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Book Review

The Elizas by Sara Shepard [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Elizas

Author: Sara Shepard

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: April 17, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Elizas by Sara Shepard

BOOK BLURB

When Eliza Fontaine is rescued from the bottom of a hotel pool just a few weeks before her first novel is going to be published, her family assumes that it’s another failed suicide attempt. But Eliza swears she was pushed. The problem is she remembers little of that night, a result of the large quantity of alcohol she consumed and a worsening struggle with memory loss due to a brain tumor. Feeling ignored and vulnerable, she decides she must find the truth of what actually happened.

As she searches for answers, something very peculiar begins to happen: The people closest to her start to confuse the events in her novel with those in her real life. The dividing line between fact and fiction seems to be dissolving, and even Eliza is becoming uncertain about where her protagonist’s story ends and hers begins. She glimpses a shadowy presence hovering nearby, a mirror image of herself…but is it all in her head or is there really someone following her, studying her, wishing to do her harm? Perhaps the answers to all her questions already exist in the pages of her novel, if only she could put the pieces together in the right way.

The Elizas is a heart-pounding, Hitchcockian double narrative composed of secrets, lies, false memories, and an unreliable narrator you’ll never forget.

The Elizas by Sara Shepard

MY REVIEW

When Eliza is found in a hotel pool, she claims she was pushed, but her family thinks it was another one of her suicide attempts. That’s right, another attempt. It seems Eliza has made several suicide attempts. Eliza has a hard time convincing anyone that someone pushed her, so she investigates on her own.

Eliza is dealing with two main issues in this story. One, she was found in a pool. She can’t swim, and her family believes she tried to kill herself, but Eliza is convinced someone pushed her. The other issue concerns Eliza’s new book that is about to be published. She’s excited about it, but her family doesn’t want the book out, and Eliza can’t quite figure out why they feel that way.

Told from Eliza’s point of view, who seems to be an unreliable narrator since she has a gap in her memory. Eliza spent some time in a hospital recovering from an illness. This time of her life is a little hazy. However, Eliza’s growing paranoia does seem justified with the way things are going in her life.

The Elizas is a slow building psychological thriller. This is lighter than a lot of adult thrillers, so a good intro for people looking to read more thrillers, but not interested in too heavy of a story. Dark, chaotic, and suspenseful.

Books by Sara Shepard:
  1. The Elizas
  2. Reputation
  3. Safe In My Arms
  4. Nowhere Like Home
Book Review

Manual for a Murder by Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Manual for a Murder

Author: Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias

Publisher: Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias

Publish Date: June 24, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Manual for a Murder by Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias

BOOK BLURB

Marina, a 38-year-old accountant in a crumbling relationship, falls in love with a charming colleague who is married with a son. The two begin a torrid relationship. One commits a murder.

Oscar, a homicide detective, is assigned to the case. He is a man dedicated to his work and to his family, and he likes to joke about and mock the typical American police series.

Manual for a Murder by Gonçalo J. Nunes Dias

MY REVIEW

Marina has an affair with a married coworker. After their affair ends, her former lover’s wife is killed. Oscar is a police detective investigating the death. When Oscar finds out about the affair, Marina is added to the suspect list.

This story is divided into three parts. The first and last are from Marina’s point of view and the second is from Oscar’s point of view. The two different viewpoints add a little more intensity to the story than if only one was presented.

I read a translated version of this book. There were some parts that read a little awkward, and that slowed the flow of the story for me. This is a short book though, so it was still a fast read.

Dark, clever, and tragic. A good read for mystery fans.

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

Book Review

Her Final Hour by Carla Kovach [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Final Hour

Author: Carla Kovach

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: August 23, 2018

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Detective Gina Harte #2

My Rating: 3/5

Her Final Hour by Carla Kovach

BOOK BLURB

Melissa Sanderson is the perfect wife and mother. She dotes on her daughter, and lives in her dream home in a quiet cul-de-sac in the suburbs.

But looks can be deceiving.

Something is amiss in that house – all the neighbours think so. Some say Melissa is having an affair. Others say she’s been drinking too much.

Then one night, sirens wake up the whole neighbourhood.

Melissa Sanderson is dead.

AN ABSOLUTELY UNPUTDOWNABLE THRILLER WITH A BRILLIANT ENDING YOU WON’T SEE COMING – if you like Lisa Gardner, Robert Bryndza or Clare Mackintosh, Her Final Hour will keep you reading well into the night.

