Category: Review Sunday

TITLE: Some Days Are Dark
CHARACTERS: Olivia Miller
AUTHOR: Miranda Smith
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/16/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
I was happy my husband died, but I couldn’t admit it, otherwise people might think I killed him.

Before

Olivia knows she is lucky. She has a loving husband, Frank, an adorable son, Jake, and a beautiful new home. It couldn’t be more different from her childhood on the outskirts of Whitaker, dirt poor and dreaming of getting out. But at the end of long days with no one to talk to, always feeling like she’s not quite good enough, she starts to wonder if there’s a better life waiting…

After

Everyone in Whitaker knows who Olivia is. She’s the woman who left her family for no-good Dane Miller—and the one who most likely shot him. Now, there’s gossip about her everywhere she goes, she’s too scared to leave the house most days, and she barely gets to see her beloved son.

How can a perfect life fall apart so quickly? And, when you have nothing to lose, how far will you go to save yourself?

An absolutely gripping, heart-pounding suspense novel about bad choices and second chances. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gray.

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts This book has soooo much potential. The characters, plot and so much more is all right there but it just kind of slipped through the fingers of the author.

The book drags quite a bit and hits a lot of rocky moments. Olivia is not really very likable if you ask me.

Just not my cup of tea.

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

TITLE: Gone By Midnight
SERIES #: Crimson Lake #3
CHARACTERS: Ted & Amanda
AUTHOR: Candice Fox
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/03/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
They left four children safe upstairs.
They came back to three.

On the fifth floor of the White Caps Hotel, four young boys are left alone while their parents dine downstairs.

But when one of the parents checks on the children at midnight, they discover one of them is missing.

The boys swear they stayed in their room. CCTV confirms that none of them left the building. No trace of the child is found.

Now the hunt is on to find him, before it’s too late – and before the search for a boy becomes a search for a body…

REVIEW:
A child goes missing in a hotel and there are no clues as to where he went and with who….
The concept of the book is really good. Before I started the book and seeing “they left children and came back to three” I already had a number of questions. Why did they leave kids alone in the room being my top one. But also why take only one child out of four? And so many more.

The problem? The story really didn’t go in that direction. The parents hire two people to investigate and find their child but the investigators are so weird that I kept shaking my head at them. I just couldn’t really even like these two.

This book just wasn’t what I hoped it would be.

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

TITLE: A Killer’s Wife
SERIES #: Desert Plains #1
CHARACTERS: Jessica Yardley
AUTHOR: Victor Methos
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/01/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the bestselling author of The Neon Lawyer comes a gripping thriller about a prosecutor confronted with the darkest part of her past and the worst fears for her future…

Fourteen years ago, prosecutor Jessica Yardley’s husband went to prison for a series of brutal murders. She’s finally created a life with her daughter and is a well-respected attorney. She’s moving on. But when a new rash of homicides has her ex-husband, Eddie, written all over them—the nightmares of her past come back to life.

The FBI asks Jessica to get involved in the hunt for this copycat killer—which means visiting her ex and collaborating with the man who tore her life apart.

As the copycat’s motives become clearer, the new life Jessica created for herself gets darker. She must ask herself who she can trust and if she’s capable of stopping the killer—a man whose every crime is a bloody valentine from a twisted mastermind she’s afraid she may never escape.

REVIEW:
This book is not for the faint of heart. There are a number of scenes that can be difficult to read or imagine.

That being said it is a really well written legal thriller. I did have some issues with Jessica who is supposedly one of the best lawyers and yet she can be so naive on things. And that made me roll my eyes a number of times but other than that the story was compelling and keeps you wanting to read the next chapter.

Jessica was married to a serial killer and now a copycat is out there so she gets involved in locating and stopping the copycat. And that means having to meet up with her ex-husband for help.

Very well written book and any fans of the genre will enjoy it.

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

TITLE: Still Here
CHARACTERS: Clare O’Dey
AUTHOR: Amy Stuart
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/11/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the internationally bestselling author of the “utterly compelling and intriguing” (Liz Nugent, bestselling author of Unraveling Oliver) Still Mine and Still Water comes a new stand alone psychological thriller featuring PI Clare O’Dey, who’s on the hunt for two missing persons but who may be hunted herself.

