Bitterroot Lake by Alicia Beckman #CrookLaneBooks #Mystery #Suspense #BookReview

Bitterroot Lake 

by Alicia Beckman

Publication: April 13, 2021 by Crooked Lane Books

Genre: Suspense, Fiction, Mystery 

4 🌠🌠🌠🌠


My Review:

Beckman, pseudo name for Leslie Budewitz is a three-time Agatha Award winner and the bestselling author of The Spice Shop and Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries. In her suspense debut, Beckman brings readers to her native state of Montana and introduces them to protagonist Sarah McCaskill, a young widow who recently lost her husband and childhood sweetheart to cancer. Sarah is encouraged by her mother Peggy to come back to the family-owned Whitetail Lodge on Bitterroot Lake to begin her grief-healing process. Although the lodge has always held a special place in Sarah’s heart, it was also the site of a horrific tragedy and crime that occurred 25 years ago. That night so long ago involved a sexual assault and a devastating car accident that ended in one of Sarah’s friends being killed. Lucas, the driver should have been convicted but instead ended up going scot-free and even became a lawyer in the same hometown. When Sarah returns to Whitetail Lodge, she is met with the same friends of her past and a mysterious murder that may be tied to the tragedy of 25 years ago. Sarah and her friends begin to dig into the murder mystery and in doing so they uncover the secrets of Whitetail Lodge and the McCaskill family from a century ago.

Beckman paints a gorgeous picture of this idyllic small-town Montana setting. With some paranormal aspects, past and present secrets abounding, and a multitude of suspects in a murder investigation this suspense debut is sure to lure readers in. Loved it!! 4 🌠🌠🌠🌠 for me.

Recursion by Blake Crouch #SciFi #Fiction #Thriller #TimeTravel #BookReview

Recursion
by Blake Crouch

Publication: June 11, 2019 
336 Pages

Genre: Science Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Time Travel

4 🌠🌠🌠🌠

The story begins by introducing us to two different characters. Barry is a NYPD cop who is having a bad time coping with life since his daughter, Meghan, passed away. The memories of her haunt him. The other character is Helena, a neuroscientist from Stanford who specializes in studying memory. She has spent her entire professional career wanting to help people with memory problems. She wants to map the human brain but due to research funding her progress has been slow-going. Now her mother has Alzheimer's which gives her all the more reason to speed up the research. Her story starts in 2007 while Barry's is in 2018.

Very good start to the book which had me hooked right away. I loved both of the characters a lot. The technology became a little confusing for me at times but because of the characters I wanted to keep reading. I thought the ending was pretty good. As I got towards the end I was beginning to wonder how it was ever going to conclude and I was thinking "this better not be a stupid ending." I was not disappointed. I'm giving this one 4 🌠🌠🌠🌠 and I hope to read more books by Blake Crouch.

Salem's Lot by #StephenKing #Horror #Fiction #Fantasy #Vampires #BookReview

Salem's Lot
by Stephen King

Publication: October 17, 1975 
451 Pages

Genre: Horror, Fiction, Fantasy, Vampires

4 🌠🌠🌠🌠

I continue on my quest of reading Stephen King’s books in chronological order. I thought I had read Salem’s Lot as a kid but after starting it I didn’t remember anything about it.

I don’t think I am giving anything away by sharing this is a book about vampires. And by vampires, I don’t mean the sexy sparkly ones from other books. The vampires in this book are freakin’ SCARY!!

I like to read in the evening sitting on my porch which I tried ONCE with this book...let’s just say I didn’t stay out there very long. Funny how your mind starts to play tricks on you when you read scary stories. Going inside gave me a protective feeling but I doubt my little door could stop a determined vampire lol. Anyway...to me this book was pretty scary.

King introduces many characters and at times I was saying, “Now which one was this?” But after reading a little more I would figure it out. I liked how the author would share the townspeople’s secrets (some big/some small). I really have no complaints about the book other than trying to keep up with all the characters but it still worked for me. I give Salem’s Lot 4 🌠🌠🌠🌠!!!

