If you enjoy cozy mysteries, good food and interesting people, this book is for you. This book is the first of the series of dinner club murder mysteries. In 2017 it won a first-place award in the suspense novel category. In March, the author is having her dinner club mystery series re-released.
Book Summary
This book introduces us to Jane Marsh, a recent widow who really wants to recapture a full life. One of her first ventures is to host and try to join an exclusive dinner club.
Before the first dinner club at her house, Jane discovers that her new housekeeper has been murdered in her laundry room. This leads us to discover that Jane has a suspicious mind and is very interested in trying to solve the murder. Her past career as a paralegal at a Denver law firm gives her some experience in knowing how to follow the clues.
In this sometimes humorous and fun cozy mystery we follow along as Jane works on all of the clues to determine the guilty party. Will it be one of the housekeepers' ex-husbands, her drug addicted son, or perhaps it is one of the members of the dinner club? Or could it be someone else entirely? You will want to be sure to get this hard-to-put-down book to learn the answer. You won't be disappointed.
The second book in the Sea Oaks Beach series will be coming out in April so watch Review This for my review.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I really enjoy Cozy Mysteries and Karen Whalen writes some that are a lot of fun. The latest in her "Tow Truck Mystery" series is Booty in the Backseat. Karen has another winner in this book with the delightful Delaney and her friends.
Book Summary
Booty in the Backseat is the 6th in Karen Whalen's "Tow Truck Mystery" Series. It again features Delaney the "high-heeled tow truck driver" and her cast of fun-loving friends.
As in the other books, Delaney stumbles across something during her working hours and ends up getting involved in trying to solve the mystery. In this book, while towing a car away from a no parking zone, Delaney comes across a bag of money in the back seat of the car. In addition, when looking in the bag she finds a severed hand. Where did the hand come from? Why is there a large amount of money left in the car? Was someone murdered? These are just some of the questions Delaney feels obligated to answer. After all it was a car she was towing that contained the evidence.
In her quest to find answers she finds herself meeting with gang members, spying on possible suspects and not being entirely upfront with her "boyfriend" the sheriff.
I know you will enjoy this cozy mystery. It is available on Amazon at the following link. Booty in the Backseat
Author Interview
Karen Whalen very graciously agreed to do an author's interview with me. Here are my questions and her answers.
1.Tell us a bit about your background.
I worked as a paralegal for 30 years, but always had a love of writing. I wrote for paralegal magazines for a long time, including a regular column for The National Paralegal Reporter magazine.
2.What made you decide to write novels and why did you choose the mystery genre?
Writing a novel has been one of my goals for as long as I can remember. I love to read cozy mysteries. Joanne Fluke and M.C. Beaton are two of my favorites. An idea came to me to center a mystery around a dinner club, so I got up at five each morning and wrote for two hours before leaving for work. I wrote on weekends. Evenings have never been a high-energy time for me, so I didn’t write at night. I wrote Everything Bundt the Truth in about six months. That was my first published novel and it came out in 2016.
3.I love the way you make your characters come to life and Delaney in particular is delightful. What is your secret?
I’m glad you like Delaney. I like her, too. The law firm where I worked represented tow truck companies. These car haulers are an under-appreciated, crazy breed, with interesting stories to tell and characters bigger than life. People I will never forget. That all of the tow truck drivers I met were men made me wonder…women in the industry would need to be tough to compete in a man’s world. But what if a woman owned her own towing business? What if the woman was young and inexperienced? What if she wore high heels to set herself apart from the all-male car haulers in town? Oooh, sounds fun, amiright? Delaney is a female version of those characters, but she comes up with her own stories.
4.Do you know the outcome of your book when you start writing or do you create the story as you go?
A little bit of both. I do love plotting, and I come up with thirty scenes as recommended by the books on the craft. But in between those scenes, I let the pantser in me take over—that means writing by the seat of your pants.
5.What would you like your readers to come away with from Booty in the Backseat?
