Review: Don't Say a Word by Allison Brennan

 

Don't Say a Word (Angelhart Investigations #2) by Allison Brennan

Publication Date: September 16th 2025 by MIRA

Pages: 416

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Angelhart Investigations has been asked to look into the death of Elijah Martinez, a high school honor student. He wasn’t known to do drugs, yet the police have ruled his death an accidental overdose with little investigation. His mother and best friend, Angie, want answers.

 

Margo Angelhart dives right in as the case brings up a painful memory from her past. Her gut tells her there’s more to Elijah’s death, especially when she discovers a major drug operation was brought down at Elijah’s school a few years earlier.

 

Angie, Elijah’s best friend, was also a key character. She was a smart girl with her head on straight despite her deadbeat mother. Angie ends up in danger while pursuing the truth.

 

The whole Angelhart family work together at their private investigative firm, each one with a specialty that’s key in handling the cases. There’s some friction between Margo and her mother, but it’s clear they’re a close, loving family. The last installment, Out of the Shadows, was novella length with Margo’s brother, Jack, taking the lead in the investigation. He ended up gaining a girlfriend in the process. I loved the pairing, and it was nice to “see” them again here. We’re introduced to a potential love interest for Margo and I’m all for it!

 

Don’t Say a Word wrapped up in a thrilling conclusion, and I can’t wait for the next installment! I love this series, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of smart crime procedurals with complex, relatable characters and a bit of romance!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A tragic accident…or a murder?

The police ruled Elijah Martinez’s death an accidental drug overdose, but the teen’s grieving mother isn’t convinced. With the case officially closed, Angelhart Investigations is the only one who can help her find the truth. Margo Angelhart’s sure this will be an easy solve—she’ll talk to Elijah’s friends and employer, retrace his steps, and figure out what happened in his final hours.

Except none of his friends believe he did drugs, and the teacher who’s been vocal about the police mishandling the case turns up dead. Every thread Margo pulls leads back to a dangerous drug ring that once ran through the school.

When Margo’s brother Jack, a former cop, can’t get straight answers out of the police, they don’t know if it’s because of an active case…or a cover-up. Margo’s only sure of one thing—she has to find out what really happened to Elijah before more teens become pawns in a twisted scheme.

 

Sunday Post #310

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

It's been a busy week with work, chores, and errands. 

My husband I are slowly finalizing details for our trip to Italy in early November. I can't believe it's only a month and a half away! I need to book two more tours while for our time in Rome and then figure out all the places we want to see in the Tuscany/Florence region and Lake Como. 

Flowers from the garden:

Zinnias and flat leaf parsley

Starla

1000 Piece Puzzle Completed: Old Colonial by Charles Wysocki

Read:

Sweep with Me (Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5) by Ilona Andrews-4 Stars

Don't Say a Word (Angelheart Investigations #2) by Allison Brennan-4.5 Stars

The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin-3.5 Stars

Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher-4 Stars

Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells-5 Stars

Received:

Road Trip with a Vampire (My Vampires #3) by Jenna Levine

Rifle Season by Pat Kelly

Maybe One Day (The D'Angelos #5) by Catherine Bybee

Thank you to Berkley, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, and Catherine Bybee for the books!

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Review: The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin

 

The Vanishing Place by Zoë Rankin

Publication Date: September 16th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Effie grew up in the New Zealand bush, off-the-grid with her family, but left seventeen years ago cutting ties with her family. Now a police officer in Scotland, her old best friend, Lewis, summons her back when a young girl who looks like Effie shows up covered in blood. This child is clearly related in some way to Effie and has witnessed something terrible but won’t speak. Effie must return and find out what’s become of her family.

 

Effie had an unusual upbringing living off-grid in the bush. Her history is doled out slowly with chapters alternating in the present and back in the past, starting with Effie as a nine-year-old. The chapters were short and left me eager for more info with each shift. Why was Effie’s family living in the bush and what happened to make her flee?  

 

I found both the mystery of the past and present captivating but was a little lost around the 75% mark when several characters were introduced without context. The story goes off in a different direction at this point. Effie makes some impulsive choices in the present that I found hard to believe given that she’s a police officer. Parts dragged on in a bad situation, and then the last 5% was a rush of action and revelations. I will say I was happy with how it all worked out by the end.

