The Last Day by Andrew Hunter Murray

This debut apocalyptic thriller features a dystopian society set in a futuristic Great Britain, the last remaining habitable country on a planet that slowed its orbit to a dead stop. Thirty years after the slowing began, the earth's remaining population now resides only in the area of continual sunlight with temperatures that are able to allow the production of food and the continuation of human life. Things are not good in this new world order and only those who are towing the political line, working ceaselessly and keeping the borders secure are surviving, but barely. Everyone who tried to flee to relocate to Great Britain on ships from other continents was sunk into the ocean and channels surrounding that country. Isolationism is paramount. The USA has a toehold in the southernmost part and are holding their own. Now they need more resources and are about to make a deal with the British government -- but Prime Minister Richard Davenport, the man who engineered the survival of the country -- wants America's nuclear weapons in exchange for more food and resources. But there might yet be hope to save the planet. Dr. Ellen Hopper, a scientific officer stationed out in the North Sea, has been contacted to the deathbed of her former teacher from her Oxford Days. He has information he needs to give her. Helicoptered to the hospital by security agents, Ellen is unable to get what she needs when he dies and soon finds herself targeted by the government and pursued as she attempts to figure out what is meant from a single clue. Can she do it?  NO SPOILERS.

The premise was good, the futuristic aspect was chilling, and the writing was excellent. The story, however, moved very slowly and it seemed to take forever to get to the gist of the secret. I both love and hate the world building in novels that portend a hideous and bleak future for humankind. I'm still holding out for a new world that is more like the Jetsons (old TV show I never missed) and less like the collapse of knowledge and civilization -- barren wasteland of the nearly dead and starving. I have no idea if the science that explained the whole situation is accurate, but could appreciate the concept of half the world in eternal darkness and the other in nonstop sunlight, massive cold, blistering deserts that encroach the land mass, falling oxygenation, etc. Dismal. The basic narrative line has a lone woman facing off against nearly insurmountable odds to find some hope. I did enjoy this overall but definitely would have liked a more definitive ending as it seems to conclude rather abruptly after all the build-up. The descriptions and detail were good in some areas but deficient in others. Then again, I don't think the book needed more pages. Not sure how apt the title is either.
Anyway, I'll be eager to read more reviews of this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton/Penguin Random House for this e-book ARC to read and review.

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

Genre - apocalyptic thriller, futuristic 2059 

Her Daughter's Cry (Detective Jo Fournier #3) by M.M. Chouinard

"...people almost always though they were good and had done the right thing -- people were the heroes of their own stories, never the villains, even if their deeds were judged as villainous by others."

This is the third action-packed and suspenseful police procedural/crime thriller in the Detective Jo Fournier, Oakhurst County SPDU, series. Set in Massachusetts, the books have interesting plots and well-drawn characters who come to life solving complicated cases. The book description doesn't really give a good idea for what this story is about, however, and it's not the typical "woman with amnesia" device.

A woman, bedraggled and wearing blood-stained clothing, stumbles out of the woods in Taltingham and enters an antique store. The owner calls an ambulance and she's taken to a nearby hospital where she's admitted as a Jane Doe. Although her injuries are minor, including a concussion, the woman claims she can't remember who she is or what happened. She has no explanation for how she comes to be wearing bloody clothes and it's definitely not her blood. She can't recall her name, so christens herself Zoe and Detective Jo Fournier and her partner, Detective Bob Arnett, question her with no success. Since she's not in need of further hospital care, and since she has no ID and has lost her memory, Zoe is transferred to a care facility until police can further investigate. Obviously something has happened -- to someone -- and they need to figure out whose blood covered Zoe and find that person if he or she is still alive. No one reports Zoe missing and no one comes forward to claim her. But then a man shows up at the care facility to see Zoe but vanishes before he can be questioned. Soon it's discovered that Zoe is gone. Was she kidnapped or did she escape? The chase is on, leads need to be followed, people interviewed, clues examined, evidence processed. Who is Zoe and what happened to her? NO SPOILERS.

