Format: Paperback, ARC

#BookReview One by One by Ruth Ware @RuthWareWriter @ScoutPressBooks @SimonSchusterCA #OnebyOne #RuthWare

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#BookReview One by One by Ruth Ware @RuthWareWriter @ScoutPressBooks @SimonSchusterCA #OnebyOne #RuthWare Title: One by One

Author: Ruth Ware

Published by: Scout Press on Sep. 8, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 7.5/10

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and In a Dark Dark Wood returns with another suspenseful thriller set on a snow-covered mountain.

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

Review:

Intense, pacey, and suspenseful!

One by One is a menacing, locked-door thriller that sweeps you away to a secluded chalet in the French Alps and into the lives of nine people employed or formerly employed by the social media company, Swoop, and two chalet employees as they grapple to survive an avalanche that leaves them stranded without power or cell service and a killer amongst them who seems determined to wreak revenge at any cost.

The prose is precise and clear. The characters are multilayered, self-absorbed, and secretive. The setting is a character in itself with its claustrophobic environment and isolation. And the plot told from dual perspectives unfolds and unravels quickly into an ominous tale full of jealousy, hatred, deception, greed, manipulation, desperation, obsession, violence, and murder.

Overall, One by One is a taut, atmospheric, action-packed whodunit that could have had a few more twists and a little less predictability but was nevertheless intriguing from start to finish.

 

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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware grew up in Sussex, on the south coast of England. After graduating from Manchester University she moved to Paris, before settling in North London. She has worked as a waitress, a bookseller, a teacher of English as a foreign language and a press officer, and is The New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, and The Lying Game. Her latest book, The Death of Mrs. Westaway, will be available in May 2018. She is married with two small children.

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#BookReview The Residence by Andrew Pyper @andrewpyper @GalleryBooks @SimonSchusterCA @SkyboundBooks #TheResidence

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#BookReview The Residence by Andrew Pyper @andrewpyper @GalleryBooks @SimonSchusterCA @SkyboundBooks #TheResidence Title: The Residence

Author: Andrew Pyper

Published by: Gallery Books on Sep. 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Book Rating: 8/10

In this terrifying ghost story based on true events, the President’s late son haunts the White House, threatening all who live in it—and the divided America beyond its walls. From the bestselling author of The Homecoming.

The year is 1853. President-elect Franklin Pierce is traveling with his family to Washington, DC, when tragedy strikes. In an instant, their train runs off the rails, violently flinging passengers about the cabin. When the great iron machine finally comes to rest, the only casualty is the Pierces’ son, Bennie. The loss sends First Lady Jane Pierce into mourning, and casts Franklin’s presidency under a pall of sorrow and grief.

As the Pierces move into the White House, they are soon plagued by events both bizarre and disturbing. Strange sounds seem to come from the walls and ceiling, ghostly voices echo out of time itself, and visions of spirits crushed under the weight of American history pass through empty hallways. But when Jane orchestrates a séance with the infamous Fox Sisters—the most noted Spiritualists of the day—the barrier between this world and the next is torn asunder. Something horrific comes through and takes up residence alongside Franklin and Jane in the very walls of the mansion itself.

Only by overcoming their grief and confronting their darkest secrets can Jane and Franklin hope to rid themselves—and America—of the entity that seeks to make the White House its permanent home.

Review:

Eerie, intense, and sinister!

In this latest novel by Pyper, The Residence, we are transported to the White House during 1852 and into the life of the newly-elected President Franklin Pierce has he struggles with the recent loss of his 11-year-old son, a wife enveloped by sorrow, a nation fractured and heading towards war, and one special room where grief is in abundance and terror seems to like to come and play.

The prose is dark and ominous. The characters are tormented, desperate, and troubled. And the plot is a horrifying, gripping tale interwoven and steeped in the supernatural that’s full of familial drama, heartache, tension, obsession, secrets, death, hopelessness, and violence.

