Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

 Based on real events that occurred on the Highway of Tears in Northern British Columbia, this thriller focuses on teen-aged girls who have disappeared from the fictional town of Cold Creek. Some of the bodies were found but most of the cases have never been solved and no one held accountable.

Hailey McBride lives in Cold Creek. An orphan, she now stays with her aunt who is married to a local police sergeant. Although she's 17, she's kept on a very tight leash under the tight control of these relatives. Chaffing under the bullying, she runs away to the mountains and a cabin hidden deep in the woods comfortable knowing that she was trained by her father in survival and resourcefulness in the wilderness. Everything thinks she was a victim of the notorious highway killer who had already murdered another young woman, Amber Chevalier, earlier that  year. Months pass and Amber's sister, Beth, arrives in Cold Creek searching for answers and ends up herself in harm's way. NO SPOILERS.

This started out well, but eventually I just had to ask how these two girls could survive so much constant injury and peril. The story didn't focus on bringing the killer to justice as much as it meandered around taking forever to get to the big reveal. Out of nowhere. There's even time for romance, drinking, drugs, camping in the woods, living in the car, and motocross in between all the harrowing situations that Hailey and Beth get themselves caught up in. I was disappointed with the way things wrapped up and don't feel that I got the answers in a payoff that made the read worthwhile.  The Epilogue sort of made me shake my head and sort of sealed the 3 stars rating. Nope.

I've read all but one of this author's previous books, and nothing has matched my appreciation for her first book, "Still Missing" but you may find this more appealing than I did. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

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

Genre - crime thriller

The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong

A lovely, sentimental and poignant historical fiction about a nurse who gives up everything for the sake of a premature infant.

Told in alternating points of view between Nurse Althea Anderson in New York City, 1926, and Stella Wright, a young married teacher in Poughkeepsie, 1950. The story starts as Althea makes the decision to take a preemie to Luna Park, Coney Island, to be treated by a doctor and his staff who are using incubators and controversial treatments to save lives. In reality, Althea has kidnapped the baby girl whose parents think that she died shortly after birth. That choice changes the entire course of Althea's life.

Stella, whose mother recently died, is newly married to Jack and working as a teacher of children with special needs in an era when they are forced into a damp basement and given only rudimentary materials and minimal effort to educate. When Stella is forced to quit her job, she knows she needs to face the loss of her mother and returns to her childhood home to go through her mother's belongings. Then she finds some odd material in her mother's special memory box. The questions come and Stella must confront everything she thought she knew about herself and her mother.  NO SPOILERS.

I really enjoyed this debut and could relate to both of the characters as they try to navigate a world where women have no voice and have to claw their way out of subjugation in all the big and small ways. The choices Althea made were by no means the right ones even though she felt like she had to do what she did. Sure, the ends may or may not justify the means in utopia, but legally and morally there are some challenges. I found the history of the Coney Island incubators very interesting as I had never heard about that before. I like to think that education, medicine, and nursing have advanced in the treatment of exceptional children, but I know that many who work in health care and special needs education still have to grapple with negative perceptions about the work they do.

Definitely this was a story about sacrifice and motherhood and Althea represents the extreme of that love in action. Would any of you make those same commitments -- give up everything for a child that was not even biologically yours?  

This would make a great choice for a book club and I'd like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

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

Genre - historical fiction dual timeline 1926 and 1950

 

Reclaimed by Madeleine Roux

 Futuristic dystopian science fiction starts off with an excellent premise but unlikable characters, predictable outcomes, and the usual tropes made it a disappointment after all.

Want to get rid of some nasty memories? If you're lucky, you might be selected for an experimental memory erasing technology on Ganymede. The three who arrive to get the special treatment have trauma they want to forget. Senna, Zurri, and Han meet the brilliant founder and developer when they journey to the isolated, icy outpost to begin their sessions. Paxton Dunn talks a good game and his staff attempts to meet expectations while everything starts to fall apart almost immediately.

The first half of the book, told in alternating points of view, was decent world building but then the narrative falls into the typical realization and rebellion pattern familiar to readers. The Sci-Fi elements regarding black holes, etc. were a bit out there and I found the scenario way too difficult to buy into even when trying to suspend disbelief. Since I didn't like any of the characters, I really didn't care much or worry that all wasn't going to turn out OK. I love good science fiction that contains references to colonization of other planets and cutting edge tech, but this fell flat way too soon. The bad guy is a total stereotype and the rest of the characters one dimensional. Oh well. Honestly, it read more like YA/teen fiction than adult fare.

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

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

Genre - futuristic, dystopian science fiction/fantasy -- reads like YA

The Elimination Threat (The Extinction Agenda #3) by Michael Laurence

 Wow, another terrific installment in this techno thriller series featuring an unusual team of FBI agents and their friends going after the worst villains humanity has on tap — those intent on the destruction of the world and the annihilation of order. All for money and power. The Thirteen are jockeying for position...

