Category: Suspense

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Kimberly reviews Spy by Danielle Steel

TITLE: Spy
CHARACTERS: Alexandra Wickham
AUTHOR: Danielle Steel
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/26/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
A young woman is caught up in a dangerous double life on behalf of her country during World War II in Danielle Steel’s thrilling new novel.

At eighteen, Alexandra Wickham is presented to King George V and Queen Mary in an exquisite white lace and satin dress her mother has ordered from Paris. With her delicate blond looks, she is a stunning beauty who seems destined for a privileged life. But fate, a world war, and her own quietly rebellious personality lead her down a different path.

By 1939, Europe is on fire and England is at war. From her home in idyllic Hampshire, Alex makes her way to London as a volunteer in the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. But she has skills that draw the attention of another branch of the service. Fluent in French and German, she would make the perfect secret agent.

Within a year, Alex is shocking her family in trousers and bright red lipstick. They must never know about the work she does–no one can know, not even the pilot she falls in love with. While her country and those dearest to her pay the terrible price of war, Alex learns the art of espionage, leading to life-and-death missions behind enemy lines and a long career as a spy in exotic places and historic times.

Spy follows Alex’s extraordinary adventures in World War II and afterward in India, Pakistan, Morocco, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Washington, D.C., when her husband, Richard, enters the foreign service and both become witnesses to a rapidly changing world from post-war to Cold War. She lives life on the edge, with a secret she must always keep hidden.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts This is Danielle Steel so really what do you expect other than greatness? Danielle Steel has been around for what seems like forever and I have read most of her books. Ms Steel has a way of not just pulling you into a story but walking you softly with sweet words until you are so entranced that you can’t remember anything but what is going on in her story. Well it is the same with this one.

In this one Alexandra is an aristocrat who comes from a good family and expects nothing more than to be a wife and mother. But then WWII begins and everything changes. She soon by chance becomes a spy for the country and her adventures really begin.

There are only a couple of authors that as I read make me wish I could jump through the pages and visit the area. And Danielle Steel is one of them. Her heroine’s are always someone women can relate to. And there is always a touch of romance. But more so is the scenery, the historical information, the ambience that make you want to jump on a plane and visit the sites.

Another incredible read from Danielle Steel.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Single by K.L. Slater

TITLE: Single
CHARACTERS: Darcy & George
AUTHOR: K.L. Slater
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/25/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
‘I keep feeling like I’m being watched – dropping the boys off at school, choosing wine at the supermarket – but when I turn around there’s nobody there…’

When single mother Darcy’s son falls from a rope bridge at a local playground, life stands still. She clutches his small, limp body, frozen, until a pair of strong hands push her aside, and she watches as George, a local doctor, saves her son’s life.

George is a single parent too, and with his twinkling hazel eyes, easy charm, and lack of wedding band is almost too good to be true, but coffee becomes lunch, lunch becomes dinner, and soon they can’t go an evening without seeing each other. When he invites her to move into his beautiful home with its sprawling garden for her boys, Darcy doesn’t hesitate.

But as Darcy is settling in, she receives a bunch of flowers with a chilling message. George says they’re from an obsessed ex-girlfriend, Opal, and days later Opal turns up at Darcy’s son’s football match. She claims to have shocking information that could threaten George’s custody of his daughter.

Darcy doesn’t know who to trust, but she’s starting to suspect that, whatever the truth, she might have put her beloved boys into terrible danger…

From the million-copy-bestselling author K.L. Slater this utterly gripping psychological thriller will make you gasp out loud as you race towards the unforgettable twist. If you loved The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us this book is for you.

REVIEW:
It has been a while since I read K.L. Slater and now I kind of remember why. I had a hard time getting into this book. I never got into the characters and the thriller part just didn’t thrill.

I enjoyed the children the most. And I enjoyed the scenery of the area… And of course the house. Wow!

