Category: 2 Star

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Kimberly reviews The Island by Mary Grand

TITLE: The Island
CHARACTERS: Juliet, Cassie, Mira & Rosalind
AUTHOR: Mary Grand
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/24/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The Island – where everyone knows everyone, and secrets are impossible to keep…
‘Be careful, you don’t know them as well as you think. Remember – anyone can kill.’

Juliet has returned to the Isle of Wight from years abroad to visit her sick father and to be reunited with her three sisters – Cassie, a professional musician who seems to have lost her way in life, Mira, who is profoundly deaf, is married to the local vicar but their relationship is falling apart, and Rosalind, glamorous and charming but now deeply unhappy and secretive about her life.

As Juliet’s father lies dying, he issues her with a warning. There is a killer on the loose, and they may be closer than she can ever imagine. He anxiously tells Juliet that he confided a family secret in son-in-law Rhys, and now regrets ever saying a word.

Days later, as the clock strikes one in the morning, a man comes out of Rhys’s church, walks along the path and is run down by a car driven by an unidentified person. When the finger of suspicion points to Juliet, she realises the only way to clear her name is to uncover the secrets her family has been keeping from her for years. But with a killer on the loose, danger is getting closer all the time…

The Island is set on the Isle of Wight – insular, claustrophobic, and where secrets are hard to keep. Mary Grand’s heart-stopping who-dunnits are perfect for fans of Louise Candlish. Agatha Christie and Lucy Foley.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts Ok I had a hard time with this book. The story follows Juliet who is trying to find out what her father was trying to tell her on his death bed since she suspects his “accident” was intentional and when her brother-in-law dies as well she is even more suspicious.

The problem comes with the writing. It is so all over the place. It never felt like any conversation gave us any clues or answers. Juliet is a bit irritating. I never really cared if she found out any information and found myself skipping parts of the book and reading just the dialogue to see what was going on.

Just not my cup of tea.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Winter Romance Wednesday! The Christmas Killer by Alex Pine

TITLE: The Christmas Killer
SERIES #: DI James Walker #1
CHARACTERS: James Walker
AUTHOR: Alex Pine
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/12/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
As the snow begins to fall, the body count begins to climb…

DI James Walker is ready for a quiet family Christmas in the sleepy village of Kirkby Abbey.

But when he opens an early Christmas present left on his doorstep, he soon realises it is no gift. Inside is a gruesome surprise, and a promise – twelve days, twelve murders. Not long after, the first body is found, half frozen in the snow.

As the blizzards descend, panic spreads through the remote Cumbrian village – there’s a killer amongst them, and with eleven more victims to go, anyone could be next….

Can James stop the killer before they strike again?

The first in a new series, Alex Pine has written a dark, atmospheric crime novel, set in a snowed-in Cumbrian village, for fans of Val McDermid, Ross Greenwood and LJ Ross.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts Usually first books are slow but this one takes the cake. I had a hard time reading this story.

I was able to figure out the who-dun-it pretty easily and I will honestly say that I did a bit of skipping over parts because the writing was a bit boring.

I hope that the next in the series proves to be a bit more interesting since like I said sometimes the first can be slower as they introduce the character(s).

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch

TITLE: Whisper Island
CHARACTERS: Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett
AUTHOR: Carissa Ann Lynch
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/16/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Don’t miss the gripping new page-turning thriller from the USA Today bestseller!

It was the perfect escape

Until one by one they vanished…

For friends Riley, Sam, Mia and Scarlett, their trip to Whisper Island, Alaska, was meant to be a once in a lifetime adventure – just four young women, with everything to live for…

But as soon as they arrive things start to go wrong. First there is the unexpected arrival of Sammy’s drug addict brother and his girlfriend Opal – why are they here?

And then the deaths begin.

As the dream trip quickly turns into a nightmare, suspicion is high. Are they really alone on the island? Or is there a killer hiding in the shadows?

And as each of the girls reveals a dark secret of their own, perhaps the truth is the killer is closer than they think…just a whisper away…

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts This was not the book for me. It is not a thriller but more of a mystery. And actually reminded me of those mystery room places you see popping up everywhere except set on an island.

I actually didn’t care who died or who the killer was. To be honest, I skipped over full paragraphs and didn’t lose any info.

I just didn’t care much about this book. Sadly.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Sleepless by Romy Hausmann

TITLE: Sleepless
CHARACTERS: Nadja & Laura
AUTHOR: Romy Hausmann
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/19/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
It’s been years since Nadja Kulka was convicted of a cruel crime. After being released from prison, she’s wanted nothing more than to live a normal life: nice flat, steady job, even a few friends. But when one of those friends, Laura von Hoven–free-spirited beauty and wife of Nadja’s boss–kills her lover and begs Nadja for her help, Nadja can’t seem to refuse.

