Category: 3 Star

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Kimberly reviews Danger In Numbers by Heather Graham

TITLE: Danger In Numbers
CHARACTERS: Amy Larson & Hunter Forrest
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/23/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
On the edge of the Everglades, an eerie crime scene sets off an investigation that sends two agents deep into a world of corrupted faith, greed and deadly secrets.

A ritualistic murder on the side of a remote road brings in the Florida state police. Special Agent Amy Larson has never seen worse, and there are indications that this killing could be just the beginning. The crime draws the attention of the FBI in the form of Special Agent Hunter Forrest, a man with insider knowledge of how violent cults operate, and a man who might never be able to escape his own past.

The rural community is devastated by the death in their midst, but people know more than they are saying. As Amy and Hunter join forces, every lead takes them further into the twisted beliefs of a dangerous group that will stop at nothing to see their will done.

Doomsday preppers and small-town secrets collide in this sultry, twisty page-turning thriller.

REVIEW:
I am a big fan of Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series and most of her other stories as well. So I am always happy to pick up a Heather Graham story. But this one was just ok for me.

I love the suspense part. And being from Florida I loved hearing all the places and lore of the state. Graham has a way of bringing you into her stories with the real history that surrounds the area she is writing about. But the romance was a bit dry in this story.

I do not know what it was but I guess I never connected with Amy or Hunter because I just wanted to get back to the meat of the story and be done with the fluff.

The religious part of the story I found interesting. I have never been fond of the cult stories but this had a bit of a different aspect to the story. The murder was one that you wanted to help Amy and Hunter find the suspect.

All in all a good story from Graham just not one of her best.

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

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Kimberly reviews Distrust by Lisa Jackson

TITLE: Distrust
CHARACTERS: Eve & Reuben
AUTHOR: Lisa Jackson
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/23/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson comes a pulse-pounding novel featuring two of her most acclaimed characters, New Orleans detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya–as a series of ritual slayings draw a psychology student back to a decaying asylum…

Eve Renner loved Cole Dennis–until the moment he tried to kill her. That was three months ago, when Eve was lured to a cabin where she found an old friend brutally murdered. Eve is almost positive it was Cole’s face she saw right before she was shot. But her memories were too shaky to stand up to trial. Cole is a free man again. And a new string of killings has begun.

The murders all link back to Our Lady of Virtues, the asylum where Eve’s father worked as a doctor. She wandered those hallways as a child, exploring hidden rooms and chambers, too young to understand what was happening there. Now, with every victim found, each body tattooed with a number, the pieces of a deadly puzzle fall into place–and all point back to Eve and the ruins of the once-grand hospital.

Detective Reuben Montoya and his partner, Rick Bentz, once convinced of Cole’s guilt, now suspect a deeper evil at work. Eve knows she has little choice but to return to Our Lady of Virtues–and to trust Cole in her search for answers. But as Eve’s memories gradually return, they only lead her closer to danger, toward the final, meticulously planned act of a killer obsessed with vengeance–and with her.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is two stories previously released but now released together in this story.

I can not recall ever reading a Lisa Jackson book before. There was a lot of suspense. Here is the thing, these stories are very different. I think readers will find they like one more than the other.

In my case I liked the first story more than the second. The characters in both stories were well written and the suspense was interesting.

I am not sure I will become a huge fan of Jackson’s but I can understand why others may be.

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

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Kimberly reviews Turning Point by Jeffery Deaver

TITLE: Turning Point
CHARACTERS: Det Ernest Neville
AUTHOR: Jeffery Deaver
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/19/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
International bestselling author Jeffery Deaver delivers surprise after alarming surprise in an ingenious story about a serial killer, a detective, and a twisting duel of wits.

