Blaze Orange
Gripping, mysterious, and hard to put down, Blaze Orange is a thrilling short story by Paul Doiron. I am a huge fan of his Mike Bowditch series and fans of that series will be pleased to read and/or listen to this short story which takes place in the past and features Maine game warden, Charley Stevens and rookie warden Kathy Frost! Woohoo! I have enjoyed getting to know both of them in the Mike Bowditch series, and it was lovely to get to see them working in their younger days! 1990s Maine A man is shot and killed during deer season. The shooting appears to be a horrible mistake as the victim is dressed all in brown and the shooter is a respected member of the community. As Charley and Kathy begin to investigate, they uncover things that do not add up. This short story was full of tension, mystery, and dread. As with Paul Doiron’s other books, I found Blaze Orange to be wonderfully written and well thought out. I have always enjoyed Charley Steven’s and enjoyed seeing him in action in this book solving a case along with Kathy Frost. I had the audiobook for Blaze Orange and enjoyed Henry Leyva’s narration. He did a great job of bringing the characters to life. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
It Could Have Been Her
It Could Have Been Her is a very apt title for this book. It is a thought that comes up various times throughout the book. I found It Could Have Been Her to be gripping, atmospheric, twisted, and dark. Lisa Jewell pulls out all the stops in this book about a woman, a missing dog, a house full of dark secrets, and a missing teenager. Jane Trevally was walking her dogs when she saw a lone dog on her country estate/manor home grounds. The dog was with a teen who was staying nearby, but the teen is now missing. Jane tracks the dog’s owner down to a home in Hamstead. She is shocked and has shivers running up and down her spine when she pulls up to the home of the dog’s owner. She knows this house, she can’t forget this house, she fears this house. Jane can’t let the feeling that something isn’t right go, and she goes on a journey to find the truth. In true Lisa Jewell fashion, this book showed the worst in some of the characters, the damage in others, and the good in some. This book contained layers of secrets and oodles of dread. I enjoyed the tension, the danger, and mounting suspense. I never quite knew where this book was going, but I enjoyed the dark and twisted ride! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Deadly Inheritance
Family secrets, dark academia, mystery, and romance, set the stage for Kelley Armstrong’s A Deadly Inheritance. I tend to love Kelley Armstrong’s books but this YA mystery about a teenager who finds out that she is an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, was lacking a bit for me. I had higher hopes for the book. I was intrigued about Liliana, who was alone after her mother’s death, being saved by a lawyer and finds herself enrolled at an elite boarding school and involved in the solving of a murder mystery. What else does a 17-year-old heiress do at an elite boarding school? While I didn’t love this book, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting, the murder mystery was engaging, and there were a few twists which kept me turning the pages. I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle but overall, this book was fine. Not my favorite book by Kelley Armstrong, but not a bad book either. Thank you to Tundra Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy
Gripping, engaging, thought provoking, emotion evoking and hard to put down! Kim Michele Richardson has delivered yet again! I have read the other books featuring Cussy Lovett: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and The Book Woman’s Daughter and loved this stand-alone/companion book to the series! This book is described as a stand-alone book, but it truly is a continuation of the story of Cussy and Jackson. Cussy is such a wonderful and empathetic character. She has a love of books and a love for her family. Cussy and Jackson are both arrested and imprisoned for marrying. Cussy, has methemoglobinemia which makes her skin blue. Jackson is white. They fall in love and marry during a time where people of color cannot marry white spouses. Cussy experiences many challenges while in prison but also got the opportunity to share her love of books and reading with other inmates. As with the other books featuring Cussy, this book showcases reading, injustice, prejudice, family, relationships, hope, and love. I absolutely loved this book. I loved Cussy and her quiet courage, strength, love of reading, and desire to help others. This book made me feel all kinds of emotions while keeping my fingers crossed and rooting for the characters. It is evident that Kim Michele Richardson did a tremendous amount of research prior to writing this wonderful book. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end of this book. Wonderfully written, moving, well thought out, wonderfully researched, and hard to put down. If you have not read a book written by Kim Michele Richardson, you are missing out! Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s Not What You Think
