Review: Walking the Bones by Randall Silvis

Title: Walking the Bones Author: Randall Silvis Series: Ryan DeMarco Mystery, #2 Published: January 2018, Sourcebooks Landmark Format: ARC E-book, 464 pages Source: Netgalley Summary:  When long-buried secrets come back to the surface…The bones of seven young girls, picked clean and carefully preserved, discovered years ago… that’s all Sergeant Ryan DeMarco knows about the unsolved crime he has unwittingly been roped into investigating during what is supposed to be a…

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#WRC2018 Book Spotlight: Match Made in Manhattan by Amanda Stauffer

Title: Match Made in Manhattan Author: Amanda Stauffer Published: January 2018, Skyhorse Publishing Format: Paperback, 320 pages Summary:  After two intense, dead-end relationships, serial monogamist Alison finds herself confused, lonely, and drastically out of touch with the world of modern dating. Refusing to wallow, she signs up for a popular dating app and resolves to remain open-minded and optimistic as she explores the New York City singles’ scene. With the…

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Review: Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan

Title: Anatomy of a Scandal Author: Sarah Vaughan Published: January 2018, Atria/Emily Bestler Books Format: ARC Paperback, 400 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  Sophie’s husband James is a loving father, a handsome man, a charismatic and successful public figure. And yet he stands accused of a terrible crime. Sophie is convinced he is innocent and desperate to protect her precious family from the lies that threaten to rip them apart. Kate…

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Reading Goals/Challenges 2018

This year, I have decided not to partake in the many reading challenges I have in the past. The reason for this being that I rarely, if ever, end up linking my reviews to these challenges, nor participate in any of the other activities they may have. I have been using those challenges mainly as a way of tracking what I have been reading – How Many Books I’ve Read,…

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Short & Sweet Review: Hardcore Twenty-Four by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Title: Hardcore Twenty-Four Author: Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #24 Narrator: Lorelei King Published: November 2017, Random House Audio Length: 6 hours 8 minutes Source: Library Summary:  Janet Evanovich’s #1 New York Times bestselling sensation Stephanie Plum returns in her twenty-fourth thriller as mutilated corpses litter the streets of New Jersey…Trouble comes in bunches for Stephanie Plum. First, professional grave robber and semi-professional loon, Simon Diggery, won’t let her take…

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Here We Lie by Paula Treick DeBoard (Giveaway Closed)

In a little over a week, Paula Treick DeBoard’s latest novel, Here We Lie, comes out, and I’m pleased to offer you, my readers, a chance to win a copy! I’ve already read the book – it’s amazing!!! – and will be posting my review on publication day (January 30). You can see what others have to say below and then be sure to enter the giveaway below!!! Title: Here…

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Blog Tour & Review: The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley (audio)

Title: The Pearl Sister Author: Lucinda Riley Series: The Seven Sisters, #4 Narrator: Stephanie Racine, Rehanna MacDonald Published: November 2017, Whole Story Audiobooks / January 2018, Atria Books Length: 19 hours 54 minutes / 528 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC E-copy via Netgalley via Publisher Summary:  From the breathtaking beaches of Thailand to the barely tamed wilds of colonial Australia, The Pearl Sister…

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Review: The English Wife by Lauren Willig (audio)

Title: The English Wife Author: Lauren Willig Narrator: Barrie Kreinik Published: January 2018, MacMillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press Length: 14 hours 52 minutes / 384 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC Paperback via Publisher Summary:  From the New York Times bestselling author, Lauren Willig, comes this scandalous New York Gilded Age novel full of family secrets, affairs, and even murder.Annabelle and Bayard Van…

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Review: Just Between Us by Rebecca Drake

Title: Just Between Us Author: Rebecca Drake Published: January 2018, St. Martin’s Griffin Format: Paperback, 384 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  Four suburban mothers and friends conspire to cover up a deadly crime in this heart-stopping novel of suspense in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and Lisa Unger. Alison, Julie, Sarah, Heather. Four friends living the suburban ideal. Their jobs are steady, their kids are healthy. They’re as beautiful as their…

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Short & Sweet Review: Private L.A. by James Patterson

