Departure (Seth Walker #3) by Joseph Reid

 Action-packed thrilled with a great plot and relatable characters.

I was a bit upset when I started this only to realize it was the third in a series that I hadn't yet started. Normally, I'd go and get those titles and read them first, but I was too far in at that point so I kept on going and am glad I did. I'm sure there is much backstory that I've missed, but this worked fine for me as a jumping off point and one day I may indeed read the first two books.

Seth Walker, a former Air Marshal and now in a new role as Tactical Law Enforcement Liaison and Principal Investigator, is called to what seems to be an emergency at San Fransisco International Airport. Apparently an electrical engineer has gone missing and didn't show up for his flight to Tel Aviv that morning. Seth is a bit surprised to find out that this level of response is indicated, until he hears the details. He's joined in the situation by someone he's worked with before, FBI Special Agent Melissa Cooke. The situation is contradictory and no one is quite sure what is going on, but Seth and Melissa start to track Anah El-Amin, an employee at Magnet (an electronics giant); it's unclear if he is a victim or a terrorist. No spoilers.

The details about so many different interesting aspects of electronics, flight, and airports kept me entertained along with the narrative that had me hooked from the beginning. I liked the two main characters, Seth and Melissa, and the descriptions of Seth's emotional baggage helped develop his appeal. I definitely would read the next in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is the third book in a series that should probably be read in order.

Genre - mystery thriller, high tech espionage, law enforcement

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

 I absolutely hated this book and though I could list all the reasons why in this review, I'm afraid it would have too many spoilers that would anger fans and potential readers.

Two things -- do not preach to me your political or social leanings.
Mina -- no, she deserved prison with her selfish act. She violated every rule of her job. There was not a single decent character in this entire book. It was definitely make-believe and unrealistic in every way.

That's all I'm saying. Skip it.

I received this ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Landmark to read and review.

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

Genre - thriller

The Serial Killer's Wife by Alice Hunter

 Although the synopsis is a bit misleading, this was a fast-paced suspense thriller that I ended up liking well enough even though, at times, I was also ready to throw my kindle across the room!

The knock on the door. Her husband late in arriving home from work. It's the police and they have questions about a missing person -- someone who was involved with her husband years before they married. After Tom Hardcastle is arrested and charged with murder, Beth has to figure out how to survive and protect her young daughter, Poppy. NO SPOILERS.

The narrative definitely didn't go in the direction I'd assumed, but I was suspicious early on that, as the revelations about Tom came in spurts, that their marriage and life together wasn't the one they'd both pretended it to be. I almost immediately didn't like Beth -- everything she said and did just irritated me and I found her actions totally unbelievable. It's hard to say more without giving any hints, but I'll just say this was not the perfect marriage nor a happy family. The ending had a bit of a twist that some might not see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

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

Genre - domestic suspense thriller

The Girl in His Shadow: A Novel by Audrey Blake

 I’ve always been fascinated by medicine and the healing arts and have enjoyed both fiction and nonfiction titles that focus on the subject. It is truly amazing to ponder and absorb the incredible advances and changes in its practice over the past 200 years.

This historical fiction novel is set in Victorian England circa 1845 and relates a story about a young orphan who is raised by a well-known surgeon, Dr. Horace Croft. As she grows up as his ward, Eleanor (Nora) Beady becomes his first assistant and learns medicine and surgery under his tutelage. But, it is illegal in London for a woman to be a doctor so everything she does must remain a secret. Their clinic on Great Queen Street hums along nicely until the arrival of Dr. Daniel Gibson who is meant to become Croft’s partner in practice. Everything changes when Nora’s skills and expertise are exposed and she finds she can no longer live in the shadows. NO SPOILERS.

