Gone For Good Review

Author: Joanna Schaffhausen

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: August 10, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4

Special thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book.

#minotaurinfluencers

Gone For Good is the first in a new mystery series from award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen, featuring Detective Annalisa Vega, in which a cold case heats up.

Review:

Detective Annalisa Vega is called to the scene of a gruesome murder - one that brings back memories of the unsolved murder of her childhood friend's mother twenty plus years ago.  The Lovelorn Killer was responsible for the brutal murder of several women back then, but afterwards disappeared without a trace.  The dead woman bound in ropes tells Det. Vega that the killer's back after a twenty year hiatus?  Why?  Is this Annalisa's opportunity to finally get justice for the victims' loved ones, healing some old wounds?  Can she do so without becoming his next victim?

Grace Harper is the killer's latest victim.  By day, she was a grocery store clerk.  By night, she was a member of an amateur sleuth group known as The Grave Diggers.  Grace was obsessed with the Lovelorn Killer and by all reports, may have been getting close to discovering his identity - something the police have never been able to do - before he killed her.  In order to investigate the crime, Det. Vega will have to dig deeper into the group's activities and her own disturbing childhood and follow the leads from there.  It isn't long before she starts rattling some skeletons of her own and begins being taunted by the killer.  With the help of her partner Nick who's also her ex-husband and a teenage love interest, Colin, who's mother was murdered by the killer, Annalisa refuses to be intimidated into abandoning the case.  Will it get her killed?

Gone For Good is an intense, fast-paced, action-packed thriller that kept me turning pages from beginning to end.  Det. Annalisa Vega is a strong, bold, smart heroine who refuses to back down when threatened.  The story unfolds through alternating chapters of present and victim Grace Harper's journal entries which are electrifying.  The tension elevates  until culminating in an explosive climax.  I will say I figured out the killer's identity prior to the reveal, but the story is so well crafted that being pretty sure of his identity in no way lessened my reading pleasure as I read most of this one in one sitting.  Highly recommended to fans of mystery, suspense and thrillers.

Synopsis:

The Lovelorn Killer murdered seven women, ritually binding them and leaving them for dead before penning them gruesome love letters in the local papers. Then he disappeared, and after twenty years with no trace of him, many believe that he's gone for good.

Not Grace Harper. A grocery store manager by day, at night Grace uses her snooping skills as part of an amateur sleuth group. She believes the Lovelorn Killer is still living in the same neighborhoods that he hunted in, and if she can figure out how he selected his victims, she will have the key to his identity.

Detective Annalisa Vega lost someone she loved to the killer. Now she's at a murder scene with the worst kind of déjà vu: Grace Harper lies bound and dead on the floor, surrounded by clues to the biggest murder case that Chicago homicide never solved. Annalisa has the chance to make it right and to heal her family, but first, she has to figure out what Grace knew―how to see a killer who may be standing right in front of you. This means tracing his steps back to her childhood, peering into dark corners she hadn't acknowledged before, and learning that despite everything the killer took, she has still so much more to lose. 

Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset hound.

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The Valentine Suite Cover Reveal!

Cover Reveal for The Valentine Suite by

Tracy Broemmer

 Join us for the cover reveal of The Valentine Suite by Tracy Broemmer. Fans who love second chance romances will sink their teeth into this emotional, healing, women’s fiction novel. Keep scrolling for more details about this beautiful cover.

 Title: The Valentine Suite

Author: Tracy Broemmer   

Release Date: August 20, 2021

Genres: Women’s Fiction

Themes: Second Chance Romance, Emotional Healing

 Synopsis:

 Grief pulls some families together and rips others—like the Hollands—apart. Two years have passed since Alys and Fletcher Holland lost two of their children in a fatal accident. But time has done nothing for Alys’ broken heart.

Her surviving son’s destination wedding means a reunion for Alys and Fletch, who divorced shortly after the accident. Alys intends to keep to herself for the wedding festivities and hustle back home to her quiet, sterile life when the big day is over.

