Tag Archives: Mystery

Stay Hidden (The Hidden Series #1) by Leigh Fleming-a review

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Stay Hidden (The Hidden Series #1) by Leigh Fleming-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon. au / Amazon.uk /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 13,2018

On the run from her abusive ex, Riley Smith lives life in the shadows. Keep moving. Pack light. Don’t make connections.

Until she encounters FBI agent Derek Bronson.

When a convenience store photo identifies her as the prime suspect in his father’s murder, Riley’s ability to keep her sordid past a secret comes crashing down around her. Now it’s a matter of keeping them both alive.

••••••••••

REVIEW: Stay Hidden is a mystery/crime/romance story. Author Fleming has written a very well-paced, intricate story of loss and love, with brutality and betrayal in the threads of the plot.

I don’t do spoilers, so just let me set the theme.

Derek Bronson is the hero of the book. Derek is an FBI agent whose father was also with the FBI. Derek’s father was shot and killed trying to stop a bank robbery he stumbled upon two years earlier. Another robbery has been committed and a woman killed this time. Derek asks to be allowed to work on the case. Against better judgement his supervisor allows him to join the team.

Riley Smith is the female leading character in this story. She’s secretly running and trying to stay hidden from Tyler, her ex-boyfriend who was seriously abusive. They don’t come much worse than Tyler. She’s hiding in the same town as Derek is working and has some of the same friends. She’s making plans to run again, feeling like she’s stayed too long, but she meets Derek and delays.

The romance is hot and explosive, until the issues they’re both having converge.

Leigh Fleming has written a thrilling and wonderfully emotional story. The romance was a little fast, but knowing what I know now, it’s appropriate. The action is well done, the brutality explained, but not dwelled upon. If you like romantic stories with a contemporary theme and a little crime…grab a copy and relax and enjoy this story. I certainly did.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S

Twenty years ago Leigh Fleming vowed to write a book someday and her goal finally came to fruition in 2013. Since the day she first sat down at the computer to write, she has been hard at work creating unique characters facing life’s challenges, but who are always rewarded with their happy ending. When she’s not writing in her windowless office, she enjoys reading, travelling, scrapbooking, and spending time with friends.

Leigh is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Washington Romance Writers chapter. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia, with her husband, Patrick, and her deaf French Bulldog Napoleon, and is mom to adult children, Tom and Liza.

Contact Leigh at leigh@leighfleming.com. Follow Leigh on Facebook at www.facebook.com/leighhflemingauthor and on Twitter www.twitter.com/leighhfleming1

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Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley – Review & Giveaway

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Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Priceless artwork has gone missing from the home of a wealthy baronet, and his wife stands to take the blame. When Kat’s employer asks for help in clearing her friend’s name, Kat trades her kitchen for the homes of Mayfair’s wealthiest families.
Soon antiques are disappearing not only from the extravagant households of connoisseurs and collectors, but from the illustrious British Museum. As the thefts increase in frequency, Kat calls upon her friend Daniel McAdam, who has already set himself up in a pawnshop on the Strand as a seedy receiver of stolen goods. When a man is murdered in the shop, Kat must use all of her wits to see that the thieves are caught and justice is done.

 

 

Review:

Scandal Above Stairs by Jennifer Ashley is the 2nd book in her Kat Holloway series. Kat is our heroine and cook extraordinaire.  She is a smart, confident, independent, and very loyal and protective to the household staff, where Kat reigns.  Kat would make a great detective, as she is always helping solve crimes.

In Scandal Above Stairs, which takes place in Victorian England, we find that Kat is coerced to help Lady Cynthia clear her friend and solve the mystery of stolen antiquities from other mansions of the wealthy.  We also meet Tess, a young homeless girl sent by Daniel for Kat to train and protect.  It was nice to see how Kat takes her under her care, training her and giving her hope for a future.  Tess is also street wise, and insists to help Kat with the theft investigations.  While Kat leaves the kitchen to visit the friend, she surmises that the husband is the guilty party, and eventually Daniel, who is also deep in another investigation of his, will help her, as the two cases will come together. 

