Tag: Book Review

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No Place Like Home-Blog Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

This was a challenging read for me. On the one hand there was a lot of spooky build up, but it started so slowly that I almost gave up on it.

I guess the first thing that I can say is to stick with it, because it does eventually start to all make sense and ended up being a suspenseful psych thriller.

Let’s get the so-so out of the way (because none of it was actually bad). There is a lot of set-up in the first few chapters, and it took me quite a while to start putting the pieces together.

In addition to the family moving to a new area, there seemed to be tension between various family members. This was another thing that was not totally clear to me at the onset but made more sense further on in the book.

In a way, that was really the only challenge – getting through the set-up to where everything took off and it became more interesting.

Because it did get very interesting.

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3uLT3FC
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3mJxNgO

There are enough reviews out there that detail the things that happen to the family – even the blurb tells you some of them.

I’m just here to say that the author does a very good job of building the tension as these “tricks” get more sinister and Bram tries to keep his family together even as he realizes there are things he doesn’t know.

When this started to happen, I almost felt claustrophobic because I knew that the terror was building but couldn’t figure out where it was all going to break.

It ended up with a few surprises, and I’m glad I stuck with it.

Twitter: @JaneRenshaw10

About Jane Renshaw:

As a child, Jane spent a lot of time in elaborate Lego worlds populated by tiny plastic animals and people. Crime levels were high, especially after the Dragon brothers set themselves up as vets and started murdering the animals in their ‘care’. (They got away with it by propping the victims up with Plasticine and pretending they were still alive…)

As an adult, she is still playing in imaginary worlds and putting her characters through hell – but now she can call it ‘writing’ and convince herself that she is doing something sensible. In real life, she has a PhD in genetics and copy-edits scientific and medical journals.
Jane is the author of Watch Over Me. NO PLACE LIKE HOME will be her third novel published with Inkubator Books.

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The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman-Blog Tour (Review)-Fiction-Available Now

This book was a nice change of pace from the thrillers (psych, action, suspense) and romances that have made up a lot of my reading lately.

Told from alternating points of view, the plot runs smoothly through both characters, giving the reader insight to deeper thoughts and motivations.

That’s not to say that it’s a heavy book, because in spite of the tragedy at the beginning, the author maintains a balance of serious and lighthearted moments.

I was particularly taken by Norman’s attitude. Equal parts young boy and old soul, I related to him in a way I did not expect.

I loved how he took old comedic records and tried to emulate them with his best friend, Jax. I thought it showed how some people can latch on to certain things, even in the most unexpected ways.

Another thing about Jax and Norman’s friendship was that it perfectly illustrated why people should never assume things about other people, especially kids. One never knows where that connection could pop up.

I did have a harder time with Sadie. I understand why the “not a good mum” thing came up, because I think every mom has those thoughts at one time or another.

But there were times that I felt like it was too much of it. Her guilt over not being able to cook properly, Norman worrying about her, not having a good enough job…there were times that it seemed like she just whined on instead of making changes and actually doing something.

I really like Leonard – and once he joined in on “the plan” I thought the book really took off. He was interesting and seemed like someone it would be fun to know.

Do they make it to Fringe? Well, you’ll have to read it for yourself to find out. But I highly recommend this coping/coming-of-age/buddy road trip/family matters story.

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The Vatican Secret-Books On Tour (Review)- Action Thriller-Available Now

I really enjoyed the first book (The Vatican Conspiracy) and was looking forward to this one.

I was not disappointed. In fact, I think this one was even better than the first.

I liked how the author jumped right into the action. It felt more like a continuation of the previous book rather than the same characters in a different plot.

That continuity allowed for a direct start. The first chapter sets the groundwork for all the events to come. There’s no need to have long, drawn out descriptions or tedious backstory.

If you read the first book, you pretty much know the players and why things are happening.

Now, that’s not to say that you can’t read this as a standalone as well. Because I know someone who read this one without having read the first one.

She really enjoyed this (said it reminded her of Dan Brown, but better) and didn’t feel lost at all. The only thing she mentioned was that she could tell that previous incidents had occurred by the way the characters referenced them. But that didn’t take away or distract from the plot at hand.

