“Christmas Presents”–Review

Happy Holidays, bloggers! Whether you celebrate or not, I hope you all are enjoying this day. Only this morning did I finish reading Christmas Presents, by Lisa Unger. Here’s the description:

Years following a near-death experience, Madeline Martin is moving forward. She’s the owner of an indie bookshop, all the while caring for her father after he’d suffered a stroke. Christmas is approaching, and not only does it help keep her busy in her shop, but it’s also the time of year that she’s reminded of what happened all those years ago. Then in comes Harley Granger, a famous true crime writer and podcaster who’s been trying to convince her to tell her story. But she wants no part in it.

It all started when she’d met Evan Handy, the new, mysterious boy who came to her small town. Madeline was young, naive, and knew nothing. She was drawn to Evan, no matter how many times her father and her best friend, Badger, warned her to keep away from him. Surely, they were wrong about him?

Set in the present time, Evan Handy is in prison, convicted of murdering Madeline’s best friend and suspected of other disappearances. Since Handy has been in prison, though, other young women have disappeared, with the assumption that there might be a copycat or that the wrong man was put away. As the holidays get closer, Madeline no longer feels safe, and she and Badger have to work together to uncover what they may have missed during that tragic event years ago.

Awhile back, I’d read the author’s previous book, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. I wanted to like that book, but it seemed as if it had too many conflicts. When I saw the cover of Christmas Presents, I figured this one would do a good job. And it did. It was a good, suspenseful holiday read. I feel this book also is based more on the reality of what can happen when you fall hard for the wrong person. Sometimes we can’t help how we feel about someone, either. Madeline was young and, of course, it had taken her years to finally own up to past decisions. Throughout most of this book, I was thinking, “When your loved ones and best friends tell you hundreds of times that the new guy is scrum, listen to them!” Moral of the story’s conflict, in my opinion: the bad boy is going to ruin your life.

Good job to the author for this story. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading and Happy Holidays!

About the author: Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few authors, including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family. For more info, click here.

“An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good”–Review

Happy New Year, bloggers! I hope you all are enjoying some good books. For this past year, I made a goal to read 50 books. I believe I read only 23, so I was almost halfway there. It’s okay, anyhow. I have to remind myself that reading is supposed to be for enjoyment. Also, I’m a slow reader, yet I still like these Goodreads challenges.

Anyhow, for this year, I made the same reading goal, and it actually feels nice to start fresh. The first book I read for this year is An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good, by Helene Tursten. I found the title on Instagram, so I gave it a chance. The book is a story collection featuring an 88-year-old woman named Maud, who has lived her entire life in her family’s spacious apartment home in downtown Gothenburg, Sweden. Although her immediate family passed away, long ago, she still gets to live rent-free because of a minor clause in the contract. Ever since her family passed away, Maud has been free of family obligations, so she travels. She gets to enjoy her life of solitude. That’s the way she wants to keep things.

But then Maud suspects others are trying to ruin her plans. They all assume she’s just a confused, old lady who can’t handle herself. Little do they know that Maud is just as clever as the next person. No one suspects her of handling a problem with a new tenant—who happens to be a local celebrity—in her building who is too interested in Maud’s apartment. No one suspects Maud of foiling a new engagement of her lover from years ago. And then there’s the issue with another bad neighbor in the building. But Maud knows how to handle it. When a body is eventually found in Maud’s apartment, however, she might become a suspect.

Wow, what a clever, old lady. All she wants to do is keep the peace, as well as keep what’s rightfully hers, even if that involves murder. The woman is scary. These stories had a bit of a Twilight Zone feel to it, in my opinion. Probably because I was watching the show at the same time, last night, and the theme music was stuck in my head. Not bad for my first read for the new year. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Helene Tursten (born in Gothenburg in 1954) is a Swedish writer of crime fiction. Before becoming an author, Tursten worked as a nurse and then a dentist, but was forced to leave due to illness. During her illness she worked as a translator of medical articles. She is the author of two mystery series set in Gothenburg, Sweden: the Irene Huss investigations, and the Embla Nystrom investigations, beginning with Hunting Game.

“Canary in the Coal Mine”–Review

Good afternoon, bloggers, and happy Monday! I hope you’re able to relax with some good literature. Canary In the Coal Mine is another recent read by one of my favorite crime writers.

This story is set in New York City, where private investigator, Pete Fortunato, is hired by a beautiful, clever woman named Lila Alston to find her husband, dead or alive. Within a short time, Pete finds the husband—dead in Lila’s boyfriend’s apartment. Although he can’t help wondering why and how the husband wound up in the boyfriend’s apartment, Pete reminds himself that he was hired only to find the husband, so he shouldn’t care. But that changes when Lila Alston’s check bounces and Pete has to track her down to get answers.

