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Happy and You Know It by Laura Hankin [Book Review]

Posted on May 20, 2020January 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: Happy and You Know It

Author: Laura Hankin

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: May 19, 2020

Genre: Domestic Suspense

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A dark, witty page-turner about a struggling young musician who takes a job singing for a playgroup of overprivileged babies and their effortlessly cool moms, only to find herself pulled into their glamorous lives and dangerous secrets….

After her former band shot to superstardom without her, Claire reluctantly agrees to a gig as a playgroup musician for wealthy infants on New York’s Park Avenue. Claire is surprised to discover that she is smitten with her new employers, a welcoming clique of wellness addicts with impossibly shiny hair, who whirl from juice cleanse to overpriced miracle vitamins to spin class with limitless energy.

There is perfect hostess Whitney who is on the brink of social-media stardom and just needs to find a way to keep her flawless life from falling apart. Caustically funny, recent stay-at-home mom Amara who is struggling to embrace her new identity. And old money, veteran mom Gwen who never misses an opportunity to dole out parenting advice. But as Claire grows closer to the stylish women who pay her bills, she uncovers secrets and betrayals that no amount of activated charcoal can fix.

Filled with humor and shocking twists, Happy and You Know It is a brilliant take on motherhood – exposing it as yet another way for society to pass judgment on women – while also exploring the baffling magnetism of curated social-media lives that are designed to make us feel unworthy. But, ultimately, this dazzling novel celebrates the unlikely bonds that form, and the power that can be unlocked, when a group of very different women is thrown together when each is at her most vulnerable.

MY REVIEW

Claire is in her late twenties and struggling with the loss of her music career. Her former band replaced her just before they hit it big. She still has bills to pay though, so she takes a gig as music leader for a playgroup. As Claire gets to know the moms, she is surprised that she starts to like them. The moms seem to have it all together, but there are secrets under that glossy exterior.

The mom group consists of six women. Whitney is the group leader and has a picture-perfect lifestyle. Amara is the mom struggling with the loss of her career. Gwen is the one with parenting advice. Vicki is the peaceful hippie. Meredith and Ellie are mostly interchangeable and don’t bring much to the group. Claire is the outsider. She’s single, childless, and the group’s new music leader. Claire is not a mom, but she starts to connect with the other women and care about them.

A contemporary novel about motherhood and friendship. Humorous and twisted. There are moments that go deeper and reveal a darker side, but overall, this was fun and light read.

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

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs [Book Review]

Posted on May 20, 2020January 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: What Lies Between Us

Author: John Marrs

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: May 15, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

MY REVIEW

Nina keeps Maggie locked away in the attic. The reasons for their dysfunctional relationship are slowly revealed using alternating points of view and flashbacks.

A complicated and disturbed relationship between a mother and daughter. Maggie and Nina are intriguing characters. Both women have kept secrets from one another for many years. The revealing of secrets was well-paced and kept the suspense up.

What Lies Between Us is a wild and twisted domestic thriller. This book had me turning the pages late into the night. A fun and fast-paced read for fans of psychological thrillers.

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

Books by John Marrs:

When You Disappeared
Welcome To Wherever You Are
The One
The Good Samaritan
Her Last Move
The Passengers
What Lies Between Us
The Minders

Evil by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge [Book Review]

Posted on May 7, 2020January 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: Evil by the Sea

Author: Kathleen Bridge

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Publish Date: May 5, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A By the Sea Mystery #4

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Liz Holt is bewitched, bothered, and bewildered when a wicked killer objects to a wiccan wedding…

Island life can get pretty weird. Wiccan weddings, psychic brides, mermaid parades, eccentric parrots… Novelist Liz Holt has gotten used to it since moving back to the barrier island of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and once again working in her family’s hotel and emporium, the Indialantic by the Sea. But one thing she’ll never get used to is murder.

Groom-to-be and leader of the Sunshine Wiccan Society, white warlock Julian Rhodes is poisoned at his rehearsal dinner on the hotel’s sightseeing cruiser. His psychic bride, Dorian Starwood, never saw it coming. An old friend of Liz’s great-aunt Amelia, the celebrity psychic engages Liz to find out who intended to kill her intended. With her Macaw, Barnacle Bob, squawking “Pop Goes the Weasel” at Dorian’s pet ferret, and the streets teeming with mermaids in tails, Liz has got to wade through the weirdness and cast a wide net for the killer—before she’s the next one to sleep with the fishes…

MY REVIEW

Liz, a novelist and amateur sleuth, works at her family’s hotel and emporium. In Evil by the Sea, a Wiccan wedding is planned at the Indialantic by the Sea. Unfortunately, the groom dies at the rehearsal dinner. Liz investigates to find the killer.