What I love about this series, is the Downton Abbey feel of above and below the stairs, with the  household staffing; housekeeper, cooks, steward, maids, footman, valet, butlers, etc.   I loved seeing the things Kat cooks for the family and for the servants, which was fun, especially with her showing Tess how to do things. 

The mystery of the thefts has Kat investigating other thefts, and also worrying about Daniel, when he disappears for a few days.  Between Daniel’s friend Mr. Thanos, Cynthia, Tess and James (Daniel’s son) they try to find clues to the thefts, as well as searching for Daniel.

What follows is a very good mystery with a few surprises along the way.   Though Daniel and Kat make a great team, it is the secondary characters that Kat works with that help make this series special.  Ashley gives us a nice view of London; the streets, the wealthy society and mansions; the dark and low of the criminals or the poor.

I expect to see more romance between Daniel and Kat in future books.  If you enjoy Victorian mysteries, a Downton Abbey upstairs/downstairs background, very good leading & secondary characters, well written by Jennifer Ashley, than I suggest you start this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Jennifer’s publisher is offering a paper copy of Scandal Above Stairs to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from July 4-8, 2018

 

 

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Simple Misconception / Bitter Retribution by Rachel Sharpe-Reviews & Guest Post

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Simple Misconception / Bitter Retribution by Rachel Sharpe-reviews and guest post

SIMPLE MISCONCEPTION
Jordan James, PI
by Rachel Sharpe
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, suspense
Release Date: June 20, 2018

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: “A Trip to the Big Easy Turns into a Big Nightmare…”

When private investigator Jordan James returns home to New Orleans for Christmas, she never imagined her holiday could end with kidnapping and death. As she begins to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a childhood friend, she unwittingly stumbles upon a dangerous, international syndicate. With lives at risk and time running short, Jordan must find a connection between these seemingly unrelated events if she ever hopes to find her friend.

•••••••••

REVIEW: In true Jordan James fashion, Jordan is suffering the effects of her breakup with Rick. At the same time, Jon is letting his feelings be known for her as well. Her mother is insisting she come home for Christmas, because she missed Thanksgiving. Jordan plans a trip home for two weeks.

In typical southern family style, at least for Jordan’s family, her mother fills Jordan’s schedule with baby showers, holiday parties, and luncheons. Jordan’s older sister adds to the drama by being pregnant with her first child. To escape the constant questions on when she would be getting married, Jordan slips out for a quick cup of coffee at a local coffee shop. While there, she bumps into an old high school friend, Natalie. Natalie was the opposite of Jordan’s best friend Heather. Natalie was a ‘wild child’ and a free spirit. It seems much hasn’t changed, at least to Jordan. Her friend mentions traveling abroad and an ill-fated marriage to a Russian man named Taavi. She talked Jordan into hanging out and visiting a few bars in New Orleans.

I’m not going to spoil the story by giving you details, but only that Natalie leads Jordan into some difficult times with her family, until Natalie disappears, and Jordan must investigate to find her missing friend.

Rachel Sharpe has woven some great tales of mystery and drama. Into this she’s built wonderful and complicated family relations and friendships. The twists and turns of the plot are well done. I love the characters and feel like I know them. Well enough to sometimes want to slap them…but that’s one of the reasons this series has become a favorite read of mine.
Grab yourself a copy and settle in for a roller coaster ride!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S.

__________

BITTER RETRIBUTION
Jordan James, PI series
by Rachel Sharpe
Genre: adult, contemporary, mystery, suspense
Release Date: October 14, 2015

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: “What started out as a star-studded vacation has turned into a sensational avalanche . . .”

When private investigator Jordan James decided to join her best friend on the set of her hit television series in the Rocky Mountains, she had no idea she would become a key player in a murder mystery more suited for the big screen than the slopes. With one actor dead and a killer on the loose, can Jordan uncover the culprit before another victim makes headlines on Hollywood Minute?

••••••••

REVIEW: Bitter Retribution is the next book in the Jordan James, PI Series. A delightful collection of stories featuring the independent young female PI.

