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Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 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: Assassins Anonymous

Author: Rob Hart

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Publish Date: June 11, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

In this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What’s a reformed hit man to do?

Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life’s work made him more monster than man, he left all of that behind, and joined a twelve-step group for reformed killers.

When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who’s after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle.

MY REVIEW

A former assassin has changed his ways, and joined a twelve step program for reformed killers. After he is attacked, he goes on the run and tries to uncover who is responsible for the attack on him.

Assassins Anonymous is a unique thriller. Quirky characters and a fast-paced story. A mystery with a combination of humor and violence.

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

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 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 House That Horror Built

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: May 14, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

BOOK BLURB

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets in the captivating new novel from the national bestselling author of Good Girls Don’t Die and Horseman.

Harry Adams has always loved horror movies, so it’s not a total coincidence that she took the job cleaning house for movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding graystone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes, as well as glittering awards from his career making films that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry has always tried to clean the house immaculately, keep her head down, and keep her job safe—she needs the money to support her son. But then she starts hearing noises from behind a locked door. Noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help, even though Javier lives alone and never has visitors. Harry knows that not asking questions is a vital part of working for Javier, but she soon finds that the sinister house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

MY REVIEW

A woman accepts a house cleaning job of an eccentric horror movie director. The longer she works in the house, she realizes there are secrets in the house that she is unable to ignore.

The House That Horror Built is told using multiple points of view. The premise is intriguing, but the characters did not pull me into the story.

The House That Horror Built is a gothic and atmospheric novel with horror and mystery.

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

The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024February 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.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Hunter’s Daughter

Author: Nicola Solvinic

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: May 14, 2024

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic

BOOK BLURB

A hypnotic, sinister debut mystery about a seemingly good cop who is secretly the daughter of a notorious serial killer.

Anna Koray escaped her father’s darkness long ago. When she was a girl, her childhood memories were sealed away from her conscious mind by a controversial hypnosis treatment. She’s now a decorated sheriff’s lieutenant serving a rural county, conducting an ordinary life far from her father’s shadow.

When Anna kills a man in the line of duty, her suppressed memories return. She dreams of her beloved father, his hands red with blood, surrounded by flower-decked corpses he had sacrificed to the god of the forest.

To Anna’s horror, a serial killer emerges who is copying her father – and who knows who she really is. Is her father still alive, or is this the work of another? Will the killer expose her, destroying everything she has built for herself? Does she want him to?

But as she haunts the forest, using her father’s tricks to the hunt the killer, will she find what she needs most…or lose herself in the gathering darkness?

MY REVIEW

The daughter of a serial killer is now a police officer. No one is aware of her connection to The Forest Strangler, but a series of new crimes puts her in the center of the mystery.

The Hunter’s Daughter has an intriguing main character. She is flawed, has a complicated past, and is a bit of an unreliable narrator. I enjoyed the police procedural parts, but wasn’t a fan of the paranormal elements.

An intense and atmospheric mystery. The Hunter’s Daughter is an enjoyable debut novel.

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

The Astrology House by Carinn Jade [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 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 Astrology House

Author: Carinn Jade

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: July 16, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

A group of wealthy Manhattanites escape to an astrology-themed retreat, where simmering resentments and long-held secrets lead to a shocking death in this fresh, twisty, and suspenseful debut in the vein of Liane Moriarty and Katy Hays.

Margot needs a minute. She’s been working eighty-hour weeks as a newly minted partner at her law firm. She’s disconnected from her brother, the only family she has left. And she’s still not pregnant after years of trying.

Stars Harbor Astrological Retreat promises rest, relaxation, and wisdom for Margot and her friends. With Instagram-worthy views and nightly astrology readings in an impeccably restored waterfront Victorian house, this getaway should be nothing but idyllic fun.

For Margot’s brother, Adam, it’s the perfect opportunity to rekindle the romance that fuels his writing. But his wife, Aimee, hides the darkness of her past with a beautiful social media feed. Their friend, Farah, is a successful doctor who cannot admit that she’s losing control.

