Mystery/Crime/Thriller
Where Secrets Lie
Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
This was a phenomenal book!
Savannah Webster tries to put her life back on track with a second chance for her ex-husband, Hez. She believes they are ready until she finds evidence that his past demons are back. With their complex family issues, they also face the danger of taking on an international smuggling ring that the University is entangled with.
Savannah takes charge at the helm to try and rescue the University after complete financial devastation. Danger is everywhere, in every direction.
There is so much suspense packed in and I was hooked early on! This is the second book in the Tupelo Grove series. Hez is still my favorite character!
The story is so well layered with wonderful characters that are so well developed, the reader just exists as part of the story. I loved it! I can’t wait for more! The duo of writers is truly gifted, the writing is seamless.
Twists and turns will keep you turning pages until the end! 5/5⭐
A Long Time Gone
A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling
This was an amazing thriller, and although it’s number three in a series, I read it as a stand alone and I didn’t even know.
Ben Packard is a formidable character and I will now go back and read the first two.
Ben was just a kid when his brother walked out the door, never to return. Decades later, now as a Deputy, Ben finds himself almost obsessed with the cold case that tore his family apart. New evidence is found and it throws him between the old case and a new one, one that his friends and neighbors want him to drop.
This is a gripping, suspenseful thriller, with two mysteries, his brother’s disappearance and a neighbors’ death.
The characters are wonderful, Ben’s mother will have you laughing, and the mysteries will keep the pages turning. It does start a little slow but like most great mysteries, it builds and hooks the reader until the end.
The audio narration was perfect with great personalization of characters and the storytelling was wonderful. It made the book experience awesome! 5/5⭐
I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
The Silence in Her Eyes
The Silence in Her Eyes by Armando Lucas Correa
This one was fast paced and full of twists!
Leah has akinetopsia, motion blindness. If it moves, she can’t see it. She’s had the condition since childhood.
Living in upper Manhattan, using the aid of a white cane, most are led to the assumption that she is blind. Truth be told, she can actually see well and her perception is excellent with her enhanced smell and hearing. Leah has a pretty ordinary existence until Alice moves in next door.
The air radiates with anxiety and Alice has a late night visitor. Leah witnesses a heated exchange through the wall. One night, Leah senses someone in her apartment. She blacks out and almost convinces herself it was a dream, almost. The odd smell lingers and follows her everywhere. When Leah hears Alice pleading for help she plunges into the mystery and risks everything including her sanity.
This one was so suspenseful, it pushed my sanity to its limits! Wow! It was fast paced and loaded with twists and turns and what an ending that was! I didn’t want to put this one down until I was done. 4/5
Those Empty Eyes
Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea
Alex Armstrong has evolved from the terrified girl Alexandria Quinlan was when she witnessed the brutal murders of her family. After that she endured being accused of those crimes.
In ten years, she has reinvented herself and works as a legal investigator where she seeks justice for others. When she dives into a case at a local college, she finds connections to something bigger, something that ties to her family’s case. There is something sinister and no one is who they seem.
This was excellent! It is layered with mystery and suspense. The characters are complex and defined but still relatable. The twists were awesome, I did not see the ones at the end evolving the way they did! Loved it! I am a Charlie Donlea fan for sure! 5/5⭐
Before She as Found
Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf
This one was sick - twisted and I loved it! What a ride on a psychological thriller of a roller coaster!
I did not see that ending – it blew my mind! Excellent writing!
This was a gripping, nail-biting situation. Three young girls develop an obsession with a local crime and folklore after working on a school project. They decided to sneak out of a sleepover and head to the abandoned rail yard to seek out an urban legend. The middle schoolers don’t understand that their innocent games will have dangerous outcomes.
When Cora is found wandering on the tracks bloody and clinging to life, and her friends are no where to be found, the small town is in an uproar. No stone goes untouched when everyone becomes a suspect.
