Tropical Delusions……

It’s a chilly October evening in Black Harbor, Wisconsin and the long-awaited school play featuring Rowan & Axel Winthorp’s daughter, Chloe, is starting. Chloe was so excited to receive the lead in the Beetlejuice production, even going so far as to adopt a gothic persona, brooding, wearing dark clothes, using black hair dye, and even wearing safety pins as earrings. Rowan misses her sunny, pleasant child, but Chloe assures her she is just method acting to prepare for her performance. 

Midway through the production, Rowan, the local Medical Examiner & Axel, a Detective on the local police force, are called to a murder scene. They say their goodbyes to their weepy daughter, who is understandably upset and says so, and head to the scene, where they find the body of Madison Caldwell – a close friend of Chloe’s – by the river’s edge, the obvious victim of a homicide.  

When the death assessment is complete, Rowen heads home and quickly realizes that Chloe is not there. Other than her bedroom window being left open, there’s no sign of her daughter anywhere – and Rowan fears a similar fate may have befallen Chloe. Initial searches turn up nothing, but as they dig deeper into Madison’s background, they learn that the girls have had a bit of a falling out. Rumors abound about Chloe having a relationship with her drama teacher, and Madison had been taunting her, out of jealousy for Chloe’s being given the pay lead. 

When a second teen turns up dead, also accused of targeting Chloe, the investigation begins to take a hard look at Chloe as a potential suspect, while Rowan, convinced that karma has come to collect for a past misdeed, is afraid Chloe is also a victim. As the couple struggles with this divergent thinking and misunderstanding, they drift apart, only united in their desire to find their daughter. 

For the reader, everyone seems suspect as the storyline unfolds, as told from the perspectives of Rowen, Axel & teenaged neighbor, Libby. Slowly, through each point of view, the reader gleans insight into each character, as pieces of their personalities & past experiences are slowly revealed. I found the novel to be more than a bit dark – and sad – with as much an exploration into the human psyche as a police procedural – but a good, solid story and a somewhat satisfying ending, despite the gloom and doom of Black Harbor. 

This was my first Black Harbor novel, and from what I understand, the third in a series. I am most definitely intrigued, and will back read the first two novels to get a better sense of Rowan and her family, but I found this good as a standalone as well. 

Available October 31st, from your favorite bookseller! 

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

Mercy Carr and her canine companion Elvis return for another unforgettable adventure!  

It’s late fall in Vermont, and newly married Mercy & Troy are busily looking for a larger home to house their growing family, when Mercy learns that Grackle Tree Farm is going on the market. Once the home of a poet Euphenia Whitney-Jones, young Mercy and her then teen-aged friends were obsessed with the property and the potential “Ghost Witch of Grackle Tree’, an entity featured in the works of the poet.  Despite long lived rumors of the house being haunted, Mercy is ecstatic at the thought of making the estate her home. 

Mercy and Elvis head over to look at the home and run into Adah & Levi Beecher, long term caretakers of the old property.  Mercy is certain they haven’t met, but Levi remembers her from a past encounter – and the duo assure her that this will be the perfect home for them.   When Troy, Susie Bear and the realtor arrive, they go to tour the house – where Elvis and Susie Bear promptly alert to a body upstairs in the library of the old home, sprawled out on the floor; the only untoward sign being a dark fluid staining his teeth and face. Was this a suicide – or murder?  

As they await the arrival of authorities, Mercy does her own sleuthing, finding her first clue that something is amiss at the old homestead. As she and Troy dig into the sad past of the long-deceased poet, they learn of a lifelong rift between Euphenia and her sister Maude over a man.  An impromptu visit from her great uncle reveals more elements of the story – and the potential for there to be untold literary treasures perhaps secreted somewhere at the old estate…. But while Mercy searches for answers, others will do anything to keep them quiet… 

This was another great installment into an already fabulous series and a perfect read for the upcoming Halloween series!!  Love, LOVE Mercy & Elvis!!  Do yourself a favor and give this series a try!! 

