The Senator by Maya Golden Bethany

 2.5 stars rounded up.

I would say this was more of a romantic thriller than a political one despite the premise being that a US Senator and a New York Times reporter are trying to expose EPA violations, money laundering, corruption, and disregard for human life. 

My biggest issue was that Oliver and Alex were so stereotypical and I didn’t really care for either of them. They were painted as so heroic and the good guys despite the fact they were carrying on an affair while trying to make the bad guys pay. This white hat vs dark forces theme was carried throughout and each character was quickly put into one stereotype or the other. I found most of the reactions and behavior of the various characters to verge on the unbelievable. But, sounds like our sainted couple gets their happy ending as expected. The whole concept of a savior team taking down corrupt politicians and manufacturers will remind you of many other books and movies that handled the issue in better told stories. 

Listened to the audiobook narrated by Imani Jade Powers. She did a fine job trying to voice all the characters but this production would have benefited by using a larger cast, or at the very least, a male voice. There were a lot of different characters and sometimes hard to tell which was speaking. 

I don’t know if there will be a sequel as the ending leaves some hints that another might follow. I won’t read it. I had enough of this dude

This was a romance disguised as a political thriller wanna be. 

The Writer by James Patterson and JD Barker

 I need a few moments to come to grips with what I just read...

I love when a book leaves me gasping and wondering what the heck just happened here!!! No spoilers.

This is a crazy convoluted thriller that you have to read in one sitting because you can’t look away. I was glued to the pages flipping frantically, guessing wildly, and thinking I knew what was going on. I didn’t.

The writing is superb and a testament to two brilliant authors who really know how to write a thriller that keeps a reader thinking what in the world is going to happen next.

I won’t rehash the plot and I think it best if you go in blind without any preconceived notions. Know that you are in the hands of two masters and enjoy the ride!

I was able to listen to the audio book while also reading along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Peter Ganim, did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life and enhancing the book with is excellent dramatic flair and depiction of the characters. This production really made the novel so much more enjoyable. 

Highly recommend. One of my top 10 this year so far!

This is a standalone and oh so very good. Not part of any series.

Tags mystery, suspenseful, keeps you guessing, murder

Murder Island (Doc Savage #2) by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

 Action adventure as the grandson of Doc Savage traverses the globe to find his kidnapped girlfriend, Kira Sunlight. This is the second in an offshoot series, but it is not necessary to have read the first before enjoying this one on its own.

The former Brandt Savage, professor of anthropology and the University of Chicago, has now embraced his heritage and has teamed up with the woman who taught him all his new skills, helped him bulk up, and prepared him to meet and vanquish their enemies. 

Doc and Kira are enjoying some private time on an island they’ve made into a little utopia when their solitude is destroyed by evil mercenaries who set up Doc for murder and take Kira. Her captors have nothing less than world dominion in their plans and want her to help accomplish that. Meanwhile, Doc is doing everything he can to escape his captors, survive those who are intent on killing him, and to find Kira. 

Lots of battles, gunplay, death, etc. and it reads like a screenplay for a super hero or spy mission movie. It doesn’t take itself all that seriously and neither did I. It was just entertaining and a quick, easy read with trademark short chapters and lots going on. The characters are standard fare for this type of novel but they really want to have some depth despite being stereotypical. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrators, Tim Lounibos and Suzanne Elise Freeman, did a fantastic job with all the voices, accents, and dramatic flair. Their performance enhanced my enjoyment of the book as it was an excellent production.

This is the second in series. I did not read the first. It works fine as a standalone.

Tags - murder, conspiracy, global, mercenaries 

The Seaside Murders (Secret Detective Agency #2) by Helena Dixon

 

Entertaining historical cozy.

In this second book in the Secret Detective Agency series, I’m off to Jane’s childhood home in the village of Ashbourne in Kent. Jane Treen and her reluctant associate, Arthur Cilento, have been directed there by Brigadier Remington-Blythe because the body of a naked man was found on a beach nearby. The dead man happened to be an Italian POW who was allowed some leeway in a work release program. Definitely the War Office didn’t want any repercussions from this incident. In addition, there have been reports of looting and black marketing in the same area. Off they go, along with Benson and Jane’s cat to the house left to Jane by her recently deceased father.

