Murder at 30,000 Feet by Susan Walter

 High altitude adrenaline shot!

A locked room mystery with the chaotic energy of a commercial airline flight. 

The plane to San Juan, Puerto Rico, is packed with a motley assortment of passengers. As long as you suspend disbelief that these people would all happen to be on the same jet at the same time, you will enjoy the ride. There are two sets of passenger groups that come from the same California town and know each other to some extent. The wedding party and the baseball team. In addition are some solo travelers that include a grieving mother. To top it off, one of the flight attendants is also from Crestwood. The coincidences are almost a bit too much. An undercover Federal Air Marshal is on what he imagines will be a routine trip leading to some fun with a new love once he gets to their destination. 

The action begins as soon as all are aboard the plane. Secrets are revealed creating a storm that mirrors the turbulent weather outside. A lightning strike disables the electronics and when the lights come back on, a boy from the baseball team finds a dead body in the rear lavatory. Carlos Renaldo is given the task of securing the scene, identifying the dead body, and questioning the passengers to find the killer. Unfortunately, the plane won’t make it to PR after all as it runs out of fuel and is forced to land on a deserted Caribbean island. As the investigation continues, it comes to light that this murder is only part of all that has gone wrong with this flight. 

This was just fast and fun and I read it in a single setting as it was hard to put down. The point of view shifts and there is some back and forth in time to set the stage for all that happened in the past leading to what is happening on the plane now. It kept me guessing and there was a twist that surprised me toward the end. I loved the flight details and the perspective from the cockpit as well. 

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publisher. The narrator, Scott Brick, is phenomenal as ever and indeed always brings the story to the next level with his voice and skill. He’s adept at many accents and pitch so that the dynamics of his read bring the emotion and action to life. Totally recommend you listen to this if you can.

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

Genre and tags: locked room mystery, suspense, airplane flight, murder, other crimes

Good Intentions by Marisa Walz

 3.5 stars for this debut psychological thriller.

Be prepared to meet a really unreliable, narcissistic narrator in this drama about a woman whose obsessions take over to ruin her life. 

All was spectacular in Cady’s life. She had a wildly successful party planning business and was married to the man she’d loved since high school. Then tragedy struck when her twin sister, Dana, was killed in an accident. Grief has no timeline and no limits but Cady goes totally off the rails. Things fall apart slowly as Cady becomes fixated on a woman she had a brief interaction with in the Emergency Department on the day her sister died.

This was a quick read that sometimes veered into the need to suspend disbelief territory. Definitely entertaining as you try to guess what Cady is scheming and what her next plans might be. Her stalking of Morgan sometimes makes no sense. But Cady has this single minded obsession with trying to fix things and that means that she wants things to be the way she wants them as she has only the best of intentions. I was expecting some crazy twist but honestly, that ending was quite abrupt as well as bizarre and I didn’t like it. Anyway, Cady was not really a likable character in many ways and she left a lot of destruction in her wake. So much truth about her was missing since she was telling the story. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both provided by the publishers. The narrator, Brittany Pressley, did a good job for the female characters and she’s definitely got the dramatic flair that works well for this type of genre and story. I love being immersed in the story when the words and the voice work well.

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

Genre - domestic drama, psychological thriller, obsession, death and grief 

The Hospital at the End of the World by Justin C. Key

 "Not for the faint."

Speculative fiction looks at the possible direction of medical care.

In a near-future America, the Shepherd Organization has turned healthcare in to a cold, algorithmic commodity. AI dictates every diagnosis and treatment, leaving no room for human intervention or error. Pok, an aspiring medical student living in New York, has spent his life preparing to join this system alongside his father. When his applications to medical school are rejected, his world falls apart coinciding with his own father's sudden death.

Following a path his father had secretly set in motion, Pok flees the high tech surveillance of the North for New Orleans. The city, guarded by electromagnetic spires that block the Shepherd's reach,  is home to Hippocrates, the last medical school on earth that still practices human led medicine. But that special place and sanctuary comes with a price. As Pok struggles through the grueling medical school training, he discovers a terrifying new plague -- the Grips -- that specifically targets those who have spent their lives under AI. As more become infected and die, Pok must accept his own purpose and realize all that he is capable of when the truth about his origin and past are revealed. 

