The Butcher Game (Dr. Wren Muller #2) by Alaina Urquhart

 Overwrought second in series was a fail for me.

I only barely enjoyed the first book so I'm not sure why I wanted to read this one. In between the melodrama and the repetition, interspersed with crazy dream sequences, I should have just put it aside but forced myself to finish.

What a disappointment. More of Wren and John chasing Jeremy Rose around. More lurid descriptions of Jeremy's carnage. Then the final insult to the reader was a character kill off that just didn't need to happen. The whole book seemed like a teenage horror flick. The writing was choppy and over the top histrionic. I won't read another by this author. 

I listened to the audiobook while reading along in the e-book. The narration flipped between the points of view of Wren and Jeremy. The male and female voices were done decently given the script they had to work with. Then, the absolutely worst thing happened at the very end when these atonal screeching and cackling voices discuss the author's writing process and the book. I had to turn it off quickly. Definitely don't listen to it. If that is an example of the podcast, it's a hard pass. 

This is the second in a series that should be read in order. I won't read any further installments.

Genre - graphic thriller, lurid horror, murder, serial killer

The Wilds (Detective Elin Warner #3) by Sarah Pearse

 Absorbing atmospheric mystery thriller.

The wilds isn't a place but a feeling. 

Detective Elin Warner and her brother, Issac, head off to Portugal to search for a missing woman. They find some clues in a camp located in a Portuguese national park from where Kier Templer disappeared. As they try to figure out what happened to Kier as well as rebuild their own family relationship, Elin and Issac discover the secrets hidden in a map that was painted by Kier while she was hiding from herself, fleeing her own past. 

This was so good. The writing was very evocative as it described all of what the characters were experiencing. Told in shifting points of view between Elin and Kier, and also jumping in timeline, the narrative relates the raw emotions and uncertainty in each woman. Both are coming from a sort of identity crisis point and both are desperate to figure it all out. As Elin investigates, she is conflicted about what she finds with plenty of confusing details and twists in the discoveries. 

I'll say no more about the plot or give any spoilers, but the conclusion was quite satisfying although I'm very sad to hear that this is the end of the series. I will miss Elin Warner and I hope she will be OK now. I do feel that this should not be read as a standalone as the other two installments provide important background to the main characters. 

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I thought that Elizabeth Knowelden did a great job but honestly feel that the whole production would have been so enhanced if there had been a male narrator as well. That would have really given depth to the story and added a degree of dramatic flair. I do believe, however, that listening while reading really amplifies my enjoyment of a book.

This is the third and last book in a series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags - domestic violence, mystery thriller, secrets

Last One Alive (#3 Emily Hartford) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

 Following the first two in the series, Emily is still mucking about and unsure of who and what she wants to be when she grows up. She’s on and off again with a past boyfriend when Nick goes off on assignment to China and vanishes. 

Somehow she gets involved with a cold case where a family was murdered leaving only one survivor. All of Emily’s amateur sleuthing keeps her away from her new surgery practice in Chicago and once again finds her back in Freeport. All the previous characters make an appearance. No one is more than a stereotype of the best friend, newfound sister and nieces, helpful ex FBI agent. 

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher for as long as I could stand it before the narrators voice drove me crazy. The attempts at accents and voice adjustments to take on different character’s personas was not successful and I finally quit listening. 

And then, the ultimate sin to me — a cliffhanger ending. Not nice. I know there is another book in the series that I’m meant to read as well and I just don’t know if I can force myself to do it. I can’t stand Emily. The writing is so bad as plot holes hang and details get turned around and mixed up. It was also overly long.

This is the third book in the Coroner’s Daughter series that should be read from the beginning in order.

Genre - mystery, medical, forensics, murder

Murder in New York (Miss Underhay #18) by Helena Dixon

 Spend Christmas in New York with Kitty and Matt.

I love this series. It’s one of the few historical cozies that constantly delivers the perfect blend of period detail and a good mystery. And did I mention that the covers are always enticing and set the mood.