Title: Private L.A. Author: James Patterson Series: Private #6 Published: February 2014, Little, Brown & Company Format: Hardcover, 425 pages Source: Personal copy Summary:  Private Jack Morgan investigates the disappearance of the biggest superstar couple in Hollywood. Thom and Jennifer Harlow are the perfect couple, with three perfect children. They maybe two of the biggest mega movie stars in the world, but they’re also great parents, philanthropists and just all-around…

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Review: A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis (audio)

Title: A Map of the Dark Author: Karen Ellis Series: The Searchers, #1 Narrator: Lisa Flanagan Published: January 2018, Hachette Audio Length: 7 hours 6 minutes Source: Publisher Summary:  A girl, missing A woman, searching A killer, planning… A thrilling new FBI series for fans of Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter. FBI Agent Elsa Myers finds missing people. She knows how it feels to be lost… Though her father lies…

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Review & Giveaway: Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins (audio)

Title: Now That You Mention It Author: Kristan Higgins Narrator: Xe Sands Published: December 2017, Recorded Books / HQN Length: 11 hours 6 minutes / 384 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC Paperback via Publisher Summary:  One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit…

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Review: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

Title: The Immortalists Author: Chloe Benjamin Published: January 2018, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  If you were told the date of your death, how would it shape your present? It’s 1969 in New York City’s Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will…

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Review: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Title: The Wife Between Us Author: Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen Published: January 2018, St. Martin’s Press Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  A novel of suspense that explores the complexities of marriage and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love. When you read this book, you will make many assumptions. You will assume you are reading about a jealous wife and her obsession with…

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Review: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Title: The Woman in the Window Author: A.J. Finn Published: January 2018, William Morrow Format: ARC Paperback, 448 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  What did she see? It’s been ten long months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house like a ghost, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside. Anna’s lifeline to the real…

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Review: The Stolen Angel by Sara Blaedel

Title: The Stolen Angel Author: Sara Blaedel Series: Louise Rick, #6 / The Camilla Trilogy, #3 Published: January 2018, Grand Central Publishing Format: ARC Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  #1 internationally bestselling author Sara Blaedel returns with a captivating new suspense novel: Detective Louise Rick encounters her most troubling case yet as she goes up against an extremely wealthy-but psychologically twisted-sociopath targeting vulnerable young women. THE STOLEN ANGEL When…

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Review: The Running Girl by Sara Blaedel

Title: The Running Girl Author: Sara Blaedel Series: Louise Rick, #5 / The Camilla Trilogy, #2 Published: January 2018, Grand Central Publishing Format: ARC Paperback, 448 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  #1 internationally bestselling author Sara Blaedel is back with a powerful and twist-filled new suspense novel featuring detective Louise Rick. THE RUNNING GIRL Louise gets a call from her son, Jonas. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: A school party has…

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Review: The Night Women by Sara Blaedel

Title: The Night Women Author: Sara Blaedel Series: Louise Rick, #4 / The Camilla Trilogy #1 Published: January 2018, Grand Central Publishing Format: ARC Paperback, 432 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  #1 internationally bestselling author Sara Blaedel delivers an electrifying, page-turning new novel in which detective Louise Rick confronts a case that will change her life forever. THE NIGHT WOMEN A journey to a new life or a prison of despair…

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First Book of the Year 2018

Each year, Sheila over at Book Journey makes a big deal over what the first book she’ll read will be for the new year and once again she’s asked us to join her. I have joined in for the last 3 years and it’s always a lot of fun seeing what book everyone selects. Be sure to stop by Sheila’s post to see the collage she makes of everyone participating!…

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Month in Review: December 2017

How is it that we are not only at the end of December already, but also at the end of 2017??? This year has flown by!!! This month ended up being busier than I anticipated, so the blogging/reading goals I had intended on reaching didn’t quite happen – oh well. Life happens, right? Here are my reading stats for December! Books read: 16 Books I read: Cold Blood — Robert Bryndza (audio…

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Review: Killman Creek by Rachel Caine (audio)

Title: Killman Creek Author: Rachel Caine Series: Stillhouse Lake, #2 Narrator: Emily Sutton-Smith, Lauren Ezzo, Will Ropp, Dan John Miller Published: December 2017, Brilliance Audio / Thomas & Mercer Length: 11 hours 55 minutes Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC E-copy via Netgalley via Publisher Summary:  Every time Gwen closed her eyes, she saw him in her nightmares. Now her eyes are open, and he’s…

