I Would Die For You Review

Author: Sandie Jones

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Day: Mar. 25, 2025 (First released Mar. 13, 2024)

Thanks to Minotaur Books for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

First reviewed in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club Pick The Other Woman and The Guilt Trip comes an electrifying new novel.

Review:

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU by Author Sandie Jones is a psychological thriller highlighting what can happen when deadly secrets buried in the past come knocking on your door. It's a story of a woman who's agonized for years with guilt and regrets over an impulsively, life-altering decision that changed the course of lives. It's a story of a woman with ugly secrets and ghosts, constantly looking over her shoulder . . . a woman whose time is up.

In the present, Nicole Forbes enjoys an ordinary life with her husband, Brad, and young daughter, Hannah, until the morning a writer, Zoe, knocks on her door asking questions about her connection to a 1980's British rock band and the tragic, mysterious death of lead singer, Ben Edwards. Unnerved, Nicole refuses to comment but her feeling of impending doom deepens when Hannah doesn't arrive home from school at her normal time. Contacting the school, Nicole's informed Hannah was picked up by her aunt as prearranged . . . except there is no aunt. A search ensues with questions from the police Nicole can't or won't answer, claiming to have no clue as to who would take Hannah. Secretly, her gut tells her it's connected to the mysterious writer who showed up on her doorstep. Who was she? Why show up all these years later? Nicole’s world is imploding . . . is it payback time?

In the past, Nicole makes ends meet working at a bar and singing at open mic nights while caring for her terminally ill mother and trying to keep her rebellious sixteen-year-old sister, Cassie, on a straight path. The young teen is infatuated with a 1980's British band known as Secret Oktober and as she follows them from venue to venue, she becomes obsessed, convincing herself there's a relationship blossoming between her and lead singer Ben Edwards. A friend has an inside source feeding her information about parties and events where the group will be, and the two girls manage to slip in. Typical to the time and bands, loud music, alcohol, drugs and sex are openly indulged. Cassie is out of her league, but she'll do anything to grab Ben's attention. She doesn't yet know Ben has met Nicole and is falling fast for her. When Cassie discovers their secret affair, jealousy and an overwhelming sense of betrayal quickly morphs into uncontrollable rage and a burning need for revenge. When the dust settles, who will be left standing?

I WOULD DIE FOR YOU unfolds in past/present chapters through multiple points of view. The story highlights the complicated relationship of sisters and how they affect family dynamics. Readers also gain insight into the complex lives of boy bands in the 80's, including the jealousy and vindictive backstabbing that tore bands apart along with the measure’s young, besotted groupies would take to connect with their idols. At times, I found these characters hard to like, hard to find empathy for, leaving me with a need for more from them than I received. However, the mystery of what really happened in the past as well as who was behind the escalating events unfolding in the present kept me flipping pages in search of answers. I know some readers will find the ending a bit too open-ended, but I've come to anticipate and appreciate Jones' signature endings where she challenges readers to step onto the scene and "read between the lines" to form their own conclusions.

Jones flawlessly weaves the mystery of a tragic event that shocked the music world in the past with the present-day nightmare of a woman on the brink of having her world destroyed a second time in this riveting mystery. I WOULD DIE FOR YOU is a character-driven thriller with all the right elements for a highly entertaining read. A missing child, a woman whose past comes calling, rock idols, groupies, estranged sisters, obsession, lies, secrets - all entwined in an intriguing mystery that's hard to put down. Highly recommended to fans of suspense thrillers and fans of 80's bands.

Synopsis:

Now: Nicole Forbes lives a quiet life in a small seaside Californian town with her husband and daughter. She is not expecting a writer to knock on her door asking for her personal insight into the downfall of the biggest British band of the 1980s—unveiling the threads of a life she put behind her years ago. The same day, her daughter goes missing and the school claims her aunt picked her up . . . but she doesn’t have an aunt. Convinced of a link between the two, Nicole is forced to revisit long-abandoned memories from her past to protect everything she now holds dear.

1986: Sixteen-year-old Cassie is obsessed with the hottest band in London, Secret Oktober. Harboring an intense crush on the leading man, Ben Edwards, she will do anything she can to capture his attention among the throngs of groupies at the band’s scandalous backstage parties. But when Ben discovers her older sister Nicole singing at a local bar one night, he can’t help but feel drawn to her, setting in motion a collision course that could tear their family apart.

Infused with the sounds of the 80s, this thrilling new novel from the inimitable Sandie Jones will captivate her readers, as she explores what the frenzy of fandom can lead to in this shocking blockbuster.

Wild Dark Shore Review

Author: Charlotte McConaghy

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Release Day: March 4, 2025

Many thanks to Flatiron Books for a complimentary arc of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

From the beloved, New York Times bestselling author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves, a novel about a family living alone on a remote island, when a mysterious woman washes up on shore.