Her Final Hour by Carla Kovach

MY REVIEW

A woman is found murdered in her home. The woman was a wife and mother, and the murder scene doesn’t add up with the life the woman appeared to be living. Detective Gina Harte is assigned the case, and soon realizes there is more to the case than originally thought.

Her Final Hour is the second book in the Detective Gina Harte series by Carla Kovach. I have not read the first book in this series, but this one was easily read as a standalone.

This book opens with a prologue of a woman being sexually assaulted in 1993, then the current story starts with a woman’s murder in 2018. Her Final Hour is told with multiple viewpoints, so the reader is aware of not only Gina’s investigation, but also those involved with the crimes. This works fine for the story, and it’s nice to get points of views from both sides. There is an extensive cast of characters, and plenty happening to keep the reader engaged with the story.

Gina is smart and tough. She has a difficult past that involves a lot of abuse, so she relates to the victims of the crimes she investigates on a personal level. She’s also stronger for surviving her past and making something with her life.

A dark and twisty mystery. Good for fans of crime fiction, especially for those who enjoy books with strong female detectives.

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

Books in the Detective Gina Harte series:
  1. The Next Girl
  2. Her Final Hour
  3. Her Pretty Bones
  4. The Liar’s House
  5. Her Dark Heart
  6. Her Last Mistake
  7. Their Silent Graves
  8. The Broken Ones
  9. One Left Behind
  10. Her Dying Wish
  11. One Girl Missing
  12. Her Deadly Promise
  13. Their Cold Hearts
  14. Her Hidden Shadows
Book Review

Over My Shoulder by Patricia Dixon [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Over My Shoulder

Author: Patricia Dixon

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Publish Date: August 24, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

Over My Shoulder by Patricia Dixon

BOOK BLURB

When Freya falls for the manipulative Kane, her life changes beyond her wildest imagination. When the luxurious life she craves gradually becomes intolerable she realises escape is out of reach. Her life has changed and so has she. She knows that when she least expects it, he will return and make good his promise to exact revenge and ensure she pays the price he felt he is owed. Can Freya ever be free? Whoever knew love could be so dangerous?

Following Freya from her carefree twenties up to the present day, Over My Shoulder is an intricate tale of blinkered love and obsession.

Over My Shoulder by Patricia Dixon

MY REVIEW

Freya falls for Kane. She thinks he’s pretty great, but as they get more involved, she realizes just how manipulative he is. Eventually his manipulation gets dangerous, very dangerous. Freya decides to escape from her life with him, but she fears he will come back for revenge one day.

Over My Shoulder is told from Freya’s viewpoint. She is recalling her past with Kane to explain her current situation. Freya has a difficult story to tell, as it involves a lot of mental and physical abuse. Freya is a little naive and entranced by the lifestyle she thinks Kane can offer her. Kane is never really likable, but he gets more sinister as the story progresses.

Over My Shoulder is dark and intense. Good for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.

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

Books by Patricia Dixon:

  1. Over My Shoulder
  2. They Don’t Know
  3. Death’s Dark Veil
  4. Liars
  5. #MeToo
  6. Blame
  7. The Other Woman
  8. Coming Home
  9. Birthright
  10. Venus Was Her Name
  11. A Good Mother
Book Review

Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Burning Ridge

Author: Margaret Mizushima

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: September 11, 2018

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #4

My Rating: 4/5

Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima

BOOK BLURB

On a rugged Colorado mountain ridge, Mattie Cobb and her police dog partner Robo make a grisly discovery—and become the targets of a ruthless killer.

Colorado’s Redstone Ridge is a place of extraordinary beauty, but this rugged mountain wilderness harbors a horrifying secret. When a charred body is discovered in a shallow grave on the ridge, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo are called in to spearhead the investigation. But this is no ordinary crime—and it soon becomes clear that Mattie has a close personal connection to the dead man.

Joined by local veterinarian Cole Walker, the pair scours the mountaintop for evidence and makes another gruesome discovery: the skeletonized remains of two adults and a child. And then, the unthinkable happens. Could Mattie become the next victim in the murderer’s deadly game?

A deranged killer torments Mattie with a litany of dark secrets that call into question her very identity. As a towering blaze races across the ridge, Cole and Robo search desperately for her—but time is running out in Margaret Mizushima’s fourth spine-tingling Timber Creek K-9 mystery, Burning Ridge.

Burning Ridge by Margaret Mizushima

MY REVIEW

Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner, Robo, are called to work the case of a burned body found in the wilderness. As Mattie and other officers search for evidence, they also discover three additional bodies. To complicate matters, Mattie soon discovers she has a connection to the burned dead man.

