It's prom night and the teens are dressed to impress and ready to party. It was supposed to be a night to remember but the night turns into a horrific nightmare. When their limousine fails to take the teen couples to prom, married couple, Sheriff Jenna Alton and her deputy, David Kane, are called to investigate. They come across a grim scene when the limousine and 5 bodies are found. The females are missing, and the killer left no clues behind.
Jenna is working against time in more ways than one in this book. She is pregnant and near her due date and the clock is ticking as every second counts in missing person cases. Could this be the work of a copycat killer? This case has strong similarities to another case she worked. Who is the sinister and evil person responsible for the deaths and missing girls? Will Jenna, Kane, and the other law professionals solve this case in time to save the missing girls???????
This book was dripping with dread, danger, tension, anxiety, and atmosphere. Whew! This book kept me on my toes and turning those pages. I felt for the victims and the officers tasked with finding any survivors. The side/supporting characters are fantastic and always contribute to the plot and investigations. I love both Jenna and Kane and enjoying how D.K. Hood also showcases the3ir home life with their son Tauri. This provides a well-rounded view of the characters, their personalities, and their sense of community/found family withe those close to them.
D.K. Hood did a tremendous job of creating a diabolical evil character and her vivid descriptions had me feeling as if I was right there during the action as a silent observer. She really put me through a ringer of emotions while reading this book. D.K. Hood has the knack for creating a sense of urgency in readers as her characters search for clues and conduct their investigations. As with the other books in this series, there is great character development, intriguing investigations, and brilliant investigative work. I am already chomping at the bit, with my fingers crossed that I won't have to wait too long for the next book in this brilliant and gripping series to come out.
Wonderfully written, well thought out, perfectly paced and hard to put down! If you have not read this series, you are missing out. On the bright side, most of the books in this fabulous series (such as this one), can be read a stand-alone novel.
*a Buddy read with Bec. Please read her review as well to get her thoughts on Good Girls Don't Cry!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gripping, shocking, thrilling, thought provoking, heartbreaking, and hard to put down! Chevy Stevens took me on a wild roller coaster of a ride with TGripping, shocking, thrilling, thought provoking, heartbreaking, and hard to put down! Chevy Stevens took me on a wild roller coaster of a ride with The Hitchhikers! Whew! I had a hard time putting this book down as took me on a journey of emotions, thrills, chills, and danger! I loved the tension, the sense of danger, the dread, and how this book had me on the edge of my seat turning those pages as fast as I could read!!!
Its 1976 and Tom and Alice, are traveling in their RV hoping to not only mend their marriage after tragedy but to go on an adventure. They hope that this trip on a remote Canadian highway will bring them closer together. Unfortunately, it brings them into the path of danger.
Jenny and Simon are on the run and have left a trail of blood and devastation in their wake. They are a young, troubled couple who come upon Tom and Alice and see an opportunity to not only get transportation but to take hostages!
Holy Moly! This book had me feeling so many things. I felt sorry and had my fingers crossed for so many of the characters. The characters in this book went through so much before this book even started. Chevy Stevens does a great job of slowly telling readers the characters backstories making the characters feel more believable and real. Tragedy and pain affected all the characters in their lives. I went from disliking some of the characters to feeling for them and their circumstances. I thought the author nailed this aspect of the book.
Reading The Hitchhikers was like being on an adrenaline ride of survival. Be warned, there are some acts of violence in this book. As I mentioned this book put me and the readers through the ringer. Matching the violence and the quest for survival was the pacing which never let up. This book kept me on the edge as the tension, dread, and danger mounted. There were a few twists and turns along the way until a shocking moment at the end of the book - a moment that I never saw coming! I love it when that happens!
It has been quite some time since I have read a book by Chevy Stevens, and I am kicking myself. I forgot just how thrilling and shocking her books are!
Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, thrilling and hard to put down!
*This was a wonderful witches words buddy read with Norma, Brenda, and Mary Beth. Please read their terrific reviews as well to see their thoughts on The Hitchhikers!
