Cloaked Deception by Timothy Zahn

 

No rating at this time

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Political Thriller
Content: 

A tactical nuclear weapon is stolen from an Indian research facility, setting off a chain of events that spans the globe.

Those behind the heist plan to use it to take out thousands of innocent people—all to assure death of a single man who they believe is too dangerous to be left alive.

What are the lives of thousands compared to the safety of the world?

At the same time, scientists have invented the world’s first cloaking device, able to render its user almost completely invisible. It’s the epitome of hidden-in-plain-sight—a game changer for any military. At least until three of the lead scientists are murdered and their work is stolen the night before their first demonstration.

Authorities have no idea the two crimes are connected.
There are ten days before the bomb is set to go off.

Can they unravel the trail of red herrings in time?

The clock is ticking...

 

I've liked everything I've read by Timothy Zahn. This is the first time I've not finished one of his books. There wasn't really anything wrong with this one, it just wasn't what I was expecting. For some reason I thought this was going to be another sci-fi, but it ended up being a political thriller and I just couldn't get into the right mood for it. I should have read the description. DNF for now but I may end up trying it again later when I'm in the right mood for it.

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Aethon Books  for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Narrator by K. L. Slater

  

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Content: Strong language, Kidnapping, Psychological torture

 

What if the chance of a perfect life… put your daughter in grave danger?

Being a single mother is tough, but I’d do anything for my little girl Scarlet. I’d given up on my career as a voice actor when the call came, but suddenly I was the new narrator for a secret book from bestselling author Philippa Roberts, who has been missing for eight months. It was a lifeline for me and my daughter.

I hated that it meant leaving Scarlet with my ex in his perfect new home with his perfect new girlfriend. But I knew it was the right thing to do.

But as I start reading Philippa’s new novel, I start to wonder if it’s no coincidence that I’ve been chosen to narrate it. There’s something hidden in the pages of this book, I’m sure of it. Some clue to Philippa’s disappearance. And I don’t feel safe. I think I’m being watched. My room has been searched.

And then my ex’s girlfriend calls in tears and everything starts to click together. If I don’t find answers fast, I’ll lose more than my second chance. I’ll lose my daughter.

 

First off, I want to point out that the book description is very misleading. There are multiple things in the description that didn't happen in the book, or at least not the way they are described. I've never felt so lied to by a book description.

As for the book itself, it was suspenseful, but highly improbable. In the beginning I felt like I was reading something very dark. I was worried about what was going to happen to this lady that was kidnapped. I was picturing all sorts of terrible things. Then it took a different turn, one that was kind of absurd.

As far as the characters went, I mostly liked the main character, but I didn't care for any of the others. The main character's ex-husband was so despicable, I was grinding my teeth at one point, and her mother wasn't much better. I couldn't believe they were being such pushovers to this guy. Then there's the kidnap victim. She, at one point did something so dumb during this ordeal, that I found it unbelievable.

And that brings us to the whole kidnapping in general. WHY? I was very surprised at the twist in this book, and that's probably because there weren't enough clues given in the book to point me in that direction. I mainly don't understand why this person did all this. WHY? It didn't really make much sense. The motivation was flimsy for the ends this person went to.

Initially, I was going to give this 3 stars, but as I've thought about it more and more I've decided on 2.

A Litter of Bones (DCI Logan #1) by J. D. Kirk

   

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Content: Strong language, Animal mutilation, Child kidnapping and murder

 

Was the biggest case of his career the worst mistake he ever made?

Ten years ago, DCI Jack Logan stopped the serial child-killer dubbed 'Mister Whisper,' earning himself a commendation, a drinking problem, and a broken marriage in the process.

Now, he spends his days working in Glasgow's Major Incident Team, and his nights reliving the horrors of what he saw.

And what he did.

When another child disappears a hundred miles north in the Highlands, Jack is sent to lead the investigation and bring the boy home.

But as similarities between the two cases grow, could it be that Jack caught the wrong man all those years ago?

And, if so, is the real Mister Whisper about to claim his fourth victim?
 

This is the first book I've read by this author and I ended up liking it quite a bit. It dealt with the disturbing subject matter of children being kidnapped and murdered by a serial killer, so at first I wasn't sure how easy it was going to be for me to read this, but overall the details were kept to a minimum. I found the mutilation of several cats to be rather more disturbing. 

