Mystery/Thriller

#BookReview Closer by Sea by Perry Chafe @perrychafe @SimonSchusterCA @ScribnerBooks #CloserbySea #PerryChafe #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview Closer by Sea by Perry Chafe @perrychafe @SimonSchusterCA @ScribnerBooks #CloserbySea #PerryChafe #SimonSchusterCA Title: Closer by Sea

Author: Perry Chafe

Published by: Scribner on May 23, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 272

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the writer and producer of the hit TV shows Republic of Doyle and Son of a Critch , a poignant coming-of-age debut novel about the mysterious disappearance of a young girl and the fragility of childhood bonds, set against the backdrop of a small island community adapting to an ever-changing landscape.

In 1991, on a small, isolated island off the coast of Newfoundland, twelve-year-old Pierce Jacobs struggles to come to terms with the death of his father. It’s been three years since his dad, a fisherman, disappeared in the cold, unforgiving Atlantic, his body never recovered. Pierce is determined to save enough money to fix his father’s old boat and take it out to sea. But life on the island is quiet and hard. The local fishing industry is on the brink of collapse, threatening to take an ages-old way of life with it. The community is hit even harder when a young teen named Anna Tessier goes missing.

With the help of his three friends, Pierce sets out to find Anna, with whom he shared an unusual but special bond. They soon cross paths with Solomon Vickers, a mysterious, hermetic fisherman who may have something to do with the missing girl. Their search brings them into contact with unrelenting bullies, magnificent sea creatures, fierce storms, and glacial giants. But most of all, it brings them closer to the brutal reality of both the natural and the modern world.

Part coming-of-age story, part literary mystery, and part suspense thriller, Closer by Sea is a page-turning, poignant, and powerful novel about family, friendship, and community set at a pivotal time in modern Newfoundland history. It is an homage to a people and a place, and above all it captures that delicate and tender moment when the wonder of childhood innocence gives way to the harsh awakening of adult experience.


Review:

Atmospheric, mysterious, and immersive!

Closer by Sea is a captivating, poignant tale that sweeps you away to Perigo Island just off the coast of Newfoundland and into the life of twelve-year-old Pierce Jacobs as he spends one summer in 1991 hanging with friends, making a little extra money cutting out cod tongues and selling them to tourists, saving up everything he can to repair his late father’s fishing boat, coming to grips with the disappearance of a young girl he slightly knew, and secretly investigating the old, reclusive stranger he’s sure had something to do with why she seemingly vanished without a trace.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are inquisitive, fearless, and impulsive. And the plot is an astute, compelling tale about life, loss, friendship, family, secrets, curiosity, adventure, guilt, death, grief, marine life, mother nature, self-identity, and first crushes.

Overall, Closer by Sea is ultimately a beautifully written coming-of-age tale interwoven with a thread of mystery that does a remarkable job of delving into the complex dynamics that exist between childhood friends and is a wonderful reminder of just how complicated, challenging, memorable and emotional growing up can truly be, especially when doing so in a small island community where everyone knows everyone else.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Perry Chafe

Perry Chafe is a Canadian television writer, showrunner, producer, and songwriter. He is a cofounder and partner in Take the Shot Productions. Perry was the cocreator, showrunner, and head writer for the TV series Republic of Doyle, which ran for six seasons on the CBC, and an executive producer and writer for the Netflix/Discovery series Frontier, starring Jason Momoa. In addition, he was an executive producer and writer for Caught, a CBC limited series based on Lisa Moore’s award-winning novel of the same name. He is currently a writer and producer on the hugely successful CBC series Son of a Critch. Born and raised in the small fishing community of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, he now lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Closer by Sea is his debut novel.

Photograph by Maureen Ennis

#BookReview The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters @SimonSchusterCA @AtriaBooks #TheNigerwife #VanessaWalters #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters @SimonSchusterCA @AtriaBooks #TheNigerwife #VanessaWalters #SimonSchusterCA Title: The Nigerwife

Author: Vanessa Walters

Published by: Atria Books on May 2, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 320

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

This twisty and electrifying debut novel about a young woman who goes missing in Lagos, Nigeria, and her estranged auntie who will stop at nothing to find the truth is perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Last Thing He Told Me.

