Unpunished (Gardiner and Renner: Book 2) by Lisa Black

Title: Unpunished

Author: Lisa Black

Publisher: Kensington Books

Date of publication: January 31st, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, General Fiction

Number of pages: 321

POV: 3rd person

Series: Gardiner and Renner

That Darkness – Book 1

Unpunished – Book 2

Can be read out-of-order from series: No

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Maggie Gardiner, a forensic expert who studies the dead, and Jack Renner, a homicide cop who stalks the living, form an uneasy partnership to solve a series of murders in this powerful new thriller by the bestselling author of That Darkness.

It begins with the kind of bizarre death that makes headlines–literally. A copy editor at the Cleveland Herald is found hanging above the grinding wheels of the newspaper assembly line, a wide strap wrapped around his throat. Forensic investigator Maggie Gardiner has her suspicions about this apparent suicide inside the tsunami of tensions that is the news industry today–and when the evidence suggests murder, Maggie has no choice but to place her trust in the one person she doesn’t trust at all . . .

Jack Renner is a killer with a conscience, a vigilante with his own code of honor. In the past, Jack has used his skills and connections as a homicide detective to take the law into his own hands, all in the name of justice. He has only one problem: Maggie knows his secret. She insists he enforces the law, not subvert it. But when more newspaper employees are slain, Jack may be the only person who can help Maggie unmask the killer– even if Jack is still checking names off his own private murder list.

My review:

I really wish I had read That Darkness before I read Unpunished because I had so many questions about Maggie and Jack that couldn’t be answered in this book. I got frustrated because there were references to what happened to the first book and I had no clue what the characters were talking about.

But, besides my frustrations, I really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed it because it was a true vigilante/police novel. The last vigilante story that I read quickly turned into softcore book porn and the vigilante part was lost between the main characters bumping uglies. So, I was very pleased when this book didn’t even go near there.

I did like Maggie. She was so relatable on so many levels and she had a great relationship with her coworkers. She was a bit apprehensive when she found out that she was working with Jack on a case, but who wouldn’t be. I mean, she knows about his secret. She wasn’t unaffected by what happened to her (read the book to find out what) and she is required to see the police psychologist.

Now, Jack, on the other hand…..I wasn’t sure what to think of him. I wish I knew why he started vigilante killing (I am sure it was explained in the first book) because it would have explained a lot. I do know that I did start to see him soften towards Maggie, towards the end.

The newspaper storyline was pretty solid and moved rather quickly after the first victim was killed. I did have the killer pegged towards the middle book but doubted myself, took him off my list and added another person. All because of a red herring. Blah. I do want to say that I learned more about print newspapers and their equipment then I ever wanted to know.

The other storyline of Jack being a vigilante killer was barely touched upon. I do wish that it was included more in the book but I have a feeling it will be featured more in the next book. The reason I feel that way is because of certain events that happened towards the back of the book.

The end of the book was pretty gruesome and, to be honest, drug out a bit. I was a little surprised at who the killer was (see above). I will say that Maggie got the short end of the stick, again and that Jack seemed like he was softening up towards her.

How many stars will I give Unpunished: 4

Why: While I really liked the book, I do wish I had read book 1 before reading this one. Other than that, the book was great. The characters were engaging, the mystery was pretty good (had me going for a little while) and the thriller parts of the book were very well written. I do wish that more attention was paid towards Jack and him being a vigilante but at the same time, I do think that it would have taken away from the main storyline (the killings of newspaper employees).

Will I reread: Yes but only after reading book 1.

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence and language

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney

The Girl Before: A Novel by [Delaney, JP]

Title: The Girl Before

Author: J.P. Delaney

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine

Date of publication: January 24th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Number of pages: 352

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: No

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.

The request seems odd, even intrusive—and for the two women who answer, the consequences are devastating.

Emma
Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate-glass, and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant—and it does.

Jane
After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space—and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people, and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.

My review:

Emma and Si were looking for a new apartment (or flat as they call it in England) after Emma was attacked in a burglary. All of the apartments that Emma and Si visited were no good for various reasons. The agent was at the end of his rope until he remembers this one house that was on the market. Emma is intrigued and they are able to go and see it. The house is a work of art, with a state of the art computer system that runs the house and a minimalist design. Emma falls in love with the house and fills out the application. After an anxiety-filled wait, Si and she get the 2nd meeting. That’s where they meet Edward Monkford, the owner and architect of the house. Needless to say, they are approved.