The dark subject matter was lightened up a bit by the unexpected humor in the book. DCI Logan is an interesting character. Some have said his personality is off-putting, but I enjoyed reading about him. He's a man that carries around a lot of baggage but is still able to inject humor into things. I'm looking forward to reading more about him. 

In the end, the resolution to who the killer was and why caught me by surprise, and although I'm not sure how plausible I think some of it was, it made for good reading.

The New Wife by Karen Clarke

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Content: Strong language

 

The people you trust are the people who hurt you the most.

Nell Cosgrove is the new wife who got it all. She married her handsome, wealthy boss within six months of meeting him. They live in a beautiful riverside home. She has a flourishing career.

The only problem is her two stepdaughters, Ruby and Poppy, who are fiercely loyal to their mother, and reject all her overtures.

But now everything is falling apart. Nell’s marriage is starting to crack. Her husband spends more and more time away on business.

She gets creepy text messages from an unknown admirer. He sends mysterious bouquets of flowers to her office. She starts making mistakes at work.

Everything Nell thought she knew about her marriage and her new life is about to be turned upside down.

 

I listened to the audiobook of this, and I didn't care for the narration very much. It may have turned me off this one a little. This is also the first book I've read by this author that she co-wrote with another author, so that could also be why this one felt a bit different to me. From now on, I do think I'll stick to actually reading the rest of this author's books.

There was a lot going on in this book, and although I guessed pretty early on what was going on with the main plot and who was behind it, I didn't see some of the subplot stuff coming. I kind of felt like there were too many elements to the story. One thing I do like about this author are the epilogues. There's usually some shocking little twist in them, and this one was no exception. I have mixed feelings about the end of this one, although I liked how things ended up for most of the characters. 

I may have jinxed myself when I said I was on a winning streak with psychological suspense in a previous review. This is the second 3 star read from this author now, which isn't bad, just not as good as the ones I read before.

Your Life for Mine by Karen Clarke

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Content: Off page sex

A stranger died to save you… now it’s your turn.
Meet Beth Turner.

From the outside, she looks like any other thirty-three-year-old woman, with a gorgeous house and beautiful daughter.

But Beth has a secret that has haunted her past for as long as she can remember. A secret that only those closest to her know.

Aged seven, she almost drowned on a family holiday… and a stranger died saving her life. Survivors guilt has been the defining characteristic of her life ever since.

So, when Beth receives a threatening text message from an anonymous number on the way to her surprise birthday party, she knows her time is up.

"Enjoy your birthday, Beth. It’ll be your last."

As she arrives at her house, there’s only one thing she knows for certain, someone at the party wants her dead.

 

I've been really loving this author's books, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. The whole feel of this book was different from the others. On a positive note, it was the first one of her books that I didn't have figured out halfway through. Although I did consider this person could possibly be the culprit at one point, I suspected several people. 

The thing that I disliked about this book the most was the main character. I usually really like the main characters in Karen Clarke's books, but there were many times I thought this one was too stupid to live. I also really disliked the way she treated her estranged husband. This woman's whole life was ruled by fear, and it all stemmed from something that happened when she was only 7 years old. I feel like she should have been able to get past it years before she did, and I think her parents just made things so much worse for her. The thing was always there because they couldn't forget about it and treated her differently because of it. I also have to question how much a woman in her 30s would remember about the smells of a place from when she was 7 years old. I almost drowned once in a river when I was a child and I couldn't tell you anything about the way the place smelled. 

So overall this was a disappointment, but I'm still looking forward to reading more books by this author. One 3 star book amongst several 4 star books isn't bad. 

The Girl Upstairs by Georgina Lees

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Content: Strong Language

 

How well do you know your neighbour?
Would you trust them with your life?

I heard Emily before I saw her. The harsh smack of heels against cheap wooden floorboards. The loud phone calls. The incessant music.

I knew Emily before I met her. Discarded receipts in our communal hallway. Sticky leftovers in the shared food waste bin. Wine shop vouchers in the letterbox.

Now she’s gone missing, and I’m the only one who can find her. The only one who can save her.

Because I know her best, and I heard everything.