This story moved along nicely and I enjoyed it more than the first book as I liked Jane and Arthur a bit more this go round. The mystery was well plotted and not entirely predictable. The investigation proceeded quickly and the discoveries were made though they of course put themselves into the thick of it and imminent danger. Jane’s mother is a trip for sure and not any sort of pivotal character. I am not really into the idea of a romance between Jane and Arthur but I hope they can be great friends and even better investigative partners. I liked the wartime details, it’s 1941, and England is beset with air raids and strict rationing. 

I look forward to reading another in this series. Thank you to Bookouture for the e-book ARC to review and recommend.

This is the second book in the series and you should read the first one first.

Tags - historical cozy mystery, 1941, war time in England, black marketing, murder

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

 Slow and convoluted locked room type mystery.

A famous author, J.R. Alastor, who wants to remain anonymous, hires an event coordinator, Mila del Angel, to set up a special week of trope-themed activities for a special group of authors invited to Wolf Harbor Estate in Casco Bay. The mansion on the private island is well-appointed and luxurious. A chef and housekeeper are also in residence for the undertaking. Almost immediately things start to go wrong. It's soon obvious that perhaps none of them will make it back to the mainland.

I kept waiting for suspense and action that would make this move faster and be more exciting. There were a lot of characters to keep straight and they were not that well-developed. In fact, so little about them was revealed that I struggled to find any empathy or regard for any. The premise, a clue style game on a retreat with famous authors, was so intriguing but the book didn't live up to all its promise or my expectations. The writing seemed cumbersome and I found it difficult to keep track of who was who and doing what to whom and why. I didn't care much for the ending either. It was sort of a disappointment altogether.

I started listening to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. It should have been amazing with the large production cast, but some of the narrator's voices got on my last nerve and I had to skip those sections on audio until I finally had enough and just stopped listening altogether. Let's just say that this format did nothing to enhance my enjoyment of the book.

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

Tag - locked room style whodunit, lots of murder/deaths

The Perfect Divorce (Perfect #2) by Jeneva Rose

 This is a sequel and if you are expecting a great story, I think you will be a bit disappointed. In fact, I’m sorry I picked it up after all.

Here’s a quote: “Any lawyer worth their salt knows sometimes the best thing to say is nothing at all, and the second-best thing to say is a lie.” 

Sums up the morals and ethics of most of those characters in the story.

It started out as a 4 when I thought things might go differently (and I assume anyone reading this will have read the first installment) but all the twists and craziness didn’t save it from the last part getting a solid 2 stars. I liked the short chapters. Didn’t like many of the characters. 

There were way too many points of view and what I felt were unnecessary side plots — two women missing and the Stevens situation. Just complicated the narrative without adding any real value since we all know what happened in the first book. Sarah is exactly the same person as before and hasn’t changed a bit despite the years and getting married again, this time to Bob Miller. All the games and the distrust and the cat and mouse didn’t really grab me this time and by the time the second half of the story came around, I had already guess what was going on, who was going to do what, and how it was all going to end. Bummer.  I won’t bother with a third in this series if there is one. Too predictable now.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. There was a full cast of voice actors for this book, in fact 6 different men and women. Everyone did a great job except I do not care for the sound of the voice of whomever performed the character of Stacy Howard. I had to fast forward thru those and read the book instead. In any event, the production did help elevate my experience though they couldn’t change the words or the plot!

This is the second in the series and definitely you need to read book one before starting this one.

Genre - murder, investigation, lawyers, spouses

Nobody's Fool (Sami Kierce #2) by Harlan Coben

 Mystery thriller kept me guessing.

It's been awhile, Harlan Coben -- I've not read him for awhile but I did read the first in the set featuring Sami Kierce so I thought I'd circle back and see about this because the premise sounded interesting. That being said, I didn't remember much about #1 and I think this works as a standalone as any significant backstory is included.

Sami Kierce, kicked off the police force due to egregious behavior, is now a private investigator reduced to doing odd jobs for a law firm that he owes. He's doing a side gig as a night class teacher on criminology. One night he's with his pay per class students when someone enters the room through a side door. When he looks over, he's stunned to recognize her. But, thing is, this is Anna, a woman he met in Spain over 20 years ago while he was backpacking Europe with friends. And the other big thing is that he thought he had killed her. Thus begins a crazy hunt to find her as she runs out the door and vanishes. He needs closure and answers.

