Review: Kill Clause by Lisa Unger

 

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

Publication Date: December 1st 2025 by Amazon Original Stories

Pages: 70

Audio Book Length: 2hrs 

Narrator: Vivienne Leheny

Source: Publisher & Purchased Audiobook

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Paige is an assassin for hire, but the job she’s been assigned hits a snag when she discovers the target’s four-year-old daughter is home. She aborts the mission, and her boss isn’t happy. Can she make this right? Does she want to? Killing has never sat right with her, but this isn’t the type of job you can just resign from.

 

It’s obvious Paige doesn’t want to do this job anymore and I worried how she’d extricate herself without getting killed.

 

I really enjoyed this short story! At only 70 pages (or 2 hours if listening) it’s a fast, riveting read! There’s even a bit of romance! The story is available now as a “read and listen” on Kindle Unlimited!

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

A hired killer finds herself caught between her conscience and her contract over the holidays in this riveting short thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

A hit woman’s work doesn’t stop for the holidays. As the advent calendar winds down, Paige slips into a palatial house, ignoring a blizzard of texts from her ex-husband. No surprise—Julian always gets maudlin this time of year. The real shock comes when the target is not alone. His young daughter is there too.

Risking the wrath of her organization, Paige retreats. There are some lines that, for personal reasons, she just won’t cross. But when she returns on Christmas Eve to finish the job, the girl is still there…along with someone even more startling. As the ghosts of her past gather—to haunt or to help, it’s unclear—Paige must confront old traumas and outwit her superiors to make it to Christmas morning alive.

Review: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Publication Date: February 25th 2025 by Park Row & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 384

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 34 mins

Narrators: Vivienne Leheny

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Adele has had a tough five years. Having her husband take off and disappear after finding out he embezzled money from his company was a shock. Now she and her two kids, Violet and Blake, struggle to get by and Adele wonders how she’ll pay for college or ever be able to retire. But Adele has pulled herself up and has been building a following in her fitness challenges, reclaiming her life as a single parent. When her son Blake suggests she take part in an extreme contest of hide and seek on a remote island with a cash prize of one million dollars, Adele’s hesitant. Especially since there’s been rumors swirling about the host, Maverick Dillan and a missing girl, but the lure of that money makes it hard to say no.

 

This is the second story I’ve read where the main characters have lives centered around social media, living a life in front of the camera worried about views and sponsors. Maverick and his team were prodded on by this and it wasn’t a good thing. Makes you think about the pitfalls of social media.

 

There are many POVs here: Adele, her kids, Violet and Blake, as well as Maverick and his girlfriend and co-worker, Angeline, but at the center of this story, for me, was Adele. I was most invested in her journey, rooting for her having to pick up the pieces after such a devastating betrayal!

 

I enjoyed “seeing” true-crime podcaster, Harley Granger show up again!

 

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 was an engrossing page-turner! A crumbling hotel, an isolated island location, and approaching storm created an air of danger. However, I felt the mystery and suspense centered more around the personal conflicts and issues each character was facing rather than the actual contest. 

I alternately read and listened to Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 and recommend either version. Vivienne Leheny’s did a great job making each character distinctive. Her narration enhanced my enjoyment of this addictive story! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.

Review: Long Time Gone by Charlie Donlea

 

The Stranger I Wed (The Doves of New York #1) by Harper St. George

Publication Date: May 21st 2024 by Kensington & Recorded Books

Pages: 344

Audiobook Length: 9hrs 19min

Narrator: Vivienne Leheny

Source: Publisher & Library Audio

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

As a project for her forensic pathology fellowship, Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to a forensic genealogy site and has a shock. She’s the missing “baby Charlotte” from three decades earlier when her parents went missing, location still unknown.

 

After this discovery, she’s approached by the Sheriff of Cedar Creek Nevada, Eric Stamos to help him find answers in his father’s death back when she and her parents went missing. Eric’s father was the sheriff investigating their disappearance and his death was suspicious. Sloan has the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the Margolis family, her biological family, and Cedar Creek royalty. The family has wealth, status and power that’s made it impossible to investigate them with any success and so Sloan’s inside connection could be important in solving both cases.