Overall, The Residence is a unique, dark, spooky tale that captivates from the very first page and ultimately leaves you mystified, chilled, and creepily 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 providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Andrew Pyper

Andrew Pyper is the author of nine novels, including the forthcoming THE HOMECOMING (February 2019). Among his previous books, THE DEMONOLOGIST won the International Thriller Writers award for Best Hardcover Novel and was selected for the Globe and Mail’s Best 100 Books of 2013 and Amazon’s 20 Best Books of 2013. LOST GIRLS won the Arthur Ellis Award and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Three of Pyper’s novels, including THE HOMECOMING, are in active development for television or feature film. He lives in Toronto.

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#BookReview The Paris Children by Gloria Goldreich @Sourcebooks #TheParisChildren #GloriaGoldreich

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#BookReview The Paris Children by Gloria Goldreich @Sourcebooks #TheParisChildren #GloriaGoldreich Title: The Paris Children

Author: Gloria Goldreich

Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark on Sep. 1, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Sourcebooks Landmark

Book Rating: 9/10

Inspired by the true story of one woman’s fight to survive during the 20th century’s darkest hour

Paris, 1935. A dark shadow falls over Europe as Adolf Hitler’s regime gains momentum, leaving the city of Paris on the brink of occupation. Young Madeleine Levy—granddaughter of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish World War I hero—steps bravely into a new wave of resistance and becomes the guardian of lost children.

When Madeleine meets a small girl in a tattered coat with the hollow look of one forced to live a nightmare—a young Jewish refugee from Germany named Anna—she knows that she cannot stand idly by. Paris is full of children like Anna—frightened and starving, innocent casualties of a war barely begun. Madeleine offers them comfort and strength while working with other members of the resistance to smuggle them into safer territories. But as the Paris she loves is transformed into a theater of tension and hatred, many people are tempted to abandon the cause—and the country. And amidst the impending horror and doubt, Madeleine’s relationship with Claude, a young Jewish Resistance fighter, as passionate about saving vulnerable children as she is, deepens. With a questionable future ahead of them, all Madeleine can do is continue fighting and hope that her spirit—and the nation’s—won’t be broken.

A remarkable, paranoramic novel, The Paris Children is a story of love and tragedy that illuminates the power of hope and courage in the face of adversity.

Review:

Absorbing, haunting, and deeply moving!

The Paris Children is a compelling, immersive, beautifully written tale set in France between 1935 and 1943 that takes you into the lives of the Levy family, especially Madeleine, a young Jewish woman who spent the majority of the war helping to hide and save as many Jewish children as possible.

The prose is authentic and perceptive. The characters are selfless, brave, and vulnerable. And the plot is a rich, poignant tale of life, loss, love, friendship, family, perseverance, survival, betrayal, courage, sacrifice, Jewish traditions, war, and the important role played by the Jewish scouts in the French Resistance.

Overall, The Paris Children is a beautiful blend of horrifying facts and evocative fiction. It’s a pensive, affecting, powerful tale by Goldreich that highlights humanities incredible ability to love and still be kind, compassionate, and resilient even in the face of unimaginable evil.

This novel is available now.

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

              

 

 

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Gloria Goldreich

Gloria Goldreich graduated from Brandeis University and did graduate work in Jewish history at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She was a coordinator in the Department of Jewish Education at National Hadassah and served as Public Relations Director of the Baruch College of the City University of New York.

While still an undergraduate at Brandeis, she was a winner of the Seventeen magazine short story contest where her first nationally published work appeared. Subsequently, her short fiction and critical essays have appeared in Commentary, McCalls, Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Mademoiselle, Ms., Chatelaine, Hadassah Magazine and numerous other magazines and journals. Her work has been widely anthologized and translated.

She is the author of a series of children's books on women in the professions entitled What Can She Be? She has also written novels for young adults, Ten Traditional Jewish Stories, and she edited a prize-winning anthology A Treasury of Jewish Literature.

Her novel, Leah's Journey won the National Jewish Book Award for fiction in 1979, and her second novel Four Days won the Federation Arts and Letters Award. Her other novels include Promised Land, This Burning Harvest, Leah's Children, West to Eden, Mothers, Years of Dreams and That Year of Our War. Her books have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, the Literary Guild and the Troll Book Club.

