Tag: mystery

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave (Charlie Davidson: Book 12) by Darynda Jones

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave: A Novel (Charley Davidson Series Book 12) by [Jones, Darynda]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: October 31, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal

Number of pages: 283

POV: 1st person

Series: Charlie Davidson

First Grave on the Right – Book 1 (review here)

For I Have Sinned – Book 1.5

Second Grave on the Left – Book 2

Third Grave Dead Ahead – Book 3

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet – Book 4

Fifth Grave Past the Light – Book 5

Shimmer – Book 5.5

Glow – Book 5.6

Sixth Grave on the Edge – Book 6

Seventh Grave and No Body – Book 7

Eight Grave After Dark – Book 8

Brighter Than the Sun – Book 8.5

The Dirt on Ninth Grave – Book 9

The Curse of Tenth Grave – Book 10

A Very Charley Christmas – Book 10.5

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight – Book 11

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave – Book 12

Untitled – Book 12 (expected publication date – October 30th, 2018)

Where you can find The Trouble with Twelfth Grave: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the twelfth installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series.

Ever since Reyes escaped from a hell dimension in which Charley accidentally trapped him, the son of Satan has been brimstone-bent on destroying the world his heavenly Brother created. His volatile tendencies have put Charley in a bit of a pickle. But that’s not the only briny vegetable on her plate. While trying to domesticate the feral being that used to be her husband, she also has to deal with her everyday life of annoying all manner of beings—some corporeal, some not so much—as she struggles to right the wrongs of society. Only this time she’s not uncovering a murder. This time she’s covering one up. 

Add to that her new occupation of keeping a startup PI venture—the indomitable mystery-solving team of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford—out of trouble and dealing with the Vatican’s inquiries into her beloved daughter, and Charley is on the brink of throwing in the towel and becoming a professional shopper. Or possibly a live mannequin. But when someone starts attacking humans who are sensitive to the supernatural world, Charley knows it’s time to let loose her razor-sharp claws. Then again, her number one suspect is the dark entity she’s loved for centuries. So the question becomes, can she tame the unruly beast before it destroys everything she’s worked so hard to protect?

Trigger Warning: None

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Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch (Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Book 1) by Vic Connor

Diary of Anna the Girl Witch: Foundling Witch by [Connor, Vic]

5 Stars

Publisher: Helvetic House

Date of publication: December 7, 2014

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal

Number of pages: 284

POV: 1st person

Series: Diary of Anna the Girl Witch

Foundling Witch – Book 1

Wandering Witch – Book 2

Fighting Witch – Book 3

Where you can find Foundling Witch: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

What do you do when you discover you’re a witch… And that using your new powers destroys your soul a little each time? 

Set in the Swiss countryside, this story blends ancient folklore with a coming of age tale about a young witch on the brink of womanhood. 

Anna Sophia has always known she was different. She didn’t know just how different until now. 

On the eve of her 13th birthday — in the orphanage where she’s spent most of her childhood — Anna wonders about her past. She never knew her parents, doesn’t even know where she came from. All she has to go by is an unbelievable fairy tale her uncle used to tell: that she was found as a baby, tucked among a pack of bear cubs in the wilds of Russia. 

To make matters even more complex, Anna has discovered that she can see and do things that no one else can. So far, she’s kept her powers a secret, and they remain strange and frightening even to her. 

It’s only when Anna receives a letter from her mother — a mother she will never meet — that she discovers some of the truths about her past, and begins to uncover the possibilities in her future. As Anna continues to learn more about her secret abilities, she finds out that her neighbors are hiding something of their own: a plot to harm Anna and her friends. 

Can Anna Sophia use her newfound supernatural powers to stop them? Can she fight back, without endangering her own soul? And maybe, just maybe, is her own secret tied up with theirs? 

Through a story of otherworldly magic, Anna Sophia finds a sense of real-world belonging. With its cast of strong characters, an inventive setting, and engaging storyline, this fantasy adventure is a relevant novel for middle-grade children or young adults. 

Genre: middle grade / young adult adventure.

Trigger Warning: none

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Naked We Came (Jake Travis: Book 5) by Robert Lane

Naked We Came (Jake Travis, #5)

4 Stars

Publisher: Mason Alley Publishing

Date of publication: September 25th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 355

POV: 1st person

Series: Jake Travis

The Second Letter – Book 1

Cooler Than Blood – Book 2

The Cardinal’s Sin – Book 3

The Gail Force – Book 4

Naked We Came – Book 5

Where you can find Naked We Came: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Jake Travis searches for the man who abducted and killed his sister and only sibling over 30 years ago, while on a family vacation in Florida. She went to their motel room to get the book “Matilda.” She was never seen again.

