authentic reviews and insightful interviews for inquisitive readers
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Cold Trail by Taylor Moore is the last book in the series. On leave from the DEA, Garrett Kohl is ready to settle down and build a stable foundation for his family. But that’s easier said than done. To give his girlfriend, Lacey, and adopted son, Asadi, the life they deserve, and get out from under crippling debt, some risks have to be taken, and shocking alliances must be formed. First, Garrett partners with …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber is not the type of story her readers are used to. Instead of gardens, tea shops, and fairies flying around, she has ventured into suspense and mystery. This story explores the complex mother-adult son dynamic. Parents will relate to the main character understanding the fine line between being hovering to being supportive and caring. Plus, the anxiety that every parent goes through when their children do not …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is a very suspenseful domestic thriller that will keep readers on their toes. The plot has the heroine, Jac Brodie, leaving home when she was twenty-two years old. She comes back after a family tragedy, where she must confront her tortured past―and a new danger in town that no one seems to understand but her. After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton is the second book in the series. This one involves three women out for the truth, all will be narrators in the story. Police detective Elise King is assigned to investigate the murder of local hairdresser Karen Simmons. Before her death, Simmons ran a singles group called the Free Spirits, and King immediately sets her sights on the men Simmons was dating. The author humanizes the detective by …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Another Girl Lost by Mary Burton has suspense, intrigue, and mystery. This plot will keep readers wondering if her characters are like the ones in the book Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn or are they real heroines, especially after the victim becomes a suspect. Ten years ago, fifteen-year-old Scarlett Crosby was held captive in a terrifying ordeal with a girl named Della. Scarlett escaped, their predator was killed, and Della simply vanished. A decade …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper All the Way Gone, the fourth book in the Detective Annalisa Vega series, delves into the world of sociopaths, wondering if there is such a thing as a good one. The plot has newly minted private investigator Annalisa Vega hired by Mara Delaney who insists that some sociopaths are beneficial to society. Mara has even written a book titled The Good Sociopath centered around Chicago neurosurgeon Craig Canning, surgeon. But Mara is now concerned …
A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Summer 2024. Beware of spoilers! Title: The Sorority Author: Nancy Bush Series: n/a Thank you to Nancy Bush, Brilliance Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’ve seen Bush’s name around for a long time but never got around to trying her work, so when I saw this galley I thought it was time to give her …
A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Summer 2024. Beware of spoilers! Title: The Burning Author: Linda Castillo Series: Kate Burkholder #16 Much thanks to Linda Castillo, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to use free ARCs in exchange for an honest review. Not much to say, this book was great! The mystery was very intriguing and brilliantly framed the dilemma of victim blaming, how easy it is to fall into. The …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper A Jewel in the Crown by David Lewis is a thriller and mystery all in one book, a spy novel set in England during WWII. In 1940 there is a fear of German infiltrators throughout England. To safeguard the Crown Jewels from the Nazis, Winston Churchill devises a daring gamble to have them shipped overseas. The priceless artifacts will be secretly removed from the Tower of London and driven north to Scotland by two …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier is part fantasy, part thriller, and part romance. Readers might think about the similarity to the movie “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The book opens with contract killers Eva and Jonathan meeting on a train going from Florence to Paris. They both act on their physical attraction yet go their separate ways until six months later they meet at Versailles …