Her, Too by Bonnie Kistler

 An unputdownable thriller.

Kelly McCann is a successful lawyer who has made a lucrative practice out of defending men accused of sex crimes. Her most recent win is the acquittal of Dr. George Benedict, accused of the rape of a coworker he had fired. Dr. Benedict, the man behind the discovery of what might be the cure for Alzheimer's, is now back on track to receive the Nobel Prize in medicine. Kelly is jubilant in her victory as she loves winning. Until she's attacked and sexually assaulted. Telling anyone is out of the question as it would destroy her career. Once she comes to her senses, she realizes that she must get revenge for herself and for all the other women who have been victims. 

This is a very tough subject to read about and to discuss. The author handles it with the outrage it deserves and also shows the damage that the assaults inflict on the lives of the women and every other aspect of their existence. I was cheering Kelly on even as I cringed at some of the decisions she made. Her situation is complicated by her family life and unwillingness to tell anyone what happened to her. I read the entire book in a single sitting, and I know it will linger in my mind for a very long time. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book and the narrators did a fabulous job of voicing all the characters. The accents, the emotions, and the drama were all so well done by the performances of Susan Dalian and Elisabeth Rodgers. The audiobook definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story. 

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

Genre - suspense thriller, sexual assault, rape, murder, lawyers

Passions in Death (In Death Eve Dallas #59) by J.D. Robb

 Another winner in this futuristic crime thriller series.

It's summer in Manhattan, but it's not the heat that brings Lt. Eve Dallas and Roarke to the air conditioned Down and Dirty sex club that night. A bride-to-be lies dead in a private room along with a case of special surprises for her fiancée. Because the club was mostly full of their best friends in a pre-wedding celebration, Eve knows that one of them must have killed Erin Albright, a 27-year-old mixed race artist who was about to marry Shauna Hunnicut. The LGBTQ+ friend tribe is in shock and Shauna is devastated. Eve and her colleagues are determined to get justice for this cold-blooded and obviously calculated murder. 

It amazes me that the author can keep this level of suspense and write interesting plots after 58 other installments featuring Detective Eve Dallas. It's been fun to see all the other characters grow and develop through the pages of the series and I really like them all. Of course, it's Eve and Roarke who have the ideal marriage and partnership, but they are very generous to their friends as well. It's fun with the futuristic bent and the little details about the state of the cities and the ways that people live and work. I am always eager for the next book. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while reading along with the e-book ARC (both provided by the publishers). The narrator, Susan Ericksen, does an excellent job with all the character voices and accents. Her performance is always fabulous as she is so animated and appropriately dramatic. As always, simultaneous listening and reading enhances my enjoyment of the book. 

This is part of a long running series that is best when read from the beginning and in order.

Genre - futuristic crime thriller

The Dark Wives (#11 Vera Stanhope) by Ann Cleeves

 Murder and mystery involving a care home for troubled teens.

This is the 11th book in the series but the first I have read. I've also not seen the television show, so all of this was new to me. Set in the coastal northeastern village of Longwater, DI Vera Stanhope and her team investigate the death of a staff member, Josh, who is found murdered right outside of Rosebank, a care home for teenagers. In addition, one of the residents at the home, Chloe Spence, has disappeared. Is she a victim or a suspect? 

Vera's team begins the tedious task of following up. Her subordinates include DS Joe Ashworth and DC Charlie as well as a new member, DC Rosie Bell. The story also refers to a previous member of the team, Holly, now apparently deceased and often mentioned but no details about what happened. I think this made coming into the series with this installment a bit confusing so probably best to read in order. I could tell that the team understands each other and knows strength and weakness of their colleagues but difficult to assess character development. Vera is strong, independent, opinionated, keeps things close to the chest, and happily single. 

One of my gripes about this police procedural is how completely the reader is left in the dark when Vera and the team have the pieces to solve the case, including the names of suspects, but those details are not given. 

The plot had merits but I found the process and all of the interviews quite slow moving. Lots of characters to keep straight. Not sure if I liked well enough to begin the series with the first installment but I might read another in the future. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator did a great job voicing the characters and all the accents but without the text in front of me I think it would have been difficult to identify who was speaking at times. It definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story as the production was well done.

This is the 11th book in a popular British crime mystery series. There is also a television series featuring the main character. I had not read or seen either before. I feel best that this series be read from the beginning in order. 

