I'll Be Waiting Review

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Day: Oct. 1, 2024

Many thanks to St. Martins Press for a gifted arc of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.

First reviewed in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood...

Review:

Author Kelley Armstrong's newest release, I'LL BE WAITING, is the perfect book to put readers in the mood for the spooky season.  A grieving wife's desperate attempt to connect with her deceased husband beyond the grave turns deadly in this highly atmospheric tale of supernatural horror. Make sure you have all the lights turned on before starting this one!

 Terminally ill Nicola Laughton considers herself to be a fortunate woman. While she's lived with cystic fibrosis since childhood, modern medicine has improved her quality of life as well as her life expectancy. Married to Anton, the man of her dreams, she's enjoying life to the fullest until the day a car crosses the center line claiming her husband's life.  As Nicola kneels on the pavement cradling her husband in her arms, Anton's dying vow is to wait for her. Captured by cell phone cameras, the scene soon goes viral with rumors that Anton's ghost or spirit appears hovering over them while whispering to Nicola. The news is all it takes to bring self-claimed psychics out of the woodwork telling Nicola they can facilitate her reconnection to her dead husband only to leave Nicola disappointed and disillusioned. In one last desperate attempt, friends and family step in to set up one final seance with a reputable parapsychologist to take place at Anton's family's Lake Erie beach house where Anton spent a great deal of time. Soon after their arrival, mysterious events occur indicating the possible presence of entities residing in the old house. Is Anton reaching out? Or has something darker, more sinister been awakened?

 I'LL BE WAITING is a tension laden, highly atmospheric paranormal thriller. A foreboding tone is set early enhanced by the setting in a secluded beach house complete with unexplained voices and footsteps, doors opening and closing, a creaking dumbwaiter, a room full of creepy porcelain dolls watching . . . and a history that includes a missing boy and murder. As the story progresses, short flashbacks give readers insight to past events raising more questions while leaving readers to decide what's real and what's not. The author slows the pace through the middle portion of the book, taking time to build the suspense while keeping characters and readers off-balance with a variety of eerie, goosebump worthy incidences only to pick up speed again as danger escalates through the final showdown. Some readers may find it hard to connect with characters who appear illusive due to the mysterious, ever-changing aura and circumstances surrounding them. Readers are challenged with uncovering the truth while figuring out who to trust in this tale of things that go bump in the night.

 Author Kelley Armstrong has expertly rendered another paranormal page turner, a smoke'n'mirrors mystery, perfect for fans who enjoy a good ghost story without crossing over into full-blown horror. Armchair detectives will also enjoy the challenge of solving this one.

 Synopsis:

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car crash, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body....

In this atmospheric, thrilling new ghost story, Kelley Armstrong's full talents are on display to thrill, chill and leave the reader guessing how Nicola escapes with her life--if she can.

The Swimmer Review

Author: Loreth Anne White

Publisher: Montlake/Brillance Audio

Narrator: Reba Buhr

Release Date: Sept. 10, 2024

Review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

A deviously twisty novel of psychological suspense about secrets, neighbors, a need to belong, and murder by the award-winning author of The Maid’s Diary.

Review: 

THE SWIMMER by Author Loreth Anne White is a razor sharp, tautly plotted psychological suspense thriller that raises the bar of excellence in the suspense thriller genre. White's decision to deliver the story by interspersing true crime podcast transcripts in the present among chapters from the past allowing readers to see what transpires in real time is nothing short of brilliant. Get your affairs in order before starting this one because you will not be able to stop reading until you turn the final shocking page.

 Chloe Cooper is a socially awkward, eccentric forty-year-old bartender whose constricted world consists of work, caring for her terminally ill mother in their fifth-floor apartment, dog walking and people watching, most often with binoculars. Over the years, Chloe's mother's repeated warnings to trust no one, not even the police, have sentenced Chloe to a lonely, isolated life with little real interaction with others. Her only emotional outlet is her eccentric artwork and the stories she invents about the lives she observes. When new neighbors, renowned surgeon Adam Spengler and his beautiful, social media influencer wife Jemma, move in across the street, Chloe can see directly into the house and their private lives through the ceiling to floor curtainless windows. Her obsession with Jemma, who's everything Chloe isn't, grows daily as do her suspicions that something is deadly wrong in that household and marriage. Convinced it's up to her to stop a potential tragedy, Chloe begins recording her observations in her journal, including Jemma's habitual, early morning swims in the bay, and she's there on the beach the foggy morning a woman is intentionally run down by a jet ski while swimming in the bay. Ignoring her mother's repeated warnings, Chloe calls in an anonymous tip to the police, unknowingly opening Pandora's Box and setting a chain of events into motion that quickly spirals out of her control. 