The Girl Upstairs is a spine-tingling psychological thriller of grief and obsession that explores how lonely London can be and how sometimes it’s our neighbours who see us most, who know us best…

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it enough to want to read her other books. It started off a little rocky for me. At first I didn't like the main character, Suzie all that much, but that gradually changed as I continued to read the book. I also didn't like Emily, the girl that lived upstairs, but for a completely different reason. That also changed as I read. The story goes at a slow pace and there were no real big twists or revelations that I didn't see coming, but it worked for me. My favorite character ended up being the main character's sister. I loved the way she helped, protected, and defended Suzie. 

Lately, I feel like I've been on a real winning streak with the psychological suspense books I've chosen, and I'm glad to have found some books by authors that I enjoy reading.

The Silent Woman by Minka Kent

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Content: A very small amount of strong language

 

Newlywed Jade Westmore has finally found her forever in husband Wells, a charming, successful, and recently divorced architect—only there’s one caveat. Behind the gates of their elysian estate, hidden from street view in the caretaker’s cottage … lives Wells’ first wife, Sylvie.

Three years ago, the original Mrs. Westmore suffered an unfortunate accident—and hasn’t uttered a sound since. Not a physician, psychologist, or world-renown specialist has been able to elicit so much as a word from the silent woman … until now.

On an ordinary Tuesday while Wells was away—despite instructions to never disturb the fragile woman—Jade visited her isolated predecessor bearing a peace offering: a bouquet of white lilies. Only she wasn’t expecting Sylvie to have something for her as well: a slip of torn notebook paper with a single word scrawled in shaky black ink.

That word? Run.

 

I've read several books by Minka Kent and enjoyed them all, so I was happy to try another one. I loved the premise of this one, and from the description, it seemed pretty straightforward. However, I know this author likes to add in some wild twists to her stories, so I had developed some theories as I read and I was sure one of them would be correct. I have to say that this book surprised me in more than one way. The non-spoiler way in which it surprised me, is that the main character is very smart and keeps her cards close to her chest most of the time, instead of blabbing her suspicions to other people. There were only a couple of times that I thought maybe she shouldn't tell someone something. I loved that she went about investigating what happened to her husband's first wife in an intelligent way. Also, nothing in this book stood out to me as not in keeping with the characters as they developed, even when we finally find out the truth. This was a problem I had with one of this author's other books, Unmissing. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and stayed up late to finish it. I'm looking forward to reading even more books by this author.

My Best Reads of 2022

I read a lot of books this year, but these were the ones that I loved the most. As usual, I'm separating them into genres. This year it's fantasy, urban fantasy, mystery, thriller, romance, sci-fi/space opera, and I'm also adding a classic and a horror this year. Yes, there is a horror one on here, a genre I rarely read. This list doesn't include any of the rereads I did this year, because if I did that, I would be repeating some winners from previous years.

 

First up, Fantasy:  

I couldn't choose between The Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson and Dragonfall by David Estes. I enjoyed them equally, so they are both going on the list. And although I wouldn't say these are the best books in either of those series, they were still really good reads and better than anything else I read this year in the fantasy genre.

I thought The Lost Metal was slower paced than the other second era books in the Mistborn series, and although I enjoyed it, it didn't compel me to pick it up the way the others did. I also think I would have enjoyed it more if there hadn't been such a long wait between books. Still, this is one of my favorite fantasy series and I'm looking forward to reading the third era. I think what really made me enjoy this one the most was the way it ended. It was somewhat bittersweet in a way, but very appropriate. I'm sad that the second era is over, but also looking forward to reading the third era books.

I unexpectedly ended up loving the first book in the Kingfall Histories series. I had no expectations when I started reading it, but after a beginning that seemed a tad bit too dark for me, I was pleasantly surprised. Needless to say I was looking forward to continuing on with the series. Dragonfall didn't disappoint, and although everything didn't go the way I was hoping, it didn't matter, because the book was so good. I especially loved Peony's story line. See my review here.

 

Urban Fantasy: 

 

Soul Taken was a little slow to get going for me, and it didn't really advance the overall plot of the series, but there were still plenty of good things about it. Plus most of the time I'm going to enjoy reading a Patricia Briggs book more than anything else. Her writing always ends up grabbing me, and after a slow start I ended up not being able to put this book down. See my review here.

 

 

Mystery: 

 

I read a lot of mysteries this year, particularly a lot of Hercule Poirot mysteries, and it was a little hard to narrow it down to just one, but I think my very favorite mystery I read this year was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was masterfully done! See my review here.

