Random in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

Random in Death by J.D. Robb – a Review

 

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Description:
Jenna’s parents had finally given in, and there she was, at a New York club with her best friends, watching the legendary band Avenue A, carrying her demo in hopes of slipping it to the guitarist, Jake Kincade. Then, from the stage, Jake catches her eye, and smiles. It’s the best night of her life.

It’s the last night of her life.

Minutes later, Jake’s in the alley getting some fresh air, and the girl from the dance floor comes stumbling out, sick and confused and deathly pale. He tries to help, but it’s no use. He doesn’t know that someone in the crowd has jabbed her with a needle—and when his girlfriend Nadine arrives, she knows the only thing left to do for the girl is call her friend, Lieutenant Eve Dallas.

After everyone on the scene is interviewed, lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body—and for an extra touch of viciousness, the needle was teeming with infectious agents. Dallas searches for a pattern: Had any boys been harassing Jenna? Was she engaging in risky behavior or caught up in something shady? But there are no obvious clues why this levelheaded sixteen-year-old, passionate about her music, would be targeted.

And that worries Dallas. Because if Jenna wasn’t targeted, if she was just the random, unlucky victim of a madman consumed by hatred, there are likely more deaths to come.

 

 

 

Review:

Random in Death by J.D. Robb is the 58th book in her fantastic In Death/Eve Dallas series. As I have noted previous times, I am a huge fan of this wonderful series, having read every book and novellas. I also love Eve and Roarke, who I still consider the best literary couple. Random in Death was another fantastic addition to this series.  I will never have enough of this series, and marvel how Robb continues to give us fascinating stories at 58 books later.

The story starts off with Eve and Roarke enjoying a quite evening at home, when she receives a call to a scene of a murder at a music concert. Sixteen- year-old, Jenna Harbough was at the concert with friends, enjoying her favorite band, when she feels being stabbed on her arm. Within minutes, she begins to feel sick, and stumbles out side and dies; as she was injected with a vicious cocktail of a various combination of deadly drugs. Jake Kincaide, lead singer to the band and Nadine’s boyfriend, tries to revive her to no avail; it is Nadine who calls Eve to hurry to the scene. After interviewing everyone at scene, the lab results show a toxic mix of substances in the victim’s body with the needle having major infectious agents.

The following day, at a different venue, another teenager is injected with a syringe needle, highly infected and she too dies. Eve and Peabody, as well as Roarke are scrambling to find the killer before another young girl is murdered. Slowly, Eve tries to put the pieces together to reveal possible perpetrator, especially after a third girl was injected, but she survived, as her extra jacket limited the injection; and she was saved, with her and her friends giving some idea what the person looked like and what they wore.

With Eve in full control of the case, she and Peabody do everything to identify the real killer. With the team helping out, they needed to explore the dark mind of a young teenager, who was a psychopath, who hated girls who ignored him. When they get closer, they rush to find the killer, who is now after a  4th girl.  Will they save her?

I have to say I love Eve and Peabody together, and I also love when Roarke goes with her on some interviews. I always enjoy spending time with the many recurring characters, such as Peabody, Nadine, McNab, Mira, Mavis, Feeney, Reo, Summerset, Galahad, Charles and Louise.

What follows is an intense, exciting, non-stop action filled race to find out who the real killer was; with edge of your seat suspense. To say too much more would be spoilers, and this is too great of a story to ruin it for you. 

Random in Death was a compelling, captivating, horrifying thriller from start to finish. J.D. Robb once again gives us another masterpiece to this wonderful series, which I hope keeps on rolling for many years to come. Random in Death is another masterpiece to this amazing series, which is always so very well written by J.D. Robb.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz – Review & Giveaway

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers, bonded by a night they all have no memory of, are dedicated to uncovering the mystery of what really happened to them months ago—an experience that brought out innate psychic abilities in each of them. The women suspect they were test subjects years earlier, and that there are more people like them—all they have to do is find the list. When Talia follows up on a lead from Phoebe, a fan of the trio’s podcast, she discovers that the informant has vanished.
 
