Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

"I'll find out firsthand what Steven Hepsworth holds dear. Then I'll figure out how to take it all away from him."

Jane leaves her life and job in Kuala Lumpur and travels to Minnesota to put her plans into motion. She's determined to find and destroy the man whom she holds responsible for her best friend's death. Meg was the only person that Jane has ever really deeply cared about. You see, Jane is a sociopath. And she's very very good at acting. She's spent years perfecting the art of imitating people who truly have emotions and she's now going to play her biggest role yet. NO SPOILERS

What a deliciously nuanced revenge thriller! The narrative sucks you in quickly and it's a very hard book to put down as you are eager to see how Jane makes out in her mission. She's sure a different type of protagonist as we're not used to rooting for sociopaths in this genre as they're usually the bad guys, but I definitely wanted her to succeed and thought the way she handled the family was masterful. Jane is not the typical heroine, and it's likely that you might not even like her very much if you knew her as a relationship would be a lot of work due to her lack of empathy and authentic feeling. But I did like her and I hope she can enjoy her future life in the "fake it till you make it" mode!

I've not read other books by this author, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for any future titles. Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review.

Standalone, not part of a series.

The Wife Before Me by Laura Elliot

PSA -- Ladies, if you meet a man at your mother's funeral and you find out that he has a wife who died under suspicious circumstances and her body was never recovered -- don't hook up with him!

Unfortunately, Elena Langdon did not heed that warning and got together with Nicholas Madison anyway. His wife, Amelia, looms as the third person in their relationship from the very beginning. But Nicholas is so charming and just insinuates himself into Elena's life, finally getting her to agree to a commitment ceremony because he is not yet able to marry her as Madison has not been legally declared dead. Despite his ardent declarations, Elena is vulnerable to his manipulations and is convinced to move into the house Nicholas shared with his former wife. That's when the real problems surface. NO SPOILERS.

I'm sure that all women have thought at one time or another when we hear about a case of spousal abuse -- why doesn't she leave him? There are as many reasons (or excuses) as there are the women who endure the beatings, the treachery, the isolation, the controlling and the lies. Elena is distraught and can't escape Nicholas even after he confesses that he's lost all her inheritance. Now, she's really dependent on him. Much of the book describes how the worm turned and how Nicholas torments Elena, especially as she is convinced that he still loves the dead Amelia -- why else would he lock the door to the couple's previous bedroom and what other secrets is he keeping.

I've read other reviews and I must say that I enjoyed this domestic drama and psychological thriller. I didn't read the "romance" aspect as being too much as I realize this is the way that the abuser draws in his victim. I could see the downward spiral of Elena's life and sympathized with her even as I kept telling myself that I would never be in her position. Ah hubris, right? Anyway, there is suspense and the author creates a nice bit of tension. You know there is something of course -- that there will be a twist, and it's pretty easy to anticipate though you're not sure when it is coming.

The book is told in alternating viewpoints with some flips in time and this strange bit in italics that was a bit disconcerting until you identify the owner of the voice. That aspect of the narrative fell a little flat and I definitely had to suspend some disbelief about some of the things that happened as the story builds to a dramatic climax and a satisfying conclusion. You may or may not identify or relate to the characters, but it won't be hard to despise Nicholas as he's definitely a psychopath!

It was easy to read this book in one sitting as I found it hard to put down so stayed up way late finishing. I hope you enjoy it as well. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Standalone, not part of any series.

The Wife's Secret by Kerry Wilkinson

Domestic suspense thriller. What if the woman you've married turns out to be someone you didn't know at all?

The Willis family seems to be followed by a curse of tragedy. Parents Annie and Paul, "Everyone's mum and dad" are famous for their books and television presence. When they are murdered one night, their 13-year-old daughter, Charley, is found by her sister Martha hiding in the wardrobe upstairs. The killer was never found. Fifteen years later, Charley marries vet Seth Chambers -- and goes missing from the wedding reception. As Seth tries to figure out where Charley has gone, with the police and the press coming and going, he's in a right state of exhaustion and worry.

The narrative goes back and forth in time and point of view as the story unravels layer by layer with surprising twists and bitter truth. The Willis family wasn't who they represented themselves to be, which isn't the most surprising revelation, but it's true that you can't always believe everything you hear, that you read, or that you see. Many secrets are hidden behind the front door of a family home and the Willis family has a lot to hide. Money may not be everything to everyone, but it sure can provide a lot of negative or positive motivation.