 

Even though I had some mixed reactions to this mystery I thought The Vanishing Place was a promising debut, and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book by Ms. Rankin in the future.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

A shocking murder in the New Zealand bush—and the witness who looks all too familiar—draws a woman back to the very place she swore she’d never return to in this breakneck debut thriller.

A child who ran from the forest.
A woman who must return to it

Growing up with her younger siblings in the unforgiving New Zealand bush, Effie believed their parents had cut them off from civilization because they loved Nature. She never suspected that their reasons might be more menacing. After witnessing a terrifying episode of violence, she escaped the wilderness to forge a life for herself halfway across the globe.

Now, when she learns the only witness to a murder is a little girl who looks just like her, Effie is compelled to return to the scene of her troubled childhood, where the secrets of her upbringing and the terrors of her past come rushing back to the surface. In order to find out once and for all what became of her family—and possibly help this mysterious girl who could be her younger self—Effie must face her greatest fears once more.

Review: Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher

 

Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher

Publication Date: July 22nd 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Stella randomly meets her favorite author, Huck, in a bar in Iceland not knowing he’s a longtime friend of Teddy, one of her treasure hunting friends. There are immediate sparks between Stella and Huck, and he helps solve some of a riddle that leads to a treasure find for their group. Stella and Huck then spend a magical, passion-filled night together, but in the morning, Huck is gone with no explanation. He goes on to write a hit novel when a treasure hunting female character suspiciously similar to Stella.

 

One year later, much to Stella’s surprise, Huck is back to join their latest adventure hunting down sunken treasure in the Florida Keys. Stella’s not thrilled and determined to keep him at arm’s length. However, it’s obvious Huck is full of regret and it’s hard to resist when he’s so sweet.  

 

I really felt for both Stella and Huck. They both had crappy parents and dealt with insecurities stemming from that, but I was not pleased with Huck when he just up and left Stella in the beginning.  There was an explanation, but still.  Being in his head during his chapters was a little frustrating at times as he was constantly berating himself, letting his father’s awful digs creep in. That being said, I did like him a lot and I was rooting for them to sort out the past and get to their HEA.  

 

Loved Stella’s friend Zoe and Gus, both were supportive and steady. Teddy was another matter altogether! He was awful to both Stella and Huck!

 

Heart Marks the Spot was a fun, page-turning adventure romance and I really enjoyed the treasure hunting parts and the setting of Iceland and the Florida Keys! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

A treasure hunter and the bestselling adventure novelist who broke her heart after one successful expedition reunite for a summer to search for lost riches.

Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all—wealth, love, and a flourishing career—but knows she’ll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.

After his last book bombed, Huck hasn’t written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he’s found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella’s undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.

After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her—but that’s easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it’s time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance. 

Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along.

Author Bio: Libby Hubscher is an author and scientist. She studied biology at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and holds a doctorate of philosophy in molecular toxicology from North Carolina State University. Her work has appeared online and in textbooks, scientific journals, and literary journals. Her short story “The Unwelcome Guest” was long-listed for the Wigleaf Top 50 in 2018. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, two young children, and a menagerie of pets.

Sunday Post #309

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday!

It felt like fall this week and with highs in the low 70s. The trees are starting to change colors! This next week we'll be back in the upper 80s low 90s as summer throws its last hurrah. The garden flowers are loving the weather!

Leaves starting to change color

Wisteria

Garden flowers: Yarrow, zinnia, lavender and Rose: State of Grace

I had a few routine doctor appointments. One was a "biometric screening" for our health insurance which included blood tests with lipid and glucose panel. If we don't comply we're charged more on our premium every month. It's a little annoying. 

My husband and I watched the last couple of Downton Abbey movies in preparation for the final movie. We went and watched the newest in the theatre with my sister and BIL. It was good, but it was a little sad to say goodbye.

Puzzle Completed: Shops and Buggies by Charles Wysocki 1986

Read:

Here for a Good Time by Pyae Moe Thet War-3.5 Stars

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison-4 Stars

Deadly Storms (Sunrise Lake #3) by Christine Feehan-3 Stars

The Code (Orphan X #10.5) by Gregg Hurwitz-4 Stars

My favorite for the week was the Orphan X short story, The Code. I also enjoyed Play Nice but it freaked me out! Here for a Good and Deadly Storms were mixed bags.

