Category: Suspense

TITLE: Every Last Fear
CHARACTERS: Matt Pine
AUTHOR: Alex Finlay
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/02/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In one of the year’s most anticipated debut psychological thrillers, a family made infamous by a true crime documentary is found dead, leaving their surviving son to uncover the truth about their final days.

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.

REVIEW:
4.5 Hearts Wow what a start to what I am sure will be an incredible writing career. If this isn’t made into a movie, at least a NetFlix original, I will be surprised.

Finlay really has a lot of twists and turns. I could tell you about what happens but the synopsis really does a good job of explaining what happens but what it does not do is tell you how great of a story Finlay wrote. This book has so much more than I expected. It had me not wanting to sleep so I could read more and dinners were late needing to read one more chapter.

This story has everything a fan of suspense could want. A great character, angst, surprises and so much more. If a reader is disappointed in this book I have no idea what more they could want.

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

TITLE: A Matter Of Life And Death
SERIES #: Robin Lockwood #4
CHARACTERS: Robin Lockwood & Joe Lattimore
AUTHOR: Philip Margolin
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/09/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Joe Lattimore, homeless and trying desperately to provide for his young family, agrees to fight in a no-holds illegal bar bout, only to have his opponent die. Lattimore now finds himself at the mercy of the fight’s organizers who blackmail him into burglarizing a house. However, when he breaks in, he finds a murdered woman on the floor and the police have received an anonymous tip naming him for the crime.

Robin Lockwood, an increasingly prominent young attorney and former MMA fighter, agrees to take on his defense. But the case is seemingly airtight—the murdered woman’s husband, Judge Anthony Carasco, has an alibi and Lattimore’s fingerprints are discovered at the scene. But everything about the case is too easy, too pat, and Lockwood is convinced that her client has been framed. The only problem is that she has no way of proving it and since this is a death case, if she fails then another innocent will die.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the 4th in the series. I really enjoyed this read. The suspense was well written and kept me interested. This one had a bit more of a story than the last one.

I have been a fan of Margolin for a while and I think this might be one of his best in recent books.

I thought Robin was great at how she handled Joe’s case. I felt so bad for Joe. He is just a good guy trying to support his family who gets into trouble. Robin just wants to save an innocent man from the death penalty.

There are a lot of twists and suspense in this book and I recommend it to any fan of the genre.

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

TITLE: The Kaiser’s Web
SERIES #: Cotton Malone #16
CHARACTERS: Cotton Malone
AUTHOR: Steve Berry
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/23/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In New York Times bestseller Steve Berry’s latest Cotton Malone adventure, a secret dossier from a World War II-era Soviet spy comes to light containing information that, if proven true, would not only rewrite history — it could impact Germany’s upcoming national elections and forever alter the political landscape of Europe.

Two candidates are vying to become Chancellor of Germany. One is a patriot having served for the past sixteen years, the other a usurper, stoking the flames of nationalistic hate. Both harbor secrets, but only one knows the truth about the other. They are on a collision course, all turning on the events of one fateful day — April 30, 1945 — and what happened deep beneath Berlin in the Fürherbunker. Did Adolph Hitler and Eva Braun die there? Did Martin Bormann, Hitler’s close confidant, manage to escape? And, even more important, where did billions in Nazi wealth disappear to in the waning days of World War II? The answers to these questions will determine who becomes the next Chancellor of Germany.

From the mysterious Chilean lake district, to the dangerous mesas of South Africa, and finally into the secret vaults of Switzerland, former-Justice Department agent Cotton Malone discovers the truth about the fates of Hitler, Braun, and Bormann. Revelations that could not only transform Europe, but finally expose a mystery known as the Kaiser’s web.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts This is the 16th in the Cotton Malone series and I will admit that I have been in and out of this series but each time I come back it is an educational and enjoyable read.

The thing about the Cotton Malone books is you have to enjoy political reads. While there is real history and political imagination you need to be open to the political element.

Berry drags you in with his first words. He has his hand in the political field.

Worth the read and you can read each book as a stand alone but having the history of the characters is worth reading the entire series.

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

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.

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.

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.

TITLE: Can You See Her?
CHARACTERS: Rachel Ryder
AUTHOR: S.E. Lynes
PUBLICATION DATE: 04/22/20
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
What would you do if no-one was watching?

Rachel is afraid she may have done something terrible. She’s sitting in a room, being asked whether she killed someone.

She doesn’t understand how her life has changed so completely. When she was younger, heads would turn when she walked into a room. Her children needed her; her husband adored her.

But somehow the years wore that all away. She was so busy raising her children, looking after her parents, that the woman who used to be Rachel Ryder, whose husband told her she was out of his league, now quietly washes his clothes and makes his dinner, and can walk into a room without anyone knowing she’s there.

She knows that she thought: what would it take for you to see me again? What if I did something no-one thought I was capable of?

REVIEW:
I was pleasantly surprised how good this book was. We have all felt invisible to others around us. But the question is what would you do with your life? What would happen if while you were feeling invisible you were losing some periods of time that are blacked out in your mind. What in the world is happening? Now she is a suspect in murder.

This book was so bizarrely written that it was intriguing. Rachel is telling her story at times but there other parts of the book are by the forensic psychiatrist who is interviewing Rachel and all the other characters in the book which are so enjoyable to read.

It took a little bit to get into it and understand the flow but once you take the time you will not be disappointed. If I didn’t know better I would think it is a true crime book. Wonderful read!

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

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.

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.