Big Lies in a Small Town Review

Title:  Big Lies In A Small Town
Author:  Diane Chamberlain
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Release Date:  Jan. 14, 2020
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  5 Stunning Hearts

*A special thank you to St. Martin's Press for a copy of this arc.

Synopsis:



North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?
Review:

Big Lies in a Small Town is a stunning, beautifully crafted story that held me enthralled from page 1 through the end.  Through dual points of view and dual timelines, the author weaves the story of two women born decades apart, their fates intertwined by one mysterious, 1940 painted mural commissioned to hang on the post office wall of small town Edenton, N.C. - although it never did.  In 2018, former art student Morgan Christopher is serving time for a crime she didn't commit, but was foolish enough to confess to in the name of love.  She is afforded one opportunity to get out of prison early . . . agree to restore an old, badly damaged post office mural by a certain date, and she'll be a free woman.  As she meticulously strips  years of grime from the painted mural, a dark, mysterious tale of the original artist begins to surface.  Who was the woman who painted the mural and what happened to her?  

The story that flows from the points of view of both women is totally captivating, revealing the sometimes ugly truth of the time period including racism, mental health, and preconceived notions about women and their abilities and place in society.  An ominous mystery unfolds as the old mural is cleaned, leading Morgan on a mission to discover the fate of the original artist Anna Dale.  A strong support cast of secondary characters add depth and realism to the plot as relationships form and shocking events are revealed.  I can't say enough about the brilliant way this author delivers this riveting, dark, gritty story as it brims with emotion, heartache, and suspense.  This was my first read by the multi-talented Diane Chamberlain, and I've already added more of her work to my to be read list.  Big Lies in a Small Town is a compelling mystery with heart, perservance, suspense, and hope.  I was simply blown away by the story and the obvious talent of Chamberlain and highly recommend it to all readers!  One of my favorite reads of 2019!

My Rating:  5 Stunning Hearts

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

Anything For You Review

Title:  Anything For You
Series:  Valerie Hart #3
Author:  Saul Black
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Purchase Link:  Amazon


My Rating: 3 Graphic Hearts


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




Synopsis:
Critically acclaimed author Saul Black returns with a heart-racing thriller in which a brutal murder forces one woman to reckon with her own past--and her future.

On a hot summer night, a watchful neighbor locks eyes with an intruder and unwittingly alerts the police to a vicious crime scene next door: a lavish master bedroom where a man lies dead. His wife is bleeding out onto the hardwood floor, clinging to life.

The victim, Adam Grant, was a well-known San Francisco prosecutor--a man whose connection to Homicide detective Valerie Hart brings her face-to-face with a life she's long since left behind. Adam's career made him an easy target, and forensic evidence points towards an ex-con he put behind bars years ago. But while Adam's wife and daughter grapple with their tragic loss, Valerie uncovers devastating clues that point in a more ominous direction. Lurking in the shadows of the Grants' pristine life is a mysterious blonde who holds the key to a dangerous past.

As Valerie struggles to forge a new path for herself, the investigation forces her to confront the question: can we ever really leave our pasts behind?

Review:
SFPD Homicide Detective Valerie Hart returns in Anything For You, book 3 in the Valerie Hart series.  This is the first book I've read by this author and since I'm a read-in-order reader, I was hesitate to begin with the 3rd book.  However, the author does a great job interspersing background information into the story as it progresses, and I had no issue following the story. Det. Hart is called to a murder scene when prosecutor Adam Grant's body is discovered along side his wife who's near death from stab wounds.  Valerie's thrown off-kilter by the scene as seeing Grant brings back a dark past Valerie buried long ago.  It's evident early on through words and actions that Valerie struggles with ghosts of her nightmarish past.  While I admired her grit and perseverance, her unnecessarily crude and vulgar language and actions left the impression of a character more in line with a lewd alpha anti-hero than the smart, strong cop heroine that she's supposed to be.  As the story unfolds, I found it increasingly difficult to connect with her and have the empathy I needed to care for her character.

