Fiction

The Girl in the Window

Izzy enjoys having cappuccino every morning at her favorite cafe. She enjoys taking the time to relax and people watch before beginning her work. She is shocked and horrified when she sees a man, her husband, Jed, regularly visit the woman across the street! He claims he is out cycling, and sure he does cycle to the woman’s home, but why all the secrets and lies??????? This was an interesting, entertaining, and dramatic book which proved to be a fast read for me. At times I felt for Izzy and her suspicions, while at other times I found myself shaking my head at her actions. Izzy used her job as an advice columnist to work out some of her issues and reading those sections was fun. At various times in the book many characters went from being likeable, to unlikeable, to likeable to you get the picture. This book was full of secrets, lies, twists, and turns which kept me turning the pages. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another twist came into play. The Girl in the Window proved to be a fast and engaging read. Thank you to Boldwood 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.

Fiction

The Doll’s House

Intriguing, twisted, and tense, The Doll’s House delivers the chills when one woman begins to insert herself into the life of another. Naomi was thrilled when Summer bought her home so that she and her family could move into a bigger home with a garden. Summer was as sweet and mysterious as her perfume. Things could not be better until Summer showed up at Naomi’s new home, became friends with Naomi’s friends, and even started dressing like Naomi. Throw in a doll’s house and well, you have yourself a creepy, twist filled book!🥰📕 I enjoyed this gripping book. It was captivating, with an underlying vibe of creepiness, apprehension, and unease. I had many questions going through my mind while reading this, the main reason being why is Summer doing what she is doing? I didn’t see the reveal coming and enjoyed the twists, turns, and unnerving sense that something wasn’t quite right with one of the characters. This kept me on my toes and was an entertaining read.📕

Dystopian

Whiteout

Chilling, atmospheric, tense, and riveting, Whiteout: A Thriller wowed me with this tale of isolation, survival, reflection, relationships, and science. Whew! I love, love, love books set in cold and snowy places. I also love books that have a ‘trapped’ feeling and a quest for survival. R.S. Burnett nailed it with Whiteout: A Thriller and it’s the freezing, dark, and bitter cold setting in Antarctica! Glaciologist Rachael Becket decided to leave the warmth of her home with her husband, Adam and their baby daughter, Izzy. Her husband warns her about the horrific winters in Antarctica. How darkness and isolation play with one’s mind. He doesn’t want her to go, but Rachel is determined to do so. She is a scientist and when presented with alarming data, knows she can weather any storm. Antarctica in the summer is not walk in the park, but in winter…. Well, it’s no winter wonderland. It is unforgiving, deadly, dark, and so very cold. When she loses contact with the outside world and with a BBC emergency radio broadcast reporting a nuclear war, she knows that she just might be one of the last people on earth. It’s cold, she’s lonely, she’s hungry, and then things go from bad to worse. I loved how atmospheric this book felt. I could feel the chill and Rachel’s desperation jumping from the pages. The loneliness and her reflections back on her life when she was spending time with her daughter and husband were palpable. She has only her research to cling to as she has no idea what the fate of her family and the world might be. Survival becomes the name of the game! Holy Moly! I can’t even imagine the cold and unforgiving winter conditions that she was enduring. Antarctica is very much a character in this book as well. I thought the author nailed the effect that isolation, lack of light, and contact with others has on individuals. The vivid descriptions and scenes in addition to Rachel’s fight to stay alive, there were some intense scenes which had my heart beating quite fast a few times while reading. I loved the tension, the twists, the quest for survival, the descriptions, and the way Rachel reflected on her life and the days leading up to her leaving to go to Antarctica. Her journal entries were also a very nice touch, and I loved reading them as a means to get into Rachel’s mind and inner thoughts. Chilling, dark, tense, and atmospheric! Thank you to Crooked Lane 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.