This story takes place after Jordan breaks up with her boyfriend who wants to get married and move to London. Jordan, being Jordan, spooks and says they need a break. She still believes she loves him but isn’t ready for that degree of commitment.
Not having a case to work on, Jordan decides to go on holiday skiing with her best friend Heather, instead of Thanksgiving with her family. Her assistant Jon decides to come along as well. Jordan’s family tries to guilt her into coming to them instead, but she avoids the family drama. Heather has just become the head writer of a sit-com and needs the emotional support of her friend, so off they go.

During the filming of the first scene, a stuntman’s ski comes off and he’s sent into a bunch of trees. He’s taken away in an ambulance and Heather asks Jordan to investigate the accident for insurance purposes. She discovers strange markings on the ski and believes it wasn’t an accident. When the stuntman dies in the hospital, it becomes a murder case, but the police aren’t immediately called because no one knows the stuntman died. The show’s producer asks Jordan to investigate and promises to tell the police if she finds any evidence of a crime.

This story is well written, with twists and turns. I don’t do spoilers, so I’ll leave the details for you to read. The characters are well developed, and the sub-plot of Jordan’s love life and growing feelings of her assistant Jon lend to the building of this series.

Grab a copy and your favorite beverage and curl up for a thrilling story.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Georgianna S

In honor of my latest novel, Simple Misconception, book four in the Jordan James, PI series, I would like to discuss a simple misconception about authors; namely, they actually have lives outside their work.

Becoming an author has always been my dream job. When I was little, I told my grandmother I was going to be an astronaut lion tamer who wrote books. At least one of those ambitions came true. An avid, self-proclaimed bibliophile, there are many authors I consider to be favorites, including Dean Koontz, James Patterson, and a friend of mine, Erica Spindler.

Their works open up new worlds to me and many others. Still, I often forgot that the authors who wrote these bestsellers had lives beyond the pages.

When I wrote Cold Ambition, book one in the Jordan James, PI series, I was a newly-wed. Now, I am the married mother of two very active and amazing toddlers who keep me on my feet every minute of the day. I was able to release the first three books in the Jordan James, PI series within a year of each other because that was the primary focus of my life.

Now, there are two tiny tots who come first. Still, Jordan James, being my first baby, is important to me. So, while it took a lot longer to release Simple Misconception, I pressed on. And, while it may take longer to pen Jordan’s adventures from now on, she will continue to have them. And the adventures of my everyday life may find their way into her stories as well.

~Rachel Sharpe~

Follow: Facebook / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads

Rachel Sharpe is the author of the Jordan James, PI series, including the 2015 RONE Award Finalist “Cold Ambition,” “Lost Distinction,” and “Bitter Retribution.” Although born and raised in the South, “Yankee” relatives first led Rachel to historic New England, which she has come to consider her second home and is the setting for the series.

After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English, Rachel began dedicating her free time to her childhood passion, writing, and in the fall of 2013, she signed with Soul Mate Publishing. An active member of Sisters In Crime, Rachel currently resides with her husband and their children in the Greater New Orleans area.

“COLD AMBITION,”  “LOST DISTINCTION” and “BITTER RETRIBUTION” available now on Amazon from Soul Mate Publishing! Book Four, Coming Soon!!! Please follow her blog for more details!

Also, like her Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/authorrachelsharpe, and follow her on Twitter @RachelCSharpe for the latest in all her literary endeavors!

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SWAT Standoff/Stranded With the Detective by Lena Diaz – Reviews

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SWAT Standoff/Stranded With the Detective by Lena Diaz – Reviews

Welcome back to Destiny, Tennessee, and the SWAT team we love so much. Author, Lena Diaz, has been hard at work and is stunning her fans with the last two installments of the series. I’ve had the good fortune to receive ARCs and I will give you brief glimpses into what can only be described as proud, fitting tributes to a police group of men and women who make reading so worthwhile! 

 

SWAT Standoff
Tennessee SWAT series
by Lena Diaz
Release Date: July 1, 2018

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Description:
A SWAT team vanishes.

Can two partners put aside their differences to save them?

