"Sometimes when you go digging you unearth things you're not looking for."
3.5 stars rounded up because it was quite the twisty tale and one I had to think about for a bit after I finished it in a single sitting tonight after only intending to read a few chapters.
In 1989, in a small town named Mapledon, two young girls are taunting a neighbor with a knock-knock-run game. At the end of the evening, 10-year-old Jonie Hayes would go missing and her friend, Bella's, testimony at the trial would put that same neighbor behind bars for over 30 years. No body was ever found, but Bella's eyewitness version of what happened would prove enough to convict Billy Cawley of abduction and murder.
Fast forward to 2019 and Bella, now using the name, Anna, hears that Cawley is going to be released from prison. She goes to Mapledon because her mother, Muriel Fisher, is worried. It seems that someone has nailed a doll's head to her front door and she thinks it might be Billy come to extract some kind of revenge over things that happened back in 1989 even before he killed Jonie. In addition, Billy's release has brought someone else to town -- Lizzie Brenfield -- and she is going to get answers to all of her questions about Billy and about the events of 1989. NO SPOILERS.
It's hard to write about this book because I don't want to give anything away. I found the most difficult impediment to my total enjoyment of this novel was the way in which it was written. It jumps between 1989 and 2019 and between characters and that shift is usually right about the moment where something important is going to happen or be revealed. In this case, I would have preferred less flashback and a more linear tale so that the story elements would be less confusing but perhaps that style was the whole point to create the tension and deepen the mystery. What can I saw about these characters, well not much as identifying my feelings about one or the others would give it away. Let's just say that there were some that I despised, some I felt sorry for, and some that I am still on the fence about.
Give this one a shot as it's drama, yes, but definitely thought-provoking and not what I was expecting. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama, mystery, themes of sexual abuse of minor
NetGalley Top Reviewer
NetGalley Top Reviewer
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019
Cold Heart Creek (Detective Josie Quinn #7) by Lisa Regan
This is the 7th book in a series and I've read all of them, in order, and suggest that you not tackle this as a standalone as there is a lot of backstory in Detective Josie Quinn's personal and professional life.
In this installment, Josie and her live-in boyfriend, Noah Fraley (also a Detective), are called to a camp site where they find two bodies. Husband and wife, Tyler and Valerie Yates, appear to have been poisoned. As they search the campsite, it's obvious that most of their belongings have been taken except for one oddity -- a third sleeping bag. Who was the person who was with them and where are they now? Their investigation takes them to a nearby commune, known as The Sanctuary, and their interviews with the inhabitants lead them nowhere though Josie is suspicious that these people know something that they aren't sharing. Then, on their way back to the station after an exhausting, wet August day, they find a pregnant woman stumbling out of the woods. After Josie delivers the baby (!) and they get the woman and infant to the hospital only to find out that the woman has been missing for 2 years. Is there a connection between their dead campers and this woman? And how is The Sanctuary involved? NO SPOILERS.
This was an easy one-sitting read and I really was all-in for the first 2/3 of the book. Then, something happens that sort of put me off the rest of the story and I never got back the level of interest I had in the case. Josie finally has some sort of closure in her personal life with Lila, however, and I hope that also ends her nightmares (which should require her to be in therapy). I hope that Josie and Noah's relationship can survive. There wasn't much in this installment about the other members of their team: Detectives Gretchen Palmer and Finn Mettner and the main focus was on them running around piecing together this complicated case. To sum up my feelings -- well, this was not one of my favorites in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is the 7th book in a series that should be read in order from the beginning.
Genre - police procedural, crime thriller
In this installment, Josie and her live-in boyfriend, Noah Fraley (also a Detective), are called to a camp site where they find two bodies. Husband and wife, Tyler and Valerie Yates, appear to have been poisoned. As they search the campsite, it's obvious that most of their belongings have been taken except for one oddity -- a third sleeping bag. Who was the person who was with them and where are they now? Their investigation takes them to a nearby commune, known as The Sanctuary, and their interviews with the inhabitants lead them nowhere though Josie is suspicious that these people know something that they aren't sharing. Then, on their way back to the station after an exhausting, wet August day, they find a pregnant woman stumbling out of the woods. After Josie delivers the baby (!) and they get the woman and infant to the hospital only to find out that the woman has been missing for 2 years. Is there a connection between their dead campers and this woman? And how is The Sanctuary involved? NO SPOILERS.
This was an easy one-sitting read and I really was all-in for the first 2/3 of the book. Then, something happens that sort of put me off the rest of the story and I never got back the level of interest I had in the case. Josie finally has some sort of closure in her personal life with Lila, however, and I hope that also ends her nightmares (which should require her to be in therapy). I hope that Josie and Noah's relationship can survive. There wasn't much in this installment about the other members of their team: Detectives Gretchen Palmer and Finn Mettner and the main focus was on them running around piecing together this complicated case. To sum up my feelings -- well, this was not one of my favorites in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is the 7th book in a series that should be read in order from the beginning.
Genre - police procedural, crime thriller
Thursday, November 28, 2019
All the Best Lies (Ellery Hathaway #3) by Joanna Schaffhausen
Lucky me - I was able to read all 3 of the books in the series in 3 days and what a great thrill ride it has been! My only regret in devouring these this fast is that most horrible of fates: waiting for the next installment to be written and appear on my shelf.
Former policewoman Ellery Hathaway (she's on leave) and FBI agent Reed Markham are at it again. Their partnership takes them on many trips, but this one is very personal to Markham. Over 40 years ago, his mother was murdered while he lay in a crib in another room. Camilla Flores was only 19 when she died and her case was never solved. Based on some recent information that Markham received, this investigation just might cost him everything. Despite knowing the possible price, he and Ellery head to Las Vegas to see what they can stir up. It doesn't take long before these two are stirring up all kinds of trouble. NO SPOILERS.
I love this duo, they are fun and infuriating all in the same sentence! The stories are good even as sometimes quite far-fetched in terms of reality vs real things they could get away with, but I enjoy the writing and the fun of trying to solve the case and point the finger at the bad people before they figure it out. I know that no one will be surprised that the newly divorced Markham and Ellery might have a "thing" developing and I'm eager to see where this goes. I have to say, however, that the conclusion was indeed a bit of a twisted surprise and I definitely did not like that character!
I'm so glad that I was able to read these back-to-back and I look forward eagerly for the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the third book to date in a series and I suggest reading them all in order from the beginning.
Genre - crime thriller
Former policewoman Ellery Hathaway (she's on leave) and FBI agent Reed Markham are at it again. Their partnership takes them on many trips, but this one is very personal to Markham. Over 40 years ago, his mother was murdered while he lay in a crib in another room. Camilla Flores was only 19 when she died and her case was never solved. Based on some recent information that Markham received, this investigation just might cost him everything. Despite knowing the possible price, he and Ellery head to Las Vegas to see what they can stir up. It doesn't take long before these two are stirring up all kinds of trouble. NO SPOILERS.
I love this duo, they are fun and infuriating all in the same sentence! The stories are good even as sometimes quite far-fetched in terms of reality vs real things they could get away with, but I enjoy the writing and the fun of trying to solve the case and point the finger at the bad people before they figure it out. I know that no one will be surprised that the newly divorced Markham and Ellery might have a "thing" developing and I'm eager to see where this goes. I have to say, however, that the conclusion was indeed a bit of a twisted surprise and I definitely did not like that character!
I'm so glad that I was able to read these back-to-back and I look forward eagerly for the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the third book to date in a series and I suggest reading them all in order from the beginning.
Genre - crime thriller
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
No Mercy (Ellery Hathaway #2) by Joanna Schaffhausen
I barely took a breath between finishing the first and starting this second book in a really exciting crime thriller series. Because it is so engrossing, I couldn't put it down so spent today enjoying this new installment. This could be read without having read THE VANISHING SEASON, but I prefer to start at the beginning and read the books in order.
Ellery Hathaway is a police officer whose badge has recently been taken away because she shot a man at the end of the last book. Despite the fact that he was intent on killing her, the department has decided she needs some therapy to earn back her job. "You kill one guy, one time, and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy." Ellery isn't sorry and she basically lies about how it all went down, but was forced to move out of her home and is licking her wounds marking time. At one of her mandated group meetings, she meets other victims who've been through tragedy and ends up getting involved in their personal stories. Two of them ask for her help and of course she can't say no as she really understands their pain. Who is she going to call to get some inside information? FBI profiler Reed Markham, of course. They have a strange bond because he's the one who rescued her from the serial killer's closet when she was just 14-years-old. Even though his boss is threatening his continued career in the FBI because of his last involvement with Ellery, Reed can't help himself as he's committed to caring about her well-being. So, they embark on their own side investigations that deal with a violent serial rapist and a long-ago fire that resulted in the death of a three-year-old boy.
NO SPOILERS.
