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The Missing Years by Lexie Elliott [Book Review]

Posted on April 17, 2019January 15, 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 Missing Years

Author: Lexie Elliott

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: April 23, 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

A woman’s unsolved family history comes back to haunt her in an eerie, old, isolated manor in the Scottish Highlands.

Ailsa Calder has inherited half of a house. The other half belongs to a man who disappeared from her life without a trace twenty-seven years ago—her father.

Leaving London behind to settle the inheritance, Ailsa returns to her childhood home, nestled amongst the craggy peaks of the Scottish Highlands, joined by the half-sister who’s almost a stranger to her.

Ailsa can’t escape the claustrophobic feeling that the house itself is watching her—as if her past hungers to consume her. She also can’t ignore how the neighborhood animals refuse to set one foot within the gates of the garden.

When the first nighttime intruder shows up and the locals in the isolated community pry into her plans for the manor, Ailsa becomes terrified that the mysteries surrounding the beautiful old home will cost her everything.

MY REVIEW

Alisa Calder inherited an old Scottish manor from her mother’s estate, but she really only owns half of it. Her father, who disappeared 27 years earlier, owns the other half. With no way to sell or rent the manor, Alisa moves in. She doesn’t relocate alone though, her half-sister, who she doesn’t know well, moves with her.

During her childhood, Alisa lived in the home with her parents, but it’s been so long, she doesn’t feel much of a connection to the local village or the people. The locals remember the Calder family, though not all memories are that favorable. Alisa deals with her present situation, but is also faced with memories from her past… specifically, her father’s disappearance.

While staying in the manor, Alisa encounters a few strange things. In addition, Alisa sometimes questions herself on what is real. This combination makes for a suspenseful and somewhat eerie read.

The Missing Years is slow-building story with intriguing characters. In fact, the home itself is developed as a character rather than a setting. An interesting and complex novel.

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

Books by Lexie Elliott:

The French Girl
The Missing Years
How to Kill Your Best Friend

Catch Your Death by Kierney Scott [Book Review]

Posted on April 15, 2019January 15, 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: Catch Your Death

Author: Kierney Scott

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: April 15, 2019

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Detective Jess Bishop #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

The scene played over and over in his mind. He only had one choice left. He had to die.

Behind the high and imposing gates of a prestigious college, five students have taken their lives. All of them friends, all of them good kids, all of them dead within months of each other. When FBI Agent Jess Bishop is called in to investigate, what she discovers will make her just as vulnerable as the students she’s trying to protect.

As Jess begins to unravel the secrets behind the deaths, she uncovers something much more sinister at the school and she is determined to find out who is at the centre of it.

Though her team think they’re closing in on the ringleader, Jess becomes convinced they’re going after the wrong person, forcing her to investigate on her own. Desperate to stop any more deaths, she risks everything by putting herself in the firing line. But just how far would she go to save the lives of those around her?

MY REVIEW

Catch Your Death is the third book in the Detective Jess Bishop series by Kierney Scott. In this latest book, FBI Agent Jess Bishop investigates a series of apparent suicides at a prestigious boarding school.

While the case Jess investigates is a standalone story, I recommend reading the previous books in the series to better understand the backstory of Jess and the other characters. Jess is a troubled FBI agent with a past she would rather others not know about. She is smart, independent, headstrong, and good a solving difficult cases.

In this book, Jess ends up investigating a series of deaths that have a connection to a coworker. While Jess is the main character, there are other interesting characters on her investigative team. Each of the characters has a distinct personality. I’ve read the previous two books, and find with each book that the characters become better developed. I would like to learn more about some of them, and as the series continues, I expect for this to happen.

An action-packed mystery. Good for fans of crime thrillers. Suspenseful, intriguing, and complex.

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

Books in the Detective Jess Bishop series:

Forget Me Not
Cross Your Heart
Catch Your Death

Wolfhunter River by Rachel Caine [Book Review]

Posted on April 15, 2019January 15, 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: Wolfhunter River

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: April 23, 2019

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: Stillhouse Lake #3

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

She can’t ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it’s open season.

Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids.

But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was.

But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide…

MY REVIEW

First off, this book isn’t really needed for the series. I think most things were wrapped up in book 2, Killman Creek. That said, I enjoy Rachel Caine’s writing style, and thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Gwen and the others in this series.

Wolfhunter River is the third book in the Stillhouse Lake series. This book has a couple of main stories. One, Gwen is trying to live a normal life with her kids. Unfortunately, there are some people who would like to see her suffer for her husband’s crimes. Two, a woman in Wolfhunter contacts Gwen with a story that intrigues her. Gwen travels to Wolfhunter, and soon suspects something is seriously wrong in the small town. Of course, these storylines intersect to make a fast-paced and exciting read.

