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Release date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Viking

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Crime Fiction

Blurb: 

A brilliant new novel from the New York Times bestselling author, whom Gillian Flynn calls “mesmerizing” and Stephen King calls “incandescent.”

Being on the Murder squad is nothing like Detective Antoinette Conway dreamed it would be. Her partner, Stephen Moran, is the only person who seems glad she’s there. The rest of her working life is a stream of thankless cases, vicious pranks, and harassment. Antoinette is savagely tough, but she’s getting close to the breaking point. 

Their new case looks like yet another by-the-numbers lovers’ quarrel gone bad. Aislinn Murray is blond, pretty, groomed to a shine, and dead in her catalogue-perfect living room, next to a table set for a romantic dinner. There’s nothing unusual about her—except that Antoinette’s seen her somewhere before.

And that her death won’t stay in its neat by-numbers box. Other detectives are trying to push Antoinette and Steve into arresting Aislinn’s boyfriend, fast. There’s a shadowy figure at the end of Antoinette’s road. Aislinn’s friend is hinting that she knew Aislinn was in danger. And everything they find out about Aislinn takes her further from the glossy, passive doll she seemed to be.

Antoinette knows the harassment has turned her paranoid, but she can’t tell just how far gone she is. Is this case another step in the campaign to force her off the squad, or are there darker currents flowing beneath its polished surface? 

Review: 

This is the sixth book in French’s Dublin Murder Squad series and I swear each one just gets better and better. It’s not necessary to read them in order, they stand on their own just fine. Each installment focuses on a different detective, though Conway did have a storyline in The Secret Place. I highly recommend the series as a whole, but if you want to jump in at any point it would work.

At first glance, the case that Conway and Moran are assigned to seems very open and shut. As a team, they’re the low men on the totem pole and they generally get tossed the easy cases, mainly domestic ones. Conway in particular is heavily disliked by her colleagues, she’s the only woman on the squad and she’s no delicate little flower. She’s brash, abrasive and snarky and she’s not afraid of any of the men on the team as much as they try and intimidate her. Moran plays the role of lovable goofball brilliantly, but underneath the fluff, he’s got a sharp mind and he’s a good detective. Once the two start diving into the meat of this case, it’s clear this is no slam dunk. Nothing is adding up and fitting together neatly as much as they try to force it, and Aislinn’s best friend and boyfriend are definitely hiding something, but what?

This is a dense and heavy read, but I didn’t want to miss a single word. French’s writing style really appeals to me, it’s so gritty and raw and she nails dialogue like no other. My favorite scenes were when a suspect was being interrogated, watching the process is so fascinating. The way Conway and Moran play against each other in order to tangle a suspect in a web without them even realizing it was just brilliant. Police politics were heavily at play here and witnessing how a murder squad works behind the scenes always intrigues me. Immersing myself into the atmosphere here was easy, things are bleak and dark, but having Dublin as a backdrop always speaks to me. I love reading their slang and imagining their conversations in brogues.

This is not a fast read with brisk pacing, rather it’s a slower read, but one that is methodically plotted and planned. There are plenty moments of misdirection and red herrings, with turns that are unexpected and astonishing. Things are intricate and complicated, both with the case and with the entire cast of characters. I’m always reminded of Karin Slaughter when I read Tana French, and if you’re looking for a good crime fiction series to sink your teeth into, look no further.

Overall rating: 5/5

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Release date: December 27, 2016

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: 

There are three sides to every story: Yours. Mine. And the truth…

Max and Alissa have a fairy tale life—newlywed, madly in love and enviously rich. Then Max is brutally stabbed to death at their home and Alissa, miraculously, escapes with her life. But why was she spared?

The hunt for the killer begins, uncovering a number of leads—was Max’s incredible wealth the motive? Had his shady business practices finally caught up with him? Or was it a stalker with a dangerous obsession?

Devoted friends rally around gentle, sweet Alissa as she is left to mourn the loss of her husband and pick up her life. But not everyone is who they seem…Deep-rooted jealousies, secrets and twisted love lie just beneath the surface, and not all fairy tales have a happy ending.

Duplicity is a suspenseful thriller from the bestselling author of Look Behind You and Where the Memories Lie. 

Review: 

Is there anything more exciting than discovering a new to you author that you really enjoy? Not to me there isn’t! Immediately after I finished Duplicity I rushed to Goodreads to see if Hodge had any other books and I was so thrilled to see she has others with outstanding ratings from some of my most trusted friends. Now to find the time to actually read them…

I was hooked by this one right away, there are two viewpoints, the Detective and the Other One. The detective is DI Carter who is looking into the murder of Max. I really liked Carter, in fact I think he’s the only character that I actually enjoyed. He is relentless in his pursuit of the truth even if it means risking it all. The Other One is clearly the person responsible for killing Max but you have no idea who it actually is until much later. I’m a fan of alternating timelines and it worked so well here, the truth was slowly revealed in bits and pieces and it left me hanging onto every word. Part one is the slowest section but I was still very interested, but when part two starts? BAM! The pace really picks up and there were so many plot twists I think I may have whiplash. 