And what a plot it is. Once again, the Vatican is at the center of a global power move by internal and external forces.

That’s not a spoiler. It’s essentially in the title.

Amazon: https://geni.us/B08QMZZ5ZWsocial
Apple: http://apple.co/3npYXsP
Kobo:  http://bit.ly/3861dip
Google: https://bit.ly/34gylmz

I continue to be intrigued by Marco. To me, he is both a conundrum and a Renaissance Man, a little bit good at a lot of things and a lot good at other things. That makes for interesting reading because I’m never quite sure how he will react to a situation.

I don’t want to give any plot points away, but it is a quintessential thriller with secrets, betrayals, and lots of page-turning action.

As I mentioned, I think this could be read alone, but you will definitely enjoy it more if you read the first book in the series. You’ll have a better feeling for Marco, and you’ll understand the motivations of the characters that carry into this book.

TWITTER:  phogenkampVT
FACEBOOK:   peterhogenkampbooks

Author Bio:

Peter Hogenkamp was born in upstate New York and attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. (Go Crusaders!) He graduated in 1986 and was exiled to Europe for three years by his premedical adviser, for which he will be grateful the rest of his days. Spending the next three years – supposedly – teaching chemistry and algebra in Salzburg, Austria, he traveled extensively, drank a lot of beer and made many a lifelong friend. In his travels, he found dozens of great places for scenes in a thriller: castles perched on cliffs; monasteries tucked away in alpine valleys; villages built above rocky coastlines; cities soaked in history. When he isn’t writing or hiking with his strong-willed Cairn Terrier, Hermione, Peter practices medicine with his lovely wife, Lisa (who does most of the heavy lifting), hosts Your Health Matters, which airs on cable television, streams on YouTube and sounds off on podcast, and tends to the needs of his four children.

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I Am Here to Kill You-Blog Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

Every once in a while, I come across a book that doesn’t just keep me guessing but makes me wonder what the hell is going on – not figuring it all out until the closing pages.

This is one of those books.

Full disclosure, I had a hard time getting through the beginning because after a bang-up opener (almost literally), the author immediately switches gears to introducing multiple characters.

The chapters themselves were not confusing as the perspective jumped between them. But it all seemed disjointed, and I kept wondering what they had to do with each other and how it all tied to the opening chapter.

I’m glad I stuck with it though, because at about 40% I started to see the connections. At that point, I realized how clever the author had been at the beginning, slowly revealing bits and pieces that seemed innocuous but were actually quite telling.

Well done on that.

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3s506Ix
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2PgQLi8

At halfway through, everything started to become clear – to paraphrase one of the characters, the pieces started to fall into place.

From there to the end, it became quite a page-turner, as the motivations of certain characters became clearer, and events occurred that shined even more light on how everything was connected.

I did think that there were a few times that the author went a bit heavy on the “men are horrible” theme. I get why it was important to the plot, but a few times I felt “enough already.”

However, I also thought that the way one character manipulated others was masterful. The reader got a little bit of insight that the characters didn’t, which added to the mystery of motivation.

This quite the psych thriller with twists and connections you absolutely won’t see coming. Take everything in at the beginning and you’ll truly enjoy the latter half of the book much more.

Twitter: @ChrisWestlake2

About Chris Westlake: After completing a Creative Writing course in 2010, Chris Westlake’s short story, Welsh Lessons, was awarded 1st place in the Global Short Story Award (not bad for the first writing competition he had entered). He followed this up with 1st place in the Stringybark Erotic Fiction Award and 2nd place in the HASSRA Literary Award.

Chris has written three novels. 30 DAYS IN JUNE is his first crime thriller. He is currently writing his second thriller, on schedule to be completed in 2020. He is determined to write many, many more – his main regret is that he didn’t start writing earlier.

Chris considers himself to be a developing author. He is always looking to improve, to make his next novel even better than the last. He is continuously experimenting with different styles, different genres.

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Just Get Home-Blog Tour (Review)-Thriller-Available Now

To clarify from the beginning:

If you’re looking for a thriller about the aftermath of an earthquake, filled with excitement and suspense and action, you will get that only in small doses from this book.