#BookReview In The Blink Of An Eye by Jesse Blackadder @StMartinsPress @jesseblackadder #books #bookblogger #bookish #InTheBlinkOfAnEye

Book Details
Title: In The Blink Of An Eye
Author: Jesse Blackadder
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 19, 2019
Pages:384



#InTheBlinkOfAnEye #Contemporary #Fiction #BookReview 

My Rating: 🌠🌠🌠🌠

Excerpt from GoodReads: 

A deeply emotional drama that explores a family’s path to forgiveness and redemption in the aftermath of a tragedy.

The Brennans — parents, Finn and Bridget, and their sons, Jarrah and Toby — have made a sea change, from chilly Hobart, Tasmania, to subtropical Murwillumbah, New South Wales. Feeling like foreigners in this land of sun and surf, they're still adjusting to work, school, and life in a sprawling purple clapboard house, when one morning, tragedy strikes.

In the devastating aftermath, the questions fly. What really happened? And who's to blame? Determined to protect his family, Finn finds himself under the police and media spotlight. Guilty and enraged, Bridget spends nights hunting answers in the last place imaginable. Jarrah — his innocence lost — faces a sudden and frightening adulthood where nothing is certain.

In the Blink of an Eye is a haunting, redemptive story about forgiveness and hope.

My Review:
In The Blink Of An Eye, is my first read by author Jesse Blackadder. The story alternates from chapter to chapter with different characters first person points of view. I really enjoyed reading this book. It focuses on family relationships during a very trying and devastating period of time. Without going into great details that would spoil it for others there was an accident within the family. Each characters feelings of guilt and blame are described believably. This is definitely not a pick-me-up book but it tells a story of how families deal with tragedies.

The characters are realistic and believable. I couldn’t wait to see how the book ended so it kept me reading well into the night. The title was fitting as it describes how lives can certainly change in the blink of an eye. The story was well written, descriptive and absorbing, I would recommend to those who enjoy reading about complex family relationships and are ok with depressing subject matters. I give this one 4 stars.

Thanks so much to author Jesse Blackadder and Jessica Zimmerman at St. Martin’s Press for providing me a copy of this book to review.

#BookReview A Beautiful Corpse by Christi Daugherty @MinotaurBooks @CJ_Daugherty #books #bookblogger #bookish #ABeautifulCorpse #CrimeFiction

Book Details
Title: A Beautiful Corpse
Author: Christi Daugherty
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 12, 2019



#ABeautifulCorpse #Fiction #BookReview #CrimeFiction

My Rating: 🌠🌠🌠🌠

Excerpt from GoodReads: 
From Christi Daugherty, author of The Echo Killing, comes another pulse-pounding suspenseful thriller featuring crime reporter Harper McClain.

For a woman, being killed by someone who claims to love her is the most ordinary murder of all.

With its antebellum houses and ancient oak trees draped in a veil of Spanish moss, Savannah’s graceful downtown is famous around the world. When a woman is killed in the heart of that affluent district, the shock is felt throughout the city. But for crime reporter Harper McClain, this story is personal. The corpse has a familiar face.

Only twenty-four years old, Naomi Scott was just getting started. A law student, tending bar to make ends meet, she wanted to change the world. Instead, her life ended in the dead of night at the hands of an unseen gunman. There are no witnesses to the crime. The police have three suspects: Scott’s boyfriend, who has a criminal past he claims he’s put behind him, her boss, who stalked another young bartender two years ago, and the district attorney’s son, who Naomi dated until their relationship ended in acrimony. All three men claim to love her. Could one of them be her killer?

With the whole city demanding answers, Harper unravels a tangled story of obsession and jealousy. But the pressures on her go beyond the murder. The newspaper is facing more layoffs. Her boss fears both their jobs are on the line. And Harper begins to realize that someone is watching her every move. Someone familiar and very dangerous.

Someone who told her to run before it’s too late…

My Review
Another great Harper McClain mystery by Christi Daugherty. A Beautiful Corpse is the second book in the series. Although this could be read as a standalone there are many references to book one as well as an underlying mystery of who killed Harper's mother when she was just twelve years old so I would recommend also reading the first book The Echo Killing.