Thriller:

 

I loved this little unexpected, self published gem, The Fortuna Coin by Karen Ann Hopkins. It made a big impact on me, and after I finished it I thought about it for a long time. See my review here.

 

Sci-fi / Space Opera:

 

The Domino Pattern by Timothy Zahn. I read quite of few books in this genre that I thought were really good, but this series was the one that I loved the most, and although the whole series was good, I immediately knew that this book was the one I had to put as my favorite. See my review here.

  

Romance:

I've been loving The Birch Creek Ranch series by B. E. Baker. She released the first book in the series last year, and it made my best book list last year. This year she ended up releasing three more books in the series, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each of them. I really can't pick just one of them to feature here, so I'm going to just add all three of them, The Vow, The Ranch, and The Retreat. They go together as one continuous story, so why not?  

See my review for The Vow here.  

See my review for The Ranch here.

See my review for The Retreat here. 

 

 

 

Classic:

 

I read several classics this year, and out of all of them, I loved the completion of Sanditon by Another Lady (AKA Anne Telscombe) the most. While it wasn't perfect, I thought it gave good closure to the story. See my review here.

 

Horror:

Ok I'm shocked that I enjoyed this book so much. It isn't something I would have picked up for myself, but it was one of our book club reads this year, and I was so surprised at how much I liked this book. I was so glued to it! It's a blend of horror and post apocalyptic fiction, two genres that I don't typically care for all that much. If I'm doing creepy, then I like creepy ghost stories the best, but this was creepy in a different, but good way. See my review here.

That's it! I hope you all had a good reading year, and I look forward to 2023 and all the great books I'll get to read.

 

The Fortuna Coin by Karen Ann Hopkins

  

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Women's Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Romance
Content: Strong language, Brief descriptions of sexual encounters, Several forms of domestic abuse (written as mildly as possible, for the most part)

 

Wendy Catalano, a newly remarried mother of four, finds herself, her husband and her children, murder victims of her ex-husband. A family heirloom takes her back in time to the beginning of her relationship with her eventual killer where she’s given the magical opportunity to change the future and stop her family's tragic ending. But she isn't aware that she's reliving a tortured life. With only glimpses of the future, Wendy struggles to survive present day, unaware that a bloody and unforgiving destiny awaits her.

The Fortuna Coin is a haunting psychological thriller about second chances…but will the truth really set Wendy free?

 

It's a rare occasion when I read a book all in one sitting, mainly because there aren't very many that I absolutely can't put down, but that's what happened when I cracked open this book, or more accurately, turned on my Kindle last night. This book was impossible to put down. I just had to keep turning the pages to find out what would happen next and I ended up reading until past 3 am.

I've read several books by this author and I've enjoyed all of them. This book was very different from her others, and although I could tell it would be just from the description, I was completely taken by surprise, because it was still not at all like I expected it would be. 

There is the question that people get asked a lot about their lives, or choices they've made, "Would you do it all over again?" In this book, with the help of a mysterious coin that's been passed down in her family, Wendy gets the chance to go back and change things in her life. If you read the above description, then you know she is murdered by her abusive ex-husband. The answer a lot of people seem to give to the question of whether they would do it all again when they've been in an abusive relationship, is yes, because they wouldn't have their children. 

Except for small flashes of memory, Wendy doesn't remember how her life went before, when she is suddenly sent back to the past, and she doesn't understand what is going on. She also meets two men and is drawn to both of them in different ways. She just keeps getting a nagging feeling that something isn't playing out the way it's supposed to, until she visits a psychic for advice.

I don't want to spoil how everything happens, but Wendy has a chance to never experience the abuse, but also never know her children. This is a tough decision, and this book had me feeling so many emotions. It was heartbreaking at times, and at times it was hard to read because of certain things that were happening. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I can say that it's the best book I've read in a while. Certain parts might not have been easy to read, and could be triggering to some people, but I think it illustrated the effects of abuse on a person really well. Especially the more subtle forms of abuse and control that leave a person second guessing themselves. 

 

 

 

Shamed by Linda Castillo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Content: Strong Language


An Amish grandmother is murdered on an abandoned farm, her seven year old granddaughter abducted. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder plunges headlong into a case that quickly becomes a race against the clock.

The investigation takes Kate to an isolated Old Order Amish settlement along the river in southern Ohio. At first, the community seems upstanding and helpful. But when Kate starts asking questions, they stonewall her—and the situation soon becomes dangerous. What are they hiding and why?