This plausible scenario was haunting and scary and I really enjoyed it. I love medical fiction, and this plunged deep into the big questions about what AI will do as it is increasingly integrated, or mandated, into our lives. Will human empathy and all the skills of a human physician be traded for an algorithm and efficiency. Who lives, who dies just a calculation. There is so much to think about within these pages and so it took me a lot longer to read this than a typical thriller of this type. It made me even more certain that restrictions and restraints need to be in place to prevent machine driven medical practice and care. 

A huge question raised by the author deals with the ethical questions. Definitely a must read for fans of speculative fiction who want a story that feels both like a warning and a tribute to the people who still believe in the human side of healing. 

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, James Fouhey, did a decent job, but it was a bit of a let down because he just didn't do women's voices well. As a result, the characters basically sounded the same without much differentiation. This production would definitely have benefited from a full cast, or at least a female voice. I always enjoy the immersive experience of listening and reading, and this would have been such a huge hit had the characters sounded more distinctly male or female.

This is a debut novel and I plan to read more from this author.

Genre - speculative fiction, medical care, AI, coming of age  

Paradox (Cash and Colcord#2) by Douglas Preston, Aletheia Preston

 This is the sequel to the fabulously entertaining Extinction, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Frankie Cash and Jim Colcord probe a series of ritualistic murders, including the grisly death of an exobiologist. Their investigation reveals a fanatic secret society, a mysterious alien artifact that’s gone missing, and the theft of a religious relic. The resurrected Neanderthals remain hidden somewhere in the mountains and aren’t a part of this story. 

This is meant to be a thriller, and is coauthored by Douglas Preston’s daughter. You can tell right away that something is different because it doesn’t read the same and includes social commentary that added nothing valuable to the story. The whole de-extinction theme was absent and this plot centers on some sort of extraterrestrial element and some crazy religious misguided fervor. It was unnecessarily complex and the whole police procedural and investigative dynamic was off between Cash and Colcord. I was most irritated and unhappy with how the big reveals were NOT actually ever spelled out. Without spoilers, I can’t specific exactly what I’m talking about but certainly the reader has earned some sort of detail about the artifact and about the motivations behind the two different groups. It was all very vague. I don’t like senseless violence and some of this was quite grisly and brutal with of course the nearly impossible escape that Cash and Colgord engineer from the brink of death. This was definitely not what I was hoping for in this follow-up to Extinction. I don’t know that I will read another by this duo. I have read almost every book Douglas Preston has written and this just didn’t hit the mark of his work. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. It was quite interesting to see what changes were made between the written and the audio production. The narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, did a fantastic job of voicing all the characters and had a great range of accents. She has great dramatic flair and brought the characters to life. Although a full cast recording would have really been wonderful, Stephanie’s voice enhanced my experience with the book.

This is the second book or a sequel but you could read it alone as nothing much has to do with previous book. 

Genre and tags: UAP (UFO), extraterrestrials, religion, artifacts, relics, Spanish Inquisition, ritual murder

The Secret of Secrets (Langdon #6) by Dan Brown

 This thriller seeks to claim that death is not the end. There's evidence from noetic science that suggests there may be something beyond the end of our physical selves--  where our consciousness roams free.

The story, set mainly in Prague, sees Robert Langdon and his romantic partner, Katherine Solomon, visiting to deliver a lecture about her work proving the existence of a global consciousness. Things take a turn when a prominent local scientist is found murdered, Katherine's New York editor is kidnapped, the book she's about to publish vanishes from every server, and Langdon has a strange encounter on a bridge while out jogging that creates chaos and the notice of the police. It seems that the explosive revelations in Katherine's upcoming book are ones that the CIA are quite familiar with and need to protect from exposure.

Although I feel this book was overly long, it certainly was interesting. A universal truth is that humans fear death and that forms the basis of many religions promising some sort of life afterwards. Scientists of all kinds have tried to study this topic and that of nonlocal consciousness. Can the mind float free of its physical form and exist outside of the brain?

