Review : Shadow of Death

Shadow of Death by Heather Graham

Amy Larson & Hunter Forrest FBI #3

Genre:  Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Romance, Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Crime, Cults,

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Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | Walmart eBooks 

Pages: 336

Published: April 18, 2023

You can cut off the head of the snake, but another will emerge.

When two hikers go missing within a series of daunting caves outside of Denver, Colorado, FDLE special agent Amy Larson and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, have good reason to suspect foul play. The pair of hikers are only the latest to vanish after a rash of disappearances that’s left local law enforcement stumped. But in searching the dank caverns near the Arkansas River, the agents aren’t prepared for the horror they uncover: a muddy pit littered with corpses. Covered in bite marks. Made by human teeth.

When a tiny toy horse is found on the scene, Amy and Hunter recognize the calling card. They’ll have to move quickly before the already sizable body count can grow. Their investigation soon draws them down the rabbit hole of a dangerous cult with a sinister mandate—one that involves human sacrifices. Anything to further their twisted cause. But when more people go missing, it becomes clear the cult’s reach extends beyond state lines, leading Amy and Hunter deep into the Florida Everglades to set a perilous trap, one that stands to risk everything they hold dear, including their lives.

Special Agent Amy Larson and her partner FBI agent Hunter Forrest are looking into a case about to missing hikers that led them to uncover something much bigger when they find a Horseman's calling card. Now they're are doing everything they can to stop a dangerous cult that keeps luring people in eventually leading to human sacrifices before the body counts get higher.

I'ma fan of Heather Graham's work and this book it's another great addition I enjoyed seeing how Amy and Hunter worked hard to get closer to finding out who is running the cult because it seems like once a person is caught there's something even more deeper going on putting them in a loop of trying to figure out who is behind this cult case. There was just so much going on I had a hard time putting this book down. Such a great read highly recommend! Can't wait to see what happens next. 

Review : Crimson Summer

Crimson Summer by Heather Graham

(Amy Larson & Hunter Forrest FBI #2)

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Fiction,

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Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | Walmart eBooks 

Pages: 384

Published: April 5th 2022 by MIRA

They're not going down without a fight.

When FDLE special agent Amy Larson discovers a small horse figurine amid the bloody aftermath of a gang massacre in the Everglades, she recognizes it immediately. The toy is the calling card of the apocalypse cult that Amy and her partner, FBI special agent Hunter Forrest, have been investigating, and it can only mean one thing: this wasn’t an isolated skirmish—it was the beginning of a war.

As tensions between rival gangs rise, so does the body count, and Amy and Hunter’s investigation leads them to a violent, far-right extremist group who are in no hurry to quell the civil unrest. With a deadly puppet master working to silence their every lead, it’s a race against the clock to figure out who’s been pulling the strings and put a stop to the escalating cartel turf war before the Everglades run red.

Special Agent Amy Larson and FBI agent Hunter Forrest has to cut their honeymoon short when they find another lead to the case they ware working on that appears to be leading towards starting a war. The body count rises as they get closer to figuring out who are the leaders of these turf war are.

So much to enjoy about this book. I loved the suspense of wondering who was behind this. It was interesting seeing what these people were dealing with with each tense situation they found themselves in. These gang members were just leading a change and I was hopeful they that soon they would find how was behind this and overall this book was just a great mystery suspense novel. Highly recommend you mystery lovers to check out this book but be sure to check out the previous to really see what these two have been going through while working on this case.

Review : The Silent Wife

The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter

(Will Trent #10)

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Suspense, 

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Purchase Link: Amazon | BN | iBooks | Walmart eBooks 

Pages: 496

Published: August 4th 2020 by William Morrow

Atlanta, Georgia. Present day. A young woman is brutally attacked and left for dead. The police investigate but the trail goes cold. Until a chance assignment takes GBI investigator Will Trent to the state penitentiary, and to a prisoner who says he recognizes the MO. The attack looks identical to the one he was accused of eight years earlier. The prisoner’s always insisted that he was innocent, and now he’s sure he has proof. The killer is still out there.

As Will digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the original case in order to reach the truth. Yet nearly a decade has passed—time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear. And now he needs medical examiner Sara Linton to help him hunt down a ruthless murderer. But when the past and present collide, everything Will values is at stake . 