I didn’t find the ending surprising. There were parts that kept me involved which is why I put the rating as 3. I can imagine there are people who will enjoy it but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

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

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Kelly reviews Snow Creek by Gregg Olsen

TITLE: Snow Creek
SERIES #: Detective Megan Carpenter Tapes #1
CHARACTERS: Megan Carpenter
AUTHOR: Gregg Olsen
PUBLICATION DATE: November 18, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the Number One New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author, comes an absolutely heart-stopping and completely unputdownable crime series, introducing Detective Megan Carpenter.

Footprints were scattered about like fallen leaves. She looked down into the ravine, and once more her lungs filled with fear. A body, blackened and motionless lay splayed out in the bushes.

Detective Megan Carpenter is no stranger to evil. Escaping the horrors of her old life, she’s vowed never to let anyone hurt her or those she loves ever again. Joining the small police force in Jefferson County’s Port Townsend, Megan is determined to get every victim of a crime the justice they deserve.

So when Ruth Turner walks into the Sheriff’s office claiming her sister Ida Watson has been missing for over a month, Megan’s instincts tell her that she needs to do more than just file a report.

Arriving at a secluded farmhouse in the hills above Snow Creek, she finds Ida’s teenage children alone and frightened.

Then a few days later, close to the Watsons’ home, the blackened body of a woman is discovered in an abandoned pickup truck.

Megan must unravel the disturbing secrets of the isolated Snow Creek community if she is to catch the killer.

But Megan has dark secrets of her own too…

Hidden in the back of her closet is a box of tapes containing every single recording of her therapy sessions with Doctor Albright over thirteen years ago. As Megan begins to play the tapes, she’s taken straight back to her terrifying childhood, back to the time she was a kid called Rylee, fighting to survive.

Can Megan finally confront the past she’s spent years trying to block out and will listen to her own painful story help her solve the complex case she is now entangled in?

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts Snow Creek is the first book in the Detective Megan Carpenter Tapes series and my first book by Gregg Olson. I enjoyed this book.

There are a lot of twists and turns that had me guessing until the end. Throughout the novel we learn snippets of Megan’s life before she became a Detective. But there are still so many questions unanswered. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series to find out more about Megan.

If you like a good suspense book you need to pick up a copy of Snow Creek.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Bookouture 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 (sorta)! Kimberly reviews The Last Christmas by F. Paul Wilson

TITLE: The Last Christmas
SERIES #: Repairman Jack #16
CHARACTERS: Repairman Jack
AUTHOR: F. Paul Wilson
PUBLICATION DATE: 01/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Jack is back.
Wilson never said he was through with Repairman Jack. He said he was through turning in a new novel every year. He also said when a story came along that was right for Jack, he’d write it.
The Last Christmas is that story.
It’s late December between Ground Zero and Fatal Error, a winter of discontent for Jack who’s perhaps spending too much time hanging at Julio’s. An old contact, Edward Burkes, convinces him to take on a missing-person fix. As usual, nothing is as it seems, and the missing person isn’t exactly a person. In fact, it’s like nothing anyone has ever seen.
And in the middle of all this, the mysterious Madame de Medici hires him to safeguard a valuable object. Simple, right?
Not even close.
Yep, Jack is back and, as usual, weird trouble is on his heels.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kimberly NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4.5 Hearts

REVIEW:
Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

Jack is back! Whoo hoo! It’s been so long and an added bonus to have some more time with Jack.

This is a different kind of Repairman Jack story and yet the same. The characters we have known and loved are all back. We get to see the quirkiness of Jack and the weirdness of his case just as we always have. And then there is a bit of supernatural (for lack of a better word) that happens with Jack.

Any fan of the series will be thrilled to have this last visit. It is like seeing a friend that we thought we would never see again.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Deadly Silence by OMJ Ryan

TITLE: Deadly Silence
SERIES #: Detective Jane Phillips #1
CHARACTERS: Jane Phillips
AUTHOR: OMJ Ryan
PUBLICATION DATE: 11/01/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Some sins can never be forgiven.
DI Jane Phillips was a star detective driven by a relentless quest for justice. But then she stepped outside the law.
Now, demoted and suffering with PTSD, she finds herself facing the deadliest threat of her career — a serial killer who is preying on vulnerable women, murdering them in a shocking and bizarre ritual.
A master of deception, he selects his victims at random. Or so it seems. But as Phillips investigates, she begins to see a method in the killer’s madness. Perhaps these victims aren’t random at all…
As the pressure mounts, can Phillips find the link between these ritual murders before the killer strikes again — or will her dogged determination to solve the case bring his deadly silence to her door?

