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Murder on the Rocks by Shawn Reilly Simmons [Book Review]

Posted on February 6, 2018January 14, 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 on the Rocks

Author: Shawn Reilly Simmons

Publisher: Henery Press

Publish Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Red Carpet Catering Mysteries #5

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Shawn Reilly Simmons has cooked up something rocky this time, and it’s going to be a delicious read.

After surviving a brazen attack at one of her favorite local cafes, Penelope Sutherland is ready to escape the big city and head to her next film set. She and her Red Carpet Catering crew set up their kitchen on location in the tranquil mountains of Vermont.

MY REVIEW

Penelope and her friends are enjoying a nice brunch at a local cafe, when the restaurant is robbed. The women are okay physically, but very shaken after the attack. A series of events follows, and it seems someone is targeting Penelope’s friend Nadia, a tennis pro serving as consultant on the film Penelope is catering. With several strange events occurring, Penelope seeks to learn which events are connected and who is behind them.

Murder on the Rocks is the fifth book in the A Red Carpet Catering Mystery series, but the first one I have read. I enjoy cozy mysteries, and found this to be an entertaining, light read.

This book packed a lot of mystery. There were two main mysteries, who attacked the cafe and who was after Nadia. Plus, there were a couple of smaller mysteries, theft in the local police department and the filmmaker’s family feud. I thought it was a bit much, and could have done with a little less mystery.

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

Books in the Red Carpet Catering Mysteries Series:

Murder on the Red Carpet
Murder on Location
Murder on a Designer Diet
Murder is the Main Course
Murder on the Rocks
Murder With All The Trimmings
Murder On The Chopping Block

Grist Mill Road by Christopher J. Yates [Book Review]

Posted on February 3, 2018January 14, 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: Grist Mill Road

Author: Christopher J. Yates

Publisher: Picador USA

Publish Date: January 9, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 2/5

BOOK BLURB

Grist Mill Road is a dark, twisted, and expertly plotted Rashomon-style tale. The year is 1982; the setting, an Edenic hamlet some ninety miles north of New York City. There, among the craggy rock cliffs and glacial ponds of timeworn mountains, three friends—Patrick, Matthew, and Hannah—are bound together by a terrible and seemingly senseless crime. Twenty-six years later, in New York City, living lives their younger selves never could have predicted, the three meet again—with even more devastating results.

MY REVIEW

In 1982, Matthew, Patrick, and Hannah are linked together through a terrible crime. Twenty-six years later, they reconnect.

Grist Mill Road is a dark story told with two timelines, 1982 and 2008. Each chapter was about a main character (Matthew, Patrick, or Hannah), though some were told in first person point of view and others were third person. The back and forth between timelines, characters, and points of view slowed the pace of the story.

The first chapter in the book tells the tragic crime that occurred in their youth, and the following chapters fill in the blanks of what led to that event. There seemed to be a lot of filler in the book, like food blogging, geology, the history of cement, and even explanations of political aspirations of a character’s father. While some of this information may have been interesting, it bogged down the story and didn’t provide much insight into the characters. I never felt connected to anyone in the story, and didn’t much care what happened to any of them. For me, the ending left too many unanswered questions.

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

Strangers by Ursula Archer and Arno Strobel [Book Review]

Posted on February 1, 2018January 14, 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: Strangers

Author: Ursula Archer and Arno Strobel

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: January 9, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Strangers by Ursula Archer and Arno Strobel

BOOK BLURB

Trust or die.

Imagine you’re home alone. Suddenly a man stands before you. He claims to be your fiancé. But you have no idea who he is. And nothing in your home suggests that someone lives with you. He’s talking to you, but nothing makes sense. You’re afraid. And you feel the irresistible urge to attack. Take a knife. Are you crazy?

Imagine you come home and your fiancée doesn’t recognize you. She thinks you’re a burglar. Worse, a rapist. You just want to protect her, but she defends herself against your perceived threat and barricades herself behind a door. She claims she’s never seen you before. She obviously thinks you’re crazy. Are you?

A woman. A man. The more they try to understand the situation, the more confusing it becomes. Soon they must realize that they are in deadly danger. And there’s only one chance for survival: they must trust each other.

MY REVIEW

Joanna is home alone when a man shows up in her house. She panics since she doesn’t know him. He tells her he is her fiancé, Erik, and lives there with her, except there are no signs that he lives there. No clothes. No toiletries. Nothing. As they try to figure out what is going on, they discover they are both in great danger.

Strangers is told from both Joanna and Erik’s points of view. I liked the alternating chapters of different viewpoints. It helped fill in blanks as to what was happening.

Strangers is a fast-paced psychological thriller. I was intrigued as to what the reality was, what was their history, and what happened to cause the situation.