If you’re looking for a thriller that is a character study of how people deal with tragedy and how it affects their behavior, you’ll get much more of that.

Really, I thought this would be more about the former, but ended up being much more focused on the latter.

I have mixed feelings about all of it.

It really was an excellent analysis of how quickly society could deteriorate in the face of a major catastrophe. I felt that several of the incidents were accurately portrayed and would probably recur across the landscape of the affected area.

These descriptions were brutally detailed. I think the author wrote them in such a way to really emphasize the desperation and barbaric behavior. When civil society disappears in an instant, what happens and who survives?

BUY LINKS: Harlequin  Indiebound Amazon
Barnes & Noble  Books-A-Million Target
Walmart Google iBooks Kobo

With that being said, I felt that some points were belabored a bit too much and took me away from the humanity aspect of all of it.

For example, I understand why the author wrote the characters of Beegie and Dessa with the backgrounds each had. They had pasts, secrets that they would never tell anyone in a “normal” situation.

But it’s possible that they both recognized that in each other even without actually acknowledging it.

However, there are certainly some uncomfortable parts of the book. And I’m not sure if they contributed to the overall story or were included to make socially aware observations.

Also be warned, there are a number of potentially triggering topics that are addressed in this book, including (but not limited to) sexual assault, infidelity, and racial bias. It’s a lot to take in, especially considering the harrowing post-catastrophe setting.

Honestly, I felt a little beat up myself when I finished reading this. I was emotionally drained. That’s not to say that I didn’t like the book – I thought it was fine. But at times I felt like it was all “too much.”

I would still recommend it. Just know that you’re not getting a simple post-apocalyptic action thriller – you’re getting a searing look at human nature as well.

As the blurb says, “A propulsive page-turner grounded by unforgettable characters and a deep emotional core, JUST GET HOME will strike a chord with mainstream thriller readers for its legitimately heart-pounding action scenes, and with book club audiences looking for weighty, challenging content.”

For once, that’s totally accurate.

AUTHOR BIO:

Originally from Colorado, Bridget Foley attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television. She worked as an actor and screenwriter before becoming a novelist. She now lives a fiercely creative life with her family in Boise, Idaho.

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The Silent Girl-Books On Tour (Review)-Mystery Thriller-Available Now

I thought the description of this book was intriguing and it has one of the best catch lines of any I’ve read recently.

It also ended up being totally unlike any book I have read in recent memory.

Part mystery, part mysticism, part crime equals totally enthralling.

Right from the beginning, the author puts the reader into the frame of mind of the heroine, Sophie. She has no memory of her past, and the reader discovers it with her as things slowly start to come back to her.

I thought this was extremely effective. If there had been hints that the reader knew but Sophie didn’t, I don’t think that it would have been nearly as interesting. It put Sophie and the reader on equal footing and made her more relatable.

Amazon: http://ow.ly/p5X750DBAOw
Apple: http://ow.ly/2yO950DBAM8
Kobo: http://ow.ly/sBjQ50DBAJc 
Google: http://ow.ly/Hyyv50DBARZ

I liked the mysticism that went along with the “haunted house.” It contributed to Sophie’s spotty memory: were there visions of the former owner or real people who showed up? Was Sophie being guided or was it simpler than that?

I also liked how she and Nathaniel related to each other. And the whole dynamic with the people involved with both of them was real and made sense.

There is a lot of imagery (some mystical) in this book at well, which I really enjoyed. The author certainly did the necessary homework to make it believable and not “out there.”

About two-thirds through, things started to crystallize and what had happened to Sophie became clear. I thought this was also well-done. I don’t want to give anything away, because (as I mentioned at the outset) the reader really does get to take the journey along with her.

To say anymore will probably reveal spoilers. Suffice to say that this is a good mystery with current topics and a compelling narrative that had me reading late into the night to reach the resolution.

Thoroughly satisfying and highly recommended.

@KHeardBooks

Author Bio:

Kelly Heard is a novelist from Afton, Virginia. She published poetry in literary magazines before signing her debut novel, Before You Go, with Bookouture.

Kelly prefers writing to most other pastimes, but you’ll occasionally find her in the garden, hiking, or exploring antique shops.

