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Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

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BOOK INFO

Title: Dark Circles

Author: Caite Dolan-Leach

Publisher: Ballantine

Publish Date: April 19, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Olivia Reed needs a break. She doesn’t want to think about her name plastered on tabloids or be reminded of her recent meltdown on a Manhattan street. Her micromanaging publicist has just the thing in mind: a remote retreat in upstate New York—the House of Light. It’s not rehab; it’s a Spiritual Center, a site for seeking realignment and personal growth. There will be yoga and morning meditation, soft bamboo-blend fabrics and no shortage of crystals to cleanse her energy.

But Liv will soon find that the House of Light is filled with darkness. A prickly local, Ava, informs her that something twisted is lurking behind the Light’s veneer. There have been a series of mysterious suicides committed by women caught in the Light’s web, and no matter who Ava talks to, no one believes the Center is involved. To find out what’s really happened and put her celebrity to good use, Liv starts a podcast, seeking to connect the dots and expose the Light’s true intentions. Because beneath the glowing skin of the Light’s inhabitants lie rotten souls, and Liv starts to wonder if anything—even her own life—is how it appears.

MY REVIEW

Olivia is a minor celebrity who hits rock bottom. She goes to a rehab facility, but soon finds it’s not all yoga and meditation. The facility is more like a cult, and not something Liv is onboard with, so she starts a podcast to expose the darkness.

Dark Circles has an intriguing story with interesting characters. The story is told from Liv’s point of view and through podcast episodes. The podcast element was the most entertaining part of the novel.

Dark Circles is a tense and atmospheric thriller. Recommended for readers who enjoy thrillers about cults and podcasts.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen [ Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Pay Dirt Road

Author: Samantha Jayne Allen

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 19, 2022

Genre: Private Detective

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Annie McIntyre has a love/hate relationship with Garnett, Texas.

Recently graduated from college and home waitressing, lacking not in ambition but certainly in direction, Annie is lured into the family business—a private investigation firm—by her supposed-to-be-retired grandfather, Leroy, despite the rest of the clan’s misgivings.

When a waitress at the café goes missing, Annie and Leroy begin an investigation that leads them down rural routes and haunted byways, to noxious-smelling oil fields and to the glowing neon of local honky-tonks. As Annie works to uncover the truth she finds herself identifying with the victim in increasing, unsettling ways, and realizes she must confront her own past—failed romances, a disturbing experience she’d rather forget, and the trick mirror of nostalgia itself—if she wants to survive this homecoming.

MY REVIEW

Annie McIntyre returns to her small hometown after college. She’s working as a waitress while figuring out what she wants to do with her life. One of the other waitresses goes missing, and Annie decides to investigate. She and her grandfather, a private investigator, work together to uncover what happened.

Pay Dirt Road is a slow-burning, atmospheric mystery. With strong character development and a haunting setting, this debut novel was an entertaining read. I look forward to more from this author.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Burning Pages

Author: Paige Shelton

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scottish Bookshop #7

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

One winter’s night, bookseller Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a Burns Night dinner, a traditional Scottish celebration of the poet Robert Burns. She’s perplexed by the invitation, but intrigued. The dinner takes place at Burns House itself, a tiny cottage not far from the Cracked Spine bookshop but well hidden. There, it becomes clear that Delaney and Hamlet were summoned in an attempt to make amends between Edwin, Delaney’s boss, and one of the other invitees, who suspected Edwin for burning down his own bookshop twenty years ago after a professional disagreement.

But after the dinner, there’s another fire. The Burns House itself is burned to the ground, and this time there’s a body among the ruins. When Hamlet is accused of the crime, Delaney rushes to prove his innocence, only to discover that he might actually have a plausible motive…

MY REVIEW

The Burning Pages is the seventh book in the Scottish Bookshop mystery series. The main character, Delaney, is an American woman who relocated to Scotland to work in a unique bookshop, the Cracked Spine. Delaney occasionally helps solve mysteries.

The Burning Pages starts with Delaney attending a dinner celebrating Robert Burns at the Burns House. It seems Delaney was invited to help make amends between her bookshop’s owner and one of the other dinner attendees. After the dinner, the Burns House burns to the ground. Delaney is on the case when her friend is accused of the crime.