Jane is recovering from having a stillbirth that could have been prevented if the hospital had more staffing and more Doppler radars. She decides that she needs a change of scenery and starts looking for apartments/houses to rent. Perchance, she is told about One Folgate Street by her realtor and makes the decision to fill out the application. Like, Emma, Jane is granted a 2nd interview and like Emma, she signs a very specific and odd lease once Edward decides she can rent it.

Both Emma and Jane find out that Edward has a tragic past. His wife, Elizabeth, and his son were killed in an accident on the site of one of his projects. They also both find out that there was a cloud of suspicion hovering over Edward about that.

But this is where Jane and Emma’s stories differ.

Emma and Si don’t last very long in the house. Emma actually breaks it off with Si, who takes it very hard, and starts a relationship with Edward. But, the more the author reveals about Emma, the more you start wondering if everything that is happening is in her head.

Jane also starts a relationship with Edward, shortly after moving into the house. Around the same time, Jane finds out about Emma’s death and starts researching it. All of the information points towards Edward being her killer but Jane can’t help but something’s off about that.

This book sticks to the thriller and mystery elements, unlike some of the other books that I have read. I was genuinely surprised by the 180 one character does. It took me by surprise that the web of lies that was spun was so extensive and that the character just didn’t know when to stop.

The ending was a little sad and I had to reread it a couple of times to understand what happened. Then to have another renter show up and look at the house….shudder. What a sequel that would make!!!!

How many stars will I give The Girl Before: 4

Why: A thriller/mystery that genuinely had me guessing until the big reveal. The plot twists were done in such a way that you couldn’t help but be shocked. And the ending was the biggest one of all…

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, and language. A scene of a mother saying goodbye to her still-born child (which was heartbreaking), a scene of a badly brutalized kitten and a scene of someone’s head smashing off a marble floor.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Russian Holiday (Paladine Political Thriller Series: Book 2) by Kenneth Eade

Russian Holiday, an American Assassin's story (Paladine Political Thriller Series Book 2) by [Eade, Kenneth]

4 Stars

Publisher: Times Square Publishing

Date of publication: December 17th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Paladine Political Thriller

Paladine — Book 1 (Review here)

Russian Holiday — Book 2

Traffick Stop—Book 3

Unwanted—Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Paladine, terrorism’s worst enemy, is back in this sequel to the hit political thriller.

From the best-selling & award winning author critics hail as “one of the strongest thriller writers on our scene” comes the continuation of the unforgettable story of an unlikely “anti-hero,” Robert Garcia, a dangerous and unfeeling assassin of jihadist terrorists, has been exalted by social media as “Paladine”, a living paladin whose mission is to rid the earth of evil for the betterment of mankind. In this installment of the series, Paladine crosses paths with a Russian assassin, which puts him in the middle of the controversial new cold war between the United States and Russia.

My review:

Russian Holiday starts with Robert Garcia, aka Paladine, doing a covert op mission. It is a sanctioned hit on General Abu Muslim al-Basara, a former member of Saddam Hussein’s Royal Guard and now an Isis terrorist in the city of Aleppo. The hit itself goes off without a hitch, but Robert ran into problems with getting out of there.

The pickup vehicle wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Luckily, Robert had a Plan B. A motorcycle that is stashed nearby. As Robert leaves, he is followed by a truck with terrorists hell-bent on getting to him. Desperate to escape, he shoots down a Black Hawk helicopter that was coming to get him to buy him a little time. Not that it worked, he ends up with a group of Isis militants.

After suffering a bad beating, which broke his nose, Robert is taken to their headquarters, where he is prepped for live execution. Right before his execution, the base is attacked. Robert is saved by a jeep full of Russian soldiers who were involved in the raid of the base.

After contacting his boss (who did screw up on the pick up) and informing him that he was on vacation, Robert decides to go with one of the soldiers to Moscow as part of his vacation. But, before he heads there, he goes to a bank in Iskenderun, where he maintains a safe deposit box. That box has several identities, money, phones, and a gun. Robert only takes the money, a passport, and one of the phones before going to Moscow with the soldier.

Back in the CIA headquarters, an alarm goes off, alerting Robert’s handler that Robert has gone off the grid. At the same time, the head of the CIA is getting briefed about the same situation. He is upset and worried because even though Robert was an illegal operative, he could still be tortured and could still give the Russians secret information.