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

Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds [Book Review]

Posted on January 30, 2018January 14, 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: Close to Me

Author: Amanda Reynolds

Publisher: Quercus

Publish Date: December 5, 2017

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

When Jo Harding falls down the stairs at home, she wakes up in hospital with partial amnesia – she’s lost a whole year of memories.

A lot can happen in a year. Was Jo having an affair? Lying to her family? Starting a new life?

She can’t remember what she did – or what happened the night she fell.

But she’s beginning to realise she might not be as good a wife and mother as she thought.

MY REVIEW

Jo Harding fell down some stairs, and lost the memory of the past year. Her husband would prefer she not remember the last year, but Jo feels she needs to find out what has happened in her life and family.

An interesting psychological thriller. The book flipped between “before the fall” and “after the fall” chapters. The story was told from Jo’s point of view, and I enjoyed discovering what had happened over the year along with Jo.

Jo was relatable. She and her husband had been married for over twenty years, their kids had left home and started their own lives, and Jo and her husband were adjusting to their new lives. Jo started to suspect that things were not as perfect as she was led to believe, and she started to followup on her suspicions.

Close to Me is a quick and easy read. Good for fans of domestic thrillers.

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

Books by Amanda Reynolds:

Close to Me
Lying to You
The Hidden Wife
The Assistant

Better Dead by Pamela Kopfler [Book Review]

Posted on January 27, 2018January 14, 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: Better Dead

Author: Pamela Kopfler

Publisher: Kensington

Publish Date: December 26, 2017

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: A B&B Spirits Mystery #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

As the owner of a charming Louisiana bed and breakfast, Holly Davis believes in Southern hospitality—but she draws the line at welcoming the ghost of her cheating husband…

Burl Davis checked out of this life a little earlier than expected—before Holly could serve him with divorce papers over his extramarital flings. Unfortunately, it was not before he nearly bankrupted her beloved B&B, Holly Grove, a converted plantation that has been in her family for generations. Holly would never wish anyone dead, but three months later she’s feeling a lot more relief than grief.

Until Burl’s ghost appears as an unwelcome guest. Before his spirit can move on, her not-so-dearly departed needs Holly’s human help to bust up the drug smuggling ring he was involved with. She has reservations, to say the least, but agrees to assist him if he’ll make a show of haunting the B&B to draw in visitors. But when Holly’s former love, Jack McCann, mysteriously resurfaces in town and checks in, she has to wonder if her B&B is big enough for the ghost of her husband and the very real physical presence of her old flame . . .

MY REVIEW

Holly’s husband, Burl, has up and died. Holly is not exactly sad to see Burl go, after all, he was cheating on her and nearly bankrupted her B&B business. Just when she’s ready to move on and get her life back together, Burl shows up. Now he is a ghost, and needs Holly’s help so his spirit can move on. Turns out, Burl was involved in a drug smuggling ring, and he wants Holly’s help to break it up. To complicate matters, Holly’s old high school flame is back in town, and staying at her B&B.

A paranormal cozy mystery. Better Dead is the first in the B&B Spirits Mystery series. A fun and entertaining read. The characters were well-developed, with Holly being smart, determined, sarcastic, and likable. I’m originally from Louisiana, and a fan of cozy mysteries, so this was right up my alley. Looking forward to more of this series.

Mystery. ✓
Romance. ✓
Humor. ✓
Ghosts. ✓
Small town charm. ✓
Dog named Rhett. ✓
Mint julep recipe. ✓

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

Books in the B&B Spirits Mystery Series:

Better Dead
Downright Dead
Hog Wild Dead

Friends and Other Liars by Kaela Coble [Book Review]

Posted on January 18, 2018January 14, 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: Friends and Other Liars

Author: Kaela Coble

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Publish Date: February 6, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Sometimes the secrets we keep are more dangerous than the ones we reveal…

To all my old friends:
So here you all are. Nice to see you can show up for a person once he’s dead.

When Ruby St. James returns to her hometown, it is to the grave of her old friend Danny, a member of a group that was, ten years ago, Ruby’s whole world. The crew made a pact back then: stay together, stay loyal, and stay honest. But that was before all of the lies.

Because even friends keep secrets. They just don’t stay secret for long.

Now Danny has left behind a letter for each of them, issuing one final ultimatum: share your darkest betrayal to the group, or risk it coming out in a trap he has created. When past mistakes resurface, the lines of friendship blurb, and four old friends are left trying to understand what it means to lie to the ones you love best.

MY REVIEW

A group of childhood friends gather 10 years after high school at one of their funerals. “The Crew” is Danny, Ruby, Murphy, Ally, and Emmett. They have fallen out of touch over the years, but come together at Danny’s funeral. Danny has left a sealed envelope for each of his friends containing their biggest secrets. He wants them to tell their secrets to each other, or they risk a more public outing to occur if they don’t come clean on their own.

