The Death Artist (Kate McKinnon #1) by Jonathan Santlofer

Synopsis

Former New York cop Kate McKinnon lives a life of wealth and luxury she never would have dreamed possible. Following her marriage to an elite businessman, her post-police career as an art historian has skyrocketed her to fame and fortune. Her life is perfect, until a young woman is murdered and a close friend of Kate's becomes the prime suspect. Kate's old police instincts naturally reemerge as she delves into the case. Soon, two other murders related to the New York art world occur, and Kate finds that the killer -- now known as "the Death Artist" -- is communicating with her, leaving clues such as Polaroids and jumbled pieces of artwork. Somehow, Jacques-Louis David's famous painting The Death of Marat is at the heart of the murder spree, but how so?

The Death Artist combined three things that I love - Thrillers, art, and a badass female protagonist. And it's all set to the backdrop of the New York City luxury art lifestyle. 

But it isn't all glitz and glam. This book takes you from big penthouse suites that overlook Manhattan to the darkest hidden corners. 

I guess The Death Artist actually combined four things I love. The fourth, and final, being a mystery that kept me guessing until the reveal. I can't help but try to guess the twist the entire time I'm reading a book. It's unfortunate since I enjoy being surprised. I wish I could just enjoy the ride and see how it plays out. I feel like most readers who devour mysteries are the same as me, though. So it's always a delight to read a book that I can't guess. This was one of them. 

I was also delighted to discover The Death Artist is the first book in a trilogy involving protagonist Kate McKinnon. I'm not sure how I came to be interested in her character, but I was bummed out when the book was over - until I learned there were two more. Now, I can't wait to jump into those!

If you're into mysteries and have even the smallest interest in art, give this book a try. 

4/5 stars because it took me a few chapters to really want to dig into it. It didn't hook me right from the jump. 

Memorable Quote: “Artists, they’re vain but insecure. They want attention, like you said, but hide behind their work. They like to be alone, but want their work in the public eye. Artists are all about the work.”

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The Family Across the Street by Nicole Trope

Synopsis

Sometimes, the most perfect families are hiding the most terrible secrets. How well do you know the people next door…?

Everybody wants to live on Hogarth Street, the pretty, tree-lined avenue with its white houses. The new family, The Wests, are a perfect fit. Katherine and John seem so in love and their gorgeous five-year-old twins race screeching around their beautiful emerald-green lawn.

But soon people start to notice: why don’t they join backyard barbecues? Why do they brush away offers to babysit? Why, when you knock at the door, do they shut you out, rather than inviting you in?

Every family has secrets, and on the hottest day of the year, the truth is about to come out. As a tragedy unfolds behind closed doors, the dawn chorus is split by the wail of sirens. And one by one the families who tried so hard to welcome the Wests begin to realise: Hogarth Street will never be the same again.

I got this book as a birthday gift from my sister, so it jumped to the top of my TBR pile immediately. And, oh, I am so glad that it did and I didn't sleep on it. 

As usual, I'm not including any spoilers in this review. 

I will say that this is one of the MOST suspenseful books I have read in a very long time - maybe ever. From the time I started it, I was on the edge of my seat and my heart was thumping out of my chest. 

The story-telling jumping between two households really built up the suspense and added an extra element to it. Then you have the delivery driver. Then it all comes crashing together in an unexpected ending. 

The rollercoaster experience of this read definitely makes me want to read whatever Nicole Trope publishes. 

I was absolutely HOOKED!

5/5 stars

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The Cell by Stephen King

 Synopsis

On October 1, God is in His heaven, the stock market stands at 10,140, most of the planes are on time, and Clayton Riddell, an artist from Maine, is almost bouncing up Boylston Street in Boston. He's just landed a comic book deal that might finally enable him to support his family by making art instead of teaching it. He's already picked up a small (but expensive!) gift for his long-suffering wife, and he knows just what he will get for his boy Johnny. Why not a little treat for himself? Clay is feeling good about the future.

That changes in a hurry. The cause of the devastation is a phenomenon that will come to be known as The Pulse, and the delivery method is a cell phone. Everyone's cell phone. Clay and the few desperate survivors who join him suddenly find themselves in the pitch-black night of civilization's darkest age, surrounded by chaos, carnage, and a human horde that has been reduced to its basest nature...and then begins to evolve.

