Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

When two young sisters disappear from a strip mall parking lot in a small Pennsylvania town, their devastated mother hires an enigmatic bounty hunter, Alice Vega, to help find the girls. Immediately shut out by a local police department already stretched thin by budget cuts and the growing OxyContin and meth epidemic, Vega enlists the help of a disgraced former cop, Max Caplan. Cap is a man trying to put the scandal of his past behind him and move on, but Vega needs his help to find the girls, and she will not be denied. 
   With little to go on, Vega and Cap will go to extraordinary lengths to untangle a dangerous web of lies, false leads, and complex relationships to find the girls before time runs out, and they are gone forever.

My thoughts-

It has been a while since I read a suspense novel and I was ready for something fresh from someone new. Two Girls Down sounded interesting, so I was excited to read this new book from a debut author. I found the book to move a little slower paced than I like my suspense novels to be, but I liked the book as a whole. I thought there were some great twists and intense moments that are really important for books in this genre. I also liked the aspect of the bounty hunter working with the former police officer. It made for an interesting dynamic. I could see the pair continue on as partners in a book series. I would love to see more of them together in future novels. I would recommend this book to fans of Gone Girl and Girl on the Train.

T-H-B by Randy C. Dockens (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Buoyancy PR in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Luke has his dream job being an astrophysicist at the Houston Aeorspace Engineering Center preparing for the upcoming Mars mission. He even has a blooming romance with Sarah, a physician where he works.  Life in 2089 is good- couldn't be better. Until...until he makes that fateful choice. The decision to pick up that small piece of paper containing three simple letters plunges him into a conspiracy of memory manipulation caused by a secreat organization. Why is it occurring? Every direction he turns points him to T-H-B. Would finding it provide answers, or will it make him an enemy to the entire world?

My thoughts-

The description of this book sounded so intriguing. I love the fast pace of suspense novels and all of the trying to figure out exactly where things are going in the book. I like that it also had a touch of sci-fi and romance, which I think helped make it a more well rounded book. T-H-B was a quick page turning read as you want to see what is happening with Luke and friends, and learn exactly what T-H-B is and what is going on with the mind control elements and who exactly are the bad guys? By the end of the book, I felt like I had more questions unanswered than answered, but hopefully book two will help explain things a little better. I can't wait to see where things are headed. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense novels. T-H-B would make a fantastic Christmas gift for a book lover!

F-S-H-S: Book Two of The Coded Message Trilogy, is planned for release in June 2018, followed in September 2018 by the third and final book, T-U-L-E: Book Three of The Coded Message Trilogy.

The Party by Robyn Harding (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

In this stunning and provocative domestic drama about a sweet sixteen birthday party that goes horribly awry, a wealthy family in San Francisco finds their picture-perfect life unraveling, their darkest secrets revealed, and their friends turned to enemies.

One invitation. A lifetime of regrets.

Sweet sixteen. It’s an exciting coming of age, a milestone, and a rite of passage. Jeff and Kim Sanders plan on throwing a party for their daughter, Hannah—a sweet girl with good grades and nice friends. Rather than an extravagant, indulgent affair, they invite four girls over for pizza, cake, movies, and a sleepover. What could possibly go wrong?

But things do go wrong, horrifically so. After a tragic accident occurs, Jeff and Kim’s flawless life in a wealthy San Francisco suburb suddenly begins to come apart. In the ugly aftermath, friends become enemies, dark secrets are revealed in the Sanders’ marriage, and the truth about their perfect daughter, Hannah, is exposed.

My thoughts-

The Party is the type of book that grips you from the beginning and won't release you from it's clutches until you reach the conclusion. It is similar to novels like The Dinner and Big Little Lies, stories that break apart the façade of the perfect family and show the flaws of these characters as their worlds unravel. I have a hard time loving books where none of the characters are relatable, where none of the characters are likeable. I enjoyed the story and the suspense was spot on, but I can't love it because I don't love any of the characters. I did, however, really like it. The Party is one of those novels that would make a fantastic movie and I hope that one day it may be! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense novels.

The Dinner by Herman Koch (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Steve Coogan, Rebecca Hall, and Chloë Sevigny

"A European Gone Girl." —The Wall Street Journal
An internationally bestselling phenomenon, the darkly suspenseful, highly controversial tale of two families struggling to make the hardest decision of their lives—all over the course of one meal.

It's a summer's evening in Amsterdam, and two couples meet at a fashionable restaurant for dinner. Between mouthfuls of food and over the scrapings of cutlery, the conversation remains a gentle hum of polite discourse. But behind the empty words, terrible things need to be said, and with every forced smile and every new course, the knives are being sharpened.

Each couple has a fifteen-year-old son. The two boys are united by their accountability for a single horrific act; an act that has triggered a police investigation and shattered the comfortable, insulated worlds of their families. As the dinner reaches its culinary climax, the conversation finally touches on their children. As civility and friendship disintegrate, each couple show just how far they are prepared to go to protect those they love.

