Month: July 2023

Tempe Brennan and Andrew Ryan are out on a boat in Montreal, when a freak storm complete with microburst, turns the outing into a quest for survival. After narrowly escaping injury, it comes as no surprise to Tempe that a drowning victim, possibly the victim of a lightning strike has been found in the river, with Tempe assigned to investigate.  As she gets the deceased back to her lab, initial attempts to identify the victim are next to impossible due to its condition, so DNA will be sent. As they examine the body, they discover a small tattoo on an upper arm. Images uploaded to an FBI Database link the tattoo to the Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI). 

A call to the TCI Police identifies the tattoo as a gang insignia and much to Tempe’s surprise, the Detective insists on coming to Montreal. Meanwhile a full autopsy identifies a gunshot wound…and an ID is made by the investigating team.  When Detective Musgrove arrives, she tells Temps she is not here for the body – but tells a compelling tale about vanishing US tourists, with two skeletonized bodies recently located – and invites Tempe to TCI to assist. 

Intrigued, Tempe heads to the Islands, and just as the plane is landing, Detective Musgrove tells her of another new finding, a boat adrift, the small crew dead, including a child – would she be willing to help?  Upon reaching the scene Tempe, expecting a boat full of migrants, is startled to see a late model, high tech boat, known to have all the bells and whistles – so why is the crew dead?  

As Tempe assists with these victims and those of the tourists, another shocking murder takes place, leaving Tempe embroiled in something bigger and dangerous than she ever could have imagined…  

Fabulous series, great read! Kathy Reichs is at the top of her game, yet just gets better and better!!!  

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

This was a new author for me, and the 4^th novel of the Natalie Lockhart series, but the premise of the book sounded good, so I thought I would give it a try – and I am very glad I did!  

It’s a chilly March day in Burning Lake, NY and Detective Natalie Lockhart is visiting fellow Detective Luke Pittman in the ICU of the local hospital – where he remains in a coma after being assaulted and thrown down a ravine by a fellow cop in the prior novel. (Side note: the book is certainly satisfying as a stand-alone and explanations of prior events brings the reader somewhat up to speed, but I think I’ll be reading the earlier releases as well for the full story.) The news from the ICU is good.  Luke’s coma scores are improving – even if they are used incorrectly here (I laughed a little and a GCS of 15 while he is still unconscious – hopefully that’s fixed before publication -11 or 12 is more appropriate) – and doctors are optimistic that he’ll recover.  As his girlfriend arrives, Natalie steps away to give them privacy, she shortly receives the call – a body has been found at a local Halloween warehouse – and she heads to the scene. 

Upon Natalie’s arrival, the first responders give her a quick rundown – the victim is a 64 year old employee of the store, and was found dead by a co-worker. The scene clearly indicates murder, so Natalie quickly gets to work.  After finishing up at the crime scene, she heads to the victim’s home, where she quickly discovers more questions than answers – insect pinning boards, a bin of journals – and apparently, the lair of a (former) serial killer. The forensic team is called in to assist. 

As Natalie and her crew work the scene, she gets a call that Luke has awakened (now THIS is a GCS score of 15) and he is asking for her. A quick visit reveals him to be alert, mentally intact, and amazingly he is able to be discharged and be back at his desk at the PD in a couple of days.  As Natalie brings him up to speed on all she’s discovered, her thoughts turn to her best friend Bella – she disappeared on their high school graduation night, never to be seen again.  Could she have been a victim of this killer?  Who are the Shadow Girls described in the kill journals Natalie found?  Who killed Veronica, the Wiccan Priestess (a carryover from the prior book in the series)?  Are these separate incidents – or are they all tied together somehow? Natalie is also second-guessing her ongoing relationship with Hunter, her over-zealous and perhaps obsessed boyfriend, who perhaps has secrets of his own…

Lots to unpack in this novel – it was a good, fast-paced read, with plenty of action and suspense, a satisfying ending – and it appears lots of answers to storylines left dangling in prior novels.  So,  I am hoping that this series continues, as I enjoyed the premise and the characters. If the author heads in a different direction going forward, I will for sure give her another try!