 THE SWIMMER is rendered through multiple points of view and dual timelines including a true crime podcast hosted by Trinity Scott from BENEATH DEVIL'S BRIDGE fame. The author utilizes short chapters with mini cliffhangers to drive a maddening, breathtaking pace forward through a cleverly twisted, multilayered plot line laden with ominous vibes and relentless drama. Layer by layer, the author manipulates characters and readers with shocking, never-see-that-coming revelations that had this reader neglecting daily duties to finish the book.  The dismal, constricted setting lends itself to the overall feeling of confinement as well as the paranoia suffered by the main character. White's brilliant signature characterizations afford readers authentic, in-depth characters to either love, hate or feel sorry for, and her command of the overall story is reminiscent of an expert conductor directing an orchestra. 

 Magnificently written and delivered, THE SWIMMER is Author Loreth Anne White's finest piece of work to date, and that's saying a mouthful. I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Reba Ruhr who knocks it out of the park giving voice to numerous characters with different dialects. THE SWIMMER, a story of obsession, loneliness, secrets, lies, betrayal and revenge, is on this reader's brief list of the best of 2024. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers that leave you reeling!

 Synopsis:

Socially awkward Chloe Cooper divides her time between dog walking, bartending, caring for her ailing mother, and at a safe distance, watching people and inventing the stories of their lives. Like Chloe’s new neighbors: glamorous influencer Jemma Spengler and Jemma’s husband, Adam, a renowned surgeon. They’re attractive, wealthy, and in a house of open windows, so exposed.

A move to the Pacific Northwest is supposed to be a fresh start for Jemma and Adam. It’s a renewed commitment to a marriage fractured by secrets. A chance to work through the tragic losses in their past. For Jemma, however, this new beginning also comes with an unnerving sensation that she’s being watched.

Then, on a fog-shrouded beach early in the morning, Chloe witnesses the murder of a swimmer. Her suspicions aroused, she suddenly sees her neighbors in a sinister new light. But as a detective and her partner close in, nothing is quite as it seems. Because the Spenglers are not the only ones with secrets. And Chloe isn’t the only one who’s been watching.

Out In The Cold Review

Author: Steve Urszenyi

Series: Special Agent Alexandra Martel #2

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Day: Nov. 12, 2024

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this title! Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Special Agent Alex Martel is thrown back into a deadly world of deception when a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III in this action-packed thriller.

Review:

Special Agent Alex Martel, former army combat medic, sniper and assassin, returns in Author Steve Urszenyi's OUT IN THE COLD, an explosive, action-packed follow up to his highly acclaimed PERFECT SHOT. Readers wondering if the author could match the intensity, insane pace and action of book one can rest easy. Not only does Urszenyi match it, he surpasses it and then some. Strap on the bullet proof gear and settle in for an evening of nonstop, high-octane, cover-to-cover action as Agent Martel goes rogue to uncover the identity of forces whose actions threaten world peace.

Special Agent Alex Martel is aboard a luxury mega-yacht crossing the Mediterranean when explosions rock the ship. On a task force assignment with her temporary CIA boss, Caleb, Martel engages her unique skills as a former army sniper to fight off mercenaries and whisk her friend and Director of Interpol, Celeste Clicquot, and other dignitaries to shore safely. As other attacks ensue, political allies agree that all signs point toward Russia planning a massive takeover of Finland, a new NATO ally, potentially setting the stage for a third World War. With tensions high, political advisors in the United States convince the President to bring NATO troops back to the region in preparation of being ready to strike back should Russia invade Finland. When Martel's former mentor and friend, Cliquot, is attacked a second time, Martel disobeys orders, abandons her CIA assignment, and goes rogue with no backup vowing to avenge her friend while searching for the mastermind behind the attacks and the aggression against Finland. Martel's gut tells her the facts as they're known don't add up, and her gut hasn't failed her yet. Is it possible there's a conspiracy setting Russia up to take the fall? Who's really behind all the espionage and chaos? Are the answers to be found on American soil? Can Alex uncover the truth in time to advert a global catastrophe?