There is really no escaping this nightmare. But for Clay, an arrow points home to Maine, and as he and his fellow refugees make their harrowing journey north they begin to see crude signs confirming their direction. A promise, perhaps. Or a threat...

The Cell took me awhile to get into. The story was interesting. The characters were likable. But there was just something about it that didn't grip me from the beginning. 

I did enjoy the story, so I chugged along - just very slowly. 

Once I got about halfway through, a switch flipped and I couldn't put it down and it became a much better reading experience. The thought of the device in our pockets that we are all hooked on turning against us is truly terrifying. 

At the end, I'm not sure if all of my questions were answered or if I was left with more than I started with, but the book was an enjoyable experience. So, if you're into sci-fi and enjoy Stephen King's writing, I think you'll enjoy this one. 

3/5 stars

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21st Birthday (Women's Murder Club #21) by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

 Synopsis

Detective Lindsay Boxer vows to protect a young woman from a serial killer long enough to see her twenty-first birthday.

When young wife and mother Tara Burke goes missing with her baby girl, all eyes are on her husband, Lucas. He paints her not as a missing person but a wayward wife—until a gruesome piece of evidence turns the investigation criminal. 

While Chronicle reporter Cindy Thomas pursues the story and M.E. Claire Washburn harbors theories that run counter to the SFPD’s, ADA Yuki Castellano sizes Lucas up as a textbook domestic offender . . . who suddenly puts forward an unexpected suspect. If what Lucas tells law enforcement has even a grain of truth, there isn't a woman in the state of California who's safe from the reach of an unspeakable threat.

I say this every time, but it's always great to jump back into the Women's Murder Club universe. It's like visiting and catching up with an old friend. 

This time, we were met with a pretty gruesome case with twists and turns everywhere. What starts out as a missing woman and child turns into so much more. Is the husband responsible? That's up to Lindsay Boxer and the SFPD to figure out. 

But it's not as simple as one cut and dry case. There are so many layers to it. It'll keep you interested until the very end. 

And even when it got to the end, I wanted more. I'm not sure I can say it ended on a cliffhanger, but it was pretty close to one. I hope there's a continuation of the story in the next installment. It could be Cindy's huge break!

5/5 stars for this one. It was a great read!

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Post-Mortem (Kay Scarpetta #1) by Patricia Cornwell

 Synopsis

Four women with nothing in common, united only in death. Four brutalized victims of a brilliant monster - a "Mr. Nobody", moving undetected through a paralyzed city, leaving behind a gruesome trail of carnage . . . but few clues. With skilled hands, an unerring eye, and the latest advances in forensic research, an unrelenting female medical examiner - Kay Scarpetta - is determined to unmask a maniac. But someone is trying to sabotage Kay's investigation from the inside. And worse yet, someone wants her dead . . .

Post-Mortem is the first book I've read by Patricia Cornwell. I'm glad it's part of a series, because I already want to read book #2. 

I love a series that has a strong female lead, and this is another to add to my growing list of series that I enjoy. What a surprise that it's another Crime/Thriller series! I really enjoyed the different angle this one took because Kay Scarpetta is the Medical Examiner. It gives you a whole different point-of-view to read about in the Crime genre. Most of them are about the detectives. 

Post-Mortem also kept me guessing. I couldn't figure out who was guilty, and there's a reason for that. No big spoilers here, though! I enjoy not being able to figure out the whole storyline before getting to the reveal. It keeps the book interesting. 

The crime(s) in this one are particularly gruesome. They involve women being tied up, sexually assaulted, and stabbed. It definitely wasn't easy to read about and can leave you feeling uneasy. 

Overall, the characters were strong and the story moved along at a good pace. 

I look forward to reading about more of Kay's cases and learning more about her family. 

5/5 stars

Memorable Quotes: “He had become the self-appointed dark ruler of the city, an obsession for thousands of people he had never seen, and an obsession of mine. Mr. Nobody. “

“My turf was his to invade. He monitored what I did. Not a week went by that I didn’t get an arrogant electronic memo from him requesting statistical information or demanding an answer as to why the homicide rate continued to rise while other crimes were slightly on the decline — as if somehow it was my fault people killed each other in Virginia.”