A thrilling tale of friendship, betrayal and the power of social interaction and pressures, including bullying – this is a must read! Loved it! 4.5/5⭐
The Night the River Wept
The Night the River Wept by Lo Patrick
Let me say that I loved this one! The beautiful cover drew me in and the story did not disappoint!
Arlene is desperate to start a family, since that is currently a dream that isn't happening, she fills her time with a new job at the police department. When logging and bagging evidence is not enough, she starts to review old files. She starts reading old cold cases. She picks up the Broderick file. she is drawn to it, connected with the tragedy, and she can't put it down. The unsolved case involving three children bothers her and the way it was handled leaves her unsettled.
She recruits two women to help look into the case, to solve it. Old secrets come out and things get interesting as Arlene takes her obsession with the case to a new level.
I thought this was a really interesting book, a little slow at times but a good mystery. It is well written and the characters are well developed, I connected with Arlene. I enjoyed reading it and I look forward to reading more from Lo Patrick. 3.5/5⭐
Missing Molly
Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli
Rachel Holloway has secrets she wants to keep buried in the past. She works for a struggling newspaper. In order to save the paper and steer it in a new direction, they start a podcast. Cold cases are the perfect subject to draw a good following. Unfortunately the first one that is chosen is a little to close to home for Rachel. The past comes knocking to derail the life she has built.
I really enjoyed this one! A new author to me, now I am a fan! It's a fast paced thriller with some interesting twists. Secrets always work their way to the surface and hit you where it matters most. 4/5⭐
Safe House
Safe House by Chris Ewan
This was full of suspense!
Rob Hale is called to work on the boiler at a cottage, then everything changes. He meets Lana and she talks him into a ride on his bike. Next he wakes up in the hospital with a brain injury. His bike is crashed and everyone insists the gorgeous blonde he was riding with doesn't exist.
Rob teams up with an investigator, Rebecca Hale, to find out what really happened to Lana and what her connection is to his sister. The little town of Isle of Man has some dangerous secrets and now no one is safe.
I enjoyed the suspense in this one, I was so engrossed and captivated by the mystery! I think Rob's character was relatable and entertaining. The story was a little convoluted at the end when things were wrapping up but the background and detail were outstanding. This was a great crime thriller! 3.5/5⭐
The Shadows We Hide
The Shadows We Hide by Allen Eskens
This was a brilliant sequel to "The Life We Bury"!
Joe Talbert has never met his father. Fresh out of college with a reporting job, and trying to prove his worth, he stumbles onto a murder headline with a story he thinks is about his father.
Joe goes to a little town in southern Minnesota, out of curiosity. He finds that his father was not liked and had a bad rapport with his neighbors. Joe gets entangled with an investigation as he tries to piece together his family's story, he has to avoid being put in his own grave.
This one has a good mystery and a love story, complete with family drama and seeking forgiveness. It was well written and kept me intrigued until the end. 4/5⭐
Beautiful Ugly
Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
What an incredibly twisted story!
I was impressed with the twists in this one! It was creepy, strange and addictive. I was glued to the pages to see what was coming next!
Grady Green, a somewhat successful author gets an exciting call and wants to share the news with his wife. She answers her phone on the way home, when she slams on the brakes, Grady is on the phone begging her to not get out, she does, and she disappears.
A year later, at his agent's suggestion, Grady goes to a remote Scottish island for some down time and hopefully some inspiration. There, he sees a woman that looks like his wife and then things get crazy!
I really love it when an author gets so creative I don't know what to expect, this was exactly that! Unexpected and so good, I loved it! 4/5⭐
Long Road to Mercy
Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci
This book introduces a new series with FBI agent Atlee Pine, a thriller set at the Grand Canyon.
Atlee Pine was a victim at six and her twin was taken, still missing 30 years later. Atlee is still searching for answers, she has new aspirations for those answers as an FBI agent. The tragedy shaped the person she has become, it even defines how she operates in the field.
