HOW I'LL KILL YOU (2023) - Review

How I'll Kill You by Ren DeStefano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: March 21, 2023

The idea of triplets choosing and killing men they have made love them was fascinating. This is the author's debut and early readers seem to like it. For me, it was disturbing, although I have to admit that I read it in just a couple of days curious to find out what would happen.

FIRST SENTENCE: "What about that one?"

THE STORY: Raised in mostly unpleasant foster homes, identical sisters Iris, Moody, and Sissy now stay together to protect each other. They have rules. They choose vulnerable men, make their lives wonderful, kill them, and move on undetected.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Tension is high throughout the story but new information keeps the action moving forward. Sentences are short and sometimes repetitive. Hoping for a good thriller, it was surprising how much of a love story it was.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED with reservations.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "How I'll Kill You" by Ren DeStefano from NetGalley/Berkley Publishing Group for an honest review.

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THE WOMAN IN THE LIBRARY (2022) - Review

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: June 7, 2022

And now for something completely different. Author Sulari Gentill has concocted an unexpected format for her mystery. It's a story within a story within a story. Similar to locked room puzzles, there seem to be only four possibilities for the murderer, but are there?

FIRST SENTENCE: "Dear Hannah, What are you writing?"

QUOTE: "And so we go to the Map Room to found a friendship, and I have my first coffee with a killer."

THE STORY: Hannah Tigone, an Australian author had planned to visit Boston to write her next book. When the pandemic puts a halt to her traveling, Leo, a colleague who lives there becomes her beta reader. Every chapter ends with a letter from Leo offering advice and details about Boston and American life.

Then there's the story of the book itself. Winifred better known as "Freddie" is writing "The Woman in the Library". She has won a Marriot Scholarship to enable her to write her mystery set in Boston. Working in the Boston Public Library, she is attempting to decide the plot for her mystery when a woman screams. Four other people seated nearby begin to talk about what might have just happened and they quickly become friends. When they discover the woman has been killed, they become sleuths.

WHAT I THOUGHT: The author has written a carefully written and plotted mystery adding humor as the story unfolds with its many twists and turns. Besides the puzzle the friends seek to solve, the story is about friendship and writing (every character is writing a book). It's always fun to recognize the current references to things we know that are scattered throughout.

More than once, especially in the beginning, I found myself wondering what story I was reading, but it's worth the struggle. Although you can listen to the audio book, I would expect it could add another level of confusion.

The book also includes A Reading Group Guide and ‘A Conversation with the Author’ about how she stumbled on her plot.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Woman in the Library" by Sulari Gentill from NetGalley/Europa for my honest review.


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THE DISINVITED GUEST (2022) - Review

The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: July 12, 2022

A number of years back, I read "The Lake of Dead Languages" (2002), "The Seduction of Water" (2003), and "The Drowning Tree" (2004) all by the same author. When I got the chance to read "The Disinvited Guest", I was delighted. Remember the advice about writing the book you want to read? For me that would be a Carol Goodman story. Great escapist gothic, ghostly storytelling.

FIRST SENTENCE: "We're here."*

QUOTE: "But what if those of us who survived really were haunted by those who didn't?"

THE STORY: Ten years after the first pandemic, with a second one expected, six friends plan to retreat to an island three miles off the coast of Maine. Fever Island was used as a way station for the sick arriving from Ireland in the 1800s before they could enter the mainland. Later the island became the property of the wealthy Harper family. The story is told by Lucy who plans to spend her time writing about its Celtic rituals, ghosts, and lives lost. Even though everything has been carefully accounted for, things quickly go astray or missing.

WHAT I THOUGHT: There is so much tension and unpleasantness among the group that the reader knows there will be problems. Lucy is highly susceptible to suggestion. As she reads a journal left behind by a young doctor recounting his experiences on the island years ago, she becomes obsessed and begins imagining things.

While one might not want to read about a pandemic while living through one, here it is merely used as a conceit to isolate the deftly drawn characters. Although some suspension of disbelief may be necessary, the roller coaster ride is worth it.

Goodman's descriptions of the island and it's mysteries are alluring. It's a nice touch having a map of the island included.

BOTTOM LINE: RECOMMENDED Past college friendships, youthful indiscretions, secret histories and suggestions of ghosts combine to cause suspense and a sense of dread.

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of "The Disinvited Guest" by Carol Goodman from NetGalley/William Morrow Paperbacks for my honest review.

*This is the shortest first sentence I can remember. Two books ago, "Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus, was the longest, a whole paragraph!

