Month: August 2022

Other Birds ~ Sarah Addison Allen

Zoey Hennessey and her faithful companion bird, Pigeon (whom only she can see), are on their way from Tulsa, OK to Mallow Island, South Carolina. Zoey has plans to start school in Charleston and has made the decision to move into her deceased mother’s condominium in a small building called the Dellawisp. Named for the tiny colorful birds that inhabit this island, the small building is tucked away in a quiet area, and upon seeing it for the first time, Zoey can’t help but feel a rush of happiness. 

As she settles in with the help of the Dellawisp’s old caretaker, Frazier, she is curious about her new neighbors. She first encounters Lisbeth Lime, an eccentric middle-aged woman who tells Zoey in no uncertain terms that she wants quiet, as she searches for a story she’s lost. Then there’s Charlotte, a young artist who paints henna tattoos, Mac, who is a chef & finally Lucy Lime, Lizbeth’s sister, who never ventures out of her condo. Intrigued by this cast of characters, Zoey settles in and begins to meet the group.  

Each of the have their sorrows, their history,  their regrets and their dreams and as relationships begin to grow, we learn more about these various individuals and how they came to be at the Dellawisp – with the occasional interjection by some ghosts who have stayed nearby to see some  stories finished. This is a poor description for an absolutely wonderful book, filled with moments of loneliness, despair, hope – but mostly love – with just the right touch of magic! 

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Msrtin’s Press in exchange for an objective review.  Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

The Last Lie Told – Debra Webb

This novel opens with a jailhouse meeting. Convicted killer Charlie Holmes, after 5 years of imprisonment for a murder he had confessed to, has decided to recant his confession, telling his attorney that it’s time the world knew the truth…

Finley O’Sullivan is an attorney, presently working as a private investigator for family friend and godfather, Jack Finnegan. A widow, after a home invasion killed her husband Derrick and left her for dead, she is determined to bring the killers to justice, in her own time and in her own way. Having just been interrogated by the local police as a witness in a convenience store robbery that went bad, she heads over to Jack’s office only to learn that no one has heard from him. Knowing of Jack’s many haunts, she heads out to find him, in hopes that he, a recovering alcoholic, hasn’t fallen off the proverbial wagon. 

She discovers Jack at his wooded cabin, sober and sleeping, and upon getting him up and moving, he tells her he has a job for her. Sophia Legard has hired him to represent her twin daughters, Olivia & Cecilia. Now that Charlie Holmes has recanted his confession of killing her husband, Sophie fears that suspicion will fall upon their children.  Jack, knowing well of Finley’s abilities to detect truth from lie, asks her to investigate the twins, their backgrounds and their recollections of the events surrounding their fathers death. 

As Finley begins digging and meets with both girls, she quickly realizes that stories don’t add up. Olivia has long since left the area, living in California, while Cecilia remains home with her mother due to agoraphobia and doesn’t ever leave the house. Both girls refuse to be in the same room together, and both are quick to lay blame on the other, each claiming the other is out to get them. But something is way off with this family…. Was this a case of patricide, or something much more sinister? 

I very much enjoyed this novel – as I do all of Debra Webb’s work – and with the unanswered questions that abound, I am presuming this is the first novel in another trilogy.  Some of my many unanswered questions are seemingly insignificant, like the college roommates that were seemingly mis-documented, and the manner of death of one of the key characters still seems strange. What is with Finley’s mother, her disdain for her own daughter – and her estrangement from Jack? The big questions are clearly part of an upcoming novel, which won’t be released until March (Yep, I’ve already checked!), so the reader is left hanging a bit…   But, nonetheless, an action filled, suspenseful who-dun-it that will leave you anxious for the next!! 

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

What She Found – Robert Dugoni

Detective Tracy Crosswhite is working cold cases now and takes a call from a woman that piques her interest. Many years ago, a young investigative reporter Lisa Childress, left her husband and young daughter to meet with an informant, and was never seen again. Despite a lengthy investigation, with Lisa’s husband being the prime suspect, not trace of the woman was ever found. Anita, her daughter, has never stopped looking for answers and hopes that Tracy can help discover what happened all those years ago. 

With little to go on other than some personal notes & published works of Lisa’s that Anita provides, Tracy begins the painstaking work of trying to piece together the storylines that Lisa was working on the night she disappeared, including pieces on political corruption, drug trafficking, as well as the infamous Route 99 serial killer. A visit to the flamboyant detective who originally investigated her disappearance doesn’t yield much new information – the main focus at the time was on Lisa’s husband, who was then vilified by the press and doesn’t not want a repeat of those baseless accusations. 

As Tracy starts digging deeper, she realizes that one of her old partners may know more than he’s willing to share – and as some of the Lisa’s seemingly separate investigations begin to overlap, a stunning discovery leaves Tracy with even more questions, and hopefully some long-awaited answers.  Yet, there are those – from past and present – who will do anything to keep old secrets safely in the past…

I LOVE this series and am overjoyed to see Tracy return to the pages once more. Smart, sassy and determined to deliver the truth, no matter the consequences, Tracy is a hero for anyone who loves a good, action-packed, who-dun-it. A fabulous must-read series!

Available from your favorite bookseller on August 23rd!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley along with Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an objective review.  Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Overkill – Sandra Brown

It’s a beautiful day in the tropics and Zach Bridger, former NFL star, is sipping a beer by the pool in the morning hours, when the bartender calls him over to the television. There on screen is a picture of his ex-wife Rebecca Pratt, whom he hasn’t seen in the years since their divorce. Then the screen changes and he learns that Rebecca was found unresponsive and is being treated at the hospital. Then, his phone rings.

Twelve hours later, Zach arrives in Atlanta to a mob of reporters. Pushing through them, he heads to the fourth floor where he is shocked to learn that not only has Rebecca been greviously injured, but that she maintained documents naming him as her health care surrogate, much to his dismay and her parent’s disbelief. As Rebecca slips into an irreversible vegetative state, Zach finds himself unwilling to make decisions against her parents’ wishes – and leaves with the understanding that they will file for conservatorship.

Fast forward four years later, and Zach is enjoying a quiet life on his North Carolina property, when he receives a visit from Kate Lennon from the District Attorney’s office. Kate again presents him with the irrefutable proof of his legal healthcare proxy, along with a stunning announcement. Rebecca’s assailant, Eben Clark, is being released from prison. Were Rebecca to die, he could be re-charged – this time for murder. And Eban, very aware that his freedom remains in jeopardy, is willing to do anything to secure it – no matter what it takes…

I’ve been reading Sandra Brown’s work for 40 years or so, and she is at the top of her game! Like all of her work, this was a fabulous read centered around a very intriguing situation! The perfect blend of suspense, mayhem and romance made for a wonderful read indeed. I couldn’t put it down!

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!