Nicole Oruwari has the perfect life: a handsome husband, a palatial house in the heart of glittering Lagos, Nigeria, and a glamorous group of friends. She left gloomy London and a dark family past behind for sunny, moneyed Lagos, becoming part of the Nigerwives—a community of foreign women married to wealthy Nigerian men.

But when Nicole disappears without a trace after a boat trip, the cracks in her so-called perfect life start to show. As the investigation turns up nothing but dead ends, her Auntie Claudine decides to take matters into her own hands. Armed with only a cell phone and a plane ticket to Nigeria, she digs into her niece’s life and uncovers a hidden side filled with dark secrets, isolation, and even violence. But the more she discovers about her niece, the more Claudine’s own buried history threatens to come to light.

An inventively told and keenly observant thriller where nothing is as it seems, The Nigerwife is a razor-sharp look at the bonds of family, the echoing consequences of secrets, and whether we can ever truly outrun our past.


Review:

Sinister, simmering, and engrossing!

The Nigerwife is a sharp, slow-burning mystery that takes you into the life of Claudine as she heads to Lagos, Nigeria, to once and for all discover the fate of her missing, estranged niece, Nicole Oruwari, whose life in the past few years seems to have included a controlling extended family, a strained marriage, friends who liked to indulge in all the finer things of life, and a group of foreign women married to Nigerian men, known as the Nigerwives, who seem to be involved in much more than just charity work.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are secretive, troubled, and multilayered. And the plot, told from alternating perspectives and using before and after timelines, is an ominous tale full of twists, turns, familial drama, secrets, lies, deception, infidelity, community, culture, societal expectations, relationship dynamics, reckless behaviour, swirling emotions, abuse, violence, vengeance, and murder.

Overall, The Nigerwife is an intricate, crafty, atmospheric read by Walters that captivated, satisfied, and highly entertained me and was a good reminder that things are never quite what they seem.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Vanessa Walters

Vanessa Walters was born and raised in London and has a background in international journalism and playwriting and is a Tin House resident and a Millay Colony resident. She is the author of two previous YA books and The Nigerwife. She currently lives in Brooklyn.

Photograph © Jerrie Rotimi

#BookReview The Next Girl by Pip Drysdale @SimonSchusterCA #TheNextGirl #PipDrysdale #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview The Next Girl by Pip Drysdale @SimonSchusterCA #TheNextGirl #PipDrysdale #SimonSchusterCA Title: The Next Girl

Author: Pip Drysdale

Published by: Simon & Schuster on May 2, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 368

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For fans of The Perfect Girlfriend, The Flight Attendant, and Promising Young Woman, a compulsively readable suspense novel about a woman who will stop at nothing to expose the dark secrets of a powerful man—with shocking results.

A bad day at work. A drunken night. A rogue Instagram follow. That’s all it takes to ruin a life…but whose life will be ruined?

When Billie wakes up in a strange guy’s bed, her first thought What happened last night? She can’t even remember meeting him. And how the hell did she get to Coney Island?

Then reality bites and the memories flood in—the reason she was in that bar drinking to start with was because today she’s going to get fired. Yesterday, her law firm lost a high-profile assault Samuel Grange v Jane Delaney. And it looked like it was her fault.

It wasn’t.

Yet now Samuel Grange is free to drive off into the sunset in his Porsche and do it all again to another woman. And all Billie can think What about the next girl? And the one after that?

But there is nothing she can do to stop him.

Unless…She could expose the truth about him on her own. Then everyone would see what he is really like. She could make sure he’ll never be able to do it again.

The problem is, the only way to protect the next girl is to become the next girl.

And, well, that could be a little risky…even deadly.


Review:

Dark, tight, and complex!

The Next Girl is an intense, edgy thriller that takes you into the life of Billie Spencer-Tate, a young paralegal with a knack for losing her day job, who after losing her mother to suicide due to an online troll, spends the majority of her time and effort using her high-tech knowledge and social media skills to hunt down, identify, select, and hand out her own style of justice to those men who abuse, prey, and gaslight women, with her latest target being the arrogant, despicable, dangerous Dr. Samuel Grange who she is determined to expose.

The prose is taut and gritty. The characters are consumed, unpredictable, and secretive. And the plot builds quickly as it twists, turns, shocks, surprises, and unravels all the personalities, behaviours, relationships, and motivations within it.