Now, the man suspected of killing her has washed up on a beach near Jake’s house. He penned a confession just days before his mysterious death. Jake believes that the confession was forced and that DNA was tainted.

His vengeful quest tangles him in a web of murky and powerful figures. As Jake forges ahead, seeking both justice for his sister and personal closure, he questions if he will ever spring free of his past, or whether the past will forever shackle him in its chains.

Foreword Clarion Reviews calls, “Naked We Came” “An emotionally austere and endlessly surprising thriller. Jake remains a character who shines among other genre leads. His dialogue is snappy, his appetites are insatiable. A thriller with heart.”

Trigger Warning: None

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The After War: The Complete Novel (The After War: Books 1-2) by Brandon Zenner

The After War Box Set: Books 1 and 2 of the Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian Series by [Zenner, Brandon]

4 Stars

Publisher: Brandon Zenner

Date of publication: June 30th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Science Fiction, Dystopia

Number of pages: 445

POV: 3rd person

Series: The After War

To Alice – Book 1

Fire Horizons – Book 2

The After War: The Complete Novel – Books 1 & 2

Where you can find The After War: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Two years have passed since mankind faced extinction: Brain Rhodes and his cousin, Steven, are leaving the protection of their underground bunker for the first time after a cataclysmic war and unrelenting disease ravaged the earth. On the other side of North America, young Simon Kalispell is leaving the safety and seclusion of his cabin deep in the woods, traveling with his aging canine companion, Winston. For individual reasons, these men are traveling east, where the fragmented lives of a small number of survivors will soon be decided by the choices of a corrupt few. 

Simon Kalispell and Brian Rhodes are not yet aware, but the strength that resides inside them will soon be tested, and destiny will call for their fates to be forever intertwined.

Trigger Warning: Attempted rape

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First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson: Book 1) by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: February 1st, 2011

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Romance. Suspense

Number of pages: 321

POV: 1st person

Series: Charley Davidson

First Grave of the Right – Book 1

For I Have Sinned – Book 1.5

Second Grave on the Left – Book 2

Third Grave Dead Ahead – Book 3

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet – Book 4

Fifth Grave Past the Light – Book 5

Shimmer – Book 5.5

Glow – Book 5.6

Sixth Grave on the Edge – Book 6

Seventh Grave and No Body – Book 7

Eighth Grave After Dark – Book 8

Brighter Than the Sun – Book 8.5

The Dirt on Ninth Grave – Book 9

The Curse of Tenth Grave – Book 10

A Very Charley Christmas – Book 10.5

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight – Book 11

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave – Book 12 (expected publication date: October 31st, 2017)

Charley Davidson #13 – Book 13 (expected publication date: October 31st, 2018)

Where you can find First Grave on the Right: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.
A flow chart would have been nice.

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and a full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can’t she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

Trigger Warning: None

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An American Cage by Ted Galdi

An American Cage

4 stars

Publisher: Precipice Books

Date of publication: October 16th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 297

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find An American Cage: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Three inmates break out of a maximum-security prison in Texas, one of them Danny Marsh, a suburban kid in his twenties who landed in jail because of a crime he never intended to commit. 

An American Cage follows Danny and his two escape partners over a twenty-four-hour period as they struggle to cross Texas to freedom in Mexico. On this dangerous journey, Danny has to evade the rabid Texas authorities, and even worse, the schemes of one of his closest allies, who isn’t who he seems.

The second novel by Amazon #1 bestselling author and multi-award winner Ted Galdi, this psychological thriller is packed with suspense, twists, and grit, all while having heart. The story follows its young male protagonist on a journey of self-discovery and redemption as he weaves through a rocky landscape of family issues, guilt, betrayal, and questions about the nature of good and evil.

Along the way, he encounters an eclectic supporting cast, including a renowned psychology professor, a car thief, a young female hitchhiker, the leader of a biker gang, and a small-town Texas police officer with big ambitions. 

Featuring vivid descriptions of East Texas’s Piney Woods, Austin, and El Paso, a cinematic unfolding of action, and an examination of existential philosophical concepts, An American Cage would be a pleasing read for fans of literary thrillers as well as commercial thrillers.

The book has echoes of Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, in addition to the crime fiction of upmarket writers like Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.