The tow truck business dropped into Delaney’s lap (and dead bodies have a way of turning up, too) and she encounters many oppositions, from learning the business to customers who prefer a male tow truck driver. But she makes a proactive decision to master the process, overcome the prejudice, and become the best high-heeled tow truck driver around. The tow truck business may have been a twist of fate, but she’s in charge of her own path now.
More Reviews of Karen Whalen Books
Here are some other reviews I have done of Karen Whalen books. The first three are the tow truck series and the fourth is a separate book by the author.
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Joe Pickett is the new, unassuming game warden in a remote area of Wyoming. He is a quiet man and not your typical hero. Joe is publically introduced to his neighbors in Saddle String as a push-over after a poacher holds him at gunpoint - with Joe's gun. The "bad guys" consider him to be easy-to-manage and believe he'll fall in line with the how-it's-done-here mentality of the town and surrounding public lands. But Joe is a game warden who follows the rules, and expects everyone else to follow the rules too, even if he has to give his life to protect the wildlife. In this review, I will tell you a bit more about Joe and the characters of Saddle String.
Photo Credit: By Bob Wick of the Bureau of Land Management (public domain)
Joe Pickett, Season 1
As a young boy, Joe decides he wants to become a game warden. The outdoors is his sanctuary and he has a caring spirit.
Joe Pickett season 1, episode 1 opens almost immediately with a life or death situation during Joe's normal game warden business. Ote Keeley is a local outfitter and hunting guide. He needs his hunting license to make a living and support his family be he's also a poacher and Joe catches him in the act. During the confrontation, Ote taunts Joe for having arrested the Governor for fishing without a license.
"I didn't know he was the Governor". Joe responded. But it wouldn't have made a difference if he had known. Rules are rules. And unlike Joe's predecessor, Vern, Joe doesn't cut deals or do favors. He doesn't follow Vern's suggestion to focus on ticketing the tourists and looking the other way for the residents.
During the confrontation, Ote takes Joe's sidearm and holds him at gun point. Even at gunpoint, Joe doesn't back down from his plan to write him up for poaching. Fortunately, they come to a sort of truce and no one dies. Not on that day.
Later, Ote's body is found, shot dead with an arrow, in Joe's yard. Joe is trying to figure out why Ote would have come to his home on horseback, with an arrow in him. While law enforcement immediately arrests a suspect - surprisingly, they don't arrest Joe for the murder - Joe begins researching the crime from the game warden perspective. Ote was killed with an illegal arrow tip.
As the murder count increases, people seem to be falsely accused, evidence disappears, and Joe knows he's missing a piece of the puzzle. But will he, his wife, and children live through the investigation or should he give up his job and turn a blind eye to it all?
This story is a modern western murder mystery in a gorgeous mountainous setting. There were so many characters who were unlikeable in this one small town that I couldn't guess who was exactly at fault.
Characters:
Joe Pickett (Michael Dorman) and his wife, Marybeth (Julianna Guill) are trying to raise their children in a peaceful and safe setting. Marybeth was a lawyer until she made the conscious decision to stay home and raise her children - rather than be the stressed, absent parent that busy lawyers often are. Her mother Missy (Sharon Lawrence) frequently berates Marybeth for this choice, for being a game warden's wife, and for choosing a simple life. Interesting that Missy feels like she's in the position to judge anyone about their life choices.
Ote Keeley (Benjamin Hollingsworth) is the "degenerate" married to April Keeley (Vivienne Guynn) and they have children. Even though Ote died at the very beginning of the series, we think about him alot. And April incites both disgust and empathy.
Nate Romanowski (Mustafa Speaks) is the prepper/recluse who is immediately arrested for the murder of Ote based solely on one incident they had in the past (Ote killed one of Nate's birds of prey) and because Nate owns a bow. Nate comes across as frightening and perhaps manipulative. He asks Joe to find the truth and Marybeth ends up being his lawyer for the murder trial.
There is a huge cast. And far too many to list. There are the rich folks, poor folks, law-abiding folks, schemers, very strange-but-harmless folks, and the killers. Most all of law enforcement and politicians are questionable and either lazy/inept or trying to redirect.