 

Review:

WILD DARK SHORE by Author Charlotte McConaghy is a hauntingly beautiful love letter to nature as well as a warning to those who habitually abuse her. McConaghy has a gift for lyrical prose that slides through you like a majestic bird gliding on air while delivering a punch to the gut with the power of angry waves crashing on the shore. WILD DARK SHORE is a story about the fight for survival by both humans and nature. It's a story about family, human nature and impossible choices. There's an air of imminent danger permeating each page throughout this story, so my advice is to get comfortable before beginning this hypnotic voyage because you won't feel safe and secure again before finishing.

Shearwater Island (setting based off of Macquarie Island) is an isolated island near the Arctic Circle and home to the one of the world's last seed vaults (based on Svalbard Global Seed Vault) and its caretakers, Dominic Salt and his three children - eighteen year old Raff who doesn't understand or know how to control the rage brewing within him; Fen, seventeen, who prefers spending her nights on the beach among her beloved seals; and nine-year-old Orly who is obsessed with botany and the wonder of the natural world; and then there's Dominic, a man riddled with grief and guilt who's haunted by the ghost of his dead wife and completely at a loss as to how to hold his fractured family together. With sea levels rising daily, the team of researchers previously working on the island have all gone home, leaving the Salt family the sole occupants. Their mission now is to pack up the precious seeds for transport and be ready when the ship that comes every six months arrives to carry them to a safer place. The enraged sea threatening to swallow the island has other ideas.

During a terrifying storm, Fen drags a woman's body from the water and is startled to find her still clinging to life. The family nurses Rowan back to health as they tip toe around one another each guarding dark secrets. Who is the mysterious woman of the sea? Where did she come from? Why is she here? From Rowan's perspective, who is the Salt family? Why do they live here in isolation? What big secret are they guarding with their lives? For all of them, the biggest question is who smashed all the communications equipment on the island? Cut off from the rest of the world, things quickly escalate, and it becomes a fight for survival. Who will be left standing in the end?

Author Charlotte McConaghy sweeps readers away to discover one of earth's remaining wonders in a remote corner of the world, highlighting the dire consequences of climate change through captivating prose that beckons you into a breathtaking story impossible to turn away from. The story is rendered through short past/present chapters via multiple points of view that change with each chapter, allowing readers to feel, if not understand, each character's emotional turmoil. The short chapters and blunt change of point of view could be confusing, but through the author's skillful manipulation of story, character and reader, it serves to build the suspense through every twist and turn to a shocking climax. McConaghy's vivid prose brings the setting to life as another character, portraying all the beauty and wonder of an island that can turn deadly in a heartbeat with both known and unknown threats. The sense of extreme isolation emits claustrophobic, locked room type vibes with no hope of rescue in sight. The pace is driven by an ever-increasing sense of foreboding, a suspicion that all is not as it seems on the tiny island in the middle of nowhere. With a storm brewing both offshore and on, times running out. Who can be trusted with their lives?

WILD DARK SHORE is an epic, highly emotional story of a family and earth in crisis - a rollercoaster ride of feelings - love, loss, regret, guilt, shame, agonizing choices. The author's extensive, in-person research is evident in every lesson on nature, flawlessly woven into a mysterious, character driven story that's impossible to put down. The unmeasurable power of love with no limit and the fight for survival have never been portrayed more realistically than in WILD DARK SHORE. Author Charlotte McConaghy is a truly gifted writer, and I can't wait to learn what corner of the globe she takes on next. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries, suspense, and literary fiction.

Synopsis:

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, eighteen and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, seventeen, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can’t stop turning back toward the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, can they trust each other enough to protect one another—and the precious seeds in their care? And can they finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together?

A novel of heart-stopping twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us is ending.

Kills Well With Others Review & Book Tour

Welcome to my stop on the Kills Well With Others Book Tour! Scroll down for my review and Meet the Author.

Author: Deanna Raybourn

Series: Killers of a Certain Age #2

Publisher: Berkley

Release Day: March 4, 2025

Many thanks to Berkley for a complimentary arc of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review first publisher in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

 

Review:

KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS by Author Deanna Raybourn is the sequel to the bestselling KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE featuring four, deadly, elderly women assassins. The gang is reunited when the fabulous four are called out of retirement by the head of an organization known as the Museum. Resuming about a year after the end of book one, the four are ready, willing and able to come out of retirement to take on what proves to be the challenge of a lifetime. Prepare to laugh at the snarky banter, but don't mistake this for just another cozy mystery because there's plenty of gory scenes to go around.