Getting to the bottom of the Alston situation is only the beginning when a young man wants to hire Pete to get him out of a jam. But because the guy holds back on important details, Pete turns him away. That is, until Pete is confronted by the Albanian mob with whom that same guy was involved. The Albanian mob wants what’s owed them, and Pete is sent out to find the money or suffer the consequences.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it? But I’m sold. Charles Salzberg has quite a talent for creating believable characters. A PI with insomnia and anger management issues, Pete Fortunato is a quick thinker and can definitely outsmart people. He’s quite similar to Henry Swann from Salzberg’s Henry Swann series (check out that series out if you haven’t): loner type, cranky, zero patience for plenty of people, prefers to work alone. Makes for a good PI, don’t you think? I look forward to another one. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Charles Salzberg is a freelance writer and native New Yorker. He’s a former magazine journalist who’s written for New York magazine, Esquire, The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, Redbook, and other periodicals. He also has written nonfiction books. Swann’s Last Song, his first novel, was nominated for a Shamus Award. His other books include Devil In the Hole, Second Story Man, as well as his short stories featured in Triple Shot, Three Strikes, and Third Degree. He teaches writing at the New York Writers Workshop, where he also is a founding member. For more info, click here.

“Strangers We Know”–Review

Good evening, fellow bloggers! I hope you’re enjoying some good reads. I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of Strangers We Know from the author, herself, so I’d like to share my feedback.

After dealing with the frustrations of her unknown ailments, Ivy Hon starts some research on the possibility that whatever she has might come from her family’s history. But Ivy was adopted, so she knows so little about her biological family. Although she had been brought up by a decent, attentive family, Ivy has to know what’s going on. After doing a genetic test, she meets with an FBI agent who reveals that Ivy might be related to the Full Moon Killer, who has left residents of the Pacific Northwest terrified for years.

While finding it hard to believe, Ivy does research on the history of the Full Moon Killer. The information eventually leads to Ivy’s long-lost cousin, who lives in Rock Island, Washington. Then Ivy travels from San Francisco to Rock Island to meet this cousin, along with the Caine family. Ivy doesn’t want to believe she may be related to a serial killer, but any kind of information from the Caines may lead to answers for which she’s been searching. Yet some things seem a bit off, especially when it comes to questions she has about her birth parents. According to her family, Ivy’s biological mother suffered a tragic fate, while her father disappeared. The more information Ivy digs up, she can’t help feeling as if she’s being watched. Some things seem off with the Caines, yet Ivy wants to be wrong about her assumptions; the Caines may be all she has of finding answers, after all. But with the possibility that the Full Moon Killer is targeting people again, Ivy wonders if she’s next.

Thank you, again, to the author for this copy. I love a good suspense read. The backstory of Ivy’s biological mother, Tatum (that character shares my name), had my attention. I didn’t quite expect it to end the way it did—in fact, I don’t think I came close to guessing how it all would go down—but I can definitely recommend it for the suspense fan. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

Strangers We Know will be available on May 1, 2022.

About the author:

Elle Marr strives to tell powerful and compelling stories of women who demonstrate resilience in the face of great obstacles. She is the author of thrillers, THE MISSING SISTER (2020), LIES WE BURY (2021), and STRANGERS WE KNOW (May 2022). 

THE MISSING SISTER was a #1 Amazon bestseller, #1 in the Kindle Store, an Amazon Charts bestseller, featured in Woman’s World, and named one of PopSugar’s “31 Thrillers of 2020.” LIES WE BURY earned a Kirkus starred review, was named one of The Nerd Daily’s Eagerly Anticipated Thrillers, and reached #1 in Serial Killer Fiction for four straight weeks. Publisher’s Weekly said, “Marr is a writer to watch.”

Originally from Sacramento, Elle Marr graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris.  When not working on her next book, she enjoys watching French Netflix shows with the subtitles off, in Oregon, where she lives with her family. For more info, click here.

“Contempt”–Review

Playing by the rules landed him on death row. Now he’s taking no prisoners.

After five years of being behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit, lawyer Thane Banning is released. Despite the public outrage over his release, Thane is doing what he can to clear his name, repair his marriage, and live normally again.

But all is not over. A former inmate reaches out to Thane because he is also accused of murder, with the possibility of being sent to death row by Bradford Stone, the same, ruthless District Attorney who prosecuted Thane five years ago.

While Thane is originally a real estate lawyer, he learned enough about surviving in prison, and now he’s determined to help a possibly innocent man and to take down the D.A. who ruined Thane’s life and uncover the truth.

Finally! I was in a bit of a reading slump, yet this book pulled me out of it. I didn’t expect all the surprises toward the end. Either way, this is a book I recommend. This story did well with depicting the crooked ways of the legal system, yet it shows someone out there who can show the system they’re not as clever as they think.