Malcolm is gone. Disappeared. And no one knows where or why.

His colleague and fellow private investigator, Clare, is certain she can find him, as she holds the key to his past. She arrives in the oceanside city where he last lived and starts digging around. Not only is Malcolm gone without a trace, so is his wife, Zoe. Everyone who knew the perfect couple sees Malcolm as the prime suspect in his wife’s disappearance. Everyone except Clare. She’s certain there’s more at play that has nothing to do with Malcolm, a dark connection to Zoe’s family business and the murder of her father years ago.

As Clare pulls back the layers, she discovers secrets the entire community is trying desperately to leave in the past. As for Malcolm, his past is far more complex—and far more sinister—than Clare could ever have imagined. He may not be innocent at all. As she searches for the man who helped her build her career as a private eye, Clare discovers that many women are in grave danger. And she is among them.

Featuring Amy Stuart’s “captivating, mysterious, and relevant” (Marissa Stapley, author of Things to Do When It’s Raining) prose, Still Here is an unputdownable thriller that will haunt you long after you finish it.

REVIEW:
This is the third in the series but I have not read the first two and while it can be read as a stand alone and enjoyed I think it would have helped to know some of the information that was probably given in books one and two.

I enjoyed the story and the writing. I thought Clare was an interesting character and I like her tenacity. However I was a bit, just a bit, disappointed in the end, not because it was bad but more like it was the expected ending. There were a number of different ways the ending could have gone but this was the obvious one.

That being said it was still a good read.

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

TITLE: The Perfect Sister
CHARACTERS: Claire & Ella
AUTHOR: Sheryl Browne
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/29/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Claire always wished for a sister. But should you be careful what you wish for?

Claire has spent her whole marriage trying to be the perfect wife and mother – supporting her husband as he goes for promotions and always making sure she’s there to tuck her daughter into bed each night. But little does she know that almost everyone around her has been keeping secrets that could ruin the life she’s worked so hard to create.

Growing up with warring parents and an often absent father, Claire has always wanted to give her daughter Ella the dream childhood she wishes she’d had. So, when she discovers her husband Luke has been having an affair, Claire is left wondering how she can possibly keep her daughter’s world from crumbling.

Then Claire receives a text message from someone called Sophie that simply reads – ‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister’. At first, she’s shocked. And Sophie’s appearance raises questions Claire would like to put to her elderly father before it’s too late. But as she gets to know Sophie – who is so like her in so many ways – she can’t help but be delighted to finally have the sibling she always dreamed of.

As the two women become inseparable, Claire leans on her new sister more and more, ultimately asking her to move into the family home and trusting her with Ella. But when the unthinkable happens and Claire fears for her daughter’s life, she starts to wonder whether her new sister is exactly who she says she is.

One thing Claire knows is that telling the perfect lie seems to run in the family.

REVIEW:
The writing of the story is intriguing and I found myself interested in it even though the story wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped. I never really connected with the characters and was really only interested in how the author would tie everything up.

But I was a bit disappointed in how the story was wrapped up. It just seemed rushed and confusing.

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

TITLE: The Night Swim
CHARACTERS: Rachel Krall
AUTHOR: Megan Goldin
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/04/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

REVIEW:
Here is the thing. This book is SO hard to read and yet once you get started you NEED to continue. This story delves very deeply into the subject of rape. But it is a real, upfront depiction of what the victim goes through not only at the hand of the rapist but at the hand of those that still blame the victim. Was she asking for it? How was she dressed? What did she do to deserve this?

I won’t say this book is perfect. There are parts that I do not believe was written accurately but for the most part the story hits home. The story also has the murder of Jenny, who it is claimed accidentally drowned, but her sister is sure it is murder and wants Rachel to find the truth.

Again, this story has parts that are hard to read. It gets intense and you just want to put it down to take a breath but then you can’t stop thinking about it.

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

TITLE: Never Look Back
SERIES #: Criminal Profiler #3
CHARACTERS: Melina & Jerrod
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/01/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Expect the unexpected in this gritty, tense, and page-turning mystery from New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

After multiple women go missing, Agent Melina Shepard of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation makes the impulsive decision to go undercover as a prostitute. While working the street, she narrowly avoids becoming a serial killer’s latest victim; as much as it pains her to admit, she needs backup.