When the double-booked Valentine Suite at the Kahalina Resort puts Alys and Fletch in close quarters, Alys soon finds it’s difficult to ignore the man she fell in love with over twenty-five years ago. Fletch frustrates her, but he protects her, too, acting as a buffer between her and the rest of his family and their son’s wedding guests.

Will their stay in the Valentine Suite drive them further apart and send them home as strangers or will their time together in the suite mend their broken hearts and put their family back together?

 Add to Goodreads Here!

Goodreads → https://bit.ly/3yVkwH3

 Pre-order Link:

Amazon→ https://amzn.to/3eEJq5U

 About Tracy Broemmer

Tracy is the author of the women’s fiction series, the Williams Legacy, and several stand-alone women’s fiction novels. She has recently dabbled in contemporary romance, as well.

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Website → https://www.broemmerbooks.com/

Pinterest →  https://www.pinterest.com/tkcherryfiction/

 

 

Dark Roads Review

Author: Chevy Stevens

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: Aug. 3, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 5 Dark Hearts

Special thanks to St. Martins Press for an arc of this book.

The acclaimed and beloved author of Still Missing is back with her most breathtaking thriller yet.

Review:

Don't you love it when one of your most highly anticipated books meets all your expectations?  I do!  I just knew Dark Roads was going to be special.  What I didn't anticipate was it sucking me in on page one and keeping its claws in me until The End . . . in the wee hours of the morning.  Yes, I pulled an all-nighter reading this one.  It's that good!

Dark Roads is a well-crafted, high octane thriller with serious creepy vibes.  For years, young women (especially First Nation heritage) have disappeared along the rugged, isolated five hundred miles of highway running through British Columbia including the small town of Cold Creek.  Some are never found, but the brutally tortured bodies of others are discovered.  The killer has never been caught.  Women are warned to never hitchhike or stray far from home alone.  But after a period of time, they tend to get complacent.  Mistake #1.

When seventeen year old Hailey's father is killed in a car crash, she's forced to move in with her aunt and her husband Vaughn who is a Cold Creek Police Sergeant known as the Iceman by locals for his cold, intimidating, over-bearing presence.  It quickly becomes clear to Hailey that something's off about Vaughn other than his hero complex as he starts domineering and micromanaging her life.  While Hailey gets dangerous vibes from him, she tries to get along for the benefit of her aunt and young son knowing she can live on her own in a year when she turns eighteen . . .  until she discovers some of his hidden secrets, and he knows it.  Hailey's danger radar is screaming for her to run so she plans her escape with her best friend Jonny.

Beth comes to Cold Creek looking for some peace . . . and the man who murdered her sister.  Having left school and home, she's on her own.  Lucky for her, her sister's old job at Mason's diner is open so she starts working while rattling old skeletons.  It soon becomes clear she fits the killer's profile of a preferred victim, and she's now on his radar.  Living in a secluded campground outside of town, Beth is in imminent danger of becoming a victim.  Can she find the killer . . . before he finds her?

Dark Roads is one of the best thrillers I've read this year.  The story unfolds in three parts and mostly from two points of view - Hailey's and Beth's.  This story really takes off after their paths cross and become intertwined.  I'm being intentionally vague because the impact of this book is most fully felt by going in blind as I did.  Tension radiates off the pages in dark, creepy waves driving an ever increasing pace to a stunning ending that I didn't see coming more than a few pages before the characters did.  And then, there's the epilogue that brought tears to my eyes while connecting everything together.  If that's not enough, reading the author's letter to readers at the end and learning this fictitious story is based on the Trail of Tears and the murders of several indigenous women over years by a killer yet to be caught - well, that sealed the deal for me.   Dark Roads is a complex, graphic, highly atmospheric must read for fans of suspense and thrillers.  Highly recommended!

Synopsis:

The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast. Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. For decades, young women traveling the road have gone missing. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice.

Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountainous terrain, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town. Rumors spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents and seeking closure, Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance…

CHEVY STEVENS lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she’s not working on her next book, she’s hiking with her two dogs on her favorite mountain trails and spending time with her family. Chevy's current obsessions are vintage airstreams, Hollywood memoirs, and all things mid-century modern.