An excellent and well-written mystery with everything a reader could want in this type of book. I really enjoy this series and have now read all three of the installments. The narrative is told in different points of view; the events that transpired and revelations kept me guessing. I like the detective characters as well as the rest of the Oakhurst police team, the setting, and the police procedural details. Very hard to put down. Can't wait for #4.

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

This is the third book in the series and I suggest you read them in order from beginning.
Genre - crime thriller/police procedural

The Stolen Girls (DI Lottie Parker #2) by Patricia Gibney

This second installment in the DI Lottie Parker series was thrilling from start to finish -- I read it in a single sitting this evening! An excellent, action-packed police procedural that features such horrific topics as sex trafficking, self-mutilation, illegal organ harvesting, horrors of war, and murder.

I have read all of the other books in this enthralling series but somehow missed this one and I am so glad I was able to revisit earlier parts of a long-running story with the characters I've grown attached to and have connected with. Lottie and her team become involved in a very complicated case when a young foreign-born woman and her small son appear on the Parker doorstep on the day that Lottie is to return to work after recovering from events in book #1. On the same day, the body of another girl is found buried in road construction. Unable to make identification, the autopsy gives details that indicate something truly evil is going on in Ragmullin in the Irish Midlands. Then another body is found in similar fashion. Both are suspected asylum seekers but they've not been reported missing and they don't appear on any list at the local privately-run direct provision center.
Then, a friend of Chloe's (Lottie's daughter) goes missing. As the clues mount and leads are chased down, interviews done, and all avenues explored, Lottie can't help but wonder how this case ties together. NO SPOILERS.

Great characters, good writing, and lots of nerve-wracking suspense kept me thoroughly engaged. I'm definitely a fan of this series and I am hopeful that I'll be getting to the eighth book soon!

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

This is the second in a series that currently has 7 titles. I missed this one and have read 1, 3-7 and suggest that you read them from the beginning in order.
Genre: police procedural and crime thriller

And They Called it Camelot by Stephanie Marie Thornton

"We all had our own tragedies to live. And, in the end, death would claim us all."

A well-written book, this historical fiction account of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis is, first of all, a tribute to the woman's incredible strength and resilience. I laughed, I cried, and I learned so much about Jackie while bringing to mind the little I actually remember from those years. I know that many people idolized the Kennedys and revere the JFK Presidency -- it impacted some so much that they recall exactly what they were doing when they heard that he had been shot. I was too young at the time it happened for any memories, but I know that the whole reference to the days of "Camelot" is one that has lingered over the many years since.

Told in the first person perspective, the author has given us access to Jackie's thoughts and reactions to all that transpired during much of her life. It's always hard to be accurate to history and get into someone's mind, and surely the construction has to be taken with a grain of salt. Not knowing a person intimately, gleaning detail from letters, documents, interviews, photos and footage, has to be very daunting. I found myself constantly asking, "Is this true? Is this what she really said, thought, did?' I believe that no one can ever know what really goes on in the heart or mind of another, but I feel that Stephanie Thornton presented us with a unique portrayal of a woman who valued her privacy and kept herself to herself.

Jackie wanted those one thousand and thirty-six days of JFK's Presidency to be remembered and his legacy of hope and service protected for all time. She must be forgiven for creating and curating him into a legend of epic proportions. She forgave him so much and sacrificed for his career and legacy at her own expense. Who was Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis to herself? A woman who loved a man and protected him, encouraged him, and helped him get everything he wanted. Was it worth it all -- we will never really know. I enjoyed this book and am glad that I revisited this special period in American History. The characters come to life on the pages and I will be thinking about them all for a very long time. In all, it was quite sad overall to read about the trauma and heartache experienced by this family. They gave everything they had and lost so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I will continue to read anything Stephanie Thornton writes!

