Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine

 Horror thriller dealing with a nightmare pregnancy.

After many attempts to conceive, IVF finally works for Anna Alcott and her husband, Dex. Almost immediately, things start going haywire. Anna is either completely mad, or she and her unborn child are in danger. 

This was a crazy and overly long book that I can’t believe I actually finished. I was ready to chuck it in fairly early as there was way too much going on inside of Anna’s head. Very repetitive with all the symptoms and having to ask myself if this was another hallucination or if Anna’s perceptions were off the charts. I am not a horror fan and I found the narrative slightly ridiculous. I didn’t care about Anna, her pregnancy, or the underlying theme of how difficult pregnancy is and how awful men and doctors are. My experience as a mother and a nurse completely contradicts the premise within the pages that women are supposed to suffer during pregnancy and childbirth. Not only that, but it is insulting to those wonderful OB docs, nurse practitioners, and others who support pregnant women. If you don’t have someone like that, go look elsewhere. You are master of your own pregnancy journey. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e-book ARC to read and review. I can’t recommend it.

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

Genre - horror, thriller

Dead Mountain (Nora Kelly #4) by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

 An entertaining mystery involving nine missing mountaineers. 

What happened to the college students who went on a winter backpacking trip into the Manzano Mountains? Sure, conditions were brutal in the high New Mexico mountain range but they were experienced and well provisioned. Something made them flee from their tent out into a blizzard and certain death. A search and rescue effort found 6 of them -- with some disturbing injuries. The case went cold, and the FBI put it on the back burner. 

Years later, in a cave that also contained ancient remains of Pueblos, two additional bodies are recovered. FBI Agent Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly, an archeologist, team up to investigate, examine the new evidence, and analyze the events of that fateful camping excursion.

I really love the writing style and these characters. This is the 4th in the series and although it could be read as a standalone, I think it best to read them all, in order. The unlikely pair of Corrie and Nora make a great team despite their personalities and different backgrounds. The combination of law and order with archeology is a good fit especially with historical mysteries. The plot and ensuing discoveries were quite interesting, and the pace was fast. Looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. The entire series is excellent. 

This is the 4th in a series that should be read in order.

Genre - mystery, suspense, thriller, FBI, archeology

Dark Corners (Rachel Krall #2) by Megan Goldin

 "Dark corners can be danger points."

Rachel Krall is drug into an FBI situation involving a missing influencer and a suspected killer behind bars. Rachel is a true crime podcaster whose recent fame has enhanced her reputation as an investigative reporter. She flies to Daytona Beach to visit the convict who's about to be released after an incarceration for breaking and entering -- they couldn't make a murder charge stick. But, Maddison Logan, the young woman who has disappeared, had visited him right before she vanished.

The first thing the reader must do is accept that the FBI would ask Rachel Krall to be involved in this case and provide her with all the pertinent details. I found that aspect a bit hard to swallow and so i did not like this second installment as much as I did the first as it just seemed too outlandish. Rachel was far removed from her podcast role. 

The plot was OK, the weirdness that was trimethlylaminuria was quite interesting (it's a rare condition that makes someone smell horrible, and is sometimes called fish odor syndrome). I did not find this to be much of a suspense thriller, more a mystery that sort of hopped and skipped all over the place. Not a fan of the instant romance either. Was never satisfied with the information finally revealed about the killer. 

Frankly, I was really bored by the influencer angle. I am sure others might disagree, but I am so over this constant self-obsession and the competition for followers and viral posts. What I think is really meant is that there is danger in the dark corners of social media. 

Will I read another installment in this series? Probably, but I sure hope that the author returns to the writing style and format with the podcasts, scripts, etc. that made the first better for me. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the second installment in the series. I would read in order.

Genre - mystery, true crime podcaster, fiction

Drug of Choice by John Lange (Michael Crichton)

 Published in 1970 by medical student Michael Crichton under a pseudonym , this short novel was fast and fun. I’d read another of his earlier books, A Case of Need, years ago, and enjoyed it but had never before looked for other early titles by this author and filmmaker though I’ve long been an admirer of his work. 

The plot involves pharmacological substances used to alter reality and the protagonist, a young idealistic doctor, is sufficiently outraged by the effects and is determined to stop the experimentation. Lots of action propels the narrative and the momentum is not bogged down by a lot of scientific and medical detail that sometimes alienates some readers. Most of the characters are not memorable and the outcome is quite predictable, but the story is entertaining just the same. 

I love science fiction, medical details, suspense, drama, mystery, and crime. There were parts of this short novel that I would have liked to have seen better developed, but it was a one-sitting read and I may go hunt down others written during this time period that I missed after having read most all of Crichton’s later, more well-known works. Enjoy!

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

Genre - mystery thriller

Murder at the Village Fair (Miss Underhay #13) by Helena Dixon

 Another fun installment in this cozy mystery series.

Having read all the previous books, I can't imagine trying to read this out of order so do begin at the beginning so that you can fully appreciate the many different situations that Kitty Underhay - now Mrs. Matthew Bryant - has faced. 

It is summer, 1935, and the newly married couple is visiting Matt's aunt in Yorkshire. A village fair is underway when the festivities are interrupted by murder. The dead woman was not very popular in the community, so there are many suspects. Matt and Kitty are asked to investigate to protect the reputation of one of the local citizens. 

I enjoy the period details of this Golden Age murder mystery series and the writing style. The characters have become like old friends who are always great to visit. Easy to read and fun to guess who is guilty with no shortage of motives, means, and opportunity. 

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

This is the 13th in a series that should be read in order. 

Genre - Golden Age cozy historical mystery

Deliver Them From Evil (Camille Delaney #2) by Amanda DuBois

 Gripping medical mystery!

Although the second in the series featuring attorney Camille Delaney, this is the first I have read. That will definitely be rectified as I enjoyed this one so much that I will go back and read the introduction to the character. That said, this book can easily be read as a standalone. 

A tragedy in the delivery room -- a young couple loses their baby to what looks like medical malpractice by the obstetrician, Dr. Jessica Kensington. Although popular among her peers, Dr. Kensington has had more than one grieving family bring lawsuits against her. In addition, she has a really sketchy past and some creepy family history. 

Camille Delaney takes this case despite misgivings --after all, dead baby cases do not have huge payout settlements from insurance companies. As she gathers all the pertinent information, she finds financial struggles and loss of her paralegal to a higher paying job with a big-name firm in downtown Seattle. But one shocking revelation after another tells Camille that she is on the right track to obtain some sort of justice despite the inequities of the system. 

Thoroughly enjoyed the narrative and the characters. If you like a medical mystery based on unusual scenarios written by an author who is a nurse as well as a lawyer, you will like this book. I had no idea where this was going at first, but the resolution and wrap up were very satisfying. Definitely looking forward to continuing with a third installment. 

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

This is the second in the series.

Genre - medical mystery, malpractice, obstetrics