Romantic Suspense/Mystery Book Giveaway!

 Hello readers! I'm listing another giveaway because my bookshelves only have so much room!

I loved all three of these stories! I've linked them to my reviews.  

All are hardcover:

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner (I accidently bought 2 copies!!)

Sweetwater & the Witch by Jayne Castle

When She Dreams by Amanda Quick

The giveaway is open to US Residents only. Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

Publication Date: January 19th 2021 by Dutton

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher & Purchased Audiobook

Narrator: Hillary Huber

Audiobook length: 12 hrs 7min

Rating: ★★★★

Links:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Frankie Elkin, a recovering alcoholic, with a tragic past has one thing she’s good at: finding missing persons.

Her newest case brings her to Mattapan, Boston where the case of a missing teenager, Angelique Badeau, has grown cold after eleven months.  Her raking up the past quickly gets the attention of the original investigating officer, Detective Lotham. At first, he’s very suspicious of Frankie’s motives in the case, does she want money or fame? But when her questions bring fresh leads out Lotham and Frankie form a reluctant team with an undercurrent of attraction between them.

Before She Disappeared was sort of old-school investigation of asking a question and then the next one instead of relying on forensics and police technology since Frankie didn’t have access to all of that.  She had a talent for shaking out information.

I liked Frankie, the way she effortlessly formed bonds with the people she met, even though she’s a self-proclaimed rolling-stone. Once settled on a new case she arrives in town and won’t leave until she finds the missing person. Frankie’s determination was admirable, but I do wish she’d allow herself to settle down, form roots and be happy. I think pulling up stakes when she finishes is her way of penance for a tragedy that was ultimately not her fault, and it made me sad thinking about it. That’s the thing about Lisa Gardner’s stories, she makes her characters come to life, flaws and all, so that you care about their happiness beyond just solving the current mystery.

I’ve been a huge fan of Lisa Gardner’s smart, well-researched mysteries for years. Even before Goodreads. Not completely sure if there will be more books featuring Frankie as Ms. Gardner has said this is her first “standalone” in twenty years. If there are more, I’d like Frankie to forgive herself. Plus, I want more of Piper the “attack cat”!  I guess we’ll see.  Whatever she comes up with next I’ll be reading!

I’ve enjoyed Hillary Huber’s narration before so when I noticed she was narrating Before She Disappeared I grabbed up an audio copy so I could continue with the story while doing other things in real-life. Sometimes, you just don’t want to put the book down, lol! Ms. Huber has a rich, sultry voice which enhanced an already captivating story. I listened at 1.5x normal speed.  

4 Stars

New Paperback Release & Giveaway: When You See Me by Lisa Gardner

I'm a big fan of Lisa Gardner to the point that I've re-read many of her mysteries.  Detective D.D. Warren series is one of my favorites, so I'm thrilled to feature the new Paperback version of When You See Me and offer a giveaway! If you're a fan of a well-researched and plotted mystery with imperfect, but interesting and likable characters, I totally recommend these mysteries!

When You See Me (Detective D. D. Warren #11, Gardner #20)

Publication Date: January 28th 2020 by Dutton

Pages: 400

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

About the book:

Bestselling author Lisa Gardner unites three of her most loved characters -Detective D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and Kimberly Quincy - in a twisty new thriller, as they investigate a mysterious murder from the past that points to a dangerous and chilling present-day crime. 

FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective DD Warren have built a task force to follow the digital bread crumbs left behind by deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. And when a disturbing piece of evidence comes to light, they decide to bring in Flora Dane who has personal experience of being imprisoned by Ness. 

Their investigations take them to a small town deep in the hills of Georgia where something seems to be deeply wrong. 

What at first seems like a Gothic eeriness soon hardens into something much more sinister as they discover that for all the evil Jacob committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed. 

Quincy and DD must summon their considerable skills and experience to crack the most disturbing case of their careers - and Flora must face her own past directly in the hope of saving others.

I read and loved this installment back in January.  When You See Me is book eleven in the series, but you could skip the first two books, (where D.D. is only a side character),  and then dive into The Neighbor if you want to start, but feel like it's a lot of books. 

Connect with Lisa Gardner: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter

The lovely people of Penguin Random House have generously offered up one Paperback Copy of When You See Me to one reader.  Giveaway is restricted to US Residents only. Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.

Review, Giveaway & Tour Info: When You See Me by Lisa Gardner

When You See Me (Detective D.D. Warren #11) by Lisa Gardner

Publication Date: January 28th 2020 by Dutton

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible

About the book:

Bestselling author Lisa Gardner unites three of her most loved characters -Detective D.D. Warren, Flora Dane, and Kimberly Quincy - in a twisty new thriller, as they investigate a mysterious murder from the past that points to a dangerous and chilling present-day crime.

FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective DD Warren have built a task force to follow the digital bread crumbs left behind by deceased serial kidnapper Jacob Ness. And when a disturbing piece of evidence comes to light, they decide to bring in Flora Dane who has personal experience of being imprisoned by Ness.

Their investigations take them to a small town deep in the hills of Georgia where something seems to be deeply wrong.

What at first seems like a Gothic eeriness soon hardens into something much more sinister as they discover that for all the evil Jacob committed while alive, his worst secret is still to be revealed.

Quincy and DD must summon their considerable skills and experience to crack the most disturbing case of their careers - and Flora must face her own past directly in the hope of saving others.

My Thoughts:

When the bones of a woman are found in the mountains in a remote part of Georgia, SSA Kimberly Quincy rounds up Detective D.D. Warren, Flora Dane and Keith to find out if the notorious serial killer, Jacob Ness could’ve been responsible. Flora is the one that got away from Jacob, ending his reign of terror once and for all. If you’ve kept up with the series, you know that Flora has become a sort of self-appointed victims’ advocate/vigilante.  Flora’s helped other women in the past books, trying to fight her own nightmares and demons by bringing down predators.  In her mission, she’s formed a reluctant bond with D.D. who, at the beginning, wasn’t pleased at all by Flora going around the law or completely ignoring it, but they’ve come a long way in the cases they’ve worked together.

Together, all three women with true crime/computer expert, Keith travel to Georgia to investigate, and they all find more than they bargained for. The little town of Niche holds dark secrets and they don’t like this taskforce digging around. Danger, action and shocking revelations kept me on the edge of my seat, and I read When You See Me in one day eager to see how it all turned out!

The last book introduced Keith, a true-crime enthusiast who was obsessed with meeting Flora, I was hopeful, even with his awkward and possibly suspect obsession with Flora, there’d be a romance!  A HEA for Flora, because she totally deserved all the happiness in the world after the nightmare she went through! I wanted her not just “surviving, but thriving”.

A reader might feel intimidated seeing this is book eleven in the D.D. Warren series, but this could be read as a standalone. Past events are touched on enough that anyone picking up When You See Me wouldn’t feel lost. However, I do recommend starting at Find Her, (book eight), where Flora Dane is introduced and working your way up to really enjoy this installment. Flora has come such a long way and I’m thrilled with how her story ended here. That’s not to say I wouldn’t mind more books with Flora. D.D. and Flora have become quite the team! Also, the Detective D.D. Warren series is really good from the beginning and you get to see how she progresses in her personal life while solving perplexing cases.  Sooo good!

Lisa Gardner has been an auto-buy for me even before Goodreads or blogging became a part of my life, and she continues to be now. Every time I finish one of her books, I’m looking to see when I can get the next one. Fans of well-plotted and researched mysteries, with complex, ever-evolving characters will enjoy her books. I’ve done many re-reads, traditionally reading and by audio. The audios are fantastic! Kirsten Potter starts narrating at book three, The Neighbor, in the Detective D.D. Warren series, and she’s amazing! One of my all-time favorite narrators.  I’d skip book one and two, in D.D.’s series, where she’s only a secondary character and begin with book three.

4 Suns

So I'm getting posting this late so there's only one more event for Lisa Gardner's #OnTheRoadForACause book tour schedule: Cleveland, Ohio, but I thought it was pretty awesome that the bookstore will donate 10% of their sales to local charities that support women and children and Ms. Gardner will match that 10%!

The lovely people of Dutton have offered up a galley of When You See Me for a giveaway to one reader!  The giveaway is restricted to US Residents only. Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. Good luck!

Paperback Release & Giveaway: Never Tell by Lisa Gardner

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Gardner's mysteries, and the Detective D.D. Warren/Flora Dane series has to be one of my favorites, so I'm excited to feature the new Paperback version releasing by Dutton, complete with new cover of Never Tell! Out on August 6th this story will captivate and keep you guessing until the end!

You can read my full review here, but I did mention in it you can read Never Tell as a standalone, but if you don't want to go back to book one, I'd at least start at book eight, Find Her where Flora Dane is introduced to really enjoy Never Tell. 

The wonderful people of Dutton are providing a copy to giveaway to one reader.  Just scroll down to the bottom of the post and fill in the rafflecopter for a chance to win. 

Never Tell (Detective D.D. Warren #10) by Lisa Gardner

Paperback Publication Date: August 6th 2019 by Dutton (originally published Feb 19th 2019)

Pages: 432

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

About the book:

#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner returns with an unpredictable thriller that puts fan favorites D. D. Warren and Flora Dane on a shocking new case that begins with a vicious murder and gets darker from there.

A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.