Enjoyed this standalone by one of my favorite authors. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Not part of a series.

The Body on the Shore (DCI Craig Gillard #2) by Nick Louth

Simply put -- this is a great police procedural, the second in a new series by Nick Louth. Set in Surrey and featuring DCI Craig Gillard, the crime thriller is complex and absorbing and very hard to put down!

A young architect is murdered in his office one morning and Gillard gets the nod to lead the investigation. The few leads soon dry up and, though it looks like a professional assassination, the detectives can't figure out why anyone would want to kill the husband and father. Until they discover that he came to the UK as an orphan seeking asylum... In what comes to be a related case, a body is found on the shore of a remote beach. And, to complicate an already complicated situation, the two adopted children of a local woman are kidnapped leading Gillard deep into the not-so-hidden blood wars of the Albanian Mafia. NO SPOILERS.

The narrative is fast-paced with action as well as a focus on the various methods used by the police and Gillard's team to track down the suspects, recover the children, and figure out the motivations for the murders. The descriptions and detail are meticulous and is focused mainly on police activity with only a little about their personal lives. I can see a lot of potential for this great series and can't wait for #3. I was riveted by the backstory of the Albanians and their vendettas between families -- all interesting and new information for me. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for providing this e-book ARC for me to read and review. I highly recommend this series and am eager to see what case Gillard is tasked with next. 

The Body in the Marsh (DCI Craig Gillard #1) by Nick Louth

Excellent and well-written police procedural, the first in a new series featuring DCI Craig Gillard out of Surrey Police in Guildford. With intricately constructed complex plotting, full of twists and red herrings, this crime thriller will appeal to any fan of this genre.

The case -- Elizabeth Knight, the wife of respected criminologist Martin Knight, is reported missing by one her oldest best friends. After the police contact her husband with questions, he also disappears. Gillard's team opens an investigation but he harbors a secret: he once dated Liz Knight and has never really gotten over her. Gillard's search for answers will take him to the continent and back again as he attempts to find out what happened and why. NO SPOILERS.

This is fast-paced and kept me glued to the pages as I tried to guess what would happen with all the clues and questions. Though I did figure out where it was going fairly early on, I was intrigued as events unfolded and the conclusion was completely satisfying. I can't wait to start the second book, THE BODY ON THE SHORE!

Thank you to the publisher (Canelo) for this e-book to read and review.

Series book #1

The Last Hours (Black Death #1) by Minette Walters

Summer 1348 heralds the arrival of the Black Death to Dorseteshire and seriously impacts the relatively small demesne of Develish. Shortly before the apocalypse of disease appears, Sir Richard leaves his land to journey to Bradmayne in an effort to marry off his 14-year-old daughter, Lady Eleanor. Instead of returning with news of a betrothal, Sir Richard brings the plague. When he's denied access across the moat to the manor and dies, his widow, Lady Anne takes over and creates an entirely new society inside the walls. Trained in a nunnery before she was wed, Lady Anne knows how to use practical hygiene and isolation methods to keep her serfs free from disease. She and two of her trusted serfs -- the bastard Thaddeus Thurkell and an older man named Gyles Startout -- encourage the people of the demesne to bond together to save themselves. Be forewarned, this ends on a cliffhanger as there is meant to be a book #2!

If you're in the mood for compelling and fascinating historical fiction focusing on how the Black Death affected a relatively small community and its impact on their way of life then this is the book for you. I found myself absorbed completely in the details and descriptions of the life and times of the characters in this extremely well-written novel. Because of the strength and leadership of Lady Anne, the loyalty of the people of the demesne, and the resilience of the human spirit, this incredible saga of the event that decimated much of the population of Europe is hard to put down. I have long been fascinated by stories surrounding how the plague destroyed centuries of social order, how it affected the religious beliefs held by the majority of the populace, and how it increased the awareness of how disease was spread including the emphasis on learning about sanitation and the importance of extermination. So few had any degree of understanding of epidemiology or even cleanliness and little was known of science as most people thought that it was sin that brought death and disease. It's hard for us now to imagine such degree of ignorance living as we do, but the author describes the setting and living conditions so well in this novel that you can see, hear, smell, feel and taste what it must have been like. I love books that send me into research mode, and I definitely made use of the Internet while reading.