Yet no one holds a greater secret than their astrologer host, Rini. She has a plan for all of her guests, and one of them won’t be leaving Stars Harbor alive.

MY REVIEW

A group of wealthy adults attend an astrology retreat to relax. Everyone is hiding secrets.

This book is told using multiple points of view. There are a lot of characters, and their different viewpoints present an intriguing story. Since the characters are attending an astrology retreat, there is a fair amount of astrology in this book. I found it interesting, but this story could also be told without the astrology aspect.

The Astrology House is an atmospheric mystery. A suspenseful, dramatic, and entertaining thriller.

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

Liar’s Point by Laura Griffin [Book Review]

Posted on June 28, 2024June 28, 2024 by Darinda

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Liar’s Point

Author: Laura Griffin

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: May 21, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Series: The Texas Murder Files #5

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Two homicide detectives must separate the puzzling truth from a growing web of lies while investigating a murder victim’s friends and lovers in Lost Beach, Texas.

Detective Nicole Lawson is fed up with her job and nonexistent love life. Her first date in months gets cut short by an urgent call from the chief of police. A body has been discovered at Lighthouse Point, and the medical examiner finds an array of strange clues. When the death is ruled a homicide, the news quickly reverberates through Nicole’s beachside hometown.

The Lost Beach police department swings into high gear. Leading the investigation is Emmet Davis, a veteran detective who is Nicole’s fiercest rival at work and also the man she has secretly harbored feelings toward for years. With Emmet calling the shots, Nicole sets out to search for leads, starting with the enigmatic yoga instructor who first discovered the body. Nicole is certain the witness knows more than she’s revealing and may even hold the key to unlocking the case.

When another person turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Nicole sees a bizarre pattern, but no one believes her theory. Under the gun to solve the case, Nicole must put aside her tumultuous feelings and work closely with Emmet to figure out who is targeting her beloved hometown . . . before she becomes a target herself.

MY REVIEW

Nicole is a detective in a small town. While out one night, she is called to a crime scene. When another crime is later committed, Nicole believes everything is connected.

Liar’s Point is the fifth book in The Texas Murder Files series. While this book is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

This book is told using multiple points of view. One of the viewpoints is Nicole. She wants more in her love life and work life. She has a competitive relationship with Emmett, another detective. He is another POV, and is working the case with Nicole.

Liar’s Point is a combination of mystery and romance. A fun and entertaining romantic suspense.

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

Books in The Texas Murder Files series:

Hidden
Flight
Midnight Dunes
Deep Tide
Liar’s Point

Under the Palms by Kaira Rouda [Book Review]

Posted on June 28, 2024June 28, 2024 by Darinda

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Under the Palms

Author: Kaira Rouda

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: May 21, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: The Kingsleys #2

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Under the direction of the Kingsleys’ new president, Paige, the family has gathered for a weekend retreat at a luxurious Laguna Beach resort.

Still clinging to the hope of succession are the sons of Richard Kingsley, the family patriarch and CEO: John, the oldest, who’s clawed his way back from a dark tragedy, and Paige’s estranged husband, Ted, the golden boy. When Richard’s ex and his wayward daughter join the fray, Paige finds herself with two fast allies. They know a secret that could shatter the family legacy. Call it leverage, call it revenge, the Kingsley women believe they have the upper hand.

But as the power games begin, greater threats than the howling Santa Ana winds are coming. Because this weekend, amid so much greed and betrayal, no Kingsley is safe. It’s family. Watch your back.

MY REVIEW

The Kingsley family is back!

Under the Palms is the second book with The Kingsleys series. While Under the Palms can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book in the series, Beneath the Surface.

This book is told using multiple points of view with short chapters. Devious characters in a fast-paced and wild story.

Under the Palms is a fun read with twists and turns. The pages are filled with secrets, scandals, and betrayals.

