Review – Dead Of Winter by Darcy Coates @darcyauthor @NetGalley

Posted on July 11, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy of Dead Of Winter.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Darcy Coates had me until the last head rolled and that was fantastic and very unusual. This dark and disturbing, graphically suspenseful novel had me so wrapped up I couldn’t stop reading until the last word was read.

I don’t even have the breath to scream. My face is to the sky, my back to the empty white void beneath me as I plunge, carrying a wave of snow in my wake.

And that is only the beginning of Christa’s nightmare. Nine people begin the tour and only one person will be left standing. I figure…it has to be her…doesn’t it? But, how will the others be taken out and who is the one doing it that is the question.

At first I rated Dead Of Winter by Darcy Coates a four, but as I wrote this review, seeing the novel had everything I could want in a suspense novel and an ending that deserves a star of it’s own, I had to raise my rating to a 5. I mean, I love a good storm, whether in the cold climes leading to a blizzard or the warm climes leading to a hurricane, an isolated location, a killer amongst them, bloody, gruesome and graphic deaths…I mean, what more could I possibly require for a mind numbing thrill ride into the depths of depravity and revenge?

We have those ‘don’t go out there’ moments…and I love it.

The writing and pacing keeps the suspense at a high level, the story flowing seamlessly. The list of suspects included all of the tour goers, Darcy Coates making me suspicious of them all, at one time or another. I couldn’t eliminate anyone, except Christa. Did I see who the villain was and the need for revenge? Sure, there was a hint or two here and there of the reason, but it did not lead me to the villain…until Darcy Coates exposed him. I bow to her for a job WELL DONE.

OH, I forgot to mention the gorgeous cover and the intriguing title that screams, “Read me!”.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 5 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she’s hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they’ll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing…only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport…and they’re far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

Genre: Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 11, 2023 by Poisoned Pen Press

ABOUT DARCY COATES

Darcy Coates is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen horror and suspense novels.

She lives in the Central Coast of Australia with her family, cat, and a collection of chickens. Her home is surrounded by rolling wilderness on all sides, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

You can hear about her next book by joining her newsletter: www.darcycoates.com/updates

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Review – Fear The Silence by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza #FearTheSilence #NetGalley

Posted on July 6, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for the opportunity to review another Robert Bryndza novel, Fear The Silence.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Fear The Silence by Robert Bryndza is one of those books where I bounced between a three and a four rating. I can’t state a specific reason for it. Was it the book or was it me?

I have read two other books by Robert Bryndza and enjoyed them, so whenever I see the opportunity to read another, I am all over it. Soooo, let’s begin.

Maggie’s husband, Will, committed suicide…or did he?

He blew me a kiss and made Luna wave her paw. He looked so content. Deliriously content is how I’ll always remember that last view of him.

And the mystery begins. She travels to their island home in Croatia. Oh yeah, I think an isolated island is where she should be…alone. She discovers why he changed careers six years ago. The past never stays buried and now it has put her life in extreme danger.

I can’t imagine the terror…huddled, cowering, in the dark as someone rifles through your home…hoping, praying, not to be seen. It was…maybe…my favorite part of the book. I felt I was there with her, just waiting to be discovered. What do you think happens?

We have a hellacious storm rolling through, so it is impossible for her to leave the island. So many times, when a read a book, I try to think of what I would do. Would it be the same as the character? It’s one of those things where you have to be there to know. I think we all wish we would do something better than what gets the characters in such deep trouble.

They live in a smart home and I love when I learn something. Had me doing some surfing to see if it was true. A book that can make me do that, adds a little something extra…for me.

I kept trying to think of who it could possibly be that would want her husband dead. There weren’t that many suspects and until I found the reason, I couldn’t decide. Once the person was in my sights, it all began to come together and it read a bit like a spy novel.

As I said earlier, I went between a three and four rating. Whenever that happens, I take it up a notch. As I thought about it while writing the review and going through the highlights on my ereader, I still can’t think of what was wrong, me or the book. I guess you will have to read it for yourself. Robert Bryndza’s writing is easy to read and flows smoothly, so give him a try.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Fear O Silence by Robert Bryndza.

