Review: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

 

How to Solve Your Own Murder (Castle Knoll Files #1) by Kristen Perrin

Publication Date: March 26th 2024 by Dutton

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Annie Adams has been summoned to the small village of Castle Knoll by her wealthy Great Aunt Frances for a meeting, but when she gets there her Great Aunt is found murdered. Annie discovers that Aunt Frances had believed she’d be murdered when a fortune teller predicted it back when she was seventeen years old. Frances kept diaries and even a murder board with theories of her own murder, and of her friend Emily’s disappearance. Annie is drawn into both mysteries, unraveling the past through Aunt France’s diaries and by talking to the players still living in Castle Knoll.

The story is told both from Annie’s perspective and through Frances’ by way of her diary entries back when Emily went missing. Aunt Frances, Emily and their friend Rose were close, but it was a complicated relationship between the three. Annie gets to know her Aunt through those pages, and the events that transpired. She’s determined to solve the case, as a lot is riding on her doing that.

I thoroughly enjoyed How to Solve Your Own Murder! It felt like a modern Agatha Christie. Quaint village setting, several suspects, and an observant heroine! Annie is clever, gleaning clues I wouldn’t have guessed, but made that perfect sense when revealed. I didn’t realize there’s another book coming, but look forward to Annie tackling another mystery, revisiting Castle Knoll with it’s interesting mix of characters, and hopefully seeing the hints of romance between Annie and a certain character come to fruition!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club , an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer. 

It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.
 
In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?
 
As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

 

Review: A Stolen Child by Sarah Stewart Taylor

 

A Stolen Child (Maggie D'arcy #4) by Sarah Steward Taylor

Publication Date: June 20th 2023 by Minotaur Books

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble |  Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Maggie D’arcy is now a proper Garda in Dublin investigating the murder of a model/TV reality star in her flat. What’s more troubling is that her two-year-old infant, Laurel, is missing. The clock is ticking because with every hour that passes the likelihood of finding Laurel alive goes down significantly.

I was excited that Maggie is now a Garda, even though working as a beat cop again was a little discouraging to her it’s a big step at making detective. However, being that the department was shorthanded and Roly, the detective in charge, knew her value she was invited to help with the case. Maggie had good instincts and the experience they needed to figure out this case, and it was a twisty one!

Conor and Maggie are still settling in together, mixing their families, and so it wasn’t always smooth sailing, like real-life, but I’m so happy they’re together!

I’ve loved this series from the very first book! I enjoy that the setting is now in Ireland. The city of Dublin came alive with Ms. Taylor’s writing. There’s a mystery to solve with each installment, but also the ongoing story of Maggie and her relationships with Conor, her daughter Lilly, and her career as a police detective. It’s been an exciting journey and one that’s best started from the beginning. I’d recommend the series to any fan of police/crime procedurals with a strong personal aspect!  

4 Stars

Book Description:

Sarah Stewart Taylor is known for her atmospheric portrayal of an American detective in Ireland, and her critically acclaimed series returns with A Stolen Child.

After months of training, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is now officially a Garda. She’s finally settling into life in Ireland and so is her teenage daughter, Lilly. Maggie may not be a detective yet, but she’s happy with her community policing assignment in Dublin's Portobello neighborhood.

When she and her partner find former model and reality tv star Jade Elliot murdered—days after responding to a possible domestic violence disturbance at her apartment—they also discover Jade's toddler daughter missing. Shorthanded thanks to an investigation into a gangland murder in the neighborhood, Maggie’s friend, Detective Inspector Roly Byrne, brings her onto his team to help find the missing child. But when a key discovery is made, the case only becomes more confusing—and more dangerous. Amidst a nationwide manhunt, Maggie and her colleagues must look deep into Jade’s life—both personal and professional—to find a ruthless killer.