Just wow I don't think I've read book this kind of dark. There was just some gruesome things mentioned that I just couldn't even picture or be prepared for but it made this book all the more darker. I loved that there was no romance in this book which is a change for me personally. The one thing I will say that I was hard for me to follow the multiple perspectives. But then again I was lucky enough to get ahold of the Audiobook but on a normal time multiple perspectives are a challenge for me. This book was interesting enough to me not to want to stop it but going further and getting the hang of it. The point of views that were giving were interesting enough to distinguish between the characters, I loved getting the people investigating and victims and such point of view. Like when it came to the victims it was pretty creepy seeing what they were going through what would be their last moments, how they were feeling the paranoia or just the confusing feelings they were going though, just wow. Perfect book to read during this fall I recommend you lovely readers to put this book on your tbr.

Review : Evasive Action

Evasive Action by Carol Ericson

Genre: Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

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Pages: 256

Published: June 1st 2020 by Harlequin Intrigue

She’s seen too much to survive.

Minutes before her wedding, April Hart learns her fiancé is a drug lord. Now the only person she can trust is a man from her past—border patrol agent Clay Archer. Two years ago April left Clay at the altar to keep him out of the grip of her dangerous family. This time, Clay is determined to guard April—and his heart. But the truth will plunge them into a brutal endgame where safety equals merciless betrayal

Right before the wedding April learns to the true nature of her soon to be husband status of being a drug lord and makes a break for it. Straight into the guy she also left in the last Clay Archer who is a boarder patrol agent. Clay already had a problem on his hands when a body is found and a head is on his porch the same day April shows up. Now he's on a mission to solve his case and keep April safe.

Loved this book there was so much going on to keep readers intersted. From the moment things start and shes on the run you can't help but wonder how things came to this point and how it will continue from then on. I loved that although there was attraction between the two it didn't overpower the book to turning it into a full blown romance because there is a case to be solve and past grievences to be aired out in the open. I loved watching as they pieced things together as concern for her possibly missing brother who is known to be a bit of trouble and it might be that his trouble really came to bite him in the butt this time. Overall great mystery, suspense, thriller type book I really enjoyed it.

Review: Here and Gone

Here and Gone by Haylen Beck

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Fiction, Crime, Contemporary,

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Pages: 287

Here and Gone is a gripping, wonderfully tense suspense thriller about a mother's desperate fight to recover her stolen children from corrupt authorities.

It begins with a woman fleeing through Arizona with her kids in tow, trying to escape an abusive marriage. When she's pulled over by an unsettling local sheriff, things soon go awry and she is taken into custody. Only when she gets to the station, her kids are gone. And then the cops start saying they never saw any kids with her, that if they're gone than she must have done something with them... 

Meanwhile, halfway across the country a man hears the frenzied news reports about the missing kids, which are eerily similar to events in his own past. As the clock ticks down on the search for the lost children, he too is drawn into the desperate fight for their return.

The only thing I regret is not reading this book sooner. At first it sounded interesting, its was very different from what I normally read so I was curious. I attempted picking up this book multiple times and not sure what happened, guess I wasn't in the mind set. It wasn't until earlier today that I actually sat down and got into the book and once I started I was sucked into this book. Audra had it tough growing up and then managed to land herself into a abusive relationship and the one good thing that she did for herself and her children and managed to land herself into a twisted crooked cop situation. I've never read books starring crooked cops so I found it fascinating getting his side of the story and see how and why he did what he did. I also loved getting the POV of other characters as well. Normally when a book strays from just two POV I can find a book confusing and overwhelming but when it came to this book it was easy to know who was who and it was easy to follow. I loved getting to konw Audra's children POV and seeing the strength in her son and how what great intuition he had seeing through people and get things done to help him and his sister. You know what I'm going to stop telling you more details, just pick up this book and check it out. I truly enjoyed this books and think its worth a reread.

* * I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. * *

Review : One of Us is Lying

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Suspense,

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Pages: 368

Published May 30th 2017 by Delacorte Press

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide. 

Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.

Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. 
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. 
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app. 

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon's dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn't an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he'd planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who's still on the loose? 

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them."

