Submerged beneath layers of history lies a long-ago buried secret.During the pandemic lockdown, Iris Pearl impulsively relocates her dulling marriage across the country in a bid to revive it. But renovating their Prerevolutionary Pennsylvania homestead gives Iris more than she bargained for when she makes a gruesome discovery, one that hurtles her and Benny’s haunted past to the present.Iris is desperately consumed by the desire to know what happened on her property over a century and a half earlier. Her search leads her to Irish immigrant Aoife Sprigett, the wife of Union soldier William. The further she digs into the mystery of Aoife’s fate, the deeper she reaches into her own secret history.While William serves in the Civil War, Aoife struggles to uphold her vow to maintain their livelihood, their farm, during his absence. Aoife’s only companion is their hired help, Thomas Walker, a freeborn black laborer. Aoife and Thomas develop a warm friendship as they toil side by side in the fields. Together, Aoife and Thomas sow deep seeds that bear deep-rooted consequences, which are now coming to light.Will unearthing the truth behind Aoife’s tragic past, which so closely parallels Iris’s own, free her and Benny from their marriage’s haunted history, or will revisiting that dark time destroy it?
Book reviews of mysteries, historical fiction and graphic novels with a smattering of non-fiction books.
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Under Water
Saturday, April 20, 2024
Pretty Girls
More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.
This story is one wild ride! It was so suspenseful that I could not do my regular Friday errands yesterday until I finished the book. It had an amazing plot with an ending I did not see coming. There were alot of twists. I did not figure out where the story was ultimately going until I passed the halfway point in the story. However, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. While I was reading I knew the ending was going to be good but was not prepared for it. It was incredibly satisfying. Author Karin Slaughter wrote a fantastic story and she is now one of my favorite authors. If you haven't read Pretty Girls you need to get a copy of it. You won't be disappointed but don't forget that you need an uninterrupted block of time to read it. I am actually speechless right now and cannot delve further into why the book is fantastic.
5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, April 15, 2024
Four Steps Missed
Friday, April 5, 2024
Three Weeks in Washington
The publisher's summary:
Encountering a Shooter . . .
CIA intelligence operative, Titus Ray, arrives in Washington, D.C. on the day a terrorist enters the Washington Navy Yard and murders five people. Convinced the incident is connected to a Hezbollah plot to use chemical weapons on an American city, Titus jeopardizes his own career to interrogate the killer and learn the truth.
Exposing a General . . .After the shooter reveals the identity of an Iranian deep-cover operative living in Washington, D.C., Titus embarks on an intelligence operation spanning two continents and exposing an Iranian general obsessed with destroying America.
Engaging an Enemy . . .As time runs out, Titus engages the enemy in a treacherous game of cat and mouse to save the lives of thousands and defeat the terrorists. Can his faith sustain him as he faces his greatest challenge yet? Is he willing to lose Nikki to save his country?
What People Are Saying About Titus Ray Thrillers:“The characters are very well-developed and believable. I enjoyed the way the author described Titus Ray's internal struggles and character flaws creating a very authentic main character. The story was action-packed and one is left wondering how the author could be so knowledgeable of the CIA and the work of their covert operatives.”
Monday, April 1, 2024
Darling
Monday, March 25, 2024
You Only Call When You're in Trouble
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Murder in the Tea Leaves
Sunday, March 3, 2024
The Atlas Maneuver
1945. In the waning months of World War II, Japan hid vast quantities of gold and other stolen valuables in boobytrapped underground caches all across the Philippines. By 1947, some of that loot was recovered, not by treasure hunters, but by the United States government, which told no one about the find. Instead, those assets were stamped classified, shipped to Europe, and secretly assimilated into something called the Black Eagle Trust.Present day. Retired Justice Department operative, Cotton Malone, is in Switzerland doing a favor for a friend. But what was supposed to be a simple operation turns violent and Cotton is thrust into a war between the world’s oldest bank and the CIA, a battle that directly involves the Black Eagle Trust. He quickly discovers that everything hinges on a woman from his past, who suddenly reappears harboring a host of explosive secrets centering around bitcoin. The cryptocurrency is being quietly weaponized, readied for an assault on the world’s financial systems, a calculated move that will have devastating consequences. Cotton has no choice. He has to act. But at what cost?From the stolid banking halls of Luxembourg, to the secret vaults of Switzerland, and finally up into the treacherous mountains of southern Morocco, Cotton Malone is stymied at every turn. Each move he makes seems wrong, and nothing works, until he finally comes face-to-face with the Atlas Maneuver.