The Burning Pages can be read as a standalone novel, but I recommend starting with The Cracked Spine, the first book in this series. Each book in the series has a unique mystery, but the relationships between the characters grows throughout Delaney’s time in Scotland.

The Burning Pages is a delightful cozy mystery. The characters are likable and the story is entertaining. Light, fun, and quirky. A good read for fans of cozies.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series:

The Cracked Spine
Of Books and Bagpipes
Lost Books and Old Bones
The Loch Ness Papers
The Stolen Letter
Deadly Editions
The Burning Pages
Fateful Words
The Poison Pen

The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Lives of Diamond Bessie

Author: Jody Hadlock

Publisher: SparkPress

Publish Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: Historical Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Lives of Diamond Bessie by Jody Hadlock

BOOK BLURB

Pregnant out of wedlock, sixteen-year-old Annie Moore is sent to live at a convent for fallen women. When the nuns take her baby, Annie escapes, determined to find a way to be reunited with her daughter. But few rights or opportunities are available to a woman in the 1860s, and after failing to find a respectable job, Annie resorts to prostitution in order to survive.

As a highly sought-after demi-mondaine, Annie—now Bessie—garners many expensive gifts from her admirers, and eventually meets and marries the son of a wealthy jeweler. With her marriage, she believes her dream of returning to proper society has finally come true. She’s proven wrong when she suffers the ultimate betrayal at the hands of the man she thought would be her salvation. But Bessie doesn’t let her story end there.

Inspired by a true story and set amid the burgeoning women’s rights movement, The Lives of Diamond Bessie is a haunting tale of betrayal and redemption that explores whether seeking revenge is worth the price you might pay.

MY REVIEW

Diamond Bessie was killed and her killer was never brought to justice. Before that, Diamond Bessie was Annie Moore. After much tragedy in her young life, Annie became a prostitute known as Bessie. One day Bessie met Abe Rothschild, they fell for one another, and got married. Not long into their marriage, they traveled to Jefferson, TX, where Bessie was killed.

The Lives of Diamond Bessie is told from Bessie’s point of view. While most people suspected they knew who Bessie’s killer was, he was never convicted. This novel is Bessie’s story of bringing her killer to justice.

I was okay with the first part of the novel, but when things switched to Bessie’s spirit’s point of view, I lost interest. It felt almost like two separate novels. A solid start with a lackluster ending.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Just Like Mother

Author: Anne Heltzel

Publisher: Nightfire

Publish Date: May 17, 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult they were raised in. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything—and everyone—at a safe distance.

When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. Soon she’s spending more time at Andrea’s remote Catskills estate than in her own cramped apartment. Maeve doesn’t even mind that her cousin’s wealthy work friends clearly disapprove of her single lifestyle. After all, Andrea has made her fortune in the fertility industry—baby fever comes with the territory.

The more Maeve immerses herself in Andrea’s world, the more disconnected she feels from her life back in the city; and the cousins’ increasing attachment triggers memories Maeve has fought hard to bury. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come…

MY REVIEW

Maeve escaped from a cult twenty years ago. Now, she lives in New York City, and lives a quiet life. After all these years, she is reunited with her cousin Andrea. Maeve spends more and more time with Andrea and her friends, which triggers memories in Maeve. Unfortunately, Maeve may be in too deep with Andrea to escape again.

Just Like Mother combines mystery and horror elements. Tense and atmospheric. The story did have some holes in it, but it was still an entertaining novel.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Lying Club by Annie Ward [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Lying Club

Author: Annie Ward

Publisher: Park Row

Publish Date: March 22, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets

At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.

But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.

MY REVIEW

The Lying Club is a slow-burning thriller set at an elite private school. Two bodies are found on campus, and what happened makes for a captivating mystery.

The Lying Club is told using alternating points of views and timelines. The viewpoints are from three women, Natalie, Brooke, and Asha. Natalie is the school’s office assistant. Brooke and Asha are mothers of teen girls at the school. All three women are a mess, but in different ways.