Connect with Sarah Stewart Taylor:

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

Review: A Certain Darkness by Anna Lee Huber

 

A Certain Darkness (Verity Kent Mysteries #6) by Anna Lee Huber

Publication Date: August 30th 2022 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Pages: 376

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

The Verity Kent series has been an exciting, addictive adventure! Verity and her husband Sidney have come a long way since reuniting after the end of WWI. Both have had to work through the traumas they experienced during the war. Verity served as an undercover agent, often crossing into enemy territory, and Sidney was on the front lines seeing untold horrors. These ordeals and more took a toll on their marriage, and it hasn’t been all smooth sailing, but it’s evident that Verity and Sidney are still very much in love, besotted knowing how easily they could’ve lost each other. They’ve got mixed up and then solved several murders, and continue to hunt the nefarious Lord Ardmore, a British Intelligence higher-up they believe played both sides during and after the war.

This is a series that should very much be read in order. A Certain Darkness would not make a good jump-in point since the history of Verity and Sidney’s romance, interactions with family and friends and the ongoing arc of the villainous Lord Ardmore wouldn’t make sense otherwise.  

The war may be over, but Verity and Sidney are dragged into another situation where the sins committed during the war are coming back to haunt certain individuals and countries. Sins they want to keep hidden, but these things have a way of coming out. I had to wonder how much of the storyline was rooted in the actual events of WWI. It would be extremely sad if so. What an unnecessary loss of life! These discoveries cut Sidney deeply, and my heart hurt for him and Verity.

Verity and Sidney had to tread carefully! Things got edgy a few times! The murder and mystery were solved, but the ending left a character dangling in a dangerous situation with Verity and Sidney poised to make the next move. I’m looking forward to it!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Set in Downton Abbey-era post-World War I England, this action-packed series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries is a treat for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Ella MacNeal.

March 1920: Life has turned unsettlingly quiet for former British Intelligence agent Verity Kent and her husband, Sidney. But even that false calm is about to end. As threats remain, the French authorities soon request Sidney’s help with a suspect who claims to have proof of treason—shortly before she is assassinated. And Verity, too, is called to investigate a mystery.

The murder of a Belgian lawyer aboard a train seems at first to be a simple case of revenge. But the victim was connected to British Intelligence, and possessed papers detailing the sinking of a gold-laden German ship during the war.

As Verity and Sidney dig deeper, they discover their cases are intertwined—and a lethal adversary persists. Officially, the Great War may be over, but this is a battle of nerves and wits they cannot afford to lose…

Review: The Book of Cold Cases by Simon St. James

 

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

Publication Date: March 15th 2022 by Berkley & Penguin Audio

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher & Purchased Audiobook

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Shea is a medical assistant by day and true crime blogger at night. Her enthusiasm is partly motivated by her past, Shea was girl A, the one that got away from an abduction when she was nine years old, an event that still haunts her. When Shea has a chance meeting with Beth Greer, the infamous suspect in the Lady Killer murders, a case Beth was tried and acquitted for, she impulsively asks her for an interview and Beth agrees.

The Book of Cold Cases was a story that pulled me right in as what really happened in the past was slowly revealed. It was atmospheric and creepy in spots as the otherworldly made their presence known and shared their own horrifying revelations.  I love the thought of a true crime blogger as I am a Forensic Files, true crime show junkie, and delving into cold cases, trying to hunt down evidence to figure out what happened appeals to me.

The characters were flawed, but likable, IMO. One was morally questionable, but I still could understand why they did what they did, and I even felt it was a bit justified and for the greater good when considering everything.  There was a bit of romance, which always pleases me, especially when I want some well-deserved happiness to come a character’s way.  Simone St. James, in the stories I’ve read from her, usually includes some romance even though it’s just a small portion of the story. I enjoyed how it all turned out and can’t wait for the next Simone St. James!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect--a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases--a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea's surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth's mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she's not looking, and she could swear she's seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn't right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

Audio Review: A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor

 

A Distant Grave (Maggie D'arcy #2) by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Publication Date: June 22nd 2021 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 426

Audio Book Length: 12 hrs 33 min

Narrators: Marisa Calin

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

The story opens with Maggie dealing with some of the repercussions from the last story, and it’s not good. There seems to be a DA gunning for her, hampering her efforts to bring “someone” to justice. I’m being vague because of spoilers for the last book.