Enter lone wolf FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey. Stonewalled by a lack of leads, he and Melina investigate a scene where a little girl has been found abandoned in a crashed vehicle. They open the trunk to reveal a horror show and quickly realize they’re dealing with two serial killers with very different MOs. The whole situation brings back memories for Melina—why does this particular case feel so connected to her painful past?

Before time runs out, Melina must catch not one but two serial killers, both ready to claim another victim—and both with their sights set on her.

REVIEW:
This is the third in the series but certainly can be a stand alone. The series wraps around Agent Melina Shepard. Melina goes undercover as a prostitute and is barely able to escape an attack from who will soon be identified as a serial killer. In comes FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey who has been trying to catch the killer.

I enjoy a book that can stump me. And while I was close to all the answers some surprised me.

Mary Burton has become one of my favorite authors and I always grab her books as quickly as I can. And this is another great story by the author.

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

TITLE: The Bad Sister
CHARACTERS: Hannah, Eden & Ellie
AUTHOR: Kevin O’Brien
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/28/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
TOO CLOSE
The site of the old campus bungalow where two girls were brutally slain is now a flower patch covered with chrysanthemums. It’s been fifty years since the Immaculate Conception Murders. Three more students and a teacher were killed in a sickening spree that many have forgotten. But there is one person who knows every twisted detail. . . .

TO SEE
Hannah O’Rourke and her volatile half-sister, Eden, have little in common except a parent. Yet they’ve ended up at the same small college outside Chicago, sharing a bungalow with another girl. Hannah isn’t thrilled—nor can she shake the feeling that she’s being watched. And her journalism professor, Ellie Goodwin, keeps delving into Hannah and Eden’s newsworthy past. . . .

THE DANGER
When Hannah and Eden’s arrival coincides with a spate of mysterious deaths, Ellie knows it’s more than a fluke. A copycat is recreating those long-ago murders. Neither the police nor the school will accept the horrific truth. And the more Ellie discovers, the more she’s convinced that she won’t live to be believed. . . .

REVIEW:
3.25 Hearts I had high hopes for this book once I read the first few chapters. And enjoyed the first half of the book for the most part. But the second half left me a bit, well, unsatisfied. I liked the writing of the first half. The flow is different and entertaining but in the later half the writing changed.

I almost felt like the writer had written half than put the novel away to come back to it later.

Just not all I hoped it could be.

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

TITLE: The Next Widow
SERIES #: Jericho And Wright #1
CHARACTERS: Jericho & Wright
AUTHOR: C.J. Lyons
PUBLICATION DATE: 07/28/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A gripping crime thriller with unputdownable suspense

In the distance Leah heard sirens. She ignored them. Right now, her daughter needed her and Emily was just out of reach, curled up under the bed, her eyes closed, desperately shaking. Leah did the only thing any mother would do. She crawled through the blood to get to her daughter.

Dr Leah Wright returned to her childhood home in rural Pennsylvania with her husband to find peace and quiet, start afresh and raise her six-year-old daughter Emily. But when she gets home one dark winter night, clutching roses in her hand, she finds her daughter huddled under her bed and her husband’s blood all over the floor…

When Detective Luka Jericho is called to investigate, he’s shocked to learn that the killer left a witness behind – the victim’s young daughter. The scene is a painful reminder of his fiancé’s unsolved death, and he is desperate to find out what Emily saw that night. He knows that the killer could still be out there, waiting to strike again.

But growing up, Leah learned the hard way that the only person she could rely on was herself. And it’s not until she and Emily are attacked again that she realizes just how close the killer is. Can she trust Luka to keep her daughter safe?

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts The story was a bit too predictable for me. I figured it out pretty quickly but continued to read in case I was mistaken and I wanted to know the reason. I was a bit disappointed.

The story drags a bit in some parts. There was enough interest to keep me reading but if not for my curiosity to be sure I had it right I wouldn’t have bothered.

I liked Detective Luka Jericho but wasn’t thrilled with Dr Leah Wright. She just wasn’t my cup of tea.

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