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- historical fiction, bio reference to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

The Leaving Party by Lesley Sanderson

Ava is meant to be leaving for New York. Newly engaged to Ben, but keeping it a secret, Ava can't wait to leave her past behind and move on. Her best friend, Lena, is throwing her a fabulous leaving party and all their friends are coming. But there are things happening behind the scenes that will make this a night to remember. Lies have been told, truths withheld. The night will bring drama and revelation. NO SPOILERS.

Told in the alternating viewpoints of Ava and Lena, the story also shifts back and forth between 2005 and present day. Illuminating the things that friends do for love, however misguided, it was a quick read with events recounted from each girl's perspective. I didn't care for either Ava or Lena and anticipated the outcome easily, but it was easy to get through in a single sitting. If you enjoy friendship psychodrama, this is one for you.

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

This is a standalone and is not party of any series.
Genre - psychological fiction, friendship drama

Mystery on Hidden Lane (Eve Mallow #1) by Clare Chase

A cozy mystery set in the Suffolk village of Saxford St Peter presents obituary writer Eve Mallow with a complicated set of circumstances that has led to the murder of the famous man she was meant to write about. As she interviews the people in the small town to get some background information for her piece, Eve discovers that there are quite a few people who may have wanted famed cellist, Bernard Fitzpatrick, dead. NO SPOILERS.

This is a slower paced and character driven story with many different characters. The setting provides much inspiration for description and detail and it all sounded quite charming. The novel sets up Eve and puts her in place to continue what appears to be a new series. If you like books featuring amateur detectives who solve crimes, live in a picturesque village, and have a pet dog, then this is one you will want to check out.

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

This is the first in a new series by this author.
Genre - cozy mystery, British

When You See Me by Lisa Gardner (series DD Warren #11)

Whew! I have to stop and catch my breath after reading this extremely fast-paced, action-packed, and suspenseful crime thriller. I certainly didn't intend to start and finish this in one sitting today but I just let everything else go because I could not put it down. I've read a couple other books by this author, sort of hit and miss in series, but so glad I came upon this one in my TBR. Lisa Gardner is an excellent writer and this book hits all the high points of story, characters, and menace.

Two day hikers go off trail to look for a hiking stick but instead find human bones. The remains of Lilah Abenito have been discovered in the mountains of Georgia. The victim had been missing for 15 years. A task force is formed and included characters from other Gardner novels. FBI SSA Kimberly Quincy joins Boston homicide detective Sergeant D.D. Warren. In addition, two civilians -- one is Flora Dane, a survivor of the serial killer Jacob Ness, but now a sort of vigilante; the other is her "almost" boyfriend and computer nerd, Keith Edgar -- a true crime enthusiast. As this team joins other law enforcement in Niche, Georgia, to examine the area for further evidence related to Lilah Abenito as well as to determine if Jacob Ness had used that area as part of his hunting grounds, i.e., will they find more remains? What they discover there in that little community that feeds onto the Appalachian Trail is more than they could have ever imagined. NO SPOILERS.

The narrative takes off like a rocket and the reader is immediately propelled into the chilling tale of evil and madness through the viewpoints of several of the main characters -- one is that of a mute young girl who was injured and abducted by the beast who killed her mother. I know it's a cliche to say that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough, but it was definitely true here. I loved all the characters and how the case came together with everyone working their end. I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for future titles by this author. Don't miss this one if you're a fan of the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Penguin Random House for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

This is part of a series, however, it combines characters from different series to create a whole new approach. I've not read all of them in any series featuring the 3 main characters and I didn't have any issues with enjoying the book though now I definitely want to seek out other titles.
Genre - suspense, crime thriller

I Could Be You by Sheila Bugler

Mistaken identity, lies, secrets, and revenge culminate in murder on the narrow road near the shingle coast on the outskirts of Eastbourne.

When ex-journalist, 51-year-old Dee Doran, finds the dead body she immediately recognizes her as neighbor and friend, Katie Hope. Instantly she's concerned because Katie has a two-year-old son, Jake, whose buggy is broken and twisted by a ditch. But Jake is not there. It looks like a hit and run, but where is the little boy? The police get involved and during the course of their investigation they discover that the dead woman may not actually be Dee's tenant and friend after all. But who is she, then, and where is the person that Dee had befriended? NO SPOILERS.

