Book Review: Guilt Trip: The Mystery (Lauren Beck #2) by Donna Huston Murray

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Beck is back! This time with a family issue to solve. A cancer survivor with no place to live, Lauren sets up on her brother's farm together with his family. And then, her brother's wife, Karen, survives a tragedy. Her brother has committed a suicide. But Karen knows her brother well, and she knows that he would never ever do that. So she asks Lauren to help.

Together with Karen's other brother, Lauren goes to the funeral. She makes up a cover story, just to make sure that she can sneak into the lion's den and find out what really happened. Something isn't right here. Why would someone who recently got married and expects the first child commit a suicide? Even if all the evidence says the obvious, Lauren is not satisfied. Something fishy is going on here!

Book Review: What Doesn't Kill You, The Mystery (A Lauren Beck Crime Novel #1) by Donna Huston Murray

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Beck is finally cancer free. But her friend and supporter during chemotherapy didn't have that luck. Corrinne dies from cancer. Corrinne's daughter blames Lauren for her mother's death. She accuses her of mixing up the drugs in order causing euthanasia, just to stop her suffering. Even worse, she kicks her out from her house.

In the very same time, strange things start to happen. Someone is stealing Lauren's identity. No more money on her credit cards, canceled payments, unknown debts, Lauren never did anything of this. She suspects Corrine's daughter but is no sure about anything. And Corrinne's death, what if someone is responsible for her death?

Lauren is a former police officer, now works as a private investigator. With her identity stolen and no place to live, she has to swallow her pride and count on the people who aren't her best friends. But most of it, she has to find out what really happened to her friend. She knows she didn't do anything, but what if someone did? This time, she has to use her investigation skills and save people's lives, including her own. 'Cause someone is after her!

Review: The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found inside an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam. Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged: The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquisitor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castile, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgment by ridding the world of Jews, heretics, and unbelievers. Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations promised by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days.

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Well, it's been a while since I've read that big book. Seriously, it took me three weeks to finish it. But, believe me, it was worth. I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone who loves old-school mysteries.

Let me tell you something about the plot. One story runs in the present , one goes back in time when the year is 1452. The story in the present, follows Jaqueline Quartermane, Jaq to her friends, who works for the State Department. She is engaged to Paul who works in Ethiopia and dies on a mission. But when Jaq goes to pick up his body as his fiance, she finds very strange things going on. The investigation of his death takes her on a journey that no one can ever imagine, something that can shake the whole world as we know it. And some people might not like it. The origin of Christianity, the discovery of America, do we know the real story behind the facts that are written in history books? Can we trust the bible itself?

Book Review: Fear Dreams by J.A.Schneider

Liddy Barron, an artist, was injured in a hit-and-run accident that left her with recurring nightmares, partial amnesia, and an increasing obsession in the disappearance of a coed named Sasha Perry. Was Sasha murdered? Insecure and nervous, Liddy's turmoil grows as she begins seeing ghostly images. Her husband Paul tries to help but suspects it's just her imagination...while intuitive Detective Kerri Blasco, also obsessed with young Sasha's disappearance, senses that Liddy may have a key to solving the case, and tries to unravel the shocking truth of what really haunts her.

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever feared your own dreams?

Liddy Barron is afraid to sleep, afraid to work, afraid to walk in the public. Ever since her car accident a couple of months ago, her life is changed. With no memory of the night of the accident, she starts to see weird things. Works as an artist and suddenly the word HELP appears on her paintings. The main problem is when she is out in public, she sees a young woman walking towards her. Nothing unusual, you'll say, but the young woman is missing! And Liddy sees some things on her that no one else knows about. Is she losing her mind or some distant memory comes out on the surface?

Do you believe in ghosts?