Harper McClain is a crime reporter for a newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. She is covering the murder of a young law student named Naomi Scott. There are three suspects that stand out but what the police believe and what Harper finds while investigating isn't matching up. Could it be because one of the suspects is the son of a prominent district attorney?

The pace of the mystery in this book seemed a little slower than the first book but overall this is another great read. I read so many police procedurals that reading one from the perspective of an investigative reporter is a welcomed change. I love Harper McClain...she is tough and gritty and a believable character. With this book there are also two mysteries in one. Each of the first two books continue to have the underlying mystery of who killed Harper's mom.

A Beautiful Corpse is another well-written book by this highly talented author. I would recommend this series to those who love crime fiction mysteries. I can't wait for the next book to come out. Thanks so much to the author and Minotaur Books for sending me a copy to review. I’m giving this one 4 stars.

About the Author
As a newspaper reporter, Christi Daugherty covered her first murder at the age of 22. There would be many more over the subsequent years when she worked as a journalist in cities including Savannah, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Now a novelist, she lives in the south of England. She is the author of The Echo Killing and A Beautiful Corpse.

#BookReview The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty @MinotaurBooks @CJ_Daugherty #books #bookblogger #bookish #TheEchoKilling #CrimeFiction

Book Details
Title: The Echo Killing
Author: Christi Daugherty
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 13, 2018



#TheEchoKilling #Debut #Fiction #BookReview #CrimeFiction

My Rating: 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠

Excerpt from GoodReads: 
When a murder echoing a fifteen-year-old cold case rocks the Southern town of Savannah, crime reporter Harper McClain risks everything to find the identity of this calculated killer.

A city of antebellum architecture, picturesque parks, and cobblestone streets, Savannah moves at a graceful pace. But for Harper McClain, the timeless beauty and culture that distinguishes her home’s Southern heritage vanishes during the dark and dangerous nights. She wouldn’t have it any other way. Not even finding her mother brutally murdered in their home when she was twelve has made her love Savannah any less.

Her mother’s killer was never found, and that unsolved murder left Harper with an obsession that drove her to become one of the best crime reporters in the state of Georgia. She spends her nights with the police, searching for criminals. Her latest investigation takes her to the scene of a homicide where the details are hauntingly familiar: a young girl being led from the scene by a detective, a female victim naked and stabbed multiple times in the kitchen, and no traces of any evidence pointing towards a suspect.

Harper has seen all of this before in her own life. The similarities between the murder of Marie Whitney and her own mother’s death lead her to believe they’re both victims of the same killer. At last, she has the chance to find the murderer who’s eluded justice for fifteen years and make sure another little girl isn’t forever haunted by a senseless act of violence―even if it puts Harper in the killer’s cross-hairs…

My Review

Only one way to start this book review of The Echo Killing by Christi Daugherty…WOW, WOW, WOW!!! I read a lot of crime fiction and the majority of those are told from the perspective of police investigators so it was nice that The Echo Killing was a little different. The story takes place in Savannah, Georgia and is told from the perspective of Harper McClain, a 27 year old crime reporter.

One day Harper is called out to the murder scene of victim Marie Whitney and Whitney’s daughter finds her body just like Harper found her mom 15 years ago. Harper’s mother’s murder was never solved and this new murder scene is so similar Harper thinks it may be the same killer.

“It’s like my mother’s death made this huge noise a long time ago. And this murder is the echo of it.”

I love Harper. She has been through so much in her life and for the most part she is keeping it together the best she can. But all the memories from her mother’s murder come flooding back when she sees similarities in the present murder of Marie Whitney.

Harper finds herself in a dangerous situation as she digs deeper into the two investigations. Her character is totally realistic and believable. She is pretty stubborn and not much for listening to people in authority.

Overall I thought this book was a well-written crime fiction debut. The author’s description of Savannah makes it feel like you are there. The plot was intriguing and steadily paced. The ending was unexpected and it leaves the reader with a little mystery to continue to ponder. I can’t wait to get started on the second Harper McClain book called A Beautiful Corpse. Thanks so much to the author and Minotaur Books for sending me a copy to review. I’m giving this one 5 stars and I highly recommend it to all lovers of crime fiction.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones #Suspense #Thriller #PsychologicalThriller @RealSandieJones @Joni2345zb @MinotaurBooks

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

My rating: 
5 out of 5 stars

Book Details:
Publisher: Minotaur Books  294 pages

Publishing Date: 8/21/18

Genre: Suspense, Thriller, Psychological Thriller

Blurb From Goodreads:

A deliciously disturbing, compulsively readable debut domestic suspense--prepare to meet The Other Woman: there’s nothing she won’t do to keep you away from her son ...