A tortured mule and a missing man point to mind blowing leads as Atlee proceeds against orders to investigate her case. It could end her career or propel it forward if she survives.
This was an interesting lead into a series. Although I had a few issues with the logistics of the storyline and how realistic it may or may not be, I will read the series. I was disappointed after opening with the missing sister, I expected more from that storyline and it was just not there. Even with that said, I still give it 4/5⭐ because I like the writing style and the characters.
The Blue Hour
Click here to The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Eris is a tidal island with access limited by the tides. The Scottish mainland is not accessible for twelve hours of every day. The only inhabitant is Vanessa, a famous artist. Her husband went missing over two decades ago.
Grace inherited her place on the island, and is content to live there with all the secrets it holds.
A shocking discovery is made when one of Vanessa’s art pieces is placed in a gallery in London. The discovery brings a stranger to the island and all the secrets of Eris threaten to unfold.
Paula Hawkins showcases her masterful storytelling talent with this one! This was a slow burn, but in a good way. While the story meanders with mystery, it is crafted so well, and will keep you hooked and turning the pages. It is richly layered and the characters are immersed in the mystery.
Grace is a captivating character trapped between love and obsession. Becker is a stranger entranced by the mystery of Vanessa and her art. The story is so creative with the limitation of access to the outside world, adding an element of suspense.
I really enjoyed this one! 4/5⭐️add text.
A Flicker In the Dark
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
This was a masterful thriller!
In a small Louisiana town, Chloe Davis’ life is torn apart at age twelve when six teenagers go missing and her father is arrested. Her broken family is forced to move forward in the carnage of what was left. Chloe never got answers.
Twenty years later, Chloe has a private practice as a psychologist in Baton Rouge. She is about to get married and planning her special day. She has a fragile grasp on some semblance of happiness. She has moments where she fails to have any composed control over her life.
A local teen disappears, and then another, her past come crashing back. There are parallels and lots of questions. Can Chloe unmask the killer before he strikes again and another girl disappears?
This was a gripping page turner with lots of twists. I guessed and then second guessed the plot twist. In the end I was a mess! The audio narration was phenomenal. Note - the characters don’t respond when you yell at them!
Loved it! I can’t wait to read more by Stacy Willingham. 5/5⭐️
Watch Your Back
Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato
What a riveting page turner!
Eve and Nathan have a seemingly perfect life. Both are successful with a beautiful daughter, a lovely home in a nice neighborhood with a perfect baby sitter. Everything is great until one day when their baby disappears from the sitter’s home. Detective Rita Meyers finds herself enveloped in multiple mysteries that all seem to revolve around Eve. The quandary Rita is faced with - is Eve the victim or her prime suspect?
This story is filled with twists and turns and told from multiple points of view. It is well written and the characters are so well developed! It was so easy to get engrossed in the story until the last page. This is part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone and not miss a thing! I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this one! Terri Parlato did not disappoint! I am a fan.
I would like to say Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to review an ARC of this book. It will be released on 12/24/2024.
5/5⭐️
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
This was a rivoting thriller! Imagine sharing a ride across the country with a stranger that gives you serial killer vibes. You didn’t ask enough questions and now you are fighting with your mind to determine what is real.
After losing her parents, Charlie Jordan stopped driving, and so far that had worked but she needed to get home. She posted for a ride share on a campus board because after losing her best friend she was determined to leave mid semester.
Josh and Charlie connect on the ride share board and decide to travel together. Part way into the trip Charlie realizes she didn’t ask enough questions, or the right ones and things seem off. As they share stories, Josh’s details don’t add up. The Campus Killer has struck three times at Charlie’s school and now she’s convinced herself the killer may be in the car with her. She plans an escape but she has to survive the night.
I thought this one was creepy and quirky but in a good way. The characters were odd but well developed. I really liked the suspense as it built up with the unexpected plot twists. While I had my suspicions with the big plot twist, it was still awesome to watch it unfold in an unsuspecting way. It was gripping and a real page turner! 4/5⭐️
The Villa
The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
This was an interesting mystery!