Blog Tour: The Irish Inheritance by M.J.Lee-Book Review

June 8, 1921. Ireland. A British Officer is shot dead on a remote hillside south of Dublin. November 22, 2015. United Kingdom. Former police detective, Jayne Sinclair, now working as a genealogical investigator, receives a phone call from an adopted American billionaire asking her to discover the identity of his real father. How are the two events linked? Jayne Sinclair has only three clues to help her: a photocopied birth certificate, a stolen book and an old photograph. And it soon becomes apparent somebody else is on the trail of the mystery. A killer who will stop at nothing to prevent Jayne discovering the secret hidden in the past The Irish Inheritance takes us through the Easter Rising of 1916 and the Irish War of Independence, combining a search for the truth of the past with all the tension of a modern-day thriller. It is the first in a series of novels featuring Jayne Sinclair, genealogical detective.

Copy provided by Neverland Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

Hi, guys.

Today is my stop of the blog tour for M.J.Lee's new book. This is my third book from this author and quite different from the other two. It has mystery, it has a history in it, but also genealogy, a search for one man's ancestors. Perfect read for history lovers.

My Favorite Summer Themed Crime TV Series

Hi, guys.

Sorry for not being around lately. After waiting for my new internet package for more than month and fixing the laptop after my dad accidentally spilled water on it, it's good to be back. Many reviews are waiting to be written, but today I decided to talk about something easier, like summer vacations and mystery tv shows. Every summer the local tv stations are filling the program with summer themed tv shows, most of them filmed on exotic islands. Some of them include mysteries, some include murders, but they all include out of ordinary detectives. And they are all filmed on exotic locations. I like most of these shows, they are humorous, mysterious, perfect for chilling out if you are not on the beach. So here are some of my favorites:

The Silent Dead by Tetsuya Honda-Book Review

When a body wrapped in a blue plastic tarp and tied up with twine is discovered near the bushes near a quiet suburban Tokyo neighborhood, Lt. Reiko Himekawa and her squad take the case. The victim was slaughtered brutally---his wounds are bizarre, and no one can figure out the "what" or the "why" of this crime. At age twenty-nine, Reiko Himekawa of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police's Homicide Division is young to have been made lieutenant, particularly because she lacks any kind of political or family connections. Despite barriers created by age, gender, and lack of connections, she is mentally tough, oblivious to danger, and has an impressive ability to solve crimes. Reiko makes a discovery that leads the police to uncover eleven other bodies, all wrapped in the same sort of plastic. Few of the bodies are identifiable, but the ones that are have no connection to each other. The only possible clue is a long shot lead to a website spoken only in whispers on the Internet, something on the dark web known as "Strawberry Night." But while she is hunting the killer, the killer is hunting her... and she may very well have been marked as the next victim.

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I am a person who is always open and willing to try new things. I am always willing to read about different cultures and different surroundings. So when Titan Book offered Japanese thriller for reviewing, I said YES. Got very excited when I started reading and the excitement kept me to the very last page.

The main character here is Reiko, a young female detective in the Tokio Police Department, probably the youngest in her team. Many of the police officers, mostly men, have a problem when a woman is in charge and do not count to ten before they express their opinion. Reiko is not just an ordinary police officer, she graduated as the best in the class and she is really smart. But being a woman in Japanese culture is not an easy thing at all. She has to face her parents, especially her mother who does everything she can to find her a suitable husband and sees her as a failure in the marriage department. She has to face her past and try to forget an attack that no woman should face ever in her life. A rape is bad enough for the victim herself, no need for the judgment of the society that sees her as damaged.

Vacations Can Be Murder by Jane DiLucchio - Teaser Spotlight

Hi guys! Today I have the pleasure to post a teaser spotlight for a mystery book. Vacations Can Be Murder came out on June 1-st and if you are a fan of mysteries and murders (on paper of course) then this is a perfect read for you. Summer is already here and if you want a mysterious read for the beach, look no further. I am sure you're going to love it. 