In this installment, Kitty and Matt are bound for New York when they receive a message that Kitty’s father, Edgar, is ill. When they arrive, they find him much improved and suspect that perhaps he was not sick but perhaps hiding from people he didn’t want to see. Regardless, they decide to make the best of the holidays and accept an invitation to attend a charity costume party up in the penthouse of Edgar’s somewhat swanky building. It’s a shock when they find their hostess, the wealthy widow Nora Dangerfield, dead alongside a path in the park the next morning on their way to breakfast. Not only does it appear that she had been murdered, she had also been robbed of all of her jewels. 

Despite being far from home and unable to use their credentials, Kitty and Matt begin their own investigation without permission of the local NYC police. There are many friends and acquaintances  to question and lots of them have plenty of motive, means, and opportunity to kill Nora. But who did it?  

I love the characters and the way the author writes the stories. I always feel like I am meeting up again with old friends when I pick up a new book featuring Kitty and Matt. This is the 18th and I feel it is important to begin this series at the beginning. I highly recommend it for a comfort read.

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

This is the 18th book in a series that should be read in order from the beginning.

Genre - historical mystery, 1930s, cozy 

The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir

 Although very short, this novella has created quite an enthusiastic fan base with many offering their opinions as to what it was really about and what it all meant.

Reviewers have assigned all sorts of explanations for the cat murders, the sleep walking, the symptoms, and more than a few have decided that somehow it’s related to misogyny and women’s issues.

Possible spoilers…beware

The beginning of this was intriguing. What was Iounn doing when she was meant to be sleeping peacefully at home alone in her bed? She does go to a very sympathetic physician who, after listening very carefully and performing tests, tries to get Iounn to seek mental health care.  Which is obviously what the woman needed. She manipulated the physician and got pills (that somehow didn’t knock her out) and refused to be admitted to the psychiatric treatment center where she could have been observed, engaged in some talk therapy, given some appropriate antipsychotics, and perhaps been saved.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book. The narrator did an excellent job with the Icelandic pronunciations, which I totally appreciated. The chapters were very short. I read it in less than 2 hours. Would have been done sooner except that I keep going back to figure out what clues I was missing as I kept asking myself what was going on.

The ending was a total let down that leaves the reader to ask — what in the heck did I just read. And why? There was no message here.  And this review seems almost as long as the book.

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

Genre - mind bending psychological thriller, trigger: animal abuse and murder

Setting - Iceland 

Secret Remains (#2 Emily Hartford) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

 Second in a forensic mystery series.

The past comes back to haunt Dr. Emily Hartford and her old high school friends in Freeport when the bones of a classmate are unearthed in a new housing development. 

Since her father's death, Emily has been clearing out his home medical examiner's office. She has stepped in to investigate along with her old boyfriend, Sheriff Nick Larson. Soon some secrets and betrayals come to light. Sandi Parkman was murdered. Is Nick responsible?

Alas, despite the author's expertise and great ability to describe medical details, the actual mystery and investigation narrative is sophomoric and irksome. The main problem with this series is the main character, Emily. She's so self-righteous and annoying with her judgmental attitude. If that's not bad enough, she's the object of desire of almost every male in sight. She's not half as clever as an old teenage amateur sleuth that many of use grew up wanting to emulate. Other annoyances within the book include Delia calling Emily, "doll", all the time and the convenience of Delia being an FBI agent running the coffee and bake shop in town. Emily's ability to steal phones and crack passwords to unlock them, although a necessary plot device, was unbelievable. Emily running all over town, trying to get a job at a strip club, her indecisiveness in her personal life, and her holier than thou attitude just make this so unappealing. She needs to mature and get real.

On another note, I have the last two books in the series and I just don't know if I will read them or not. I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book with this one and it definitely helped improve the experience. The narrator did a decent job with the voices, but this production definitely could have benefitted from a male actor as well. 