Received:

Thank you to Canary Street Press, Harlequin Audio, St. Martin's Press and Berkley! 

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Review: Deadly Storms by Christine Feehan

 

Deadly Storms (Sunrise Lake #3) by Christine Feehan

Publication Date: September 2nd 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 396

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I love romantic suspense and the premise for Deadly Storms sounded really good. It ended up being a mixed bag for me. I’ve come to the conclusion that I struggle with Christine Feehan’s writing. There’s a lot of repetition (Deadly Storms would’ve benefited by some editing down), telling versus showing, long explanations about Shabina and her friends: they’re beautiful and successful and wonderful and on and on.  Also, most of her protagonists seem to have these horrifyingly brutal pasts. While what happened to Shabina in the past (kidnap, rape and torture) didn’t take place on the page, it was very disturbing. Then there’s the supposed capabilities/wealth, described at length, of Rainier and his security team. So over-the-top I couldn’t suspend my disbelief.

 

On the positive side, I was interested enough to finish, which was something given it was 400 pages, and I was surprised by the murderer’s identity. I enjoyed the setting. It’s an area I’m very familiar with, in fact I backpacked and camped at Sunrise Lake. It’s gorgeous and I could easily picture the fictional small town of Knightly that was close by. I also appreciated the author didn’t force a physical relationship between Shabina and Rainier.  They were in love, but it was a given that the road to physical intimacy would happen when Shabina was ready and comfortable with it.

3 Stars

Book Description:

Danger is gathering on the horizon in this gripping novel of romantic suspense from #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.

Shabina Foster does her best to lead a normal life. She takes comfort in her friends and her dogs and finds passion in running her own small-town café in the eastern Sierra. But she can’t help always looking over her shoulder, not after what happened in her past. Since then, Shabina has worked very hard to build herself up and live life to the fullest.

Still, there’s no denying the scars she carries. Truly opening up her guarded world seems like an impossible dream—especially when it comes to the one man who makes her feel safe. Shabina already feels like she’s ruined his life and is determined to keep her distance, even as the ghosts of her past emerge from the shadows.

Security expert Rainier Ashcroft knows firsthand that a storm is brewing and that Shabina is in real trouble. Threats are approaching on all sides—and there’s no telling when the next hit will strike. But convincing the woman he loves to truly let him in will be just as difficult as keeping her alive.

Review: Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

 

Play Nice by Rachel Harrison

Publication Date: September 9th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

After their parents’ divorce, Clio and her sisters split time between their mother and father’s house. But after their mother’s erratic behavior and wild claims of a presence in her home, their father gained sole custody. Clio’s memories of the time are foggy at best.

Now Clio is an influencer, living a “picture-perfect” life when the news comes that her mother has died and left the “haunted” house to Clio and her sisters. Her sisters want nothing to do with the place, but Clio sees an opportunity. She’s determined to fix up the old house and flip it, documenting the whole process on social media. However, as she starts the work, she finds a copy of the book her mother wrote on the haunting. A book she swore to her father and sisters she’d never read. As she starts to read, flashes of memory come back to her, and strange things start happening in the house.

 

Clio was a fun character, with very little filter and I enjoyed her brutal honesty.

 

Play Nice was ironically funny and unsettling! It honestly freaked me out a little, which doesn’t happen often for me with a book. I was hooked from page one, eager to get to the truth of the past! A great choice for the spooky season!

4 Stars

Book Description:

A woman must confront the demons of her past when she attempts to fix up her childhood home in this devilishly clever take on the haunted house.

Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio’s parent’s messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That’s not what Clio’s sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped Alex of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house.

After Alex’s sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother’s claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother’s book, the presence in the house becomes more real, and more sinister, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio’s beautiful life to its very foundation.

Author Bio: Rachel Harrison is the national bestselling author of So Thirsty, Black Sheep, Such Sharp Teeth, Cackle, and The Return, which was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Guernica, in Electric Literature’s Recommended Reading, as an Audible Original, and in her debut collection, Bad Dolls. She lives in western New York with her husband and their cat/overlord.