Even though I am 100% sure that no two people could get away with what these two do on the outside of any law enforcement agency, I do enjoy the plot and the drama of their search for truth and justice. Ellery is quite an interesting character and I can definitely understand why she feels and acts the way she does -- she can't help herself, so she is dedicated and intent on helping others. Reed is protective and feels responsible for Ellery though I sense that his motives are becoming far more personal the more time they spend together. Getting to know one another more intimately while they pull all sorts of shenanigans to get information. I actually quite like them both and am eager to see what happens next as the end of this one gives us quite the twist!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing this e-book ARC for me to read, review and recommend. And off I go to start #3 -- and then, darn it, I'll be waiting...
This is the second book of the series and I suggest you read them in order.
Genre - crime thriller, rape, arson,
Ellery Hathaway is a police officer whose badge has recently been taken away because she shot a man at the end of the last book. Despite the fact that he was intent on killing her, the department has decided she needs some therapy to earn back her job. "You kill one guy, one time, and suddenly everyone thinks you need therapy." Ellery isn't sorry and she basically lies about how it all went down, but was forced to move out of her home and is licking her wounds marking time. At one of her mandated group meetings, she meets other victims who've been through tragedy and ends up getting involved in their personal stories. Two of them ask for her help and of course she can't say no as she really understands their pain. Who is she going to call to get some inside information? FBI profiler Reed Markham, of course. They have a strange bond because he's the one who rescued her from the serial killer's closet when she was just 14-years-old. Even though his boss is threatening his continued career in the FBI because of his last involvement with Ellery, Reed can't help himself as he's committed to caring about her well-being. So, they embark on their own side investigations that deal with a violent serial rapist and a long-ago fire that resulted in the death of a three-year-old boy.
NO SPOILERS.
Even though I am 100% sure that no two people could get away with what these two do on the outside of any law enforcement agency, I do enjoy the plot and the drama of their search for truth and justice. Ellery is quite an interesting character and I can definitely understand why she feels and acts the way she does -- she can't help herself, so she is dedicated and intent on helping others. Reed is protective and feels responsible for Ellery though I sense that his motives are becoming far more personal the more time they spend together. Getting to know one another more intimately while they pull all sorts of shenanigans to get information. I actually quite like them both and am eager to see what happens next as the end of this one gives us quite the twist!
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing this e-book ARC for me to read, review and recommend. And off I go to start #3 -- and then, darn it, I'll be waiting...
This is the second book of the series and I suggest you read them in order.
Genre - crime thriller, rape, arson,
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
The Vanishing Season (Ellery Hathaway #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen
Ellery Hathaway survived an abduction when she was 14 years old. A serial killer had taken her on her birthday and she was rescued from the closet by FBI Agent Reed Markham who'd gone on to write a best selling book about the case. Now, years later, Ellery is working as a police officer in Woodbury, Massachusetts. No one there knows her past but then people start vanishing, exactly one year apart, right around her birthday. No one at work believes that these missing persons require much investigation nor do they agree that these are all connected and that a new killer might be working the area. Since she has no support from her Chief or fellow officers, Ellery contacts Reed Markham and asks him to come to Massachusetts to look at the files. Ellery knows that somehow this is connected to her and her past. NO SPOILERS.
This is the first in a series featuring the former kidnap victim turned policewoman Abigail Ellery Hathaway. She's an interesting protagonist with her history and her scars and I intend to get to know her better by reading the next books in the series. I liked the story and the writing style as it kept me engrossed enough to read it all in a single sitting. Even though I had it all figured out before the team, I still enjoyed the details of the police procedural.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I appreciate that it was still available to download even though it was published in 2017 as I like to start at the beginning of a series and read the books in order. I have #2 and #3 queued up.
This is the first in a series and I suggest reading in order.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural
This is the first in a series featuring the former kidnap victim turned policewoman Abigail Ellery Hathaway. She's an interesting protagonist with her history and her scars and I intend to get to know her better by reading the next books in the series. I liked the story and the writing style as it kept me engrossed enough to read it all in a single sitting. Even though I had it all figured out before the team, I still enjoyed the details of the police procedural.
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I appreciate that it was still available to download even though it was published in 2017 as I like to start at the beginning of a series and read the books in order. I have #2 and #3 queued up.
This is the first in a series and I suggest reading in order.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
In the summer of 1922, Cora Carlisle, aged 36, accompanied 15-year-old Louise Brooks to New York. It would be a season of tremendous change for Cora even though her role was meant to be that of chaperone while Louise attended Denishawn in hopes of becoming a dancer with the company. Their time together was not particularly wonderful as the two clashed about many things while sharing that tiny apartment. They did not bond or become friends, but they did get something that each wanted or needed during their time in New York. This is not a story about Louise and how she became a star, the narrative focuses more on Cora and it's meant to be loosely based on true events and lots of research by the author. Cora is certainly an unconventional woman for that era and though she pretends to be morally above reproach and as such, a suitable chaperone for an adolescent, there are secrets and lies simmering beneath her placid surface. Meanwhile, she tries to rein in the headstrong Louise but finds that it might just be impossible to exert any influence.
This was just an excellent story -- I loved the writing style and the characters came to life on the pages. I've long been fascinated with this period of time in American history and enjoyed reading about the places (Wichita, New York City), the daily life of the people, and just everything about the 1920s and beyond as events unfurled.
I really liked this novel and am glad I decided to read it after watching the movie adaptation on PBS just last Sunday evening. I regret that it languished on my TBR pile for so long especially since I was given access to this title on NetGalley courtesy of the publisher a LONG TIME AGO! My apologies for the tardiness of my review.
I recommend it to any fan of Louise Brooks of course, but also to anyone who likes a book that deals with how characters handle the good and the bad in their lives. Some bend, some break.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- historical fiction, coming of age, Louise Brooks references
This was just an excellent story -- I loved the writing style and the characters came to life on the pages. I've long been fascinated with this period of time in American history and enjoyed reading about the places (Wichita, New York City), the daily life of the people, and just everything about the 1920s and beyond as events unfurled.
I really liked this novel and am glad I decided to read it after watching the movie adaptation on PBS just last Sunday evening. I regret that it languished on my TBR pile for so long especially since I was given access to this title on NetGalley courtesy of the publisher a LONG TIME AGO! My apologies for the tardiness of my review.
I recommend it to any fan of Louise Brooks of course, but also to anyone who likes a book that deals with how characters handle the good and the bad in their lives. Some bend, some break.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- historical fiction, coming of age, Louise Brooks references
Monday, November 25, 2019
He Knows Your Secrets (DS Maddie Ives Book 4) by Charlie Gallagher
3.5 stars rounded up for this 4th book in the Detective Maddie Ives series. A graphic crime thriller that has the police trying to stop an evil and powerful man who manipulates, exploits, controls and kills women.
A young woman, Holly Maguire, commits suicide by having a taxi drive off a steep cliff. She holds a rucksack that contains clues that she hopes will cause the police to investigate her death and bring down a monster. Holly's girlfriend, Kelly Dale, is snared in the clutches of a ruthless man who produces sex camera videos and uses violence to keep the women involved and in line. Anyone who threatens Freddie Rickman ends up dead, or locked into a life that he completely controls. Richman is seemingly untouchable and, because of his methods, no one connected to him will talk to the police. How will Maddie Ives and her boss, DI Harry Blaker, bring this crime lord down? NO SPOILERS.
This was quite a gruesome and suspenseful book with horrible people who made me cringe and innocent victims who tugged at my heartstrings. The narrative was full of action and quite tense as the police went about trying to sift through the clues to figure out the scope of the investigation and close the case. I liked the writing style and I would probably have felt closer to the characters had I read the previous books in this series -- I've only read the first one and not #2 or #3 so I likely missed some development and those important personal details that make a character real and understandable. I will definitely look for the next installment to find out more!
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the 4th book in the series. I wish I'd read all of them from the beginning in order but I missed #2 and #3.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural
A young woman, Holly Maguire, commits suicide by having a taxi drive off a steep cliff. She holds a rucksack that contains clues that she hopes will cause the police to investigate her death and bring down a monster. Holly's girlfriend, Kelly Dale, is snared in the clutches of a ruthless man who produces sex camera videos and uses violence to keep the women involved and in line. Anyone who threatens Freddie Rickman ends up dead, or locked into a life that he completely controls. Richman is seemingly untouchable and, because of his methods, no one connected to him will talk to the police. How will Maddie Ives and her boss, DI Harry Blaker, bring this crime lord down? NO SPOILERS.
This was quite a gruesome and suspenseful book with horrible people who made me cringe and innocent victims who tugged at my heartstrings. The narrative was full of action and quite tense as the police went about trying to sift through the clues to figure out the scope of the investigation and close the case. I liked the writing style and I would probably have felt closer to the characters had I read the previous books in this series -- I've only read the first one and not #2 or #3 so I likely missed some development and those important personal details that make a character real and understandable. I will definitely look for the next installment to find out more!
