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This is an action-packed mystery/thriller set in the wilds of Alaska. This is book 5 in the series, but it’s a standalone mystery that can be read without reading the other books. There was also enough backstory that I didn’t feel too lost.

The MC, Beth Rivers, is a gory mystery author that moved to Alaska after suffering a brutal kidnapping in Missouri. She’s trying to make a new life, heal, and gain distance from her kidnapper and the upcoming trial. Her long-lost father moved to Alaska to be near her after spending time on the run in Mexico. Their relationship is fragile, but she’s trying to let him back into her life.

My book club chose this book to read, so of course I read it. I always go into overly hyped books with trepidation because I’ve been let down before. Sadly, this book is another popular book that I didn’t love as much as everyone else. It did provide for lively discussions at our meeting, however, especially since there are several lawyers in our group that all had different opinions about the legal side of the story.

Mother Olivia leaves her abusive husband, taking her son Asher with her. They return to her childhood home town and Olivia takes over her father’s beekeeping business. The business starts doing well and Asher is flourishing in school, until he’s arrested and accused of killing his girlfriend Lily. While Olivia doesn’t believe Asher is guilty, deep down she worries that he’s just like his father.

There are a lot of moving parts in this book. The chapters alternate between several characters, often depicting the same scenario but from different viewpoints. Initially this was helpful to build out the characters and storyline, but after awhile became repetitious and annoying. Things look bad for Asher when he’s first arrested, but as we learn more about the months leading up to the murder, we realize several people had motives for killing Lily.

This book was way too long and really dragged in the middle. A lot of fluff could have been eliminated without destroying the story. The pacing was a bit off, with the story focusing way too much on some things, and way too little on others. The ending, for example, was pretty abrupt.

All in all, this book was just ok for me. I’m not mad at my book club for choosing this book. It wouldn’t have been my choice, but several members liked it so that’s good. If you are a Picoult or Boylan fan, you will probably like this one, so definitely check it out for yourself.

• Biography
• Crime
• Fantasy
• Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• history
• Mystery/Thriller
• NonFiction
• Romance
• Romantasy
• romcom
• Science Fiction
• Sports Romance
• Uncategorized
• Young Adult
• Young Adult Fantasy

I really enjoyed this mystery/thriller focusing on a detective agency. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. I haven’t read book 1, but there was enough reference to what happened in that book that I didn’t feel lost. Matt and Steve are the two detectives in the agency. Matt was a police office but took over the agency after the death of his father. As this book begins, the duo hire an office manager, Carol, who is highly qualified. It’s implied that she worked for a highly placed person in the British government, but the author is coy about giving the reader more information. I’m sure Carol’s history will come into play in future books. Or at least, I hope it does.

Matt and Steve are asked to look into a burglary by a divorced mother with two young children. Video is found of the burglars, but the mother claims she doesn’t recognize them, when in fact she knows one of them is the son of a prominent gangster. The woman posts a vague threat to the father of the boy on Facebook, and soon after is found dead. Other strange occurrences in the neighborhood lead Matt and Steve, along with Matt’s girlfriend Karen, an investigator with the police department, to wonder just what is behind everything. To add more problems for everyone to deal with, a woman from Matt’s father’s past shows up claiming she and her father were a serious couple.

I really enjoyed this book. It has private detectives, police investigators, a smart and capable office manager, a cast of dodgy characters and plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. I really liked Matt and Steve. They are smart, honest, and believe in working hard for their clients. I love Carol – who I think has more skills than she’s revealed – and every time she discovers a promising lead, I thought “You go, Carol!” I also liked Karen, who is a tough, but fair, investigator who knows what she’s doing and skillfully leads her team so they get results.

This is an engrossing mystery that will keep you guessing. It’s a quick and easy read (at only 282 pages) that you can easily read in an afternoon. It’s currently available on Kindle Unlimited, so definitely check it out.

I was provided a complimentary e-copy of this book by NetGalley and Boldwood Books. All opinions are my own.

• Biography
• Crime
• Fantasy
• Fiction
• Historical Fiction
• history
• Mystery/Thriller
• NonFiction
• Romance
• Romantasy
• romcom
• Science Fiction
• Sports Romance
• Uncategorized
• Young Adult
• Young Adult Fantasy

This fast-paced mystery/thriller is set in and around Bath, England and focuses on ex-DCI Luke Sackville. He starts a new job expecting it to be a soft, boring corporate job. Especially when his supervisor tells him instead of being the head of security, he is now the head of a new department investigating internal employees. His team is comprised of misfits and rejects from other departments, but Luke’s instincts and skills brings out the best of this oddball squad and they meld into a competent team.

It’s an exciting psychological contemporary thriller about a retired NFL quarterback and his wife and children.

The book alternates POVs between five characters, providing the reader with a well-rounded view of all the moving parts of the story. Danielle believes she has the perfect life with her successful husband and twins. But when her husband becomes distant, disappearing for days without contact, she starts to suspect he’s having an affair. She never dreamed the truth would be so horrific and unimaginable. I liked Danielle and the author did a great job depicting her struggle to love and trust her husband, but to also not just turn a blind eye to issues she notices. She loves her life and doesn’t want to believe that they’re something so wrong that would destroy everything she’s known.

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It’s a quick and easy read, with short chapters that suck you in and make you want to keep reading late into the night. The author does a great job of weaving seemingly disconnected storylines into one central story that has a satisfying ending.