"The Turnout" by Megan Abbott

“Every girl wants to be a ballerina…”

It’s true; I did, too. The beautiful costumes and graceful dancers balancing on the tips of those satiny pointe shoes are enough to sway every little girl’s mind from veterinarians and nurses.

Most often, that dream is short-lived. Any true dancer can tell you that it takes a love few have. It requires a dedication and sacrifice of time, money, food, and even your body. All that beauty sometimes hides a darkness.

You aren’t raised by a Mother who runs a successful dance school, raises twin ballerinas, and pulls off yearly productions of The Nutcracker without learning something. Without understanding exactly what it takes: a sacrificial love most of us cannot fathom. Sometimes love does not bind but tears apart. And sometimes it takes much more. Something darker; something not everyone would even consider.

“The Turning” begins with the twin sisters running their deceased mother’s dance school. With just weeks until the yearly production of The Nutcracker, their perfect routine begins to crumble and secrets threaten everything they know and cherish.

So far, this is my favorite book by Megan Abbott. I loved ballet as the backdrop and how the author wove the dance theme throughout the story. This one definitely kept me reading; I had to find out what was really going on in this twisted family, what happened to the parents so many years ago, and would the sisters be able to make it out of this. 

And if you don’t know what turnout is, google it!

Publication Date: August 3, 2021

Format: Paperback

Genre: Thriller, mystery, suspense, family drama

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 4.5 stars rounded up to 5

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via GoodReads. Thank you for the opportunity to read this fabulous book!

#TheTurning #MeganAbbott #Goodreads #GoodreadsGiveaways

Mean girls. Queen bees. We all know one. Perhaps, you are one

Let’s move on. Karma. What comes around goes around. Reap what you sow.

 

OK, enough with the idioms.

 

“His & Hers” by Alice Feeney begins with Anna Andrews losing her dream job as a TV presenter in London. The presenter that she replaced has finally returned from extended maternity leave and she has just been demoted to an on-site TV reporter. The first story that she is sent to cover is a murder in Blackdown. Unbeknownst to those who know her at the TV station, it just so happens that Blackdown is the town in which Anna grew up. And the murder victim is someone she knows. Someone who has been carrying on with her ex-husband, DCI Jack Harper.

 

Not only does Anna know the victim, but she knows those closest to the case including the suspects. Things get even more dicey when Jack begins investigating the crime.

 

The book is told from three points of view; his (Jack), hers (Anna), and whoever has decided that the time to pay for past sins has arrived. It has some great lines.

 

“Sometimes we choose not to believe the things we don’t want to. I do it all the time. Hide my regrets inside boxes at the back of my mind and choose to forget the bad things I’ve done. Just like my Mother taught me. Denying the truth, doesn’t change the facts.”;

 

“The lies we tell ourselves are always the most dangerous.”; and

 

“People tend to see what they want in the people they love. They reshape them inside their heads, twisting them into the people they wish they were instead of the people they are.”

 

That is so true… I think that is especially accurate of loved ones we have lost. We choose to remember the good about that person and the pleasant memories.

 

But this time, someone has chosen to remember the not so good things. The mean, spiteful, ugly things. And it is time to pay! This is a great thriller with lots of twists and turns.

 

And if you’re a mean girl… watch out. Someone may be coming for you. After all, karma’s a bitch.

 

Publication Date: July 28, 2020

Format: Audiobook

Genre: Thriller, police procedural

Cover: OK

Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded to 5)

Source:  I received this audiobook from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this great book!

#His&Hers #NetGalley

"Invisible Girl" by Lisa Jewell

We think we can do things and no one will notice. That we are sly. That we can meet a lover, shower afterwards, and no one will question why that second shower of the day. Sneak a cigarette, spray perfume, and no one will catch a whiff of that underlying scent. Perhaps we slip a shot or two of vodka into our juice, brush our teeth after, and believe no one will be the wiser. We are just fooling ourselves. Our spouse knows; our children know. Eventually, they will get tired of keeping our secrets.