While that drama is happening, Robert is having a grand old-time in Russia. He and Lyosha (the solider) are becoming good friends, well as good as a friend as he can be with a Russian. Lyosha has generously provided him with an apartment, clothes, and money. They go dancing every night, and it was at one of those dance clubs, Robert meets Svetlana (or Lana), a beautiful Russian girl. He forms an immediate connection with her.

After discovering a tail on him during a date with Lana, Robert decides that Moscow has become too hot for him and heads to Paris, where he has an apartment. His boss, the man with no name, is sitting in his apartment and has an assignment for him in Paris. Robert argues that he never does jobs where he lives. The man with no name tells him “too bad, we own you” and leaves after giving Robert the specifics on the job.

I enjoyed reading this book. It kept to its thriller roots. I liked seeing Robert being portrayed as a human being and enjoying himself while he was on vacation. He was able to relax and enjoy being with a friend. It made him more human to me. Is it wrong that when Lyosha spoke, I got the Russian accent right in my head? Not sure how it would sound if I did it in real life, though. Probably horrible.

The action in this book was great. I was kept on edge with what Robert was going to do next with his assignments, and when he executed them, it was perfect.

The ending was somewhat anticlimactic, but it wasn’t bad. Having grown up in a large Greek community and hearing malaka used all the time, I giggled when I read it. The way the book ended, I am wondering if there will be a book 3.

I would give Russian Holiday an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Russian Holiday. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

House of Silence by Sarah Barthel

4 Stars

Publisher: Kensington Books, Kensington

Date of publication: December 27th, 2016

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Oak Park, Illinois, 1875. Isabelle Larkin’s future—like that of every young woman—hinges upon her choice of husband. She delights her mother by becoming engaged to Gregory Gallagher, who is charismatic, politically ambitious, and publicly devoted. But Isabelle’s visions of a happy, profitable match come to a halt when she witnesses her fiancé commit a horrific crime—and no one believes her.

Gregory denies all, and Isabelle’s mother insists she marries as planned rather than drag them into a scandal. Fearing for her life, Isabelle can think of only one escape: she feigns a mental breakdown that renders her mute and is brought to Bellevue sanitarium. There she finds a friend in fellow patient Mary Todd Lincoln, committed after her husband’s assassination.

In this unlikely refuge, the women become allies, even as Isabelle maintains a veneer of madness for her own protection. But sooner or later, she must reclaim her voice. And if she uses it to expose the truth, Isabelle risks far more than she could ever imagine.

Weaving together a thread of finely tuned suspense with a fascinating setting and real-life figures, Sarah Barthel’s debut is historical fiction at its most evocative and compelling.

My review:

Isabelle is the envy of all the girls in Oak Park. She has caught the eye of handsome Gregory Gallagher, and he proposed to her. In an age where marriages are usually treated as business contracts, she considers herself lucky that she loves Gregory, and he loves her.

The night of her engagement party, Isabelle is ecstatic but, at the same time, worried about her friend Lucy. Lucy was too supposed to elope with her true love, Patrick, against the wishes of her mother. Isabelle was surprised when she sees Lucy at her engagement party. As soon as she can, Isabelle speaks to Lucy and finds out that Patrick was called out-of-town to tend to his sick mother. Lucy is understandably upset and resigned to the fact that her mother will marry her off to the highest bidder.

Isabelle is half listening to Lucy when she sees Gregory heading out to the garden. She decides to follow him and finds him talking to a servant girl in the garden. When she asks who that was, he explains that she was a servant girl, and she wanted to speak to him in the garden about a misunderstanding. Isabelle (who is a smart cookie) doesn’t quite believe him and follows him back to the party.

The next day, Isabelle is on her way lunch with her mother after a morning full of appointments. Her maid tells her that someone wants to have a word with her and asks Isabelle to pretend to miss a glove. The person who wants to meet her, the girl from the night before.

What Isabelle hears from the girl throws doubt on her relationship with Gregory. The girl, Katerina, tells Isabelle that she knew Gregory when he was growing up in Joliet, and she wants Isabelle to give him a message. Isabelle tells her she must have the wrong Gregory, but she will be happy to deliver the message for her. The girl is upset but doesn’t say any more.