4.5 review to follow
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Talk about southern grit! Whew! No one writes desperation like Michael Farris Smith! It's as if he knows it deep down in his soul. He has a knack for Talk about southern grit! Whew! No one writes desperation like Michael Farris Smith! It's as if he knows it deep down in his soul. He has a knack for writing about the downtrodden, about those who are down on their luck and have nothing left to give. He writes about broken people who may never be fixed or set right. He writes about desperate people, no-win choices, hope, and redemption. I found Lay Your Armor Down to be gripping, thought provoking, haunting, and intense. This book has a dark and dreary vibe throughout and feel of this book felt very much like a character as well as it carries the characters on their journey.
An old woman with dementia walks into a field in the middle of the night. She is drawn by a campfire. She is the beginning, but she is not the end. Two men have been given a mysterious job. They are to go find something precious. They only thing they are told is that "you’ll know it when you see it.". That is not much to go on and yet, they find a girl in an abandoned church cellar. She won't talk and yet they know, she is what/who they are looking for. Why is this child being hunted? What is to be done with or to her? It is clear to the men that there is something different about the girl. They take the girl and run. The girl is quite the mystery. There is something otherworldly about her. She is believed to have special powers....
While reading this book, I often wondered what the heck am I reading? Reading this book is like being blindfolded and sent to walk out in a field at night. It's dark, its eerie, is harrowing, it's unsettling, its mysterious. This book is dripping with atmosphere and tension. It sets the mood and when paired with the Mississippi setting, really nails the dark southern gothic vibe. During the book I wondered where this book was heading but enjoyed the desperation, the not quite knowing, the quest for survival, and redemption. What a thought-provoking book!
If you have not read a book by Michael Farris Smith before, you are seriously missing out!
Beautifully written, gothic, dark, and dripping with atmosphere.
*A witches words buddy read with Brenda and Norma. Please read their reviews as well to see what they thought of Lay Your Armor Down.
Thank you to Little, Brown and Company and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gripping, wonderfully written, well thought out, shocking, and hard to put down, Charlie Donlea delivered a thrilling and chilling read with Guess AgaGripping, wonderfully written, well thought out, shocking, and hard to put down, Charlie Donlea delivered a thrilling and chilling read with Guess Again! I was instantly drawn into the plot from the very first page and had a hard time putting this riveting and addictive book down! I loved the mystery and did my very best super sleuthing to figure out whodunit. I made a few very good guesses, but Donlea left me shocked and with my jaw hanging open with one startling revelation. Whew!
Ethan Hall, a former detective, and current doctor is approached by his partner, to help solve the cold case of 17-year-old Callie Jones (the governor's daughter) who disappeared ten years ago. This is only the beginning as Ethan must also come back into the orbit of Francis, an imprisoned serial killer, who seems to have a lot of knowledge about a case he was not involved with. Hmm........
Whew! This book kept me on my toes and then some. There are a lot of characters, and they all have a role to play in this addictive, shocking, gripping, and hard to put down mystery thriller. This book had me guessing again and again who could be behind the disappearance of Callie and the fate of another woman who has gone missing.
This book had tension, dread, and atmosphere dripping from the pages. I could feel the unease of many of the characters paired with the deviousness and menage of other characters. Guess Again proved to be a twist filled ride that kept the action coming and my pulse pounding. I loved how the past and the present collided in one scene that was a total shocker and left me and one character reeling! Plus, the ending has me crossing my finger and hoping that there will be another book featuring Ethan.
Gripping, shocking, fast paced, tense and wonderfully written.
A wonderful Witches Words read with Brenda, Norma, Mary Beth, and Carolyn. Be sure to read their reviews of Guess Again to get their thoughts on the book!!!
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gripping, raw, thought provoking, emotion evoking, heart breaking, and hard to put down! With her book, The Lies They Told, Ellen Marie Wiseman tackleGripping, raw, thought provoking, emotion evoking, heart breaking, and hard to put down! With her book, The Lies They Told, Ellen Marie Wiseman tackles sad and horrific time in American history. This work of historical fiction tackles the immigrant experience during the 1930's, poverty, prejudice, the Eugenics program, forced sterilizations, seizure of land, and loss to name a few. Let me tell you, it can be difficult to read with tears in your eyes and that is what I did at various times in this book.
