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.

Into The Black Nowhere by @MegGardiner1 @DuttonBooks #Mystery #Thriller #BookReview @Joni2345zb

 
Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Dutton Books, 384 pages
Publish Date:January 30, 2018
Genre:Mystery, Thriller, Suspense



Blurb from Goodreads
Inspired by real-life serial killer Ted Bundy, an exhilarating thriller in which FBI profiler Caitlin Hendrix faces off against a charming, merciless serial killer

In southern Texas, on Saturday nights, women are disappearing. One vanishes from a movie theater. Another is ripped from her car at a stoplight. Another vanishes from her home while checking on her baby. Rookie FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix, newly assigned to the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, fears that a serial killer is roaming the dark roads outside Austin.

Caitlin and the FBI's serial crime unit discover the first victim's body in the woods. She's laid out in a bloodstained, white baby-doll nightgown. A second victim in a white nightie lies deeper in the forest's darkness. Both bodies are surrounded by Polaroid photos, stuck in the earth like headstones. Each photo pictures a woman in a white negligee, wrists slashed, suicide-style--posed like Snow White awaiting her prince's kiss.

To track the UNSUB, Caitlin must get inside his mind. How is he selecting these women? Working with a legendary FBI profiler, Caitlin searches for a homology--that elusive point where character and action come together. She profiles a confident, meticulous killer who convinces his victims to lower their guard until he can overpower and take them in plain sight. He then reduces them to objects in a twisted fantasy--dolls for him to possess, control, and ultimately destroy. Caitlin's profile leads the FBI to focus on one man: a charismatic, successful professional who easily gains people's trust. But with only circumstantial evidence linking him to the murders, the police allow him to escape. As Saturday night approaches, Caitlin and the FBI enter a desperate game of cat and mouse, racing to capture the cunning predator before he claims more victims.


My Review
Fans will enjoy this newest installment, book number two of the UNSUB series. Into the Black Nowhere by Meg Gardiner is a great nail-biting thriller and I enjoyed every minute of it.

My favorite character was Caitlin Hendrix, a member of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. She is a smart tough agent but is realistic when she shows some weakness also. The killer in this novel was so good at reading and manipulating people that he was able to pick up on Caitlin’s weakness during their interaction.

I found the book was hard to put down especially when you get to the high-paced and intense “chase” of the killer. Throughout the book the killer toyed with the FBI, drawing them to himself for a showdown at the end. And what a showdown it was!

There was no getting bored with this one as the author brilliantly kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next. Author Meg Gardiner has written a novel that makes for an edgy and exciting read. If you are a fan of well-written crime thrillers then this is a story you don’t want to miss. I would definitely read more from this author and recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller. Four out of five stars for Into the Black Nowhere!!!

Thank you Meg Gardiner, Dutton Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book to read.

The Pact by @SELynesAuthor @bookouture #Thriller #BookReview @Joni2345zb

 
The Pact by S.E. Lynes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Bookouture, 352 pages
Publish Date:February 27, 2018
Genre:Mystery, Thriller, Suspense


Blurb from Goodreads
You made a promise to your sister. It could destroy your daughter.

The Daughter
15-year-old Rosie lies in hospital fighting for her life. She’s trying to tell her mother what happened to her, and how she got there, but she can’t speak the words out loud.

The Mother
Rosie’s mother Toni has a secret. She had a traumatic childhood, and she and her sister Bridget made each other a promise thirty years ago: that they could never speak the truth about what happened to them as children, and that they would protect each other without asking for help from others, no matter what…
Rosie was Toni’s second chance to get things right: a happy, talented girl with her whole life ahead of her. Having lost her husband in a tragic accident, Toni has dedicated her life to keeping Rosie safe from harm.

But Rosie has plans that her mother doesn’t know about. She has dreams and ambitions – of love, of a career, of a life beyond the sheltered existence that her mother has created for her. But the secrets Rosie has been keeping have now put her life in danger.

The Pact
In order to save Rosie, Toni may have to break her lifelong promise to her sister… and open doors to her past she hoped would remain closed forever.

My Review
WOW! I can’t stop thinking about The Pact by S.E. Lynes. This is a story about two sisters, Toni and Bridget, who formed a pact 30 years ago when they were children. The promise to one another was they could never speak the truth about their abusive childhood, and they would always protect one another without involving others.

The author grabbed my attention at the very beginning and brilliantly kept me on the edge of my seat as I tried to figure out what was going on. You know that something bad has happened and little by little the layers are peeled away to reveal more. I loved all three of the main characters, Toni, Bridget, and Rosie (Toni’s teenage daughter). Through these characters you are able to see how childhood abuse affects each of them in different ways over a period of many years. Each chapter was told from a different point of view. I did find I needed to be focused while reading because of the way it would switch from points of view as well as back and forth in time.

