Shamed (Kate Burkholder #11) by Linda Castillo

 Another exciting episode in this Amish crime thriller series.

Chief Kate Burkholder faces off with a child abductor bent on revenge. As the investigation into the murder of an Amish grandmother continues, all of the police in the area are searching for 7-year-old Elsie Helmuth, who was taken at the site of the brutal killing. Long buried secrets and the misguided efforts by the Amish community leaders to protect an infant reveal a chilling truth.

I really like this series and enjoy learning more about the Ohio Amish and their traditions, beliefs, and society. The plots are always complex and Kate is such an interesting character. Torn between her early life in the Amish community and now working in Painters Mill as an outsider, she often faces quandaries that cause her to question her own convictions. There is a romantic interest, but it only adds to the stories and is not a major focus of them. I look forward to the next installment.

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

This book is part of a series that should be read from the beginning in order.

Genre - Amish crime thriller

A Gathering of Secrets (Kate Burkholder #10) by Linda Castillo

 Another excellent installment in this Amish crime thriller series.

Chief Kate Burkholder investigates a deadly arson fire that kills 18-year-old Daniel Gingerich. As she does the interviews and sifts through the few clues, it becomes clear that this was murder and that Daniel was not the good Amish teen that everyone pretends he was. Unfortunately, the Amish like to keep their secrets and no one will be honest with Kate. How can Kate find the killer if she can't get the truth?

It's been awhile since I had read about Kate, and I found that I liked her just as much as ever so I quite enjoyed this book. I love the writing style and the details about Amish life in Ohio at Painters Mill. It was like going home to revisit the characters and the setting. I like her quiet relationship with John Tomasetti and I hope Kate can finally find the happiness in her personal life she so deserves. Looking forward to reading the next installment and highly recommend this entire series.

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

This is the 10th book in a series that is best read in order.

Genre - Amish crime thriller

Never Coming Home by Hannah Mary McKinnon

 Fast and fun domestic thriller.

Lucas Forester has murder on his mind. He's got a brilliant plan to complete his reinvention and become a wealthy man. Unfortunately, its his wife who has the money and divorce is so messy. Hence, his scheme to hire a hit man off the dark web. Everything goes off without a hitch, the deed is done, and Lucas has deftly shifted suspicion away so well that the police no longer view him as a suspect. Just as everything is moving in the right direction, things suddenly start to go awry. The first clue is when Lucas finds a photo with a taunting message in his mail. I KNOW.

This was so entertaining watching Lucas try to navigate through his rapidly changing position. He is a character the reader will love to hate, and his internal musings and rationalizations are often witty and funny. As his situation goes from bad to worse and his clever maneuverings start to fail, you almost can't help but root for him a little. Although I figured what must be going on behind the scenes, it was still a blast to reach the denouement and -- that ending!!!!

I totally enjoyed this one and thanks to NetGalley and Mira Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Genre - domestic thriller

Never Coming Home by Kate Williams

 A young adult suspense thriller that is partly related to their current obsession with all of those viral sensations.

Ten social media personalities are invited to Unknown Island for a free tropical vacation. The island has been advertised and promoted on all the usual online sites -- it's exclusive and by invitation only. Each guest received the honor by email and the details were exciting -- especially the part about all of them being under age 21. The chosen are 6 girls and 4 boys and their social passions run the gamut: a young CEO, a DJ, a politician, an athlete, the rich girl, a beauty blogger, a superstar influencer, a chef, an environmentalist and, the youngest is an online gamer. All told, they have millions of followers and hope to strike that elusive top rank raising their numbers.

They arrive on the island by boat and helicopter only to find that they are basically untended without any resort staff or welcome committee. Their luxurious bungalows are shacks and barely furnished. The kitchen cupboards are almost empty except for junk food. There is no internet and no air conditioning. There's only one way in and no way off the island as they have no transport. It's hot and their shock and dismay mount quickly. What is going on? The answer comes with the first death. Are they to be picked off one by one by someone hiding on the island with some type of revenge motive? Or has one of their number lured them there with murder on their mind?

I thought I would like this a lot more than I did. I was reminded of the scam that was the basis for the Netflix documentary Fyre as well as several well known books where people die one by one. It was hard to keep each character straight, but helped by the list in the front of the book. Didn't matter, nobody was around too long. I didn't really like any of the personalities and they, as expected, did some pretty dumb things as events spiraled out of control. The conclusion definitely was a bit lame and unsatisfying. Found it all just way too out there to be a believable scenario, but I figure the target audience will eat it up!

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

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

Genre - young adult suspense thriller

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

 “It’s the Girl Code. We have to look out for each other because no one else will.”

What a great read! A different kind of revenge story with two unique and likable female characters. Meg Williams has many aliases and has spent the last 10 years running sophisticated cons on various victims. Kat Roberts holds Meg responsible for a trauma she suffered, and now, as a journalist, Kat is determined to expose Meg and bring her down. Little do either of the pair know that both are on a quest to right past wrongs and be able engineer a better future.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced domestic thriller that I read in a single sitting. The narrative flips back and forth in time and point of view between the two main characters. It took me a minute to become attached to both, all the while hoping that each would succeed in their endeavors. Totally addictive and very well written, this is highly entertaining and I recommend it.

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 - domestic and psychological thriller 

Privacy by Nina Sadowsky

 “How much grief and pain can any of us carry before we break?”

