Category: Suspense

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Kimberly reviews The Intended Victim by Alexandra Ivy

TITLE: The Intended Victim
SERIES #: The Agency #4
CHARACTERS: Remi & Ash
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy
PUBLICATION DATE: 12/31/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
ONCE, SHE GOT AWAY
The body lying on a cold steel slab bears all the hallmarks of the Chicago Butcher. There’s a cruel slash across her throat, deep enough to sever the carotid artery, and a small crescent carved into her right breast. Her delicate features are painfully familiar to Ash Marcel, once a rising star in the Chicago PD. But though the victim resembles his former fiancée, Remi Walsh, he knows it’s not her.

BUT THIS TIME
Though Remi escaped a serial killer five years ago, her father died trying to save her. Grief and guilt caused her to pull away from the man she loved. Now Ash is back in her life, insisting that Remi is still in danger.

IT’S A DEAD END . . .
Someone is targeting women who look just like Remi. With or without a badge, Ash intends to unmask the Butcher. But the killer isn’t playing games any longer. He’s moving in, ready to finish what he started, and prove there’s nothing more terrifying than a killer’s obsession . . .

REVIEW:
I have truly enjoyed all the works from Alexandra Ivy. There is nothing she can’t write and I can’t enjoy!

The suspense is well written (but then anything by Ivy is) but I found myself on the edge of my seat a few times. And this is certainly one that I said to myself “one more chapter” and then at the end of the chapter “ok one more”.

Remi and Ash make a great partnership and I hope that Jax (Ash’s brother) gets his own story soon. Because I have to say he was my favorite character in the book.

Another great read from Alexandra Ivy. I would say to read from the beginning of the series but that is just so you can be familiar with Ivy’s Agency. But it can be read alone.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Scorched Grounds by Debbie Herbert

TITLE: Scorched Grounds
SERIES #: Normal Alabama #2
CHARACTERS: Della Stallings
AUTHOR: Debbie Herbert
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/28/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From bestselling author Debbie Herbert comes a chilling, fast-paced story about family tragedy and confronting what terrifies us most.

In the eighteen years since her father went to prison for killing her mother and brother, Della Stallings has battled a crippling phobia. Her fear only grows when her father’s released. She still believes he killed her family, but the police don’t have enough evidence to arrest him again.

When new grisly murders occur—each bearing the telltale signs that seem to implicate her father—Della begins to wonder if the real murderer is still out there. Could her father have been framed?

To find the truth, Della must face her greatest fears and doubts—not only to find justice for her family but to ensure her own survival.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the second in the series but I didn’t read the first but that being said this could be written as a stand alone.

Della witnessed her mother and brother murdered and her father charged with the crime. Now he is getting out of prison and when a murder occurs Della suspects her father but she and Detective Whitt take up the investigation but is it to find her father guilty or innocent?

The suspense was very well written and I enjoyed the characters. Normal, AL seems like a place that has a lot going on. Herbert has a way of writing that makes you interested in the characters and wanting to know what will happen next.

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

4 Hearts

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Series Sunday presents: Kendra Elliot’s Callahan & McLane Series

TITLE: Vanished
SERIES #: Callahan & McLane #1
CHARACTERS: Ava McLane & Mason Callahan
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: June 24, 2014
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When eleven-year-old Henley Fairbanks is abducted on her way to school, the FBI doesn’t waste a moment, sending agents to scour the area and embedding Special Agent Ava McLane with the distraught family. In the eye of the storm is local detective Mason Callahan, who also happens to be related to Henley. To make matters worse for Mason, the kidnapping comes on the heels of the murder of his longtime confidential informant, and he’s been sidelined from the investigation. Now both he and Agent McLane are holed up in the Fairbanks’ home, along with Callahan’s ex-wife, Robin. Every second counts in a kidnapping case, and the stakes keep rising the longer Henley stays missing. As Ava and Mason struggle to hold the Fairbanks family together in their darkest hour, the two investigators find themselves more and more drawn to each other.