Do I recommend?  I'm a lover of all things medical so that's why I was drawn to this, but you might enjoy it if you can get past a dislike of the main character. I'm rating this 2.5 stars but raising to 3 because I liked the limited medical examiner details. 

Second in a series that needs to be read in order.

Genre - medical mystery, forensics, investigation, murder

The Cruise by Christina Delay

 I’m not sure what to say about this book. It was a quick read, started and finished in a couple of hours in a single sitting. 

I tried to find something in it to like, but everything, from the premise to the characters, was so messed up. Jesse is a completely unrealiable narrator whose blackouts and strangeness should prevent her from having any sort of job much less one where she goes off on her own and functions as a travel writer. She needs a lot more therapy that’s for certain. Her mom is also a complete whack job and how she insinuates herself on the cruise was unbelievable until you realize that the plot depends on her being along.  So they take a cruise absoard the same ship they were on when husband and father died 20 years ago. Same guy on the ship who was there back then and misled them all is still there — and he has the hots for Jesse and she for him.  Bad stuff happens. It’s all a blur.

I wouldn’t waste your time by encouraging you to read this. But, thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I’m sorry it was just not for me. 

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

Genre - psychological thriller

Deep Freeze (The Revival #1) by Michael C. Grumley

 Fast paced science fiction thriller is the first in a new series dealing with cryo technology.

John Reiff, Army veteran, was a certain kind of hero. One who stopped a robbery and died while saving people from a sinking bus in an icy river. At least that's what everyone assumed had happened. John, however, wakes up in a laboratory being studied by doctors and scientists intent on proving that cryogenics, or cryonics, is not just a theory. But there is more to this story than simply bringing John back as an exercise of scientific inquiry and experimentation. For what purpose does John live? And who is pulling all the strings. 

I like dystopian and futuristic science fiction, so this checked all my boxes. The explanations for the science were good and the characters were believable enough that everything seemed possible. There's lots of action and suspense as doctors and friends try to protect John from the evil villains. The descriptions of the dystopian society seemed all too real and the events to getting to that point were credible for our own future world. The only obvious irritation to me is that it ends on a cliffhanger and we have to wait to find out what happens next in a future installment. The fact that there is one on the way, however, gives me a general understanding of the conclusion. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The audio is narrated by the incomparable Scott Brick who brings such great dramatic flair to every story. Listening to him always enhances my enjoyment of a book. 

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

Genre - science fiction, thriller, suspense, technology, cryogenics, dystopian, futuristic

Ghosts of Waikiki by Jennifer K. Morita

 Debut mystery thriller set on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

I love Hawaii and all things Hawaiian. It's my happy place, but I've only been lucky enough to visit there 4 times in my life. So, when this title popped up on my request list, I had to read it.

The descriptions and details about the setting bring back memories for me and create the perfect backdrop for the story. The main character, Maya Wong, returns home to Waikiki to ghostwrite a book that a wealthy land developer, Parker Hamilton, wants to write about his family. She finds him and his kin to be a bit sketchy and things really get crazy when the elder patriarch, Charles Hamilton, is found dead, floating in the swimming pool. Of course, Maya is drawn into the investigation which brings her back into contact with her ex who is now Detective Koa Yamada. 

Soon Maya is nosing into things that bring her face to face with danger and that situation irritates Koa and the police. She can't help but continue her side snooping while also reuniting with her old friends and extended family. Meanwhile, some social issues are explored as the plight of locals versus wealthy investors starts putting their livelihoods in peril. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The audiobook was fabulous and the narrator, Jennifer Robideau, was perfect in her performance. Her pronunciations and voice really enhanced the production, and I plan to look for more recorded books done by her. 

I don't know if this is the start of what could be a new series, but I really hope the author writes another book set in this locale. 

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

Genre - mystery, murder, Hawaii, Oahu, reporter

The Coroner - The Coroner's Daughter (#1 Emily Hartford) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

 A prodigal daughter comes home...