Talia isn’t the only one looking for Phoebe, however. Luke Rand, a hunted and haunted man who is chasing the same list that Talia is after, also shows up at the meeting place. It’s clear he has his own agenda, and they are instantly suspicious of each other. But when a killer begins to stalk them, they realize they have to join forces to find Phoebe and the list.
 
The rocky investigation leads Talia and Luke to a rustic, remote retreat on Night Island in the Pacific Northwest. The retreat promises to rejuvenate guests with the Unplugged Experience. Upon their arrival, Talia and Luke discover guests are quite literally cut off from the outside world because none of their high-tech devices work on the island. It soon becomes clear that Phoebe is not the first person to disappear into the strange gardens that surround the Unplugged Experience retreat. And then the first mysterious death occurs…

 

 

Review:

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz is the second book in her trilogy, The Lost Night Files. Refresher: The story revolves around three woman who share a lost evening, which neither of them remember what happened to them; with the three of them waking up in the same hotel that was on fire. The three ladies, Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers acknowledge that each of them now have enhanced psychic abilities and they team up creating the Lost Night Files podcast, hoping to gather information.  

In Night Island, the story focuses on Talia March, who follows on a lead regarding a list from a podcast fan. When she arrives at the person’s house, another man is also looking for Phoebe, and together they sense that she has been kidnapped. Talia is not sure if she can trust this person, who is also looking for the list.

Luke Rand, our hero, has also lost of night of his own, as well as having a different kind of enhanced abilities, not to mention he has recurring nightmares. At the start they do not trust each, but they agree to team up, as they had the same goals (find the list & Phoebe).  They end up on Night Island, a remote retreat, pretending to be a couple, but communications on the island are shut down.  They discover the retreat was creepy, with strong psychic energy surrounding the island.  In a short time, both Talia and Luke begin to trust each other, with them both revealing more of their enhanced abilities (Talia can sense and find dead bodies, and Luke has abilities to become a psychic assassin, allowing him to be able to kill using his newfound talent).

The relationship between Talia and Luke grows, as they each find themselves attracted to each other, with the chemistry between them sizzling. Talia tries to convince Luke that he would never be an assassin, and during his nightmares, his dreams will reveal more revelations of the truths.  I really loved Talia and Luke together.  

What follows is an exciting and compelling storyline, that had me unable to put the book down.  Talia and Luke discover more mysteries and secrets, especially in the weird and strange gardens.    As they find Phoebe, the danger escalates, as the three of them are stuck on the island due to storms.  Someone is trying to kill Luke, and he will use his unique abilities to try and save them.  

The Night Island was very well written by Jayne Ann Krentz, with wonderful characters, nonstop action, in a fantastic paranormal mystery.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin the story for you.  I look forward to the last book in this trilogy, with Amelia having her own storyline. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Jayne Ann’s Publisher, Berkley is offering a hardcover copy of THE NIGHT ISLAND  to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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Through Any Window by Deb Richardson-Moore-review

Through Any Window by Deb Richardson-Moore-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 16, 2024

After being questioned in a murder investigation, Riley Masterson has spent eighteen months under suspicion by the sheriff’s office. Anxious to escape accusing eyes, she finally decides to leave Alabama and move to South Carolina.

But Greenbrier isn’t the stabilizing influence she hopes for, as her neighborhood is slowly being gentrified, with homeless people living in the shadows of mansions. As Riley struggles to forge a new life, forces are gathering in the tension-plagued neighborhood as glitzy new homes rise beside crumbling mill houses, and everyone is able and willing to peer into a neighbor’s window.

When a ghastly crime occurs, an unexpected victim is caught in the crossfire. Detectives are left to ponder: Are the deaths personal or the result of rich and poor living in such proximity? Will Riley take the blame, as someone seems to have so meticulously planned?