Overall, The Next Girl, at its core, is a novel about secrets, manipulation, friendship, coercion, obsession, control, cunning behaviour, tragedy, violence, and vengeance. It’s a highly suspenseful, exceptionally clever tale by Drysdale that highlights everything is not always as it appears and is definitely one of the most gripping page-turners I’ve been lucky enough to read this year.

 

This novel is available in paperback now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

         

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Pip Drysdale

Pip Drysdale is a writer, musician and actor who grew up in Africa and Australia. At 20 she moved to New York to study acting, worked in indie films and off-off Broadway theatre, started writing songs and made four records. After graduating with a BA in English, Pip moved to London where she played shows across Europe and started writing books. Her debut novel, The Sunday Girl, was a bestseller and has been published in the United States, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Strangers We Know was also a bestseller and is being developed for television. The Paris Affair is her third book.

Photo courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider

#BookReview Simply Lies by David Baldacci @davidbaldacci @GrandCentralPub #DavidBaldacci #SimplyLies #GCPInsider Title: Simply Lies

Author: David Baldacci

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Apr. 18, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 432

Format: Hardcover

Source: Grand Central Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A twisting new psychological thriller in which two women—one a former detective, the other a dangerous con artist—go head-to-head in an electrifying game of cat and mouse.

Mickey Gibson, single mother and former detective, leads a hectic life similar to that of many moms: juggling the demands of her two small children with the tasks of her job working remotely for ProEye, a global investigation company that hunts down wealthy tax and credit cheats.

When Mickey gets a call from a colleague named Arlene Robinson, she thinks nothing of Arlene’s unusual request for her to go inventory the vacant home of an arms dealer who cheated ProEye’s clients and fled. That is, until she arrives at the mansion to discover a dead body in a secret room—and that nothing is as it seems.

Not only does the arms dealer not exist but the murder victim turns out to be Harry Lancaster, a man with mob ties who used to be in Witness Protection. What’s more, no one named Arlene Robinson works at ProEye.

In the blink of an eye, Gibson has become a prime suspect in a murder investigation—and now her job is also on the line until she proves that she was set up. Before long, Gibson is locked in a battle of wits with a brilliant woman with no name, a hidden past, and unknown motives—whose end game is as mysterious as it is deadly.


Review:

Captivating, intelligent, and well-crafted!

Simply Lies is an elaborately plotted, suspenseful tale that takes you into the life of Mickey Gibson, a former police officer, now data analyst and single mother of two whose monotonous life is suddenly turned upside down when she finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a murdered man with a dark, devious, dangerous past when she is deceptively sent out to inventory the contents of a vacant estate.

The writing is sharp and tight. The characters are persistent, resourceful, and multilayered. And the plot, including all the subplots, seamlessly intertwine and unravel into a gripping tale full of twists, turns, surprises, revelations, manipulation, abuse, vengeance, mischief, mayhem, and murder.

Overall, Simply Lies is an exceptionally menacing, intricately woven, highly entertaining mystery that has a nice amount of suspense, good character development, and great pace. It’s currently a standalone novel by Baldacci, but something tells me this could quickly turn out to be another must-read series I need to add to my list.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

             

 

 

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About David Baldacci

David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with over 130 million worldwide sales. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Photograph by Allen Jones.

#FeaturePost Not the Ones Dead by Dana Stabenow @danastabenow @KayePublicity @HoZ_Books #NottheOnesDead #DanaStabenow #KateShugakSeries #KayePublicity

#FeaturePost Not the Ones Dead by Dana Stabenow @danastabenow @KayePublicity @HoZ_Books #NottheOnesDead #DanaStabenow #KateShugakSeries #KayePublicity Title: Not the Ones Dead

Author: Dana Stabenow

Series: Kate Shugak #23

Published by: Head of Zeus on Apr. 11, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Hardcover

Source: Kaye Publicity

The gripping new Kate Shugak novel by New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow.

What seems a tragic accident soon becomes a murder investigation as Kate is drawn into a case of political intrigue.

A mid-air collision in the Alaskan wilderness between two small aircraft leaves ten people dead. Was it a bird strike, pilot error… or premeditated murder?

Then an eleventh body is found in the a man shot gangland style, twice in the chest and once in the head.