I enjoyed Joe Pickett, Season 1 so much that I binge-watched it one weekend. I immediately began recommending it to others. I love thriller/mysteries that are set in amazing settings. The elk, bison, and mountains are all peaceful eye-candy. The clash between the good guys, bad guys, and flawed guys is the cherry on top.
The Joe Pickett series written by C.J. Box
This tv series is based on the books written by C.J. Box. I have book 1 in my kindle and haven't read it yet only because I've been so engrossed in several of W. Michael Gear's historical fiction series. After discovering the Joe Pickett tv series by accident, you can know that I will begin reading the C.J. Box books next. Especially since there are many books in the written series and only 1 and 2 and the television series.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
If you enjoy reading cozy mysteries, Karen C. Whalen has a wonderful selection of books for you. Her first two series The Dinner Club Mysteries and The Tow Truck Mysteries, all take place in Colorado and are fun reading and keep you guessing at the culprit. In her latest book Murder at Sea Oaks Beach, the author brings you to a new setting, the coast of North Carolina. This beach setting makes a wonderful cozy mystery to read on your summer vacation or just sitting in your own back yard.
Brief Summary of Murder at Sea Oaks Beach
In this cozy mystery we meet Breanna Hart. She is new to the beach town and rents a Airbnb not far from the beach. Since she is a dog lover she decides to volunteer at the local animal shelter.
Along the way we meet a host of delightful characters. There is a local surfer, Roscoe, who makes his living pushing a red cart on the beach selling flavored ices. Breanna meets him while walking on the beach.
The animal shelter shares a building with the Sea Oats police department and Breanna meets several of the members of the police department. There is Ty, the handsome officer she meets on her first day. There is Claire, the vet tech, who becomes a friend and others that work there become friends too, particularly Serenity and Emma.
Breanna has a "Social Anxiety Disorder" that makes it hard for her to socialize with new people, but she is working hard to overcome her anxiety.
Breanna loves her job as a volunteer, particularly walking the dogs.
All is going well with her job and the people she meets until the police chief is found dead under suspicious circumstances. He is found in a dog's cage with bite marks all over him. The dog is Samson, a bulldog that is one of Breanna's favorites. The investigation into the Chief's death takes a lot of twist and turns. When Breanna hears that Samson will be put down because he is implicated in the Chief's death, she is determined to do all she can to help find the true killer and clear Samson.
My Recommendation
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for anyone looking for a good cozy mystery. It will be particularly interesting for anyone loving dogs, mysteries and the beach.
Order on Amazon
Karen Whalen's latest book can be ordered on Amazon. It will be released June 20th, 2024 but can be pre-ordered before then. Here is the link to the book Murder at Sea Oaks Beach
More Reviews on Karen C Whalen Books
I have written several reviews on these wonderful cozy mysteries. Here are a few:
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I love a good crime novel with a mystery that is just waiting to be solved. I find it particularly interesting when the author keeps you guessing till near the end of the book on who the guilty party is. Jane Harper accomplishes this in her book The Dry. In The Dry there is not just the current crime (a possible murder/suicide) but also a death from twenty years ago that is still unexplained.
Setting
The story takes place in a small fictional Australian town called Kiewarra. It is located about five hours north of Melbourne and the story takes place when the town and the area is suffering from a drought that is the worst in recent history. The drought is so severe that it is placing a real burden on the farmers and the livelihood of the locals. It has become so bad that suicide is on the minds of many of the residents.
The Book on Amazon
The book can be purchased on Amazon as an ebook, paperback, hardcover or audio book. Here is a link The Dry
Summary
The book begins when Aaron Falk, a law enforcement officer in the big city of Melbourne, receives a letter from the father of his best friend from childhood. In this letter the father requests /demands that Aaron attend his son's funeral. The son (Luke Hadler), son's wife and young son were all found shot to death and the town consensus is that the son shot his family and then turned the gun on himself.