She does tell Gregory and he reconfirmed that he doesn’t know her, which puts Isabelle at ease. A few days later, Isabelle decides to visit her maid, Abigail, at her house to give her a basket full of fruit, muffins, and tea to thank her for helping her pick out the dress. When Abigail is bringing the basket into the house, Isabelle is left outside, kicking stones. One of the stones goes several houses down, and she follows it. Isabelle hears Gregory and Katerina yelling. She goes to look in the front window, and what she sees terrifies her. She watches as Gregory strangles Katerina to death.

Traumatized by what she has seen, Isabelle stays where she was until dusk. She goes to look at the body and almost gets caught by Gregory when he comes back to move Katerina. Isabelle leaves the house and heads towards Abigail’s house, where she promptly passes out after twisting her ankle. When she comes too, she tries to tell her mother and Dr what she has seen. But they don’t believe her. Her mother tells her that Isabelle must have made it up, that Gregory is a good boy, and that Isabelle is lucky to be marrying him.

After having several run-ins with her mother and Gregory, Isabelle decides that going to a sanitarium would be the best thing for her. So she goes voluntarily mute and starts throwing horrible fits. The next day she was on her way there.

The sanitarium that she goes to is called the Bellevue Sanitarium. While residing there, Isabelle meets some colorful people but none more unusual than Mary Todd Lincoln, the widow of Abraham Lincoln. She is admitted shortly after Isabelle, and soon the two of them are friends.

I liked Isabelle. She was so stubborn, and she stood by her story, even if it meant pretending to be insane to avoid marrying Gregory. I felt terrible for her because her mother should have believed her. During those scenes, I wanted to reach through the book and hug her.

Isabelle’s mother was one of the worse characters I have read in a book in a long time. I couldn’t stand her. She was very self-centered. I seriously wanted to smack her. She didn’t even pretend to care about Isabelle.

Historically, the book was on point. The author did a great job of adapting the time Mary Todd Lincoln spent in the Bellevue Sanitarium (and she did) into an excellent thriller.

There wasn’t a mystery to this book, though. You know everything upfront. But it was a mystery as to what Gregory would do when he finally got a hold of Isabelle.

The end of the book was great but somewhat predictable. I thought the girl power element was significant. I did feel bad for Gregory when everything was revealed, though.

I would give House of Silence an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread House of Silence. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Lost in Time (The Fine Art of Deception: Book 3) by Alyssa Richards

Lost in Time: A Time Travel Romance Book Series (The Fine Art of Deception 3) by [Richards, Alyssa]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 22nd, 2016

Genre: Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller

Series: The Fine Art of Deception

Undoing Time – Book 1 (Review here)

Somewhere In Time – Book 2 (Review here)

Lost In Time – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Searching for the answers she needs, will Addie lose everything she has?

Adeline “Addie” Montgomery is searching for the truth. As she and Blake travel back to 1922, she expects her nemesis Otto is behind a string of art forgeries. The only problem is that the villain has completely disappeared. Addie must now find Otto without blowing her cover to keep the past intact, as long as a lover from a past life doesn’t get in the way…

Blake Greenwood wants nothing more than to catch Otto and return to the present with Addie, the love of his life. When his mother goes missing as well, he leaves Addie alone with his half-brother to save his family. As the future begins to change in unexpected ways, Blake and Addie begin to question everything. Can they find Otto and save their relationship before what they had disappears for good?

Lost In Time is the third book in an absorbing series of paranormal romance time travel novels. If you like museum capers, psychic powers, time travel, and steamy romance, then you’ll love Alyssa Richards’ thrilling conclusion to the Fine Art of Deception Series.

My review:

Lost in Time starts two years after Addie, Blake, and Philippe were sent through a painting by Otto. After making sure they weren’t able to get home, Otto then kidnapped Carolena, Blake’s mother and disappears. Blake has searched tirelessly for the paintings. Also, in the past with them are Addie’s father and grandfather, also banished there by Otto.

Addie and Blake have been cautious about who they talk to in the past. They do not want to change future events. That comes to a head when Blake meets Sarah, who Addie is reincarnated as in the future, and Addie meets Jack, who is Blake reincarnated in the future. Taken by surprise by a kiss, Addie warns Jack to be careful. What happens with those words changes her and Blake’s future and present in a big way

Addie also has become very irritated by her relationship with Blake. In the two years that they have been there, he has become very focused on finding his mother and a way home, leaving Addie feeling alone and abandoned. The only way that they connect these days is when they have sex, and even then, Blake is holding a piece of himself back.

