Loose Lips (Ghostwriter #2) by Kemper Donovan

 Mystery and intrigue on the high seas.

What a fun book! I came into this second installment without reading the first in the series, but I was able to quickly become absorbed without the benefit of a lot of backstory. The premise involves the concept of bringing a large group of women together for a short ocean cruise focusing on different genres of books. Organized by a prolific author, the main character, Belle, is invited to be a guest instructor in the mystery group. Not everyone in attendance is there to enjoy talking about books, eating the fabulous food, or enjoying the free bar drinks. One person, in particular, is bent on murder. 

I loved Belle (not her real name) with her snarky personality and antisocial tendencies. Her clever banter and the many astute references to literature and other forms of entertainment were spot on and relevant and added to the narrative. I had to really work to figure out who and why with the motive, means, and opportunity. The denouement was quite the revelation and very well done. 

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both ARCs provided by the publishers. The narrator. Eva Kaminsky, did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life with all of her accents and dramatic flair. I’ve found that listening while reading really enhances my enjoyment of a book when the narrator is good. It was an excellent production.

I’m looking forward to another in this series and I need to go back and find a copy of the first so that I am properly caught up. I feel like I might have missed out and I typically don’t read series out of order.

This is the second in series. Probably would have been better had I read this after the first one.

Tags - cruise, murder, mystery, authors, women, relationships

Bonded in Death (#60 Eve Dallas) by J.D. Robb

 I don’t know how she does it, but Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, keeps coming up with unique and satisfying plots in this futuristic series. This one, #60, has Eve Dallas and her cohort facing off with a war criminal. 

As always, Lieutenant Eve Dallas and her gazillionaire husband, Roarke, do what it takes to track and capture a man whose obsession is to destroy a group of men and women who were active in the long ago Urban Wars. The Twelve, as they are called, are old and retired now, but the traitor (he was once one of them) wants retribution. 

I really enjoy this series and always look forward to a new book. The characters are almost like old friends and I love reading about each of them and their personal lives as they all do their thing helping Eve with whatever case she’s on. Sometimes Eve is just a little too much, rude and snarky, socially inept at times, and yet she still is a good leader of her cop team. Oh yeah, where can we all find a guy like Roarke? Doesn’t exist, but it’s nice to imagine such a man. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book - both ARCs provided by the publishers. I enjoy the voice of the narrator, Susan Ericksen, who has narrated most of these in the series. She’s got great accents and shifts between characters with different tone and voice making them sound distinctly separate. I find that a good audio production often enhances my enjoyment of a book and that was definitely true in this case. I’m looking forward to the next installment. 

I’ll never understand how this series has not been made into some sort of television adaptation as its popularity continues. 

This is #60 in a long running series that is best read in order for full enjoyment. You don’t HAVE to read them all but why not.

Tags - futuristic police procedural, suspense, murder, cops and bad guys

The Family Inside by Katie Garner

 Overwrought and ultimately unbelievable domestic thriller.

A poor and frumpy woman is courted by a really handsome, wealthy man. Iris is a widow (her husband was murdered) and she has an 18 year old daughter. Iris loses her job and is evicted from their home. Hugh sweeps in to take Iris and her daughter to a mansion he lives in with his mother. His brother, sister-in-law, and sister live there too. And then this really goes off the rails into territory that is so convoluted and twisty that not even the most dedicated reader could manage to suspend enough disbelief to keep up.

The characters were all stereotypes and the plot contained enough tropes and cliches for several books. The main character, Iris, was the most ridiculous of all. She basically is also not very smart along with being histrionic.

I really didn't want to finish this. I hate to say it because this was an ARC given to me by the publisher, but this book was a hot mess and I couldn't give it more stars.

If the writing and narrative weren't already bad enough, I was also listening to the audio book while following along in the e-book. The narrators' voices were so cringey and grating that I finally had to turn it off. Generally the accompanying audio production enhances my enjoyment of a book but this time it made me dislike it even more. 

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

Tags - domestic drama, suspense, thriller, family, murder, secrets and lies, convoluted

Swiped by L. M. Chilton

  Trying to find love in the digital age is fraught and often comical. But, occasionally, it might turn deadly. 

This was darkly humorous and a bit of fun as a young woman on a dating app has a ton of bad dates. Recently broken up with a long term boyfriend, she’s disillusioned by the creeps she meets. There is never a second date. Then, they start turning up dead. 

I wish I could have related more to the main character, but I didn’t and the things she did and got away with drove me a bit nuts. There were some great lines that made me laugh, but I never connected with Gwen. Of course the concept was a bit far fetched and the conclusion was like way out there of straining credulity, but it was fast and kept me entertained for a couple of hours.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book. I have to say that I liked the book much more than the audio production. The narrator was OK, but there were a lot of discrepancies between the words in the novel and the voice of the narrator. I probably liked the book more because the terms were less British. I wasn’t that big a fan of the narrator’s voice. In any event, I still like the whole listening and reading experience.