The action is relentless and jumps back and forth in time and point of view. Sometimes the shifts were quite jarring but it definitely propelled the narrative forward. As usual, Langdon experiences his ah-ha moments with great regularity as his skeptical mind becomes convinces that Katherine's research has huge implications for the future of the human race. The details and descriptions go on and on as is typical in a Dan Brown work and I enjoy that but I know others feel he is too verbose. Although I've read every book in the series, I've enjoyed some of the themes and topics more in others, but this is definitely a departure from codes and symbols to dealing with technology and the human brain. Quite relevant to current concerns about AI and social media addiction. 

After all, I liked this for the most part. I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book which always provides a more immersive and enjoyable experience for me.  The narrator, Paul Michael, did a good job with the different accents and drama, but he really fails in doing voices of the women characters. This book really deserved a full cast production. 

This is the 6th book in the series that should be read from the beginning for best enjoyment.

Genre and tags: technology, physics, human mind, nonlocal consciousness, noetic science, CIA intrigue. Prague 

Stolen in Death (#62) by J.D. Robb

 In the 62nd installment of this series, Eve Dallas faces a closed circle mystery that forces her to navigate the moral gray areas of Roarke's history. 

Billionaire Nathan Barrister is found dead in his home office, apparently killed by a blow to his head during the robbery of a secret vault hidden by his father that had just recently been discovered by the family during home renovations. Inside are priceless art and jewelry stolen from museums and private collections around the world, some from decades ago. According to the Barristers, Nathan had been trying to return the items to clear his father's name. One set of items is missing, a specific collection of emeralds. And guess who recognizes some of the treasures in the vault as pieces he once stole during his youth? Yes, Roarke realizes that this thief is also a shadow from his past. 

Eve's challenge is to face the moral ambiguity that requires her to decide whether to blindly perform her duty as a cop or act more carefully because of her loyalty to her husband. It was fun to have the couple face a nemesis from their past. As always, the author keeps coming up with unique plots that keep the series fresh and still very interesting. I always love hearing about the other characters in their close circle and how each functions as part of a friend and work unit to handle whatever case is up at the moment. In addition, the details about this futuristic New York and the lives and times of the people is also entertaining. I'll definitely keep reading these books as it is one series I want to keep up with.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The missed opportunity for a full cast recording always surprises me although the narrator, Susan Ericksen, puts out a good effort in performing all the voices of the characters. She's voiced the entire series thus far and has kept a fairly faithful repetition of all the variations in tone and accent for the main characters. Listening always makes the experience of the story much more immersive and I enjoyed it. I'm also stymied that this series hasn't been picked up for adaptation on television or the big screen. But, I can always hope!

This is the 62nd book in the series. I've only missed a couple installments along the way. Definitely best to start from the beginning with the "in death" series.

 Genre and tags: revenge, past mistakes, murder, stolen art and jewelry, police procedural, future setting

 

Tag, You’re It by Kerry Wilkinson

 

Don’t trust anyone…

This is a survivor thriller that could provide the blueprint for that type of reality show. Contestants are vetted and gathered to compete for prizes. The selected men and women perform challenges and complete their tasks to earn money. The players then use a voting system where others are dismissed from the game.

The game is based on the concept of someone being randomly assigned as “it.” That person is supposed to “tag” another contestant so that at the end of the day, they won’t be eliminated. The assignment is given to them that morning and might be something as simple as getting another to remove their shoes. 

At the outset, Jessie is the main featured player and the reader follows her through the contest as she navigates the challenges, forms alliances, makes friends, and votes all while trying to stay in the game to the end so she can win all the money. At least that’s what we are led to believe, that it’s just that reality show thing. But there’s more going on and some of those in the game have secrets. They really aren’t just there for the money.

The concept was good, but the execution somehow was just not that exciting and the narrative got bogged down with a lot of repetition and goings on between the contestants. The alliances and deals and backstabbing weren’t really very compelling as I really wasn’t invested in any of them. Even the main character, Jessie, doesn’t give reliability vibes and I didn’t like her much. I really am not a huge fan of this reality show trope, but at least this didn’t involve hunting and killing each other though there is a death. It had potential but it never got there. It really lacked a lot of the tension and high stakes deadly game in an isolated mansion idea and it really didn’t thrill like I’d hoped. 

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

Blog Tour Stop 2-3-2025

Genre - survivor reality show, murder, secrets and lies, alliance, hidden motives

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