Two lifelong friends, Jess & Storey, at the end of their annual hunting trip in rural Maine, leave the woods to head home but find a world in chaos anTwo lifelong friends, Jess & Storey, at the end of their annual hunting trip in rural Maine, leave the woods to head home but find a world in chaos and violence.
While they were off the grid, civil war erupted, towns are burnt to the ground, and destruction and death is everywhere. While attempting to make their way home, they are met with secessionists and military who intend to kill anyone they meet who are not one of them.
Their trek becomes even more treacherous when they find a little girl hidden away who is frightened and crying for her parents and her dog. The scenes with the little girl are some of the most heartfelt and emotional of the book.
As they attempt to make their way home, they try to make sense of what happened. Who are the bad guys here? Secessionists or the military? Or both?
Heller never gives us the details of the political divide that led to civil war, and I was thankful he didn’t make it political, which would do nothing but divide readers.
This is a wilderness and survival story like no other. It’s a thriller but a quiet literary one. There’s an emotional depth with themes of male friendship, love, courage, and moral responsibility.
I love Heller’s portrayal of good men, men who are thoughtful and do the right thing at great risk to themselves, men who are tender and protective of children. He writes of men, through no fault of their own, who are tested to the limits. More than once I was brought to tears.
This is a beautiful story I won’t soon forget. 5+ stars
* I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own...more
A very smart and clever thriller! I read a lot of thrillers and this is a must read because it’s so refreshingly different.
Martha is a quiet librarianA very smart and clever thriller! I read a lot of thrillers and this is a must read because it’s so refreshingly different.
Martha is a quiet librarian who thinks she’s destined to be alone, until she finds quiet, nerdy Alan, a salesman who travels for work. Life isn’t all that exciting after they marry, and she wonders how well she really knows Alan, but she’s content.
Until she finds a spot of blood on one of Alan’s shirts, and she witnesses him acting strangely. She does some sleuthing and discovers a pattern of unsolved murders in the cities Alan traveled to. Could she be married to a serial killer?
Martha enlists the help of her old friend Lily Kintner to assist her in the investigation, and eventually Henry Kimball is brought in as well. What they find is more twisted and darker than anyone could imagine.
I flew through this book and had to pick my jaw up off the floor more than once. I loved the characters and the dynamic between Kintner & Kimball.
Endings are difficult but Swanson nailed this one. It was perfect!
I highly recommend the audiobook. The full cast audio performance was excellent. ...more
This was smart, fun, and a wild ride. Breanna is supposed to be on a romantic vacation with her new boyfriend Ty in a luxurious rented house. EverythiThis was smart, fun, and a wild ride. Breanna is supposed to be on a romantic vacation with her new boyfriend Ty in a luxurious rented house. Everything is great until she wakes one morning to find Ty gone and a dead body in the living room.
In recent days, the disappearance of a young woman, Janelle, has gone viral and the public and the Internet is obsessed with the case. A famous influencer conducts her own investigation on social media.
When a dead white woman shows up in Breanna & Ty’s apartment you can imagine the mob mentality.
Meanwhile, Bree is all alone in a new city while being treated like the perp by the police and in the court of public opinion. She’s on a mission to figure out what really happened.
The plot is fast-paced and engaging, and for a popcorn read (meaning just enjoy the ride but don’t look too closely), this was great fun. ...more
How did the author manage to make a serious book about a woman shot in the head so FUNNY?!
Dr Charly McKenna is a dermatologist with a successful careHow did the author manage to make a serious book about a woman shot in the head so FUNNY?!
Dr Charly McKenna is a dermatologist with a successful career, a handsome husband, and an apt overlooking Central Park. Life is good until the night she’s shot in the head, leaving her with left neglect and no memory of what happened.
As she spends her days at a rehab hospital we get to know more about Charly as well as several of the patients & staff. The author is a physician, which lends authenticity to this part of the story.
I LOVED IT!! This is the most fun I’ve had listening to a book in a long, long time.
Although there is a mystery, don’t read this expecting a thriller. It is not, as the resolution is pretty obvious. Come for the characters, the charm, and the humor.