Thank you, TCK Publishing, for this copy. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Michael Cordell is a novelist, playwright, and produced screenwriter. He has sold three screenplays to Hollywood, including Beeper, an action thriller, starring Harvey Keitel and Joey Lauren Adams. Michael currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he has taught screenwriting for over fifteen years. For more info, click here.

“The Silent Patient”–Review

Happy Monday, bloggers! I finally got around to reading one of the latest thrillers, so here it is:

Living in a beautiful home overlooking one of London’s most desirable areas, Alicia Berenson is a famous painter, married to an in-demand fashion photographer. With an important exhibition approaching, Alicia is on a deadline to have her work ready for the public eye. One evening, when her husband, Gabriel, comes home late from work, Alicia shoots him five times in the face. Ever since that evening, Alicia never spoke another word.

Following Gabriel’s death, Alicia is sentenced to the Grove, a psychiatric unit in Northern London. Unfortunately, even the best therapists can’t get her to speak. And that’s when criminal psychotherapist Theo Faber is granted the opportunity to work at the Grove, to get answers from Alicia. Getting her to speak, though, means that Theo has to go down a path he’s tried to bury for a long time. Still, he’s willing to do what it takes to get Alicia to confess the reason for her killing her husband. But will he be able to handle any surprise that’s going to be thrown at him? And will it all be worth it?

I’m glad I picked up this book. Now I know what other readers were talking about. It was filled with surprises and a crazy twist, toward the end. When I was reading toward the ending, this afternoon, I got a bit caught up in it that I almost missed my bus. I think that same thing did happen, long ago. Anyhow, the author did a great job with this story, so check it out. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Alex Michaelides was born in Cyprus to a Greek-Cypriot father and an English mother. He studied English literature at Cambridge University and got his MA in screenwriting at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. The Silent Patient is his first novel. Follow him on Twitter.

“The Whisper Man”–Review

If you leave a door half open, soon you’ll hear the whispers spoken. If you play outside alone, soon you won’t be going home…If you’re lonely, sad, and blue, the Whisper Man will come for you.

A year after his wife’s death, Tom Kennedy and his young son, Jake, decide that moving to a new home will mean a fresh start for them. So they move to their new home in Featherbank. It isn’t long, however, that Tom learns about his home’s disturbing past. A serial killer, Frank Carter, had abducted and killed five children 20 years ago. Until he was finally put behind bars, the media nicknamed him “The Whisper Man,” for he would lure his victims into his trap by whispering at their windows at night.

Although Carter is incarcerated, another young boy has disappeared. Because the boy’s disappearance bears a resemblance to Carter’s crimes, the police believe there’s an accomplice. Now detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it’s too late, and in order to get more leads, Pete has to revisit the man who started it all: The Whisper Man.

While the search party continues, Jake starts behaving strangely, which causes concerns at his new school. At the same time, everything is overwhelming for Tom. He’s doing his best to raise his son all on his own, yet the two have been distant since Tom’s wife has been gone. And it all gets worse when Jake hears whispers outside his bedroom window…

Quite a creepy read, in my opinion. There were actually a few surprises in the characters’ stories, so I liked where it was going. Of course, I won’t spoil a thing, but you’ll see how it all comes together. This story is not only about catching a murderer, it’s a story of fatherhood, grief, loss, and doing what it takes to make things right. What I didn’t expect, though, was the way it ended. Again, no spoilers. But I’ll tell you it was a bit creepy. In fact, it was on my mind when I woke up in the middle of the night. I kid you not. So I suppose that’s my way of saying to check out this book, especially if you need a good thriller. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

*I received this copy from Celadon Books, in exchange for an honest review.

*The Whisper Man will be available on August 20, 2019.

About the author: Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where he now lives with his wife and son. You can follow him on Twitter.

“Swann’s Down”–Review

Hello, bloggers!  It’s been awhile since my last review, so here’s a new one for the fifth book in the Henry Swann series, which was just as good as the previous books.

When skip tracer Henry Swann is asked by his partner, Goldblatt, to track down a psychic who apparently swindled his ex-wife out of a small fortune, he sees it all as an opportunity not only to possibly get the money back, but to finally learn more about his annoying partner’s mysterious past.

Around that same time, Swann is approached by a former employer to find a missing witness who might be able to provide an alibi for his client, a notorious mobster who is to stand trial within a week for a murder he claims he didn’t commit. The witness just happens to be the defendant’s girlfriend. With two missing persons assignments, Swann searches from Brooklyn to a small beach town across Mobile, Alabama, to get answers from this woman. If she’s willing to go back to New York, however, can she actually provide an alibi? And is the mob hitman guilty or not?