Vacations Can Be Murder by Jane DiLucchio

Series: A Diega DelValle Mystery, #3

Published on 01.06.2016

Genres: mystery

Format: e-book and paperback

Buy on amazon.co.uk or Buy on amazon.com 

Book Description:

When Diega DelValle and three of her friends go on an impromptu vacation in Talkeetna, Alaska, Diega envisions an enjoyable summer break from teaching along with time to heal from a break-up. However, even before the friends arrive, this small town on the edge of Denali National Park becomes a less than an idyllic vacation spot. Gail, a Talkeetna native, dies on the mountain. Melissa, Gail's cousin and a former student of Diega's, arrives in Talkeetna and raises doubts about the death being accidental. Due to Melissa's pleas for help, Diega and her friends are thrust into an investigation of a small town and its inhabitants - an unsavory pastime that turns deadly. 

Author Bio:

Jane DiLucchio is the author of the Diega DelValle and Kate Matthews Mysteries. A retired college professor, Jane enjoys reading, card games, amateur farming and travel. She lives in Southern California with her wife and their two furry children.

Links:

Website: www.janedilucchio.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jane.dilucchio.mysteries

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/803861.Jane_DiLucchio

Book Review: Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern

An estranged father’s weekend with his beloved five-year-old daughter turns into a nightmare when she gets into the lift of a city centre tower block and goes down without him. She vanishes without a trace. It sets off a race against time, and a nationwide manhunt, to find her. As the police investigation closes in, suspicion falls on those closest to her - with devastating consequences. Daddy Dearest is a terrifying story of love, obsession, and psychological meltdown. 'My daughter has always had a thing about lifts. There’s something about the thrill of pressing a button and seeing the lift doors close which excites her imagination. It terrifies me. Every time she walks in, I imagine it’s the last time I’ll see her. What if she hits the button before I get there? What if the lift doors close and I can’t get her out? It drives me nuts. There are eight floors in the Sears building, nine if you count the basement, and the lift is fast: more like a fairground ride, really. It does top to bottom in twelve seconds. I’ve timed it. Taking the stairs, I’ve done it in forty-two. That leaves a gap of thirty seconds. You’d be surprised what can happen in that time. I was.'

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book, I had very different expectations. But, must say, Daddy Dearest is very different from every other thriller I've read. It is so complex and so painfully real, there were moments when I didn't know should I cry or laugh. Let me tell you something about the plot:

The main character is a man who is living in a flat. He is just an ordinary man, something very grumpy, sometimes very ironic. He describes himself as „not necessarily misanthropic by nature“. He hates people but wants to be loved by them in the same time. He finds his neighbors annoying and avoids too much contact with any of them.

Book Review: Play Dead by Angela Marsons

The dead don’t tell secrets… unless you listen. The girl’s smashed-in face stared unseeing up to the blue sky, soil spilling out of her mouth. A hundred flies hovered above the bloodied mess. Westerley research facility is not for the faint-hearted. A ‘body farm’ investigating human decomposition, its inhabitants are corpses in various states of decay. But when Detective Kim Stone and her team discover the fresh body of a young woman, it seems a killer has discovered the perfect cover to bury their crime. Then a second girl is attacked and left for dead, her body drugged and mouth filled with soil. It’s clear to Stone and the team that a serial killer is at work – but just how many bodies will they uncover? And who is next? As local reporter, Tracy Frost, disappears, the stakes are raised. The past seems to hold the key to the killer’s secrets – but can Kim uncover the truth before a twisted, damaged mind claims another victim …? The latest utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestseller Angela Marsons.

ARC Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! I can't even believe this. Angela Marsons showed up on writer's stage last year and published four books in a row, with each one of them getting better and better. Every time when I think that I know her writing style, she surprises me in the most inconvenient ways. My jaw literally hurts me because of dropping so many times.

This is the fourth book in Detective Kim Stone Series. This time, she and her team go to a body farm, a place where dead bodies are being studied for murder investigation purposes. There suppose to be seven bodies there are studied in different environments. But there is a problem. There is one more body, a body that isn't there like the rest of them. A body that wasn't there yesterday.