Chevy's debut novel, STILL MISSING, was a New York Times bestseller and won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. Her books, including THOSE GIRLS which Stephen King called "incredibly scary" have been published in more than thirty countries. Her seventh novel, DARK ROADS, will be released summer 2021. Please visit her at www.ChevyStevens.com.

Once There Were Wolves Review

Author: Charlotte McChaconaghy

Genre: Mystery Futuristic

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Release Date: August 3, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating:  5 Fragile Hearts

My review first published in Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Many thanks to Flatiron Books for a copy of this arc.  It now resides on my Favorites Shelf beside Migrations.

Propulsive and spell-binding, Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a woman desperate to save the creatures she loves—if she isn’t consumed by a wild that was once her refuge.

Review:

Once There Were Wolves.  The title alone stoked my imagination, shooting my anticipation of this book through the roof.  And when I read the opening line in the prologue, I knew this book was going to be special.  And special it is.

Once There Were Wolves is a story about a wildlife biologist's quest to reintroduce gray wolves to the natural habitat in the Scotland Highlands where they were eradicated hundreds of years before, essentially dooming the environment.  Inti Flynn and her team of wildlife biologists set out to prove that reintroducing wolves to the area will renew the ecosystem and allow the natural habitat to flourish once again.  However, Inti's efforts to rebirth the area are met by stiff opposition from local farmers and sheep herders who fear for their safety and livelihood.

When Inti Flynn left Alaska for the Wolf Trust project in Scotland, she brought her traumatized twin sister Aggie with her hoping to help her heal.  Living with mirror touch synesthesia, Inti experiences others pain as it happens meaning she suffered the same horrific abuse that left her twin mostly mute and terrified of venturing out of the house.  Life is settling in until a wolf is needlessly shot by a farmer, and Inti stumbles across a man's mutilated body.  Knowing they will blame the wolves, she makes an ill-advised, spur of the moment decision that will prove disastrous.  Did one of her wolves break pattern and kill the man?  Or is a killer on the hunt in the Scottish Highlands?  Inti works with the local sheriff with whom she's started a relationship to learn the truth.

Once There Were Wolves is a brilliantly rendered, gut-wrenching journey into the lives of these characters including the wolves.  The concept of reintroducing the wolves to help balance the inequities in nature is intriguing.  McConaghy's extensive research is obvious but presented in a way that enhances the intense, highly atmospheric, multifaceted plot line.  While the author's writing is complex, it feels simple - a natural flow of energy driven by the fast pace and the visceral anguish and sense of urgency suffered by Inti as she struggles to make the right decisions for all involved.  At times, her psyche is as fragile as the barren environment, at other times as strong and wild as her beloved wolves.  Inti's interaction with the wolves is breathtaking to witness, and I feel like I was a participant in the highly visual scenes with these powerful and yet fragile animals.  

This story touched my heart as much or maybe more than Migrations.  Both books are priceless in terms of what the uniquely talented author delivers in a highly compassionate can't put the book down way.  In Once There Were Wolves, McConaghy gifts readers with one of the best mysteries I've read in some time . . . one that stands out in a genre full of great books and writers.  And she does so utilizing Inti's idiomatic voice, past/present chapters with flawed characters showcasing how the past affects the future - all the while pulling intertwining plot lines together in a shocking conclusion that left this reader stunned.

Once There Were Wolves is a study of human nature and the many complexities of maneuvering a flawed world.  It's a study of toxic relationships that reverberate throughout our lives, of learning to persevere and thrive under dire circumstances, of rebirth of one's self and nature.  It's a raw, intense, haunting self portrait of life.  It's a warning.  Highly recommended to fans of mystery, suspense and heartfelt readers of great stories!  Like Migrations, this one will reside in my heart a long time to come.

Synopsis:

Inti Flynn arrives in Scotland with her twin sister, Aggie, to lead a team of biologists tasked with reintroducing fourteen gray wolves into the remote Highlands. She hopes to heal not only the dying landscape, but Aggie, too, unmade by the terrible secrets that drove the sisters out of Alaska.