Four former women assassins of a "certain" age, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie, are rested and let's face it . . . bored out of their minds by retirement. An off the book assignment is just what the doctor ordered to cure what ails them. The challenge is to uncover the mole working on the inside leaking information, specifically a list of major kills carried out by the agency's assassins over time, while tracking down the Eastern European criminal seeking revenge by working her way down the kill list and ordering her own assassinations in retaliation. It's no surprise that the four retirees' names make a prominent appearance on that kill list. Their mission is to find and take out the evil queen bee before they get taken out. As the story unfolds, the ladies travel across the globe in a race against time to face the most challenging opponent of their long careers. Who will emerge the winner?

Author Deanna Raybourn excels at rendering well-developed, unique characters who are slightly larger than life facing seemingly impossible odds while delivering hilarious one-liners -  all the while making it believable and entertaining. KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS is delivered via present and flashback chapters through Billie's point of view allowing readers insight into Billie's past and her trust issues. Interaction between the four friends is not always smooth highlighting the many nuances of long-term, complex friendships. The author's ability to showcase the character and relationship development in these women through interactions among themselves and others and flawlessly weave it into the story is the mark of an expert. The steadily increasing pace is driven by swift action through twists and turns as they race towards the final showdown. A snarky dose of humor lightens the load of blood and gore making KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS a witty, engaging, highly entertaining read that's hard to put down. Think Golden Girls meets Charlie's Angels and you have these four, intelligent, funny women defying their age who just happen to kill people who commit unforgivable crimes. Highly recommended to fans of humorous mysteries and suspense thrillers.

Synopsis:

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their rest, but the lack of excitement is starting to a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions before she gets the itch to get back in the game. When they receive a call from Naomi Ndiaye, the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, all of them connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster who rules her business empire with an iron fist and plays puppet master in international affairs. Naomi is convinced this criminal queen is bent upon revenge, killing off the agents who attempted to thwart her, and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster and her assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.

Deanna Raybourn

Website

http://www.deannaraybourn.com/

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, three du Mauriers, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, book seven, which released in early 2022. Deanna's first contemporary novel, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, is now available.

Dead Man's List Review & Book Tour

 

Welcome to my stop on the DEAD MAN'S LIST Book Tour! I'm loving this series and look forward to more! Check out my review below along with the Synopsis and Author Info.

Series: San Diego Case Files #3

Publisher: Berkley

Release Day: March 4, 2025

Special thanks to Berkley Publ. for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First reviewed in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Homicide Detective Kit McKittrick's latest case exposes San Diego’s seedy underbelly in this nerve-shattering tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.

Review:

DEAD MAN'S LIST is the third book in author Karen Rose’s San Diego Case Files series featuring Detective Kit McKittrick and Dr. Sam Reeves. As always, Rose delivers an intense, complicated, twisted murder mystery that keeps fans guessing right up to the shocking climax.

DEAD MAN'S LIST is a complex, multi-layered thriller featuring a gritty, introverted heroine who keeps her emotions tightly wrapped and others at arm's length as much as possible. Kit's horrific experience bouncing around the foster system left her toting a great deal of baggage but extraordinarily little trust before she hit the lottery with foster parents Harlan and Betsy McKittrick whose unconditional love and security chipped away at her defenses helping form the capable woman and resolute detective she is today. Her keen sense of duty and dedication drive her not only to seek justice for victims, but to also give back to the foster parents who saved her by mentoring other young girls and women.

Dr. Sam Reeves, a police psychologist working with the San Diego Police Department, breathes a sigh of relief when SDPD Detective Kit McKittrick finally agrees to go out with him. Sam understands Kit's emotional state remains precarious when it comes to forming relationships, but he's a patient man willing to invest the time to show her he intends to be part of her future. Wanting to share his love of hiking with her, he takes Kit and their dogs to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park for a casual date. Just as he feels he's making progress breaking through her defenses, they stumble over the partially buried body of a well-known city council member named Brooks Munro. Multiple stab wounds indicated a vicious crime of rage and given the unpopularity of the politician, Kit and Sam know the suspect list will be a long one. As Kit and her team begin working on the case, it's clear several powerful and influential people have dark secrets they’re determined to keep hidden. However, there's a missing binder of names and rumors of extortion circulating, and when more bodies surface, Kit’s certain someone is working through a kill list eliminating witnesses one by one. As Kit gets closer to unmasking the killer, she becomes a complication the killer can't ignore.

Author Karen Rose excels at weaving taut, intricate suspense thrillers with detailed characterizations and multiple plotlines that keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Dedicated support characters with their own issues help to steadily drive the pace forward as the action increases through twists and turns, crisis after crisis before exploding in a shocking climax most will never see coming. Multiple red herrings provide readers with several possible villains for consideration, and armchair detectives should watch closely for the bread crumb clues the author sprinkles throughout. A budding, slow burn romance between Kit and Sam adds a human touch, allowing readers to join the couple as they explore new emotions, especially Kit as she struggles with accepting she’s worthy of this man. Like the seasoned expert author she is, Rose maneuvers readers and characters through another fantastic suspense thriller. I recommend DEAD MAN'S LIST to fans of murder mysteries, romance suspense and police procedurals as I look forward to the next one.