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

Books in The Kingsleys series:

Beneath the Surface
Under the Palms

You Know What You Did by K. T. Nguyen [Book Review]

Posted on June 28, 2024June 28, 2024 by Darinda

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

BOOK INFO

Title: You Know What You Did

Author: K. T. Nguyen

Publisher: Dutton

Publish Date: April 16, 2024

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Annie “Anh Le” Shaw grew up poor, but seems to have it all now: a dream career, a stunning home, and a devoted husband and daughter. When Annie’s mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly one night, Annie’s carefully curated life begins to unravel. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she thought she’d vanquished years ago, comes roaring back—but this time, the disturbing fixations swirling around in Annie’s brain might actually be coming true.

A prominent art patron disappears, and the investigation zeroes in on Annie. Spiraling with self-doubt, she distances herself from her family and friends, only to wake up in a hotel room—naked, next to a lifeless body. The police have more questions, but with her mind increasingly fractured, Annie doesn’t have answers. All she knows is this: She will do anything to protect her daughter—even if it means losing herself.

MY REVIEW

Annie’s life unravels after the death of her mother. Her OCD and PTSD return, and the police suspect her in a crime. Her self-doubt forces her to distance herself from family and friends. Unsure of what is real and what is not, she struggles to uncover the truth.

You Know What You Did is told from Annie’s point of view. Annie seems to have a great life, but things really unravel after her mother’s death. Annie is an intriguing unreliable narrator.

You Know What You Did is intense and suspenseful. Recommended for fans of slow-burning psychological thrillers.

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

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson [Book Review]

Posted on June 28, 2024June 28, 2024 by Darinda

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Nosy Neighbors

Author: Freya Sampson

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: April 2, 2024

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Nothing brings neighbors together like someone else’s secrets… At Shelley House, the walls have ears, and they’re attached to a ragtag duo of busybodies ready to pry, snoop, and generally annoy their neighbors into solving a crime.

Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling has lived in Shelley House longer than any of the other residents, and if you take their word for it, she’s as cantankerous as they come. But Dorothy has her reasons for spying. And none of them require justifying herself to Kat Bennett.

Twenty-five-year-old Kat has never known a place where she felt truly at home, and crumbling Shelley House is no different. Her neighbors find her prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat’s plagued by a guilty secret from her past.

When their apartments face demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy agree on just one thing: they must save their historic building. But when someone plays dirty—and one of the residents is viciously taken down—Dorothy and Kat seek justice. The police close the investigation too soon, leaving it up to the unlikely amateur sleuths—with a playful Jack Russell terrier at their side—to restore peace in their community.

MY REVIEW

An unlikely duo work together to discover who is behind the break-ins in their apartment building, and attempt to save their apartment building from demolition.

Nosy Neighbors is told using the alternating points of view of Dorothy and Kat. Dorothy is a 77 year old woman who has lived in Shelly House for over 30 years. She is viewed as a nosy, cranky neighbor. She has a routine of walking the grounds and knows what is happening at Shelly House. Kat is 25 years old and new to Shelly House. She is reluctant to get to know her neighbors.

A quirky cast of characters in a charming setting. Nosy Neighbors is both heartbreaking yet hopeful.

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

An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz [Book Review]

Posted on June 28, 2024November 11, 2025 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: An Enchanting Case of Spirits

Author: Melissa Holtz

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: April 9, 2024

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

An Enchanting Case of Spirits by Melissa Holtz

BOOK BLURB

When a fortieth birthday celebration leads to a ghostly visitor, four friends find themselves navigating surprising mysteries and spiritual hijinks, in this clever debut from Melissa Holtz.

Alyssa Mann isn’t adventurous, not since her husband died and she found herself the single mom of a teenage daughter. But there’s no way to avoid celebrating the big 4-0, so when her best friends drag her out for drinks and a tarot reading, she throws caution to the wind and decides to see what the spirits have to say. It’s all fun and games, until she wakes up the next morning with a wicked hangover—and a ghost perched on the edge of her bed.

Sheer panic sends her running to get help from Nick West, the (very attractive) detective who lives next door. When he finds no one inside, Alyssa has to accept that she really did see a ghost. As the dearly departed keep appearing, Alyssa and her friends do their best to learn how to control her newfound power. Trading insults with ghosts, tracking down family heirlooms, and getting closer to the skeptical but helpful Nick is more fun than Alyssa imagined. But when looking into one ghost’s past reveals unexpected—and unwelcome—facts about Alyssa’s late husband’s death, she discovers she just may be in over her head.