A mystery thriller full of drama, secrets, and lies. The Lying Club has unreliable and unlikable narrators, and complicated relationships. This novel kept me turning the pages to find out what really happened at the school.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Annie Ward:

Beautiful Bad
The Lying Club

Sea Storm by Andrew Mayne [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Sea Storm

Author: Andrew Mayne

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: March 29, 2022

Genre: Crime Fiction

Series: Underwater Investigation Unit #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A distress call draws rescuers Sloan McPherson and the Underwater Investigation Unit to a cruise ship off the coast of Fort Lauderdale that’s sinking from a mysterious explosion. When it appears to be the work of an ecoterrorist and other ships are threatened, it becomes a race against time. More clues are discovered, and evidence is in danger of being washed away by a coming tropical storm. Sloan grows concerned that key details are being ignored, and a strange lack of urgency by authorities sets off alarms.

As the troubling questions compound, Sloan is determined to chase down every lead she has. Her persistence is getting her closer to the truth: that there’s something far more troubling at play than the official explanation. It’s also putting Sloan on a collision course with an enemy more powerful than she realizes, in a case so complex and deadly it may be impossible to prove. Now cracking the case is a matter of staying one step ahead of someone with every resource imaginable to bury Sloan and everything she knows.

MY REVIEW

Sea Storm is the third book in the Underwater Investigation Unit mystery series. In this installment, the Underwater Investigation Unit is called in when a cruise ship starts sinking after a mysterious explosion.

With an “underwater” unit, there are plenty of water related crimes to keep the team busy. The characters are likable, and this book furthers the development of these memorable characters. While Sea Storm can be read as a standalone novel, I recommend starting with the first book in the series.

Sea Storm is an exciting and intriguing mystery. Recommended for readers who enjoy a good police procedural with a twist.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Underwater Investigation Unit series:

The Girl Beneath the Sea
Black Coral
Sea Storm

Damaged Intentions by Mike Omer [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Damaged Intentions

Author: Mike Omer

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: March 20, 2022

Genre: Crime Fiction

Series: Abby Mullen #2

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

As a child, Abby Mullen escaped the insidious Wilcox cult when it literally went down in flames. Years later, she’s the NYPD’s best hostage negotiator and a mother. She thought the worst part of her life was behind her. Until now. Armed conspiracy theorists called the Watchers have attacked the local high school—and taken her daughter hostage.

With the delusional Watchers holding her child at gunpoint, the unflappable Abby might be at her breaking point. But the clock is ticking on her daughter’s life, and she has no choice but to negotiate with the paranoid group and discover their leader’s secret before it’s too late.

As Abby peels back the layers of mystery surrounding the Watchers, there’s always another puzzle underneath. And it seems to be leading back to the dark past she’s spent her whole life trying to forget.

MY REVIEW

Abby Mullen is a NYPD hostage negotiator. She’s also the mother of a teen daughter. Abby’s work and personal lives collide when a group of conspiracy theorists attack the high school, and Abby’s daughter is a hostage.

Damaged Intentions is the second book in the Abby Mullen thriller series. Abby has a dark past. She escaped a cult when she was younger, and she’s trying to keep that part of her life in the past. With Abby’s job, her daughter, and her past, a lot is happening in this novel, and it makes for a suspenseful story.

Damaged Intentions is a gripping read with complex characters. Recommended for fans of crime thrillers.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Abby Mullen series:

A Deadly Influence
Damaged Intentions

The Shop on Royal Street by Karen White [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Shop on Royal Street

Author: Karen White

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 29, 2022

Genre: Mystery

Series: Royal Street #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

After a difficult detour on her road to adulthood, Nola Trenholm is looking to begin anew in New Orleans, and what better way to start her future than with her first house? But the historic fixer-upper she buys comes with even more work than she anticipated when the house’s previous occupants don’t seem to be ready to depart.

Although she can’t communicate with ghosts like her stepmother can, luckily Nola knows someone in New Orleans who is able to—even if he’s the last person on earth she wants anything to do with ever again. Beau Ryan comes with his own dark past—a past that involves the disappearance of his sister and parents during Hurricane Katrina—and he’s connected to the unsolved murder of a woman who once lived in the old Creole cottage Nola is determined to make her own…whether the resident restless spirits agree or not.

MY REVIEW

The Shop on Royal Street is the first book in the Royal Street series. Nola Trenholm is starting over and has purchased a fixer-upper for her fresh start. Not only does her new home need some work, but there is also a mystery to solve. A woman was murdered in the house, and the case was never solved.

