Tag: book-reviews

The Language of Birds by K.A. Merson

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The Language of Birds is a unique, very exciting thriller incorporating mysterious puzzles into the twisty plot which serves as clues as to who could be the villain and what they are looking for. We will follow the quest of a teenage girl who has recently lost her father and now must deal with another shattering loss…her mother’s kidnapping. Never sure as to where the clues will take her (and us) this ingenious story will have you on the edge of your seat!

Arizona, yes, that’s her name, is a seventeen-year-old who has recently lost her father to a horrible motorcycle accident. Her mother decides they need to get away and regroup so they decide to take a trip in their camper and visit some of the places they as a family had been. Along with their dog Mojo, they begin the journey. Arizona is a brilliant girl, but extremely awkward in social situations. So much so she has been home schooled. She is well read and amazing at puzzle solving thanks to her father.

But, as soon as they reach their first destination in which they decided to split up and meet back later in the day, something goes terribly wrong. Her mother is not there to meet her. Suddenly she gets a call in which a mystery man informs her they have kidnapped her mother and need for Arizona to solve a group of puzzles which will lead to an unknown which they refuse to tell her. Only then will they release her mother.

The reader then goes along for the ride with Arizona and Mojo as they are given different types of clues in which she must try and decipher only to have to go from location to location and keep solving puzzles.

But Arizona is not stupid. She sees a pattern. A pattern she keeps to herself. Will she be able to solve the final puzzle in order to get her mother released but also solve the true mystery before the bad men can.

The story is a treasure quest, something her father prepared her for since she was a child. What he did not prepare her for was the fact that she cannot just rely on herself and she must try and learn to trust others and more importantly keep herself calm something she is not very good at. These skills she must learn and learn quickly in order to save her mother.

The Language of Birds is an exciting rush to the finish line not really understanding where the line is or why we are there. But be sure, the ending will shock, surprise and satisfy the reader.

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #K.A. Merson #TheLanguageofBirds for the advanced copy.

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman

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In my humble opinion, The Page Turner by Viola Shipman (Wade Rouse) is not only his best work, but the closest his fans have come to just how much his grandmother (the real Viola) meant to him. The story is a true heart and soul family love story! With a bit of mystery thrown into the mix.

Emma Page has just graduated from college. She wants desperately to be a writer. No surprise there, since her family owns a publishing company called The Mighty Pages. But Emma has always felt like an outsider on the ins and outs of the publishing world. She has always left that to her parents and her sister.

She has always identified more with her grandmother, Gigi who was her mentor. Gigi, with words of wisdom had an unheard-of work ethic. She would get up before everybody and work and cook and put in almost a full day before anyone was ever awake. Thus, making a vast fortune.

But Gigi is gone and now her parents are running the show, spending it seems way too much money. When her sister Jess and her parents ask her to join the company, Emma must make a decision feeling as if no matter what she decides, she will once again disappoint.

But when suddenly an author Emma thinks is very shady and sexist agrees to an imprint at The Mighty Pages, she decides she needs to intervene only to be told by her family that he is there to bail the company out as they are bleeding money.

But Emma discovers something which changes everything. Her grandmother had kept a secret from all of them. By signing this deal with the author, they will be headed for disaster. Now Emma must try and fight not only for her family but for her grandmother. How will she be able to convince them she knows what is going on and make them believe her?

Now is the time for the Page family to put all their arguments and jealousies aside and come together not only for their own good, but for Gigi.

The Page Turner is the essence of a family love story. Your heartstrings will be pulled at and will make you truly appreciate the beautiful dynamic of Viola Shipman and Wade Rouse. Please read the afterward by Wade Rouse for even more touching stories of his life with his grandmother.

Thank you #NetGalley #GraydonHouse #ViolaShipman #ThePageTurner for the advanced copy.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

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The Ghostwriter is not only a spellbinding shocking mystery, but also a glimpse at a family whose instability and grief blow up into incomprehensible dysfunction as two of the three children in the family, both young are viciously murdered. Flash forward to the present when the only survivor’s daughter, a ghostwriter who has been estranged from her father for years, the only child not killed and decides to come back home to the place the murders occurred to help him ghostwrite the story of his life before it is all forgotten. He leads his daughter on her last treasure hunt, one of the only joys from her childhood, with hints and clues to what happened all those years ago to not only solve the mystery but heal both their souls.