With how this book turned out I'm surprised I'm not hearing much people talk about this book. It was so interesting. I loved that there was enough mystery to suspect people. I loved that there was enough clues given over time to come up with a different motive and different suspected. I loved that I was able to get the perspectives of the four characters without it being too confusing or overwhelming. When it comes to multi pov I tend to find myself lost in the confusion but when it came to this book each character had their own distinct personality that I didn't have a hard time getting used to their own voices. I loved that ending and how it turned out and I totally was thrown off and wasn't expecting it. Overall it was such a fun read, and like it mentioning in the description it does have like a PPL (Pretty Little Liars) vibe going on so I think if you like PPL you will like this book.

Review : The Texan's Return

The Texan's Return by Karen Whiddon

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Crime, Suspense, 

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Purchase link: Amazon | Kobo | B&N

Pages: 288
Published April 1st 2017 by Harlequin

A dying father's final wish brings a mystery to life once again.

In the small town of Legacy, Texas, an old man is dying. At his side is the son determined to clear his name. Mac Morrison knows his father was wrongfully imprisoned for murder, and he's determined to find the real killer. But not before he reunites with a love from his past.

Hailey Green, who's still grieving her brutally murdered sister, hasn't seen Mac since he fled town in disgrace. Forced to raise her siblings, Hailey still relies on no one but herself—until the man who killed her sister returns. Turning to each other while seeking answers, Hailey and Mac find their old desires reignited and realize that the only life worth protecting is one together!

Hailey's sister was was brutally murderers and the murderer (who was the father to an old boyfriend of hers) was put in jail. Unable to cope with the loss her mother turned to alcohol, her stepfather bailed on the family no where to be seen which leaves Hailey to step up even as a young teen to grow up and take care of the family. Its been ten year since then and the murderer seems to be out again due to his illness that leaves him not much days left to live. Figures when he's out a murder similar to the one of her sister occurs. Now everyone's on a mission to find out who the murder is before he strikes again.

I tend to forget that not all mystery books are jam packed action and thrillers. It just seems that way to me at least. Overall I thought that this was a pretty fantastic book. When it came to this book I was curious seeing how Hailey was dealing with what was handed to her and watching her make the best of the situation. She sacrificed so much after her sister died. That goes to say I loved the the characters even her meddling sisters. I loved that there was a mystery element questioning if and when the killer would strike next. Then there was the questioning if the man who went down for the crime many years ago would live to see the murdered finally come to light. I didn't konw much about that man and really didn't know if there was a possibility that he could be well enough to maybe sneak around which was pretty much at the back of my mind. By the time I was half way into the book I pretty much thought I knew who it was and was pretty happy when what I thought was true. I wish I could elaborate on my suspicions but its hard without spoiling the book. Overall this was a pretty great book I really enjoyed it, I found it pretty hard to put the book down.

Review : Nanny Bodyguard

Nanny Bodyguard by Lisa Childs

(Bachelor Bodyguards series #5)

Genre: Kidnapping, Crime, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, 

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Pages: 288

Payne Protection's latest hire has a secret agenda but his heart keeps getting in the way! 

Digital security specialist Nikki Payne is eager to prove herself. So when former marine Lars Ecklund asks for her help in tracking down his sister, Nikki happily volunteers her services. But she doesn't anticipate falling for her role as nanny and bodyguard to a baby they're protecting or uncovering a raging hunger for guarded Lars. 

To find out what happened to his sibling, Lars must get into a fortified mansion at any cost and track down an elusive lawyer. But his fierce desire for Nikki is complicating everything. Putting the stunning spitfire in danger doesn't sit easily with him, yet he has no choice if he's to reclaim his sister—or create a future with this new family.

Nikkie works apart of the Payne Protection agency and wants to prove her worth but its hard when shes put on desk jobs and not in the field of work. It doesn't help that her brother keep finding new people to hire as body guards when shes has all the training. In comes the new guy Lars who does help in her in away to get what she wants to be an actual body guard but there seems to be some secrets he's hiding.

I loved this book, it was entertaining and mysterious. It was suspenseful questioning what happened and if Lar's sister and if she was even alive. I loved how observant Nikkie was with it came to things and went with her gut. I loved that she was the type of person to stand up for herself. I loved that there was plenty of twists throughout the book that surprised me. If you are looking for a book with more mystery not as much action then you'll want to check this book out I really enjoyed this book.

