Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon

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Stay Buried is a give you goose bumps horrific thriller, part supernatural, part ghost story and believe it or not, part love story. It is an absolute must read! Told between two timelines, it centers around a small forgotten town in Vermont where no resident ever leaves because well, they are afraid to! Except for one who did years ago to only have her grandchildren come back to ask some questions. Questions that hit too close to the truth about what has been going on there. It also centers around a strange plague which hit the town back in 1919 and what happened to all the residents who were living there as fear took overtook them.

In 1919 in a small town called Boone’s Ferry, Vermont, Dr. Thomas Endicott a physician and his niece/apprentice Frankie O’Malley are called out to a farm where the horses have gone crazy. Not a vet, he does the best he can. Suddenly it seems all the horses in the town are doing the same thing. Then whatever symptoms the horses seem to have begun to appear in the residence. The Knackerman who goes around to houses and picks up and collects dying animals is the first. His symptoms aggressive and he becomes dangerous to others. But when he dies, his body seems to disappear. This unfortunately is the beginning of the end of the peaceful town as they know it.

The year is now 2016 and Ashley and her brother Malcolm are mourning the loss of their grandmother. They had always been told she was from Boston and are shocked to learn she was actually born in a town called Boone’s Ferry. The same town their mother had visited two years ago and was never seen again. Why would their grandmother lie to them.

They decide to take the trip to the town to see if they can discover any information about not only their grandmother, but their mother. As soon as they enter the town, they get the distinct feeling they are not wanted. The town, still living in the dark ages has no Wi-Fi and only have rotary phones. Questions they ask go unanswered, and suddenly they begin to feel as if they are in danger. But when no one remembers ever seeing their mother two years ago they know they must leave. Something is not right with these people. But they are too late. The inhabitants must keep the secrets, and they won’t let them leave.

Stay Buried will bury you! An incredible, terrifying story with secrets galore, questions you will need (and get) answers to as well as the electrifying ending which will put you over the edge!

Thank you #NetGalley #GalleryBooks #StayBuried #JenniferMcMahon for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Stay Buried: A Novel: 9781668069455: McMahon, Jennifer: Books

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Don’t Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne

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Be prepared to laugh out loud during the reading of this book. Don’t Cross Mo Ellery is hysterical, honest, absurd and crazy all rolled into a smart, shrewd story! I mean, if the first few pages don’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will! Watch as Mo Ellery’s life goes from pretty ok, then bad to worse, and worse and worse, yet you will ride the comedy into the wonderfully funny ending!

On Mo Ellery’s birthday, she accidently displays her boyfriend’s ahem on a zoom call which not only gets her fired, but at the same time she discovers her boyfriend wants to break up, and she must pack up and leave their apartment. To add insult to injury, no one wants her…not her mother and father or her best friend who is a major social internet influencer.

With no money in her savings, she finds a crappy small apartment and a part-time job as a crossing guard. How low can she go? Well, lower! There is one particular driver who becomes her nemesis. One day as he begins to fly by and she prepares herself, something terrible happens and he crashes into a sink hole (which may or may not have been caused by Mo). He is dead in his car. Along with him in said car are three show poodles.

As Mo and a woman named Claudia try to figure out exactly what happened, somehow Mo gets the job of taking the dogs. All three! But it’s what Claudia thinks that has Mo nervous. She thinks he was murdered. Seriously?

So, Mo does what any normal person would do. She takes the dogs to the funeral of their “dad” to try and not only pawn the dogs off to his brother, but to see if there could be any truth to what Claudia has said. And guess what? She thinks Claudia is right! And guess what else? The brother won’t take the dogs!

So along with Claudia and oh yes, a very techy middle schooler, they begin to try and figure out the who, what, where and how of the murder. Then there is another death.

Mo, exhausted from taking care of three dogs, crossing guard duty, watching videos on how to be a detective and trying to discover clues as to what could possibly have happened and oh yes, dating a woman in an Alderman’s office because you know, for leads, what else could possibly go wrong? Well, so much more and it is such fun!

Don’t Cross Mo Ellery will keep a smile on your face the whole time you’re reading the book. This story is about someone who is down on their luck but takes all the danger in stride and in the end well, it may be luck that she figures it out, but she figures it out! And the ending is perfectly Mo Ellery!

Thank you #NetGalley #WilliamMorrow/HarperCollins #BirdieHorne #Don’tCrossMoEllery for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Don’t Cross Mo Ellery: A Novel – A Laugh-Out-Loud Cozy Mystery with a Reluctant Detective and Three Chaotic Poodles: 9780063473089: Horne, Birdie: Books

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The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

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The Women in White is an explosive psychological thriller which includes mystery, secrets and a deep dive into telepathic transmissions unbeknownst to four innocent, naive women during the 1960’s who were being used in psychological experiments. The story we will discover by Pekkanen’s impeccable research is something which has been happening for years. in the military, at colleges and even being used for assistance in missing person cases. Her afterward is jaw dropping!