The two women make for a remote house in the woods, the perfect place to bury a body. But their plan quickly falls apart and Nadja finds herself outplayed, a pawn in a bizarre game in which she is both the perfect victim and the perfect murderer…

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts Ok I just didn’t get it. This book was so jumbled that I had a hard time following everything.

The story of Nadja is back and forth of what happened to her when she was convicted. Now she wants a normal quiet life so why in the world would she help a friend (or is she?) deal with the lover she killed. Why can’t she say “I can keep quiet but I am not helping you?”

And then when they go hide even more happens. And none of it makes sense to me. I just kept thinking “Why? Why is Nadja doing this? And why am I still reading?”

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Don’t Lie To Me by Willow Rose

TITLE: Don’t Lie To Me
SERIES #: Eva Rae Thomas Mystery #1
CHARACTERS: Eva Rae Thomas
AUTHOR: Willow Rose
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/15/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When twelve-year-old Sophie Williams went on a Girl Scout summer camp, she never returned home.

Three months later, her body is found inside her sleeping bag in the most frequented area of Cocoa Beach, and the town is outraged.

The girl isn’t just any child. She’s the town’s most beloved surf idol, and it was believed that she could be the next Kelly Slater.

As another child, the son of a well-known senator is kidnapped, and the parents receive a disturbing video, FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas — who has just returned to her hometown, divorced and out of a job — plunges into the investigation, breaking her promise to her children not to do police work again.

Local law enforcement, with her old flame Matt Miller in charge, are the ones who ask for her help in a case so unsettling that only she can solve it. But the deeper they dig, the deadlier it becomes for Matt and Eva Rae. Soon, everyone she holds dear is in grave danger as this case hits a little too close to home.

DON’T LIE TO ME is the first book in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts NetGalley had a number of books by this author so I thought I would request the first in each series. I almost wish I hadn’t. There is just something off about the writing style of this author. Her writing is all over the place. It never seems to flow.

There are a lot of the same things going on. Kidnappings, murders and then the ending just didn’t jive with the story.

Just not my cup of tea.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Don’t Look Now by Mary Burton

TITLE: Don’t Look Now
CHARACTERS: Jordan & Carter
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/28/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A homicide detective in the dark. A serial killer on the loose. Both have their obsessions in a nerve-twisting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

Austin homicide detective Jordan Poe is hunting a serial killer she fears is the same man who assaulted her sister, Avery, two years ago. The details line up: the victims are the same age, same type, dead by the same grim MO. Luckily Avery survived. But the terrible memories linger, making Jordan more determined than ever to stop this monster in his tracks.

Texas Ranger Carter Spencer isn’t one to poach on a detective’s territory. Yet no matter how resentful a capable lone wolf like Jordan is, when she is attacked at a third crime scene and suffers a trauma that leaves her with limited vision, it’s up to Carter to help Jordan navigate a world she no longer recognizes. He needs her instinct, her experience, and her fearless resolve to crack this case. A case that’s about to get even darker.

A stranger is watching. He’s closing in on his ultimate prey. And no one but the killer can see what’s coming.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts Who wrote this book? It could not have been Mary Burton. Usually Burton pulls me in from page 3 or so. But this book was just so hard to even want to finish. But I did, mainly, because I hoped somehow Burton would come back to her normal self. I was sorely disappointed.

So let me set a picture, Avery is assaulted, goes blind and somehow continues to be a detective. Ummm, what? Carter becomes her eyes and thinks nothing is odd about this… Again, what?

This book actually makes no sense, Avery is so cocky that she can do everything still that she is actually irritating. And Carter is just ridiculous. Thankfully, I have read a lot of books by Burton and know what an incredible writer she is so I will pick up every book that comes after this book but if someone picked this book up as a first time reader I can’t imagine they would give Burton a chance again….. So I say to all the new writers…. Try another book because Burton is worth it!

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Hit The Road Jack by Willow Rose

TITLE: Hit The Road Jack
SERIES #: Jack Ryder #1
CHARACTERS: Jack Ryder
AUTHOR: Willow Rose
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/25/15
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ben is supposed to be in school. It’s Monday morning but his parents are still asleep after a night of heavy drinking. Ben Waits patiently, even though he knows he is missing out on today’s field trip to the zoo. But, when his black Labrador suddenly runs upstairs and comes down with a finger in his mouth, Ben knows he’s not making it to school today at all.