Maggie’s about to leave on vacation with Lilly, her fifteen-year-old daughter, and meet up with Conor back in Ireland when a man is found murdered on a beach in Long Island. When it’s discovered that he’s from Ireland, Maggie’s vacation turns into a bit of a work assignment. Why the man was in Long Island and who killed him? The connections are surprising and twisty!  

There’s a lot going on, from the murder to Maggie’s problems with the DA, her issues with Lilly and her continuing relationship with Conor. I was fully invested in this “page turning” mystery and I didn’t want to stop listening so I could get to the bottom of so many things!

Ms. Stewart’s writing was beautiful, breathing life into her characters making it easy to relate and root for Maggie, Connor, Lilly and even Gabriel. The settings were vividly described, giving the story an eerie and atmospheric feel! I could almost feel the biting cold of Long Islands shores and see the rugged beauty of County Clare while listening.

A Silent Grave is a pleasing mix of police procedural/mystery/thriller and Maggie’s personal life. It’s a series best read in order. Even though the previous main mystery is solved, there are quite a few plot points unresolved and continued in A Silent Grave. Also, the romance started in the first book is ongoing and like most real-life relationships it’s not all smooth sailing. I’m 100% rooting for them!  I believe they’re a couple that can go the distance. I’m happy with how things are left at this point. 

I think there will be more Maggie D’arcy mysteries coming, and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

I listened to the audio version of The Mountains Wild and A Silent Grave with Marisa Calin narrating.  I was impressed with her expertly performed Long Island and Irish accents! She switched back and forth effortlessly and they sounded authentic to me. I listened at 1.25x the normal speed.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In the follow up to the critically acclaimed The Mountains Wild, Detective Maggie D'arcy tackles another intricate case that bridges Long Island and Ireland.

Long Island homicide detective Maggie D'arcy and her teenage daughter, Lilly, are still recovering from the events of last fall when a strange new case demands Maggie's attention. The body of an unidentified Irish national turns up in a wealthy Long Island beach community and with little to go on but the scars on his back, Maggie once again teams up with Garda detectives in Ireland to find out who the man was and what he was doing on Long Island. As the strands of the mystery lead Maggie to a quiet village in rural County Clare and back to her home turf, they also lead her in range of a dangerous and determined killer who will do anything to keep the victim's story hidden forever.

With the lyrical prose, deeply drawn characters, and atmospheric setting that made The Mountains Wild one of 2020's most anticipated summer reads, Sarah Stewart Taylor delivers another gripping mystery novel about family, survival, and the meaning of home.

Review & Giveaway: Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown

Thick as Thieves by Sandra Brown

Publication Date: August 25th 2020 by Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 448

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

About the book:

Twenty years ago in the dead of night, four seemingly random individuals pulled the ultimate heist and almost walked away with half a million dollars. But by daybreak, their plan had been shot to hell. One of them was in the hospital. One was in jail. One was dead. And one got away with it.

Arden Maxwell, the daughter of the man who disappeared all those years ago -- presumably with the money, after murdering his accomplice -- has never reconciled with her father's abandonment of her and her sister. After countless personal setbacks she decides to return to her family home near mysterious Caddo Lake, and finally get answers to the many questions that torment her. Little does she know, two of her father's co-conspirators -- a war hero and a corrupt district attorney -- are watching her every move.

Ledge Burnet, a rebellious teen at the time of the heist, evaded his jail sentence by enlisting in the army. Now he's back in town to care for his ailing father -- and to keep his eye on the county's corrupt district attorney, whom he suspects was the real murderer. Although the two are bound to silence because of the crime they committed together, each has spent years waiting and hoping that the other will make a fatal misstep. But the arrival of their elusive accomplice's daughter, Arden, who may know more about the missing money than she's telling, sets them both on red alert. She ignites Ledge's determination to expose the D.A.'s treachery . . . and sparks a desire he wishes to deny.

My Thoughts:

Arden is back in her small hometown after twenty years to find answers. A half million-dollar heist, a murder, and her father’s disappearance has left her with a lot of questions. Her reappearance doesn’t go unnoticed and unfortunately her return draws the attention of a nefarious person from the past. Does Arden know more about the theft and where the money went? Well, that speculation spells danger for Arden.