I enjoyed the details and descriptions of disease and treatment during this time period. As an RN, it sometimes seems crazy to me how little was actually known about cause and effect and how much science has discovered since that era. It’s always a bit difficult to read about how little women were allowed to do and the expectations that society had for them.  I recently also read WOMEN IN WHITE COATS so was quite familiar with how difficult it was for women to become doctors and to be allowed to practice medicine much less surgery. The only drawback, for me, was the large part of the book that revolved around the romance aspect. Other than that, I found the book easy to read and entertaining. I'd rate this 3.5 stars but rounded up because of the subject being to my taste.

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

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

Genre - historical fiction, medicine 1845, London

At Any Cost: A Father's Betrayal, a Wife's Murder, and a Ten-Year War for Justice by Rebecca Rosenberg

 There's nothing like a true crime novel to get your emotions running hot and your blood boiling! I could barely get through this story about the evil Rod Covlin and what he did to destroy an entire family with his greed and malicious activities.

It was so clear, probably because it was already a fact that he'd been found guilty, that he had murdered his wife, Shele Danishfsky. If that wasn't bad enough, he then completely destroyed the lives of his own children by his selfish actions in keeping them from Shele's entire family and devastating the relationship his children had with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Reading this filled me with rage that a man like Rod could get away with all the hideous things that he did, wanted to do, and planned to do.

A contentious divorce is the ugliest thing on earth -- reducing people to their basest levels and watching them act out unbelievable scenarios. The two children, Anna and Myles, were pawns in a war between their parents and extended families, and I can see how they would be left so overwhelmed and confused about whom to believe and whom to love. I did find it very surprising that neither child ever testified in court or spoke to the authors so who knows what they really think.

I love a good courtroom scene and all the legal drama, but the personal anguish that came through the pages -- the suffering of Shele's family -- was hard to bear. I am always surprised, however, by the depth of loyalty that can be displayed even for the most depraved. How Rod's parents could support him after all that he did to them. How Anna and Myles could have a positive thought in their heads about their father. This mystifies me. How many lies can someone swallow -- I guess as many as they need to in order to preserve the notion that their son and their father are really not monsters. Hearing about all the things that Rod said and did and thought through the years made me sick to my stomach. I was so worried that justice would not prevail. But, then again, as in the case of any crime such as this, the result does not undue the suffering or bring back the dead.

It took 10 years for Rod Covlin to be held accountable for what he did. So many things went wrong from the discovery of Shele's body to the trial where her killer was finally given his just due. I loved reading the details of this story with all the background information and appreciate the work and research that the authors did to bring this book to publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend to all true crime fans everywhere.

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

Genre - true crime 

The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. Dorn

 A fabulous, fast-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable courtroom drama and crime thriller that I simply could not put down! A rare 4.5 stars from me -- and just when I thought I was spiraling down into a slump after reading so many ho hum novels. I'm back!

Although familiar with the title and synopsis, I never read AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY, so I am not going to talk comparisons, contrasts, or analyze a re-imagining. This book, however, is perfectly poised to reflect current day obsessions with social media and those who strive to reach success in a world of people who allow influencers and celebrities to become so important in their daily lives. The story here involves a young woman who has reached a pinnacle as a fitness influencer and life coach  -- Cleo Ray (AKA Claire Griffith) has clawed her way to the top from a childhood she abandoned when she left her Bible thumping parents behind and ran away to California as a young teenager. Taken under the wing of her uncle, she is now ready to achieve even her wildest dreams. There's just one problem -- a love triangle that needs to be sorted.

I absolutely loved the style of the narrative. The story is told in the form of a true crime documentary and the characters speak through strategically placed snippets of recorded interviews. You can just imagine this on film similar to anything you might see or hear on any of the crime podcasts or other social media outlets. Preferable to long segments of description and detail, you get the facts and point of view from all the players without a lot of unnecessary fluff. I found myself quite sympathetic to Cleo even as hard as it was to understand her choices and decisions. Despite it being the trial of a woman accused of cold blooded first degree murder, Cleo wasn't easy to put into a box. As the reader hears from the significant people connected to Cleo and to the trial/legal process, the conflicting points of view make for a very dynamic experience.