Readers who enjoyed Stillhouse Lake and Killman Creek are sure to be thrilled with Wolfhunter River. A suspenseful read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

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

Books in the Stillhouse Lake series:

Stillhouse Lake
Killman Creek
Wolfhunter River
Bitter Falls
Heartbreak Bay
Trapper Road

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding [Book Review]

Posted on April 11, 2019January 15, 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: Her Pretty Face

Author: Robyn Harding

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Publish Date: July 10, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Frances Metcalfe is struggling to stay afloat.

A stay-at-home mom whose troubled son is her full-time job, she had hoped that the day he got accepted into the elite Forrester Academy would be the day she started living her life. Overweight, insecure, and lonely, she is desperate to fit into the Forrester world. But after a disturbing incident at the school leads the other children and their families to ostracize the Metcalfes, she feels more alone than ever before.

Until she meets Kate Randolph.

Kate is everything Frances is not: beautiful, wealthy, powerful, and confident. And for some reason, she’s not interested in being friends with any of the other Forrester moms—only Frances. As the two bond over their disdain of the Forrester snobs and the fierce love they have for their sons, a startling secret threatens to tear them apart—one of these women is not who she seems. Her real name is Amber Kunik. And she’s a murderer.

MY REVIEW

Frances and Kate seem very different, but soon became friends. Their sons go to the same private school, and neither one quite fits in with the other parents. Frances is somewhat ostracized because of her son’s behavioral problems. Kate is confident and not all that interested in blending in with the other parents. As the women’s friendship grows, one learns of the other’s secret. A disturbing secret of a past murder.

Told with alternating timelines (past and present) and three alternating points of view (Frances, Daisy, and DJ). Frances is insecure, but wants to be liked. When she meets Kate, she is happy to finally have a friend. Daisy is Kate’s lonely teenage daughter. DJ is a young child. Frances and Daisy’s timelines are present day, and DJ’s story is in the past.

Her Pretty Face is great domestic drama. It is character driven, which makes for a somewhat slower-paced read. There is intrigue and suspense with the story as well, which makes for a compelling story.

Books by Robyn Harding:

The Party
Her Pretty Face
The Arrangement
The Swap
The Perfect Family
The Drowning Woman
The Haters

The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott [Book Review]

Posted on April 11, 2019January 15, 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 Woman Inside

Author: E.G. Scott

Publisher: Dutton

Publish Date: January 22, 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

An impossible-to-put-down domestic thriller about secrets and revenge, told from the perspectives of a husband and wife who are the most perfect, and the most dangerous, match for each other.

Paul and Rebecca are drowning as the passion that first ignited their love has morphed into duplicitous secrecy, threatening to end their marriage, freedom, and sanity. Rebecca, in the throes of opioid addiction, uncovers not only her husband’s affair but also his plan to build a new life with the other woman. Spiraling desperately, she concocts a devious plot of her own—one that could destroy absolutely everything.

The Woman Inside is a shockingly twisty story of deceit, an unforgettable portrait of a marriage imploding from within, and a cautionary tale about how love can morph into something far more sinister. It’s a novel about how people grow apart and how those closest to us can be harboring the most shocking of secrets.

MY REVIEW

Paul and Rebecca have been married for twenty years. Their marriage has hit a rocky patch, and both of them are keeping secrets.

The Woman Inside is told with the alternating viewpoints of Paul and Rebecca. Rebecca is addicted to opiates, making her somewhat unreliable as a narrator. Paul has secrets of his own, including an affair that doesn’t end well. Two manipulative characters that were so unlikable it was hard to care too much with how things turned out for them.

The Woman Inside has two main points of view, but also includes a few other POV as the story progresses. The combination of multiple POVs and timelines (before, after, and now) made for a convoluted read. I enjoyed the twistiness of this domestic thriller, but it was not as intriguing as other recent novels.

Crazy mistress. Drug addicted wife. Suspicious husband. A fast-paced and entertaining psychological thriller.

Books by E.G. Scott:

The Woman Inside
The Rule of Three

The Better Sister by Alafair Burke [Book Review]

Posted on April 10, 2019January 15, 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 Better Sister

Author: Alafair Burke

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: April 16, 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Keep your enemies close and your sister closer.