A serial killer is trolling a midwestern suburb. His tools: a hammer, a screwdriver, floral wire, a kitchen knife and, to complete his errand, a Russian nesting doll left behind as a calling card. From one grisly crime scene to the next, Detective Ernest Neville and his Russian Doll Killer task force follow. With few leads and his career on the line, Neville is driven to desperate measures to get to the core of this diabolical puzzle. Layer by layer, he’s getting closer to the final piece. Yet the only thing that’s certain in this game is the unexpected, and as citizens are targeted by one of the most reprehensible characters the idyllic town has ever seen, Neville can only wonder if his efforts will end in disaster—for himself, for his family and for the people he’s sworn to protect.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is a very short story only about 60 pages. I have been a fan of Deaver for a number of years and I liked this story as much as her usual novels. There is a lot in these few pages. Killers and Detective Neville’s family in danger at one point and leaving Russian Stacking Dolls.

Because this is so short it is almost like Deaver had this story in his mind but it just wasn’t going anywhere so he gave us a short story between novels.

Worth the read.

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

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Kimberly reviews Die Next by Jonathan Stone

TITLE: Die Next
CHARACTERS: Zack & Joey
AUTHOR: Jonathan Stone
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/14/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From bestselling author Jonathan Stone comes a pulse-pounding thriller for the digital age that will make you question everything that you have ever saved on your phone.
In a crowded coffee shop, Zack Yellin swaps identical-looking cell phones with the businessman next to him. It’s an honest mistake-and a deadly one. Because the “businessman” is actually a professional-and highly volatile-hit man named Joey Richter, and his phone is filled with bombshell evidence.
If Zack takes Joey’s phone to the police, will they believe his swapped cell phone story? Would they even be able to protect him? Because the hit man now has Zack’s phone with the phone numbers and addresses of Zack’s new girlfrienhttps://books-n-kisses.com/wp-admin/post-new.php#edit_timestampd Emily, his best friend Steve, and all the texts and information from Zack’s life.

Whether Zack keeps the phone or ditches it, Joey will kill him for what he now knows. In cat-and-mouse twists, turns, and continually mounting terror, one thing is clear: Zack is next on the hit man’s list.

REVIEW:
So here is how I had to deal with this book. I really liked the beginning, the middle was the same thing over and over until I only read the conversations and skipped over the paragraphs without dialogue, and then I read the end to figure out what happened. That is really the only way I could get through it.

I really liked the idea. A hit man and an everyday man accidentally switch phones and the everyday man learns more than he should about who is going to “Die Next”. Like the synopsis says… Even if the police believe that this was an accidental switch when the hit man finds out he has all the information about his life in the phone he has. I mean isn’t our whole world in our phones?

But then the fillers started. The repeats of wording, the overly wordy descriptions, etc. But then I wanted to know how it ended so I popped back in towards the end.

This story had a lot of potential. Just too much time just to fill pages.

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

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Kimberly reviews Witness To Death by Heather Graham

TITLE: Witness To Death
CHARACTERS: Lorna & Andrew
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/28/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Lorna Doria hadn’t committed a murder. She’d seen one. Yet somehow she’d become the prisoner, while the killer was out on bail. As state’s witness, she’d thought the shelter of her quiet New England life would be enough to keep her safe. Law enforcement disagreed—and it was New York City undercover cop Andrew Trudeau’s job to protect her. But their strong attraction had already made it too late for that . . .

Now, with Andrew as her bodyguard, Lorna has no choice but to accept his constant presence. She assures herself she can handle it, she’s mature, not easily rattled—except by Andrew. They’re as different as can be, yet something bonds them, something beyond the danger they face. But as a cop, Andrew’s life will always be on the line, and Lorna must decide whether she can live with that—if a killer lets them have any future at all . . .

REVIEW:
It kills me to say this but I really just didn’t enjoy this book. I kept thinking it was as if someone was writing under Graham’s name and then I figured it out. This is a reprint from 1985. That is over 3 decades to mature in her writings. And oh she has.