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

Genre - light, funny, dating, murder, cheating

Cold Storage (Revival #2) by Michael C. Grumley

 Another wildly entertaining and fast paced thriller with cryotechnology and time travel as its key components. 

The second in the series opens with a bang and the action keeps up throughout the narrative. The characters from the first book return and it’s essentially a good vs evil setup with Rachel and John vs the dastardly creeps called The Nine. 

I love science fiction that is slightly out there but still believable. I enjoyed the technology and the details about the concept of reviving someone who had been frozen alive and was now being thawed and brought back to life. With any futuristic novel set in a dystopian world, you always hope that this worst is not going to come to pass, but it sometimes seems inevitable doesn’t it? I’ll save other spoilers so as not to ruin any twists and discoveries that occurred.

Regardless, this was another great part of the story started with the first book. I’m not sure if we will see a third, but I really do hope so. I liked the characters of Rachel and John and their close friends and cohort. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC with both provided by the publishers. The narrator was fabulous. Scott Brick has a voice made for drama and his incomparable performance always enhances every book he reads. Don’t miss it!

This is the second in a series and it needs to be read after reading book number one.

Tags - future, dystopian, time travel, cryotechnology, sheep, elites

Pro Bono by Thomas Perry

 Action packed and fast paced legal thriller.

How I love a good story that involves lawyers and clients in distress. It’s even better when the attorney isn’t sleazy but instead is smart and well-intentioned. This fit the bill for me as I was really in the mood for some legal machinations and clever maneuvers on the right side of the law.

Loved the character of Charles Warren, a lawyer and CPA whose expertise, beyond the typical divorces and other civil litigation, was in financial crimes. He had a great backstory to explain why he wanted to help victims of con men stealing money and that explained his motivation to help Vesper Ellis. She was another great character along with many others in the book. 

There was lots of action, excellent writing, and even when some situations strained to the point of credulity, I still enjoyed reading and the narrative kept me glued to the pages. There was a little romance and a lot of info about bad actors embezzling money from their clients. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator did a great job voicing the characters and bringing an appropriate amount of dramatic flair to the story. I definitely enjoyed this one as I have most of this author’s other books. I’m a sucker for a good legal thriller and this hit all the marks.

This is a standalone and not part of any series. However, I’d definitely love to see another book featuring this character.

Tags - legal, money, con men, murder, embezzlement

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 Things in life are often not at all what you think they are. Nor are people. 

After his wife’s disappearance, Grady Green escapes to a small Scottish island. He’s an author who can’t write since Abby has gone. This retreat at Amberley Island, in a former bestselling author’s cabin, is his last chance to publish a book and redeem himself now that he has nothing left to lose. But the conditions on the barely populated isle are fraught. 

I started out intrigued and then became irritated with the slow pace and the repetitiveness of Grady’s hallucinations and insomnia. His behavior was erratic and his angsty thoughts were an annoying stream of consciousness. I lost patience with him, struggled to find any characters likable, and had a lot of difficulty with some of the ridiculous situations Grady got himself into. I don’t really like when an author dangles hints and never gives more explanation. So I was already struggling and started to disengage when the last third of the book became so out there that I just raced to the end. I didn’t like what transpired and even looking back in the pages left me feeling duped, not happily stumped. 

This author has always been hit and miss for me and this was a miss. I can’t say more about things that put me off without spoiling some of the plot points. I had no idea the narrative was going to go in the direction it did and had I know, I would never have picked this up. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators did a decent job and it helped a little to improve my reading experience. I especially enjoyed the sound effects. 

I would give this 2.5 stars but I rounded it to 3 because the first part of the book was a good premise and set up. Unfortunately, it was ultimately a let down. 

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

Tags: marriage, revenge, women power, mystery

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

 You were warned — don’t talk to strangers.

And, be careful on a plane. 

Wow, this took a turn that I was not expecting and I loved that it surprised me! Sometimes I feel jaded and disappointed with how easy it is to guess the big twist or reveal. Not this time.

Two women meet on a flight. One is a news director on her way to a conference and the other is escaping an abusive boyfriend. They have nothing in common. Friendly conversation ensues and the trip passes pleasantly. Nothing, however, will go as planned. 

The narrative flips between points of view and the characters are interesting and unique. It was so hard to step away from reading so I found myself forgetting about all the things I really meant to do today and read it in a single session. Lots of drama and the reader is totally drawn in by the activities and behavior of the characters. 

I was lucky enough to be able to listen to the audiobook while reading along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The talented cast of narrators really brought this story to life with their voices and dramatic flair. It definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story. Well done. 

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

Tags - psychological thriller, murder, manipulation, would say more but don’t want to spoil

No One Will Know by Rose Carlyle

 Can you guess what happens when a young, unwed, pregnant woman agrees to work as a nanny for a fabulously wealthy couple living on a private island?