I encourage you to read this if you like historical fiction and a great story with well-drawn characters that you learn to love and/or hate! I cannot wait for the sequel to this and am so grateful to NetGalley & Edelweiss and MIRA/Harper Collins for this e-book ARC to read and review. Hurry up, Ms Walters, and finish this masterpiece!

Her Final Hour (Gina Harte #2) by Carla Kovach

 DI Gina Harte has just returned home to Cleevesford from a short holiday spent with her daughter and granddaughter when she gets called to work. A murder. A 35-year-old wife and mother, Melissa Sanderson, was beaten and strangled to death in her own kitchen. Harte is made Senior Investifating Officer (which thrills her as it will be her first time and a huge step in her career) and she and her team begin to gather and follow the few clues and leads that will soon spiral into quite the case. There's no shortage of motives and suspects -- could it be Melissa's own husband who found her body and called police when he came home after a night out at the pub? Or is it Melissa's secret lover? Then there's the personal attack on Gina Harte herself. And yet another victim. In all 3 cases, there are some links and similarities. Gina and her fellow detectives are frustrated and stalled at every turn in this complex crime investigation. Painstaking attention to detail and chasing down people who may or may not be involved is going to take some doing.

I enjoyed this fast-paced police procedural, the second in the series. I like Gina Harte's character and she is working on achieving some personal growth with issues in her own life while still staying focused on her job. The personalities of the other members of the team are becoming more solid but there is still a long way to go before they become more than one-dimensional as the focus is mainly on Gina. It seems that in many books like this that the female detectives are messed up and have difficulty with relationships and I hope that Gina can break out of that mold. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

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

Second book in Detective Gina Harte series. I read the first and enjoyed it as well.

Their Last Words (#1 Ray Paterson) by Steve Parker

This was a fast-paced, well-written crime thriller and police procedural -- the first in a new series featuring Detective Superintendent Ray Paterson. He's a wealthy playboy, recently promoted to head his first murder squad case -- and the victim is a young woman, savagely mutilated with a word carved into her chest. He and his team, based out of Bermondsey, South London, barely get started on the investigation when another victim is found. They have a serial killer to hunt. Thankfully, Ray has a good group to work with, including a friend who's helping him learn the ropes, DS Dave Jordan.
As they delve into their jobs, even calling in a behavioral analyst, it becomes clear that this killer has an agenda, and their inability to find and apprehend this monster will cost the department dearly. NO SPOILERS.

What an absorbing read! I could not put this down and was absolutely glued to the pages, gripped by the twists and turns and the grisly details. The characters were depicted quite clearly and the dialog and actions of the team seemed so believable and realistic. The chills and tension kept escalating and the narrative paced perfectly to draw out maximum suspense. I loved it! If you enjoy a gritty police procedural with characters that are more unique than typical in the genre, this is the book for you. I cannot wait for the next novel by this author and highly recommend this one. Sign me up for an ARC now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. This debut screams for a follow-up and I'm so glad I had the chance to get in at the beginning of what I'm sure will be a great ride for this obviously talented author who has the chops to write what he knows!

Series #1

The Day I Lost You by Alex Sinclair

Erika is taking her 4-year-old daughter to her estranged husband's top floor apartment on the 14th floor of an upscale building when they get trapped inside a stuck elevator. When it moves a little and the doors open slightly at mid floor, little Alice squeezes through the small opening onto the 7th floor. Erika, already anxious, can't get through and the doors close again taking her down to the lobby. Frantic, she asks the young man at the reception desk, Henry, to help her find Alice. She enlists the help of another resident, Alan, to come with her when Henry seems loathe to take any action. When they get back up to the 7th floor, Alice is nowhere to be found. A door-to-door search is fruitless. What could have happened and where is Alice? And does Alice's disappearance have something to do with Erika's ex, Michael, or has someone in this building kidnapped her? NO SPOILERS.

I read this short book in a little over an hour. Not because it was so compelling, but because I was having such a hard time making sense of the story given how I found it all so utterly unbelievable. That's how I knew something was really off. Yes, it would be entirely normal for a mother to be hysterical if she had lost her child but Erika seemed bat-crap crazy and her madcap actions had me shaking my head. I just had to get to the end of this so that I could find out if my instincts were correct. Yes. There was a twist at the end and it sort of explained some of the day's events as Erika, Alan and several others race up and down and around the building. Definitely different sort of missing child book to what I expected.