In 1975 Vincent Taylor’s young sister Poppy and his brother a teenager at the time, Danny were brutally murdered in their home, leaving him an only child as well as the prime suspect. The case was never solved.

Now in the present, Taylor is an acclaimed writer who needs a ghostwriter to help him with the last book he knows he will every write. He insists on Olivia Dumont who is a ghostwriter who has had a few problems recently. Unbeknownst to all, she is actually Olivia Taylor, Vincent’s daughter whom he has not seen in decades.

When she agrees to work with him, she is confused. She discovers this is not a book of fiction, but in fact a confession. But to what? Of course, she knew her family had a tragedy well before she was ever born, but for Olivia, she was a victim as well, of the aftermath of the losses and bullying and grief they all experienced. Her childhood was unpleasant to say the least.

So as Olivia begins to sort through her father’s now flawed memory and keep the publisher unaware of not only who she really is but what is really being written, she begins to discover bits and pieces of evidence from that time period. The more she discovers the more she hunts for what really happened all those years ago, at times frightened as to what the ending may really be.

The Ghostwriter is a wonderful, suspenseful look at a tragedy and those who survived and how they became flawed, and guilt ridden. The shocking ending will haunt the reader. But even more important what happens during this process, is forgiveness and love.

Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #JulieClark #TheGhostwriter for the advanced copy.

No One Was Supposed To Die at this Wedding by Catherine Mack

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Hold on to your stomach because it will ache after laughing so hard at Catherine Mack’s (Catherine McKenzie’s) second Eleanor Dash book. With the wit, charm, mystery, (and of course the hilarious footnotes) the reader will be captured on page one as they are greeted with a dead body, (whose we have no idea) and take a journey with Eleanor who proceeds to go back in time to explain it to us.

The story picks up where Eleanor’s first adventure left off, sort of. In this book Eleanor’s novel, When In Rome is being made into a movie. The filming is taking place on Catalina Island. Although Eleanor should be pleased, she is very unhappy about the rewrite of her beloved book. But she is there with her best friend Emma, an actress who is playing her, as well as her boyfriend Oliver and her sister/assistant Harper. Oh, and of course Connor…who could forget him!

What Eleanor is surprised about is that her best friend and the male lead, Fred Winters have fallen in love and have decided to get married at the end of filming. But two other issues have arisen. One, Eleanor is not happy about the wedding as Emma has not known Fred for long and oh yes, there is a massive hurricane bearing down on them and Emma refuses to cancel the wedding. What could go wrong?

But unfortunately for her nothing is going as planned. There is a dead body, Emma is being harassed online, and Eleanor is being ignored when she makes suggestions as her characters seem to be changing in front of her eyes. And on top of all that…Oliver and Eleanor are at a crossroads in their relationship.

With so many productions crew, movie stars and an evacuation order which they must ignore in order to get Emma and Fred married, Eleanor has her hands full. Especially since the police were no fools and have already left the island.

Eleanor must put her thinking cap on to save her best friend’s wedding…see what I did there? No One Was Supposed To Die at this Wedding is a funny, quick read with dead bodies, many mysteries to solve and footnotes to die for!

Published by Minotaur Books

Saltwater by Katy Hays

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Saltwater is an eerie saga of a wealthy family whose secrets go back generations. Within the beautiful backdrop of Capris in Italy, it tells the tale of deception, greed, jealousy and death. The family, dysfunctional yet able to put on an exceptionally good act until suddenly it all falls apart when another death occurs.

In 1992, Sarah Lingate, writer and wife of wealthy Richard Lingate was discovered dead on a cliff in Capris. Was it suicide or murder? At the time, her daughter, just three years old witnessed the aftermath of the terrible situation. Suspicion immediately fell upon the family/husband of Sarah, but wealth has its privileges but only while it lasts.

Through the years, the Lingates would make a pilgrimage to Capris to go to exclusive parties and make a show that they are still there and even more powerful than ever. Now, thirty years later, with Helen an adult who unfortunately had a miserable childhood and was basically kept hidden and found no joy from her life. She has befriended the family assistant Lorna and they have decided to hatch a plan to figure out what exactly happened to her mother all those years ago.