Lena Conti, a young unwed mother from Germany has crossed the ocean and entered the United States through Ellis Island where she and her mother and brother are examined and only Lena and her baby are allowed to stay. Silas Wolfe, a widowed father, who was expecting Lena's mother, begrudgingly agrees to take on Lena and her baby to his cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his two children and his home.
I thought the author did a tremendous job of depicting both time and place in this book. She vividly described the cabin and mountains while introducing reader to Silas and his children. I felt for Lena and all that she went through. I could imagine her fear of leaving Germany in search of a better life in a new country. Her shock at being subjected to a very through exam only to be separated from her brother and mother. Imagine being a young woman in a new country with a young child, with nowhere to go, no money and facing starvation and prejudice. Luckily, she was taken in by Silas but the culture shock of being in a cabin, having to learn how to adapt to living with his family and learning how to care for his household. Just when I thought thing were going to be fine and Lena begins to meet and enjoy her neighbors, a woman from the State of Virginia's Eugenics Office stops pays them a visit......
Oh, how this book pulled on my heartstrings. I rooted for all the characters in this book. Bonnie, one of Silas's children stole every scene she was in. I loved her spunk and tenacity. My heart broke many times while reading this beautifully written book. I went from concern, to happy, to hopeful, to devastated, to angry, to hopeful, to heartbroken and back to hopeful again. This book put me and the characters through the ringer.
The author did a great job with her research and showing the plight of poor, rural, and down on their luck individuals. She showed how those who lived in the mountains had a strong sense of community and depicted their ways of supporting each other. She also showed how those in power abused it and took advantage of poor people who they viewed as uneducated, lacking in morals, unable to care for their children, their land, and. themselves.
Ellen Marie Wiseman has delivered another gripping and moving historical fiction book. She continues to wow me with her wonderful writing.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gripping, shocking, tense, thrilling and hard to put down, Karin Slaughter delivered with We Are All Guilty Here! Karin Slaughter does not shy away frGripping, shocking, tense, thrilling and hard to put down, Karin Slaughter delivered with We Are All Guilty Here! Karin Slaughter does not shy away from difficult subjects or scenes. She is known for her gritty and raw subject matter and intense storylines. She excels at police procedurals and creating complex characters dealing with real life issues. Her books tend to grab me from the very first page, and this book was no exception! In We Are All Guilty Here, two teenage girls have gone missing, and Officer Emmy Clifton will find herself investigating a case which hits close to home.
North Falls is a small town where everyone knows everyone. They are a tight knit community and when two local girls go missing, Emmy and her father Walter (the town Sheriff) are on the case! It's a tough, heat breaking case where one of the girls taken is Emmy's best friend's daughters. All involved with be affected by the girls being taken. In a town where everyone knows your name, everyone feels and sees your pain.
Years later, another girl is taken leaving Emmy and the rest of the police force scratching their heads while investigating the latest missing girl. Whoever said time heals all wounds, never lost someone they love. The town is still reeling from the last two girls who went missing, and now with another girl missing, their hearts have been ripped open yet again! The stakes are high and Jude, a recently retired FBI officer has returned to town and offers to help...
Whew! This was an addictive police procedural, but it was also a family tragedy affecting several families in North Falls. This book is full of secrets, trauma, lies, and loss Perhaps those in North Falls don't know their neighbors that well after all. Many of the characters will suffer loss while others will get redemption. The pages are dripping with tension, pain, loss, and grief. The pages are also filled with courage, strength, determination, and love.
We Are All Guilty Here is a firecracker of a book and the first in Karin Slaughter's new North Falls series!!!! I can't wait to read what comes next!
Wonderfully written, well thought out, mysterious, and tense!
4.5 stars
*A Buddy read with Carolyn, Brenda, and Norma from Witches Words!!! Please read their reviews to see if they were bewitched by Karin Slaughter's We Are All Guilty Here! Will they be guilty as enjoying this book as much as I did?????
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a wonderful work of historical fiction! This is the second book that I have read by Patti Callahan Henry and she has dazzled me yet again with heWhat a wonderful work of historical fiction! This is the second book that I have read by Patti Callahan Henry and she has dazzled me yet again with her wonderful writing, well thought out plot, vivid descriptions, great characters, and intriguing mystery. The first book I read by her was The Story She Left Behind, and if you have not read that book, I recommend it as well as this one! This book touches on family, war, guilt, life choices, family, love, storytelling, and loss.