 

***

TITLE: Bridged
SERIES #: Callahan & McLane #2
CHARACTERS: Ava McLane & Mason Callahan
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: February 10, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A Wall Street Journal bestseller

After a congressman’s tortured body is found dangling from a Portland bridge, the FBI joins the Oregon State Police to investigate the case—and FBI Special Agent Ava McLane, still recovering from a bullet wound, hunts the twisted killer alongside the man who captured her heart, police detective Mason Callahan.

But once a third body appears and all evidence points to a serial killer, the public furiously clamors for answers—and the couple’s relationship grows fractured under the pressure. Ava and Mason search in the past for clues that predict the future. And when Ava’s mentally ill twin spins out of control, the FBI agent who battles monsters every day wonders if she shares her sister’s self-destructive streak…

In the latest thrilling romantic suspense novel from award-winning author Kendra Elliot, the past and the present violently collide…and the fallout can be deadly.

 

***

TITLE: Spiraled
SERIES #: Callahan & McLane #3
CHARACTERS: Mason Callahan & Ava McLane
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
FBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn’t witness them. When she’s trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival.

But that’s only the beginning…

An epidemic of mass shootings has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives. The task force assembled to solve the case—which includes Ava’s boyfriend, detective Mason Callahan—remains stumped. And on top of this chaos, Ava’s troubled twin sister reappears, throwing Ava’s already-tumultuous life into a tailspin.

An old-fashioned cop with a strong sense of duty, Mason struggles to find the cause of the shootings as workaholic Ava spins ever closer to breaking down. But can one detective save the lives of countless innocents—and prevent the woman he loves from going over the edge?

***

TITLE: Targeted
SERIES #: Callahan & McLane #4
CHARACTERS:  Mason Callahan & Ava McLane
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: June 7, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A Wall Street Journal bestseller

All Detective Mason Callahan wanted was a quiet fishing trip with the guys—a chance to get away and unwind before Halloween.

Until he finds the body of his boss, Denny Schefte, near their remote Oregon cabin. Now all he wants is to catch the sadist who slit Denny’s throat and covered his face with a mask. Mason was the last person to see him alive and will stop at nothing to find his friend’s murderer.

When the FBI learns of the mask left at the scene, they realize they have a serial killer on their hands—one who is targeting cops. They assign the case to Special Agent Ava McLane, despite her engagement to Mason. Barely recovered from her own nearly fatal injury and her sister’s attempted suicide, Ava hopes she is ready to chase another killer.

But as she delves into the increasingly disturbing case, the killer may be closer than expected—dangerously close.

Add the series to your Goodreads list: Callahan & McLane

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels. Kendra is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers Award finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her family, but she looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops. Visit her at www.kendraelliot.com. 

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Amazon Page  | Good Reads 

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Kelly reviews Whiteout by Adriana Anders

TITLE: Whiteout
SERIES #: Survival Instinct #1
CHARACTERS: Ford Cooper & Angel Smith
AUTHOR: Adriana Anders
PUBLICATION DATE: January 28, 2020
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Angel Smith is ready to leave Antarctica for a second chance at life. But on what was meant to be her final day, the research station is attacked. Hunted and scared, she and glaciologist Ford Cooper barely make it out with their lives…only to realize that in a place this remote, there’s nowhere left to run.

Isolated in the middle of a long, frozen winter with a madman at their heels, they must fight to survive in the most inhospitable—and beautiful—place on earth. But the outside world depends on what Ford and Angel know and, as their pursuers close in and their new partnership burns bright and hot, they will stop at nothing to make it out of the cold alive.

REVIEW:
This was an okay read for me. I found myself not really connecting to the characters. Oh, I routed for them and wanted everything to workout but there was not a strong connection for me. The story was a little predictable.
Overall it was a decent story and I am glad that I picked it up. I do believe that if there is a follow up story I will pick it up and give it a try.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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Kimberly reviews I Choose You by Gayle Curtis

TITLE: I Choose You
CHARACTERS: Elise & Nathaniel
AUTHOR: Gayle Curtis
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/01/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
When a killer chooses you, what choice do you have?

Thirty years ago, Elise and Nathaniel shared a horrific trauma that united them in grief. Now, grown up and married with a young family, they feel their worst nightmares are behind them. Until the day their daughter is abducted and murdered.