Ledge has had his own trouble in this little Texas town, but he’s paid his due taking military service in lieu of a jail term and come back home a hero. Mostly he keeps to himself, only staying in town to keep an eye out for his ailing uncle, but with Arden back the past comes back into full focus, and the trouble he’s managed to avoid comes roaring back up. Arden has no idea the hornet’s nest her presence stirs up, but Ledge knows, and he makes it his mission to keep her out of trouble’s sights.

I love Sandra Brown’s twisty mysteries! Her “heroes” are far from perfect, skirting the edge of right and wrong at times, but at the heart of things are good. Ledge is cast from that mold, and I couldn’t help but root for him! Oh, Ms. Brown writes the sexiest heroes! Ledge was raw masculinity, gruff, and not concerned with winning any popularity contest. Ledge and Arden are oil and water at first, yet the sparks of attraction fly between them making for a delicious push and pull until they finally succumb to irresistible forces!

I think it’s best to go in with any Sandra Brown with minimal knowledge and let her take you on a ride.   Keeps you hooked, she’s the queen of the cliffhanger chapter, and a twisty surprise or two! She kept me on the edge of my seat, and I usually end reading her stories straight through because I just have to know how it all turns out! She’s on my list of auto-buys and I think any suspense/thriller/romance fan will gobble Thick as Thieves up like I did!

4 Suns

A copy of Thick of Thieves by Sandra Brown to two winners has been provided by the lovely people of Grand Central Publishing. The giveaway is open to US and Canadian Residents only.  Fill out the rafflecopter below for a chance to win. Good luck!

Mini Review & Giveaway: A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: December 3rd 2019 by Berkley Books

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About the book: 

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh pivots in a new direction with her first mainstream thriller that will be sure to keep readers on their toes.

Anahera Rawiri left New Zealand at twenty-one, fleeing small-town poverty and the ghosts of her childhood with no plans to look back. But eight years later, she returns, seeking familiarity as respite from the shattered remains of her new life. And despite the changes brought on by a bump in tourism--the shiny new welcome sign at the town line and a decidedly less shiny new police presence--Golden Cove appears much as it ever was: a small settlement on the savage West Coast of the South Island, populated by all the remembered faces and set against a backdrop of lush greenery, jagged cliffs, and crashing waves.

Detective Will Gallagher knows all about ghosts; his own chased him out of a promising career in Christchurch, landing him as the sole cop in a quaint town where his most pressing concerns are petty theft and the occasional drunk. When Golden Cove resident Miri Hinewai goes out for a run and fails to return, Will finds himself heading up a missing person's search that rapidly escalates into an official investigation after this case is connected with similar ones from the past. As an outsider, Will begins to rely on Anahera's knowledge of the area and its residents to help him delve into Golden Cove's secrets, and to determine whether it shelters something far more dangerous than just an unforgiving landscape.

My Thoughts:

I love Nalini Singh’s paranormal stories, and so I was excited to experience her writing in a contemporary mystery/romantic suspense novel.  I feel like the story had a slow start, but was still engaging and atmospheric from the get-go. The rugged and remote New Zealand setting came to life with Ms. Singh’s beautiful descriptions, giving it an almost haunting quality.

I found the crime and mystery captivating and disturbing when all was revealed, yet I think I would’ve liked more of a glimpse into the history between Anahera and her friends, as well as more interactions in the present to give more feeling and depth when the truth came out.

Anahera and Will’s connection was quiet and intense at the same time, and I thoroughly enjoyed their romance.

3.5-4 Suns

The lovely people of Berkley Books provided a Hardcover Copy of A Madness of Sunshine and I'm giving it away to one reader. Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win. The giveaway is open to US Residents only. Good luck!

Review & Giveaway: Hide and Seek by Mary Burton

I been loving Mary Burton's mysteries, thrilling and suspenseful with a bit of romance. Hide and Seek is my favorite to date, so I'm pleased to share my review, a little background on Macy Crow, our heroine, and a $25 Amazon Gift Card along with a digital copy of Hit and Run!