Burning Ridge it the fourth book in the Timber Creek K-9 Mystery series by Margaret Mizushima. I have not read any of the other books in this series, but Burning Ridge is easily read as a standalone.

Mattie works as a police officer in a small town. She is a hard-working officer, and close to the local community. With a good heart, Mattie wants to help those she believes to need a little more in their lives, but she is also cautious and wary of strangers and new developments in town. As a bonus, she is seeing the charming local veterinarian, Cole.

A solid mystery. Realistic characters. Plenty of action, and a little romance. A lighter, less graphic crime fiction read. Engaging and suspenseful.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Timber Creek K-9 series:
  1. Killing Trail
  2. Stalking Ground
  3. Hunting Hour
  4. Burning Ridge
  5. Tracking Game
  6. Hanging Falls
  7. Striking Range
  8. Standing Dead
Book Review

Winter Gets Hot by David M. Hamlin [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Winter Gets Hot

Author: David M. Hamlin

Publisher: Open Books

Publish Date: December 6, 2017

Genre: Amateur Investigator

Series: Emily Winter #2

My Rating: 4/5

Winter Gets Hot by David M. Hamlin

BOOK BLURB

Winter in Chicago journalist Emily Winter is the first reporter on the scene of a gruesome murder in the offices of CARD, a civic organization that investigates corruption in City Hall. Although she has proven herself to be a skilled reporter with at least one headline making story to her credit, her new TV boss assigns her to a more “ladylike” beat—lifestyle and feature stories.

Determined to overcome the sexism that inhibits her career, Emily works her way into hard news coverage, including the story of the murder at CARD, but she faces major obstacles on all fronts as she pursues the killer.

As the case twists and turns, Emily navigates the city she loves, relishing Chicago’s architecture, neighborhood restaurants, culture and her beloved, if hapless, Chicago Cubs.

Will she uncover the murderer and bring justice for those who depend on hard-working journalists to write the stories that define their lives? Find out in Winter Gets Hot!

Winter Gets Hot by David M. Hamlin

MY REVIEW

Emily is a journalist in Chicago. She does the lighter, fluffier pieces for the news station she works for, but she yearns to work on more hard hitting news. When she is the first reporter at a crime scene, she thinks she finally has a chance at a real news story. Unfortunately for Emily, the current crime news reporter is putting up a fight and doesn’t want her working on the story. Emily is not easily discouraged, so she works on not only reporting the crime, but solving it too.

This is the second book with the character Emily Winter. I have not read the first book, Winter in Chicago, but Winter Gets Hot is easily read as a standalone.

This story takes place in the late 1970s, and Emily deals with a lot of sexism in the work place. With her high standards for work ethic and career goals, she is ready to show the men that there is room for a woman in the news room. A smart, resourceful, and determined female protagonist.

Emily is an enjoyable character to root for. A solid crime mystery, with mostly realistic interactions. My only complaint was the conversations with her husband. He used odd phrasing that seemed dated, even for the 70s. Though it was sometimes humorous, it broke the flow of the story.

An enjoyable, quick read. Good for fans of lighter crime fiction with a female sleuth.

I received a digital copy of this book from Book Glow in exchange for an honest review.

Books in the Winter series:

  1. Winter in Chicago
  2. Winter Gets Hot
Book Review

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Publish Date: August 14, 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction

Series: na

My Rating: 5/5

BOOK BLURB

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

MY REVIEW

Kya ia a little girl when family members start to leave her. As a result, she ends up growing up alone in the family’s shack in the marsh. The local townspeople think her to be wild and dangerous, but a few see the shy, lonely girl she is. As she gets older, boys start to take notice. One boy in particular captures her heart, but soon another young man enters the picture. When the young man is found dead, the townspeople suspect Kya is guilty of murder.

An amazing story about a girl growing up in the marsh. Kya has a difficult childhood, and doesn’t have the same opportunities as many children her age. She is smart and resilient though, and she manages to create a quiet life close to nature.

Where the Crawdads Sing has multiple aspects that make it a compelling read. Historical fiction. Coming of age. Romance. Mystery. The setting is North Carolina in the 1950s to early 1970s. Kya is a child in the 1950s, but a good portion of the novel takes place during Kya’s teens and early twenties. Kya is alone in the world, but she does get a couple of suitors in her life. The mystery that takes place is well developed, especially in the questioning of the death as a murder or an accident. Unfortunately for Kya, her reputation as a wild child from the marsh has the townspeople convinced she is guilty, whether or not there was a crime.

