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Release date: June 1, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union 

Genre: Domestic Suspense 

Blurb: 

Bestselling authors Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke make their suspense debut in this twisty, emotional thriller.

Elementary school teacher Jacqueline “Jacks” Morales’s marriage was far from perfect, but even in its ups and downs it was predictable, familiar. Or at least she thought it was…until two police officers showed up at her door with devastating news. Her husband of eight years, the one who should have been on a business trip to Kansas, had suffered a fatal car accident in Hawaii. And he wasn’t alone.

For Jacks, laying her husband to rest was hard. But it was even harder to think that his final moments belonged to another woman—one who had left behind her own grieving and bewildered fiancé. Nick, just as blindsided by the affair, wants answers. So he suggests that he and Jacks search for the truth together, retracing the doomed lovers’ last days in paradise.

Now, following the twisting path of that fateful road, Jacks is learning that nothing is ever as it seems. Not her marriage. Not her husband. And most certainly not his death… 

Review: 

If you’re looking for a perfect, super addictive, summer read you can thank me now because I found it for you! The Good Widow was a highly entertaining, twisty read that is ideal for reading poolside, bonus points if you can read it on the beach. I had planned on reading it when I go to Mexico next month, but I’m bringing my kids and just knew it wouldn’t happen. I’m so glad I read it early, it was an ignore your family type of read, one where you cannot put it down until you finish. 

It opens with a fantastic prologue, an unknown couple is cruising in Hawaii and she has a secret. But what is she hiding? Why is she so scared to tell him (whoever he is?) I was obsessed with getting the answers to these questions, hooked after two pages. We skip to After where Jacks is getting the devastating news that her husband died in a car accident. He had been traveling for work, but the cops inform her he wasn’t in Kansas like he told her, he was in Hawaii, with another woman named Dylan. 

I loved Jacks and felt so awful for her, first she loses her husband, then on top of trying to deal with her grief and heartache, she realizes she didn’t really know James at all. When Nick contacts her and suggests making their own trip to Hawaii, she accepts, though she’s hesitant. She needs closure and hopes this is the key. As she starts to find some answers she also discovers that she has more questions as well. 

There are also Before chapters narrated both from Jacks and Dylan. I loved how you slowly find out more about how Dylan and James began their affair and you also find out more about James and Jacks relationship. Their marriage was far from perfect, it shows an ugly, hidden side and things eventually start to form a clear picture. The pacing is spot on and relentless as you follow both women and try to figure out where it all went wrong. 

It all culminates in an explosive manner with a pretty shocking twist, I sure didn’t see it coming! I had one of those gut punching, breathtaking moments where I had to stop for a second and soak it all in. This is perfect for fans of The Marriage Lie and Everything We Keep, if this is the dynamic duo’s first (impressive) foray into suspense I’m SO excited to see what they come up with next. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Kathleen at Goldberg McDuffie for my review copy. 

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Release date: May 2, 2017

Publisher: Riverhead Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, her addictive new novel of psychological suspense. 

“Hawkins is at the forefront of a group of female authors – think Gillian Flynn and Megan Abbott – who have reinvigorated the literary suspense novel by tapping a rich vein of psychological menace and social unease… there’s a certain solace to a dark escape, in the promise of submerged truths coming to light.” –Vogue

A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.

Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath. 

Review: 

Along with most of the free world, Into the Water was very high on my list of most anticipated reads for 2017. I think it’s always difficult for an author that has had a successful first novel to release their second, imagine the pressure, the doubt, the insecurity. When you wrote one of the best selling books of all time and had tremendous global success, I would gather it’s even scarier, even more intimidating. I saw a tweet from Clare Mackintosh the other day and I couldn’t agree more. Here’s what she said:

#intothewater is out today. Intelligent and beautifully written. It’s not #thegirlonthetrain, and nor should it be. Don’t compare – enjoy.

I’m glad I saw that before I picked this up, she’s totally right and I did my best not to compare the two books. How can you even top TGOTT anyway? Simple answer? You can’t. Hawkins second book shows her writing style has gotten even more sharp and refined, she is a sure footed author and a talented one to boot, however this one never did grab me the way I expected it to.

This one is slow going and at the beginning is downright confusing. I think I counted twelve different perspectives, which the fact that I can’t remember an exact number pretty much speaks for itself. It’s told through flashbacks, parts from a manuscript written by Nel, and present day happenings. Each chapter shows a different narrator which never gave me the proper time to form a solid connection to any of them. There was so much going on, and I’m no slouch when it comes to reading books that follow this formula, but it was even a bit too much for me.

