Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe


Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Ginger

After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police fell to his death—and all the whispers said she was to blame.

That chief was Jac’s father.

Racked with guilt, Jac left town with no plans to return. But when her granddad lands in the hospital, she rushes back to her family, bracing herself to confront the past.

Brook Haven feels different now. Wealthy newcomer Faye Arden has transformed the notorious Moor Manor into a quaint country inn. Jac’s convinced something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s perfect exterior, yet the whole town fawns over their charismatic new benefactor. And when Jac discovers one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, she knows she has to be right.

But as Jac continues to dig, she stumbles upon dangerous truths that hit too close to home. With not only her life but also her family’s safety on the line, Jac discovers that maybe some secrets are better left buried.

Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is a compelling mystery set in a small Southern town. The story follows Jacinda Brodie as she returns home after six years, haunted by a tragic incident involving her father, the police chief. Will the town have a change of heart or will Jac’s return open old wounds?

Told entirely from Jac’s perspective, the novel offers a limited viewpoint that can be both intriguing and frustrating. While the single narrator provides a deep dive into Jac’s thoughts and feelings, it can also limit the reader’s understanding of the broader community and the events surrounding her grandfather’s death.

The story begins with a strong premise, however, the introduction of multiple subplots was distracting, taking away from an already full storyline. Some of these subplots, such as the mysterious two cases her grandfather was working on solving, specifically what happened to the Colleton Girls, feel disconnected and raise more questions than they answer. When the truth came out about what happened to Jac’s dad I was confused she was there, how did she not know what happened? Was there an investigation into what happened to her father?

Jac’s grandfather’s killer is suspected early on, but the suspense of why they were the killer, along with the resolution to the other mysteries, kept me reading. While I appreciated the author’s writing style and her ability to create memorable characters, the storyline was lacking for me. It was long-winded and Jac was not a character that I admired. She seemed immature to be taking on murder cases, accusing people with little to no evidence, and then having a tantrum when the police did not take her seriously.

Despite its shortcomings, the author’s writing style is engaging enough to warrant exploring her future works. While the conclusion may not be entirely satisfying, the novel does provide closure. The book’s title and cover are fitting and effectively capture the theme of the book.

Ultimately, Not What She Seems is a mixed bag. While the central mystery is intriguing, the execution could have been fine-tuned.

Readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries may find this book worth exploring, but those seeking a fast-paced plot may be disappointed.

The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne


The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (328 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Coming from scandalous Florida treasure hunters and drug smugglers, Sloan McPherson is forging her own path, for herself and for her daughter, out from under her family’s shadow. An auxiliary officer for Lauderdale Shores PD, she’s the go-to diver for evidence recovery. Then Sloan finds a fresh kill floating in a canal—a woman whose murky history collides with Sloan’s. Their troubling ties are making Sloan less a potential witness than a suspect. And her colleagues aren’t the only ones following every move she makes. So is the killer.
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Stalked by an assassin, pitted against a ruthless cartel searching for a lost fortune, and under watch within her ranks, Sloan has only one ally: the legendary DEA agent who put Sloan’s uncle behind bars. He knows just how deep corruption runs—and the kind of danger Sloan is in. To stay alive, Sloan must stay one step ahead of her enemies—both known and unknown—and a growing conspiracy designed to pull her under.

What started as a routine dive ended with a dead body. For Sloan McPherson, this isn’t such a big deal since she works as a diver for the Lauderdale Shores PD. Recovering bodies and evidence from the water is what she does. But when she discovers she knows the victim, things start to get dicey for her and her entire family. Forced to team up with her family’s arch enemy, she wonders what more can go wrong.

Sloan McPherson is one heck of a woman. Coming from a family of treasure hunters, she’s now going to college and working as a diver for the police department to support herself and her daughter. She walks a thin line while balancing her personal life with her work life, which is hard considering her father and uncle have run afoul of the law more than once. However, she’s a dedicated mother to her daughter, Jackie, even if she does make some dumb choices at times. Thankfully, she has Run – Jackie’s father – to help out and make sure Jackie doesn’t wind up an orphan. Sloan is smart and witty and although our lives are nothing alike, I found it easy to relate to her and her struggles.