Where the Crawdads Sing is beautifully written. I especially enjoyed the parts dealing with nature. Growing up in the marsh, and not having anyone in her life, Kya has an extraordinary relationship with the natural world. As Kya matures, she becomes a strong and intelligent woman.

An emotional story that follows the life of an interesting character. Intriguing, captivating, and heartbreaking.

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

Book Review

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Jane Doe

Author: Victoria Helen Stone

Publisher: Lake Union

Publish Date: August 1, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: Jane Doe #1

My Rating 5/5

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

BOOK BLURB

A double life with a single purpose: revenge.

Jane’s days at a Midwest insurance company are perfectly ordinary. She blends in well, unremarkably pretty in her floral-print dresses and extra efficient at her low-level job. She’s just the kind of woman middle manager Steven Hepsworth likes—meek, insecure, and willing to defer to a man. No one has any idea who Jane really is. Least of all Steven.

But plain Jane is hiding something. And Steven’s bringing out the worst in her.

Nothing can distract Jane from going straight for his heart: allowing herself to be seduced into Steven’s bed, to insinuate herself into his career and his family, and to expose all his dirty secrets. It’s time for Jane to dig out everything that matters to Steven. So she can take it all away.

Just as he did to her.

Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

MY REVIEW

Jane is sweet, shy, and insecure. At least that is what she wants Steven to believe. Really, she’s a sociopath out for revenge… and Steven is her target.

Told from Jane’s point of view, the story of why she wants revenge and how she is going to get it is told as she entangles herself in Steven’s life. While Jane is a sociopath, she’s not really a bad person. She just doesn’t feel things the way most people do. Jane is smart, cunning, determined, and surprisingly humorous. She’s also very adept at blending in and following social cues. Jane isn’t a likable person, but she’s a great character to read about.

Jane Doe is a thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller. This is a straight up revenge story. Steven hurt Jane. Jane wants revenge. I love that this isn’t super twisty with multiple storylines. A fun and highly entertaining read.

This was a fast-paced read that I stayed up way too late to finish. Dark, engaging, and suspenseful. Jane Doe is great 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 in the Jane Doe series:

  1. Jane Doe
  2. Problem Child

Other Books by Victoria Helen Stone:

  1. Evelyn, After
  2. Half Past
  3. False Step
  4. The Last One Home
  5. At the Quiet Edge
  6. The Hook
Book Review

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Our Little Secret

Author: Roz Nay

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: April 17, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay

BOOK BLURB

Roz Nay’s Our Little Secret is a twisted tale of love, pain, and revenge that will stay with the reader long after they turn the last page.

They say you never forget your first love. What they don’t say though, is that sometimes your first love won’t forget you…

Angela Petitjean sits in a cold, dull room. The police have been interrogating her for hours, asking about Saskia Parker. She’s the wife of Angela’s high school sweetheart, HP, and the mother of his child. She has vanished. Homicide Detective J. Novak believes Angela knows what happened to Saskia. He wants the truth, and he wants it now.

But Angela has a different story to tell. It began more than a decade ago when she and HP met in high school in Cove, Vermont. She was an awkward, shy teenager. He was a popular athlete. They became friends, fell in love, and dated senior year. Everything changed when Angela went to college. When time and distance separated them. When Saskia entered the picture.

That was eight years ago. HP foolishly married a drama queen and Angela moved on with her life. Whatever marital rift caused Saskia to leave her husband has nothing to do with Angela. Nothing at all. Detective Novak needs to stop asking questions and listen to what Angela is telling him. And once he understands everything, he’ll have the truth he so desperately wants…

Our Little Secret by Roz Nay

MY REVIEW

Angela’s high school sweetheart’s wife is missing, and the detective on the case is questioning Angela. The detective thinks Angela knows something about the missing woman’s disappearance. Angela does have a story to tell, and it starts at the beginning… when she and her high school sweetheart first met.

This is Angela’s story. As the story progresses, it seems Angela does know more about the missing woman than she is letting on, but it is unclear if she was involved with the disappearance. I really enjoyed the first half of this book, then lost interest. The writing is solid, but the characters fell flat.

Our Little Secret is a good debut novel. Slow-paced, but still a quick read. Dark, dramatic, and suspenseful.

Books by Roz Nay:
  1. Our Little Secret
  2. Hurry Home
  3. The Hunted
Book Review

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 in the Window

Author: A. J. Finn

Publisher: William Morrow

Publish Date: January 2, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

BOOK BLURB

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.