REVIEW:
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I found my mind trying to figure it out while trying to fall asleep which means that the book was getting to me. That says a lot if you ask me.

I thought the writing from this new author was great. And the characters had a lot of definition but also seemed human.

I highly recommend checking out this new author.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Poor And The Haunted by Dustin McKissen

TITLE: The Poor And The Haunted
CHARACTERS: Jimmy Lansford & Kelly
AUTHOR: Dustin McKissen
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/31/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
“This thought-provoking tale makes a strong argument for letting go of past pain.” –Kirkus Reviews
As a child Jimmy Lansford and his sister Kelly suffered crushing poverty, their father’s unexplained and frightening suicide, and their mother’s constant abuse and cruelty. Having grown to be a successful adult, Jimmy must contend with the sudden re-emergence of memories from his childhood in Oklahoma and unexplainable events occurring inside his own home. Is it more than memories that haunt Jimmy? Did his parents suffer from mental illness and addiction, or were they possessed by something even worse—and has that presence arrived to take Jimmy?
The first horror novel from acclaimed author and journalist Dustin McKissen explores the nature of hauntings, the ghosts from our past that haunt our present, and the unbreakable bond between siblings who learn early on they can only rely on each other.

REVIEW:
I have to agree with the beginning of a number of other reviews. This story is not really a horror story unless you consider the horrors both Jimmy and his sister dealt with as children.

And now Jimmy has to deal with the demons that he wonders are part of his DNA makeup or if he is going crazy.

I found this book heartbreaking and interesting. I think this author has a bright future in the way he writes. The story is short (160 pages) but there is a lot said in these pages and a incredible story that pulls you in right away.

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

4 Hearts

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Kelly reviews Don’t Breathe A Word by Christie Craig

TITLE: Don’t Breathe A Word
SERIES #: Texas Justice #2
CHARACTERS: Juan Acosta & Vicki Holloway
AUTHOR: Christie Craig
PUBLICATION DATE: November 5, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
New York Times bestselling author Christie Craig returns with her next heart-stopping romantic suspense about a woman on the run and the man trying to uncover her secrets.

Police detective Juan Acosta doesn’t only carry scars on the outside. He’s filled with guilt and anger ever since his undercover job led to the murder of those he loved the most. Now he’s living for one thing: revenge. That is, until Juan meets his beautiful new neighbor.
Vicki Holloway prides herself on being capable and independent, but her life is turned upside down when her sister Sara is killed by an abusive ex. Fearing for the safety of her niece, Vicki and the little girl go into hiding…resurfacing in Texas with new identities.
Juan finds his once-frozen heart thawing around Vicki, but he knows she’s hiding something. Juan needs answers, but Vicki isn’t talking. She has to keep her secrets if she wants to keep Bell safe, which means resisting her growing feelings for the sexy, scarred man next door. But when Juan’s quest for justice brings danger to her door, divulging the truth might be the only thing that keeps her alive.

REVIEW:
I didn’t realize when I picked this book up that it was book two in the series. That being said Don’t Breathe A Word easily stands on its own. I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not reading the first book. I do plan to go back and read book 1 Don’t Close Your Eyes. I enjoyed Don’t Breathe A Word, it started a little slow. It was interesting following Juan’s cold case along with Vicki’s case. I did find that it the story was a little predictable but the journey to the end was good.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a suspense with a dash of romance.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Forever (Grand Central Publishing) in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

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Kelly reviews Bred In The Bone by Kendra Elliot

TITLE: Bred in the Bone
SERIES #: Widow’s Island #4
CHARACTERS: Cate Wilde & Henry Powers
AUTHOR: Kendra Elliot
PUBLICATION DATE: October 29, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In the fourth Widow’s Island novella by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kendra Elliot, the truth of a twenty-year disappearance will finally come to light.

