Nightcap Books – reading into the night

Book Review: Kill Code by Clive Fleury

Posted on March 20, 2019March 17, 2019 by Darinda

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means I may receive a very small commission, at no cost to you, if you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase.

BOOK INFO
Title: Kill Code
Author: Clive Fleury
Publisher: TCK Publishing
Publish Date: December 5, 2018
Genre: Science Fiction
Goodreads Ratings: Me 3.0 / Community 4.29

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
WHEN THE OCEANS RISE… THE TRUTH DROWNS

It’s the year 2031. Our future. Their present. A world decimated by climate catastrophe, where the sun’s heat is deadly and the ocean rises higher every day. A world ruled by the rich, powerful, and corrupt. A world where a good man can’t survive for long.

Hogan Duran was a good man once. He was a cop, forced to resign in disgrace when he couldn’t save his partner from a bullet. Now Hogan lives on the fraying edges of society, serving cruel masters and scavenging trash dumps just to survive.

But after four years of living in poverty, Hogan finally gets a chance to get back on his feet. He’s invited to join the National Security Council, the powerful paramilitary organization responsible for protecting the rich and powerful from the more unsavory elements of society. All he needs to do is pass their deadly entrance exam, and he’ll be rewarded with wealth and opportunity beyond his wildest dreams.

But this ex-cop’s path to redemption won’t be easy. The NSC are hiding something, and as Hogan descends deeper and deeper into their world, he starts to uncover the terrible truth of how the powerful in this new world maintain their power…and just how far they will go to protect their secrets.

In a world gone wrong, can one man actually make a difference, or will he die trying?

Kill Code is the first novel in an exciting new dystopian science fiction series from the mind of award-winning author, screenwriter, and director Clive Fleury.

Fans of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, and Divergent by Veronica Roth will be captivated by Kill Code.

You’ll also love this book if you enjoy:
· Dystopian novels and stories
· Stories about futuristic societies
· Stories about disgraced cops
· Stories about unlikely heroes
· Stories about conspiracies
· Stories about injustice

MY REVIEW
In a not too distant future, climate change has led to a dystopian world where the rich and powerful rule. Hogan Duran gets the chance to join the National Security Council (NSC). It’s a prime position protecting the rich and powerful. Hogan and the other applicants are put through a grueling, and deadly, test to win the highly sought after position. There are secrets in the NSC though, and Hogan starts to question everything during his time there.

Hogan is a tough former cop looking for a chance at a better life. He thinks he’s got the opportunity if he can pass the challenging tests issued by the NSC. Of course, things are a lot more complicated than they first appear.

This is a quick and entertaining science fiction story. The dystopian world is dark and gritty. The characters are strong. The plot is exciting. Good read for fans of dystopian novels. The ending does set it up for a sequel.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Nothing to Lose by Victoria Selman

Posted on March 20, 2019March 17, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: Nothing to Lose
Author: Victoria Selman
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Publish Date: May 23, 2019
Genre: Mystery – Crime
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 4.19

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
He’s looking for his next victim. She looks just like his last.

Primrose Hill, London. Offender Profiler Ziba MacKenzie arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder with a disturbing sense of déjà vu. Nine days earlier, another woman’s body was found: same location, same MO, same physical appearance. For the police, it’s clear a new serial killer is on the loose. But for Ziba, it’s even more sinister—because the victims look just like her.

Ziba has been the focus of a killer’s interest before, and knows that if she gets too close again this case could be her last. Still, she’s not one to play by the rules—especially when her secret investigation into her husband’s murder begins to attract unwanted attention.

With someone watching her every step, can Ziba uncover what connects the two victims before she becomes one herself?

MY REVIEW
The second book in the Ziba MacKenzie series by Victoria Selman. Ziba is a profiler who works on gruesome murder cases. Her latest case involves the murder of two women who bear a striking resemblance to Ziba, making her a potential target. In addition to this case, Ziba is secretly investigating her husband’s murder, which was never solved.

The first book in this series is Blood for Blood (my review here). In the first book, Ziba wasn’t all that interesting to me, but I enjoyed her character more in this book. Maybe I was more in the mood for this type of read, or maybe this one is just a better book. Could go either way. Anyway, I recommend reading Blood for Blood first, but Nothing To Lose can be read as a standalone.

This story is told over a series of days as Ziba works to discover who is behind two gruesome murders. To complicate matters, Ziba seems to be a target herself, adding an extra layer of suspense. While the women’s murders presents an interesting and twisty case, I also enjoyed Ziba’s investigation into her husband’s death.