Dr. Laina Landers shares a successful psychology practice with a colleague in San Diego, California. She’s beloved by her patients, has a few close friends, and is currently single by choice. Life is good and she really loves her work. So when bad things suddenly start happening to those clients she is trying to help, Laina must find out how their private and confidential information is being released. Laina meets investigative journalist, Cal Murray, when he interviews her after she talks down a husband in a domestic violence threat. She and he begin a relationship and he starts examining the situation with an eye to identifying the perpetrator. 

I had a hard time putting this down once I started and it definitely went in an unexpected direction which I fully appreciated. I liked the writing style and the character development as well as the skillful twisting of the plot. The narrative was suspenseful and fast-paced and I found the puzzle quite interesting to piece together. There’s a lot to unpack within the story but the issue of privacy is at its heart. Who might be watching you? I can just see this as a film or television series! 

Definitely a psychological thriller that I can recommend though the author does go off on a few tangents about some hot button issues. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

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

Genre - Psychological thriller

Murder at the Country Club (Kitty Underhay #9) by Helena Dixon

 One of my favorite historical cozy mystery series!

Kitty Underhay is back for her 9th adventure as she and her fiance, Matthew Bryant, become involved in a case of murder and mishap at the swanky Torbay Country Club. Inspector Greville asks them to sit in on the interviews of the Winspear family and their guests, Russian siblings and professional dancers, Ivan and Natasha Bolsolva. One of the cohort surely killed Sir William Winspear in the grotto with a broken arrow.

I really enjoy the period details and the setting -- including that of the Dolphin Hotel. The characters are ones I have come to know and care about since the beginning of the series. There are some long running threads permeating the narrative, so probably best to read them all, in order. Wedding planning has gone on the back burner as Kitty and Matt help the Inspector with figuring out the Winspear family dynamics and narrowing down their suspect list. I'm thinking the next installment might include the wedding and some big changes ahead but I really hope that Kitty stays committed to her grandmother's hotel and that more of the misadventures occur there.

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

This is part of a long running series that should be read in order.

Genre - historical cozy mystery

Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd

 Entertaining Regency house party cozy mystery -- this is the beginning of what is meant to be a new series.

Socially shunned due to her father's disreputable behavior and death, Lady Caroline Morton has decided to make her own way in London as a paid lady's companion. When she's invited to her cousin's birthday party at the estate of her relatives, Caroline decides to return with her employer, Matilda Frogerton. Mrs. Frogerton is happy to be introduced to the ton so that she can position her daughter, Dorothy, as a wealthy entrant into her first season.

Their arrival at the Greenwood estate is a bit awkward since Caroline had left the house and the family's charity toward her and her sister, Susan, for her new position. It gets worse quite quickly when malfeasance and death make their appearances. Caroline and Mrs. Frogerton seem to be the only ones convinced that something really sinister is going on and they decide to get to the bottom of it. They find an unexpected ally in a local doctor who also has past connections to the estate.

This was quite enjoyable as an introduction to the era and the characters and I look forward to the next installment. I love period details and independent young women set in this time period. The narrative flows smoothly and though the plot was a bit complicated, the ending was not quite so neatly wrapped as I would have expected thus leaving things open for a follow up.

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

This is the first in a new series.

Genre - historical fiction, cozy mystery, Regency era

The Collector (Kaldan and Schafer #2) by Anne Mette Hancock

 Danish crime thriller -- a missing child and some very ambiguous leads.

Heloise Kaldan is an investigative journalist with a local paper -- she usually writes articles about business but has recently been doing stories about crimes. She had befriended Detective Erik Schäfer during a prior case he had been working, and now she's found herself involved in the disappearance of a 10-year-old boy from his school in Copenhagen. There's no shortage of possible suspects and clues, but the police are having a difficult time making important connections as they sift through all the information. The child's dire situation is soon linked to the murder of an ex-soldier and nothing is making sense. What happened to Lukas Bjerre?

This plot wasn't quite as good as the first book in the series, but it was entertaining and allowed me to learn more about the the two main characters. Although I really can't say that I like or empathize with Heloise, she is definitely her own person and I am curious to know more. The police detective is a bit more likeable and I wonder why his point of view isn't more prominent as I usually don't like the amateur sleuth journalist type of character and would prefer more procedural than this partnership produces. There was this bit in the book about pareidolia -- a tendency that some have to interpret visual objects in a meaningful way even when there is nothing there. That whole thing really never went anywhere and I'm not sure why it was even included. Anyway, I did enjoy this second installment and will be interested to read the next in the series.

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

This is the second book in the series so read them in order.

Genre - Danish crime thriller

The Corpse Flower (Kaldan and Shafer #1) by Anne Mette Hancock

 Crime thriller with an international flavor.

Set in Copenhagen, this book features two main characters: journalist Heloise Kaldan and a detective, Erik Scháfer. Their liaison starts after Heloise begins receiving cryptic and unsettling letters from a woman, Anna Kiel, who is on the run after having killed a prominent young lawyer three years prior. The letters hint at some sort of connection between Heloise and Anna, but Heloise claims she has never met her and has no clue about why Anna is writing her. Heloise begins to take a closer look at the murder investigation and Scháfer finds himself involved in the cold case as more mysterious deaths occur.

At the heart of this story are the two main themes of secrets and lies. As Kaldan and Scháfer dig deep into the background of Anna Kiel, many disturbing facts are revealed. I found the premise compelling and I enjoyed the author's writing style. I don't actually agree with the comparison between this book and the other two mentioned in the blurb, except for the heart of the subject matter which I can't say more about due to spoilers. The case was complex, dark, and there were a few twists along the way; the conclusion was satisfying. I liked it and definitely plan to read the second book in the series next.

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

This is the first in a series, translated to English, and should be read in order.

Genre - crime fiction, Scandinavian, child predators