This was a good installment in the series. I debated giving it 3.5 stars because I thought the characters were dumbed down a little to keep the mystery going. It was actually very easy to figure out, but I left it at 4 stars because Kate wasn't nearly as reckless as she normally is. Of course, she also had a lot of help this time around as well. Tomasetti was in on most of the investigation, as well as the local sheriff and the police department from another county. I wasn't crazy about the way the book ends without any clear knowledge of whether or not someone did something they were suspected of doing. That being said, I still enjoyed the book, and the way everything else was wrapped up.

Compared to most of the other books in the series this book focuses mostly on the mystery and much less on the personal issues and lives of the characters. That wasn't a bad thing since a lot of the personal issues have been ironed out at this point. There was less personal interaction between Kate and Tomasetti, but at the same time he seemed more supportive and less worried about her. That was most likely due to the fact that he had nothing to worry about, since Kate wasn't being her normal reckless self. Kate, in general, has become a very likeable character as this series has progressed and I continue to look forward to reading about her and Tomasetti, and everyone else in Painter's Mill.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Content: Strong language, A gruesome death 


 
When a historic barn burns to the ground in the middle of the night, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called in to investigate. At first, it looks like an accident, but when the body of eighteen-year-old Daniel Gingerich is found inside—burned alive—Kate suspects murder. Who would want a well-liked, hardworking young Amish man dead?

I'm now caught up on this series, with the exception of book 11 which I've got an advanced copy of. For the most part I'm still enjoying this series, but I still have the same complaints as usual. It would be nice if the books in this series would not all follow the same formula. Can we have one where Kate doesn't get ambushed alone somewhere? It happened twice in this book, and for me it has gotten old. One part seemed rather random and it didn't really make sense to me that this person would have lured Kate out somewhere and started shooting at her. And the way Kate parks in front of the truck with its headlights blinding her so she can't see clearly into it wasn't a very smart thing to do. Circling around and parking behind the truck would have been much smarter. It just seems like as a police chief it would have occurred to her to do that. Yet again in this book Kate has to tell us how good she is at her job. I think the author really wants us to believe that, but she isn't showing it. Those things aside I thought the mystery was pretty good. It did keep me guessing for quite a while.

This book had another gruesome death in it. I found it hard to read about someone burning alive. I don't really recommend this series if you are squeamish about things like that. What I continue to like the most about this series is the relationship between Kate and Tomasetti, and the little details about their life together at home. There isn't a lot of that, but it adds a nice touch to the series. I also enjoy continuing to learn more about the Amish community. This time around we have characters that are part of the Beachy Amish sect, that actually drive cars and use more modern day conveniences.

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Content: Strong language, Mildly descriptive sex scene



Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.

But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was.

This is the third book in the Stillhouse lake series. Ideally I would have preferred Stillhouse Lake had been a standalone. It certainly could have been if a little more had been added to it. I knew when I read it though, that there would be another book and I thought this was going to be a duology. Then when I heard about this book I thought it was going to be a trilogy. Now it seems this has turned into a series with no end in sight. Unfortunately I do not see the need for it at all.

Although I really thought this third book was not needed as everything was wrapped up in the two previous ones, I was willing to give it a try, especially since I thought it was the last book in a trilogy. There ended up being little in relation to the first two books, and a side story became the main focus. I thought there was way too much going on with Miranda and the group of people making the documentary, the kidnapped little girl, and the whole town full of crazies. It also felt really unbelievable. I got tired of some of the repetition and rehashing from the two previous books as well. It just all started to get on my nerves after a while.

It's obvious when reading this that the author was trying to transition this book into the start of a series with Gwen becoming an investigator. I really don't find it plausible that this woman, with all the harrowing stuff she has been through would want to continue to put herself and her children through this sort of thing by taking on other people's horrific problems. Unfortunately this series has overstayed its welcome.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing a copy of this book.

Killman Creek by Rachel Caine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Suspense. Thriller
Content: Strong Language, Some brutal killings


 
Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You’re not safe anywhere now.

I read Stillhouse Lake last year and I really liked it. It was creepy and suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat. One thing I liked so much about it was the lake house setting. This time around Gwen has had to leave the lake house and is both hiding from and hunting her ex-husband who has escaped from prison.

Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.

This story is told from multiple points of view. There is Gwen of course, and Sam, Lanny, and Connor. One thing I liked less about this book is the fact that they are split up as a family. The story hops around from place to place as Gwen and Sam try to track down the whereabouts of Melvin. They meet some unsavory characters on the way and uncover much more than they thought they would. Of course I'm not going to spoil it here, but at times I felt like it was highly implausible, but the more I thought about it the more plausible it became, because unfortunately we really do live in a world with many depraved and evil people in it. Meanwhile, the kids are staying with friends who are well armed and prepared to protect them. That doesn't stop the kids from getting themselves in a lot of trouble though.

There were times I felt completely sorry for Gwen and completely upset with every one of the other people in her life that were supposed to be her friends, but under the circumstances their reactions were probably believable, at least to an extent. I'm not sure I would have reacted any differently. Also, there were so many times that I wanted to yell at the characters to not do what they were about to do. Talk about a nail biter!

I like this book a little less than the previous one but overall I thought it was a good conclusion to the series. For some reason there is a third book. I'm not really sure it was necessary but I'll be reading it anyway since I've got an advance copy from Netgalley.

Among the Wicked by Linda Castillo

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Content: Strong Language, A woman is raped but it is not described.



Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called upon by the sheriff's department in rural, upstate New York to assist on a developing situation that involves a reclusive Amish settlement and the death of a young girl. Kate infiltrates the community and goes deep under cover. In the coming days, she unearths a world built on secrets, a series of shocking crimes, and herself, alone... trapped in a fight for her life.

This was a little different from the other books in the series because Kate isn't in her usual element and Tomasetti is barely in the book at all, but I liked the change of scenery. Parts of this book were pretty gripping and kept me on the edge of my seat. I was however slightly disappointed that the undercover work Kate did left her mostly isolated from a good part of the Amish settlement. I was expecting her to become more integrated in the community. That being said, I enjoyed the friendships she made with the women of the quilting group.

I thought Kate was a little dense not to know what was going on at a couple of points as it was pretty easy to figure out. Even though it was pretty easy to figure out what was going on, I did not see that twist concerning a certain person. I'm not altogether sure how I feel about it either. There is also one thing that happened between Kate and the Bishop that I thought happened too soon in the story. I would have preferred more suspense and for the feeling of imminent danger to continue on for longer before this thing happened.

Kate was herself here and once again went headlong into danger with little regard for her safety. There was one thing she did near the beginning because she wanted to help a woman, but it did nothing to help anyone and could have completely blown her cover. The thing that I find ridiculous is that she keeps getting so mad at Tomasetti for worrying about her and not wanted her to do certain things, but he has good reason. She claims she is careful but she isn't, and that's the real reason he has problems with her doing her job. If I overlook these annoyances about the series it is very good. Unfortunately sometimes these things are hard to ignore and that's why this book gets 3.5 stars instead of 4.

Like Never and Always by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Young Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Content: Strong Language, Underage Drinking, Some sexual content and talk of sex among teens


On a hot summer night, a screech of brakes and shattering glass changes two lives forever.

Liv wakes in the hospital, confused when they call her Morgan. She assumes it’s a case of mistaken identity, yet when the bandages come off, it’s not her face in the mirror anymore. It’s her best friend Morgan’s.

Like Never and Always had me at the first sentence. It's a mild thriller/mystery that involves a bit of a supernatural twist and some romance. The best thing about this book to me isn't really the mystery aspect of it, but how Liv learns to live her life as Morgan and all the repercussions that involves, including dealing with feelings for two brothers, one that Liv was dating at the time of her 'death' and the other one that Morgan was dating. This would be one of those times a love triangle adds to the story in a good way.

The lack of thrills in this book may disappoint some people since it is billed as a thriller. Normally I would agree with that, especially since it seems like most thrillers aren't nearly as thrilling as they promise to be, but this time around I was able to appreciate other aspects of the book and that was ok. I do feel like there was a sub plot thrown in that should have either been left out or expanded upon because it got lost in the story. I don't want to spoil what it is but it's something we learn about Morgan's father near the end of the book. It felt kind of random and tacked onto the story to me. There also seemed to be some political bias that seeped into the story and I didn't really care for that. I don't get political in my reviews because that's not what they are about, and I also prefer my reading material to not be about that either.

