thriller - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Joanna Schaffhausen (Dead and Gone)

August 17, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Dead and Gone by Joanna Schaffhausen brings back popular police detective Annalisa Vega. In this latest installment there are not one but five crimes to solve. Because she is such an excellent author, readers do not get confused at all as to what is happening, and which crime is being focused on in a particular chapter. The plot has Annalisa Vega being pulled in by her boss, Commander Zimmer, to investigate the death of …

Out of Nowhere by Sandra Brown

August 4, 2023

Title: Out of Nowhere Author: Sandra Brown Series: n/a good if not great Thank you to Sandra Brown, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Aspects of this novel might fall short for some readers; they may feel it’s more romance than thriller or mystery, the mass shooting was blink and miss it, the characters were a bit off, Shawna was a cliche, the villain one-dimensional. And to …

Interview with Linda Castillo (An Evil Heart)

July 14, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper An Evil Heart by Linda Castillo is once again another home run. She blends an intense crime mystery with some light-hearted scenes and detailed insight about the Amish community. The story opens with twenty-year-old Aden Karn being violently killed with a crossbow. He was well-liked, kind, funny, hardworking, and engaged to be married. Now Kate Burkholder, Painters Mills police chief, must find his killer. But as she delves into Karn’s past, Kate begins to …

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

July 7, 2023

Title: Dead of Winter Author: Darcy Coates Series: n/a unsympathetic lead Thanks to Darcy Coates, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was an okay thriller, though the premise has been done. My chief complaints are the abrupt beginning and ending as well as the length/lack of energy, all of which relates to the main problem, a lack of sympathy for the lead character. So we start …

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

April 28, 2023

Title: The Soulmate Author: Sally Hepworth Series: n/a Well and effectively written Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I hate narratives that jump around in time while also switching POV. Those narratives make the worst audiobooks, because if you’re distracted for even a moment, you might miss a switch and become confused. However, this story could not have been told well without …

Interview with Brittany Butler (The Syndicate Spy)

March 5, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Syndicate Spy by Brittany Butler is an intriguing story that allows readers a glimpse into the espionage world. A former CIA operative, Brittany uses her personal experience to take readers on a thrilling ride. Brittany Butler spent nine years as a targeting officer within CIA’s Directorate of Operations, Counterterrorism Center. Both at Langley and on temporary assignments in the Middle East, Brittany spearheaded operational efforts to achieve some of the most sensitive foreign …

Interview with Matthew Quirk, Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, and Shawn Ryan (The Night Agent)

April 1, 2023March 1, 2023

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Night Agent by Matthew Quirk was published in 2021. It has been made into a Netflix TV series, http://www.netflix.com/thenightagent, and was released on March 23rd. Both the show and book are riveting thrillers that delve into corruption at the highest levels of government. The plot has FBI Agent Peter Sutherland tapped to work in the White House Situation Room. When Peter was a boy, his father was suspected of being a traitor, a …

Don’t Open the Door by Allison Brennan

January 19, 2023

Title: Don’t Open the Door Author: Allison Brennan Series: Regan Merritt #2 Loved this installment Much thanks to Allison Brennan, Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA, and Netgalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to Justine Sha for providing the link to the galley. I’m relieved to say I greatly enjoyed this book! I’ve only read a handful of Brennan’s work, but so far it seems to be hit or miss—there’ll be a …

Review Roundup Fall/Late 2022

January 5, 2023

A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in late 2022. Beware of spoilers! Title: A Sinister Revenge Author: Deanna Raybourn Series: Veronica Speedwell #8 Great thanks to Deanna Raybourn, Berkley, and Edelweiss for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Overall this was a good addition to the series. Not exceptional, but good. I love that Veronica and Tiberious have developed a deep fraternal bond, and I loved the interesting dinosaur …

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

January 5, 2023

Title: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six Author: Lisa Unger Series: n/a Slow, too much head-hopping Much thanks to Lisa Unger, Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Boo to Harper Audio for denying me the audio edition. *raspberry* This book is a slow burn for sure; the only thing intriguing in the beginning was the DNA tests from Santa in the prologue. Scratch that, the book’s just slow …