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the 4th book in the series. I wish I'd read all of them from the beginning in order but I missed #2 and #3.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Recursion by Blake Crouch
"Time is but memory in the making." Vladimir Nabokov
This thriller was full of action, twists and drama -- it totally reminded me of why I love science fiction novels. I was glued to the pages and I dare you to put it down once you start!
The themes of this book are so uniquely handled -- the nature of identity, the inconstancy of memory, and the perception of time. The author pulls all of these together to create a story that will linger on long in my mind and one that I can't wait to share with others.
The main characters, especially NYC Detective Barry Sutton and scientist Dr. Helena Smith, are people that become real in the pages as they tackle the huge issue that was Helena's brainchild - a chair that allows what seemingly is time travel through memory. As with any new technology, a major invention has huge impacts on society and always comes with a question of whether it will be used for good, or for bad. The potential for change has consequences and the evil forces in the world can't help but crave the power. NO SPOILERS.
I loved the pacing, the plot and the writing style. The questions created by the book's premise beg reflection and discussion and even if I can't say that I understand the science, it was engaging and relatable. I rooted for the good guys, hoped the bad guys would get their comeuppance and was a bit scared as the narrative rushed to the conclusion of a remarkable adventure that I didn't want to end.
If you enjoy a novel that makes you think, be sure to read this one that "pierces the veil of perception."
I understand that there is to be an upcoming Netflix film adaptation of this book and I can't wait to see it. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishhing for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- science fiction, action, thriller
This thriller was full of action, twists and drama -- it totally reminded me of why I love science fiction novels. I was glued to the pages and I dare you to put it down once you start!
The themes of this book are so uniquely handled -- the nature of identity, the inconstancy of memory, and the perception of time. The author pulls all of these together to create a story that will linger on long in my mind and one that I can't wait to share with others.
The main characters, especially NYC Detective Barry Sutton and scientist Dr. Helena Smith, are people that become real in the pages as they tackle the huge issue that was Helena's brainchild - a chair that allows what seemingly is time travel through memory. As with any new technology, a major invention has huge impacts on society and always comes with a question of whether it will be used for good, or for bad. The potential for change has consequences and the evil forces in the world can't help but crave the power. NO SPOILERS.
I loved the pacing, the plot and the writing style. The questions created by the book's premise beg reflection and discussion and even if I can't say that I understand the science, it was engaging and relatable. I rooted for the good guys, hoped the bad guys would get their comeuppance and was a bit scared as the narrative rushed to the conclusion of a remarkable adventure that I didn't want to end.
If you enjoy a novel that makes you think, be sure to read this one that "pierces the veil of perception."
I understand that there is to be an upcoming Netflix film adaptation of this book and I can't wait to see it. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishhing for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- science fiction, action, thriller
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Death at Sandy Bay (DC Sukey Reynolds #13) by Betty Rowlands
DC Sukey Reynolds of the Avon and Somerset CID is called out to investigate the drowning death of a guest at the nearby Dallingron Manor on Sandy Bay. She and the rest of the team are meant to determine if this was an accident or murder. Subsequently, there are two more deaths that may or may not be connected. Why would someone want Lance Rainbird dead? After all, he was just an introverted accountant who happened to be very interested in music and was simply attending an event when he ended up in the lake. It's a very frustrating and perplexing case and requires many hours to get to the bottom of it all. NO SPOILERS.
It's a very sad day indeed to come to the end of this series. I've enjoyed reading all the books from the beginning and feel that it is probably time to bring it all to a close. I've watched Sukey go from scene of crime investigator to detective, noticed her move to Bristol and the changing romantic relationships she's had now ending up with the journalist, Harry Matthews. I missed her son, Fergus, in this book as he was completely absent, and I felt the lack of finding out any news about him. This mystery wasn't quite as compelling as I'd hoped, but solve it she did and I can wave goodbye to this cozy crime series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. It's a good police procedural and mystery collection and I'm glad I had the chance to read them all now as I'd missed out when they were all previously published.
This is #13 in a series featuring Sukey Reynolds and I read them all from the beginning in order and urge you to do the same.
Genre - cozy mystery, police procedural
It's a very sad day indeed to come to the end of this series. I've enjoyed reading all the books from the beginning and feel that it is probably time to bring it all to a close. I've watched Sukey go from scene of crime investigator to detective, noticed her move to Bristol and the changing romantic relationships she's had now ending up with the journalist, Harry Matthews. I missed her son, Fergus, in this book as he was completely absent, and I felt the lack of finding out any news about him. This mystery wasn't quite as compelling as I'd hoped, but solve it she did and I can wave goodbye to this cozy crime series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. It's a good police procedural and mystery collection and I'm glad I had the chance to read them all now as I'd missed out when they were all previously published.
This is #13 in a series featuring Sukey Reynolds and I read them all from the beginning in order and urge you to do the same.
Genre - cozy mystery, police procedural
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Single by K.L. Slater
I just finished this, read it over a couple of hours. I'm sorry to say that, even after thousands of reviews I've written, I still can't find the words to explain why I didn't care for a particular book -- but in a nice way.
"It's not you, it's me." I think I'm just overly critical of most psychological fiction and domestic drama.
Although not my cup of tea, I do thank NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me the e-book ARC to read and review. I won't give stars as honestly I would not have finished it except I was hoping...
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama, psychological thriller
I've read other books by this author and would try again.
"It's not you, it's me." I think I'm just overly critical of most psychological fiction and domestic drama.
Although not my cup of tea, I do thank NetGalley and Bookouture for sending me the e-book ARC to read and review. I won't give stars as honestly I would not have finished it except I was hoping...
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama, psychological thriller
I've read other books by this author and would try again.
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Anything for You (Valerie Hart #3) by Saul Black
"The reasons, the motives, the hows and whys -- they were all drawn from the same small human pool: greed; anger; envy; lust; vengeance. Every murder sprang from ordinary sources."
This crime thriller defied my usual expectations in both good and bad ways. At the half-way point, I actually wasn't sure I'd finish it. I was put off by the personality of SFPD Homicide Detective Valerie Hart -- she takes "messed up" to a whole new level. The way she thinks, talks and acts is so deliberately crass and it's true that she's the picture of a narcissist. On the other hand, I finally came to believe that it's all just one huge defense mechanism. And, she's afraid. But, enough about her innermost thoughts and angst, because it so happens that she's a pretty darn good cop. She's got good instincts, works hard, and doesn't stop until she figures it all out.
The plot -- a former star prosecutor, Adam Grant, in the San Francisco DA's office who had subsequently gone into private practice -- is discovered dead in his bedroom alongside his wife who has been stabbed, is barely breathing, but still alive. An intruder was spotted by an insomniac neighbor next door and forensics finds plenty of physical evidence allowing the police to identify the killer. A manhunt for the suspect goes nowhere -- the ex con, Dwight Jenner, has done a runner. Nor can the beautiful, blonde woman seen with Jenner, known as Sophia, be located. Although the police effort is intense and detailed, that is really not the main story. Grant's wife, Rachel, eventually recovers from her injuries well enough to go home to be with her teenaged daughter, Elspeth, who fortunately was sleeping over at a friend's house the night of the intrusion and murder. Valerie Hart follows the clues but she has no way of knowing where this complicated case is going to lead. NO SPOILERS.
I'm sorry to hear that some don't finish this book because the last third of it really made up for the earlier slog as the author dangles out bits and pieces of this and that, all the while luring the reader in for the climax. Do I like or understand Valerie Hart any more at the end? Not really, she's way too cynical and crude, too self-absorbed, too focused on wrecking her life -- but she gets the job done. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but I find myself curious as to what the next installment might offer and I'm hoping for some sort of redemption and, dare I say, some good decisions? So she could be a little content maybe? I really enjoyed the writing style, well, when I wasn't offended by the constant sexual references and again, Valerie seems to act more like an alpha male than a woman. Anyway, upshot -- I did end up liking this and how it ended. "The truth was the law didn't work. It was nothing more than the best failure civilization had on offer."
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'd left it languishing on the TBR but was reminded of it when I saw it sponsored in a Facebook post. I'm glad I made time to read it.
This is Glen Duncan writing as Saul Black. Triggers abound but to list them might give things away.
This is the third book featuring Valerie Hart. I've not read the first two and felt this was OK to read without having read them.
Genre - police procedural - crime thriller
This crime thriller defied my usual expectations in both good and bad ways. At the half-way point, I actually wasn't sure I'd finish it. I was put off by the personality of SFPD Homicide Detective Valerie Hart -- she takes "messed up" to a whole new level. The way she thinks, talks and acts is so deliberately crass and it's true that she's the picture of a narcissist. On the other hand, I finally came to believe that it's all just one huge defense mechanism. And, she's afraid. But, enough about her innermost thoughts and angst, because it so happens that she's a pretty darn good cop. She's got good instincts, works hard, and doesn't stop until she figures it all out.