During the second world war, Hazel and her younger sister, Flora are sent to a rural village to live with Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry. It is there that Hazel crates stories involving magical lands (Whisperwood) where they can go to escape their troubles. One day, Flora vanishes on the banks of the Thames River, and Hazel will carry her loss and guilt with her wherever she goes. Twenty years later, Hazel will open a book which contains the magical stories she created for her sister years ago....
This book is told through two timelines which provides reader with glimpses into the past while telling the story in the present (1960's) setting of the book. I so felt for Hazel and her feelings of lost and the guilt that she felt over her sister's disappearance. Although she felt loss and guiIt, Hazel also never gave up on knowing the truth about her sister's disappearance. She never gave up and was determined to get answers. I thought the author did a fantastic job at showing how loss and guilt can shape and affect someone's life. Like Hazel, I also tried my best to figure out what might have happened to Flora but never guessed the truth.
I loved how the author brought everything together. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions and I found it to be equal parts, heart wrenching and hopeful. I loved the emphasis on storytelling and how stories can help us escape and travel to magical places. I also loved the emphasis on bonds, family, love, never giving up, being hopeful, and connections. This book will break your heart but will also mend it along the way.
Gripping, evoking emotion, hard to put down, and a joy to read.
*This was a lovely witches words buddy read with Mary Beth, Carolyn, and Brenda. Please read their wonderful reviews as well!
**I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a wonderful job.
Eddie Flynn is back and this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew in The Devil's Advocate! This time Eddie will need to travel to BuckstoEddie Flynn is back and this time he may have bitten off more than he can chew in The Devil's Advocate! This time Eddie will need to travel to Buckstown, Alabama, to represent Andy Dubois who has been accused of viciously killing Skylar Edwards. The prosecutor on the case, Randal Korn, is known as the "King of Death Row." Korn loves sending people to their deaths. Everyone in town believes that Andy brutally murdered Skylar and they are out for his blood. Andy is fighting an uphill battle and Eddie Flynn is all he has left in hopes of making it out alive.
Eddie Flynn and his team arrive in town and are not given the southern charm welcome that they were hoping for. The good old boys have a club, and they are out to see Andy fry no matter what. Eddie must pull out all the stops to save his client and perhaps even himself.
This book was a little different from his other books. While I enjoyed this one, I wasn't as instantly gripped and engrossed in the plot as I usually am. Having said that, I still enjoyed this book and found myself experiencing several emotions while reading this book ranging from outrage, to hope, to sadness, to relief, etc. I did my fair share of booing and hissing at certain diabolical and evil characters while feeling for the poor treatment of another. This book does deal with racism, abuse of power, corruption, and capital punishment to name a few.
This book has its fair share of tension, drama, suspense, twists, reveals, and witty comments. I love how Eddie uses his street smarts to his advantage and how his team has become more like family.
*This was a witches words buddy read with Brenda~The Sisters~Book Witch. Please read her review as well to get her thoughts on the book.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gripping, atmospheric, tense and mysterious! The Witch's Orchard is a captivating debut by Archer Sullivan. I was instantly drawn into the plot, intriGripping, atmospheric, tense and mysterious! The Witch's Orchard is a captivating debut by Archer Sullivan. I was instantly drawn into the plot, intrigued by the characters, the creepy apple dolls and the local folklore. I loved the setting in Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina.
Annie Gore, a former Air Force Special Investigator, now private investigator has been hired by Max, a man whose sister was taken years ago and was never seen again. When Annie arrives in town, she notices the militaries of this town to the Appalachian town in which she grew up. She is informed that ten years ago three girls went missing with only one girl being returned.
As Annie begins her investigation, she asks those she talks to the same question and is giving differing answers regarding local folklore about a witch. This never gets old or feels repetitive. I was intrigued by the differing version of the same story. It brought to mind the say that "no two people see the same crime" Apparently no two people in town tell the same story of the witch of Quartz Creek!