Aaron Falk had left the town 20 years ago when another close friend, Ellie Deacon, drowned and again the town jumped to the conclusion that either Aaron or his Dad had something to do with Ellie's death. They left town, never to return again, until Aaron returns for Luke's funeral.
This is a small town where everyone knows or at least thinks they know everyone else's business. It is full of secrets, gossip and people jumping to the wrong conclusions.
Aaron Falk teams up with the local law enforcement official, Raco, and unofficial investigate the Hadler murders/suicide. There are many unanswered questions and as they look into the current murders they find the sins of the past coming in to play.
My Thoughts
This was one of those books where I guessed at the outcome throughout and yet was completely surprised at the ending. I don't want to give anything away but want you to know you won't be disappointed in the endings. The sins of the past are brought to task in the heroism of the present. I found this to be an excellent book. In fact, after reading it, I immediately downloaded the second book in the Aaron Falk series. It is called Force of Nature and can be found on Amazon at this link Force of Nature
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I read this book for free as part of the Amazon Prime first read for October. I am so glad I picked this book out of the selection as the characters are well rounded and the whodunnit is an interesting plot without being too complicated.
So imagine you're on suspension from your job and your best friend's husband is killed, it just begs for you to solve the crime really doesn't it? Kate Green is the main character and she's a former professional soccer player who is now a network sports reporter (well she's on forced suspension, but you can find out all about that in the book!). The author, Elise Hart Kipness is a former television sports reporter which may be why the book's scenes seem really authentic.
Her best friend's husband is a much-loved elite basketball player and the prime suspect is his wife, Kate's best friend Yvette. Kate knows a lot of Yvette's flaws, but she doesn't believe that she is capable of murder. The fly in the ointment is the lead detective in the case who is always camera-ready and seems determined to jail Yvette without investigating other leads.
Along the way, we meet Yvette and Kurt's (the aforementioned basketball player) daughter and Kate's son and daughter. We also meet Kate's ex-husband and third wife, and we also discover that the pin for his phone is Kate's birthday - does this mean anything.
We also learn a little bit about Kate's life such as her relationship with her mother and stepdad and the fact that her father is an NYPD detective and just like that when assistance is needed from the NYPD it comes in his form! He also makes a cryptic comment towards the end of the book which had me hoping for another book.
Luckily as I looked up the book on Amazon to see if it's available for everyone to purchase yet (it is) I see it is now titled Lights Out (Kate Green Book 1) and there is a the title of a second book in the series which you can preorder. The release date is next year.
One reviewer called this book an entertaining read and summed it up rather aptly with this sentence, 'There is a clever plot, twists and turns and a satisfying ending with a hint of intrigue'. I think that sums it up beautifully and I thoroughly recommend this book.
I enjoyed reading this book with a large fizz and a couple of protein cookies, what will you be enjoying when you read this book?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Sometimes life just calls for a "Cozy Mystery". When I need a book to just relax and chill out I find one of these light novels fits the bill. I was recently introduced to a cozy mystery writer that I really like. Karen Whalen writes delightful cozy mysteries that I really enjoy. The first one I read introduced me to a delightful character named Delaney.
Character Summary
Delaney Morran is a young woman (28) who, after a short career as a social worker is trying to decide what to do with the rest of her life. Meanwhile she is helping out part time in her friend's coffee shop.
When Delaney's estranged father dies in an accident, she is surprised to find that he has left her his tow truck and his towing business. Now Delaney is a real girly girl who loves wearing a different pair of shoes with each outfit and is quite fond of spikey high heels. This image doesn't quite seem to fit with a tow truck driver and Delaney has no idea what she is getting into, but she is up for the challenge. Her somewhat nagging mother, however, thinks she should sell the tow truck. Delaney has a lot to learn but she is a strong woman and feels she can make it as a tow truck driver and owner.
The book is full of twist and turns as Delaney finds her way in the business and gets the help from a fellow tow truck driver to learn how to operate her vehicle. The book, which is set in Colorado, is full of laughter and a bit of romance as Delaney sizes up the young tow truck driver and the cute cop. It also ends up with a murder mystery when a dead body is found in the trunk of her first tow.