Overall I liked this a lot. Some things about it reminded me of Parallel by Lauren Miller, but this is a lot better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Content: Strong Language

 
If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

I really enjoyed reading Something in the Water. At the beginning of this book the main character, Erin is digging a grave. That drew me into the story right from the beginning. After that the story unfolds slowly as we go back a couple of months and learn what led to the digging of the grave. I liked Erin, even though at times I thought she made some really stupid and naive choices. I was less enamored with her husband Mark though. There were other characters that were interesting, especially a couple of the prisoners that Erin is interviewing for a documentary.

There were a couple of red herrings in the book that I saw through pretty easily, and I guessed correctly about who was involved but not exactly the way they were involved, so I would say the book kept me guessing on that level. I thought the book had a pretty satisfying ending and it's one of the better mystery/thrillers I've read so far this year. I liked this enough that I would probably read another book by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for giving me a copy of this book.

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Content: Strong Language, Some gruesome killings



Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—

I think my bad streak with mystery thrillers may be over! I actually liked this one quite a bit. The main character was likeable and so were her kids. I felt a lot of sympathy for them. It wasn't perfect but it was good. What I liked most about Gwen was how much she loved her kids and would do anything to protect them. I liked that she was able to reinvent herself from Gina, an average woman who never had to think twice about the evils in the world, to Gwen, a savvy woman, who despite the fact that she wasn't crazy about using a gun, learned how and became really good at it because she saw that it was necessary. I do feel like she contradicted herself a bit on this subject, but at least she knew that it was the best way to protect her family. And she becomes a fierce protector.

The plot twists were pretty obvious to me, but most of the mystery thrillers I read are that way so it didn't make me like the book any less. Still it would be nice to read something that actually surprised me. What I disliked about the book was the fact that Gwen trusts a couple of people too easily, and also that she defeats the killer way too easily. I felt like there wasn't nearly enough of a struggle there. Other than that, this was a good read that kept me reading right from the opening line. I probably would have preferred if this book had been a stand-alone, but the sequel isn't a bad idea. I do wonder why it ends up being a trilogy though. I guess I'll find out.



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Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Content:  Lots of Strong language, Rape, Attempted Rape, Sex


Georgina, known as Geo, is a 30-year-old rising executive when her world comes crashing down. Her high school boyfriend has been identified and arrested for a series of serial murders, including Angela, Geo's best friend in high school. Angela disappeared without a trace at 16 and her body has just been found. Now Geo is under arrest for helping her then-boyfriend cover it up. And it's one of her other close friends from high school, Kaiser Brody, who arrests her.

Everything turns on what really happened that tragic night back when Geo and Angela were high schoolers. Everyone thinks they know the truth, but there are dark secrets buried deep within other secrets, and it may be too late for anyone to survive the truth.

Maybe I should just give up on reading thrillers. Yet again I found myself not enjoying one of them. The people in this one were too twisted for me. I need someone I can actually like in the books I read, and there was absolutely no one in this book that I could like. I wanted to like and sympathize with Geo, the main character, and Kaiser, her former friend turned police detective, but they were both too messed up for me. Kaiser less so than Geo. Kaiser is mainly guilty of not being able to get over his high school love - an unrequited love I might add - which happens to be Geo. I will never understand people who can't get past their high school love interest. I doubt many people at 35 would still be pining over someone from high school, but it happens way too often in novels, and that's the case here in this one. Kaiser makes some poor life choices because of this stupid fixation he has always had on Geo, including having an affair with a married woman.

The title of the book comes from a mason jar that was filled with cinnamon hearts - a gift to Geo from her 21 year old boyfriend, Calvin. It was an apology for hitting her. To Geo that jar symbolized the end of her teen innocence, but in reality her teen innocence ended before that. It wasn't the moment the jar was given to her, or the reason it was given to her. It wasn't the moment the jar was emptied of candy, or the events that occurred at that time. It was the moment Geo, a 16 year old, chose to dial the number a 21 year old man wrote on the back of her hand. She dated a 21 year old man behind her father's back and got sexually involved with him. I get that she was only 16 years old and she really wasn't equipped to handle the situation she found herself in, but she still made the choice in the first place to date someone she knew wasn't good for her. She still made the choice to hide the relationship from her father who loved her and whom she had a good relationship with, and it all began partly because she wanted to one up her best friend - because she felt like she was always in her shadow - and partly because he was just plain hot. That's stupid teen girl logic for you.