Though Chloe was the younger of the two Taylor sisters, she always seemed to be the one in charge. She was the honor roll student with big dreams and an even bigger work ethic. Nicky—always restless and more than a little reckless—was the opposite of her ambitious little sister. She floated from job to job and man to man, and stayed close to home in Cleveland.

For a while, it seemed that both sisters had found happiness. Chloe earned a scholarship to an Ivy League school and moved to New York City, where she landed a coveted publishing job. Nicky married promising young attorney Adam Macintosh and gave birth to a baby boy they named Ethan. The Taylor sisters became virtual strangers.

Now, more than fifteen years later, their lives are drastically different—and Chloe is married to Adam. When he’s murdered by an intruder at the couple’s East Hampton beach house, Chloe reluctantly allows her teenage stepson’s biological mother—her estranged sister, Nicky—back into her life. But when the police begin to treat Ethan as a suspect in his father’s death, the two sisters are forced to unite . . . and to confront the truth behind family secrets they have tried to bury in the past.

MY REVIEW

Chloe and Nicky are sisters. Though Chloe is the younger sister, she has always been the more responsible one. As adults, it seemed Nicky’s restless behavior improved when she married Adam and had a baby. Then things took a dramatic turn. Now, fifteen years later, Chloe is married to Adam, she is stepmother to her nephew Ethan, and estranged from her sister. When Adam is found murdered in their beach house, Ethan becomes the prime suspect. These events bring Nicky back into Chloe’s life. When finally reconnected, the sisters are forced to confront their past.

This mystery starts off strong with Adam’s murder, but the pace does slow down. When the police start looking at Ethan as a prime suspect, the sisters are brought together to support him and help prove his innocence. Both sisters have secrets they have been keeping, and as things unfold, the sisters relationship changes.

The Better Sister is an easy reading novel. Murder mystery, courtroom drama, and family secrets.

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

Books by Alafair Burke:

Long Gone
If You Were Here
The Ex
The Wife
The Better Sister

Foul Play on Words by Becky Clark [Book Review]

Posted on April 8, 2019January 15, 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: Foul Play on Words

Author: Becky Clark

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Publish Date: April 8, 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Mystery Writer’s Mystery #2

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Between a kidnapping, a double booking, and a crew of hapless volunteers, Charlee worries the writing conference will go to the dogs.

Mystery author Charlee Russo agrees to speak at a Portland writers’ conference organized by her friend Viv Lundquist. When Viv picks her up at the airport, she frantically tells Charlee that her daughter Hanna has been kidnapped.

Charlee takes over the conference preparation so Viv can search for her daughter, but the situation gets tense when the hotel double-books the event with a dog show. Despite this, Charlee is compelled to investigate after she learns shocking secrets about both Hanna and Viv. Can she find Hanna in time, or will a plot twist lead her to a ruff ending?

MY REVIEW

Charlee Russo heads to a writer’s conference to be a speaker. When she arrives, she finds out her friend Viv’s daughter has been kidnapped. Since Viv is organizing the conference, Charlee steps in to help so Viv can search for her daughter. It ends up being more than Charlee bargained for, including a double booked hotel and food poisoned volunteers.

The second book in the Mystery Writer’s mystery series by Becky Clark. I recommend picking up the first book, Fiction Can Be Murder, before reading this one. Personally, I enjoyed the first one more, but the second book is a good addition to the series.

In Foul Play on Words, Charlee is dealing with the chaos around the writer’s conference. Of course, Charlee also wants to investigate the mystery of her friend’s missing daughter. There is a lot going on in this book. Too much.

Charlee is a quirky character with a nice combination of paranoia and humor. An entertaining read. Good for fans of humorous cozy mysteries.

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

Books in the Mystery Writer’s Mystery Series:

Fiction Can Be Murder
Foul Play on Words
Metaphor for Murder
Police Navidad

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus [Book Review]

Posted on April 4, 2019January 15, 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: Two Can Keep a Secret

Author: Karen M. McManus

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publish Date: January 8, 2019

Genre: YA Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

BOOK BLURB

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery’s never been there, but she’s heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it’s hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she’s in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous–and most people aren’t good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it’s safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

MY REVIEW

Twins Ellery and Ezra move to Echo Ridge to live with their grandmother. They’ve never been to the small town, but they’ve heard about it. When their aunt was a teenager, she went missing from there. Then, five years ago, the homecoming queen was killed. Before the twins even get settled in their new town, someone starts threatening the newest homecoming court.

Told using the alternating points of view of Ellery and Malcolm. Ellery is not happy with the move to Echo Ridge. She has a hard time adjusting to the new town and finding where she fits in. Ellery loves true crime, and soon becomes interested in the town’s past mysteries. Malcolm’s a decent teen with a sordid connection – his brother was the prime suspect in the death of the homecoming queen five years earlier. For that reason, Malcolm feels like people judge him and expect the worst.