Hide & Seek (Criminal Profiler #1) by Mary Burton

Publication Date: April 23rd 2019 by Montlake Romance

Pages: 344

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

She’s hunting. He’s watching.
Special Agent Macy Crow is a survivor. After a vicious hit-and-run nearly kills her, she gets right back to work, and now she’s gunning for a spot on the FBI’s elite profiling team. As an audition, she offers to investigate the recently discovered bones of Tobi Turner, a high school girl who disappeared fifteen years ago.
While investigating with local sheriff Mike Nevada, a former colleague and onetime lover, Macy discovers a link between Tobi’s case and several others that occurred around the same time as her disappearance. As Macy interviews victims and examines old cases, she uncovers a sinister picture of a stalker who graduated to sexual assault—and then murder.
Macy and Nevada race to put this monster behind bars before he can come out of hiding. But the murderer’s had years to hone his skills, and soon Macy herself becomes a target. She’s no stranger to pain and terror, but will Macy’s first profiling case be her last?

My Thoughts:

Macy is back at the Bureau on desk duty after a hit and run assault almost cost her life, but she’s got a chance at getting back in the field when the bones of a missing teenager, Tobi Turner, who disappeared fifteen years earlier are found and DNA connects the case to other unsolved assaults around the county.  She’s pulled in to connect the dots while working with her former FBI colleague and lover, the newly elected sheriff, Mike Nevada.

There was never a dull moment, especially since the killer is on the hunt and targeting new victims as Mike and Macy race to unmask this villain.  To find Tobi’s killer they must go back to the beginning, interviewing her friends and schoolmates who’ve since grown up.  Macy uses her top-notch instincts along with the FBI’s cutting-edge technology to analyze the evidence, melding good old-fashioned detective work with modern crime fighting tools, and I enjoyed the process.

The romance between Macy and Mike wasn’t the focus for the most part, which made sense given the urgency of the case, but their chemistry was a constant nice buzz in the background.  Macy’s a little unsure of Mike’s feelings since she’s still not at 100% physically since the hit and run, but Mike’s intent was always clear to me, and I knew it was just a matter of time before their feelings turned into more.

I could not put this one down! Hide and Seek was an addictive, fast-paced mystery with a nice bit of romance. Macy Crow was a secondary character in Cut and Run, where her attack occurs, but it’s not necessary to read it before diving into Hide and Seek.  I enjoyed seeing Macy get back on her feet after the assault, never letting self-pity or doubt creep in and cripple her. 

4.5 Suns

Profiling FBI Profiler Macy Crow

Special Agent Macy Crow is 33-years-old and is an accomplished FBI Agent.  She’s worked a series of high profile cases across the United States and isn’t afraid to take chances. When her father was murdered, she headed to Texas to investigate the crime. Following clues left behind by her father, she was closing in on the killer when she became the victim of a hit and run accident.

Most would have died from the injuries Macy sustained or would have been permanently disabled. However, Macy channeled her extreme ability to focus into her recovery. Though her fit muscles have softened during her recovery, she is regaining strength each day and is now laser-focused on returning to the  FBI as a field agent. Before her accident, she had shoulder length blond hair but the brain surgeons who saved her life cut off all her hair. She now proudly sports a pixie cut.  

When Macy returned to Texas, she learned a startling fact about herself. She has an identical twin—medical examiner Dr. Faith McIntyre. Though adopted by different families, the sisters already have a strong connection.  

Macy’s adoptive parents split when she was two and she moved from Texas to Alexandria, Virginia located outside of Washington, D.C. Over the years she remained close with her father and spent many summers with him helping repair old cars on his auto salvage lot. In Alexandria, she and her mother lived in a large apartment complex. When she was young, a neighborhood girl was murdered. That tragedy had a very profound affect on Macy, who discovered she wasn’t afraid of the police and FBI agents swarming the apartment complex. Instead, she was fascinated by their work and not only watched law enforcement in action but also walked the actual crime scene herself in search of clues.

Macy has never been married and has no children. For a long time, she considered herself married to her job and it wasn’t until she met FBI Special Agent Mike Nevada that she reconsidered her single status. However, her accident cut short their romance. Nevada is now the sheriff in a small Virginia town in the Shenandoah Valley. He understands Macy’s need to reclaim the FBI job she has always loved so much. In the last year, he has never forgotten her and is committed to helping regain her old life. When the two are paired on a cold case murder investigation in Nevada’s district, they become an unstoppable team.