Crime

36 Hours

*CRACK* That is the sound of Angela Marsons hitting it out of the ballpark with 36 Hours! I can’t believe that this is the 21st book in the addictive, captivating, and thrilling DI Kim Stone series! 36 Hours was addictive, original, and tense! Whew! Angela Marsons always has delivers and had me turning the pages and on the edge of the seat as Kim and her team worked against the clock to catch a killer!!!!!!! I was instantly gripped from the very beginning of this book. I was on the edge of my seat with my fingers crossed and my heart pounding as things became grim and deadly. Detective Kim Stone gets an early morning phone call from journalist Tracy Frost who has received an alarming message. Kim has 36 hours to follow the clues and if she fails, people will die! Talk about pressure! Her team gathered and worked together to solve the clue which led them to a hidden box in the woods which contained another clue and a tape. Kim and her devoted team worked tirelessly to solve the clues to stop a killer before it is too late. The killer is diabolical, clever, and deadly. As the clock continues to wind down and things become dire, the team is pushed to the brink in their pursuit for justice. Kim continues to be such a fabulous character. I love how she is both tough as nails yet has a heart of gold. She is clever, intelligent, spunky, hardworking and will stop at nothing to get to the truth. She along with her team have great banter, teamwork, and camaraderie. I enjoy the glimpses into their private lives. I also appreciate how Marson’s shows how their investigations affect each of them personally. Don’t get me started on the dynamic between Kim and Frost! 36 Hours was brimming with tension, twists, dread, and danger. There were several scenes that had my pulse pounding and had me wanting to know what was going to happen next! Speaking of what comes next, I can’t wait to read what Angela Marsons writes next! I had the pleasure of having both the book and audiobook and enjoying switching back and forth between the two. The narration of the audiobook was fantastic and made for a lovely reading experience. Wonderfully written, fast paced, addictive and hard to put down! Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture 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.

Fiction

A Mother Always Knows

Mother knows best…. A Mother Always Knows is gripping, shocking, and kept me on my toes and turning the pages! I had a hard time putting this book down as the twist, turns, revelations, and tension all came into play. I had no idea how things were going to turn out and I was fully invested and intrigued as each reveal came into play! Grace moved to Melbourne in hopes of rekindling her relationship with her daughter, Cordelia while keeping an eye on Cordelia’s boyfriend, Garth. Mother-daughter relationships can be tricky when there is past trauma and blame. I had not read the first book in the series, Not a Good Enough Mother and appreciated how Nicole Trope gave me enough information to understand the dynamic and falling out between Grace and Cordelia. When Garth goes missing and investigators come calling, Cordelia needs her mother! This book had twists and turns galore! Don’t get me started on the secrets and lies which almost gave me whiplash! Just when I thought I had things figured out, Trope pulled the rug out from under me, and I was left reeling with my mouth hanging open! I loved the fast pacing, the mounting tension, the finger pointing, the devious behavior, and the relationships between the characters. A Mother Always Knows worked very well as a riveting and gripping stand alone for me. Wonderfully written, well thought out, addictive, and shocking! I can’t wait to read what Nicole Trope writes next! Thank you to Bookouture 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.

Crime

Silent Scream

“Teresa Wyatt had the inexplicable feeling that this night would be her last.” Chills! I was hooked after reading that sentence! Silent Scream is the first book in the gripping, thrilling and shocking DI Kim Stone Series! I first read this book in May 2018, but I recently had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook. It was fantastic! Silent Scream wowed me from the very first page, sent shivers up and down my spine, and had me listening to this book long into the night! This book is full of secrets, tension, dread, danger and a raising body count! Human remains have been found at a former children’s home. Through the course of the investigation, it becomes clear that the human remains may be connected to recent murders. But how? Why? Plus, young women/teens from the children’s home disappeared ten years ago. What’s the connection? Lots of questions went through my mind while I was reading this: Who is the current killer? What is his/her motivation? Is this the same person responsible for the remains found at the children’s home? Is there more than one killer? Whose body was found at the children’s home? D.I. Kim Stone is on the case and the reader knows early on that she has demons in her past. Maybe it is just me, but has anyone else noticed the trend to have female investigators have troubled pasts? Or perhaps, maybe it is just coincidence that my book choices have contained these types of characters. hmmmm This is a book that had an I-did-not-see-that-coming moment in it!!!! Woohoo! The reveal was, well, REVEALING! Seriously, I was shocked, and I love it when a book can shock me and yet have that shock be believable and make sense. Whew! Plus, I really enjoyed how the book went back and forth in time. Giving the reader glimpses into the past and back into the present investigation. The changes in location and time flow very nicely and really help move the plot along and keep things interesting. If you have not read this series before, dive in and you will not be disappointed! Angela Marsons is an awesome writer and storyteller. This book had me on the edge of my seat, my heart pounding, and doing my own super sleuthing. This series is a must read for me, and it was a joy to go back and listen to the first book in the series. The audiobook version is very well done and is not to be missed. Gripping, shocking, well thought out, tension filled and hard to put down! Thank you to Bookouture 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.