Ellery and Malcolm hit it off, and are soon working together to solve the local mysteries. As Ellery tries to discover who is behind the current threats, she learns of her family’s connections to various town residents. It seems everyone has secrets.

A solid YA mystery with intriguing characters. Fast-paced, compelling, and entertaining.

Books by Karen M. McManus:

One of Us Is Lying
Two Can Keep a Secret
One of Us Is Next
The Cousins
You’ll Be the Death of Me
Nothing More to Tell
One of Us Is Back
Such Charming Liars

I Will Never Leave You by S.M. Thayer [Book Review]

Posted on April 3, 2019January 15, 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: I Will Never Leave You

Author: S.M. Thayer

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: September 1, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

All they want is a baby—and they’ll do anything to have one.

Banking heiress Trish and her husband, James, seem to have it all, from a lavish lifestyle to a historic mansion in the nation’s capital. All that’s missing from their privileged life is a baby.

So when Trish sees Anne Elise for the first time, it’s no surprise that she falls deeply in love. There’s just one problem: Trish isn’t the mother. The baby belongs to Laurel, James’s young mistress. And James and Laurel want the wife out of the picture.

When Trish becomes perversely obsessed with making Laurel’s baby her own, the lovers come up with a wicked plan to end James’s marriage that quickly goes awry. As the love triangle becomes more and more dangerous, how far is each of them willing to go to get what they want?

MY REVIEW

Trish and James seem like a couple who has everything, but nothing is as perfect as it seems. Trish desperately wants a baby, but she and James have been unable to conceive. However, James’s mistress Laurel just had a baby. Laurel wants Trish out of the picture, so she and James can be a family. Trish wants the baby.

I Will Never Leave You is told with alternating points of view – Trish, Laurel, and James. Trish is a wealthy woman and has everything she wants, except for a child. When James has a child with another woman, Trish sees it as an opportunity. James is a scoundrel. Besides cheating on his wife, he’s terrible with money, which is why their finances are kept separate. He’s in debt, and needs money fast. Laurel is young and naive. She trusts James, and believes they could have a nice life together, if only Trish wasn’t in their way.

I Will Never Leave You is a fast-paced story full of unlikable characters. This is a quick and entertaining read, but it does require a suspension of disbelief.

The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton [Book Review]

Posted on April 1, 2019January 15, 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 Loch Ness Papers

Author: Paige Shelton

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 2, 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #4

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Bookseller Delaney Nichols befriends a Loch Ness monster enthusiast; when he stands accused of murder she’ll do whatever it takes to learn who the killer is—and whether Nessie herself is really lurking in the Scottish waters.

Delaney Nichols is delighted with her life in Edinburgh, working at The Cracked Spine—a shop that specializes in hard-to-find books and artifacts. With a job she loves, and her fast approaching marriage to devastatingly handsome Scottish pub-owner Tom Shannon, Delaney’s life could be straight out of a fairy tale—at least it would be, if the pastor meant to perform the wedding ceremony hadn’t recently passed away. Outside the church where Delaney is searching for another reverend, she stumbles across Norval Fraser: an elderly man obsessed with the Loch Ness monster. Always attracted to the interesting and unusual, Delaney befriends Norval. But when his nephew is found dead, the police decide Norval’s obsession has moved from monsters to murder.

With a wedding to plan, her family arriving soon from Kansas, and the arrival of an over-the-top Texan with a wildly valuable book, Delaney’s plate is full to bursting, but she can’t abandon her new friend. Determined to help Norval, she sets out to learn the truth. The Loch Ness buries its secrets deeply, but Delaney is determined to dig them up—whether Nessie likes it or not.

MY REVIEW

Delaney Nichols is living the good life in Scotland. She’s engaged to a man she loves and she enjoys her job at The Cracked Spine. She also occasionally acts as an amateur sleuth when mysteries pop up around her. In The Loch Ness Papers, a local Loch Ness monster enthusiast, and recent friend of Delaney, is accused of murdering his nephew. Of course, Delaney steps up to help find the killer. Though Delaney is curious with the mystery, she has other things going on… she is getting married, and her family is in town for her wedding.

The Loch Ness Papers is the fourth book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series by Paige Shelton. Delaney moved from the US to Scotland to work at The Cracked Spine, a rare books shop. Soon after moving to Scotland, she met Tom, and they fell in love. In each book, Delaney has a new mystery to solve. A light and entertaining series for fans of cozy mysteries. I recommend reading them in order, as it helps understand the characters better.

