The Woman at 46 Heath Street by Lesley Sanderson

Ella Rutherford loves the house she lives in with her husband, Chris, at 46 Heath Street. The couple came there to stay with the ailing Nancy, Chris's mother, until she died. Ella finds such comfort in the old family home having been raised in foster care and never having family ties. Her blissful life is shattered, however, when she finds that her husband is having an affair and when she is told she must move out. Ella is having none of that for the house was refinanced with her money so she's part owner, and she is happy when Chris leaves her there alone long enough for Ella to find a friend to move in with her temporarily to share expenses. Alice is such a blessing and helps Ella deal with all manner of things.  But nothing is as it seems and Ella soon discovers that the house holds secrets.

This is a mystery wrapped in domestic drama. Though predictable in every way and not really suspenseful, I enjoyed seeing how the narrative played out against my guesses. I do get irritated, however, when the female characters are so weak-minded and easy to push around as their emotions get the better of them. It's also annoying to have the main character go on and on with stream of consciousness angsting that is repetitive and pitiful. Instead of stirring up empathy, I just want to shake them. Since the main focus of the tale was wrongs done to women, the male characters as written were deliberately horrid jerks. All seemed one-dimensional and I found it hard to relate or to get too invested in the outcome. It was a quick, easy read that provided a few hours of entertainment.

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

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - psychological, mystery, domestic drama

The Bones She Buried (DI Josie Quinn #5) by Lisa Regan

"Sometimes people just got it wrong...It was so easy in hindsight to know what someone should have done."

Josie and Noah arrive for dinner at his mother's house to find her dead in the garden. Sure, Colette had been confused lately, but why did the house appear to have been ransacked? The cause of death appeared to be asphyxiation and Josie knows it was murder. This investigation is going to be extremely complicated as the team is short a detective (Gretchen is on desk duty) and this case is hitting way too close to home. Noah is a mess and soon his and Josie's relationship is in danger. (Probably due to Noah's pregnant sister being mean). It seems that Colette Fraley was keeping a secret -- one worth killing for. NO SPOILERS.

This was typical police procedural and the fifth in a series that I've read from the beginning. Lisa Regan gives the reader some backstory about the characters in the event that others are reading this as a standalone or out of order, and there's enough information for anyone to figure out most of the past even though it's all quite complicated, especially with regard to Josie's personal life, past marriage, and her familial situation. I must admit that I found the interaction and relationship situation between Josie and Noah to be quite jarring. I get it, he is grieving, but honestly he was acting like a jerk and so was his sister, and what didn't make any sense at all was him questioning what Josie was doing as far as trying to solve his mother's murder. I mean, he's a cop!!

The plot was complex and the case quite complicated and it took ages to get to the why and who of the crime and get that secret revealed. No real surprises at the conclusion and the explanation was quite a stretch considering all the deaths. I'll probably want to read further installments in this series but this particular book wasn't as exciting and thrilling as previous titles, at least for me.

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

This is the 5th book in a series featuring DI Josie Quinn of the Denton, PA Police Dept.
Genre -- police procedural and mystery

The Greenway by Jane Adams

Is there such a thing as co-incidence? Twenty years ago, Suzie Ashmore, 12 years old, vanishes while playing with her cousin, Cassie, in the Greenway (a pathway between two fields lined with impenetrable hedge). The body was never found and the case never solved. Fast forward to present day when Cassie Maltham has returned to Norfolk to lay her demons to rest after being plagued with mental illness since the day her cousin vanished. While she and her husband, Fergus, are holidaying with two of their close friends, a 10-year-old girl named Sara Jane Cassidy goes missing.

DI Mike Croft, new to the area, is put in charge of the investigation and the detective who was on the Suzie Ashmore case joins even though he's been retired because he's been haunted by the fact that he never found Suzie. Together they sift through the old and new information trying to piece together events though complicated by the fact that Cassie is experiencing some trigger that results in her developing some strange behavior and dreams. It's all odd: "First, there's Cassie Maltham being here again. Two, there's the disappearance of a kid from the same place. Three, it happened at almost the same time of day and practically in full view of others...Four, the kids even look similar..Five, there's no logical way either child could have left the Greenway." Is there an answer to this puzzle?

Although this debut (republished from 1995) has received many superlative blurbs, I felt a little let down by the way the story is written and how it plays out. I'm not a huge fan of dream sequences and don't let me get started on repressed memories. I never really got a true feel for any of the characters and the narrative flow sometimes made it hard to follow logically. The ending was a bit of a bust as it felt rushed and indequate as far as explanation and detail. I didn't feel the paranormal vibe either. It is, however, a quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the e-book ARC to read and review. I'm a fan of detective stories and mysteries, but don't know if I'd read another by this author.

