They say first love doesn’t last. Alana’s ends on the night her boyfriend Dakota dies in a deadly shooting at a Portland club.
In an attempt to look for ways to deal with her grief, Alana reaches out to Dakota’s older brother Mikah, who’s struggling with moving on himself.
Both damaged beyond repair, neither Alana or Mikah know how to cope with their loss. What’s worse, they have zero idea how to handle the unexpected feelings they start developing for each other.
What could have been a run of the mill romance is elevated by the professional relationship of Lorie and Saam. The medical ethics that are addressed throughout the novel add a level of importance to their decisions. I appreciated that, as it gave me pause to evaluate their actions along with them – I like a romance that makes me think. The author also did a great job of building their relationship so that it all seemed very natural (and at times, hot!). I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would and look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House-Loveswept, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.
Kathryn’s life is secrets and lies. A CIA operative who regularly breaks the rules and conducts investigations within US borders. She wakes up every morning to look in the mirror at a woman that isn’t her, she is truly two women trapped in one body. When her sister is kidnapped, she’ll use the US government, Securities International and even the one man who ignites her body. The man that hates her, for her lies.
Tony will do anything to build his career back to where it was before his father destroyed it. As a deep cover CIA operative, he will annihilate the man that fathered him while using the one woman he denies himself of. The one woman that brings his dominant desires to the surface. He knows there is more to her than a runaway model, but he can’t crack her.
They embark on a journey to destroy one man and find her sister, but instead, they find death and destruction. When an act of selflessness turns into the ending, another rises from the ashes to make herself known.
Paige has waited years to be seen. She’s ready to step forward, but are they ready to get to know her?
After the truths are revealed and the explosions die down, will Tony find his future with Paige or will his heart always belong to Kathryn?
A good crime thriller should give the reader
the feeling that they are solving the crime right along with the police. There
should be ties between characters, and conflict that impacts the effectiveness
of the officers/detectives (because that is true to real life). Clues should only
come to light as characters discover them, but it’s okay to give the readers a
few red herrings along the way to keep them off balance.
Given these parameters, I am pleased to say
that Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan qualifies as a terrific crime thriller!
I will admit, the beginning was very slow, and
I did sometimes feel like there was too much exposition. But I quickly realized
that the author was setting a complete and detailed scene for the reader because
once the action picked up, it was vital to have the information from the
beginning.
As always, you will not find any significant
plot points or spoilers here. I will say that I got the definite feeling that
the author either was personally familiar with law enforcement or did a bang-up
job researching because she hit the nail on the head with her descriptions of
both methods and relationships between members of the squad, as well as
investigative techniques.
Every reviewer has their pet peeves, and this
is one of mine. I get frustrated at crime novels that don’t get those aspects
correct; it ruins the book for me. Not the case here.
I also particularly enjoyed the way the author
crafted the plot. There were times that I thought, “Oh, it must be this” (not
revealing anything here, sorry) or “Aha, I thought so!” I love it when I am
right sometimes and wrong others. Being kept off-balance keeps me engaged. There
is little that is more annoying than a predictable crime thriller. Again, you
won’t find that problem here; instead, you will find twists and surprises
throughout the book.
Silent Night is the first in the new Detective Iris Locke series, and it is a stellar read. Just make sure that you have time to devote to this one because reading carefully is a must. If you skim, you will miss important information. I do hope that future books move a little bit faster, now that we have been introduced to many of the characters (or have we?), but I will be looking forward to the next in the series.
About the author Geraldine Hogan was born in Ireland. She gained an Honors Degree in English Literature and Psychology from Dublin City University and a Postgraduate Degree in Training and Management from University College, Galway. She is an Irish award-winning and bestselling author of four contemporary fiction novels under the pen name Faith Hogan. Silent Night is her first crime novel, her second is due out in December 2019. She is currently working on her next novel. She lives in the west of Ireland with her husband, four children, and a very busy Labrador named Penny. She’s a writer, reader, enthusiastic dog walker, and reluctant jogger – except of course when it is raining!
Many crime thrillers claim to be “absolutely gripping,” but sometimes don’t live up to the hype. I’m happy to say that Silent Night by Geraldine Hogan does live up to the phrase. There is a lot to wade through at the beginning, but once the characters and setting are established, the action takes off. The reader is taken on quite a ride through the twists and turns of the murder investigation. I thought the author did a great job of keeping the action taut because it kept me hooked to the end. For more thoughts on what was so right about this five-star read, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of this book.
My life was charmed. I had the best friends ever. We were known as the Fab Five and our futures were planned out.
In a flash, everything was taken from me. I don’t know how to live without them. I don’t want to.
I’m broken.
When I get to college, I see him.
Cameron Stone. Mr. Football. Mr. Popular. He’s definitely hot, but on the inside he’s vile. He made my childhood a living nightmare. I don’t know why he hates me or why he’s suddenly being so nice to me. All the sweet talk in the world won’t work. I know better.