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GOOD RICH PEOPLE (2022) - Review

Good Rich People by Eliza Jane Brazier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: January 25, 2022

I have to admit that I am often drawn to a book by its cover, and Good Rich People has an eye-catching one!

FIRST SENTENCE: "There is blood in the fountain turning the water an eerie rust color."

THE STORY: When Lyla married Graham she thought she was winning, but now he is bored with her and every other aspect of his life. His filthy rich domineering mother indulges and encourages the worst aspects of his need for amusement. They play games and there is always a loser.

For their entertainment, they lure successful people to their property by providing housing. Then they ruin them. When Demi moves in, the game takes an unexpected turn.

WHAT I THOUGHT: A dark, psychological comedy, Good Rich People is also a cautionary tale of wealthy people who will do anything for amusement contrasted with the destitute who will do anything to survive.

This is not a book for everyone. The characters are unpleasant. We hope they are not like us but we find them utterly fascinating. The twists and turns are unexpected and will keep the reader turning pages to discover the next outrageous move in the game.

When I got to the end, I asked myself, "What did I just read?" I'm still trying to reconcile and understand the meaning of the title and the ending.

There seemed to be lots of unanswered questions at the end. Perhaps the game just goes on.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you like black comedy with lots of violence. This book is NOT for everyone.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Berkley Publishing Group and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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THE ACCOMPLICE (2022) - Review

The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: January 25, 2022

This is the book that got me reading again after a long period when nothing caught my attention. I had previously read two other books by Lisa Lutz (The Passenger and The Swallows) and the plots were distinctive and different. The same can be said about The Accomplice.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Owen Mann first noticed Luna Grey in an Intro to Ethics seminar."

THE STORY: Owen and Luna were inseparable in college and years later remain best friends, closer to each other than to their spouses. But there are secrets that could destroy them and their friends. Two deaths cloud the friendship and the story alternates between Owen and Luna's earlier lives and the present, revealing secrets that have caused misunderstandings and pain.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Well plotted, written, with interesting, if not likeable, characters, this a unique read. It has a lot to say about relationships and whether we can be sure of those we think we know best. The ending is most satisfactory.

BOTTOM LINE:  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Ballentine Books and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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PANIC ATTACK (2021)

Panic Attack by Dennis Palumbo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: September 21, 2021

I love thrillers and the better written and circuitously plotted, the faster I consume the story. Suspending disbelief, sometimes I don't even attempt to solve the mystery. I'm just along for the ride and what a ride this book is! I actually tossed aside a literary novel that I've been reading for weeks and finished "Panic Attack" in a couple of days. At 1 o'clock in the morning.

FIRST SENTENCE: "On a bitterly cold afternoon in late October, I was one of twenty thousand witnesses to a murder."

THE STORY: In front of a football stadium filled with students and parents, the college mascot, dancing on the field, is struck down by a sniper. Pandemonium breaks out. While the authorities scramble to calm the public and find the shooter over the next few days, more deaths occur. Although the victims seem randomly chosen, Dr. Rinaldi suspects there is something that links them all together. Can he find the key to stop these dreadful attacks before it's too late?

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is the sixth entry in the Dr. Daniel Rinaldi series and I have read and reviewed them all. Author Dennis Palumbo hooked me by setting the stories in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I lived for many years. His narrator, a psychologist who consults with the Police on difficult cases, is surrounded by interesting characters, who don't always behave normally, Dr. Rinaldi ends up in all kinds of trouble.With great dialogue, well-drawn characters, and sense of place, you won't have any trouble seeing this as a television series or movie.

For an earlier entry in the series I wrote that although there is the requisite violence and sex, Palumbo knows when to back off and let the reader's imagination take over. I'll have to change that to say violence and sex has been ratcheted up a bit. As a matter of fact the body count in "Panic Attack" is pretty high.

Luckily there are five other Dr. Rinaldi titles and, although you can read them as stand alones, reading them in order is much more fun. In order "Mirror Image"; "Fever Dream"; "Night Terrors"; "Phantom Limb"; "Head Wounds"; and "Panic Attack". Find them. Read them.

BOTTOM LINE: A solid entry in the series. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Poison Pen Press for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The Killing Kind (2021)

The Killing Kind by Jane Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
On sale: September 21, 2021

Back in 2014 I read Jane Casey's first psychological thriller "The Burning", which kicked off a series featuring Detective Constable Maeve Kerrigan. It was such a great ride that I went on to read several more in the series. I'm a big fan of UK based mysteries (think Tara French, Paula Hawkins, Erin Kelly).