She has lectured throughout the United States and in Canada.

Gloria Goldreich is married to an attorney and is the mother of two daughters and a son, and the grandmother of six grandchildren.

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#BookReview The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #TheHollowOnes

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#BookReview The Hollow Ones by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan @HBGCanada @GrandCentralPub #TheHollowOnes Title: The Hollow Ones

Author: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan

Series: Blackwood Tapes #1

Published by: Grand Central Publishing on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Horror

Pages: 326

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: HBG Canada

Book Rating: 7.5/10

A horrific crime that defies ordinary explanation. A rookie FBI agent in dangerous, uncharted territory. An extraordinary hero for the ages. Odessa Hardwicke’s life is derailed when she’s forced to turn her gun on her partner, Walt Leppo, a decorated FBI agent who turns suddenly, inexplicably violent while apprehending a rampaging murderer. The shooting, justified by self-defense, shakes the young FBI agent to her core. Devasted, Odessa is placed on desk leave pending a full investigation. But what most troubles Odessa isn’t the tragedy itself-it’s the shadowy presence she thought she saw fleeing the deceased agent’s body after his death. Questioning her future with the FBI and her sanity, Hardwicke accepts a low-level assignment to clear out the belongings of a retired agent in the New York office. What she finds there will put her on the trail of a mysterious figure named John Silence, a man of enormous means who claims to have been alive for centuries, and who is either an unhinged lunatic, or humanity’s best and only defense against unspeakable evil.

Review:

Dark, creepy, and mystifying!

The Hollow Ones is an intense, supernatural thriller that takes you into the lives of three main characters, Odessa Hardwicke, Earl Solomon, and John Blackwood as their paths connect and intertwine on the hunt for the most unexplainable, wicked souls who have decided to terrorize and rack up body counts in the New York area.

The prose is calculated and gritty. The characters are unique, determined, and mysterious. And the plot, using a past/present, back-and-forth style unravels quickly into a horrifying tale of gruesome violence, senseless murder, immortal beings, a mysterious mailbox, and the shadowy corners of the unknown.

Overall, The Hollow Ones is an intricate, eerie, creative tale by del Toro and Hogan that gets more enigmatic with every page you turn and is definitely a good choice for occult fiction fans everywhere.

 

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Chuck Hogan

Chuck Hogan is an American author. His story "Two Thousand Volts" appeared in The Best American Mystery Stories 2009. He is the co-author of The Strain Trilogy with Guillermo del Toro. His 2004 novel Prince of Thieves was adapted to film as the Ben Affleck directed The Town in 2010.

Goodreads

About Guillermo del Toro

Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director mostly known for his acclaimed films Pan's Labyrinth, The Devils Backbone, Crimson Peak and the Hellboy film franchise. His films draw heavily on sources as diverse as weird fiction, fantasy, horror, and war. In 2009, Del Toro released his debut novel, The Strain, co-authored with Chuck Hogan, as the first part of The Strain Trilogy, an apocalyptic horror series featuring vampires. The series continued with The Fall in 2010 and concluded with The Night Eternal in 2011.

Goodreads

#BookReview The Night Swim by Megan Goldin @megangoldin @StMartinsPress #TheNightSwim

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#BookReview The Night Swim by Megan Goldin @megangoldin @StMartinsPress #TheNightSwim Title: The Night Swim

Author: Megan Goldin

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 9/10

In this new thriller from the author of The Escape Room, a podcast host covering a controversial trial in a small town becomes obsessed with a brutal crime that took place there years before.

After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?

Review:

Raw, impactful, and thought-provoking!

The Night Swim is a slow-burning, intense mystery that introduces us to the tenacious, driven, podcast-host Rachel Krall as she heads to Neapolis, North Carolina to cover the rape trial of a sixteen-year-old teen by the local superstar athlete and ends up in turn also unexpectedly investigating a twenty-five-year-old murder.