Both Elise and Nathaniel lost their mothers to a notorious killer who manipulated innocent victims into taking their own lives. Could it be that ‘the Watcher’ has returned for another round of the same sadistic game? Why now? And why are Elise and Nathaniel being targeted again?

When Elise’s family falls under suspicion, her world crashes down around her. Is there anyone she can trust, or is her whole life built on lies?

Only one thing is clear: someone left their cruel game unfinished all those years ago. This time the Watcher intends to win – once and for all.

REVIEW:
1.75 Hearts Oh wow… I had a lot of thoughts about this story but let me tell you pretty much every other review on GoodReads has the same thoughts. Mainly it is… What the h___?

There is so much going on and so many characters that it is confusing but not like easter egg confusing but real confusion. Why so many people are there, I have no idea because they are certainly not needed or wanted.

I guess Elise is suffering from some issue or two but in layman’s term “she is nuts!” OK, not really. I think there are a number of issues going on and possibly postpartum depression and/or other issues but no matter what the story is just too much.

Sad to say…. I really do not recommend this story.

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

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Kimberly reviews Tell Me Lies by Ed James

TITLE: Tell Me Lies
SERIES #: Detective Max Carter #1
CHARACTERS: Max Carter
AUTHOR: Ed James
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/21/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Fans of Lee Child and David Baldacci will be gripped by this heart-racing FBI thriller from bestselling author Ed James.

Megan Holliday opens her eyes and finds herself slumped on her doorstep. The last thing she remembers is being in the car with her two kids. She sees a handwritten note on her lap – Don’t call the police. It’s then that she realises her car is missing, and her children are gone…

Leading the FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team, FBI agent Max Carter will stop at nothing to find children taken from their families. After all, he was once one of those taken children, so he knows exactly what’s at stake. When he hears that a young senator’s two children have been abducted and their mother left for dead, he races to the Holliday family home in Washington State.

Facing a wall of police cruisers and blacked-out SUVs, Carter quickly uncovers the facts. Megan Holliday was ambushed by a man with a gun as she returned home from taking her kids out for ice cream. Bound and drugged, the attacker left her unconscious on the doorstep with the sinister note on her lap.

As Senator Christopher Holliday walks through the halls of the US Federal Building in Seattle, his phone beeps with an alert. Frustrated by the interruption, he takes a cursory glance and is horrified by the image on the screen – his two children, Brandon and Avery, unconscious. The message he gets simply reads Meet me or they die.

When Agent Carter tries to make contact with the busy senator, it seems the politician has gone missing, fleeing from the Federal Building and abandoning his distraught wife. If Carter knows one thing, it’s that Holliday has something to hide. And he just became Carter’s prime suspect.

REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts This is the first in a new series from an author I have not read before.

I will say this is a bit of a traditional kidnapping/don’t call the cops/detective to the rescue story but it is still worth the read. Agent Carter is a really interesting character. He is very smart but I didn’t feel like he was flaunting it. He has just been doing this so long he knows the ins and outs of the situation.

Agent Carter is part of the CARD team that handles child abduction so I hope that each of the books is wrapped around the exact same situations.

May be worth getting to know Agent Carter a bit better. Will give the second book a try.

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

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Kimberly reviews Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer

TITLE: Nothing Ventured
CHARACTERS: Detective William Warwick
AUTHOR: Jeffrey Archer
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/03/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Nothing Ventured heralds the start of a brand new series in the style of Jeffrey Archer’s #1 New York Times bestselling Clifton Chronicles: introducing Detective William Warwick. But this is not a detective story, this is a story about the making of a detective . . .

William Warwick has always wanted to be a detective, and decides, much to his father’s dismay, that rather than become a lawyer like his father, Sir Julian Warwick QC, and his sister Grace, he will join London’s Metropolitan Police Force.

After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard’s arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she’s terrified will come to light.

While William follows the trail of the missing masterpiece, he comes up against suave art collector Miles Faulkner and his brilliant lawyer, Booth Watson QC, who are willing to bend the law to breaking point to stay one step ahead of William. Meanwhile, Miles Faulkner’s wife, Christina, befriends William, but whose side is she really on?