 “Invisible Girl” begins on Valentine’s Night 2019; the night seventeen-year-old Saffyre Maddox literally vanishes from the streets of London. Everyone is concerned as there have been several attacks on women that seem to have escalated; the last sending the target to the hospital. Is Saffyre a victim of the unknown assailant or did she simply run away?

During a series of flashbacks, we learn the last several years have been hard ones for Saffyre. She lives with her uncle who is only ten years older. She has a secret. A secret that causes her to harm herself and has kept her in therapy for years. Her therapist, Roan, believes that she has been healed and quit seeing her. But Saffyre is far from healed. She cannot sleep, eat, or even stay indoors. She roams the streets of London where she eventually sees Roan from afar. Unbeknownst to him, she begins stalking both him, his family, and his lover.

While doing so, she encounters Roan’s creepy neighbor who lives across the street with his elderly aunt. She also befriends Roan’s son,

But what happened to Saffyre?

I love to think about why authors give a book a certain title. Why “Invisible Girl”? Who is the invisible girl and does she choose or try to be invisible or is it just the way life unfolds. All interesting questions to ask while reading this book!

I have read several Lisa Jewell books and this is one of my favorites! Great ending… twisty, turning read to get there.

Publication Date: June, 2020

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Thrillers, Kidnapping, Incel,
Cover: Good
Rating: 5 stars
Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#InvisibleGirl #NetGalley

"The Dilemma" B. A. Paris

Yikes! That’s a heck of a lot of lies for one small family. It definitely makes for an interesting story, though! “The Dilemma” is very aptly named.

I really liked how the book was laid out… most of it takes place in one day and the chapters are titled by the hour and perspective. The day is Livia’s 40^th birthday. A day she has been looking forward to for 20 years. And she is throwing a huge, extravagant party… for herself.

We all know that something untold just gets harder to tell the longer you let it go on. That’s the dilemma… to tell or not to tell and when.

Lesson learned… just because you dislike most of the characters in a book, doesn’t mean that it isn’t a great read! At 40, Livia is still butt hurt over not getting an expensive dream wedding after becoming pregnant out of wedlock when she was young. Don’t get me started on Adam… at least he matured, kind of. Their children are no better. Their daughter, Marnie, is a spoiled brat and rotten friend. The son, Josh, has extreme Daddy issues. 

B.A. Paris is an excellent storyteller. I have read all her books; you should too!

Publication Date: June, 2020

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Thrillers

Cover: Good

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#TheDilemma #NetGalley

"Little Secrets" by Jennifer Hillier

Start pulling that string and you never know what is going to unravel and eventually, if you keep pulling, something will unravel. After all, everyone has secrets… even little ones.

Marin’s life has been in chaos for sixteen months; simply surviving after her son went missing at Seattle’s Pike Place Market just before Christmas. In the end, it was her fault and there are no leads. Someone dressed up like Santa with a child is not uncommon. And now, her husband Derek is having an affair with a much younger woman. Her best friend and long ago boyfriend, Sal, wants her to leave him or to let him “take care of him”.

Jennifer Hillier writes an engaging tale of kidnapping, lies, deceit, and desires with a satisfying ending.

When I requested this book, I looked at goodreads and marked it “Want To Read”. I knew I had to read it when I saw that it had no one or two star ratings! I looked at the author’s bio, it read “Jennifer Hillier writes about dark, twisted people who do dark, twisted things “. Looking forward to reading all her other books. 😊

Update: I checked out “My Year in Books 2019” on goodreads; her book was the highest rated of the 84 books I read last year.

Publication Date: April 21, 2020

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Psycological Thrillers, Kidnapping, Crime, Adultery
Cover: Good
Rating: 5 stars
Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!
#LittleSecrets #NetGalley

"The Family Upstairs" by Lisa Jewell

People are warped and twisted. And sometimes… they produce children who are even more so.

Lisa Jewell weaves a tale of greed, lust and sheer insanity in her latest thriller, “The Family Upstairs.”

Set in London, the book begins with Libby Jones, adopted as an infant, finally finding out who her birth family is. Unbeknownst to her, she is also inheriting a mansion worth millions of pounds. However, everything comes with a price… and this house is no exception.