Synopsis:

On a long-anticipated second date with police psychologist Dr. Sam Reeves—right as things are getting steamy—Kit stumbles across the mutilated body of a local San Diego politician. The politician is loved by many of his constituents but is hated and reviled by many more. That the suspect list is long is no surprise to anyone, but exactly who ends up on it stuns Kit and her team.

As the SDPD reveal the victim’s sinister dealings, Kit and Sam are forced to navigate the lawless world of the city’s most rich and powerful citizens to find answers. But time is rapidly running out, with their sources of information dropping like flies as the killer methodically eliminates loose ends—and anyone else who stands in the way.

About the Author:

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. 

Penitence Review

Author: Kristin Koval

Narrator: Therese Plummer

Publisher: Celadon Books/MacMillan Audio

Release Day: Jan. 28, 2025

Many thanks to Celadon Books for a complimentary arc of this title. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

For readers of Ann Patchett and Celeste Ng, Penitence is a poignant exploration of love and forgiveness. It’s a suspenseful, addictive page-turner filled with literary insight that compels readers to consider whether each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.

Review:

PENITENCE by Author Kristin Koval is a complex, heartbreaking domestic suspense highlighting how impulsive decisions can change the trajectory of lives. Not only for the people directly involved, but also for the waves of people that wash in and out of lives over time. It's a story of profound grief, life altering choices, guilt, redemption and forgiveness. It's a story of the extraordinary power of love.

The story opens with thirteen-year-old Nora sitting in a jail cell while local police ponder what to do with a child that has just confessed to killing her older brother Nico. Nora hasn't spoken a word since the early morning hours when gunshots woke her parents, sending them rushing into the horrifying nightmare of their son lying in a pool of blood, their daughter holding the smoking gun. Fighting shock and tears, Nora's father David contacts small town lawyer Martine to plea for her to defend Nora while her mother Angela falls apart. Martine in turn contacts her son Julian, a successful New York City crime defense attorney who specializes in seeking justice for minors and asks him to take the case. This is where things get tricky . . . Julian and Nora's mother, Angela, were teenage sweethearts with plans for marriage after college before a tragic accident claimed a life, tearing the young lovers apart and banishing Julian to New York to live and finish school at the home of his grandmother. Both went on to marry others and appear to live normal, happy lives, but the burden of guilt, secrets and unanswered questions remain between them over what happened that dark night on the ski slopes. And now questions about what happened the night Nico’s killed are threatening to rip this family apart. Did Nora enter her brother's bedroom and shoot him with her father's gun in cold blood? Nora says she doesn't remember what happened, but is she telling the truth?

PENITENCE, Koval's debut novel, is an amazing, poignant, heart wrenching domestic thriller with a depth of characterizations and plot lines seldom found in debut novels. The story unfolds through dual timelines, the present with the tragedy unfolding with Nora and her family, and the past with Angela and Julian's tragic story with all its ugly secrets becoming known. Along the journey there are a multitude of broken promises and lives, all buried beneath some dark, take to the grave secrets that have festered for years. Koval's ability to tap into human emotions following unspeakable trauma is a stunning achievement. Richly drawn characters render flawless performances as the author delves deeply into the flawed juvenile justice and legal system highlighting the tendency to punish vs. rehabilitation. From the first page to the last, the pace escalates as Nora's situation plummets at every twist and turn until the final verdict is rendered. Some readers may find the ending too open ended, while others will nod their heads in agreement that justice is served. This reader is somewhere in the middle.

I highly recommend the audiobook version of PENITENCE as narrator Thérèse Plummer delivers an outstanding performance rich in emotion bringing each character to life. PENITENCE is a stunning, gut wrenching domestic thriller that encourages self-reflection. One this reader couldn't put down. Two stories of unfathomable tragedy, two shattered families entwined in crisis, two snap decisions decades apart forever changing the course of lives. Highly recommended to fans of soul-searching domestic suspense and family drama. I look forward to more from the talented Author Kristin Koval.

Synopsis:

When a shocking murder occurs in the home of Angie and David Sheehan, their lives are shattered. Desperate to defend their family, they turn to small-town lawyer Martine Dumont for help, but Martine isn’t just legal counsel—she’s also the mother of Angie’s first love, Julian, a now-successful New York City criminal defense attorney. As Julian and Angie confront their shared past and long-buried guilt from a tragic accident years ago, they must navigate their own culpability and the unresolved feelings between them.

Spanning decades, from the ski slopes of rural Colorado to the streets of post-9/11 New York City and back again, Kristin Koval’s debut novel Penitence is an examination of the complexities of familial loyalty, the journey of redemption, and the profound experience of true forgiveness.