GOODREADS BLURB

‘Do you believe Will took his own life?’

The question echoed off the white tiles in the hospital’s cold, cavernous morgue, and I studied my husband in peaceful repose. I leaned down and put my forehead against his. Silent tears ran down my cheeks. They felt hot, and he felt so cold. It was five days since his death, and my grief felt heavy, like a vast, dark mass pushing down on me.

When Maggie’s husband, Will, is shot dead in their London home, she thinks he is the victim of a burglary until the police tell her the shocking news that Will was the one who pulled the trigger.

Maggie is consumed with grief and questions. Will wasn’t suicidal. He had so much to live for.

After the funeral, Maggie travels to their holiday home on a small Croatian island to escape London. She finds a disturbing letter written by Will, containing clues to a dark secret.

As Maggie puts the pieces together, she discovers Will’s death is connected to someone from his past… Someone who will go to extreme lengths to keep Maggie silent.

Three can keep a secret… If two of them are dead.

The international multi-million bestselling author of The Girl in the Ice is back with his first stand-alone thriller, a heart-racing, hold-your-breath read that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

List: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 6, 2023 by Raven Publishing

ABOUT ROBERT BRYNDZA

Robert Bryndza is an international bestselling author, best known for his page-turning crime and thriller novels, which have sold over five million copies.

His crime debut, The Girl in the Ice was released in February 2016, introducing Detective Chief Inspector Erika Foster. Within five months it sold one million copies, reaching number one in the Amazon UK, USA and Australian charts. To date, The Girl in the Ice has sold over 1.5 million copies in the English language and has been sold into translation in 29 countries. It was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Mystery & Thriller (2016), the Grand prix des lectrices de Elle in France (2018), and it won two reader voted awards, The Thrillzone Awards best debut thriller in The Netherlands (2018) and The Dead Good Papercut Award for best page turner at the Harrogate Crime Festival (2016).

Robert has released a further five novels in the Erika Foster series, The Night Stalker, Dark Water, Last Breath, Cold Blood and Deadly Secrets, all of which have been global bestsellers, and in 2017 Last Breath was a Goodreads Choice Award nominee for Mystery and Thriller. Fatal Witness, the seventh Erika Foster novel, is now available to pre-order and will be published 7th July 2022.

Most recently, Robert created a new crime thriller series based around the central character Kate Marshall, a police officer turned private detective. The first book, Nine Elms, was an Amazon USA #1 bestseller and an Amazon UK top five bestseller, and the series has been sold into translation in 18 countries. The second book in the series is the global bestselling, Shadow Sands and the third book, Darkness Falls, has just been published.

Robert was born in Lowestoft, on the east coast of England. He studied at Aberystwyth University, and the Guildford School of Acting, and was an actor for several years, but didn’t find success until he took a play he’d written to the Edinburgh Festival. This led to the decision to change career and start writing. He self-published a bestselling series of romantic comedy novels, before switching to writing crime. Robert lives with his husband in Slovakia, and is lucky enough to write full-time.

You can find out more about Robert and his books at www.robertbryndza.com

MY REVIEWS FOR ROBERT BRYNDZA

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Early Review – Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez #BeforeSheFindsMe #NetGalley @iamHRChavez

Posted on June 26, 2023 by fundinmental

Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez is up for preorder, due to be released tomorrow.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez is one of those books that it is not the cover that grabs me, though I do love female main characters, but this time it was the title. I know we will be having some hide and seek, predator and prey action. Everyone has a secret and some of them will pay the ultimate price…and I love it!

Julia is a mom and ex wife carrying heavy baggage from her tragic past, the secret haunting her. It has made her hypervigilant, noticing even the slightest thing that is amiss, her spidey senses on constant alert. Her and her daughter, Cora, have a ‘pun’ habit which I thought was a nice touch. 🙂 I love the twist that made them all targets, so, remember, make sure you hit what you are aiming for or it could come back and bite you…..

