The Big Dark Sky by Dean Koontz

 The vast isolation and the big skies of Montana provide the ambience and setting for a suspense thriller that only Koontz can write.

I've long been a fan of this author and always enjoy seeing what dark fantasy he can come up with  next. This was quite entertaining, though a bit annoying since it hops and skips through the narrative told from many different points of view thus making the continuity of the story quite choppy. There are a lot of white hat characters to get to know quickly and the stereotypical megalomaniac who must be stopped. All parties converge on Rustling Willows Ranch in a showdown that combines science, artificial intelligence, and an existential force that has to be reckoned with to save all of humanity.

Further describing the characters or the plot is unnecessary and would spoil the story for readers so I will just leave the publisher's synopsis stand without adding further details. As always, Dean Koontz loves words and flowery prose and uses that to enhance the tension. Although the expected end result comes to pass, the journey is fun as all is revealed on the way.

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

Genre - sci fi, fantasy, horror, suspense thriller

Out of Patients by Sandra Cavallo Miller

 Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a family practice physician in this day and age? If so, this is not to be missed!

Dr. Norah Waters, at age 58, is wondering about her life choices. Working as a partner in a local clinic in Phoenix, she is fed up with everything. A bit bitter and a lot overwhelmed with all of the job responsibilities, she wonders if it is time for her to retire. Trying to juggle the staff, mentor two medical students, see her patients, attend a volunteer medical school admissions committee, and wonder why her accounts billable seem to be tanking are taking her to the edge. Is she burnt out and crispy done or does she still want to continue. All she knows is that something has to change.

Told in the first person, I fell in love with Norah. Her narrative voice, the humor, and her acerbic comments on just about everything really rang true. I loved all the medical and clinical details and enjoyed her interactions with the other characters in this novel. As a registered nurse, I could really appreciate the situations Norah found herself in and could relate to so much of how things have really changed in the practice of medicine over the last couple of decades. This book has a lot of heart and the reader understands that only an author such as Sandra Cavallo Miller has the credentials and experience to write it with such authenticity.

I've read and loved all of this author's previous books and eagerly await the next one. Thank you to NetGalley and University of Nevada Press for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

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

Genre - contemporary fiction, medicine

The Glades (Maddy Reynolds #2) by John Netti

Detective Maddy Reynolds thinks she is retiring when she moves to her new home at Berry Lake in the Adirondacks. She quickly learns, however, that she can't escape her urge to figure out what is going on at the huge mansion and resort across the lake. Secluded and exclusive on the mountain top, The Glades provokes fear and suspicion in the local town. Something creepy is going on within those secured walls and the airstrip is busy all the time. Maddy is without credentials or backup, but she knows she must investigate when she discovers that young women who work there are found dead under some curious circumstances.

The theme of this involves sex trafficking and political corruption. This is the second in a series featuring Maddy Reynolds; I did not read the first one but there is enough backstory in the narrative to give the reader a good idea of what happened. The bad guys are nasty and sleazy and written in the typical way. The character of Maddy is also similar to all single women detectives in this genre. It is, however, the plight of a young teen boy whose actions give the story its most heart tugging moments. The premise was intriguing but the details and events described did not quite make this one as good as it could have been. An instant romance, a weird cosmic connection to a wolf, super fight skills, strong morality, convenient rescue -- a boilerplate but entertaining enough for the short time it took to read in one sitting. I am not sure if I would look for another installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is the second in a series. I did not read the first but this one could work as standalone.

Genre - crime thriller

The Nurse's Secret by Amanda Skendadore

 Historical mystery set in New York circa 1880s.

Una is a gifted thief but falls afoul of the law and is arrested for murder when she cons her way into Bellevue Hospital as a probationary nurse trainee. She knows that she didn't kill anyone, but she can't forget that someone is continuing to strangle others who come from the streets. Can her extravagant ruse and many lies protect her as she investigates those deaths and somehow redeem herself as well.