Of course there are a couple of catches in this 'too good to be true' scenario...

If you can suspend enough disbelief at some of the outlandish circumstances and events that occur within the pages, you will be entertained for several hours with the twists and turns. Unfortunately, the last third of the book went way too far out there and I was ultimately disappointed.

The characters were just a bit too far. Quite stereotypical, it was apparent which ones we should dislike and distrust. I really didn't even like the main character and some of the things she managed to do really stretched credulity. But, that's fiction for you.

There's a lot going on with this story and I had to finish to see how it ended.

I was able to listen to the audio-book while also reading along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. I liked the narrator at first, but then the way she pronounced things and her uneven voices and accents drove me to eventually turn her off.

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

Tags - pregnancy, trafficking, illegal animal trade, crime, kidnapping

The Traitors by C.A. Lynch

 A mix of horror and crime thriller.

Six local people are sent a formal invitation to spend the night at Beechwood Castle. If they spend the entire night and follow the rules and the terms of their NDAs, they will win a portion of one million dollars. It wouldn’t be much of a big deal except for the catch: the dilapidated and decaying castle was once the site where three teenagers were hacked to death by an ax murderer. But still, each is confident about their chances on what they think is some sort of reality show.

The story is told from the point of view of each contestant and I have to say that I couldn’t find one of them that I felt very kindly toward. They were easy to dislike and I could see right away that this was going to be one of those tropes where they are picked off one by one. The title is misleading, however, in that supposedly there is an imposter and the rest are traitors. Didn’t make sense. I don’t see anyone being a traitor — to what or to whom? Regardless, the story was fast paced and predictable. I didn’t care for the ending at all. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book. The two narrators enhanced the novel using their voices and various accents to differentiate between the characters and provide some dramatic flair.

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

Tags - locked room type mystery, crime, murder, horror

The Housemaid (Housemaid #1) by Freida McFadden

 Entertaining twisty domestic thriller.

Ex con Millie gets a dream job as a live in housekeeper and maid for Nina and Andrew Winchester. In addition to cleaning and cooking, Millie also keeps an eye on their daughter, Cecelia. It doesn’t take long, however, before things start to go awry. It sure doesn’t help that Millie starts to fall for Nina’s handsome husband. 

This was full of unreliable narrators and lots of twists that made me race through the pages. Although I guessed what was coming, it was a fun ride getting there. I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided long ago by the publisher. The narrator did a great job with her accent and dramatic flair to bring the story to life. 

You never quite know how far out Frieda McFadden will go in her plots, but I always anticipate the unexpected and the guessing makes it more pleasurable. I’ll be reading the other two novels in this series shortly. 

This is the first of 3 novels in a series that should be read in order.

Tags - domestic thriller, revenge, murder, abuse

Bellevue by Robin Cook

 If you are a fan of medical thrillers by this author, as I have been, it might be best for you to skip this suspense horror with its supernatural elements and a totally horrible (to me) ending.

A first year surgical resident, Dr. Mitt Fuller, is beginning his career at Bellevue. He comes from a long line of Fuller doctors and is super thrilled to be at this particular hospital. Little does he know that the stories he’s been told about his forebears are inaccurate. In fact, they all were practicing on the wrong side of what are now accepted medical advances. In his first week, all of his patients die of strange complications. Now that’s not a statistic any new surgeon wants on his record. But it gets worse. Strange apparitions are haunting Mitt and soon he learns why. Unable to leave well enough alone despite the warnings, Mitt finds out the truth in the worst way.

I was so disappointed in this. Although I loved all the medical details and descriptions, the whole paranormal focus ruined the novel for me. I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator did a good job with the material and brought the story to life, but it was not enough to overcome the real issue with the book — the plot and the conclusion.

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

Tags - horror, suspense, medical thriller, paranormal, ghosts

Family Doctor by J.M. Dalgliesh

 Domestic thriller set on remote Scottish island.

Kelly has escaped a checkered past by coming to the island and setting up a small clinic there. She and her teen daughter, Lauren, are making the best of things. On a day when Lauren is meant to be heading off island for an important interview, Kelly gets a message from Lauren’s phone. The directions and rules are clear. Kelly must kill one of her patients or whomever has kidnapped Lauren will instead kill her. 

This was fast paced even as it stretched credulity. As Kelly richochets from being terrified to determined, she has no idea whom to trust and definitely no clue about the person who has taken her daughter. Except Kelly knows this villain must have information about events in Kelly’s past. They want to hurt her in the worst way a mother can experience.

The characters were predictable and I had figured out the twists early on. The writing style was good but overly wordy in places when action would have sufficed. I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator did an excellent job of bringing appropriate dramatic flair to the story and that enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

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

Tags - mystery, kidnapping, murder, revenge, whodunit