The middle is where I finally felt drawn in, I remember thinking, finally, this is what I’ve been waiting for! This is also where Hawkins shines, the various plot threads started to vaguely come together and there was a sinister feeling that I couldn’t shake, along with a hint of the supernatural that really worked for me. Unfortunately, as things neared the end she lost me again. The intensity did increase as did the chapters, and I was eager to see where things would head, but I kept feeling like something was missing. I wanted more suspense, tension, that addictive quality that makes a book a real page turner. 

My overall feeling when I was finished was that I was underwhelmed. Hawkins does have an uncanny ability to tie several plot threads together effortlessly and I’m immensely impressed by this ability. This wasn’t a bad book, it just wasn’t my favorite, I’m feeling pretty apathetic about it. I think people will be divided about it and I’m so curious to see what others think, if you’ve read it I would love to chat! Or when you do read it, come back and we can discuss. 

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to BookSparks for my review copy. 

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Release date: April 18, 2017

Publisher: MIRA Books

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Blurb:

The highly anticipated sequel to #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr’s What We Find transports readers back to Sullivan’s Crossing. The rustic campground at the crossroads of the Colorado and Continental Divide trails welcomes everyone—whether you’re looking for a relaxing weekend getaway or a whole new lease on life. It’s a wonderful place where good people face their challenges with humor, strength and love. 

For Sierra Jones, Sullivan’s Crossing is meant to be a brief stopover. She’s put her troubled past behind her but the path forward isn’t yet clear. A visit with her big brother Cal and his new bride, Maggie, seems to be the best option to help her get back on her feet. 

Not wanting to burden or depend on anyone, Sierra is surprised to find the Crossing offers so much more than a place to rest her head. Cal and Maggie welcome her into their busy lives and she quickly finds herself bonding with Sully, the quirky campground owner who is the father figure she’s always wanted. But when her past catches up with her, it’s a special man and an adorable puppy who give her the strength to face the truth and fight for a brighter future. In Sullivan’s Crossing Sierra learns to cherish the family you are given and the family you choose. 

Review: 

This is the second book in a series about the residents of Sullivan’s Crossing but I haven’t read the first, though it wasn’t an issue at all. Apparently the first book followed Cal as he meets and falls in love with Maggie, and the second follows Cal’s sister, Sierra as she moves to town after completing rehab for an alcohol addiction. She meets a local firefighter and sparks fly, but of course issues arise. This was the standard girl meets boy, both have baggage, they fall in love, something dramatic happens, they persevere, the end. BUT what makes this book standout in a sea of similar romance novels is the fact that the characterization is fantastic and the story is infused with plenty of heart, humor and even a little suspense. 

The town itself was an utterly charming place, the perfect quaint little setting for a romance novel. Sierra immediately strikes up an unlikely friendship with Sully, who is Maggie’s father and their relationship was beyond cute. All of the residents of Sullivan’s Crossing were endearing in their own way and I can easily imagine hearing more about them in future books. This was a totally lighthearted read, the secondary characters were almost as well drawn as the main ones, the writing had an easy, laid back charm, and the storyline was sweet without being cheesy. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Claire at Little Bird Publicity for my review copy. 

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Release date: May 1, 2017

Publisher: Lake Union 

Genre: Chick Lit

Blurb: 

Best friends Annie and Sarah need cash—fast. Sarah, a beautiful, successful lawyer, wants nothing more than to have a baby. But balancing IVF treatments with a grueling eighty-hour workweek is no walk in the park. Meanwhile, Annie, a Harvard-grad chemist recently transplanted to Southern California, is cutting coupons to afford her young autistic son’s expensive therapy.

Desperate, the two friends come up with a brilliant plan: they’ll combine Sarah’s looks and Annie’s brains to sell a “luxury” antiaging face cream to the wealthy, fading beauties in Annie’s La Jolla book club. The scheme seems innocent enough, until Annie decides to add a special—and oh-so-illegal—ingredient that could bring their whole operation crashing to the ground.

Hilarious, intelligent, and warm, Crimes Against a Book Club is a delightful look at the lengths women will go to fend for their families and for one another.

Review: 

This was such a wickedly fun read! Annie and Sarah are long time best friends who both find themselves under financial strain.  Sarah needs cash for her IVF treatments and Annie needs money to pay for her son’s therapy. When they hatch a scheme to sell a “luxury” face cream to Annie’s wealthy neighbors it seems like the easiest way to earn money EVER, but Annie’s special, secret ingredient may land them both in deep trouble. 