The narrator was superb. She had just the right tone and brought the characters to life. I absolutely recommend listening to those one!...more
A little bit of froth and a side helping of romance, along with a murder.
The Saint is an upscale 5-star resort on an island 3.5 stars - a good read!
A little bit of froth and a side helping of romance, along with a murder.
The Saint is an upscale 5-star resort on an island off the coast of Georgia. If you grew up going here every year as a guest you were a “Saint”. If you grew up unable to vacation there, but were part of the summer service staff, you were an “ain’t”.
Ouch
Devious characters, murders to solve, family drama, and juicy secrets keep this from being the frothy read the cover suggests.
At 400 pages, there were a lot of characters and side plots but the author did a great job of bringing it all together. It was interesting with great character development but would have been even stronger with 75 or so less pages.
* The narrator of the audio book, Kathleen McInerney was excellent.
* I received a digital copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own....more
Five years ago, Lucy was found walking by the side of the road covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood and suffering from amnesia. The town is convinFive years ago, Lucy was found walking by the side of the road covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood and suffering from amnesia. The town is convinced of her guilt, although police were unable to find enough evidence to charge her. Lucy moves away to escape the suspicion, but has now returned for her grandmother’s birthday.
Ben Owens, who has a true crime podcast, Listen For the Lie, arrives in town to cover the cold case and hopefully solve Savvy’s murder. Lucy’s grandmother’s convinces Lucy to help Ben.
I loved the humor and snark, and the short chapters and podcast sections worked particularly well on audio, and contributed to the fast pace. What I didn’t love was the voice in Lucy’s head grew tiresome after a while, and the denouement was somewhat less than satisfying.
However, the plusses outweighed the negatives, and it was an enjoyable read.
The audiobook narrators, January LaVoy and Will Damron, were excellent....more
Some sequels should never be written, and this is a prime example.
First, in order to accept this premise, you must accept a woman who is dumber than Some sequels should never be written, and this is a prime example.
First, in order to accept this premise, you must accept a woman who is dumber than a box of rocks. Matter of fact, she’s so stupid that comparing her to a box of rocks is insulting to the rocks.
I realize characters often do dumb things to move a plot forward but there is a tipping point.
If you accept the premise, you then have to constantly suspend disbelief and somehow stop your eyes from rolling out of your head as you read. I’d give examples but I don’t want to ruin anyone’s reading pleasure if you still want to read it.
I enjoyed book #1 so I gave it a very generous extra star.
* I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own (obviously)...more
This is the second in the author’s crime series featuring Welsh detective Ffion Morgan, who we first meet in THE LAST PARTY.
Seven people sig4.5 stars
This is the second in the author’s crime series featuring Welsh detective Ffion Morgan, who we first meet in THE LAST PARTY.
Seven people sign up for a Survivor-type series…but unknown to the participants, the stakes are high as each contestant has a deep dark secret that is threatened to be revealed live on air. The motive to keep the secrets hidden is strong, and when one of the contestants is missing – are the secrets worth murder?
As with the previous book, what makes this one stand out is not only the Welsh setting, but the characters, especially Detective Ffione, and her neurotic flatulent rescue dog, Dave – I LOVE him, and he provides the necessary lightness to the story. Ffione’s personal life is a also a huge part of the story and I was completely invested.
Fast-paced and entertaining, this works especially well on audio. The ending left me looking forward to the next in the series!
Hazel, the daughter of Mirror Lake’s detective, inherits her childhood home when her father dies. She finds herself drawn back to the town she left beHazel, the daughter of Mirror Lake’s detective, inherits her childhood home when her father dies. She finds herself drawn back to the town she left behind almost a decade earlier.
A drought provides rich atmosphere as Hazel uncovers long-hidden secrets, namely the traumatic events of her childhood, including evidence that may explain her mother’s disappearance many years ago.
The author has said in interviews that she enjoys exploring how the past impacts the present, and how a place is tied to memory. The author delivers these themes expertly in this highly atmospheric, character-driven mystery where the setting is as much of a character as the characters themselves.
I found this a tense compelling character-driven novel that I couldn’t put down. It had everything I love in the genre.