Playing hero backfires on sexy SWAT team member Blake Sullivan. He infuriates his partner, Donna Waters, as much as he attracts her. But before they can resolve their differences, they discover that the rest of their team have been kidnapped by an unknown assailant. Now as they race to rescue the small Tennessee town’s real heroes, they share a growing mutual trust…and a hot, life-changing connection.

Review:

Blake, the newbie of the team, and his already-earned -her-respect partner, Donna, are coming to terms with their working relationship. Blake hasn’t yet fit in, but it’s not for lack of trying; Blake’s gut is the only logic he trusts. That mentality doesn’t sit well with their leader.

    “He’d really never accepted the blame for how things were going, always thinking it was everyone else’s fault that they refused to accept an outsider. The truth, as with most things, was probably somewhere in the middle.”

When ALL of our heroes are fiendishly ensnared, it seems Donna and Blake are in charge of rescuing their teammates/friends/family. I never saw this coming, but I am here for it! While the Destiny police and SWAT force are a formidable unit, when the core members vanish without a trace, it’s up to Donna and Blake to save their group AND uncover who’s behind the diabolical plan. If this type of investigation doesn’t solidify their bond, they might as well seek employment elsewhere.

The research and effort of such a case requires the “big guns” of the FBI, who is accustomed to ransom negotiations, but things quickly turn south. Before long, Donna and Blake are the only ones who remain stalwart to the goal of recovering their unit intact. The combined dedication allows Donna and Blake to reveal themselves in a bolder light and shed those insecurities that kept them at arm’s length. It was gratifying to see them so at ease with one another; to finally share more intimate feelings. Lena Diaz thrives in love story telling. You will undoubtedly be swept up in the romance.

SWAT Standoff is a joyful finale to a thrilling series full of memorable characters. Lena Diaz is a solid choice for action-packed, gritty, crime solving stories, lovingly entwined in all things sexy and swoon-worthy. It’s no easy feat, but she’s made her mark.

 

 

Stranded with the Detective
Tennessee SWAT series
by Lena Diaz
Release Date: June 1, 2018

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Description:
A routine investigation turns deadly

Now they’re running for survival

SWAT officer Colby Vale and horse rancher Piper Caraway are left to die in the remote wilderness of the Blue Ridge Mountains. But for Colby, death is not an option. He vows to protect Piper as they navigate the treacherous way home. Surviving against nature is difficult. Fighting their attraction is harder. But when their tormentor makes his move…living to tell their tale may be impossible.

 

Review:

    “He’s not your horse. You tricked Billy. He knows how important Gladiator is to the future of my business. He’s the last horse I’d sell, no matter how hard times get.”

     “Are times hard right now?” Colby watched her closely. A light flush colored her cheeks.

     “We’ve had a few…problems lately. Nothing we can’t weather. But they’ve taken their toll. That’s why I was out of town when Gladiator was stolen.”

Piper insists she was wronged, and her horse swindled. Colby happened upon the fracas, but his immediate liking to Piper convinced him to be extra vigilant. He’ll help Piper reclaim her animal in every way legally possible.

When Piper and Colby are kidnapped and left for dead, it’s got to be something serious to be discarded deep in the grueling conditions of the Appalachian mountains, Colby’s detective brain goes into action. Despite the frostbite threatening his wellbeing, he starts building a case; certain that he’ll see the perpetrator in prison.

Is it a grudge against Piper, a disgruntled employee or neighbor, a jealous stalker? Lena Diaz writes a terrific whodunit, within a love story, that keeps you guessing and rooting for Colby and Piper. You’ll revisit with former characters who serve to enhance the investigation and deliver the camaraderie that keeps them so loyal. You’ll wish YOU could be Stranded with the Detective, too!