I never really felt the chemistry between Andrew and Lorna. The story idea was fine. Lorna is in protective custody with a man that is hard to resist while Andrew is trying to do his job to protect Lorna but what he wants is her in his arms. The concept is great and I would almost bet if Graham went back and wrote it now fans would love it.

I think I will just stick to the original novels coming out now because Graham has become one of the best over these last 35 years.

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

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Kimberly reviews Darkness Falls by Margaret Murphy

TITLE: Darkness Falls
SERIES #: Clara Pascal #1
CHARACTERS: Main Characters
AUTHOR: Margaret Murphy
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/14/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
CLARA PASCAL HAS IT ALL
She’s beautiful, successful and devoted mother. People want to be her.
THEN IT’S SNATCHED AWAY
Now, robbed of everything that gives her life meaning, she lies chained to the stone wall of a dark cellar – without food, warmth, or sleep, without even the most basic communication.
HER ABDUCTOR WON’T EVEN TELL HER WHY HE’S TAKEN HER
As the police team frantically investigates, knocking on doors, following up wisps of leads, bullying, cajoling, begging witnesses for help, it seems that Clara Pascal has disappeared without trace.
Meanwhile, in her dark prison, Clara begins to suspect why her kidnapper has kept her alive. And the reason is terrifying.

REVIEW:
I hate it when a synopsis pulls me in and then I am disappointed because I know the book has so much potential. This is what happened in this story. It really has a lot of potential but there was so much extra wordage that I skipped a lot of pages and only read the dialogue which gave me all the information I needed.

To me there was just too much female bashing. I do not mean physically. Just that it seemed in the mind of these characters (and hopefully not the author) women are just useless. There were also a lot of police procedures. I mean we have all read or seen cop stories. We really do not need every detail. But that is what it felt like.

Just not an enjoyable read for me.

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

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Kimberly reviews Serpentine by Jonathan Kellerman

TITLE: Serpentine
SERIES #: Alex Delaware #36
CHARACTERS: Alex Delaware
AUTHOR: Jonathan Kellerman
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/04/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis search for answers to a brutal, decades-old crime in this electrifying psychological thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

LAPD homicide lieutenant Milo Sturgis is a master detective. He has a near-perfect solve rate and he’s written his own rule book. Some of those successes–the toughest ones–have involved his best friend, the brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware. But Milo doesn’t call Alex in unless cases are “different.”
This murder warrants an immediate call. Milo’s independence has been compromised as never before, as the department pressures him to cater to the demands of a mogul: a hard-to-fathom, megarich young woman who is obsessed with reopening the coldest of cases–the decades-old death of the mother she never knew.

The facts describe a likely loser: a mysterious woman found with a bullet in her head in a torched Cadillac that has overturned on infamously treacherous Mulholland Drive. No physical evidence, no witnesses, no apparent motive. And a slew of detectives have already worked the case and failed. But as Delaware and Sturgis begin digging, the mist begins to lift. Too many coincidences. Facts turn out to be anything but. And as they soon discover, very real threats lurking in the present.

This is Delaware/Sturgis at their best: traversing the beautiful but forbidding place known as Los Angeles and exhuming the past in order to bring a vicious killer to justice.

REVIEW:
This is the 36 in the series… Yes 36th!!! I have read a number of this series but not all of them. But the problem is if you read too many of them near to each other it is easy to figure out and that is what was happening here.

The story was a bit slow. And easy for me to figure out. The characters are abundant and while there are some twists and turns nothing that wasn’t expected.

While there are so many in this series each can be a stand alone.

I wish Kellerman would move beyond this series and try to lead us onto a different adventure. Kellerman writes well and can be very enjoyable but I believe this series has grown stale.

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

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Kimberly reviews Dying To Be Her by Gregg Olsen

TITLE: Dying To Be Her
SERIES #: Empty Coffin #2
CHARACTERS: Hayley & Taylor
AUTHOR: Gregg Olsen
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/02/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Just as the lightning bolt of memory passed, a pair of hands grabbed Olivia’s shoulders and shoved her body backwards against the wooden floor. I’m not going to die here, am I? she thought, though the answer seemed all too clear. Am I?