Review : Cavanaugh in the Rough

Cavanaugh in the Rough by Marie Farrarella

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Crime, Suspense,

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Pages:288

Purchase Link: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Published February 1st 2017 by Harlequin Romantic Suspense

A crime-scene investigator and a gorgeous cop must track down a serial killer in USA TODAY bestselling author Marie Ferrarella's explosive new novel!

For Susannah Quinn, heartbreakingly handsome detective Christian Cavanaugh O'Bannon is trouble that she doesn't need. Still, her CSI instincts tell her a serial killer's on the loose, so she agrees to work this case with Chris through long days--and even hotter nights. But his reckless charm is allowing him perilously close to her darkest secrets.

Going by the book has never been freewheeling Chris's style, so an unofficial partnership with Susannah is just what he needs to stop a vicious murderer in his tracks. While he struggles to win the beautiful blonde's trust, mutual desire puts them both in harm's way.

Susannah is going through some deep seeded issues that make her skeptical of everyone and everything. That includes Detective Christan who loves to push her buttons. Knowing shed liked to help out he asks her to help him on his case.

I really loved this book. I loved the characters and getting to know their back stories. I loved that Susannah is the type of women who once she has a gut feeling shes not one to back down. I found the playful banter between Christan and Susannah entertaining. Clearly Susannah wasn't interested but Christan it very much like Susannah in a way of not backing down.I loved seeing them work together and how they worked out the case. I loved that Christan was there to help ground her, I guess in a way to because shes so focused when it came to the case he was there to balance things out and make sure she taking care of herself as well. I loved the connection between the two. Overall this book was really good I enjoyed it, managed to finish this book faster then I wanted to but that's only because it was so good I couldn't put it down.

Review : Deadly Fall

Deadly Fall by Elle James

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Crime, Suspense, 

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Purchase Link: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Pages: 288

Expected publication: January 3rd 2017 by Harlequin Romantic Suspense

In a Gothic mansion on a windy coast, former soldier Dixie Reeves and her client, billionaire Andrew Stratford, are in grave danger. The single dad has hired her to help him protect his daughter from a mysterious threat. As their enemy closes in, even tough-as-nails Dixie has to hold her nerve and keep her guard up to stop herself from falling for Andrew and his adorable little girl. The long nights pass, and Dixie and her handsome boss can't deny they're barreling toward the kind of love that changes lives. That is, if they can somehow keep their instant family safe from the danger at the door!

Andrew lives with his imaginative daughter in a mansion he inherited from a family member. This mansion seems to hold secrets, unknown passageways and history. When Andrew was almost pushed over a cliff he hires a body guard. Dixie was nothing he expected a tough female bodyguard with a soft spot for his daughter.

I really enjoyed this book, it was filled with family secret and passageways they'll keep any readers hooked. I loved getting to know more about Andrews family history and curious where each corridor they went into lead. I thought that aspect of Andrews daughter imaginary friend was interesting. I kept wondering if it really is an imaginary friend, or maybe some intruder, I was just really curious what was going on with that part. I loved that connection / heat between Andrew and Dixie and couldn't help but smile that they just couldn't catch a break sometimes.Theres enough mystery and suspense to keep the readers hooked and I just couldn't put this book down. Highly Recommend!

Review : The Twelve Dogs of Christmas

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The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by David Rosenfelt

(Andy Carpenter #15)

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Contemporary

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Purchase Link: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Pages: 336

Published October 18th 2016 by Minotaur Books

Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter usually tries to avoid taking on new cases at all costs. But this time, he’s happy—eager, even—to take the case that’s just come his way. Andy’s long-time friend Martha “Pups” Boyer takes in stray puppies that the local dog rescue center can’t handle, raises them until they’re old enough to adopt, and then finds good homes for them. Not everyone admires the work Pups does as much as Andy does, however. With Christmas just around the corner, one of Pups’s neighbors has just reported Pups to the city for having more than the legal number of pets in her home under the local zoning laws.

Andy happily takes Pups’s case, and he feels confident in a positive outcome. Who could punish someone for rescuing puppies, after all, especially at Christmastime? But things get a lot more complicated when Randy Hennessey, the neighbor who registered the complaint against Pups, turns up dead. Pups had loudly and publicly threatened Hennessey after he filed his complaint, and Pups was also the one to find his body. All the evidence seems to point to Pups as the killer, and suddenly Andy has a murder case on his hands. He doesn’t believe Pups could be guilty, but as he starts digging deeper into the truth behind Hennessey’s murder, Andy may find himself facing a killer more dangerous than he ever imagined.