This is a debut by a husband and wife duo and I hope they write more books in a similar vein. I've long been a true crime addict and this was a hit for me. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

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

Genre - courtroom drama, crime thriller, LGBTQ references, murder trial

The Plot by Jean Janff Korelitz

 "And that's where the dividing line is...between something any of us might do under the circumstances and something only a truly evil person would do."

Psychological and domestic suspense about a writer who publishes a book based on an idea that he just might have stolen/borrowed from another would-be author. Who owns the idea for a story? If there are only a limited number of basic plots in the literary world, how much of anything is really ever totally original? Depends on the story. Jacob (Jake) Finch Bonner is about to find out how far someone is willing to go to protect the plot when he receives the first email: "You are a thief." NO SPOILERS.

This was a bit of a slow starter for me and didn't really capture my interest until well after the halfway point. Since I had pretty much figured out the big "twist" early on, the rest of the narrative was just confirmation. The writing was good, but I never really felt that Jacob was much of a protagonist and he was far too reserved and timid in his reactions to what was happening. I didn't really relate to any of the secondary characters either. The focus of the novel seemed to be more about writers and feelings about being an author despite a part of it actually being the excerpts from Jake's bestselling book. It does take a long time to get to "the plot" and thus it is less compelling than it could be. Even though this is touted as being suspenseful, I never really felt the tension until the last dramatic scenes when I was actually surprised by the ending. Because of its overall tone and homage to authors and the craft of writing  in a way, I am thinking that group will be the main fans and target audience.

I previously read YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN by this author and rated it 5 stars, so it may just have been that I was less interested in this premise than I was for that book. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - psychological and domestic suspense

Stolen Daughters (Detective Amanda Steele #2) by Carolyn Arnold

 This is the second in the series featuring Detective Amanda Steele of the Prince William County Police Department in Virginia, USA. I mistakenly read this before reading the first installment and would urge you not to do that as I'm certain I missed some important backstory but this one read well enough as a standalone without that information.

In this case, Amanda and her partner, Detective Trent Stenson, are involved in the investigation of multiple murders and arson. The victims are, for the most part, teenage girls that are likely associated somehow with a local sex trafficking ring. Who is killing these girls and why? NO SPOILERS.

Although I regret not reading in order, this was a quick read that held my interest even though it echoes every single other female detective trope I've read -- and that's a lot! Headstrong, independent, unable to follow orders, messed up from a previous tragedy or past -- and, of course, able to always triumph despite putting herself in the clutches of the killer every time. I can't say I liked Amanda or the subtext that the other strong female police character in the book is out to get Amanda. Sometimes I can't get past minor annoyances and I honestly didn't find this very suspenseful. It's basically a police procedural with a female detective who is meant to be a super cop and great role model, but who instead goes off on unproductive tangents and gut instinct (and gets it wrong) but stays the course until the desired results -- and the save -- happen. And, of course there is the paternal figure in the support role of boss. And a boyfriend/love interest. Same old same. Will I read another in this series or go back to the first one -- I don't know right now.

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

This is the second in a series that should be read in order. 

Genre - female detective police procedural, sex trafficking, murder, arson

The Final Twist (Colter Shaw #3) by Jeffery Deaver

 This third in the Colter Shaw series picks up right where the previous book left off and continues the story line that has permeated the other installments. Colter Shaw is on a mission, searching for clues that will help him figure out what his father was trying to uncover in order to avenge the death of one of his friends. Set mostly in San Francisco, Colter is joined there by his estranged brother, Russell, who decides to help Colter on his hunt. It's complicated and full of lots of action along with details about how the Shaw family lived and how he grew up as the son of survivalists.

As always, Jeffery Deaver's writing draws in the reader and the book is fast-paced with lots of interesting descriptions about a myriad of subjects. I like Colter as the main character and the way he approaches situations and problems.  Not sure that there will be more titles featuring him, but I'd definitely want to read any that follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is the third book in a series that should be read in order.