Do you like a fast paced novel with lots of action, shadowy conspiracies focusing on everything from drug cartels to the Federal Reserve Bank and the extremely powerful businessmen owning access to natural gas and oil reserves? Included are lots of gory and grisly murders, new and dangerous weapons, and a cult focused on world dominion. If so -- stop now -- because you must start at the beginning of this story for this one to have the best impact.

The characters are the same from book one: FBI Special Agents James Mason and Jessica Layne, a computer hacker with international connections, Gunnar Backstrom, and and old buddy, Ramses Donovan, who is extremely wealthy and has a way to provide what is needed at just the right time. Yes, this crew manages *gasp* to save the world each and every time, but the ride is a lot of fun so just suspend your disbelief and enjoy. There's definitely more to come...

Just a side note here: lots of detail about financial systems and the making of different types of nuclear material for weapons and power so, if that technical stuff doesn't interest you, skip on ahead to the team racing around the USA to track their current nemesis, the Dragon.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I can't wait for the next installment -- what a great miniseries this would make -- Netflix?

This is the third in a series and it definitely needs to be read, from the beginning, in order.

Genre - technothriller, shadowy conspiracies, world dominion

The Witness by John Ryder

 The nonstop action sequences  and fast pace of the narrative aren't enough to overcome the distaste I felt for the main characters in this standalone crime thriller.

A wealthy mother hires Kyle Roche to track and protect her daughter who's been secreted away under the Witness Protection program. Apparently there is a hit team on the way to kill Savannah and mom tells him that he has less than 24 hours to locate and make her safe. Because he's a fixer and has lots of legal and illegal contacts, Kyle is able to find the girl and puts plans in motion to nullify the threat. Soon he finds, however, that there are things about Savannah that aren't making sense. His mission leads to a leak in the Witness Protection program, but more is going on here than he understands. NO SPOILERS.

I'm not sure exactly where this all started going south for me as it started out well and had a good premise. I think part of the problem was the picture of Savannah that starts to emerge and caused me to feel intense dislike. Made me question Kyle's motives in keeping her around and involving her in so many of his activities when he started to be suspicious of her. Some fixer. Between her entitled and whiny attitude while spouting her woke rhetoric and her complete disregard of Kyle's directions to ensure her safety, I just wanted to leave her behind somewhere. Since the ending is a bit of a dangle, I can only hope that things ended for her the way they should. The "fight" scenes went on forever and there's only so much inflicted damage I can handle reading about at a time so those need to be clipped.

I know this author has written a previous series that I haven't read, but I don't imagine I'll be reading a second book to feature Kyle Roche. At least there was no romance.

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

This is ostensibly a standalone, but I would not be surprised if it turns into a series.

Genre - crime thriller, witness protection, revenge

Rabbit Hole by Mark Billingham

 I was disappointed in this standalone novel from a crime thriller writer whose Tom Thorne books I've devoured and loved.

Perhaps I just couldn't handle the story line about a woman, Alice Armitage, who is sectioned after suffering PTSD, overdoing it with drugs and drink, and just generally having a psychotic breakdown. Because she is an unreliable narrator, I had trouble believing anything that happened in the story and certainly wondered if she really was a police officer. The whole murder on the locked ward mystery thing really wasn't very thrilling or suspenseful, and I found that I couldn't care less about any of the characters or the investigation that Alice is carrying out on her own since the detectives who come don't seem to interested in what she has to say. It was a slog and slow and boring so I was relieved when I finally got the the end -- the only part of the book that was interesting: the Epilogue.

Also, another turnoff for me, sorry to say, is the British jargon and vocabulary. The pop culture references were unfamiliar, and -- have I already mentioned that none of the characters were in the least appealing or relatable? I don't like living in a world of PTSD, delusions and fragmented thoughts though I can see where this might be another reader's cup of tea. I get it, it's set on a mental health lockdown unit (I've worked there as an RN in places where there is some real behavior that would be called "crazy") but it is definitely not my preferred setting for a good suspense thriller.

So, be wary if you're looking for a typical Mark Billingham crime thriller cause this isn't it.

Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

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

Genre - psychological thriller, psych ward, murder, PTSD

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

What a wild ride --

Emily Donovan and Kristen Czarnecki have been best friends forever. They love to travel together, especially since Kristen moved to Australia and left Emily behind in Milwaukee. Let's just say their trips have been memorable, but in a way that isn't so favorable. There was that time Phnom Penh that didn't end quite like they'd hoped...but now they've met up in Chile and things have been going really well. They've enjoyed their time catching up and everything has been great between them up until the very last night. What is it with these two and the handsome backpackers they meet on their journeys?