This was like reading a Hallmark movie -- except for the murder part. And the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger making it necessary to continue the series should you care to learn what happened to Emily's mom. This is the first of 4 books.

Dr. Emily Hartford, a surgical resident in Chicago, returns to Freeport when her father has a heart attack. Since he is incapacitated, Emily is tapped to assume her father's role as the town's medical examiner when a local teenager is found dead. Emily reluctantly takes up the mantle and, despite their estrangement, tries to patch up issues with her stubborn father that drove her away after her mother's death. Of course there is a big city fiance, another surgeon, and then the hometown boy, her first boyfriend who is now a cop, Sheriff Nick Larson. Who will win her heart? And, who killed Julie Dobson. Emily has a lot of decisions to make. 

Other than the heavy romance aspect, I did enjoy the medical details and the investigation aspects of this book. Unfortunately, I am not an Emily fan. I didn't care for her and wonder if reading further in the series will make me warm up -- she is such a cliche and most of the narrative is a trope. I'll see.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in this e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator was decent but this production would have benefited from a male voice.

This is the first in a series of 4 books that need to be read in order.

Genre & tags - romance, medical mystery, police investigation, murder, forensics, medical examiner, animal abuse

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham #3) by Benjamin Stevenson

 Just in time for the holidays, a fair play Christmas mystery.

This is a novella, and even though it’s short, it’s a very cleverly plotted story with plenty of clues to allow the reader to figure out whodunit along with the main character. Our erstwhile detective, Ernest Cunningham, finds another mystery soon after solving two very public murder cases. He is headed to Katoomba and a Christmas show after his ex-wife, Erin, calls him from jail there after her boyfriend is found murdered in their house. 

Clever, funny and tongue-in-cheek, this is told in first person point of view with Ernest explaining and talking about things with the reader. It’s a great choice of writing style for this type of story and it works very well. Definitely, Ernest is smarter than he looks and though he’s no real detective, he’s definitely coming into the role. Lots of fun. Can’t wait for the next installment. 

I listened to the audiobook while also following in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Barton Welch delivers a great performance with his Australian accent and dramatic flair. It definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

This is a novella but it is the third book written featuring this main character. Read in order!

Genre - satirical and humorous detective fiction, mystery

The Burning (#16 Kate Burkholder) by Linda Castillo

 Unique Amish crime fiction series continues with an unusual plot.

Could someone be killing the bad Amish people? That's the premise of this latest installment in the Kate Burkholder series when she is called to the crime scene where a man has been burned at the stake. The dead man was a troubled person and mean as a snake. 

I've always liked the series because of the Amish connection as I've learned a lot about their religion and way of life. Now Kate has finally married Tomasetti and has sort of settled into her new life with him. Although no longer Amish herself, she still has a very strong connection to her past and especially to her older brother who now lives on their parents' farm. When he's targeted by the Painters Mill law enforcement as a suspect in the murder of the burnt man, Milan Swanz, Katie is told to step aside from the investigation. 

Does she do that? Of course not, and that's where the narrative went off course for me. Her stupid decisions and maverick attitude once again bring her near death -- but miraculously she's hardly hurt at all despite the battles that ensue and the beatings she takes. How she survives defies believability. Anyway, I ended up disappointed with how this story played out and there were still quite a few unanswered questions due to how the bad guys ended up. I definitely would have liked to hear a lot more about this shady, secretive group of avengers.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator was OK but did not do a very good job at all with the male voices. This is my first audio in the series, so I don't know if they continue to use the same person for reading but I won't likely do another audiobook.

This is the 16th book in the series and it should be read, from the beginning, in order.

Genre - crime fiction, police detectives, Amish

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

 Secrets, lies, and a murder.

I’m so torn about this book. The premise was great, reminiscent of The Lovely Bones in many ways, but all the teenage points of view with their angst and drama actually made this too much like a YA genre novel for me. 