I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. You can find out more about her books on her website www.karencwhalen.com .
This book was recommended to me by author Teri M Brown. You can read a review I posted on one of Teri's book at An Enemy Like Me .
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
As the story begins, David Burroughs is in his fifth year of a life
sentence for murdering his three-year-old son, Matthew. Only one problem; he
didn't do it.
David was alone with his child that night, as his physician wife was working
a night shift. He knew he got drunk the night it happened and apparently
slept through the whole thing. He woke up to discover that Matthew had been
murdered. Since there was no evidence pointing to anyone else, and since David
had no real alibi, he was convicted and sent to prison.
Half a decade later, his wife Cheryl has divorced him and remarried. David
has had no visitors all this time. Then, Cheryl's younger sister, Rachel,
comes to see David to show him a strange photograph taken by friends of
Rachel's on vacation at an amusement park. In the background is a boy who
bears an eerie resemblence to David's son. It doesn't seem possible; it just
can't be, yet David just knows. Matthew is still alive.
Somehow David has to get out of prison, search for his son and discover
what really happened. To do so, he plans and successfully accomplishes a
daring prison escape.
Now David's life is on the line and the FBI is following his every move.
Can David evade capture long enough to discover what really happened, save
his son and clear his name? The shocking truth will be revealed in the final
moments of the story.
Summary
Another thriller by this master of suspense.
I Will Find You
is Harlan Coben's most recent (March 2023) novel.
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Who do you love and how far would you go to save her?
A D.D. Warren novel by Lisa Gardner
Synopsis
The Massachusetts State Police are called to the residence of Tessa Leoni, a young State Trooper from their barracks. Her husband lies dead on their kitchen floor and Tessa claims she has shot him in self-defense. Her bruises and injuries appear to back up her tale. But the worst part is that her six-year-old daughter, Sophie, is missing.
Because the state police cannot investigate one of their own, Detective D.D. Warren of the Boston Police Department is called in to handle the homicide investigation. Bobby Dodge, investigator for the State Police (and D.D.'s former lover) is assigned as liaison to work with Detective Warren. Bobby's input is helpful in seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper's mind. Would a trained police officer shoot her own husband and would a mother harm her own child?
Tessa is hospitalized for her injuries and is represented by her Union Rep and a lawyer and is not immediately available for questioning. The investigation into how and why Tessa's husband, Brian Darby, was shot three times mid-torso with Tessa's own police revolver is nearly stalled while they wait for Tessa to be able to answer their questions.
An Amber Alert is put out state-wide for Sophie while D.D. And Bobby try to sort out the crime scene.
Meanwhile, for Tessa Leoni, the worst has yet to happen. She has nowhere to turn and trusts no one even as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. Tessa has one goal in sight and uses her training to do what must be done. Because ~ a mother knows who she loves!
Summary
Love You More is Book 5 of 11 in Lisa Gardner's D.D. Warren suspense novels series.
This story features two very believable female protagonists. Trooper Leoni tells us her own story in the first person while Warren's investigation is narrated in the third-person. Tessa Leoni's motives are discovered as the story continues, but her passion and conviction draw us in even before we know whether she is guilty or innocent. The reader roots for Warren and Dodge to make sure justice is done, but we cannot argue with Tessa's absolute drive to find her daughter.
Fans of Gardner's D.D. Warren series will definitely enjoy reading Love You More.
*Love You More Book Review is written by Wednesday Elf.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Above the Bay of Angels is a stand-alone book by Rhys Bowen, an author that has best-selling books in her mystery series. I had never read this author before but after reading this delightful historical mystery, I will be sure to look for more books by this author. I found this book very intriguing.
The Book on Amazon
Below is a link to the book on Amazon if you should wish to purchase it. If you are a member of Amazon Prime you will find it in the Kindle books you can read for no charge.
Book Summary
At the beginning of the book, you meet Bella a young girl who is sent into servitude when her mother dies, and her father can no longer support her and her sister. In the years she is a servant she works her way up to working in the kitchen and becoming a cook.