Friends and Other Liars is told from multiple points of view, but mostly from Ruby’s POV. The story is also told with multiple timelines, current day and flashbacks from their younger years.

Friend drama. A light, entertaining read that kept my interest. I was curious what everyone’s secrets would be, though they were not hard to guess. I read this on vacation, and it was a good choice for a vacation read.

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

Her Best Friend by Sarah Wray [Book Review]

Posted on January 18, 2018January 14, 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 Best Friend

Author: Sarah Wray

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: November 28, 2017

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

You couldn’t have done anything to save her… Or could you?

Overwhelmed by grief after losing her mother, Sylvie Armstrong tries to block out the memories in her childhood home – but then someone leaves a gift on her doorstep: a gold necklace with a heart-shaped locket.

The locket belonged to Sylvie’s best friend, Victoria Preston – and she was wearing it the night she died. Now it’s back in Sylvie’s life… and it soon becomes clear that somebody knows what really happened to Victoria.

Sylvie has to know the truth. But is she in terrible danger?

MY REVIEW

Sylvia and Victoria were best friends. When they were teenagers, Victoria was killed, and Sylvia’s life was changed. Now it’s 20 years later, and Sylvia returns to her home town after her mother’s death. Sylvia had hoped to never return, and is now confronted with secrets from the past. Things are only complicated when a man, Sam, shows up in town to film a documentary about Victoria’s death in hopes of finally solving the case.

Her Best Friend was told in the third person point of view, with alternating chapters of the past and the present. Sylvia was the main character, but Sam had a few chapters devoted to his story.

Her Best Friend was well written, and the town and characters all seemed cold and dreary. It was a slow paced book, and not a lot happened. While it wasn’t one that I wanted to read in one sitting, I was curious as to what had really happened to Victoria.

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

Books by Sarah Wray:

Her Best Friend
Reported Missing

Forget Me Not by Kierney Scott [Book Review]

Posted on January 10, 2018January 14, 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: Forget Me Not

Author: Kierney Scott

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: November 27, 2017

Genre: Crime & Detective

Series: Detective Jess Bishop #1

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Murky water sloshed through the gaps in the jetty’s algae-covered planks. Electricity ran down her spine. The victim’s torso was missing circles of flesh. Jess had seen marks like this before a long time ago. But that killer was already dead, wasn’t he?

When the lifeless body of a young woman is found washed up in the blisteringly hot back waters of a small town, Detective Jess Bishop knows for certain this isn’t the murderer’s first kill.

Two other bodies have been found, both bearing the same marks. Marks that strike fear into Jess’s heart. They are identical to those from a case she’s spent her entire career trying to forget.

As Jess and her team try to link the victims, another body is discovered, and they fear the serial killer is taunting them. They know it’s only a matter of time before he kills again.

As the body count rises, and the hunt goes cold, Jess knows she has to confront her past in order to catch the killer, even if that means making herself the bait…

MY REVIEW

FBI Detective Jess Bishop is working the case of a serial killer. The killer’s style is the same as an old case that Jess has spent years trying to forget. While she searches for the killer, she tries to cope with unpleasant memories from her past and deal with current personal drama. Her old partner, Jamison, has returned to the FBI and they are reassigned as partners. This brings complications into Jess’s professional and personal life.

Forget Me Not is an interesting crime mystery novel. The mystery part of this book was a very entertaining read, so a great book for fans of FBI mystery stories. I was not a fan of the personal drama in Jess’s life, mainly the drama between her and Jamison.

Jess was smart, but damaged. She definitely had some personality quirks, which made her somewhat unlikeable. Mainly, she was struggling with personal issues, some of which were not that interesting. However, she was a smart and solid agent when it came to solving cases.

A nitpicky complaint – the main character is Jessica, who goes by Jess, except for one person calls her Jessie. I didn’t like the going back and forth between Jessica and Jess. Pick one and stick with it. This probably bothered me more than it should have.

Forget Me Not is smart and gritty crime mystery. I’ll likely read more of this series.

Books in the Detective Jess Bishop series:

Forget Me Not
Cross Your Heart
Catch Your Death

Best Mysteries in 2017

Posted on December 31, 2017February 26, 2025 by Darinda

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

Below are my top 10 mystery books of 2017. These were gripping, suspenseful, and clever mysteries, and I recommend reading them.

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter
Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber
Disturbed by Jennifer Jaynes
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik
The Weight of Lie by Emily Carpenter
Watch Me by Jody Gehrman
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy
The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham

Mother by S.E. Lynes [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2017January 14, 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: Mother

Author: S.E. Lynes

Publisher: Bookouture

Publish Date: November 22, 2017

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

How far would you go for the perfect family?

