Thomas Allen & Son Archives - What's Better Than Books?

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

09
Jun
2021

#BookReview These Tangled Vines by Julianne MacLean @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #TheseTangledVines #JulianneMacLean #LakeUnion

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Title: These Tangled Vines

Author: Julianne MacLean

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Jun. 1, 2021

Genres: Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Pages: 304

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8.5/10

From the USA Today bestselling author of A Curve in the Roadcomes a sweeping and captivating tale of one woman’s journey to the lush vineyards of Tuscany—and into the mysteries of a tragic family secret.

If Fiona has learned anything in life, it’s how to keep a secret—even from the father who raised her. She is the only person who knows about her late mother’s affair in Tuscany thirty years earlier, and she intends to keep it that way…until a lawyer calls with shocking news: her biological father has died and left her an incredible inheritance—along with two half siblings.

Fiona travels to Italy, where the family is shocked to learn of her existence and desperate to contest her share of the will. While the mystery of her mother’s affair is slowly unraveled, Fiona must navigate through tricky family relationships and tense sibling rivalries. Fiona both fears and embraces her new destiny as she searches for the truth about the fateful summer her mother spent in Italy and the father she never knew.

Spilling over with the sumptuous flavors and romance of Tuscany, These Tangled Vines takes readers on a breathtaking journey of love, secrets, sacrifice, courage—and most importantly, the true meaning of family.

Review:

Captivating, heartwarming, and absorbing!

These Tangled Vines is predominantly set in Tuscany during 1986, as well as 2017, and is told from two different perspectives; Fiona, a young woman who journeys to Italy after learning of her biological father’s death to unravel the secrets of her mother’s past and the mystery surrounding her conception, and Lillian, a young, married woman whose forbidden love for a winery owner will ultimately change her destiny and life forever.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are flawed, determined, and endearing. And the plot is a moving tale about life, love, loss, emotion, betrayal, family, friendship, heartbreak, guilt, grief, hope, and regret.

Overall, These Tangled Vines is an alluring, evocative, compelling tale by MacLean that highlights the enduring passion, loyalty and power of love and is a wonderful choice for anyone who enjoys a dual timeline story with a sliver of romance and mystique.

This novel is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Julianne MacLean

Julianne MacLean is a USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including the contemporary women’s fiction Color of Heaven Series. Readers have described her books as “breathtaking,” “soulful” and “uplifting.” MacLean is a four-time Romance Writers of America RITA finalist and has won numerous awards, including the Booksellers’ Best Award and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times. Her novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been published in over a dozen languages.

MacLean has a degree in English literature from the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a degree in business administration from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. She loves to travel and has lived in New Zealand, Canada, and England. MacLean currently resides on the east coast of Canada in a lakeside home with her husband and daughter.

Photo courtesy of Author's Website.

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03
Jun
2021

#BookReview Beneath Devil’s Bridge by Loreth Anne White @Loreth @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #BeneathDevilsBridge #LorethAnneWhite #Montlake

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: Beneath Devil's Bridge

Author: Loreth Anne White

Published by: Montlake Romance on Jun. 1, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 348

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 9/10

A true crime podcast yields new revelations about a shocking murder in a riveting novel of suspense by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

True crime podcaster Trinity Scott is chasing breakout success, and her brand-new serial may get her there. Her subject is Clayton Jay Pelley. More than two decades ago, the respected family man and guidance counselor confessed to the brutal murder of teenage student Leena Rai. But why he killed her has always been a mystery.

In a series of exclusive interviews from prison, Clayton discloses to Trinity the truth about what happened that night beneath Devil’s Bridge. It’s not what anyone in the Pacific Northwest town of Twin Falls expects. Clayton says he didn’t do it. Was he lying then? Or now?

As her listeners increase and ratings skyrocket, Trinity is missing a key player in the story: Rachel Walczak, the retired detective who exposed Pelley’s twisted urges and put him behind bars. She’s not interested in playing Clayton’s game – until Trinity digs deeper and the podcast’s reverb widens. Then Rachel begins to question everything she thinks she knows about the past.

With each of Clayton’s teasing reveals, one thing is clear: he’s not the only one in Twin Falls with a secret.

