Nightcap Books

BOOK INFO

Title: 29 Seconds

Author: T.M. Logan

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: September 1, 2019

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

“Give me one name. One person. And I will make them disappear.”

Sarah is a young professor struggling to prove herself in a workplace controlled by the charming and manipulative Alan Hawthorne. A renowned scholar and television host, Hawthorne rakes in million-dollar grants for the university where Sarah works—so his inappropriate treatment of female colleagues behind closed doors has gone unchallenged for years. And Sarah is his newest target.

When Hawthorne’s advances become threatening, Sarah is left with nowhere to turn. Until the night she witnesses an attempted kidnapping of a young child on her drive home, and impulsively jumps in to intervene. The child’s father turns out to be a successful businessman with dangerous connections—and her act of bravery has put this powerful man in her debt. He gives Sarah a burner phone and an unbelievable offer. A once-in-a-lifetime deal that can make all her problems disappear.

No consequences. No traces. All it takes is a 29-second phone call.

Because everyone has a name to give. Don’t they?

MY REVIEW

Sarah is a professor working with a manipulative boss, Alan Hawthorne. Alan is holding back Sarah’s advancement with the university. She is not the only woman he has mistreated and threatened. Sarah knows he brings a lot of money to the university, and the higher ups always stand by him. When Sarah is given the opportunity to make her problem disappear, she has to decide if she can handle the consequences.

Sarah has put up with a lot while working with Alan. A woman can only be pushed so far though, and Alan has pushed Sarah until she doesn’t think she can handle anymore. The question is how far she is willing to go. Sarah’s turmoil over her decisions is realistic.

A fast-paced and compelling thriller. Unlikable characters. Twisty plot. This is the second novel I have read by T.M. Logan, and they have both been entertaining reads. I look forward to his next book.

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

Books by T.M. Logan:

1. Lies
2. 29 Seconds
3. The Vacation
4. The Catch
5. Trust Me
6. The Curfew
7. The Mother
8. The Dream Home

BOOK INFO

Title: Now You See Me

Author: Chris McGeorge

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Publish Date: September 3, 2019

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Six went in…only one came out.

The Standedge Tunnel, the longest canal tunnel in England, has become one of the rural village of Marsden’s main tourist attractions. Now it’s also a crime scene.

Six students went into the tunnel on a private boat. Two and a half hours later, the boat reappeared at the other end of the tunnel carrying only one of the students, Matthew. He had been knocked unconscious and has no memory of what took place in the tunnel. The police suspect he killed his friends, hid the bodies and later moved them to an undisclosed location. But sitting in a cell awaiting trial, Matthew maintains his innocence.

When Matthew contacts a famous author asking him for help in return for information he claims to possess about the author’s long-lost wife, it’s an offer that can’t be refused. But before the author can prove Matthew’s innocence, he must first answer a far more unusual question: How did five bodies disappear into thin air?

MY REVIEW

Robin’s wife, Samantha, went missing in 2015. Three years later, Robin has written a book about her to help him with his grief. He misses her terribly, and especially wishes he knew what happened to her. At a book signing, he receives a mysterious call from a man saying he spoke with Samantha years earlier. The caller, Matthew, is a man who has recently been arrested for killing five of his friends. Matthew and his friends went through the Standedge Tunnel on a boat, but only Matthew came out of the tunnel. Matthew claims he is innocent and asks for Robin’s help, promising more information about Samantha if Robin helps him. Robin is intrigued and heads off to Marsden, location of Standedge Tunnel. While Matthew maintains his innocence, there is still a big question about his friends – where are the bodies?

Robin is grieving for his missing wife and having difficulty moving on. With the hope of learning something about Samantha’s disappearance, he jumps into investigating Matthew’s claim of innocence. However, the townspeople of Marsden have already decided Matthew is guilty, and they are not welcoming to Robin and his inquiries about the Standedge Five. This makes Robin’s task more difficult, but he presses on to discover what happened in the tunnel, and in turn, hopes to learn what happened to his wife.

The atmosphere Now You See Me is fantastic. The claustrophobic tunnel and tight knit community of Marsden make for a dark and eerie setting. The characters are complex and not all that trustworthy. A compelling and suspenseful mystery.

I read Chris McGeorge’s previous novel, Guess Who, and was amused to see it referred to a couple of times in this book. Both books are entertaining thrillers.

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

Books by Chris McGeorge:

1. Guess Who
2. Now You See Me
3. Inside Out
4. Half-Past Tomorrow

BOOK INFO

Title: The Whisper Man

Author: Alex North

Publisher: Celadon Books

Publish Date: August 20, 2019

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.

But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.

Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late, even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The Whisper Man.

And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…

MY REVIEW

Tom has had a hard time adjusting to life after his wife’s death. He decides to move, so he and his son Jake relocate to the small town of Featherbank. In Featherbank, a young boy has gone missing, and the case is linked to an older series of kidnappings and murders committed by The Whisper Man. The police caught The Whisper Man, Frank Carter, and he has been in prison for the last twenty years for those crimes. One of the detectives that worked the old cases questions Frank in the new missing boy case, but it’s difficult in find a direct link. Tom and Jake are brought into the case when Jake starts to hear the whispers.

Complex characters with realistic emotions and actions. Tom is a widower struggling with the loss of his wife and raising his seven-year-old son alone. Tom has problems, but he loves his son and wants the best for Jake. As for Jake, he’s a lonely and sad young boy. He does have a creative side though, and he is able to use that to express his emotions. Their move to a new town is designed to help them with a fresh start, but they end up moving somewhere with a disturbing past and a dangerous kidnapper/murdered on the loose.

The detectives work hard to solve the current missing child case. This is especially true for DI Pete Willis. He worked the original Whisper Man case, and has always been troubled by not finding the final missing boy in that investigation. He has continued to search for that boy for 20 years. With the new case, it seems he may be able to learn more about what happened to that last little boy.

A mystery thriller with a creepy side. The Whisper Man whispers to the children to coax them to him. The house that Tom and Jake move to is the scary house… as in it looks scary. It turns out to have some disturbing things associated with it too. This Whisper Man is an atmospheric mystery with intriguing characters and an intricate plot. Dark, chilling, and heartbreaking.

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

Books by Alex North:

1. The Whisper Man
2. The Shadows