I enjoyed the investigative work that Annie did. I enjoyed Annie's character and her interactions with those in the mountain town. I always try to do my own super sleuthing but never guessed whodunit. I love it what that happens. Archer Sullivan kept me guessing and turning those pages!
Such a wonderful debut novel! I loved the writing, the vivid descriptions, the pacing and the intriguing mysterious plot! Archer Sullivan has won me over and I hope to read more of her books in the future! Plus, I am keeping my fingers crossed that perhaps there will be more books featuring Annie.
Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping and atmospheric!
*This was a witches words buddy read with Mary Beth and Norma. Please read their reviews as well to see if they were as bewitched as I was by The Witch's Orchard!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Fifty-Fifty is gripping, shocking, and hard to put down. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor at one point! Whew! Steve Cavanagh has wowed me yet agaFifty-Fifty is gripping, shocking, and hard to put down. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor at one point! Whew! Steve Cavanagh has wowed me yet again with his 5th book in his Eddie Flynn series. If you have not read this series, you are seriously missing out! Eddie Flynn is a con man turned attorney who relies on the skills he learned in his younger days to help him in the court room. In Fifty-Fifty, two sisters, Alexandria and Sofia Avellino, are both on trial for the murder of their father. Each sister is claiming that the other one is the killer. A HUGE inheritance and justice are a stake. I enjoyed this aspect of two sisters being pitted against each other. Both seemed believable and I enjoyed not knowing who could be trusted and who was telling the truth.
Eddie has always prided himself of being a good judge of character. He is representing Sophia while new attorney, Kate Brooks is representing Alexandria. Both Eddie and Alexandria believe that their client is innocent. There are also sections of the book titled "She" which allows readers to get into the head of the diabolical killer! This makes things even more intriguing and interesting.
This book was a hard to put down page turner for me! I loved the courtroom scenes and Eddie's insight and antics while defending his client. I also enjoyed doing my own super sleuthing while reading and kept changing my mind about whodunit.
This book has a nice amount to tension, twist and turns, not to mention the suspense which occurred near the end of the book. This book had a few shocking scenes, and I loved. This proved to be another wonderfully written, well thought out, and thrilling installment in the series. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
*A wonderful Witches Words buddy read with Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch. Please read her review of Fifty-Fifty as well to get her thoughts on this book.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
I feel like a witch for saying this but A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping was dreadful. I hate writing bad reviews, I know authors put a lot of tiI feel like a witch for saying this but A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping was dreadful. I hate writing bad reviews, I know authors put a lot of time, heart, and soul, into the writing of their books, but I found no enjoyment reading this book. As you can see from the many reviews, other reviewers loved it. Not every book is for every reader. I am happy that this book is getting some love -just not from me.
I could not get into this book at all, but I kept going as I enjoyed the authors other book, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. I was hoping that I would find this book to be warm, charming, and a fun read. Unfortunately, I did not connect with the characters, the quest to get magic back, the romance, and did not enjoy the 'unique' side characters. I kept reading hoping that this book would get better, but sadly, I never warmed up to this book. It fell flat for me and I was left disappointed.
*A Witches Words buddy read with Dorie, Norma, and Carolyn. Please read their reviews as well to see what kind of spell this book cast on them.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own....more
Frankie Elkin is back! In Kiss Her Goodbye, Frankie has traveled to Tucson, Arizona to find Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee who has gone missing. HerFrankie Elkin is back! In Kiss Her Goodbye, Frankie has traveled to Tucson, Arizona to find Sabera Ahmadi, an Afghan refugee who has gone missing. Her husband does not seem worried but Sabera's friend knows that Sabera would not go anywhere without taking her three year old daughter with her. After find a unique living situation in which she must care for An Iguana named Petunia and some snakes.
Once Frankie is able to dig into her investigation, it becomes abundantly clear that there is more to the Ahmadi family than she could even imagine. This book goes back and forth to the present with Frankie's investigation and in the past during Sabera's young life in Kabul. It is a time of upheaval and Sabera experiences so much in such a short period of time.
Frankie continues to be a character to root for. She is not without her flaws and has seen hardship and addiction in her life. She is also resilient, determined, brave, and compassionate. Fans of this series will be happy with this latest installment. For those who have not read a book in this series, Kiss Her Goodbye will work very well as a stand alone book for you. Lisa Gardner gives enough background information on Frankie for new readers to becomes acquainted with her and what she does.