The body belongs to a young woman. She is beaten to death and her mouth is full of ground. No sexual violence, no robbery, just strange marks along the legs and torso.

A couple of days later, another body appears on the body farm. Beaten to death, mouth full of dirt, strange marks on the legs. Only, this time, the young woman is still alive.

Kim and her team have full hands job to do. A serial killer is lurking young women. What is the connection between them, and why leaving them at that particular place? And that noisy reporter Tracy is always there, always ready for her top story no matter how many bodies she has to walk over. Also, people who work on the body farm have their own secrets, their own reasons why they are there. Everyone is a suspect.

In every book, we see a little bit from Kim's personal life. Having very difficult childhood, she has built a wall around her and she is not letting anyone in. She doesn't drop the guard and very few people can climb that wall and meet the real Kim. There are people in her life who love her, but it is hard for her to show her love back. Because that is Kim Stone!

This time, we see more of Tracy as a character. She has one image of herself to show to the outside world, and another one locked inside her home. She has reasons for that, and both her and Kim have something in common here. They are true opposites, but both are good examples of how we judge people without trying to walk in their shoes for a while.

I love the introduction of Dr. A, a kick-ass forensic archaeologist who swears in multiple languages, who comes originally from Macedonia, with a complicated name shortened to just „Dr. A“. She looks pretty familiar to me and would love to see more of her in next books.

What to say more? I am out of words in English, maybe I should use some Macedonian superlatives. My jaw dropped so many times, I stopped counting. There are not enough words or phrases for recommending this book. I read it in one evening, I started and couldn't stop until finishing at 01.00 AM. Totally recommended!

My opinion: 5 / 5.

City of Shadows by M.J.Lee: Blog Tour + Review

Hello, friends, fellow bloggers, and avid readers! Today is my stop of the blog tour of the book City of Shadows by M.J.Lee. It is the second book in the series and I am sure you'll enjoy it.

A family of four is found murdered in the heart of one of the new Art Deco estates in the city. It’s a brutal crime, committed without mercy. Under questioning, a suspect confesses, but Danilov is not convinced of his guilt. When the accused is murdered on the steps of the police station, he investigates to clear the man’s name, diving deep into the dark heart of Shanghai, uncovering the greed and jealousy, triads and police corruption that lurks in the City of Shadows. This is the second book in the Danilov series. The first, Death in Shanghai, is also available from Carina.

Copy provided by Neverland Blog Tours in exchange for an honest review.

An entire family is dead. Slaughtered. A husband and wife, two little children. Someone entered into their home and killed them in the most brutal way. The killers shot some of the victims, cut the throat of the others. But nothing is taken. The jewelry, the money, the papers, it is all there, not even touched.

Soon after the murders happen, a person has been arrested. He confesses the crime. But Inspector Danilov isn't confident about it. The man is obviously beaten by the police officers and the confession doesn't hold water at all. Something fishy is going on here.

The Body on the Doorstep by A.J. Mackenzie Blog Tour + Guest Post

Kent, 1796. Shocked to discover a dying man on his doorstep - and lucky to avoid a bullet himself - Reverend Hardcastle finds himself entrusted with the victim's cryptic last words. With smuggling rife on England's south-east coast, the obvious conclusion is that this was a falling out among thieves. But why is the leader of the local Customs service so reluctant to investigate? Ably assisted by the ingenious Mrs. Chaytor, Hardcastle sets out to solve the mystery for himself. But smugglers are not the only ones to lurk off the Kent coast, and the more he discovers, the more he realises he might have bitten off more than he can chew.