Surrounded by mystery, the house has been vacant for decades. Years ago, the owners were found dead and their children missing… except for a baby upstairs who appeared to have been well cared for.

Meanwhile, in France, a destitute mother of two sees a reminder on her phone: The baby is 25. What the heck? Just who is the baby and what does she have to do with this homeless woman? You will have to read to find out more and discover the truth behind the mystery. It’s well worth the time!

The book winds up nicely and the ending is shockingly satisfying. However, there is an opportunity for a sequel. Hoping that’s what Lisa Jewell has in mind. I want to know what happens next!

Publication Date: November 5, 2019

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Adoption, Cults

Cover: Great

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#TheFamilyUpstairs #NetGalley

"Becoming Us" by Robin Jones Gunn

Having read several Todd & Christy books, I was super excited when I realized this book was a continuation of their life together.

Becoming Us (Haven Makers Book 1) by Robin Jones Gunn is a tale of friendship and forgiveness. It details not only how Todd & Christy become “us” with a new life away from his family, but also how Christy and her friends become a tribe.

This book made me yearn for my own DOE group. I have a tribe, although just four ladies. We are at that time in our lives, all busy with our own families, where we don’t have much time for each other. However, these are ladies I could call in the middle of the night and they would come. These are shoulders on which I have cried and those that I have supported.

Ladies need shoulders… a tribe for when we are angry with our husbands, our children and even ourselves. We need shoulders not only for life’s disappointments but also to share our triumphs. We need shoulders for dinners, movies, and weekend getaways.

I loved the “Welcome to Womanhood” party. I only wish this book came out a few years ago. The party is so sweet and endearing. Making your girls feel a part of a tribe rather than dirty, alone, ashamed, or ugly.

Most importantly, Robin reminds us to always live for your King of Kings!

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Genre: Christian Fiction, Religious Fiction, Chick Lit

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#BecomingUs #NetGalley

"The Long Call" by Ann Cleeves

If you are in the mood for an intriguing mystery/police procedural, British author Ann Cleeves’ “The Long Call” fits that bill! This is the first in a new series, Two Rivers, by the author in some time and it introduces Detective Matthew Venn.

Detective Venn has already had a rough day when he is called to a murder not far from the North Devon beach home he shares with his husband, Johnathan. Earlier, he viewed estranged father’s funeral from distance. He was not welcome because his parents belonged the Bretheren, a religious cult from which he was cast out several years prior.

As the investigation begins, a young lady from the Woodyard Centre goes missing. Everyone in the area wonders if the two events are related as this area has a very low crime rate. As Venn and his colleagues investigate the murder and kidnapping and grow closer to finding the culprit, several suspects emerge. It seems that the murdered man, the Woodyard, the Bretheren, and perhaps even Johnathan are tangled in the scheme.

This is the first book of Ann Cleeves I have had the pleasure to read, but it won’t be the last. Excited to find a new author with so many books from which to choose!

Publication Date: September 3, 2019

Genre: Mystery, thriller, suspense, police procedural, crime, international mystery, detective

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#TheLongCall #NetGalley

"A Bound Heart" by Laura Frantz

Laura Frantz’ “A Bound Heart” is the story of childhood friends Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall who grew up together on the charming and beautiful isle of Kerrera (off the Scottish coast).

Although they had many of the same opportunities as children, they lead quite different lives as adults; Magnus is Laird of Castle Kerrera and Lark is the Keeper of the Bees. Lark has always been quite fond of Magnus and was heartbroken when he returned a few years ago to the isle with a wife. So, she busies herself taking care of her elderly Granny and her beloved bees. She also has a flirtatious friendship with the handsome captain of the Merry Lass, Rory MacPherson.

The inhabitants of the isle soon learn that Magnus’ wife, Lady Isla, hates the isle and living there. She is mean, rude and often physically ill. Furthermore, she does not like “the help” to be seen (including Lark). Matters only worsen when she is unable to produce an heir. Lady Isla is desperate to have a child and dies after ingesting one of Lark’s potions. Lark is soon tried and found guilty or murder. Lark and Magnus’ trials and tribulations and ensuing love story comprise the rest of the book.

