mystery

The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

Title: The Broken Girls Author: Simone St. James Series: n/a A spooky, intelligent, character-driven thriller I would like to thank Simone St. James, Berkley/Penguin Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Idlewild Hall is a girls’ boarding school where the illegitimate, the mentally ill, and the troublemakers are swept under the rug. In 1950, four girls band together to survive the cold, dreadful place—and the ghost that uses their darkest …

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Interview with Lisa Scottoline (Damaged and Exposed)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Lisa Scottoline deserves a high five for her latest novels Damaged and Exposed. These back-to-back homeruns hit at reader’s heartstrings with her gripping and riveting storylines and characters. In Damaged, a ten-year-old child, Patrick, has fallen under the radar of the government agencies. His needs are not being met regarding dyslexia, abuse in a public school by a teacher’s aide, and having to endure classmates’ bullying. Law partner Mary DiNunzio is hired to fend …

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Interview with Linda Castillo (Down a Dark Road)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is an electrifying thriller. It seems with each book, this being the ninth, she gets better and better. Within a riveting mystery she is able to seamlessly blend the Amish culture, giving glimpses and insights to their way of life. Once again small town Painters Mill police chief Kate Burkholder is forced to re-visit her childhood past. She is notified about the escape of Joseph King, convicted …

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Interview with Rhys Bowen (On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen is a delightful read. It combines an old fashioned who done it mystery with social commentary, humor, true 1930s historical content, and fun loving characters. At an Italian villa house party one of the guests is murdered, the Baron, who was flirtatious to the women and a blackmailer as well. The game of Clue comes to mind, who did it and with what weapon? The …

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Interview with Karen Rose (Monster in the Closet)

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Monster in the Closet begins with eleven-year-old Jazzie Jarvis witnessing her mother’s horrific murder at the hands of her father, Gage Jarvis. Unfortunately, her five-year-old sister, Janie, is also traumatized when she sees her mother lying in her own blood. Jazzie has not spoken since the incident and Janie has nightmares. Trying to help the girls cope and heal emotionally they are taken to Healing Hearts with Horses that provide therapy to traumatized children. …

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The Dream Keeper’s Daughter by Emily Colin

Title: The Dream Keeper’s Daughter Author: Emily Colin Series: n/a A frustrating mess with an identity crisis and unresolved plotlines I would like to thank Emily Colin, Ballantine Books/Random House, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All that follows is only my opinion and how I personally perceived the book. *takes deep breath* I gave myself a day to calm down, because the first time I started to write this review, …

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Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich

Title: Dangerous Minds Author: Janet Evanovich Series: Knight and Moon #2 A fun, humorous romp When Emerson Knight’s friend Wayan Bagus, a buddhist monk, discovers the island where he had been living as a hermit has gone missing, Knight and his impromptu, unofficial team of investigators go on an adventure to find out what could possibly have happened to make an entire island disappear. Their questions lead to a larger mystery that has been guarded by the National Park Service …

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Once a Gypsy by Danica Winters

Title: Once a Gypsy Author: Danica Winters Series: Irish Traveler Series #1 Fascinating I would like to thank Danica Winters and Diversion Books for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review. Helena O’Driscoll wants more out of life than marriage to a “good enough” Traveler boy and the subsequent brood of children. She longs to break free of tradition and do something she’s passionate about—pursue an education, forge a career…fall in love with kind, awkward …

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Because I’m Watching by Christina Dodd

Title: Because I’m Watching Author: Christina Dodd Series: Virtue Falls #3 Faith restored in Dodd, who now writes more suspense than romance I was really worried about Dodd after Obsession Falls, but Because I’m Watching restored my faith in her storytelling capabilities. I wonder now if I was simply jarred by her switch in genre, because I can see her talent and skill, but these kind of books just aren’t what I associated with Dodd in my head. I do …

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Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton

Title: Curious Minds Authors: Janet Evanovich and Phoef Sutton Series: Knight and Moon #1 a fun romp with an intriguing plot but leaves one wanting something more This book seemed to come out of nowhere; Janet and her co-authors are all in the middle of series already, so the last thing I expected was a new one. Maybe the Lizzie and Diesel series isn’t selling like they hoped. Regardless, it’s an Evanovich book, so I was game. And overall, it …

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