The Body on the Doorstep by A. J. MacKenzie 
Series: Romney Marsh Mystery #1 
Published by Zaffre 
Published on 21.4.2016 
Genre: historical fiction 
Pages: 272 
You can buy the book on amazon.co.uk or  amazon.com 
Goodreads 

Detection without DNA

Some of our friends and fellow authors who write police procedurals are frankly envious of our working in the eighteenth century. So is Marilyn’s sister, a crown prosecutor in Canada. ‘You don’t have to worry about DNA or any of the technical stuff’, she complained. ‘You’ve got it easy.’

On one level we do, and we are full of admiration for our friends who write police procedurals and other modern crime drama. To make these books believable requires a lot of technical knowledge and – even more important – the ability to make that knowledge interesting to a non-technical reader and integrate it into the story. Very impressive, you guys. Don’t know how you do it (but love the results).

Our technical problems are few and simple. If we need to know whether it is possible for someone to be murdered in a particular way, we tend to act it out ourselves. This will get us in trouble one day, as our windows face onto the village street and we sometimes forget to close the curtains. To any members of Devon and Cornwall Police who may be reading this: we really are writers, what you saw as you drove past just now was just research. Honest.

Book Review: A Disguise to Die For (Costume Shop Mystery #1) by Diane Vallere

Someone is dressed to kill in the debut Costume Shop Mystery from the national bestselling author of the Material Witness mysteries. No sooner does former magician’s assistant Margo Tamblyn return home to Proper City, Nevada, to run Disguise DeLimit, the family-owned costume shop, than she gets her first big order. Wealthy nuisance Blitz Manners needs forty costumes for a detective-themed birthday bash. As for Blitz himself, his Sherlock Holmes is to-die-for—literally—when, in the middle of the festivities, Margo’s friend and party planner Ebony Welles is caught brandishing a bloody carving knife over  a very dead Blitz. For Margo, clearing Ebony’s name is anything but elementary, especially after Ebony flees town. Now Margo is left to play real-life detective in a town full of masked motives, cloaked secrets, and veiled vendettas. But as she soon learns, even a killer disguise can't hide a murderer in plain sight for long.

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A young woman, Margo, comes home in a small town to help her father after having a heart attack. He runs a costume shop and she practically grows up there. No wonder she dresses in costumes her entire life. A rich client comes to the shop to order a costume-themed birthday party. Famous detectives, that's the theme. But the birthday party goes all wrong. The birthday kid is found dead, and Margo's dear friend and the closest thing to a mother is standing next to him with a knife. She is absolutely sure and believes in her innocence, but the thing is, who dun it? Is it Miss Marple, or Veronica Mars, or maybe the Great Sherlock Holmes? That's the problem with the costumed parties, everyone wears a costume. But the question is, who killed the rich kid, and who is trying to frame an innocent person?

Margo takes the things in her own hands. The costumes are hers and it is her friend convicted of murder!

Book review: The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

Eighteen years ago your baby daughter was snatched. Today, she came back. A sinister and darkly compelling psychological thriller from the No.1 bestselling author of The Girl With No Past. Eighteen years ago, Simone Porter’s six-month-old daughter, Helena, was abducted. Simone and husband, Matt, have slowly rebuilt their shattered lives, but the pain at losing their child has never left them. Then a young woman, Grace, appears out of the blue and tells Simone she has information about her stolen baby. But just who is Grace – and can Simone trust her? When Grace herself disappears, Simone becomes embroiled in a desperate search for her daughter and the woman who has vital clues about her whereabouts. Simone is inching closer to the truth but it’ll take her into the dangerous and disturbing territory. Simone lost her baby. Will she lose her life trying to find her?

* Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Just finished reading this book and must say: WOW! Comparing with her previous book, another WOW! This author is getting better and better!

This time, the story starts eighteen years ago when a baby girl is missing. Little Helena is kidnapped from the park while her grandmother is watching her. Litle girl's parents never stopped looking for her, never got over the fact that she might be alive somewhere.