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1st Case by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts

Synopsis

A computer genius pulls off her greatest hack yet -- and her skill might just get her killed.

Angela Hoot's government career begins with an ending. Her unorthodox programming skills get her kicked out of MIT's graduate school and into the Bureau's cyber-forensics unit.

A messaging app with sophisticated tracking capabilities surfaces. Its beta users, all young women, are only identified as they turn up dead in their bedrooms. As Angela races to crack the killer's digital code, their technical rivalry escalates. She must deny the killer access to her personal life, or risk losing her life to the underbelly of the Internet.

Angela is an interesting character. But, she is reckless – to a fault. I wouldn’t mind seeing her story made into a series. If she stays in her current career path, she sure could go through some interesting experiences. 

What kept my interest is that she deals with the virtual world which, as we knows, is always changing. While the app in this book would have sounded impossible in the not-so-distant past, it’s a horrifying possibility these days – maybe not in the exact way that it played out, but similar. 

I’m not sure that she would have gone without punishment had all of this actually happened. She made a lot of choices that could have severely messed up the investigation. But, I guess it’s fine if it works out in the end. 

The flirtation and attraction between Angela and Keats was a bit ridiculous right off the bat. But, just like the book I read previous to this, it’s just something you get used to when reading books with a female protagonist. 

I’m going to make a comparison - partly because these two are linked often, and partly because I’ve read a lot from both of them this year. James Patterson books and Dean Koontz books that have a female protagonist always have a male love interest. And there is often a “damsel in distress” moment which typically involves something along the lines of “thank god he got here when he did.” Oy. You get used to it, I guess. But, it does get old. 

That said, where they differ is what most of the descriptions are about. I’ve found in Dean Koontz’s books, most of the descriptions are about how beautiful the woman is. Especially in the case of the Jane Hawk series. It’s basically beat into the reader’s brain that Jane is ridiculously beautiful. It gets old. 

In Patterson’s books, I find that you see more of the admiration of the male love interest from the woman’s point of view. 

Not that it matters all that much, it’s just something that I found interesting. 

Overall, I enjoyed the ride. The story was interesting, and I liked the new angle of seeing cases from the tech side. 

5/5 Stars

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The Midwife Murders by James Patterson and Richard DiLallo

Synopsis

A missing patient is a hospital ward's worst nightmare -- until even more disappear.

To Senior Midwife Lucy Ryuan, pregnancy is not an unusual condition, it's her life's work. But when two kidnappings and a vicious stabbing happen on her watch in a university hospital in Manhattan, her focus abruptly changes. Something has to be done, and Lucy is fearless enough to try.

Rumors begin to swirl, blaming everyone from the Russian Mafia to an underground adoption network. The feisty single mom teams up with a skeptical NYPD detective to solve the case, but the truth is far more twisted than Lucy could ever have imagined. 

Well, I certainly have never read a novel from the point of view of a midwife. So, that was intriguing! Lucy is a female protagonist with a strong personality – like most Patterson books where the main character is a woman. Not a critique – but it’s definitely common. 

I liked Lucy (this would be a perfect opportunity to reference ‘I Love Lucy’. But, we have only spent one novel together. It’s way too soon for that type of commitment). I wouldn’t mind having a series with her as the main character. But with the nature of the story, this one sits as a standalone book. You would hope, at least. 

That said, it was an incredibly frustrating standalone book. There was so much incompetence that had to happen at all levels to have something like this happen – MORE THAN ONCE. Every time another baby was kidnapped, all I could do was slow-blink at the book in my hand and whisper “just – how?!”

Once everything was revealed, it made a bit more sense. But still not much. I also guessed the twist, which was kind of lame. But I only guessed half of it. I had the “Who?” but I didn’t nail down the “Why?” until it was revealed. 

That said, it was an enjoyable read. It was definitely gripping as I really wanted to figure out what was happening and if the babies would be alright. The background thread of romance was really pointless to me. I promise you that a book involving a female protagonist can exist without her falling for the main male character and being saved by him. But, the tradeoff for that pointless storyline was an otherwise good book worthy of the read. 

4/5 Stars – seriously, it ended with them on a “date”. 