When the town drunk ends up dead in a hit-and-run, FBI special agent Cate Wilde expects that solving the case will be cut and dried. But evidence quickly surfaces that the victim was involved with another crime. A crime that has gone cold for twenty years. A crime of personal importance to Cate.

Cate’s best friend, Samantha, went missing at fourteen, leaving behind nothing except a jacket and an island full of unanswered questions. Samantha’s disappearance has haunted Cate for more than half her life, and she might finally be able to find some closure.

But not everything is as it seems. As Cate unravels what happened on that fateful day, she’ll discover that the community of Widow’s Island is full of secrets. Betrayed by someone she thought she knew, Cate will need to piece together the truth…before someone else gets hurt.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Cate Wilde and Tessa Black are determined to find out what happened to her childhood friend Sam. They found a new clue after 20 years. The next step is to speak to the land owner where Sam’s necklace was found. But before that they must find the driver of a hit-n-run accident that left a local dead.
Cate and Tessa thought that they were prepared to find the truth of Sam’s disappearance but they could never know the path that they would take to find that truth.

Bred in the Bone is the fourth novella in the Widow’s Island series that is written by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. If you haven’t read the first two novellas Close to the Bone and A Bone to Pick I would highly suggest you go get these and read them. You could pick up novella three and start her but the first two novellas give you the back story of Tessa & Cate. I am already looking forward to reading the next two installments in this series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Close To You by Kerry Wilkinson

TITLE: Close To You
CHARACTERS: Morgan & David
AUTHOR: Kerry Wilkinson
PUBLICATION DATE: 10/17/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
I pinch the screen to zoom until I’m staring at the face of a ghost. A man with very short hair, staring directly at the camera with piercing brown eyes.

He is as he was when I last saw him: wrinkles around the corners of the eyes and a knowing smirk. That’s the expression I see when I can’t sleep.

My body tenses. It can’t be him. It’s not my ex-husband. It’s not David.

I know that better than anyone because he didn’t walk out on me.

He didn’t disappear two years ago and he’s not a missing person.

I know that for a fact because I’m the one who killed him.

A brilliantly twisty thriller which will have fans of The Girl on the Train and Gone Girl absolutely gripped.

REVIEW:
The concept of this book, according to the synopsis, sounded great. The widow believes she is seeing her dead husband come to life. Most times this happens in a story she is excited he might be back but not in this book. Morgan knows this can’t be her husband since she killed him years ago.

I am not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this. Maybe a woman tormented by her husband and accidentally killed him. Or was finding out he was an axe murderer and wanted to save others by killing him first. Heck I don’t know but what I found was a woman who I just didn’t care much about.

She seemed almost psycho at times. I just had a hard time understanding her.

Maybe some will enjoy this but it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

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

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Kelly reviews Whisper Of Bones by Melinda Leigh

TITLE: Whisper of Bones
SERIES #: Widow’s Island #3
CHARACTERS: Tessa Black & Logan Wilde
AUTHOR: Melinda Leigh
PUBLICATION DATE: October 22, 2019
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Dark secrets from the past bob to the surface in the third novella in the Widow’s Island series.
When a body washes up on the state park beach, Deputy Tessa Black’s experience as a former Seattle detective tells her that the death was not an accident. All evidence points to another murder on the remote island.
The victim is a local contractor with a shockingly long list of enemies. The more locals Tessa interviews, the more people she suspects—from the bitter ex-wife and estranged current wife to disgruntled former clients and employees. They all have different reasons to want him dead.
As Tessa’s investigation heats up, arson and a vicious assault convince her the killer is desperate to hide his crime—and that she’d better solve the case before he claims another victim.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Tessa Black finds herself facing another murder investigation when local construction worker washes up on the shores of one of the Widow’s Islands. As the hunt begins the number of potential killers keeps going up. It seems no one in Widow’s Island like Jason.
Tessa has to balance the hunt for a killer, taking care of her mother and little sister and a newly forming relationship. Add on top of that the ongoing mystery of the disappearance to her and Cate’s childhood friend will bring the girls a new clue to follow.
Whisper of Bones is the third novella in the Widow’s Island series that is written by Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. If you haven’t read the first two novellas Close to the Bone and A Bone to Pick I would highly suggest you go get these and read them. You could pick up novella three and start her but the first two novellas give you the back story of Tessa & Cate. I am already looking forward to reading the next installment in this series.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews The Liar’s Sister by Sarah Denzil