Then they get word that Carolena is definitely in Paris, and they all head there to get her. Meanwhile, back in the future, Addie’s grandmother notices that a weird cloud is covering Blake in every single picture that they have. She finally realizes that something must have happened in the past for Blake to start being erased and sends word to Addie through the first edition of an F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book. They use that book to communicate with everyone.

I loved that the author chose to make Blake and Addie got through relationship difficulties, instead of everything is peachy keen. The ups and downs of their relationship were so realistic and added so much to the book. I mean, even Addie pleading with Blake to please open up, to please let her in, is something that everyone is relationships have said at one point.

Addie was a fish out of water in the early 1920s. I don’t know if I would have been able to pull off what society expected a woman in the era to be, and I give her props for doing it.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Addie’s gifts in full force in this book. I mean, she did talk to 2 ghosts, she was able to pick up on Carolena just by touching a tub, and she used her abilities to see if the paintings were a forgery or not (and her other gift was also used). I just wanted to see her interact more with the ghosts. I know, weird.

Blake had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I felt terrible for him. He was trying to protect (or control, depends on how you look at it) Addie, find his mother, find Otto, and find the paintings that can bring them home. Blake has been at it for two years, and I am surprised that he didn’t crack under pressure. He was at one point in the book, starting to act just like his father. I wanted to reach through and give him a smack on the back of the head and tell him to knock it off.

The sex scenes between Blake and Addie was as hot as ever. Those scenes scorched the pages; they were so hot, which was very good.

The end of the book was sad, in places, and it was what I expected. All of the storylines were resolved in a very satisfactory way. I will say that I didn’t expect the people to stay in the past who stayed. Looking back, there were signs, but I was still surprised.

The series as a whole was excellent. I think I learned more about art from this series of books, then I expected.

I would give Lost in Time an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Lost in Time. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Many by Nathan Field

The Many: The cult psychological thriller by [Field, Nathan]

4 Stars

Publisher: Silvermac Publishing

Date of publication: July 12th, 2016

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: The Many

The Many—Book 1

Ancestral—Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Karl notices something odd about his sister the morning after a blind date. A coldness in her manner; nothing anyone else would notice. Suspicious, he confronts her about the date but she turns nasty, accusing him of taking a perverse interest in her sex life.

When he next sees her, months later, she seems back to normal, until a harmless comment provokes a sudden, violent response. As her mental state fluctuates, Karl seeks out the man she dated just before her personality began to change, convinced she is suppressing a painful memory from that night. But what he discovers is something far more sinister, and pervasive, than he’d ever imagined.

Strictly for adult readers, THE MANY are the first book of a series that explores the dark side of the world we live in and sheds light on a shadowy evil that is both disturbing and eerily familiar.

My review:

Karl’s sister came home acting very weird after a blind date. Concerned that she had been date raped, Karl asks her what the matter. She lashes out in an inappropriate way, accusing Karl of having incestuous thoughts of her and wanting to sleep with her. Shortly afterward, Karl moves out, unable to deal with the insane things she was saying.

The next time Karl sees her is at Thanksgiving, and she acts like nothing is wrong. That is until Karl brings up that night, that’s when she goes bat poop crazy. His sister attacks their mother, twice, and then attacks Karl. Karl was able to restrain her, and when she calms down, he convinces her to go to his friend’s mother….a respectable psychologist. What she reveals there concerns Karl. But before he or the psychologist can act on what was told, she jumps out of the window. But before she dies, his sister tells them who she went on the blind date with, and now Karl is on a mission to discover what exactly happened to his sister the night of her blind date.

Dawn is a 17-year-old living a good life with her mother, Isobel. Isobel, who had just broken up with her long-term girlfriend, had scored a date on a lesbian dating site. Even though Dawn thought the woman looked mean, she encouraged her mother to go out on a date with her. Which, in hindsight, could have been the worse thing she could have done.

Dawn wakes up the next morning to a vastly different Isobel. An Isobel who was disconnected and short with her. An Isobel who hints at things that they both did that nighs, even though Dawn was home all night. Even so, Dawn was surprised when she got up one Saturday morning, and Isobel was gone. All her mother left her was a note. Panicked, she calls the police but gets a blown off. All she had left was to discover what happened the night Isobel went on her blind date.

As Dawn is dealing with that, Karl is dealing with the aftermath of his sister’s suicide. After confronting her date, almost getting arrested, and then hiring a PI, Karl meets a mystery woman who invites him back to her loft for a drink and some fun. He barely escapes after being drugged.