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Memories of Tomorrow (Nameless #6) by Dean Koontz

Synopsis

What strange science made Nameless who he is? What catastrophes have been erased from his memories? In the stunning conclusion of this series, the dark past comes flooding back, and Nameless must decide how much he really wants to know.

In Indiana, a murderous psycho has kidnapped his own six-year-old stepson, Jamie, and secreted him away in a subterranean cave. It’s become their bunker. For Nameless, the case is breaking down his defenses, and it may force him to face his memories.

I have to be honest and say that I was really sad to get to the end of this series. Nameless is such an interesting character, and the stories felt complete – even if they were all bite-sized. Nameless is a well-written series that shouldn’t be taken too seriously. It’s fun and quick, and that’s how it should be digested. 

While I may have been sad to get to the end of the series, I was delighted with how the 6th installment wrapped the story up. This one really gripped me from beginning to end. I needed to know what happened to each character. It had a much darker feel to it than the others, so I was really hoping something terrible wasn’t going to happen to Nameless. 

I won’t spoil it one way or the other. But, I will say that it was a fitting conclusion to the series. I’m glad I read through it. I enjoyed going through all 6 of these novellas. Highly recommend for any fans of Dean Koontz – or if you’re looking to get your feet wet with his work. 

5/5 stars

Memorable Quotes: “On waking, he knew that his destiny was henceforth to be a defender of the innocent who are ill served—or not served at all—by the current justice system, especially when their tormentors are among the empowered.”

“It’s not about the money, it’s the kindness, the way it makes the recipient feel special. Life is hard and lonely for many people. If all of us would just make one another feel special now and then—not just with money, but however we can—wouldn’t that be lovely?”

“Southern Indiana is a land of disappearing streams. They follow carved courses through fields and forests, only to drop suddenly out of sight, into a flue, down into darkness, chuckling like evil spirits homeward bound after working their wickedness in the upper world.”

“Killing even a murderer is never exhilarating. In this case no less than others, death is still death—and solemn.”

“He is not an agent of justice, for there can be little or no real justice in this broken world, where culture and politics are forever redefining the word.”

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The Mercy of Snakes (Nameless #5) by Dean Koontz

Synopsis

A series of suspicious deaths in a retirement home draws Nameless into the confidence of a terrified former resident—and into the dark heart of a shocking conspiracy. In part five of the Nameless series, it’s time to hunt.

Oakshore Park is Michigan’s most exclusive assisted-living community. Presided over by two killer angels of mercy, it’s also the go-to facility in assisted dying. For a cut, they make impatient heirs happy. Nameless must concoct a scheme just as cunning. But righteous retribution stirs disquiet in the avenger as light starts to shine on the black hole of his past. Should he welcome it or keep running?

This was the weakest novella in the Nameless series. Maybe there were too many moving parts, a lack of chapters involving Nameless, or maybe I’ve listened to too many true crime stories about “Angels of Mercy”. Either way, it was just bland to me. 

That isn’t really the vibe I was hoping for going into the final novella in the series. I was definitely left hoping #6 redeems The Mercy of Snakes and ends the series strong. 

3/5 Stars

Memorable Quote: “In a world sick with envy that leads to coveting that leads to greed that too often results in violence, it wouldn’t seem that something as small as excellent muffins could lift a man’s spirits, even during talk of murder. But that is the way of the world: sadness and delight, anger and forbearance, hatred and love—all woven together in every inch of the tapestry.”

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Red Rain (Nameless #4) by Dean Koontz

Synopsis

In a town where the corrupt are protected, a bereaved mother seeks retribution for an arsonist’s deadly crimes. Only Nameless can help ease the burden of her grief—and satisfy her rage—in part four of this thrilling series.

After a suspicious house fire, Regina Belmont lost her two children, was left disfigured, and was abandoned by her gutless husband. Brokenhearted and bullied into silence by corrupt officials, Regina’s only recourse for truth and justice is Nameless. There’s something about this case that’s breaking Nameless’s heart as well. But can he bear to remember why?

This is the second bad guy in the series who thinks he can play God. Well, the God of Fire . . . so, maybe the Devil. Either way, sometimes the most charming people can be the most heartless. But, Nameless and crew don’t buy into the act. 

They know what he’s done, and now he has to pay. This one was also pretty creative in that they had to go after more than one guy, but Nameless only had to take out one himself. 