This book is full of tension, dread, mystery, heartbreak, and twists. I also enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book where she informs readers of what inspired her to write this book.
*A Witches Words buddy read with Dorie
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Julia Pritzker had suffered a lot of loss in the beginning of this book. First, she lost her adoptive parents, then her husband was murdered. She is gJulia Pritzker had suffered a lot of loss in the beginning of this book. First, she lost her adoptive parents, then her husband was murdered. She is grieving when she receives a letter informing her that Emilia Rossi has left her a Tuscan Villa in her will! She does not know Emilia Rossi but as she was adopted, she heads to Italy hoping to get some answers.
What she gets is more than she bargained for. Julia learns quite a bit about the woman who left her a villa and as she is coming to terms with everything she is learning, odd things begin to happen. Making things a little easier is meeting a handsome and charming man!
I listened to the audiobook and thought the narrator did a very good job of bringing this book to life. This book had several mysteries going on. Julia wants to know who killed her husband, who is behind the strange and odd things that are happening, and the truth about where she comes from.
From the description I thought I would enjoy this book much more than I did. There were some slow parts which I wanted to move along a bit faster. While I did enjoy this book, I didn't love it. The first part of the book was interesting and piqued my interest. The second half was okay, but I found that I wasn't enjoying it as much as I had the first half of the book. Even though I was getting answers and there were a few twists, this one fell flat at times. I found it a tad odd that Julia fell for another man while still wearing her wedding ring and grieving her husband. Does it happen. Yes, but her love interest seemed a little too good to be true....
This is one where you must suspend some disbelief and just go with the flow of it. At times this book takes a walk into OTT territory, but overall things do come together nicely. This book does have a supernatural element but it is small and worked nicely. This book touches on grief, astrology, and learning about your origins. I did enjoy how the mysteries unfolded and the resolution.
*Buddy Read with Mary Beth. Please read her review of The Unraveling of Julia to get her thoughts on the book!
Thank you to Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
*CRACK* That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark yet again with another thrilling, shocking, addictive and hard to put down book*CRACK* That is the sound of Lisa Regan hitting it out of the ballpark yet again with another thrilling, shocking, addictive and hard to put down book in her amazing Detective Josie Quinn series!!!! Seriously, this series keeps getting better and better!!!! Lisa Regan had my heart pounding, and my emotions stirred the entire book. I feel as if I were on an emotional roller coaster of mystery and thrills! Plus, that ending!!!!! Holy Crap! It left me with my jaw hanging open! I was literally speechless!
Whew! The book begins with Josie and Noah painting a room in their home, their thoughts on the future and their dreams of having a family. After Josie returns home after investigating a crime scene, she finds her home ransacked, blood on various surfaces and Noah is missing! I felt for her and was anxious and desperate for answers as well. The entire Denton police team jumped into action to not only find one of their own but to solve the mystery of the crime scene that Josie was initially investigating.
There were several times in this book where I wanted to high five several characters and time when I wanted to shake a couple of others. I have to say that Turner has begun to grow on me, and I am beside myself trying to figure out his connection with Josie's twin sister, Trinity.
This book is full of tension, dread, unease, and danger. It is also full of love, hope, and support from those in Josie's life. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and fully invested. Lisa Regan stunned and amazed me with this shocking, wonderfully written, and gripping page turner.
Wowza! This book was beyond fantastic! I loved every single page of it! Lisa Regan has outdone herself yet again. Each time I read a book in the series, I come away saying 'that one was the absolute best one yet'. Here I am again and will happily say, This is the absolute best book in the series thus far!!!!!! I love the characters, the character development in this series, the relationships between the characters, the mysteries, and the setting. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Highly Recommend!
*This was a wonderful Witches Words buddy read with Carolyn, Brenda, and DeAnn. Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on Husband Missing
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is not your usual witch tale - not by a long shot! Told in three timelines, The Bewitching is mesmerizing, intriguing, bizarre, mysterious, and tThis is not your usual witch tale - not by a long shot! Told in three timelines, The Bewitching is mesmerizing, intriguing, bizarre, mysterious, and thought provoking. Three women are told “Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches.” These are not Disney witches, nor are that what will be found when you follow the yellow brick road. These witches are way beyond that.