The plot -- a former star prosecutor, Adam Grant, in the San Francisco DA's office who had subsequently gone into private practice -- is discovered dead in his bedroom alongside his wife who has been stabbed, is barely breathing, but still alive. An intruder was spotted by an insomniac neighbor next door and forensics finds plenty of physical evidence allowing the police to identify the killer. A manhunt for the suspect goes nowhere -- the ex con, Dwight Jenner, has done a runner. Nor can the beautiful, blonde woman seen with Jenner, known as Sophia, be located. Although the police effort is intense and detailed, that is really not the main story. Grant's wife, Rachel, eventually recovers from her injuries well enough to go home to be with her teenaged daughter, Elspeth, who fortunately was sleeping over at a friend's house the night of the intrusion and murder. Valerie Hart follows the clues but she has no way of knowing where this complicated case is going to lead. NO SPOILERS.
I'm sorry to hear that some don't finish this book because the last third of it really made up for the earlier slog as the author dangles out bits and pieces of this and that, all the while luring the reader in for the climax. Do I like or understand Valerie Hart any more at the end? Not really, she's way too cynical and crude, too self-absorbed, too focused on wrecking her life -- but she gets the job done. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but I find myself curious as to what the next installment might offer and I'm hoping for some sort of redemption and, dare I say, some good decisions? So she could be a little content maybe? I really enjoyed the writing style, well, when I wasn't offended by the constant sexual references and again, Valerie seems to act more like an alpha male than a woman. Anyway, upshot -- I did end up liking this and how it ended. "The truth was the law didn't work. It was nothing more than the best failure civilization had on offer."
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'd left it languishing on the TBR but was reminded of it when I saw it sponsored in a Facebook post. I'm glad I made time to read it.
This is Glen Duncan writing as Saul Black. Triggers abound but to list them might give things away.
This is the third book featuring Valerie Hart. I've not read the first two and felt this was OK to read without having read them.
Genre - police procedural - crime thriller
Sunday, November 17, 2019
Black Rock Bay by Brianna Labuskes
It's been 15 years since Mia had been on St. Lucy's Island, Maine. This tiny place, home to about 200 residents year round, was isolated, battered with horrible weather, and full of bad memories. Mia Hart is now a police detective in Rockport and was sent to the island to investigate the death of a journalist on Black Rock Bay because it was familiar to her having grown up there. She's accompanied by her partner, Detective Izzy Santiago, and they are meant to determine if Robert Twist ended up in the ocean due to murder or suicide -- then off and away within a couple of days. That's the plan but it all starts going awry fairly quickly after their arrival. For one thing, NO ONE on the island will answer their questions truthfully. Even though Mia knows most all of them, she also knows that they protect each other and lying is something that everyone does very well. How can they solve this case and get back home before winter storms keep them stranded. With every contact and interview, the investigation gets steered off course and Mia is hampered by her own history there. Can the detectives get to the bottom of this very complex web of secrets, lies and obstruction? NO SPOILERS.
This was a very complicated and, at times, very frustrating read. Because of the evasiveness of the answers given by the townspeople, it was hard to figure out what was going on and which of the possibilities could be eliminated for the various scenarios. The description of St. Lucy's made me shiver as I could feel the cold and the isolation of the island so very well done with the writing style. There were so many characters to keep track of and hard to wade through the information. Add to that the fact that the detectives couldn't get cell or internet service -- well, they had to operate in a vacuum surrounded by so many untrustworthy people. The chapters alternated between the points of view of both Mia and Izzy -- the insider and the outsider -- which gave another dimension to each interaction and experience they shared. This wasn't a particularly fast read but I sure spent a lot of time trying to outguess the author to figure out where this was all going, the motivation, and the revelations that would explain it all. This is the first book I've read by this author and I did enjoy the atmospheric tension and, though a bit slower of a pace than I'm used to, I would try another book by Brianna Labuskes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - mystery featuring two female police detectives, remote island, winter,
This was a very complicated and, at times, very frustrating read. Because of the evasiveness of the answers given by the townspeople, it was hard to figure out what was going on and which of the possibilities could be eliminated for the various scenarios. The description of St. Lucy's made me shiver as I could feel the cold and the isolation of the island so very well done with the writing style. There were so many characters to keep track of and hard to wade through the information. Add to that the fact that the detectives couldn't get cell or internet service -- well, they had to operate in a vacuum surrounded by so many untrustworthy people. The chapters alternated between the points of view of both Mia and Izzy -- the insider and the outsider -- which gave another dimension to each interaction and experience they shared. This wasn't a particularly fast read but I sure spent a lot of time trying to outguess the author to figure out where this was all going, the motivation, and the revelations that would explain it all. This is the first book I've read by this author and I did enjoy the atmospheric tension and, though a bit slower of a pace than I'm used to, I would try another book by Brianna Labuskes.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - mystery featuring two female police detectives, remote island, winter,
Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Silent Victim (Jesie Tucker #1) by Dana Perry
"You never know what you're going to find when you start messing around with the past."
Jessie Tucker is a survivor. Twelve years ago, she was attacked and left for dead in Central Park. She eventually recovered from her horrific injuries and went on to become a crime reporter for the NEW YORK TRIBUNE. The perpetrator was caught, sentenced to prison and died in a knife attack there. She's learning to let go of the past when another woman is found in the park, this one murdered in a scarily similar fashion and is identified as a campaign aid to a local senator, Frank Landsdale. Jessie can't help but think that the events that follow aren't the makings of an incredible story, so she begins her own investigation into the death of Margaret Kincaid using her own experience to heighten the story. Little does she know what her dogged, in depth pursuit of the truth will reveal. NO SPOILERS.
Well, this was certainly a book that begs to be read in a single sitting. It was quite intense with twists around every corner! I enjoyed the narrative and really found myself able to relate to the character of Jessie Tucker. Yeah, she goes of half-cocked and is nosing into everyone's business, but her aim is to figure out what happened to Margaret Kincaid as well as to end her curiosity about her own near death experience. There are plausible suspects around every corner and the shocks just keep on coming as Jessie does her thing. I enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series as this was the debut. I liked the writing style and the complicated plot. It was a bit different to my usual detective novels and I relished the change of point of view. More please.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
Jessie Tucker is a survivor. Twelve years ago, she was attacked and left for dead in Central Park. She eventually recovered from her horrific injuries and went on to become a crime reporter for the NEW YORK TRIBUNE. The perpetrator was caught, sentenced to prison and died in a knife attack there. She's learning to let go of the past when another woman is found in the park, this one murdered in a scarily similar fashion and is identified as a campaign aid to a local senator, Frank Landsdale. Jessie can't help but think that the events that follow aren't the makings of an incredible story, so she begins her own investigation into the death of Margaret Kincaid using her own experience to heighten the story. Little does she know what her dogged, in depth pursuit of the truth will reveal. NO SPOILERS.
Well, this was certainly a book that begs to be read in a single sitting. It was quite intense with twists around every corner! I enjoyed the narrative and really found myself able to relate to the character of Jessie Tucker. Yeah, she goes of half-cocked and is nosing into everyone's business, but her aim is to figure out what happened to Margaret Kincaid as well as to end her curiosity about her own near death experience. There are plausible suspects around every corner and the shocks just keep on coming as Jessie does her thing. I enjoyed this and am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series as this was the debut. I liked the writing style and the complicated plot. It was a bit different to my usual detective novels and I relished the change of point of view. More please.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
Original title - Girl Walking Alone. This is the first in a new series featuring investigative reporter Jessie Tucker. Read in order!
Genre - crime fiction
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Her Dark Heart (DI Gina Harte #5) by Carla Kovach
She took something from him, and he's come to get it back.
DI Gina Harte gets the call one evening -- a report of a missing woman. Mary Hudson tells Harte and PC Kapoor that her daughter, Susan, had failed to pick up her 2-year-old son from the nursery and did not pick up her two daughters from her soon-to-be ex husband as arranged. Mary is adamant that Susan adored her children and would not have left them voluntarily. Mary knows something has happened but her other daughter, Clare, thinks it's just Susan running off to get attention -- after all, she's done it before. DI Harte asks the questions and opens the investigation but she senses that the family is keeping secrets. The Cleevesford Police are taking the disappearance seriously, especially when the body of a male is found and declared a homicide. It seems that Dale Blair had a tenuous connection to Susan and the two were heard arguing on the day Susan vanished. As the police actively begin an in depth examination of Susan's life, new information comes to light that indicates that Susan had been involved in something very dark during her teen years and that her secrets are about to be revealed. Things heat up dramatically as the detectives get closer to figuring out what's going on but who is telling the truth? NO SPOILERS.
