Category: Mystery

Devoted In Death by J. D. Robb

Posted September 20, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Devoted In Death
Series: In Death #41
Author: J. D. Robb
Genre: Futuristic Romantic Suspense, Crime
Published: September 15, 2015
Publisher: G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Owned, Kindle Edition
Cover Description:

When Lieutenant Eve Dallas examines a body in a downtown Manhattan alleyway, the victim’s injuries are so extensive that she almost misses the clue. Carved into the skin is the shape of a heart—and initials inside reading E and D . . .

Ella-Loo and her boyfriend, Darryl, had been separated while Darryl was a guest of the state of Oklahoma, and now that his sentence has been served they don’t ever intend to part again. Ella-Loo’s got dreams. And Darryl believes there are better ways to achieve your dreams than working for them. So they hit the road, and when their car breaks down in Arkansas, they make plans to take someone else’s. Then things get messy and they wind up killing someone—an experience that stokes a fierce, wild desire in Ella-Loo. A desire for Darryl. And a desire to kill again.

As they cross state lines on their way to New York to find the life they think they deserve, they will leave a trail of evil behind them. But now they’ve landed in the jurisdiction of Lieutenant Dallas and her team at the New York Police and Security Department. And with her husband, Roarke, at her side, she has every intention of hunting them down and giving them what they truly deserve.

Read on for my thoughts on Devoted In Death. No true spoilers, promise.

You Think You Know Me by Clare Chase

Posted September 7, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Series, Women's Fiction / 0 Comments

Title: You Think You Know Me
Series: London & Cambridge Mysteries #1
Author: Clare Chase
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Mystery
Published: September 7, 2015
Publisher: Choc Lit
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Sometimes, it’s not easy to tell the good guys from the bad …

Freelance journalist, Anna Morris, is struggling to make a name for herself, so she’s delighted to attend a launch event for a hip, young artist at her friend Seb’s gallery.

But an exclusive interview isn’t all Anna comes away with. After an encounter with the enigmatic Darrick Farron, she is flung into the shady underground of the art scene – a world of underhand dealings, missing paintings and mysterious deaths …

Seb is intent on convincing Anna that Darrick is up to no good but, try as she might, she can’t seem to keep away from him. And as she becomes further embroiled, Anna begins to wonder – is Seb’s behaviour the well-intentioned concern of an old friend, or does he have something to hide?

Read on for my thoughts on You Think You Know Me. No true spoilers, promise.

Hanover House by Brenda Novak

Posted September 5, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

Title: Hanover House
Series: Hanover House Chronicles 0.5 prequel
Author: Brenda Novak
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Romance
Published: September 1, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Psychiatrist Evelyn Talbot has dedicated her life to solving the mysteries of the antisocial mind. Why do psychopaths act as they do? How do they come to be? Why don’t they feel any remorse for the suffering they cause? And are there better ways of spotting and stopping them?

After having been kidnapped, tortured and left for dead when she was just a teenager—by her high school boyfriend—she’s determined to understand how someone she trusted so much could turn on her. So she’s established a revolutionary new medical health center in the remote town of Hilltop, Alaska, where she studies the worst of the worst.

But not everyone in Hilltop is excited to have Hanover House and its many serial killers in the area. Alaskan State Trooper, Sergeant Amarok, is one of them. And yet he can’t help feeling bad about what Evelyn has been through. He’s even attracted to her. Which is partly why he worries.

He knows what could happen if one little thing goes wrong…

Read on for my thoughts on Hanover House. No true spoilers, promise.

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox

Posted September 5, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

Title: The Skeleton in the Closet
Series: Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #2
Author: Angie Fox
Genre: Paranormal
Published: August 30, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

A haunted library is no place for a girl who can see ghosts, but when Verity Long stumbles on a dead body in the middle of the main reading room, she has to believe someone…even a dead someone…must have witnessed the crime.

Her ghostly sidekick Frankie warns her to stay out of it. The very alive, very handsome deputy sheriff, Ellis Wydell, inadvertently places her directly in the middle of it. And her ex-fiancé, Ellis’s brother, is back with an agenda of his own.

Undaunted, Verity presses forward, uncovering scandalous secrets, long-forgotten ghosts, and a shocking trail of clues that places her directly in the path of a killer.

Read on for my thoughts on The Skeleton in the Closet. No true spoilers, promise.

Men Under Fire by Jacki Delecki

Posted August 19, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Men Under Fire
Series: Grayce Walters #3
Author: Jacki Delecki
Genre: Romance, Mystery
Published: May 25, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Hollie Thomas, the feisty, tattooed office assistant to Grayce Walters, has come a long way from living on the streets. Along with finding a job she loves, she’s found friends and safety. When her new life unravels, she faces dangers that dwarf her troubled past. Fighting to survive, she discovers that sometimes what you need the most might be found in the one person you failed to see coming.

Returning home from the war and struggling to find his way, Sergeant Nick Welby, and his bomb-sniffing golden lab, use their skill set in the last place he’d ever imagined—Seattle’s Waterfront. To protect the one woman who matters, Nick and his trusty canine partner will risk everything to rescue her and Seattle from disaster.