But something goes terribly wrong, and Lorna disappears. Helen begins to see the cracks in her family…her father, uncle and aunt. She will soon discover the mystery of the Lingate family and all that it encompasses, one tragedy at a time.

The story which is told by Helen, Lorna and Sarah is mystifying and shocking. Family corruption and selfishness will erupt for what? To save a name.

Saltwater is a suspenseful story in which you can’t imagine the twists and turns coming, but when they come, they are paralyzing! Such a good ride!

Thank you #NetGalley #BallentineBooks #KatyHays #Saltwater for the advanced copy.

The Little Lost Library by Ellery Adams

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In Ellery Adams latest book, The Little Lost Library, she truly has outdone herself! Between the intriguing story, a mysterious book within the book you will be writing the clues down yourself on paper to try and solve the puzzle! In my opinion this is her best Secret, Book, and Scone novel to date!

It all begins when Nora arrives to drop books of at an elderly woman named Lucielle’s very dilapidated mansion in Miracle Springs. They have had an agreement for quite a while that Nora would bring her books in exchange for some Lucille had in her house. Although Nora has never stepped foot into the house, only being allowed to enter the mud room where over tea, they would chat just a bit.

But unfortunately, on this visit, Nora discovers Lucielle has passed away, at first thinking from old age. The mansion known as Wynter Mansion was involved in a terrible scandal years ago and whatever happened, Lucielle never left the house again. When Nora is able to see the inside, she discovers it is filled with books and papers with practically nowhere to move. Lucille was a hoarder. Within all the mess Nora discovers Lucille has left her a very special book, The Little Lost Library. Why? She makes the decision to take the book before anyone else shows up.

As Lucille’s children two of whom left the area as soon as they were able and one who unknowingly to Nora lived in back of the mansion, swoop in to discover the secrets the mansion holds because they truly believe something valuable is hidden inside.

While the house begins to become decluttered Nora starts to read the book and realizes it is a book of clues she must somehow solve and put the pieces of the puzzle together. But more importantly, she begins to believe Lucille’s death was no accident. That’s when she and her boyfriend who is the Sheriff of the town and her Secret, Book, and Scone Society, her valuable, loving network of friends assist in finding out just what is going on.

Unfortunately for Nora, someone does not want her looking into this mystery. She finds herself in a desperate situation as well as fearing for her life. The more clues which come to light points to not only a terrible dark secret from the past but to someone who wants to hurt her.

What mystery does this mansion hold? More important who killed Lucille.

The Little Lost Library will have you riveted! The twists and turns and clues extremely exciting! And of course, the Society of Women once again remain strong for each other! As in every book there are suggestions from Miracle Books, Nora’s bookstore so keep a look out for any you might want to read!

Thank you #NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #ElleryAdams #TheLittleLostLibrary for the advanced copy.

American Housewife

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American Housewife is an interesting journey back in time to an era when a woman’s work was never done…. at home. Cooking and cleaning, having children, making drinks before the husband arrives home sums up what a “working woman” was expected to do in the 1950s. It didn’t matter if that is what she really aspired to do. The story which is witnessed through the eyes of a progressive 1950’s woman who notices the restlessness of some housewives which begins as an itch to being a husband’s trophy wife/cook/cleaner instead wanting to be treated as their husband’s equal.

Maggie Lane is a radio personality who has just been offered the job of hosting a TV show. The Maggie Lane Baking Show is her ultimate dream job. The problem is she’s not married and in this particular era you had to be married to discuss cooking topics to other women, but also know a thing or two about baking, both of which she knew nothing about.

But Maggie, who never really wanted to get married but is dating a very wealthy war hero who had been asking her to marry him for months, decides with his support to quickly marry and hesitatingly accepts the job.

But life as a married couple is quite the adjustment. With Maggie’s long hours and sudden popularity, her new husband’s horrible dreams at night and unwillingness to talk to her about them, they discover the beginnings of cracks in their already not so honest relationship. Her stardom begins to interfere with the marriage as well. You see, no matter what, it’s still a man’s world and Maggie is not a man.