I like teenagers, but I’m past wanting to read books where they are the main narrators. I prefer adult viewpoints with the teens there but not heard. I quickly became annoyed with their antics and behavior. Yes, the murdered girl was a teenager but I wish it had been more of a police procedural with the focus being on their investigation. 

I’m not a supernatural or ghost believer so that already had set me off with the dead girl making appearances in the narrative. Conveniently of course, unable to remember who actually murdered her. Lots of red herrings. Plenty of really nasty people living in that small town hiding lots of bad behavior. The notions that a 12 or 13 year old child has a smartphone and the parents have no clue what they are doing on it. So many things got me in a snit and, coupled with the climax with the revelation of the killer, put me way off. So much wasted potential for a good story. But yeah, I think it will find success with a young adult audience. As the points of view went from one character to another, I thought to myself — what a lot of icky people live in this town — and never really related to any of them. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The production had 3 different narrators and they did a decent job of pulling me into the story and kept me reading even when I wasn’t sure that I wanted to finish. I always appreciate when audio has a larger cast and includes both male and female voices. 

I’ve read several previous books from this author and liked them more, so I’m sure I’ll return for another novel by Shari Lapena. 

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

Genre - mystery, suspense, supernatural, adult novel that reads like YA

The Mistletoe Mystery (Molly the Maid 2.5) by Nita Prose

 Short and saccharine sweet, Molly the maid gets a Christmas surprise in this novella that continues the series.

Increasingly suspicious of her beloved boyfriend, Juan, Molly is worried this holiday season. He’s been disappearing with alarming regularity and evading her questions. Is he not meant to be the love of her life?

Listened to the audiobook while following along in the ebook provided by the publisher. I appreciate  the Molly stories as she gets discombobulated because she takes everything so literally. The narrator did a great job voicing the characters and that enhanced my enjoyment of the story. 

Definitely you will want to have read the previous two books in this series. 

Genre- sweet Christmas tale reminiscent of O. Henry’s story. 

I Think I was Murdered by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

 Mystery with heavy religious and romance overtones.

I like thrillers that have to do with cutting edge technology and my impression was that this book was about an AI app and also about bitcoin. Although those were parts of the story, the main focus was on the character of Katrina Berg and her Norwegian family in North Haven. The concept of hygge (mood of coziness, warmth and comfort) is also emphasized and appears constantly within the prose. In addition, her romance with a restaurant owner, Seb Wallace, is another huge piece of the novel.

This was fast paced and a quick read, but it just had too much sappy romance for me. I would have liked much more focus on the AI chat bot aspect. Lots of family, home, hearth, sentimentality, and a bit too overly sweet. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. As always, a good narrator can enhance my enjoyment of a book, and this was well done. I always believe, however, that a larger cast with male and female voices would add to the quality of an audio production. 

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

Genre - Christian fiction, mystery, romance

Talking to Strangers (#2 DI Elise King) by Fiona Barton

Another superbly plotted and well-paced crime thriller.

This is a slow burner that kept me intrigued and guessing until the epilogue with its shocking finish. Basically, it's a mystery centered on two different murders that are inexplicably intertwined. The story was told in alternating points of view with the primary characters being DI Elise King and reporter Kiki Nunn. 

A single, middle-aged woman just wants to have fun. Karen Simmons likes her dating apps and often swipes right. She meets and hooks up with the wrong guy late on Valentine's Day night. DI Elise King and her team investigate with many possible suspects to interview. Kiki Nunn is trying to make a living working for a local online news agency and decides to use the murder of Karen Simmons to do her own little deep dive into the online dating scene and the danger of strangers. And she definitely puts herself in it with a very bad guy -- could he be the one who also murdered Karen? 