Embroiled in Grayce Walters’ most perilous case—a terrorist plot with the threat of deadly explosives—can Nick and Hollie work together to save themselves and each other before it’s too late?

Read on for my thoughts on Men Under Fire. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Never Die Alone by Lisa Jackson

Posted July 28, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Never Die Alone
Series: New Orleans #8, A Bentz/Montoya Mystery
Author: Lisa Jackson
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published: July 28, 2015
Publisher: Kensington Books, Zebra
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Never Drop Your Guard

It should be the best day of their lives. Too bad they never get to see it. On the cusp of their twenty-first birthday, he strikes. His victims are always twins, their ritualistic murders planned in exquisite detail, down to the moment when they breathe their last together. . .

Never Close Your Eyes

An innocent man is in prison, and Brianna Hayward needs to convince the New Orleans police. Not just to free her cousin, but to save others who will suffer until the true culprit is found. Reporter Jason Bridges is intrigued. It’s a story that could make his career–as long as Brianna never guesses the secret in Jason’s past. . .

. . .Or You’ll Never See Him Coming

Detective Rick Bentz had doubts about the “21” conviction when he worked the case in L.A. Now the real murderer may be loose in Bentz’s backyard. Twin sisters from LSU have vanished, days before their birthday. And as Bentz and his partner, Reuben Montoya, desperately follow the trail, a killer prepares to unite his next victims in death forever.

Read on for my thoughts on Never Die Alone. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Summer of Fire by Kitty Pilgrim

Posted July 28, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Summer of Fire
Series: John Sinclair Mystery #3
Author: Kitty Pilgrim
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Published: May 19, 2015
Publisher: River Grove Books
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

When nature takes charge, sparks fly

On the beautiful island of Capri, a royal princess begins a secret love affair, oblivious to the dangers that surround her.

Internationally renowned novelist Kitty Pilgrim chronicles a modern thriller based in the historic volcanic region of Southern Italy.

Her characters, archaeologist John Sinclair and oceanographer Cordelia Stapleton, team up once again for a tale of glamour and romance that spans every level of society—from the dangerous criminal underworld of Naples to the jet set of Europe.

Read on for my thoughts on Summer of Fire. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Minutes to Kill by Melinda Leigh

Posted June 29, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Minutes to Kill
Series: Scarlet Falls #2
Author: Melinda Leigh
Genre: Murder, Thriller, Romance
Published: June 30, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

After corporate attorney Hannah Barrett tries—and fails—to stop a kidnapping in Vegas, she can’t shake the haunting image of the terrified young girl she couldn’t save. She tells herself that a visit to her hometown in Scarlet Falls could be a welcome distraction. But soon, Hannah realizes the kidnappers have all the info they need to track her every move. And when chilling e-mails about the victim appear in her inbox, it’s frighteningly clear what happened in Vegas has followed her home.

Eight months after a terrible family tragedy, Hannah turns to Detective Brody McNamara once again. Brody is eager to help, though he’s embroiled in the investigation of a brutal murder. But the closer they work together, the stronger their feelings grow…and the more they stand to lose when two seemingly unrelated, but equally deadly, cases collide.

Read on for my thoughts on Minutes to Kill. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh

Posted June 28, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Hour of Need
Series: Scarlet Falls #1
Author: Melinda Leigh
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Published: December 9, 2014
Publisher: Montlake Romance
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: Owned, Kindle edition
Cover Description:

While fighting in Afghanistan, Major Grant Barrett receives devastating news: his brother and sister-in-law have been murdered in Scarlet Falls, the sleepy suburb of Grant’s youth. Emotionally scarred from war, the career soldier returns home on emergency leave to temporarily care for his orphaned nephew and niece. But when someone tries to kidnap the kids and their teenage babysitter, Grant knows it’s not a random act…and neither were the murders.

Already devastated by her neighbors’ violent deaths, Ellie Ross is shattered by the attempted abduction of her teenage daughter so she desperately turns to Grant for help. As they navigate a deadly search for the truth, they struggle with growing feelings for each other and Grant’s impending return to deployment.

But time is running out. The killer is growing bolder by the hour, and Ellie and Grant must find him before the children become his next victims.

Read on for my thoughts on Hour of Need. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: The Warning Sign by Mia Marlowe

Posted June 10, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: The Warning Sign
Series:
Author: Mia Marlowe
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Romance
Published: August 14, 2014
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: Owned, Kindle edition
Cover Description:

Sara’s been hurt. Badly. Her cheating ex has her doubting everything about herself. But after graduating from Boston College, she’s trying to start fresh with a new job. A new guy in her life seems more complicated than she needs right now.

But Ryan’s too hot, too insistent and too tempting to pass up. Too bad he has some pretty dark secrets as well. Which is something Sara totally doesn’t need–especially after she figures out an accidental drowning wasn’t so accidental and ends up on a mob hitman’s “to do” list.

And the only cop who’ll believe her is her cheating ex.