This is a convoluted tale of jealousy and hatred that stems from the past. The story is told from the points of view of 3 different women and shifts in time. The central characters are all actually unlikeable and the twists fairly predictable. It is fast-paced and easy to read in a single sitting as the details and clues are dangled like crumbs for the reader to follow to the inevitable conclusion.

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

This is a standalone and is not part of a series.
Genre - crime thriller

House on Fire (Nick Heller #4) by Joseph Finder

"And the snake says, 'Yeah, but you knew what I was when you picked me up.'"

This fourth installment of the Nick Heller series has the elite private investigator taking on the rich Kimball family. They own a pharmaceutical company whose main product is an opiate, Oxydone, a nasal inhaler that quickly delivers a powerful dose of the substance. Result - almost instant addiction. In addition, lots of deaths due to overdoses. Nick is hired by one of the Kimball daughters to find evidence to take her family business down -- the hidden clinical study that shows how addictive the drug is and she feels that it should be taken off the market and all the victims compensated. So he's off...NO SPOILERS.

Lots of action and nonstop fight scenes with clever Nick finding all sorts of ways to get the information he wants. He soon has a personal stake in the hunt and ramps up his investigation to even higher levels. It's all quite predictable and a fast read. The narrative is told in the first person POV with Nick integrating himself into the Kimball family and using all sorts of cool spy toys to find out what he wants to know. It gave me a couple of hours of entertainment. I've read two of the other books in the series. I'm sure fans of this type of character and story line will enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the 4th book in a series about Nick Heller, private investigator and I've read #2, #3 and now #4. 

Genre - action, private investigator

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

"You have to make peace with the past or you can never move into the future."

This novel, categorized as Women's Fiction, relates the story of an artist from the 1940s and a present day parolee tasked with restoring a mural in Edenton, North Carolina.

Anna Dale is 22-years-old when she wins a mural competition and, since her mother has just died, finds herself in Edenton in 1940 to produce a 12 foot by 6 foot project for installation in the post office there. Deciding to stay on while painting the mural, she learns that things are quite different in the south than they were in her hometown of Plainfield, New Jersey. Because of events that transpire, Anna vanishes and the mural is never hung.

Present day finds Morgan Christopher in the North Carolina Correctional Facility for Women in Raleigh, North Carolina. She's been imprisioned as the result of a drunk driving accident that paralyzed a young women. Hope comes in the form of two African-American women who visit to offer her probation and a job. It seems that, although she never finished art school due to her crime, a famous artist has recently died and wants to open a gallery in his hometown. There is a mural that she is meant to restore, one that has been hidden and nearly destroyed. Of course she accepts even though she knows nothing about art restoration and finds herself in Edenton. Morgan becomes obsessed with the mural's artist, Anna Dale, because the images on the mural are quite disturbing and no one knows what happened to the young woman. As she works, hints of the secrets and lies in that small town are revealed on the canvas. NO SPOILERS.

This novel is told from the viewpoints of Anna and Morgan and each chapter reveals how the mural affected them and describes the events that link them together. Though it is all thoroughly predictable, the writing is good and the description made me really want to actually "see" that piece of artwork in all of its restored form. It's an easy, quick read that discusses the prejudices in a small, southern town during that period of time in history. The themes are self-discovery and redemption and the conclusion is fitting.

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

This is a standalone that is not part of any series.
Genre - Women's Fiction

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

"Once upon a time, they said, a wicked mother gave birth to a daughter. The daughter appeared to be very sick...for 18 years, no doctor could figure out what was wrong with her." The daughter was rescued and it turns out that the mother had been behind the many ailments all along. "The mother had to be punished."