In an investigation that reaches to the highest levels of government, justice may not be served, but Kate Shugak is determined that the truth will out, even at the risk of her life and the lives of those she loves most.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

     

 

 

Thank you to Kaye Publicity and Head of Zeus for gifting me a copy.

 

About Dana Stabenow

Dana Stabenow is the author of the award-winning, bestselling Kate Shugak series. The first book in the series, A Cold Day for Murder, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA

#BookReview Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong @KelleyArmstrong @TundraBooks @PenguinRandomCA #SomeoneIsAlwaysWatching #KelleyArmstrong #PenguinRandomCA Title: Someone Is Always Watching

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Published by: Tundra Books on Apr. 11, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Young Adult

Pages: 368

Format: Hardcover

Source: Penguin Random House Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

Blythe and her friends—Gabrielle, and brother and sister Tucker and Tanya—have always been a tight friend group, attending a local high school and falling in and out of love with each other. But an act of violence has caused a rift between Blythe and Tucker . . . and unexpected bursts of aggression and disturbing nightmares have started to become more frequent in their lives.

The strange happenings culminate in a shocking event at school: Gabrielle is found covered in blood in front of their deceased principal, with no memory of what happened.

Cracks in their friendship, as well as in their own memories, start appearing, threatening to expose long-forgotten secrets which could change the group’s lives forever. How can Blythe and her friends trust each other when they can’t even trust their own memories?


Review:

Intense, intricate, and twisty!

Someone Is Always Watching is a complex, psychological thriller that takes you into the life of a close-knit group of teens, all students at a private, prestigious STEM academy who, after one of their friends begins to exhibit unusual behaviours, becomes obsessed with the idea that the security cameras are always watching, and is found covered in blood at the scene of the Vice Principal’s death, begin to try and unravel what actually happened and what their ever-increasing nightmares and troubling, fragmented memories really mean.

The writing style is tight and sinister. The characters are vulnerable, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an action-packed, ominous tale full of secrets, deception, tragedy, friendship, childhood trauma, red herrings, self-identification, experimentation, and shocking revelations.

Overall, Someone Is Always Watching is a menacing, mystifying, sinuous tale that is the first YA novel I’ve had the chance to read by Armstrong, but with its abundance of intrigue, action, deduction, and adventure surely won’t be my last.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

             

 

 

 

Thank you to Penguin Random Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kelley Armstrong

Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Photograph by Kathryn Hollinrake.

#BookReview The Homecoming by Kate Morton @SimonSchusterCA #Homecoming #KateMorton #SimonSchusterCA

#BookReview The Homecoming by Kate Morton @SimonSchusterCA #Homecoming #KateMorton #SimonSchusterCA Title: Homecoming

Author: Kate Morton

Published by: Simon & Schuster Canada on Apr. 4, 2023

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 560

Format: ARC, Paperback

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

The highly anticipated new novel from the New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of The Clockmaker’s Daughter, a sweeping saga that begins with a shocking crime that echoes across continents and generations.

Adelaide Hills, Christmas Eve, 1959

At the end of a scorching hot day, beside a creek in the grounds of a grand country house, a local man makes a terrible discovery. Police are called, and the small town of Tambilla becomes embroiled in one of the most baffling murder investigations in the history of South Australia.

Many years later and thousands of miles away, Jess is a journalist in search of a story. Having lived and worked in London for nearly two decades, she now finds herself unemployed and struggling to make ends meet. A phone call summons her back to Sydney, where her beloved grandmother, Nora, who raised Jess when her mother could not, has suffered a fall and is seriously ill in hospital.

At Nora’s house, Jess discovers a true crime book chronicling a long-buried police case: the Turner Family Tragedy of 1959. It is only when Jess skims through its pages that she finds a shocking connection between her own family and this notorious event—a murder mystery that has never been satisfactorily resolved.

An epic story that spans generations, Homecoming asks what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home. Above all, it is an intricate and spellbinding novel from one of the finest writers working today.


Review:

Layered, unpredictable, and tortuous!

Homecoming is a captivating, eerie tale set in Australia during 1959, as well as 2018, that sweeps you away and immerses you into the complex, multi-generational Turner-Bridge family, complete with all the powerful emotions, distorted memories, inaccurate tales, long-buried secrets, and unimaginable tragedy that has unconsciously defined and plagued them for the past sixty years.