Both Magnus and Lark are Christians and Frantz reminds us that it is “better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman” and also that “husbands, love your wives.” She also reminds us that “the true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good!”

If you require a lovely historical romance, this is for you! Frantz describes the isle of Kerrera so beautifully you will feel as if you are there. This book is great for any age reader.

Hoping that this may become a series (although the cover did not designate as such). I would love to read more about their lives after the ending of the book.

#ABoundHeart #NetGalley

Publication Date: January 1, 2019

Genre: Romance, Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Scottish

Cover: Stunning and absolutely perfect!

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

"The Mist Rises Over Notchey Creek" (Harley Henrickson #1) by Liz Andrews

I’ll be honest, the reason I requested this book is because it is set in my backyard. While I like cozy mysteries, I usually only choose one when I need a respite from my favorite thriller genre. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It is a cozy mystery, but it is so much more.

Notchey Creek is a town full of secrets. Seeminly idyllic, the town is stunned when a wealthy local history professor turns up dead. Lovable Harley Henrickson is determined to get to the bottom of his death but every corner she turns only brings up more questions.

Full of likeable characters, pet pigs, a rock star, and life lessons, this book is an excellent read. I did not expect the ending and I will be honest, I shed a tear.

I hope that this is the first of many Harley Henrickson novels. I plan to read them all!

#TheMistRisesOverNotcheyCreek #NetGalley

Publication Date: November 28, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Cover: Perfect
Rating: 5 stars
Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

"Once Upon a River" by Diane Setterfield

I have been waiting for this book since I closed the cover on “The Thirteenth Tale”! (If you haven’t read it, download it now!) Diane Setterfield spins a tale like no other.

“Once Upon A River” begins with the discovery of a lifeless child at the river. A child whose “corpse was a blank page” and gave up no story about what had happened. The child, a girl, was discovered by a man who stumbles, half dead himself, into the The Swan; an ancient inn that was known for its storytelling.

Rita, the local nurse, is sent to attend to the man and to hopefully discover what exactly happened to the child. Before Rita can finish her examination of the dead girl, for she was indeed dead, the girl comes back to life.

Who is this girl? To whom does she belong? Is she the daughter of a local couple whose child was kidnapped two years ago? Is she the child of a local prostitute who jumped from the bridge a few weeks ago? Is she the ghost of another’s sister?

As the story unfolds, we learn about the characters and the girl. We learn their stories-their hopes, dreams, character. We learn how virtuous people can be and we learn how despicable they can be. We learn about the river. How it gives life and how it takes it away.

The characters are so very well developed that I did not want to say goodbye to them. I wanted to continue, but remember, we all have rivers of our own to attend to!

#OnceUponARiver #DianeSetterfield #NetGalley

Publication Date: December 4, 2018

Genre:  Suspense, Mystery, Kidnapping, Supernatural, Gothic, British

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

"Paradox (FBI Thriller #22)" by Catherine Coulter

I love justified revenge: Four Brothers, Carrie, Taken, Remember, True Grit and my all-time favorite The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Now that is some beautifully orchestrated justified revenge! And I can’t wait for Jennifer Garner’s new movie, Peppermint. That one looks awesome!

The problem is that everyone who seeks revenge thinks it’s justified. That’s what’s going on in Catherine Coulter’s latest Sherlock and Savich case, “Paradox”.

The book begins with a botched kidnapping of their son Sean. While trying to figure out who could want to kidnap him and why, they are called in to assist in another case. Willicott, Maryland’s police chief witnesses a murder early one morning while gazing at the lake from her home. When local officials drag the lake for the body, they discover bones from several bodies. A subsequent search uncovers an odd clue as to whom the bodies may belong. This seemingly idyllic little town has lots of secrets and a creepy murder house to boot!

Meanwhile, they discover that the kidnapper may be someone out for revenge and they must stop him before their family and others are devastated.

A great read for any Sherlock and Savich fans. Coulter tackles forgiveness and mental illness in this one, too.  Good story; this one has a truly satisfying ending! After all, some revenge may truly be justified!