This was a complicated case and requires a lot of details to explain all of the pieces and people involved in this suspenseful crime thriller. DI Gina Harte is struggling with her own personal demons and still reeling from the death of her mother as well as trying to get her guilt under control and forgive herself for her own past. So, Gina knows how a person's unresolved past can haunt them and the lengths that someone will go through to keep their secrets hidden. I can only hope that she gets a solid breakthrough and will be on the path to complete healing so she can navigate a relationship and allow herself friendship or even love. I feel for her, I do, but let's agree she's tortured herself long enough and needs to "let it go." Now, as far as the other characters in this series -- I enjoy learning more about the members of Gina's team at the police department but we don't get much information about their lives outside their work. DCI Briggs is a complicated man, and Gina's boss, but I don't know if that relationship will ever work out! As far as the Hudson family -- what a train wreck there! I'd say they all need some serious therapy to deal with all their issues in the aftermath of their ordeals in this book. But, onward, I'm looking forward to book #6 to see what happens with Gina Harte in the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I've read all the previous books in the series and suggest that any reader do the same before tackling this one.
This is the fifth book in the series and I urge you to read them in order as I don't think it works well as a standalone given Gina's backstory and history though there are a lot of details in this one.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural
DI Gina Harte gets the call one evening -- a report of a missing woman. Mary Hudson tells Harte and PC Kapoor that her daughter, Susan, had failed to pick up her 2-year-old son from the nursery and did not pick up her two daughters from her soon-to-be ex husband as arranged. Mary is adamant that Susan adored her children and would not have left them voluntarily. Mary knows something has happened but her other daughter, Clare, thinks it's just Susan running off to get attention -- after all, she's done it before. DI Harte asks the questions and opens the investigation but she senses that the family is keeping secrets. The Cleevesford Police are taking the disappearance seriously, especially when the body of a male is found and declared a homicide. It seems that Dale Blair had a tenuous connection to Susan and the two were heard arguing on the day Susan vanished. As the police actively begin an in depth examination of Susan's life, new information comes to light that indicates that Susan had been involved in something very dark during her teen years and that her secrets are about to be revealed. Things heat up dramatically as the detectives get closer to figuring out what's going on but who is telling the truth? NO SPOILERS.
This was a complicated case and requires a lot of details to explain all of the pieces and people involved in this suspenseful crime thriller. DI Gina Harte is struggling with her own personal demons and still reeling from the death of her mother as well as trying to get her guilt under control and forgive herself for her own past. So, Gina knows how a person's unresolved past can haunt them and the lengths that someone will go through to keep their secrets hidden. I can only hope that she gets a solid breakthrough and will be on the path to complete healing so she can navigate a relationship and allow herself friendship or even love. I feel for her, I do, but let's agree she's tortured herself long enough and needs to "let it go." Now, as far as the other characters in this series -- I enjoy learning more about the members of Gina's team at the police department but we don't get much information about their lives outside their work. DCI Briggs is a complicated man, and Gina's boss, but I don't know if that relationship will ever work out! As far as the Hudson family -- what a train wreck there! I'd say they all need some serious therapy to deal with all their issues in the aftermath of their ordeals in this book. But, onward, I'm looking forward to book #6 to see what happens with Gina Harte in the next installment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I've read all the previous books in the series and suggest that any reader do the same before tackling this one.
This is the fifth book in the series and I urge you to read them in order as I don't think it works well as a standalone given Gina's backstory and history though there are a lot of details in this one.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural
Snow Creek (Det. Megan Carptener #1) by Gregg Olsen
"In the mostly undisturbed magnificence of the Pacific Northwest is a spate of murders, dark and ugly as any could imagine."
Detective Megan Carpenter lives in Port Townsend, Washington, and works for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Most of the crime there is fairly mundane -- until the cases in the hills above nearby Snow Creek shatter the peace. It starts with a missing person report. Ruth Turner is concerned about her sister, Ida Wheaton, who lives off the grid up in those isolated hills with her husband, Merritt, and their two children, Joshua (19) and Sarah (17). Ruth claims that Merritt is very controlling and liberal with "discipline" and she's not heard from Ida in awhile but that she was a "little off" the last time they talked. Megan agrees to do a welfare check and they visit the secluded farmhouse finding that the two teenagers are home but the parents have supposedly taken a trip to Mexico to work at an orphanage and should have returned by now. Megan verifies with La Paloma that Ida and Merritt never made it there and, in fact, weren't even scheduled to work. The investigation into the Merritts is heightened when a burnt out truck with the body of a dead woman is found in a nearby ravine. Is it Ida? Where is her husband? And the case really takes off with one shocker after another. NO SPOILERS but you can't even guess where this is all going!
Wowza was this a complicated crime thriller! Not only is there the police investigation aspect, there's also a huge backstory about the main character, Megan Carpenter. I admit that I was more interested in the murder case than I was in Megan's history and interspersing the content of the tapes with chapters dealing with the present was jarring at times. She works the Snow Creek case by day but every evening goes home to eat, drink and listen to recordings made with her therapist. She did something bad in her past. We don't find out what. I guess the typical hot mess female detective so common in this genre. But, she's smart and she sure unraveled this mystery.
This is what I liked -- the plot was complex and very absorbing to the point where I couldn't put the book down. Gregg Olsen knows how to tell a story, and what a tale it is -- keep focused so you can try to keep track of all of the different pieces and characters. The details about Snow Creek and its inhabitants were quite interesting and the characters were quite the collection of strange folks. There was so much going on and so many different threads to pull together for Megan to solve this that it made my head spin at times. And, quite a thrill for me, I could never have anticipated all of where this was going so kudos to the author for surprising me.
It needs to be said straight up -- this books ends in a massive cliffhanger. You've been warned. I absolutely detest when this happens as I am the kind of reader that likes everything tied up neatly with all the answers at the end. Waiting for a next installment to finish a good story is problematic especially since I admit I don't always remember the details a year later. I'm sure this was done as a hook for the second book in this new series, but it did leave me feeling peeved. I also understand that there was an earlier book, published in 2014, RUN, that features the main character and focuses on events that occurred when she was a young teenager -- I did not know it was related and had not read it. Will I read #2? Yes, I'd like to as long as I'll get my answers so I can wrap it all up and perhaps understand Megan a bit better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the first book in a new series. If you can, I suggest you read RUN first as it introduces the character who will become Detective Megan Carpenter.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural, domestic drama
Detective Megan Carpenter lives in Port Townsend, Washington, and works for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Most of the crime there is fairly mundane -- until the cases in the hills above nearby Snow Creek shatter the peace. It starts with a missing person report. Ruth Turner is concerned about her sister, Ida Wheaton, who lives off the grid up in those isolated hills with her husband, Merritt, and their two children, Joshua (19) and Sarah (17). Ruth claims that Merritt is very controlling and liberal with "discipline" and she's not heard from Ida in awhile but that she was a "little off" the last time they talked. Megan agrees to do a welfare check and they visit the secluded farmhouse finding that the two teenagers are home but the parents have supposedly taken a trip to Mexico to work at an orphanage and should have returned by now. Megan verifies with La Paloma that Ida and Merritt never made it there and, in fact, weren't even scheduled to work. The investigation into the Merritts is heightened when a burnt out truck with the body of a dead woman is found in a nearby ravine. Is it Ida? Where is her husband? And the case really takes off with one shocker after another. NO SPOILERS but you can't even guess where this is all going!
Wowza was this a complicated crime thriller! Not only is there the police investigation aspect, there's also a huge backstory about the main character, Megan Carpenter. I admit that I was more interested in the murder case than I was in Megan's history and interspersing the content of the tapes with chapters dealing with the present was jarring at times. She works the Snow Creek case by day but every evening goes home to eat, drink and listen to recordings made with her therapist. She did something bad in her past. We don't find out what. I guess the typical hot mess female detective so common in this genre. But, she's smart and she sure unraveled this mystery.
This is what I liked -- the plot was complex and very absorbing to the point where I couldn't put the book down. Gregg Olsen knows how to tell a story, and what a tale it is -- keep focused so you can try to keep track of all of the different pieces and characters. The details about Snow Creek and its inhabitants were quite interesting and the characters were quite the collection of strange folks. There was so much going on and so many different threads to pull together for Megan to solve this that it made my head spin at times. And, quite a thrill for me, I could never have anticipated all of where this was going so kudos to the author for surprising me.
It needs to be said straight up -- this books ends in a massive cliffhanger. You've been warned. I absolutely detest when this happens as I am the kind of reader that likes everything tied up neatly with all the answers at the end. Waiting for a next installment to finish a good story is problematic especially since I admit I don't always remember the details a year later. I'm sure this was done as a hook for the second book in this new series, but it did leave me feeling peeved. I also understand that there was an earlier book, published in 2014, RUN, that features the main character and focuses on events that occurred when she was a young teenager -- I did not know it was related and had not read it. Will I read #2? Yes, I'd like to as long as I'll get my answers so I can wrap it all up and perhaps understand Megan a bit better.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the first book in a new series. If you can, I suggest you read RUN first as it introduces the character who will become Detective Megan Carpenter.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural, domestic drama
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
The Perfect Widow by A.M. Castle
"Don't we all have lies we need, at all costs, to hide? ...how far will people go to protect the life they love?"