The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn

MY REVIEW

Anna has been suffering from agoraphobia for almost a year. She doesn’t leave her home, so she entertains herself by watching old movies, playing chess online, and watching her neighbors. She has become especially interested in the Russell family, who are new to the neighborhood. Due to her mental health, Anna is on several medications, and she also drinks quite a bit of wine. One night while watching out her window, she sees something she wasn’t meant to see. Afterward, she tries to connect the pieces and unravel the secrets of what is truth and what is all in her mind.

The first part of The Woman in the Window is slow and more about Anna and her situation, but the pace picks up later with an exciting mystery. Anna is a well-developed character, though it is never clear on how reliable she is. As the story progresses, even Anna herself is unsure of what is real.

The Woman in the Window is a slow building psychological thriller. Complex story. Intriguing characters. A great read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Book Review

The Speed of Sound by Eric Bernt [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Speed of Sound

Author: Eric Bernt

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: June 1, 2018

Genre: Technothriller

Series: Speed of Sound #1

My Rating: 3/5

The Speed of Sound by Eric Bernt

BOOK BLURB

In this propulsive thriller, one of the most ingenious young men in the world has also become the most dangerous…or has he?

Harmony House is more than a “special place for special people.” It’s a think tank where high-functioning autistic savants harness their unique abilities for the benefit of society. Resident Eddie Parks’s contribution is nothing less than extraordinary: an “echo box” that can re-create never-recorded sounds using acoustic archeology.

All Eddie wants is to hear his late mother’s voice. But what he’s created is inadvertently posing a threat to national security.

To Harmony House’s shadowy government backers and radical extremists, the echo box is the ultimate intelligence asset—an end to the very concept of secrecy. Now for Eddie and the compassionate Dr. Skylar Drummond, the true nature of the institution is becoming chillingly clear.

As ruthless competing enemies close in on Eddie and his miraculous machine, Skylar risks all to take him on the run. Because once that prize is won, Eddie Parks will no longer be considered a “special person” but a dangerous redundancy. An inconvenient echo that must be silenced.

The Speed of Sound by Eric Bernt

MY REVIEW

Eddie lives in Harmony House, a think tank residence for people with autism. Eddie’s project is creating an “echo box.” Eddie’s main desire is to hear his late mother sing, and if he can complete the echo box, his dream will come true. Unfortunately, other, less scrupulous people would also like the echo box to work. The newest doctor at Harmony House is Skylar, and she immediately connects with Eddie. As the danger increases, Skylar helps Eddie.

The Speed of Sound has interesting and likable characters. Eddie has autism, and has a few special abilities that go along with that. He has very delicate hearing and he is a human lie detector. Both of these abilities come into play throughout the story. Skylar is a little more stereotypical character. She is a new doctor at Harmony House, and she also truly cares about the patients. Eddie has a hard time with people, but he quickly learns to trust Skylar.

The story is action-packed. As Eddie gets closer to finishing his project, it seems more people are interested in getting their hands on it. Skylar is important since she wants to keep Eddie safe, but she also wants to see him achieve his dream of hearing his mother sing.

The Speed of Sound is exciting and fast-paced. This is the first book in a series, and ends on a cliffhanger. Good for fans of techno thrillers.

Books in the Speed of Sound series:
  1. The Speed of Sound
  2. The Sound of Echoes
Book Review

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: An Unwanted Guest

Author: Shari Lapena

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Publish Date: August 7, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

BOOK BLURB

A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It’s winter in the Catskills and Mitchell’s Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in and try to make the best of it.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead–it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something–or someone–is picking off the guests one by one. And there’s nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm–and one another.

MY REVIEW

A snowstorm traps ten guests and two employees in a secluded inn. The guests are snowed in, without electricity or any contact with the outside world. When one guest dies, it could be an accident. After a second death, the remaining guests start to be afraid that one of them is a killer.

With twelve characters to keep track of, An Unwanted Guest starts off a bit slow as everyone is introduced. Once the characters are established, this turns into a suspenseful and entertaining read.

This is more of a whodunit mystery. The relationships and dynamics between the characters are intriguing. The characters are all trapped together while the mystery plays out, which makes the story fun and spine-tingling.

An Unwanted Guest is a great choice for fans of the classic whodunit. Suspenseful, engaging, and clever.

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

Books by Shari Lapena:
  1. The Couple Next Door
  2. A Stranger in the House
  3. An Unwanted Guest
  4. Someone We Know
  5. The End of Her
  6. Not a Happy Family
  7. Everyone Here Is Lying