Alba, Minerva, and Beatrice are three women connected with interesting tales and fates. Each has an interesting backstory, and each has a distinct personality. Each has a connection to witchcraft and beyond.
The first half of the book was a slow burn for me, but I stuck with it as the premise was intriguing. The second half of the book picks up and I was fully invested and wanted answers. I never knew where this book was going or where Silvia Moreno-Garcia was going to take me. The aspect of witches and warlocks was intriguing and piqued my interest. There was one part of the book which was a bit cringe-worthy and other parts that were a bit graphic but otherwise, I found this to be an interesting albeit different book.
Intriguing, dark, well written, and mysterious.
3.5 stars
*This was a witches Words buddy read with Carolyn and Brenda. Please read their reviews as well to see if they were bewitched by The Bewitching.
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Who knew collecting eggs was a thing? It was actually a Big thing! I'm a bit of an outlier because I found this book to be a bit odd. The writing feltWho knew collecting eggs was a thing? It was actually a Big thing! I'm a bit of an outlier because I found this book to be a bit odd. The writing felt very stream of consciousness and it took me quite some time to grasp the flow of it. The Impossible Thing focuses on the stealing and trafficking of eggs. Egg climbers would be lowered over cliffs to collect the eggs of the birds which lived there. Depending on the bird and the color of the egg, it could be a lucrative thing/hobby/collection etc. This book is told in two timelines and proved to be a slow burn as eventually the two timelines connect
In the past timeline (1920-1930), Celie Sheppard is tiny and petite. She proves to be the perfect size to lower over the side of a dangerous cliff that no one else dares to go over. She is successful in finding and obtaining a gorgeous red guillemot egg. She does this year after year as crowds gather to watch. My heart broke for the birds she stole from. They fought to save their egg to finally learn it is to no avail and to simply turn its head unable to watch.
Patrick and Weird Nick are in the present day and looking for a scarlet egg that was stolen during a robbery. They go looking and find and learn more than they expected. They are both interesting and great characters.
While I enjoyed the characters of Celie, Nick, and Patrick, this book failed to wow me as it did most readers. I found it too be too slow in spots and I struggled with the writing. What worked were the three main characters and a very unlikeable character that I found myself booing and hissing at.
There are some wonderful descriptions and characterizations in this book. The author did a great job with that. This just didn't wow me as it did other readers. Speaking of other readers and reviewers, please read their reviews as well.
*This was a witches words buddy read with Carolyn, Brenda, and Mary Beth. Please read their reviews to see if they enjoyed this book or if it was a hard egg for them to crack.
Thank you to Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Oozing with atmosphere, Stacy Willingham delivers a southern mystery about a missing young woman believed to be dead and her sister's quest to learn tOozing with atmosphere, Stacy Willingham delivers a southern mystery about a missing young woman believed to be dead and her sister's quest to learn the truth! Unanswered questions and not knowing the truth about what happened to her sister, Natalie, has plagued Claire Campbell for years. After receiving a call from her father about her mother's ailing health, she returns home and, on a whim, takes a job at Galloway Farm, a local vineyard. It is the same place that her sister worked the summer prior to her disappearance.
At times this book was slow like a hot southern summer day. Usually, I take issue with slow moving books, but this one had enough intrigued that I didn't mind as much as I normally would. I enjoyed the aspect of Claire coming home after being gone for some time. She worked as an investigative journalist in the city and will use her skills to try and uncover what happened to her sister all those years ago. Not to mention a diary she finds which may lead her down a path - but will it be a path to the truth or to danger? Be careful when you go searching for the truth because you might just find it! Will Claire find the truth before it's too late?
This book had atmosphere galore. It also had tension, dread, an underlying current of danger and dread. Plus, a few twist and turns along the way kept my interest piqued and my finger swiping the pages of my kindle.
Overall, an enjoyable Southern mystery full of atmosphere, dread, and danger!