FIRST SENTENCE: "I think about death a lot; it's my job."

THE STORY: As a successful barrister, Ingrid Lewis had a comfortable life. That is, until a man named John Webster refused to stop following her. The strange part is that she had defended him against an unpleasant stalking case a few years back even though she wasn't convinced of his innocence. He was acquitted.

Now it appears he may be behind all sorts of random acts that have become more and more destructive and seemingly targeting Ingrid and everything that's important to her.

WHAT I THOUGHT: The first thing I notice when I start reading a new book is the style. Jane Casey's writing is intelligent and sharp. I was immediately drawn in and finished the book in two days.

Ingrid is a likeable character although she occasionally makes decisions in her personal life that are questionable and put her in harms way. Telling the story from her point of view allows the reader to get a sense of what a barrister is and does (the author's husband IS a barrister) compared to a lawyer. A few literary tricks flesh out the story.

I don't feel the ending quite lived up to the rest of the book although it was satisfactory. "The Killing Kind" would make a marvelous first entry in a new series. And the fantastic news is that the book is set for TV Adaptation by Sony's Eleventh Hour Films!

BOTTOM LINE: Don't hesitate to pick up "The Killing Kind" or any book with Jane Casey's name on it! Highly recommended. (And it has a great cover!)

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Harper 360, Harper Collins for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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THE DISAPPEARING ACT (2021)

The Disappearing Act by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What can I say? I loved this book! For one thing it's the first time I've seen the word 'hoicks' used, as in "He hoicks the sleeve of his immaculate evening suit and checks his watch." British Actress/writer Catherine Steadman's third book is a fascinating insider's view of Hollywood attached to a page-turning plot.

PROLOGUE: "Have you ever asked yourself what kind of story the story of your life is?"

FIRST LINE: "Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't disappear."

THE STORY: Actress/writer Catherine Steadman is the perfect choice to tell this story of a British actress who comes to Hollywood to audition for the pilot season where she meets another actress, who then disappears without a trace. "How far would one go to land the perfect part."

WHAT I THOUGHT: A likeable heroine, Mia has become known for her role as Jane Eyre in a British production and is up for an award. When she's stuck she asks herself "What would Jane do?"

Her agent has arranged several auditions for her in Hollywood and it's fun to see her discover this new world. Social media was woven into the story in a relatable way.

I easily suspend disbelief for a good story but The Disappearing Act strained credibility for me. Mia's behavior often seemed irrational, unpredictable, and even dangerous.

Mia is like a split personality. In her professional life, she is in control. In her personal life she is a hot mess. It bothered me that a professional actress, who has signed an NDA (non-disclosure agreement), wasn't concerned about finding an important script missing; wasn't concerned that someone might have been in her apartment considering her 'lost' room key; isn't worried when she thinks the cleaners might have taken the script.

You should probably forget all that and just enjoy the story. It's a great roller coaster of a ride!

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of was provided to me by Ballentine Books /Net Galley for an honest review. 

Publisher : Ballantine Books (June 8, 2021)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10 : ‎ 0593158032
ISBN-13 : 978-0593158036

Catherine Steadman is an actress and writer based in North London, UK. She is best known in the United States for her role as Mabel Lane Fox in Downton Abbey. Her debut novel, Something in the Water, was a Reese’s Book Club x Hello Sunshine pick and a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. It was longlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award and shortlisted for the Macavity Award and the ITW Thriller Award for Best First Novel, and it has been optioned for film by Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon’s production company. 

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THE PLOT (2021)

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been a while since I've stayed up late to finish a book, but I had to know how Jean Hanff Korelitz's "The Plot" ended before I closed my eyes last night!

FIRST LINE: "Jacob Finch Bonner, the once promising author of the "New & Noteworthy" (New York Times Book Review) novel The Invention of Wonder, let himself into the office he'd been assigned on the second floor of Richard Peng Hall, set his beat-up leather satchel on the barren desk, and looked around in something akin to despair."

THE STORY: Not having published anything worthy since his successful first novel, Jake Finch Bonner has been reduced to teaching a low-residency MFA program at a rural Vermont college teaching creative writing. His first year he encounters Evan Parker, an arrogant young man, who claims to have conceived a plot that can't help but to be the best selling book of all time and shares the plot with his instructor. Several years later, Jake unexpectedly finds an obituary for Evan and decides to write the book himself.