Trigger Warning: None

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Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda

Best Day Ever: A Riveting Psychological Thriller about the Perfect Marriage by [Rouda, Kaira]

Title: Best Day Ever

Author: Kaira Rouda

Publisher: Harlequin, Graydon House

Date of publication: September 19th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 352

POV: 1st person

Where you can find Best Day Ever: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

“I glance at my wife as she climbs into the passenger seat, and I am bursting with confidence. Today will be everything I’ve promised her…and more…”

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he’s the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That’s why he’s planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he’s promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How much do they trust each other? And how perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really? 

Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the bestselling, page-turning vein of The Couple Next Door and The Dinner, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.

Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence

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Lies She Told by Cate Holahan

Lies She Told by [Holahan, Cate]

Title: Lies She Told

Author: Cate Holahan

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: September 12th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 288

POV: Alternating 1st person

Where you can find Lies She Told: Barnes and Nobles | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Sometimes the truth is darker than fiction.

Liza Jones has thirty days to write the thriller that could put her back on the bestseller list. In the meantime, she’s struggling to start a family with her husband, who is distracted by the disappearance of his best friend, Nick. With stresses weighing down in both her professional and her personal life, Liza escapes into writing her latest heroine.

Beth is a new mother who suspects her husband is cheating on her while she’s home alone providing for their newborn. Angry and betrayed, Beth sets out to catch him in the act and make him pay for shattering the illusion of their perfect life. But before she realizes it, she’s tossing the body of her husband’s mistress into the river.

Then the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. Nick’s body is dragged from the Hudson and Liza’s husband is arrested for his murder. Before her deadline is up, Liza will have to face up to the truths about the people around her, including herself. If she doesn’t, the end of her heroine’s story could be the end of her own.

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12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas: Book 1) by Michelle Griep

12 Days at Bleakly Manor (Once Upon a Dickens Christmas #1)

Title: 12 Days At Bleakly Manor

Author: Michelle Griep

Publisher: Barbour Publishing Inc, Shiloh Run Press

Date of publication: September 1st, 2017

Genre: Christian, General Fiction, Mystery

Number of pages: 192

POV: 3rd person

Series: Once Upon A Dickens Christmas

12 Days At Bleakly Manor – Book 1

A Tale of Two Hearts – Book 2 (expected publication date: 2018)

Where you can find 12 Days At Bleakly Manor: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

When CLARA CHAPMAN receives an intriguing invitation to spend Christmas at an English manor home, she is hesitant yet compelled to attend—for if she remains the duration of the twelve-day celebration, she is promised a sum of one thousand pounds. That’s enough money to bring her brother back from America and reinstate their stolen family fortune. But is she walking into danger? It appears so, especially when she comes face to face with one of the other guests—her former fiancé, BENJAMIN LANE.

Imprisoned unjustly, Ben wants revenge on whoever stole his honor. When he’s given the chance to gain his freedom, he jumps at it—and is faced with the anger of the woman he stood up at the altar.

Brought together under mysterious circumstances for the Twelve Days of Christmas, Clara and Ben discover that what they’ve been striving for isn’t what ultimately matters. What matters most is what Christmas is all about . . . love.

Trigger Warning: None

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Immortality Experiment: A Virtual Reality Thriller (Territoria: Book 1) by Vic Connor

Immortality Experiment: A Virtual Reality Thriller (Territoria Book 1)

Title: Immortality Experiment

Author: Vic Connor

Publisher: Helvetic House

Date of publication: May 21st, 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery

Number of pages: 406

POV: 3rd person

Series: Territoria

Immortality Experiment – Book 1

Where you can find Immortality Experiment: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Immigrant. Criminal. Genius.

Abandoned as a child and fostered around a foreign city, Nikolay Somov had little hope of a successful life. Then he was wrongly convicted of a heinous crime and all hope was dashed. 

Imprisoned and awaiting execution, Nikolay receives an offer: Go on a mission inside the secret, government-controlled virtual world known as Territoria or die. 

Within the virtual world, Nikolay enrolls in the mysterious Ravenscroft Academy alongside humans, ogres, faeries, and gargoyles. As he continues to explore his new home, Nikolay discovers a conspiracy wrought with inhumane actions, driven by his captors’ boundless lust for power. 

What he thought was a school for the gifted turns out to be something else altogether. Surrounded by avatars, under constant surveillance, and fearing his mind has been infiltrated, Nikolay must escape or never see the real world again. 

This is the second edition of “Ravenscroft Conspiracy,” revised and rewritten with the input from readers.

Trigger Warning: None

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