D. D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman--Evie Carter--from a case many years back. Evie's father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.

Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim--a hostage--and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad's murder.

But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?

About the author:

LISA GARDNER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seventeen previous novels, including her most recent, Crash & Burn. Her Detective D. D. Warren novels include Fear Nothing, Catch Me, Love You More, and The Neighbor, which won the International Thriller of the Year Award. She lives with her family in New England

Connect with Lisa Gardner: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review: Never Tell by Lisa Gardner

Never Tell (Detective D.D. Warren #10) by Lisa Gardner
Publication Date: February 19th 2019 by Dutton
Pages: 416
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks

About the book:

A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun.

D.D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman--Evie Carter--from a case many years back. Evie's father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many.

Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim--a hostage--and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad's murder.

But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?

My Thoughts:

D.D. is called into a murder investigation, when they find out the suspect, Evie Carter was investigated sixteen years earlier for the shooting death of her father, ultimately ruled as accidental.  D.D. was on the case back then, but now that Evie is suspected in the shooting death of her husband, Conrad Carter, D.D. wonders if they were wrong about the first case. Was the death of Evie’s father really an accident?

Flora Dane becomes a key figure in the investigation when she realizes she met the murder victim, Evie’s husband, years before when he met up with her kidnapper, Jacob Ness, the man who held her for 472 days.  Flora is very much a survivor, six years after her release, and we’ve got to see her in action with the last couple of books, as sort of a vigilante and self-appointed victims advocate. Flora’s come a long way since her ordeal but seeing Conrad’s picture brings a lot back.  Flora has kept some of those memories locked away tight, refusing to hash and rehash the details over with the FBI, but now she questions if that’s deprived other possible victims of their justice. Flora is ready to revisit the past, but the FBI isn’t as generous sharing what they know of Jacob with her, so she finds another source: Keith Edgar, a true-crime buff who’s been requesting to interview Flora since she got away from Jacob. He’s a wealth of information and an expert in searching for more. But Flora’s also a bit skeptical about Keith, because what sort of man would devote so much of his free time to this kind of hobby? A groupie, a wannabe serial killer? Flora’s prepared for any possibility!

Since Flora’s been introduced, I’ve felt for her! Yes, she’s taken her life back, somewhat, but the story after a victim is “saved” makes it very apparent that the nightmare isn’t over just because they survived and got away.  With the introduction of Keith, I’m so excited for possibilities and the coming stories!  In acknowledgments Ms. Gardner states “there’s more to come” with Flora and I couldn’t be happier at the prospect! Her journey has been equal parts disturbing, moving and captivating!

Evie, our current murder suspect, gets a first-person point of view in this story, a POV I was happy to have since it connected her past with the present in a way that couldn’t have been otherwise.  Flora also gets a first-person POV. It was tough being in Flora’s head at first with all the past coming to the surface again, but there was a more hopeful Flora coming through and I loved it! D.D. gets her usual third person POV, which sounds a little odd, but it works.

I’ve been a long-time fan of Lisa Gardner’s stories! They’re a mixture of crime procedural, mystery, and thriller, heavy on character motivations and twists.  Even when I’ve been torn up about the outcome (just a couple of her books) it’s always been a memorable experience, one that I think about long after I finish the last page. 

I know when a reader sees that this is the 10th book in a series they automatically shy away, but you don’t have to read all nine books before Never Tell to enjoy this installment.  This could be read as a standalone, but I’d recommend starting where Flora Dane is introduced in Find Her (book 8), to really enjoy Never Tell.

4.5 Suns

About the author:

LISA GARDNER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seventeen previous novels, including her most recent, Crash & Burn. Her Detective D. D. Warren novels include Fear Nothing, Catch Me, Love You More, and The Neighbor, which won the International Thriller of the Year Award. She lives with her family in New England

Connect with Lisa Gardner: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review: The Guy Who Died Twice by Lisa Gardner

The Guy Who Died Twice (Dectective D.D. Warren # 9.5) by Lisa Gardner

Publication Date: January 8th 2019 by Dutton

Pages: 78

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren confronts the strangest case of her career in this exclusive eBook short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

D. D. Warren was pretty sure she'd seen it all. Then a man walks into police headquarters, attempting desperately to convince the squad that he's dead. Explaining to him that he's very much alive, they finally send him on his way . . . and then hours later, he turns up actually dead. And it's on D. D. Warren to figure out how and why the dead man died . . . twice.

Plus: an early look at Gardner's next riveting thriller, Never Tell.