*A witches Words buddy read with Carolyn and Dorie. Please read their reviews as well to get their thoughts on Forget Me Not.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
What a lovely book with a beautiful cover! I loved this book about a missing mother, a daughter looking for answers, a secret language/words/writing aWhat a lovely book with a beautiful cover! I loved this book about a missing mother, a daughter looking for answers, a secret language/words/writing and love. This wonderful book touched on a quest for answers, abandonment, love, loss, legacy, family, found family, longing, and forgiveness. I was intrigued by the secret language, the mystery, and the characters.
Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham was a world-renowned author who became a child prodigy when she wrote a bestselling book written in a secret language when she was 12 years old. When her daughter Clara was eight years old, she disappeared and left her husband and Clara behind.
Clara grew up to become a children's book illustrator with a young daughter named Wynnie. She is shocked when she receives a phone call from Charlie Jameson, in London informing her that a dictionary of her mother's secret language has been discovered. Clara and her daughter, Wynnie, set sail and arrive during the Great Smog of London. Clara hopes to find answers, obtain her mother's papers, and be able to move on.
What a wonderfully written and well thought out book. I was swept away along with Clara and Wynnie as they set out for answers and found more than they were looking for. I was fully invested in this book and the journey that each of the characters took as secrets and the truth merged between the pages.
This was my first book by Patti Callahan Henry, and I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.
Captivating, gripping, and a delight to read.
4.5 stars
*A witches words buddy read with Norma, Brenda DeAnn, and Mary Beth. Please read their reviews as well to see their thoughts on The Story She Left Behind.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
When dreams become nightmares, you might want to keep your eyes open! In Don't Open Your Eyes, Annabelle is a married woman with two daughters and a gWhen dreams become nightmares, you might want to keep your eyes open! In Don't Open Your Eyes, Annabelle is a married woman with two daughters and a great career. She appears to have it all, but what she doesn't have is peaceful sleep. Annabelle is having dreams which for some reason are slowly coming true to a degree. Annabelle is feeling stressed and Jason, her husband is far from supportive. The Annabelle has a dream that her daughter, Scarlett is in danger....
This book is told through the POV's of various characters (Annabelle in the present, Scarlett, and Annabelle in the past) and using two timelines. For the first half of the book, I found myself scratching my head and wondering just what the heck is going on? Are the dreams premonitions? I had no clue what was happening. All I knew was that I wanted to know more.
I had no idea where this book was heading for most of the book. I felt lost yet I was enjoying the plot. I enjoyed the tension and the dread that Annabelle was feeling. I never saw the various twists and turns coming. Overall, an enjoyable book that kept me on my toes and wondering what would happen next!
Mysterious, twist filled, and full of tension!
*A witches words buddy read with Mary Beth. Please read her review as well to get her impressions of the book!
3.5 Stars
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Gripping, shocking and full of danger, Rage, grabbed my attention from the very first page and never let go! If there is a crime in Painters Mill, youGripping, shocking and full of danger, Rage, grabbed my attention from the very first page and never let go! If there is a crime in Painters Mill, you know that Chief of Police Kate Burkholder will be on the case! This is the 17th book in the Kate Burkholder series and Linda Castillo has delivered yet again! Plus, readers get to see Kate's husband, John Tomasetti, on the case as well.
A dismembered body of a local Amish man is found, Kate is called to the scene. When the body of the man's best friend is also found murdered, the community is rocked. Initially no one is willing to talk but when a woman finally comes forward, Kate learns that the Amish victims had dark dealings with some violent and dangerous individuals. Secrets, lies, manipulation, power, control, and diabolical characters, make for a timely and gripping read.
Kate Burkholder, who was once Amish herself, is one tough cookie who often takes dangerous chances in the pursuit of justice! She finds herself in more than one sticky situation with some vile and violent characters. I enjoy her grit, her determination, her drive, and her commitment to solving crimes.
I enjoyed the action, the plot, and the characters. This book, like the others in the series, gives readers glimpses into Kate's professional and personal life. She is a well-rounded character who I root for every single book. I enjoyed the tension, the mounting danger, and the relevant storyline. Wonderfully written, well thought out, gripping, and hard to put down!
*Witches Words buddy read with DeAnn and Dorie. Please read their reviews as well to see what they thought of Rage!
Thank you to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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