Emily and Chess have been life long friends, distanced by life and time. They reunite at a villa in Italy for a summer. A tragedy happened there in 1974 when a musician was killed.
Both women are authors with their own genres. Emily is there to re-ignite her writing again and she digs into the complicated history of the villa. Long buried clues emerge to bring secrets of the past to the present. History may repeat itself and the villa may claim another victim this summer.
This is an intriguing mystery told in a dual timeline. It was a slow burn in the beginning, and it took about half of the book to really get engaged in the story. It was a gripping mystery - so stick with it, it’s worth it! The characters are richly developed as the dual timeline winds through the story and the lines of victim/villain are blurred. 3.5/5⭐️
Twenty Years Later
Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea
What a story, I was surprised by this one! I loved it!
Avery Mason has secrets hidden in plain sight. As a rising star in investigative journalism, she knows how to grab attention and drive a story.
Avery is on the take for a big story, following leads on DNA evidence that is helping to identify victims of 9/11, twenty years after the tragedy. There is a twist to the story, Victoria Ford, the victim identified, had been accused of a murder just before she disappeared when the twin towers fell.
While investigating the story from her new found angle, Avery meets Emma Kind, Victoria’s sister and she wants to clear Victoria’s name. As Avery chased the leads to solve one mystery, she gets hit with other secrets and her own past threatens to blow up the lucrative future she has laid out for herself.
Full of intrigue, mystery, and suspense, this is a real page turner! The twist at the end will get you! I loved this intriguing masterpiece, my first book from Charlie Donlea. Two plots, complex characters and twists galore will have you staying up late. I will read his other books for sure! 5/5⭐️
The Life We Bury
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
This was full of suspense that kept the pages turning!
Joe Talbert, a struggling college student has an intriguing writing assignment with a looming deadline. He has been tasked with writing a biography and with few subjects available, he treks to the local nursing home to find a candidate. There he encounters Carl Iverson, a dying Vietnam veteran. Carl’s been in prison for thirty years, locked away for rape and murder. He’s been paroled due to his medical condition.
It hard for Joe to reconcile the life Carl led as a decorated war hero and that of a convicted killer. The despicable acts he was charged with don’t add up. Joe gets help from his neighbor Lila, also a student, and the two dive into a full investigation.
Joe struggles as he deals with his brother with autism and his dysfunctional mother. As the history of the case unravels, the truth puts them in danger and they race the clock to clear Carl’s name and escape the consequences.
This was full of suspense and I had to keep reading to know what happened next. I read it in one sitting. I really enjoyed this one! The plot was complex and layered between the past and present. 4/5⭐️
Bright Young Women
Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
This book was interesting.
The author brings together the story of exceptional young women that were affected by and some whose lives were taken by a monster that reigned terror on two sides of the country over the span of several years. This is the retelling of the crimes of Theodore “Ted” Robert Bundy.
In Tallahassee, Florida you have Pamela Schumacher, president of a sorority who finds her sisters murdered and tortured one night. On the other side of the country, in Seattle, Tina Cannon who endured the disappearance of her friend Ruth Washowsky. Tina completely devoted her existence into investigating Ruth’s disappearance and is drawn into the Florida investigation with Pamela.
I thought this was an interesting book because I did not know the story of Ted Bundy and it was relevant to me because I lived in Tallahassee for a decade, so the places and landmarks were ones that I know.
I don’t think the story flowed as well as it could have, it was a bit choppy with the multiple points of view and the back and forth perspective and time frames. Overall, I did enjoy reading this because I learned about something new to me. 3.5/5⭐️
A Calamity of Souls
A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci
Jack Lee is an attorney in Southern VA during the late 1960s when racial tensions are high amidst desegregation. Jack decides to represent Jerome Washington when he is accused of the murder of an elderly white couple. He steps in after the case had already began and things did not add up. Jack begins to doubt himself and his ability to prevail in the case. The stakes extend way beyond the trial in a town with corruption.