Detective Jack Ryder is chaperoning his kids’ field trip when he gets the call from the head of the Cocoa Beach Police Department. A body has been found and they need his help. Soon, Jack finds himself up against a killer, a predator who ruthlessly chases women and kills them so they can never leave him. The case soon causes serious consequences for him and his family once the truth is revealed.

With her new hero, Jack Ryder, as a loving father and committed detective, a new location in tropical Florida, and a story that moves at an incredible pace, Hit the Road Jack is Willow Rose at the top of her game.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts So NetGalley re-released this and I thought it was a good chance to learn of a new author. Well, maybe not.

This book was hardly worth the read. The author rushed through so much of the story and then dragged on parts nobody would care about. The murders are continuous and unoriginal. I never cared about any of the characters and the story made so little sense it was unreal.

I hope her other books are better as I requested all that NetGalley had to offer at the time. And because this was my first book by her I will give the others a try hoping her writing matured as she went on.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Destroy Me by Karen Cole

TITLE: Destroy Me
CHARACTERS: Cat
AUTHOR: Karen Cole
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/18/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
SOME SECRETS ARE BEST LEFT BURIED…

Cat panics when she sees a photofit of a murder suspect flash up on the news. It looks exactly like her, and to make matters worse, the victim is her childhood best friend, Charlie.

The following day, the police arrive at her doorstep to question her. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Charlie in years, but could the secrets of their past finally be coming back to haunt her?

Desperate to find out who gave the police her description and to protect her five-year-old son, Cat investigates. She knows she is innocent and will stop at nothing to prove it. But some secrets are best left buried…

REVIEW:
2.25 Hearts Ok this is not the book for me. I really liked the concept. You are all over the news for murder but you know you didn’t do it so how can your picture be everywhere? And to make it worse the victim was your best friend? Sounds good, right?

Not really. I never cared about Cat at all. She was harsh and brash and just unlikeable if you ask me. And the pet thing was unnecessary and I have never liked when an animal is hurt.

There was so much potential with this story. If the character had been worth our worry maybe I would have liked it more.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Beneath Her Skin by Gregg Olsen

TITLE: Beneath Her Skin
SERIES #: Empty Coffin #1
CHARACTERS: Hayley & Taylor
AUTHOR: Gregg Olsen
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/02/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The girl was slumped over the edge of the old clawfoot tub, her eyes tiny shards of broken glass, her expression void of anything. Her long, wet hair dripped onto the floor. She was dead.

When the body of troubled teen Katelyn Berkley is found dead in her bathtub, the close-knit community of Port Gamble, Washington is shaken to its core. All signs point to a suicide but what makes her death even more tragic is that Katelyn survived a horrific bus crash ten years ago, which took the lives of several young girls and has scarred the town ever since.

Hayley and Taylor Ryan are identical twins who grew up with Katelyn and have spent the last 10 years getting over the crash. Ever since that fateful night the twins have shared a secret: they can hear the dead. And it soon becomes clear that Katelyn is communicating with them. Whilst the town believes it was a tragic accident, something much darker lies behind Katelyn’s death.

And all the time, someone is watching Port Gamble, someone who doesn’t want old secrets to surface…

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a compulsive thriller about two girls’ search to uncover the truth behind their friend’s death, with a touch of supernatural help. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Robert Dugoni and James Patterson.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts This is a new series by Gregg Olsen but I am so sad to say that I am not sure I will bother with the next one.

So the story is about twins who seem to have a psychic ability and they are investigating the death of an old friend. But there is just so much wrong with this book.

There is a bit of a paranormal feel with the “abilities” the twins have and honestly there doesn’t seem to be much in the suspense side of it either. And there is no horror. There are so many unanswered questions. I can think that some questions about the twins may be answered as the series goes on but there are still questions about the murder.

Just not what I hoped based on the cover and synopsis.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Joint Custody by Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Jackie Logsted

TITLE: Joint Custody
CHARACTERS: Gatz (the dog) and his owners
AUTHOR: Lauren Baratz-Logsted & Jackie Logsted
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/05/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A mischievous dog takes matters into his own paws when his beloved owners split up in this offbeat romantic comedy.

The Man has custody Monday through Friday, The Woman has custody on the weekends. But that’s not enough for Gatz, who will do anything to bring them back together–even if it kills him. And it almost did. Of course he knows chocolate is bad for him, especially two whole pounds of it, but it’s the risk he’s willing to take to get them back together.

Gatz knows that The Man and The Woman are perfect for each other–how can they not see it too? She is an editor and he’s a writer. She’s a social butterfly and he’s as introverted as a guy can get. After the misguided death-by-chocolate attempt, Gatz thinks he still has time. But when New Man–so handsome, so nice, so perfect–enters The Woman’s life, he realizes he’ll need to step up his game. And you know what they say: drastic times call for drastic doggy measures.