Evil by the Sea is the fourth book in the By the Sea mystery series. I recommend reading this series in order – Death By the Sea, A Killing By the Sea, and Murder By the Sea. There are a number of characters, and their relationships progress through the series.

An entertaining cozy mystery series. Quirky characters. Charming setting. Fun and light read. A recommended read for fans of cozy mysteries.

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

Books in the By the Sea Mystery Series:

Death by the Sea
A Killing by the Sea
Murder by the Sea
Evil by the Sea
Buried by the Sea

The Last Scoop by R.G. Belsky [Book Review]

Posted on May 5, 2020June 23, 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 Last Scoop

Author: R.G. Belsky

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publish Date: May 5, 2020

Genre: Amateur Investigator

Series: Clare Carlson #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

The scariest kind of serial killer—one you don’t know exists
Martin Barlow was Clare Carlson’s first newspaper editor, a beloved mentor who inspired her career as a journalist. But, since retiring from his newspaper job, he had become a kind of pathetic figure—railing on about conspiracies, cover-ups, and other imaginary stories he was still working on. Clare had been too busy with her own career to pay much attention to him.
When Martin Barlow is killed on the street one night during an apparent mugging attempt gone bad, it seems like he was just an old man whose time had come.
But Clare—initially out of a sense of guilt for ignoring her old friend and then because of her own journalistic instincts—begins looking into his last story idea. As she digs deeper and deeper into his secret files, she uncovers shocking evidence of a serial killer worse than Son of Sam, Ted Bundy, or any of the other infamous names in history.
This really is the biggest story of Martin Barlow’s career—and Clare’s, too—as she uncovers the path leading to the decades-long killer of at least twenty young women. All is not as it seems during Clare’s relentless search for this serial killer. Is she setting herself up to be his next victim?

MY REVIEW

The Last Scoop is the third book in the Clare Carlson series by R.G. Belsky. When Clare learns her mentor has been killed in an apparent mugging, she takes on his last story. At first, she is looking into corruption in the city. As she investigates, she is led to another story her mentor was working. This one involves a serial killer that has gone under the radar for decades. Clare suspects her mentor was killed because of his stories, so she investigates on her own to discover what led to his death.

Clare is a flawed character, but she has some great investigative skills. She is a Pulitzer Prize winner working for a TV news station. Big stories bring in more money for the news station, but her latest reporting is more personal. She feels guilt about ignoring her mentor, and now that he’s dead, she wants to uncover what happened to him.

I’ve read the first book in this series, but missed the second one. This is a good mystery series, and I plan to read the second book soon to get caught up. I recommend reading the first book, but The Last Scoop can be read as a stand-alone.

Intriguing characters. Gripping mystery. Engaging, interesting, and suspenseful.

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

Books in the Clare Carlson series:

Yesterday’s News
Below the Fold
The Last Scoop
Beyond the Headlines
It’s News to Me
Broadcast Blues

Murder in the Wine Country by Janet Finsilver [Book Review]

Posted on April 28, 2020January 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: Murder in the Wine Country

Author: Janet Finsilver

Publisher: Lyrical Press

Publish Date: April 28, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Kelly Jackson Mystery #6

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Weeding out killers wasn’t part of the job description…

Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is excited to participate in an event to raise awareness for the plight of struggling veterans in their Northern California coastal community. Local wineries are sponsoring tastings, and to prepare for a culinary competition, professional chefs will forage for wild edible greens. Kelly plans to come along, despite a warning to beware of poachers, who have been stealing the highly valued succulent Dudleya farinosa. The senior sleuths who call themselves the Silver Sentinels join forces with environmental activists known as the Succulent Saviors to thwart the poaching operation. When a consultant for the sale of a local winery is murdered, the poachers are suspected—but so is a wine merchant, Kelly’s friend Phil. As Kelly and the Silver Sentinels attempt to root out the real killer, what she digs up might just put her permanently underground…

MY REVIEW

Murder in the Wine Country is the sixth book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series by Janet Finsilver. Kelly Jackson is the manager of Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. In this book, Kelly is happy to be involved with an event to help struggling veterans. During the event, chefs are foraging for edible greens for the culinary competition and local wineries are sponsoring tastings.

Kelly joins in with some of the activities, and all goes well until crime happens. The crimes include theft and murder. In the previous books, a lot of the sleuthing is done by the Silver Sentinels, a group of crime-solving senior citizens. In this book, Kelly takes on more of a sleuth role.