•••••

REVIEW: THROUGH ANY WINDOW by Deb Richardson-Moore is an adult, stand alone, murder mystery story line focusing on a small, upcoming neighborhood community in Greenbrier, South Carolina.

Told from several third person perspectives including Riley Masterson, approximately eighteen months earlier Riley Masterson was the prime suspect in her ‘married’ boyfriend’s murder on the coast of Alabama, and desperate to start over, Riley moved to Greenbrier, South Carolina, moving in with her aunt and uncle but from the outset little things begin to spiral, and with the appearance of her estranged sister, Riley knew nothing good was going to happen.

THROUGH ANY WINDOW is a story focusing on the crumbling of society: homelessness, drug addiction, group homes, in competition with neighborhood rejuvenation, monster mansions, and discrimination. From assaults to r*pes, overdoses and death, adulterous affairs, jealousy and blackmail, Greenbrier, South Carolina reads more like a poor man’s ’Peyton Place’ than anything else. A reflection of many town in today’s societies, THROUGH ANY WINDOW the gentrification of America pushes at the most vulnerable, laying blame for the world’s woes on the homeless and those incapable of looking after themselves.

THROUGH ANY WINDOW is a slow building story of dysfunctional family dynamics, secrets, lies and deceit, betrayal and vengeance, rich vs poor, mental illness and mistrust. The premise is gritty and dramatic but does not pick up until about the half-way point; the characters are desperate, broken, and questionable at best-when pushed, at some point, everyone is capable of breaking the law.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski – Review & Excerpt

The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski – Review & Excerpt

 

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Description:
Three couples. Three days. A family getaway to die for.

Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings—heirs to a copper fortune—gather at their luxury winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It’s a tradition they’ve followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight.

With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates?

When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly…

 

 

Review:

The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski is an exciting thriller about family, wealth, and secrets. Every year, the wealthy Van Ness family celebrates the birthday of both Harper and Richard, who are twins, at the family estate for a weekend of rest, relaxation and fun.  Elle, who is married to Richard, makes all the plans, since she was close to the matriarch (deceased mother), and knows exactly what to prepare, as well as games to play.  Of course, Harper hates Elle, since she never had the close bond of her mother, Katrina.

Harper, Richard and Zach are the heirs of the Van Ness family; Lucas is married to Harper, Elle is married to Richard, and Zach plans to propose to Lauren during the celebration. Harper is the most arrogant, and nasty character, which causes resentments among the family; with Richard controling the money, working close with Harper.  Even Lauren has her own secrets. The POV’s center between the three women (Harper, Elle and Lauren), with a terrible storm coming, and so many twists and turns along the way.

What follows is an intense, exciting thriller with tensions rising, and everyone being pushed to the edge; as well as the many secrets that could destroy the family. On top of all of that, there is another POV with an unnamed person, “Party Guest”, who we learn more about closer to the last quarter of the book.  Who is the Guest, and why is this person hell bent on destroying the Van Ness family?

The last quarter of the book becomes wildly exciting, intense, intriguing, as secrets are revealed and the danger escalates.  The Weekend Retreat was a terrific thriller, that kept me glued to my seat, so not to miss anything.   The Weekend Retreat was so very well written by Tara Laskowski.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