If you're a fan of high stake, international espionage thrillers with nonstop action, OUT IN THE COLD is the book for you. While I also highly recommend the first book in this series, PERFECT SHOT, 

Author Steve Urszenyi does a fantastic job of setting the scene with sufficient backstory for readers to enjoy this one as a standalone.  Be prepared to be highly engaged as the author brilliantly manipulates characters and readers through a tangled plot line of smoke'n'mirrors. Laden with danger at every turn, Martel is a dynamite female lead who manages to stay one step ahead of the bad guys while dodging numerous attempts on her life through her own highly honed skills. It's refreshing to find a female character with adept abilities that rival those of any male hero - one who's deadly and yet still harbors a softer side with a lot of heart, compassion and kindness. The tease of a possible romantic relationship with Caleb is simmering in the background, keeping readers hoping for more. A blistering pace driven by the constant threat of imminent danger kept me burning up the pages searching for the identity of the mastermind, and while my suspicions were correct, I suspect some readers will be surprised by the author's last page reveal.

Well-developed characters fighting their way through a complex plot line rich in conspiracy, espionage, political and international intrigue keeps readers highly engaged from the first page to the final line in OUT IN THE COLD. Highly recommended to fans of high action, covert, espionage style thrillers such as the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Author Steve Urszenyi is authentic, and here to stay!

Synopsis:

While sailing across the Mediterranean, the megayacht Aurora is rocked with explosions, taken under siege by unknown assailants. On board are some of Europe’s wealthiest and most powerful political players, including the secretary general of Interpol, a high-ranking Finnish diplomat, and Special Agent Alex Martel―whose lethal sniper skills kick in to bring them safely to shore.

Someone is waging a ruthless campaign of attacks against Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, in an attempt to throw the Alliance into turmoil. Teaming back up with CIA agent Caleb, Alex is thrust into the middle of the fray, pursuing the villains from the waters off of Monaco to the Baltic Sea and home to American soil.

As the US is pulled deeper into the conflict, a global catastrophe seems inevitable. But who is really responsible for these escalating attacks on Finland? The Russians, or someone much closer to home? As new allies surface and old enemies reappear, Alex has no way of knowing who to trust―and she might only have one last shot to keep the world from going to war.

The Boyfriend Review

Author: Freida McFadden

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Day: Oct. 1, 2024

Special thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for an arc of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim. A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadde n proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…

Review:

Author Freida McFadden explores the potentially dangerous pitfalls of online dating through the eyes of women of a certain age who have suffered one too many disastrous dates while looking for Mr. Perfect in her latest book, THE BOYFRIEND.  Wasting no time, McFadden sets a chilling, ominous tone in the Prologue - a clear forewarning of the danger lurking at every turn, on every page, in her latest psychological thriller.  

Sydney Shaw is knocking hard on the door of thirty-five, her biological clock ticking loudly, counting down the days with no viable lifetime partner possibilities on the horizon. Her latest obnoxious online date is yet another disaster, and she can't wait to cut the tortuous evening short. When he refuses to accept an emphatic no to walking her home, Sydney follows her gut taking him down the wrong street to "her house" where he suddenly turns from annoying to violent. Having seen no one in the surrounding area, Sydney is surprised but relieved when a dark, handsome stranger sends her attacker scurrying, but before she can get his name, he melts back into the shadows from whence he came. In the weeks to come, Sydney becomes obsessed with finding the dark-haired stranger until finally he's there - her hero seducing her with his good looks, charming smile and hypnotic words. Sydney's convinced this man may be the one even though some of the things he's telling her doesn't add up. Has her luck finally changed? Or is his perfection a mask? Meantime, police are investigating a string of unsolved murders believed to have been committed by an unknown man the women connected with through online dating. When tragedy hits close to home, Sydney's suspicions run rampant as she begins questioning the small inconsistencies in her new boyfriend's story. Has Sydney found the perfect man . . . or the perfect killer?

 THE BOYFRIEND is an intense, immersive thriller that is rendered through dual timelines and alternating points of view which are highly effective in allowing readers to learn firsthand how certain players got to the current point in the story. McFadden brilliantly maneuvers characters and readers through a complex plot line that keeps shifting and twisting at an ever-increasing pace before finally dropping a last minute, shocking bombshell that left this reader reeling. The author's ability to misdirect readers with several vexing red herrings raises the stakes, leaving them guessing. Authentic characterizations make it easy to feel empathy for some while making it difficult to discover who's being truthful and who's manipulative, carefully hidden beneath a mask. A suffocating air of malice thickens page by page, leaving little doubt danger is nigh. 