Dead Man's List Review

 

Author: Karen Rose

Series: San Diego Case Files #3

Publisher: Berkley

Release Day: March 4, 2025

Special thanks to Berkley Publ. for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

First reviewed in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Homicide Detective Kit McKittrick's latest case exposes San Diego’s seedy underbelly in this nerve-shattering tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.

Review:

DEAD MAN'S LIST is the third book in author Karen Rose’s San Diego Case Files series featuring Detective Kit McKittrick and Dr. Sam Reeves. As always, Rose delivers an intense, complicated, twisted murder mystery that keeps fans guessing right up to the shocking climax.

DEAD MAN'S LIST is a complex, multi-layered thriller featuring a gritty, introverted heroine who keeps her emotions tightly wrapped and others at arm's length as much as possible. Kit's horrific experience bouncing around the foster system left her toting a great deal of baggage but extraordinarily little trust before she hit the lottery with foster parents Harlan and Betsy McKittrick whose unconditional love and security chipped away at her defenses helping form the capable woman and resolute detective she is today. Her keen sense of duty and dedication drive her not only to seek justice for victims, but to also give back to the foster parents who saved her by mentoring other young girls and women.

Dr. Sam Reeves, a police psychologist working with the San Diego Police Department, breathes a sigh of relief when SDPD Detective Kit McKittrick finally agrees to go out with him. Sam understands Kit's emotional state remains precarious when it comes to forming relationships, but he's a patient man willing to invest the time to show her he intends to be part of her future. Wanting to share his love of hiking with her, he takes Kit and their dogs to the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park for a casual date. Just as he feels he's making progress breaking through her defenses, they stumble over the partially buried body of a well-known city council member named Brooks Munro. Multiple stab wounds indicated a vicious crime of rage and given the unpopularity of the politician, Kit and Sam know the suspect list will be a long one. As Kit and her team begin working on the case, it's clear several powerful and influential people have dark secrets they’re determined to keep hidden. However, there's a missing binder of names and rumors of extortion circulating, and when more bodies surface, Kit’s certain someone is working through a kill list eliminating witnesses one by one. As Kit gets closer to unmasking the killer, she becomes a complication the killer can't ignore.

Author Karen Rose excels at weaving taut, intricate suspense thrillers with detailed characterizations and multiple plotlines that keep readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Dedicated support characters with their own issues help to steadily drive the pace forward as the action increases through twists and turns, crisis after crisis before exploding in a shocking climax most will never see coming. Multiple red herrings provide readers with several possible villains for consideration, and armchair detectives should watch closely for the bread crumb clues the author sprinkles throughout. A budding, slow burn romance between Kit and Sam adds a human touch, allowing readers to join the couple as they explore new emotions, especially Kit as she struggles with accepting she’s worthy of this man. Like the seasoned expert author she is, Rose maneuvers readers and characters through another fantastic suspense thriller. I recommend DEAD MAN'S LIST to fans of murder mysteries, romance suspense and police procedurals as I look forward to the next one.

Synopsis:

On a long-anticipated second date with police psychologist Dr. Sam Reeves—right as things are getting steamy—Kit stumbles across the mutilated body of a local San Diego politician. The politician is loved by many of his constituents but is hated and reviled by many more. That the suspect list is long is no surprise to anyone, but exactly who ends up on it stuns Kit and her team.

As the SDPD reveal the victim’s sinister dealings, Kit and Sam are forced to navigate the lawless world of the city’s most rich and powerful citizens to find answers. But time is rapidly running out, with their sources of information dropping like flies as the killer methodically eliminates loose ends—and anyone else who stands in the way.

Get Lost With You Review

Author: Sophie Sullivan

Series: Rock Bottom Love #2

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Day: Feb. 11, 2025

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

A second chance at love, small-town romance that’s all sweet with just a hint of heat from the “queen of sweet romance” (Falon Ballard) Sophie Sullivan.

Review:

Small town, everybody knows everybody vibes radiate throughout the pages of GET LOST WITH YOU by Author Sophie Sullivan. Childhood friends with secret crushes on one another both return to their hometown and suddenly sparks are flying. One leaves behind a successful career as a New York City chef and the other is looking for a new beginning with her young daughter after a messy, ugly divorce.

Jilly and daughter, Ollie, return to Smile to live and work on her brother's resort, Get Lost Lodge. She fights her attraction to Levi who's now accepted a job as the lodge's chef. Levi has returned home in hopes of mending his broken relationship with his dad which appears to be hopeless. However, it doesn't take Levi long to know he wants the woman and her adorable daughter in his future, but Jilly is reluctant to enter another relationship after having been burned badly by her cheating ex-husband. As Jilly and Levi are forced into close proximity, all the warm, fuzzy feelings explode into a sizzling inferno, but Jilly still refuses to let her guard down while continuing to hold Levi at arm's length. Can he convince her that he's sincere and hopelessly in love with her and Ollie?