As a registered nurse, I always search for books that have anything to do with medicine or science. I also love reading about the origin of the profession so that I can marvel at how far things have come since its beginning. The details about how Una performed her duties and took care of her patients was the most interesting part of this book. I was dismayed that it took 14 chapters (almost 27% into the book) before she got there. I almost quit reading but stuck it out just so I could be reminded of how nurses have evolved through the century plus. So much of the narrative proved uninteresting and unrelated to what I had thought by the synopsis was going to be the gist of the novel. I really never warmed to Una and some of the things that happened made me scoff in disbelief at what she managed to get away with. She cheats, she doesn't do her job well, and she doesn't bother to do much nursing aside from being where she shouldn't. Of course there was a silly romance with a doctor.

The amateur detecting Una does was also laughable. She sure is never where she is meant to be and her focus on finding out who is the murderer made her put herself and those who cared about her at risk. I finished it just because I always do in order to give an honest rating, but I feel generous in rounding up to 3 stars. I was very disappointed that there was not more about the nursing and honestly, the conclusion was a bit unbelievable.

I had read and liked the Mirielle West book and that is why I requested this one. Would I try this author again -- maybe. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - historical mystery

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Slivia Moreno-Garcia

 Set in nineteenth-century Mexico, this novel is both historical and science fiction.

Carlota Moreau is a teenager who lives on the Yucatan peninsula in 1871 with her father, ostensibly a doctor, and a collection of hybrid animals that he has scientifically created. The large and beautiful estate where they live their secluded lives is owned by a wealthy family, the Lizaldes. As patrons of Dr. Moreau, the family controls the coffers and are owners of the hybrids -- part human, part animal. Everything is perfect in Carlota's eyes until she meets the owner's handsome son, Eduardo Lizalde. As secrets long buried are revealed, simmering passion and rebellion create a sequence of events that change everything.

The premise is based loosely on the H.G. Wells novel published in 1896 but the setting has been altered which also affects the action and theme of this book. I loved the details the author presented about the home they've named Yaxaktun. The characters were an interesting lot, but I was hoping for more of the science fiction aspect about the hybrids. The narrative shifts in point of view between Carlota as she grows into womanhood and the overseer of the property, Montgomery Laughton. At times that made the story seem repetitive. There were times when local conflicts and other historically relevant events could have been included to flesh out the tale, but it all seemed a bit superficial. It seemed that the deep plunge into the whys and hows was just not made so we are left with only a vague understanding of Carlota. I just wanted more depth in characterization and more about the vivisection. In any event, it was a quick and interesting read.

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

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

Genre - historical fiction (Mexico late 1800s), science fiction, romance

The Retreat (Elin Warner #2) by Sarah Pearse

 Detective Elin Warner is back to work when she's called for a suspicious death at a secluded upscale island retreat.

The island, known as Reaper's Rock, has a tainted past. There are rumors of abuse that occurred at an old boys' school there, and a serial killer murdered several teenagers who were on a sponsored trip there years ago. Are the current deaths of tourists connected to what happened way back then and why these particular people?

Elin is still not all together after her leave and time in the Alps (first book), plagued by self-doubts and possibly not ready to assume a new investigation. Fortunately, she's got a colleague with her. It's a good thing as the case ricochets from one absurd theory to another random connection. The plot is very thin and there is a lot of rambling in the narrative. The most annoying part of this novel was how hard the author was trying to make an inanimate object (the island) assume such a malevolent nature. Oh, and there's a bad storm on the island and there's no cell service and of course no help from the mainland can get there. Tedious read and I just wanted to get to the end to hear what ludicrous motive was involved in this drama. Talk about thin. Anyway, I'm glad it's over and I liked this one a lot less than the first. Throughout the read I felt as if I was being force fed all the emotions and ominous foreboding but I never actually felt any shivers or thrills. Yawn.

Anyway, hope your experience is better. Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is the second book featuring this detective. Read in order.

Genre - police procedural, drama, revenge

The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland

 Fast-paced spy thriller pits a demoted CIA agent against a clever and cunning enemy.