Berry has utilized several conspiracy theories surrounding bitcoin and made them into the background for the story. Around the halfway point I was so curious about bitcoin that I stopped reading and went over to Wikipedia to determine what parts of the story were true to life. I was astonished to learn that every fact Berry gave us concerning the creation of the bitcoin, including the name of its creator as well as the rules on buying and selling, were accurate.
Also, there are several figures from real life. We have General Yamashita and his cohort Prince Chichibu as well as the legendary creator of bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoyo. Characters from earlier books in the series have returned in The Atlas Maneuver including Derrick Koger (CIA European station chief) and Casseiopia Vitt (Malone’s lover). In addition, there are several other characters who don't even know who they are really working for. This was confusing for me because I couldn't identify whose side they were on until the end. Instead of adding suspense it created confusion. Also, it amazes me how realistically Berry brings Malone back into the spy world from retirement year after year. Perhaps Cotton Malone should never have retired but it doesn't really matter because his return to work is always seamless.
All of these characters are on the trail of a huge cache of bitcoin that, in the absence of any legal records of ownership, will belong to anyone who can track it down and grab it. As for what the Atlas Maneuver is, I will keep to myself in order to avoid spoiling the fun for future readers.
The Atlas Maneuver is an enjoyable read and I am thrilled to have received a copy from Net Galley. I am rating 4 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
The Kind Worth Saving
Saturday, February 10, 2024
The Woman Inside
Daisey Garrett wakes up in a hospital bed. She remembers her boyfriend has left her for another woman, but she doesn’t remember what happened to her the night she was attacked in her own home. Daisey shouldn’t be alive but against all odds, she’s survived an ordeal most would never recover from. But Daisey’s mind is broken. She’s on edge, drinking too much and, despite the painful breakup, finds herself in bed with her ex, Luke. And while she desperately tries to keep herself together, she can’t shake the feeling that she is being watched. Yet the missing pieces of that fateful summer night are beginning to surface… The lies she told the police. The lies Luke told her. Daisey’s memory is flickering like a faulty light bulb, flashing with images just out of reach. She can’t remember. She mustn’t.
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Two Days in Caracas
Titus faces a threat he never imagined.Can he capture Ahmed Al-Amin before it's too late?Confronting a new operative . . .When veteran CIA operative Titus Ray arrives in San José, Costa Rica, and meets fresh-faced Ben Mitchell, a hot-tempered new operative with barely any experience in the field, he has a choice to make--ignore him or take him under his wing.Facing an old demon . . .In the middle of an active, ongoing operation, Titus is suddenly called back to the States where he must deal with the failures from his past and make decisions about his future with Detective Nikki Saxon.Opposing a present danger . . .In an effort to stop Hezbollah assassin, Ahmed Al-Amin, from murdering a high-profile government official, Titus travels to Caracas, Venezuela, where he learns the assassin is but one piece of a complicated international plot to deliver chemical weapons to some of America's most dangerous enemies.Facing the truth . . .Titus risks everything, including his future with Nikki, to capture Ahmed, but is it enough? Can his newfound faith sustain him when everything about his operation goes sideways?
Monday, February 5, 2024
The Silent Patient
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
The Silent Patient is awesome! I did not see the ending coming and was totally surprised. Totally! The book was so well written that it's hard to believe that it's a debut novel. This book definitely had me sitting on the edge of my seat looking forward to finding out why Alicia killed her husband. I assumed that there was some domestic violence but I was wrong. I knew the reason that Alicia stopped talking was going to be a good one and so I read fast in order to finish the story in one sitting. Oh my, it was so good.
The author, Alex Michaelides, created some amazing characters. Alicia seemed sympathetic even though she shot her husband five times. She and Theo were both main characters. I liked Theo alot because he bent over backwards to help his patient. His boss gave him just six weeks to get her talking. With hospital finances being threadbare, the Grove faced being shut down. The boss hoped that if Alicia got better, the press about it would help keep the place open. The family members for both Gabriel and Alicia all hated her passionately. I knew there were good reasons for this and couldn't wait to find out why.
I can't think of any other book where I had to read fast in order to find out the who, what, when, where, how and why. The Silent Patient is an amazing read. Check it out if you haven't already. 5 out of 5 stars.