The writing is sharp and edgy. The characters are intelligent, relentless, and determined. And the complex plot told from alternating POVs and through a mixture of narration and podcast-style musings subtly unfolds into a chilling tale of scandal, consent, deception, reputation, coercion, injustice, class division, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Night Swim is a dark, gripping, sensitive tale by Goldin that packs a real emotional punch and does an exceptional job of highlighting the psychological and emotional devastation caused by rape and the cultural stigmatization that regrettably still surrounds it.

 

This novel is available now.

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

                

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Megan Goldin

MEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. THE ESCAPE ROOM was her debut novel.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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#BookReview The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheLoveScam #smpromance

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#BookReview The Love Scam by MaryJanice Davidson @smpromance @StMartinsPress #TheLoveScam #smpromance Title: The Love Scam

Author: MaryJanice Davidson

Published by: St. Martin's Griffin on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 7/10

A sweet and sassy contemporary romance from New York Timesbestselling author MaryJanice Davidson.

Rake Tarbell is in trouble. When the fabulously wealthy and carefree bachelor wakes up horribly hungover in Venice, it’s not something that would normally be a problem…except he has no idea how he got there from California. Or who stole his wallet. Or who emptied his bank account of millions. Or who in the world is Lillith, the charming little girl claiming to be his long lost daughter. For the first time in his life, Rake is on his own and throwing Benjamins around aren’t going to solve his problem. Now if only the gorgeous, fun, and free-spirited woman who brought Lillith into his life was willing to help the situation…

Claire Delaney finds Rake’s problems hilarious and is not in the least bit sorry of adding to them by bringing Lillith into the mix. A pretty Midwestern girl with a streak for mischief, Rake is not the kind of man Claire hangs around with. Even if he is drop-dead handsome and charming as all get-out. Even if he needs help and she has all the answers. But if this helps Lillith, she will go out of her way. And with a guy like Rake, she’s willing to bend her rules a bit for some fun. But when adventure-filled days turn to romantic nights as they search for answers, and someone starts following them through the streets of Venice, Claire realizes she’s playing more than just a game. And maybe, just maybe, she isn’t willing to let go of Rake or Lillith just yet.

Review:

Quirky, cute, and lighthearted!

The Love Scam is an intriguing, edgy story that transports you to Venice, Italy and into the life of the rich, handsome Rake Tarbell who wakes up with a wicked hangover, no phone, no memory of how he got there, and in the unexpected presence of a woman with a hidden agenda and a little girl who may or may not be his daughter.

The writing is creative and witty. The characters are unique, charming, and likeable. And the plot, along with all the subplots, intertwine and unravel quickly into a humourous tale filled with family, friendship, danger, mystique, oddball situations, hilarious mishaps, and outrageous adventures.

Overall, The Love Scam is an intricate, lively, funny tale by Davidson that is a little hard to follow at times with its complex plot and excessive use of internal monologues but is nevertheless extremely entertaining.

 

This book is available now.

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

               

 

 

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

 

About MaryJanice Davidson

MARYJANICE DAVIDSON is the international best-selling author of several books, including the Betsy the Vampire Queen series. Her books have been translated into several languages and are available in fifteen countries. She writes a bi-weekly column for USA Today and frequently speaks to book clubs, writer's groups, teaches writing workshops, and attends conferences all over the world. She has published books, novellas, articles, short stories, recipes, and movie reviews.

Photo by Mac McGoon Studio.

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#BookReview Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman @StMartinsPress #ParisNeverLeavesYou

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#BookReview Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman @StMartinsPress #ParisNeverLeavesYou Title: Paris Never Leaves You

Author: Ellen Feldman

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Aug. 4, 2020

Genres: Historical Fiction

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8/10

Living through WWII working in a Paris bookstore with her young daughter, Vivi, and fighting for her life, Charlotte is no victim, she is a survivor. But can she survive the next chapter of her life?