Review:

Dark, twisty, and disturbing!

Beneath Devil’s Bridge is a sharp, unsettling mystery that introduces us to the driven, tenacious podcast-host Trinity Scott as she heads to Twin Falls, British Columbia, where she stirs up a lot of old emotions, resentments, and secrets when she features and interviews convicted guidance counsellor, Clayton Jay Pelley, in order to finally reveal why he brutally murdered his then student, 14-year-old Leena Rai in 1997.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are vulnerable, tormented, and scarred. And the plot, using a past/present, back-and-forth style and told from alternating POVs, is a heartwrenching, suspenseful tale of deception, brutality, scandal, coercion, jealousy, conspiracy, violence, murder, injustice, and manipulation.

I can honestly say I have yet to read a novel by White that I didn’t love and isn’t thoroughly engrossing and Beneath Devil’s Bridge is no exception. It’s a sophisticated, tortuous, chilling tale that packs a real emotional punch and is a tragic reminder of the devastating psychological and emotional consequences caused by bullying, especially in teens.

This novel is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

About Loreth Anne White

Loreth Anne White is an award-winning, bestselling author of romantic suspense, thrillers, and mysteries.

A three-time RITA finalist, she has also won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Romantic Crown for Best Romantic Suspense and Best Book Overall, in addition to being a Booksellers’ Best finalist, a multiple Daphne Du Maurier Award finalist, and a multiple CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award winner.

A former journalist and newspaper editor who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest with her family. When she’s not writing, you will find her skiing, biking, or hiking the trails with her Black Dog.

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25
Jan
2021

#BookReview A Stranger at the Door (Rachel Marin #2) by Jason Pinter @jasonpinter @AmazonPub #AStrangerattheDoor #JasonPinter #Thomas&Mercer #RachelMarinSeries

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: A Stranger at the Door

Author: Jason Pinter

Series: Rachel Marin #2

Published by: Thomas & Mercer on Jan. 12, 2021

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 362

Format: Paperback

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Rachel Marin is in a good place. After years of struggle, the single mother has found both a stable, loving relationship and a new purpose: putting her investigative skills to work solving crimes for the local PD. But just as the pieces of her life are finally starting to fall into place, her teenaged son’s teacher is gruesomely murdered, starting a domino effect that shatters her peaceful existence.

When Rachel discovers an ominous email the teacher sent to her just before his death, she knows she must help bring his killer to justice. But soon a figure from her past reappears, threatening to expose Rachel’s darkest secrets if she doesn’t tread lightly. And when her son is recruited by a shadowy businessman who may be connected to the murder, Rachel knows this has just gotten very, very personal.

Someone out there is dead set on keeping this grisly cover-up good and buried, which means if Rachel’s not careful, it’s only a matter of time before her dream life becomes her worst nightmare.

Review:

Engrossing, propulsive, and twisty!

In this enthralling second instalment in the Rachel Marin series, A Stranger at the Door, Pinter has written a menacing thrill ride featuring the resilient Rachel Marin and the dependable Detectives Serrano and Tally as they join forces to hunt a sadistic killer who seems to have ties to a group of local high school boys and a wealthy entrepreneur.

The writing is tight and intense. The characters are persistent, resourceful, and intelligent. And the plot is an eerie, electrifying whodunit full of twists, turns, manipulation, familial drama, lies, secrets, corruption, violence, and murder.

Overall, A Stranger at the Door is a fast-paced, intricate, tortuous tale that does an exceptional job of highlighting that money and greed are often the root of all evil and the wicked loves to prey on those more vulnerable and weak.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Jason Pinter

Jason Pinter is the bestselling author of HIDE AWAY, the first Rachel Marin novel, as well as six other novels: the acclaimed Henry Parker series (The Mark, The Guilty, The Stolen, The Fury, and The Darkness), the stand-alone thriller The Castle, as well as the middle-grade adventure novel Zeke Bartholomew: SuperSpy, and the children’s book Miracle. His books have over one million copies in print worldwide and have been optioned for film. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including the Thriller Award, Strand Critics Award, Barry Award, and Shamus Award, and more