Genre - British police procedural, mystery

Red River Road by Anna Downes

 What a twisty and wild ride in this mystery thriller about a woman searching to find out what happened to her younger sister who went missing when on a solo van trip through Australia. 

Great descriptive storytelling as Katy Sweeney uses her sister, Phoebe’s, old instagram posts to trace her route along the Western Australian coast. Following her social media photos and details into campsites and scenic sites, Katy finds the trail has gone cold. No one knows anything. Katy discovers more questions than answers as she soon realizes that the situation of a woman traveling alone can be very dangerous. What happened to Phoebe and where was she when it did?

Suddenly, the tracking becomes even more convoluted when Katy meets and befriends the stranded Beth. But things are even more strange as they travel together. Someone is following them. 

I think it best to go into this without reading too much about it ahead of time. It’s a fabulous narrative  with multiple points of view that, initially, is quite confusing. When all is revealed, you will likely shake your head and exclaim at how well the author tied everything together in a shocking climax. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrator did a fabulous job with the different character voices and the Australian accents. The quality of expression and tone by Maddy Withington added immensely to my enjoyment of the story. An excellent production that has the added benefit of hearing the author’s note at the end and a conversation between Anna Downes and Sally Hepworth. Highly recommended.

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

Genre - psychological thriller, mystery, assault, partner violence, solo van life 

The Hotel Maid by Michelle Dunne

 June Calloway has been cleaning rooms at the Cedarwood Manor for 6 years. As a maid, she’s practically invisible to the guests and other staff there. A bit of an odd duck, she says little but notices everything. She’s good at her job and enjoys it well enough, but her life outside of the luxurious hotel is quiet and lonely. Although she has a roommmate, she has little money and few possessions. She also has a tendency to self-harm. But June has big plans and even bigger secrets.

A bit of a slow burn, nothing really started happening until after the half-way mark and I was getting bored. The story’s main character, June, seemed a bit too much like another in a series I’ve also read. Also, the narrative flips back and forth in point of view and time jumps that made the flow uneven. I didn’t really enjoy the parts that featured Mia. The lies of Tess and the convoluted identity and names got muddled as well. From then, it became entirely forseeable . I didn’t care for June and how she handled her issues and past. Although I might initially have felt for her in the situations she found herself in, I soon believed that she was wrong in how things were handled. It was way too complicated for a plot that was so predictable in the end.  Enough said. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book as both were provided as ARCs by the publisher. I enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook who did an excellent job of voicing the characters and I loved her accent. That definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

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

Genre. - revenge thriller, self harm, mental health issues, child abuse

Shadowheart (UNSUB #4) by Meg Gardiner

 Fast-paced and convoluted crime thriller.

This novel features the characters of the UNSUB series but goes away from the Prophet and the Ghost story line to focus on the manipulations of a serial killer who is locked in a Tennessee prison. Efrem Judah Goode claims to have killed dozens of women and is giving the FBI drawings of them to help their families get closure. Of course he wants something in return. It seems a new killer is putting their victims at the dump sites of Goode's previous murders. FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix must try to locate this new villain, dubbed the Broken Heart Killer, and try to figure out their motive in taunting Goode. 

There was just way too much happening in this book. Although I liked the character of Caitlin Hendrix, it took forever to get the case unraveled and figure out what was going on. The whole situation with Finch and her adoptive mother bothered me, mainly because of how the concept and point of adoption was framed as well as what happened to the pair. Many convenient coincidences and the conclusion really bothered me. There was also this side plot going on with the boyfriend Sean, and the bomb squad, etc. but left unresolved with the Ghost still out there. 

I suppose this could be a standalone as it really doesn't fit with the rest of the series but is more a tangent. I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher and didn't care for the voice of the narrator. This definitely would have benefited from a larger cast.

This is the 4th in a series. I have not read all of them.

Genre - crime thriller, serial killer. FBI

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

 Absorbing historical fiction set in China in the 15th century.

Although this is fiction, the novel was based on the true story of Tan Yunxian, raised in an elite family and trained in the ancient ways on how to be a wife and mother. Her upbringing, however, was framed by her grandmother, one of only a few female Chinese doctors, and she teaches Yunxian medicine specific to female patients. Most of the illnesses of women relate to childbearing and Yunxian learns about those along with a girl of her own age in training to be a midwife. Meiling and Yunxian become forever friends who share in each other's joy and anguish throughout their lives. 