This new series introduces William Warwick, a family man and a detective who will battle throughout his career against a powerful criminal nemesis. Through twists, triumph and tragedy, this series will show that William Warwick is destined to become one of Jeffrey Archer’s most enduring legacies.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts This is a new series by Jeffrey Archer and I found it really interesting. First, I have a problem with British stories. Mainly it takes me a time or two of reading the same sentence once in a while to understand the different meanings of the same words between Britain and the USA.

That being said it was still a quick interesting read. It kept me wanting to keep reading. The new character of William Warwick I found very interesting to read. The best part was he wasn’t proficient at his newly acquired private eye job and it was fun to see him learning the ropes.

Highly recommended if you enjoy suspense. Can’t wait to read more in this series by Archer.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Fallen by Rebecca Zanetti

TITLE: Fallen
SERIES #: Deep Ops #2
CHARACTERS: Brigid & Raider
AUTHOR: Rebecca Zanetti
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/24/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Too quiet. A talented hacker who got caught, Brigid Banaghan is now forced to work with a secret Deep Ops unit. But she won’t reveal any more to these renegade Feds than she has to. Especially not to Raider Tanaka, her control freak of a bodyguard and handler. It’s enough that his body is tensed for action and his heated gaze is always on her . . .

Too sharp. Raider knows there’s more to his new assignment than he’s been told. Why send a deadly agent of his experience to guard a computer genius—even a gorgeous, unpredictable, undisciplined one? But when Brigid’s estranged father is named in an investigation into Boston’s organized crime, Raider’s mind switches onto high alert, just like his senses . . .

Too close. To clear her father’s name, Brigid needs Raider’s help. The Unit’s idea that she bring a straight-laced Fed in as her “fiancé” won’t fly, though—not unless Raider can release his inner bad boy and become the rebel Brigid can’t resist . . .

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts To know if a book is good you only need to read two words… Rebecca Zanetti.

Raider and Brigid… Aw! Love them! They are perfectly meant for each other.

What I enjoyed most was the twist and turns. There were so many in this story.

Rebecca Zanetti is one of the best. She drags you into the story within the first few pages and never lets you go. By the end of the story you aren’t glad it is over you are sad that you have to come out of her world and leaves you waiting for the next in the series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Bloody Genius by John Sandford

TITLE: Bloody Genius
SERIES #: Virgil Flowers #12
CHARACTERS: Virgil Flowers
AUTHOR: John Sandford
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Virgil Flowers will have to watch his back–and his mouth–as he investigates a college culture war turned deadly in the latest thriller from #1 New York Times-bestseller John Sandford.

At the local state university, two feuding departments have faced off on the battleground of PC culture. Each carries their views to extremes that may seem absurd, but highly educated people of sound mind and good intentions can reasonably disagree, right?

Then someone winds up dead, and Virgil Flowers is brought in to investigate . . . and he soon comes to realize he’s dealing with people who, on this one particular issue, are functionally crazy. Among this group of wildly impassioned, diametrically opposed zealots lurks a killer, and it will be up to Virgil to sort the murderer from the mere maniacs.

REVIEW:
Great book! I really enjoy books that keep me guessing but then also I enjoy when I am pretty sure of the “who-dun-it” and find out I was right.

Virgil is such an interesting character that I find myself trying to figure out how he is going to act before he even starts his investigation.

This is a great story that has twists and turns and I loved reconnecting with some of the characters we have met in previous books.

I also love the sub-plots and crimes that Virgil somehow gets wrapped up in.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Fan Mail by Daryl Wood Gerber

TITLE: Fan Mail
SERIES #: Aspen Adams #2
CHARACTERS: Gloria Morning & Aspen Adams
AUTHOR: Daryl Wood Gerber
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/12/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Agatha Award–winning and national bestselling author Daryl Wood Gerber returns with a dark new novel of suspense . . .

An adoring fan and a string of murders: a demented show of love that leaves no one safe . . .