An entertaining cozy mystery series. Charming setting. Interesting characters. Well-crafted plot. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in the Kelly Jackson Mystery Series:

Murder at Redwood Cove
Murder at the Mansion
Murder at the Fortune Teller’s Table
Murder at the Mushroom Festival
Murder at the Marina
Murder in the Wine Country

Proof of Murder by Lauren Elliott [Book Review]

Posted on April 27, 2020January 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: Proof of Murder

Author: Lauren Elliott

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: April 28, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery #4

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Bookshop owner Addie Greyborne must solve a locked-room murder in a supposedly haunted mansion to recover a priceless Sherlock Holmes original…

The seaside New England town of Greyborne Harbor is home to many grand estates, including the Queen Anne Victorian Addie inherited from her great aunt. Now one of those mansions is holding an estate sale, which is just what the bookshop owner needs to replenish her supply of rare editions—even if the house is rumored to be haunted. Assisting an overwhelmed insurance appraiser with the inventory, Addie discovers an 1887 magazine containing Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet, which she estimates to be worth over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

But when Addie later finds the appraiser dead in the estate’s private library, with the door bolted from the inside, and the priceless edition missing, it’s a mystery worthy of the Great Detective himself. She’s certain the death and the robbery are connected—but who, other than a ghost who can walk through walls, could have gotten in to do the deed? It’s up to Addie to find the key to the crime—before she’s the next one cornered by a killer…

MY REVIEW

Proof of Murder is the fourth book in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series. Addie is back with another murder mystery in the quaint town of Greyborne Harbor. While helping appraise items for a local estate sale, Addie discovers a first edition of A Study in Scarlet, the first Sherlock Holmes novel. When Addie returns to the estate later, she discovers the appraiser has been killed and the valuable edition is missing.

A locked room mystery. Due to Addie’s involvement with the appraisal, she’s on the short list of suspects. Addie wants to solve the mystery to prove her innocence and find the real killer.

I’ve enjoyed each book in this series, and was happy to see Addie was back for another mystery. The small town setting is great, and I especially enjoy Addie’s bookstore. A series worth checking out for fans of cozies.

An entertaining cozy mystery. Well paced story. Complex mystery. Interesting characters. Delightful and fun.

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

Books in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery Series:

Murder by the Book
Prologue to Murder
Murder in the First Edition
Proof of Murder
A Page Marked for Murder
Under the Cover of Murder
To the Tome of Murder

Can You See Her? by S.E. Lynes [Book Review]

Posted on April 22, 2020January 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: Can You See Her?

Author: S.E. Lynes

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: April 22, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Rachel Ryder doesn’t understand how her life has changed so completely. When she was younger, heads would turn when she walked into a room. Her children needed her; her husband adored her.

But somehow the years wore that all away. She was so busy raising her children, looking after her parents… She can barely remember the woman she used to be, the one whose husband told her she was out of his league. The woman she is now just does the laundry and makes the dinner, and can walk into a room without anyone knowing she’s there.

She knows that she hated feeling invisible. She knows that she thought: what would it take for you to see me again?

And now she’s worried that she did something terrible. Because she’s sitting in a room, being asked whether she killed someone.

When no-one is watching, you can get away with anything…

MY REVIEW

Rachel feels that she has become invisible over the years. Her husband and children don’t seem to notice her anymore, and she’s unhappy with this new feeling. A series of violent crimes is happening in Rachel’s community, and she’s been following the news to keep up with the crimes. Rachel feels for the victims and other invisible people, but now Rachel is being questioned about the murders.

Can You See Her? is told using alternating viewpoints – Rachel’s point of view and police transcripts with various characters. Rachel is depressed and suffering from some bouts of memory loss. She makes for an interesting and unreliable narrator.

A slow-burning psychological thriller. Can You See Her? starts slow, but gets more interesting. Some unexpected and intriguing twists and turns along the way. Dark and clever.

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

Books by S.E. Lynes:

Valentina
Mother
The Pact
The Proposal
The Women
The Lies We Hide
Can You See Her?
The Housewarming
The One to Blame
The Baby Shower
The Ex
The Summer Holiday

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier [Book Review]

Posted on April 21, 2020January 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: Little Secrets

Author: Jennifer Hillier

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 21, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier’s Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense.