This was such a funny book, Cooperman infused so much sarcasm and wit into the pages that I laughed out loud way too many times to count. Besides the two main characters, the women being duped were all colorful, quirky additions to a fantastic cast. Most are members of a book club that Annie attempts to join, but she quickly realizes these women can be downright cruel, think Mean Girls for the over forty crowd. In between each chapter Cooperman inserted snippets of each characters thoughts on different books they’ve read in the past, a very clever and funny addition. 

This was a light, playful read, totally perfect to dive into this summer, I would recommend reading it poolside with a cocktail in hand. I was highly entertained and delighted by the antics of the upper class, high society women of La Jolla and touched by the depth of the relationship between Annie and Sarah. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Lake Union for my review copy. 

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Release date: April 11, 2017

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

Enter the players. There were seven of us then, seven bright young things with wide precious futures ahead of us. Until that year, we saw no further than the books in front of our faces.

On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.

Ten years ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.

Part coming-of-age story, part confession, If We Were Villains explores the magical and dangerous boundary between art and life. In this tale of loyalty and betrayal, madness and ecstasy, the players must choose what roles to play before the curtain falls. 

Review: 

This was a really smart, sharp book, definitely more mysterious than thrilling and very literary and profound. Oliver is the narrator and it begins when he’s about to be released from prison after serving ten years for an unknown crime. The detective that worked the case has always known that he didn’t know what really happened back in 1997 and Oliver finally tells him the truth about that year. Clearly you know that something terrible and tragic occurred, but you don’t know what exactly did happen, however you know that it involves Oliver and six of his friends and fellow actors from school. This impending sense of doom and unease worked very well alongside the atmosphere and setting of a small college shrouded in mystery. 

This was cleverly formatted as parts of it read like a play, it was divided into acts and scenes and there were even sections with dialogue formatted as a play. It was very Shakespearean as the actors at Dellecher only perform his plays, but it wasn’t confusing because Rio mixes it with modern day language and dialogue making it extremely easy to follow. 

This was an impressive debut, the seven characters were deeply developed and complex, and while I didn’t particularly like any of them, I liked following their stories. They were pretentious, egotistical and had a flair for the dramatic, they are all actors after all. What begins as a series of arguments and misunderstandings between them, often fueled by said egos and alcohol, turned into something much deeper and more dangerous in the end. This is a dark tale of betrayal, obsession, friendships, rivalries, love, and revenge all based on a group of friends with a very insular existence. Lines are often blurred as it’s difficult for them to distinguish the stark difference between real life and the characters they portray on stage, and this difficulty to differentiate proves to be a fatal error for one of the seven. The twist in the end was unexpected and satisfying leaving me with a feeling of understanding, but also sadness. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Flatiron Books for my review copy. 

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Release date: August 30, 2016

Genre: Suspense

Blurb: 

Manipulated by fear and love…could you cut the strings and take back control? 

Billie’s hiding from the world, believing it to be the only way to take control of her life as she lives in fear of the man who nearly destroyed her. But what she doesn’t realise is that she’s exactly where he wants her; isolated and afraid. A chance meeting with budding journalist Adam sparks a relationship that could free her from the terror that controls her. But will Adam be able to see the real Billie buried under her terror and pain? 

Adam knows exactly who Billie is and is determined to expose her and get justice for the lives she ruined. But first, he needs to convince her to open up to him but as unwanted attraction and feelings blossom between them, Adam is forced to realise that all is not as it seems. 

Most of their lives have been unknowingly governed by the desires and needs of someone who considers himself their master. He has influenced and shaped them for years, meticulously weaving a web of lies and control around them. Can Billie and Adam survive the betrayals in store and cut the strings that bind them? 

One thing is for sure. The master wants his puppets back – and he’ll do anything to keep them.

Review: 

This story in told in three separate parts and from two viewpoints, that of Billie and Adam. Part one is set in the present day and you’re first introduced to Billie. I really felt for her, it’s clear she’s experienced some trauma in her past and she’s very withdrawn, wounded and vulnerable. When you learn exactly what happened to her you can sympathize completely. Adam seems to recognize Billie when they share a table in a coffee shop and while he portrays himself as a kind, gentle man to Billie, inside he vows revenge to get revenge on her, but why? And how? 

Part two ends on a cliffhanger and flips back to the past where you follow both Adam and Billie from young adulthood all the way until present day. Things merge together in part three and the tension mounts in this section. The pace is fairly steady in the first two parts, but as you get closer to the end things pick up and the chapters get shorter and more nerve wracking. 