                         W-JKA BREAKING NEWS

Tragedy strikes at Van Ness Winery

SUNDAY, October 15—Multiple people have been reported dead at the Van Ness Winery after an altercation late Saturday night, our Eyewitness Team reports. Police were dispatched around 1:00 a.m. on Sunday morning after a 9-1-1 call from the estate’s main house, but they were delayed hours getting to the scene because of the torrential rainstorm that flooded Rte. 8 and many of the small roads leading up to the winery.
Our news team is on-site but has not been able to verify details with officials, who are still investigating the scene. It appears the damaged substation in Parnell affected power to the estate as well as a number of neighboring homes and businesses in the Finger Lakes area.
This tragedy is the latest to befall the Van Ness family, whose matriarch, investor and philanthropist Katrina Van Ness, died earlier this year of pancreatic cancer at the age of sixty-eight.
The Van Ness winery, known for producing high-quality, award-winning wines, has been owned by the Van Ness family for several generations. The family started the business in the 1950s, after selling their Arizona-based copper mining company founded by Benson Van Ness. The 985- acre winery and estate is now managed by the Van Ness siblings, who live full-time in New York City. Their family investment office owns interests in multiple different real estate holdings and industrial and manufacturing enterprises. The siblings are believed to have been visiting the estate for the weekend for a family celebration.
We will report more as details are confirmed.

THURSDAY

Two Days before the Party

LAUREN

Ever since Zach told me about The Weekend, it’s all I’ve been able to focus on. Most people would naturally be at least a little nervous to meet their significant other’s family for the first time.
But most people aren’t dating a Van Ness.
“Earth to Lauren.” Zach snaps his fingers, grinning over at me. He left work early to get on the road sooner and didn’t have time to change, so he’s still wearing his suit, purple tie slightly askew but knotted even after hours of driving.
“Sorry,” I say, tugging the ends of my hair. “Zoning out.”
“You look like I’m driving you to your death,” he says, then grabs my hand and squeezes. “Don’t worry. I promise it’ll be fun. Even if my family’s there.”
All I can see out my window are trees and fields and cows, my cell phone bars ticking steadily down. We must be close. Zach is taking care on the steep, curvy roads. One bad turn could send our car into a deep ditch or crashing into a thick tree trunk.
It’s so beautiful up there, my best friend Maisie said when I told her about the invitation. She had that wicked look in her eye. All the rolling hills. A vineyard. Starry sky. Super romantic. Perfect place to propose. My stomach flips at the thought, and I breathe in deep. This weekend is not about us. It’s a birthday party for Zach’s older siblings, Harper and Richard, the twins, an annual tradition to celebrate at the family’s winery. I can’t get ahead of myself.
We drive up a winding gravel road, through patches of dense trees. Taller ones have already gone barren for the winter, but some of the smaller trees arch over the road, their branches meeting and entangling like fingers, blotting out the remaining light.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching the famous Van Ness estate,” Zach says in a booming voice as the car’s headlights flick on. “Please, no photographs, and keep all hands and feet inside the moving vehicle at all times.”
Zach had told me the estate was large—a thousand acres— but I didn’t grasp what that meant until the tunnel of trees ends and the view opens to a sprawling expanse of green fields and rolling hills, stretching endlessly against the purple-hued sky. We cross a small stone bridge that extends over a stream, then bump along a rocky road. The vineyards creep closer to us now, eerie in their precise organization, each plant in a perfect row. We’re inching toward winter, and all the grapes must have already been picked for the season, pressed and bottled, because the vines are bare and withered.
When I first moved to New York and waited tables at an Italian restaurant, we served the Van Ness wine. I remember those dark purple labels, the name stamped big and bold on the front. A brand that said, We are too good for you. But Zach is nothing like that, like the Van Nesses you read about online. Sometimes I forget he’s part of that family in the day-to-day rhythm of our lives. He doesn’t talk about them much, offers the scantest of information, or cracks a joke, or completely changes the subject when I bring them up. All I know of them is from the press, fleeting and superficial, like the pages of a glossy magazine, but hazy enough that I can imagine slicing open my finger on the sharp edges if I’m not careful.
“Tell me about them,” I say now, when there’s no evading the topic.
He glances over at me. “My family? What more do you need to know?”
“I don’t know. How can I win them over so they all love me forever and ever?” I say, trying to hide my nerves.
He laughs. “They’re impossible to win over.”
“Oh perfect,” I say. “That makes it easy then.”
“Nah, they aren’t that bad. They’re…particular is all.”
We head up a slight incline. To the right, there’s a gravel path marked Private—Staff Only. We pass it and stop in front of a large metal gate. Zach rolls down his window, fetches a key card from the glove compartment. “We had this installed years ago for extra security,” he says. Once the machine reads his card, the gates swing open soundlessly. I turn to watch them rotate back and slam into place.
As we round a corner, I finally catch a glimpse of the house, a stone mansion, stoic on the hill. The long driveway curves up to an overhang in front, flanked by a series of round potted trees.
“Here we are,” says Zach as we pull up. He shuts off the car, taps the digital clock on the dashboard. “And on time for dinner, too. Elle will be pleased.”
My stomach does another flip.
Breathe deep.
Project confidence.
They’re going to love you.
I get out. The air is chilly—it’s dropped at least ten degrees since we left the city. I wrap my arms across my body.
The massive wooden front door opens, and an older man walks out, gray hair and beard, a deep purple polo shirt with the Van Ness logo stitched on the pocket, two flutes of sparkling wine in his hands.
“Bill! You are the man.” Zach trades him the keys to the car for the glasses. “Lauren, Bill and his wife Linnet have been taking care of the estate—and us—since I was a snotty-nosed kid.”
As Bill heads for the trunk to unload our baggage, I survey the house. My eyes follow the three short steps up to a wide entryway with pillars, to the archway above the door, and then outward to the wings on either side. Greenery climbs up the stonework between the windows, and I imagine Bill must trim it often to keep it so nice. I touch a pillar next to me and feel its cool smoothness.
“Where’s everyone else?” Zach asks Bill. For him, this is business as usual. I doubt he even notices the grandness anymore.
“Oh, they’re around,” he says. “Miss Elle says dinner at 6:30, and you can all meet in the library.”
I smooth down the gold silk top Zach picked out for me, hugging and hiding in all the right places, like expensive clothes do. What would my parents say if they saw me? They would never guess I’d be weekending with a famous family like this. They never thought I’d make it in New York, thought I’d come crawling back begging to return to my night shift writing obituaries at our small-town paper.
But I’m never going back.
I take a sip of the sparkling wine. The bubbles pop, cold and hard against the back of my throat.