So, why am I listening?
Note: This is a second edition with major revisions. The book does end on a cliffhanger with the second book (The Way With You – also revised) due out late October.
Law Brentwood is more than a high school kid. He’s more than he appears. Determined and on track to achieve his goals, he’s brought to a stop the day he meets Nell Tucker. When every primal instinct in his DNA surfaces and suddenly his world shifts and now he has new goals to attain.
Solitary and private.
Nell Tucker was used to the rude names, the back handed insults and sometimes — violence. After the loss of her mother, Nell’s dad moved them to the city where things were different. The pace was quicker and fitting in wasn’t so easy.
Until she met the new bad boy in school. The one with an intense stare that made her heart rate quicken.
Law makes promises no high school boy should, yet, she can’t help but believe him. Until she catches him in a lie. They begin to pile on faster than he can back track and soon secrets are revealed that neither had counted on.
Law is determined not to hurt Nell, so he does all he can to gain her forgiveness, but at what cost to her already fragile heart?
I’d always been the black sheep of the family. No wonder they picked me to play undercover boss at Sweetopia, the theme park my family owned. While they lounged in the lap of luxury, I’d be donning an apron to serve pastries at Cotton Candy Castle, one of our most popular attractions.
But I was tempted to blow my cover when I met The Red Velvet Queen. She as wearing a costume and a fake jeweled crown, but this woman was absolutely breathtaking. I invented a baker’s dozen reasons to talk to her every day, quickly becoming addicted to her sweet, sugary goodness.
She thought I was just seasonal help. Too bad I was actually her boss. It could never be more than a fling … a fleeting one at that. Flings were what I lived for, so why couldn’t I settle for just one slice instead of wanting the whole damn pie?
“What would you do if the only man you ever loved was the son of the man that murdered your parents?”
In A.C. Williams’ fiery romantic suspense novel, Averi Ford’s future collides with her past with ferocious intensity. Averi Ford and Colt McClain have loved each other since they were children. They both come from a broken past. Colt’s mother died with he was young, and Averi’s parents were taken from her at the tender age of five. The same man is responsible for both of their broken childhoods: Tom “Black Horse” McClain. Now twenty years after the crimes that fractured both of their hearts, Black Horse is getting out of jail and he’s coming after the girl who testified against him: Averi, herself. Colt wants to hide her, but Averi refuses to run.
“Our past does not own us, and we owe it to our hearts to show the world that love can arise from the darkest of places. We just have to survive Black Horse to tell the tale.”
My name is A.C. Williams, but you may know me better by Addison Kline. I recently got married and updated my pen name.
A.C. Williams is an International Best-Selling Author of romantic suspense and mystery novels. She resides in Pennsylvania with her family. She is the wife to an Army Veteran and the proud mom of their three sons. When she is not writing, she is immersing herself in music, reading to her heart’s content, and traveling with her family.
She is a member of the International Thriller Writers Association and while she loves to write in a variety of genres, A.C. always says “mystery is her game.” Some of her other favorite sub-genres to write include romantic suspense, psychological thrillers, crime, MC and mafia thrillers.
Some of her greatest influences to date include Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Harper Lee, Gillian Flynn, Emily Dickinson, Jane Austen and James Patterson.
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye .. or you wake up in Vegas married with no memory of the event.
Callie has no time for a relationship. Who needs the hassle of a constant man when she can just run through a line of boytoys with little issue?
Derek was attracted to Callie from the moment he saw her. From her black hair, to her green eyes, he wanted it all. The only problem? She wasn’t interested.
It all goes sideways at a bachelor and bachelorette party and they end up tied together in an unimaginable way. Will they be just another statistic or will they figure out they’re meant to be together?
Dirty Pitch is the first book in A.M. Williams new series The Boys of Summer. It has hot men in tight pants, a splash of baseball, and as always, a happily ever after.
Follow the Author WEBSITE | NEWSLETTER | FACEBOOK | FB GROUP | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB | BOOKSPROUT | GOODREADS | AMAZON | ALL AUTHOR About the Author A.M. Williams is just a simple girl from the south that found herself abroad. When she’s not annoying her cat or reading, she’s spending time with her husband and traveling as much as possible. She has a serious case of wanderlust and wants to go as many places as possible while she can. She loves Cheerwine, sweet tea, and North Carolina (eastern style) BBQ as well as those crystal clear waters on the North Carolina coast. Hosted by RRR PROMOTION
Single father to a daughter born with special needs, Greg’s whole life is advocating for his little girl in a society that doesn’t understand mental handicaps.
He isn’t supposed to want anything more…
Georgia dreams of a better life — and she’s willing to work for it. Two jobs in Chicago to make ends meet, she doesn’t have time for a relationship and no interest in one, either.
That is, until she meets Greg. He’s got eyes like a summer night and a voice she can’t sweat out.