We go back and forth from past to present in the book and I didn't like Geo any more as an adult than I did as a teen. I honestly didn't care what happened to her, especially by the end of the book after we find out all the horrible little details of what happened that night when her best friend Angela disappeared. I can't say that I liked Angela either though. She was pretty unlikable herself, so nothing that happened to her or any of the other characters bothered me all that much. And when I stop to think about the fact that this book involves three rapes and an abusive relationship, among other things that would normally be difficult to read about in a book, I think that says a lot about how unlikable I found these characters. There was one attempted rape near the end of the book that I found really disturbing, because of the persons involved (that was just sick) and that's all I can say so that I don't spoil anything.

Overall this book reminded me of one of those true crime shows on the ID channel where the teen gets involved with an older guy who manipulates and abuses her, and her good judgment goes out the door from the moment she meets him. I've seen a few that could actually be this book. I prefer to spend my reading time with characters that are redeemable; that I can sympathize with.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me a copy of this book for review.






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The Choice by Jake Cross

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Content: Lots of strong language, brutal killings


‘You’ve got to help me,’ she pleads.

On a wet road in the black of night, Karl Seabury is driving home to his pregnant wife. Suddenly, caught in his headlights in the middle of the road is a woman shaking with fright.

Lately, it seems more often than not, I strike out in the mystery/thriller/suspense genre. The premise of this one sounded really good to me. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy it as much as I wanted to. My biggest issue with this book was that the characters kept making choices I thought were foolish. I also found it hard to believe that a crime lord would ever be anywhere without multiple body guards. I think he would have excellent security in and around his home, even if it was a seldom visited vacation home, so I just couldn't buy that this crime lord was killed so easily in his own home.

As for the characters, the main character, Karl was a weak character that grew stronger as the book progressed. I ended up liking him much more by the end of the book. Karl's wife, Katie was the most likable character, but stupidly stubborn at one point. As for Mick, the killer (no that is not a spoiler, we go into this book knowing who the killer and his henchmen are pretty much from the beginning), the author seemed to want to drum up some sympathy for him, but I had no sympathy for him at all. I also wasn't crazy about the amount of time spent in his point of view. I don't mind spending smaller amounts of time with the villain in a book, but for me, too much of this book was spent with the killer and his henchmen. Then there was the crime lord's wife. I also had little sympathy for her because she was complicit in the things her husband did.

There was a twist in the book of course. I did not really figure it out before the reveal, although I had my suspicions. I do feel like I should have and I think most people probably will. There had to be at least a little bit of mystery here, and since we go into the book knowing the killers names and reading things from their points of view this was a welcome twist. It however, was obvious to me what lay behind the killer's motivation, but not exactly how or why it all happened.

Lastly there was way too much cursing in the book for me. Too many F words and C words used. It got old. I know this won't bother a lot of people, but it bothers me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me a copy of this book.



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The Kind Worth Killing by Peter  Swanson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Content: Strong language


On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife, Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him.

But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing.

The Kind Worth Killing is a mystery/thriller that is different from anything I've read before. I don't even know if I should call it a mystery because, to be honest there really wasn't much mystery involved. There wasn't much wondering about who did what because we are inside the heads of each of the characters, and the small mysteries that did exist were pretty obvious to me. It starts out a lot like Strangers on a Train, which is what drew me to the book in the first place, but it ended up disappointing me, especially after a certain person was killed, which I must add, surprised me because it happened so early in the book.

I don't tend to like reading books where there are no real likable characters in them, but I went into this one knowing that would be the case and I was ok with it. In the beginning, I thought Lily was pretty clever but she eventually gets sloppy. There were mistakes she made that I thought were not consistent with what her character would have done earlier in the story.

[ Visiting the town that Ted was building his house in; not burying Brad's body under rocks and dirt in the well; deciding to kill the detective. Now as for the first one. I know at the time she wasn't aware of the fact that Ted had driven to the town where she lived, thus alerting the detectives that he has some connection there, and possibly to her, but I still think it was a stupid chance to take on her part.  (hide spoileI think overall the author had some interesting ideas and I like the way the story shows how even the best laid plans can go awry, especially when it's a murder that's being planned. The ending was ok. It was a little unclear, but at the same time it seems like we know how things will end up.



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