Excerpted from The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski, Copyright © 2023 by Tara Laskowski. Published by Graydon House

 

 

TARA LASKOWSKI is the author of The Mother Next Door and One Night Gone, which won an Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and Anthony Award, and was a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, Left Coast Crime Award, Strand Critics’ Award, and Library of Virginia Literary Award. She is also the author of two short story collections, Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons and Bystanders, has published stories in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Mid-American Review, among others, and is the former editor of SmokeLong Quarterly. Tara earned a BA in English from Susquehanna University and an MFA from George Mason University and currently lives in Virginia. Find her on Twitter and Instagram, @TaraLWrites.

Social Links:
Author website: https://taralaskowski.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TaraLWrites/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tara.laskowski.9

 

 

 

 

 

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Manner of Death by Robin Cook – a Review

Manner of Death by Robin Cook – a Review

 

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Description:
In this new fast-paced medical mystery-thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Robin Cook, fan favorites Jack and Laurie must determine the manner of death after a pathology resident’s suspicious suicide.

Due to Jack Stapleton’s ongoing recovery from his near-death confrontation with a serial killer, his wife Laurie Montgomery, the NYC chief medical examiner, is carrying the load both at work and at home. When she insists an underperforming pathology resident named Ryan Sullivan assist her on a suicide autopsy, Laurie unknowingly provokes an emotional storm in the trainee.So, when Ryan himself appears on the medical examiner’s table days later, an apparent death by suicide, Laurie’s guilt compels her to try to understand why. Jack’s autopsy on the resident opens the disturbing possibility that the manner of death wasn’t suicide but instead a staged homicide. But staged by whom?Laurie ignores her own professional rules and responsibilities to investigate personally who might want Ryan dead…and for what reason. Thus begins a dangerous inquiry into a fraudulent but highly lucrative cancer diagnostics company, which might just cost Laurie her life.