In a bizarre twist of fate, Bella runs into a young woman in the streets of London who has been hit by a carriage. As Bella comforts her the young woman thrust a letter into Bella's hand and then dies. The letter contains an invitation to interview for Queen Victoria's cooking staff that very afternoon. Bella is torn with what to do, but soon decides that the letter will do the young woman no good. Bella poses as the young woman, Helen Barton and is able to obtain a position at Buckingham Palace.
Helen (Bella) carries on with her pretense and is able to find herself in favor with Queen Victoria in her cooking skills. When one of the cooks cannot make a trip to Nice with the Queen's staff Helen (Bella) is able to make the trip. Helen has some delightful adventures both with cooking and the people she meets in Nice. A mystery ensues when one of the Queen's relatives is poisoned by some food. When a detective from London is called in Bella fears her cover will be blown.
The book is a wonderful, lighthearted mystery. There are many cooking references, so if you are interested in food and cooking you will also enjoy this mystery. I'll leave you now to read the book and find out if Bella finally finds peace and happiness.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Can a wrong ever be made right with another wrong? Where is the fine line between justice and revenge? In The Lies I Tell, by Julie Clark, two brilliant, strong, previously wronged women take matters into their own hands, resulting in fascinating twists and turns you won't see coming.
Meg Williams, aka Maggie Littleton and Melody Wilde, is supremely gifted in becoming who you need, or want her to be. She is a master of psychology and Internet research. By the time you meet her, she knows you better than you know yourself.
Meg/Maggie/Melody, the three-in-one, shape-shifts between personas. Some know her as a college student, others as a life coach, and now a Senate candidate has hired her as his exclusive real estate agent. Ron Ashton is going to wish he had never met Meg Williams. You'll see.
Kat Roberts, a victimized journalist, has waited ten excruciating years to take Meg down. Kat is desperate to expose the grifter for who she really is, and at the same time, to right the wrong that wrecked her own life and career. Kat believes she can go head-to-head with Meg because she knows the games she plays. In this cat-and-mouse chase, could it be that the mouse has underestimated the cat?
How will it all end? Will Meg get the justice she seeks? Does Kat get the revenge she has longed for (and the publishing deal of her dreams)?
And you: Will you be cheering at the end, or shaking your head? How will you feel about the choices that are made? What would you have done? I hope you read The Lies I Tell and return here to respond to these questions.
I love a book with a surprise ending. This read kept me highly engaged the entire way. And, I have to tell you, it makes me want to lock down my social media accounts. Repelling a couple of scammers online this week really brought home the message of how very real and present are the Meg, Maggie, and Melody's of the world. This is just barely a work of fiction.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
The cover of Katherine Faulkner’s Greenwich Park reads, “gripping and haunting and gorgeously suspenseful” and I agree. I was drawn to the book by the title, a romanticized area of London, England, and by the artwork.
Greenwich Park the book is a murder mystery of the best sort. It draws you in. Pick it up and you might not want to put it down. Pick it up and you will find yourself guessing whodunit. I failed at the guessing of who did it, which I expect is good because it means the book has twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.
Greenwich Park is a domestic psychological thriller that is set in the current day in the south east of London. It tells the story of a pregnant woman’s privileged life in a stately Victorian home and of her family and friends. Off work because of her history with difficult pregnancies and because of current health concerns, the main character, Helen, finds herself bored and lonely. That is, until she befriends a woman named Rachel. Rachel is also pregnant but embraces none of the care that many women exercise when they are pregnant. She smokes and she drinks and she is not very interested in her body or her unborn baby. She’s loud and she's obnoxious but, however, she is fun and she quickly manages to infiltrate Helen’s tidy little world. But is it really tidy?
Helen has been described as someone who has everything including “a perfect husband, a perfect brother and a perfect sister-in-law. When she meets Rachel, she also has the perfect nightmare.”
I like Crime by the Book’s three-point list of reasons to read the book. She says that it pulls back the curtain on the lives of people who appear to have picture-perfect lives, that it is a story of obsession and cat-and-mouse tension and that it is intricate and effortlessly told.