 Author Freida McFadden gifts readers with another gripping, page turner thriller in THE BOYFRIEND. In doing so, she shines a spotlight on the danger of online dating and the real possibility of evil lurking behind carefully constructed facades. Themes of obsession, stalking, loneliness, seduction, and the suggestive public's perception of women, especially of a certain age, are explored. Fans of this author's work are sure to love this one! Also highly recommended to fans of twisted psychological thrillers with last page shockers.

 Synopsis:

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

The Lightning Bottles Review

Author: Marissa Stapley

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Day: Sept. 24, 2024

Many thanks to publisher Simon & Schuster for a gifted copy of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.

This review published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

The author of New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club pick Lucky returns with a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll and star-crossed love, following Jane Pyre’s road trip around Europe as she attempts to find out what really happened to her partner in love and music, who disappeared without a trace years earlier, leaving Jane to pick up the pieces.

Review:

Author Marissa Stapley propels readers on a whirlwind ride down an emotional, nostalgic rock'n'roll memory lane in THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES, carrying them back to the '90's Seattle Grunge scene with the music and all the drama associated with rock bands and their loyal legion of fans. Woven in is an intriguing mystery - the story of a rock legend who's been missing and presumed dead for five years, and his music and life partner, the woman fans love to hate, left behind to grieve and work through the guilt consuming her, wondering where it all went wrong and what really happened to her soulmate that fateful night she sent him away.

THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES opens with a young German teen, Hen, listening to the music of her all-time favorite band, The Lightning Bottles, on the eve of the five-year anniversary of the tragic disappearance of the group's star singer, Elijah Hart, who allegedly died in a drug-induced haze in the frigid Icelandic waters though his body was never recovered. The current whereabouts of his band and soulmate Jane Pyre, who is the unrecognized genius behind the group's famous lyrics, are unknown as she disappeared shortly thereafter to grieve, rehab and escape the ire of angry fans who blame her for Elijah's demise. It’s imperative Hen contact Jane because she has a secret, a clue about Elijah's disappearance. Imagine Hen's shock when she realizes the woman moving into the isolated property next door is none other than the despised woman herself, Jane. When Jane catches a girl spying on her, Hen shares her secret, and the despondent woman and teen fan embark on a trip that carries them and readers across a continent in a frantic search for the truth about Elijah’s disappearance. What they discover will either save or finish destroying a fragile, disillusioned, heartbroken Jane.

Unfolding through highly effective past/present chapters, THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES allows readers to experience Jane and Elijah's rocky journey first-hand from the early days to the day he disappeared in Jane’s own words as she relays their tragic ill-fated story to Hen. In the present, readers travel with Jane and Hen as they follow clues that carry them back to the places where main events occurred in Jane and Elijah's lives. The pace escalates as they go through the motions setting a desolate tone that soaks through the pages like the tears shed over the lyrics of heartbreaking songs woven throughout. While Jane and Hen carry the story, there’s a strong support cast adding another intriguing layer to the plot line. What happened to Elijah? Did he die in the icy sea off Iceland as believed? Or is he out there somewhere, alone and scared waiting for Jane to save him yet again?

Stapley takes readers on a highly atmospheric, hauntingly beautiful, yet painful trip paying homage to the world of rock'n'roll, capturing the power and essence of the music scene in the '90's - the music, fame, parties, addiction, groupies. Greed and jealousy, along with the endless drug and alcohol induced days and nights, took its toll creating toxic working relationships. The author's expert ability to weave a dark mystery into this story takes it to another level as does the emphasis on themes of misogyny, inequality in the workplace (especially the music industry) and the blistering cost of fame on both individuals and those who love them.

 THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES is an epic, brilliantly rendered, character driven mystery and ode to music. A story of fated love, jealousy, guilt, pain and loss. A time when stars rose and fell quickly, and music was everything. A visual masterpiece, this book would be fantastic on the big screen. Highly recommended to fans of star-crossed romance, mysteries and ole time rock'n'roll.