The Last Patient of the Night
The death of a nameless young woman in his emergency room spurs physician AJ Docker to seek answers. Together with his policeman friend and a police dog, he sets out on a quest for justice for his lost patient, but he discovers more questions than answers as he delves into the criminal world.
Last Patient of the Night is an action packed thriller interspersed with lighthearted stories from the emergency room, featuring a cast of interesting characters.
Gary Gerlacher’s experience as an emergency physician lends authenticity to the ER culture. His debut novel is the first in the AJ Docker series, and will leave you turning pages late into the night.
The back cover blurb states that this book is a mystery but with alot of information on working in an emergency room (ER). This is 100% accurate. It seemed to me that the author wrote a book on the ER and then tried to throw in a murder. The ER setting was more prominent than the mystery. While the setting provided was interesting, the book is supposed to be a medical thriller. However, it falls short of the thriller category description. The author is an ER physician himself which is why he has numerous anecdotes about the ER. I can understand the desire to put everything you know about a setting into a novel but Gerlacher should have pulled back.
While Tracy Palmer was dead on arrival at the ER, she was never mentioned again. Another woman by the name of Jenny Smithton seems to have taken her place. There was no mention that they were the same person but I figured it out from their character descriptions. Another odd part of the book is that it begins with Docker performing a tracheotomy on a ski slope. I thought it would be connected to the plot but it wasn't. I am assuming Gerlacher was introducing the reader to his main character.
AJ Docker is a smart ass character. He is arrogant and gets away with plenty of shinnanagans. He is our amateur sleuth. I have never before read a book where a man was an amateur sleuth and it was awkward for me. Also, amateur sleuth mysteries tend to follow a particular cozy mystery formula. Last Patient of the Night does not do this. In addition, while Docker was performing his investigation he killed 3 men on three separate days. The two officers that were in charge of the official investigation were aware and never arrested or charged him. This just isn't realistic.
This book had many problems and the more I think about them the more disappointed I am. I am rating it 1 out of 5 stars.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Public Anchovy #1
"Fakers ply their trade by replicating the same sensations that anyone would perceive when walking into a used bookstore. It's one thing to make a book simply look old and weathered, a feat that can be accomplished with a little paint and an inscription dated back a century and a half. But it's necessary to fool all of the senses, especially touch and smell, to make the experienced collector accept a faked book as the genuine article."
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
The Waitress
Anne Marie’s life isn’t easy. She’s a single mom in a dead-end waitressing job with a beater car and bills to pay. Adding to the pressure, her teenage son, Dave, is out of control, and no matter what she does, Anne Marie can’t seem to get through to him.Then, out of the blue, Dave completely changes. He’s kind, he’s thoughtful, he helps out around the house and looks after his mom. Anne Marie can’t believe her luck.Until she discovers the reason for her son’s sudden transformation – he’s done something really awful and he’s terrified he’ll be caught. Even worse, someone out there knows about it and they’re blackmailing him.Anne Marie is desperate to protect her son and knows she has to somehow stop the blackmailer. But how?As she considers her choices, Anne Marie realizes she may be taking the first steps on a path that will lead her straight to the gates of hell.How far is she willing to go to save her only child?
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
One Day Gone
Mylas Grey is a private investigator but don’t call him a private detective. That title belongs to his father—not to him. Mylas is the Chief Investigator for Senator Davis Allen, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His job is to do background investigations for the President’s judicial nominees, and that’s the only kind of investigation he’s interested in doing.But then Lizzie, the Senator’s daughter, goes missing from her campus apartment. And suddenly, just like that, Mylas finds himself back in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri, investigating her disappearance as if he were a run-of-the-mill private detective. Lizzie has a reputation for doing the unexpected, and she could have just left town for a few days without telling anyone. On the other hand, she could have done something stupid and gotten herself into serious trouble.When Mylas meets a beautiful photographer at his brother’s church, and she offers to help him find Lizzie, he finds himself getting a little distracted from the investigation—well, maybe more than a little distracted. As Mylas is forced to spend time in his hometown, he begins to question his career choice, his rejection of Christianity, and his failed personal relationships.Solving the mystery of Lizzie’s disappearance isn’t easy. It gets even more complicated when Mylas learns Lizzie was researching an article for her campus newspaper about a judge with a secret past. Is the judge connected to Lizzie’s disappearance? Did Lizzie’s boyfriend play a role? What about Lizzie’s roommate?