The prose is rich and lyrical. The main characters are inquisitive, determined, and resourceful. And the plot is an emotional, mysterious saga filled with life, loss, love, familial drama, heartbreak, community, secrets, lies, deception, moral dilemmas, sorrow, and tragedy.

Overall, Homecoming is another exquisitely written, exceptionally detailed, beautifully cunning novel by Morton that kept me guessing from the very first page and ultimately left me surprised, satisfied, and thoroughly entertained. 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

        

 

 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Kate Morton

Kate Morton is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, The Distant Hours, The Secret Keeper, The Lake House, and The Clockmaker’s Daughter. Her books are published in thirty-six languages and have been #1 bestsellers worldwide. Born and raised in Australia, she holds degrees in dramatic art and English literature, and now lives with her family in London and Australia.

Photo courtesy of Amazon.

#BookReview The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheSoulmateBook #SallyHepworth #StMarinsPress #SMPInfluencers

#BookReview The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth @SallyHepworth @StMartinsPress #TheSoulmateBook #SallyHepworth #StMarinsPress #SMPInfluencers Title: The Soulmate

Author: Sally Hepworth

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Apr. 4, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: ARC, eBook

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

Get ready for a thrilling, addictive novel about marriage, betrayal, and the secrets that push us to the edge in Sally Hepworth’s The Soulmate.

There’s a cottage on a cliff. Gabe and Pippa’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Night after night Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge. Until he doesn’t.

When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral…Did the victim jump? Was she pushed?

And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate…lie? As the perfect facade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel.


Review:

Twisty, sophisticated, and suspenseful!

The Soulmate is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the intricate, entangled bonds that exist between friends and family members and reminds us that everything is not always as it seems and behind all those smiles and happy faces often hides an abundance of lies, secrets, and swirling emotions.

The writing is ominous and tight. The characters are complex, troubled, and secretive. And the plot, told from alternating perspectives, is sinister and tense as it twists, turns, and unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.

The Soulmate, at its core, is a novel about life, love, loyalty, family, marital discord, mental illness, parenthood, friendship, and deception. It’s intense, menacing, enthralling, and, without a doubt, another fantastic page-turner by Hepworth you don’t want to miss.

 

This novel is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth has lived around the world, spending extended periods in Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada. She is the author of The Secrets of Midwives, The Things We Keep, The Mother's Promise, The Family Next Door and The Mother-in-Law. Sally now lives in Melbourne with her husband, three children, and one adorable dog.

Photo by Mrs. Smart Photography.

#BookReview A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins @MandaCollins @readforeverpub @HBGCanada @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2023 #MandaCollins #ASpinstersGuidetoDangerandDukes #LadiesMostScandalous

#BookReview A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins @MandaCollins @readforeverpub @HBGCanada @grandcentralpub #ReadForever #ReadForeverPub #ReadForever2023 #MandaCollins #ASpinstersGuidetoDangerandDukes #LadiesMostScandalous Title: A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes

Author: Manda Collins

Series: A Lady's Guide #3

Published by: Forever on Mar. 28, 2023

Genres: Historical Romance, Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 9/10

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a lady in danger must be in need of rescue, but whether she wants to be rescued is up for debate—for fans of Evie Dunmore and Netflix’s Bridgerton from the bestselling author of A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem!

England, 1867: Miss Poppy Delamare is living a lie. To escape an odious betrothal, she fled to London where she’s been hiding as the unassuming secretary Flora Deaver. However, when her beloved sister is accused of murder, Poppy cannot leave her to the wolves. Only a most unexpected—and unwelcome—collision interrupts her journey home . . .

Despite a rather dismal first meeting, Joshua Fielding, the Duke of Langham, has no intention of abandoning a lady in need. But he’s not above asking a favor. A fake betrothal will give Poppy and her sister the power of the dukedom and protect Langham from the society misses intent on becoming his duchess.

Yet the longer the ruse goes on, the more Poppy and Langham realize how false their first impressions were—and the less pretend their engagement feels. But before Langham can propose in truth, their search reveals a tangled web of lies and betrayals. With time running out, can Poppy and Langham find the real culprit—before Poppy becomes the next victim?


Review:

Mysterious, romantic, and entertaining!