"Crib" becomes an enormous success and Jake is busy touring the country enjoying his new found celebrity when anonymous messages begin to arrive. Someone knows.

Our disingenuous hero thinks he can keep his guilty secret which only undermines everything he has achieved. When he finally decides to track down the person who is threatening him with exposure, the twists and turns tighten.

WHAT I THOUGHT: "The Plot" is devilishly clever. Inserted sections from "Crib" add to the overall arc of the story. Interesting characters, sophisticated writing, a glimpse into world of publishing and writers, plus a fascinating plot makes for a must-read book in 2021.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of was provided to me by Celadon Books /Net Galley for an honest review. 

Publisher : Celadon Books (May 11, 2021)
Hardcover : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 125079076X
ISBN-13 : 978-1250790767 

THE AUTHOR: Jean Hanff Korelitz is the author of the novels YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN (adapted for HBO as "The Undoing" by David E. Kelley, and starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant and Donald Sutherland), ADMISSION (adapted as the 2013 film starring Tina Fey), THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER, THE WHITE ROSE, THE SABBATHDAY RIVER and A JURY OF HER PEERS. A new novel, THE PLOT, will be published on May 11th 2021. Her company BOOKTHEWRITER hosts "Pop-Up Book Groups" in NYC, where small groups of readers can discuss new books with their authors. www.bookthewriter.com 

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WHO IS MAUD DIXON? (2021)

Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Apparently "imposters" is one of my favorite plot themes so when Who is Maud Dixon? was compared to Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley, it went right to the top of my huge TBR pile. Alexandra Andrew's first novel is guaranteed to be a best-seller.

FIRST LINE: "Madame Weel-cock?" Her left eyelid wrenched open, and warm yellow light flooded into the crack. Her vision was crossed by a blurred figure in white. She shut her eye."

THE STORY: Maud Dixon, the anonymous best-selling author of  "Mississippi Foxtrot" needs a new assistant. She chooses Florence Darrow, a young woman who escaped to New York to make something of herself but has been stuck in a low level publishing job. One of the perks of the job is the chance to travel to Morocco to research a new book.  

WHAT I THOUGHT: I haven't devoured a book in a long time. When I finished this one, I felt like I had just gotten off a roller coaster ride. The first half is like an anxiety inducing slow climb to the top and then a free fall followed by unexpected twists and turns first right and then left all the way to the ending.

None of the characters are particularly likeable, but they are unpredictable and interesting. The writing is crisp and clever. Descriptions give the reader a real feel for locations.

BOTTOM LINE: Don't read the reviews. It will spoil the fun. Just get a copy and read it. You will not be disappointed. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of was provided to me by Little Brown and Company/Net Galley for an honest review.

Publisher : Little, Brown and Company (March 2, 2021)
Language : English
Hardcover : 336 pages
ISBN-10 : 0316500313
ISBN-13 : 978-0316500319

THE AUTHOR: Alexandra Andrews has worked as a journalist, editor, and copywriter in New York and Paris. Who Is Maud Dixon? is her first novel. She lives in New York with her husband and daughter.

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MOTHER MAY I (2021)

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How well can you know another person and how far are you willing to go for someone you love? Readers will find themselves considering this question and others in Joshilyn Jackson's newest book.

Do not start listening to this gripping and terrifying story after night falls. Sleep will never come.

Bree is distracted while watching her daughter 's school rehearsal when the unthinkable happens. She turns around to find her infant son Robert missing. The note left behind instructs her not to call the police or her husband and to go home immediately.

Bree obeys only to find that the requests become more and more bizarre until she is trapped by the voice on the phone that now rules her life. Worse still Bree can make no sense of the intensity of revenge behind the instructions

No doubt the author's theatrical background informs her good vocal work creating the characters and tensions in the voices that make this story so riveting.

The set-up and the development of the story will keep the reader enthralled but the ending seems rushed. Not that that will stop anyone from enjoying the twists and turns this thriller delivers.

This is my first book by the author but it won't be my last. Almost Sisters is already downloaded to my Kindle!

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, whether you read the story or listen to it.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of Mother May I was provided to me by HarperAudio/NetGalley for an honest review.

Publisher: HarperAudio (April 26, 2021)
Unabridged Audiobook:  12 Hours, 51 Minutes, 47 Seconds

Author: Joshilyn Jackson

Narrators: Joshilyn Jackson

ASIN: B08FT7MQHH

AUTHOR LINKS:

Website
Instagram
Goodreads
Facebook
 

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THE VACATION (2020)

The Vacation by T.M. Logan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Having read TM Logan's first two books (Lies and 29 Seconds), I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read The Vacation. I'm a fan of stories set in isolated places.