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Review: Her Last Day by T.R. Ragan (audio)

Title: Her Last Day Author: T.R. Ragan Series: Jessie Cole, #1 Narrator: Kate Rudd Published: October 2017, Brilliance Audio / Thomas & Mercer Length: 8 hours 50 minutes / 316 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC Paperback via Publisher Summary:  In this page-turner of a thriller by bestselling author T.R. Ragan, unlikely partners PI Jessie Cole and crime reporter Ben Morrison search for clues…

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Review: Keep Her Safe by Sophie Hannah

Title: Keep Her Safe Author: Sophie Hannah Published: September 2017, William Morrow Format: ARC Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  She’s the most famous murder victim in America. What if she’s not dead? Pushed to the breaking point, Cara Burrows flees her home and family and escapes to a five-star spa resort she can’t afford. Late at night, exhausted and desperate, she lets herself into her hotel room and is…

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Review: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Title: Little Fires Everywhere Author: Celeste Ng Published: September 2017, Penguin Press Format: ARC Paperback, 338 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is planned — from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle…

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Review: Christmas in London by Anita Hughes

Title: Christmas in London Author: Anita Hughes Published: October 2017, St. Martin’s Griffin Format: Paperback, 288 pages Source: Personal copy Summary: A charming, glamourous love story set at Claridge’s in London during the magical week before Christmas starring a sweet NYC baker and the Cooking Channel Producer who could change her life. It’s a week before Christmas and Louisa Graham is working twelve hour shifts at a bakery on Manhattan’s…

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Review: The Christmas Gate 2 by T.A. Cline

Title: The Christmas Gate 2 Author: T.A. Cline Series: The Christmas Gate, #2 Published: November 2017, Create Space Format: Paperback, 150 pages Source: Author Summary:  “I became paralyzed with fear. Tears started to run down my cheeks as I sat motionless on the bed facing the locked door.” Patty had slowly opened up to Bob. She thinks she might be falling in love with him. Even so, he has gone…

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Review: A Bella Flora Christmas by Wendy Wax

Title: A Bella Flora Christmas Author: Wendy Wax Series: Ten Beach Road, #5.5 Published: November 2017, Berkley Books Format: ARC E-copy, 87 pages Source: Netgalley Summary:  A TEN BEACH ROAD NOVELLA The ladies of Ten Beach Road are home for the holidays in this brand-new novella. Although their lives have changed since their first desperate renovation of Bella Flora, friends Madeline, Avery, and Nicole have always been there for each…

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Review: One Good Thing by Wendy Wax (audio)

Title: One Good Thing Author: Wendy Wax Series: Ten Beach Road, #5 Narrator: Amy Rubinate Published: April 2017, Penguin Audio Length: 11 hours 6 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Summary:  From the USA Today bestselling author of Sunshine Beach, a story of four women trying to rebuild more than their lives… Before you can fix it up, you might have to tear it down… Embroiled in a battle to…

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Review: The Burning Girl by Claire Messud

Title: The Burning Girl Author: Claire Messud Published: August 2017, W.W. Norton Company Format: ARC Paperback, 247 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  A bracing, hypnotic coming-of-age story about the bond of best friends, from the New York Times best-selling author of The Emperor’s Children. Julia and Cassie have been friends since nursery school. They have shared everything, including their desire to escape the stifling limitations of their birthplace, the quiet town…

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Review: Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini

Title: Enchantress of Numbers Author: Jennifer Chiaverini Published: December 2017, Dutton Books Format: ARC Paperback, 448 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini illuminates the fascinating life of Ada Byron King, Countess of Lovelace–Lord Byron’s daughter, the world’s first computer programmer, and a woman whose exceptional contributions to science and technology have been too long unsung.  The only legitimate child of Lord Byron, the most brilliant,…

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Review: My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

Title: My Absolute Darling Author: Gabriel Tallent Published: August 2017, Riverhead Books Format: ARC Paperback, 417 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  Turtle Alveston is a survivor. At fourteen, she roams the woods along the northern California coast. The creeks, tide pools, and rocky islands are her haunts and her hiding grounds, and she is known to wander for miles. But while her physical world is expansive, her personal one is small…