This was another good one, with excellent dialogue, as always. And I enjoy Swann’s clever ways of getting the answers he needs. Although he may be curious to know more about these missing people and how everything’s going to go down, he always sticks with his only agenda: to find people, no matter the sob story. That’s it. Then he moves on to the next case. For those of you who’ve read the previous books, you must be thinking, “What? Goldblatt had a wife?” Swann’s partner never reveals anything about himself. I’d like to know a bit more, as well. So is it possible there’ll be another Swann novel? I hope so.

Check out the previous books, if you haven’t, especially if you enjoy detective/crime fiction. Feel free to post your comments, as well. Happy reading!

About the author: Charles Salzberg is the author of the Shamus Award-nominated Swann’s Last Song, Swann Dives In, Swann’s Lake of Despair, and Swann’s Way Out. He also is the author of Devil in the Hole, which was chosen as one of the Best Crime Novels of 2013 by Suspense Magazine, and Second Story Man, winner of the Beverly Hills Book Award. He is one of the three of the contributing authors to Triple Shot and Three Strikes. A member of the board of the Mystery Writers of America-New York, he lives in New York City and teaches writing at the Writer’s Voice and the New York Writers Workshop, where he is proud to be a Founding Member. For more info, follow the author on Twitter and Facebook.

“She Was the Quiet One”–Review

Two sisters. One murder. The guilty person is never who you think…

After the loss of their mother, Rose and Bel Enright move in with their wealthy grandmother, who then enrolls the girls in Odell Academy, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire. Although it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for Rose—who has never really fit in at her previous school—it is Bel who feels out of place once she’s there. It isn’t long before Bel falls in with a group of wild rich kids who come between the sisters. To make matters worse, Bel is talked into participating in an attack on Rose and her roommate, which only ends up shattering their relationship.

Because things have gone from bad to worse, Rose turns to her advisor, Sarah Donovan, who has been more like a close friend to her. Meanwhile, Bel turns to Sarah’s husband, Heath, a charismatic teacher at Odell. Not only is Heath ambitious, he’s also attractive, and he knows others have only seen the best in him. The man is practically worshiped. Heath claims to care about his students’ interests, especially Bel’s. But is he telling the truth, or just taking advantage to further his ambitions?

As more secrets come out, along with manipulation, seduction, and scandals, only one Enright sister will live to tell the truth.

This was quite an enjoyable thriller and I liked how the suspense kept building up. Also, this is the first book I’ve read by Michele Campbell. I’ll have to look into her previous book. I encourage you to check out this new thriller. Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

*I received this copy from St. Martin’s Press, in exchange for an honest review. She Was the Quiet One will be available on July 31, 2018.

About the author: Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School. She worked at a prestigious Manhattan law firm before spending eight years fighting crime as a federal prosecutor in New York City. For more info, click here. You can also follow the author on Twitter and Facebook.

“Second Story Man”–Review

Good evening, bloggers! I hope you were able to enjoy World Book Day. This afternoon, I finished reading another great one from Charles Salzberg, so here’s my review.

Francis Hoyt is athletic, brilliant, arrogant, manipulative, and ruthless. He cares for no one but himself. In fact, he loves talking about himself, all the while truly believing he’ll always be the best at anything. What he’s always excelled in, though, is stealing high-end silver. Somehow, he’s been able to enter homes—usually while families were eating dinner—swipe the silver, and make his escape without leaving any trace of his DNA. How was it all possible? How did he manage to avoid getting caught?

Charlie Floyd is a recently retired investigator with Connecticut’s attorney general department. For years, he’s been a stubborn, yet highly-skilled investigator, but now felt it was the time to take some time for himself. When he receives a phone call from Manny Perez—a Miami police officer who’s worked with him in the past—regarding Francis Hoyt, Charlie is a bit hesitant. It isn’t long before Manny talks him into taking on the case with him, however, and the two friends work endlessly together, determined to not rest until Hoyt is behind bars.

Each chapter alternates from the points-of-view of Hoyt, Floyd, and Perez. When Hoyt eventually learns that Floyd and Perez are gaining on him, he taunts them. There’s no way he’s backing down, no matter the situation. He’ll do whatever it takes to have them out of the picture, even if some people may have to get hurt. I really liked where the story was going and the narration and dialog was well-written. Getting to know Hoyt’s story and why he did what he did made the story even better. Even the ending had me saying, “Are you kidding me?” No spoilers, of course. The whole story was realistic, which is what I do like in a novel. I recommend this one for crime fiction enthusiasts.

Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: Charles Salzberg is the author of the Shamus Award-nominated Swann’s Last Song, Swann Dives In, Swann’s Lake of Despair, and Swann’s Way Out. He also is the author of Devil in the Hole, which was chosen as one of the Best Crime Novels of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. He lives in New York City and teaches writing at the Writer’s Voice and the New York Writers Workshop, where he is proud to be a Founding Member. For more info, click here. You can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.