Reviews by Carmen

Copies supplied for review

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The Girl in the Moss (Angie Pallorino #3) by Loreth Anne White–a review

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THE GIRL IN THE MOSS (Angie Pallorino #3) by Loreth Anne White-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /B&N / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 12, 2018

A shallow grave exposes deadly secrets as bestselling author Loreth Anne White brings her thrilling series of romantic suspense to its shocking conclusion…

Disgraced ex-cop Angie Pallorino is determined to make a new start for herself as a private investigator. But first, she and her lover, newly promoted homicide detective James Maddocks, attempt a quiet getaway to rekindle a romance struggling in the shadows of their careers. The peace doesn’t last long when human skeletal remains are found in a nearby mossy grove.
This decades-old mystery is just what Angie needs to establish her new career—even as it thrusts her and Maddocks back into the media spotlight, once again endangering their tenuous relationship.

Then, when Angie’s inquiry into the old crime intersects with a cold case from her own policing past—one that a detective on Maddocks’s new team is working—the investigation takes a startling twist. It puts more than Angie’s last shot at redemption and a future with Maddocks at risk. The mystery of the girl in the moss could kill her.

•••••••

REVIEW: THE GIRL IN THE MOSS is the third instalment in Loreth Anne White’s contemporary, adult ANGIE PALLORINO murder/mystery/suspense series focusing on former Vancouver Police Department sex crimes Detective Angie Pallorino, and her partner/lover Detective Sergeant James Maddocks. THE GIRL IN THE MOSS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for cohesion especially as it pertains to our heroine’s back story.

Told from several third person perspectives including Angie Pallorino THE GIRL IN THE MOSS picks up several months after THE LULLABY GIRL (#2) and finds our heroine without purpose. Fired for going rogue as a detective with the Vancouver Police Department sex crimes unit, Angie Pallorino is working towards her PI certificate but the fame of notoriety is wreaking havoc with her current job. While on vacation, Angie and her lover Detective Sergeant James Maddocks will stumble upon a shallow grave believed to be the burial place of a young woman thought missing and drowned twenty-four years earlier. A phone call from the deceased woman’s family finds our heroine back on the hunt for answers, a hunt that leads Angie to a small town of hunters, lies, and closed door secrets. What ensues is a complex investigation and the detective work of one woman, as she battles her own personal demons, and the town residents who are desperate to keep buried sins of the past.

Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant James Maddocks offers up an ultimatum to the woman he loves. Unable to let go of the past, Angie struggles with the possibility of rejection including by the man that calls to her heart. James and his fellow detectives begin analysing a series of cold case files, files that will lead back to Angie’s current murder investigation.

THE GIRL IN THE MOSS is a mosaic of details and revelations from potential killers, to puzzling clues, clandestine lovers and secret lives. Old wounds will be opened, and families will be destroyed as one woman must come to terms with the necessity and determination to bring justice for a woman long thought buried and gone.

Loreth Anne White writes with purpose; an architect of amazing talent as her story line slowly gathers the momentum towards the final reveal. THE GIRL IN THE MOSS is a story of suspense and mystery; secrets and lies; violence and murder but ultimately a story of family and loss.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Drowned Girls
The Lullaby Girl
The Girl in the Moss

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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Dreams of Falling by Karen White – a Review

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Dreams of Falling by Karen White – a Review

 

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Description:
It’s been nine years since Larkin fled Georgetown, South Carolina, vowing never to go back. But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she knows she has no choice but to return to the place that she both loves and dreads–and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home. Ivy, Larkin’s mother, is discovered in the burned out wreckage of her family’s ancestral rice plantation, badly injured and unconscious. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly 50 years. Secrets that lead back to the past, to the friendship between three girls on the brink of womanhood who swore that they would be friends forever, but who found that vow tested in heartbreaking ways.

 

 

Review:

Dreams of Falling by Karen White is a standalone novel .  This is my first book by White, and after completing this wonderful story, it will not be my last.  Dreams of Falling is novel about family, loyalty, bonds and friends  (past and present),  who share devastating secrets that will come to haunt them .

Larkin, our heroine, receives a call that her mother, Ivy is missing.  It has been 9 years since she left her home in Georgetown, South Carolina, and though she left on bad terms, she returns to help look for her mother.  Larkin is greeted by the two women who helped raise her, as substitute mothers, CeeCee and Bitty.  Together they try to find clues where her mother is, and eventually they narrow it down to the old decrepit mansion, Carrowmore, which still belongs to the Darlington’s, which CeeCee is executor. The three of them will find Ivy unconscious, having fallen through a caved in floor. The story will revolve around the POV’s of Larkin, Ivy, and CeeCee,  moving smoothly through the present and 50 years in the past.  This was so very well done.