A laugh-out-loud romance that will touch your heart and make you want a furry friend of your own.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts Ok so I will say I must not like this idea of the story coming from the dogs point of view. I say this because right before reading this book I started to watch a Hallmark Christmas movie with the dog telling the story of it’s family and I had to turn it off. Then bam! I picked up this book to read and I really didn’t want to read it either. I say this because I am reviewing it based on what I didn’t realize I didn’t like when I requested it from NetGalley.

The story is about a dog trying to get his parents back together. Problem is they have joint custody so even though the dog is telling us about his parents lives it is only the life he sees. And while there is a few adorable scenes I just didn’t think the scenes were worth the entire read.

Again that being said I apparently am not a fan of romances (or non-romance with this story) told by the dog. If you are a fan of that type of writing you will enjoy this book very much.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews Missing Persons by Michel Brandman

TITLE: Missing Persons
SERIES #: Buddy Steel #1
CHARACTERS: Buddy Steel
AUTHOR: Michael Brandman
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
MISSING PERSONS is the first book in the new Buddy Steel mystery series by New York Times best selling author, Michael Brandman.

Steel… smart, aggressive, ironic, spare and cynical… has been content working homicide at the LAPD until his father, the legendary Sheriff Burton Steel, falls ill with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Sheriff Steel is headquartered in Freedom, a privileged coastal community located a hundred miles north of Los Angeles. His health failing, he asks his son Buddy to come home to cover his back and to groom him to be his successor.

Buddy reluctantly agrees. He returns to Freedom despite having outgrown its small town limits, wary of his father’s authoritarianism.

No sooner does he hit town than Buddy learns the wife of the high-flying star of a Freedom based world-renowned television ministry has gone missing. A visit to the woman’s home leads to a hostile confrontation with her husband’s family and Buddy’s realization that something greater than simply a missing person is at stake.

Allegiance between father and son provides the backdrop for Buddy’s complex investigation of twisted families, avaricious con artists, violent gangs, drugs, corruption, and murder. And added to the mix is an enigmatic femme fatale who succeeds in upending Buddy’s tenets regarding contemporary relationships.

MISSING PERSONS is its own book, yet crime fiction fans will find it a joy to trace its literary lineage from Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker through to Sue Grafton and Michael Connelly.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts This was so not what I hoped it would be. I could never find myself liking Steel at all. He is just so rude and brash and everything else you imagine a LAPD officer is (especially in this day and age). This seemed to put every stereotypical attitude that we are hearing about nowadays. Maybe it was because of all the tensions the country is going through in real life but I found myself pissed at the author for perpetuating the stereotype. Not all cops are rude and uncaring.

The suspense part was ok but I think I was already beyond caring by the time we were supposed to care.

Just not for me.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Kimberly reviews The Shadows Of Foxworth by V.C. Andrews

TITLE: The Shadows Of Foxworth
SERIES #: Dollanganger #11
CHARACTERS: Corrine & Garland Foxworth
AUTHOR: V.C. Andrews
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/30/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Continuing the events from Beneath the Attic and Out of the Attic, the prequel trilogy to the Dollanganger series comes to a riveting end with The Shadows of Foxworth, a passionate novel about Corrine Foxworth’s intense desire to flee her overbearing life trapped in the Foxworth estate.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, the life of her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon changed forever. At age sixteen, she discovered she was pregnant by the wealthy and handsome Garland Foxworth. Now, trapped in the labyrinthine Foxworth estate, young Corrine is overwhelmed with her stifled life and domineering husband. When an artist is hired to paint her portrait, she immediately falls in love and is convinced to abandon this dark world forever, unaware that her decision could have far-reaching consequences that linger for generations…

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts I read Flowers In The Attic decades ago. We all know that story. Besides the fact it was THE book of the time, they made movies and everyone discussed it. But over 3 decades ago V.C. Andrews actually passed away. But they brought in ghost writers and continued the stories and even went back and told the stories BEFORE the original book. Problem is the writing is just not our V.C. Andrews. I put off reading anything that was not from the original author until this book came up on NetGalley, now I remember why.

The writing is terrible. It doesn’t flow the way the original books were. It is almost like “How many shocking things can we put into one book? Oh let’s add one more.” The original books felt like we were reading a documentary not smut. As if it had really happened. Like you can imagine the rich could do something so off the wall. This book? Nope!

Honestly, this is not worth the read if you are a fan of the original author.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.