Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead

 Not just a female empowerment #MeToo revenge fantasy.

When her younger sister, Georgia, is murdered at a Hollywood house party, aspiring pop star Scout Sage reinvents herself in the years that follow. It's now 10 years later and suddenly rumor, speculation, and innuendo are implicating Scout and her unusual cohort of women in the murders of men and women connected to industry corruption, abuse, and coverups. The crime scenes feature lyrics from Scout's own songs so she becomes a prime suspect. 

The investigation into Scout and her "Ladies of the Dark" also known in the press as the Hot Girl Murder Club, is led by Detective Grey Holloway. These friends form a network to help wronged women. As coincidence will have it, the cop is hunting for information about her own missing sister, Alice, who was last seen at a notorious nightclub. 

Does the line between victim, predator, and vigilante blur when everyone tries for justice. 
"The fire of passion and the dark void of hate."

This was more complicated than the typical female rage story and it definitely has a gritty atmosphere that strips the glamour off the entertainment industry showing its institutional rot and trauma.

Told in dual times with flashbacks to the party 10 years ago, and the present, the book suffers from point of view bloat with too many juggling perspectives. This slows down what could have been a relentless thriller pace. So the plot was messy and chaotic and that made it hard to connect deeply with the characters. It doesn't really follow any sort of typical police procedural either and the detective work doesn't feel real. Let's not even talk about the convenient FBI boyfriend. 

In the end, even the secret sisterhood angle felt more like over the top drama instead of the caring female bond it was probably meant to resemble. 

Despite its flaws, I liked the story well enough. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did an admirable job trying to create unique voices for all the female characters but there were just simply way too many for one actor. This production would definitely have benefited from a full cast. I always enjoy listening while reading as it creates a more immersive, enjoyable experience. 

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

Genre and tags: fiction, Hollywood, sexual assault, murder, corruption, female friends, revenge, social activism 

Every Lie I Told by Hilary Davidson

 Twisty thriller that didn’t pay off.

Public relations fixer Jackie Swift lies for a living, cleaning up scandals for wealthy clients, rehabilitating reputations, and also constantly rescuing her younger sister, Madi, from drug issues. Her personal and professional lives collide when Madi texts and frantically begs Jackie to bring her some naloxone. Madi purportedly is at the mansion of Jackie’s former boss and mentor, Erick Mortenson. When Jackie arrives at the residence, her boss is dead and Madi is missing. Now Jackie must use all of her devious skills to manipulate the police investigation and manufacture suspects while searching for her sister. 

Full of completely hideous characters throughout, I struggled through the convoluted narrative with so many of them lying and scheming. High body count, lack of depth in characters other than they all seemed nasty and self-serving, and the plot that I really still don’t get — what was the point of this whole story? All I know is that they wrap up and the inter-relationships between the characters was a twisty mess. I didn’t like any of them; the result of Jackie’s actions and her sister’s outright behavior, didn’t net them the consequences they really deserved. If you like reading about liars, manipulators, and schemers, you’ll enjoy this. It was fast paced. I kept waiting to see if I had predicted something about a particular character and I was right. I’m giving this 2.5 stars but now I’m even rethinking that rating. I really didn’t like this very much. 

I listened to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Brittany Pressley. I’ve listened to a lot of books she’s read and she does OK with the female voices though they all sound mostly the same. This would have definitely benefited with a larger cast since there were so many characters, and definitely this should have had a male voice. Usually the audio book makes me enjoy a book more, but this wasn’t enough to redeem this one.

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

Murder, lies, schemers, public relations, sexual predators, rape, sexual assault, drug use

The Lawyer’s Husband by Robin James

 Fun but predictable mystery thriller.

Mina Sobel Manning is an attorney who is handling a very high profile case involving several murdered women when she suddenly hears details about the killer that suggest the suspect might be her very own husband, Lock. Could the man she trusted and adored, whose rules she has followed since they met, be the person the witnesses are describing. 

Fast paced with a focus more on domestic dread rather than legal aspects, the narrative from dual perspectives kept me engaged. Mina seems to go from super competent to sort of unhinged rather quickly, however. Some of the interaction between Mina and the detective and her boss makes her appear to be a mess and don’t get me started on some of her actions and decisions. Also, what’s with the repeated use of the word “sinfully” to describe activities in the bedroom? Corrine is something else. I didn’t really care for any of the characters and as I said, I knew immediately how it was all going to end for the most part, but I enjoyed it.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The two female narrators, Elise Roth and Madeline Pell, did an adequate job with the two main women characters. Their voices barely changed when speaking male dialogue, though, and that really made the whole production less entertaining when there wasn’t that feeling of listening to a full cast. It was like being read to rather than performed. I usually count on audio to create an immersive experience and that didn’t happen. 

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

Domestic suspense, psychological, marriage, murder, legal, detectives

The Broken Plea By Christopher Whitcomb

 This is going to haunt me for a long time. I thought I knew the story. I thought they got the killer. This true crime account makes me question everything!

A very detailed account of all that went into the investigation and analysis of the crime scenes, the victims, and the identified perpetrator. Bryan Christopher Kohberger pled guilty to the murders of four college coeds before his case went to trial. In accepting the plea, many questions were never answered and the families and public will never get the answers they crave. 

In this well written documentary, the author describes all the ways in which the case was improperly handled and how the local Idaho  police might have zeroed in on their target without the evidence and proof they should have obtained. The prosecutor was trying to obtain the verdict and the public defender tried but was sidelined despite having some serious reasonable doubt. 