Beth Bradford had an idyllic life in a lovely home with her husband and three children. Until she didn't. In just days, Beth's husband has left her, her house is sold and she has to move, she has an empty nest, and she has been taken off the case that she has been working for over a decade. Of all of those losses, being removed from her position tracking an Iranian intelligence network and the asset known as The Neighbor, is the worst. She can't stop trying to find them to try to prevent their hacking into CIA computers.

And, she's really resentful and overly curious about the woman who has moved into her old house on the cul-de-sac where she raised her children. Madeline Sterling quickly becomes friends with Beth's old neighbors and Beth feels like she is being shut out of everything she once held dear. But, could it be more ominous than just a new person on the street? Perhaps Madeline is connected to Iranian intelligence and is actually the entity she has been searching for through the years.

Well, this was quite a convoluted and entertaining story. Beth often seems unhinged and irrational as she defies orders and continues to work her case even though she was ejected from her office and reassigned. No one is above suspicion as Beth unearths the secrets in the cul-de-sac and uncovers some startling connections in order to identify the spy. As she entertains one suspect after another, her behavior seems motivated by paranoia and there is little she won't do to pursue this hunt. As usual, everyone thinks Beth is in need of psych help and discounts her.

I always find it frustrating when the narrative tries to make the main character look unreliable and unbalanced. As Beth skips from one possible Neighbor to another, it keeps the reader guessing, but the big reveal at the end was a bit of a surprise after all and the book seemed to end quite abruptly without the full resolution I was hoping to see. Not that I want any more of Beth or this plot line, but I do like a concrete conclusion. I've read all of Karen Cleveland's previous books and this was probably my least favorite. But she is definitely an author whose next work I will definitely seek out. It makes a good beach read for sure.

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

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

Genre - spy thriller, domestic drama

Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Action-packed techno thriller!

Logan Ramsay has been genetically enhanced without his knowledge or permission. As he gradually discovers that he is better at everything -- from concentration to physical abilities -- he also finds that he has been targeted for this upgrade by someone from his past. And there are bigger plans for the rest of humankind on a simply terrifying scale. Only Logan can stop the worst from happening.

This is the type of book that I was desperately needing -- so fast and fun with events coming at a furious pace that left me turning the pages wildly with anticipation. I love science, and this involved gene manipulation, so it was everything I hoped it would be and intensely satisfying. I liked the main character, and I can just see this as a movie on the big screen. There are some moral lessons within and I found it quite interesting what evolved from Logan's super mind concerning what the most important thing would be for the continued existence of homo sapiens. Enjoy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and highly recommend. I can't wait for this author's next book!

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

Genre - techno thriller, gene manipulation, science, action

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

 A mystery and friendship drama that involves a woman's obsessive quest for closure after her best friend is murdered.

Hannah Jones and April Clarke-Clivedon (as per my copy) met at Oxford and were roommates and best friends as they began their college days in a centuries old institution with a very rich history. The pair become part of a group of other students and they are having a grand time. Until April is murdered.  Ten years later, Hannah is married and expecting a baby but has never moved on from that event. A journalist contacts her when the man convicted dies in prison. It all comes rushing back.

What I liked about this book: the setting and descriptions of Pelham College and Oxford.

What I did not like: everything else.

I was so happy to get out of Hannah's head by the time this was over. The narrative is a constant stream of consciousness and so banal and inane and repetitious that I almost DNF. I absolutely could not stand the character and have no clue how anyone else could bear to be around her or in a relationship with her. It took FOREVER to get to the gist of the mystery with all of Hannah's dithering. The story flips back and forth between "Before" (the college days) and "After" (10 years later). The author dangles all the red herrings and it was easy to tell by the order in which they dropped who the bad actor was going to end up being. I was totally bored and this all went on way too long.

I have read most all of this author's other books and this is certainly not her best work. I should have skipped it but I see that all the fans have a different opinion about this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for the advance copy to read and review. 

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

Genre - mystery, friendship drama

Abiding Conviction (Dutch Francis #3) by Stephen M. Murphy

 A legal case and a personal domestic drama face attorney Dutch Francis when two situations combine to put him near his breaking point.