Eighteen years later, a young woman, Grace, appears in front of the mother. She claims that she might be the missing girl. She even has the toy the little girl had when she disappeared. But this young woman might be a criminal, might be a liar and she might have just committed a murder.

Book Review: Going Coastal by Jane DiLucchio

A client dying on her massage table is traumatic enough for Kate Matthews, but when the police declare that death a murder, life becomes more painful for her as she is cast as the major suspect. None of this is what Kate expected from her move to the peaceful town of Santa Barbara. After a near-fatal heart attack, an early retirement from her Los Angeles law firm, and a change in careers, Kate envisioned a quiet life with her wife, Alicia, and their grown children. Since the client held a position on the California Coastal Commission, her death becomes a media event. Kate finds herself and her family sucked into the maelstrom. The former lawyer has all she can do to find the truth behind Celia's death without adding her own name to the body count.

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

After all those serial killer reads (which I absolutely love to read), reading a cozy mystery was like going on a real vacation. Nice, warm, cozy mystery, perfect for chilling on a February rainy day.

When your famous client dies on your massage table, you are in trouble! Celia Tucker, California Coastal Commissioner, is rich and famous and very picky as a client. But Katherine Matthews has nothing against her, she is just a client. When Celia dies during the massage, Katherine is the one who is suspect for a murder. It seems that Celia dies of anaphylactic shock caused by the oil rubbed during the massage. But Katherine knows that it is not possible. She has a specific bottle of oil for each client made by her son, Ben. She cares for her client's needs and possible allergies. So, she starts her own investigation, to clean her own name and save her son.

Book Review: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes-The White Worm by Sam Siciliano

Sherlock Holmes and his cousin, Dr Henry Vernier, travel to Whitby, to investigate a curious case on behalf of a client. He has fallen in love, but a mysterious letter has warned him of the dangers of such a romance. The woman is said to be under a druidic curse, doomed to take the form of a gigantic snake. Locals speak of a green glow in the woods at night and a white apparition amongst the trees. Is there sorcery at work, or is a human hand behind the terrors of Diana’s Grove?

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I admit, I am a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes'adventures and was very pleased when I heard that there were some new books including him as a main character. This is my first Sam Siciliano's book, but definitely, won't be the last.

This adventure of his starts with a visit from a client. A young man who is going to be married soon receives a letter as a warning for his future marriage. His fiance is a lovely charming young lady, but there is a curse that runs in her family for many generations. Once upon a time, there was a giant white worm that tormented the people in the area. Until one day one man defeated it, married and had children on that same property. But there was the curse, always something bad happened to the male members of the family. It was the punishment for the man who defeated the worm. The young man loves his bride-to-be but is also scared that something bad would happen to him. So he asks the great detective for help. Sherlock and his cousin Dr Vernier travel to Whitby in a place called Diana's Grove to solve the mystery of the white worm.

Book Review: Her Final Breath by Robert Dugoni

Homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite has returned to the police force after the sensational retrial of her sister’s killer. Still scarred from that ordeal, Tracy is pulled into an investigation that threatens to end her career, if not her life. A serial killer known as the Cowboy is killing young women in cheap motels in North Seattle. Even after a stalker leaves a menacing message for Crosswhite, suggesting the killer or a copycat could be targeting her personally, she is charged with bringing the murderer to justice. With clues scarce and more victims dying, Tracy realizes the key to solving the murders may lie in a decade-old homicide investigation that others, including her captain, Johnny Nolasco, would prefer to keep buried. With the Cowboy on the hunt, can Tracy find the evidence to stop him, or will she become his next victim?

Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tracy Crosswhite is a character that can easily be put on the list of great and strong female detective fictional characters. Still recovering from her sister's death and catching her killer, another hard case is on her desk. This time, women are killed in cheap motel rooms, tied, with no sexual violence. The media gives the killer the name Cowboy. Victims are not raped, just tied and the life is sucked out of them. Some of them are prostitutes and the society isn't paying much attention for them. But Tracy is the one who connects the dots and is in the search for justice for all the victims of the Cowboy, including himself because she sees him as a victim of someone else long time ago. In the very same time, someone is after her. Maybe is the killer himself, maybe it is someone else. But Tracy knows one thing. She has to catch this monster!