Red Rain may have been the easiest novella in the series to read. Don’t get me wrong, this guy has done truly evil things that make you angry. But, it’s not as sickly disturbing as some of the others. 

5/5 Stars

Memorable Quotes: “’Justice is a human concept, as flawed as any. There is no reliable justice in this world and, given human nature, never can be. Politics, bigotry, envy, ignorance . . . Those forces and others redefine justice day by day, until it means something different to everyone—until it means nothing at all.’”

“’There’s hope, though not in justice. There’s hope in truth. A sea of lies can’t wash away a single grain of truth. Truth is what it is.’”

“To be fair to himself, perhaps he should accept that some fates are sewn into the fabric of time with tighter stitches than others. The possibility exists that no one, even if possessing greater powers than his, can strip the future of all hardships, threats, and tragedies. Utopias, after all, are sought mostly by great fools, though also by dangerous charlatans, and more death and pain has been brought down on humanity by the pursuit of a perfect world than by all other crime combined.”

“Humble goals and modest expectations are more likely to be fulfilled than are utopian dreams.”

“Truth. There is no one truth. Everyone has his own truth. It’s all about point of view.”

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The Praying Mantis Bride (Nameless #3) by Dean Koontz

Synopsis

A deadly black widow has eliminated three husbands and counting. But Nameless knows her one weakness. To bring truth and its consequences to her crimes, the vigilante must spin a web of his own in part three of the Nameless series.

Lucia—current last name, Rickenbah—has made a fortune by marrying rich men who tend to drop dead. But the superstitious blonde believes in more than money and murder. Nameless’s job is to scare a confession out of Lucia, and as the psychological warfare escalates, even he may be in for a shock.

The third book in the Nameless series sees the first female antagonist. She sure is something. She will take down anyone in search of endless wealth. But, it catches up to her. 

Nameless and the crew use their most creative method yet for torturing their bad guy. I can’t even begin to spoil it. It’s as crazy as the lady, herself, is. You just have to give it a read. 

5/5 stars if for nothing more than the insanity that ensued. 

Memorable Quote: “However, he is a tool of the program, a status for which he is sure that he volunteered before amnesia was imposed on him. A hammer should not argue with the carpenter who wields it.”

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Photographing the Dead (Nameless #2) by Dean Koontz

Synopsis

A self-styled artist is getting away with murder in Death Valley. If all goes well, so will Nameless. In part two of the Nameless series, the relentless avenger is haunted by nightmares of the past and visions of what’s to come.

Palmer Oxenwald’s hunting ground is the Mojave wasteland. His victims are random tourists and hikers. His trophies are cherished photographs of the damage he’s done. His greatest threat is Nameless. Two men with one thing in common: memories of the dead. For a psychopath like Palmer, they’re a clear rush in black and white. For Nameless, they’re visions of violence buried and erased. But for how long?

Nameless is back in this second installment to carry out another mission for the mysterious Ace. This time, they are going after a truly evil photographer. 

Just like the first novella, some of the details about the bad guy were truly horrific and just made me feel sick. That seems to be a theme with the kinds of people Nameless is sent to go after. 

The series is a fun, short read about vigilantism by a man who has no idea who he is. It may be non-believable at times, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be super realistic. If you go into it ready for an interesting journey, you’ll enjoy it. 

Plus, they have creative ways of taking care of the person they’re after. 

4/5 stars. Not perfect, but an enjoyable sequel

Memorable Quotes: “Death cannot die. Death and Death alone is immortal.”

“He is not fearful. He is never fearful. He is an avatar of Death, Death incarnate, and Death fears nothing.”

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The Killing Game (Eve Duncan #2) by Iris Johansen

 Synopsis

A MERCILESS KILLER ON THE HUNT ... AN INNOCENT CHILD IN HIS SIGHTS ... A WOMAN DRIVEN TO THE EDGE TO STOP HIM

The killer knows Eve Duncan all too well. He knows the pain she feels for her murdered daughter, Bonnie, whose body has never been found. He knows that as one of the nation's top forensic sculptors she'll insist on identifying the nine skeletons unearthed on a bluff near Georgia's Talladega Falls. He knows she won't be able to resist the temptation of believing that one of those skeletons might be her daughter's. But that is only the beginning of the killer's sadistic game. He wants Eve one on one, and he'll use his ace in the hole to make sure she complies. And he won't stop playing until he claims the prize he wants most: Eve's life.