Ren and Nolan are assassins, married, and work together. Nolan gathers the information and Ren draws up the plans and maps. She is meticulous and, well, he’s getting sloppy, greedy, and I thought he could be their downfall. After all, it couldn’t be the woman. Nothing could possible go wrong…could it?

I love how the characters grew, developed more depth. The mystery of the shooting at the college goes way beyond anything I could have foreseen. I was curious from the beginning, but once the surprises started stacking up, the pace picked up and I didn’t want to stop until….

The ending was terrific and I kinda figured it out…who would be left standing, but how they would get there was a total surprise…and, oh so, fitting. There was a surprise victim or two, but, hey, fictional characters are disposable. HA HA HA HA HA I have found a new author to keep my eye on and I recommend any lover of suspense would enjoy this too.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez.

GOODREADS BLURB

In this shocking thriller, two unlikely mothers race to uncover the truth behind a horrific attack—even after it becomes clear that the truth will destroy one of their families.

Julia Bennett has worked hard to create a stable life for her daughter, Cora, in Southern California. So when Cora leaves for college, the worst thing Julia expects on move-in day is an argument with her ex-husband and his new wife. But a sudden attack leaves the campus stunned—and only Julia’s quick actions save Cora’s life. Shaken in the aftermath, and haunted by a dark secret, Julia starts to wonder: What if the attack wasn’t as random as everyone believes?

Newly pregnant Ren Petrovic has an unusual career—she’s a trained assassin, operating under a strict moral code. Ren wasn’t on campus that day, but she knows who was: her husband, Nolan. What she doesn’t know is why Nolan has broken their rules by not telling her about the job in advance. The more Ren looks into the attack, the more she begins to question: Who really hired Nolan? And why did one woman in the crowd respond so differently from all the rest?

Julia and Ren each want answers, but their searches quickly pit them against each other. One woman is a hired killer, but the other is a determined survivor. And both mothers will defend their families to the bitter end.

Adult, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
356 pages, Kindle
Expected publication June 27, 2023 by Mulholland Books

ABOUT HEATHER CHAVEZ

Heather is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley’s English literature program and has worked as a newspaper reporter, editor, contributor to mystery and television blogs, and in communications for a major health care organization. She lives with her family and two cat overlords in Santa Rosa, California, where she is at work on her next novel.

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Review – Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce #netgalley #reefroad

Posted on January 10, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Post Hill Press for the opportunity to read and review Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I saw the tropical cover, investigated further and saw it takes place in Florida, and it was based on a true crime, what more could I ask for?

The book starts out slow and I am wondering how the two storylines will come together.

Author Deborah Goodrich Royce mother’s best friend was murdered. In Reef Road, we have a writer whose mother’s best friend was murdered and she never recovered from it. Her life was wrapped around her mother’s inability to move on. We, also, have a woman whose husband and two children disappear. These two points of view come together takes place during the pandemic lockdown. How convenient.

Two boys, on a beach where they aren’t supposed to be, don’t even notice the woman sitting alone, when they find a hand.

“What the fuck are we supposed to do with this?”

Isn’t that what you would expect coming out of their mouth? And, the mystery begins.

Not only do we have the pandemic, murder, a missing husband and kids, we also have 9.11. There is so much going on and the flip flopping back and forth, made it seem like I was reading two books at once, was confusing for me. It does come together in a weird way in the second half of the book and that is what saves it for me. By then, I was devouring the pages. I had to know how Deborah Goodrich Royce would wrap up Reef Road.

I enjoyed the story and would read more of Deborah Goodrich Royce’s work.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Reef Road by Deborah Goodrich Royce.

GOODREADS BLURB

When a severed hand washes ashore in the wealthy enclave of Palm Beach, Florida, the lives of two women—a lonely writer obsessed with the unsolved murder of her mother’s best friend and a panicked wife whose husband has disappeared with their children—collide as the world shutters in the pandemic lockdown of 2020.