Genre - mystery thriller

While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams

 Legal drama and nefarious shenanigans featuring Avery Keene, law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Howard Wynn. When he suddenly becomes comatose, Avery is designated as his legal guardian and must unravel mysterious clues to save the judge and the USA from a deranged administration.

This was fast-paced, though a bit repetitive at times, but requires a huge suspension of disbelief as Avery and her 3 "friends" attempt to bring justice to the people who committed atrocities under the auspices of national security protections. Tell me, does EVERYONE know someone who can hack computers, perform high level tech, and also have military intelligence expertise? And another friend who happens to be a doctor and very knowledgeable about genetics and bio-weapon applications? Plus, an attorney at their disposal? It was all a bit contrived, but a decent and complicated plot that we knew would come together eventually. Avery happens to be very intelligent with an eidetic memory (another quite convenient trick) and engages in the necessary cloak and dagger activities to figure out the chess related clues that Justice Wynn left behind. Of course she's in danger and others aren't lucky enough to escape the bad guys. The gene-targeting technology was scary and the motivations of the different characters provided rich detail.

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

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

Genre - legal drama, bioweapons, US Government

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

 It's just so satisfying when you read a book by a long-time favorite author and it's one of his best yet! This standalone thriller will take you on a roller coaster ride and keep you glued to the pages until the wild and crazy conclusion.

Miles Cookson is a millionaire, but that doesn't protect him from developing a truly devastating neurodegenerative disease -- Huntington's. It's a death sentence and Miles is trying to navigate his limited future when he discovers that he may have fathered as many as 9 biological children through his sperm donation many years prior. He is determined to track each one down to warn them about their chances of developing HD and also to give them some of his vast fortune. As he begins to research those children and to attempt a connection, something strange starts happening. Some of them have vanished, without a trace left behind. Is this the work of a jealous colleague or other relative who doesn't want to share Miles's money? Well, it's actually much more complicated than that. NO SPOILERS.

I really liked this book (except perhaps for the sort of ridiculous activities featuring Chloe and Nicky) and appreciate how all the loose ends were wrapped up at the end. There's lots of action and the narrative moves at a fast pace so it's an easy one to read over a couple of hours in a single sitting. Lots of fabulous characters, some more well-drawn than others, and Miles endeared himself quite quickly. Most of Barclay's novels feature a "good guy" and this was no different. The mystery kept me guessing for awhile, but I still enjoyed seeing it all play out as expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I've read most of the books written by Barclay and can't wait for the next.

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

Genre - mystery thriller

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

 "This is the thing about good and evil. They aren't so far apart -- and they often start from the same valiant place of wanting something to be different...at the end of the day, one thing defines them."

Hannah Hall has been married to Owen Michaels for little over a year when he suddenly disappears leaving Hannah with his 16-year-old daughter, Bailey. There are rumors of malfeasance at Owen's place of work and his boss has been arrested by the FBI. A US Marshall comes calling at her floating home in Sausalito but Hannah doesn't tell him about the note that Owen left for her -- it said only, "Protect her." When Bailey finds a duffel bag stuffed with cash in her school locker, they understand that something terrible has happened. It seems that both of them know very little about Owen and soon realize that they need to solve the puzzle so they can rebuild their lives. NO SPOILERS.

This was fast and fun and I read it over a couple of hours. The narrative pulls the reader in and it was hard to put it down. The mystery and drama were compelling and I did a lot of guessing while flipping the pages! I can't say that I would have reacted as Hannah did, but I did like her as a character. The relationship between Hannah and Bailey was an integral part of the story and their desire to get at the truth bonded them together. The pair is resourceful and determined and soon discovers what it means to be involved in a life that is one huge lie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon  & Schuster for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. It screams out for movie adaptation so don't be surprised when it's optioned since some famous names have been touting it.

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

Genre - mystery, family drama

What the River Said (#3 Dr. Abby Wilmore) by Sandra Cavallo Miller

 "...time never stops...everything keeps moving and changing. Just like each of us."