If it isn't pressure enough defending a former judge against a first degree murder charge, Dutch Francis has another horrible problem -- his wife, TV news broadcaster, Ginnie Turner, has gone missing. Torn between his contractual responsibilities to his client and his mad concern for his wife, Francis is pushed to take matters into his own hands and engages his own investigator to help him look into what might have happened to Ginnie. Is this about her news stories or is it about his work as a lawyer?  And how can he concentrate on the courtroom when he can't find his wife and the police are a bit suspicious of him.

This was fast paced and I read it in a single sitting. When I started, I did not realize that this was the third book in a series and I think I might have enjoyed it more if I had read the others since I would have had more of the backstory that makes a character seem more believable. I did enjoy the two-pronged story, though found a bit of Dutch's actions somewhat unrealistic. I do like a good legal thriller and lots of courtroom action, so that part was more interesting to me than the missing wife aspect. I'll have to keep an eye out for future books by this author.

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

This is the 3rd in a series -- I had not read the first two and I wish I had done.

Genre - legal thriller, domestic drama

A Secret About a Secret by Peter Spiegelman

Fast and fun mystery thriller with a gothic atmosphere.

A very powerful and secretive government agency, Standard Division, sends Agent Myles to a remote research facility when one of their scientists is found dead in the executive kitchen walk-in fridge. Ondstrand Biologic sits cliff side with a private beach and was the former site of a boarding school with a disreputable past; many of the researchers both live and work there. Dr. Allegra Stans was one of them but Myles discovers that she was certainly not the nerdy academic who spent all of her time with her nose in the high tech pursuits of the company. Who murdered her and why? Myles has open access to all of the employees and the management team but everyone tries to keep their secrets despite his efforts and implied threats backed by his organization.

I really enjoyed this and liked the writing style. The plot was interesting and the protagonist, Myles, was clever and discerning. Many parts of the book were deliberately vague, but it gave off a gothic vibe with the isolated location and the creepy history of the place. There were a lot of characters to keep straight, but the author did a good job of making each memorable -- and I was suspicious of them all. The whole story of who Myles is, who he works with and for, and the details about Standard Division were quite entertaining. I would definitely like to read more books in a series featuring this character.

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

This is a standalone and is not (yet) part of any series.

Genre - mystery, crime thriller

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan

 A politician on trial for murder is facing the loss of her stature in Parliament and her reputation may be destroyed forever.

Emma Webster is an MP who has been campaigning hard for new laws to protect against revenge porn and other abusive acts against women. Every time she appears in the news, she has to read horrific tweets and posts about herself -- and most of them involve violent suggestions or hints about acts that make her anxious and fearful for her safety. Finding someone to trust has been difficult since her divorce, but she is determined to make sure that her 14-year-old daughter, Flora, is protected. When events conspire to bring Emma face to face with the biggest threat to her reputation, she fights back.

Unfamiliar as I am with British court, law, and the role of the MP, I still managed to find this story compelling and timely. Tired of all the misogyny in many aspects of life, I wasn't quite sure where this story was going to go. I rounded down from 3.5 stars because much of the prose seemed to ramble and was a bit repetitive with so many questions about things that were happening and never feeling that Emma was a reliable narrator. The sections told from the point of view of Emma, Caroline, and Flora were sometimes at odds and I just wanted to get to the truth of the matter so I could decide how I felt about everything that happened. Given my extreme dislike for tabloid journalism, most social media, and politicians in general, I was really finding it hard to pick a side. What struck me hardest is that there's no question in my mind that women always get the worst backlash in every situation. They are harassed, trolled, ridiculed, saddled with unrealistic expectations of behavior and reactions, and objectified in ways that no man has to experience.

Every woman knows fear -- and it seems that nothing has changed to make things safer. Women are held to a different standard and, despite all the efforts, I have not seen much change. So, the social issues within this novel dramatize how women are perceived and damaged in overt and subtle ways. It is part family and social drama, includes courtroom scenes, and not really a thriller but more a psychological study. It boils down to this -- how much could any life stand up to intense scrutiny and how important is it what others think of us.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - topical fiction, psychological

The Falcon (Nina Guerrera #3) by Isabella Maldonado

 A cunning serial killer stalks the campus of Arizona Institute of Technology in Phoenix.  

FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera and her team  are working out of the Phoenix field office when they get the assignment to assist the AIT police after 5 female undergraduate students had vanished from the school campus. The women had started to disappear about 3 1/2 months earlier and the families insisted that the FBI be called in to help find the missing. It doesn't take long before the joint task force makes a chilling discovery in an abandoned mine -- and their findings show that a very unusual madman is at work.

This is the third in a series, but the first I have read. I was immediately captivated by the writing style and the main character, Nina, who is damaged (aren't they all?) by a horrific event that she endured as a teenager. I enjoyed the relationship of the FBI teammates and the details about their hunt for the unknown subject in the case. I won't say more about the perpetrator (spoilers), but the investigation has a lot of red herrings so it was hard to identify the unsub. I don't know if there will be more books featuring this team, but I definitely would like to read them and perhaps go back to the first. The only detractor was an overly long section of the thriller that describes captivity and behavior of one of the nabbed women. For some reason, reading about frantic escape efforts never quite appeals to me as much as the detective action. I really liked, however, finding out so much about the person responsible, their motives, profile, and techniques. All told, it was a very good read.

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

This is part of a series. I read it before knowing that and wish I could have started at beginning.

Genre - Crime thriller, FBI

Fatal Witness (Detective Erika Foster #7) by Robert Bryndza

 Erika Foster has just moved into her new home, a real fixer upper. She's out for a walk in the Blackheath neighborhood when she hears a scream and finds a new murder case.

The victim, a true crime podcaster, is identified by her sister as Vicky Clarke. Was her work the reason for the killing and, if so, where are the files and recordings? The investigation leads Erika and her team on a frustrating trek around the South London area. Interviews are hampered or blocked and the evidence leads nowhere. In a puzzling twist, there's another slaying and Erika is working hard to put the pieces together and find the perpetrator.

I must admit, this was a bit of a disappointment after waiting so long for this installment in a series that I had really liked. Most of it is police procedural and the plot is a little thin with it being fairly obvious quite quickly who the villain was. Erika is the typical genre protagonist, single and a workaholic, who manages to get herself in danger as do all the female detectives who go it alone without their backup. We do not hear much about the rest of the team as they come and go keeping busy. And, I wonder, what was the point of including that bit about the cat mutilation (might be a trigger for some)? I had some other moments of irritation but just glossed over them.  I will likely try this author again, but this one was formulaic without the intense suspense, thrills, and excitement that I have come to expect from this type of book. I have read all of Bryndza's previous work.

Thank you to NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for this e-book ARC to read and review. 

This is the 7th in a series that should be read in order.

Genre -  police procedural, crime thriller

Cold, Cole Bones (Temperance Brennan #21) by Kathy Reichs

Seemingly random incidents and crimes -- forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan finds herself deep in it from eyeballs to mummified corpse to carbon monoxide poisoning.

Winter brings snow to North Carolina when Tempe's daughter, Katy, finally leaves the Army and returns home. Ryan is out of the country and Slidell is still working with the CMPD cold case unit. After a chilling discovery on her front porch, Tempe notices that clues lead to another very odd find in the privy at a private school. It's not until a few other weird occurrences that Tempe starts to see that each of the cases is similar to ones she has been involved with in the past. It seems that someone is going through a lot of effort to get her attention.

This, the 21st installment in a very popular and entertaining series, wasn't the most fascinating of all, but I like the characters, their interactions, and the snarky humor in the story. The plot can best be described as a revenge story, and there are a lot of suspects to track and details to follow. I'm a fan of both crime and medical thrillers, so these books always hit the sweet spot. Pretty sure most readers also have followed the hit show, "Bones" which is based and adapted from the novels. I feel that it is best to read from the beginning as this doesn't seem like it would work very well as a start point or standalone.