 Larkin will find out in short time things her mother and the two ladies who brought her up kept secret, including that she is the heir of the land.  This is the just the tip of the iceberg, as Larkin will learn many more secrets, which go back 50 years into the past, where CeeCee, Bitty and Margaret (Larkin’s grandmother) were best friends, who were always loyal to each other, even when things took a drastic turn.

We will learn about the fire that destroyed Carrowmore, and caused the death of Margaret and the rescue of baby Ivy from the fire.  The mystery of what happened all those years before, and how it affects the lives of everyone was the main focus of this story.  Larkin will also have to face the friends (Mabry & Bennett) that she left behind when she decided to run away, and her father, whom she became distant with.  Truths will be revealed that will bring Larkin back to her friendships, as she realizes the mistakes and misunderstandings that made her run away.

Dreams of Falling was a wonderful heartwarming and heart wrenching  emotional tale of friendships, love, betrayal, family bonds, tragedy, grief;  with an amazing cast of characters.  I loved Larkin, CeeCee, & Bitty, as well as Larkin’s friends Mabry and Bennett.  Bravo to Karen White for this wonderful story that is not to be missed.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts – Review & Giveaway

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Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts – Review & Giveaway

 

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Description:
Sometimes, there is nowhere safe to hide.

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at the video-game store tending to customers. Then the shooters arrived.

The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies’ room, hopelessly clutching her cell phone–until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art.

But one person wasn’t satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait–and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

 

 

Review:

Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts is another one her wonderful standalone novels.   In Shelter in Place, Nora gives us an exciting and intense story of the aftermath of a mass shooting at a mall in Portland, Maine.   Shelter in Place was not only an amazing and fascinating story that had me unable to put the book down, but the characters Nora created, most of whom were survivors of the shooting, were simply great; such awesome characters.

At the start, we meet Simone, Mi and Tish, who are bff’s, waiting for a movie to start in the mall, when Simone makes a quick run to the bathroom.  Reed and his friend, Chaz take a lunch break to meet a couple of girls. When Simone tries to go back in the theatre, she hears screaming, and sees someone running out of the theatre dripping with blood; she goes back into the bathroom and calls 911.   All hell is breaking loose, and Essie,  a young cop,  is the first on the scene, trying to help the survivors and find the culprits.

This is the start of an enthralling story of the survivors, and the healing process.  It is also a continuing story of another villain tied to the shooters, who will haunt the survivors over the years.  We follow the main characters, Simone Knox & Reed Quartermaine, their family and friends, over a period of 13 years, as they cope with the tragedy, and try to find a way to go on with their lives.

Reed decides after the tragedy to become a cop and eventually will become a detective and partner with Essie. Together they will work together to keep an eye on all survivors, as over a few years, they notice that one by one the survivors of the shooting are being killed. This will become an obsession with both, and when the villain comes for  Reed, he is shot but returns the fire;  the killer escapes but he now knows who the person is.  But the FBI decides to take control and force them not to be involved, Reed will leave the force and become the Chief of Police of Tranquility Island.

Simone and Mi remain very close, as they still grieve over the loss of their friend, Tish.   Simone is distant from her family, as she does not want to be a lawyer, which the family wants her to be.  Simone is very artistic, a trait she learned from her grandmother, Cici.   Cici is an acclaimed painter, and sort of physic.  She was such a wonderful character, you couldn’t help but love her, as she is the reason that Simone became such a wonderful painter and sculptor; as well as growing up to be such a great heroine.  It is Cici who will bring our heroes, Simone and Reed together. 

I loved Reed, who was always so good and caring to all.  He managed to win over the island residents, as well as his police force.   At the same time, he knows that the killer will be looking for him and Simone sometime in the future, so Reed prepares everyone to be on the lookout.  I also adored Simone, who had a hard time early on, but over the years she used her talent to create wonderful sculptures that touched many people.