I didn’t like George Solar much at first, but a lot of that is due to the fact we’re in Sloan’s point of view and she didn’t like him at all. She wonders, so of course, I did, too, what he’s up to and if he has an ulterior motive. As the story progresses and you get more of his history, his personality starts to shine. In the end, I wound up really liking him a lot. He is good at keeping secrets but seems to only do it out of necessity. It drives me nuts when one half of a team won’t tell the other why they’re doing something. George was as up front with Sloan as he could be and I appreciated that.

The Girl Beneath the Sea is an action-packed mystery that takes you all over Florida in search of answers. From the beginning to the end, I was on the edge of my seat, not wanting to put this book down. I’m excited to see what case George and Sloan handle next as well as where Sloan’s relationship with Run goes in the future. Since the sequel isn’t due out until next year, in the meantime, I’m going to have to check out the author’s other novels.

Hide Away by Jason Pinter


Hide Away by Jason Pinter
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (365 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

From the bestselling author of the Henry Parker series comes a page-turning thriller about a vigilante who’s desperate to protect her secrets—and bring a killer to justice.

On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante. After an unspeakable crime shatters her life, she changes her identity and moves to a small town in Illinois, hoping to spare her children from further trauma…or worse. But crime follows her everywhere.
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When the former mayor winds up dead, Rachel can’t help but get involved. Where local detectives see suicide, she sees murder. They resent her for butting in—especially since she’s always one step ahead. But her investigative genius may be her undoing: the deeper she digs, the harder it is to keep her own secrets buried.

Her persistence makes her the target of both the cops and a killer. Meanwhile, the terrifying truth about her past threatens to come to light, and Rachel learns the hard way that she can’t trust anyone. Surrounded by danger, she must keep her steely resolve, protect her family, and stay one step ahead, or else she may become the next victim.

One night, Rachel Marin’s life is unexpectedly turned upside down. Left alone with her young son and infant daughter, she changes their names and moves to Illinois, hoping to escape her past and the darkness that is searching for her. Until her life is yet again rattled and she begins to believe all she’s created is about to cave in on top of her.

Rachel Marin is an intense and complicated character. Since her husband’s murder, she’s forced to completely reinvent herself. She becomes both physically and emotionally strong and resilient, being the best mom and protector she can be to her kids. That said, she has difficulty allowing people to help her, which is understandable considering her past. However, if she trusted those trying to help her a little more, things might be a little less stressful for her. All in all, I was impressed with the lengths she went to in order to keep her past secret and her family secure.

Detective John Serrano I liked from the very beginning. It might have been his obsession with the Lord of the Rings series that did it, but there was something very homey about him. He became even more engaging as his own history came out little by little. His partner, Leslie Tally, was an interesting character as well, but I don’t feel like I got to know her as well as I did John. I do hope that we get more of her backstory in the next book, I’d love to know more about her wife and kids. They work well together though, despite being such polar opposites. These two are the kind of detectives that make me want to read police procedurals, honestly, and I would have enjoyed this just as much if it was focused on them and not Rachel.

From the very first pages, Hide Away grabbed my attention and held it. Chock full of intense, crazy action, I was never bored and eager to get to the next page. It seemed like every time I had it somewhat figured out, some new bit of information was added that changed my whole perspective. My only complaint was that it took so long to get to the meat of Rachel’s backstory. Although necessary, to a point, I was anxious to find out what happened to make her take such drastic steps. I’m excited to see what the next installment in this series brings us.

Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg


Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (252 pages)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

A video of Deputy Eve Ronin’s off-duty arrest of an abusive movie star goes viral, turning her into a popular hero at a time when the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is plagued by scandal. The sheriff, desperate for more positive press, makes Eve the youngest female homicide detective in the department’s history.

Now Eve, with a lot to learn and resented by her colleagues, has to justify her new badge. Her chance comes when she and her burned-out, soon-to-retire partner are called to the blood-splattered home of a missing single mother and her two kids. The horrific carnage screams multiple murder—but there are no corpses.