This was fast paced and hard to put down. The answers that Sami finds aren't necessarily the ones he wants, or believes. There's another side plot about Sami's ex fiance who was murdered (he's remarried with a baby now) and the killer's release from prison but that wasn't nearly as compelling as the main story line. I liked this despite not really caring that much for Sami and I was afraid of how it was all going to end. Surprisingly, there were some twists and the conclusion seemed a bit rushed.
I'm assuming there might be another in this series as there were some unresolved issues.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Vikas Adam, did a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. His tone, accents, and dramatic flair were excellent and his performance really enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

This is the second in the series but works as a standalone. I've read both.

Genre/tags - mystery, suspense, murder, investigation, disappearance

The Murder Show by Matt Goldman

 Fast paced mystery thriller.

When Ethan Harris returns to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to visit his parents for the High Holidays, he's also escaping New York while the show he runs is on hiatus due to the writer's strike. He's desperate to come up with a possible plot arc for the next season lest his show be canceled, but he never dreamed that inspiration would come in the form of a decades old tragedy. When he lived there while in high school, a local boy and friend of his, Ricky O'Shea, died in an apparent hit and run that was never solved. Now his old crush, Ro Greeman, who is now a cop and who has just returned to live in the house across the way, is trying to entice Ethan into investigating that death that she thinks was actually a murder. Can Ethan help her investigate and come up with a new show idea at the same time?

The story went in a direction that I hadn't really anticipated, but it was entertaining and had the elements of a going home reunion and a crime thriller. The characters were interesting but it was easy to see that there was something off about a couple of them. I liked the writing style and the bits of the backstory so the reader knows the history between the main players. Not sure how realistic it all was considering the level of involvement that Ethan gets in the law enforcement aspect, but it held my interest and I read it in a single sitting.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. I enjoyed the narrator, Dan Bittner, who did a good job voicing all the characters. I had to laugh, however, at the replacement of a certain make of car with another brand in the audio version. Listening while reading always enhances my enjoyment of a book if it's done well. 

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

Genre tags - murder, drugs, cold case, investigation off the books

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

 Crime thriller with a psychological aspect.

A popular podcaster, Poe Webb, has a unique hook. She gets people to willingly appear on her show and confess to the bad things they’ve done. No shortage of bad people who happily swear to tell the truth about their crimes to her and her audience. Everything is going well until a man appears on her program and claims that he is the person who murdered Poe’s mother 17 years ago. There’s a problem with that, however, and Poe knows he is lying. That’s because she killed that man herself. 

Now the tables are turned and this elusive villain threatens Poe and she manages to get herself into jeopardy. Now he wants HER to tell the world what she did. 

Ah. This could have been something but it really was mostly a predictable cliche. The author even uses the acronym TSTL in his narrative — too stupid to live. I felt that is what Poe was. I didn’t like her and I thought the whole story was a bit OTT since there is a lot of potential legal trouble for anyone who appears on her program. It was drawn out, repetitive, and somewhat boring. I really didn’t care if she lived and the conclusion was really anticlimactic. I was disappointed and felt let down after reading all the glowing reviews. I sure didn’t care about the endless interaction with the dog and cat. Sorry, pet lovers, it was too much. I guess the whole story just didn’t find me in the right place for it. 

In addition, I listened to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The male narrator was fine if unremarkable, but the female voice, Allyson Ryan, was totally miscast. The female MC is supposed to be 30 years old but her voice was deep, masculine, and sounded like that of a 50 year old smoker. It rang false and so irritated me that I had to stop listening. Most of the time an audio recoding enhances my enjoyment of a book, but it didn’t in this case.

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

Tags - murder, podcast, truth and lies, thriller, revenge

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

 A chilling crime without much evidence confounds the police, FBI, and a group of armchair sleuths who delve into the case to the extent that they become part of the tragic story.

When three young college sorority girls are murdered at the University of Idaho in Delphine, the police at the scene can’t find anything that leads them to a suspect. The news reaches the internet world of the amateur detectives and the hive mind digs into this juicy crime. Gossip, salacious details, suspicions, and many questions beg for attention. A young Floridian, Janeway Sharp, is lured into that world while grieving her recently deceased father. Finding like minded friends that feel like family, Jane sinks into an obsession for finding out who killed them. She quits college, gets fired from her job, and immerses herself in research and her new found anchor group. Can this makeshift team solve a case that is stupefying law enforcement. 