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My Husband’s Girlfriend-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

This psych thriller had a few things going for it, but at times it almost seemed like there were two books in one.

The main thrust of the book was about Sarah and her son Ollie. Her ex, Steve, has a new girlfriend, Laura, who takes an inordinate interest in Ollie. Sarah may also have a new love interest in Joe, who has baggage of his own.

Does Laura have a past? Is she just crazy? Is there something else in play? Does Steve know everything or is she hiding things? What about Joe’s ex?

As there are more strange incidents, Sarah starts to question everything about Laura, but always with Ollie’s safety in mind.

That makes up the heart of the story, but in the middle of all of that Laura’s mom shows up. It’s pretty apparent (and not a spoiler) to say that all is not right between Laura and her mom.

But who is telling the truth?

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3dnGrxg
Apple: https://apple.co/3fu6shi
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3cClQWK
Google: https://bit.ly/3rlPkNi

For the most part, everything worked well together, and I was very invested in finding out where the twists were going to head next.

Each time Sarah had a new question, and she asked Steve or Laura about it, I felt her frustration when she wasn’t taken seriously and even blown off. It was hard to tell if she was being gaslighted or not. I liked that uncertainty.

What was less successful for me was the conflict between Laura and her mother. While it did keep me guessing I thought that it could have used a bit more depth and explanation. The resolution did not seem complete to me and the explanation fell short.

I felt the same about Joe’s baggage. I don’t want to say more about it, because there were a few good twists there as well, but it also suffered from lack of depth. There wasn’t enough info for me to believe all that went on.

In spite of these two things, I still thought the book was very good and it kept me engaged until the very last pages. I would certainly recommend it.

P.S. This book had a title change from The Whisper (which I thought was a pivotal aspect and it fit) to the current title. I’ll admit I’m a bit confused about it, because it seems to put the focus on a totally different aspect of the book.

I dunno…maybe I’m missing something there. Not a big deal, just thought I’d mention it.

Website: www.sherylbrowne.com
Twitter: @SherylBrowne

Author Bio:

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has also obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller MY HUSBAND’S GIRLFRIEND comes to you from BOOKOUTURE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels, The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love.

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Somebody Out There-Blog Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

What could have been a run-of-the-mill psych thriller is elevated by atmosphere.

I know that sounds a little convoluted, but in the case of this book, I truly felt that the location played a huge part in making this a better than average story.

It was easy to be sympathetic to the family at the center of this story. Anybody who has ever moved knows how difficult it can be to adjust to a new location.

When you move from the city to the countryside, it becomes even more difficult. There’s a different attitude, different way of thinking, and (often) the locals have a commonly-held opinion about “city people.”

(I’ve been on both ends of this stick, so it all seemed familiar).

Fortunately, I’ve never had someone actively try to terrorize me or my family as happens to Ben and Deborah.

Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3s6g3gZ
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3sXZZid

I thought the author did a great job of weaving the story so that it was never quite clear if there was a personal vendetta (due to Deborah’s job) or if it was a crazy townsperson.

Some of the tactics made me cringe, as I could imagine the horror that they would produce in real life. I’m not going to give details, because they could be considered spoilers. But the tactics do get VERY personal.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the location adds to the atmosphere. It’s not that they’re totally remote because they’re close to town but going from a city to that can be jarring and put someone on the defensive.

I also think that with the Irish countryside there’s an added level of remoteness. That could be my memory of a visit decades ago, but with the history and mysticism that are connected to the land, there’s an additional level of eeriness.

The book was a page-turner and the whole plot wraps up satisfyingly. I know this review seems vague, but I really can’t share what the family goes through and how they deal with it without giving stuff away.

And I hate doing that. So, I’m just going to say that this is a good psych thriller that plays up atmosphere in a most effective way.

About Kevin Lynch:

Kevin is a Guidance Counselor by day and a thriller author during his off hours. He puts an original slant on some common experiences and creates engaging stories with a personal twist. Kevin lives in Ireland with three great kids and a wife who makes him laugh, which is really all he could ask for. 

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The Bookstore on the Beach-Blog Tour (Review)-Fiction-Available Now

A lot of books in this genre center on a family secret that is revealed once said family is all together in the same place and can hash everything out.