As far as I know, this is a standalone although it was first published in 1995 and maybe it is going to be a new series featuring DI Mike Croft.
Genre- police procedural and mystery, missing girls

Heartlands (DI Jessie Blake #1) by Kerry Watts

"Shannon's disappearance gave him the chills. It was an echo of the Sophie Nicoll case from twenty years ago. Teenage girl. Didn't come home from school."

DI Jessie Blake and her partner, DC Dylan Logan, of the Perthshire Police are sent to Inverlochty on the Scottish Borders to investigate the apparent murder of 15-year-old Shannon Ross, daughter of Jason and Louise. The town is full of secrets and, little do the residents know, but the place is also harboring a killer. As the police investigate, question suspects, and try to figure out what happened to Shannon, some long buried hatred simmers to the surface and erupts in some violent encounters between the characters.

The narrative is a bit disjointed and confusing as it flips back and forth in time and shifts in point of view, but eventually all becomes clear as the truth is revealed. I regret that I didn't become fully engaged with the story or the characters so not sure if I'll continue the series or not. The reader learns that Jessie Blake has some personal issues that are only hinted at in this book that will probably be explored further in the next, given the ending here. I can't say that this was suspenseful and there weren't any twists or surprises as the plot was quite predictable. I was disappointed in the outcomes for some of the characters and the conclusion was quite pat.

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

This is the first in a new series featuring DI Jessie Blake.
Genre- police and detective story, family secrets, murder

Winter in Paradise (Paradise #1) by Elin Hilderbrand

I don't know if I loved this book so much because it was set in St. John and I was reading it immediately after returning from a weeklong vacation in paradise, or if I just got sucked into the great storytelling by this very skilled author! In brief -- I'm devastated to have to wait for the next book not due out until October 2019 because I can't stand not knowing what happens next!

We all know that secrets turn into lies and that lies are very bad for relationships. What would you do if you were at home on New Year's Day in Iowa and you got a call that your husband had been killed in a helicopter crash in the Virgin Islands? OK, your husband does travel a lot for work, but he never said anything about St. John or the Caribbean islands so what is going on here? It turns out that your husband is a faithless cheat and a liar. He's been living a double life that you had no clue about. So, you pack your things, call your two grown sons and you all head down there to find out what you can. That's the premise of this excellent story about love and all its terrible complications.

Irene is nearly 60 and sons Baker and Cash are grown and on their own. She's stunned by the revelations that await in the beautiful islands and little does she know that her entire life is going to be changed as everything she knows is called into question. It's hard not to love St. John and the people they meet on their quest to find out exactly what Russ was doing down there and how he died. NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this and it was so fun to be reading a book set in a locale that I actually was familiar with and had loved visiting. The beaches, the restaurants and the bars -- all great reminders of a fabulous trip and, indeed, St. John is a paradise and I can't wait to go back. I also can't wait for the next in this trilogy -- oh yes, I've already said that, so write faster Elin! My cousin got to meet you when she attended your book signing just last week and I'm so terribly jealous! My fellow travel companions are all reading this book now as well and we plan to have a little book club lunch together when everyone has finished.

Anyway, I somehow missed this one on NetGalley but that won't happen with WHAT HAPPENS IN PARADISE. Enjoy!!!

This is the first in a trilogy so read in order.
Genre - women's fiction, family drama, secrets and lies, St. John

The Night Window (Jane Hawk #5) by Dean Koontz

This is definitely a series that any fan of the techno thriller genre won't want to miss. Be sure to start at the beginning and read the books in order for maximum enjoyment. This title brings the fast and furious tale to a close and, as I've said since I finished THE SILENT CORNER, this collection should definitely be made into a miniseries or a single blockbuster movie on the big screen!

What's it about -- well, in a nutshell: "Nanoweb brain implants; adjusted people shorn of free will, memories edited; human beings turned into bio machines programmed to kill; thousands on the Hamlet list slated for extermination...the Arcadian story" of utopia with unimagined power and riches for those at the top tier. And only one woman, ex FBI agent, Jane Hawk, might be able to bring it all down. She's been on the run using every possible evasion technique and trick since her husband committed suicide. She's hidden her 5-year-old son, Travis, from those who seek to use him as a bargaining chip to trap her. She has a few good souls on her side, however, and perhaps she can come up with a plan to foil the rise of the Techno Arcadians and save America. NO SPOILERS.

The writing is typical Dean Koontz verbosity with endless detail, simile and metaphor but the pace is fast and the bad guys are REALLY bad. Lots of action, dramatic description of maiming and murder, and the eventual climactic struggle between good and evil where the good guys win! We hope.

I've really enjoyed this series and was happy with the author's departure from the supernatural bent as this was slightly more believable and I prefer tentative reality. I have read almost every book Koontz has written -- a huge collection with lots of variety and some quite interesting and strange characters. Although sorry to reach the end of a fun series, I'm looking forward to finding out what subject Koontz will tackle next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam Books for the e-book ARC to read and review. Don't miss it!