#Paradox #CatherineCoulter #NetGalley

Publication Date: July 31, 2018

Genre:  Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Kidnapping, Mental Illness

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

"Under My Skin" by Lisa Unger

Do you ever start a book by a favorite author when it’s quiet and no one is around so you can read quickly and uninterrupted? Then, it’s so good, you slow down to savor the ending… not wanting it to end? This is one of those books!

“Sometimes we invite darkness.” Yes, Poppy, whether inadvertently or intentionally, sometimes we do! This is the gist of this book, to me.

The book begins with the main character, Poppy, in a bar talking to a stranger. However, too much to drink and too many pills to dull the pain render her unable to fend off her date when he tries to force her. A hooded man saves her just as she falls unconscious.

Poppy’s husband, Jack, was brutally murdered a year ago. With no leads, the murder is still unsolved. Just after the funeral, Poppy disappears for several days and has no memory of where she was or who she was with before turning up on her best friend’s doorstep in a red party dress. She is in counseling, but continues to self-medicate with pills and alcohol and suffers from insomnia. She soon realizes she is suffering from hypnogogia… the transitional phase between sleep and wakefulness or vice versa. She has no idea what is real and what is dream. She is being followed; she is seeing her dead husband. But, she is also seeing a strange woman that appears to her as being savagely beaten.

The Hollows is one of my favorite places and while “Under My Skin” is not set in this strange town, the main character does make a visit. While there, she also runs into one of my favorite characters, Jones Cooper. If you have read a few of Lisa Unger’s other novels, you know where and who I am talking about. I won’t lie… I was giddy when I got to those parts.

Read it… you won’t be able to put this book down!

Publication Date: October 1, 2018

Genre:  Thriller, Suspense, Murder, Mystery, Paranormal

Cover: OK

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#UnderMySkin #NetGalley

"A Daring Venture" by Elizabeth Camden

I love that the main female characters in Elizabeth Camden’s books are always strong, smart, independent women. The main character in “A Daring Venture” is no exception. 

This is the story of Doctor Rosalind Werner who is no stranger to sadness. Her parents died from a water-borne disease when she was young. She was forced to live with a relative who later died, forcing both her and her brother, Gus, to move to Germany and live with yet another relative. She has dedicated her life to saving as many people as she can from the same type of horrible death as her parents. Rosalind is also struggling to live in her tiny house with her brother and his German wife, Ingrid who harbors ill feelings toward Rosalind as they were forced to leave Germany because of a scandal involving Rosalind.

She and her associate, Dr. Leal, are trying to convince the world that chlorine is the answer. It can kill harmful bacteria and is safe. However, not everyone is easy to sway, especially the handsome Nicholas Drake who just happens to be the newly appointed Commissioner of Water for New York.

Nicholas has lots of issues, too. He is from “new” money, his aunt is trying to exact revenge upon him, his sister, and his sister’s family and he finds himself attracted to Rosalind, who is on the other side of the cholrine debate.

One issue in this book really resonated with me. Nick was in charge of moving the residents of five towns so that a new reservoir could be created. I empathized with the folks of those towns who were angry and upset that they were going to be “bought out” and forced to move. I live in an area that was purchased by the government and flooded in 1933 when the Tennessee Valley Authority built 40 dams to control flooding and create cheap electricity. People lost their family farms, homes and livelihoods.

My favorite part of the book is when Dr. Leal, Rosalind’s associate, tells her that “all God asks of us…” is to “do our best with what we have.” What a great reminder!

This is the second book in the series, but it is a standalone story. I have not read the first (yet), but it in no way inhibited my enjoyment of this one. The third book, “A Desperate Hope” comes out Feb 5, 2019.

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Genre:  Christian Fiction, Romance, Historical, 20^th Century

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 4 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher, Bethany House, in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

“Women of the Dunes” by Sarah Maine

It isn’t often that I finish a book and immediately look to see if I own any others by that author so that I can start reading another. “Women of the Dunes” by Sarah Maine was that good! Betrayal, murder, romance, archaeology, myth, handsome Scottish men… this one has it all!