Dawn is dealing with her stuff. Creating a fake profile on the dating site, she meets another woman who has had an encounter with the mystery woman. Meeting up with her and hearing what that woman had to say, Dawn goes to the police, only to be told that they couldn’t help her. She also gets a phone call from the mystery woman, who threatens her. After that phone call, Isobel shows up and is a mess. She starts to go after Dawn, who runs out of the house, and Isobel gets hit by a car and dies. Shortly after her funeral, Dawn is contacted by Karl, and they discover that they have a lot in common, the main thing being that their loved ones had contact with both the mystery man and mystery woman.

The rest of the book, from that point on, was excellent. I liked that the author incorporated mind-altering drugs and mind control experiments into the story. The whole backstory about that was fascinating, and I do wish that more time was spent on it and on the guy who was told to eat until he was obese and how it affected his life.

Dawn had to have been my favorite character in the book. She was smart, she was very sarcastic, and she thought on her feet.

I did like Karl, but I did think he was a bit of a dummy in certain parts of the book. Mainly Dawn’s blind date. I wanted to yell at him when he hung up on the police.

The plot twist was hinted at the beginning of the book but wasn’t confirmed until the end. And, to be honest, it was gross but it explained a lot.

The end of the book was exciting. The main storyline was resolved, but before it was, a whole other storyline was exposed, and the end of the book left it open for the next book.

I would give The Many an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Many. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

A Secondhand Life (Killer Thriller: Book 1) by Pamela Crane

A Secondhand Life (The Killer Thriller Series Book 1) by [Crane, Pamela]

4 Stars

Publisher: Tabella House

Date of publication: March 18th, 2018

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense

Series: Killer Thriller

A Secondhand Lie—Book 0.5

A Secondhand Life—Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

A string of murdered girls. An innocent man behind bars. A serial killer still on the hunt.

In a freak collision when she was twelve, Mia Germaine faced death and the loss of her father. A heart transplant from a young murder victim saved her life, but not without a price. Twenty years later, chilling nightmares about an unresolved homicide begin to plague Mia. Compelled by these lost memories, she forms a complicated connection to the victim–the girl killed the night of Mia’s accident–due to a scientific phenomenon called “organ memory.”

Now suffocating beneath the weight of avenging a dead girl and catching a serial killer on the loose dubbed the “Triangle Terror,” Mia must dodge her own demons while unimaginable truths torment her–along with a killer set on making her his next victim.

As Mia tries to determine if her dreams are clues or disturbing phantasms, uninvited specters lead her further into danger’s path, costing her the one person who can save her from herself.

More than a page-turning thriller, A Secondhand Life weaves a tale of second chances and reclaimed dreams as this taut, refreshing story ensnares and penetrates you.

Readers of Gilly Macmillan and The Woman in the Window will enjoy the provocative prose and unreliable narrator that makes you realize you don’t really know what you thought you did.

My review:

I am going to start this review off with something that I rarely do. I am absolutely in love with the cover. It caught my eye, and I will stare at it. I think because it is so simple (a girl hugging herself in black and white with a black splash of something across her back).

Now that I am done drooling over the cover, let’s get this review going.

Mia grew on me during this book. When I first started reading it, I thought she was a little self-centered, impulsive, and hugely hung up on how her scar looked. But, as the book progressed and the deeper into her search on who killed Alexis, Mia evolved. She became this person who was the opposite of what I said above. At the end of the book, well, let’s say that forgiveness is everything.

The mystery surrounding the killer was great, and the author threw out red herrings left and right. When it was revealed who the killer (and the serial killer) was, I was genuinely shocked and then saddened.

I found organ memory fascinating and plan on doing a little more research on it. Just the thought of an organ retaining memory intrigues me.

The end of the book (and the epilogue) was great and I had tears in my eyes. I do hope that there will be a book 2.

I would give A Secondhand Life an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread A Secondhand Life. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Duplicity (Julia Gooden Mystery: Book 2) by Jane Haseldine

Duplicity (A Julia Gooden Mystery Book 2) by [Haseldine, Jane]

5 Stars

Publisher: Pinnacle Books

Date of publication: January 1st, 2018

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Julia Gooden Mystery

The Last Time She Saw Him – Book 1 (review here)

Duplicity – Book 2

Worth Killing For—Book 3

You Fit the Pattern—Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

In Jane Haseldine’s new novel of riveting suspense, Detroit newspaper reporter Julia Gooden is up against the city’s most devious criminal—and her own painful past.