Alternating between wartime Paris and 1950s New York publishing, Paris Never Leaves You is an extraordinary story of resilience, love, and impossible choices, exploring how survival never comes without a cost.

The war is over, but the past is never past.

Review:

Nuanced, pensive, and intriguing!

Paris Never Leaves You is an atmospheric, compelling story set in Manhattan in the 1950s, as well as Paris during WWII that takes you into the life of Charlotte Foret, a young widow who spent the majority of the war running a bookshop, protecting her infant daughter, hiding an enormous secret, and befriending a German Officer who had the means to provide the much-needed food and safety she needed for survival.

The prose is precise and vivid. The characters are complex, secretive, and vulnerable. And the plot using a past/present, back-and-forth style is an engaging tale about life, loss, war, heartbreak, guilt, betrayal, loyalty, forbidden love, and desperation.

Overall, Paris Never Leaves You is an immersive, gritty, satisfying tale by Feldman that does a lovely job of blending historical events, intense emotion, and thought-provoking suspense.

 

This novel is available now.

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

               

 

 

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

 

About Ellen Feldman

Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim Fellow in fiction, is the author of Scottsboro, which was shortlisted for the UK’s prestigious Orange Prize, Next to Love, The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, which was translated into nine languages, Terrible Virtue, The Unwitting, and Lucy.

In addition to her novels, she writes articles on social history and has published numerous book reviews and blogs. She has lectured extensively around the country and in Germany and England.

She grew up in northern New Jersey and attended Bryn Mawr College, from which she holds a B.A. and an M.A. in modern history. After further graduate studies at Columbia University, she worked for a New York publishing house.

She lives in New York City and Amagansett, New York, with her husband and rescue terrier Charlie.

Photograph by Laura Mozes.

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#BookReview The Vacation by T.M. Logan @TMLoganAuthor @StMartinsPress #TheVacation

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#BookReview The Vacation by T.M. Logan @TMLoganAuthor @StMartinsPress #TheVacation Title: The Vacation

Author: T.M. Logan

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jul. 21, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 384

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

It was supposed to be the perfect holiday – a group of families enjoying a week together in the sun. Four women who have been best friends for as long as they can remember making the most of a luxurious villa in the south of France.

But Kate has a secret: her husband is having an affair. And a week away might just be the perfect opportunity to get the proof she needs – to catch him in the act once and for all. Because she suspects the other woman is one of her two best friends.

One of them is working against her, willing to sacrifice years of friendship to destroy her family. But which one? As Kate closes in on the truth in the stifling Mediterranean heat, she realises too late that the stakes are far higher than she ever imagined . . .

Because someone in the villa may be prepared to kill to keep their secret hidden.

Review:

Twisty, sophisticated, and sinister!

The Vacation is a gripping, pacey, domestic thriller that delves into the intricate and dynamic bonds 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 multiple perspectives is suspenseful and tense as it quickly twists, turns, and unravels all the actions, motivations, personalities, and relationships within it.

The Vacation at its core is a novel about friendship, deception, parenthood, marital discord, jealousy, obsession, and murder. It’s menacing, intense, and without a doubt a real page-turner you won’t want to miss.

 

This book is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About T.M. Logan

T. M. Logan, the bestselling author of LIES, 29 SECONDS, and THE VACATION, was born in Berkshire to an English father and a German mother. He studied at Queen Mary and Cardiff universities before becoming a national newspaper journalist. He currently works in communications and lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children.

Photograph by Sally Utton.

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#BookReview Cut to the Bone by Ellison Cooper @ECooperAuthor @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #CuttotheBone

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#BookReview Cut to the Bone by Ellison Cooper @ECooperAuthor @MinotaurBooks @StMartinsPress #MinotaurInfluencers #CuttotheBone Title: Cut to the Bone

Author: Ellison Cooper

Series: Agent Sayer Altair #3

Published by: Minotaur Books on Jul. 14, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Minotaur Books

Book Rating: 8.5/10

A bus full of high school students has disappeared from Washington D.C. and FBI neuroscientist Sayer Altair must hunt down the culprit who has a link to her own past.