This is the 5th and final book in a series. Read in order!
Genre - techno thriller and suspense

We All Fall Down by Daniel Kalla

In 1348 the Black Death came to Genova, Italy. A young barber surgeon, Rafael Pasqua, documents the effects of the terrible plague on his community. The epidemic ravaged most of Europe and left its population decimated. It's not been seen again for hundreds of years.

Present day Genoa: A construction worker dies suddenly and had first exhibited the classic symptoms of bubonic plague. Is this Patient Zero in a new outbreak of this dreaded disease? Before long, the city is inundated with more cases including the more lethal form, pneumonic plague. A team from the World Health Organization descends on the city along with Alana Vaughn, an infectious diseases expert with NATO who is summed there by an old paramour. It is indeed Black Death. Is this somehow a reoccurrence of the plague related to an old monastery that was being torn down or is it bioterrorism? The doctors, scientists and epidemiologists are in a race against time as the horrible plague spreads across Italy. NO SPOILERS.

If you know me, you know I absolutely love thrillers that involve some sort of medical condition and I'm totally obsessed with books written about the Black Death. This one did not disappoint and I devoured it in a few hours unable to set it down even for a second. I loved the scientific details and the descriptions in both past and present of how the disease affected the people and the communities in which it occurred. This is a story of disease, yes, but it's also a story about the individuals who travel to all parts of the world to contain and eradicate evolving bio threats. When a disease of this magnitude re-emerges, it can rapidly spread and develop into a pandemic and those infectious disease experts are there to prevent calamity and save lives. I liked the writing, the characters and the story and highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and not part of any series. I do intend to go search out this author's other books as I enjoyed this one so much.

Genre - medical thriller, epidemiology, Black Death

A Body in the Lakes (DC Beth Young #2) by Graham Smith

Four women found in similar circumstances -- naked, raped and dead. "The victims were old, young, tall, short, fat and thin. They were from different backgrounds, and while they were all working class. [sic] The only thing they had in common was their fate."

DC Beth Young and the team from the Force Major Investigation Team (or FMIT) are looking into the deaths caused by a serial rapist/murderer known as the "Lakeland Ripper." Although Beth is the youngest recruit, she's determined to use her "sideways-thinking brain" to solve the puzzle. Along with her boss, DI Zoe O'Dowd and team members DS Thompson and and DC Paul Unthank, they investigate this very complicated case. The last victim is found with items incriminating the local mayor, Derek Forster, a powerful and rich man who just might be the predator they're after. Alas, it also might be a case of someone putting him in the frame. Can Beth solve this one? NO SPOILERS.

The setting is the idyllic region around Lake Ullswater in the Cumbria area. I'm not familiar with the locale and if you're not, don't worry as the author describes it and the surrounding area in great detail. It's hot and the overworked detectives get warmer as the pressure to solve the case and find a suspect mounts. There are some things that are brought over from the first book in the series, but enough is explained that this one could be read as a standalone if you've missed it. Now that I'm seeing more of Beth Young in action, I'm not quite sure what to make of her character. There was quite a bit of repetition as Beth seems to keep focusing on the same tedious issues in her head but there are the usual chase and save scenes to provide some real action.

But here's the main problem. The book is basically a treatise on rape with a main female character but the author is a man. Now, I'm not saying that men don't really "get" the mindset of women on this subject, but yeah. All the right words and feelings and disgust for those who commit the crime are there, but some of the things that Beth says and does don't ring true to me. I may be off the mark with those comments, but it's such a hot button topic right now with the #metoo movement, I just felt that a lot of it was speechifying. Beth is just too-too gung-ho to be real, like overly zealous, and I can't figure out if I like her nor can I relate to her. I'm also sort of tired of her scar and what exactly does she plan to do when she finds the guy who she blames for it? Maybe English law is different and I just don't understand it.

That said, I did enjoy parts of the book but I didn't feel that there was a lot of suspense and certainly the twist was seen coming even though it took a long time to get there. I guess I've just read so many books in the genre that it takes a lot to surprise me as I solve the case along with the detectives. I will probably read the next in this series and hope that Beth calms down, matures a bit, controls her impetuous nature and reins in her temper.

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

This is the second book in the series featuring DC Beth Young. I suggest they be read in order.
Genre- police procedural, detective novel, series

The Husbands by T.J. Brearton

"...you can trace all human behavior to love or a lack thereof."