The author laces together a story of different generations with three alternating time lines. Set in Ullanessm, an island off the western coast of Scotland, Libby Snow arrives to excavate the site of Scottish legend Ulla in an attempt to find burial sites and artifacts. Ulla is a Viking who arrived with her lover, several warriors and treasure centuries ago. The travelers are met by a monk who tries to save the lover’s life but fails. Several legends and poems are written about them and they even inspire the name of the island.

Libby has long had the desire to visit Ullanessm after hearing stories of her great-great-grandmother, Ellen, who previously lived and worked on the island. However, shortly after arriving, Libby discovers a body… an unexpected body that cannot be connected to the legend since it is clearly much more recent.

She then meets the handsome caretaker of Sturrock House, Rodri, who seems to be hiding some secrets of his own.

What happened to Ulla, her lover, the monk and the treasure? What will Libby find? What is the identity of the latest body? Lots of questions that the author fully answered.

Such a great story that was perfectly written. The three story lines were expertly woven together to complete the picture of all three generations. Her writing made me feel as if I was there on Ulanessm. A great book with an excellent ending that would be a perfect vacation/beach read.

Oh, by the way, “The House Between Tides” is next; I’ll let you know.

Publication Date: July 24, 2018

Genre:  Women’s Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Suspense

Cover: Perfect and beautiful!

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#NetGalley #WomenOfTheDunes #SarahMaine

"Blind Betrayal (Defenders of Justice Book #3)" by Nancy Mehl

“Blind Betrayal” is not your typical, run of the mill, syrupy sweet Christian fiction book. The third installment in the Defenders of Justice series by Nancy Mehl is a nonstop, action packed thrill ride! It is well-researched, very realistic and an excellent story. Having never read a book by this author, I was unsure about beginning with a book other than the first in the series, but it in no way hindered the story or my enjoyment.

Casey Sloane’s latest assignment is escorting a witness from St. Louis to Washington to testify in front of a grand jury. However, before she and her partner can even leave town, the Marshal’s Office is attacked. Are the two events connected? Is there a mole in the Marshal’s Office?

Casey, her partner, and another Marshal (a handsome man from Casey’s past) go on the run to hopefully deliver the witness unharmed.

I highly recommend this book and have found a new Christian fiction thriller series and author! I would start the first if you can, just because this one was awesome and you will want to read the others when you finish.

Publication Date: April 17, 2018

Genre:  Christian Fiction, Romance, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Cover: Perfect

Rating: 5 stars

Source:  I received this book from the publisher, Bethany House, in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

“Two Girls Down” by Louisa Luna

“Two Girls Down” by Louisa Luna

She’ll only be a minute. That’s what Jamie Brandt thought when she carelessly left her two girls in the car while dashing into K-Mart to buy a birthday gift. An action that she later regretted when she returned to her car a few minutes later to find her girls missing.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book! When I began, I thought, OK, another deadbeat parent who pays absolutely no attention to her children and whines when something bad happens to them.

In the first few pages of the book, Jamie Brandt declares she “was not a bad mother”. Really? Curse words, alcohol and drugs just to make it through a short drive and kid’s birthday party? I hated her from the first few pages of the book.

Cue Alice Vega. She is called in by Jamie’s wealthy and much more high class Aunt to find the girls as her specialty is locating missing children. Alice enlists the aid of Max Caplan, a local disgraced policeman turned private investigator.

The book details their attempts to find the girls and those responsible. I don’t want to give anything away, but it was fantastic! I could not put it down. The twists and turns to get to the end were great and the reasoning behind the disappearance was a unique twist.

My only issue with the book was that the author mentioned three security guards at K-Mart. I have never known a K-Mart to have three security guards on duty at one time!

In the end, I cut Jamie some slack. Mother of the year? No. But she is a single mother and does love her girls. After all, sometimes even I dream of putting another beverage in my travel mug to get through another birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese!

According to the notes at the end of the book, this is the author’s first foray into adult literature. She has written a couple of YA books. However, Goodreads lists another first published in 2004. This one was good enough that I plan to read her others!