Julia Gooden knows how to juggle different lives. A successful crime reporter, she covers the grittiest stories in the city while raising her two young boys in the suburbs. But beneath that accomplished façade is another Julia, still consumed by a tragedy that unfolded thirty years ago when her nine-year-old brother disappeared without a trace.

Julia’s marriage, too, is a balancing act, as she tries to rekindle her relationship with her husband, Assistant District Attorney David Tanner, while maintaining professional boundaries. David is about to bring Nick Rossi to trial for crimes that include drug trafficking, illegal gambling, and bribery. But the story becomes much more urgent when a courthouse bomb claims several victims—including the prosecution’s key witness—and leaves David critically injured.

Though Julia is certain that Rossi orchestrated the attack, the case against him is collapsing, and his power and connections run high and wide. With the help of Detective Raymond Navarro of the Detroit PD, she starts following a trail of blackmail, payback, and political ambition, little imagining where it will lead. Julia has risked her career before, but this time innocent lives—including her children’s—hang in the balance, and justice may come too late to save what truly matters…

My review:

I was excited when Jane Haseldine contacted me to review her 2nd book in the Julia Gooden series. I had absolutely loved The Last Time She Saw Him and hoped that Duplicity would be just as good. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book starts a few months after The Last Time She Saw Him ended. Julia and David are working on repairing their marriage. David flaked out during the last book and moved out when things got tough. He also had an affair with a fellow lawyer. Julia is working on trusting David and she is going to therapy to help get over the guilt she carried over her brother’s disappearance when she was seven.

Julia is working on a story about Nick Rossi, who is on trial for a number of charges. Which seems like a conflict of interest but she claims it isn’t. The same day that she is going to be in court, following the trail, her son, Logan is going on a field trip to the courthouse. She promises Logan that she will be there for the field trip.

While reading a newspaper, she finds out that the identity of the key witness was leaked to the press. This means that Rossi knows who he is and there is concern that he will try to take him out. She tries to call David to warn him, but he isn’t answering his phone. So she heads towards the courthouse, when the bomb goes off. The bomb kills 13 people and injures many more, including David and the judge presiding over the case. Luckily Logan’s bus got caught up in traffic and never made it to the courthouse.

I loved the whodunit about the bomb because the author kept it under wraps and threw out red herrings left and right. Just when I thought I knew who set it, bam, it goes in a different direction. So when it was revealed who was the bomber at the end of the book, I was very surprised. Probably as surprised as Julia.

David did have my sympathy after he got hurt. But what came to light afterward, well let’s just say that I wouldn’t have been as nice as Julia. I probably would have beaten him in the hospital bed.

The end of the book was awesome. Full of action and surprises, I was kept in suspense until the very end.

I would give Duplicity an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Duplicity. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Lost Ones by Ben Cheetham

The Lost Ones: A psychological thriller full of twists and turns by [Cheetham, Ben]

4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Date of Publication: October 25th, 2016

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon |Barnes & Noble

Book synopsis:

Some secrets are better left undiscovered.

When a nine-year-old girl goes missing in Harwood Forest, the search for her brings back memories of an unsolved double murder some forty years earlier. Could the key to Erin Jackson’s disappearance lie in the bloody fate of Elijah and Joanna Ingham, bludgeoned to death while their young daughters slept? Were the Inghams really the victims of opportunistic burglars—or a more sinister fate?

The woods are combed for signs of the child, but Erin’s brother, Jake, mounts his own investigation, uncovering evidence that puts the Inghams’ daughters—vanished Rachel and ‘crazy’ Mary—in the frame. Meanwhile, Erin’s father suspects that the ragtag army of eco-warriors besieging his quarry development may have something to hide.

As devastating secrets and betrayals are revealed, the Jackson family is brought to a breaking point. But time is running out. Erin is still missing and Jake’s unorthodox inquiries have left him dangerously exposed. They must find Erin and lay the past to rest—before they become its latest victims.

My review:

Tom Jackson started off having a good day. He had won the approval of his village’s council to reopen an abandoned quarry near a historical site, over the objections of a group of eco-warriors and Druids that are objecting to them even opening the quarry. Then he gets a phone call that is the beginning of the end. His 9-year-old daughter, Erin, has gone missing while on a walk in the woods with her mother, Amanda.

