness statements, interview those who knew Deborah, and to try -- again -- to find out who has her or where she might be.

This was a fast-paced police procedural with a likeable new protagonist in Gina Harte. She is beset with the past demons of her own life while trying to find Deborah. Fellow team members are also interesting and the reader can see that there is a lot of room for character development in this series. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Low Lake (Tyrone Swift #5) by Gretta Mulrooney

"Dig deep and deeper still. It's not what you FIND, it's what you FIND OUT."

Kim Woodville drowned at Low Lake two years ago. A very close friend, Jack North, hires private investigator (and former Met detective) Tyrone Swift to look into the matter because North doesn't believe it was an accident. Kim has led a very troubled life as a ward to the Ramsays living there at property on the lake and no one seems to be very upset that she has died. Kim suffered from epilepsy and had a horrible fear of water because her drug addled mother had tried to drown her in the bathtub when she was a toddler. As Swift begins his investigation in the the circumstances of Kim's death, he finds lies, secrets and betrayal. "Women, money and power."

This fifth in the Tyrone Swift series is the only one I've read and I'm very sorry about missing out on the others. I usually try to read books in order and hate not knowing the backstory of Tyrone but I was able to follow along as the author provides some of the historical detail. This was, for me, a mystery novel that I found hard to put down. I enjoyed it and thought it very well-written with a plot written in layers that slowly revealed the truth of what happened to Kim. The characters were interesting and believeable and I really am looking forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.

The Murder List (DI Zac Boateng #1) by Chris Merritt

"Never give up. You owe it to that person you loved. To the memory you still love, that no one can take away."

Fast-paced police procedural with the theme of revenge. DI Zac Boateng’s 9-year-old daughter, Amelia, was a victim of a stray bullet when they were going on an errand to the local newsagent one morning 5 years ago. The killer was never identified or apprehended. Zac, his wife, and surviving son have not passed a day without remembering Amelia. But Zac wants much more -- he wants the killer behind bars -- or dead. He moonlights on a solo investigation to track down the killer's identity and bring him to justice and meanwhile puts himself in danger because others are looking for the same man for different reasons.

Darian Wallace spent time in prison but is now out. He wants to recover the stolen items that resulted in his imprisonment, but more than that, he wants to punish those who ratted him out after the robbery. The reader sees a glimpse into his twisted psyche as he attempts to rationalize his behavior and life of crime. He can't leave London until he's taken care of business...

An ex-military man named Spike is also looking for Darian Wallace at the behest of Susanna Pym, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health. She has her own reasons for finding Wallace. Seems he stole something very valuable from her in the robbery that landed him in prison.

A complicated manhunt as Wallace is determined to complete his tasks and Spike is mission with Zac Boateng right on their heels. The writing is good, the characters well-drawn, and the action almost non-stop. Very enjoyable. I'll definitely want to read the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.