When Christopher Harris climbs into his family’s dusty attic, he finds a battered old suitcase containing a letter. Inside the letter is a secret; a secret about his mother that changes everything.

Every mother loves their child. Every child deserves to be loved. But Christopher has grown up so lonely it hurts.

Finally, Christopher thinks he has a chance at happiness. A happiness he will do anything to protect, whatever the cost…

MY REVIEW

Christopher has never felt like he fit in with his family. One day he finds a letter, and discovers he is adopted. He decides to find his birth mother… she will love him and he will finally have somewhere he belongs.

Mother was told by an anonymous third person, but from Christopher’s point of view. I found this, and the time line, to be a little confusing.

At the beginning of the novel, Christopher turned eighteen and was soon off to university. The primary story was about Christopher wanting to be with his mother, but there was also a side story about a serial killer targeting local women.

A slow psychological thriller set in England in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It took a while for me to get into this book. I was about a third in before I started to get interested in what was happening and where it was all leading.

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

Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2017January 14, 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: Lie With Me

Author: Sabine Durrant

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Publish Date: December 29, 2016

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

A few little lies never hurt anyone. Right?

Wrong.

Paul has a plan. He has a vision of a better future, and he’s going to make it happen.

If it means hiding or exaggerating a few things here and there, no harm done.

But when he charms his way on to a family holiday…
And finds himself trapped among tensions and emotions he doesn’t understand…
By the time he starts to realise that however painful the truth is, it’s the lies that cause the real damage…

Well, by then, it might just be too late.

MY REVIEW

Paul meets Alice through Andrew, one of his old acquaintances. Paul decides Alice is his next meal ticket and starts to woo her. Alice invites Paul to go on holiday with her, her kids, and Andrew and his family. While in Greece 10 years earlier, a girl went missing, and that tragic event has adversely affected Alice. The memories of the girl’s disappearance, along with new events, disrupt Paul’s plan for romancing Alice.

Lie With Me is told from Paul’s point of view. Paul is a scoundrel. He is a self-absorbed, worthless, unemployed womanizer who takes advantage of people to get his own way. So, basically, he’s not a likable character. In fact, there aren’t really any likable characters in this book.

The plot builds slowly, very slowly. Nothing exciting happens. Then, things start to pick up and it gets more interesting. It was pretty obvious where the story was headed, but still an entertaining read.

Lie With Me is a clever, well-written psychological thriller. Good for fans of slow paced thrillers with unlikable narrators, like Girl on the Train.

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

Books by Sabine Durrant:

Under Your Skin
Remember Me This Way
Lie With Me
Take Me In
Finders, Keepers
Sun Damage

Killman Creek by Rachel Caine [Book Review]

Posted on December 26, 2017January 14, 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: Killman Creek

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: December 12, 2017

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: Stillhouse Lake #2

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s not going away.

Gwen Proctor won the battle to save her kids from her ex-husband, serial killer Melvin Royal, and his league of psychotic accomplices. But the war isn’t over. Not since Melvin broke out of prison. Not since she received a chilling text…

You’re not safe anywhere now.

Her refuge at Stillhouse Lake has become a trap. Gwen leaves her children in the protective custody of a fortified, well-armed neighbor. Now, with the help of Sam Cade, brother of one of Melvin’s victims, Gwen is going hunting. She’s learned how from one of the sickest killers alive.

But what she’s up against is beyond anything she feared—a sophisticated and savage mind game calculated to destroy her. As trust beyond her small circle of friends begins to vanish, Gwen has only fury and vengeance to believe in as she closes in on her prey. And sure as the night, one of them will die.

MY REVIEW

Killman Creek is the second book in Rachel Caine’s Stillhouse Lake series.

Gwen and her kids are in hiding from Gwen’s serial killer ex-husband, Melvin. Melvin has escaped from prison and his family is no longer safe. Gwen takes the offensive and goes after Melvin. Sam, the brother of one of Melvin’s victims, goes with Gwen on her hunt for Melvin. Meanwhile, the kids stay with a friend, who has a well fortified home.

This story was told from multiple points of view. Gwen’s point of view was the primary story, but it was nice to see the kids’ (Lanny and Connor) and Sam’s viewpoints. The trust between family and friends was tested, so multiple viewpoints worked for this story.

Gwen was a strong character. She was tired of living in fear and wanted to protect her family. Unfortunately, she had some people working against her, which complicated matters. The kids each had their own issues, though they were minor to the story.

For me, this book started off slow and I had a hard time getting into it. It does get better, and the ending was full of suspense and excitement.

I have not yet read the first book in this series (Stillhouse Lake). It’s on my Kindle, but I read them out of order. Anyway, I still enjoyed this one without having read the first one.

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