Emily returns home, shaken up by what has happened, and is trying to get into her new relationship with Aaron Meuleman. Then, suddenly, Kristen shows up on Emily's doorstep as if conjured there by Emily's obsessive worries about whether or not Kristen will keep their secrets. Kristen will not let up and Emily feels herself being drawn even further into the lies that threaten to ruin everything and destroy any future she may have planned. NO SPOILERS.

The narrative, told from Emily's point of view examines the themes of gaslighting, manipulation, emotional blackmail, and friendship. I found the book hard to put down, wondering how this was all going to end, but must say I wasn't really thrilled with the conclusion as it had me second guessing several of my assessments about the two women. I think this story would be a great one for discussion with a book club, especially with how it challenges you to imagine what is going to happen next with the last sentence.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. This was my first book by this author, but I will make a note to look for new titles in the future.
 

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

Genre - psychological fiction, friendship drama, suspense

Gone for Good (Detective Annalisa Vega #1) by Joanna Schaffhausen

 "If you expected the devil to show his horns, you would never notice him falling into step beside you."

Detective Annalisa Vega with Chicago PD Homicide is called to the scene of a recent murder. Though hard to believe, it seems that the Lovelorn Killer has claimed this latest victim, Grace Harper, after a 20 year gap in activity. Annalisa's father, also a cop, had worked on the LK case years ago when the final victim in a spree of 7 deaths was their neighbor and the mother of Annalisa's boyfriend at the time. So many years had gone by without the Lovelorn Killer being caught, so why has he resurfaced now? Apparently an amateur sleuthing group known as the "Grave Diggers" has been trying to solve the cold case and Grace Harper was a very determined member. Had she come close to figuring out LK's identity? Annalisa, and her ex-husband, Nick Carelli, partner up to investigate. Meanwhile, more bodies drop and Annalisa's first love, Colin Duffy, comes back to Chicago after leaving when his mother was murdered.  There's a lot going on in this police procedural crime thriller. NO SPOILERS.

Although this is the first in a new series, I've read other books by this author and enjoyed them immensely. I had a few issues with this one -- most notably that I just couldn't really relate to Annalisa and all the drama surrounding her and her family -- not to mention the hard to believe aspects where her ex is her partner on a case and her old boyfriend comes back to town. Took issue with the way that Annalisa goes off alone to confront the killer (I'm sorry, it seems that all the female detectives deliberately end up near victims) and the conclusion was a bit of a stretch that sort of didn't even make sense considering all the revelations at the end. Anyway, it seemed to drag a bit here and there, but I might give the second in a series a shot as I like this genre.

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

This is the first in a new series that is best read in order.

Genre - police procedural, mystery, crime thriller

The Therapist by B.A. Paris

 Domestic drama that features an obsessed woman, Alice, trying to find out who murdered the woman who used to live in the house that Alice and Leo now occupy. Everyone in the gated community, known as The Circle, comes under her scrutiny and suspicion. The story goes that Oliver killed his wife, Nina, because of an affair. The neighbors all believe it but Alice is convinced that things aren't adding up especially when she finds that Oliver committed suicide. When she's contacted by a private investigator hired by Oliver's ailing sister, she steps up her amateur sleuthing (snooping) and finds she can trust no one in the neighborhood.

Oh wow, what a total disappointment this was as it bordered mostly on the completely ridiculous. Alice was unlikable as the protagonist and much of the narrative drones on about her banal interactions with all those people she knows. The plot seemed to go nowhere for the majority of the book and didn't really pick up until near the end when a massive twist is meant to bring the tale to a satisfying conclusion. As predictable as this was, in retrospect, the whole novel was a struggle to get through because of my feelings about Alice's emotions and activities. At several points while reading, I had to scoff out loud at how ludicrous Alice acted about Leo's transgressions when she was such a secretive liar herself. I forced myself to finish but I certainly wouldn't recommend this to my friends.

I am not sure why I picked this up because, after I looked over my previous reviews of books by this author, I have found them pretty unspectacular after "Behind Closed Doors". I think I'm done.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting access to this title for review.

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

Genre - domestic drama

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

 What a gloriously fast and fun read! Full of the nastiest characters, this one kept me guessing until the very last few pages when all was finally revealed. I read it over a couple of hours this afternoon and truly could not put it down as I just HAD to know the truth.

Secrets and lies, the basic formula for domestic suspense, abound between the pages of this book. Someone has murdered the very wealthy Fred and Sheila Merton of Brecken Hill, NY. Their three adult children -- Catherine, Dan, and Jenna -- are devastated. They'd all just seen their parents for Easter dinner. So what if things took a nasty turn that evening. Surely none of them were that desperate for their inheritance -- or were they?

There's no shortage of suspects in the murder case and the two detectives assigned to the investigation doggedly pursue all of those connected to the family. Each of the siblings has his or her own reason for the way in which they respond to the questions. What a quandary to sort. So many reasons for murder, but did one of them really do it?