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Review: The Silent Children by Carol Wyer

Title: The Silent Children Author: Carol Wyer Series: DI Robyn Carten, #4 Published: December 2017, Bookouture Format: ARC E-book, 360 pages Source: Netgalley via Publisher Summary:  The boy studied the bruise turning yellow at the base of his neck. With quick fingers his mother tightened his tie, and pulled his collar high above it. Her eyes alone said, We will not speak of this… Years later, a man is found…

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Short & Sweet Review: No Easy Target by Iris Johansen (audio)

Title: No Easy Target Author: Iris Johansen Narrator: Elisabeth Rodgers Published: April 2017, Recorded Books Length: 13 hours 8 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Summary:  New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen returns with another thriller, No Easy Target Margaret Douglas has worked hard to put her painful past behind her. Raised off the grid in an abusive home, her only escape was the nearby forest where she sought…

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Book Spotlight & Excerpt: The Wake Up by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Title: The Wake Up Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde Published: December 2017, Lake Union Publishing Format: Paperback, 332 pages Summary:  From New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde comes a hauntingly emotional novel of how one man’s life changes forever when he rediscovers his ability to feel the pain of others. Something has been asleep in forty-year-old cattle rancher Aiden Delacorte for a long time. It all comes back in…

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Review: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine (audio)

Title: Stillhouse Lake Author: Rachel Caine Series: Stillhouse Lake, #1 Narrator: Emily Sutton-Smith Published: July 2017, Brilliance Audio / Thomas & Mercer Length: 10 hours 4 minutes / 300 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – Paperback via Publisher Summary:  Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s…

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Review: The Birthday Girl by Sue Fortin (audio)

Title: The Birthday Girl Author: Sue Fortin Narrator: Penelope Rawlins Published: November 2017, HarperCollins / HarperImpulse Length: 10 hours 23 minutes /  364 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC E-copy via Netgalley Summary:  Dear Carys, Zoe and Andrea Come and join me for my fortieth birthday adventure weekend, full of mysteries and surprises the like of which you can’t imagine. When Joanne’s friends reluctantly…

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Review: Close to Me by Amanda Reynolds

Title: Close to Me Author: Amanda Reynolds Published: December 2017, Quercus Format: ARC Paperback, 384 pages Source: Publisher Summary:  Jo Harding can’t remember the last year of her life. And her husband wants to keep it that way. When Jo falls down the stairs at home, she wakes up in the hospital with partial amnesia. In fact, she finds that she’s lost an entire year of memories. She can’t remember…

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Review: Sunshine Beach by Wendy Wax (audio)

Title: Sunshine Beach Author: Wendy Wax Series: Ten Beach Road, #4 Narrator: Amy Rubinate Published: June 2016, Penguin Audio / Berkley Length: 12 hours 52 minutes / 420 pages Source: Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC Paperback via Publicist Summary:  In this brand-new summer read by the USA Today bestselling author of The House on Mermaid Point, three women join forces to bring a historic seaside…

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Month in Review: November 2017

Goodbye November … Hello December!!! I can’t believe it’s December already … 1 month left in 2017! How is that possible? This past month was used as a catch-up month – I got some review written that were long past due and read/listened to some books that had been sitting on my shelves for a while. But the biggest news is that I gave my blog a make-over … and…

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Review: I Know a Secret by Tess Gerritsen (audio)

Title: I Know a Secret Author: Tess Gerritsen Series: Rizzoli & Isles, #12 Narrator: Tanya Eby Published: August 2017, Brilliance Audio Length: 9 hours 9 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Summary: In the twelfth gripping novel featuring Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, the crime-solving duo—featured in the smash-hit TNT series Rizzoli & Isles—are faced with the gruesomely staged murder of a horror film producer.  The crime scene is unlike…

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Review: Dying Breath by Helen Phifer

Title: Dying Breath  Author: Helen Phifer  Series: Detective Lucy Harwin, #2  Published: November 2017, Bookouture  Format: ARC E-copy, 285 pages  Source: Netgalley via Publisher Summary: Take a breath. Pray it’s not your last. Just a few months after a terrifying case that nearly took her life, Detective Lucy Harwin is back with her squad in the coastal town of Brooklyn Bay – and this time, she’s faced with a case…

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Review: The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea (audio)