TITLE: The Liar’s Sister
CHARACTERS: Rosie & Heather
AUTHOR: Sarah A Denzil
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/25/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The must-read psychological thriller for 2019 from the million-copy-bestselling author of Silent Child.

Ten years ago Samuel Murray went missing from the small village of Buckthorpe and was never found again. A quiet boy who loved walking in the woods and tending the animals on his parents’ farm. Family, friends and neighbours all say they didn’t see him on the dark, rainy night he disappeared. But surely someone in the close-knit community must know something?

Rosie Sharpe cried for weeks after. But her little sister Heather knows that Rosie’s tears hide the truth. Because the night their friend Samuel was last seen, Heather saw her older sister climbing back into the window of their childhood bedroom. Her jacket torn, her eyes wild and her body trembling with fear.

Heather has never told anyone what she saw, but secrets can’t stay buried forever…

When Rosie and Heather are forced to return to the home they grew up in, to spend the last days with their dying mother, they must confront what really happened a decade ago. But the people of Buckthorpe make it clear they are unwelcome – they’ve always suspected the girls knew more than they said about the night Samuel went missing. And as the shocking lies of the past begin to unravel, they have the power to put the lives of both sisters in terrible danger…

This twist-filled, page-turning psychological thriller will keep you hooked until the final, jaw-dropping pages.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts I believe this is the first book from this author that I have read. But I do not believe it will be my last.

What a story. This book kept me not only reading but guessing. If you are a fan of suspense thriller than this is the book for you. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love a thriller where I find myself changing the who-dun-it in my mind a number of times. And this one did just that.

The sisters are all grown now and have kept a lot of secrets over the years but now they are all unraveling.

Want a gripping thriller that will leave you wanting more? You have found it.

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

4 Hearts

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Kimberly reviews Beneath The Attic by V.C. Andrews

TITLE: Beneath The Attic
SERIES #: Dollanganger
CHARACTERS: Corrine & Garland
AUTHOR: V.C.Andrews
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/27/19
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Forbidden passions have shaped and haunted the Dollanganger family since their first novel—Flowers in the Attic—debuted forty years ago. Now discover how twisted the family roots truly are, and witness the clan’s origins as a result of one wild and complicated relationship. In this evocative and thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author V.C. Andrews, see Corrine Dixon as a young girl and discover the fascinating family history of the Dollanganger clan.

Two generations before Corinne Foxworth locked her children in an attic, her grandmother, a gorgeous young girl named Corrine Dixon, is swept away by the charms of rich, sophisticated, and handsome Garland Foxworth. After discovering that she’s pregnant, Garland does what appears to be the honorable thing and marries her in a huge ceremony on the luxurious Foxworth Hall grounds. Both families fervently overlook the pregnancy, happy for a suitable resolution.

Now the mistress of a labyrinthine estate, Corrine discovers that nothing is what is seems. Garland is not the man once captivated by her charms, and she’s increasingly troubled by his infatuation with memories of his departed mother.

Can Corrine survive this strange new life? Or is her fate already sealed?

Explore the origins of the legendary Dollanganger family in this page-turning, gripping gothic thriller.

REVIEW:
I am on the fence about this story. First it was interesting to take a trip into the family of the Dollanganger family. I grew up reading that series and was looking forward to understanding why the grandmother became who she was — nuts!

But hence comes the fence. This book didn’t seem to tell us anything about Corrine that we didn’t already know. There seemed to be very little insight into her life. I think there was more about the house than Corrine.

As a fan of the series it might be interesting to read but then again you can’t go in expecting too much.

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