Pinter is the founder of Polis Books, an independent press, and was honored by Publishers Weekly’s Star Watch, which “recognizes young publishing professionals who have distinguished themselves as future leaders of the industry.” He has written for the New Republic, Entrepreneur, the Daily Beast, Esquire, and more. He lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, with his wife and their two daughters.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

11
May
2020

#BookReview The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne @AndrewMayne @AmazonPub

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: The Girl Beneath the Sea

Author: Andrew Mayne

Series: Underwater Investigation Unit #1

Published by: Thomas & Mercer on May 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 328

Format: Paperback, ARC

Source: Amazon Publishing

Book Rating: 8.5/10

For a Florida police diver, danger rises to the surface in an adventurous thriller by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Naturalist.

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.

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.

Review:

Action-Packed, engaging, and suspenseful!

In this first installment of the Underwater Investigation Unit series, The Girl Beneath the Sea, Mayne has written an adrenaline-pumping tale featuring the intelligent, impulsive, police diver Sloan Harper who inadvertently becomes a suspect and a target when an old childhood acquaintance winds up dead and her family’s disreputable reputation and history as treasure hunters quickly becomes both an asset and a liability.

The writing is sharp and crisp. The characters are secretive, persistent and ruthless. And the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat with its short, intense chapters that submerge you into a menacing tale full of twists, turns, deception, corruption, mayhem, danger, revelations, power, violence, and murder.

Overall, The Girl Beneath the Sea is a tortuous, intricate, pacey mystery that’s a wonderful start to this new series by Mayne with its well-drawn characterization, nice sense of urgency, and thrilling conclusion.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Andrew Mayne

Andrew is the author of over a dozen novels and has been nominated for the Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original (Black Fall) and the Thriller Award for Name of the Devil. His recent novel, The Naturalist is an Amazon Charts bestseller and spent six weeks at the number one spot for all books on Amazon.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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25
Apr
2020

#BookReview Dovetail by Karen McQuestion @KarenMcQuestion @AmazonPub @LUAuthors @ThomasAllenLTD #Dovetail

categories: Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction

Title: Dovetail

Author: Karen McQuestion

Published by: Lake Union Publishing on Mar. 10, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction, Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8/10

From the bestselling author of Hello Love comes a spellbinding new novel of enduring love, family secrets, and mysterious death.

Joe Arneson’s ordinary life is upended by troubling dreams of himself as a different man in another place and time. It isn’t until he visits his estranged grandmother, Pearl, in her Wisconsin hometown that a startling connection emerges.

Drawn into his family’s past, Joe discovers secrets weighing on the old woman’s soul: the tragic death of her sister Alice a half century ago and its ripple effect on all who loved her. Digging into the events of that summer in 1916, Joe is convinced that his recurrent visions relate to Alice’s untimely passing and to the beloved man she meant to marry. With the help of Kathleen, a local woman Joe’s fallen for, the puzzles of the past start falling into place.

As uncovered truths bring Joe and Kathleen closer together, they also reveal a new danger. For Joe’s dreams may be a warning—from one star-crossed couple to another.

Review:

Pensive, heartwarming, and mysterious!

Dovetail is a captivating, moving tale that takes us into the life of Joe Arneson, a young man who after years of struggling with tormented dreams finally gets some closure and relief after moving to a new town, forging a relationship with a grandmother he never knew existed, embarking on a blossoming new relationship, and uncovering tragic memories and long-buried family secrets from the past.

The prose is fluid and smooth. The characters are troubled, complex, and genuine. And the plot, alternating between timelines and told from multiple perspectives is an absorbing tale of life, loss, love, family, guilt, grief, friendship, forgiveness, jealousy, obsession, and romance all interwoven with a thread of magical realism.

Overall, Dovetail is a compelling, thought-provoking, emotional novel by McQuestion that reminds us that often even the little choices we make often have far-reaching consequences, and sometimes, perhaps, things are truly just fated to happen.

This novel is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Karen McQuestion

Karen McQuestion is a bestselling author who writes for adults, teens, and kids. Some of her titles include Hello Love, Life on Hold, The Long Way Home, and the Edgewood series.

