Tag Archives: 2026 netgalley group challenge

Review – A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper #jordanharper #aviolentmasterpiece #netgalley

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper has a cover to die for. I love it, but not so with the characters ‘between the pages’. At first, it seems none of them have any redeeming characteristics, but no one is all bad. It just takes the right situation for the good to surface.

There’s a live streaming nightcrawler, that can’t stoop low enough for his subscribers. Which is worse? The one chasing down the story, or the one that can’t wait to read about someone else’s downfall.

How about a street lawyer that helps those least fortunate. Can he keep his life ‘clean’?

How about a woman who works for an underground concierge company? Nothing is out of bounds.

Does this shine a spotlight on what our society is becoming? Too many of the situations have a ring of truth to them. I do love walking on the dark side, as long as it is only a story, and this is about as dark as it can get. Filled with nonstop action, leaving me feeling like I need to take a shower.

My thanks go out to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the opportunity to read A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

This epic crime novel tells a story of Los Angeles power brokers and those at the edge—and a single shattering incident that threatens to bring it all crashing down.

Los Angeles, right now. America with its back up against the wall. This Frankenstein’s monster of crimes and lurid dreams sewn together into something like a city.

A city ready to explode: A Hollywood pedophile is arrested, and is ready to tear down the city to get his freedom. A young woman goes missing — and men in black rubber gloves who look like cops clean out her apartment in the middle of the night. And the serial killer known as the LA Ripper is on the loose, leaving tragic/graphic/brutal crime scenes in his wake. Three people trying to keep their heads above the dirty water will find themselves coming together to unite these strands into one enormous, unspeakable crime …

JAKE DEAL is a gonzo live-streaming nightcrawler, beaming the city’s chaos straight to his audience of blood-hungry subscribers, giving them the view from the top of the mushroom cloud — until a job he can’t refuse drags him back into his old life of Hollywood glamour, drugs, sex and sleaze. Armed with cameras and hidden mics, he’ll infiltrate private clubs, gather high-class dirt — and stumble onto a conspiracy woven into the center of LA’s most powerful men, who call themselves “The Kids in the Candy Store.”

DOUG GIBSON is a street lawyer, who fights for his clients against the army of cops, prosecutors and judges – he is the knife they bring to the gunfight. But when he’s hired by a Hollywood pedophile ready to sell out his friends for a chance for freedom, he’ll take on a fight bigger than he could have imagined. And when his client “commits suicide” in prison, Gibson will have to stop being a weapon – and become a warrior.

KARA DELGADO works for an underground private concierge company – a make-a-wish foundation for the terminally rich. She scores drugs, makes connections, and plans multi-million dollar sex parties. She has learned the secret truth of this world: there are no rules, only prices. Her best friend Phoebe has gone missing, and Kara’s the only person who knows that Phoebe’s place was wiped clean of evidence by men in black rubber gloves. But when she begins to unravel the mystery of what happened to Phoebe, and its connection to the killer known as the LA Ripper, it will drag her into the dark heart of the city.

As Jake, Doug and Kara all investigate these crimes, they’ll encounter ketamine-addled sitcom stars, bloody riots, homeless gangsters, a killer cop on death row, secret vaults in Beverly Hills, tech-bro orgies, medical cannibals, true crime junkies, private security wet-work teams, reality shows, street takeovers, car chases, coyotes, a sadistic Tarzan, and a three day, fifty million dollar wedding, before everything is revealed and they must each make their choice about how to fight back in this violent world before the bloody, blazing conclusion.

  • Genre: Adult, Crime Noir, Fiction, Mystery, Serial Killer, Suspense, Thriller
  • 381 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published April 28, 2026 by Mulholland Books

ABOUT JORDAN HARPER

Jordan Harper is the Edgar-Award winning author of SHE RIDES SHOTGUN, THE LAST KING OF CALIFORNIA, EVERYBODY KNOWS and the short story collection LOVE AND OTHER WOUNDS. He lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a writer and producer for television.

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Review – Nowhere To Hide by Carolyn Arnold @carolynarnold #netgalley #nowheretohide

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Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Nowhere To Hide by Carolyn Arnold is described as an unputdownable and pulse pounding thriller…and I totally agree. Carolyn Arnold has the ability to bring her characters to life, sharing their personal and professional lives, making them become real on the pages.

I am loving Sandra Vos, Carolyn Arnold’s latest character to shine in her own series. She is fallible, yet always tries to do the right thing. She sacrifices her personal time to a crisis that could cost a man his life. He wants answers, and she wants to supply them.

I love when the peripheral characters stand out as well as the main characters. I wonder…will they appear in a later story? Could they possible have their own story? You can never be sure where the trail would lead, and I am open to traveling down the road with them.

Looking for a must read author? Carolyn Arnold has multiple series that are sure to entertain you for hours…and, if you are anything like me…trying to solve the mystery before she puts it out there for all to see.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the opportunity to share Nowhere To Hide by Carolyn Arnold.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

He paced while keeping his eye on his hostages. They watched him back with their gazes fixed on each step he took. Locking eyes with the father in a home so luxurious, so unlike his own, he knew this was his only chance for justice after all these years. He’d stop at nothing to get it.

When a lone gunman takes an entire family hostage in a wealthy suburb, there is only one FBI negotiator he’ll engage with. Special Agent Sandra Vos hit the headlines for bringing a crisis incident at Founders Hospital to a close, but there’s no time to rest with a family’s life in her hands.