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

I was SO excited to see another Tracey Crosswhite novel and I could not wait to get my hands on it! Needless to say, it did NOT disappoint!

Cold case Detective Tracey Crosswhite is just settling into her office after a vacation weekend, when she receives a summons to see the Chief.  The Seattle Times is reportedly getting ready to release a series of articles on the Route 99 serial killer – a killer who terrorized the Seattle area some 25 years ago, claiming 13 victims, before mysteriously disappearing, never to be identified. The leader of the task force at that time was none other than her nemesis, Johnny Nolasco. Now, ordered to work the case as the Chief looks for damage control, Tracey must set aside her dislike for Captain Nolasco, as she attempts to acquaint herself with the case.  Nolasco is none too eager to work with Tracey either, as he grudgingly makes contact and begins to share details.  Tracey learns that of the 13 victims in total, 9 were marginalized women – prostitutes and others neglected by society, before the killer turned to more productive members of society. The only thing in common – the women all had the same symbol carved into their shoulder. 

As Tracey familiarizes herself with the case, she learns that the Task Force at the time had five potential suspects, none of which panned out, and one victim, a prostitute, had yielded DNA, although DNA profiling was in its infancy at the time. Being as good a place to start as any, Tracey works on getting the DNA run. When the DNA comes back with a match, the team is elated – but Tracey isn’t so sure…  Meanwhile, she and Nolasco work with an uneasy truce, and she begins to appreciate the enormous pressure he and his team must have been under as the media ramps up the case once more. Told between then and now timeframes, the reader also gains some understanding into Nolasco’s character, the cop that he was, and his future aspirations that were dashed over this case, as he and Tracey work to unearth a stone cold killer.  

This is a great read, and pure genius on the author’s part, forcing these two characters to set aside their differences to work together! While the storyline is a bit farfetched – and I’m not sure I cared for the resolution at the end (that’ll make more sense when you get there), I loved the interplay between these two top characters and the likelihood of a truce in future endeavors – although honestly, the prior byplay between Tracy & Nolasco was a great source of amusement for this series!  I cannot wait to see how the relationship is characterized in future novels!!  A great read & love, LOVE this series!!  Thank you Netgalley!! 

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!!

Sheriff Bree Taggert and her K-9 officer w/ her dog, Greta, are attempting to serve an arrest warrant on one of the local bad boys, Travis Ekin. Upon serving the warrant on the family home, Travis’ Mom denies his presence. But, despite his best efforts to hide, K9 Deputy Greta gets her man.  As they walk him out to the waiting patrol car, Travis’ mother whispers an ominous comment meant for Bree to hear. 

Meanwhile, Bree’s best friend and roommate, Dana Romano, is gearing up for a date with Dr. Kent McFadden in a neighboring town. When she arrives at his home, she finds the front door ajar, and surprises an intruder, who knocks her down the stairs in Kent’s home, before he tries to strangle her. But Dana is no stranger to physical combat and frees herself, the intruder fleeing. She finds Kent with a gunshot wound to the chest and attempts to render aid, while she awaits the police. But who would want to kill Kent, a plastic surgeon – and why? 

After Dana is examined in the ED, and admitted with a concussion, Bree’s nephew calls to tell her there’s an intruder on the property. Bree and Matt, her investigator and significant other race to the house to ensure the safety of the kids, Dana & Kent’s assailant remains at large. With no trace of the shooter, and no other leads, suspicion turns to Dana. 

With the Ekin family vowing revenge, and intruders on Bree’s property, it soon becomes apparent that no one is safe. But who is the intruder, and why is he writing messages about dirty cops on Bree’s barn. It is the Ekin family?  Or someone else altogether?  And is it Bree they’re after…or is it Dana? 

This is another great police procedural series with a great cast of characters, and a strong female protagonist. Maybe it’s due to growing up with Nancy Drew, The Dana Girls & Trixie Belden, but I just love these series and will be waiting anxiously for the next release!  If you are a fan of Lisa Regan, Rita Herron or Kendra Elliott, you’ll love this series too! 

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