On a September evening, the doorbell rings at the Bridges' beautiful home. Louise Bridges is at the kitchen table doing homework with her 13-year-old son, Giles, and her 11-year-old daughter, Emmy, was upstairs doing who knows what when Louise asks her to get the door. It's the worst news imaginable. A fire at the office has killed her husband, Patrick. Louise gathers her children to her as she absorbs this shocking and devastating information from the police who are doing the knock. She's a widow now, with two children, that need all her love and support. But PC Becca Holt isn't satisfied with the verdict of accidental death and she's determined to prove that Louise isn't "the Perfect Widow" that everyone sees. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller! I loved the writing style and the way the narrative was written from the points of view of both Louise and Becca as well as the shifts back and forth in time. The sentences and the chapters were short which made the story fly by and was so absorbing that I read it in a single sitting as I couldn't put it down without knowing the outcome. The two female characters, Louise and Becca, were so different and each was dealing with the fallout from their pasts and that insight into their personalities made them so relatable in many ways. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to happened writhing these pages, but I was quite pleased with the conclusion. I've not read any other books by this author, but I will definitely keep an eye out for future titles.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. A very entertaining domestic drama with many nuances that challenge your thoughts on crime and punishment!
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - psychological fiction/domestic drama
On a September evening, the doorbell rings at the Bridges' beautiful home. Louise Bridges is at the kitchen table doing homework with her 13-year-old son, Giles, and her 11-year-old daughter, Emmy, was upstairs doing who knows what when Louise asks her to get the door. It's the worst news imaginable. A fire at the office has killed her husband, Patrick. Louise gathers her children to her as she absorbs this shocking and devastating information from the police who are doing the knock. She's a widow now, with two children, that need all her love and support. But PC Becca Holt isn't satisfied with the verdict of accidental death and she's determined to prove that Louise isn't "the Perfect Widow" that everyone sees. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller! I loved the writing style and the way the narrative was written from the points of view of both Louise and Becca as well as the shifts back and forth in time. The sentences and the chapters were short which made the story fly by and was so absorbing that I read it in a single sitting as I couldn't put it down without knowing the outcome. The two female characters, Louise and Becca, were so different and each was dealing with the fallout from their pasts and that insight into their personalities made them so relatable in many ways. I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to happened writhing these pages, but I was quite pleased with the conclusion. I've not read any other books by this author, but I will definitely keep an eye out for future titles.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. A very entertaining domestic drama with many nuances that challenge your thoughts on crime and punishment!
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - psychological fiction/domestic drama
The Quiet Girls (DS Carrie Flynn #2) by J.M. Hewitt
This second book featuring DS Carrie Flynn takes her back into the nightmare she experienced when her 6-year-old sister, Hattie, disappeared over 20 years ago. The girls had walked to a park and when Carrie left Hattie behind for a moment in a pique of annoyance, Hattie...well, Carrie can't remember exactly what happened -- she's blocked it out. But she does remember the bloody shorts and how their mother, Mary, was never the same. Carrie ended up in care and then went on to become a police officer with her main goal to save other children from whatever happened to Hattie.
Now, Carrie is getting anonymous phone calls from a girl who claims that she has reported a man to them but the police won't do anything so she must take matters into her own hands. Frustrated because neither she nor her partner, DC Paul Harper, can get the caller's name, they are left without anything or anyone to question or arrest. There is a case in the works, however, as a 12-year-old girl named Kelly claims she was drug into a house and assaulted but there are some holes in the story and the detectives aren't quite sure if they are hearing the truth. They can't locate the person who was allegedly in the house, have no description or even a name but they plug on doggedly.
In another thread, Harry and Alice Wilson hear from their daughter, Melanie, that the story told by Kelly isn't exactly complete but there was a man inside this house and he was naked from the waist down and had a deformed face. Harry, who is obviously mentally ill, decides that he will move his family away from Manchester and that they will live off the land on the deserted Pomona Island. Alice, who apparently is very weak-willed quits her job and agrees to sell their house and go with her family. Harry entices another family to come along with them and so the Hadleys -- Gabe, Liz and their twins, Willow and Lenon (age 15) show up to take the boat to Pomona.
And that's where the real story starts. What happens on this island when these two families are completely cut off from the rest of the world. No amenities, no Internet or cell service, and no way to contact the mainland if they get into trouble. And they will need help soon. NO SPOILERS.
What a story! You must be able to suspend disbelief in order for this drama to work but it did completely draw me in and I couldn't put it down as I had to know what happened to these people. My feelings about the characters were all over the place and I didn't know much of the time if any of them were completely sane. Often I felt like screaming, "OH COME ON!" when something seemed way too conveniently coincidental or completely unlikely. But I went with it. We definitely learned a lot more about Carrie Flynn and I think she could grow on me. I've read both books now and am interested to see where this character will go next. The details about the island were fascinating, especially the author's note at the end. A most unusual setting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'll be on the lookout for #3 in the series.
This is the second book in a series and I think that with these two it isn't necessary to have read the first one as Carrie Flynn was not as major of a character in it as she is in this one.
Genre - crime thriller, domestic drama - trigger=pedophile
Now, Carrie is getting anonymous phone calls from a girl who claims that she has reported a man to them but the police won't do anything so she must take matters into her own hands. Frustrated because neither she nor her partner, DC Paul Harper, can get the caller's name, they are left without anything or anyone to question or arrest. There is a case in the works, however, as a 12-year-old girl named Kelly claims she was drug into a house and assaulted but there are some holes in the story and the detectives aren't quite sure if they are hearing the truth. They can't locate the person who was allegedly in the house, have no description or even a name but they plug on doggedly.
In another thread, Harry and Alice Wilson hear from their daughter, Melanie, that the story told by Kelly isn't exactly complete but there was a man inside this house and he was naked from the waist down and had a deformed face. Harry, who is obviously mentally ill, decides that he will move his family away from Manchester and that they will live off the land on the deserted Pomona Island. Alice, who apparently is very weak-willed quits her job and agrees to sell their house and go with her family. Harry entices another family to come along with them and so the Hadleys -- Gabe, Liz and their twins, Willow and Lenon (age 15) show up to take the boat to Pomona.
And that's where the real story starts. What happens on this island when these two families are completely cut off from the rest of the world. No amenities, no Internet or cell service, and no way to contact the mainland if they get into trouble. And they will need help soon. NO SPOILERS.
What a story! You must be able to suspend disbelief in order for this drama to work but it did completely draw me in and I couldn't put it down as I had to know what happened to these people. My feelings about the characters were all over the place and I didn't know much of the time if any of them were completely sane. Often I felt like screaming, "OH COME ON!" when something seemed way too conveniently coincidental or completely unlikely. But I went with it. We definitely learned a lot more about Carrie Flynn and I think she could grow on me. I've read both books now and am interested to see where this character will go next. The details about the island were fascinating, especially the author's note at the end. A most unusual setting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'll be on the lookout for #3 in the series.
This is the second book in a series and I think that with these two it isn't necessary to have read the first one as Carrie Flynn was not as major of a character in it as she is in this one.
Genre - crime thriller, domestic drama - trigger=pedophile
Monday, November 11, 2019
The Snow Killer (DI Barton #1) by Ross Greenwood
Revenge is a dish best served cold. The Snow Killer knows exactly what to do...
Fifty years ago, outside a rural cottage in Lincolnshire, a family of 4 is gunned down in the snow. One of the children survived and later managed to track and kill the men who had killed those family members. Then all went quiet. But now there are new bodies appearing in nearby Peterborough and the police have no idea why. How can it be that there is any connection to what happened all those years ago -- certainly DI John Barton and his fellow detectives at the Major Crimes Unit don't know because it all happened way before they were even born. By the time they figure it out, how many more murders will occur?
This is the first in a new series introducing DI John Barton and focuses on the current murder investigations of several victims in Peterborough. Each was killed during a snow storm. No clues or messages were left with the bodies but all were known to be connected with local crime and drug operations. Is this some sort of vendetta or a takeover of territory attempt? The reader knows because one point of view in the narrative is that of the Snow Killer but it takes the length of the book to figure out the whole story and there are some surprises along the way.