 

I really enjoyed Long Time Gone! I find the use of genealogy DNA fascinating! It’s most notably helped find one of the most notorious killers in California, The Golden State Killer. Even though I’ve read a bit about the process, I appreciated Donlea’s explanations.

 

I liked Sloan and was invested in her efforts to solve the mystery of her past, how she came to be put up for adoption and finding out what happened to her biological parents. The ending culminated in a pulse pounding conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat!

 

There was a hint of romance between her and Sheriff Eric that could be further explored if there are future books planned. I’d be on board for that!

 

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to a library audio. I recommend either version. I enjoyed Vivienne Leheny’s performance and listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4 Stars

Book Description:

When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a forensic scientist is plunged into a dangerous search for answers in this engrossing, propulsive new novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.

Thirty years ago, Baby Charlotte vanished. Today, she’s still in danger.

When Dr. Sloan Hastings submits her DNA to an online genealogy site for a research assignment, her goal is to better understand the treasure-trove of genetic information contained on ancestry websites. Brilliant and driven, Sloan is embarking on a fellowship in forensic pathology, training under the renowned Dr. Livia Cutty.

Sloan has one reservation about involving herself in the she’s adopted. Grateful for a loving home, she’s never considered tracking down her biological parents. The results of her search are shocking. Sloan’s DNA profile suggests her true identity is that of Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte”, who captured the nation’s attention when she mysteriously disappeared, along with her parents, in July 1995. Despite an exhaustive search, the family was never seen again, and no suspects were named in the case.

Sloan’s discovery leads her to the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, the site of her disappearance. It also leads her to Sheriff Eric Stamos. The Margolis family’s influence and power permeate every corner of Harrison County, and Eric is convinced that in learning the truth about her past, Sloan can also help discover what happened to Eric’s father, who died under suspicious circumstances soon after he started investigating the case her disappearance.

Slowly, over the course of a stifling summer, Sloan begins getting to know her relatives. Though initially welcoming, the Margolis family is also mysterious and tight-lipped. Not everyone seems happy about Sloan’s return, or the questions she’s asking. And the more she and Eric learn, the more apparent it becomes that the answers they both seek are buried in a graveyard of Margolis family secrets that some will do anything to keep hidden—no matter who else has to die…

Review: The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

 

The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger

Publication Date: March 5th 2024 by Park Row & Harper Audio

Pages: 382

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 8 mins

Narrators: Vivienne Leheny

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Rosie and Chad are newly married, in love and just getting by financially. Chad is a struggling actor, good looking and talented, but that doesn’t always translate into success. Rosie has authored a best-seller and working on her next book, but hasn’t been feeling great about her efforts.

Rosie and Chad have just lost his elderly uncle Ivan, after a long illness, and aren’t close to any other family. Rosie expects Ivan’s daughter to inherit his historic apartment in the Windemere, but in a surprising turn of events Ivan has willed the stately place to Chad and Rosie. They’re beyond excited and are quickly brought into the fold of its residents. Not a bad thing for extrovert Chad, but not a great thing for introvert Rosie. Plus, she’s getting weird vibes from the place and its inhabitants.

The Windemere has a dark history, murders, suicide and untimely death have plagued the place.  Rosie, before knowing she was to inherit, was basing her next book on the Windermere and its tragic past.

I was rooting for Rosie while trying to figure out who was the bad guy/guys here. People all around Rosie and Chad end up dead. Chad, with his good looks and charisma gave me pause, and I thought Rosie was so very trusting. Still, he seemed to love her so much. I adored Max, Rosie’s best friend and editor, but she only had platonic feelings for him. The residents of the building, as well as the doorman were suspicious, and I wondered what the angle was there. There’s also a bit of the supernatural at play.

The New Couple in 5B was a riveting read/listen that I couldn’t put down! Events built into a crescendo and I worried for Rosie!

I alternated between the audio and e-copy and recommend either! Vivienne Leheny’s performance of both male and female voices definitely enhanced my enjoyment of this addictive story! I listened at my usual 1.5x for the most part and sped up in the intense parts. 

4 Stars

Book Description:

A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this binge-worthy thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.