The Girl in the Window

Izzy enjoys having cappuccino every morning at her favorite cafe. She enjoys taking the time to relax and people watch before beginning her work. She is shocked and horrified when she sees a man, her husband, Jed, regularly visit the woman across the street! He claims he is out cycling, and sure he does cycle to the woman’s home, but why all the secrets and lies??????? This was an interesting, entertaining, and dramatic book which proved to be a fast read for me. At times I felt for Izzy and her suspicions, while at other times I found myself shaking my head at her actions. Izzy used her job as an advice columnist to work out some of her issues and reading those sections was fun. At various times in the book many characters went from being likeable, to unlikeable, to likeable to you get the picture. This book was full of secrets, lies, twists, and turns which kept me turning the pages. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another twist came into play. The Girl in the Window proved to be a fast and engaging read. Thank you to Boldwood 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 Doll’s House

Intriguing, twisted, and tense, The Doll’s House delivers the chills when one woman begins to insert herself into the life of another. Naomi was thrilled when Summer bought her home so that she and her family could move into a bigger home with a garden. Summer was as sweet and mysterious as her perfume. Things could not be better until Summer showed up at Naomi’s new home, became friends with Naomi’s friends, and even started dressing like Naomi. Throw in a doll’s house and well, you have yourself a creepy, twist filled book!🥰📕 I enjoyed this gripping book. It was captivating, with an underlying vibe of creepiness, apprehension, and unease. I had many questions going through my mind while reading this, the main reason being why is Summer doing what she is doing? I didn’t see the reveal coming and enjoyed the twists, turns, and unnerving sense that something wasn’t quite right with one of the characters. This kept me on my toes and was an entertaining read.📕

Whiteout

Chilling, atmospheric, tense, and riveting, Whiteout: A Thriller wowed me with this tale of isolation, survival, reflection, relationships, and science. Whew! I love, love, love books set in cold and snowy places. I also love books that have a ‘trapped’ feeling and a quest for survival. R.S. Burnett nailed it with Whiteout: A Thriller and it’s the freezing, dark, and bitter cold setting in Antarctica! Glaciologist Rachael Becket decided to leave the warmth of her home with her husband, Adam and their baby daughter, Izzy. Her husband warns her about the horrific winters in Antarctica. How darkness and isolation play with one’s mind. He doesn’t want her to go, but Rachel is determined to do so. She is a scientist and when presented with alarming data, knows she can weather any storm. Antarctica in the summer is not walk in the park, but in winter…. Well, it’s no winter wonderland. It is unforgiving, deadly, dark, and so very cold. When she loses contact with the outside world and with a BBC emergency radio broadcast reporting a nuclear war, she knows that she just might be one of the last people on earth. It’s cold, she’s lonely, she’s hungry, and then things go from bad to worse. I loved how atmospheric this book felt. I could feel the chill and Rachel’s desperation jumping from the pages. The loneliness and her reflections back on her life when she was spending time with her daughter and husband were palpable. She has only her research to cling to as she has no idea what the fate of her family and the world might be. Survival becomes the name of the game! Holy Moly! I can’t even imagine the cold and unforgiving winter conditions that she was enduring. Antarctica is very much a character in this book as well. I thought the author nailed the effect that isolation, lack of light, and contact with others has on individuals. The vivid descriptions and scenes in addition to Rachel’s fight to stay alive, there were some intense scenes which had my heart beating quite fast a few times while reading. I loved the tension, the twists, the quest for survival, the descriptions, and the way Rachel reflected on her life and the days leading up to her leaving to go to Antarctica. Her journal entries were also a very nice touch, and I loved reading them as a means to get into Rachel’s mind and inner thoughts. Chilling, dark, tense, and atmospheric! Thank you to Crooked Lane 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.