After grieving the death of her fiancé and almost losing her job, Agent Sayer Altair is finally starting to rebuild her life. Her research into the minds of psychopaths is breaking new ground and her strange little family is thriving. But Sayer’s newfound happiness is threatened when she is called in to investigate a girl’s body left inside a circle of animal figurines below a cryptic message written in blood. When they discover that the dead girl is one of twenty-four missing high school students, Sayer quickly realizes that nothing in this case is what it seems.

As the investigation draws her in to a tangled web of fake identities and false leads, the trail soon begins to point directly to her own life. Now, Sayer must confront her painful past to uncover her connection to the deranged killer if she hopes to save the missing teens and protect everything that she loves.

Review:

Chilling, suspenseful, and fast-paced!

In this riveting third installment in the Agent Sayer Altair series, Cut to the Bone, Cooper has written an unpredictable, sharp, sinuous thriller that takes you on a hunt for a dangerous, mass kidnapper and deranged serial killer who seems to have a fascination with Ancient Egypt, the afterlife, and Washington architecture.

The prose is crisp and precise. The characters are bold, intelligent, and driven. And the plot is an absorbing, tortuous tale full of twists, turns, intrigue, surprises, misinformation, cosmogony, symbolic references, red herrings, violence, and murder.

Overall, Cut to the Bone is a sharp, engrossing, intricate tale that keeps you guessing from the very first page and leaves you unsettled, entertained, and highly satisfied.

 

This book is available now.

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

              

 

 

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

About Ellison Cooper

Ellison Cooper has a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, with a background in archaeology, cultural neuroscience, ancient religion, colonialism, and human rights. She has conducted fieldwork in Central America, West Africa, Micronesia, and Western Europe. She has worked as a murder investigator in Washington DC, and is a certified K9 Search and Rescue Federal Disaster Worker. She now lives in the Bay Area with her husband and son.

Ellison is the author of Caged.

Photograph by Michael Soo.

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#BookReview What You Wish For by Katherine Center @katherinecenter @StMartinsPress #WhatYouWishFor

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#BookReview What You Wish For by Katherine Center @katherinecenter @StMartinsPress #WhatYouWishFor Title: What You Wish For

Author: Katherine Center

Published by: St. Martin's Press on Jul. 14, 2020

Genres: Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Pages: 320

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: St. Martin's Press

Book Rating: 10/10

From Katherine Center, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Walk Away comes a stunning new novel full of heart and hope.

Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

Review:

Inspirational, romantic, and incredibly absorbing!

What You Wish For is a moving, intimate tale that sweeps you away to Galveston, Texas and into the life of Samantha Casey, a young, school librarian who after finally finding her groove, confidence, and a place to call home has her life unexpectedly turned upside down when her former colleague and old crush, Duncan Carpenter moves to town and takes over as the new school principal with an obsessive focus on safety and security and none of the joviality he was previously known for.

The writing is tender and fluid. The characterization is well-developed with a wonderful cast of characters that are kind, caring, eccentric, and endearing. And the plot is a lovely blend of heart, hope, angst, and drama.

What You Wish For is, ultimately, a story about life, love, expectations, loss, trauma, grief, trust, forgiveness, friendship, community, second chances, and discovering one’s true self. It is a whimsical, addictive, immersive read by Center that does an exceptional job of highlighting the importance of always finding a little joy in everything you do and is a wonderful reminder that there’s no perfection in humanity, we are all wonderfully flawed.

This novel is available now.

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

            

 

 

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

 

About Katherine Center

Katherine Center is the author of several novels about love and family: The Bright Side of Disaster, Everyone Is Beautiful, Get Lucky, and The Lost Husband. Her books and essays have appeared in Redbook, People, USA Today, Vanity Fair, and Real Simple—as well as the anthologies Because I Love Her, CRUSH, and My Parents Were Awesome. Katherine is a graduate of Vassar College and the University of Houston's Creative Writing Program. She lives in Houston with her husband and two sweet children.

Photo by Skylar Reeves.

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