Desiree DuBose sweeps in, a young, black female attorney from Chicago whose reputation precedes her in a good way. She is experienced with a mission to further the cause of justice and equality. She has serious skills in the courtroom as a defense attorney, and it shows, but even she has her doubts as the odds stack against them.
The two could not be more different. Neither can stop or anticipate the evil pervading the community. Their goal to get a fair trial and justice with the potential of a death sentence for Jerome, pushes everyone to the limit and beyond.
I found this one to be grippingly suspenseful. I listened to the audiobook and I was completely mesmerized, the narrators are skillful artists. This is one time I really loved the audiobook because of the voice it gave the characters. The characters are relatable and I easily connected with the story, it will stay with me.
This story has all the angst and heartbreak of the 1960s struggle through desegregation and equality. Desiree is an inspiration and driving force of encouragement to Jack whose eyes are just opening to all the ways people with evil in their heart persecute all of those around them that share other ways of thinking. "A Calamity of Souls" is a profound work of fiction captivating the reader and embodying the very important topic of racism. I loved it. I cried, I got angry and I was right in the story with Desiree and Jack. All I can say is "Wow"! This was my first book by David Baldacci and I am now a true fan. I can't wait to read more. He is truly a talented story teller! 5+/5⭐here to add text.
Long Time Gone
Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea
Sloan Hastings has worked hard in her pursuit of a dream career. She lands an impressive fellowship with a renowned forensic pathologist. Her assigned project involves online genealogy in the pursuit to identify DNA from cold cases. Fascinating stuff, she dives right in and submits her own DNA. Having been adopted, she had not considered the ramifications of finding her birth parents. She enters this process with trepidation, knowing she is facing a big unknown.
Her results are shocking and they throw her into a disturbing cold case where a famous baby, three decades ago, was never found. A whole family disappeared. In the process, she learns a lot, finds herself in the middle of a media storm. Can she catch the killer before he finds her?
I am new to Charlie Donlea’s books but I have become an instant fan! The writing is captivating and the words just draw the reader in to the story! What a grand experience with an expert story teller! I enjoyed this one so much! 5/5⭐️
Tell Me The Truth
Tell Me the Truth by Kiersten Modglin
Edith married a liar. Joe just can’t tell the truth. She finds photos of a mysterious woman on his phone, the implication takes her back to his cheating past.
In pursuit of answers, Edith ends up living a double life, drowned with an obsession to know the truth. As she uncovers more pieces, she is overwhelmed with even more questions. In the end, she has a choice to make when the final pieces of Joe’s life push her into a dark place. Edith has to choose her future and realize that the truth and freedom are costly, sometimes life or death choices.
I enjoyed this fast paced thriller. It was full of suspense and had some intriguing yet relatable twists at the end. 3.5/5⭐️
Murder Road
Murder Road by Simone St. James
A wrong turn takes a newly wed couple into the town of Coldlake Falls. The couple encounter a hitchhiker along Atticus Line, a local remote trek of road. They pick the girl up and notice blood, so they head to the hospital, where she dies. Suddenly as the only witnesses to a death on this road after years of murders, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs as possible suspects.
As the two immerse themselves in the mystery, they find that something supernatural is at hand and something horrible is present in the dark secrets they uncover in the town.
This is a twisted thriller! It is very well constructed with relatable characters. Their history is just as big of a mystery as the murders. I didn’t want to put it down! 5/5⭐
The Midnight Feast
Darling Girls
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
Sisterhood was found in foster care. Jessica,Norah, and Alicia form a lifetime friendship as sisters. To the world they seem like they won the race, rescued from bad situations and placed in a loving home with Miss Fairchild, on a large farm. The promise of happiness they were given wasn’t everything is appeared to be, the fairytale feels more like a nightmare. Miss Fairchild is far from stable or predictable, more like vengeful, jealous, and set in her own world of rules and punishment.
