Thirteen Review

Title:  Thirteen
Series:  Eddie Flynn, #4
Author:  Steve Cavanagh
Publisher:  Orion (1/25/18)
Flatiron (8/13/19)
Purchase Link:  Amazon


My Rating:  4 Unique Hearts


*A special thank you to the publisher for a physical copy of this book!


Synopsis:
THE SERIAL KILLER ISN'T ON TRIAL.

HE'S ON THE JURY...

They were Hollywood's hottest power couple. They had the world at their feet. Now one of them is dead and Hollywood star Robert Solomon is charged with the brutal murder of his beautiful wife.

This is the celebrity murder trial of the century and the defence want one man on their team: con artist turned lawyer Eddie Flynn.

All the evidence points to Robert's guilt, but as the trial begins a series of sinister incidents in the court room start to raise doubts in Eddie's mind.

What if there's more than one actor in the courtroom?

What if the killer isn't on trial? What if the killer is on the jury?

My Review:
Hollywood heartthrob Bobby Soloman is on trial for the murder of his wife and her security guard in a fit of jealous rage after finding them in bed together.  The trial of the high profile celebrity is front page news.  Ex-con turned lawyer Eddie Flynn is asked to join the defense team as his reputation for thinking outside the box and doing whatever it takes to prove his clients innocence precede him.  Eddie has practiced the skill set needed to be a profitable conman, and he has no qualms about using the knowledge to be a case-winning lawyer.  He has a gut feeling Solomon is innocent, and he's learned to trust it.  Joshua Kane is a prolific serial killer who makes it his mission to infiltrate the jury to influence a guilty verdict.  He wants Bobby Solomon dead.  The question is why?

Thirteen is a legal thriller that unfolds through two points of view - lawyer Eddie Flynn's and killer/juror Joshua Kane's.  A unique plotline, in-depth characterizations, and sharp writing quickly drew me into the story and heads of these two men.  It was fascinating having a front-row courtroom seat to watch these two characters go head-to-head in this cat and mouse game of life and death.  Eddie's courtroom antics helped set and maintain a fast pace even as readers are charged with figuring out which juror is a serial killer.  Thirteen is book 4 (counting the .5 novella)  in the Eddie Flynn series, but I had no issue picking up and reading this book as a standalone as all needed background information is provided.  However, I do plan to backtrack and read the previous books as I find the character of Eddie Flynn to be intriguing - a do-gooder with a less than stellar past fighting to earn the respect of his colleagues and his estranged wife & child back.  I do love a character toting a lot of baggage and Eddie Flynn is overburdened with it!  Fans of courtroom drama thrillers and police procedurals will want to rush to get this one!  A fantastic read!

My Rating:  4 Unique Hearts

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

In The Dark Review

Title:  In The Dark
Author:  Loreth Anne White
Publisher:  Montlake Romance
Release Date:  Dec. 1, 2019
Purchase Link:  Amazon


My Rating:  5 Riveting, Potent Hearts


*An extra special thank you to the author for an arc of this book




Synopsis:
A secluded mountain lodge. The perfect getaway. So remote no one will ever find you.

The promise of a luxury vacation at a secluded wilderness spa has brought together eight lucky guests. But nothing is what they were led to believe. As a fierce storm barrels down and all contact with the outside is cut off, the guests fear that it’s not a getaway. It’s a trap.

Each one has a secret. Each one has something to hide. And now, as darkness closes in, they all have something to fear—including one another.

Alerted to the vanished party of strangers, homicide cop Mason Deniaud and search and rescue expert Callie Sutton must brave the brutal elements of the mountains to find them. But even Mason and Callie have no idea how precious time is. Because the clock is ticking, and one by one, the guests of Forest Shadow Lodge are being hunted. For them, surviving becomes part of a diabolical game.

Review:

I love knowing when I open a Loreth Anne White book, I'm in for an intense, highly atmospheric experience as her uncanny ability to totally engage readers in a story is nothing short of brilliant.  Appreciating this, I settled in to read In The Dark and quickly became enthralled by this extraordinarily addictive, richly detailed suspense thriller.  Unraveling the mystery that is presented in this book became an obsession that had me eyeing each character with suspicion as I continuously changed my mind about who was trustworthy and who was not.  I urge readers to avoid spoilers like the plague and allow yourself a chance to experience this heart racing thriller first-hand.  I promise you'll become totally immersed in the dark, twisted plot of vengeance as you search for a common thread uniting this group of misfits - the one that landed everyone on a depraved killer's radar.    