Local celebrity news anchor Gloria Morning is used to receiving declarations of love and praise in her weekly fan letters, but when a Lake Tahoe doctor is murdered and she gets an anonymous note telling her it was done for her glory, her appreciation turns to panic. Unsure of where else to turn, she enlists the help of novice private investigator Aspen Adams. No sooner does Aspen begin digging into who sent the macabre note than another murder occurs, followed by another note, and she soon realizes she’s up against a ruthless and deranged killer.

Working with scant clues and a puzzling array of potential suspects, Aspen is determined to unearth the elusive connection between the victims and her client. But as the body count grows and the murderer remains a mystery to both her and the police, Aspen discovers she’s gotten closer to the killer than she ever imagined, and now she must risk everything she holds dear to stop the killings, including her own life . . .

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts I realized this was the second in the series as I got into it and realized there was some missing information. I highly suggest reading the 1st in the series first.

Because of not understanding the characters from book 1 I think I couldn’t connect with the characters. Aspen seems very, well honestly bitchy. I think the author was trying to give Aspen an independent attitude but it came across as rude to me. She figured because she wanted to do something she could. Including going through confidential case files of her boyfriends.

I think the idea of the story was good but it was hard for me to get through it because of the characters.

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

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Kelly reviews A Madness Of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

TITLE: A Madness of Sunshine
CHARACTERS: Anahera Rawiri & Will Gallagher
AUTHOR: Nalini Singh
PUBLICATION DATE: December 3, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Penguin Random House

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh welcomes you to a remote town on the edge of the world where even the blinding brightness of the sun can’t mask the darkness that lies deep within a killer…

On the rugged West Coast of New Zealand, Golden Cove is more than just a town where people live. The adults are more than neighbors; the children, more than schoolmates.
That is until one fateful summer—and several vanished bodies—shatters the trust holding Golden Cove together. All that’s left are whispers behind closed doors, broken friendships, and a silent agreement not to look back. But they can’t run from the past forever.
Eight years later, a beautiful young woman disappears without a trace, and the residents of Golden Cove wonder if their home shelters something far more dangerous than an unforgiving landscape.
It’s not long before the dark past collides with the haunting present and deadly secrets come to light.

REVIEW:
They often say that you can never go home. But for Anahera that is exactly what must happen. After the death of her husband Anahera needs a safe place to regroup and process all that has happened over the last several years. Being home also means having to face the ghosts that drove her away from Golden Cove to begin with.

When one of the Golden Cove locals goes missing everyone is reminded of the events of eight years prior and the three missing hikers. The newest member of Golden Cove Detective William Gallahger is determined to find out what happened to Miriama and not make the same mistake he had in the past.

It was a great honor to get an early copy of Nalini Singh’s newest book A Madness of Sunshine. I really enjoyed this new world that Nalini has built for us. A Madness of Sunshine is different then her previous books, there is no paranormal aspect found in her Psy/Changeling Series and The Guild Hunter series or straight contemporary like her Rock Hard series. A Madness of Sunshine is a mystery thrill with a touch of romance. If you are a fan of Nalini’s I believe you will enjoy this book very much. I look forward to the next installment in this world *fingers crossed*.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Edelweiss & Berkeley in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts

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Winter Romance Wednesday! Kimberly reviews Christmas Past by Mary Burton

TITLE: Christmas Past
CHARACTERS: Nicole & David
AUTHOR: Mary Burton
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/29/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Christmas Past is a seasonal, serial-killer-thriller from New York Times bestselling author, Mary Burton.
Photographer Nicole Piper just received a very unwelcome Christmas gift – a letter that holds clues to an elusive killer’s identity. Uncovering the truth means enlisting homicide detective David Ayden’s help, and embarking on a road trip that will take them both into the heart of danger and desire . . .
Christmas Past is a pacy, action-packed novella that’s guaranteed to send chills down your spine – the perfect Christmas scare-fest that will appeal to fans of Tess Gerritsen, Kathy Reichs and Karin Slaughter.

REVIEW:
This was originally part of the anthology Silver Bells.

This is a quick novella that really has nothing to do with Christmas but that being said it was a fast read that leaves you in suspense.

As with most novella’s you can’t say too much about the plot or you give things away and with this story going so quick (about 100 pages). But I will say it is a wonderful romantic suspense that is perfect between full novels.

As always Burton is on par with the best.

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