Shocking, addictive, tense, unsettling, and hard to put down, Clare Mackintosh delivered a thrilling book with It’s Not What You Think! Whew! This was a tense and pulse pounding book. If you love a good mystery and/or police procedural, you will not want to miss this book. I had no idea where Clare Mackintosh was going to take me when I opened this book, but I enjoyed every single page. Another plus is that this book has 2 female lead characters. One is Nadeeka, a mother of two young girls, and the other is DCI Lauren Caldwell. Nadeeka believes that her live in boyfriend, Jamie, is cheating on her. Her ex-husband cheater and she believes she knows the signs. When she returns home one evening, she finds Jamie dead! DCI Lauren Caldwell is an investigator on the case. I enjoyed the various POV’s in this book. I found this helped move the book along at a fast pace but helped to keep me on the edge of my seat turning the pages. I wanted to know more and read what was going to happen next. Clare Mackintosh did a tremendous job of having me care for the two female leads along with Jamie whose POV is also told in parts of the book. Wowza! This was such a great and shocking page turner which did not shy away from tension, twists, turns, and shocking moments. There is never a dull moment in this book. Every single page had me wanting more. Plus, the characters! You will either like them and root for them, or you will detest them intensely. It’s Not What You Think is such a well thought out and timely book. This is the 7th book that I have read by Clare Mackintosh, and I can always count on her to deliver gripping and thought-provoking books! Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Hive
“All hail the Dragon…” Mysterious, creepy, eerie, and unsettling, Ronald Malfi delivered a chilling book with The Hive. This book will have you buzzing all about it. It’s a BIG one folks – coming in at 768 pages! Did it feel like it was that long a book??? No, but some parts felt a little slower than others but not in any way that brought down the story. This book, while creepy and horrific, is very character driven. There are a lot of characters in this book, and they all have a part to play. Set in a small town, members in a particular community begin to have their behaviors and motivations change after a storm. Each becomes obsessed with objects; they collect them, and they protect them. They also have a new ability to communicate with each other in their minds. Corey is a young boy living with his mother, Ellen. He has a new ability but why and how is he going to use it? This is a book that kept me on my toes and trying to figure out what was happening and why. I never knew where Malfi was going with the plot, but I sat back and enjoyed the ride. It’s an epic one but again, I didn’t mind the length. This book had several elements that I enjoy in a book: mystery, characters to root for, characters to boo and hiss at, suspense, tension, dread, danger, and some horrific happenings. I loved the eerie vibe and feeling of dread in this book. Like the characters in this book, I knew something big was happening, that something big was coming, and that something big was going to blow me away. As the book progressed, my heart rate elevated as characters I grew to care about, faced some harrowing happenings. Malfi managed to make me care and scare me at the same time. Having finished the book, there still were a few things I had questions about but overall, I enjoyed this book. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end of the book. Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Blaze Orange
Gripping, mysterious, and hard to put down, Blaze Orange is a thrilling short story by Paul Doiron. I am a huge fan of his Mike Bowditch series and fans of that series will be pleased to read and/or listen to this short story which takes place in the past and features Maine game warden, Charley Stevens and rookie warden Kathy Frost! Woohoo! I have enjoyed getting to know both of them in the Mike Bowditch series, and it was lovely to get to see them working in their younger days! 1990s Maine A man is shot and killed during deer season. The shooting appears to be a horrible mistake as the victim is dressed all in brown and the shooter is a respected member of the community. As Charley and Kathy begin to investigate, they uncover things that do not add up. This short story was full of tension, mystery, and dread. As with Paul Doiron’s other books, I found Blaze Orange to be wonderfully written and well thought out. I have always enjoyed Charley Steven’s and enjoyed seeing him in action in this book solving a case along with Kathy Frost. I had the audiobook for Blaze Orange and enjoyed Henry Leyva’s narration. He did a great job of bringing the characters to life. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
It Could Have Been Her
It Could Have Been Her is a very apt title for this book. It is a thought that comes up various times throughout the book. I found It Could Have Been Her to be gripping, atmospheric, twisted, and dark. Lisa Jewell pulls out all the stops in this book about a woman, a missing dog, a house full of dark secrets, and a missing teenager. Jane Trevally was walking her dogs when she saw a lone dog on her country estate/manor home grounds. The dog was with a teen who was staying nearby, but the teen is now missing. Jane tracks the dog’s owner down to a home in Hamstead. She is shocked and has shivers running up and down her spine when she pulls up to the home of the dog’s owner. She knows this house, she can’t forget this house, she fears this house. Jane can’t let the feeling that something isn’t right go, and she goes on a journey to find the truth. In true Lisa Jewell fashion, this book showed the worst in some of the characters, the damage in others, and the good in some. This book contained layers of secrets and oodles of dread. I enjoyed the tension, the danger, and mounting suspense. I never quite knew where this book was going, but I enjoyed the dark and twisted ride! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
A Deadly Inheritance