 Synopsis:

Jane Pyre was once one half of one of the most famous rock ‘n’ roll duos in the world, The Lightning Bottles. Years later, she’s perhaps the most hated (and least understood) woman in music. She was never as popular with fans as her bandmate (and soulmate) Elijah—even if Jane was the one who wrote the songs that catapulted The Lightning Bottles to instant, dizzying fame, first in the Seattle grunge scene, and then around the world. But then Elijah disappeared and everything came crashing down. Even now, years after Elijah vanished, Jane is universally blamed and reviled by the public. In an attempt to get some peace and quiet, Jane rents a house in a remote part of Germany where she knows she won’t be disturbed. But on the day she arrives, she’s confronted by her new next-door neighbor, a sullen teenaged girl named Hen who just so happens to be a Lightning Bottles superfan—and who claims to have a piece of information that might solve the mystery of what happened to Elijah, and whether he is, in fact, still alive and leaving messages for Jane after all these years. A cross-continent road trip about two misunderstood outsiders brought together by their shared love of music, interwoven with flashbacks to the beginnings of Jane and Elijah’s love story and meteoric rise, 

The Lightning Bottles is a love story, a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll, and a searing portrait of the cost of fame.

You Will Never Be Me Review

Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto

Publisher: Berkley

Release Day: Aug. 20, 2024

Special thanks to Berkley Publ. for the gifted arc of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reviewed for Mystery & Suspense Magazine

When cracks start forming in an influencer’s curated life, she finds out that jealousy is just as viral as a video in this riveting suspense novel by bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Review:

Author Jessie Q. Sutanto takes readers on a chilling, eye-opening deep dive into the cutthroat world of social media super influencers in YOU WILL NEVER BE ME. A place where the stakes and potential for making six figure incomes are high and the odds of crashing and losing it all higher. A place where friendships are made and broken and greed, jealousy and insecurity take root and grow. A facade where revenge turns dark, ugly and deadly.

 Super "Momfluencer" Meredith Lee is riding a social media high at the top of her game when she takes a struggling mother, Aspen Palmer, under her wing teaching her how to become a successful, top earning influencer on social media. In a short amount of time, the student surpasses the teacher in the number of followers, likes, sponsors and income earned on TikTok and Instagram. Suddenly, Aspen is the social media darling invited to all the right parties, meeting other super influencers and making the big bucks, and she has little time for her former mentor. After a particularly nasty argument, the former friends part ways. Aspen is basking in her new fame and lifestyle while Meredith's flame is fading fast leaving her on the outside looking in, but don't count her out just yet. She made Aspen . . . and she can break her. Meredith begins stalking her former friend and when opportunity knocks, she walks through the door. Two can play this game . . . until someone goes missing, and the accusations fly. 

 YOU WILL NEVER BE ME unfolds through the dual points of view of Meredith and Aspen. The pace builds slowly as the author lays the groundwork, allowing readers to get to know each of the women and their families while setting the stage for what's to come. Halfway through, the pace intensifies, and the tone takes a dire turn into an imminent danger zone with warning signs flashing on every page. From this point on, no one will be putting this book down for any reason as it shifts gears with each shocking twist. While most of the characters are shallow, arrogant and extremely self-centered, the kind you love to hate, they are exactly what one would expect to find within the context of this story. Sutanto does an expert job at character development, allowing readers to see what drives each one. Like a wreck on the highway, I couldn't look away afraid of what I might miss. I suspect the ending may be controversial, but whether you like the way the author chose to wrap this story up or not, I guarantee you won't forget it anytime soon. I know I won't, and I'll never look at social media influencers the same way ever again. 

 Author Jesse Q. Sutanto brilliantly renders a dark, witty, parody of the fake, cutthroat world of social media influencers in YOU WILL NEVER BE ME. Toxic friendships are fed by greed, lies and the desire to be seen as the top influencer in the niche. I'm amazed and quite frankly shocked at the idea of how far some will go and how much they're willing to sacrifice to reach the pinnacle of success in the influencer world. I'm happy to say this reader has no desire to dip a toe in those toxic waters. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and anyone curious about the world of social media influencers.

 Synopsis:

Influencer Meredith Lee didn't teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite.

Then Mer gets lucky; she finds one of Aspen's kids' iPads and swipes it. Now she has access to the family calendar and Aspen's social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen's place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer's only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers. 

Meanwhile, Aspen doesn't understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn't find out who's behind everything, she might just lose it all. But what everyone seems to forget is that Aspen didn't become one of TikTok's biggest momfluencers by being naive.

When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen's world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.

Buried Too Deep Review and Book Tour

Welcome to my stop on the Buried Too Deep book tour!

Author: Karen Rose

Series: New Orleans #3; Romance Suspense #30

Publisher: Berkley Publ.

Release Day: August 13, 2024

Special thanks to Berkley Publ. for an arc of this title and for the book tour invitation. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reviewed in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Rose comes another explosive novel in the New Orleans series, where some secrets are worth dying for—or killing to keep.