“Reef Road is magnificent. It feels utterly real, a novel of deeply personal context. It swerves between truth and lies—the lies that lead to an even deeper—and more devastating—truth. Though pure fiction, it reads as compellingly as a mixture of memoir and exposé. It has left me shaken to the core. Deborah Goodrich Royce writes with brilliant understanding of the mystery and occasional grace of trauma.” —Luanne Rice, New York Times bestselling author

A young woman’s life seems perfect until her family goes missing. A writer lives alone with her dog and collects arcane murder statistics. What each of them stands to lose as they sneak around the do-not-enter tape blocking Reef Road beach is exposed by the steady tightening of the cincture encircling them.

In a nod to the true crime that inspired it, Deborah Goodrich Royce’s Reef Road probes unhealed generational scars in a wrenching and original work of fiction. It is both stunning and sexy and, like a bystander surprised by a curtain left open, you won’t be able to look away.

ABOUT DEBORAH GOODRICH ROYCE (from Amazon)

Deborah Goodrich Royce’s thrillers examine puzzles of identity. Ruby Falls won the Zibby Award for Best Plot Twist in 2021 and Finding Mrs. Ford was hailed by Forbes, BookRiot, and Good Morning America’s “best of” lists in 2019. Her newest, Reef Road, will be published on January 10, 2023.

She began as an actress on All My Children and in multiple films before transitioning to the role of story editor at Miramax Films, developing Emma and early versions of Chicago and A Wrinkle in Time.

With her husband, Chuck, Deborah restored the Avon Theatre, Ocean House Hotel, Deer Mountain Inn, United Theatre, Savoy Bookstore, and numerous Main Street revitalization projects in Rhode Island and the Catskills.

She serves on the governing and advisory boards of the American Film Institute, Greenwich International Film Festival, New York Botanical Garden, Greenwich Historical Society, the Preservation Society of Newport, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, and the PRASAD Project.

Deborah holds a bachelor’s degree in modern foreign languages and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Lake Erie College.

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Review – Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza @RobertBryndza #DevilsWay #NetGalley

Posted on January 6, 2023 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Raven Street Publishing for the opportunity to read and review Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza.

You can Preorder or add to your Amazon Wish List HERE and enter the Goodreads giveaway HERE.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Robert Bryndza’s novels have great covers. I love covers that arouse my curiosity, and fit the story inside. So put on your walking shoes and let’s follow the mystery of the missing boy.

The story sounded familiar to me and I wondered if it was taken from the headlines or I saw something on one of my TV show thrillers. If so, Robert Bryndza managed to make the story his on. The mystery grows, taking on a life of its own, becoming muddled in murder. We have suspects, but none of them stand out to me. Of course, I blamed the family first and kept telling myself, don’t get tunnel vision, manipulating the facts to fit my hypothesis.

Devil’s Way is a police procedural that takes us step by step through the mystery with Kate and Tristan. I kept trying to come to my own conclusion, but I do that with every book. Don’t you?

I love water, and so does Kate Marshall. She lived in a house that sits on the top of a cliff looking out over Thurlow Bay, England. Water is her friend, except when she isn’t paying attention and gets caught in a riptide. That is when she meets Jean.

Kate Marshall is a private detective, and ex police officer, working with her friend and partner, Tristan Harper. They’d become close, since she took him on as a research assistant seven years ago. She also owns a caravan park, but that has stories of its own. She has a son, Jake, who is now a college student. His father is a convicted serial killer, and she lost custody of him because of her drinking problem. She has been in AA for thirteen years.

Mysteries and police procedurals are always hard for me to rate. I love thrills, blood and guts, edge of my seat suspense, but then, I also like to have to follow the step by step process of solving a crime. Devil’s Way by Robert Brundza has all the elements we need to follow the investigation to its conclusion, with a twist and turn thrown in for good measure.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Devil’s Way by Robert Bryndza.

GOODREADS BLURB

THE TRUTH HIDES IN THE DARK
Kate Marshall’s investigation into a young boy’s disappearance sends her down an unexpectedly twisted path in a riveting thriller by multi-million bestselling author, Robert Bryndza.