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

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

Genre - crime/medical thriller

The Hidden one (Kate Burkholder #14) by Linda Castillo

 In a departure from the usual setting of Painters Mill, Chief Kate Burkholder travels to Pennsylvania to help a man from her past who's been accused of murder.

When the 3 Amish elders meet with Kate and ask for her assistance, she is torn because Jonas Bowman was her first love and she still feels pangs of regret at everything that transpired between them. But, she knows that he is not capable of this crime despite all the circumstantial evidence in the case. Jonas is being held in prison for the killing of an Amish bishop, Ananias Stolzfus, after the murder weapon that belongs to Jonas was discovered along with the body. The true problem is that this crime was a cold case as the bishop vanished over 18 years prior but the remains were only recently discovered in an alfalfa field. Kate goes to Pennsylvania, but her presence is not wanted and so she delves into the investigation alone. As she uncovers more details about the bishop, she comes to the conclusion that many might have had a motive to kill him.

This was an interesting read, but not my favorite in the series. I must say that I'm amazed that Kate can still walk and talk after all the physical trauma she goes through in every book. Fortunately, she makes it out alive despite all the near death experiences and manages to escape back home after solving the puzzle. I hope that her relationship with Tomasetti moves forward as the series continues. This latest installment is the last in my binge of these books, so I guess I will have to wait until next summer to get all my answers. I do love the details and descriptions of Amish life and the characterization of Kate. Missed the team and hope the action will return to Painters Mill next time.

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

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

Genre - Amish crime thriller

Fallen (Kate Burkholder #13) by Linda Castillo

 It's very dangerous to believe that you will be safe when someone knows your past and your secrets.

When an excommunicated, formerly Amish woman returns to Painters Mill, she is brutally beaten to death at the local hotel. Chief Kate Burkholder remembers Rachael Schwartz as a young, rebellious girl who was reckless and wild with a personality that caused a lot of problems in the small community. When she left, some were relieved but her best friend, Loretta Bontrager, still kept in touch as Rachael lived her life large and unapologetic in nearby Cleveland, Ohio. Kate has many questions about this murder case, but the main ones loom -- why in the world did Rachael come to Painters Mill and who hated her this much?

This was a very entertaining and interesting installment in one of my favorite series. There are lots of suspects and red herrings and a complicated backstory as Kate and her team delve into Rachael's life to dig up all the dirt from her past and present. As the revelations come, Kate herself is in danger as people will do whatever they can to protect their most closely guarded secrets and reputations.

I love the characters, the relationship between Kate and Tomasetti, and the details about Amish life, beliefs, and culture. I suggest that anyone interested start at the beginning of the series and read the books in order. I can't wait to go on to the next and have been lucky enough to read several back to back so am enjoying spending time in Kate's world.

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

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

Genre - Amish crime thriller

Outsider (Kate Burkholder #12) by Linda Castillo

 Reconnecting with an old friend is usually a pleasant trip down memory lane -- except when your friend is possibly a rogue cop on the run from some very nasty and corrupt fellow officers who don't have the best intentions.

When Amish widower Adam Lengacher finds an injured woman in a snowdrift while out on a sleigh ride with his children, he calls Painters Mill police chief Kate Burkholder. Kate is stunned to find that the woman is a former best friend, Gina Colorosa. The two had graduated from the police academy together and worked for Columbus Police until Gina's questionable behavior put the pair at odds and Kate returned to her former home town. Now, Gina is accused of murdering a cop and Kate is not confident that her friend is innocent. As a snowstorm strands them at the Lengacher farm, a threat is building that will bring trouble because there are some nasty people who want to find Gina and prevent her from talking.

A confession: I really hate to get started on a series and usually end up bored with all the characters and the same old same with subsequent books. This one, however, is an exception. Every book builds on the last so that I almost feel that I have a relationship with Kate and her team. In addition, the details about Amish beliefs, life, and culture add a refreshing dimension to the standard police detective crime thriller story. I like the writing style and the plots are absorbing and interesting. This is definitely one of my very favorites in this genre and I have had the pleasure of reading several in a row so it has enhanced the whole experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. I'm off to start the next.

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

Genre - Amish crime thriller