“Middletide”Sarah Crouch

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Atria (Simon & Schuster). To be published June 11, 2024.

The day Erin’s body was found hanging from a tree beside a lake on Elijah’s property was the day his life changed forever. After failing as a writer, with no income, Elijah decided to return to the small town where he’d grown up and live in his father’s cabin in the woods. There memories assailed him of Nikita, the only girl he’d ever loved and the promise he’d broken to return to her after he finished college.

Nikita had grown into a beautiful woman and had just lost her husband. Seeing each other was hard, but Elijah wanted more than she could give. When she couldn’t commit, he decided to date someone else. The newly single town doctor was beautiful but, soon after they started dating, Elijah realized she was the wrong woman for him. He would soon find out that the short time they dated would be the biggest regret of his life.

At first the storyline was hard to follow because it was told over multiple points of views through several different timeframes. Once I got used to the author’s style of writing, it was easier to understand Elijah’s timeline. This gripping, mystery thriller about a man falsely accused of murdering the beautiful and beloved doctor of his small town will keep readers on the edges of their seats as they try to figure out whodunit. 

Recommended for Adults.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

“The one that got away with murder” Trish Lundy

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Henry Holt books for Young Readers (Macmillan). To be published April 16, 2024.

To get away from things that almost ruined her life, Lauren and her mom moved across the country to a small town in Pennsylvania. There she began a secret romance with Robbie, who she soon finds out is part of the richest family in town and has been accused of murdering his girlfriend. As if that isn’t bad enough, Robbie’s brother is accused of killing his girlfriend too. This should have been enough to scare Lauren off, but she knows what it’s like to have secrets. Robbie tells her he’s innocent and she believes him.

The girls on the soccer team aren’t so forgiving, and ice Lauren out of everything. Soccer has always been her escape from everything that happened in California, but now it’s become another burden. Soon after Lauren finds evidence that incriminates Robbie, the evidence disappears. As she gets closer to learning the truth Lauren doesn’t realize the killer is closer than she thinks, and that she’s his next planned victim.

This book will have readers sitting-on-the-edge of their seats, turning pages until its satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended for ages 16 and older.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“The daughters of Block Island” Christa Carmen

Rated 5 stars ***** ebook. Thomas & Mercer. Published 2023.

Blake had grown up in an orphanage, and felt abandoned, so used drugs and alcohol to forget her past. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she was able to trace her mother to Block Island. Though she had been struggling to stay sober for years, she was determined to find her mother. Blake headed to the island where she booked herself into White Hall, an ancient mansion with a history of murder and intrigue which was also a B&B. That night she was haunted by a long-dead relative of the owners and, as the days passed with more hauntings, Blake was terrified. Despite the ghost, constant rain, and gloomy atmosphere, she had leads on her past from a friendly local. She didn’t know her time on the island would be cut shorter than she had planned.

Talia had grown up on Block Island and left many years ago. She and her mother had a toxic relationship and she found island life stifling. One day she received a letter from someone who claimed to be her sister, found dead on Block Island after mailing it. Despite misgivings, Talia was anxious to talk to her mother and find out about this sister. After booking herself into White Hall, Talia soon found out its ancient secrets were tied in with very modern ones. Someone didn’t want her finding out about them and, if she wasn’t careful, there would be another body in the B&B.

The more I read the more I couldn’t put it down, reading in one sitting until 2:30 A.M. to find out what was going to happen. Though it was night, and the book was getting creepy, the suspense was killing me. I couldn’t sleep until the mystery was solved. The author did a great job hiding the murderer’s identity, throwing in red herrings to keep readers off the track. Well done, Christa!

Highly recommended for Adults.

“The house on Biscayne Bay” Chanel Cleeton

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Berkley (Penguin Random House). (Includes “Author’s Note.”) To be published April 9, 2024.

Henry Flagler had just built his railroad, and people were starting to trek down to Southern Florida. After twenty-two years of marriage Anne thought she knew her husband very well but was shocked when he presented her with “Marbrisa” by Biscayne Bay. She hated Florida on sight and couldn’t understand why he’d want to build a lavish 61 room home in the middle of nowhere. With the Great War over he believed Florida was going to be a huge tourist draw and was determined to build the biggest house in Miami as his legacy. Anna didn’t know that, because of him, Marbrisa would forever be associated with the events of one spine-chilling evening.