Her books have been translated into German, Spanish, Polish, Korean, Turkish, and Czech and are available internationally in English.

All told, her books have sold over a million copies.

Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and on NPR. She has also appeared on ABC’s World News Now and America This Morning. McQuestion lives with her family in Hartland, Wisconsin.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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30
Mar
2020

#BookReview A Killer’s Wife (Desert Plains #1) by Victor Methos @VictorMethos @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD

categories: 9/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: A Killer's Wife

Author: Victor Methos

Series: Desert Plains #1

Published by: Thomas & Mercer on Mar. 1, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 362

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 9/10

From the bestselling author of The Neon Lawyer comes a gripping thriller about a prosecutor confronted with the darkest part of her past and the worst fears for her future…

Fourteen years ago, prosecutor Jessica Yardley’s husband went to prison for a series of brutal murders. She’s finally created a life with her daughter and is a well-respected attorney. She’s moving on. But when a new rash of homicides has her ex-husband, Eddie, written all over them—the nightmares of her past come back to life.

The FBI asks Jessica to get involved in the hunt for this copycat killer—which means visiting her ex and collaborating with the man who tore her life apart.

As the copycat’s motives become clearer, the new life Jessica created for herself gets darker. She must ask herself who she can trust and if she’s capable of stopping the killer—a man whose every crime is a bloody valentine from a twisted mastermind she’s afraid she may never escape.

Review:

Addictive, suspenseful, and twisty!

In this absorbing first installment in the Desert Plains series, A Killer’s Wife, Methos has written a sharp, sinister thrill ride featuring the resilient and tough prosecutor, Jessica and the dependable FBI Agent, Baldwin as they join forces to hunt a cold, calculating serial killer with a penchant for reenacting the most heinous of crimes.

The writing is taut and intense. The characters are meticulous, persistent, and tormented. And the plot is an engrossing, eerie whodunit full of twists, turns, lies, deception, familial drama, obsession, depravity, violence, and murder.

Overall, A Killer’s Wife is a fast-paced, tortuous, disturbing tale that does an exceptional job of reminding us that evil often lives comfortably amongst us merely concealed behind masks of normality.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Victor Methos

Victor Methos is the bestselling author of over 50 novels and is nominated for the prestigious Edgar Award for best novel by the Mystery Writers of America. He attended law school at the University of Utah and has been both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, having conducted more than 100 trials ranging from homicides and death penalty cases, to defending the rights of Native American tribes to practice their religion freely, and fighting for the rights of the mentally and physically disabled.
Methos' books have sold more than a million copies worldwide and have been #1 bestselling hits in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Australia and throughout the world. He currently splits his time between Utah and Las Vegas.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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22
Feb
2020

#BookReview Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake #4) by Rachel Caine @rachelcaine @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller

Title: Bitter Falls

Author: Rachel Caine

Series: Stillhouse Lake #4

Published by: Thomas & Mercer on Jan. 21, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8.5/10

An Amazon Charts, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling series.

She’s investigating a cold case no one else could—by going places no else would dare.

In spite of a harrowing past still haunting her, Gwen Proctor is trying to move forward. Until a new assignment gives her purpose: the cold-case disappearance of a young man in Tennessee. Three years missing, no clues. Just Ruth Landry, a tortured mother in limbo. Gwen understands what it’s like to worry about your children.

Gwen’s investigation unearths new suspects…and victims. As she follows each sinister lead, the implications of the mystery grow more disturbing. Because the closer Gwen gets, the closer she is to a threat that looms back home.

In a town that’s closed its ranks against Gwen; her partner, Sam; and her kids, there’s no bolder enemy than the Belldene family—paramilitary, criminal, powerful, and vengeful. As personal vendettas collide with Gwen’s investigation, she’s prepared to fight both battles. But is she prepared for the toll it could take on everyone she loves?

Review:

Creepy, fast-paced, and action-packed!

Bitter Falls is an eerie, enthralling thriller that takes us back to Stillhouse Lake and into the lives of Gwen Proctor and her family who are still struggling to have a normal life away from the past and those who want them gone but who now also find themselves embroiled in the gritty, manipulative world of cults and the disturbing ideology that underlies their extremism, radicalism, and violence.