Read on for my thoughts on The Warning Sign. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Last Shot by Eve Gaddy

Posted June 10, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Last Shot
Series:
Author: Eve Gaddy
Genre: Mystery, Romance
Published: April 30, 2015
Publisher:
My Rating: 4 stars
Source: NetGalley
Cover Description:

Love is a dangerous choice.

Murder is the last thing homicide Detective Nick Sheridan wants to deal with when he retreats to the small, coastal town of Freedom, Texas. His last case–possibly his last ever–was the most horrific he’d ever seen. No, he wants to drink, forget, and find a warm, willing woman.

The Last Shot Bar & Grill seems like the perfect place to do that.

Della Rose, single mother and waitress at the Last Shot, is anything but warm and willing. Della has baggage; she pegs Nick as a cop the moment she sees him, and no matter how hot he is, she’s not interested. When her boss, Charlie Banks, is murdered and the local police chief writes it down as a robbery gone bad, Della is forced to turn to Nick for help.

Soon, Nick is unwillingly drawn in to the mystery of why Charlie was murdered and what the gunmen wanted. As Nick and Della enter a red-hot affair, Nick falls hard for Della, but Della has no intention of a serious relationship.

Della and her family are in danger. Nick’s instincts are to protect and serve, but Della’s are to push away anyone who might hurt her. Even him.

Can they catch a murderer and solve the mystery without Della’s life being torn apart once again? And can they put aside their past long enough to trust their love?

Read on for my thoughts on Last Shot. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Don’t Turn Around by Caroline Mitchell

Posted June 2, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 2 Comments

Title: Don’t Turn Around
Series: DC Jennifer Knight series #1
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Genre: Supernatural Crime Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal
Published: April 24, 2015
Publisher: Bookouture
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: Author, Personal Collection
Cover Blurb:

You don’t know him. But he knows you.

Soon he would be able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her blood. And when the time came, nothing would stop him.

As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave.

When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked. What she discovers is more chilling than she could possibly imagine. The murders mirror those of the notorious Grim Reaper – from over twenty years ago. A killer her mother helped convict.

Jennifer can no longer ignore the personal connection. Is there a copycat killer at work? Was the wrong man convicted? Or is there something more sinister at play …

With her mother’s terrifying legacy spiralling out of control, Jennifer must look into her own dark past in a fight not only to stop a killer – but to save herself and those she loves.

Read on for my thoughts on Don’t Turn Around. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Spore by Tamara Jones

Posted June 2, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Spore
Series:
Author: Tamara Jones
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal
Published: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Samhain
My Rating: 5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

The dead are coming back.

Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s backyard: ten Spore People who used to be dead. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, but her ex would rather she return to her grave. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and other Spores while battling his recurring—and worsening—nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door.

As the Spore fungus spreads, so does the fear. When mutilated children match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks.

Read on for my thoughts on Spore. No true spoilers, promise.

Review: Macyn’s Letter by S. L. Stacker

Posted May 18, 2015 by Marsha in Contemporary Romance, Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Macyn’s Letter
Series: Macyn McIntyre series #1
Author: S. L. Stacker
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mystery
Published: May 18, 2015 (original October 2013)
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

A near-death experience at the hands of her husband would cause any woman to cling to her crippling trust issues and dating phobia, and Macyn McIntyre is no exception. Falling into the lap of a sexy stranger may persuade her to change her mind, but before Macyn realizes what’s happening, a second potential love interest is vying for her affections.

When a threatening letter turns up in her mailbox, Macyn realizes choosing between two guys is the least of her worries. Abduction, violence, and rescue by an elite squad change the course of her life forever. When she seeks revenge on those who hurt her, she has to decide if she can trust the ones who vow they love her.

Will Macyn be able to overcome her past and use their aid in her vendetta, or will she take matters into her own hands?

Read on for my thoughts on Macyn’s Letter. No true spoilers, promise.

Defending the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Posted May 6, 2015 by Marsha in Mystery / 0 Comments

Title: Defending the Dead
Series: Relatively Dead Mysteries #3
Author: Sheila Connolly
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Romance
Published: April 28, 2015
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing
My Rating: 3 stars
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis:

Abby Kimball has slowly accepted her recently discovered ability to see the dead, but none of the harmless sightings she’s experienced could have prepared her for the startling apparition of a centuries-old courtroom scene—where she locks eyes with a wicked and gleeful accuser. Thrown back more than three hundred years, Abby realizes she’s been plunged into a mystery that has fascinated people throughout American history: the Salem witch trials.

With her boyfriend Ned at her side, Abby digs into the history of the events, researching the people and possible causes of that terrible time and her own connection to them—all the while going more deeply into her connection to Ned, both extraordinary and romantic.

As Abby witnesses more fragments from the events in Salem and struggles with the question of how such a nightmare could have come about, she’s suddenly confronted with a pressing personal question: Were one or more of her ancestors among the accused? Unraveling the puzzling clues behind that question just might give Abby and Ned the answer to a very modern mystery of their own.

Read on for my thoughts on Defending the Dead. No true spoilers, promise.