It makes me sick to contemplate. But why, if the revelations in this book are true, did Bryan go ahead with this plea and skip the trial? He’s never explained or answered to any of it. Makes no sense and after reading I’m still so torn. I remember reading about this at the time it happened and how I, along with most of the public, thought Bryan was guilty as charged and was happy he saved the taxpayers and went on to jail without the spectacle of a trial. I hope we find out the truth of it all someday, but not sure we ever will. Very compelling and interesting story that kept me glued to the pages despite all the heavy scientific information about DNA and the descriptions of information about vehicles, college life, the friendship and relationships among the group, and the attempt to explain the blood evidence at the crime scene. 

Drinking and drug consumption among college students made this even more difficult because the only witness can’t remember anything. Which I sort of find suspicious. There was a lot of that. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, the author himself, Christopher Whitcomb, did a great job of  using his voice to explain his story. He speaks with conviction and handles the complex investigation very well. I enjoyed immersing myself in the story and thing that this audio enhanced the book and my enjoyment.

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

Genre and tags: true crime, murder, Idaho killer, Bryan Kohberger

Two Kinds of Stranger (Eddie Flynn #9) by Steve Steve Cavanagh

 This was such a good legal thriller and I enjoyed everything about it EXCEPT the last chapter.

Elly Parker is a high profile social media influencer famous for her public acts of kindness. Her curated, perfect life shatters publicly, however, when shse accidentally live streams her new husband having sex with her best friend. Reeling from that ultimate betrayal, Elly tries to pick up the pieces and get over her bitterness. When she spots a man on crutches struggling with a heavy yellow suitcase at a subway entrance, she decides to help. It’s a decision that plungers her into a living nightmare. For the stranger is a meticulous diabolical serial killer who has chosen Elly as his next target. Then she’s accused of murder and all the forensic evidence points to her so she turns to Eddie Flynn, defense attorney, and his brilliant team for help. 

I love a mystery and a legal thriller with all kinds of great lawyer maneuvers and terrific courtroom drama. Great pacing and alternating points of view kept me glued to the pages. The bad guy is super chilling as a villain and it sure makes one question the next act of kindness for a stranger! You’ll need a bit of suspension of disbelief as Eddie’s team goes a bit off piste and you might suffer some whiplash with the twists, but it was hard to put down and I really enjoyed it. Except as I said, for the last chapter which I didn’t like at all. No spoilers but I’m curious if you agree.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Adam Sims, did a decent job with the male voices but this production could definitely have benefitted from a larger cast as the female voices weren’t up to par. I love immersing myself in a book while listening and reading, so I always enjoy a book more when I do this. 

This is the ninth in a series. I haven't read them all but this was easy to follow without needing any extra detail not already included.

Genre and tags: legal thriller, suspense, mystery, serial killer, murder, criminals, defense lawyer

Of Hoaxes and Homicide (Miss Hermione #2) by Anastasia Hastings

 Highly entertaining atmospheric whodunit.

In 1885 London, practical Violet Manville secretly writes a very popular advice column under the pseudonym "Miss Hermione." Bored with etiquette questions and endless whining, Violet gets her wish for a real mystery when a letter arrives from a frantic mother. Her daughter has run away to join a nature-worshiping cult that hints at rituals and orgies and is called the Hermetic Order of the Children of Aed. The stakes turn personal when Violet realizes that this very girl is actually Margaret, the best friend of her spoiled, fashionable, society obsessed half-sister, Sephora. 

Violet decides to infiltrate the cult's compound inside the old ruins of the Alburn Abbey in Nottingham. When one of the members is found poisoned to death and Margaret is accused of the crime, Violet must use her keen eye for human nature to separate the grand hoaxes from a very real homicide. And who should appear but Violet's crush, American investigator Eli Marsh. 

I enjoyed this second installment in the series. This was a classic cozy but with a hint of gothic intrigue and the creepy cult vibe. I love how Violet's intellect plays off Sephora's ditzy vanity and how they have this comedic friction. Very surprised to see Sephora develop a bit of resourcefulness. Appreciated that the romance factor didn't have a lot of play. Look forward to the third book.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in this e-book. The narrator, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, did a decent job trying to voice all the characters but this really needed a male performer to really enhance the production. 

This is the second in the series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags: cozy mystery, historical, London, cult, poison, murder, penny dreadfuls, sisters 

Beach Thriller by Jamie Day

 Can we say domestic pop-gothic noir…

Holly Sinclair is broke. She is a struggling New York author who has hit a slump so she decides to move back to Beaufort, Massachusetts, to check out her late mother’s dilapidated beachfront home — the very town where her sister Anna died almost 20 years ago. Desperate to pen a bestselling thriller to save her finances, Halley finds herself drawn to investigate what really happened the night of the fire that resulted in her sister’s death. Was it an accident or was it murder.

Oh my my my. What started tentatively as an engaging summertime thriller turned quickly to a story that was so over the top and unbelievable that I had to shake my head. What a disappointment. The coincidences and the characters were just too much with their actions and motivations. The plot was eventually rather preposterous as the premise of a desperate writer confronting her sister’s cold case has potential, the execution spins into pure ridiculousness. The wrap up at the end as everything is revealed and, surprise, tied together, was just way out there. The characters are one dimensional and make baffling choices such as Holly allowing a random teenager hiding in her attic to move into the house. Then there’s the psychic medium and the busy body real estate agent along with some other crazy others. The insta romance also a turn off. Anyway. I didn’t end up liking this as much as I’d hoped.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, a cast of women, included Emily Shaffer, Jane Oppenheimer, Jennifer Pickens, and Megan Tusing. I preferred some of the voices over the others but really disliked when they veered into melodramatic screeching and overacting. I do not know who voiced which character. Usually an audio production enhances my enjoyment of a book and this one did that for me but it was ultimately the story that fell short, not the performances. 

2.5 stars raised

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

Genre and tags: beach read, convoluted plot, domestic, amateur investigation, author, runaway, rich people