Southern fiction with a cast of fun characters. The Shop on Royal Street is an atmospheric mystery with a little paranormal and romance. A fun start to a new series. Recommended to fans of Southern fiction and mysteries.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Royal Street series:

The Shop on Royal Street
The House on Prytania

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022June 25, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 15, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

BOOK BLURB

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

MY REVIEW

A true crime blogger has the opportunity to interview a woman acquitted of two murders in the 1970s. As they spend more time together, the blogger questions if the woman is really innocent, or an excellent manipulator.

The Book of Cold Cases is told using alternating points of view and timelines. The characters have distinct voices, but also have a fair amount in common. The paranormal element in the novel helps to create a creepy vibe. While the story builds slowly, it stays captivating and keeps the reader wanting more.

The Book of Cold Cases is atmospheric and suspenseful. A recommended read for fans of mystery thrillers with a paranormal vibe.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Simone St. James:

The Haunting of Maddy Clare
An Inquiry Into Love and Death
Silence for the Dead
The Other Side of Midnight
Lost Among the Living
The Broken Girls
The Sun Down Motel
The Book of Cold Cases
Murder Road

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Younger Wife

Author: Sally Hepworth

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: April 5, 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

THE HUSBAND
A heart surgeon at the top of his field, Stephen Aston is getting married again. But first he must divorce his current wife, even though she can no longer speak for herself.

THE DAUGHTERS
Tully and Rachel Aston look upon their father’s fiancée, Heather, as nothing but an interloper. Heather is younger than both of them. Clearly, she’s after their father’s money.

THE FORMER WIFE
With their mother in a precarious position, Tully and Rachel are determined to get to the
truth about their family’s secrets, the new wife closing in, and who their father really is.

THE YOUNGER WIFE
Heather has secrets of her own. Will getting to the truth unleash the most dangerous impulses
in all of them?

MY REVIEW

The Younger Wife opens with the wedding of an older man to a younger woman. During the wedding, the lights go out. When they come back on, the celebrant is covered with blood and the mystery of what happened is just starting.

The novel has an intriguing opening, and then goes back one year in time to cover the events leading up to the wedding. The Younger Wife is told using multiple points of view – the daughters of the groom and the new wife. The daughters are not happy with their father’s new romance. As the year of events unfolds, details about the characters is revealed. None of them are particularly likable characters, but it does make for an engaging read.

An intriguing psychological thriller. Family drama, lies, and secrets. Recommended for fans of this genre.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Sally Hepworth:

The Mother’s Promise
The Family Next Door
The Mother-in-Law
The Good Sister
The Younger Wife
The Soulmate
Darling Girls

Reputation by Sarah Vaughan [Book Review]

Posted on December 20, 2022January 16, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Reputation

Author: Sarah Vaughan

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: July 5, 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

As a politician, Emma has sacrificed a great deal for her career—including her marriage and her relationship with her daughter, Flora.

A former teacher, the glare of the spotlight is unnerving for Emma, particularly when it leads to countless insults, threats, and trolling as she tries to work in the public eye. As a woman, she knows her reputation is worth its weight in gold but as a politician, she discovers it only takes one slip-up to destroy it completely.

Fourteen-year-old Flora is learning the same hard lessons at school as she encounters heartless bullying. When another teenager takes her own life, Emma lobbies for a new law to protect women and girls from the effects of online abuse. Now, Emma and Flora find their personal lives uncomfortably intersected…but then the unthinkable happens.

A man is found dead in Emma’s home. A man she had every reason to be afraid of and to want gone. Fighting to protect her reputation, and determined to protect her family at all costs, Emma is pushed to the limits as the worst happens and her life is torn apart.

MY REVIEW

Emma made sacrifices in her personal life to improve her career. Her rise in her career has put her in the spotlight, and made her the target of unwanted attention. When a dead man is found in her home, she will do everything she can to protect her family, her career, and her reputation.

Reputation is told using multiple points of view. The primary viewpoint is Emma, but her daughter and a few other characters also share their points of view. I didn’t find the characters all that likable, but the stories were intriguing.

A slow-burning psychological thriller. Reputation was an intriguing novel. Good for fans of psychological thrillers with strong female protagonists.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Sarah Vaughan:

Anatomy of a Scandal
Little Disasters
Reputation