FBI Agent Kelly Roth of the Behavior Science Unit is sent to the town where she grew up to investigate a serial murderer known as the "Park Killer" (all the murders happened in some kind of state or local park). Three women have been killed, one pregnant and also a 10-year-old boy. The killer simply puts a single shot in each victim's head and apparently drives off leaving shell casings and the dead behind where they fell. As she navigates between police departments and the usual turf protectiveness, Kelly finds that the is definitely a case where her training in psychopathology will be put to use as the killer is using some sort of "no free will" manifesto to justify his behavior. As she interviews the devastated husband survivors, it is discovered that the killer is contacting the men and manipulating their minds. In a complicated investigation involving the FBI and local police, Kelly is confounded by contradictory evidence and frustrating interviews. Can they discover the killer's identity and stop him before he takes more victims? NO SPOILERS.

This was an interesting police procedural and crime thriller that focused primarily on the psychological aspects of a person devoid of some of the vital parts of humanity. The notion that pain is all in the mind and that people are reactive rather than liberated by thoughts and that control of anything is an illusion. The novel, however, was filled with characters who were only partially more than one-dimensional and I didn't feel as if Kelly Roth was fully developed. The book focused less on people than on theory to some degree. It was a quick read and I'll probably look for other books by this author in the future.

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

This is a standalone and not part of a series (yet?)
Genre- police procedural/crime thriller

The Housewife by Valerie Keogh

 Diane and Paul are married, live in a lovely home in London and have a 3-year-old daughter named Emma. All should be wonderful in their world, but alas, things are not what they seem. Diane is recently returned from a short stay in a psychiatric center after having a breakdown. She can't remember what put her in the place and her husband says that the doctors want Diane's memories to return at her own pace. Diane tries to get back into her role as wife and mother but strange things start happening. She sees a woman hovering nearby and believes that she is being stalked. She drinks a lot, forgets things, and can't sleep so she's exhausted all the time. She hears the sound of a baby crying. Her one-loved lounge is a room that now fills her with fear. Diane is a freaking mess but somehow she knows that her husband is behind all of this and wonders, to what end? NO SPOILERS.

You've read this book before and there are no surprises here. It's typical psychological fiction -- the kind where you want to shake the main character and scoff at the unrealistic situations that keep occurring. I didn't like Diane nor any of the other one-dimensional characters in the book. This one just didn't do it for me though I was able to get through it quickly. Lots of repetition and the incessant mental angsting that I find hard to swallow. I may be reaching my last straw with domestic and psychological fiction so perhaps it's just me feeling like there's nothing new in this sub genre.

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

This is a standalone and not part of a series.
Genre - domestic fiction, not very thrilling or suspenseful

After She's Gone (Hanne #2) by Camilla Grebe

"Those who sow the wind, harvest the storm."

Hanne Lagerlind-Schön and her partner, Peter Lindgren, from the National Operations Department in Stockholm, along with their colleague Manfred Olsson, are in Ormberg investigating a cold case involving the murder of a young girl who was never identified 8 years prior when her body was discover in a cairn. Two other more local police officers join in the squad, Andreas Borg and Malin Brundin. The group begins examining the little bit of information available about the discovery of the body and start to interview some of the local families in the very underpopulated town. The people have fallen on hard times with the closing of industry and many have moved away. Malin is asked to be on the task force for two reasons: 1. She was the one who actually found the little girl's body when she was a teenager and 2. She grew up in Ormberg and knows everyone. But things are about to get really crazy as shortly after the team gets going, Hanne and Peter disappear. Then Hanne is found wandering in the woods by a local teenager named Jake Birgersson. Hanne gets picked up by a Good Samaritan who happens to be driving by but leaves behind a very important part of herself - her diary. Because Hanne has early onset dementia, she writes everything in that notebook. Jake finds that diary and, instead of turning it over to police (for a very good reason), he reads it. NO SPOILERS.

I could go on and on describing what this book is about, but let me just say that this is excellent Nordic Noir with a very complex and absorbing plot. It has enough twists and turns to stymie even the most savvy crime thriller reader. The most difficult part of reading this book was its structure. It alternates in point of view and back and forth in time and also includes excerpts from the diary as Hanne can't remember anything about what happened to her or what became of Peter. The atmosphere is another character in the story as the setting and the cold temperature provides a chilling backdrop to this incredibly plotted tale. The reveals and the conclusion are well worth waiting for and I really sped through this fully invested in the characters and the events that occurred. Definitely recommend it!

I was lucky enough to read the first book in the series immediately prior to beginning this one so the characters mostly felt familiar. The book also has to do with the plight of refugees and asylum seekers who are re-homed and settled into this depopulated town in Sodermanland. In a final note from the author, she declares, "We live in a difficult time. More people have been displaced from their homes than ever before in history. And this stream of refugees has been met with xenophobia, conflict and fear." The main message that she wants to convey in this book is this: "It could have been you who had to feel from war and starvation."

Thank you to Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the second book in the Hanne series and I suggest you read the first one prior to this.
Genre - Nordic noir, crime thriller, police, cold case