36 Hours

*CRACK* That is the sound of Angela Marsons hitting it out of the ballpark with 36 Hours! I can’t believe that this is the 21st book in the addictive, captivating, and thrilling DI Kim Stone series! 36 Hours was addictive, original, and tense! Whew! Angela Marsons always has delivers and had me turning the pages and on the edge of the seat as Kim and her team worked against the clock to catch a killer!!!!!!! I was instantly gripped from the very beginning of this book. I was on the edge of my seat with my fingers crossed and my heart pounding as things became grim and deadly. Detective Kim Stone gets an early morning phone call from journalist Tracy Frost who has received an alarming message. Kim has 36 hours to follow the clues and if she fails, people will die! Talk about pressure! Her team gathered and worked together to solve the clue which led them to a hidden box in the woods which contained another clue and a tape. Kim and her devoted team worked tirelessly to solve the clues to stop a killer before it is too late. The killer is diabolical, clever, and deadly. As the clock continues to wind down and things become dire, the team is pushed to the brink in their pursuit for justice. Kim continues to be such a fabulous character. I love how she is both tough as nails yet has a heart of gold. She is clever, intelligent, spunky, hardworking and will stop at nothing to get to the truth. She along with her team have great banter, teamwork, and camaraderie. I enjoy the glimpses into their private lives. I also appreciate how Marson’s shows how their investigations affect each of them personally. Don’t get me started on the dynamic between Kim and Frost! 36 Hours was brimming with tension, twists, dread, and danger. There were several scenes that had my pulse pounding and had me wanting to know what was going to happen next! Speaking of what comes next, I can’t wait to read what Angela Marsons writes next! I had the pleasure of having both the book and audiobook and enjoying switching back and forth between the two. The narration of the audiobook was fantastic and made for a lovely reading experience. Wonderfully written, fast paced, addictive and hard to put down! Thank you to Bookouture, Bookouture 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.

A Mother Always Knows

Mother knows best…. A Mother Always Knows is gripping, shocking, and kept me on my toes and turning the pages! I had a hard time putting this book down as the twist, turns, revelations, and tension all came into play. I had no idea how things were going to turn out and I was fully invested and intrigued as each reveal came into play! Grace moved to Melbourne in hopes of rekindling her relationship with her daughter, Cordelia while keeping an eye on Cordelia’s boyfriend, Garth. Mother-daughter relationships can be tricky when there is past trauma and blame. I had not read the first book in the series, Not a Good Enough Mother and appreciated how Nicole Trope gave me enough information to understand the dynamic and falling out between Grace and Cordelia. When Garth goes missing and investigators come calling, Cordelia needs her mother! This book had twists and turns galore! Don’t get me started on the secrets and lies which almost gave me whiplash! Just when I thought I had things figured out, Trope pulled the rug out from under me, and I was left reeling with my mouth hanging open! I loved the fast pacing, the mounting tension, the finger pointing, the devious behavior, and the relationships between the characters. A Mother Always Knows worked very well as a riveting and gripping stand alone for me. Wonderfully written, well thought out, addictive, and shocking! I can’t wait to read what Nicole Trope writes next! Thank you to Bookouture 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.

Silent Scream

“Teresa Wyatt had the inexplicable feeling that this night would be her last.” Chills! I was hooked after reading that sentence! Silent Scream is the first book in the gripping, thrilling and shocking DI Kim Stone Series! I first read this book in May 2018, but I recently had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook. It was fantastic! Silent Scream wowed me from the very first page, sent shivers up and down my spine, and had me listening to this book long into the night! This book is full of secrets, tension, dread, danger and a raising body count! Human remains have been found at a former children’s home. Through the course of the investigation, it becomes clear that the human remains may be connected to recent murders. But how? Why? Plus, young women/teens from the children’s home disappeared ten years ago. What’s the connection? Lots of questions went through my mind while I was reading this: Who is the current killer? What is his/her motivation? Is this the same person responsible for the remains found at the children’s home? Is there more than one killer? Whose body was found at the children’s home? D.I. Kim Stone is on the case and the reader knows early on that she has demons in her past. Maybe it is just me, but has anyone else noticed the trend to have female investigators have troubled pasts? Or perhaps, maybe it is just coincidence that my book choices have contained these types of characters. hmmmm This is a book that had an I-did-not-see-that-coming moment in it!!!! Woohoo! The reveal was, well, REVEALING! Seriously, I was shocked, and I love it when a book can shock me and yet have that shock be believable and make sense. Whew! Plus, I really enjoyed how the book went back and forth in time. Giving the reader glimpses into the past and back into the present investigation. The changes in location and time flow very nicely and really help move the plot along and keep things interesting. If you have not read this series before, dive in and you will not be disappointed! Angela Marsons is an awesome writer and storyteller. This book had me on the edge of my seat, my heart pounding, and doing my own super sleuthing. This series is a must read for me, and it was a joy to go back and listen to the first book in the series. The audiobook version is very well done and is not to be missed. Gripping, shocking, well thought out, tension filled and hard to put down! Thank you to Bookouture 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.

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