When Private Investigator Kate Marshall is rushed to hospital after being pulled into a riptide current in the sea, the near-death experience leaves her shaken. During her recovery, she befriends Jean, an elderly lady on the same ward. Jean tells the harrowing story of how her three-year-old grandson, Charlie, went missing eleven years ago during a camping trip on Dartmoor.

By the time Kate is well enough to go home, she’s agreed to take on the case, but when Kate and her trusty sidekick Tristan start to look at the events of that fateful night, they discover that Jean has a dark past that could have put Charlie in jeopardy.

Was Charlie abducted? Or did he fall into Devil’s Way? A rushing river that vanishes into a gorge close to where they were camping.

When Kate and Tristan discover that a social worker who flagged concerns about Jean and her daughter was found brutally murdered shortly after Charlie vanished, it makes them question everything they thought they knew about the family…

Filled with twists and turns, Devil’s Way is the fourth Kate Marshall novel and the most gripping and satisfying yet!

ABOUT ROBERT BRYNDZA

MY REVIEWS FOR ROBERT BRYNDZA

Fatal Witness

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New Release- City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita @IrisYamashita #CityUnderOneRoof #NetGalley

Posted on December 28, 2022 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read Iris Yamashita’s debut novel, City Under One Roof.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love finding new author’s and sharing their debut novels, like Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.

A blizzard in a small town in Alaska. Oh yeah, I am intrigued from the getgo. THEN, add 205 residents that all live in the same highrise. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?

A boot with a foot. A hand. Washed up on shore. I have seen TV shows about the body parts that wash ashore in the Northwest. Really creepy and using this topic to get Cara to the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, with her own reasons for wanting to investigate, begins the mystery and danger that is to follow.

I shiver as she drives through the tunnel. It is one way and switches directions every half hour. I felt a bit claustrophic with her. Two and a half miles. I get creeped out in the drive through car wash. LOL

The highrise used to be an army post, with tunnels because of the weather and to keep from being seen. Of course, kids are going to explore and even though I think I would be creeped out, I would have to explore too.

All towns have secrets, but small towns make it much harder to keep them. Everyone knows everyone. They live and breathe in the same space.

The descriptions of the highrise and the people are richly detailed. It made it easy for me to paint pictures in my mind. I love odd characters and City Under One Roof has its fair share. Are they on the run?

I could hear the wind howling, I could feel the icy cold.

Told, mainly, from three characters point of view: Cara, who is a detective from Anchorage, Alasksa, Amy, who is the teenager that found the body parts, and Lonnie, who came to live in the high rise after leaving a mental institution. She is one of the best characters, her and Denny. And Susie, always hanging out in the hallway.

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita has all the elements I look for in a thriller, a fabulous location and the storm is a bonus, great characters, danger, intrigue and mystery.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita.

GOODREADS BLURB

A stranded detective tries to solve a murder in a tiny Alaskan town where everyone lives in a single high-rise building, in this gripping debut by an Academy Award–nominated screenwriter.

When a local teenager discovers a severed hand and foot washed up on the shore of the small town of Point Mettier, Alaska, Cara Kennedy is on the case. A detective from Anchorage, she has her own motives for investigating the possible murder in this isolated place, which can be accessed only by a tunnel.

After a blizzard causes the tunnel to close indefinitely, Cara is stuck among the odd and suspicious residents of the town—all 205 of whom live in the same high-rise building and are as icy as the weather. Cara teams up with Point Mettier police officer Joe Barkowski, but before long the investigation is upended by fearsome gang members from a nearby native village.

Haunted by her past, Cara soon discovers that everyone in this town has something to hide. Will she be able to unravel their secrets before she unravels?”

ABOUT IRIS YAMASHITA

Iris is the Academy Award nominated writer for the movie LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, directed by Clint Eastwood. The film received a Golden Globe award for “Best Foreign Language Film” and was nominated for 4 Oscars®, including Best Original Screenplay. Her debut novel, CITY UNDER ONE ROOF, the first in a mystery series, will be released by Berkley Group in January, 2023.

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New Release Review – Only Child by Casey Kelleher #Onlychild #NetGalley @caseykelleher

Posted on October 7, 2022 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review Only Child by Casey Kelleher.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When I saw the cover, then read the blurb, I had to read Only Child by Casey Kelleher. The story twisted and turned, just like my mind. Great job, Casey.