I liked Osborne’s writing style, she was able to craft Billie in a way that appealed to my mothering instincts and I just wanted to take care of her. Adam wasn’t the sort of character that I liked very much, but that never bothers me and the puppet master was one manipulative, cunning, evil man. My only issue with the book was that parts of the big climax seemed implausible, I don’t want to say exactly why as it would be a huge spoiler, but I found myself thinking things wouldn’t go down exactly that way. I did enjoy the read, it was quick and kept my attention, I would definitely read another book by the author. 

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

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Release date: March 21, 2017

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn, “the most original female character to anchor a crime series in years,” (The New York Times) is back—on a case staking family, friendship, and a man on death row.

Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn, now happily settled in Tucson, doesn’t go back to visit her family in Florida much. But her former partner Laura Coleman, whose life she has saved and who saved her life, is living there now. When Laura calls about a case that is not going well, Brigid doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane.

On leave from the Bureau, Laura has been volunteering for a legal group that is trying to prove the innocence of a man who is on death row for killing his family. Laura is firmly convinced that he didn’t do it, while Brigid isn’t so sure—but the date for his execution is coming up so quickly that she shares Laura’s fear that any evidence absolving him from the crime may come too late.

Edgar Award and CWA Gold Dagger finalist Becky Masterman’s third Brigid Quinn novel is the masterful follow-up to Fear the Darkness and Rage Against the Dying. 

Review: 

I’m sadly wrapping up my Becky Masterman binge here, I reviewed Rage Against the Dying and Fear the Darkness earlier this week, and though I LOVED my experience with this series, I’m bummed that I’m now caught up and I have to wait along with everyone else to see what Brigid Quinn gets up to next. This series is fantastic, the more I read, the more I loved Brigid and the third installment revealed so much more about her personal life and brought a deeper understanding of who she is and what drives her.

All of the books in this series have some seriously gripping prologues, but this one is my favorite thus far. It’s 1980 and a young Brigid is about to witness her first execution, a man on death row is about to be killed in the form of the electric chair. She talks about the odd feelings she has while simply sitting and watching as a man dies despite everything on the inside screaming at her to help him, its unnatural and goes against every instinct she has. It was very chilling and set the stage for the story perfectly.

Brigid leaves Arizona and heads to Florida when she receives word that her father is sick and in the hospital. While I missed the setting of AZ, I also appreciated seeing Brigid back home where it all began. Laura Coleman from Rage Against the Dying is back and it was nice to check in and see how she was recovering after the events that happened in that book. Coleman is working to exonerate a man named Marcus Creighton who was sentenced to death after the murder of his wife and the disappearance of his three children. 

I’ve had a kind of morbid fascination about cases where an innocent man (or woman) is incarcerated for awhile now, so the premise for this one intrigued me. In 2015 alone, 149 people in US prisons were exonerated and released after their innocence was proven. On average, they spent 15 years behind bars. 15 years for something they didn’t do. Can you even imagine? It’s a terrifying thought, and while I won’t reveal if Creighton was actually innocent or guilty, I will say that this one gave me plenty of food for thought. 

I don’t quite know how, but Brigid’s voice just gets stronger and more distinctive with each book. Maybe it’s because as the series progresses Masterman delves deeper into her character and peels back more layers of her personality, or maybe it’s because by now I’ve grown rather attached to her, but whatever the case is, my connection with this sarcastic, bullheaded, amazing woman continues to grow. She doesn’t just skirt the boundaries of the law when it suits her, she stomps on them, grinds them into dust and never looks back. She is one seriously tough, intimidating woman and if she was real, I would be tempted to knock on her door with a cup of coffee in my hand, the stories she could tell… The glimpses inside her head as she struggles to work out a case always draws me in, it’s like watching an extremely complicated puzzle being put together. Sometimes you think you have everything in the right spot until just a couple of pieces don’t fit exactly right, but then, you have an AHA moment and it all makes sense. Brigid always fits it all together faster than me, and that’s exactly how I like it as I don’t want to be able to figure it all out alone. Masterman is now an autobuy author for me and I can’t wait for book four, what a brilliant series this is. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Minotaur Books for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: January 20, 2015

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller 

Blurb: 