The story jumps from the 1960’s to the present as we see what happens to four women who are recruited by a doctor because of their possible telepathic ability. What happens to them during the experiments the reader will see is inhuman.

All these women really wanted was to be married, cook, clean and take care of their husbands. But because of a doctor at Marquis University their lives will never be the same and they will become very close but, in the end something terrible occurs and they will never see each other again.

Betty Sadler was the first to be recruited because her husband worked for Dr. Silas Timble, whose research was on telepathy and extrasensory perception. Then three more joined her. But these experiments are not only exhausting for the women but will throw their lives into turmoil. Women during this time were supposed to stay home and take care of the household. These women had to do all that as well as “work” doing experiments sometimes overnight.

Jump ahead to the present and we meet Betty again, living a quiet life. Her wonderful husband has just passed, and she is looking for a caretaker/companion. When Riley comes for the interview, she is desperate for the job. Newly divorced and because her ex owed so much money she must somehow pay up. Betty immediately hires her which shocks Riley. When Riley walks into the house, she is immediately transported to the 1960’s. Nothing in the house has ever been updated or changed. She realizes Betty’s life has never moved from that era. She knows nothing about any changes which have occurred. What a cell phone is or even a microwave let alone a colored television or the internet.

As they get to know each other, Riley asks Betty if she has any regrets. Betty tells her the one regret she has is she never was able to reconnect with the women she became so close to. Her and her husband left the university so quickly she was unable to say goodbye to them.

Riley tells her she could look into what happened to them. But immediately Riley discovers there is no record of these women. How could that be? The more she goes down the rabbit hole, the more questions Riley has.

But once she visits Marquis University, she begins to understand something sinister was happening back then and it had been covered up. And someone now does not want the past exposed. And they will not stop no matter who they hurt.

The Women in White is mysterious, intriguing and very clever. These women were horribly taken advantage of and their lives shattered by people who only had nefarious ideas. The story so fascinating you won’t be able to put the book down!

Thank you #NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #SarahPekkanen #TheWomeninWhite for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: The Women in White: A Novel: 9781250349552: Pekkanen, Sarah: Books

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The Reservation by Rebecca Kauffman

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The Reservation is a clever story about of a group of restaurant employees from a celebrated dining establishment who are preparing for an extremely famous writer’s reservation. Of course, as luck would have it, things begin to go downhill very fast on the day of the event including stolen very expensive steaks which are needed for the evening and someone posting horrible yelp reviews. Over the course of the day, we will get to know the staff, the owners and how they not only interact with each other, but how although they have worked together, some for many years, they really don’t know each other at all. This story is part mystery, part who is the culprit and why, and the misconceptions people have about each other without really knowing them.

When a famous writer books a dinner at Aunt Olsa’s restaurant, everyone is on a code red. The place must be in pristine shape, everyone on top of their game and the food must be perfect. But unfortunately, when Olsa’s nephew comes in the morning of the big dinner, he discovers someone has taken twenty-two rib eyes which were reserved for the big event. As the day wears on they all begin to see someone is sabotaging the restaurant as it is discovered very bad reviews are being left on their site. Strangely all this is happening in real time!

Thus begins not only the hunt for the stolen rib eyes, but a day of discoveries and secrets for those who have worked so hard at their jobs, not only about each other, but about what drives each of them and how they became who they are.

The suspects;

The Chef, The Lead Line Cook, The Busser, The Host, The Bartender, The Pastry Chef, The Wait Staff

Who would want to ruin this event and why?

Yes, the mystery will be solved. But more importantly the reader will get a peek at what all these laborers must endure not only at work, but how their lives outside the job formed them way before they ever stepped into the restaurant.

The Reservation was a wonderfully different read, with a bit of humor, warmth and sadness. Who is the important writer? Well, you just have to read this terrific book to find out!

Published by Counterpoint

The Reservation: A Novel: Kauffman, Rebecca: 9781640097483: Amazon.com: Books

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Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard

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Buyer Beware is a psychological thriller with so many shocking layers to it that you won’t be able to put it down! And if you do, you will still think about the story, which revolves around a mysterious house in Dublin, it’s history and its curious past. But I am here to tell you that when the pieces all come together at the end you won’t be able to catch your breath!

One Delaney Row is where Ellie, fresh out of jail finds herself. Broke, hiding her real identity and somehow now a homeowner.