Rose Gold Watts was 18 years old when her mother went to prison for aggravated child abuse. Freed from the torment of constant illness, Rose Gold has to make a life for herself. Unfortunately, she's not emotionally equipped to do so having been controlled by her mother, Patty, for so long. Unable to form new, sustaining and meaningful relationships, Rose Gold can't help but be angry. But now, 5 years have passed and "Poisonous Patty" is due for release. And Rose Gold has offered to pick her up.
NO SPOILERS.

What a story! Though the central conflict is the mother-daughter relationship, it is complicated by the Munchausen Syndrome by proxy element. There are themes of childhood abuse, abandonment, revenge and mental instability. Told in the alternating viewpoints of both Rose Gold and Patty, the narrative also flips back and forward in time. The book was impossible to put down so I read it over a couple of hours in one sitting. I anticipated that there would be twists and turns and knew there would be a dramatic conclusion although I wasn't sure what form it would take. Honestly, I didn't like either of the two main characters but I could definitely empathize with how each of the women became who they were. The writing was excellent and it is a very impressive debut in the psychological fiction category.

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

This is a standalone, debut, and is not part of any series.
Genre -- psychological fiction

Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake #4) by Rachel Caine

This is the 4th installment in a series featuring Gwen Proctor, the former wife of notorious serial killer, Melvin Royal. She and her two children, Lanny and Connor (now 16 and 13), have been evading the tabloids and trying to escape their infamous past association with the now-dead Royal. Gwen is currently working as a PI and living at Stillhouse Lake with her children and her partner, Sam Cade. Everything should be settling down for them now and giving a chance for their family to find peace, but the people in town don't want them there and so many others still believe that there's no way that Gwen didn't know what her husband was up to. Lanny and Connor aren't doing well at school and it looks like they're going to have to move again. Then Gwen takes a missing persons case that makes the decision moot. Her boss asks her to look into a 3-year-old cold case involving a 21-year-old college student, Remy Landry, who vanished after going out drinking with his friends. Gwen goes to interview the parents and finds them totally broken. Her only lead is that he was apparently recently trying to help a girl named Carol but no one knows much about her. The investigation leads to a secret compound known as Bitter Falls and involves a lot more than one missing young man. NO SPOILERS.

I've been with Gwen since the beginning and I'm afraid the series is running out of steam as this felt so similar to the previous books in the series. Gwen's character hasn't changed much and, even though the whole family is in therapy, it doesn't seem to have done a lot for her or the kids. This is a fast read with the narrative shifting between points of view and it has lots of action between the good guys and the bad guys. Easy to read in a single sitting, I'm sure fans of the series won't be likely to miss this but I surely hope that Gwen starts moving in a different direction and can settle down somewhere and leave her past behind her once and for all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is the 4th book in a series that I have read from the beginning and I suggest readers do the same.
Genre - thriller

The Other People by C.J. Tudor

"Welcome to The Other People"
"We know about pain. We know about loss. We know about injustice. We share the pain...with those who deserve it."

Tragedy happens to many but we always hope to keep it away from ourselves and those we love. When or if the unthinkable happens, there's absolutely no way to avoid the grief, the rage, or the hopelessness. Sometimes it occurs due to accident, but what if it was something caused by another person -- such as murder? And, just say, that there was a way for you to get justice -- an eye for an eye -- so to speak? Would you do it?

Reminiscent of The Chain but equally clever, this novel explores how hate and bitterness can lead people to make choices and decisions that will have far-reaching repercussions that they could never anticipate. Blinded by desolation and loss of hope, unable to see the future without their loved one, individuals might feel bent on revenge.

This deliciously sinister novel tells the story of Gabe whose daughter, Izzy, was murdered along with his wife. He's lost in suspended animation because he thinks that his daughter is still alive even though she's buried next to his wife in the local cemetery. He believes this because he saw his daughter in a car that night, but no one will listen and, in fact, he's initially thought to have been involved in the double homicide. In addition, there's Fran: on the run with Alice and they can't seem to get away from those following them. And, Katie, a waitress who works in the cafe at Newton Green Services off the M1 Junction. She serves Gabe his coffee every day as he spends all of his waking hours driving up and down the highway where he had last seen his daughter. Katie, divorced with 2 young children, has a drudge of a life and hasn't quite recovered losing her father -- killed in his own garage. What do these three have in common? NO SPOILERS.