While the whole town starts a search party and the local police launch an investigation, Jake, Erin’s older brother, decides to go into an abandoned house where two people were murdered over 40 years ago. After being attacked by a rook, killing it, and rescuing its babies, Jake is drawn into an awful confrontation with his mother and father. That sends him running back to the house, and what he finds there is something that can unravel the world as he knows it.

Tom and Amanda, in the meanwhile, are having struggles of their own. Secrets come to light during the investigation. Those secrets threaten to destroy their marriage and commitment to each other.

Seth is a young man who happens to be in town at the same time that Erin disappears. He has his agenda and wants to right a wrong that occurred over 40 years ago. He is caught up in the search, and his plan is taking a back seat to the search and rescue.

Mary is the surviving daughter of the people who were murdered over 40 years ago. Called “Crazy” Mary, she never talks, lives in a secluded bungalow with her cats, and acts weird. She knows who killed her parents but is rendered mute due to that trauma.

Everything is tied together in an explosive ending!!!

This book is very fast-paced right from the get-go. I mean, I scorched through 1/2 of the book within a day and the other half the next day. The book had me that sucked into it.

I did figure out who killed the Ingham’s about halfway through the book, but even though I figured it out, I was surprised at why that person did it and how this person would go to cover their tracks.

The multiple storylines in the book were wonderfully brought together at the end of the book. The ending was a bit of a shock, actually a huge shock. I wasn’t expecting what happened to happen.

I would give The Lost Ones an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Lost Ones. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Mortom by Erik Therme

4 Stars

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Published: April 28th, 2015

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Andy Crowl barely knew his recently deceased cousin, Craig Moore, so he’s especially surprised to be named as the sole beneficiary in Craig’s will. Not that there’s much to inherit: just an empty bank account and a run-down house.

Once Andy arrives in the town of Mortom, however, he’s drawn into his puzzle-obsessed cousin’s true legacy: a twisted and ominous treasure hunt. Beckoned by macabre clues of dead rats and cemetery keys, Andy jumps into the game, hoping to discover untold wealth. But unsavory secrets–and unanswered questions about Craig’s untimely demise–arise at every turn, leading Andy to wonder if he’s playing the game…or if the game is playing him.

Revised edition: This edition of Mortom includes editorial revisions.

My review:

I am not one to be creeped out by a book. To be honest, the last book that genuinely creeped me out was “It” by Stephen King. So, I wasn’t expected to be as creeped out as I was by Mortom. It wasn’t scary but any means but Andy’s actions and his obsession creeped me out. By the end of the book, all he thought about was getting the prize.

The story starts off with Andy Crowl and his sister, Kate, traveling to the town of Mortom to settle the estate of their late cousin, Craig. Craig had died a couple of weeks earlier what many people, including Andy and Kate, considered an accident. He drowned in a local lake. While they are waiting for the bank manager to show up, they explore the house. While in the kitchen, Andy discovers a huge rat, dead under the refrigerator. When he pulled it out from under the fridge (it stunk), he discovered that it had a key stuck down its throat with a note wrapped around it. All the note said was “Follow Me”.

From this point on, Andy is following the clues left for him and is growing increasingly erratic in his behavior and his obsession with following the clues to whatever prize it at the end. According to a note that Andy found, as part of a clue, Andy has until Friday to find the prize. They also discovered Craig’s death wasn’t accidental….that is was planned because….Craig had a brain tumor, it wasn’t operable and he wanted to die on his own terms.

I did feel bad for Kate after this point because of how Andy was acting. He was becoming more and more obsessed with finding whatever Craig hid. He was assuming it was money. Also, Kate was dealing with her own issues but you really need the book to find out what.

Andy annoyed me. He was acting like a man-child and would throw fits when Kate tried to talk sense into him. His obsession with finding the prize did almost have some disastrous consequences for him and for Kate. But does he realize that? No, he doesn’t and he keeps at it.

The suspense that built throughout the book was great. I knew that the book was heading towards something bad but I didn’t know what, where, who or why. When the climax did happen, it happened with a bang and definitely didn’t let me down. I was sufficiently creeped out by Andy by the end of the book.

Speaking of the end of the book, oh boy did what was revealed take me by surprise. Now, I will say that looking back, there are hints dropped throughout the book but they kinda took a back-burner to the main story.

I would give Mortom an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Mortom. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

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