If it helps, Crime by the Book says that this book is similar to books to those written by Lisa Jewell, who I have yet to read.
FAST FACTS:
Author – Katherine Faulkner
Format – Hardcover, paperback, Kindle, audiobook, audio CD
Genre – Domestic Psychological Thriller
Pages - 375
Publication Date – September 13, 2021
Publisher – Simon & Shuster
ISBN Number – 978-1-9821-5031-0
If you love a good thriller, you will enjoy Greenwich Park. The book is definitely dark, looking into the world of pregnancy and early motherhood, of friendships, of privileged lives lived and, of course, of the secrets that people keep. I think that it is an excellent first novel, which the author wrote while she herself was on maternity leave. The rights to the book have been sold and I will be watching for a movie or television series as well as for a second book by Faulkner. Meanwhile, you can order your copy of Greenwich Park from Amazon by clicking right here.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Readers of The Boy From the Woods may remember that more than thirty years ago Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past, not even his name. He was eventually rescued and raised in a wonderful foster home, but his past remained a mystery. The policeman who first found him named him Wilde because of the way he had been living alone in the woods. He then grew up in a normal household, going to school and making friends, and later serving in the military. But, despite all this, he still feels he belongs on his own, living in the woods away from the comforts and constraints of modern life. His simplistic life style is lived in the Ramapo Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountains located in New Jersey and New York. He is not completely isolated, as he keeps in touch with friends and the world via computer and cell phone.
But suddenly a DNA match on an online ancestry database brings his lost past closer than he ever dreamed when he finds a match to his father. Wilde tracks his father down only to find the man extremely hesitant to establish a relationship. So then Wilde reaches out to his last lead ~ a second cousin. Before they can connect, he discovers that the cousin has disappeared after experiencing a fall from grace that can only be described as a waking nightmare. This is connected to a Reality Show where the cousin was very famous and popular, only to have lies told about him and his wife that brought about his downfall.
Summary
How Wilde discovers the circumstances surrounding his cousin's life and exposes a family's darkest secret, while also discovering the shocking truth of his own past, is a thrilling story that will keep you reading deep into the night.
*Book review of The Match written by Wednesday Elf
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A really good book is one you cannot put down. An excellent book is
one you literally cannot stop reading! In my opinion, Killing Seasonby Faye Kellerman is such a book.
Synopsis
Sunset in New Mexico - Pixabay
The setting is New Mexico – a small town close to Santa Fe. Benjamin
Vicksburg was barely 14 when his 16-year-old sister went missing. Her body
wasn't found for a year. She had been kidnapped and strangled.
Ben, his parents and younger sister had all suffered the anguish of not
knowing what happened. Later, the family also becomes friends with another
local couple whose teenage daughter Katie went missing and she has never
been found.
As the story begins, Ben, now seventeen, has committed himself to finding
the monster who abducted and strangled Ellen. The police continue to
investigate, but there is nothing new. But Ben, who is a math genius, sees
patterns that don't fit and conducts his own investigation. As he gathers
data, he discovers clues to other similar unsolved murders.
As Ben's senior high school year begins, he becomes friends with the new
girl in school, Ro Majors. They bond over the fact that Ro lost a sister to
cancer around the same time Ben lost Ellen. Ro ends up helping him
with his research, and together they discover 3 other unsolved cases of
teenage girls whose murders were almost identical to Ben's sister. And
then.... they go on a hike in an area Ben has figured out is a logical place
to find where the killer might have buried Katie, and they find her
grave.
The police are not happy that Ben is investigating on his own, even though
the police detective who was lead investigator on Ellen's case likes Ben and
is as anxious as the family to solve her case.
As Ben gets closer to discovering who the killer is, his obsession marks
him as a threat. The police want him to stop investigating, but Ben is
worried about Ro and about his little sister Haley and her best friend
Lilly. The little girls are now going on 15 and Ro is 17, all in the
age-range the killer targets.