I really enjoy this series featuring family practice physician, Dr. Abby Wilmore, and her partner and lover, Dr. John Pepper. The pair staff a clinic in the Grand Canyon National Park and much of the novel is about the different ailments and health issues faced by residents and visitors to the area. This particular book focuses on hikers experiencing a wave of serious heart attacks as the result of taking an illicit and potent combination of performance-enhancing drugs including steroids and amphetamines. There are also other dramas involving colleagues, friends, and family as the seasons change and other challenges come up. NO SPOILERS.

As an RN and daughter of a family practice physician, I was immediately thoroughly enchanted by the details of the clinic and the many different aspects of patient problems and treatment. I also love how the author weaves in so much description of the canyon itself and about astronomy, volcanoes, climate, and the difficulty of providing medial care in this sort of environment. The characters are complex, rich in personality, and it's been fun to see them develop and become alive on the pages. I've read all three installments now and can't wait for a 4th.

Thank you to NetGalley and University of Nevada Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

This is the third in a series that should be read in order.

Genre - mystery, medical adventure, Grand Canyon

The Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

 "There were people in the world who were good and people who were evil, but most of them were some mixture of both and did what they did simply because they were mortal."

Mary Deerfield, a 24-year-old married Puritan woman, is accused of perfidy and witchcraft in Boston, 1662. Her husband, Thomas, beats her and taunts her but he crosses a line when he stabs her in the hand with a fork. When Mary attempts to divorce him, she finds that the men and women she lives around won't hesitate to condemn and malign her despite their professions of faith. Those righteous people will bully and accuse her of horrible things in order to justify their pitiful colonial lives. NO SPOILERS.

This novel was not a thriller, and it thoroughly made me furious at least once on every page. I can hardly stand to read about the treatment of Mary (and women) during that era. History tells us that many left England and Europe for the New World to escape religious persecution, but it seems that mistreatment came along with them and continued. What everyone really needed was freedom FROM religion and relief from the misogyny that was part of every women's life wherever she lived. The hypocrisy of the men was (is) astounding and, though I like to think things have improved over the last several hundred years, I'm afraid it persists in some hearts and souls to this day. Mary's life was horrible in my eyes and the injustices she faced are nearly intolerable to ponder. The way that religious beliefs are twisted, and when women are burned or hanged as witches, makes me wonder how much has really changed in thoughts and minds of those in powerful positions. All Mary wants is to escape a violent husband but there is no mercy to be found. Her disobedience must be punished and the men will stop at nothing to retain their authority.

Chris Bohjalian is a very talented author and I've read all of his books -- liked some more than others. He typically handles subjects that give the reader something to think about long after finishing the novels he writes.

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

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

Genre - historical fiction

The Beautiful Ones by Slivia Moreno-Garcia

Reminiscent of all the historical classic romances, this novel features the stifling manners and mores of high society in a fictional town named Loisail. The Beautiful Ones, as they are known, care about money and their reputations in public, but behind the scenes are some pretty ugly maneuverings.

Antonina (Nina) Beauliue comes to Loisail to stay with her cousin, Gaetan, and his wife, Valerie, as she negotiates her first Grand Season. A bit of a country bumpkin, and with telekinetic abilities that she can't control well, Nina is completely out of her depth during this important debut. Then she meets the famous talent, Hector Auvray, and their relationship sets a cascade of treachery and betrayal in motion. NO SPOILERS.

It must be said: I am not a fan of romance and charming fairytale tropes. I did enjoy the writing style and the details of the city, clothes, people, customs, etc. The characters were basically stereotypes and behaved exactly as they all do in a book where true love wins out and the mean ones (it's all relative though and only some of them) get the punishments they deserve. Nevertheless, I was entertained for a couple of hours. This book had a much different tone than MEXICAN GOTHIC and the fantasy aspect within was minimal. I will definitely look forward to more novels by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - romance, dash of fantasy