THE STORY:  Four college friends who meet every year to reminisce and catch-up, decide to bring their families along to a luxurious villa in the south of France.

Kate, who tells the story, has just discovered text messages between her husband and what appears to be one of her best friends who will be along on the vacation.

All the characters, adults and children alike, are unpleasant people self-centered, willing to betray and lie, making it hard to care about them.

FIRST LINE: "We drove north, away from the coast."

WHAT I THOUGHT: The story is told by Kate in the first person interspersed with chapters named for other events and characters that are told in the third person and fill in parts of the puzzle pieces.

Another title might be "How to Draw Bad Conclusions". Kate is an annoying character. Considering that she has been a crime analyst for 13 years with the Metropolitan Police, her mode of reasoning is to jump to conclusions. The repetition of her fabricated worries while mostly neglecting her children is disturbing.

There are plenty of teasers and red herrings and a set-up for an unexpected ending. T.M. Logan comes up with some interesting plot ideas and then fills them with twists and turns that will keep you up late.

BOTTOM LINE:RECOMMENDED. This is going to be another popular book by T.M. Logan. Earlier titles were Lies (2018) and 29 Seconds (2019). Click on the book title to see my reviews. It was published in 2019 as The Holiday in the U.K. and will be released in July 2020 in the U.S. as The Vacation.

Take this book to the beach but don't take it too seriously. Just enjoy the twists, turns, and red herrings the author has created for your enjoyment.

Disclaimer: A copy of The Vacation was provided to me by /Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July21, 2020)
ISBN-10: 1250270774
ISBN-13: 978-1250270771

TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His thrillers have sold more than 750,000 copies in the UK and are published in 19 countries around the world.

His debut thriller Lies was one of Amazon UK's biggest ebooks of 2017 - winning a Silver Award at the Nielsen Bestseller Awards - and was followed by his second standalone, 29 Seconds (2018). The Holiday spent ten weeks in the Sunday Times paperback Top 10, as well as hitting the #1 spots on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks and Kobo. His brand new thriller for 2020, The Catch, is about a father who becomes convinced his daughter is about to marry a man with a terrible secret.

Tim lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin at the bottom of his garden.

29 SECONDS (2019)

29 Seconds by T.M. Logan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There seems to be much repetition and hand wringing by our heroine Sarah in the beginning; but once things start to happen, you'll read right through until the end. A perfect summer choice.

FIRST LINE: "The Rules were simple enough."

THE STORY: Sarah has been playing the academic game and waiting patiently for her reward - a permanent seat on the faculty. Her boss is a well-known BBC personality and a terrible womanizer. He is making Sarah's life unbearable.

Then one day she is given a gift. Having stopped a kidnapping, the child's wealthy father offers Sarah the chance to name a person she would like to disappear. She has 72 hours to decide, but things are never that simple.

You may think you know where this story is going, but there are lots of twists and turns. What a surprising ride!

WHAT I THOUGHT: This is my second book by T.M Logan. My first one was Lies, which I actually liked better; but this was still another great read. The sexual harassment Sarah endures will resonate with many readers.

BOTTOM LINE: Recommended. Watch for T.M. Logan's newest title The Holiday, which is currently only available in the United Kingdom.

Disclaimer: A copy of 29 Seconds was provided to me by MacMillan/Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher:  Macmillan Press/September 10, 2019
ISBN-10: 1785770802
ISBN-13: 978-1785770807

Bestselling author TM Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His debut thriller LIES was one of Amazon UK's biggest ebooks of 2017, selling 350,000 copies and gathering more than 1,400 5-star reviews so far. It was published in the USA in September 2018 and has also come out in South Korea, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and the Netherlands.
(From Amazon)

WE WERE KILLERS ONCE (2019)

After seeing a number of mentions and reviews of Becky Masterman's first thriller Rage Against the Dying (2013), I got a copy from my local library and devoured it. Now I watch for each new title as it is released.This is the 4th book in the series but can be read as a stand alone.

Other titles in the series are Fear the Darkness (2015) and Twist of the Knife (2017).

FIRST SENTENCE: "Little Brigid Theresa Quinn, with a band-Aid on my knobby knee from jumping of a banyan tree o a dare, and a ponytail of red hair that should have been washed four days ago--I'm only six years old when I first hear about the murder of the Walker Family on December 19, 1959."