The prose is sinister and tight. The characters are resilient, scarred, and determined. And the plot told from multiple points of view and utilizing short chapters is a menacing tale of control, power, deception, lies, secrets, intimidation, coercion, hatred, zealotry, and murder.

Overall, Bitter Falls is an intricate, timely, twisty tale by Caine that highlights the scheming, selfish, evil side of human nature and is another gripping novel in the Stillhouse Lake series.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine is the NYT, USA Today, and #1 WSJ bestselling author of more than 50 books in several categories and genres, including adult thriller and adult urban fantasy/SF as well as books for young adults ages twelve to eighteen.

She is the winner of several national awards, and most recently was a finalist in both the International Thriller Writers awards and the Killer Nashville awards for her debut thriller novel Stillhouse Lake.

Rachel is available for school and library appearances, as well as professional conferences and convention appearances. Please use the contact form to request appearances, charitable donations, or for any correspondence.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

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06
Feb
2020

#BookReview A Favour for a Favor (All In #2) by Helena Hunting @helenahunting @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD

categories: 10/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance, Noteworthy Book Releases

Title: A Favor for a Favor

Author: Helena Hunting

Series: All In #2

Published by: Montlake Romance on Jan. 28, 2020

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 302

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 10/10

From the New York Times bestselling author of Pucked and A Lie for a Lie, a new stand-alone romance about trading favors, battling wills, and winning love.

When I joined Seattle’s NHL expansion team, I thought it was the start of something great. But nothing ever goes the way you expect. Take my introduction to my new neighbor. She came rolling in on the hot mess express at midnight, making a racket while she tried to get into my team captain’s apartment. Did I mention that he’s married to a woman who definitely was not her?

Imagine my surprise when I end up with an injury that has me out of the game for weeks, and she’s the one to offer to help me. I should probably add that she’s not the captain’s mistress. She’s his sexy, pastel-haired younger sister.

So we come up with an arrangement: she rehabs me so that I can get back on the ice sooner, and she can add a professional athlete that isn’t her brother to her client list. Seems simple enough. As long as I can keep my hands to myself and my hormones in check.

Review:

Swoon-worthy, witty, and fun!

A Favor for a Favor is a sassy, heartwarming, delightful tale featuring the focused, feisty Stevie and the intense, broody Bishop as they both discover firsthand just how powerful attraction, temptation, and chemistry can truly be.

The writing is sharp and humorous. The characters are quirky, engaging, and charismatic. And the plot is an irresistible blend of friendship, family, light drama, tricky moments, awkward situations, hilarious hijinks, sporty action, snappy dialogue, shameless flirting, and sizzling romance.

Overall, A Favor for a Favor is a cheeky, amusing, entertaining tale by Hunting that had everything I look for in a lighthearted rom-com and more. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline, and I loved the happy-ever-after ending, and it is without a doubt one of my favourite reads of the year.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Helena Hunting

Helena Hunting is the author of The USA Today and NYT bestselling PUCKED Series. She lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes everything from romantic sports comedy to new adult angst.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Website.

01
Feb
2020

#BookReview The Last Sister (Columbia River #1) by Kendra Elliot @kendraelliot @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD

categories: 8.5/10, Book Review, Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Title: The Last Sister

Series: Columbia River #1

Published by: Montlake Romance on Jan. 14, 2020

Genres: Mystery/Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Pages: 336

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8.5/10

Three sisters’ secrets collide in a shocking novel of suspense by the Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Mercy Kilpatrick series.

Twenty years ago Emily Mills’s father was murdered, and she found his body hanging in the backyard. Her younger sister, Madison, claims she was asleep in her room. Her older sister, Tara, claims she was out with friends. The tragedy drove their mother to suicide and Tara to leave town forever. The killer was caught. The case closed.

Ever since, Emily and Madison have tried to forget what happened that night—until an eerily similar murder brings it all back. It also brings FBI special agent Zander Wells to the Oregon logging town. As eager as he is to solve the brutal double slaying, he is just as intrigued with the mystery of Emily’s and her sisters’ past.