I can’t talk about the plot very much here, but I can say that it is dark, twisted and full of shocking surprises. I was patting myself on the back for being so clever and correctly guessing which direction things were headed, until Hodge decided to spin me around and smack me upside the head for being so bold and presumptuous. I love when an author manages to deceive me and I was mislead so many times here that I lost count. This is an excellently crafted psychological thriller with all the necessary elements that I need in the genre. The pacing was right on, the tension was heavy, you don’t know who to trust, and there are surprises up until the very end.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for my review copy. 

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Release date: January 3, 2017

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Genre: YA Mystery

Blurb: 

Hawthorn wasn’t trying to insert herself into a missing person’s investigation. Or maybe she was. But that’s only because Lizzie Lovett’s disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don’t happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she’ll turn up at any moment-which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie’s disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously…at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. After all, it’s not as if he killed her-or did he?

Told with a unique voice that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, Hawthorn’s quest for proof may uncover the greatest truth is within herself. 

Review: 

I think it’s time for me to stay away from YA mysteries. I love YA and respect it as a genre, some of my favorite books are YA novels. But I can’t think of a single YA mystery that I’ve liked, much less loved. So no matter how intriguing a blurb sounds, or how pretty and striking the cover may be, I’m going to steer clear of YA mysteries for the foreseeable future. I have way too many other fantastic books on my TBR to waste any more time on a genre that just doesn’t work for me.

I think my biggest problem with this book was that I was totally mislead by the title and blurb. I expected Hawthorne to become caught up into this crazy investigation regarding Lizzie’s disappearance. I wanted suspense, tension and of course a whole bunch of lies. What I got what something completely different and not altogether interesting. Hawthorne did develop an obsession with Lizzie, but I assumed they would have had some previous connection to each other and they didn’t whatsoever. It was more than a little bit strange that she took her disappearance so hard. The so called lies that the title spoke of? Yeah, nothing earth shattering there. Hawthorne’s absurd theory was seriously a joke. I honestly thought she was just kidding with it, but it turns out she really believes it. Eye roll. (If you want to know just ask me, I don’t want to spoil it in case anyone still wants to read this) 

Even though  I wasn’t all that thrilled with the plot and the direction that this book was heading, I still wanted to see how it all turned out. At least at first I did. I ended up getting really bored the more I read and I actually fell asleep twice reading it. That really never happens to me, usually I have to force myself to put a book down. Maybe it was just because I was really tired from all of the holiday celebrations, but either way I had to really power through to finish. 

Hawthorne wasn’t exactly a character that I liked, she had some funny moments, especially with her eternal dialogue, but as one of the other characters tells her, she always takes things too far. She takes Lizzie’s job, then she starts a fling with her boyfriend, Enzo. Instead of coming across as creepy and interesting, it was just sad and pathetic. Enzo was also twenty five and she’s only seventeen, so that grossed me out a bit. Overall she was often rude, very immature for her age and annoying. By the time the end came and you find out what actually happened to Lizzie, I honestly didn’t care anymore. I was just happy to be finished. I actually forgot Hawthorne’s name when I started writing this, so I guess it’s pretty forgettable overall. 

Overall rating: 2/5

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for my review copy. 

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Release date: December 13, 2016

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Historical Fiction 

Blurb: 

On an isolated Texas ranch, Dr. Lucy cares for abandoned animals. The solitude allows her to avoid the people and places that remind her of the past. Not that any of the townsfolk care. In 1959, no one is interested in a woman doctor. Nor are they welcoming Calvin and Justin Bell, a newly arrived African American father and son.

When Pete Solomon, a neglected twelve-year-old boy, and Justin bring a wounded wolf-dog hybrid to Dr. Lucy, the outcasts soon find refuge in one another. Lucy never thought she’d make connections again, never mind fall in love. Pete never imagined he’d find friends as loyal as Justin and the dog. But these four people aren’t allowed to be friends, much less a family, when the whole town turns violently against them.

With heavy hearts, Dr. Lucy and Pete say goodbye to Calvin and Justin. But through the years they keep hope alive…waiting for the world to catch up with them.

Review: 

As much as I adore my creepy and intense thrillers and mysteries, over the Christmas holiday I wanted to snuggle up with a book that didn’t have a serial killer as a main character. I won a copy of Say Goodbye For Now from the author and was so exited as I’ve had several of her books in my TBR and hadn’t gotten around to them before now. I’m kicking myself now that I waited this long to read one of Ryan Hyde’s novels and I’m vowing here and now to read some of her other work in the  new year. This book totally hit the spot and was just the type of feel good read that I was craving.

