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Release date: December 4, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Troubled and brilliant, Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock finds herself lost and alone after a recent move to Melbourne, brokenhearted by the decisions she’s had to make. Her new workplace is a minefield and Detective Sergeant Nick Fleet, the partner she has been assigned, is uncommunicative and often hostile. When a homeless man is murdered and Gemma is put on the case, she can’t help feeling a connection with the victim and his lonely, isolated existence. 

Then Sterling Wade, an up-and-coming actor filming his breakout performance in a closed-off city street, is murdered in the middle of an action-packed shot, and Gemma and Nick have to put aside their differences to unravel the mysteries surrounding the actor’s life and death. Who could commit such a brazen crime? Who stands to profit from it? Far too many people, and none of them can be trusted. Gemma can’t imagine a pair of victims with less in common–and yet as Gemma and Fleet soon learn, both men were keeping secrets that may have led to their deaths. 

With riveting suspense, razor-sharp writing, and a fascinating cast of characters, INTO THE NIGHT proves Sarah Bailey is a major new talent to watch in the world of literary crime fiction.

Review:

I’ve been meaning to read the first book in the series for quite some time and just never managed to get around to it and then this one just sounded right up my alley, so I took a chance and just started with book two. It was totally fine but I enjoyed this one so much that I’m kicking myself for not having started at the beginning!

There was a lot going on here plot wise, Gemma is a busy detective working on multiple cases and as much as I was intrigued by the cases, what really engrossed me was the outstanding characterization. Gemma is fascinatingly complex and just so well drawn that I was immediately invested in her. The setting of Melbourne was also a standout, I haven’t read many thrillers set there and it’s always nice to read about someplace new and fresh to me. I imagine as the series continues Gemma will become more and more interesting and I’ll definitely be following along. Recommended for thriller fans, especially those who feel like they want something slightly different and written by an incredibly gifted author.

Into the Night in three words: Engaging, Intriguing and Nuanced.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: December 26, 2018

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.

As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.

One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam… 

Review:

Lisa Jewell has proven to me several times over that she’s a force to be reckoned with, there is something utterly intoxicating about her writing style that just captures my attention from beginning to end and this was no different. The premise/title combo appealed to me greatly, nothing really creeps me out more than thinking about being watched or stalked and once I really got into this one and realized who was watching whom I was completely hooked!

There are quite a few characters here and it’s told from their various perspectives, but there’s not so many that I couldn’t keep track of who was who. It opens with a murder, a sure fire way to reel me in and throughout the book there are transcripts from police interviews with the residents of the neighborhood. It was a clever tool and one that I appreciated, it was interesting to see what each person would reveal in their interview as they all had secrets they were desperate to keep.

I don’t like to discuss the plot of Jewell’s books too much because she writes such intricate books that are best discovered on your own as you read them. I will say that this one did focus on obsession, betrayal, lies and paranoia and what a killer combination that turned out to be in the end. Jewell is a fantastic writer who writes about domestic strife like no other, this is sure to be another hit!

Watching You in three words: Obsessive, Gripping and Complex.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: December 18, 2018

Publisher: Kensington

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Blurb:

Professional wedding planner Mallory Shepard knows her job is challenging under any circumstances. But when the groom is your ex and someone invites murder, there may never be another tomorrow . . .

Mallory’s fine–really–handling the wedding arrangements for her ex, Keith. But his fianc�e, Becca, has at the last minute decided to switch from a Japanese-cherry-blossom theme to a Gone with the Wind theme. She wants to honor her ailing grandmother, who owns an impressive collection of GWTW memorabilia–and who is fiercely at odds with the groom’s mother over the nuptial plans.

But among other complications, Becca gets into a fight with an old childhood rival over a replica Scarlett O’Hara wedding gown. She wins the dress–but soon becomes a murder suspect when the other woman is found dead in Becca’s swimming pool. And it’s up to Mallory to solve the mystery behind this unhappy occasion, before a different kind of civil war breaks out . . . 

Review:

As much as I love my hardcore thrillers, during the holidays I like to curl up with lighter books and this cozy mystery seemed like the perfect choice. After all, this genre does combine two of my favorite genres, Chick Lit and mysteries and the author did a great job creating a fun story full of quirky characters and just enough depth to keep me on my toes.

This is the fourth book in a series, I haven’t read the first three and I was fine starting here. Mallory and her sister plan weddings among other events and they keep busy in their quaint little town. There was plenty of drama and excitement throughout, some aspects were a tad predictable, but overall it didn’t really bother me because the characters were just so fun. There was a little something for everyone here in terms of characters, and some super cute pets for animal lovers. I breezed through this one and found it to be the exact type of lighthearted escape I was craving, cozy mystery fans will eat this one up.