 

 

Review:

Manner of Death by Robin Cook is a stand-alone mystery thriller. This is actually the 14th novel that features fan favorites, Laurie and Jack. Laurie Montgomery is the chief medical examiner in NYC; her husband Jack Stapleton is a pathologist, who is recovering from an attack by a serial killer (in previous book). Laurie decides to work with Ryan Sullivan, a pathologist, who is assigned to work for a month with the medical examiner team.   

Ryan comes across as unlikeable, as he is not happy about doing autopsies, especially since his experience with suicides as a child, as well as trying to take his own life in the past. Laurie takes him under her wing, to help him see a different look at how things are done.  When she explains about red flags on recent suicides, which are questionable, especially with 6 flags in a 6-month period. Are they truly suicides or homicide. Ryan requests Laurie to allow him to review these cases further, and she agrees to let him investigate.

Ryan will visit a number of medical legal investigators (MLI), asking questions regarding these suicides, and why they did not have enough information to look beyond a suicide. As Ryan gets deeper into the research, he finds that the deceases cases are linked to an oncology clinic, that gives early cancer testing results.  Both Laurie and Jack have warned Ryan are only to investigate within the department, but he makes a decision visit the company to make them aware of his findings

What follows is a wild and intense situation that will put a number of lives in danger.  When Ryan is found dead of an apparent suicide, Laurie steps up to find out why Ryan would kill himself.  She ignores her own rules of keeping things inside the office, and puts herself very much in danger, in her looking at Ryan’s paper work.

Manner in Death was a suspenseful, engrossing, intense and fast paced story that kept me glued to my kindle.  I could not put this down, as the last quarter of the book was so very exciting. Manner of Death is another wonderful thriller by Robin Cook, which was very well written.  If you enjoy medical mystery-thrillers, I suggest you read Manner of Death.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh – a Review

There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh – a Review

 

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Description:
They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago. They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof—but when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.

As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost.

 

 

 

Barb’s Review:
There Should’ve Been Eight by Nalini Singh is a stand-alone mystery thriller. The story revolves around 8 best friends as teenagers, and now as adults, the group decides to gather at Darcie’s crumbling family estate to reminisce about the one they lost 9 years ago.  There Should’ve Been Eight is entirely told in Luna’s perspective.  With the group slowly falling apart, Darcie (Bea’s older sister) got them all to gather at the estate to reminisce and try and heal their grief.  Bea the one who died all those years ago, was Luna’s best friend, and she wanted to get more answers about why Darcie buried Bea in secret. Bea was the most popular of the friends, with all of them loving her.

They are all happy to be together, but in a short time things begin to change, drastically.  A terrible snow storm moves in, leaving them stranded, with no phone signals; soon accidents start happening, with danger and mistrust arising. Of the 7 friends, Luna, Darcie, Kaea, Ash, Nix, Aaron, Vansi and newcomer, Grace (Aaron’s girlfriend) was the 8th person. First Kaea hurts his foot (sabotaged boot) when a few went hiking; then someone puts Bea’s old creepy doll is on Darcie’s bed, freaking her out. Is someone secretly out to get them?

They are all stuck, with no way to get out, as the snow gets worse.  Then Nix falls down the stairs and breaks his neck. The tension escalates and no one knows who to trust. Soon Ash is missing, with Darcie desperate to find him, with Luna and Aaron helping search for him. Once they find Ash, who is injured with stab wounds, they rush him to the main room where they all are gathered, only to see that Kaea, Vansi, Grace and now Aaron have been drugged and Darcie is also wounded.  Luna suspects between two people who might be behind the attempts and drugging, and is desperate to find a way to get the injured help. Can Luna get them to safety, and will she learn who the real culprit was?

In the last third of the book, it was a wild, exciting and shocking thriller, with so many twists along the way. Without giving any information, since it would ruin the book for you, I was unable to put the book down, especially with the surprising twists.  Luna will learn more about Bea’s shocking death and the truths will be unleashed.