Emily thinks Adam’s perfect; the man she thought she’d never meet. But lurking in the shadows is a rival; a woman who shares a deep bond with the man she loves.

Emily chose Adam, but she didn’t choose his mother Pammie. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do for her son, and now Emily is about to find out just how far Pammie will go to get what she wants: Emily gone forever.

The Other Woman is an addictive, fast-paced psychological thriller about the destructive relationship between Emily, her boyfriend Adam, and his manipulative mother Pammie.

My Review
The Other Woman is Sandie Jones’s debut novel and boy is it a good one! This story hooked me right from the beginning. The book is told from first person point of view of Emily. Emily and Adam meet and soon fall in love. Emily thinks all is perfect in the relationship until she meets what may be her future mother-in-law Pammie. Emily soon finds out how far Pammie is willing to go to get rid of her.
 
I loved the book but I had a hard time feeling sorry for Emily. If I were in her position I would have been gone from this relationship as soon as the weirdness started. Emily said she was in love but that early on I would think you would run away…but that’s me…maybe others would have stuck it out??
 
The Other Woman is a very impressive debut novel. The writing style was great. The pacing of the story was spot-on. The author did a wonderful job holding my interest throughout the book. This was well worth reading and I would highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a good page-turning suspenseful thriller and just wait for the ending! WOW!! I am now a Sandie Jones fan!!

About the Author
Sandie Jones has worked as a freelance journalist for more than twenty years and has written for The Sunday Times, Woman's Weekly and the Daily Mail, among other publications. She lives in London with her husband and three children. The Other Woman is her debut novel. 

Author Links
Website 
Facebook:  @RealSandieJones
Twitter:     @RealSandieJones 

Deadly Disguise by Cherie O'Boyle #BookReview #CozyMystery @CheOBoyle @Joni2345zb

 
Deadly Disguise by Cherie O'Boyle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Cherie O'Boyle, 215 pages
Publish Date:February 7, 2017 
Genre:Cozy Mystery



Blurb from Goodreads
...bodies falling... Estela Nogales is caught in the middle when the perfect murder sets off chaos during final exams week. Together with Detective Munoz, who is stymied by the lack of evidence and witnesses scattering for the summer, Estela must use her acute powers of observation to help identify the killer. One calamity after another disrupts the investigation, and Estela is pursued at every turn by the mysterious figure in the hat, even home to Arroyo Loco where a fresh set of crises are unleashed.


My Review
Fans will enjoy this newest installment, book number four of the Estela Nogales Mystery series. Deadly Disguise by Cherie O’Boyle is a cleverly written cozy mystery that hooked me right from the start.

The story takes place in a neat little community called Arroyo Loco, in the hills east of Morro Bay, California. The explanation regarding how the name Arroyo Loco came about is hilarious. The main character is Estela Nogales, Ph.D who works at a college as a counselor and instructor. The story is told in her point of view. Estela owns two Border Collie therapy dogs named Scout and Shiner. The two dogs also moonlight on a sheep farm herding you guessed it…sheep!

I loved many of Estela’s quirky neighbors. The interaction and dialogue between the characters was spot-on. Helen was one of my favorites because she was soooo annoying and inappropriate but in a funny way. There were many laugh-out-loud moments for me including this one:
 
Helen was supposed to be inside comforting Freda, but as I approached I could hear Freda screeching. Helen’s presence can sometimes have that effect on people.

The author was able to keep me guessing who-dun-it until the end. I would definitely read more from Cherie O’Boyle and recommend this book to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery mixed with some humor and of course the Border Collies. I loved it! Five out of five stars for Deadly Disguise!!!

Thank you Cherie O’Boyle and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for providing me with a review copy of this book to read.