Yunxian is married out in an arranged marriage and is subject to a mother-in-law who forbids the friendship and also prevents her from treating the women and girls in the large household compound known as the Garden of Fragrant Delights. Confined to the grounds, Yunxian finds ways to reach her destiny despite many travails.

This novel was epic in scope and evoked all the feelings. I often find books that show how women were treated and seen in the past to be difficult to stomach. As a heath care professional, I also have to shudder at some of the thoughts and practices about disease and treatments that were common in that era, 5 centuries ago, and in a country that I know little to nothing about as far as beliefs and culture. The descriptions about the people, the class differences, the foot binding, the concubines, the feelings about children, and so many other details were absolutely fascinating. I should have been doing so many other necessary chores but could not put this down. I will be thinking of this book for a very long time. This ultimately was a book about women helping women during the Ming dynasty era, but also is true of the way women still support and care for each other because it is true that only women can understand some things about women's health. 

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Jennifer Chen and Justin Chien while also following along in the e-book. The narrators did a marvelous job of voicing the characters. Their inflection, intonation, and expressiveness added to my enjoyment of the story. It is an excellent production. 

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

Genre - historical fiction, Ming Dynasty, China, women physicians. Based on real person.

Dark Music (Rekke #1) by David Lagercrantz

 "...darkness not only conceals, it also transforms. Corrupts."

The first in a new crime thriller series, this book features an interesting investigative duo and highlights international crimes and conspiracy. 

Professor Hans Rekke is a physical and personal disaster, but his brilliant deductive techniques make him an expert in logic and observation. Through a series of events, he connects with Stockholm police officer Micaela Vargas. Their partnership proves synergistic as the pair solves the murder of an asylum seeker from Afghanistan. 

This story starts out quite slow and the murder investigation isn't very exciting, but the pace and tension build when Rekke and Vargas start digging into the victim's past. The historical details heighten the intensity of the inquiry. Unfortunately, Rekke seems unstable (addict and depressive) and without Vargas, this whole probe wouldn't have gone anywhere as the police had basically stopped looking for the killer after initially arresting the wrong person. I'm trying to figure out exactly what type of relationship Rekka and Vargas will forge as they work well together and there does seem to be a hint of attraction. The plot develops and it ended up being quite absorbing by the end. I am interested enough in this duo to read additional books in this series. 

I listened to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book and that was essential as the pronunciations, Latin phrases, names of Swedish places, accents, etc. were beyond my ability to understand just by hearing. The narrator had a nice voice and did a good job trying to articulate the many different characters. 

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

Genre - crime thriller, international, Sweden

A Game of Lies (DC Morgan #2) by Clare Mackintosh

 Crime thriller set in Wales.

Another book about a reality show! Apparently, this is the genre du jour in 2024 as I have read quite a few with similar themes this year. In this case, seven contestants are chosen to participate in a telecast named "Exposure" that is being filmed at a camp set up in the Welsh mountains. Lured to participate thinking it was a survival type program, they find out on live television that the whole point of their experience will be about finding out and exposing each other's secrets. Shamed publicly and perhaps resulting in terrible consequences in their personal lives. Locked into contracts they can't get out of, the seven are trapped and when the outing of the secrets begins, one of the players disappears. The local police are called in to search for the missing person. Then a murder.  DC Ffion Morgan has to quickly figure out what is going on.

This was fast-paced, and I felt a bit at a loss as this was the second book in a series and I had not read the first. I have not previously read a lot of books set in Wales so I found the description of the area quite interesting. I don't feel like I got to know the characters very well and all seemed stereotypical and superficial as detectives, especially Ffion who is headstrong, impetuous, and doesn't really follow the rules but her understanding boss allows her to remain on the job despite her failings. I understand the romance began in the previous book. The secrets and lies are revealed and the case is solved with the usual heroine in peril situation. I probably won't continue this series.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. It's a good thing I had the book because the accents and pronunciations made it almost impossible to understand what was being said. The narrator's voice was quite unpleasant.

This is the second book in a series that should be read from the beginning.

Genre - crime thriller, reality shows, detectives, Wales

Fire and Bones (#23 Tempe Brennan) by Kathy Reichs

 I truly enjoy this series featuring the iconic Tempe Brennan and what’s really amazing is that this #23 is every bit as good, maybe even better, as the previous installments.  

First of all, I really love anything medical and Tempe, as a forensic anthropologist, always gets deep in with the bones and bodies. The details are what I can’t get enough of and because the author is herself an expert, she writes what she knows so well. Every description is so vivid that I can almost feel like I am right there and everything is explained so you don’t have to know anything about the subject to get the clear picture and gist of the situations. 