As their problems grow deeper and although they try to hold each other accountable in their marriage and as Maggie who herself holds secrets from her past afraid to open up about, secrets we learn in flashbacks, is terrified that if she tells him he will divorce her.

Part of Maggie’s job is answering letters from viewers, mostly housewives. She does it with honesty as opposed to expectation. Through the letters she begins to understand the advantages she has and the rules some of these married women must follow and the burden they carry. She even sees it in her best friend who is desperately in love but fears she is not good enough for her boyfriend.

But when Maggie’s past becomes her present it could not only impact her career but more importantly her marriage which is already hanging by a thread. Being a 1950’s housewife should have been easy but for Maggie who always wanted more and will not stop until she’s succeeded in her dreams desperately must decide what to sacrifice as she sees her husband slipping away.

American Housewife is a wonderful impactful story about a woman’s past meeting her present a woman emerging as a celebrity in an era when most women were not even allowed to voice their own opinion. But, as women began to find their voice one word at a time, it certainly could be said it was the start of the feminist movement as housewives began to dip their toes into their backyard pools while becoming their own person.

Thank you #NetGalley #LakeUnionPublishing #AnitaAbriel #AmericanHousewife for the advanced copy.

Blood In The Water by Casey Sherman

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Author Casey Sherman who has compiled a long list of nonfiction New York Times best sellers, with one closest to his heart a book called A Rose For Mary about his aunt who was the final victim of the Boston Strangler, has once again delved into another true-life murder mystery case in the New England area in which a man on a fishing boat trip with his mother is found floating alone in a life boat no boat or mother in sight. Was this an accident or intentional? Well, it depends on who you ask. This story is tragic in so many ways as it shows a very dysfunctional very wealthy family and a past murder which opens their lives to chaos, greed and secrets with an ending you couldn’t make up.

Nathan Carman came from a very wealthy very dysfunctional family. But it was his grandfather who was rich and made sure his children knew it. Nathan as a child was diagnosed with Asperger’s and was bullied at school, had no friends except for his horse and kept to himself. At one point as a young child, he even ran away and was found states away from their Connecticut home.

He had a tumultuous relationship with his mother, a love, hate, jealous relationship. His parents divorced, his father in California he lived with his mother in Connecticut and was never really happy. He was though, the apple of his grandfather’s eye and was financially supported by him much to the dismay of his mother and her siblings.

Sadly, his grandfather was murdered in New Hampshire and Nathan was left to fend for himself even though he was bestowed a trust, but having never worked or had to manage money needless to say didn’t understand the concept of spending. So, Nathan decides to buy a fishing boat and fixed it up even though it was in fairly good shape. He had never had any interest in boats up until now.

And this is where we are introduced to Nathan on the first page of this very sad yet extremely mysterious story on a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean alone where he is picked up by a ship and his first question is where’s my mom?

But what the reader will discover is that this one sentence he uttered will not only lead him to being arrested by the police for the murder of his mother, a woman who was extremely wealthy in her own right but will also open the door to his past life and all that it encompassed. Nobody really ever knew the real Nathan Carmen.

The questions in the book to answer if we can… Did Nathan intentionally kill his mother? Did Nathan have other nefarious secrets? Did he know exactly what he was doing and plan murder. Sherman expertly takes the reader step by step into the evidence which seems to mount against Nathan. As the trial is set one can only wonder will he be found guilty with only circumstantial evidence? Will we ever know?

Blood In The Water is a wonderfully written true crime story which if it had been fiction no one would ever believe. But unfortunately, the story and all the mystery surrounding what happened is sadly true.

Thank you #NetGalley #Sourcebooks #CaseySherman #BloodInTheWater for the advanced copy.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

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This Book Will Bury Me will exhaustingly haunt you making you crave more! The story, told by a young college girl who has suddenly lost her father will pull at your heartstrings as she tries to come to grips with the sudden loss but by also her sudden obsession with true crime. By doing this, she doesn’t have to think about her father as she falls into the rabbit hole of true crime murders and her father’s untimely death. What she does discover as she delves into these horrific murders is to her shock and surprise in the end, they somehow will help her heal and process loss. This is Jane Sharp’s own story.