Skewering everything from parenting values to pretentious menus to political convictions, this novel reveals the dark side of genteel society and asks what each of us would do in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

My thoughts-

If  I find a book that is soon to be a movie, something about that book compels me to read it. The Dinner is a novel by Dutch author Herman Koch, it has been translated into several languages and it a best seller. I was curious when I read the plot what the two fifteen year old kids did that their parents would be discussing. Sadly you don't get anywhere near that plot line until half way in the book. I thought that the set up of the book into the different parts of a dinner was interesting, but the book kind of went all over the place. For people who don't like narrators who jump from one time period to another the whole novel this might be confusing. I don't mind it usually and still had trouble keeping up. The set up to the story was slow and I felt like the first half of the book was all about what they were eating rather than why they were at dinner, but once we got to the second half things picked up and the plot got juicy. I had no trouble finishing up the book at that point. If you like books like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, where there are pretty much zero likeable characters, but the story telling is suspenseful, you will love The Dinner.

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

 About the book

#1 New York Times bestseller Harlan Coben delivers his next impossible-to-put-down thriller.

In the course of eight consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers, millions of readers have discovered Harlan Coben's page-turning thrillers, filled with his trademark edge-of-your-seat suspense and gut-wrenching emotion. In Fool Me Once, Coben once again outdoes himself.

Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya's husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: Can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself. 

My thoughts-

Harlan Coben is one of a handful of authors that leave  me waiting in deep anticipation while they are writing. I will always read whatever he writes as soon as it becomes available to me to be read! I am never disappointed! Fool Me Once was typical Coben fare, a murder that needs to be solved. I liked that this particular novel utilized subjects that are current including the main character' Maya's battle with post traumatic stress disorder. Many of our soldiers come back from war zones dealing with similar problems. Harlan Coben is great at keeping you interested in the progression of the stories he writes, this is one of those "just one more chapter" books. I also find Coben to be the master of the curveball, that is there is always something that takes me by surprise in the climax of his novel and that was definitely the case here! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense novels full of twists and turns.

The Stranger by Harlan Coben (Book Review)

Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

The #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense delivers a shocking thriller that proves that a well-placed lie can help build a comfortable life—and a secret has the same explosive power to destroy it. 

Harlan Coban’s seven consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers feature unrivaled depths of emotion combined with cutting-edge suspense plots that keep millions of readers turning pages deep into the night. In The Stranger, married parents Adam and Corrine confront the shocking secret on which their marriage is built—leaving Adam wondering whether he ever truly knew Corrine at all.

My thoughts-

I have been a fan of Harlan Coben's for probably as long a he has been writing and I always feel compelled to get his new releases as soon as I can get my hands on them. Coben's writing style is the kind that keeps the book flowing and each chapter tells you just enough to keep you turning the pages. I couldn't put it down, but that didn't shock me. It is a problem I often have when I read his books. There were so many questions going through my mind as the plot thickened. I really wanted to know who "the stranger" was and what exactly was going on with Corrine. There were so many ways the story could have went and, as usual, I was surprised by how it all ended up coming together in the end. It is always difficult to review suspense novels because you never want to give away even the tiniest bit of plot, but I will say Coben is a master of the twists and turns and with The Stranger, he is at the top of his game. I would recommend The Stranger (and pretty much every single other book Harlan Coben has written) to fans of the suspense genre.

The Stranger will be available on March 24. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.

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The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey Blog Tour & Book Review + Win a Kindle HDX

About the book-For the three people tortured by their secret complicity in a young man's untimely death, redemption is what they most long for . . . and the last thing they expect to receive.

It has been twenty years since Philip McBride's body was found along the riverbank in the dark woods known as Happy Hollow. His death was ruled a suicide. But three people have carried the truth ever since---Philip didn't kill himself that day. He was murdered.

Each of the three have wilted in the shadow of their sins. Jake Barnett is Mattingly's sheriff, where he spends his days polishing the fragile shell of the man he pretends to be. His wife, Kate, has convinced herself the good she does for the poor will someday wash the blood from her hands. And high in the mountains, Taylor Hathcock lives in seclusion and fear, fueled by madness and hatred.

Yet what cannot be laid to rest is bound to rise again. Philip McBride has haunted Jake's dreams for weeks, warning that he is coming back for them all. When Taylor finds mysterious footprints leading from the Hollow, he believes his redemption has come. His actions will plunge the quiet town of Mattingly into darkness. These three will be drawn together for a final confrontation between life and death . . . Between truth and lies.