The Eve Duncan series is one that I am recently a fan of. I’m only on book 2, but I want to see where the series takes her character. 

In The Killing Game, Eve comes into contact with a man who claims to have actually been the one to murder her daughter. This throws Eve into an emotional rollercoaster because as far as she, and everyone else, knows – the man who killed her daughter was executed. Could he have been lying?

This new man taunting Eve goes by the name Dom and he decides to put a new weight on Eve’s shoulders. She must keep another little girl safe while trying to deal with the supposed news about her daughter’s killer. 

It’s a wild ride. I thought I had it all figured out, but I definitely didn’t. I playing right into Johansen’s trap and assumed Dom was who she wanted us to believe it was. 

The one thing I did know – I absolutely HATED Dom. This book was way too long in my opinion, but only because I absolutely could not stand this evil, evil man. I needed to see him taken down a lot quicker. Every time he popped up, I just wanted to whip my book at the wall. But, I continued on. 

I’m glad I did. Because we meet a dog and he becomes a crucial piece of the story. Good boy, Monty. 

There was one other thing that bothered me and that was the personality change in Joe. He became so…. Entitled to Eve’s affection and it all just felt so gross and manipulative. I just felt grimy reading it. I hope it was a one off and he’s better in the next one because I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to last in this series if he remains manipulative. I’d hate to stop, because Eve is intriguing. 

4/5 stars. Be better, Joe. 

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Hush (Harriet Blue #4) by James Patterson and Candice Fox

 Synopsis

Top cop, devoted sister, and now Inmate 3329: even prison bars won't stop Harriet Blue from seeking justice for the murder of her brother.

Prison is a dangerous place for a former cop -- as Harriet Blue is learning on a daily basis.

So, following a fight for her life and a prison-wide lockdown, the last person she wants to see is Deputy Police Commissioner Joe Woods. The man who put her inside.

But Woods is not there to gloat. His daughter Tonya and her two-year-old child have gone missing.

He's ready to offer Harriet a deal: find his family to buy her freedom . . .

This book was intense. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of the Harriet Blue series, but ‘Hush’ absolutely sucked me right in. 

There were so many different things going on. It all started out with Harry being in jail. We get an insight into how her stay has been so far – violent and less than ideal. When Deputy Police Commissioner Joe Woods’s daughter and granddaughter go missing, he’s desperate and knows he needs the unconventional style of Harriet and her crew to find them – hopefully alive. 

Then, there's a murder in the prison. The doctor that Harry has become friends with is murdered and her cellmate is blamed. Harry knows in her gut that the case isn't that cut and dry. She takes the deal from Joe Woods to investigate his family's disappearance as long as she can also try to solve the murder of Doctor Goldman from the outside. 

Hush endears the readers even more to the dynamic trio that is Harriet Blue, Ed Whittaker, and Tox Barnes. They make a great team and they’re fun to read about. 

This whole series takes you on an emotional journey, but it’s also just plain fun to read. The characters you’re supposed to like are very likable and you root for them the whole time. 

If you want some books that are quick reads, pick up this series!

5/5 Stars

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Liar Liar (Detective Harriet Blue #3) by James Patterson & Candice Fox

Synopsis

Detective Harriet Blue is clear about two things. Regan Banks deserves to die. And she’ll be the one to pull the trigger.

But Regan – the vicious serial killer responsible for destroying her brother’s life – has gone to ground.

Suddenly, her phone rings. It’s him. Regan.

‘Catch me if you can,’ he tells her.

Harriet needs to find this killing machine fast, even if the cost is her own life. So she follows him down the Australian south coast with only one thing on her mind.

Revenge is coming – and its name is Harriet Blue

When we tear everything down, what are we left with? Who are we as people? Are we good? Are we bad?

Those are the thoughts that the viciously evil Regan Banks puts in Harriet Blue’s mind. No matter how strong willed you are, when your heart and soul are put into question, it’s only a matter of time before you spin out of control. 

Is Harriet doing the right thing being on the run from her friends and comrades in law enforcement? Maybe we still don’t know, but it sure was an interesting journey to tag along on. 