What follows is an amazing exciting, intense and pulse pounding story, as the killer comes closer.  Nora created an excellent villain, whom was evil, but who also managed to fool the police over the years.   The exciting climax had me holding my breath, as Reed, Simone and Cici lives were very much in danger. 

Simone and Reed’s romance was slow built over the years, very sweet and they were great together, with Nora perfectly keeping it in the background.

Though Shelter in Place was a different kind of story for Nora Roberts, she mastered it. This was a fast paced thrilling suspenseful storyline, with a group of wonderful characters.  Roberts took a heartbreaking story, and managed to show us how the will to survive, with hope, courage & love can heal us all.  Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts is a must read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Nora’s publisher St. Martinis offering a print copy of SHELTER IN PLACE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

1. If you have not previously registered at The Reading Cafe, please register by using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

NOTE: If you are having difficulty commenting after logging onto the site, please refresh the page (at the top of your computer).

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8. Giveaway runs from May 28 to June 1, 2018

 

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The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – a Review

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The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware – a Review

 

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Description:
On a day that begins like any other, Hal receives a mysterious letter bequeathing her a substantial inheritance. She realizes very quickly that the letter was sent to the wrong person—but also that the cold-reading skills she’s honed as a tarot card reader might help her claim the money.

Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased…where it dawns on her that there is something very, very wrong about this strange situation and the inheritance at the center of it.

Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, this is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.

 

 

Review:

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware is a wonderful whodunit thriller. What surprised me was that this not only was a great mystery, but it also had a feel of being an old-fashioned thriller, somewhat similar to Agatha Christie.  This was so well done.

Harriet (Hal) Westaway, our heroine, struggles to make ends meet daily.  When her mother died in a hit and run, Hal took over their tarot reading business at the Pier to be able to pay bills, and is threatened with a deadline by a loan shark.  Hal receives a letter about her grandmother passing away, whom she has not known anything about, and she is asked to attend the reading of the will, where she will get an inheritance. Being desperate, Hal, decides to go and play the part, since she knows it is a mistaken identity.  All she wants is some money to pay the loan shark, and give herself a fresh start.

 When she arrives at the funeral, the solicitor greets her, and afterwards takes her to Trespassen House, the mansion owned by the deceased Heather Westaway.  Hal marvels that it is a mansion, even if it is very much falling apart and in disrepair; but she knows the Westaways are rich, though the family no longer resides at the mansion.  Hal will meet her three uncles, and their family, as well as the old mean housekeeper, Mrs. Warren, who is sort of scary. 

When the will is read later that evening, everyone is shocked that Mrs. Westaway left everything to her granddaughter, Harriet.  Though some of the family is upset, they continue to embrace Hal as the niece that have never known.  Hal is upset and besides herself, feeling guilty that she is conning her new found relatives.   In a short time, she feels closer to her new family, and has mixed feelings about the inheritance she feels does not belong to her.    Hal finds a letter, and photograph that has her investigating the sister who is missing, and her mother, who turns out to be a cousin.  What she will discover will change everything, as there are so many hidden secrets, which will push Hal to try and find clues about her mother. 

As the plot thickens, with Hal slowly unravels the truth, the story becomes an intriguing thriller that had a lot of twists, turns, betrayals that kept me glued to my kindle, awaiting more details that Hal finds.  Ware gives us chapters from the past revolving around her mother, and the missing sister, which leads to many more questions.

What follows is an exciting, intense and at times even haunting mystery, as Hal begins to suspect she is in danger.  Someone does not want her getting too close to the secrets of the past.  What happened to the missing sister years before?  Why  did her mother keep secrets from her?  Who was her father?

Ruth Ware has written a fantastic story that was part thriller, but mostly a fantastic mystery, with a wonderful heroine.  I loved the old fashioned style mystery (but in present time), the many clues along the way, and the exciting,  pulse pounding,  surprising climatic ending.  This was very well done.  I suggest if you enjoy mysteries, you should read The Death of Mrs. Westaway.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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