I have been reading more books with diverse characters and I am so happy that I have found new authors to keep an eye on. Casey Kelleher is one of them.

Some may say that Sherrie is a helicopter mom, but she does what she always does, makes things all better for her daughter, Kayla.

The resilience of youth is alive and well in Kayle. Things don’t keep her down for long.

I knew the villain early on, but I didn’t know what made him the villain. I know the victim, now it’s a matter of getting the details.

Panic attacks. Blackouts. PTSD.

The mins is an amazing organ that does its best to protect us when our lives becomes so overwhelming we can no longer cope. I love psychological thrillers and delving into the minds of the characters. Why they do what they do. We have some great ones here.

Well…I though I knew what was coming, but I was so wrong. I love when an author can surprise me and there were plenty of surprises to keep me glued to the pages.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Only Child by Casey Kelleher.

GOODREADS BLURB

The police are here. The feeling of pure dread swirls in my stomach as a million scenarios start playing out in my head. My whole life I’ve expected something bad to happen to my daughter. It is as if part of me has been expecting it. As if I deserve it.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla is the apple of her parents’ eyes, their beautiful only daughter. They tried for so long to have her that she was even more precious when she arrived. But deep down, her mother Sherrie has always been terrified that their worst fear would come true: that Kayla would be taken from them.

Then one day – just as Sherrie had dreaded – Kayla fails to return home after a sleepover. In desperation, Sherrie and her husband Richard call Kayla’s friends. They scour the streets, their search becoming more and more frantic. Until the police arrive and deliver the shocking news, when their worst nightmare comes true: someone has their daughter.

As Sherrie and Richard grill friends, family, and even each other, Sherrie starts to wonder, has the secret they’ve been hiding all these years finally caught up with them?

Because Sherrie and Richard are living a lie. A lie so huge, so shocking, that it could destroy the one thing they hold most dear – their daughter.

And if the truth comes out, their family will never be the same. But if it doesn’t, they will never see their precious girl again…

ABOUT CASEY KELLEHER (from Amazon)

I was born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and i grew up as an avid reader.

Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up our three children together with my husband, I penned my debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that I could give up my day job and concentrate on writing full time. I have since written fourteen books. (all listed below)

I love connecting with my readers, and there are plenty of ways you can get in touch.

Website: www.caseykelleher.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialcaseykelleher
Instagram www.instagram.com/caseykelleher
Twitter: @caseykelleher

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Review – Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney #BuriedDeception #NetGalley.

Posted on September 21, 2022 by fundinmental

I have read a couple of Amanda McKinney novels, though I didn’t review them, and enjoyed them. When I saw Buried Deception on NetGalley, I quickly grabbed it. Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read and review Buried Deception.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“Why am I a therapist?”

“Because I’m broken.”

I have read a couple of Amanda McKinney’s books, but never reviewed them. This is the best I have read…so far.

Mia is a psychologist, who owns and runs The Dragonfly Clinic, specializing in Ptsd and criminal profiling.

Chief is the founder of the LYNX Group, a combat tracking facility and search and rescue team. He has been called out by Skull Country Sheriff McNamara to help find Courtney Hayes, who is lost in the swamp. Could the Black Cat Stalker have upped his game. Instead of raping and walking away, he now rapes and kills.

I laughed at the way Chief’s operatives scare trespassers off his land.

I did have issues with some of her characterizations of people in the beginning of the book. It doesn’t fit with anything I’ve seen on true crime and rescue shows on TV. BUT, it is fiction and artistic license does apply. Maybe there is a reason. I vacillated between a three and four rating, but because I could not put it down until I found out the ending, it earned that extra star.

Once the mystery got going, I was so into it, I could hardly stop to, well, you know. I love looking into the human psyche and reading about damaged characters dealing with extreme trauma, and villains who deserve every bad thing that comes their way.

Amanda dealt with delicate topics, like brutal trauma, PTSD, rape, grief, loss, and so much more.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Buried Deception by Amanda McKinney.