The girls assumed they were free when they made a rash decision to change things one day, but she still haunted the corners of their thoughts.
One day a body is found under the farmhouse and the three girls return to confront their past. They are thrown into the mystery while becoming possible suspects.
This one has everything - mystery, sisters, love, and murder with a big twist that I did not see coming!
The book was a slow burn in the beginnings and then when it took off- it was a race to read until the end! This was my first read by Sally Hepworth, but now I’m hooked. The characters are well developed and the plot had a phenomenal twist. I really enjoyed it!
The Night We Lost Him
The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave
Liam Noone was a complicated man with three ex-wives and families that he meticulously kept separate. A self made hotel tycoon, he was also a loving father. Liam had unique relationships with those he loved and compartmentalized everything and everyone. His favorite place was a cliff side cottage on the California coast, a quiet beautiful sanctuary that he treasured, and where he fell to his death.
His daughter Nora and her estranged brother Sam reconnect to search for answers when they doubt the accidental label of his death. Things didn’t add up for someone who knew that property so well. As they ask questions, they discover secrets that challenge everything about the past and changes everything.
This was a gripping page turner, full of suspense, making the reader want more with every twist. I wanted more in the end, the ending fell a little flat for me, but I loved the story and Laura Dave’s skills with telling a thrilling story! 4/5⭐️
The Blue Hour
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Eris is a tidal island with access limited by the tides. The Scottish mainland is not accessible for twelve hours of every day. The only inhabitant is Vanessa, a famous artist. Her husband went missing over two decades ago.
Grace inherited her place on the island, and is content to live there with all the secrets it holds.
A shocking discovery is made when one of Vanessa’s art pieces is placed in a gallery in London. The discovery brings a stranger to the island and all the secrets of Eris threaten to unfold.
Paula Hawkins showcases her masterful storytelling talent with this one! This was a slow burn, but in a good way. While the story meanders with mystery, it is crafted so well, and will keep you hooked and turning the pages. It is richly layered and the characters are immersed in the mystery.
Grace is a captivating character trapped between love and obsession. Becker is a stranger entranced by the mystery of Vanessa and her art. The story is so creative with the limitation of access to the outside world, adding an element of suspense.
I really enjoyed this one! 4/5⭐️
The Boyfriend
The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
Sydney is looking for perfection out of an exclusive New York dating app. She finds a little bit of everything on the jerk spectrum of dating. Pressured by her mother who has “grandma envy” with a daughter who isn’t in a hurry.
Sydney finds Dr. Perfect and falls hard, while fighting that niggling intuition that something is off.
A trio, three friends are beating the path to dating perfection with lots of sketchy characaters and questions that steer their paths, including murder.
This was a fast paced read that fell a little flat for me. The writing was over simplified and the plot somewhat predictable with anticipated twists. Overall it was a good story with interesting characters. I just expected more suspense and surprise in the twists. I would still recommend it for Freida fans, it just not my favorite.
3.5/5⭐️
The Last One at the Wedding
The Last One at the Wedding
Frank Szatowski gets an unexpected phone call that changes everything. He hasn’t heard from his daughter, Maggie, in thee years. She’s getting married and wants her dad to walk her down the aisle.
Frank is completely thrilled with this opportunity to reconstruct their relationship. When he arrives at the extravagant venue, red flags start popping up everywhere. As he tries to unravel the truth about the man his daughter wants to spend her life with, Frank gets frustrated. He feels left out of everything in the midst of luxury and organized chaos.