In this case, Tempe is called to Washington, DC, to help identify the unknown victims of a fire. Those poor, unfortunate souls were staying in the dilapidated building illegally and died inside. In addition, another body is discovered in the sub basement, this one predating the fire by decades.

In typical Tempe fashion, she becomes consumed by the case and the history of the Foggy Bottoms where the building was located. She ends up staying with a friend of her daughter’s while there and that relationship is beneficial to both with regard to the case. 

I love the character of Tempe Brennan. She’s self-deprecating and funny and so very clever. She’s definitely matured and grown since the first novels and I love how she appreciates all aspects of life as she gets older. I have to laugh as she is one of the few woman in novels who actually always has a healthy appetite! As always, can’t wait for the next and will always recommend this series. Be sure to start at the beginning.

I was lucky and obtained a copy of the audiobook that I could listen to while following along with my e-book ARC obtained from the publisher. I loved the production and the narrator’s voice is perfect for Tempe and she does a great job with the other characters as well.

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

Genre - medical mystery, forensic anthropology, crime thriller

The Astrology House by Carinn Jade

 Entertaining suspense thriller. 

The 4 couples and friends just wanted a fun weekend away and Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat sounds like a lovely place for them to hang out. Farrah and Joe, Aimee and Adam, Eden and Rick, and Margot and Ted are not that big into astrology but are quite surprised by some of the revelations they experience when Rini starts doing their readings. Lots of the usual secrets and lies that are just lurking and ready to bust out.

Sounds like many of these people have things they don’t want to come out and, what a surprise, Rini has her own agenda. And then, the hurricane. 

This was fun and fast and quite predictable with all the couples at the retreat. The narrative alternates points of view so the reader knows what each is thinking  and feeling. I liked some of the characters more than others and the conclusion was not really unexpected as I had anticipated that turn of events. I guess you can never really know anyone as well as you think or hope.

I don’t know much about astrology other than basic zodiac signs so that part was quite interesting and made me actually want to look up my own chart. Alas, no Rini here to interpret for me!

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I liked that the production had a large cast so as to make the voices and personalities distinct. I definitely liked some of the voices more than others. But, as always, the dual approach made me enjoy the novel that much more.

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

Genre - mystery thriller, psychological domestic drama

Holmes, Marple & Poe (#1) by James Patterson

 This is the first installment of a new crime thriller series featuring private investigators Brendon Holmes, Margaret Marple, and Auguste Poe.

Lots of fun as the three partners set up their business in NYC and solve 4 mysteries with unusual style and flair. Loved the characters and their approach to crime solving. Their interactions with other agencies such as police and FBI were always entertaining. Lots of criminals so a nice variety of detective work.

I listened to the audio while following along in the e-book, both obtained from my local library. The narrator did a nice job of voicing the various characters, complete with accents. I am looking forward to the next in the series. 

First in a new series. Read in order.

Genre - crime thriller, private investigators, murder

The Haters by Robyn Harding

 Psychological thriller conveys the dark side of fame and social media.

At last, Camryn Lane has realized her dream of becoming a published author. She's so happy and proud of her success when "Burnt Orchid" is out, and the glowing comments start coming in. But then, a scathing message and a deluge of one-star reviews start flooding social media. In short order, Camryn's life spirals out of control and she flounders both personally and professionally as she is pummeled by haters and doxed by someone intent on destroying her life. Who is it and who can Camryn trust when it becomes obvious that the tormenter is someone close to her. 

This was an interesting book premise, and I liked it well enough though less as the story evolved. I had a couple of issues with it, but mostly it was that I actually did not care for Camryn despite my initial sympathy for her plight. I also couldn't stand her teenage daughter and the behaviors of her other near and dear friends and acquaintances. Wow, such good family and friends. And I was totally uninterested in the book within a book -- the story of Orchid. It became increasingly obvious that the cause of all of this drama was very close. Another issue I had was the lack of real consequences and suitable punishment for the perpetrator(s). There was real and serious damage done. 

This whole concept of the horrible things that can and do happen with posts on social media demonstrates how many, especially the young, cannot handle the dangers. The idea and truth that someone can easily be ruined and destroyed by strangers is strongly conveyed. It is quite scary, really. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator did a decent job, but this production could have benefited from additional voices.

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

Genre - psychological thriller, drama