Overall I thought this was a very perplexing and cleverly written thriller. The author did a great job telling the character’s troubled backstories. The build-up to the ending was amazing. The truth is carefully masked right up to the novel’s conclusion and the little twist as the end was totally unexpected. I would definitely read more from S.E. Lynes and recommend The Pact to anyone who loves a good psychological thriller. Five out of five stars for The Pact!!!

Thank you S.E. Lynes, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book to read.

Teaser Tuesday January 23, 2018

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish Meme hosted by ThePurpleBooker It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday. 

Title: The Pact

Author: S.E. Lynes

My Teaser: And now here I am by your side, alone with my thoughts, but I can't tell you what I'm thinking, or that I'm sorry, because you can't hear me. I hope we're going to be all right again...They said you will wake up, not to worry. But worrying is what I do, Rosie-you know that.

Teaser Tuesday January 16, 2018

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish Meme hosted by ThePurpleBooker It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.

My Teaser: Dylan Gifford was trying to focus on anything but the man dying in front of him. There were short gasps and wet coughs and twitching hands, all signs that it was coming to an end.

Dead Man's Bridge by Robert J. Mrazek #BookReview #Thriller @RJMrazek @crookedlanebks @Joni2345zb

Dead Man's Bridge by Robert J. Mrazek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books, 288 pages
Publish Date:August 8, 2017
Genre:Mystery, Thriller, Suspense


Dead Man’s Bridge is the first installment of the Jake Cantrell Mystery series and my first read by author Robert J. Mrazek. The story mainly takes place on and around the campus of St. Andrews College in upstate New York. This was a fast-paced mystery/thriller that took place over a period of a few days.

The main character, Jake Cantrell, is working as a campus security officer after being discharged and disgraced as an army officer in Afghanistan. He finds himself investigating a mystery concerning suicide/murder/blackmail. I felt Jake was a believable and flawed character as evidenced by his problem with alcohol. He declined mental health services after being discharged from the military even though he admits later he probably has PTSD. Also while he was deployed his wife decided to leave him for his former best friend/college roommate. Jake instead makes a poor choice to “self-medicate” with alcohol. Jake has a tough exterior but also a soft and gentle caring side.

Dead Man’s Bridge was a great novel. I hope there are more to come in the Jake Cantrell Mystery series. The author grabbed my attention at the very beginning and held it throughout the book. I would definitely read more from Robert J. Mrazek and recommend Dead Man’s Bridge to anyone who loves this genre. Four out of five stars for Dead Man’s Bridge!!!

Thank you Robert J. Mrazek, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy of this book to read.

The Company of Demons by Michael Jordan @mjordanauthor @GreenleafBookGr #BookReview #PsychologicalThriller @Joni2345zb

The Company of Demons by Michael Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Greenleaf Book Group, 326 pages
Publish Date:January 16, 2018
Genre:Mystery, Thriller, Suspense


The Company of Demons is the debut novel by Michael Jordan. It is a great thriller set in Cleveland, Ohio. I was totally in love with this book. The author was able to draw me in right from the beginning and held my interest throughout. I felt the pace of the book was spot-on. I also thought the ending was good.

The main character, John Coleman, is a lawyer who has a problem with alcohol and cheating on his wife. Needless to say, John Coleman is a flawed character. I really did not like him and can’t say that I ever felt sorry for him even when bad things began to happen to him. Maybe I am mean but I kept thinking, “That’s what you get for being a dog”. If I was supposed to like him later it didn’t work LOL!! An example that really made me dislike him was when he failed to warn/check on his wife and daughter. He instead goes to check in on a woman he had just met and had sex with once?? What a DOG!!! LOL.

The Company of Demons was a great debut novel. Even though I disliked the main character, the story itself was awesome. I am from Ohio and had never heard of the Torso Murderer. It was interesting looking this information up online. I also learned that Eliot Ness (from the Untouchables) later came to Cleveland to work and investigate the Torso Murderer.

I would definitely read more from Michael Jordan and recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller. Five out of five stars for The Company of Demons!!!

Thank you Michael Jordan, Greenleaf Book Group, and BookishFirst/NetGalley for providing me with an early review copy of this book to read.

Angela Cray Gets Real by Dara Carr #BookReview #CozyMystery @Joni2345zb

Angela Cray Gets Real by Dara Carr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Marvelous Mayhem Books, 285 pages
Publish Date:January 16, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery



Angela Cray Gets Real by Dara Carr is a great cozy mystery set in Phoenix, Arizona. I won’t spoil anything but this has one of the funniest opening sentences ever. It contained many “laugh-out-loud” moments for me. I was interested throughout the book and the ending did not disappoint.