Ex-FBI Agent Brigid Quinn thinks she has a second chance at life. After too many years spent in the company of evil, she’s quit the Feds and is working out what normal is meant to feel like. She’s swapped serial killers, stakeouts and interrogation for a husband, friends and free time. But when you’ve walked in darkness for so long, can you stand the light? When a local teenager dies in a tragic drowning accident, the community thinks Brigid might be able to help comfort the family. But when she does so, something doesn’t add up. And it’s no easier at home: after a bereavement in the family, Brigid has reluctantly taken in her niece to give her a break before she starts college. Brigid’s ever-patient husband Carlo tells her they must go easy on Gemma-Kate, the grieving youngster. Which is fine, until she starts taking an unhealthy interest in dissecting the local wildlife. For Brigid, death still seems to be wherever she turns. But as she herself starts to feel unwell, it’s her own mortality that is the most troubling. And as she tries to get to the bottom of a series of allegedly accidental deaths and increasingly gruesome occurrences at home, she slowly realises that maybe this time, she’s let the darkness inside the only place she ever felt safe. Sometimes, death is closer than you think. 

Review: 

There’s something special about this series, I don’t remember being this excited about discovering a new to me author, or bingeing a series in record time since I picked up Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. (I then proceeded to race to Goodreads where I found out she had a series and I never looked back) Anyway, my Becky Masterman binge has been amazingly fun and I have to thank Chelsea (again) for putting this phenomenal series on my radar. 

Things pick up shortly where the first book ended and Brigid Quinn has slipped back into her peaceful existence in Tucson, Arizona and is still married to Carlo. I may be developing a bit of a crush on him, he has the patience of a saint and as much as I like Brigid, she would be very hard to be married to. She’s taking on some cases as a PI as she physically can’t just stop investigating and life is pretty great. Then her sister in law dies and despite some reservations, she honors her promise of taking in her teenaged niece, Gemma Kate so she can establish residency for college. 

I fell more in love with Brigid in this book and it’s just as strong as the first one. She has such a powerful voice, and Masterman delved deeper into her psyche this time around. I liked finding out more about her family and though they only make a brief appearance, the insight explained a whole lot about who she is. She narrates the story in hindsight, which was so clever as she would drop subtle hints about the events to come that piqued my curiosity without giving anything away. 

This time around Brigid isn’t hunting down a mad killer, she’s searching for a danger very close to home. She’s extremely paranoid and I found myself very wary of all the characters and their motives as well. The plot twist stunned me and was executed to perfection, as this point, I don’t think Masterman can do any wrong, she’s an incredibly talented writer and Brigid is the type of character that stays on your mind long after you turn the final page. I can’t wait to dive into book three, but what will I do when I’m done, there’s no book four yet?!

Overall rating: 5/5

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Release date: April 20, 2017

Publisher: Transworld

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 
Just before dawn in the hills near the Scottish border, a man murders a young woman. At the same time, a hot-air balloon crashes out of the sky. There’s just one survivor. 

She’s seen the killer’s face – but he’s also seen hers. And he won’t rest until he’s eliminated the only witness to his crime. 

Alone, scared, trusting no one, she’s running to where she feels safe – but it could be the most dangerous place of all . . . 

Review: 

If someone would have told me yesterday that I would be raving about a book with hot air balloons, peacocks, nuns, and human trafficking, I would’ve laughed in their face. The combination sounds totally insane, just reading the above sentence makes me think of a light cozy mystery or something similar. But when a book by Sharon Bolton combines all of these elements you can rest assured that the last thing you’ll feel is cozy, this was chilling, compelling, and raised my blood pressure more than a few times. 

I’m keeping things vague here, this won’t be an in depth review. This isn’t because I don’t have much to say, it’s because the less you know about the plot, the more I think you’ll enjoy the experience. Thank goodness I had Renee at It’s Book Talk to chat with as soon as I finished, she was also sweet enough to send me her copy. This isn’t even out in the US until September, we totally couldn’t wait that long! 

There are a few things that I will say, beginning with this is the definition of a compulsive read. It has multiple narrators, enabling you to see several sides to the same complicated story, it flips back and forth from the past and present, which is always something I like. There were so many times where I thought, how in the hell is this all going to fit together?! Well, it fit seamlessly in ways that I couldn’t guess. Ok, so I guessed one of the twists, but I didn’t care when I was right, it was that good anyway. But there were several additional turns that I didn’t work out and my head was spinning in the end. My favorite moments were the opening chapters with the hot air balloon disaster and the nuns, so brilliantly funny. Yes, I laughed quite a bit in between moments of anxiety. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Huge thanks to Renee for sending me her copy, you’re the best my friend!