THE STORY: Inspired by Truman Capote's IN COLD BLOOD, Becky Masterman has created a modern crime thriller on the Clutter family murders in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. The story alternates between the past and today.

Brigid Quinn, a 60 year old retired FBI agent, has recently married and started a new life in Tucson, Arizona. Her husband Carlo, an ex-priest, is now a professor of philosophy and a good balance for Brigid.

Jerry Beaufort, out of prison after years behind bars, worries that somewhere there is a written record of the time he spent with two killers in 1959. His attempts to find the document that could implicate him will pit Jerry against the last person he'll see as a threat: Brigid Quinn.

QUOTES: 

"Cold cases, they call them, as if they're frozen harmlessly in the past without any power to wreak new havoc."

"That I hadn't killed anybody in about a year didn't feel like a huge point in my favor."

WHAT I THOUGHT: A most fascinating story whether you are knowledgeable about the Clutter Murders or are just hearing about them for the first time. And the author gets inside Jerry's head and lets us see the twisted thinking that the reader couldn't imagine.

BOTTOM LINE: Highly Recommended - just keep the lights on. 

DISCLAIMER: An advanced reading copy (ARC) of this book was provided to me by Minotaur and Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher:  Minotaur Books (June 4, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1250074525
ISBN-13:  978-1250074522

An acquisitions editor for a press that specializes in medical textbooks (forensic examiners and law enforcement!), Becky Masterman grew up in Florida and received her M.A. in creative writing from Florida Atlantic University. She and her husband actually live in Tucson, Arizona. This is her first thriller.

LIES by T.M. Logan (2018)

A roller coaster of a ride riddled with lies. Once you start reading you are hooked. Twists and turns and surprises are around every corner. Guaranteed to keep you up late at night.

FIRST SENTENCE: "My son's first word wasn't Daddy or Mummy. His first word was Audi."

THE STORY: Joe Lynch is happy with his life. He has a beautiful, loving wife and an adorable four year old son. As a teacher he can spend quality time with his child. It only takes one impulsive seemingly innocent decision to bring down his whole life.

WHAT I THOUGHT:Good writing, careful plotting, full of unexpected twists makes this a fun read.

BOTTOM LINE: If you like psychological thrillers, you will totally enjoy LIES. Just be sure to suspend disbelief since some details may seem a bit unrealistic.

Hardcover:  432 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (September 11, 2018)
ISBN-10: 9781250182265
ISBN-13: 978-1250182265

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of  LIES by T.M. Logan from NetGalley/St. Martin's Press  for my honest review.

Bestselling author T.M. Logan was a national newspaper journalist before turning to novel-writing full time. His debut thriller LIES (2017) was one of Amazon UK's biggest ebooks of 2017, selling 330,000 copies and gathering more than 1,300 5-star reviews so far. It is now being published in ten other countries worldwide. His next thriller, 29 SECONDS, will be published in the USA in summer 2019. Tim lives in Nottinghamshire, UK, with his wife and two children.

AFTER ANNA by Lisa Scottoline (2018)

After Anna by Lisa Scottoline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I started reading Lisa Scottoline with a paperback ARC copy of ANYWHERE THAT MARY WENT, Rosato & Associates #1 back in 1993. When I was offered a copy of her newest stand alone title AFTER ANNA, I was thrilled.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Noah Alderman watched the jurors as they filed into the courtroom with their verdict, which would either set him free or convict him of first-degree murder."

THE STORY: Maggie's teenaged daughter Anna wants to be reunited with her mother. The joy of this event is complicated by Anna's access to vast sums of money left to her by her father.

Maggie is now happily married to Noah, a pediatric doctor. Noah tries to enforce some family rules. Then the lies begin. But who is the liar?

Maggie and Noah's stories are told in alternating chapters. Both a domestic and legal thriller, the pacing picks up speed towards the end with twists and turns the reader won't see coming.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I get tired of stories that go back and forth but Lisa Scottoline makes it an important component of this story. Just when I thought it wasn't going anywhere, the roller coaster changed direction and raced to the end of the book.

BOTTOM LINE: You can trust Lisa Scottoline to deliver a good story. Recommended for a great summer read and beyond.

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: St Martin's Press (April 10, 2018)
ISBN-10: 125009965X
ISBN-13: 978-1250099655

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of After Anna by Lisa Scottoline from NetGalley/St. Martin's Press for my honest review.