Lots of suspects and solid police techniques make for a slow process as they wade through witness statements and scant evidence. It's only when they also start looking at the death of a young child years earlier in the same woods where Karen's body was found that they start to narrow their focus.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I usually enjoy the narrators, but I really was put off by the voice of Jayne Entwistle who voiced Kiki. She sounded like an elderly woman and didn't fit the character in my mind. The other female narrator and the male's voice were satisfactory and matched their parts.

I look forward to reading the next installment in this series. 

This is the second book in a series featuring DI Elise King. Best read in order.

Genre/tags - police procedural, crime thriller, mystery, rape, murder, online dating

The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen

 Entertaining domestic mystery thriller.

A woman whose boyfriend disappeared and then subsequently died receives a text message 5 years later asking her to meet him in the park they had frequented during their time together. Shocked but eager to see him again, Ariel Cafferty rushes to the location. But he never shows up. Ariel has never forgotten Drew and the explanation for the text has her doing a deep dive into everything she thought was true about their relationship, her relatives, and the family business. 

This was fast paced and quite interesting as it involved the technology behind door cameras and the subsequent threats to privacy that they can create. Having access to the footage of those cameras can be used for good and also, as is discovered, for evil. As Ariel searches for the truth, she discovers more than she anticipated. She's been lied to and it's cost her everything. 

I liked the main character and though some stereotypical trope friends gave me pause, the narrative played out as I expected with some surprises along the way. A bit of romance and a harrowing cross country bus trip kept me glued to the pages. The conclusion was a bit anticlimactic but anticipated.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. There were 3 narrators, a woman and two men. All did decent jobs for their related male and female spoken parts, but the voice for the child grated as did the instances where men spoke for women and vice versa. Overall, however, the production did enhance my appreciation of the book.

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

Genre - mystery, thriller, domestic drama, cyberstalking

An Insignificant Case by Phillip Margolin

 Entertaining and fast-paced legal thriller.

This is a standalone, so I was able to jump right in and get my fix as I love fiction involving legal maneuvering and complicated plots. This one however, got me with the characters. So many different personalities on the legal end and a really quirky mathematician turned artist who made for a very interesting criminal. 

The basic plot involves an inappropriately displayed painting, a stolen flash drive, sex trafficking, murder, and vigilantism. The story takes off quickly and the excellent writing kept me hooked. As the action ricochets from one scenario to another, the attorneys adapt and try to keep their client alive. 

Guido Sabatini (born Lawrence Weiss) is a most unlikely criminal as he's a slightly crazy painter who believes he was trained by the masters in a past life. He gets mad when a painting he sold to a restaurateur is not hung out in the main dining area but hidden away in an office. He decides to break in and liberate it, but also, in spite, takes a flash drive from the office safe thinking he will simply give it back once the owner hangs the painting in a more suitable place. Arrested for theft, he needs an attorney. Enter third rate lawyer Charles Webb. Charlie's a good guy but he's no match for what's coming. Oh, Guido. What a nest of serpents he let loose. There is something on that flash drive that many people will get to keep secret.

I really liked this story and was lucky to be able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publishers. The narrator did an excellent job of voicing the characters with appropriate tone, accents, and dramatic flair. The production was well done and enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Genre - tags: legal thriller, sex trafficking of minors, rape, murder

The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden

 This melodrama is filled with stupid characters who behave in completely outlandish ways. You know it's bad when you want the main character to be killed off (yes, I'm talking about you, Sydney). I know I have to think way outside the box of reasonable and believable when I pick up a McFadden, but these twists have gone way crazy now. The mystery to me is why I keep hoping that the next book I pick up will be different. 

I listened to the audiobook and hoped it would save a ridiculous premise but that wasn't enough to save it, in fact, can't say I really liked the narrator but am blaming that on the dialogue and action scenes that the author wrote. Since the narrator has to read what's on the page, she really had little choice in how to portray the characters. 

Stop with the insanity of completely improbable twists. It was a surprise only because it was so preposterous, and not in a good way. 

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

Genre - drama, dating, relationships, murder