I loved this story! As I mentioned above, I was hooked from the first page. The story is more than a suspense novel. It is also Christian fiction which I was not expecting. It began as any other suspense thriller would. More than halfway into the story Mylas meets a woman he likes at his brother’s church and this is the point where faith issues become prominent. After Lizzy is found, the remaining two chapters are devoted to Mylas' faith journey. The blending of the mystery and faith seemed awkward because there was no mention of faith until the story was moving along at a fairly fast pace. It was surprising that the plot included it. The mystery of Lizzy's whereabouts as well as what she was up to was a wild ride and made the book worth reading.
4 out of 5 stars.
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
Her Every Fear
Growing up, Kate Priddy was always a bit neurotic, experiencing momentary bouts of anxiety that exploded into full blown panic attacks after an ex-boyfriend kidnapped her and nearly ended her life. When Corbin Dell, a distant cousin in Boston, suggests the two temporarily swap apartments, Kate, an art student in London, agrees, hoping that time away in a new place will help her overcome the recent wreckage of her life.But soon after her arrival at Corbin’s grand apartment on Beacon Hill, Kate makes a shocking discovery: his next-door neighbor, a young woman named Audrey Marshall, has been murdered. When the police question her about Corbin, a shaken Kate has few answers, and many questions of her own—curiosity that intensifies when she meets Alan Cherney, a handsome, quiet tenant who lives across the courtyard, in the apartment facing Audrey’s. Alan saw Corbin surreptitiously come and go from Audrey’s place, yet he’s denied knowing her. Then, Kate runs into a tearful man claiming to be the dead woman’s old boyfriend, who insists Corbin did the deed the night that he left for London.When she reaches out to her cousin, he proclaims his innocence and calms her nerves . . . until she comes across disturbing objects hidden in the apartment—and accidently learns that Corbin is not where he says he is. Could Corbin be a killer? And what about Alan? Kate finds herself drawn to this appealing man who seems so sincere, yet she isn’t sure. Jetlagged and emotionally unstable, her imagination full of dark images caused by the terror of her past, Kate can barely trust herself . . . So how could she take the chance on a stranger she’s just met?Yet the danger Kate imagines isn’t nearly as twisted and deadly as what’s about to happen. When her every fear becomes very real. And much, much closer than she thinks.
I was able to figure out early on the identity of the whodunnit. The why and how were not so easy to determine. In fact, the reason that the perpetrator of the crimes acted as he did was pretty chilling. It was what made this psychological thriller so scary. Any woman who lives alone is going to be afraid not only for Kate but for themselves as well. This book will make you second guess every odd sound you hear in your home. I believe that the "her" in the title "Her Every Fear" includes the reader.
The story has a jaw dropping plot that turns into an awful tale of horror. Fans of psychological mysteries will love it. The plot becomes more and more scary and disturbing as the story unravels and it kept me sitting on the edge of my seat. It also made me get up out of bed and check my door multiple times during the night that I finished reading the book. I can say so much more about why this book is good but basically it scared me to death.
5 out of 5 stars.
Monday, January 8, 2024
Salt House Place
In the far reaches of the Pacific Northwest, three best friends spend a day at the lake…but only two come home. Ten years later, Delia Albio is tormented by the mystery of what happened to fifteen-year-old Zee on the lake that day. When she receives an email from Cara, the remaining friend in the trio, she can’t resist the pull of the “life-changing” news in the message. Delia, hopeful for answers, travels home to see her old friend. Cara is gone by the time she gets there, setting off another mystery. When Delia hears about the women’s empowerment group that Cara joined, she sets out for the group’s retreat property on the Oregon coast to find her. Delia feels this could be her chance to reconnect with Cara and reckon with that fateful day at the lake. Instead, Delia uncovers a possessive group with a dark agenda. As their leadership closes in, Delia hurtles ever closer to the truth―if only she can survive a cult that will protect its secrets at any cost.
I had a hard time becoming interested in the story. It just didn't grip me as I expected it would. We read about main character Delia's everyday habits and exchanges with her family but none of it had any bearing on the plot. The story picked up 50 pages into the story which is my DNF cut-off point. At this point in the story Dee is investigating the Artemis cult that Cara had joined. It is a new age cult that reminded me of scientology. My interest in the story waxed and waned throughout my read. I continued to read because I was interested in finding the answer to the fundamental question of why Zee died and how did Cara end up in a cult. I got those answers but the book did not satisfy me.
While the book has received some good reviews it was not my cup of tea. I would recommend passing this one by. No rating.