This was a riveting thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The kick of one twist after another kept the pages turning! I was so engrossed at one point, I found myself yelling at the characters to act, it was awesome! This story has everything, family ties, marriage, love, and murder. Frank rocks this story! Jason Rekulak is a phenomenon storyteller! 5/5⭐️
Every One Is Watching
Everyone is Watching by Heather Gudenkauf
In Northern California, there’s a secluded estate that looks like an Italian dream villa, a massive home with views to die for. Someone decided this was the perfect set for a new reality show, One Lucky Winner.
Five contestants have been “nominated “ to participate in the show, for a chance to win a life changing sum of money. They all have a history and secrets. The game rules call for complete isolation- no contact with the outside world. They can’t leave, they can’t call or have phones at all. Their activities are live-streamed and deep dark secrets start to surface.
How far will they go to win the money? This is a “locked-room” thriller with jaw dropping twists. Is it really worth it? Will they survive what’s happening behind the scenes of this new hit show?
I really enjoyed this one! It was different from most plots that I have encountered with thrillers and I loved the concept. The story keeps you guessing. 4/5⭐️
The Mystery Guest
he Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Molly, now the head maid, commands a new protege and soars in her new position. There is another death at the hotel, again Molly ends up in the thick of things.
The victim, J.D. Grimthorpe, a famous author is someone from Molly's past. Her old nemesis, Detective Stark, shows up and is quick to make assumptions.
This was another quirky installment of Molly's adventures in mystery as a maid. I really like Molly's character. 4/5⭐s
Vera Wong's Advice for Murderers
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Vera exists in a lonely forgotten tea shop. She fancies detective work. One morning she finds a body in her shop.
In this novel you will find a very enchanting group of eclectic friends. They are brought together in the midst of Vera's investigation. They find themselves becoming a unique family as they endure Vera's quirky behavior.
This book was so much more than I expected! Vera has taken her place in the ranks of my beloved list of quirky characters. I have so enjoyed meeting Vera and I hope you will too! 4/5⭐s
The God of the Woods
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
This is a good slow thriller/mystery. It is not fast paced and it does meander between multiple time lines among the many characters.
You have a teen girl, Barbara, that disappears while at camp. A family owned camp with a history. Fourteen years earlier her brother Bear had disappeared there, without a trace.
Now as the investigation plows through the present 1975 and 1961, old secrets are revealed. A town that has questions and anger about the past. Wrongful accusations, families with secrets and a powerful family that will do anything to stay in control.
The story is very detailed and probably could have been told more efficiently, but overall it is a really good story! The multilayered story lines keep the reader involved and invested in the outcome of the story.
I also listened to the audio version and it was so well narrated!
#thegodofthewoods #lizmoore #thrillingdrama #layeredmystery #multithreadedsecrets
The Return of Ellie Black
The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
Phenomenal thriller with unsuspected plot twists!
Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished at 15, presumed dead. Chelsey grew up and became a cop, still haunted by her sister’s disappearance.
Ellie Black goes missing on Chelsey’s watch, and returns two years later.
Something isn’t right with Ellie or the circumstances under which she returned. Ellie won’t talk and there are many questions that need answers.
I loved this one! A suspenseful tale complete with all the things that are needed to keep you turning the pages! 4/5 ⭐️s
A sequel is in the works! Chelsey Calhoun’s adventures continue!
The Broken Girls
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
This is a suspenseful drama covering two time periods in an interconnected dual timeline.
Set in Barrons , Vermont, the story intertwines crimes from 1950 and 2014. Journalist Fiona Sheridan is still not settled about her sister’s case from twenty years ago. As she investigates, her leads take her back to uncovered and unsolved mysteries from the 1950s on the campus of Idlewild, an all girls boarding school. As Fiona investigates, her sister’s case is linked in when a horrible discovery is made during renovations to the school. As the past slams into her present, Fiona is faced with danger and dark secrets that were not intended to ever be uncovered.
There are so many awesome elements in this book! There’s even a tie to a WWII mystery! I really enjoyed everything about it! 5/5 ⭐️s
What Have You Done?