All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret…

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They’re admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She’s lost her son; she’s not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

MY REVIEW

Marin has a happy life, until her son is kidnapped. A year has gone by, and there are no new leads on the case. Marin hires a PI to find her son, but instead, the PI learns Marin’s husband is having an affair. This prompts Marin to learn what her husband has been up, and potentially, find out what happened to her son.

Marin is depressed and lost after her son’s kidnapping. It happened so quickly, and there are no real leads on the case. When she finds out her husband is having an affair, she now has a real enemy to go after. Marin seems a little unstable, but the people in her life are not that trustworthy either. Not knowing who to trust makes for an intriguing read.

Little Secrets is a dark and complex story. The main character is living a parent’s worst nightmare. A compelling psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages. Gripping, suspenseful, and twisted.

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

Books by Jennifer Hillier:

Creep
Freak
The Butcher
Wonderland
Jar of Hearts
Little Secrets
Things We Do in the Dark

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones [Book Review]

Posted on April 8, 2020January 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: A Bad Day for Sunshine

Author: Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: April 7, 2020

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Sunshine Vicram #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, strong cups of coffee—and, now, a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff—thanks to her adorably meddlesome parents who nominated her—and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of this is reminding Sunshine why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that the trouble at her daughter’s new school, plus and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and, well, the forecast looks anything but sunny.

But even clouds have their silver linings. This one’s got Levi, Sunshine’s sexy, almost-old-flame, and a fiery-hot US Marshal. With temperatures rising everywhere she turns, Del Sol’s normally cool-minded sheriff is finding herself knee-deep in drama and danger. Can Sunshine face the call of duty—and find the kidnapper who’s terrorizing her beloved hometown—without falling head over high heels in love…or worse?

MY REVIEW

Sunshine Vicram is the new sheriff in Del Sol, New Mexico. She’s returned to her hometown as the new sheriff, in a campaign her parents orchestrated, without her knowledge. Sunshine won though, and her first day on the job is a doozy. A teenage girl goes missing, and everyone is curious about why Sunshine left her hometown so suddenly years earlier.

A Bad Day for Sunshine is the first book in a new series by Darynda Jones. I’ve enjoyed Jones’s Charley Davidson series, so I was excited to see she had a new book available. Happy to report that this was a funny, clever, and exciting read.

A lot of the novel is setting up the characters, and each one is well developed and interesting. Sunshine and her daughter, Aurora, move to Del Sol for Sunshine’s new job as sheriff. Sunshine is working with her best friend from childhood, Quincy. He’s now a deputy and helps keep Sunshine informed about what’s happening. Another character in Sunshine’s life is Levi Ravinder, an old crush, and the son of the local crime family. Aurora is a teenager and starts school at the local high school.

As for the mystery, Sunshine and her deputies look for a missing girl. They also have a few other things happening in town, so the sheriff’s office stays busy. While a lot is happening in Sunshine’s professional life, her personal life is a mystery too.

Fantastic start to a new series. A fun cast of characters, a small desert town full of quirky locals, and an exciting mystery.

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

Books in the Sunshine Vicram series:

The Stolen Letter by Paige Shelton [Book Review]

Posted on April 6, 2020January 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 Stolen Letter

Author: Paige Shelton

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 7, 2020

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #5

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

New York Times bestselling author Paige Shelton returns with the next installment of The Scottish Bookshop Mystery series, The Stolen Letter

Delaney Nichols is confident she’s doing what she loves—case in point, just one day after returning from her fabulous European honeymoon, she’s eager to get back to the Cracked Spine, the bookstore where she works. But as she disembarks her bus and hurries toward the shop she and another woman collide, sending a stack of books the woman is carrying to the ground.

Delaney’s hapless victim’s name is Mary, and the two women can’t help but notice that they bear an uncanny resemblance to one another. According to Mary, they both also look like the long-beheaded Mary Queen of Scots. Even stranger, Mary believes she is the reincarnation of the Scottish queen. But peculiar as Delaney’s doppelganger is, she doesn’t have time to dwell on it: on her arrival to the bookshop, she learns the Edinburgh city council wants to close the Cracked Spine, citing code violations, and she’s determined to stop them.

But when Mary’s husband dies in a car explosion—and Delaney learns he was the very member of city council who proposed that the city take a closer look at the bookshop’s construction—she starts to wonder if her meeting with Mary wasn’t an accident. Edinburgh has become as filled with intrigue and deception as any European court, and Delaney is determined to get to the bottom of this royal mystery.

MY REVIEW

The Stolen Letter is the fifth 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. Also, Delaney occasionally helps solve mysteries. She comes across a murder mystery to solve.