She immediately is welcomed into the neighborhood group chat, and one particular neighbor who seems to be obsessed with her. But her first night at One Delaney Row becomes a nightmare. First, she discovers some sort of stain on the floor of one of the rooms and then she wakes up to someone trying to break into the house. Thank goodness for her nosy neighbor who suggests she change the locks, which if she could afford them she would.

As the chapters take us back in time, we will discover Ellie is not her real name and there is another woman named Hannah. Of course there is also a man involved. But what could they all have in common? What could One Delaney Row be hiding and why are the neighbors so keen on protecting the house?

Buyer Beware is a superb mystery upon mystery upon mystery. You will be startled by the ending and the story itself.

Thank you #NetGalley #Simon&Schuester #BuyerBeware #CatherineRyanHoward for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Buyer Beware: A Thriller: 9781668075111: Howard, Catherine Ryan: Books

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/242978224-buyer-beware

The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong

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The Secret of the Three Fates is book two in the Ruby Vaughn romance series. And just as the first, The Curse of Penryth Hall, it is mysterious, romantic and filled with intrigue. The second gives us more back story to our main characters. Not everything, but enough to keep you engrossed as to what else could happen in the series. In this story we learn more about our Ruby who also continues to prove our heroine can do just about anything a man can do!

Mr. Owens, Ruby’s employer takes Ruby on a journey to Manhurst Castle to look at manuscripts for his collection. But he is not telling Ruby why he is really there. She discovers they have been invited to a seance with three mediums. Mr. Owens is delighted, Ruby is not.

While much is learned during the seance, one of the mediums is later found dead by Ruby in water near a bridge. Although the death has been quickly ruled a suicide, Ruby does not believe the story. She sees things which certainly would not add up to suicide. So, she begins to investigate and she is shocked to discover it is possible that her beloved Mr. Owens seems to be the prime suspect! Then, another medium disappears…

Enter Ruan Kivell whom she just left a few weeks earlier. He somehow knew she was in danger. Ruby and Ruan will need all their strength together to fight off the evil that seems to be erupting all around them. No one is safe from dying.

Ruby will need all her brawniness and intelligence to figure out what is happening. She will also need to be creative in how she snoops into the devious lives of some of the others. And this time, the one who is always protected will become the protector.

The Secret of the Three Fates is a great story filled with surprises as well as an ending no one could ever have expected!

Thank you #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks #TheSecretoftheThreeFates #JessArmstrong for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: The Secret of the Three Fates: A Ruby Vaughn Mystery: 9781250909886: Armstrong, Jess: Books

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/203578784-the-secret-of-the-three-fates

Massawa by Pam Webber

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Massawa is an incredible espionage story about a strong woman who is plucked from a small government position in America and hurled into a dangerous job of spying in a little country during World War II. Tough, smart but calm she is able to infiltrate a Nazi operation as well as figure out who seems to be stealing the payroll from the hard workers during a military operation. This story is a can’t put down thriller!

Kit Thomas has been assigned to help the United States spy agency to go to a small country called Massawa in Eritrea where the daily temperature reaches well above 100 degrees to help a British agent, Mark Williams figure out who is stealing the payroll money, where it is going and why they are doing it.

What they discover will help change the trajectory of the war, but more importantly show that a woman can be bright and unruffled in dire situations. Picked for the job as a carrier, Kit is able to assess the situations and aid both countries more than anyone could imagine.

Filled with drama, mystery and intrigue the story chronicles the team as Kit is able to put the pieces of the puzzle together and thwart an operation which was almost finished. Not only was she able to discover clues, but when push came to shove, literally, she was able to hold her own, fight and win…just as well as…a man.

Massawa is a wonderful story with a bit of romance thrown in about an underrated woman who took down not only thieves, but also through determination and perseverance assisted two governments working to save the world. What more could you ask for in a story? Well, perhaps a sequel?

Thank you #SheWritesPress #BooksForward #JackieKarneth #Massawa #PamWebber for the advanced copy.

Massawa: A Tale of Illusion, Espionage, and Love: Webber, Pam: 9798896360988: Amazon.com: Books

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Mr. & Mrs. Dixon Hide A Body by Jennifer Holdich

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Mr. & Mrs. Dixon Hide A Body is a delightfully dark, funny, wicked story. The plot revolves around a miserable married couple, an accidental murder and the coverup which follows. With a subtle War of the Roses feel, it has mystery, humor and quirky characters who hate deeply, steal openly, and want each other dead. Let the cat and mouse game begin!

Daisy Dixon dreams of her husband, daily. She would like to kill him. Unfortunately, she can’t figure out a way which would not implicate her. But she will wait patiently. He makes her live in a dilapidated estate, keeps her on a very short leash both on where she goes and how much she spends…he gives her a paltry allowance, and watches what she eats. Her husband is a financier and is rich, very rich.