Inti is not the woman she once was, either, changed by the harm she’s witnessed—inflicted by humans on both the wild and each other. Yet as the wolves surprise everyone by thriving, Inti begins to let her guard down, even opening herself up to the possibility of love. But when a farmer is found dead, Inti knows where the town will lay blame. Unable to accept her wolves could be responsible, Inti makes a reckless decision to protect them. But if the wolves didn’t make the kill, then who did? And what will Inti do when the man she is falling for seems to be the prime suspect?

Propulsive and spell-binding, Charlotte McConaghy's Once There Were Wolves is the unforgettable story of a woman desperate to save the creatures she loves—if she isn’t consumed by a wild that was once her refuge.

Charlotte McConaghy is the author of the international bestseller MIGRATIONS, a TIME Magazine Best Book of the Year and the Amazon.com Best Fiction Book of the Year for 2020, which is being translated into over twenty languages.
She has both a Graduate Degree in Screenwriting and a Masters Degree in Screen Arts, and lives in Sydney, Australia.
Her new novel, ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES, is coming August 2021.

The Highlander's Irish Bride Excerpt

 

Meet the most respectable member of the Kendrick Clan in bestselling author Vanessa Kelly's intoxicating series—and the independent woman who has stolen his heart...

The Highlander’s Irish Bride by Vanessa Kelly

Publication Date: July 27, 2021

Zebra Books

Paperback & eBook; 352 pages

Series: Clan Kendrick Book 4

Genre: Historical Romance/Scottish

The latest in bestselling author Vanessa Kelly’s intoxicating Clan Kendrick series shines a light on the most respectable member of the Kendrick clan—and the independent woman who stole his heart...

Miss Kathleen Calvert may be the daughter of an Irish aristocrat, but she has no intention of acting like one. All she desires is to return to her family’s estate to raise horses and manage her father’s magnificent gardens. But when a scandal threatens her reputation, her parents order her to a remote Scottish estate, hoping she will finally learn to behave like a proper lady. To make matters worse, her escort is a handsome Highlander who just happens to be the most boring man in all of Scotland...

After a youth of dangerous and wild escapades, Grant Kendrick surprised his family—and himself—by becoming a successful businessman and the most respectable Kendrick brother. But does that matter, when the beautiful and free-spirited Kathleen deems him a stodgy bore? Luckily, he gets the chance to prove her wrong when their carriage is ambushed by thieves. But it will take all his ingenuity to protect the beautiful lass who has stormed her way into his heart—and to convince her that a life with him will be a love-filled adventure...

About the Author

Vanessa Kelly is a USA Today Bestselling, award-winning author who was named by Booklist, the review journal of the American Library Association, as one of the “New Stars of Historical Romance.” Her Regency-set historical romances have been nominated in a number of contests, and she has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for Best Historical Romance. Her books have been published in nine languages.

Vanessa’s first Clan Kendrick book, The Highlander Who Protected Me, was a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, and BookScan bestseller. The Highlander’s Christmas Bride, her latest book, hit the top 50 on both the Barnes & Noble mass-market bestseller list and on BookScan. The Renegade Royals Series was a national bestseller, as was The Improper Princesses Series. My Fair Princess was named a Goodreads Romance of the Month and is a USA Today and BookScan bestseller.

When she’s not dreaming of plots for her next Regency novel, Vanessa is writing USA Today Bestselling books with her husband, under the pen name of V.K. Sykes.

You can find Vanessa at vanessakellyauthor.com or at vksykes.com. For all of Vanessa’s latest news and contests–and to receive a free story–please sign up for her newsletter on her website.

Excerpt:

        The Kendrick family is gathering for dinner with their visitors, which includes Kathleen Calvert and her little sister, Jeannie. Events don’t go as planned…

 

     “Grant hates dinner parties,” Kade said. “He says they’re a waste of time.”

     Gillian laughed. “That’s rather insulting, given that we’re the dinner party tonight.”

     “It’s also completely untrue,” said the topic of discussion as he walked into the room. “I only hate boring dinner parties. And from what Graeme has told me, the Duchess of Leverton is definitely not boring. In fact, he said she is the most interesting woman in London.”