This was a great story and I found it impossible to put down so read it in a single sitting this evening. It hooks you from the beginning and reels you in as the narration flops between different points of view and time. The writing is excellent, the characterization strong and believable. There's a bit of paranormal involved but I could overlook that because the rest of it had more realistic tone. Definitely a must read as it's a very well-crafted thriller.

Just beware the stranger who seems to offer you a strange bit of comfort in your moments of desolation. Don't take them up on their brand of resolution.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House/Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - Thriller with themes of revenge, grief, vigilantism

Tell Me Lies (Max Carter #1) by Ed James

This is the first in a new crime thriller series featuring  Special Agent Max Carter of the FBI. He heads up the Seattle Field Office's Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team.

Agent Carter is called to the home of Senator Christopher Holliday and his wife. Megan Holliday has woken to find herself on the front porch and her two young children, Avery and Brandon, are gone. Assuming some sort of abduction, the agency kicks into high gear and begins a search. Max, however, is finding it odd that he can't seem to get in touch with Senator Holliday even though he was told to come home immediately. Meanwhile, Holliday is contacted by the abductor and is meant to meet him. Hoping to get his children back safely, Holliday goes off on his own. Things go from bad to worse and the case soon becomes quite complex and involves the CIA and an illegal mission on US soil using hired thugs. NO SPOILERS.

This was a fine start to a new series and a quick read that I finished in a couple of hours. There was lots of action and quite a bit going on. The narrative shifts between points of view so the reader has a much larger picture of the motives behind the entire operation. The characters, at this point, are not fully developed and thus don't create much empathy or relatabiililty. The basic plot elements include secrets, lies, murder and corruption. I did feel that, despite the build up, the ending was a bit of a letdown and left some loose ends. I may or may not continue reading the subsequent books in the series.

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

This is the first book in a new series by the author. I've not read any of his previous books.
Genre - crime thriller, FBI, corruption

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

"...all of them gone. People with promise, people dependent and depended upon, people loving and beloved, one after another, in a line, in a river, no fount and no outlet, a long bright river of departed souls."

Although marketed as a suspense/crime thriller, I would have to say that it is more of a character study and a family drama. Yes, one of the main characters, Mickey Fitzpatrick, is a cop with the Philadelphia Police Department, but she's on the Kensignton beat and the main focus of the book is on her dysfunctional relationship with her family and her lack of personal relationships. Yes, the story does have a series of murders in it -- drug addicted women -- some of whom Mickey knows. This novel does not focus on a police investigation of those cases. It's the story of two sisters who couldn't be more different. One an addict who lives on the streets and the other a cop. Kacey and her older sister, Mickey, haven't spoken in 5 years. Nevertheless, Mickey still looks for Kacey on the Kensignton streets and lives in constant fear that she will find her sister dead of an overdose, or worse. NO SPOILERS.

The narrative is unusual, lacking in quotation marks, and is told from Mickey's viewpoint. There are some time shifts as Mickey reflects on her childhood growing up with her younger sister, Kacey, in the care of their grandmother. With their mother dead and their father long gone, the girls mostly shift for themselves and Kacey eventually falls prey to drugs. Mickey is righteous and rigid, disapproving but still feeling that she must take care of her sister. Overall the tone of this story was quite depressing to me. I understand the scourge of drugs. I've felt the pain of losing a relative to drugs. I know that something must be done to save the users. It seems that all the efforts directed toward this end haven't been successful and so many different methods have been tried from rehab to methadone to NarcAnon. I have no answers. It was a difficult read for me and although the writing was quite good, I found it slow moving and it took me longer than usual to finish. I think, however, that I was expecting a police procedural and a murder case. Drugs lead to broken families, crime, poverty and death and it's usually a one-way ride. Drugs corrupt and destroy people and by extension, everyone the user knows. Police are not immune to the effects on a community. There are a million reasons why people get into drugs and you know, if you could, you'd try to prevent that from happening. And though you'd likely fail, because people will do what they do in the end, I'm sure that the struggle is real and it's everywhere.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse and Riverhead Books for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - depressing family drama centered on drug addiction, dysfunction

The Stranger's Wife (DI Dan Riley #3) by Anna-Lou Weatherley

"The heart wants what the heart wants."