A highly entertaining read for fans of crime fiction. Fast-paced, suspenseful, and exciting.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring 2019 TBR

Posted on March 19, 2019March 17, 2019 by Darinda

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Books On My Spring 2019 TBR.

I have a lot of books to read this Spring! Listed below are ten of the books I’m looking forward to reading in the next couple of months. They are listed in order of expected publications dates, and that’s the order I plan to read them. I have ARCs for all of these, and will post reviews near the publication dates.

1. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing – expected publication March 26, 2019

2. The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton – expected publication April 2, 2019

3. Murder at the Marina by Janet Finsilver – expected publication April 2, 2019

4. The Better Sister by Alafair Burke – expected publication April 16, 2019

5. The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott – expected publication April 23, 2019

6. The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth – expected publication April 23, 2019

7. Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine – expected publication April 23, 2019

8. The Dare by Carol Wyer – expected publication April 25, 2019

9. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren – expected publication May 14, 2019

10. Murder by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge – expected publication May 21, 2019

Book Review: Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly

Posted on March 18, 2019March 17, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: Little Lovely Things
Author: Maureen Joyce Connolly
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publish Date: April 2, 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Goodreads Ratings: Me 3.0 / Community 4.38

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
If only things had been different

It is the wrong time to get sick. Speeding down the highway on the way to work, her two little girls sleeping in the back seat, medical resident Claire Rawlings doesn’t have time for the nausea overtaking her. But as the world tilts sideways, she pulls into a gas station, runs to the bathroom, and passes out. When she wakes up minutes later, her car—and her daughters—are gone.

The police have no leads, and the weight of guilt presses down on Claire as each hour passes with no trace of her girls. All she has to hold on to are her strained marriage, a potentially unreliable witness who emerges days later, and the desperate but unquenchable belief that her daughters are out there somewhere.

As hopeful and uplifting as it is devastating, Little Lovely Things is the story of a family shattered by unthinkable tragedy, and the unexpected intersection of heartbreak and hope.

MY REVIEW
Claire Rawlings gets sick while driving with her young children in the car. While her girls sleep in the back seat, Claire pulls over at a gas station. When Claire comes out of the bathroom, her car, and her girls, are gone. The guilt of leaving her children alone and the search for them weighs heavily on Claire. Her health, marriage, and work all suffer as the search for her daughters seems to go nowhere.

Told with alternating points of view, which allows the reader to not only be aware of Claire’s experiences, but also what happened to her girls. A tragic story of two missing children and the impact of their loss on their parents. This book doesn’t look too closely at the investigation into the girls’ disappearance, but instead looks at the people and relationships involved.

An emotional story of every parent’s worse nightmare. The idea of your children disappearing, and having no idea what happened or where they are, is heart-wrenching. A heartbreaking story of guilt, loss, and hope.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Weekly Wrap-Up (Mar 9 -Mar 15)

Posted on March 15, 2019March 14, 2019 by Darinda

BOOKS READ

• Two print books – The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides and Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
• Two ebooks – Kill Code by Clive Fleury Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly
• Two audiobooks – Ugly Young Thing and Don’t Say a Word by Jennifer Jaynes

BOOKS ACQUIRED

• One ARC received via Edelweiss – Layover by David Bell
• Two ARCs received via Netgalley – The Sound of Echoes by Eric Bernt and Those People by Louise Candlish
• One library book – Verity by Colleen Hoover
• I signed up for Kindle Unlimited again. Like I don’t have enough to read already.
• My local library had a book sale this week. As usual, I managed to find a some books to buy.

CURRENTLY READING

Currently reading three books – one print book (Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding), one ebook (Nothing to Lose by Victoria Selman), and one audiobook (The Dark Tower by Stephen King).

ON THE BLOG

THIS WEEK

MONDAY – Book Review: A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty
TUESDAY – Top Ten Tuesday: Standalone Books That Need a Sequel
WEDNESDAY – Book Review: And Then You Were Gone by R.J. Jacobs & The Line Between by Tosca Lee
THURSDAY – Book Review: The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger
FRIDAY – Weekly Wrap-Up (Mar 9 – Mar 15)

NEXT WEEK

MONDAY – Book Review: Little Lovely Things by Maureen Joyce Connolly
TUESDAY – Top Ten Tuesday: My Spring 2019 TBR
WEDNESDAY – Book Review: Nothing to Lose by Victoria Selman
THURSDAY – Book Review: The Temp by Michelle Frances
FRIDAY – Weekly Wrap-Up (Mar 16 – Mar 22)

Thanks for stopping by Nightcap Books. Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger

Posted on March 14, 2019February 24, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: The Banker’s Wife
Author: Cristina Alger
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Publish Date: July 3, 2018
Genre: Mystery
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 3.95

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
On an early morning in November, a couple boards a private plane bound for Geneva, flying into a storm. Soon after, it simply drops off the radar, and its wreckage is later uncovered in the Alps. Among the disappeared is Matthew Werner, a banking insider at Swiss United, a powerful offshore bank. His young widow, Annabel, is left grappling with the secrets he left behind, including an encrypted laptop and a shady client list. As she begins a desperate search for answers, she determines that Matthew’s death was no accident, and that she is now in the crosshairs of his powerful enemies.