This book has that, but on steroids. Seriously, pretty much every character in this book has at least one secret they’re hiding from the rest of the family.

These range from run-of-the-mill teen problems to troubled pasts to international espionage.

Seriously, there’s A LOT going on in this book.

In spite of this, I think the author did an admirable job of weaving everything together into a coherent plot.

Buy links can be found underneath “About the Author”

I was most interested in the grandmother’s story because I thought that had the most depth to it. It also went the furthest to explaining her present-day actions. Although, to some it might be farfetched.

To this, I think the reason that Autumn returned to beach was more of a reach. But that’s a personal opinion (obviously). It’s not that there was anything wrong with that storyline, but it didn’t work for me. Especially the way it all plays out in the end.

I also thought the same with Taylor’s storyline. While it was engaging and contemporary, it seemed a little bit forced and a lot for her (as a character) to deal with. Just one of the issues she was facing would have been fine.

In re-reading this, it appears as if I didn’t like the book, but that’s wrong. I did. I was engaged in the family drama and definitely interested in how everything was going to work out.

I just felt a little tired by it all because there was so much going on for each of the characters.

And I really thought that the bookstore would play more of a part in the whole thing, given that it’s in the title. As it was (again, to me) it was merely the setting and had very little further function.

I may have missed it due to the details of the characters’ lives, but I wanted more about how special the bookstore was. I would recommend this book for the detailed family drama and interesting plot threads.

TWITTER: @Brenda_Novak
FB: @BrendaNovakAuthor
Insta: @authorbrendanovak 
Goodreads

About the Author: 

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Bookbuyer’s Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

BUY LINKS:

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Just My Luck-Blog Tour (Review)-Thriller-Available Now

I have to say that this was an odd read for me. I felt like it wanted to be a psych thriller but also a thriller…but also a family drama. It definitely kept me hooked, but I’m not sure it was for the right reasons.

To begin with, I really didn’t like any of the characters, except for Lexi (more on her in a minute). After finishing the book, I totally understand why the author wrote them all the way she did (especially Jake) but in the midst of reading, they all pretty much came across as unlikeable.

I suppose that could be chalked up to the overall theme that “money corrupts.” It certainly seemed as if Emily and Jake got more carried away than Logan and Lexi did. That could absolutely be because teenage boys need a lot less to be happy than teenage girls? I don’t know.

But the frimily (as Lexi called them) also didn’t seem to be likeable, almost to the point where I kept wondering how they had all remained friends for so long even before they fell out.

The story is primarily Lexi’s although we do get a few chapters here and there from Emily’s point of view. As such, we are supposed to (I think) feel sorry for Lexi as she stands to be the voice of reason when the rest of the family goes a little off the rails.

I have to agree with one of the other characters, though, that there were times where she came across as sanctimonious. Maybe that was (again) because the others lost their marbles a bit.

Buy Links:  Harlequin  Barnes & Noble Amazon
Books-A-Million Powell’s

About half-way through, the action began to pick up, with the planning of an event and lots of fall out from it. I started to feel like there was too much going on. It might have just been my frame of mind when I was reading, which was entirely possible.

It seemed that everything started to go a little gonzo and not all of the choices seemed rational to me. Again, could just be illustrative of money giving people bad judgment. There was definitely a lot of that.

Characters like Colleen and Toma had interesting roles in the bigger picture, but they kind of faded and came back into focus. There were some moments near the end where I thought one of them was going to have a much bigger part in the whole story…but they didn’t.

There were also a few things that seemed to come out of nowhere as issues were revealed and resolved. And the last couple of chapters felt hurried to me, especially with the information that they contained.

The last chapter actually raised more questions for me than answering anything. It did make me re-evaluate what I thought I understood from earlier in the story, and I even went back to read a few sections to see if I could have caught what the author was plotting.

I would recommend this book, but hold on to your hat because it really goes a bunch of different directions leading to the climax.

Author Bio: 

Adele Parks is the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of twenty novels, including Lies Lies Lies and Just My Luck, as well as I Invited Her In. Just My Luck is currently in development to be made into a movie. Her novels have sold 4 million copies in the UK alone, and her work has also been translated into thirty-one languages. 

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