LISA SCOTTOLINE is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of the Rosato & DiNunzio series, as well as One Perfect Lie, Most Wanted, and many others. She has 30 million copies of her books in print in the United States, she has been published in thirty-five countries, and her thrillers have been optioned for television and film. Lisa also writes a weekly column with her daughter, Francesca Serritella, for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and those critically acclaimed stories have been adapted into a series of memoirs, the first of which is entitled Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog. She lives in the Philadelphia area.  

BABY TEETH (2018) by Zoje Stage

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zoje Stage hits a home run with her debut novel, "Baby Teeth", on sale July 17, 2018. A psychological thriller told from alternating perspectives of seven year old Hanna and her mother Suzette.

 FIRST SENTENCE: "Maybe the machine could see the words she never spoke."

THE STORY: Hanna does not talk but she is not stupid. She loves her Daddy, but not her Mommy. Daddy thinks she is perfect. Mommy knows there is something wrong.

WHAT I THOUGHT: When I was a teenager in the 50s, I remember reading and being shocked by The Bad Seed. It was the story of a perfect little girl named Rhoda, who got whatever she wanted one way or another. Her Daddy thought she was perfect but her mother started to suspect things. It became a popular play and then a movie. The other scary book I remember from that time is Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby. It came out in in the 60s and I read it in the middle of the night while I was breast feeding my first child. Some memories haunt you. I've added Baby Teeth to my unforgettable list.

I enjoyed the fact that the book was set in Pittsburgh and recognized locations and allusions. Suzette has Crohn's disease, which complicates her ability to deal with Hanna. She doesn't have the energy and feels guilty for not being perfect.

BOTTOM LINE: Not everyone will appreciate this story. It is disturbing but so well done that the reader keeps turning pages to see what will happen. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 17, 2018)
ISBN-10: 12501707
ISBN-13: 978-1250170750

DISCLAIMER: I received a free e-copy of Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage from NetGalley/St. Martin's for my honest review.

ZOJE STAGE is a writer and former filmmaker. She was a 2008 Fellow in Screenwriting from the New York Foundation of the Arts and a 2012 Emerging Storytellers Fellow from the Independent Filmmaker Project. She lives in Pittsburgh, PA. Baby Teeth is her first novel.(from AMAZON)

 

HEAD WOUNDS (2018) by Dennis Palumbo

Head Wounds by Dennis Palumbo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Talk about a roller coaster ride! This is a stressful thriller full of terrible acts. If you're a fan of shows like Criminal Minds, you'll devour this 5th entry in the Dr. Daniel Rinaldi series. As a psychologist, he often consults with the Pittsburgh police working with victims of violent crimes. This time around the stakes have been ratcheted up to unbearable.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Miles Davis saved my life."

THE STORY: A dying man directs Dr. Daniel Rinaldi to a dossier with information on his wife's death. Twelve years earlier Rinaldi and his wife Barbara were mugged down at the Point. Both were shot but Barbara died. "All my forty-plus years condensed into a stack of documents, copied records, data printed off the Internet. The gains and losses, both professionally and personally, that made up my life."

With an explosive start, the reader is caught in the same web that ensnares Rinaldi and his friends. The scary part is that they are "Engaged in a duel to the death of which everyone around us was unaware. With an enemy about whom no one knew."

The reader is warned that things are going to turn to horror and they do. The dread builds and results in horrific situations. There doesn't seem to be a way out alive.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Suspension of disbelieve is required. There is language, some sex, and painful violence. The stakes are the highest yet in the series. The story can be read without knowledge of earlier books, but if you are familiar with the series, the situations are even more disturbing. Interesting off-beat characters add to the story which is well-plotted and well-written. I'll have to admit that this was a disturbing read for me, but then I have been known to turn off crime shows or at least walk out of the room.

You don't have to know Pittsburgh, but the descriptions of wonderful places like the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh and the view from Mount Washington will make you want to visit.

BOTTOM LINE: Dennis Palumbo's mysteries are page turners and highly readable. It's not necessary, but I would still recommend reading the series in order. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED if you're not squeamish.
 
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (February 6, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1464208166
ISBN-13: 978-1464208164

Disclaimer: An electronic copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press for a fair review.

Dennis Palumbo, formerly a Hollywood screenwriter, is now a licensed psychotherapist in private practice. He's the author of a mystery collection, From Crime to Crime, and his short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Strand, and elsewhere. Head Wounds is the fifth in the Daniel Rinaldi series. His first Daniel Rinaldi mystery, Mirror Image was published in 2010, followed by Fever Dream in 2011, Night Terrors in 2013, and Phantom Limb (2014) He was formerly a Hollywood screenwriter and his credits include the feature film My Favorite Year. He also wrote for Welcome Back, Kotter.