Port Gamble, Washington: When the body of English exchange student Olivia Grant is found at the palatial home of local schoolgirl, Brianna Connors, the town assumes that it’s a Halloween prank gone wrong. But when Brianna and her boyfriend Drew are spotted casually shopping the next day, people start to talk: how could they be so unaffected by Olivia’s death?

Twins Hayley and Taylor Ryan have received signs from beyond the grave for as long as they can remember. As the local police piece together the mystery, the girls begin to receive messages suggesting that something darker was at play that night. The killer had a target and they’re not done yet.

When the prime suspects disappear, the twins know that time is running out. But to get to the killer, they will first need to confront a close family member who harbors a long-held secret and has committed the ultimate act of betrayal.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes an unputdownable thriller about two girls’ hunt to find a killer on the run, with a touch of supernatural help. Perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, Robert Dugoni and James Patterson.

This book was originally published as BETRAYAL. This new edition has been re-edited since its publication in 2012.

REVIEW:
Ok so here it goes. I read the first in the series “Beneath Her Skin” and mostly did not enjoy it. But I had requested this book the same day from NetGalley so I decided to read it. And what I learned. Beneath Her Skin was originally released by the name Envy in 2015 and this book was originally named Betrayal released the same year. I have read a number of books by Olsen and maybe this feels so young (like a YA) because he was growing in his writing.

This book was better than the first but I really feel like it was written for a younger audience. One that does not have the mature pallet for true suspense or even paranormal. While the twins are adults they seem like older Nancy Drew characters (that should tell you how old I am).

I am not sure if there is more in the series but I will not be picking it up. This is not up to the par that I have read from other Olsen novels.

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

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Kimberly reviews Into The Woods by David Mark

TITLE: Into The Woods
CHARACTERS: Rowan Blake
AUTHOR: David Mark
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/21/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING RICHARD & JUDY PICK AND KINDLE CHART-TOPPING SENSATION.

Thirty years ago, three school-friends took a walk in the woods. Only two came back – their memories a jumble of hallucinations and twisted visions.

There is a chilling reason why nobody looked for the missing girl.

Now, disgraced investigator ROWAN BLAKE will discover that in the remote and desolate Wasdale Valley, nothing stays buried forever.

Murder and suspense are entwined with supernatural overtones and blistering social commentary in this fast-paced whodunit set in the rugged surroundings of England’s Lake District

This is the first instalment in a Lakeland trilogy by internationally bestselling crime writer DAVID MARK, whose “outstanding”, critically-acclaimed McAvoy series is being developed for TV.

REVIEW:
Boy, I just couldn’t get into this book. I had the worst time not finding every little mistake which had to have gone into the triple digits. It really took me out of the story which each obvious mistake. I hope this is corrected before the book is released.

Now, the story was way too out there (and I watched Supernatural!!!). The suspense was fine but the paranormal part of the story was just too phony.

I picked this up from NetGalley because the synopsis says that the author, David Mark, is having a series made for TV but I am glad it is not this series.

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

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Kimberly reviews Asylum by Theresa Dale

TITLE: Asylum
CHARACTERS: Bailey O’Connor
AUTHOR: Theresa Dale
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the creator of the Rose’s Ghost series comes another thrilling tale: Asylum proves to be a ghost story that stands on its own.
We follow Bailey O’Connor on an exciting urban exploration trip across the border to discover the secrets of a long-abandoned institution for mentally and physically handicapped children. But there’s more than just mystery darkening the crumbling buildings they discover, and Bailey finds herself lost within them with the help of those who linger.
The search for her is mounted during the day while her own search takes place in the dark. Are the rumors true? The whisperings of experiments performed on the innocent and vulnerable? What secrets lurk within the few impenetrable buildings on the site? Most importantly, can the truth be uncovered before the property is leveled and its secrets are buried forever?
Told in Dale’s unique voice, readers both familiar and new will appreciate an engaging cast of characters and a compelling story that is hard to put down.