Jane Sharp receives a call from her mother while she’s at college living her life happily with her friends and going to classes. Her father, her best friend she suddenly learns has died unexpectedly. As she goes home to bury him still unable to process the death, still unable to even come to grips with what all this means becomes lost in her thoughts and fears of the future. She doesn’t understand, she still feels him with her.

Depressed, angry and confused one night Jane is looking through internet threads and notices a group of true crime chatters talking about a mystery surrounding the murder of woman which has been unsolved in her area. She discovers the true crime site where sleuths exchange information and tips. She begins to do a deeper dive into the story and not only becomes obsessed with the case but with a group of other sleuth-hounds who begin to bond actually break the case wide open.

Still mourning her father’s death Jane decides against her mother’s wishes that she doesn’t want to go back to college and gets a job working at a coffee shop. She needs to figure out for herself how and why her father allowed himself to get to the point where he died.

When a second case comes to the group in which three college girls in Delphine, Idaho are murdered, her true crime partners and herself decide they are going to not only go visit the scenes of the crime but solve this murder themselves. Ah, be careful what you wish for!

As they move deeper into the case with no clear suspects, no clear evidence at the scene and a police chief unwilling to take their help, the group decides to gather their own information, some of which becomes terribly explosive and causes unnecessary harm to some people.

But something about this case does not feel right to Jane and although she can’t put her finger on why, she seems to believe there is more to this case than they are seeing. As they proceed and get closer to some answers they can hardly believe, and when they finally figure out the shocking reality of the case Jane discovers a book is being written and that is when she finally decides she must speak her truth and tell exactly what happened, and why.

This is when Jane finally discovers her much needed closure not only with this case and all it delivered to their true crime group but how it enabled her to let go of the anger for her father and to love him for himself and for just being him. This Book Will Bury Me is a fascinating, on the edge of your seat story with unimaginable surprises and an incredibly intense look at how true crime murders can be solved by amateurs. A must-read book!

Thank you #NetGalley #SourcebooksLandmark #AshleyWinstead #ThisBookWillBuryMe for the advanced copy.

First Wives Shadow by Adele Parks

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First Wives Shadow is a twisted, diabolical psychological thriller which will make you gasp, be shocked and surprised with each and every warped turn. This can’t put down book is a creative heart palpitating adventure you will never want to end. The ending itself, the fireworks.

Emma is a wealthy single older woman who never married. An executive at a company and wealthy due to her hard work, she loves her life. Very routine oriented you could set your watch by what she does and when she wakes up every day. Although her two best friends are married with children, they are as close now as they were when they met years ago in college.

Matthew is a widower who lost his first wife Becky in a tragic accident. Although they seemed to not have much in common, perhaps that’s why the flirting began. After accidentally meeting at a convention where Emma was speaking, she finds herself attracted to Matthew. He is a photographer and although they do exchange numbers, they work and live and travel in different areas, so nothing happens. Until it does.

Their romance advances very quickly. Although Matthew is not afraid to talk about his late wife Becky, Emma believes he still has feelings for her. He brings her up subtly and she understands that is to be expected. For the first time in a very long time Emma is happy!

When her two best friends are introduced to Matthew one of them gets a bad feeling. This sadly causes a lot of stress and anger, but Matthew and Emma not only move in together but decide to marry against her friend’s wishes.

There’s something else going on with Emma. Strange occurrences begin to happen in her house where they are living. Things she can’t figure out such as finding items shattered, doors locked which were not supposed to be, and other unusual occurrences which make Emma feel like there might be something wrong with her. Unfortunately, with her friends alienated from her she starts to become paranoid and begins drinking a bit more than usual which concerns Matthew.

Emma starts to question whether she made the right choice in moving so quickly with Matthew and whether or not he truly has gotten over his first wife. Then things take an even darker turn one which neither of them will ever be able to come back from. That, I will leave the reader to discover, enjoy, and be shocked at.

First Wives Shadow has so many crazy, and I mean crazy moving parts with mysteries, and secrets some we don’t even discover until much later just as the reader will think they’ve figured out what’s going to happen and then be turned around in another direction and find yourself rattled. A great beach read, this is just another fascinating story in Adele Parks amazing devious style.

Thank you #NetGalley #MiraBooks #AdeleParks #FirstWivesShadow for the advanced copy.