MY REVIEW

Alyssa and her friends celebrate her 40th birthday with drinks and a tarot reading. The next morning, Alyssa wakes up with a stranger in her house. She asks her neighbor, Nick, who is a detective, for help. Nick doesn’t find anyone in the house, and Alyssa is faced with the fact she saw a ghost.

An Enchanting Case of Spirits is told from Alyssa and Nick’s points of view. An enjoyable cast of characters. An entertaining story with mystery and romance.

An Enchanting Case of Spirits was lighthearted and fun. Recommended for fans of paranormal cozy mysteries and romance.

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

Books in The Gin & Tarot Club series:

An Enchanting Case of Spirits
A Charming Touch of Tarot

Murder Road by Simone St. James [Book Review]

Posted on June 25, 2024June 25, 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 Road

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 5, 2024

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

MY REVIEW

A young couple takes a wrong turn when headed to a resort town for their honeymoon. On the long stretch of highway, they come across a hitchhiker. They stop to help, and soon realize the hitchhiker is injured. When the hitchhiker dies, the couple become the suspects instead of witnesses. As the couple looks into the mysterious town, they discover a series of murders along the highway.

Murder Road is an atmospheric supernatural thriller. Intriguing characters in an eerie setting. Recommended for fans of Simone St. James’s other books.

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

Other Books by Simone St. James:

The Haunting of Maddy Clare
An Inquiry Into Love and Death
Silence for the Dead
The Other Side of Midnight
Lost Among the Living
The Broken Girls
The Sun Down Motel
The Book of Cold Cases
Murder Road

How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin [Book Review]

Posted on June 25, 2024June 25, 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: How To Solve Your Own Murder

Author: Kristen Perrin

Publisher: Dutton

Publish Date: March 26, 2024

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Castle Knoll Files #1

My Rating: 3/5

How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

BOOK BLURB

It’s 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances’s night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn’t happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances’s lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt’s fate instead of her fortune.

MY REVIEW

In the 1965, Frances was told she would be murdered one day. She spent her life wondering who would kill her, but no one took her seriously. After nearly 60 years, Frances was finally murdered. Her great-niece, Annie, has arrived at Frances’s estate, and is looking for a killer. Fortunately, Frances has left clues.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is told through two points of view and timelines – Frances in the past via her diary entries and Annie in the present. This book has plenty of suspects, a lovely setting, and an enjoyable plot.

How to Solve Your Own Murder is a light and fun cozy mystery.

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

Books in the Castle Knoll Files:

How to Solve Your Own Murder

When I’m Her by Sarah Zachrich Jeng [Book Review]

Posted on June 25, 2024June 25, 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: When I’m Her

Author: Sarah Zachrich Jeng

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 26, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

How far would you go to get even with the woman who ruined your life?

In this electrifying thriller, a young woman gets everything she’s ever wanted—and everything she doesn’t—when she swaps bodies with her sworn enemy.

Though polar opposites, Mary and Elizabeth are as close as can be—until the night Elizabeth makes an irrevocable mistake and leaves Mary to take the blame. Years later, Elizabeth seems to have forgotten Mary exists.

Mary hasn’t forgotten her.

She follows Elizabeth’s every move online, obsessed with paying her back for the betrayal that cost Mary her dreams. Now Mary has found a way to switch bodies with Elizabeth, and she’s got a plan to steal her charmed life. Her career. Her looks. Her husband.

They do say living well is the best revenge.

Or is it? The more Mary uncovers about Elizabeth’s life, the more she realizes she may have made a deadly mistake. And she’ll need the help of her worst enemy to stay alive.

MY REVIEW

Mary and Elizabeth were college roommates. Mary was working on a unique project that allowed people to swap bodies. When things go wrong, Mary blames Elizabeth, and years later comes for revenge.

When I’m Her is a combination of thriller and science fiction. It is told using multiple points of view and dual timelines.

When I’m Her is a fast-paced and intriguing novel. A good read for fans of thrillers about secrets, betrayal, and revenge.

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