Learning the truth may not be enough to keep Ben and those he loves from
this relentless killer.
Summary
I have never been as absorbed in a book to the point of ignoring
everything else until I finished as I was with this one.
Killing Season is so well written and captures your attention from the
beginning. I enjoyed it very much.
I have been reading books by Faye Kellerman since 1986 when she began the
26 books in her Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series. I've always
enjoyed those books, and now am enjoying her stand-alone thrillers.
Killing Season is the first one I have read that wasn't in the series
I have been following and, as much as I liked the series, I like this one
even more. Kellerman has done an outstanding job capturing this mystery
fan's attention.
Note: Faye Kellerman is married to Jonathan Kellerman, also a
writer, and together they are the parents of Jesse Kellerman, who has had
several books published on his own and has co-authored several other books
with his dad, Jonathan. A real writing family.
Links to other Kellerman books reviewed here on
ReviewThisReviews:
Killing Season by Faye Kellerman, available on Amazon
*Killing Season Book Review written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I really enjoyed watching Harlan Coben's The Stranger so when I saw another series based on one of his books I was interested. James Nesbitt & Cush Jumbo as two of the leads were another draw for me and I am so glad I watched it.
If you're interested in Harlan Coben's books then you really should check out my fellow contributor, Wednesday Elf's Harlan Coben book reviews as she is a huge fan of his books.
This series is only eight episodes long and episode one is a little slow, it is well worth persevering, however because the next seven episodes more than makeup for it. The series is full of twists and turns and red herrings that lead to an ending my husband never saw coming.
I did predict the killer earlier in the series (I can't remember which episode as we binge-watched this over two days), my husband did not believe me and I have to say there were a few moments where I started to second guess myself too!
The series is based in the North West of England and it opens with a young man disappearing after a night out at The Vipers (a nightclub). One of the detectives who is handed this case to investigate is convinced that it is linked to the disappearance of another man, Stewart Green, last seen at The Vipers seventeen years previously.
We are also introduced to a family of five - Dave, Megan and their three children. We soon discover that Megan used to be called Cassie. Cassie worked at The Vipers as an exotic dancer and also disappeared on the same night as Stewart Green seventeen years ago.
I won't go into too much detail as I really want you to discover all the twists and turns for yourself, but I will let you know that after the killer is revealed, everything else gets revealed too so that there are no loose ends for you to continually wonder about.
I really do have to start reading Harlan Coben's books as I love all the plot twists in the television series and just be reading reviews of his books they sound like they are made for me.
Have you seen Stay Close or The Stranger yet?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
The protagonist of this story, Clay Edison, is a deputy coroner.
Caring for the dead, he speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. He
prides himself on an unflinching commitment to the truth. Even when it gets
him into trouble.
The Burning, set in the San Francisco Bay Area during one of the state’s terrible
wildfires, is Book #4 in the Clay Edison series by Jonathan & Jesse
Kellerman.
A murder scene becomes personal for this deputy coroner when he discovers a
link to his brother, Luke, while investigating the crime scene.
Luke is fresh out of prison and struggling to stay on the straight and
narrow. But when Clay calls Luke to find out why his lovingly restored
vintage Camaro is in the murdered man's garage, he discovers his brother is
missing.
While trying to find his brother before anyone else can, Clay is forced to
do his job, as well as cope with a wildfire and a massive blackout occurring
in his northern California area. Is his brother a killer or a victim? And,
where is he?
Image Source: Pixabay
The Kellerman Authors, Father & Son
Jonathan Kellerman is the well-known author of the Alex Delaware Series (36
books to date) and is married to author Faye Kellerman (known in particular
for her 29 mystery novels in her "Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus" series. Now,
Jonathan is joined by their son, Jesse, a writer in his own right. To date,
Jonathan & Jesse have co-authored 5 books, including four in the
Clay Edison series.
The Kellermans are an amazing family of writers of mystery
thrillers.
Summary
The Burning is
a real page-turner – a harrowing collision of family, revenge, and
murder.
*The Burning – a book review written by Wednesday Elf
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
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