The main character, Angela Cray, is a down-on-her-luck girl who has a new job investigating for a lawyer. Angela’s character was believable and likeable. Because of her own flawed characteristics she makes a great investigator of shady people lol. She also finds herself getting into a few binds along the way. I enjoyed how the author used humor throughout the book.

This was a great opener to hopefully a series of more Angela Cray mysteries. I would definitely read more from Dara Carr and recommend it to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery with some humor mixed in. Five out of five stars for Angela Cray Gets Real!!!

Thank you Dara Carr, Marvelous Mayhem Books, and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for providing me with a print advance review copy of this book to read.

Book Review: The Devil's Triangle by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison

The Devil's Triangle by Catherine Coulter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Gallery Books, 495 pages
Publish Date:March 14, 2017
Genre: Fiction,Mystery,Thriller,Suspense
Source:NetGalley

The Devil’s Triangle is the fourth book in A Brit in the FBI series and is my first. I was able to pick up with the story without having read the other books in the series.

This was quite an action-packed thriller. I love books with a historical element and this had a lot of it. Topics included: Tesla’s inventions, Da Vinci, The Ark of the Covenant, The Bermuda Triangle, and controlling the earth’s weather. I thought the story flowed well and the author was able to hold my attention throughout.

My favorite characters were Nicholas and Michaela, both FBI agents in charge of the Covert Eyes team. Kitsune was also an interesting character. She is a thief who stole an artifact and then finds out the client who hired her wants her dead. She ends up asking the FBI Covert Eyes team for help so an unlikely partnership develops.

I would definitely read more from this series and recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller/suspense with some historical elements. Four out of five stars for The Devil’s Triangle!!!

Thank you Catherine Coulter, J.T. Ellison, Gallery, Threshold, & Pocket Books, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Lethally Green: A Maggie Flanagan Cozy Mystery by Amber Boffin

Lethally Green by Amber Boffin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Avenoak, 220 pages
Publish Date:October, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Cozy Mystery
Source:Cozy Mystery Review Crew

Lethally Green is the first book by author, Amber Boffin. This is a Maggie Flanagan Cozy Mystery set in peaceful cottage country of Ontario, Canada.

The main character, Maggie Flanagan, has recently moved back to her childhood home and made a career change. Maggie is attempting to make it as a photographer. She ends up finding a body on her property and then another later in the story. She finds herself close to the investigation and begins working on her own as an amateur sleuth.

I loved the “outdoorsy” country setting. It reminds me of where I live in Southeast Ohio (without the moose lol). I like reading the descriptions of the wildlife and the author included a couple of rescue dogs named Beans and Carrot that were just adorable. I thought the cover art for the book was amazing. The author did a wonderful job holding my interest throughout the book. I enjoyed the ending and I did not guess who the murderer was.

This was a great opener to hopefully a series of more Maggie Flanagan mysteries. I would definitely read more from Amber Boffin and recommend it to anyone who loves a good cozy mystery with a side of nature/wildlife mixed in. Four out of five stars for Lethally Green!!!

Thank you Amber Boffin, Avenoak, and Cozy Mystery Review Crew for providing me with a print copy of this book to read.

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Book Review: The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda

The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 352 pages
Publish Date: May 16, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Source: Netgalley

The Perfect Stranger is my first read by author, Megan Miranda. This is a story about secrets, lies, and past lives. I do love the author’s writing style. Megan Miranda is good at weaving a tale of suspenseful mystery. The cover art for this book was very cool.

I felt the pace was good but throughout most of the book I was just confused. Maybe it was just me but I struggled to keep everything straight. I didn’t care for any of the characters which makes it hard for me to get into a story. Overall I thought the book was okay and I would read more written by the author.

Three out of five stars for The Perfect Stranger!!!

Thank you Megan Miranda, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read.

Book Review: Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Details
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 416 pages
Publish Date: March 14, 2017
Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Source: Netgalley

Never Let You Go is my first read by author, Chevy Stevens. The main characters include Lindsey Nash, an abused wife and mother, and her daughter, Sophie. This is a story about domestic abuse that Lindsey endured for years then finally her ex-husband is put into prison. Lindsey and her daughter Sophie start their lives over and years later her ex-husband is released from prison. I won’t go any further because I don’t want to spoil anything but it really gets good at the end.

The only parts of the book I didn’t really care for were the parts about Sophie and her teenage love life. But the pace picked back up and I totally never saw this ending coming. Lindsey and Sophie proved to be very tough women throughout the story. The abusive parts were not written in great detail so it was sort of softened for the reader. Although it was written that way the reader could still feel the fear that Lindsey had for her abusive husband. I would definitely read more from this author and would recommend her books to others. Four out of five stars for Never Let You Go!!!

Thank you Chevy Stevens, St Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book to read.

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