     For a few moments, all Kathleen could do was stare. She’d thought Grant Kendrick handsome before, dressed as an ordinary businessman. Now, garbed in stark black and white evening kit, he looked spectacular.

     Gillian scoffed. “He only says that because he destroyed a very expensive Chinese screen at one of my parties. He’s still trying to make it up to me.”

     “I remember that night,” Kathleen said. “He’d caught someone trying to cheat an elderly lady at cards, as I recall.”

     “Yes. Graeme was quite . . .”

     “‘Fashed’ is the word you’re searching for,” Grant said in a wry tone.

     “Exactly. My screen was also became quite fashed, since your twin tossed the cheater right into it,” Gillian replied.

     “That’s our Graeme,” Royal said.

     “I thought it one of the most entertaining parties in quite some time, actually,” Kathleen said.

     Gillian laughed. “My poor husband did not entirely agree.”

     “Sabrina’s calmed the lad down,” Royal said. “Wives tend to do that sort of thing.”

     “Depends on the wife,” Gillian quipped.

     “Which is why you won’t be bored tonight,” Kathleen said to Grant. “Gillian won’t allow it.”

     Something sparked to life in Grant’s expression as his gaze flickered over her. Something that looked like. . . interest.

     “I suspect you wouldn’t allow it either, Miss Calvert.”

     He had a lovely voice. Deep and warm, with a slightly rough edge that almost made her shiver.

     Almost, because shivering over a man’s voice would be ridiculous.

     “It’s more of a challenge than one would expect,” she replied. “Most people are awfully dreary, you know.”

     When Grant’s expression turned blank, she winced.

     “Present company excepted, of course,” she hastily added.

     “Of course,” he said.

     “Shall we go in to dinner?” the countess brightly suggested.

     “I’d hold up on that for a wee bit, lassie.”

     Angus had slipped into the room, wearing a sheepish expression.

     The countess narrowed her gaze. “Grandda, what have you done now?”

     “Not me,” the old man said in a defensive tone. “It was Nancy. She got ahold of a wee little dish in the pantry. Nothin’ to speak of, ye ken.”

     Lord Arnprior shook his head. “Can you not keep that little hellion under control?”

     “She’s nae hellion,” Angus protested. “Just high-spirited.”

     “Grandda, Nancy is a disaster on four legs,” Grant said.

     “Who’s Nancy?” Jeannie asked.

     “Another one of Grandda’s terriers,” Kade explained. “She’s only a year old, so her manners aren’t very good yet.”

     “I think we can all agree that none of your grandfather’s dogs have very good manners,” Lady Arnprior tartly added.

     The butler stepped in, a pained expression on his dignified features. “I beg your pardon, my lady, but dinner will be delayed. There has been an incident in the pantry.”

     “Yes, so we just heard.” The countess sighed. “How bad is it, then?”

     “The kitchen maid and the junior footman attempted to retrieve tonight’s joint of beef from Nancy, giving chase.”

     “I take it they were not successful,” Grant dryly said.

     “The footman quite foolishly tripped over Nancy when she swerved during the chase. He then compounded the error by knocking over the table with the soup tureen and the fish course.”

     “How very clumsy of him,” Gillian said, trying not to grin.

     “Words fail me, Your Grace,” said Henderson, looking cut to the soul.

     By now, Royal, Kade, and Jeannie were all laughing, and Kathleen was doing her best not to aggravate the situation by joining them.

     Grant simply crossed his arms and shook his head at his grandfather.

     “It’s nae my fault, ye ken,” Angus said, protesting the silent reprimand.

     The countess glared at him. “It’s entirely your fault. I take it Cook is in hysterics?” she asked Henderson.

     “Smelling salts have been applied, but to little effect.”

     At that, even Lord Arnprior couldn’t hold back laughter.

     His wife pointed a finger. “This is no laughing matter, Nicholas.”

     “Of course not, my love,” he said in a choked voice.

     “Grant is the only man in this house with any sense,” she said with disgust. “And the only one who will get any dinner, if I have my way. Come along, Henderson. We must do our best to restore order.”