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

It’s been a month since Chad Ferguson, Katie Scotts fiancé, disappeared overnight from a cabin they were sharing for a romantic weekend getaway.  Katie, on leave from her department, has received no recent news from the agency investigating Chad’s disappearance.  Aside from the trace findings of doxylamine, and an injection site in the cork of a bottle of wine they shared, there seem to be no new leads, leaving her despondent and heartbroken. 

Meanwhile, Katie’s partner McGaven has caught a murder case and the staging of the scene is eerily similar to that of convicted murderer Holden, who remains incarcerated, but steadfast in his claims of innocence.  Desperate for Katie’s assistance, he calls on an old friend of hers to pay her a visit – her old Army Sergeant, Nick, whom she considers family. As Katie slowly opens up to him, she shares what little she has on Chad’s disappearance. 

The next day, she takes a hike to meet her Uncle, the Department Sheriff – quickly realizing he’s lead her to a recent murder scene. Something in Katie’s memory stirs – it’s very familiar to her somehow, reminiscent of an old scene…but that murderer is in jail. But being on a fresh scene gets Katie’s mind working – and she realizes it’s time to return to work.  She also learns that the killer has been leaving articles from her prior cases – including a case Chad had been involved with…

As Katie gets back into Detective mode, it becomes more and more apparent that this new case may be connected somehow to Chad’s disappearance. As new clues make themselves known, Katie’s team works around the clock searching for answers, nearly losing their own lives in the process…yet, a solution remains elusive. It will take all hands on deck to bring down this killer, but will they find the answer Katie so desperately seeks? 

This book takes off like a rocket and does not let up! Plenty of danger, drama & suspense will keep you turning the pages well into the night, but I feel like (aside from the obvious – you;ll see what I mean) there remained a lot of unanswered questions at the end –  we learn some – but not all – of the killers motivation, unless I missed it, so I am presuming it’s all part of the cliffhanger that will keep us all waiting anxiously for the next book in the series!!  But I hate the waiting!!!  This can be read as a standalone, but I think some of the backstory from earlier novels may help a bit in unpacking this one!!  Another home run for Jennifer Chase!!  

Available tomorrow, July 17th, from your favorite bookseller!

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

Ziko Slade, former tennis player and superstar sits behind bars for the murder of Lenny Lerman – a murder some don’t think he committed. The evidence is damning, the case apparently airtight…but did he really do it? 

It’s late fall and winter is in the air in the Catskills of New York as Retired Detective Dave Gurney and his wife Madeline complete the days’ work on their outdoor patio and prepare for their dinner guest, Emma Martin, to arrive.  She is coming to ask a favor of Dave. Will he look into the murder case of a person that may be innocent? Emma, his therapist, certainly thinks he is.

Mildly intrigued, Dave agrees to review the trial videos and see if anything seems amiss. At first, it seems like a slam duck case.  The deceased was found on his property, the DNA linking him to the scene is irrefutable. A journal left behind by the victim details a planned attempt to blackmail Ziko – to the tune of a million dollars – for some salacious information to remain private. But was the case too much of a slam dunk? A visit to prison to visit the convicted murderer has Dave curious.

As Dave starts to do some digging, he enlists the help of his old buddy, Jack Hardwick,  it quickly becomes apparent that some do not appreciate his interference, including the prosecuting attorney, Cam Stryker, and closer to home, his wife Maddie. As Dave continues digging, he begins to realize there’s much more to this case than meets the eye – and when an anonymous meeting ends in a car accident and a possible murder charge for Dave, he must hide from the authorities and find answers – fast…

This is another great read from John Verdon, although the ending left me a bit unsettled – a few things are in limbo, for which I now must anxiously await the next in the series. There’s more character development, with glimpses into Dave & Maddie’s personal life – which, to me anyway, has always seemed fraught with friction. I often wonder why the couple remains together – and as of the last page of this novel is turned – I wonder if they’ll overcome the distance between them.  Easily read as a standalone, but the series is well worth the read!! 

I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & C0unterpoint Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!