Eve has to rely on her instincts and tenacity to find the bodies and capture the vicious killer, all while battling her own insecurities and mounting pressure from the media, her bosses, and the bereaved family. It’s a deadly ordeal that will either prove her skills…or totally destroy her.

After this, the trigenist will apply a series of muscle manipulations in your body, known asphosphor-di-esterase type-5. sildenafil tablets without prescription It is important to watch your cholesterol levels but it turns into a big problem when indicate towards generic viagra prices sexual problem like erectile dysfunction. You should have cost levitra bath with cold water to get relief from stress. What treatment options are there available for prostate cancer does as well. viagra ordering on line http://fundacionvision.org.pa/flashxml/bannerrotatorfx-cumbre/ She’s new to the detective division and gets razzed by the boys because she got there by making the department look good. When she heads out with her partner who is already counting his days down to retirement, they find a dead body. It’s right on jurisdictional lines and she notices pine needles on the pickup. But the pine tree is in their jurisdiction, so they get the case back.

Then they are sent out on another case. The house is empty but there’s plenty of blood. As they look they realize the killer dismembered them. Despite the excessive blood, there’s little evidence.

Eve eats lives and breathes this case. They finally arrest a suspect but there is too little evidence to prove it without a question. He’ll be out of jail the first of the week with no more evidence…

This is a very well thought out police procedural. As they go through forensic evidence, it seems the whole family was killed. They find bits of DNA from him but he’d been there before as a plumber. It doesn’t make him a killer.

The tension ratchets up as they get closer to when he’ll be let go. She’s not getting much sleep but suddenly she sees how the pieces of the puzzle fit. But will she be in time to save the last victim?

This one will have you squirming in your seat because of the suspense. The way the guys didn’t believe her will echo of times in the lives of many working women.

This book isn’t boring, that’s for sure! Just get your choice of drink and a snack so you can keep reading without interruption…

Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza


Nine Elms by Robert Bryndza
Kate Marshall Series Book 1
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (426 pages)
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

From the breakthrough international bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice, a breathtaking, page-turning novel about a disgraced female detective’s fight for redemption. And survival…

Kate Marshall was a promising young police detective when she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her greatest victory suddenly turned into a nightmare. Traumatized, betrayed, and publicly vilified for the shocking circumstances surrounding the cannibal murder case, Kate could only watch as her career ended in scandal.

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Enlisting her brilliant research assistant, Tristan Harper, Kate draws on her prodigious and long-neglected skills as an investigator to catch a new monster. Success promises redemption, but there’s much more on the line: Kate was the original killer’s intended fifth victim…and his successor means to finish the job.

Digging into the past unearths more than Kate bargained for.

Kate is a complicated heroine with an intense past. When she caught the Nine Elms serial killer, it should have been the crowning achievement in her budding career. Instead, certain personal decisions were made public forcing Kate to leave her career as a detective far behind. I do think the combination of events in Kate’s past struck me as a little over the top. I can’t give details without spoiling the plot, but I will say that while none of the things that happen to her are completely implausible, together it did seem to be a bit of a stretch. However, because Kate is such a down to earth character, I was able to put my doubts aside and enjoy the story.

Kate is easy to admire. She is smart, caring, courageous, and has a strong sense of honor. Despite all that has happened to her, she never plays the victim. She doesn’t make excuses for her mistakes nor does she take pleasure in the mistakes of others. There was a moment when she could have easily lashed out at others who were at fault, but Kate chooses to take the high road. In that moment, she more than earned my respect.

As compelling as the plot and characters of Nine Elms are, I could not read this book straight through. Some of the characters and their actions made my skin crawl. The serial killer’s victims are murdered in a particularly disturbing way. As the layers of this mystery are peeled back and connections between various characters are made, the tone becomes even darker. I had to put the book aside periodically because I needed a break before diving back into that world. Despite this issue, I enjoyed getting to know Kate and found the conclusion to be satisfying.

I’m glad I had the opportunity to read Nine Elms. I recommend it to anyone looking for a dark thriller with a compelling heroine.

One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson


One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (366 pages)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder—twice?

NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling has had her eye on Alex Traynor ever since his friend Cori fell to her death under suspicious circumstances a year ago. Cori’s death was ruled a suicide, but Sheryn thinks Alex—a wartime photojournalist suffering from PTSD—got away with murder.
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When Alex’s fiancée, Emily, a talented and beloved local doctor, suddenly goes missing, Sheryn suspects that Alex is again at the center of a sticky case. Sheryn dislikes loose ends, and Cori’s death had way too many of them.

But as Sheryn starts pulling at the threads in this web, her whole theory unravels. Everyone involved remembers the night Cori died differently—and the truth about her death could be the key to solving Emily’s disappearance.

Alex Traynor doesn’t have an easy life. Suffering from PTSD acquired during his years as a wartime photojournalist, bad luck seems to follow him wherever he goes. Accused – and then absolved – of taking part in the death of his friend Cori Stanton, Alex is haunted both by his lack of memory from that night as well as by the detective who can’t let the case go. When his fiancée, Emily, disappears, suddenly Alex is back in the crosshairs. But did he do something to Emily or are there bigger forces at work?

It’s easy to have sympathy for Alex Traynor. Early on in the novel, you see his PTSD kick in and you can feel his stress and anxiety as a result. He makes for a very sympathetic character who has some pretty awful moments. His relationship with Emily, a doctor he met in a war zone, is endearing and gives hope to the reader that maybe, he really didn’t hurt her. The crazy thing is, he has no idea whether he has or not.

I had a real love/hate relationship with Detective Sheryn Sterling. On one hand, I love that she wasn’t willing to let Cori Stanton’s death go until she had the answers she needed to close the case. On the other, she is borderline obsessed with Alex and often comes across as if she’s trying to set him up to pay for Cori’s death. About halfway through the story, once she realizes that things weren’t as clear cut as she’d thought, I really began to like her and understand her motivation. Her partner, Rafael Mendoza, is the perfect guy to mellow her out. He made me laugh often and smoothed out some of Sheryn’s rougher edges.

One Small Sacrifice is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time. The author is a master at misdirection, leaving tidbits here and there to completely throw the reader off the scent. I’ll admit that I’ve never been very good at figuring these things out, but I was even less sure of the culprit here. Had Alex finally snapped? Was Detective Sterling setting him up? I had no idea what was really going on. When the actual bad guy was revealed, I was floored because it was one of the few people that hadn’t actually occurred to me until near the end. Excellent mystery that I’d highly recommend to anyone who loves a roller coaster ride of a novel.

Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green


Twist of Faith by Ellen J. Green
Publisher: Thomas and Mercer
Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
Length: Full length (321 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

When family secrets are unearthed, a woman’s past can become a dangerous place to hide…

After the death of her adoptive mother, Ava Saunders comes upon a peculiar photograph, sealed and hidden away in a crawl space. The photo shows a shuttered, ramshackle house on top of a steep hill. On the back, a puzzling inscription: Destiny calls us.

Ava is certain that it’s a clue to her elusive past. Twenty-three years ago, she’d been found wrapped in a yellow blanket in the narthex of the Holy Saviour Catholic Church—and rescued—or so she’d been told. Her mother claimed there was no more to the story, so the questions of her abandonment were left unanswered. For Ava, now is the time to find the roots of her mother’s lies. It begins with the house itself—once the scene of a brutal double murder.
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When Ava enlists the help of the two people closest to her, a police detective and her best friend, she fears that investigating her past could be a fatal mistake. Someone is following them there. And what’s been buried in Ava’s nightmares isn’t just a crime. It’s a holy conspiracy.

This story has the sort of plot that draws you in and that’s exactly what it did. I loved the opening and its potential to be a page turner but…

Let me start with the things I didn’t like about the book, there aren’t many. The narrator changed from chapter to chapter. Not that there’s anything wrong with it but part of the story is told from the main character, Ava’s point of view and in first person. The other half of the book is from different character’s points of view and all told in third person. I think it was this switching back and forth and in what are brief chapters which prevented me from connecting with Ava whose story this essentially is.

