Books-n-Kisses

TITLE: Bloodless
SERIES #: Pendergast #20
CHARACTERS: Pendergast
AUTHOR: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/17/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Agent Pendergast faces his most unexpected challenge yet when bloodless bodies begin to appear in Savannah, GA, in this installment of a #1 New York Times bestselling series.

A fabulous heist:
On the evening of November 24, 1971, D. B. Cooper hijacked Flight 305—Portland to Seattle—with a fake bomb, collected a ransom of $200,000, and then parachuted from the rear of the plane, disappearing into the night…and into history.

A brutal crime steeped in legend and malevolence:
Fifty years later, Agent Pendergast takes on a bizarre and gruesome case: in the ghost-haunted city of Savannah, Georgia, bodies are found with no blood left in their veins—sowing panic and reviving whispered tales of the infamous Savannah Vampire.

A case like no other:
As the mystery rises along with the body count, Pendergast and his partner, Agent Coldmoon, race to understand how—or if—these murders are connected to the only unsolved skyjacking in American history. Together, they uncover not just the answer…but an unearthly evil beyond all imagining.

REVIEW:
4.25 Hearts Pendergast, D.B. Cooper and Vampires…. What more could a girl want? Whenever I am able to get a Pendergast book I rush through whatever I am reading so I can get to these books by Preston & Child. And I really couldn’t wait to get to this one.

I have read all of the Pendergast books. I have always loved vampires. I have always been interested in D.B. Cooper. I really couldn’t wait to get to this one. If you do not know who D.B. Cooper is….he is an interesting real life hijacker who parachuted out of an airplane on a stormy night with what today would be a bit over $1M dollars. And it is to this day the only unsolved aviation hijacking in American history.

Anyway…. This story was back to the way I fell in love with Pendergast. I felt like I was reading one of the original stories. This is the best one in the series in a number of years. And that is saying something because all of the books in the series are good.

It can be read as a stand alone but I don’t know why anyone would not want to read the entire Pendergast series.

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

TITLE: The Island House
CHARACTERS: Alice
AUTHOR: Amanda Brittany
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/11/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Once you’re on the island you’ll never want to leave… until you can’t

A DARK FAMILY SECRET

When Alice’s father dies after a tragic hit and run, his death stirs up unanswered questions about her childhood. Who was her mother, why did her father never speak of the past, and why can’t she remember anything before the age of seven?

AN ISLAND CUT OFF

But when she receives an anonymous letter containing a photograph of a refurbished gothic guesthouse surrounded by water, and an invitation to stay, old memories fight to resurface.

Alice has visited before. She is certain of it.

WHO WILL SURVIVE?

Convinced the clues to her past lie at the hotel, she checks in. But once on the island, a wild storm rages, waves crash violently into the rocks, and the house is cut off by the roaring sea.

Then two guests are found dead. And the hotel owner is missing. Will Alice ever uncover her secret past?

And will anyone leave the island alive?

An utterly gripping thriller that will leave you reading long into the night! Fans of The Guest List and The Sanatorium will love this nail-biting read.

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts Honestly this was not for me. I gave it 3 stars because the writing was well done but I am realizing that I do not like the locked down mysteries that seem to be a big thing right now.

I liked some of the characters and like I said the writing was good. I ended up skimming a number of pages reading the conversations to get the gist of the story.

This trend is not for me but the writing was well done if I had been interested in the storyline more.

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

TITLE: Hit The Road Jack
SERIES #: Jack Ryder #1
CHARACTERS: Jack Ryder
AUTHOR: Willow Rose
PUBLICATION DATE: 03/25/15
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Ben is supposed to be in school. It’s Monday morning but his parents are still asleep after a night of heavy drinking. Ben Waits patiently, even though he knows he is missing out on today’s field trip to the zoo. But, when his black Labrador suddenly runs upstairs and comes down with a finger in his mouth, Ben knows he’s not making it to school today at all.

Detective Jack Ryder is chaperoning his kids’ field trip when he gets the call from the head of the Cocoa Beach Police Department. A body has been found and they need his help. Soon, Jack finds himself up against a killer, a predator who ruthlessly chases women and kills them so they can never leave him. The case soon causes serious consequences for him and his family once the truth is revealed.