This was quite fast paced and so absorbing that I could not put it down. The characters were quite well drawn and multidimensional lending a real “true” life aspect to the narrative. There were a lot of twists and turns leading to the ultimate reveal that some might see coming. I did find Jane’s processing and grieving to be a bit too much at times with the constant stuff about her father. I have a serious issue/question with something about DNA but it could be a spoiler so I’ll remind myself that this is fiction. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Leslie Howard, did a great job of voicing all the characters. She was able to make the characters come alive with her tone, timbre, and accents. The production definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

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

Tags and genre - reads like true crime but is fiction, Idaho University murders, amateur sleuths, internet, pod casts, police investigation, grief over deceased parent

Ask for Andrea by Noelle Ihli

 Beware those dating apps!

Haunting mystery thriller with an unusual twist.

Three women who have something in common: Brecia Collier, Meghan Campbell, and Skye Rios — they all went out with the same handsome, charming man who found them on the app MatchStrike.

He killed them. Now dead, they will spend every effort to hunt him down and make him pay.

Told from the alternating points of view of the different women, the narrative hits a bit differently because the women are all dead. Normally I don’t go for this sort of paranormal beyond the grave business, but I did like the way this was written and I relished it. Very fast paced, I read it in one sitting as I turned the pages rapidly hoping for a satisfying conclusion. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC. The narrator, Allison Delaney, did an excellent job of voicing the characters and I thoroughly delighted in her dramatic flair. Definitely enhanced my appreciation and enjoyment of the book as the production was very well done.

I also found a link at the back of the book to a short story that explains what happens to April, the wife of James Carson, the MatchStrike Killer. It was free on Instagram. 

This may or may not be a standalone. 

Genre - mystery thriller, crime thriller, murder, dating apps, paranormal 

Remote: The Six (#1 Remote series) by Erik Rickstad

 Suspenseful crime thriller -- the first in a new series I plan to devour!

Always fun to find a new series that hooks immediately, and this one did. It has an original premise and I'm eager to see where it goes from here.

After FBI Special Agent Lukas Stark has been hunting the Tableau Killer for eighteen months, he's not managed to find or stop the unsub. His boss calls him in and assigns a partner to help with the case. Gilles Garnier is not any type of law enforcement, but he has a strange ability. And he thinks he knows who this killer is -- but not why they are killing entire families.

The writing is crisp and fast paced and doesn't get bogged down as the narrative drops hints about the mystery man known as "Q" and his relationship to Gilles Garnier. Lots of grisly details about the murder scenes and it takes Lukas quite some time before he can accept Garnier and believe him. Lots of action and the characters evolve as the investigation continues. I don't want to give spoilers so I'll not go into Gilles and his ability. It's rather unique and I always like when I come upon something different in my favorite genre.

I was fortunate to be able to listen to the audio-book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Ari Fliakos, and he did an excellent job of voicing all the characters using different tones, accents, and timbre. The audio definitely further enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Definitely recommend and am looking forward to the next installment.

This is the first in a new series. I have #5 on my TBR. Will read in order.

Genre - crime thriller, murder, special abilities

A Recipe for Murder (#21 Lady Eleanor Swift) by Verity Bright

 Another entertaining installment in this fun cozy mystery series.

With their wedding just days away, and plans creating a frenzy of activity, Lady Eleanor Swift and Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon are anticipating the most wonderful time. Then, the people in Little Buckford are attacked by a villain with terrible intentions. Someone has used poison. Many in the village are ill and, worst of all, Eleanor's chosen caterer has died. Who is responsible for this nefarious deed and can Lady Swift and her handsome fiancé find the perpetrator in time to save their wedding and reception? 

Everyone at Henley Hall from the aprons to the gardener is involved in the hunt for the evildoer. Eleanor and Hugh are determined to find out why. So amidst their continued work to get all of their tasks completed in time for the ceremony, they join forces with local police to investigate on both sides of their town bridge. And then there’s another death.

Fast and fun mystery with lots of suspects and skullduggery. I like the characters in this long running series and enjoy their interactions. The relationship between Eleanor and her butler, Clifford, is always laced with good natured ribbing. I’m really curious to see where this series is going to go next and look forward to the next installment. I’ve read all the books in order from the beginning and suggest any new readers do the same. It’s one of the really good cozy historicals with lots of period details that make it even more interesting.

This is #21 in a series that should be read in order.

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