With his trademark wit, larger-than-life characters, and clever plotting, David Rosenfelt delivers another gripping mystery.

Andy is a lawyer is willing to help a friend in need Pups who is known for taking in shelter dogs. The complaint has been made against her for taking more animals and she is allowed and said things she shouldn't have. Soon enough a person she had threatened who also happens to be the person who complaint about her end up dead and she seems to be fleeing the scene things aren't looking too well. With a deadline and the holidays coming up, Andy will work as hard and fast as he can to help Pup clear her name. As well as finding out maybe who's the culprit is. 

Overall this is a really fantastic mystery book. It was full of twists and turns, enough for the readers to make their own assumptions and guess along with the characters on who it could be. There was enough information  to make so many people I suspect and I was supposed to only surprised to find out that the person I thought it was wasn't. I am not sure why but at first I thought this was a mystery Romance.I'm so used to reading books that have romance and mystery in it that I didn't even question it when I came to this book. This book was fantastic without it I was hooked from the very start and I enjoyed reading this. I enjoyed the characters and getting to know each and every person that came along. I want another cool thing that I was happy about I want to point out is that I live right next to where the locations of this story is. I think this is maybe the second book ever came across that was located near where I am normally it's in New York or some big city or some place in the middle of lala land. 

What I recommend this book? Yes I would if you're looking for a mystery that's really interesting that's great for the holidays then yes you should check this book out.

Tour / Review : Wicked Bond

Wicked Bond by Sawyer Bennett

(The Wicked Horse Series Book #5) Release Date: September 13, 2016

Goodreads Link: Click

Bridger Payne is an enigma that no one can figure out. Wise beyond his years, eerily intuitive and sexy as hell, every woman in The Silo wants him. None can have him. Not the real man, anyway. He might wield the lash for you if you ask prettily, but he’ll get no gratification from it. He’ll definitely make you scream, but he won’t think twice about you when he walks away. Bridger carries the darkest of secrets. He’s filled with too much pain. He’s utterly untouchable. Until she came along.

** Warning: this book has sex in it. Lots of sex. Dirty sex. The Wicked Horse Series is a bit different than what Sawyer Bennett normally writes. While you’ll still enjoy fabulous characters, a suspenseful story, some witty banter and an epic romance, there’s just… a lot of sex. You’ve been warned.**

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Woah, the heat level of this book is pretty out there. Don't take the disclaimer lightly trust me. I really loved this book not only was it spicy it was a overall great book. It's apart of a series but can be read as a stand alone for those of you who are just reading this. I only read about 2 of the book from this series and I don't feel like I missed anything. I mean there are hints and stuff thrown around in the book that would've been appreciated better if I had read all the previous books but this book was great the way it was. In fact I really want to read the others ones that I missed because I really believe it'll be worth it.

I really loved the characters and getting a bit of background. I loved that there was the dual point of view. I loved getting to see how everyone interacted and loved reading about Bridger he was a interesting characters. There was plenty of drama going on and suspense of wondering when Zeke would strike. I loved seeing how protective he was and how sweet he was to Maggie's daughter. I loved seeing that bit of family bit, it wasn't like Maggie fell for Bridger in the time that she was around him and he ended up being her world. There was plenty of books that I come across with a single mother and once the love interest is involved the children fade in the background, almost like they dropped off the face of the earth. I loved that Belle didn't fade and seeing how Bridger was with her. I thought that this book was well written and I had a hard time putting this book down. Overall this was a pretty great book I really enjoyed it.

 

Since the release of her debut contemporary romance novel, Off Sides, in January 2013, Sawyer Bennett has released more than 30 books and has been featured on both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists on multiple occasions. A reformed trial lawyer from North Carolina, Sawyer uses real life experience to create relatable, sexy stories that appeal to a wide array of readers. From new adult to erotic contemporary romance, Sawyer writes something for just about everyone. Sawyer likes her Bloody Mary’s strong, her martinis dirty, and her heroes a combination of the two. When not bringing fictional romance to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to a very active toddler, as well as full-time servant to two adorably naughty dogs. She believes in the good of others, and that a bad day can be cured with a great work-out, cake, or a combination of the two. 

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