You only have to take a glance at the cover of The Mystery Of Ruby’s Sugar to know that Rose Donovan’s going for an Agatha Christie inspired vibe. That’s not a bad thing, Agatha Christie is one of history’s best-known writers for a good reason, her “whodunnit” approach has inspired millions of readers. The Mystery of Ruby’s Sugar is a fitting tribute to Ms. Christie and I very much enjoyed the light-hearted and uplifting almost Cluedo-esque mystery. And for a price of $0, who can argue with …
Mystery & Thriller
The Mistake I Made
Paula Daly brings us the psychological thriller of the week this week. Oh my life, this a dark novel and you won’t want to read it if you’re of a nervous disposition. I nearly slept with the light on after reading it. So, be warned this is that kind of book. However, if you love to be terrified and to put yourself into the shoes of another person in a very strange world, this is the book for you. The lead character Roz is empathetic and interesting. It’s an adult novel but one very much worth …
Pilfered Promises
I realize this week that the holidays are soon upon us with both Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner. So, what better way to get into the mood for things than a holiday whodunit written by a bestselling author (USA Today)? Pilfered Promises by M Louisa Locke is a super charming tale of a department store thief and the San Francisco of the 1880s. This is the fifth novel in a series of historical vignettes and I highly recommend that you give it a try. You can pick up …
Center Stage
I am not sure that the first name, middle name, last name combo is a good one when it comes to getting your name to stand out. Though Denise Grover Swank is a four-time USA Today best selling author and a New York Times best selling author, so maybe it does work? What I do know is that Center Stage is a well-paced police procedural and it was worth more than the $0 that I paid for it. Quite a bit more. So, if you’ve ever wanted to check out the Magnolia Steele mystery series or just need a …
Fragile Cord
Emma Salisbury’s Fragile Cord is not for the faint hearted and some moms are going to want to give this hard-boiled thriller a wide-berth for its subject matter. However, I found the story of a mother who drowned her own son and then hanged herself to be one of the most compelling mystery novels that I’ve read in years. This is how police procedurals should be and you might want to give yourself a whole night to read it in as you won’t want to put it down. This is the first novel in a …
The Scorekeeper
“I don’t even know if the call is real. All I know is there is some girl on the line saying her name is Della Snow and that she is trapped inside a box right now.” This is how The Scorekeeper by Dustin Stevens begins and it’s a thriller that has gained positive attention on Goodreads – with nearly 500 5-star reviews. I am glad that I gave this title a chance. It rises above the background noise of pulp thrillers in this market at the moment and I enjoyed the tale of Detective Reed Maddox and …
Found Near Water
Found Near Water by Katherine Hayton is one of the most intriguing ideas I’ve come across in recent years. Imagine that you have fallen into a coma and that when you awake, your daughter is missing and worse, nobody else has noticed. She’s gone, and you have no idea even where to start looking for her, what do you do? This is a taut psychological thriller with a ton of twists and turns. Kirkus Reviews thought it was "Taut and engrossing, with a tough humanity." I thought it was superb. The …
Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots
Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots is a culinary-themed novel, the story is as much about the exhausting pursuit of culinary perfection as it is about the fascinating connection between food and love. Through a layered story of complicated relationships, Tomorrow there will be Apricots is about accepting and forgiving the people that we love. The tale is important, significant and beautifully told. P.R. on Amazon is a fan, “I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hard to put down. I loved the …
Rip Tides
Toby Neal’s Rip Tides is a surfing thriller. It’s the first one, I’ve ever read but it might not be the last as it has a great story and is full of really strong content. What happens when a pro surfer’s body is found on a beach in Maui and the investigation needs to sink below the waves? That’s the question that the novel answers and it manages to hold your interest without drowning (excuse the pun) you in technical diving terminology. If you enjoy picking up something new, then Rip Tides …