This third installment in the series featuring DI Dan Riley blends domestic drama with police procedural to create a satisfying police procedural. A crime thriller that touches on many different issues and introduces some interesting characters has a familiar plot but unique pacing. I read it in a single sitting over a couple of hours and it kept me fully engaged throughout.

Two different women suffering at the hands and antics of their husbands who are abusive in different ways. Beth Lawler lives in an upscale area and is married to a wealthy, powerful man. She's miserable and finds love and happiness in an adulterous affair that puts her and her daughter, Lily, in an untenable position. Catherine Patterson is Saul Bennet's "zombie" -- her brute of a husband is an addict who regularly beats her but this time he has gone too far. Two vengeful wives who meet by accident on the 3:15 PM train to Bristol.

The detective, Dan Riley, is about to become a father with a woman he respects but doesn't love. He understands grief but has a solid moral compass. What's he to do with this case that has so many shades of gray? As he runs down the events and the suspects, Dan wants to do the right thing but the ramifications are made obvious by his supervisors. The age old question -- is there ever a justification for murder? NO SPOILERS.

I really like this series and I do appreciate the righteousness of Dan Riley however much I wanted this all to end differently. The writing is excellent, the pacing is perfect, and the premise was intriguing. The issues were handled in a masterful manner by the author and I really connected with both Beth and Cath as women put in situations that would make even a saint go crazy. The law limits what can be done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. I've read all three books in this series and urge other readers to do the same. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

This is the third in a series that I think would best be read in order from the beginning.
Genre -- crime thriller, psychological, domestic drama

Her Last Goodnight (DI Finnegan Beck #3) by Michael Scanlon

"Secrets:  something kept unknown or unseen by others."

This is the third book in a series featuring Detective Inspector Finnegan Beck. For earl assigned in Dublin, Beck has been posted to Cross Beg due to indiscretions of a romantic nature up in The Smoke. He's in bad shape and suffers from nightmares and a tendency toward alcoholism because of unresolved issues in his family and personal life.

This installment brings Beck a complicated case that begins with the bludgeoning murder of an old man, Edward Kavanagh. Since he was respected and esteemed by most of the old-timers, no on can figure out why anyone would want to kill him. He's found with an old engagement ring in his pocket and the gossip is that he'd loved and lost a girl in his youth. Beck and his colleague, Detective Garda Claire Somers, question neighbors and other locals but can't find a motive. Then some interesting details come to light that indicate a connection to a traveling brothel, prostitution, kidnapping and sex trafficking. NO SPOILERS.

This was a book that I read in a couple of hours in a single sitting but it wasn't particularly action-packed or fast-paced. Although the elements were there for an exciting crime thriller, the focus on Beck and his "issues" took up too much page time. Although we're supposed to believe he's a brilliant detective, all I could see were the symptoms of a mental illness crisis. Why can't genre detectives be of sound mind and body? That aside, the premise was good but the execution was pedantic and I wasn't surprised at any turn nor did I find this suspenseful. It was a police procedural with Beck "mentoring" Claire about how those procedures are great in books but not in real life. I'll give this series another go, but this one was rather ho-hum. I'm also left wondering how this title relates in any way to the content of the book?

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

This is the third book in a series. I've read all 3, in order, and suggest others do the same.
Genre - crime thriller, police procedural

The Perfect Mother by Caroline Mitchell

If something sounds too good to be true -- run away!