Gown With the Wind in three words: Light, Breezy and Easy.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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Release date: February 19, 2019

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Legal Thriller

Blurb:

For attorney Mick McFarland, the evidence is damning. And so are the family secrets in this twisty legal thriller from the Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Criminal Defense.

When crime lord Jimmy Nunzio is caught, knife in hand, over the body of his daughter’s lover and his own archenemy, he turns to Mick McFarland to take up his defense. Usually the courtroom puppeteer, McFarland quickly finds himself at the end of Nunzio’s strings. Struggling to find grounds for a not-guilty verdict on behalf of a well-known killer, Mick is hamstrung by Nunzio’s refusal to tell him what really happened.

On the other side of the law, Mick’s wife, Piper, is working to free Darlene Dowd, a young woman sentenced to life in prison for her abusive father’s violent death. But the jury that convicted Darlene heard only part of the truth, and Piper will do anything to reveal the rest and prove Darlene’s innocence.

As Mick finds himself in the middle of a mob war, Piper delves deeper into Darlene’s past. Both will discover dark secrets that link these fathers and daughters—some that protect, some that destroy, and some that can’t stay hidden forever. No matter the risk.

Review:

This is the third book in a series, I absolutely loved both A Criminal Defense and An Engineered Injustice and I highly recommend them, especially if you like legal thrillers. As much as I loved the first two books, this was my favorite, it’s one of those rare series that just keeps getting better with each book and this one had me riveted the entire time.

The best thing about Myers books for me is how intricately planned they are, there is a meticulous attention to detail that always wows me and the plot was full of so many insanely good twists and turns I was blown away. On top of an amazing storyline full of mobsters, politicians, cops, lawyers and judges, you also have a core group of characters that are complex and interesting. Besides the main focus with Mick’s trial, you have a separate plot thread with his wife Piper and his law partner Susan where they’re working on an innocence project trying to get a wrongly accused woman out of jail. So much going on here, but it all flows perfectly together and if anything, only serves to propel the story forward and keep the reader engaged.

I know some people are hesitant when it comes to diving into a legal thriller worried that maybe the terminology and scenes inside the courtroom may be boring or over their head, but honestly the courtroom scenes in this were some of the strongest parts of the book for me so let me reassure you that these are incredibly well written and exciting to read. Myers creates a palpable tension like no other, I find myself racing through to find out what will happen next and desperate to know if he’ll manage to trick me yet again. Umm the answer to that is YES! He delivered another series of jaw dropping twists that totally blew my mind, did not see them coming from a mile away and honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised because he’s stunned me with every book in the Philadelphia Legal series and I’m quite sure he will continue to do so.

A Killer’s Alibi in three words: Sharp, Shocking and Intricate.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: December 18, 2018

Publisher: Kensington

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Not long after donning the uniform of the McCreary County Sheriff’s department in Bone Gap, Tennessee, ex-Marine Brynn Callahan faces her first official homicide. On a cold February morning, a lone cross-country skier stumbles across the mutilated body of a young woman. Sent to investigate, Brynn is shocked when she recognizes the victim as a fellow Traveller, Maura Keene.

Maura held a solid standing both within the Travellers’ insular community and among the settled townspeople—a fact that makes her murder all the more disturbing to Brynn, who also straddles the two worlds.  After her trained K-9, Wilco, digs up human bones, and then a scrap of paper scrawled with arcane Latin phrases is uncovered, Brynn finds evidence leading her to question those closest to her—and closing the case becomes a deeply personal matter.

While trying to suppress local superstitions and prejudices, Brynn discovers that Maura was keeping a dangerous secret. And as the bones Wilco found are analyzed by forensics, Brynn harbors the troubling suspicion that she knows who they belong to. Still struggling with PTSD, Brynn must put her career on the line and her life at risk to find justice for a woman not unlike herself—haunted by her past, and caught in a vicious cycle she may never
escape . . . 

Review:

This is the second book in a series, and while technically you could probably jump in at this point I think reading both books is the way to go. They’re both excellent and Furlong has done such a great job developing Brynn’s character that you would be missing out if you don’t read both!

One of the best things about this series for me is that it’s exposing me to a totally new culture that I know very little about. Brynn is an Irish Traveller, a small and close knit community that she’s never quite fit into, but never more so than now. IT don’t really trust “settled folk” and they really don’t trust police officers making Brynn a double threat in their eyes and the fact that one of their own was murdered just brings the tension to a whole new level. While Brynn has plenty to deal with at work, her personal life is a hot mess as well, she is totally flawed and incredibly fascinating, there’s a complexity to her that draws me in.

The mystery itself is solid, there’s a very us versus them mentality between the IT and the rest of the community that leads to infighting and hostility making for a tense, engaging read. Recommended for anyone looking for something different, I haven’t read anything else like it before and Furlong is a fantastic writer.

Fractured Silence in three words: Unexpected, Engaging and Tense.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.