* I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own ...more
If you’re a fan of the Horowitz & Hawthorne duo, then you need no introduction to the characters. If you haven’t met them, do yourself a favor and staIf you’re a fan of the Horowitz & Hawthorne duo, then you need no introduction to the characters. If you haven’t met them, do yourself a favor and start with book one.
Horowitz, the character, is under a deadline to produce a book. In desperation he decides to write about one of Hawthorne’s old cases, a murder that took place 5 years ago in the seemingly idyllic cul-de-sac community of Riverview Close.
The residents have lived in peaceful harmony for many years until the neighbor from hell moves in. When he’s found on his doorstep with a crossbow to the chest, there is no shortage of motives among the quirky eccentric neighbors. As we get to know each of them, Horowitz’s detection skills are put to the test.
Very clever! The breadcrumbs are all there but my detection skills were put to the test too, and I was surprised at the resolution. The author has written a smart whodunit featuring my two favorite characters, and did so while keeping things fresh. The relationship between Horowitz & Hawthorne remains amusing, and the neighbors were delightfully annoying and fun (as long as they aren’t MY neighbors).
Excellent - all the stars! My reading buddy, Marialyce, and I thoroughly enjoyed our yearly dose of H&H and we can’t wait for the next book....more
In a small rural Alaskan town, the colony of vampyrs (vampires) and regular townspeople have an uneasy truce of sorts. The colony lives deep in the woIn a small rural Alaskan town, the colony of vampyrs (vampires) and regular townspeople have an uneasy truce of sorts. The colony lives deep in the woods outside of town and must leave the townspeople alone or risk officials authorizing a cull of their colony.
But a boy is found dead, apparently from a vicious vampyr attack. Barbara, the lead detective, and a vampyr expert, arrives to investigate if it was indeed a vampyr attack and authorize a cull of the colony of vampyrs, which many of the townspeople want. As she works the investigation, she suspects something even more sinister is afoot.
I loved Barbara. She’s in her 50’s a bit out of shape, loves food (but no reindeer please), and is intelligent, empathetic, and unafraid to stand up for what’s right.
I think the author did a great job of including vampires (vampyrs) in her story without making it into a traditional horror book. These are not the vampires we know from Dracula-type stories. Instead they look and act just as normal people do. Except of course they need to drink blood and they live hundreds of years (Ha!)
This story, at its heart, is about discrimination and hatred and two opposing viewpoints: those who think the only good vampyr is a dead vampyr vs those who have empathy for the vampyrs and are content to let them live in peace. There are laws that protect the vampyrs but that doesn’t stop the crimes against them.
C.J. Tudor is one of my favorite authors and gets props for writing such a unique murder mystery/police procedural with a side helping of horror lite that felt strangely believable.
*I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own...more
Rose, a nine-year-old girl witnessed the possible murder of her nanny and immediately stopped speaking. Her parents are divorcing and Stella, a best iRose, a nine-year-old girl witnessed the possible murder of her nanny and immediately stopped speaking. Her parents are divorcing and Stella, a best interest attorney, is appointed to serve as counsel for Rose in the bitter custody battle.
Stella quickly realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she imagined.
And there's something creepy about the house itself: there’s not a single shard of glass to be found: all glass was replaced by plastic.
Stella has quite a complicated past herself when she witnessed her mother’s death when she was a child, and also suffered from traumatic mutism. Which makes her the perfect person to relate to Rose.
Everyone in the house is a suspect, and everyone is lying. As Rose uncovers secrets she’s also forced to confront her own past.
This was an interesting premise that kept me guessing. A fun read, even if I did have to set aside some issues I had with the story, so a 4 star from me.
* I received a digital copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own ...more
Does the past ever stay buried? Three girls grew up in an abusive narcissistic foster care home and are determined to move forward, live their lives, Does the past ever stay buried? Three girls grew up in an abusive narcissistic foster care home and are determined to move forward, live their lives, and leave the past behind.
Until buried bones are discovered and they are forced to confront their past.
A compelling look into the effects of trauma and narcissistic abuse, a theme that Hepworth excels at.
* I received a digital copy for review via NetGalley ...more
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