Publication Date: January 9, 2018

Genre:  Thriller, suspense, mystery, crime, detective

Cover:  OK

Rating: 4.5 stars (rounded to 5)

Source:  I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

"The Good Daughter" by Karin Slaughter

Two bowls of ice cream… I can’t get that out of my mind after reading this book. However, there are lots of other significant “twos”.  Two daughters (Charlotte and Samantha Quinn), two heart attacks, two houses, two pictures, and two very horrific, devastating, life-altering events; connected even though they are years apart.

The reader learns about the first event through each of the girls’ eyes and how it changed their lives and shaped them. I don’t want to offer any more details so that I don’t give anything away.

Start this book on a Friday evening when you can read until you finish. It’s that amazing… with an ending you will never see coming! And when you realize the significance of the two bowls of ice cream… wow! Karin Slaughter wove this story through 28 years in the girls’ lives, never omitting a significant detail or tidbit that enhanced the story and she tied it all up with a satisfying, bloody, ripped ribbon at the end.

Karin Slaughter has moved into the top 10 on my favorite author’s list. Before “The Good Daughter” I had only read three of her books which were decent, but “The Good Daughter” blows all three away. Thought this book was so great that I changed my vote in GoodReads Choice, Best Mystery & Thriller category (from another of my top 10 authors).

Release Publication Date: August 8, 2017

Genre:  Thriller, suspense, mystery,

Cover:  Perfect!

Source: I won this book through Goodreads First-Reads. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

#slaughtersquad #thegooddaughter

"Where We Belong" by Lynn Austin

“God knows when the hour of our end will be” and “rich or poor, we each have a God-given calling to fulfill” are the primary themes of this novel. Rebecca and Flora Hawes are sisters who truly take this to heart and spend their lives finding and fulfilling God’s calling. They don’t let Victorian standards get in their way. Thanks to their Father, they don’t spend their days attending parties and looking for husbands but travel the Earth in search of and accomplishing their calling.

This book is five large sections with one from each of the four main character’s point of view. Rebecca’s stories sandwich Flora, Soren and Kate’s and tell how their lives intertwine.

The book begins in the Sinai Desert in 1890 and spans 30 years. The chapters jump to a different time in the sister’s lives before returning to 1890. With some books, this can be confusing but not in this case. As with all Lynn Austin novels, the timelines were well thought out and executed.

This book was very well researched. I enjoyed learning about Chicago, the Sinai Dessert and the Monastery of St. Catherine. The author’s descriptions made me feel as if I was there and a part of the story.

Be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end as this book was based on two sisters who really existed!

Release Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Genre:  Fiction, Historical, Christian

Cover:  Beautiful and absolutely perfect!

Source: I received this book from the publisher, BethanyHouse, in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!

Rating: 5 stars

"Close to Home" by Robert Dugoni

“No parent should have to bury their child” detective Tracy Crosswhite thinks as she murmers “I’m sorry” to D’Andre Miller’s Mother Shaniqua. Twelve year old D’Andere was just murdered by a hit and run driver on his way home from a rec center basketball game; a hit and run driver who did not even slow down or hit the brakes.

“Close to Home” is Book 5 in Robert Dugoni’s Tracy Crosswhite series. Tracy is a Seattle homicide detective and if you have read any of the other books in the series, you are familiar with Tracy’s history; the kidnapping and murder of her sister Sarah.

After tracking down the driver of the car, who is in the Navy, they realize that the case is not as cut and dried as it first appeared, especially when evidence disappears.

Dugoni does a great job of describing the process the detectives go through to solve the case. He also details the steps that the Navy goes through when prosecuting one of their own, as in this case, and how that process is similar to or differs from cases that are outside of military jurisdiction.

Exciting, thrilling book that had me guessing to the end. Several great twists and turns toward the end. Great standalone book, but recommend starting with the first one so you know the recurring characters and events that have happened to the characters in the past to shape them.

Release Publication Date: September 5, 2017

Genre:  Fiction, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Crime,  Police Procedural, Women Sleuths

Cover: Perfect

Source: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read this great book!