America was on the verge of war in 1941, and Carmen was on her way from Havana to join her sister Caroline in Florida after her parent’s deaths. Her older sister had married a rich American who bought a huge estate named “Marbrisa,” which was unwelcoming and foreboding. When Carmen found out animals were being killed and two women had been murdered there over the years, she was fearful. Within days her life was turned upside down and, as she tried to figure out who was behind the catastrophe, she didn’t know the killer had his eyes set on her.

This page-turning thriller told through Carmen and Anna’s alternating voices had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I was sure I knew who the murderer was but kept being foiled. The author did a great job keeping that identity hidden until the book’s final, gripping pages.

Highly recommended for Adults.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“The silent bride” Shalini Boland

Rated 3 stars *** ebook. Thomas & Mercer. 2023.

Alice swore off men after she learned her boyfriend was emotionally abusing her. With her trust shattered she wasn’t ready for another relationship but, five years later, met Seth and fell madly in love. Dreams of happiness began to sour when they got engaged and he could never find time to meet her friends or family. He seemed to become more possessive, but she felt they’d get on track once they were married.

Halfway down the aisle on her wedding day Alice realized her Seth was a stranger. She literally didn’t recognize him and was sure someone switched a stranger for the love of her life. Though he sought to calm her all she felt was terror at his presence. With everyone staring and her heart broken, she ran away. How could she marry a man she’d never seen before?

So starts this bizarre story of Alice’s memories from before her wedding day and afterwards. Interspersed are snippets of ecstasy from the person who caused the chaos, leaving readers to draw conclusions as to who caused the mayhem and why. I had my suspicions but was proven completely wrong. Though turned off by Alice’s doormat personality, the book’s premise is highly unusual. I’ll leave it up to you to pick through the flotsam to find the pearls in Alice’s nightmarish adventures.

Recommended for Adults.

“Out of the ashes” Kara Thomas

Rated 4 stars **** ebook. Thomas & Mercer.2023.

As soon as she could, Samantha escaped her dead-end town of Carney, New York and moved to Queens. There she made a life for herself as a nurse, always trying, and failing, to bury the tragedy of the murder of her parents, uncle, and little sister twenty-two years earlier. When her uncle’s death brought her back to Carney, Travis Meacham from the N.Y. State Police told her he’d been working on her case and had new leads.

Samantha was skeptical because a local police officer had it in for her family, so she didn’t trust the police. She was sure he had murdered them, especially when she heard more stories of crimes he’d committed on the job. She didn’t think Travis could add anything to the case. When she found out her former best friend was missing, she began questioning her old friends. As a result, another person disappeared, and one was murdered. Someone is not happy Samantha is asking a lot of questions about her family and the missing girls.

This was an interesting book, with a surprise ending.

Recommended for Adults.

“Strangers we know” Elle Marr

Rated 5 stars ***** ebook. Thomas & Mercer. 2022.

Thirty-year-old Ivy was adopted when she was just a few days old and has recently developed a mysterious illness. Both of her adoptive parents dead and she has no information about her birth family’s health history, so submits her DNA to be analyzed. Before she receives the results letting her know she has a cousin, an FBI agent tells her she is related to a serial killer in Washington State who kills during a full moon and asks her to figure out who in her birth family is the murderer.

When Ivy is invited to meet her cousin and extended family, she’s nervous because she also wants to learn about her birth mother. Instead of a possible reunion she learns her mother fell to the serial killer shortly after she was born. She is equally horrified when she finds out many family members belong to a cult. As Ivy seeks out more information about her mother and the murderer, she doesn’t realize that as she gets closer to the truth, the serial killer is getting closer to her. He’ll make sure the upcoming full moon finds him doing what he loves to do best.

This book had me turning pages late into the night, as I couldn’t put it down until I reached its thrilling conclusion. I’m sure you’ll be equally as enthralled.

Recommended for Adults.

“Cleopatra’s dagger” Carole Lawrence

Rated 3 stars *** ebook. Thomas & Mercer. 2022.