One night, they must go to an event neither of them wants to go to and Daisy, who was driving so her husband James could drink the night away are on their way home when she accidentally hits a man walking a dark road. She immediately wants to call the police, but James insists they would get into too much trouble, and he makes them take the body back to their property and store it.

As they watch the news and listen to the gossip both of them are questioned. But it seems James has a plan he never let Daisy in on. He wants her out of the picture. As she relays to the reader how they met, their courtship and marriage, she realizes something is very amiss.

She begins to fight back in her own way.

Can Daisy beat not only the system, but her husband to the finish line without revealing what she did. All in the hopes of getting the freedom she so rightly deserves.

Mr. & Mrs. Dixon Hide A Body is wonderfully satisfying while being evil to the core, funny as heck and extremely clever. Sometimes karma can bite you!

Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #JenniferHoldich #Mr.&Mrs.DixonHideABody for the advanced copy.

Amazon.com: Mr. and Mrs. Dixon Hide a Body: A Novel: 9781464229817: Holdich, Jennifer: Books

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If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle

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If you enjoy romance, intrigue, mystery and humor well, If Books Could Kill will check off all those boxes! The story is a wonderfully creative romp, as you literally fall into a book! It is clever, the characters funny and adorable…even the villains and the plot are well, magical.

When romance reader Roxie Mitchell meets a crazy man on the street and he asks her to make a wish and throws glitter all over her, well, she just figures it’s just the sign of the times. But she immediately wishes her favorite romance novelist, Anna Matthews who has not written a new romance in quite a while would do just that…right another book.

That same day she meets a tall, dark and handsome stranger in a library no less and hit it off! He asks her on a date, she accepts, and the date is magical, until it is time for the kiss….

Roxie realizes that perhaps Anna Matthews may have decided to change her style of writing and for some reason not only has her wish come true, but Matthews is actually writing a thriller, and she, Roxie is the protagonist and they are trying to kill her!

As Roxie tries to get away from said handsome stranger she jumps into an Uber with a passenger in the back. Another tall, dark handsome hopefully not as crazy stranger named Grant Hoffman. She starts the car and races away with a very frightened college professor in the back!

Now she must not only make Grant believe her crazy story, but she must also make him help her stay alive until she can figure out where Anna Matthews is writing and find her and tell her she has to stop because she is literally trying to kill HER!

That my friends is when the real fun starts!

Travel with Roxie and Grant as they must become superheroes, figure out who the bad guys are and oh yes, maybe fall in love. But wait! They are in a book being written and none of it is real so…

If Books Could Kill is delightfully amusing, suspenseful with so many twists and turns your head will spin!

Thank you #NetGalley #PenguinBooks #IfBooksCouldKill #KateEberle for the advanced copy.

If Books Could Kill: Kate Eberle: 9780241798867: Amazon.com: Books

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Mystery Guest by Maren Stoffels

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Mystery is in abundance in this exciting, perplexing young adult story. In the book Mystery Guest, we meet a teenager who we discover is dead. Through flashback, we will also be told of the characters involved in the story and possibly the one who is a murderer. But it is up to the reader to decide who the best candidate could be. This is a true thriller!

Who killed Maria? And why?

Maria’s life was miserable. Her brother who continually tortured her at home was sent away after being found guilty of a crime. But for some reason he is coming home for the summer to begin the acclimation back into family life. And to continue his mistreatment of Maria whose parents seem to just ignore his antics.

But her life seems to be quite the yawn. Same old, same old. Until she gets a text from someone known only as Mystery Guest asking if she is bored. She decides to answer yes. They inform her there will be challenges she must perform in order to discover who the mystery person is. She jumps at the chance to add something exciting into her life. Until she discovers what the challenges are. She discovers they all have something to do with her life.

Clearly this is someone who knows her well. But why are they doing this to her?

The cast of characters include:

Her girlfriend Pip who never really wants to do anything exciting. But she’s okay as a girlfriend.

Norah, who is Pip’s ex-girlfriend who hates Maria with a passion for taking Pip away from her.

Cody, a new guy in town who meets Maria and they seem to have great chemistry.

Mike, who was run out of town last year for something he did to Maria and has now come back possibly to torture her again.

And finally, her brother, Ferris who has made it known he hates her.

Whoever the killer they seem to know way too much about Maria and her past. But unfortunately, every time a text comes in from Mystery Guest one of these people are either with her or have just left.

Mystery Guest will hook you from the first page and keep you riveted as the story begins to unfold, but the ending…will have you stunned, shocked and something you will never see coming. I promise!

Thank you #NetGalley #DelacortPress #MarenStoffels #MysteryGuest for the advanced copy.

Mystery Guest: Stoffels, Maren: 9798217122165: Amazon.com: Books

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