Author Biography

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Mary Burton is the highly praised author of twenty-six romance and suspense novels and five novellas. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three miniature dachshunds.

Connect with Mary Burton:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The wonderful people of Montlake Romance have generously provided a $25 Amazon Gift Card along with a digital copy of Hide and Seek to one lucky reader!  Fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Review: Stone Cold Heart by Laura Griffin

Stone Cold Heart (Tracers #13) by Laura Griffin

Publication Date: March 26th 2019 by Pocket Books

Pages: 384

Source: ARC provided by publisher & purchased audio book

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

About the book:

New York Times bestselling author Laura Griffin “delivers another top-notch thriller" (RT Book Reviews) in her beloved Tracers series, about a leading forensic anthropologist who uncovers eerie clues in a high-stakes case that threatens to deliver her to the doorstep of a cold-blooded murderer.

When local rock climbers stumble upon abandoned human bones in a remote Texas gorge, Sara Lockhart is the first to get the call. She has a reputation as one of the nation’s top forensic anthropologists, and police detective Nolan Hess knows she is just the expert he needs to help unravel this case. Although evidence is scarce, Nolan suspects the bones belong to a teenage climber who vanished last summer.

But as Sara unearths strange clues, she finds chilling similarities to a case from her past—a case that now threatens to rock Nolan’s community. While Sara digs deep for answers, the stakes rise higher as another young woman disappears without a trace. Investigators work against the clock as Sara races to discover the truth, even if her harrowing search brings her face to face with a stone-cold killer.

With her signature breathless pacing and suspenseful twists and turns, Stone Cold Heart demonstrates why “Laura Griffin never fails to put me on the edge of my seat” (USA TODAY).

My Thoughts:

Laura Griffin writes addictive crime procedurals with a nice bit of romance, and I’m always excited to crack open one of her mysteries!  Stone Cold Heart grabbed me from the beginning, eager for every discovery, on the edge of my seat anticipating what bit of danger Sara and Nolan would stumble across next!

While I liked Sara and admired her skills and determination in the case, she did frustrate me a little bit by jumping into a couple of situations alone, even though they were clearly dangerous. She did take the precaution of phoning others to let them know her whereabouts and what was going on, so she didn’t completely venture into TSTL territory, thankfully! 

Sara was the one to put the brakes on any relationship, but she couldn’t fight the pull she felt with Nolan, and I knew it was a matter of when, not if these two would happen.  Nolan was a dream and I appreciated he didn’t push the romance, and wasn’t discouraged by Sara’s skittishness, he just stuck by and let things happen organically. 

I would’ve loved to sit and read Stone Cold Heart in one sitting, it’s the kind of thrilling story to suck you in with a need to know what happens next!

I enjoyed Tavia Gilbert’s narration of both the male and female characters.

3.5 Stars

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 Doll Maker by Mary Burton

The Doll Maker (The Forgotten Files #2) by Mary Burton

Publication Date: November 15th 2016 by Montlake Romance

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the book:

Dr. Tessa McGowan had never seen anything quite like it. But the mutilated bodies on her exam table tell a stunningly macabre tale: someone with a twisted mind is kidnapping women and altering their faces to resemble real, life-size dolls. As a forensic pathologist, it’s her job to aid the agent leading the case—even if that agent is her estranged husband.
Twelve years ago an unspeakable tragedy destroyed Dakota Sharp’s world. Haunted by the ghosts of his past, he’s devoted himself to capturing killers. His only regret is that it cost him Tessa. Now, as the Dollmaker case brings them together—and raises his suspicions that he’s crossed paths with this deranged psychopath before—they may just have their second chance. But it seems Dakota’s not the only one who wants to make Tessa his own…
She may be the Dollmaker’s next target, but Tessa has no intention of winding up as another toy on his shelf. Can she and Dakota stop this ghastly killer before his next deadly playdate?

My Thoughts:

The Doll Maker is part romance (second chance/estranged marriage), part murder mystery and suspense, and I enjoyed each aspect thoroughly! 