Book review: Then You Were Gone by Claire Moss

Is to love someone really to leave them behind? When Simone first met Mack, he was that guy. Too charming for his own good, and way too sure of himself. And yet after those first few moments, she just knew it was going to work between them, and she’d never been happier. But just as they are about to get serious, Mack disappears without a trace. Simone starts to question everything she thought she knew about Mack, but she can’t let him go without a fight. His slightly shady boss Keith must know more than he says, and Jazzy – Mack’s best mate and her oldest friend – is desperate to find him too. But should you go after someone who doesn’t want to be found? And how do you know that you will still want what you find?

Copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story starts with Simone and the love of her life, Mack. She thinks that he is the one, the one and only true love that lasts forever. But one day Mack disappears without a trace. Would a man who truly loves her do that? And suddenly Simone starts to question their relationship. She thinks that he doesn't love her. Why would he hide from her? Her curiosity is bigger that her fear and she starts an investigation. Fulfilled with her doubts, Simone starts to search into the past of the man she loves. But is she ready for the things she might find?

Book Review: The Girl In The Ice by Robert Bryndza

Her eyes are wide open. Her lips parted as if to speak. Her dead body frozen in the ice…She is not the only one. When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation. The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have a perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in the water around London. What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding? As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was familiar with the Robert Bryndza's chick lit books while being a part of This Chick Reads team. When I heard that he wrote a crime book, I assumed it was chick lit cozy mystery story. I never expected The Girl In The Ice! And after finishing the book, all I can say is WOW!

The story starts with the death of a young and very beautiful woman. Her body is found under the ice of the frozen lake in the park, tied, vandalized. The case is not treated like the rest. Andrea is the daughter of very rich and influent businessman. The whole murder case is covered by the press and the phone calls from influential people. Andrea is known as a girl who liked parties and liked to have fun, all the time, like most of the rich girls her age. But what was she doing in that part of the city? Who wanted her dead?

Book Review: River Road by Carol Goodman

Nan Lewis—a creative writing professor at a state university in upstate New York—is driving home from a faculty holiday party after finding out she’s been denied tenure. On her way, she hits a deer, but when she gets out of her car to look for it, the deer is nowhere to be found. Eager to get home and out of the oncoming snowstorm, Nan is forced to leave her car at the bottom of her snowy driveway to wait out the longest night of the year—and the lowest point of her life… The next morning, Nan is woken up by a police officer at her door with terrible news—one of her students, Leia Dawson, was killed in a hit-and-run on River Road the night before. And because of the damage to her car, Nan is a suspect. In the days following the accident, Nan finds herself shunned by the same community that rallied around her when her own daughter was killed in an eerily similar accident six years prior. When Nan begins finding disturbing tokens that recall the death of Nan’s own daughter, Nan suspects that the two accidents are connected. As she begins to dig further, she discovers that everyone around her, including Leia, is hiding secrets. But can she uncover them, clear her name, and figure out who really killed Leia before her reputation is destroyed for good?

* Copy provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review. *

„She hates that road. It took her daughter away. That blind curve is taking her life again, and again.“

Nan is a professor at the university, she teaches creative writing. After a party at the college, she goes home by car, slightly drunk. Driving in the dark, she hits a deer. She sees a deer. When she walks out of the car, the deer is nowhere to be found. She goes into the wood to look for it. Drunk and overwhelmed with the painful memories on her own, she falls asleep under a tree. After a while, she wakes up and goes home. Next morning, she finds out that one of her students died that night in a hit-and-run accident. It can't be her! She hit a deer, for God's sake! But it was dark, and she has been drinking. Nan can not be sure of anything.