With her new hero, Jack Ryder, as a loving father and committed detective, a new location in tropical Florida, and a story that moves at an incredible pace, Hit the Road Jack is Willow Rose at the top of her game.

REVIEW:
2.5 Hearts So NetGalley re-released this and I thought it was a good chance to learn of a new author. Well, maybe not.

This book was hardly worth the read. The author rushed through so much of the story and then dragged on parts nobody would care about. The murders are continuous and unoriginal. I never cared about any of the characters and the story made so little sense it was unreal.

I hope her other books are better as I requested all that NetGalley had to offer at the time. And because this was my first book by her I will give the others a try hoping her writing matured as she went on.

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

TITLE: The Serial Killer’s Wife
CHARACTERS: beth Hardcastle
AUTHOR: Alice Hunter
PUBLICATION DATE: 08/03/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
They’re saying he’s a monster. And they’re saying she knew.

Beth and Tom Hardcastle are the envy of their neighbourhood – they have the perfect marriage, the perfect house, the perfect family.

When the police knock on their door one evening, Beth panics. Tom should be back from work by now – what if he’s crashed his car? She fears the worst.

But the worst is beyond imagining.

As the interrogation begins, Beth will find herself questioning everything she believed about her husband.

They’re husband and wife – till death do them part…

REVIEW:
Let me say that this is the first novel from this author, as far as I can tell, and this author has a lot of potential. This book has a good beginning and a really good ending. The ending even surprised me a bit, which isn’t easy with all the books I read.

The middle part of this story slacks a bit before picking back up. There was too much time between revelations and too many pages with too much filler.

I thought the suspense of the story kept me trying to figure things out and like I said I was a bit surprised at what had happened so many years ago.

As I said, the author shows potential with this book and I look forward to picking up the next from this new author.

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

TITLE: Hairpin Bridge
CHARACTERS: Lena & Raymond
AUTHOR: Taylor Adams
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/15/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From the author of the “full-throttle thriller” (A. J. Finn) No Exit—a riveting new psychological page-turner featuring a fierce and unforgettable heroine.

Three months ago, Lena Nguyen’s estranged twin sister, Cambry, drove to a remote bridge sixty miles outside of Missoula, Montana, and jumped two hundred feet to her death. At least, that is the official police version.

But Lena isn’t buying it.

Now she’s come to that very bridge, driving her dead twin’s car and armed with a cassette recorder, determined to find out what really happened by interviewing the highway patrolman who allegedly discovered her sister’s body.

Corporal Raymond Raycevic has agreed to meet Lena at the scene. He is sympathetic, forthright, and professional. But his story doesn’t seem to add up. For one thing, he stopped Cambry for speeding a full hour before she supposedly leapt to her death. Then there are the sixteen attempted 911 calls from her cell phone, made in what was unfortunately a dead zone.

But perhaps most troubling of all, the state trooper is referred to by name in Cambry’s final enigmatic text to her sister: Please Forgive Me. I couldn’t live with it. Hopefully you can, Officer Raycevic.

Lena will do anything to uncover the truth. But as her twin’s final hours come into focus, Lena’s search turns into a harrowing, tooth-and-nail fight for her own survival—one that will test everything she thought she knew about her sister and herself…

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts I had really hoped for more with this story. The concept was interesting but it just didn’t have the oomph I hoped for.

The story is told in the POV of both sisters but that was a bit confusing for me. The writing didn’t seem to have the change most writers have when they tell different POVs.

I never connected with the sisters. I continued reading it to find out what happened but was hardly overwhelmed with it.

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

TITLE: The Child In The Photo
CHARACTERS: Hope & Stephen
AUTHOR: Kerry Wilkinson
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/14/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
I stare at the newspaper article about a baby snatched from the back of a car thirty years ago, and wonder why someone would post it through my door. Looking closer, my blood freezes. The little girl in the photo has an unusual scar – just like mine. I’ve never met anyone with one like it. Is this stolen child… me?

Trembling with shock, I know I have to confront my mother. My parents got me through a horrific accident, helped me find a job I love teaching art, and even with buying my own house. But was it all built on lies?