GOODREADS BLURB

In the pulse-racing first installment of the On the Edge series, a criminal psychologist teams up with a former marine on a deadly wildland mission. Not even their hearts can stay out of harm’s way.

In the swamps of East Texas, alligators aren’t the only danger lurking in the shadows.

After a young woman is brutally attacked on a popular hiking trail, the evidence points to the notorious Black Cat Stalker. The town of Skull Hollow enlists Dr. Mia Frost to provide a psychological profile and assist in the investigation.

When another person goes missing, Mia partners with Easton Crew, former marine and current CEO of a tactical tracking company. Both Mia and Easton are stubborn, strong-willed, and independent, but neither can deny the smoldering attraction between them.

As professional lines blur, Easton starts to question Mia’s motives and worries she’s getting too close to the investigation. The mystery begins to unravel, but so does Mia’s mental health as the clues dredge up her own haunted past.

It soon becomes evident that things aren’t as they seem … and people aren’t always who they say they are.

ABOUT AMANDA MCKINNEY

Amanda McKinney is the bestselling and multi-award-winning author of more than fifteen romantic suspense and mystery novels. Her latest book, Rattlesnake Road, was named one of POPSUGAR’s 12 Best Romance Books to Have a Spring Fling With, and was featured on the Today Show. The fifth book in her Steele Shadows series, Jagger (Steele Shadows Investigations), was recently nominated for the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Amanda wrote her debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY in 2017, after walking away from her career to become a writer and stay-at-home mom. Her books include the bestselling series, STEELE SHADOWS SECURITY, the multi-award-winning BERRY SPRINGS series, BLACK ROSE MYSTERIES, and many more to come.

Set in small, Southern towns, Amanda’s books are page-turning murder mysteries peppered with steamy romance She lives in Arkansas with her handsome husband, two beautiful boys, and three obnoxious dogs.

Text AMANDABOOKS to 66866 to receive Amanda’s newsletter and get the latest on new releases, promos, and freebies!

Visit her website at www.amandamckinneyauthor.com
Follow Amanda on Instagram at www.instagram.com/amandamckinneyauthor
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Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone #TwoNightsinLisbon #NetGalley

Posted on May 25, 2022 by fundinmental

I want to thank NetGalley and Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Macmillan Publishing for the opportunity to read this this fabulous novel, Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

WOW! Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone was a very pleasant surprise. I can’t say exactly why I grabbed the book. The cover is nothing special, though as I look closer there is more to see the more I look.

Ariel had remade herself after the end of her marriage. Now, she has found the last piece of the puzzle for her happy ever after…until…He’s gone.

She’s alone in Lisbon, Portugal with nothing but questions. Where is he? Apparently she doesn’t know him as well a she thought. Could something from his past come back to haunt him? Is he in trouble?

Ariel loves mystery novels, and it’s a good thing. She will need the knowledge she gained from reading them to plan her own investigation. She had been an actress and trained herself to be observant, aware of her surroundings.

Near the end, a flash, and my questions are answered about him….But, not really.

Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone may seem a bit slow, methodical, but it could also be a blueprint on how to take revenge and get justice.

So many twists and turns, and, best of all, book surprises. I love book surprises that keep me flipping pages and an author’s ability to shock and awe me, again and again.

The pacing was spot on, making me want to peek ahead, but I resisted the urge. Can you? The more I think about the book, the better it gets. Excellent job, Chris.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Two Nights In Lisbon by Chris Pavone.

GOODREADS BLURB

You think you know a person . . .

Ariel Price wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone—no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.

She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new—much younger—husband?

The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

Tautly wound and expertly crafted, Two Nights in Lisbon is a riveting thriller about a woman under pressure, and how far she will go when everything is on the line. With sparkling prose and razor-sharp insights, bestselling author Chris Pavone delivers a stunning and sophisticated international thriller that will linger long after the surprising final page.