New York City in 1880 is a city of contrasts. The squalid conditions of those struggling for survival in its crime-filled tenements are contrasted with the genteel lives of the rich. Twenty-two-year-old Elizabeth van den Broek comes from a well-heeled family, but pretends she’s a regular New Yorker because she has a job her mother hates, and is not pining because she’s not a member of Mrs. Astor’s “Four hundred.” Occasionally she remembers her fancy apartment, rich clothing, and job are all a result of benefitting from her father’s name and wealth, but quickly relegates such thoughts to the back burner because she takes a train to work and doles out dollars and change here and there to those less fortunate.

As the first female crime reporter with the Herald newspaper, Elizabeth faces scorn from many who believe she doesn’t belong in a man’s job. Despite their disdain she’s determined to prove herself by figuring out the identity of a serial killer who is murdering prostitutes and leaving clues related to Egyptology. What she doesn’t know is that the killer has decided it’s time for Elizabeth and him to get a little closer.

I would have given this book 2 stars but, since I like historical fiction and it talked a lot about aspects of life in New York City during the 1880’s, I upped it to 3 stars. The reason I wanted to give it 2 stars was because too many events were tossed into the mix that didn’t have satisfactory endings or didn’t belong with the narrative. See below my spoiler alert if you want to read more about what I mean.

I will leave it up to you Adults to decide if you want to read it or not.

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I didn’t like how Elizabeth was assaulted with no follow through on solving the crime. Also, young John Astor had nothing to do with the storyline, so I have no idea why he kept being included. In addition, what’s the deal with Simon Sneed? He was introduced as “a sleek, slippery sort of person who seemed to leave a trail of slime in his wake, like a slug.” Elizabeth said she felt his eyes on her from her first day at work, and he made her feel “confused, flustered, and unsure of herself.” Lawrence puts him in almost every chapter, with Elizabeth reverting to the opposite of the strong female character she’s supposed to depict. I don’t understand what the point was of him leering and Elizabeth falling apart over it. Wasn’t she supposed to be a strong woman defying all the odds? Anyway, these are just a few of the issues I had with this book.

“Thicker than water” Megan Collins

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. Atria (Simon & Schuster). To be published July 11, 2023.

At a very young age Julia’s mother taught her to never trust a man, and those words reared their ugly heads when her husband was accused of murder. Though Jason had a knight-in-shining-armor complex, and had disappointed her many times, Julia never thought him capable of murder. However, with Jason in a coma and the evidence against him piling up, Julia is filled with questions. Did she really know the man she married? Is he guilty?

Sienna would never believe her brother committed such a heinous crime, as he has always been her rock in every storm. Julia, her sister-in-law, is her best friend but is wrong to think he could have murdered anyone. Since neither Julia nor the police believe he’s innocent, and he can’t talk for himself, it’s up to her to prove his innocence. The police will serve him an arrest warrant as soon as he wakes up, and Sienna is determined to have evidence to prove his innocence. She will stop at nothing.

Through alternating voices, Sienna and Julia compete for the reader’s attention. Collins spins such a fine web of deceit that it’s not until the final pages we receive answers to our many questions. “Thicker than water” will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Highly recommended for Adults.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“The Nigerwife” Vanessa Walters

Rated 5 stars ***** ARC. ebook. First Atria Books (Simon & Schuster). To be published May 2, 2023.

Nicole Oruwari left her life in the UK to move to Nigeria with her husband and two children, but gradually grew disenchanted. Her life seemed purposeless, her husband was cheating on her, and she felt as if the person she’d been had fallen by the wayside. When she decided to have an affair of her own, she felt free until her lover became clingy. Nicole knew she would have to break up with him but, the night she did, she disappeared.

After her sister died Claudine raised Nicole as her own. They had happy years together but, after a falling out, Nicole married and moved to Nigeria. When she received word of her disappearance Claudine headed to Nigeria. Her search for Nicole led to lies, betrayals, and secrets hiding behind riches and hypocrisy. If she hoped to find out what happened she will have to do so alone.

Nicole and Claudine detail their lives in voices from the present and past as they detail the events that led to Nicole’s disappearance. Readers will be drawn in through the challenging web woven by Walters. Just when I thought I figured out the mystery of whodunnit, she enmeshed me in a new one. Well done Ms. Walters. Well done.

Recommended for Adults.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.