My thoughts-

 

I am a huge fan of suspense novels. To me, one of the best signs of a good novel is one that has something that keeps me turning the pages to find out what happens next and The Devil Walks in Mattingly did just that.  I wanted to know what happened on that day so long ago that was torturing these people all of their adult lives and what exactly did happen to Philip McBride. It was interesting to meet the characters in the present day not knowing exactly what happened in the past until the end because it gives the reader an opportunity to sympathize with what they are going through and feel the torture that they are feeling and by the time you find out what did happen, you realize that everyone's perception of what happened is a little different than what actually went down. I felt bad for both Kate and Jake, but I felt if they would have both been more honest with each other, maybe the dark secret they both carried might not have been such a burden, but then that wouldn't make for a page turner. I enjoyed that there was a little bit of intensity to this novel with the character of Taylor and the madness he carries, some pretty bad things happen when he comes around. Ultimately, my favorite part of the book was trying to figure out what happened to Philip and how it is resolved at the end of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a page turning suspense novel and who can handle a tiny bit of violence that occurs in the novel. This was the first book I have read by Billy Coffey, but he has written a few more and I definitely plan on reading those as well!

About the author-

Billy Coffey's critically-acclaimed books combine rural Southern charm with a vision far beyond the ordinary. He is a regular contributor to several publications, where he writes about faith and life. Billy lives with his wife and two children in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains.

Learn more about Billy at: http://billycoffey.com

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**********Enter to win a Kindle HDX**********

Billy Coffey is celebrating his new book, The Devil Walks in Mattingly, with a Kindle Fire HDX giveaway.

 
  One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• The Devil Walks in Mattingly by Billy Coffey

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on April 5th. Winner will be announced April  7th on Billy's blog. Watch Billy give the backstory of the book here.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Billy's blog on April 7th to see if you won.

Gemini by Carol Cassella (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book:

 

A stranger’s life hangs in the balance. What if you had the power to decide if she lives or dies? Dr. Charlotte Reese works in the intensive care unit of Seattle’s Beacon Hospital, tending to patients with the most life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Her job is to battle death—to monitor erratic heartbeats, worry over low oxygen levels, defend against infection and demise.

One night a Jane Doe is transferred to her care from a rural hospital on the Olympic Peninsula. This unidentified patient remains unconscious, the victim of a hit and run. As Charlotte and her team struggle to stabilize her, the police search for the driver who fled the scene.

Days pass, Jane’s condition worsens, and her identity remains a mystery. As Charlotte finds herself making increasingly complicated medical decisions that will tie her forever to Jane’s fate, her usual professional distance evaporates. She’s plagued by questions: Who is Jane Doe? Why will no one claim her? Who should decide her fate if she doesn’t regain consciousness—and when?

Perhaps most troubling, Charlotte wonders if a life locked in a coma is a life worth living.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend, Eric, a science journalist, Charlotte impulsively sets out to uncover Jane Doe’s past. But the closer they get to the truth, the more their relationship is put to the test. It is only when they open their hearts to their own feelings toward each other—and toward life itself—that Charlotte and Eric will unlock Jane Doe’s shocking secret, and prepare themselves for a miracle.

Filled with intricate medical detail and set in the breathtaking Pacific Northwest, Gemini is a riveting and heartbreaking novel of moral com­plexity and emotional depth.

 

 

My thoughts:

 

My husband is a nurse practitioner in the emergency room so that was part of the reason that I was initially drawn to reading this novel. The bigger reason was that this just sounded like an interesting plot. The description above does not even begin to tough on the intricate story that Gemini is.  This book goes back and forth between time periods and the reader gets to know "Jane Doe" pretty intricately. We learn of her all the way back through her childhood days and for me, that kept me on edge through the entire book waiting to know what would become of her and if there would be anyone to claim her. I love how her backstory interweaved with Charlotte's present life, which makes complete sense to me because it feels almost like Charlotte begins to feel like "Jane Doe" is her family, or at least begins feeling very protective of her, contemplating what this unknown woman might want done in her situation. The parts I enjoyed the most were the bits set in the past. The characters were fun to get acquainted with and the author's great attention to detail make you feel like you are almost there with them.  I also felt the parts of the book when Charlotte is dealing with "Jane Doe's" medical condition are extremely interesting. You can tell that she is really knowledgeable, in the way that only someone who works in that specific field could be. I felt more than once that I could see this story becoming a movie someday.  Gemini is essential about love- young love, unrequited love, missed love and even love for someone that is barely known. Between all that love, there is a great interweaving of stories, filled with mysteries and interesting surprises throughout. Gemini would make a fantastic book club pick, I plan to suggest it to my own club. I read it in just a few short days because I absolutely couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in suspense novels or just great contemporary fiction.

 

About the author:

 

(From the author's website)-Carol Cassella, M.D. is a practicing physician and national bestselling author of two novels, Oxygen (2008) and Healer (2010), published by Simon & Schuster and translated into multiple foreign languages. Both novels were Indie Next Picks and finalists for the Washington State Book Award in fiction. She has been Writer in Residence at Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Washington, and the recipient of a writing residency at Hedgebrook retreat.

 

 

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Gemini will be available on March 4, 2014. You can pre-order it on Amazon.com.