There Should’ve Been Eight was a fantastic compelling thriller that was so very well written by Nalini Singh.  If you enjoy mystery thrillers, with surprising twist as we reach the end, I suggest you read There Should’ve Been Eight.

 

Sandy’s Review: THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT by Nalini Singh is a contemporary, adult stand alone, mystery thriller focusing on a tight knit group of friends (Darcie, Ash, Kaea, Phoenix, Vansi, Aaron and Luna) who have gathered together to remember someone they lost.

NOTE : Due to the nature of the story line premise including murder, talk of suicide, and miscarriage, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective Luna , THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT follows Luna, and her group of friends as they venture together to the old manse owned by the Shepherd family. Approximately nine years earlier, Luna’s best friend, and Darcie’s younger sister Beatrice Shepherd committed suicide, something all of the friends struggle to accept. Fast forward to present day, wherein the surviving friends, plus Aaron’s new fiance Grace, have arranged a weekend together to address the proverbial elephant in the room but from the outset strange happenings, mysterious illnesses, death and poisonings threaten years of friendships when the group begins to point fingers at everyone present. As the friends begin to succumb to illness and possible murder, Luna struggles to accept that anything and everything has an intended victim, and the person(s) responsible maybe one of their own.

From the outset Luna drops hints as to the who, what and why. Luna herself is battling an hidden illness, one of which she has never revealed, but her suspicions will come to fruition when madness, jealousy, and a history of family troubles threaten to resurface as the storied past repeats itself, over and over, again.

We are introduced to a large ensemble cast of questionable and unlikeable secondary and supporting characters including twenty-somethings Darcie and Ash, Kaea, Phoenix and Vansi, Aaron and his fiance Grace. As the madness begins to spiral out of control, Luna discovers that someone else has declared themself judge, jury and executioner.

THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN EIGHT is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, madness and jealousy, greed and retribution, family, friendships, relationships and love. The premise is intriguing and inviting; the characters are eclectic but often one dimensional. The person(s) responsible was easily deduced.

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Inheritance by Nora Roberts – a Review

Inheritance by Nora Roberts – a Review

 

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Description:
1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…

 

 

Review:

Inheritance by Nora Roberts is the first book in her new trilogy, The Lost Bride. I am a big fan of anything by Nora Roberts/JD Robb, and I was excited to start the first book in her new The Lost Bride trilogy, since I always love her trilogies. Inheritance does not disappoint, as it was a fantastic read.

The story starts in the past, in 1806, taking place in Maine, with Astrid Poole, preparing for her wedding ceremony, when a jealous woman stabs her to death; stealing her wedding ring. We will learn from the present, that this evil woman put a curse on all future brides of the Poole family.

In the present time, we meet our heroine, Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish, who is engaged, and discovers her fiancé and cousin having sex, and breaks up the with her fiancé, and gets her mother to cancel all wedding plans. With her life falling apart, Sonya receives a call from a lawyer, telling her that her uncle (whom she did not know about) has left everything to her, including a Victorian mansion in Maine.  Sonya, as well as her mother, are surprised that her late father, who was adopted had a twin, Collin Poole.

Sonya decides to move to Maine and the estate, to start her life over, and knows the stipulation that she must live there for at least three years.  She learns quickly from the lawyer, that the history of this house is haunted; with lost brides. Sonya is happy, as she loves the mansion, and in a short time she gets used to some of the ghosts, whom she doesn’t see, but they play fun catching songs, rearrange their clothes, put away dishes and shopping bags, make the beds, etc. But one of them does not want her there, and make sounds such as doors slamming. Sonya begins to learn that the spirit of the lost bride needs her help to stop the curse.