There were a lot of characters to keep straight in this crime thriller and we are just getting to know a little bit about them. I admit that I really liked DI Barton and am looking forward to learning more about him and his family and fellow detectives. I could definitely feel the cold and the chilling effect of the snow created a mood for the story. This was a little bit more than the typical police procedural as it gave some insight into the killer and although I wasn't quite sure how I wanted this to end, the author brought it all to a very satisfactory conclusion. The killer was unique and complex though the age-old revenge motive played out in a slower pace so this was not action-packed even as there was a lot going on. I will definitely be interested in the second book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the first book in a new series that I intend to read in order.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural, revenge, murder
Fifty years ago, outside a rural cottage in Lincolnshire, a family of 4 is gunned down in the snow. One of the children survived and later managed to track and kill the men who had killed those family members. Then all went quiet. But now there are new bodies appearing in nearby Peterborough and the police have no idea why. How can it be that there is any connection to what happened all those years ago -- certainly DI John Barton and his fellow detectives at the Major Crimes Unit don't know because it all happened way before they were even born. By the time they figure it out, how many more murders will occur?
This is the first in a new series introducing DI John Barton and focuses on the current murder investigations of several victims in Peterborough. Each was killed during a snow storm. No clues or messages were left with the bodies but all were known to be connected with local crime and drug operations. Is this some sort of vendetta or a takeover of territory attempt? The reader knows because one point of view in the narrative is that of the Snow Killer but it takes the length of the book to figure out the whole story and there are some surprises along the way.
There were a lot of characters to keep straight in this crime thriller and we are just getting to know a little bit about them. I admit that I really liked DI Barton and am looking forward to learning more about him and his family and fellow detectives. I could definitely feel the cold and the chilling effect of the snow created a mood for the story. This was a little bit more than the typical police procedural as it gave some insight into the killer and although I wasn't quite sure how I wanted this to end, the author brought it all to a very satisfactory conclusion. The killer was unique and complex though the age-old revenge motive played out in a slower pace so this was not action-packed even as there was a lot going on. I will definitely be interested in the second book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is the first book in a new series that I intend to read in order.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural, revenge, murder
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Woman in the Water by Katerina Diamond (#6 in the Miles and Grey series)
Warning -- this is not a crime thriller for the sensitive and delicate as it deals with some extremely graphic material that I can't elucidate as to avoid big spoilers. This book was, at times, difficult to read.
"People warn you about strangers, but no one warns you about the people you love, the people who say they love you."
DS Adrian Miles is driving along Glasshouse Lane when he notices a crowd by the wall of the riverside. He pulls over only to discover a woman in the water -- she's alive. The beaten and bruised woman is taken to the hospital where she refuses to give her name and says that she doesn't remember what happened to her. Soon after, the body of a young male is pulled from the same river and the woman vanishes from her hospital bed. Miles and his partner and lover, DS Imogen Grey, are very concerned over the fate of the abused woman and the police investigation into the murdered man (once he's identified) takes them into a situation that will change their lives forever. Their first shock is when they arrive at the home of a man they want to question about the dead male and find that the woman Adrian rescued is no other than Reece Corrigan's wife. Adrian feels drawn to Angela Corrigan because of his own experience with domestic abuse growing up and his reactions and behavior indicate he's close to going off the rails with this case. Things escalate quickly as the detectives discover that people who cross Reece Corrigan end up broken or dead. Can they get the evidence they need if no one will speak up or testify against him?
Wow, this was quite the intense read and I was almost gasping aloud as I sat glued to this book reading it cover to cover in a single sitting. I had no idea going into this one that it was part of a series as it's not listed as such so I had no previous exposure to either Adrian or Imogen. I didn't know their history or how their romantic relationship developed so it was somewhat difficult to relate to them as a couple given all their worries and problems being work mates as well as lovers. They were actually kind of irritating as they danced around their issues and insecurities, but I just sort of let that go since there were other overwhelming events that occurred to take the focus off romance. I must say that I have never read a story that contained this particular...I wish I could actually talk about it here, but I won't. I don't think I'll ever quite look at some things in the same way again having really not considered them before. The bad guy is really evil and the climax and conclusion were spectacular even as the end left room for a follow-up that I definitely want to read. There's a lot of repair and healing that needs to happen and I hope for the best! If you like a gritty thriller that makes you squirm, this is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I definitely wish I'd started the series from the beginning rather to come in at book #6.
This is the sixth book in the Miles and Grey series and I wish I would have read them from the beginning in order. Unfortunately, this was my first book by this author which may have affected my overall reaction and review.
Genre - crime thriller with triggering themes
"People warn you about strangers, but no one warns you about the people you love, the people who say they love you."
DS Adrian Miles is driving along Glasshouse Lane when he notices a crowd by the wall of the riverside. He pulls over only to discover a woman in the water -- she's alive. The beaten and bruised woman is taken to the hospital where she refuses to give her name and says that she doesn't remember what happened to her. Soon after, the body of a young male is pulled from the same river and the woman vanishes from her hospital bed. Miles and his partner and lover, DS Imogen Grey, are very concerned over the fate of the abused woman and the police investigation into the murdered man (once he's identified) takes them into a situation that will change their lives forever. Their first shock is when they arrive at the home of a man they want to question about the dead male and find that the woman Adrian rescued is no other than Reece Corrigan's wife. Adrian feels drawn to Angela Corrigan because of his own experience with domestic abuse growing up and his reactions and behavior indicate he's close to going off the rails with this case. Things escalate quickly as the detectives discover that people who cross Reece Corrigan end up broken or dead. Can they get the evidence they need if no one will speak up or testify against him?
Wow, this was quite the intense read and I was almost gasping aloud as I sat glued to this book reading it cover to cover in a single sitting. I had no idea going into this one that it was part of a series as it's not listed as such so I had no previous exposure to either Adrian or Imogen. I didn't know their history or how their romantic relationship developed so it was somewhat difficult to relate to them as a couple given all their worries and problems being work mates as well as lovers. They were actually kind of irritating as they danced around their issues and insecurities, but I just sort of let that go since there were other overwhelming events that occurred to take the focus off romance. I must say that I have never read a story that contained this particular...I wish I could actually talk about it here, but I won't. I don't think I'll ever quite look at some things in the same way again having really not considered them before. The bad guy is really evil and the climax and conclusion were spectacular even as the end left room for a follow-up that I definitely want to read. There's a lot of repair and healing that needs to happen and I hope for the best! If you like a gritty thriller that makes you squirm, this is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I definitely wish I'd started the series from the beginning rather to come in at book #6.
This is the sixth book in the Miles and Grey series and I wish I would have read them from the beginning in order. Unfortunately, this was my first book by this author which may have affected my overall reaction and review.
Genre - crime thriller with triggering themes
Saturday, November 9, 2019
The Almanack by Martine Bailey
"Superstition. Murder. Vengeance." Set in the fictional town of Netherlea in 1752, this extremely well-written historical novel will entertain and engage. The author has done meticulous research that brings the story to life With the lovely, descriptive prose and is centered around the pages of an almanack so marks each chapter with the date, the sun and moon activity and a prognostication for the day. In addition, a truly unique feature is the riddle at the beginning of each new chapter. I blame those riddles for slowing my usual reading pace as I labored tremendously to try to guess the answer and solve each before I allowed myself to get back into the narrative!
Tabitha Hart, former prostitute in London, returns to Netherlea at the behest of her mother. Along the way, she's robbed of her money and possessions and so enters the village with nothing but her sullied reputation only to find that her mother has died. Tabitha's mother had been the village searcher -- recording and tending all manner of village life from births to deaths, and Tabitha is entreated to take on that role so that she can stay in the cottage where her mother lived with the child, Bess. Tabitha does not believe that her mother's death was a natural one and as she assumes her new duties, she is determined to find out the truth. It seems there is evil at work in Netherlea and Tabitha joins forces with an aspiring writer, newcomer Nathaniel Starling, to root out the tormentor who signs his threatening notes as "D" or De Angelo. NO SPOILERS.
A mystery in a village surrounded by superstitious beliefs and folklore where power is wielded without charity and death is a common visitor. The people that reside and work in Netherlea have hard lives and rely on the benevolence of the squire and landlord, Sir John De Vallory and his family. Why are so many afflicted and who is behind the sudden demise of certain townspeople?
This is a true delight for anyone who enjoys delving into historical fiction and I found it totally absorbing. Thank you to NetGalley and Black Thorn Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - Historical fiction, mystery, almanack
Tabitha Hart, former prostitute in London, returns to Netherlea at the behest of her mother. Along the way, she's robbed of her money and possessions and so enters the village with nothing but her sullied reputation only to find that her mother has died. Tabitha's mother had been the village searcher -- recording and tending all manner of village life from births to deaths, and Tabitha is entreated to take on that role so that she can stay in the cottage where her mother lived with the child, Bess. Tabitha does not believe that her mother's death was a natural one and as she assumes her new duties, she is determined to find out the truth. It seems there is evil at work in Netherlea and Tabitha joins forces with an aspiring writer, newcomer Nathaniel Starling, to root out the tormentor who signs his threatening notes as "D" or De Angelo. NO SPOILERS.