What Have You Done? By Shari Lapena
Fairhill, Vermont, a quaint little town where everyone knows everyone and they don’t lock their doors. Kids have fun telling scary stories in the graveyard. Parents assume their kids will come home safe.
All is well until the day Diana Brewer isn’t safe in her room where she belongs. Everything changes when her body is found in a hayfield, circled by vultures.
In a heartbeat, a girl becomes a ghost and the town is filled with suspects and secrets. Fear takes over and the twists just keep the pages turning as the plot thickens.
This is a page turner! Shari Lapena does not disappoint!
-Gripping plot, suspenseful turns and the twist at the end - you’ll love it!
5/5⭐️s
Middle of the Night
Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Let me just say, Riley Sager is a master at weaving a suspenseful tale together.This one was amazing!
Hemlock Circle has a history of tragedy. Ethan and Billy camp in Ethan's backyard like ten year old boys love to do, part of a summertime ritual. One night, someone slices the tent open, and Evan wakes the next morning to find the tent is empty. Billy is gone. Billy was fascinated with ghosts and thirty years later Ethan has returned home, haunted by memories. Ethan keeps sensing Billy all around.
This is a gripping page turner where the past is haunting the present. 5/5⭐s
All the Colors of the Dark
I agree with another reader, a great book does not need a long review.
It’s 1975, in a small town in Missouri, one act of bravery changes the course of a community. The story follows Patch and Saint from their early teenage years through adulthood, spanning roughly 25 years. This is a beautifully written tale with a brilliant cast of complex characters. It is a real work of literary fiction.
You as the reader are given a mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, all with plot twists. The settings are so well crafted, you exist in the story as you read it. I am purposely limiting details because the reader should experience them first hand. I love a book where you can “walk into the story” and this is one of those!
This book was AMAZING. This was my first book by Christ Whitaker, and I am very impressed. Jump in, read it and taste the honey! This is definitely in my top 5! 5/5⭐️s
What We Hide
What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker
Savannah Webster and her husband, Hez, separated out of tragedy. She returned to Tupelo Grove University, only to get caught in a mystery and under suspicion of murder! Hez comes to her rescue.
What a gem! This was a fast paced mystery thriller. I couldn't put it down! I was pleasantly surprised with the seamless co-authorship. There are so many twists and secrets! You will be surprised all the way to the end! 5/5⭐s Excellent book, I look forward to more.
The Girls Who Was Taken
Charlie Donlea delivers another seriously twisted plot!
Two girls disappear after a summer beach party. Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods after weeks of searching. Her friend Nicole isn’t with her. A year later, Megan is an instant celebrity with a bestseller, recounting her capture and escape.
Livia’s sister, still missing draws Livia into the mystery. As a fellow in forensic pathology, she encounters the body of another young woman that leads to a young man from Nicole’s past. Livia is convinced the two cases are connected.
As Megan goes through healing, memory clips that surface start painting something dark. The two women work together, and they are terrified to find exactly what they set out to find.
This was twisted! I was so intrigued; I couldn’t put it down! Excellent writing with gripping mystery and suspense. Loved it! 5/5⭐
Something in the Walls
Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce
Mina, a recent graduate, child psychologist, is green and in need of experience. She spends a lot of time contemplating her upcoming nuptials to Oscar. She also attends a grief support group to help with working through old scars from her brother’s death. She meets Sam at one of the grief sessions and Sam offers her a job to gain experience. There’s a thirteen-year-old, Alice, that claims she is haunted by a witch. Living with her family, Alice’s symptoms get worse. Mina thinks she can help Alice.
Things go awry in a town full of superstition and witchcraft. They believe the world is filled with evil and have their own ways of dealing with it. They don’s welcome outsiders.
This was full of suspense and I enjoyed it. I did get lost a few times. The paranormal elements were great. I felt it was a little incomplete, wanting something more. Overall, it was good. 3.5/5 ⭐
I would like to Thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.