Month: February 2019

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.
I have long been a fan of Lisa Gardner and the DD Warren series, so I was ecstatic to see this new book – I was quite surprised to see it was a novella – I had been hoping for a full length DD Warren special, but this who-dun-it, was still a lot of fun to read!

It starts off when a man stops by the police station to report his own murder, because he was convinced he was dead. Despite DD and the other Detectives explaining to him that he was very much alive, he remained insistent that this was not the case. After a bit of research, he was released into the care of his family. Then a couple of hours later, they receive a call from the patient’s wife, as her husband has been found dead in bed – with a knife in his back.

A man of family wealth, the victim had been ensconsed in a large home with several caretakers also on the premises, including the chef, the manservant, the gardener, the maid, the driver, and the doctor, along with the victim’s wife. As DD interviews each individual, each story is the same, the victim was generous, respected and loved by his staff. But some inconsistencies come to light…and DD must use her wits to determine who the killer really is…

A quick read from a fabulous author!! Highly recommend!! I can’t wait for more short stories (and long) in the DD Warren series!!

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

It’s November in the town of Deep River, VA, and a group of men are preparing to tear down an old barn. As they work, a piece of the loft breaks, and a backpack comes spilling out of an old chute, accompanied by some bones, which they quickly realize are human.

Sheriff Mike Nevada is called to the scene. A retired FBI agent, he pursued the elected sheriff’s position as a protest against some mismanagement of evidence, never expecting to win. And now, they may be closer to solving a 15-year-old mystery – the disappearance of then teenager Tobi Turner, who was last seen in 2004.

Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent Macy Crow, returning to active duty after a hit and run accident that had almost took her life, is hoping to be assigned to an elite violent crimes squad. When interviewing with the team leader, he offers her a chance to join his team – but first she is sent to Deep Water, VA to assist Sheriff Nevada in the Tobi Turner investigation. And she’s also intrigued by another teen who went missing about the same time, who by all accounts, ran away.

As Macy & Nevada work the case, it becomes increasingly clear that they are searching for a serial rapist turned murderer. As the investigation heats up, a new body is found, and VICAP identifies several other related cases. Was this the work of a stranger passing through – or is the perpetrator close by and planning to kill again??

This is the second book by Mary Burton that I’ve read recently, and I have LOVED them both. Great characters, great chemistry, and a great storyline that will keep you reading well into the night. I could not put this one down!! Awesome characters! I hope Macy & Nevada stick around for a while. I’d love to see a series!!

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Abi Knight is sound asleep in her bed when she’s awakened by an early morning phone call summoning her to the hospital, as her Olivia has been in an accident. Stumbling to Olivia’s room, Abi opens the door to find her bed empty – and reality comes crashing in. Upon arriving at the hospital, Abi learns that Olivia was found at the base of the local Zig Zag bridge, and has sustained a severe closed head injury, leaving her with a critical brain injury, despite emergency surgery and life support. But the doctor is not done. Olivia, Abi learns, is pregnant as well. As a result, by law, she must remain on life support until the baby can be safely delivered.

When she’s able to see her daughter, Abi sees bruising on her wrist, and a bracelet she always worn is missing, making Abi certain that someone has harmed her daughter. Despite Abi’s concerns, the police consider her injuries accidental, leaving Abi to search for answers on her own.

Told from the perspectives of both Olivia and Abi, the story reverts to the events of months prior, inviting the reader to partake in the active life of Olivia – an average teenager who thinks her mom is overprotective, and wonders why her birth father’s identity is such a secret. You’ll meet her best friend Madison, her football star boyfriend Tyler, and you’ll meet Kendall – a young woman who looks amazingly like Olivia – and explore that relationship with her.

Meanwhile, you’ll grieve with Abi as she tries to bring the last few months of her daughter’s life into focus in an effort to understand what happened that night. Each player invites your suspicion as to their role in Olivia’s fall and injuries, and you’ll be changing your mind with each page you turn. But, mostly, you’ll cry – or at least I did – as Abi searches for answers, and deals with the heartbreak of the imminent loss of her only child…

This was a great first novel by Ms. McDonald that will stay in your mind and heart well after the last page is turned, and have you wondering (as I am), just how well you know your child? A poignant, heartfelt read – not to be missed!!

I was fortunate to receive this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an objective review.

Eleanor ‘Daisy’ Dawson is a recovering alcoholic, who fights the demons of her past on a daily basis. With the help of her best friend Trish and her therapy dog Brutus, she maintains her sobriety one day at a time. Working presently as a radio personality on a busy morning show, she keeps herself busy, particularly with the local animal shelter’s adoption program.

While walking home one evening, she is unexpectedly attacked and pulled into an alley. She fends off her attacker, but not before he says some things to her, leading her to believe he’s taken other women. And then she realizes she holds a locket in her hand – a locket that she must have pulled off her attacker’s neck in the scuffle. Sacramento PD Detective Rafe Sokolov, Daisy’s friend and landlord, is called to the scene.

FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds has his own demons to fight. Escaping from the Church of Second Eden, an abusive, cult-like society when he was 13, he continues to search for the group’s location, as an adult. Then he receives a call from his close friend Rafe, who explains to him about Daisy’s attack and the locket she grabbed – almost identical to a tattoo Gideon once had on his chest. Gideon joins the group as the police interview Daisy, and its instant attraction for both of them.

As the investigation heats up, the FBI allows Gideon to re-open the investigation into the cult, while he provides protection of sorts for Daisy, concerned her attacker may try again. A second victim is discovered, with evidence that links to many other homicide victims, and the search for a killer commences…but the killer has set his sights on Daisy and Gideon…

I have been a fan of Karen Rose for years, and she has outdone herself with this novel! A fantastic police-procedural with all of the mystery, drama, and edge-of-your-seat suspense you could ask for, with a little romance thrown in as well. I could NOT put it down!! I’m hoping for more of Gideon & Daisy in future novels!! Awesome!! One of the best books I’ve read in a while!!