Author Sophie Sullivan has delivered another low angst, small town, second chance romance in spades. The characters are well-developed and likable, and I find it a nice change of pace that the hero falls first or at least acknowledges to himself that he's in love first. While the pace is a little slow, I enjoyed the journey as the pair spend time together before declaring forever and ever love. It feels more realistic, and an adorable child added an element of cuteness and a few laughs to the mix. Highly recommended to fans of small-town romance.

Synopsis:

Jillian Keller took the long route to her best life, but is now happily settled in her hometown of Smile, raising her little girl alone while helping her brother run Get Lost Lodge. A lover of structure and routine, she doesn’t need anything, or anyone, disrupting her carefully curated life.

After chasing and achieving his culinary dreams, Levi Bright realizes he’s still missing something. Something he can’t find in a big city. Returning home to Smile, he intends to build a different future for himself that includes mending fences with his dad, reconnecting with friends, and creating elevated comfort food for a town he loves.

When Levi and Jilly run into each other one day in Smile, once requited feelings that never had a chance to bloom as teens flare between them immediately. Jaded from her past, Jilly is cautious and convinced that she can handle being just friends, as the two have to work closely together to prepare for Get Lost’s official summer opening, spending time together, camping, laughing, kayaking, and reminiscing. But when her brother hires sweet, funny, ridiculously hot Levi as the new chef at the lodge, and she and Ollie are getting more attached, things are moving more quickly than she anticipated--and Jilly has been hurt before. If she wants to be head over heels in love, she'll have to learn that the past doesn’t always repeat itself. Sometimes, it just leads you where you’re meant to be.

Nemesis Review

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Series: Orphan X #10

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Day: Feb. 11, 2025

No greater friend. No deadlier enemy. In the latest explosive novel in this New York Times bestselling series, Evan Smoak, having shaped his life with a rigid set of rules, finds himself at odds with his oldest friend in the world, where principles are in conflict with honor—and everyone is the loser.

Review:

Orphan X aka The Nowhere Man aka Evan Smoak returns with a vengeance in NEMESIS, the tenth book in Author Gregg Hurwitz's explosive Orphan X series. Evan, once a highly successful black ops government assassin, now operates under the radar as The Nowhere Man, a protector of innocent victims only an anonymous phone call away. He lives a rigid, solitary life driven by a strict code of conduct known as the assassin's Ten Commandments. His strong belief in these commandments drive his every move, every decision, and he believes it's his duty to not only obey the commandments but to also enforce them by going after anyone who breaks one of the codes. Much to Evan's chagrin, his longtime friend and armorer Tommy Stojack has apparently broken a code by providing weapons to an assassin who targets innocents. In spite of the internal turmoil it creates within Evan, he has no choice but to have it out with Tommy. His strong moral beliefs will not allow him to let it slide. What ensues threatens everything Evan has ever known and believed to be true, turning his world upside down while leaving him questioning exactly who he is and what he's doing. Commandment #4 says: Never make it personal, but it doesn't get more personal than this for Evan. Going up against one of the only friends he has allowed into his solitary world guts him, throwing him off his game and messing with his ability to focus leaving him vulnerable to other outside deadly threats currently slivering through the shadows. When the smoke settles, who'll be left standing? Will Evan be able to live with the consequences of his actions?

Author Gregg Hurwitz knocks it out of the park with this addition to the highly successful, epic Orphan X series. Through introspection, readers are allowed inside to witness Evan's inner turmoil and moments of self-reflection as he deals with personal issues he usually keeps locked away. It's a side of Evan fans of the series haven't seen before - a crack in the armor of this cold, deadly assassin, and it's a reminder that he is indeed human. Side plots involving Tommy honoring a promise to an old friend and Joey dealing with her own identity crisis while trying to fit in add to the suspense while driving a fast and furious pace forward through revelation after revelation. The action is nonstop, as always, from the first page through to the last, and the tone is dire. This reader refused to put the book down until the dust settled at the end.

NEMESIS is a story of friendship, self-reflection, loyalty, forgiveness and emotional turmoil. It's a lesson in making the correct decision based upon one's interpretation of the fine line separating right and wrong and knowing the difference. New readers to the series will have no issues reading NEMESIS as a standalone as the author does a fantastic job of filling in the blanks with any needed backstory. However, this is an outstanding series that is best consumed one book at a time - beginning with ORPHAN X, book one. Not only is the character development important, but the books build one upon the other, and you'll be missing a great reading experience if you choose to skip previous books. Highly recommended to fans of the series and readers who enjoy intense, high action, fast paced suspense thrillers.

Synopsis:

 

At one time, Evan Smoak was a highly successful black ops assassin known as Orphan X, dedicated to a rigid set of operational rules. Now, even after breaking with the government program, going deep underground, and remaking his life, Smoak is dedicated to his assassin's Ten Commandments. But for the first time, those principles have put him on a collision course with the man who might be his best friend in the world, Tommy Stojack.