     She paused at the door to scowl at Angus. “And you and I will be having a discussion about this particular incident, and about your very bad dogs in general.”

     Angus bristled. “Now, see here, lassie—“

     “I wouldn’t, Grandda,” Arnprior warned.

     With an indignant huff, the countess sailed out of the room, followed by her faithful retainer.

     “A lot of botheration over nothin’ if ye ask me,” Angus said with commendable nonchalance. “Now, how about a wee dram to hold us over?”

 

 

Whisper Cottage Review

Author: Anne Wyn Clark

Genre: Mystery Suspense

Publisher: Avon Books

Release Date: Sept. 2, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4 Chilling Hearts

Many thanks to Harper Collins & Avon Books for an arc.

A haunting, twisty story about the power of secrets and rumours, perfect for fans of Ruth Ware’s The Turn of the Key and Lucy Atkins’s Magpie Lane. 

Review:

Seeking a quiet, safe place to live and raise a family, Stina and Jack move out of the crime ridden city into an old, neglected cottage in the small village of Avoncote.  Rolling up their sleeves, they begin working to make their new home cozy and charming - like the beautiful semi-attached cottage next door occupied by an eccentric old lady named Mrs. Barley.  It soon becomes obvious that the locals avoid that cottage and Mrs. Barley like the plague.  Rumors of witchcraft and spells spread wide and far - along with warnings to stay away from her, and yet for the most part, Mrs. Barley is nothing but sweet and kind to Stina and Jack.  Working as a vet, Jack spends long hours away from home and thus doesn't hear or see the unsettling happenings when they begin occurring as Stina does.  A strange man wandering in Mrs. Barley's courtyard that no one else admits to seeing, strange scraping sounds coming from the shared attic late at night, Mrs. Barley's chanting while sitting in a circle of candles, Mrs. Barley's sudden mood swings and weird little dolls - all lead Stina to begin her own ill-timed investigation . . . and eventually question her own sanity.  Is something sinister lurking in the cottage next door . . . or is Stina succumbing to the same mental illness as her mother?  Is their new home a safe haven . . . or their worst nightmare?

Whisper Cottage is a tense, gripping read that captures you in the eerie prologue and holds you prisoner until the final shocking revelation - I'm talking edge-of-your-seat suspense.  Through brilliant manipulation of prose, Clark sets and maintains a chilling atmosphere of impending doom throughout the story - a dark tone fueled by vicious rumors, life-altering secrets, sinister happenings, hints of mental instability and paranormal vibes.  Stina is an unreliable narrator and through flashbacks, readers become aware of her buried secrets including the source of her mental concerns.  And while it's obvious Mrs. Barley is hiding something, her role is so well played that some of her scenes made me think of grandmothers baking apple pies while others gave me chill bumps.  Who is she?  Good?  Evil?  Is Stina the only one who "sees"?  Or has she slipped into insanity?  A dangerous vibe permeates the pages as this story unfolds.  I turned pages cautiously - almost afraid to see what would happen next.    Whisper Cottage is a chilling story that whispers warnings . . . beware your secrets less they bury you alive.  Fans of mystery and suspense are going to gobble this one up.  The perfect read for a dark, foggy night.  

Synopsis:

How well do you know the woman next door? 

When Stina and Jack move to an old rural cottage, they’re hoping for a fresh start. Their new home is run-down compared to their neighbour’s, but generous Mrs Barley quickly becomes a friend.  
 
Until Stina sees a mysterious figure in the widow’s garden, and her happy new life begins to unravel. And when she hears strange noises in the night, she is forced to question if Mrs Barley is what she seems. 
 
Why do the other villagers whisper about her? Why is she so eager to help the couple? And what is she hiding in her picture-perfect home? 
 

The Missing Hours Review

Author: Julia Dahl

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: Sept. 14, 2021

Order Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4 Black Hearts

Many thanks to Minotaur Books for an arc of this book

From the critically acclaimed author of Invisible City and Conviction, The Missing Hours is a novel about obsession, privilege, and the explosive consequences of one violent act.