Fortunately, Sonya is not alone, as she has made friends, especially helping some businesses to create and set up their computer sites. Her best friend, Cleo will soon move in with her, and Sonya becomes close to Trey, her lawyer’s son, and they soon become lovers.  Owen will join the three of them, in helping solve the mystery.  Anna, Bree, and many others are all fantastic and wonderful secondary characters. I enjoyed the friendship, camaraderie, support from all the characters who were all very likable.  Besides Sonya, Trey, I loved Cleo, who was such a great friend, and very supportive.  I also loved Yoda and Mookie, who were the cutest dogs.

Inheritance was a fantastic addicting start to a fantasy, gothic, historical story that kept my attention from start to finish. Sonya was terrific heroine, as was Cleo, both being strong and courageous; and a wonderful friendship. As we get closer to the end, Sonya dreams of many of the deceased brides and how they died by the hand of the evil witch.  Because of the wonderful main characters, the story was a fantastic read.  I do not want to say too much more, as it will ruin it for you.

Inheritance was very well written by Nora Roberts, which is no surprise, and I have always loved her trilogies, and can’t wait for the next two books.  There is however, a cliffhanger at the end; leaving us hanging and anxiously waiting for the next book.  I highly recommend that you read The Lost Bride series, and read the first book, Inheritance.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend – a Review

The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend – a Review

 

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Description:
It’s summer in Alaska and the light surrounding the shipping-container-turned-storage shed where Liv Russo is being held prisoner is fuzzy and gray. Around her is thick forest and jagged mountains. In front of her, across a clearing, is a low-slung cabin with a single window that spills a wash of yellow light onto bare ground. Illuminated in that light is the father of her child, a man she once loved. A man who is now her jailor. Liv vows to do anything to escape.  

Carrying her own secrets and a fierce need to protect her young son, Liv must navigate a new world where extreme weather, starvation, and dangerous wildlife are not the only threats she faces. With winter’s arrival imminent, she knows she must reckon with her past and the choices that brought her to the unforgiving Alaskan landscape if she is ever going to make it out alive.

A story of survival in the wilds of Alaska, The Beautiful and the Wild explores the question of whether we can ever truly know the person we love—or ourselves.

 

 

Review:

The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend is a standalone thriller.  We meet Liv Russo, at the start, when she finds herself being locked up in a storage container, by her supposed dead husband. The story takes place in Alaska, with POV’s in current time and in the past. Liv had thought her husband committed suicide jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge a few years ago.  With her financials dwindling, she gets a lead that her husband (Mark) is still alive in Alaska, and takes her young son, Xander to leave California and find him.

Liv eventually finds Mark alive, in a remote cabin, within a wilderness area of forest and mountains; and he has a mistress.  Mark at first is happy to see Liv, especially Xander; but when Liv threatens to leave with Xander, and get a divorce; he then locks her up in the storage container.   Liv is determined to find a way to escape, though she knows she needs to convince Mark and Angela (mistress) that she will work with them living off the land and free love. Mark wants her to conform to his needs (sexual) and wishes. A bit later on, another woman (Diana, who has another son, Rudy) returns, bringing Mark having three women to fill his needs and do chores.  I will say that the first half of the book was a bit slow, and redundant in Liv’s trying to find a way to escape.

Part of the POV in the past, revolves around Liv and the life she lived with her mother and father; as well as her spending time in jail, upon the death of the mother and father. We do see many flashbacks during that time, and the trauma Liv suffered. Mark is also hiding from someone who he owes money too.

What follows is a wild time for Liv, pretending she is happy to live in the wilderness, and help with all the chores, including setting traps for animals/fish, gardening; in the extreme Alaska weather and dangerous wildlife.   As we reach the last quarter of the book, the story does get more exciting, with Liv getting surprising help from Rudy, to find what she needs (car keys, car, phone). But can she escape Mark and Angela, who will do anything to stop her, especially Xander?

The Beautiful and the Wild was an interesting story line, though slow and redundant through more than half the book, which also made it a bit depressing early on. But I did like the last quarter of the book, which had a very good and exciting ending. The Beautiful and the Wild was well written by Peggy Townsend.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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