She tells me the day I was born was the best day of her life, and I’m flooded with guilt for questioning her – but why do I catch her burning papers in the garden the next day?

Then I come home to find a woman sitting on my doorstep, covered in bruises and claiming she knows who abducted me. I don’t know if I can trust her – or if I’ll be the next to get hurt.

Because all the while, I’ve been hiding my own secret. Does whoever sent the article know what really happened the day of my accident? Desperate for the truth, I break into the house of my supposed kidnapper. Inside, I find a handwritten list of names. A shiver goes down my spine as I realise wasn’t the only child to be stolen.

Then I hear a key in the lock, and I know my life is in terrible danger…

An absolutely addictive read that will have you racing through the pages and questioning everything you thought you knew about your family. Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.

REVIEW:
2.75 Hearts I have read other books by Wilkinson but this one was a bit off for me. The thing that seemed odd was the fact that we learned pretty quickly that Hope was taken as a child and even who took her. So what part is the “who-dun-it”?

I didn’t feel that this was a suspenseful story at all. There is a lot of drama but no “thriller”.

This was a fast paced read and the writing is fine but a bit of a let down on the suspense.

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

TITLE: The Hive
CHARACTERS: Lindsay Jackman
AUTHOR: Gregg Olsen
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/08/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Glamorous messiah or charlatan? A mask of beauty hides deadly secrets in #1 New York Times and Amazon Charts bestselling author Gregg Olsen’s mesmerizing novel of suspense.

In the Pacific Northwest, police officer Lindsay Jackman is investigating the murder of a young journalist found at the bottom of a ravine. Lindsay soon learns that the victim was writing an exposé. Her subject: a charismatic wellness guru who’s pulled millions into her euphoric orbit…

To hear Marnie Spellman tell it, when she was a child, a swarm of bees lifted her off the ground and toward the sunlight, illuming her spiritual connection with nature—an uncanny event on which Marnie built a cosmetics empire and became a legend, a healer, and the queen of holistic health and eternal beauty. In her inner circle is an intimate band of devotees called the Hive. They share Marnie’s secrets of success—including one cloaked in darkness for twenty years.

Determined to uncover the possibly deadly mysteries of the group, Lindsay focuses her investigation on Marnie and the former members of the Hive, who are just as determined to keep Lindsay from their secrets as they are to maintain their status.

REVIEW:
This is a weird one. I like Gregg Olsen but this might be the weirdest he has ever written and that is saying something.

In this story we go inside a female lead cult. Marnie is trying to “help” women find their full potential but that includes leaving your husband and more. And Marnie has a dark past that starts to come to light.

Like I said, this is a weird story. I found the different POV’s a bit much. I would have preferred the story to just be told. I also think it was odd that Olsen decided to make this about a female lead as a male writer. It was odd having him talk about female empowerment.

As a fan of Olsen’s I will say this was not one of my favorites but it was still an interesting read.

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

TITLE: Now You Know
CHARACTERS: Lauren
AUTHOR: Nora Valters
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/06/21
ORDER LINKS: Amazon

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Everything I’ve suffered, you will too…

Lauren has worked hard to create her dream life: a perfect fiancé, a great job, and a safe, cosy home.

But then, out of the blue, it all goes terribly wrong and Lauren finds her job is on the line, her fiancé is accusing her of cheating and someone is writing terrible things on her car.

At first, Lauren thinks this is just a horrible run of bad luck. But as her life spins out of control in a series of escalating disasters, it begins to dawn on her that these aren’t random events. She’s under attack.

And she’s certain that whoever is doing this won’t stop until they’ve completely destroyed her life.

But she’s wrong – they won’t stop until she’s dead.

REVIEW:
3.75 Hearts Talk about having bad luck. At first Laren thinks life is just picking on her but too much is happening to have it be coincidence. So now Lauren has to figure out what is going on and who is responsible.

I had a bit of a hard time in the beginning of this book as it was a bit slow to get started but we have to figure out who Lauren is to understand all that is going wrong. Once I was into it I was really interested. I will be honest and say I figured out the who pretty quickly but I could not figure out the why and how.

This is a fast paced story once it gets started. Keeps you interested and reading until the very end.

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