Meanwhile, ambitious society journalist Marina Tourneau has finally landed at the top. Now that she’s engaged to Grant Ellis, she will stop writing about powerful families and finally be a part of one. Her entry into the upper echelons of New York’s social scene is more appealing than any article could ever be, but, after the death of her mentor, she agrees to dig into one more story. While looking into Swiss United, Marina uncovers information that implicates some of the most powerful men in the financial world, including a few who are too close to home. The story could also be the answer to Annabel’s heartbreaking search–if Marina chooses to publish it.

The Banker’s Wife is both a high-stakes thriller and an inside look at the personal lives in the intriguing world of finance, introducing Cristina Alger as a powerful new voice in the genre.

MY REVIEW
Annabel’s husband Matthew dies when the private plane he was on crashes. Matthew worked in the world of finance. After his death, Annabel discovers her husband was keeping secrets, and she becomes a target of her husband’s enemies. Meanwhile, Marina, a journalist, is working on a story that could disrupt the financial world.

Told with the alternating viewpoints of multiple characters. I enjoyed the different POVs and found it worked well for this story. Both Annabel and Marina are strong female protagonists with interesting stories.

An intriguing thriller focused on the financial world. There is a fair amount of financial jargon, but it works and is not boring. Complex, compelling, and suspenseful.

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library.

Book Review: The Line Between by Tosca Lee

Posted on March 13, 2019March 11, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: The Line Between
Author: Tosca Lee
Publisher: Howard Books
Publish Date: January 29, 2019
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 4.40

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
In this frighteningly believable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Tosca Lee, an extinct disease re-emerges from the melting Alaskan permafrost to cause madness in its victims. For recent apocalyptic cult escapee Wynter Roth, it’s the end she’d always been told was coming.

When Wynter Roth is turned out of New Earth, a self-contained doomsday cult on the American prairie, she emerges into a world poised on the brink of madness as a mysterious outbreak of rapid early onset dementia spreads across the nation.

As Wynter struggles to start over in a world she’s been taught to regard as evil, she finds herself face-to-face with the apocalypse she’s feared all her life—until the night her sister shows up at her doorstep with a set of medical samples. That night, Wynter learns there’s something far more sinister at play and that these samples are key to understanding the disease.

Now, as the power grid fails and the nation descends into chaos, Wynter must find a way to get the samples to a lab in Colorado. Uncertain who to trust, she takes up with former military man Chase Miller, who has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the samples in her possession, and to Wynter herself.

Filled with action, conspiracy, romance, and questions of whom—and what—to believe, The Line Between is a high-octane story of survival and love in a world on the brink of madness.

MY REVIEW
Wynter Roth is banished from the cult New Earth. Now in her twenties, Wynter has lived with them since she was a kid. New Earth has cut itself off from the rest of the world and maintained a self-sufficient environment. New Earth has always told its members that the end of the world was coming. When Wynter leaves, she enters a world where a mysterious disease is quickly spreading. She has been told the apocalypse was coming, and now she is faced with that reality. However, Wynter soon learns she may be able to help save the world.

Wynter is a smart and courageous young woman. She wants to protect her sister and her niece, but she doesn’t know how after she is banished from New Earth. When Wynter’s sister locates her and gives her some medical samples, along with information that Wynter did not know, Wynter does all she can to help. Wynter needs to get the samples to Colorado, and she’s not sure who she can trust along the way. Enter Chase, a former military man.

A fast-paced and exciting thriller. Intriguing characters. Suspenseful story. Great for fans of novels involving cults and apocalyptic storylines.

I received a free digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: And Then You Were Gone by R.J. Jacobs

Posted on March 13, 2019March 10, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: And Then You Were Gone
Author: R.J. Jacobs
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publish Date: March 13, 2019
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Goodreads Ratings: Me 4.0 / Community 3.78

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
For fans of B. A. Paris and Mary Kubica comes a propulsive, twisting psychological thriller that asks, How can you save someone else if you can’t save yourself?

After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she’s got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees—wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift…and Paolo is gone.

A strong swimmer, there’s no way Paolo drowned, but Emily is at a loss for any other explanation. Where else could he have gone? And why? As the hours and days pass by, each moment marking Paolo’s disappearance, Emily’s hard-won stability begins to slip.