In The Dark is a compelling, beautifully crafted, fast-paced mystery suspense thriller.  After abandoning a diverse group of characters in a beautiful but remote wilderness with a cunning, vindictive killer, White masterfully manipulates one against the other while meticulously stripping their masks of humanity off to expose the dark, ugly secrets hidden beneath.  Take note of chapter headings as the story unfolds through different points of view - a great opportunity to peer through the hazy window into each character's mind as layers are peeled away, exposing identities and revealing the hand each plays in this deadly game of retribution. White flawlessly shifts time periods between events that occurred at the lodge over a ten day period and the present day search and rescue effort led by RCMP Sgt. Mason Deniauld and SAR leader Callie Sutton, granting readers the ability to sense both groups increasing trepidation as time runs out.  This author's expertise at creating a dark mood and urgent tone of malice early on is evident, only growing stronger and louder as the story progresses.  Until finally, the monster lurking in the darkness within each individual surfaces to stalk the dark of night . . . and the others. They can't outrun the truth as the day of reckoning has arrived. Will anyone survive? 

As always, I immensely enjoyed White's potent, visual, trademark writing style in this book.  I consider it a bonus that I finished reading In The Dark feeling this one is extra special - methodical even among the panic and chaos that ensues as the plot thickens, lives unravel, and bodies & minds reach their breaking point.  I couldn't turn pages fast enough even though I was almost fearful of what the next page would bring in this heart-pounding suspense story.  I challenge fans of mystery, suspense, and psychological thrillers to grab In The Dark as soon as it becomes available, and carve out time to read it (with the lights on!) because interruptions will NOT be welcome until you finish this thriller.   And by the way Loreth - this book left me wanting more of Mason & Callie and the possibilities surrounding them.  Great potential for a series!  Just sayin'!

My Rating:  5 Riveting, Potent Hearts

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

I will Make You Pay Review

Title:  I Will Make You Pay
Author:  Teresa Driscoll
Publisher:  Thomas & Mercer
Release Date:  Oct. 10, 2019
Purchase Link:  Amazon


My Rating:  3 Perplexing Hearts


*With special thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book via Netgalley


Synopsis:
Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the terror returns.

It seems like an ordinary Wednesday, until the phone rings. A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next Wednesday, the stalker makes another move—and it becomes clear that this is all about Alice.

Someone wants her to suffer, but for what? Her articles have made her a popular local champion—could it be her past rather than her work that’s put her life in danger? Alice is determined not to give in to fear, but with the police investigation at a dead end, her boyfriend insists on hiring private investigator Matthew Hill.

With every passing Wednesday the warnings escalate, until it’s not only Alice but also her family in the stalker’s sights. As her tormentor closes in, can Alice uncover what she’s being punished for before the terrifying threats become an unthinkable reality?

Review:

Journalist Alice Henderson answers a threatening phone call while in the newspaper office one Wednesday.  While it unsettles her, she brushes it off as just another newspaper crank caller.  However, when she's threatened again the next Wednesday . . . and the next, she is forced to admit that she's being targeted by a stalker to the point that her life is totally disrupted by paranoia, frustration, and fear.  The question is why?

I Will Make You Pay is an entertaining suspense thriller that is told through multiple points of view - the main one being Alice.  Chapters alternate between past and present, but it's the past chapters that I found most chilling as they come from the view point of "Him" - first as a lonely, abused child and later as a dysfunctional adult.  It quickly becomes clear that the abuse the villain suffered as a child fed the monster within until he could no longer keep it leashed.

The author does a great job of building tension by utilizing short chapters with an escalating pace.  I raced through the first part of this book seeking answers.  While I haven't read other books by Driscoll, I understand there are a couple of reoccurring characters appearing in this book but it definitely reads as a standalone.  While I enjoyed reading I Will Make You Pay, I was less than thrilled by the reveal of the villain as well as the hurried way in which the ending scene played out.  I had figured it out much earlier which is okay if the ending works for me.  Unfortunately, I just wasn't sold on it.  I ended what was a great, tension-filled read up to the climax feeling let down, and therefore I deducted a star.  Having said that, I think many suspense thriller readers will love this one and highly encourage you to give it a shot.

My Rating:  3 Perplexing Hearts

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

IWSG: To Read or Not To Read

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a website media business with affiliates to enhance our service to visitors. We are a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support. Visit IWSG to learn more about this great writing community!

  

IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month. It's a great writer's resource that I'm sure you'll find well worth your time. Be sure to stop by and visit with other IWSG Members.  And join me in thanking this month's awesome co-hosts:

 Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Mary Aalgaard, Madeline Mora-Summonte, and Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

IWSG Question: It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?

There are writers who don't read??  Really?  Wow.  I can't imagine not reading.  I know people, including writers, are different, but for me reading is like a light at the end of a long, dark tunnel illuminating my world.  It opens me up to new possibilities and helps me keep a handle on what's working for other writers as well as for readers.  I don't read to imitate, but rather to learn and grow and expand my horizons and writing knowledge.  I read for pleasure, escape, and the pure joyous wonder of discovering a fantastic new world of characters and plots and settings.  Reading is as much a part of me as food and air and . . . writing.  I read because I love it.  I write for the same reason.  I can't imagine a world without either.

How about you?  Are you a writer who reads . . . or not?