Review:

At first glance, NYU freshman Claudia Castro appears to have it all. She's a member of the elite - a trust fund baby with a famous father enjoying social status with mega social media followers - the envy of her NYU peers. Take off the rose colored glasses, and you'll see a dysfunctional family in the process of disintegrating with devastating effects on Claudia leading to life altering bad decisions. After a night of heavy drinking at a college party, Claudia awakes from a blackout to find her clothes in bloody disarray and body severely battered - black eye, split lip, black and blue bruises all over with painful urination. Aching and limping, Claudia's mind is fuzzy and try as she may, she can't fill in the missing hours. While it's obvious she had rough sex, she's mortified at the realization she doesn't know if she participated freely or was raped. Shame and self-blame silence her, and she doesn't seek help or counseling. Sound familiar?

Just as Claudia settles back into a semi-normal routine interrupted by frequent fraught psychotic episodes, disastrous evidence of what happened that fateful night surfaces on cell phones and social media, spreading like wildfire. Shamed, taunted, and chastised as a slut, Claudia is forced into the limelight where even her friends doubt her innocence. Social media becomes judge and jury, convicting her without a trial. Life as Claudia knows it is over. And then . . . she disappears. Her family is frantic. What happened to her?

The Missing Hours is a dark, edgy story of obsession, entitlement and consequences. For every action, there is a reaction. But are consequences the same for the privileged? One of the perpetrators on the cell phone video is from a wealthy, powerful family and the other is on the verge of a record contract worth millions. The stakes are high for them and their families who secretly work to silence those who dare accuse the men of rape. What makes this case different is that Claudia's family also has the means to seek justice for their missing daughter, and it becomes a battle of the entitled.

Told from multiple points of view with short, choppy chapters that drive a frantic pace, this story is propelled forward with a dark atmosphere of malice. Bouncing from one narrator to the next, I burned through pages with trepidation trying to determine what really happened as Claudia herself still doesn't know. As the story unfolds, readers will feel the tone of the story shift from deep despondency to rabid, flaming rage fed by dark, convoluted thoughts of retaliation and revenge raising the question . . . if the court system fails you, do you have the right to sentence those who have wronged you? Is using wealth for retaliation any different than using it for privilege? Does seeking retaliation ever really right a wrong?

Dahl gives readers a lot to think about in this riveting, traumatic story of one woman's journey beyond assault, shame and self-blame to reclaim her life and mend ties with her family. It's a violent story with rippling effects that impact way more than the obvious so readers should be prepared to look deeper for hidden questions. Intense, gritty and quite graphic, The Missing Hours will appeal to fans of suspense and those who enjoy a dark, angsty story of obsession and revenge with a few surprises along the way. Clear your calendar as you'll want to read this book in one sitting.

 Synopsis:

From a distance, Claudia Castro has it all: a famous family, a trust fund, thousands of Instagram followers, and a spot in NYU’s freshman class. But look closer, and things are messier: her parents are separating, she’s just been humiliated by a sleazy documentary, and her sister is about to have a baby with a man she barely knows.

Claudia starts the school year resolved to find a path toward something positive, maybe even meaningful – and then one drunken night everything changes. Reeling, her memory hazy, Claudia cuts herself off from her family, seeking solace in a new friendship. But when the rest of school comes back from spring break, Claudia is missing.

Suddenly, the whole city is trying to piece together the hours of that terrible night.

Meet the Author:

http://www.juliadahl.com

Julia Dahl was born and raised in Fresno, California and currently lives in New York's Hudson Valley with her husband and son.

Dahl began her career as a journalist working as a fact-checker at Entertainment Weekly. Since then, she has been an editor at Marie Claire, a freelance reporter at the New York Post, the deputy managing editor of The Crime Report, and a crime and justice reporter for CBS News.

She now teaches journalism at NYU.

Dahl's first novel, INVISIBLE CITY, was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, and won the Barry Award, the Shamus Award, and the Macavity Award for Best First Novel. INVISIBLE CITY named one of the Boston Globe's Best Books of 2014, and has been translated into eight languages.