I love this series. We’re used to these types of storylines and characters from Patterson’s other law enforcement series – The Women’s Murder Club, Alex Cross, etc. What differentiates them are the main protagonist, their supporting characters, and location. Well, and Patterson’s co-authors!

There’s something about them that make for cozy books to get sucked in to at any time. It must be a formula that just works well. They may not be the deepest books or the best written books, but they’re fun and they give you characters to connect with and get to know. 

I always love jumping back into one of these series, so I was very happy that this book gripped me from the very beginning. It was a great edition to the series especially after the heartbreaking loss of Harry’s brother. 

If you haven’t read any of the Harriet Blue series, start from the beginning. Rest assured that all of the books have been fun reads thus far!

5/5 Stars

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In the Heart of the Fire (Nameless #1) by Dean Koontz

Synopsis

A bloodthirsty sheriff is terrorizing a small Texas town where justice has been buried with his victims. Until Nameless arrives—a vigilante whose past is a mystery and whose future is written in blood.

Anyone who crosses Sheriff Russell Soakes is dead, missing, or warned. One of them is a single mother trying to protect her children but bracing herself for the worst. Nameless fears the outcome. He’s seen it in his visions. Now it’s time to teach the depraved Soakes a lesson in fear. But in turning predators into prey, will Nameless unearth a few secrets of his own?

This read sure was . . . something. 

‘In the Heart of Fire’ is the first in a series of short stories about a character who is nameless and is sent on jobs to act as a vigilante of sorts. I am all about this. 

But . . .

The plot in this first story just made me feel ill. It’s about pedophilia, and some of the things the horrible people say made me want to throw up. 

Nameless is an intriguing character, and it was easy to read. I was certainly happy when I was done with this one though. I look forward to reading the rest of them and hope they are less vomit-inducing. 

4/5 Stars

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Revenge by James Patterson and Andrew Holmes

Synopsis

From the World's #1 Bestselling Author, comes a story of revenge as a former SAS soldier is ready to settle into civilian life when he's hired to solve the mysterious death of a daughter, diving into a seedy world that a parent never expects to see their child in.

Former SAS soldier David Shelley was part of the most covert operations team in the special forces. Now settling down to civilian life in London, he has plans for a safer and more stable existence. But the shocking death of a young woman Shelley once helped protect puts those plans on hold.

The police rule the death a suicide but the grieving parents can't accept their beloved Emma would take her own life. They need to find out what really happened, and they turn to their former bodyguard, Shelley, for help.

When they discover that Emma had fallen into a dark and seedy world of drugs and online pornography, the father demands retribution. But his desire for revenge will make enemies of people that even Shelley may not be able to protect them from, and take them into a war from which there may be no escape.

This is one of the best Patterson books I’ve read in awhile. If you’ve been reading my reviews for a good amount of time, you’ll know that I read a lot of them. 

Revenge grabs you from the very first page and it doesn’t let go until you close the book for the last time. 

From a tragic death to mafia activity to a race against time, you don’t have a whole lot of time to breathe. It kept me on the edge of my seat. I also loved these new characters that we met in David and Lucy Shelley. David was great, and Lucy is a total badass. I love a good, badass female protagonist. 

The book takes a few twists and turns. It’s mostly straight forward and you know who you like and who you don’t. 

Revenge is intense. There are some great characters. It’s a fun read. 

I recommend it. 

5/5 Stars

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The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

 Synopsis:

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors--a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all--a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family--a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

I started this book and ended this book not really knowing if I enjoyed it or not. I don’t quite know how that could be, but let’s take a look and try to sort this out. 

Characters

I think this is where the book lost me from the beginning. Nothing made me care about the characters. Everyone seemed overly suspicious just for the sake of being suspicious. The detective assigned to the case seemed unnecessarily cocky and all-knowing. I hated his character. The rest of them, I just felt no connection to. 

They all ended up with pretty solid character arcs and a surprising amount of depth. But there wasn’t enough to make me feel connected to them or find myself rooting for them. I wanted the baby to be alive and found well, but that’s about it. I think I had to keep reading just to see how that would end. 

Plot Line

The plot was fine. There was nothing really wrong with it. The book was pretty short and it packed a punch. It was GO GO GO right from the beginning. 