Stojack, a gifted gunsmith who has created much of Evan's own weapons and combat gear, has apparently crossed one of Evan's sharply delineated lines. When Evan decides to go to his workshop and have it out with Tommy, Evan finds himself under attack by a group attempting to ambush and kill him. But, with all his training and skills, Evan is extremely hard to kill—and the dispute explodes into open warfare between him and Tommy. Now Evan has no choice, in his mind, than to track down and face down his only friend.

In the meantime, Tommy is honoring an old promise to an Army friend and goes to help his dead friend's son. In a depressed rural area, with conflicts flaring up, that son is partially responsible for the death of an innocent. And while Tommy is trying to keep him, and his friends, alive, Evan arrives, with vengeance in mind.

The scary thing? Evan isn't even the most dangerous threat to arrive on the scene.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave Review

Author: Elle Cosimano

Series: Finlay Donovan #5

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Day: March 4, 2024

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for a complimentary arc of this title. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Review:

Finlay Donovan and sidekick nanny Vero return in FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE, the fifth book in the widely popular Finlay Donovan series by Author Elle Cosimano. Fans of the series will love catching up with these characters again as they bumble their way through yet another murder mystery, digging themselves out of a hole not entirely of their own making. Prepare for all the chaos, mischief, banter and laughter as Finlay and Vero take readers on another wild ride through their crazy, mixed-up lives!

Finlay Donovan is happily working on her next book and going through the daily routine of being a single mom when trouble arrives at her door in the form of neighborhood busybody, the dreaded Mrs. Haggerty. It's a known fact that the pair of neighbors are not friendly, having clashed previously, so imagine Finlay's shock when Mrs. Haggerty's grandson dumps her and her suitcases in Finlay's living room and announces she needs a place to stay because her house is a crime scene and has no heat. A body discovered buried in Mrs. Haggerty's backyard threatens to draw attention to things Finlay and Vero need to stay buried. If they want to keep their own skeletons under wraps, they need to get Mrs. Haggerty out of their house and hair as soon as possible, so once again, they slap their detective disguises on and start digging into the case in an attempt to uncover the identity of the killer. The stakes are raised when Finlay's ex-husband is arrested for murder, and late-night escapades by dear old Mrs. Haggerty make it clear she has a few dark secrets of her own. With shady pasts threatening to land them in hot water, Finlay and Vero navigate murky waters while trying to solve the case and stay out of jail themselves. At the same time, Finlay's relationship with a certain sexy police officer is yet again in jeopardy because of the secrets she can't share. It can't possibly get any more complicated, right?

FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE is a perfect blend of mystery, slapstick style comedy and romance all rolled into a delightfully entertaining romcom mystery that's highly addictive. Well-developed, larger-than-life main characters are likable and easy to identify with. While plot lines are a little over the top, Cosimano manages to make it work with lots of drama and humor interspersed with scenes designed to touch the heart. Include the promise of a sizzling romance on the side, and readers are guaranteed to love this addition to the series where the action and laughs never stop. I can't help but compare it to the old I Love Lucy shows featuring Lucy and Ethel and all their shenanigans. This one is good old-fashioned fun! I highly recommend FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE to fans of mysteries and romcoms.

 Synopsis:

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a simple call to a plumber turns into the discovery of a dead body in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help.

The police take Mrs. Haggerty in for questioning and, though she swears she’s innocent, it’s clear to everyone she’s keeping a secret . . . but whose? With her house now an active crime scene, she’s released from custody with nowhere to go. Her concerned grandson, Brendan, an aspiring politician, doesn’t have room in his one-bedroom apartment for her and appeals to Finlay to let her stay at her place until the investigation is over.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms so they’d have to share. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else. But when the focus of the investigation widens to include Mrs. Haggerty’s neighbors, Finn and Vero are left with little choice but to uncover the woman’s secrets before the police start digging up theirs.

Desperate to clear his grandmother’s name before his upcoming campaign for local office, Brendan Haggerty makes Finlay and Vero an offer that seems too tempting to give their grandmother a place to stay under their watchful eyes and he’ll help Finlay and Vero find a killer. But who will solve the mystery first? And will the name Brendan turns over to the police exonerate or implicate them?

What The River Knows Review

                                                               

The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.

Review:

WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS is a mysterious, atmospheric tale with pages filled with adventure and magic in which a girl and heiress sets sail to Egypt under false pretenses on a mission to investigate the deaths of her parents. Each year Inez's parents left her alone to travel to assist her uncle with his archaeology expeditions looking for magic artifacts. Wealthy in worldly goods, Inez wished for the one thing she couldn't have - her parents. And now they've disappeared. Guided by a magical ring sent to her by her father, Inez refuses to let her uncle and handsome assistant Whit discourage her or send her home. Eventually, Whit joins her on a mission in search of Cleopatra's tomb and with her newly discovered powers that push ahead. The author takes some time to build the tension and chemistry between Inez and Whit but the pace increases as the story unfolds through alternating points of view. With danger, secrets and lies hidden around every turn, it's a race against time. 