A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes sweeps you away to the British countryside during 1867 and into the life of the independent, reliable Poppy Delamare who, after discovering her sister is accused of murdering her conniving husband, quickly heads home to do whatever it takes to prove her innocence even if it means agreeing to a fake engagement with the handsome, arrogant Duke of Langham, Joshua Fielding.

The prose is witty and sharp. The characters are resourceful, vulnerable, and passionate. And the plot is a fulfilling blend of family, friendship, danger, desire, societal expectations, scheming behaviour, tricky situations, awkward moments, secrets, attraction, and true love.

Overall, A Spinster’s Guide to Danger and Dukes is another humorous, charming, adventurous addition to the Ladies Most Scandalous series by Collins, complete with characters I couldn’t help but root for and a swoon-worthy ending that left me smitten, satisfied, and hopeful that there’s still a lot more to come!

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or from one of the following links.

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada & Forever for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Manda Collins

Manda Collins grew up on a combination of Nancy Drew books and Jane Austen novels, and her own brand of historical romantic suspense is the result. A former academic librarian, she holds master’s degrees in English and Library & Information Studies. Her novel Duke with Benefits was named a Kirkus Best Romance of 2017. She lives on the Gulf Coast with two lazy cats, a very spoiled Shih Tzu, and more books than are strictly necessary.

Photograph courtesy of read-forever.com.

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads

#BookReview Deep Fake by Ward Larsen @wardlarsen @ForgeReads #DeepFake #WardLarsen #ForgeBooks #ForgeReads Title: Deep Fake

Author: Ward Larsen

Published by: Forge Books on Mar. 14, 2023

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Hardcover

Source: Forge Books

Book Rating: 8/10

Absolute Power meets The Manchurian Candidate in this explosive political thriller from USA Today bestselling author Ward Larsen, Deep Fake.

The Cold War is back—but for some it never ended.

Sarah Ridgeway is living the life she’s always envisioned. She has a devoted husband, a loving daughter, and a comfortable home. The path to reach it, however, has not always been smooth. For twelve years her husband, Bryce, served in the Army, deployed to some of the world’s worst trouble spots. After his service ended with a combat injury, the future had seemed precarious, but with Sarah’s support and that of his wealthy family, combined with his exemplary service record, he is elected to congress.

Then, in a moment, everything changes: at a drab Washington fundraiser, the junior congressman intervenes in a terrorist attack, and narrowly escapes with his life. When videos of his bravery go viral, he quickly becomes a national hero. The timing could not be more fortuitous. The presidential primaries are heating up, and Bryce’s party is desperate for a fresh candidate to challenge the vulnerable incumbent.

Amid the whirlwind, Sarah senses something amiss. Since the attack, Bryce has been forgetful and acting strangely. Could it be the stress? she wonders. Might the recent explosion have aggravated his combat trauma? For the first time ever, she finds herself doubting a man she has always trusted. Confessing her fears to her closest friend, together they quietly search for answers. What they uncover is stunning: the man who might soon be president has a deeply held secret. A secret that will likely destroy Sarah’s life—and certainly lead the nation to ruin.


Review:

Ominous, action-packed, and twisty!

Deep Fake is a well-executed, sinister tale that takes you into the life of Sarah Ridgeway, a mother and congressman’s wife who, after sensing something is just not right, decides to ask her friend for help figuring out what’s really going on with her ex-army husband who hasn’t been acting like himself since surviving a terrorist attack and then quickly announcing he’s running for president.

The prose is brisk and tight. The characters are vulnerable, resourceful, and persistent. And the plot is a thrilling tale full of greed, power, deception, coercion, manipulation, corruption, espionage, politics, and murder.

Overall, Deep Fake is a menacing, edgy, satisfying tale by Larsen that highlights just how easily the line between right and wrong can be blurred and reminds us that sometimes there are no limits to the lengths that people and countries will go for control and power.

 

This book is available now.

Pick up a copy from your favourite retailer or one of the following links.

                

 

 

Thank you to Forge Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ward Larsen

Ward Larsen is a USA Today bestselling author and a four-time winner of the Florida Book Award.

His first thriller, The Perfect Assassin, is currently being adapted into a major motion picture by Amber Entertainment.

A former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, Larsen flew over twenty missions in Operation Desert Storm.

He has also served as a federal law enforcement officer, airline captain, and is a trained aircraft accident investigator.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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