I did find myself interested in the story and wanting to find out what actually happened. 

Twists

It felt like every chapter added a new twist to the story. Financial troubles, mental illness, infidelity . . . you name it. There was a lot to unpack here. But, I cannot do much unpacking without spoilers. Just know that if you read this book, it’s a rollercoaster. 

Writing

There was something about this book being completely written in third person that didn’t sit well with me. If I had to choose, I’d say that the chapters centering Anne or the detective should have been written in first person. Other than that, I felt that the writing style was easy to read and flowed nicely. 

After breaking that down, it seems that I just didn’t connect with this book and the characters didn’t matter to me. I could see it getting great reviews from some and terrible reviews from others. That said, it’s pretty short so it makes for a quick read. You can decide for yourself without wasting too much time. It’ll definitely take you for a ride. 

2/5 Stars

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The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher

 Synopsis:

When a young woman clears out her deceased grandmother’s home in rural North Carolina, she finds long-hidden secrets about a strange colony of beings in the woods.

When Mouse’s dad asks her to clean out her dead grandmother's house, she says yes. After all, how bad could it be?

Answer: pretty bad. Grandma was a hoarder, and her house is stuffed with useless rubbish. That would be horrific enough, but there’s more—Mouse stumbles across her step-grandfather’s journal, which at first seems to be filled with nonsensical rants…until Mouse encounters some of the terrifying things he described for herself.

Alone in the woods with her dog, Mouse finds herself face to face with a series of impossible terrors—because sometimes the things that go bump in the night are real, and they’re looking for you. And if she doesn’t face them head on, she might not survive to tell the tale.

I picked up this book after reading a comment in a Facebook reading group about it being an actually scary horror/thriller. It takes a lot for books to freak me out or scare me, but I decided to give it a go. 

My first impression was that the protagonist is very likable and adds some comedy to the density of the book with her personality. 

There is also a dog as one of the main characters. So, A+. 

Then, once I got to the first mention of the twisted ones saying, I had to close the book for the night. I’m not even sure why, but it creeped me out so much. 

I was creeped out, but I was super intrigued. So, I picked it back up in the daylight and, after reading more, I didn’t have to put it back down in order to sleep. It definitely had a huge creep factor to it. But, I’d say it was more mysterious. I don’t know if I psyched myself out when I first started it or what, but the rest of the book didn’t scare me. 

That said, I loved the journey that The Twisted Ones took me on. It was a fun read filled with mysterious and eccentric characters. It’ll make you laugh while simultaneously keeping you on the edge of your seat. 

For that, I definitely have it on my recommended list. 

I don’t know that we got a full explanation of what the large stones were all about, but it was enough of an explanation to not have me feeling like I needed more. I think it’s meant to be mysterious and weird, and it shall remain that way. 

5/5 Stars. This is a fun one. 

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It Was You by Jade Lee Wright

 Synopsis:

"I don't understand. Everything I did, I did for her..."When Regan Pen discovers that her long-term boyfriend has been cheating on her with over eight women, she packs her bags and leaves the sunny island in Spain that she had called home for a year. She returns to South Africa where she is given the chance to start over in life. Reassemble herself. Now is her time to be selfish. Find a new career, get a home of her own. Become whoever she wants to be... but when her best friend, Peyton, is brutally murdered, Regan is forced to put her life on hold to take responsibility for her friends thirteen year old daughter, Harley. As the police battle to solve the murder of Peyton and her unborn child, Regan becomes convinced that her Godchild is not the sweet, innocent little girl everyone seems to think she is. Could Harley have been so consumed by her jealousy and fear of not being the epicenter of her mother's universe that it lead to murder? If so, is Regan safe in her own home?

This book was interesting as it felt like you, as the reader, were spiraling into insanity. I could never quite put my finger on what was happening. You think you figure it out, then something changes. Then changes again. Then changes again. 

Then you think the story is wrapped up. 

Then it changes again. And a huge bomb is thrown at the reader in the final page to try to make it all make sense.

I didn’t really care about any of the characters. They all kinda sucked in their own ways, but they were supposed to. 

It was a book that I just didn’t really connect with. It wasn’t bad, I just didn’t connect with it. 

2/5 Stars

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