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

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

The Secret by K.L. Slater

"Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth." BUDDHA

Archie, 8-years-old, lives in Nottinghamshire with his mom, Louise, and adoptive father, Darren. He has a secret too big to hold inside but too scary to tell. But his deteriorating behavior and anxiety slowly become worrisome when he starts spending more time with Alice -- Archie's aunt and Louise's younger sister. Alice lives alone in a flat that belonged to their mother, she has some physical injuries from an accident, and she is prone to fears of her own. She can't explain away the things she finds out, or those signs that are revealed in the dynamics of dysfunctional relationships. What is really going on with Archie and his family and can Alice become brave enough to confront truth once and for all?  NO SPOILERS.

This was a psychological drama centered on family and the keeping of secrets. Alice is a mousy character who never learned to stand up for herself but who is now called upon to stand up for others. Louise is a domineering older sister who shows a real proclivity to narcissism and who is quite manipulative. Is Louise really a monster behind a facade of mother, wife and working professional? Her husband, Darren, expresses deep concerns about his wife. Alice is worried about everyone, even the upstairs neighbor whose phone rings at odd hours during the middle of the night. What is it that Archie can't tell anyone?

Enjoyable and fast-paced read with a surprising twist or two along the way. The narrative is told from three points of view and flips back and forth in time giving the reader a historical perspective on the development of the characters. Although I really didn't care for any of the lot, I know we're meant to feel an affinity for their various plights. I wanted to shake Alice a time or two and I have no patience for disinterested mothering or favoritism. Louise? I detested her completely. Anyway, I've no doubt Slater's fans (and I'm one) will eat this up! It should be obvious to anyone that a secret can be a very dangerous thing to hold.

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

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough

Sometimes a best friend isn't really good for you...

Two pre-adolescent girls from opposite sides of the track trying to find some care, love and affection in their lives. Drawn to each other, but bringing out the worst -- how far will they take things in order to be free from their suffocating and miserable existence? Charlotte and Katie want to be on the run like BONNIE and CLYDE. They make promises to each other, but one of them breaks their pact. And now, the past comes back with a vengeance. NO SPOILERS.

This domestic psychological drama flips back and forth in time and is told from the viewpoints of all the main players. It can be a bit confusing keeping it all straight so this is a book that is probably best read over a short period of time. The narration is not reliable and there are so many secrets and tidbits of important information kept from the reader until the last couple of chapters. There was no surprise or twist in this for me, I already knew from pretty much the beginning where this was going. So, I guess I can say now that I was fairly disappointed in this novel because it certainly didn't grab me or hold me in thrall with any suspense like BEHIND HER EYES did. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and I didn't find most of the narrative believable so it didn't create any tension for me.

A certain kind of reader will probably gobble this up and enjoy it tremendously. Unfortunately, that particular type of reader is not me. It took me far too long to get through this and I found it dragging at several points. I didn't really care that much about the characters and expected the resolution to be pretty much exactly what it was. I still hold on to the fact that I really loved her first book, so I will give Sarah Pinborough another go with her next outing, but this one left me feeling let down as I had such high expectations.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review courtesy of Edelweiss.

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

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

What a fun "locked room" whodunit set within the confines of the cozy Mitchell Inn located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State.

The 10 guests make their way to the beautiful accommodations high into the mountains during a snowstorm. Away from civilization, without internet service, and with lovely vistas and well-appointed rooms -- this promises to be a weekend that none will forget. Unfortunately, all of the guests will not make it out alive. When the storm cuts the power, those at the Inn are without heat or light...and without help from the outside. Tensions and suspicions mount in the confinement and finger pointing becomes dangerous to those still alive.

The characters are quite the mix of personalities and, though there were quite a few, the author gives such great backstory that it is easy to remember who is who as each is introduced. Since the narrative flips between the point of view of the different people, the reader is aware of conflict beneath the surface of the initialally convivial gathering of strangers. When the first dead body is discovered on the morning after everyone's arrival, it's thought to be an accident at first glance. One of the guests, however, is convinced it is murder. I don't want to give any spoilers, so I won't go into describing each person staying at the hotel, nor the father and son who are left to run the place single-handedly due to the isolation caused by the storm. They are all quite interesting and I enjoyed trying to piece together the clues to see if I could guess the identity and the motivation of the perpetrator.