When 24-year-old Roz Foley discovers that she is pregnant after a one-night stand with a most unsuitable baby daddy, she decides to investigate the possibility of adoption. Broke, jobless and sharing a flat with her best friend, Dympna, is not what she wants for her baby. She impulsively signs on with an exclusive agency, Miracle Moms, and immediately gets a hit. A "diamond couple" has offered to fly her to New York for a meet and greet if Roz is certain that she wants to go through with it. Off she goes, first class all the way, and arrives to find that absolutely nothing is what she'd hoped. In fact, she and her baby are in terrible danger. NO SPOILERS.

This was an easy, quick read that I finished in one sitting. Most of what transpired was a bit far-fetched and required a great effort to suspend disbelief, but it was an entertaining couple of hours. I've read other books written by Caroline Mitchell and much prefer her police procedurals. I never fully bought into the story or the characters and can't say that the writing created much tension or suspense as the twists were not completely unexpected. I know it's awful, but I was kind of hoping for a different end to Roz and her situation -- you know -- just to really surprise me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer/Amazon Publishing UK for this e-book ARC to read and review.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - psychological, domestic noir

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

"You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all day, every day. You have to keep remembering all the bad things."

I've had this book for a very long time but only picked it up because I was planning to watch the film last evening. I'd only gotten about halfway and decided to go ahead and see it despite my usual rule to read the book first. Although the book is so much better, the film was decent and gave me all the feels. Then, I went back and finished today and can't stop thinking about this very sad, but beautiful story.

The setting, the writing, and the characters are brought to life on the pages. Though it is slower than the action-packed novels I usually read, I was riveted from the beginning. The story begins by introducing us to Tom and Isabel Sherbourne as they discover the boat, the dead man and the baby that will both save their lives and nearly destroy them. They are living in isolation on Janus Rock where Tom is the lightkeeper. On that fateful day, Isabel and Tom are both still reeling after her third miscarriage and this infant girl seems to be a gift from God. That's when they make the fateful decision to bury the dead man, probably the baby's father, and keep this newborn that they name, Lucy. The narrative continues, but starts with details about Tom, his war service, and his posting to the Commonwealth Light Service. The reader learns about Tom and Isabel meeting, their unusual courtship, eventual marriage and life on Janus Rock. The descriptions are mesmerizing and the reader is drawn into their world. At times uplifting but eventually heartbreaking, this is a tale that is hard to forget. NO SPOILERS.

I am so glad that I picked this up and I'd definitely recommend it, especially to book clubs as there is so much within to discuss and debate. The moral issues, theories about parenthood, doing the right thing, how love can transform everything -- it's all there. I'm sure I'll be thinking about this one for a very long time. I'm giving it 4+ stars.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - literary fiction, family drama

The Man She Married by Alison James

How can you get to the truth if all you have to go on is lie after lie?

This was a fast and entertaining domestic drama about a woman who marries a man and then comes to find that he was not at all who he said he was.

Alice Palmer meets Dominic Gill on an elevator. She's at Ellwood Archer in Silverton to make arrangements for lunches that her catering company, Comida, is planning to bid for. He's there for a job interview. Over coffee, they find mutual attraction which rapidly leads to a proposal and marriage. So what if she sees -- and ignores -- some serious red flags? Their relationship is fairly good, but Alice wants a baby and Dom won't give the go-ahead. Then comes Valentine's Day about 3 years into their marriage. Dominic is dead. The shock deepens when Dominic's estranged brother arrives to identify him. Simon says that the dead man is NOT his brother, Dominic Gill. If that's the case, then who is this man? Alice needs answers, not only for herself, but for the unborn baby she's recently learned she's carrying. NO SPOILERS.

Very fast paced with THEN and NOW chapters as well as alternating point of view narration between Alice and "Gill" that give the reader a clearer picture of their situation and his past. I enjoyed it and the twists and turns along the way. Of course the reader knows Gill is a horrible man and constantly admonishes Alice to open her eyes and see it, but she's always giving him the benefit of the doubt because she loves her husband and wants their marriage to work. I read this in a single sitting and though it is similar to other books in this genre, it was a fun couple of hours.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read and review. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre -- domestic drama, psychological suspense