But when Emily uncovers evidence suggesting Paolo was murdered, the investigation throws her mania into overdrive, even as she becomes a person of interest in her own personal tragedy. To clear her name, Emily must find the truth—but can she hold onto her own sanity in the process?

MY REVIEW
While on a sailing trip, Emily wakes to find her boyfriend Paolo is missing. Since Paolo is a strong swimmer, Emily finds it hard to believe he could have drowned. As days pass, Paolo’s disappearance starts to lean toward murder… with Emily as a suspect. Emily struggles with managing her bipolar disorder, which she though was under control, while she searches for answers to what happened to Paolo.

Emily makes for an interesting unreliable narrator. She has been managing her bipolar disorder well, but when Paolo goes missing and she becomes a suspect, she no longer has control. In addition to that, her memory of the night Paolo went missing is very hazy. The fun thing about unreliable narrators is the reader never knows if they can be trusted.

When Emily looks into Paolo’s disappearance, she learns more about his work. Paolo works in medical research, and while Emily was aware of the virus he was working with, she learns a lot more about his research and coworkers as she questions what happened to him.

A fast-paced thriller. Intriguing, suspenseful, and twisty.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Top Ten Tuesday: Standalone Books That Need a Sequel

Posted on March 12, 2019March 9, 2019 by Darinda

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week’s theme is Standalone Books That Need a Sequel.

I’ve read so many books that have sequels, but, unfortunately, I have a difficult time keeping up with reading them. Lately, I’ve been preferring to read standalones, mainly to avoid starting new series. Anyway, listed below are ten standalone books that I enjoyed, and wouldn’t mind hearing more from these characters.

1. Bird Box by Josh Malerman

2. The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

3. Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

4. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

5. The Wife by Alafair Burke

6. Our House by Louise Candlish

7. Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

8. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

9. Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

10. Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh

Book Review: A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty

Posted on March 11, 2019March 10, 2019 by Darinda

BOOK INFO
Title: A Beautiful Corpse
Author: Christi Daugherty
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publish Date: March 12, 2019
Genre: Mystery – Crime
Goodreads Ratings: Me 5.0 / Community 4.35

BOOK BLURB
from Amazon:
From Christi Daugherty, author of The Echo Killing, comes another pulse-pounding suspenseful thriller featuring crime reporter Harper McClain.

For a woman, being killed by someone who claims to love her is the most ordinary murder of all.

With its antebellum houses and ancient oak trees draped in a veil of Spanish moss, Savannah’s graceful downtown is famous around the world. When a woman is killed in the heart of that affluent district, the shock is felt throughout the city. But for crime reporter Harper McClain, this story is personal. The corpse has a familiar face.

Only twenty-four years old, Naomi Scott was just getting started. A law student, tending bar to make ends meet, she wanted to change the world. Instead, her life ended in the dead of night at the hands of an unseen gunman. There are no witnesses to the crime. The police have three suspects: Scott’s boyfriend, who has a criminal past he claims he’s put behind him, her boss, who stalked another young bartender two years ago, and the district attorney’s son, who Naomi dated until their relationship ended in acrimony. All three men claim to love her. Could one of them be her killer?

With the whole city demanding answers, Harper unravels a tangled story of obsession and jealousy. But the pressures on her go beyond the murder. The newspaper is facing more layoffs. Her boss fears both their jobs are on the line. And Harper begins to realize that someone is watching her every move. Someone familiar and very dangerous.

Someone who told her to run before it’s too late…

MY REVIEW
Crime reporter Harper McClain is back in the second book in this suspenseful series. A local woman is killed late at night in Savannah’s tourist district. There are no witnesses to the crime, but the police have three suspects. Harper digs deep to discover who is behind the murder.

Harper is back, and after the events in the first book, her relationship with the Savannah police department is suffering. Since she is a crime reporter, this makes her job a little more challenging. Using the few connections she still has, along with her smarts and determination, Harper works to discover the killer in a local murder. This death has hit a little close to home since Harper knew the victim. Being close to the crime both helps and hinders her work as a crime reporter.

The local murder isn’t the only mystery in Harper’s life. It seems someone is watching her. This storyline started in the previous book, but it goes much further in this one. Add in work place drama and a little romance, and this makes for a gripping read.

I loved the first book in this series, The Echo Killing, so I was looking forward to reading this one. I’m happy to say, this continues to be an engaging and thrilling series. I recommend picking up the first book in this series before reading this one.

Compelling characters. Complex and entertaining story. Atmospheric setting. A perfect choice for fans of mystery thrillers.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.