Review:

Author Karen Rose returns to New Orleans in BURIED TOO DEEP, book three in the New Orleans series and book thirty in the Romance Suspense series. Rose's ability to keep plot lines unique and engaging after so many books is a testament to her expert ability to craft a highly entertaining and intriguing story with authentic characters readers enjoy time after time. Whether you're a series fan or a first timer, you can feel confident in picking this book up and settling in for an entertaining evening of reading as the author includes any needed backstory.

With his PTSD therapy dog, SodaPop, by his side, Phin Bishop pauses outside his employer's office, Broussard Private Investigations, an elite personal security firm, to settle his nerves. What if he's no longer welcome after ghosting them following his last bad episode? What if Burke refuses to allow him to return as a nighttime security guard? Before he can make a move, total chaos erupts with gunshots ringing out and a woman fleeing the office before Phin rushes inside to find Joy, a friend and colleague, lying on the floor bleeding out. Authorities arrive and Phin finds himself in handcuffs and jailed as a suspect in the attack. After his identity and status are verified by Burke Broussard and the rest of the gang, Phin is released and rejoins the firm with a vow to locate the mysterious woman and get justice for the recovering Joy. Locating Cora Winslow, a feisty librarian who's recently learned the skeletal remains unearthed beneath a demolished building is her father who disappeared twenty-three years ago but has continued sending her handwritten letters every year, is the first step. The second is finding out who forged the letters and why. After numerous break-ins at her house, Cora seeks help and protection from Broussard Private Investigations where she meets Phin, forming an immediate bond. Promising to keep her safe, Phin, Burke and the gang double down to solve the mystery of the letters and the motive behind the attacks. As the attraction between Phin and Cora grows, he fears jeopardizing the case and Cora's life if he can't control his PTSD. As the story progresses, the plot thickens, the threat increases and secrets begin leaking out. Time is running out as bodies pile up.

BURIED TOO DEEP is a multilayered, tautly plotted romance thriller set in the mysterious Garden District of NOLA lending an additional mysterious, secretive air to the story. It's unique in that, in addition to others, readers get the point of view of the villain meaning only the characters are in the dark as to who the evil perpetrator is. Rose remains true to her signature writing style by slowly building the foundation before steadily increasing the pace and suspense throughout while leaving tidbits of clues sprinkled throughout for characters and readers to discover. The plot line is complex, and the mystery of why Cora Winslow is targeted a well-guarded secret until the reveal near the end. The romance blossoming between Cora and Phin is heartwarming as they both work through personal issues from their respective pasts. Fans of the series will enjoy seeing many favorites from past books, but again, no worries if you're new to the series. Author Karen Rose fills in any blanks needed by readers to enjoy this book.

The action is swift, the tone dire and the stakes high in Rose's latest romance suspense thriller, BURIED TOO DEEP. Dark, deeply buried secrets are threatening someone's lifestyle, and it's up to Phin and the rest of the gang at Broussard Private Investigations to solve the mystery before more bodies pile up. A sweet side of romance helps balance the scales making this another great addition to the New Orleans Series. Highly recommended to fans of romance suspense, mysteries and suspense thrillers. Just remember . . . “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.” (Quote from BURIED TOO DEEP by Author Karen Rose.)

Synopsis:

Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead.

Employed as the nighttime security guard of Broussard Private Investigations, Phineas Bishop has been working through overwhelming PTSD episodes from his Army service while still utilizing his military skills. But when a violent break-in occurs at the office, the accusatory eyes of the NOPD glance to Phin, and he resolves to track down the intruder and clear his name.

Phin’s only lead and witness is Cora Winslow, a spirited librarian who also needs answers. Her father’s body has been discovered under a recently demolished building, murdered twenty-three years ago. So, who has been sending her the handwritten letters—written and signed by him—every year since she was five? Someone wants to keep Cora in the dark. And now, they’re coming for her.

As Cora’s bodyguard, Phin is surprised by his fondness for the woman’s fierce determination and research prowess. But New Orleans’s Garden District holds secrets as old as the streets themselves. With help from the entire Broussard P.I. team, Phin and Cora enter a labyrinth of fraud and homicide that threatens to bury them all.

Author Karen Rose OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
www.karenrosebooks.com

Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published fifteen more novels and two novellas. Her seventeenth novel, ALONE IN THE DARK, will be released in 2016.

Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!

Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into twenty-four languages.

A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, her two daughters, two dogs, and a cat.