I loved the setting, the atmosphere and the story line. The writing drew me in and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough so stayed up late to finish all in one sitting. The conclusion was excellent, except I was left with one burning question! Definitely enjoyed this guessing game mystery and would recommend to fans of Agatha Christie. I've read both of this author's other books as well and this was a very satisfactory third outing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books, Viking for the e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of a series. Great cover!

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Mystery at a summer camp. What really happened to the girls?

"There's something worse than death...not knowing."

Artist Emma Davis has spent the last 15 years haunted by the disappearance of 3 of her cabin mates while they were at summer camp. Exhaustive searches revealed no hint of what happened to the teenagers. Now at age 28, she's been invited back to Camp Nightingale as an instructor. She decides to accept the offer in hopes that she can undo some of the damage she did back then -- because there were several things she lied about at the time. This time she's determined to find out what happened to Vivian, Natalie and Allison. Once back at the camp ensconced in the same cabin where she'd stayed when she was 13, Emma finds that she is still under a cloud of suspicion -- that's why there is a motion sensor camera trained right on the door to Dogwood. Emma knows that she really didn't have anything to do with whatever happened to those girls...

Told in past/present narrative style through Emma's voice at 13 and at 28, the events are slowly revealed which made me very impatient to get to the denouement and conclusion. Emma is a character that I never identified with and she is constantly scrutinizing all the secondary characters for hints of guilt or involvement. She suffers from hallucinations and paranoia while also acknowledging that she has never told the truth about certain things surrounding the relationship she had with the 3 girls who vanished. The family that owns the camp also comes under suspicion. And then there's the fact that the man made lake on the property actually might be concealing a secret. Lots of teen angst and drama and a mystery that drug on a bit too long. I had a bit of a problem with the ending and definitely issues with Emma.

This is the second book I've read by this author, and this had some similarities to the first in writing style and tone. I'm not a fan of the past-present structure, but I do prefer reading an adult perspective rather than that of teenager voice. The book didn't have that "can't put it down" vibe for me, but I admit that it can be difficult for a story to keep me fully engaged at times.

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

This is a standalone fiction book that is not part of any series.

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

Warning -- those of you who are die-hard Karin Slaughter fans might not want to read further. Or you can comment after you've read the book and this review!

The synopsis and premise were intriguing -- Andrea found out that her mother was not just some 55-year-old suburban cliche mom but was someone who had a really sordid history that she had had hidden from Andrea for 31 years, no -- that she had LIED about her entire life. When Laura kills a spree shooter at the mall and garners police suspicion, Andrea goes on the run and finds out the truth along the way. Told in past/present chapters with alternating voices, the story is at first confusing and unengaging. After the first couple of switches, the reader figures out how it's all connected.

This is not part of any series, but is a standalone. It's meant to be a suspense thriller for adults, but it reads more like YA fiction. Although the protagonist is 31, her thoughts, emotions and behavior are more like that of a teenager. Andrea (and how I hated the nickname, "Andy", not only because it was a dead giveaway of a supposed twist plot point, but my daughter's name is Andrea and I am so glad she never wanted to use that as a nickname) narrates alternating chapters as she's "on the run" where she spends all of her time vacillating, crying, making stupid decisions, angsting, having stream of consciousness repetitive thoughts in her head. She seems incapable of even forming complete sentences. Her character was so annoying that I was a breath away from just tossing the book down the stairs and never finishing it. But, I slogged on and got exactly what I expected. A long, drawn-out story about an adult daughter (Andrea) finding out that her mother (Laura) wasn't at all who she had pretended to be.

I had high expectations for this because I've read many other books by this author (who I almost never forgave for THAT ending). I was disappointed and, as I said, I had to force myself to finish. I didn't like ANY of the characters, I didn't care about what Laura had done, I thought the resolution and conclusion were both far-fetched and there was way too much drama in this for my taste. Way too much TELL and rambling description. No doubt I'll hear from other readers about how wrong I am, about how this book is "brilliant" and they "couldn't put it down", etc. and I say -- great! To each her own opinion. That's why we write reviews.

I'll hesitate in the future to request another KS book that is not part of her usual series style fare, but I thank the publisher, William Morrow, and Edelweiss for the e-book ARC of this to read and review.

Standalone -- not part of a series.