REVIEW:
This book had so much potential to be a good scary ghost story but that is not what it ended up being. Some friends go into an asylum to check it out (like any normal person would) when Bailey is bombarded by ghosts who want her to get their stories out.

That should have been good and scary, right? Well some of the ghost stories are interesting but most I just didn’t care about. Nothing was scary. It wasn’t the “leave the light on while you read this” story, unfortunately.

I actually thought this was a first time author so I was willing to give it a bit of a slide since it was such a generic story, but I see this author has written other stories.

I think it still has a lot of potential but didn’t stand up to the potential it had.

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

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Kimberly reviews Red House by Joss Stirling

TITLE: Red House
SERIES #: Jess Bridges Mystery #3
CHARACTERS: Jess Bridges & Leo George
AUTHOR: Joss Stirling
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/26/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The compelling new mystery featuring Bridges and George has them taking on a haunting new case that will leave them doubting their judgement, and even their own eyes and ears …

REVIEW:
Ok so I am thinking I didn’t enjoy this book so much because it is the third in the series and I had not read the other ones. I think I was missing something by coming in late but was still able to figure it out.

The story was nothing new. Very typical of the genre. Man is killed and then another man is killed next door. And while Jess is not a cop she is the only one who figures it out. I get tired of stories that make the cops seem stupid and some investigator can come in and figure it out.

That being said the story had a lot of potential and I may have enjoyed it more if I had read the first two in the series.

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

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Kimberly reviews The Little Grave by Carolyn Arnold

TITLE: The Little Grave
SERIES #: Detective Amanda Steele #1
CHARACTERS: Amanda Steele
AUTHOR: Carolyn Arnold
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/11/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Detective Amanda Steele stops just inside the doorway, recognizing the victim’s face instantly. He seems so vulnerable in death; soft, human, even harmless. But she can never forget the evil he has inflicted. Her heart is hammering as she remembers her precious daughter, with her red curls and infectious laugh, and how she was lowered into that little grave…

It’s been five years since Detective Amanda Steele’s life was derailed in the path of an oncoming drunk driver. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on from the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, but Amanda cannot. When the driver who killed her family is found murdered in a motel room, she can’t keep away from the case.

Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work an investigation with such a personal connection to her, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes. And when Amanda finds the link between a silver bracelet in his possession and the brutal unsolved murder of a young exotic dancer, she realizes she’s caught up in something darker than she ever imagined and suspects that more girls could be in danger.

But as Amanda edges toward the truth, she gets closer to a secret as personal as it is deadly. Amanda has stumbled upon a dangerous killer, and she must face some terrible truths in order to catch this killer – and save his next victim as she couldn’t save her own daughter…

A gripping, page-turning thriller full of mystery and suspense. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni.

REVIEW:
I have not read this author before so when I saw that this was the first book in a series I decided to give it a try. And mostly I enjoyed it.

Homicide detective Amanda Steele’s life fell apart when her family was killed by a drunk driver and pretty much she is just going through her daily routine to survive the pain. But when she is called to a motel where a dead body happens to be the drunk driver her senses tell her there is more to the story.

As I said I mostly enjoyed it. The suspense part of it was good. I enjoyed the “who-dun-it” part of the book and because this is book one of a new series I gave leeway to how many times the author introduced us to something new about Amanda but, honestly, I never found myself liking Amanda. There was so much grief in the book that I got tired of it. And the fact that she is even working the murder case, that in all truth, she could have done just doesn’t seem logical at all.

I will say that I will give the series another try when book two comes out, hoping that the author moves beyond the grief/pitifulness and lets us know who Amanda really is.

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