This really hit the spot for me today and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had so many guesses because, honestly, any one of the many despicable people within the story could have done it. Usually, I find someone I can relate to in a drama such as this, but these people! Hope you like it as much as I did if you're looking for pure entertainment in a mystery thriller.

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

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

Genre - domestic suspense, thriller, murder, family secrets and lies

The Hive by Gregg Olsen

 3.5 stars rounded up

This suspense thriller reads like true crime with a large cast of characters, a couple of murders, and a huge mystery -- who is Marnie Spellman?

Set in the Pacific Northwest and alternating between present day and 20 years ago time shifts, the novel is narrated by most of the main characters at one time or another. The detective, Lindsay Jackman, is drawn into a murder case that has ties to Marnie Spellman and her cosmetic empire. The story behind Marnie's rise to fame and fortune is based on a story she tells about a swarm of bees that showed her the way to spiritual enlightenment and her business philosophy, "from the outside in." As Marnie becomes legendary for her special beauty products and bestselling books and CDs, she surrounds herself with helper bees, the 5 women of the inner circle, known as The Hive. Each of these women has a reason to protect Marnie as all have secrets that can't be told. Something happened at Spellman Farms and Lindsay Jackman is determined to get the truth. NO SPOILERS.

I enjoyed this quite a bit as I really like the author's writing style and how he keeps the revelations close until just the right moment for the reader to have their guesses and suspicions confirmed. I had expected more of a "cult" story with this one but it was actually not so much that as a group of women stuck together due to misguided loyalty and the need for a coverup. The very different members of The Hive had interesting backstories who fell in with Marnie and dedicated themselves to her vision -- until they didn't. The narrative was quite complex and seemed a bit convoluted getting to the crux of the matters at hand, but it all tied up neatly at the end with some of the characters getting what they deserved. Not sure that true justice could be achieved with this mess!

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 - crime thriller, police procedural, cult, bees

The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

 A fun and drama-filled "friendship story" that will keep you turning the pages just to see what will happen next!

What could be more fun than a destination wedding with friends! Rachel and her husband, Jack, along with her long-time best friend, Noah and his wife, Paige, are flying with Ali, the bride-to-be, to Nazare, Portugal for the nuptials. Ali is not the woman that any would have picked for Jack's brother, Will, but they all put on their game faces and are determined to make the most of the weekend. Their seaside villa is gorgeous, but things start going wrong almost from arrival. Under the facade of these seemingly happy, stable relationships is the seed of suspicion that keeps growing until the truth is revealed.  NO SPOILERS.

I found this an entertaining and quick read that is perfect for a pool or beach day. The gradual revelations and the typical secrets and lies scenario combine to hold interest even as the reader is probably shaking their head because it takes so long to GET IT ALL OUT.  Not sure where it was all going at first, I thought I had things figured out by the halfway point only to find out that I was wrong by the end. None of the characters was particularly likeable, and I'd say who was my favorite, but that might be a spoiler. Sometimes when surprised by a character, I'll look back to see if the foundation was laid for their later behavior or motivations -- and in this particular book, I will say I wasn't prepared. I guess people like that wear masks and are good at putting on acts. But, you know how it is -- why don't people just come out with it instead of dancing around the issues!

Have fun with this soap opera! Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - drama, domestic, relationship, friendship, infidelity

False Witness by Karin Slaughter

 This standalone crime thriller is set in Atlanta, Georgia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The author attempts to weave an incredible amount of social consciousness into the narrative and thus, at times, it reads a bit like an opinion piece. Longer than most popular fiction titles at 512 pages, this book took me a lot longer than I wanted in order to finish.

Leigh Collier is railroaded into taking a case that involves defending a wealthy man accused of rape. When she finds out who he really is, she understands exactly why she has been asked to represent him. He is no stranger. Twenty years prior, Leigh and her sister, Callie, did something that they managed to cover up but now the past has come to collect. NO SPOILERS.

Although quite predictable, this novel was dark, grisly, and full of the details that might make a delicate person a bit queasy. Neither Leigh nor Callie are likeable people and readers spend far too much time in their heads as they go over, endlessly, the same old mantras. Despite the repetition and wordiness, the events in the story move along quickly until the expected conclusion. I really didn't feel the suspense or tension and no twists delivered a gotcha moment. As stated previously, the book covers a lot of topics that permeate our current state of affairs, including heroin addiction, pedophilia, and violence against women.

In her author's note, Slaughter expresses that she relates these many issues in her book in order to elicit empathy and "a deeper understanding." She ends with a quote from Katherine Anne Porter that speaks volumes about how many of us feel as we enter yet another new stage dealing with the coronavirus, hoping that the light is there at the end of the tunnel, "Now there would be time for everything."

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

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

Genre - dark thriller, themes of pedophilia, drug addiction, misogyny, violence