A mystery in a village surrounded by superstitious beliefs and folklore where power is wielded without charity and death is a common visitor. The people that reside and work in Netherlea have hard lives and rely on the benevolence of the squire and landlord, Sir John De Vallory and his family. Why are so many afflicted and who is behind the sudden demise of certain townspeople?
This is a true delight for anyone who enjoys delving into historical fiction and I found it totally absorbing. Thank you to NetGalley and Black Thorn Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - Historical fiction, mystery, almanack
Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Secrets He Kept by Jackie Walsh
Wow -- this was a roller coaster ride filled with tension and suspense -- I started it late this evening and couldn't put it down until I reached the end!
What if your husband had a huge secret and you found out while at work one day? That's what happens to Sally Cooper. She sees a picture of her darling husband, Tom, the father of her 3 children, with his arms around a teenaged boy. A stranger. The customer who's showing the picture says that it's her boyfriend and his dad. HIS DAD???? Tom has a son? In shock, Sally goes home to confront Tom and that's when her nightmare begins. NO SPOILERS.
The story kicks off quickly and it doesn't let up as there are surprises with nearly every turn of the page. The characters draw you in and you start guessing about where this might be going. Secrets and lies in a family never turn out to be good things, do they? Filled with drama, the narrative keeps the adrenalin pumped until the shattering conclusion. I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama, psychological thriller
What if your husband had a huge secret and you found out while at work one day? That's what happens to Sally Cooper. She sees a picture of her darling husband, Tom, the father of her 3 children, with his arms around a teenaged boy. A stranger. The customer who's showing the picture says that it's her boyfriend and his dad. HIS DAD???? Tom has a son? In shock, Sally goes home to confront Tom and that's when her nightmare begins. NO SPOILERS.
The story kicks off quickly and it doesn't let up as there are surprises with nearly every turn of the page. The characters draw you in and you start guessing about where this might be going. Secrets and lies in a family never turn out to be good things, do they? Filled with drama, the narrative keeps the adrenalin pumped until the shattering conclusion. I really enjoyed this psychological thriller.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama, psychological thriller
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Nine Elms (Kate Marshall #1) by Robert Bryndza
Don't miss this debut featuring former DC Kate Marshall in a fast-paced, action-packed suspense thriller as she faces the demons of her past. A true serial killer chiller!
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Conway -- "respected police officer by day, serial killer by night."
DC Kate Marshall had come very close to being the Nine Elms Cannibal's 5th victim, but she survived the stabbing and in 1996, Conway was tried and detained at Great Barwell Psychiatric Hospital in Sussex. Though she had stopped his murder spree, the details revealed about her relationship with Conway at the trial left Kate's career with the police in ruins. Now, 15 years later, she is lecturing in criminology at a university in Ashdean. Kate discovered sea swimming in order to deal with her alcoholism and the loss of custody of her son, Jake. Picking up the pieces is hard but soon the past comes hurtling back when she is asked to consult with Alen Hexhan, a forensic pathologist, when the body of a young woman is found that bears similarities to the Cannibal's victims. Could they have a copycat killer on the loose? Although no longer connected with the detectives who will be working this new case, Kate and her assistant, Tristan Harper, begin an investigation of their own. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this grisly novel with its excellent writing and explicit detail. The characters were very well-developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Kate and Tristan so am definitely looking forward to the next in this new series by one of my favorite thriller authors. Even though I knew a showdown was coming, I was on tenterhooks waiting for the climax as the build up created tension that was nearly excruciating! If you like a good serial killer story, this one is for you. I hope we don't have to wait to long for #2, SHADOW SANDS.
Thank you to Amazon Prime for providing this as one of their free November selections. Well done!
This is the first in a new series - definitely read in order!
Genre - serial killer thriller, suspense
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Conway -- "respected police officer by day, serial killer by night."
DC Kate Marshall had come very close to being the Nine Elms Cannibal's 5th victim, but she survived the stabbing and in 1996, Conway was tried and detained at Great Barwell Psychiatric Hospital in Sussex. Though she had stopped his murder spree, the details revealed about her relationship with Conway at the trial left Kate's career with the police in ruins. Now, 15 years later, she is lecturing in criminology at a university in Ashdean. Kate discovered sea swimming in order to deal with her alcoholism and the loss of custody of her son, Jake. Picking up the pieces is hard but soon the past comes hurtling back when she is asked to consult with Alen Hexhan, a forensic pathologist, when the body of a young woman is found that bears similarities to the Cannibal's victims. Could they have a copycat killer on the loose? Although no longer connected with the detectives who will be working this new case, Kate and her assistant, Tristan Harper, begin an investigation of their own. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this grisly novel with its excellent writing and explicit detail. The characters were very well-developed and I really enjoyed getting to know Kate and Tristan so am definitely looking forward to the next in this new series by one of my favorite thriller authors. Even though I knew a showdown was coming, I was on tenterhooks waiting for the climax as the build up created tension that was nearly excruciating! If you like a good serial killer story, this one is for you. I hope we don't have to wait to long for #2, SHADOW SANDS.
Thank you to Amazon Prime for providing this as one of their free November selections. Well done!
This is the first in a new series - definitely read in order!
Genre - serial killer thriller, suspense
Monday, November 4, 2019
The Other Daughter by Shalini Boland
I'm sure your mom told you, as did mine, that if you can't say something nice, you shouldn't say anything at all. So I'm leaving that here.
I've read several other books written by this author and so I will try again with the next one. I see that I am totally in the minority reaction here.
I could go on and on about what I disliked but I will spare you so that you can form your own opinion. It was a quick read and I'm glad I made myself finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama
I've read several other books written by this author and so I will try again with the next one. I see that I am totally in the minority reaction here.
I could go on and on about what I disliked but I will spare you so that you can form your own opinion. It was a quick read and I'm glad I made myself finish.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC but it just wasn't my cup of tea.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - domestic drama
Saturday, November 2, 2019
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Whoa, what a story! This convoluted tale of menace and madness centers on what happened inside a Chelsea mansion at Sixteen Cheyne Walk, SW3. Once upon a time, the lovely home was occupied by the wealthy Henry and Martina Lamb and their two children, Henry and Lucy and they all enjoyed the things that money can buy and were big on the local social scene. All that changed when Birdie Dunlop-Evans and her partner, Justin Redding, arrived one day. They were the first to move into the house.
Lucy is a single mother with two young children earning a scrappy existence by busking on the Côte d'Azur. She has left an abusive husband and has no means to get to London when the notification appears on her nearly dead smartphone, "The baby is 25." Lucy is desperate to return.
Henry was 11-years-old when Birdie and Justin came. "They lived with us for more than five years and they turned everything very, very dark. My sister and I had to learn how to survive. And when I was sixteen, and my sister was fourteen, the baby came."
Libby is "the baby" and she comes into inheritance when she turns 25 after growing up in the care of an adopted family. She lives in St. Albans and works as a kitchen designer. She gets the message from a solicitor that she has inherited the house. Of course she goes to see it and eventually learns the sorry saga of what happened there. NO SPOILERS.
The narrative shifts between the points and view of Libby, Lucy and Henry and goes back and forth in time. At first extremely confusing, it finally gets easier to figure out who everyone is, how they are related, and to sift between the versions to get the truth. It's quite the shocker of a tale! Definitely one that you don't want to know too much about before you begin reading. But once you do, it will be very hard to put it down. I wasn't too sure where it was all going but it does come together and is quite a sensational drama. I can't say too much more so as to avoid giving anything away.
Again, the synopsis isn't quite accurate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/Simon & Schuster for the e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - Domestic drama, mystery, cult
Lucy is a single mother with two young children earning a scrappy existence by busking on the Côte d'Azur. She has left an abusive husband and has no means to get to London when the notification appears on her nearly dead smartphone, "The baby is 25." Lucy is desperate to return.
Henry was 11-years-old when Birdie and Justin came. "They lived with us for more than five years and they turned everything very, very dark. My sister and I had to learn how to survive. And when I was sixteen, and my sister was fourteen, the baby came."
Libby is "the baby" and she comes into inheritance when she turns 25 after growing up in the care of an adopted family. She lives in St. Albans and works as a kitchen designer. She gets the message from a solicitor that she has inherited the house. Of course she goes to see it and eventually learns the sorry saga of what happened there. NO SPOILERS.
The narrative shifts between the points and view of Libby, Lucy and Henry and goes back and forth in time. At first extremely confusing, it finally gets easier to figure out who everyone is, how they are related, and to sift between the versions to get the truth. It's quite the shocker of a tale! Definitely one that you don't want to know too much about before you begin reading. But once you do, it will be very hard to put it down. I wasn't too sure where it was all going but it does come together and is quite a sensational drama. I can't say too much more so as to avoid giving anything away.
Again, the synopsis isn't quite accurate.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books/Simon & Schuster for the e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - Domestic drama, mystery, cult
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