Tropical Delusions……

Paradox – Catherine Coulter

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

Savich and Sherlock are back again, as they investigate the murder of one of their own.

In the wee hours of the morning, Sherlock awakens, feeling that something is not right. As she checks on her young son Sean, she finds someone standing over his bed with a knife.  Gun in hand, she protects her son, but the would-be kidnapper dives out the window and escapes.

Meanwhile in Maryland, a police chief is sipping her morning coffee, and witnesses a murder out on the lake in front of her. She hollers, but by the time she is able to summon help, there is no trace of the killer. The body is retrieved and identified as a criminal defense lawyer who was well known to FBI team members – but other skeletal remains are also found on the lake bottom.

Savich and Sherlock are summoned to assist with the investigation, and in a timely fashion, their suspect is identified – a young man whom the murder victim had defended, who has recently escaped from prison. As Savich and Sherlock attempt to protect their son and to catch a killer, other small mysteries are revealed. Who killed Mr. Henry years ago, and what was the significance of his belt buckle? Who would want to hurt Gunny, and what could she possibly know?

This book races to a stunning conclusion as all these questions and more are answered with twists and turns you may not see coming! A must read for Coulter fans, and a great book overall!!

Her Mother’s Grave – Lisa Regan

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

Josie Quinn is the acting chief for the small police department of Denton, PA. Having recently arrested and jailed a drug dealer, once thought to be a pillar of the community, she has had her hands full with petty nuisances and bogus ‘Craigs List’ ads, presumed to be a result of the high profile arrest. While dealing with one such problem, she receives a call of human remains found in the rear of a local trailer park, which catapults her headfirst back into a life she thought she’d left behind.

As a kid, Josie had grown up in the trailer park, the only child of a cruel and sadistic mother. When the unearthed body is identified as a teenaged Belinda Rose, Josie realizes that the death has even greater implications than first thought – as Belinda Rose was also her mother’s name. So why did the real Belinda Rose die, and who was Josie’s mother before she assumed that identity?

As the investigation mounts, Josie is forced to revisit her childhood and painful experiences that she would rather leave buried. Told in snippets of Josie’s past and present, we learn that nothing is as it seems and, as sometimes the past returns with a vengeance – and nothing will ever be the same…

This was my first exposure to the works of Lisa Regan and it absolutely will not be my last. Full of twists and turns, along with complex relationships, this is everything you could want in a police procedural. I love Josie Quinn and cannot wait to read the rest of the books in the series!! Great read!!

Stay Hidden – Paul Doiron

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

Mike Bowditch is a member of the Maine Warden Service and has been recently promoted to investigator in the Bangor office. While the majority of the team is out investigating a hunting accident, Mike fields a call for yet another hunting mishap – a young woman has reportedly been shot dead on a remote Maine island, and the hunter is in custody. When Mike arrives to investigate the shooting, he learns that the alleged shooter denies the incident, but admits to finding her on the ground, leaving the investigation wide open for Mike. Was it really a hunting accident? Or something much more sinister?

Anyone who’s ever spent time in rural Maine knows how secretive and protective of another that Mainers can be. As Mike attempts to get to the bottom of the incident, he finds himself thwarted at every turn – even by the island’s constable himself. Then, out of the blue, the victim’s sister arrives, stunning the islanders with her resemblance to her sister – and she starts looking for her own answers…

I very much enjoyed this book, the characters, and the multi-dimensional aspect of their lives. Mike Bowditch is a strong, solid character and I look forward to seeing him in future novels spent quite a few years living in central Maine, so reading of places I was familiar with made this book extra special for me. A fabulous read, and a must for mystery/crime/thriller fans!!

Feared – Lisa Scottoline

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

Bennie, Mary & Judy are back as the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm finds themselves under fire…

A warm celebration of Mary’s impending motherhood is being celebrated within the walls of the law offices, when a messenger arrives with packages for each of the female members of the team. As the courier departs he tells them that they’ve been served. In the midst of preparing for an anti-trust trial, the team is astounded to discover that they are being sued for reverse sex discrimination. Additionally, they learn that the suit is being brought against them by Mary’s nemesis, Nick Machiavelli, and that comments made by their lone male attorney, John Foxman, may be partially to blame.

Shortly thereafter, John Foxman leaves the firm and the group is subjected to a plethora of bad press, interviews, and news write ups designed to discredit the agency. As Bennie and her team prepare to fight back, they hire their own attorney – and begin their own investigation. But then, a death occurs – and Bennie’s own team becomes suspect…

As always, a fabulous read by Lisa Scottoline! Full of the characters, legalese and prose you’ve come to love, this book does not disappoint!! I couldn’t put it down!!