Dr. Tessa McGowan is back in town after a rift in her marriage made working abroad seem like a good option.  But the months away clarified her priorities and Tessa’s back to stay. 

Agent Dakota Sharp harbors guilt and anger over the death of his younger sister.  Her death was ruled an overdose twelve years back, but his family never accepted the ruling. Dakota feels Tessa deserves better than he’s able to give, but his feelings for her are a hard thing to fight. 

Two murders connect the past and present, and the fact the killer may be after Tessa as well, force these two to work together, making it impossible to deny the intense connection they share.

I’ve read a lot of mysteries in the past, and even though I did think of the murderer in passing as a possibility I was surprised by his/her identity in the end. There were plenty of twists that kept me guessing.   The Doll Maker was a well plotted mystery with a very creepy edge! I read it late into the night and ended up lying in bed a little spooked envisioning all the sinister possibilities beyond my bedroom door!  

4 Suns

Review: Now You See Me by S.J. Bolton

Now You See Me (Lacey Flint, #1)   by S.J. Bolton
Published on  June 7, 2011 by Minotaur Books
Purchase: Amazon

About the Book
One night after interviewing a reluctant witness at a London apartment complex, Lacey Flint, a young detective constable, stumbles onto a woman brutally stabbed just moments before in the building’s darkened parking lot. Within twenty-four hours a reporter receives an anonymous letter that points out alarming similarities between the murder and Jack the Ripper’s first murder—a letter that calls out Lacey by name. If it’s real, and they have a killer bent on re-creating London’s bloody past, history shows they have just five days until the next attempt.

No one believes the connections are anything more than a sadistic killer’s game, not even Lacey, whom the killer seems to be taunting specifically. However, as they investigate the details of the case start reminding her more and more of a part of her past she’d rather keep hidden. And the only way to do that is to catch the killer herself.

Fast paced and completely riveting, S. J. Bolton’s Now You See Me is a modern gothic novel that is nothing less than a masterpiece of suspense fiction.

My Thoughts:
I have rediscovered my love of murder mysteries!  Now You See Me totally scared the you know what out of me and I loved every single minute!  I might have even fallen off the couch when my phone rang and startled me, but I am not admitting that one ha!

Okay this story!  Lacey Flint is a detective constable and has a very in depth knowledge of serial killers which turns out to be just what she needs after discovering a woman leaning against her car with multiple wounds.  This woman dies in Lacey's arms and from that moment on Lacey's life is not her own.  She is thrown into a case that brings her past into question and also has another detective pointing fingers are her.  When the murders start looking like Jack the Rippers, Lacey knows they are up against a clock and she has to stop the killer from completing his list of victims.

*shudders* okay even that gives me the willies!!  I am telling you this story was intense and downright creepy throughout and I couldn't put it down.  I am fascinated by Jack the Ripper which I am sure sounds strange, but anyway and to see the history of his reign of terror brought into this book really grabbed me.  He was a monster and the killer that is in this book is exactly the same type of monster.  It was frightening to read what these poor women went through and I can honestly say I have locked all my doors and I will not open it for ANYBODY ever again!

This story is very complex and just when you think you know who the killer is the last chapter happens and BAM your whole world will explode!  I never would have guessed the author had that up their sleeve and it really made the story in my opinion.  It was a genius move!

I really liked Lacey even though there were times I wanted to flick her.  She in the end did what I wanted her to do all along and I really felt the strength in her character.  I wish she would have trusted Josebury, another detective, a little more but knowing what I know now I can see why she choose to hide certain things.  Nothing would have been the same if she would have told him her backstory.  I liked these two together and I am very eager to get my hands on the next installment to see if their chemistry turns into anything.  I also really liked Tully, she was the main detective on the case and I would love to have her as a main character.  She was tough and took nothing from nobody, exactly what you want in these types of books.

While I really want to read the sequel to Lacey's story I have to wait.  My poor over imagination can only take so much and this book with its Jack the Ripper scene really scared the daylights out of me.  Don't let that turn you away though.  Lacey's story is brilliant and one you will not want to miss!

 4 suns 

*Copy was provided by the publisher for an honest review.  Big thanks to Minotaur Books!*