Title: The Girl Who Was Taken Author: Charlie Done Narrator: Nina Alvamar Published: April 2017, Recorded Books Length: 10 hours 48 minutes Source: Personal copy via Audible Summary:  Charlie Donlea, one of the most original new voices in suspense, returns with a haunting novel, laden with twists and high tension, about two abducted girls one who returns, one who doesn’t and the forensics expert searching for answers. Nicole Cutty and…

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Review: The Sleeping Beauty Killer by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke (audio)

Title: The Sleeping Beauty Killer Author: Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke Series: Under Suspicion, #3 Narrator: Jan Maxwell Published: November 2016, Simon & Schuster Audio Length: 8 hours 39 minutes Source: Library Summary:  The third thrilling installment in the bestselling Under Suspicion series from #1 New York Times bestselling author and “Queen of Suspense” Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke—television producer Laurie Moran puts everything on the line to…

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Review: A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell (audio)

Title: A Simple Favor  Author: Darcey Bell  Narrator: Andi Arndt, Xe Sands, Matthew Waterson  Published: March 2017, HarperAudio  Length: 8 hours 55 minutes  Source: Library Summary: She’s your best friend. She knows all your secrets. That’s why she’s so dangerous. A single mother’s life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.…

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Review: Little Secrets by Anna Snoekstra

Title: Little Secrets  Author: Anna Snoekstra  Published: October 2017, MIRA  Format: ARC E-copy, 336 pages  Source: Netgalley  Summary: What happens when ambition trumps the truth? A town reeling in the wake of tragedy An arsonist is on the loose in Colmstock, Australia, most recently burning down the town’s courthouse and killing a young boy who was trapped inside.. An aspiring journalist desperate for a story The clock is ticking for…

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Review: Winter Solstice by Elin Hildebrand (audio)

Title: Winter Solstice Author: Elin Hilderbrand Series: Winter, #4 Narrator: Erin Bennett Published: October 2017, Hachette Audio Length: 8 hours 41 minutes Source: Library Summary: Raise one last glass with the Quinn Family at the Winter Street Inn. It’s been too long since the entire Quinn family has been able to celebrate the holidays under the same roof, but that’s about to change. With Bart back safe and sound from Afghanistan,…

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Review: The Watcher by Ross Armstrong

Title: The Watcher  Author: Ross Armstrong Published: April 2017, MIRA Books Format: Hardcover, 370 pages Source: Publisher Summary:   She’s watching you, but who’s watching her?   Lily Gullick lives with her husband Aiden in a new-build flat opposite an estate which has been marked for demolition. A keen birdwatcher, she can’t help spying on her neighbours. Until one day Lily sees something suspicious through her binoculars and soon her elderly…

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Review: Odd Child Out by Gilly Macmillan

Title:Odd Child Out Author:Gilly Macmillan Series:Jim Clemo, #2 Published:October 2017, William Morrow Paperbacks Format:ARC Paperback, 432 pages Source:Publisher How well do you know the people you love…? Best friends Noah Sandler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable.  But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol’s Feeder Canal, Abdi can’t–or won’t–tell anyone what happened. Just back from a mandatory leave following his last case, Detective Jim Clemo is now…

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Review: Until I Met Her by Natalie Barelli (audio)

Title:Until I Met Her Author:Natalie Barelli Series:Emma Fern, #1 Narrator:Kate Rudd Published:July 2017, Brilliance Audio / Thomas & Mercer Length:8 hours 42 minutes / 304 pages Source:Audio – Personal copy via Audible / Print – ARC E-copy via Netgalley Beatrice Johnson Greene, a bestselling crime writer, has an unusual favor to ask. When a chance encounter brings Emma Fern into her life, she thinks she’s found just the person for…

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Review: Persons Unknown by Susie Steiner (audio)

Title:Persons Unknown Author:Susie Steiner Series:DS Manon, #2 Narrator:Juanita McMahon Published:July 2017, Random House Audio / Random House Length:11 hours 46 minutes / 368 pages Source:Audio – Personal copy via Audio / Print – ARC Paperback via Publisher In this brilliant crime novel from the author of Missing, Presumed, a detective investigates her most personal case yet: a high-profile murder in which her own family falls under suspicion.   As dusk…

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