Anything For You is a good police procedural story with some great plot points that I think many crime thriller fans will enjoy.  Told from two strong points of view, readers are privy to both characters' thoughts which worked great in this book. The story includes several twists and turns, ending with a great lead-in to the next book. However for me, the story went awry by going overboard with the overly graphic portrayal of violence and in-your-face blatant sexuality - especially from the "heroine".  It was jarring, causing me to lose focus.  While I enjoy a dark, damaged heroine/hero, Valerie Hart didn't ring true to me and some of her actions were actually quite offensive.  As a result, it's unlikely I'll be continuing with the series.

My Rating:  3 Graphic Hearts ...

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

IWSG: Stranger Things...

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:  Sadira Stone,  Patricia Josephine,  Lisa Buie-Collard,  Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie!

IWSG Question:  What's the strangest thing you've ever googled in researching a story?

 Oh, this should be good!  Can't wait to read some of your responses! My response should probably be all the ways a woman can kill a man since one of my characters is being stalked by a psycho.  But, I'm going with something I recently researched - just how intelligent are crows and/or ravens?  As it

A Murder of Crows

turns out, VERY! Do they have "reasoning" powers?  Yes! Research has shown them to be as smart as great apes and able to show imagination, anticipate future events, and solve problems requiring abstract reasoning.  Pretty amazing stuff!

I'm working on a dark suspense thriller with magical, mythical elements in which crows/ravens appear.  While doing some research on the habits and level of intelligence of both crows and ravens (there is a difference), I was blown away by what I learned and have become slightly obsessed with these amazing creatures!  For instance, did you know ravens have the ability to "recognize human faces"?  As in if someone harms one of their family members, they'll recall the face of the human perpetrator and associate it with danger.  They'll also spread the news to all their friends and either avoid the area/person . . . or retaliate!  Spooky, right?  On the other hand, they also remember people who help them.  I find it amazing that crows hold funerals for fellow crows and neighboring crows attend.  And they continue visiting their elderly parents years after leaving the nest. Incredible!

Let's just say I'm fascinated with crows/ravens and now keep a wary but respectful eye on those inhabiting our woods, cawing & calling to each other.  Oh yes!  That's another researched fact - if you ever get the feeling that you're the subject being discussed by a murder of crows . . . you're probably right!!  

What's the strangest thing you've ever researched?

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?

Devil In Winter Review

Title:  Devil In Winter
Series:  Wallflowers #3
Author:  Lisa Kleypas
Publisher:  Harper Collins
Release Date:  Feb. 28, 2006 (since reissued)
Purchase Link:  Amazon


My Rating:  4.5 Fabulous Hearts


Synopsis:

"I'm Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent. I can't be celibate. Everyone knows that."

Desperate to escape her scheming relatives, Evangeline Jenner has sought the help of the most infamous scoundrel in London.

A marriage of convenience is the only solution.

No one would have ever paired the shy, stammering wallflower with the sinfully handsome viscount. It quickly becomes clear, however, that Evie is a woman of hidden strength—and Sebastian desires her more than any woman he's ever known.

Determined to win her husband's elusive heart, Evie dares to strike a bargain with the devil: If Sebastian can stay celibate for three months, she will allow him into her bed.

When Evie is threatened by a vengeful enemy from the past, Sebastian vows to do whatever it takes to protect his wife... even at the expense of his own life.

Together they will defy their perilous fate, for the sake of all-consuming love.