Having said that, I will say the story has lots of twists and turns. The chapters are short, one of the things I liked about it, and it made the pacing spot on for a mystery. I loved the setting and the author’s description of the town and area.

As the plot progressed it had me guessing about what was going on and the story does build and the conflict escalates which makes you want to read more at each sitting.

The ending…which I won’t give away, had me wondering if the author has another book planned using these characters.

If you like a suspenseful mystery with old photographs and a creepy house then this might be one to put on your to read list.

Old Money by Bobby Cole

OLD
Old Money by Bobby Cole
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (288 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Jake Crosby has traded in a stockbroker’s suit and tie for a standard-issue uniform. As a newly minted Mississippi game warden, he has two tough cases to cut his teeth on—the ongoing robbery of wealthy hunters and the ruthless search for a rumored hidden fortune.

According to local gossip, several million dollars have been missing since the conviction of local conman Bronson Bolivar, and following his death in prison, his two grown children have torn his property apart looking for the funds. As Jake searches for the robber who targets well-to-do outdoorsmen, he finds a trail leading to the Bolivars. But the allure of quick cash also draws unexpected interest from both Bronson’s former cellmate and an upstanding federal judge. Will Jake understand the severity of the situation in time or get caught up in a web of deceit?

The reason is that the chemicals orden 50mg viagra deeprootsmag.org in cigarettes directly harming the fetus or newborn child. Users of the pill can testify that the cheap levitra pill improves libido, increases sexual stamina and enhancing the sex drive that are needed during sexual intercourse. Potential causes of ED include: Obesity High blood pressure High blood pressure condition has long been known for helping in the process viagra samples of getting an erection. However the recommended dose is one pill so take care cheapest levitra that you don’t exceed it. I am a Bobby Cole fan and this is another book that I thoroughly enjoyed. This one is full of suspense, action and humor that I’ve enjoyed from all of Mr. Cole’s books. Jake Crosby has recovered from his injuries along with making a drastic career change from stockbroker to game warden. This new career brings about many time consuming cases from wealthy hunters being robbed to keeping up with the Bolivar twins as a favor for Judge Ranson Rothbone.

When unclaimed money is concerned people are liable to do just about anything to get their hands on it, each person for their own personal reason; be it for a good or for selfish pleasure it doesn’t stop one from dreaming and even going on the hunt for the almighty dollar. The town story is that Bronson Bolivar hid money, not even disclosing the location to his children. The line of people wanting or just dreaming to get their hands on the money is quite lengthy.

Judge Ranson wants the money to get his wife’s medical treatment. So he places Jake to keep a close eye on the Bolivar children. I was a little puzzled why his wife wasn’t on dialysis for her kidney problems, but I’m not in the medical field and there was too much other story to focus on so I left that as an afterthought. The Judge’s love for his wife and her getting the proper treatment was very heart touching.

This is a book that just doesn’t focus on one storyline. I felt it bought about many tangents that the author could touch on later and as a reader it gave me a more filling read because it made the characters seem so real and their life as though it’s not fiction. My favorite character would be Virgil Fain, Jake’s coworker and his yellow lab, Kramer.

Virgil has experience and knowledge in all things. He adds a certain flare to the book with his logic and humor in what he says and does. One thing I did notice that the author didn’t reveal how Virgil’s banana diet turned out at the end of the book. Kramer was a handful for Jake’s wife Morgan and the things he got into brought about realness to the family life.

I enjoy this author’s writing style. This novel flows with a unique plot that is told with true talent. The suspense and action!  I felt sorry for the Bolivar twins, Chase and Chance. Their father had money but didn’t disclose to them where it was located before he passed. As a parent we know our children and perhaps Bronson knew the money would be his children demise, but then on the other hand it could have been that Bronson was just as selfish as his children and didn’t want anyone to end up with the money. The hunt for the money ruled his children’s lives. Tracking down their father’s cellmate to see what information he has about the money, to fabricating lies, stealing, and to finally each twin having their own secret from the other. This was not a model family but following their journey and the depths they would go to to get their hands on their father’s hidden money is a story that is worth reading.