ABOUT CHRIS PAVONE

CHRIS PAVONE is author of four international thrillers: THE EXPATS (2012), THE ACCIDENT (2014), THE TRAVELERS (2016), and THE PARIS DIVERSION (2019). His novels have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and IndieNext; have won both the Edgar and Anthony awards, and have been shortlisted for the Strand, Macavity, and Los Angeles Times Book Prize; are in development for film and television; and have been translated into two dozen languages.

He has written for outlets including the New York Times Book Review and Magazine, the Telegraph, and Salon; has appeared on Face the Nation, Good Day New York, All Things Considered, and the BBC; and has been profiled on the arts’ front page of the New York Times.

Chris grew up in Brooklyn, graduated from Midwood High School and Cornell University, and worked in publishing for nearly two decades at Dell Magazines, Doubleday, the Lyons Press, Regan/HarperCollins, Clarkson Potter, and Artisan/Workman, in positions ranging from copy editor and managing editor to executive editor and deputy publisher; he also wrote a (mostly blank) book about wine, and ghost-wrote a couple of nonfiction books. Then his wife got a job in Luxembourg, and the family moved abroad, where Chris raised their twin boys and started writing THE EXPATS. They now live again in New York City and on the North Fork of Long Island with an Australian Labradoodle named Wally.

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A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones @Darynda

Posted on April 1, 2020 by fundinmental

I have seen Darynda Jones name bandied about for a long time now, so I am glad to finally pick up one of her books and have an introduction into her world with A Bad Day for Sunshine. I couldn’t resist this fabulous cover. I want to thank Darynda Jones and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review my first Darynda Jones novel.

It will be released on April 7, 2020 and is available for preorder HERE.

A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram, #1)

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been wanting to read a Darynda Jones novel for some time now, so when I saw the chance to grab this advanced review copy from NetGalley, I jumped all over it.

Sunshine Vicram is back in town after some shenanigans pulled by her parents, getting her elected as the sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico, and supplying her with an adorable home for her and her daughter, Aurora.

Right off I liked Sunshine and Auri’s relationship, their verbal banter leads to some very humorous dialogue, and I could see there are some underlying problems.

Sunshine has a past that demands answers and she is going to find them
Auri has seemed a bit off since the New Year’s party she went to when they arrived.

Del Sol is a small town with all kinds of crazy going on. We have some unique, quirky, entertaining characters and lots of secrets surround them. There is a sense of mystery underlying every event that transpires and no one gives answers easily.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but began to wonder what all the hoopla was about Darynda Jones’ work. The fun writing and character’s personalities had me liking them and the undercurrent in town made me think there was danger coming, but where is that feeling that I can’t stop reading until I have all the answers? At 30%, I became more involved, but the verdict is still out.

At 62%, Darynda Jones got my attention with a twist and I even teared up thinking about Auri…and the rest of the pack. After this it moved quickly. I know how this will end, but the last third of the book is what made it all worthwhile, keeping me glued to the pages.

Well…I love it and, even though this story is told, I am sure there is more to come for these fabulous characters and I hope to be there with them.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones.

GOODREADS BLURB

New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones is back with the brand-new snarky, sassy, wickedly fun Sunshine Vicram series!

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

Del Sol, New Mexico is known for three things: its fry-an-egg-on-the-cement summers, its strong cups of coffee—and a nationwide manhunt? Del Sol native Sunshine Vicram has returned to town as the elected sheriff–an election her adorably meddlesome parents entered her in–and she expects her biggest crime wave to involve an elderly flasher named Doug. But a teenage girl is missing, a kidnapper is on the loose, and all of it’s reminding Sunny why she left Del Sol in the first place. Add to that trouble at her daughter’s new school and a kidnapped prized rooster named Puff Daddy, and Sunshine has her hands full.

Enter sexy almost-old-flame Levi Ravinder and a hunky US Marshall, both elevens on a scale of one to blazing inferno, and the normally savvy sheriff is quickly in over her head. Now it’s up to Sunshine to juggle a few good hunky men, a not-so-nice kidnapping miscreant, and Doug the ever-pesky flasher. And they said coming home would be drama-free.

ABOUT DARYNDA JONES

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin’s Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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