Family secrets, dark academia, mystery, and romance, set the stage for Kelley Armstrong’s A Deadly Inheritance. I tend to love Kelley Armstrong’s books but this YA mystery about a teenager who finds out that she is an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, was lacking a bit for me. I had higher hopes for the book. I was intrigued about Liliana, who was alone after her mother’s death, being saved by a lawyer and finds herself enrolled at an elite boarding school and involved in the solving of a murder mystery. What else does a 17-year-old heiress do at an elite boarding school? While I didn’t love this book, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting, the murder mystery was engaging, and there were a few twists which kept me turning the pages. I wasn’t a big fan of the love triangle but overall, this book was fine. Not my favorite book by Kelley Armstrong, but not a bad book either. Thank you to Tundra Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy
Gripping, engaging, thought provoking, emotion evoking and hard to put down! Kim Michele Richardson has delivered yet again! I have read the other books featuring Cussy Lovett: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and The Book Woman’s Daughter and loved this stand-alone/companion book to the series! This book is described as a stand-alone book, but it truly is a continuation of the story of Cussy and Jackson. Cussy is such a wonderful and empathetic character. She has a love of books and a love for her family. Cussy and Jackson are both arrested and imprisoned for marrying. Cussy, has methemoglobinemia which makes her skin blue. Jackson is white. They fall in love and marry during a time where people of color cannot marry white spouses. Cussy experiences many challenges while in prison but also got the opportunity to share her love of books and reading with other inmates. As with the other books featuring Cussy, this book showcases reading, injustice, prejudice, family, relationships, hope, and love. I absolutely loved this book. I loved Cussy and her quiet courage, strength, love of reading, and desire to help others. This book made me feel all kinds of emotions while keeping my fingers crossed and rooting for the characters. It is evident that Kim Michele Richardson did a tremendous amount of research prior to writing this wonderful book. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end of this book. Wonderfully written, moving, well thought out, wonderfully researched, and hard to put down. If you have not read a book written by Kim Michele Richardson, you are missing out! Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
It’s Not What You Think
Shocking, addictive, tense, unsettling, and hard to put down, Clare Mackintosh delivered a thrilling book with It’s Not What You Think! Whew! This was a tense and pulse pounding book. If you love a good mystery and/or police procedural, you will not want to miss this book. I had no idea where Clare Mackintosh was going to take me when I opened this book, but I enjoyed every single page. Another plus is that this book has 2 female lead characters. One is Nadeeka, a mother of two young girls, and the other is DCI Lauren Caldwell. Nadeeka believes that her live in boyfriend, Jamie, is cheating on her. Her ex-husband cheater and she believes she knows the signs. When she returns home one evening, she finds Jamie dead! DCI Lauren Caldwell is an investigator on the case. I enjoyed the various POV’s in this book. I found this helped move the book along at a fast pace but helped to keep me on the edge of my seat turning the pages. I wanted to know more and read what was going to happen next. Clare Mackintosh did a tremendous job of having me care for the two female leads along with Jamie whose POV is also told in parts of the book. Wowza! This was such a great and shocking page turner which did not shy away from tension, twists, turns, and shocking moments. There is never a dull moment in this book. Every single page had me wanting more. Plus, the characters! You will either like them and root for them, or you will detest them intensely. It’s Not What You Think is such a well thought out and timely book. This is the 7th book that I have read by Clare Mackintosh, and I can always count on her to deliver gripping and thought-provoking books! Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperCollins and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Hive
“All hail the Dragon…” Mysterious, creepy, eerie, and unsettling, Ronald Malfi delivered a chilling book with The Hive. This book will have you buzzing all about it. It’s a BIG one folks – coming in at 768 pages! Did it feel like it was that long a book??? No, but some parts felt a little slower than others but not in any way that brought down the story. This book, while creepy and horrific, is very character driven. There are a lot of characters in this book, and they all have a part to play. Set in a small town, members in a particular community begin to have their behaviors and motivations change after a storm. Each becomes obsessed with objects; they collect them, and they protect them. They also have a new ability to communicate with each other in their minds. Corey is a young boy living with his mother, Ellen. He has a new ability but why and how is he going to use it? This is a book that kept me on my toes and trying to figure out what was happening and why. I never knew where Malfi was going with the plot, but I sat back and enjoyed the ride. It’s an epic one but again, I didn’t mind the length. This book had several elements that I enjoy in a book: mystery, characters to root for, characters to boo and hiss at, suspense, tension, dread, danger, and some horrific happenings. I loved the eerie vibe and feeling of dread in this book. Like the characters in this book, I knew something big was happening, that something big was coming, and that something big was going to blow me away. As the book progressed, my heart rate elevated as characters I grew to care about, faced some harrowing happenings. Malfi managed to make me care and scare me at the same time. Having finished the book, there still were a few things I had questions about but overall, I enjoyed this book. Be sure to read the author’s note at the end of the book. Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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