I recommend starting with the first book in this series, The Cracked Spine. Each book in the series has a unique mystery, but the relationships between the characters grow throughout Delaney’s time in Scotland.

In The Stolen Letter, Delaney runs into Mary on the way to the bookshop. The women immediately notice they look a lot alike, and Mary says they look like Mary, Queen of Scots. Turns out, Mary knows a lot about the dead Queen, and even believes she is the reincarnated Queen Mary. Delaney is intrigued with Mary, but, unfortunately, Mary’s husband is trying to close down the Cracked Spine. When Mary’s husband is killed, Delaney searches for answers.

An enjoyable cozy mystery series. This book, along with the earlier ones, includes a touch of paranormal in the story. While this isn’t my favorite book in the series, I did find it entertaining. The characters are likable and the story is interesting. Delightful, fun, and quirky.

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

Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone [Book Review]

Posted on March 26, 2020January 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: Problem Child

Author: Victoria Helen Stone

Publisher: Lake Union

Publish Date: March 24, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: Jane Doe #2

My Rating 4/5

BOOK BLURB

She’s cold, calculating, and can deceive with a smile. Jane Doe is back in the Amazon Charts bestselling series—and this time she’s met her match.

After a brutal childhood, Jane Doe has been permanently wired to look after herself and only herself. Now, looking next to normal, Jane has a lover and a job. But she hasn’t lost her edge. It sharpens when she hears from her estranged family.

Jane’s deeply troubled sixteen-year-old niece, Kayla, has vanished, and no one seems to care. Neither does Jane. Until she sees a picture of Kayla and recognizes herself in the young girl’s eyes. It’s the empty stare of a sociopath.

Jane knows what vengeful and desperate things Kayla is capable of. Only Jane can help her—by being drawn into Kayla’s dark world. And no one’s more aware than Jane just how dangerous that can be.

MY REVIEW

Jane is back! She has a new job and a serious relationship. She’s trying to live a more normal life, but she’s still cold and calculating. When Jane discovers her niece is missing, she doesn’t care. Then she learns her niece may be like her… a sociopath. This intrigues Jane, so she goes in search of her.

Problem Child is the second book in the Jane Doe series. I recommend starting with the first book, Jane Doe, before reading this one. The first book is better, plus it introduces Jane and more of her story. Problem Child can be read as a standalone though.

In Jane’s work life, she’s got a coworker trying to claim her work as his own. Obviously, she needs to straighten him out. In her love life, she’s in a relationship with Luke, who’s ready to take things to the next level. Even though Jane has a lot going on, she takes a trip to her hometown to locate her missing niece, Kayla. Jane wants to help Kayla because she reminds Jane of herself.

Problem Child is a fast-paced psychological thriller. Jane’s not a likable character, but she is fun to read about. A gripping novel with dark humor, mystery, and revenge.

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

Books in the Jane Doe series:

Jane Doe
Problem Child

Other Books by Victoria Helen Stone:

Evelyn, After
Half Past
False Step
The Last One Home
At the Quiet Edge
The Hook

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel [Book Review]

Posted on March 16, 2020December 28, 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: Darling Rose Gold

Author: Stephanie Wrobel

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 17, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Mothers never forget. Daughters never forgive.

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.

Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she’s forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score.

Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling…

And she’s waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

MY REVIEW

Rose Gold was raised by her mother, Patty, and she was seriously ill her whole life. Doctors could never figure out what was wrong with her, and Rose Gold eventually discovered that her mother was behind her illnesses. Patty went to prison, but it’s time for her release. She doesn’t have anywhere to go, and Rose Gold agrees to take her in. They say they forgive one another, but both have twisted plans.

Rose Gold was always weak due to her illnesses and missed out on experiences due to her controlling mother. Patty appeared to be a pillar of the community, and seemed a doting mother. Turns out, she secretly abused Rose Gold her entire life. Rose Gold was 18 years old when she testified against Patty in court. It’s a surprise when Rose Gold picks Patty up from prison when she is released 5 years later, and even more surprising that she lets Patty move in with her. Rose Gold is now a single mother herself, and doesn’t quite trust Patty with her two-month-old son.

Told with the alternating points of view of Rose Gold and Patty. Both are unreliable narrators, and make for unlikable characters. In fact, even the secondary characters are unlikable. It makes for an entertaining read, and one that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

A psychological thriller about a twisted mother-daughter relationship. Clever, dark, and gripping.

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

Books by Stephanie Wrobel:

Darling Rose Gold
This Might Hurt
The Hitchcock Hotel