Author Isabel Ibanez does an outstanding job of weaving historical facts from the nineteenth century into a magical, mysterious historical fantasy with larger than life characters. The cliffhanger ending leaves readers begging for the next book. Highly recommended to fans of historical fiction and fantasy with a touch of romance.

Synopsis:

Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.

When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.

With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation Review

Author: Michael Cannell

Publisher: Minotaur 

Release Day: Jan. 14, 2025

Many thanks to Minotaur Publishing for a gifted arc of this title. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

For the first time in forty years, former New York Times editor Michael Cannell unearths the full story behind two ruthless New York cops who acted as double agents for the Mafia.

Review:

BLOOD AND THE BADGE by former New York Times editor Michael Cannell is a compelling true crime expose` highlighting the shocking story of two decorated NYC Police Detectives who led double lives as Mafia informers and henchmen in the underworld of 1980s Brooklyn. Their case of police corruption is the worst betrayal of the public's trust ever known in American history, and only through the diligence and determination of Police Officer Tommy Dades, who pursued the case into his retirement, were they finally brought to justice. Detectives Louis Eppolito and Frank Caracappa perpetrated an outrageous travesty against the very people they took an oath to serve and protect. Leading double lives as mafia henchmen, the pair of decorated detectives not only served as mob informants, alerting mob bosses to impending raids, arriving drug shipments, etc., but also operated as mob henchmen often conducting mob hits. This went on for over ten years despite a few efforts to get indictments against them. It was only through the work of retired officer Tommy Dades that enough evidence was eventually gathered to get a conviction and send the disgraced officers to prison.

The American public can now read the entire sordid, shocking, true story through the hard work and dedication of New York Times editor Michael Cannell with the release of his book, BLOOD AND THE BADGE. Cannell spent endless hours combing through interviews from numerous sources, police records, and court testimonies, starting from the beginning of the corruption and following through until Eppolito and Caracappa's trial and conviction. The result is a true crime novel that's impossible to put down - a story that unfolds with suspense building chapter by chapter, through twists and turns with shockers that'll leave you reeling like only a favorite author's best work of fiction can . . . only this book isn't a work of imagination. It's undeniably one of the worst cases of crime against the innocent I've ever read. Through interviews with mob bosses, Cannell lays open the inner working of the mob as well as cracking the tight-knit inner circle of the NYPD who either ignored the corruption or at least failed to step up to stop it. His research is meticulous in delivering the facts - the dark, sordid tale of two arrogant police officers who placed themselves above the law, using their position and power not to serve but to profit. Two decorated officers whose twisted tale is so horrifying that it's hard to believe that this is not a work of fiction, but indeed a true crime narrative that throws open the doors of the ugly underworld of Brooklyn in the 1980's.

BLOOD AND THE BADGE is a shocking expose` on corruption in law enforcement, but also a testament to justice - to the perseverance of one good officer who refused to back down. Cannell's ability to transport readers into the story through engaging prose allows them to witness Eppolito and Caracappa's transgressions firsthand including what drove them to lie, cheat and kill on command. Readers also engage with police officer, Tommy Dades, as he tirelessly pursues the dirty detectives right into his retirement years, refusing to stop until justice is finally served. I highly recommend BLOOD AND THE BADGE to fans of well-written, true crime narratives that are not only eye-opening, but also highly entertaining.

Synopsis:

No episode in NYPD history surpasses the depravities of Louis Eppolito and Stephen Caracappa, two decorated detectives who covertly acted as mafia informants and paid assassins in the Scorsese world of 1980s Brooklyn. For more than ten years, Eppolito and Caracappa moonlighted as the mob’s early warning alert system, leaking names of mobsters secretly cooperating with the government and crippling investigations by sharing details of surveillance, phone taps and impending arrests. The Lucchese boss called the two detectives his crystal ball. Whatever detectives knew, the mafia soon learned. Most grievously, Eppolito and Caracappa earned bonuses by staging eight mob hits, pulling the trigger themselves at least once. Incredibly, when evidence of their wrongdoing arose in 1994, FBI officials failed to muster an indictment. The allegations lay dormant for a decade and were only revisited due to relentless follow up by Tommy Dades, a cop determined to break the cold case before his retirement. Eppolito and Caracappa were finally tried and then sentenced to life in prison in 2009, nearly thirty years after their crimes took place. Cannell’s Blood and the Badge is based on entirely new research and never-before-released interviews with mobsters themselves, including Sammy “the Bull” Gravano. Eppolito and Caracappa’s story is more relevant than ever as police conduct comes under ever-increasing scrutiny.