When more blood is shed, Zander suspects there’s a secret buried in this town no one wants unearthed. Is it something Emily and Madison don’t know? Or aren’t telling? And Tara? Maybe Emily can’t bear to find her. Because when Tara disappeared, she took a secret of her own with her.

Review:

Riveting, edgy, and suspenseful!

In this compelling first instalment in the Columbia River series, The Last Sister, Elliot has written a tortuous whodunit where cases from the present and the past intertwine, suspects are in abundance, and deep-rooted racism runs rampant.

The writing is taut and intense. The characters are vulnerable, persistent, and driven. And the plot is an ominous tale full of twists, turns, red herrings, family drama, deception, corruption, hatred, murder, and a smidgen of romance.

Overall, I would have to say that The Last Sister, is an intricately woven, provocative, highly entertaining mystery that’s a promising start for this new series with its nice pace, well-developed characters, and action-packed plot.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Kendra Elliott

An Amazon #1 selling author, Kendra Elliot has sold over 7 Million books and been on the WSJ bestseller list ten times.

She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest and still lives there with her family and three cats. She's fascinated with forensics, refuses to eat anything green, and dreams of living every day in flip flops.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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20
Dec
2019

#BookReview Dirty Letters by Vi Keeland & Penelope Ward @vikeeland @PenelopeAuthor @AmazonPub @ThomasAllenLTD

categories: 8/10, Book Review, Contemporary Romance

Title: Dirty Letters

Author: Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward

Published by: Montlake Romance on Nov. 5, 2019

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 300

Format: Paperback

Source: Thomas Allen & Son

Book Rating: 8/10

I’d never forgotten him—a man I’d yet to meet.

Griffin Quinn was my childhood pen pal, the British boy who couldn’t have been more different from me. Over the years, through hundreds of letters, we became best friends, sharing our deepest, darkest secrets and forming a connection I never thought could break.

Until one day it did.

Then, out of the blue, a new letter arrived. A scathing one—one with eight years of pent-up anger. I had no choice but to finally come clean as to why I stopped writing.

Griffin forgave me, and somehow we were able to rekindle our childhood connection. Only now we were adults, and that connection had grown to a spark. Our letters quickly went from fun to flirty to downright dirty, revealing our wildest fantasies. So it only made sense that we would take our relationship to the next level and see each other in person.

Only Griff didn’t want to meet. He asked that I trust him and said it was for the best. But I wanted more—more Griff, in the flesh—so I took a big chance and went looking for him. People have done crazier things for love.

But what I found could change everything.

Review:

Intimate, hopeful, and sweet!

Dirty Letters is a lighthearted, passionate tale that takes you on a journey into the lives of the creative, reclusive Luca who after surviving a fire that claimed her best friend is still struggling with trepidation and fear towards the outside, congested world, and the successful, famous, rocker Griffin whose life is full yet empty and who has never forgotten the attraction and special bond he felt for his childhood pen pal.

The prose is emotive and honest. The characters are unique, vulnerable, and lonely. And the plot using an intriguing mixture of narration, letters, texts, and inner musings is a delightfully romantic, charming tale about life, love, loss, family, friendship, self-discovery, happiness, taking chances, enduring love, and the struggles associated with an anxiety disorder and agoraphobia.

Overall, Dirty Letters is an uplifting, heartfelt, sensual tale by Keeland and Ward that has characters you can’t help but root for and a happy-ever-after ending that leaves you smiling, satisfied, and hoping for more. It’s an absolute treat and a beautiful example of what happens when two of the most successful authors of a genre collaborate.

This book is available now.

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

Thank you to Thomas Allen & Son for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

About Penelope Ward

Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor before switching to a more family-friendly career.

Penelope lives for reading books in the new adult genre, coffee and hanging out with her friends and family on weekends.

She is the proud mother of a beautiful 13-year-old girl with autism (the inspiration for the character Callie in Gemini) and an 11-year-old boy, both of whom are the lights of her life.

Penelope, her husband and kids reside in Rhode Island.

She is a twenty-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over twenty novels.

Photography courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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About Vi Keeland

Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles have appeared in over one hundred Bestseller lists and are currently translated in twenty-six languages. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.

Photograph courtesy of Author's Goodreads Page.

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