This book has Delaney helping a new friend… who is obsessed with the Loch Ness monster. Lots of talk about Nessie. Not much talk about The Cracked Spine, which, from previous books, sounds like an amazing book shop. Even though Delaney’s family is visiting from Kansas, she mostly focuses on the mystery, and not on her family and upcoming wedding.

I’ll admit, this is not a very exciting book. Personally, I like the characters and can handle the mostly predictable stories. If you like easy reading cozies, and Scotland appeals to you, then it’s worth picking up. A delightful addition to the series.

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

Murder at the Marina by Janet Finsilver [Book Review]

Posted on April 1, 2019January 15, 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 at the Marina

Author: Janet Finsilver

Publisher: Lyrical Underground

Publish Date: April 2, 2019

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A Kelly Jackson Mystery #5

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

There’s a corpse among the chanterelles!

Kelly Jackson, manager of the Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast, is fond of the Doblinsky brothers, Ivan and Rudy, members of the Silver Sentinels, a crew of crime-solving senior citizens in their Northern California seaside hamlet. After she discovers a jewel-encrusted dagger—with what appears to be dried blood on the blade—on their fishing boat, they share their family history with Kelly, and she learns that the knife may be part of a set from their long-ago childhood in Russia. Its sudden reappearance is eerie, but the mystery grows much more serious when a body is found on the boat. The victim was a member of the community and part of the Russian Heritage Festival, and some of the organizers were clearly harboring some bitterness. But the story behind this murder seems as layered as a nesting doll—and Kelly’s feeling completely at sea…

MY REVIEW

Murder at the Marina is the fifth book in the Kelly Jackson Mystery series by Janet Finsilver. Kelly Jackson is the manager of Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast. With her job, she has had the opportunity to meet many of the locals and get involved with events in the community. Some of her favorite people are members of the Silver Sentinels, a group of crime-solving senior citizens. Kelly has gotten to know the members when she was also sleuthing in various local crimes.

In Murder at the Marina, a mystery first arises when a jewel encrusted knife is found aboard the boat belonging to two of the Silver Sentinels, brothers Ivan and Rudy. As Kelly helps the brothers, she learns about their family history. Also, the mystery gets more complex when a dead body is found.

A delightful cozy mystery series. Charming setting. Interesting characters. Entertaining plot. A nice addition to this series.

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

Before We Were Strangers by Brenda Novak [Book Review]

Posted on March 28, 2019January 15, 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: Before We Were Strangers

Author: Brenda Novak

Publisher: MIRA

Publish Date: December 4, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

Before We Were Strangers by Brenda Novak

BOOK BLURB

Something happened to her mother that night. Something no one wants to talk about. But she’s determined to uncover her family’s dark secrets, even if they bury her.

Five-year-old Sloane McBride couldn’t sleep that night. Her parents were arguing again, their harsh words heating the cool autumn air. And then there was that other sound—the ominous thump before all went quiet.

In the morning, her mother was gone.

The official story was that she left. Her loving, devoted mother! That hadn’t sat any better at the time than it did when Sloane moved out at eighteen, anxious to leave her small Texas hometown in search of anywhere else. But not even a fresh start working as a model in New York could keep the nightmares at bay. Or her fears that the domineering father she grew up with wasn’t just difficult—he was deadly.

Now another traumatic loss forces Sloane to realize she owes it to her mother to find out the truth, even if it means returning to a small town full of secrets and lies, a jilted ex-boyfriend, and a father and brother who’d rather see her silenced. But as Sloane starts digging into the past, the question isn’t whether she can uncover what really happened that night…it’s what will remain of her family if she does?

MY REVIEW

Sloane was five years old when her mother disappeared. Sloane remembers hearing her parents argue, and the next day her mother was gone. Sloane left home at eighteen, moved to New York, and started a career as a model. She has done well for herself, but she has always felt there was more to the story about her mother. A loving mother doesn’t just walk away from her children. Sloane decides to move back to her small town and finally discover what happened to her mother.

Sloane is an interesting character. She moved away from home as soon as she could, and she did well for herself. She’s smart, independent, and determined. When she left home, she left behind a father she didn’t get along with, a brother who did whatever their father said, a high school boyfriend who loved her, and a childhood best friend. After years away, Sloane’s relationship with everyone is different when she returns to her hometown.

Before We Were Strangers is a suspenseful mystery with plenty of drama. Family drama, mystery, and a little romance make Before We Were Strangers a compelling read.