It’s 1959 in small town Texas and though Lucy and Pete have both lived there for years, they haven’t crossed paths before. Lucy is a doctor who quit practicing after many people had objections to being treated by a woman. She’s distant and isolated, both physically and emotionally and surrounds herself with stray animals no one else wants. Pete is the sweetest kid and when he finds a dog hurt in the side of the highway he takes it to Dr. Lucy for help. Justin and Calvin are father and son and new to town and the young boys become fast friends. These four have no idea how their chance encounters will shape and define their lives in the future, but they all have lessons to learn and things to teach each other.

Ryan Hyde sure knows how to write a page turner, I couldn’t wait to see how this story would turn out. She wove a story that was both beautifully tender and brimming with heavy issues, but she managed to convey a strong message without leaving me feeling like I had read something emotionally draining. There is Lucy who is dealing with the loss of her son and husband as well as sexism, Pete who is an abused child, and Justin and Calvin who are African American in the fifties, enough said there. As these four struggle with their own issues, they manage to find solace in each other and it was a truly gorgeous thing to witness.

This was an effortless read, the chapters alternate between Dr. Lucy’s point of view and Pete’s. The bulk of the story is told within the first few months the four meet, then the last half spans the course of eight years. I feel in love with all four of them, but Pete especially left a mark on my heart, he is a special kid who is wise beyond his years. This is begging to be picked for a book club read, there is so much to discuss and explore. Also, if you’re an animal lover there are some really great moments here with all kinds of creatures. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Huge and heartfelt thanks to the author for my copy.

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Release date: September 1, 2016

Publisher: Dark Victory Press

Genre: Contemporary Fiction 

Blurb: 

Set against Arizona’s political and cultural vortex at the start of 2010, “The Intersect” explores the issues of the day by weaving together the lives of disparate characters striving to survive in a world where the strongest link, and most lasting connection, is made among strangers. When Dave and Charlie relocate from the Bay Area to Phoenix, tensions ratchet up in their relationship as Charlie insists on buying a house on the grounds of the Arizona Biltmore as Dave contemplates leaving his job. Daisy, a spry septuagenarian, shows up at their front door after a long convalescence, unaware that her greedy, Michigan relatives, Jack and Enid, have already sold her home. Charlie assumes the older woman is Dave’s distant aunt and happily ushers her into a guest room. Meanwhile, across town, Anna, a gifted psychic who channels the dead, is concerned about her neighborhood. She hires a handyman to install motion-detectors, unaware that Ernie has entered the United States illegally from Mexico as a child. When Henry, a homeless gay teen, attempts to rob Anna, Ernie intervenes and a melee ensues. The police mistakenly arrest Ernie, leading to his deportation. And so begins “The Intersect” as relationships unravel, secrets are revealed, love blossoms, and injustice leads to a thrilling climax. 

Review: 

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure of having Brad Graber here for a Q & A. Ever since, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the time when The Intersect would finally pop up in my TBR list. I loved the premise for this one, converging storylines always catch my interest and Graber did an outstanding job of weaving the lives of eight characters together here.

As I mentioned earlier, there are eight different people here that eventually cross paths. Some happened early on while others took some time and left me wondering just how these seemingly unrelated people would fit together. Dave and Charlie are a couple who have recently relocated to Phoenix from San Fransisco for a new career opportunity for Dave. Daisy is an elderly woman who has an accident that leaves her incapacitated and vulnerable. Jack and Enid move to Phoenix from Detroit and Jack is Daisy’s nephew. Anna is a psychic and Ernie is an illegal immigrant who does handyman work for Anna. Henry is a young homeless teenager who is coming to terms with his sexuality. All of these characters are deeply developed, and there were some I loved and cared for and others who I hated. My favorites were Daisy and Charlie. She’s spunky and sweet and I wanted to take her under my wing. Charlie is such a positive guy, I could definitely take a page from his book. The worst was Enid, she’s greedy and selfish but even though I couldn’t stand her, after her backstory was revealed I could understand why she behaved the way she did. 

I LOVED reading a book that was set in my hometown of Phoenix, it was so fun being able to perfectly picture the locations Graber was describing and he absolutely nailed the setting. He also touched on many hot button topics, many that effect people nationally and some that are issues locally. With Dave and Charlie he showed the challenges that a gay couple face daily, with Daisy he shed light on the poor treatment of the elderly in our country. It was awful and heartbreaking to see how she was treated and it was even more sad knowing it’s a reality. Ernie is an undocumented illegal alien and his plight is one I’ve seen so many times in Arizona. Henry is homeless after his parents kick him out after revealing he is gay and this part hit me the hardest. I cannot imagine turning my back on my kids just because they want to be the person they truly are. I felt such strong connections to most of these beautifully crafted characters and was sad to say goodbye.

My one small issue was the ending, it was a bit abrupt for me. I had hoped for more closure with a couple of storylines but I’m hoping maybe there will be a sequel? There was a nice twist in the last part that I didn’t expect, which I always appreciate. I’m seriously impressed that this is Graber’s debut, his writing style is taut and he really writes wonderfully believable dialogue. His knowledge of a breadth of topics is apparent in the quality of his writing and I’m a fan. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Larissa at Claire McKinney PR for my review copy!