Review:
If anyone had told me I'd one day pull for the scum ball Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, (actually-some did!) after I finished reading It Happened One Autumn, I would have said "you're crazy"!  However, I stand here today eating my words after reading Devil In Winter.  Kleypas wove an amazing magic spell and transformed two misfits into an endearing couple, revealing a softer, more vulnerable side of both.  Evie's on the run from her maternal relatives because they've threatened her with a forced marriage to her own cousin in an effort to gain control of her fortune.  I found Evie to be shy and awkward. . . and yes, even forgettable, in previous books, as she struggled with an embarrassing stutter, but she displays a braver, more forward side in this book.  Evie steps outside her comfort zone and calls on the infamous rogue Lord St. Vincent in his home with a brazen offer he can't refuse - marry and protect her and her fortune is his.  Sebastian was an arrogant womanizer in previous books - a desperate man on the verge of losing everything.  While he's shocked by Evie's offer, he quickly realizes it's the answer to all his problems and thus their odd joining begins.  Watching Sebastian's interaction with Evie is a pure delight as his honesty and humor reveal a different man beneath the badboy facade.  Evie knows she's made a deal with the devil.  Will she live to regret it?

Nobody does Historical Romance better than Lisa Kleypas!  Nobody!  Her writing is always picturesque, flowing flawlessly as she manipulates scenes and breathes life into characters with depth, personality, and believable qualities.  The author's ability to take two characters who appear to be polar-opposites and bring them together in such a heated way that causes readers to pull for them is nothing short of amazing.  They don't always fall in love willingly, but fall they do.  The banter and sexual tension ramps up as the story unfolds as does the suspense and sense of urgency.  Series readers will love the support cast including characters from previous books.  Devil In Winter is a fantastic addition to the Wallflower series, and I highly recommend it to fans of historical romance.

My Rating:  4.5 Redeemable Hearts

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥

The Grace Year Review

Title:  The Grace Year
Author:  Kim Liggett
Genre:  Y/A Thriller
Publisher:  Wednesday Books/MacMillan
Release Date:  Oct. 8, 2019
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  All the Stars in Heaven!

*Many, many thanks to Wednesday Books for an arc of this book!

A speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power. Optioned by Universal and Elizabeth Banks to be a major motion picture!

“A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author

Synopsis:

No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.

Girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for their chance to grab one of the girls in order to make their fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

Review:

Wow! I'm speechless!  It's not often a book leaves me that way, but after reading the final page (several times over!) of The Grace Year, I sat in a trance-like state with tears trickling down my cheeks, trying to wrap my head around this story and message.  Hoping to sleep on it, I retired for the night only to toss and turn with scenes and characters from the story haunting my dreams.  I arose this morning restless - still trying to find a voice for the raw emotion this book evoked in me, but tell me . . . how do you review a book that gutted you?  How do I tell fellow readers that while this book may flay you wide open as it did me, read it anyway because a spark of hope will linger, catch flame, and spread like wildfire afterwards?  Well, this is me telling you:  Read this book!  It delivers a powerful message that everyone, most especially girls/women, needs to heed.  Together we rise, divided we fall...

I'm not going to spend a lot of time rehashing the plot line of The Grace Year.  You'll get the drift from the blurb and other reviews.  It's a highly atmospheric, visual read that crawled under my skin and transported me to the isolated camp alongside the grace girls.  I felt their anguish, fear, despair, horror, and yes - even the impending madness that descended upon them, seeping into their minds, urging them to give into their primal instincts.  In a desperate battle for survival, they hover within the stockade, fearing the horrors that threaten them from beyond - before turning their sights on each other.  

Liggett's brilliant rendering of this story creates tension, suspense, and apprehension page by page, scene after scene, and it took root inside me, squeezing my heart and making it difficult to breathe.  I had to step away from it briefly about halfway through, catch my breath, let my heart rate return to normal.  And then, I picked it back up and burned through the rest of the story until, as I mentioned at the start of this review, I sat speechless.

The Grace Year is raw, graphic, violent, at times horrifying, and yet it's a highly entertaining, compulsive, page-turning story of survival and unity and eternal hope.  It's a story that explores the many complex relationships between girls and women of all ages.  It's a fantastic, beautifully crafted story that pushed, shoved, and clawed  its way to the top of my Favorites List.  Read this book!

My Rating:  All the Stars in Heaven!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

♥Sandra♥