LIE WITH ME (2018) by Sabine Durrant

Lie With Me by Sabine Durrant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It took me two days to devour LIE WITH ME and I stayed up late to finish it. The narrator, Paul Morris, immediately brought to mind Patricia Highsmith's invention "The Talented Mr. Ripley".

Originally published in Great Britain in 2016, LIE WITH ME has garnered rave reviews around the world being compared to GONE GIRL and THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, both of which I read and loved.

FIRST SENTENCE: "It struck me in the night that it might have started earlier."

THE STORY: The opening, on a wet day in London, sets the dismal tone. Some twenty years earlier, Paul Morris wrote a much acclaimed book, but has never been able to build on that success. Instead he manipulates the world around him through his charm and small lies. Now at the age of 42 he finds himself broke and having to contemplate moving in with his mother. Then an unexpected opportunity to spend a fortnight in Greece presents itself.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Although Paul lies casually to those around him, he seems to let the reader in on the truth of his life. He rationalizes his behavior, "Plenty of friendships, I am sure, are based on lies."

I was fascinated with the structure the author used to tell this story celebrating all the small triumphs of a rather selfish person. Beautifully written, the language describing Greece is painterly. Although this is a character driven psychological thriller, it is also a page turner.

Don't read any more reviews so you can discover LIE WITH ME with no preconceptions.

BOTTOM LINE: I'm guessing this will be a widely read psychological thriller in 2018. You don't want to miss the experience. Highly Recommended.

Genre: Psychological thriller
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Mulholland (January 11, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1473608333
ISBN-13: 978-1473608337

Disclaimer: An electronic copy of this book was provided to me by NetGalley/Mullholand for a fair review.

Sabine Durrant's first psychological suspense novel, UNDER YOUR SKIN, was published by Hodder in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US in 2014. Her second, REMEMBER ME THIS WAY, was also published by Hodder in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US in 2015. Both novels have been translated into more than 15 languages. Her third novel, LIE WITH ME, will be pucblished in the US on January 11, 2018. Sabine has written for the Guardian, Observer, Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph. She lives in south London with her partner, the writer Giles Smith, and their three children.

I LET YOU GO (2016)

I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After writing reviews here for over eight years, you'd think I would have figured this out. Write about the book you just finished reading before starting the next one and entering a new world. Many a worthy title has never been reviewed because I moved on. I think the fact that I enjoyed discovering I Let You Go so much was what propelled me to start Peter May's Entry Island.

THE STORY: A terrible accident changes everything in an instant. With nothing to live for, Jenna Gray flees her life finding solace in the isolation of a remote village in Wales. Slowly she begins to heal, but her past isn't through with her yet. To say more might spoil the experience.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I have always read a lot of 'first' books especially thrillers and mysteries. Readers find the popular titles on their own. I have always wanted to be able to discover new possibilities.

I Let You Go is an outstanding debut. Clare Mackintosh has cleverly plotted a griping and unexpected story - one that has the power to keep you up way past your bedtime. 

Well-drawn, interesting characters populate a world in which the reader gets caught up. The author's description of the beauty and bleakness of the ocean cliffs in Wales is seductive. A sense of dread lies below the surface. Like Jenna, the reader must be alert. This is storytelling at its best.

Although I am getting tired of multiple voices, they work perfectly in this psychological tale. Alternating points of view between first person (Jenna and Ian) and third person (the police investigation), draw the reader into the stories of all the characters. As a matter of fact, the story threads developed for Detective Inspector Ray Stevens and his team, could lead one to suspect this may be the beginning of a series. We can only hope.

FIRST SENTENCE: "The wind flicks wet hair across her face, and she screws up her eyes against the rain."

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED especially for those who love psychological thrillers like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

DISCLAIMER: Invited by NetGalley to request and receive this title for an honest review.

Title: I Let You Go

Author: Claire Macintosh

Genre: Psychological thriller, Mystery

Publisher: Berkley

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

No. of Pages: 480 pages

Copyright: May 3, 2016

ISBN-10: 1101987499

ISBN-13: 978-1101987490

Claire Macintosh spent twelve years in the UK police force, including time on CID, and as a public order commander. She left the police in 2011 to work as a freelance journalist and social media consultant, and now writes full time.

Clare is the founder of Chipping Norton Literary Festival, and lives in the Cotswolds, UK, with her husband and their three children. (from AMAZON)