My Thoughts:

The Guy Who Died Twice was a fun little mystery novella with one of my favorite Lisa Gardner Detectives, D.D. Warren, sharing a very unusual case of murder to her husband over dinner.  As you can gather from the description a man walks in to report his death/murder, and yet he is very much alive at the time. They all chalk this up to mental illness, but a few hours later D.D. and her team are called out to a grand estate to investigate the same man’s actual murder.  There’s a whole house full of suspects, each with a possible motive to murder the man, so D.D. must sort out the stories and solve his murder.

There was a definite Agatha Christie vibe to this case with a murder happening in a big, grand estate, old wealth and a surplus of servants and family on the property that could’ve committed the murder. D.D. and her team interview and dig for clues, spending the day on the estate to gather the facts.  We get the highlights as a reader as she shares with her crime-scene-expert husband, Alex, over a glass of after-dinner wine! Sounds like a perfect way to spend the evening to me! Love Alex! 

The mystery wraps up in perfect Agatha Christie style! I won’t say how, but you’ll see in the end. You can easily read this in an hour/hour and a half.  Bonus, you get to spend time with D.D. and her lovely husband while sorting out the clues!

4 Suns

Paperback Release & Giveaway: Look For Me by Lisa Gardner

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Gardner's mysteries, I've been reading her before I ever heard of Goodreads or blogging. I'm excited to share my review for Look For Me which originally released back in February,  but is now releasing in a new Paperback Edition.  Lisa Gardner has a few series', but her Dectective D.D. Warren is one of my favorites! Dutton has graciously provided a copy for giveaway in celebration of the new release, so be sure to scroll down to the rafflecopter and enter for a chance to win!

Look For Me (Detective D.D. Warren #9) by Lisa Gardner

New Paperback Publication Date: December 31st 2018 by Dutton

Pages: 416

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book:

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"An utterly absorbing story about troubled families and twisted fates. You won't be able to put it down--and it will haunt you long after you turn the final page."--Shari Lapena

"A complex crime scene, a missing girl, a ticking clock: no one writes a more page-turning, gut-wrenching thriller."--Tess Gerritsen

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner's latest twisty thrill ride, Detective D. D. Warren and Find Her's Flora Dane return in a race against the clock to either save a young girl's life . . . or bring her to justice.

The home of a family of five is now a crime scene: four of them savagely murdered, one--a sixteen-year-old girl--missing. Was she lucky to have escaped? Or is her absence evidence of something sinister? Detective D. D. Warren is on the case--but so is survivor-turned-avenger Flora Dane. Seeking different types of justice, they must make sense of the clues left behind by a young woman who, whether as victim or suspect, is silently pleading, Look for me. 

My Thoughts:

Look For Me is the newest D.D. Warren mystery. D.D. is one of my favorite Lisa Gardner detectives, even though she can be kind of a bitch, I’ve had a soft spot for the woman underneath it all for years.  Also returning is Flora Dane, from the last D.D. Warren mystery, Find Me. These two form a grudging alliance to find the Roxy Baez, a sixteen-year-old girl who’s gone missing after the murder of her entire family. Was she abducted by the murderer, is she hiding out, or worse, is she the perpetrator of this chilling crime? 

Flora has lived through the worst you can think of, being held by a monster for 472 days, but she survived and has turned into a sort of victim advocate/vigilante, trying to live her life instead of just exist five years later.  I love Flora!  Her strength and courage in spite of the fear and panic she still experiences is inspiring!   Seeing her intelligence, ingenuity, and investigative skills at work made me hope that Lisa turns her into a detective or private investigator at some point.

D.D. and Flora both dig into the Baez family past, which as revealed was both heartbreaking and upsetting.   I kept guessing and thinking up theories, hoping for the best possible outcome while on the edge of my seat over some of the situations Flora got into!  She was a pretty smart cookie even if she was a bit reckless a time or two. 

One of the most disturbing things about Lisa Gardner’s mysteries is that they’re not far-fetched and could easily be a real-life situation. I will say this wasn’t near as dark and disturbing as Find Me, which I was happy about, because that story freaked me the heck out and stayed with me for some time!  I’m happy to see Flora taking her life back even if she still is haunted by what happened to her.  Helping others helps take her mind off what happened to her, and I’d love to see her embracing life more and the joys that can come with it in the future.

Look For Me grabbed me from the first page, as most Lisa Gardner’s mysteries do.  Captivating and haunting in equal measure, they’re the type of stories that stay with you long after reading.

4 Suns

About the author:

LISA GARDNER is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seventeen previous novels, including her most recent, Crash & Burn. Her Detective D. D. Warren novels include Fear Nothing, Catch Me, Love You More, and The Neighbor, which won the International Thriller of the Year Award. She lives with her family in New England

Connect with Lisa Gardner: Website | Facebook | Twitter

The lovely people of Dutton have generously provided a Paperback Copy of Look For Me to one reader.  The giveaway is open to US Residents only.  Good luck!