Arriving on the scene, Sandra discovers that Edward Hanson and his family are the hostages. Edward is the son of the late Timothy Hanson who left his entire fortune to his son. While it seems this may be all about money, the hostage taker makes a demand that is far more personal. Reopen an investigation into a fatal car accident from thirty-three years ago or he shoots the entire family. But how does this connect to the Hansons?

Sandra calls in her boyfriend, Detective Eric Birch, at the Metropolitan Police Department, and asks him to dig into the case. Eric works to untangle a web of lies which leads him straight to the heart of the police force. But can any of this help Sandra talk the hostage taker down and save the family? And how much will Eric need to sacrifice in the pursuit of the truth?

A completely addictive mystery thriller perfect for fans of Kendra Elliot’s Mercy Kilpatrick series, Mary Stone and Elle Gray.

  • Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 322 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication May 20, 2026 by Bookouture
  • Series: Sandra Vos, #3

ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from police procedurals, hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

MY REVIEWS FOR CAROLYN ARNOLD

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Review – Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacy Lee @staceyleeauthor #heiressofnowhere #netgalley

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

It’s 1918. We’re on Orcas Island in Washington state with Lucy Nowhere. We have a seal head here, a seal head there, and a human head that adds to the mystery. There are so many suspects, I need a murder board to flush out the killer. I love when an author throws red herrings into the mystery. It makes my mind work overtime trying to find the killer myself, before the author does the reveal.

I love the connection Lucy had with the orcas. Many townfolk thought they were to blame for the seal heads and murders.

When Lucy’s benefactor dies, she finds she has inherited the island. Is she in danger? She has two romantic interests that are keeping their eye on her.

All things considered, I did enjoy my time on Orcas Island and feel you might too.

My thanks go out to NetGalley for the opportunity to read Heiress To Nowhere.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An orphan races to uncover a killer—who may have come from the sea—when she and her beloved orcas fall under suspicion in this “atmospheric…beguiling” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) historical gothic mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl, Stacey Lee.

1918. Orcas Island, Washington.

Lucy Nowhere has spent her eighteen years working on the vast estate of the eccentric shipbuilder who took her in after she washed ashore in a green canoe as a baby. But she has long wished for a life off the island, and in a matter of days, she is set to leave for college—and, for the first time, choose her own future.

Then she finds her employer’s severed head on the beach. Rumors swirl that a mischievous spirit and its minions, the sea wolves, have struck again. Lucy doesn’t believe in myths. She knows that a human—a human murderer—killed him. And when she is unexpectedly named heiress to the estate, she understands the next target is her.

Her closest friend, the estate’s vigilant young guard, begs her to escape while she can. But Lucy knows the only way she can discover who she is, and free the island of its curse, is to find the real killer—before she becomes the next victim.

  • Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Mystery
  • 400 pages, Kindle Edition
  • Expected publication March 17, 2026 by Sarah Barley Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

ABOUT STACY LEE

Stacey Lee is the New York Times and Indie bestselling author of historical and contemporary young adult fiction, including THE DOWNSTAIRS GIRL, Reese’s Book Club Late Summer 2021 YA pick, and her most recent, LUCK OF THE TITANIC which received five starred reviews. A native of southern California and fourth-generation Chinese American, she is a founder of the We Need Diverse Books movement and writes stories for all kids (even the ones who look like adults). Find her
@staceyleeauthor on Instagram and Twitter, and @staceylee.author on Facebook.

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Review – Songbird Of The Sorrows by Braidee Otto #netgalley #songbirdofthesorrow #braideeotto

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MY REVIEW

I was born dead.

The first sentence of the book wrapped it’s hooks around me and it didn’t take long for me to be hanging on every word.

I love books where the characters are forced to face life altering decisions, so Songbird Of The Sorrows by Braidee Otto was a wonderful choice. This romantic fantasy will challenge Princess Aella. She is torn from the palace, the only world she has ever known, and sent to the Aviary to be trained as an assassin. She is not only a princess in hiding, only a few people knowing who she really is, but she is to be trained to be a scout, a spy, an assassin, a thief, a songbird.

The rules: Don’t ask questions. Obey your orders. Respect your masters. Most of all, love no one.

“…I know the rules.” I’m just not very good at following them…

Nyssa cracks me up. She’s Aella’s friend and knows her true identity. She will stick by her side, no matter what the outcome will cost her.

Forbidden love. Does that peak your interest? It did mine. I love to see how the characters figure out what is most important in their life and then find a course of action that will allow them to get it. I love to watch characters grow and develop as fully fledged characters.

Aella is tasked with competing in the bridal trials held by the Prince of Eritrea…as herself.

I love when an author creates a world I want to get lost in. Where the characters have me holding my breath in anticipation, waiting to find out what happens next. The adventure is filled with danger and betrayal. Will there be war?

OMG…talk about a cliffhanger. I can hardly wait for the next book, Myths of the Empyrieos.

I am so glad I saw this on NetGalley and grabbed a copy for myself.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

An outcast princess turned spy embarks on a mission to infiltrate a rival kingdom, but the secrets she uncovers force her to decide whether to follow orders or defy them.

Ask no questions. Obey your orders. Respect your masters. But most of all, love no one.

Spy. Thief. Princess. Songbird.

Princess Aella was ousted from the Palace of Sorrows as a child, shattering her world and forcing her to abandon the truth of her royal lineage. Instead, she was raised in The Aviary, which disguises itself as a school for orphaned children but is actually a secret order designed to train its students as spies for an intelligence network embedded throughout the Empyrieos.

Now twenty-three years old and having completed her final tests, Aella is summoned to join Alpha Flight, the Aviary’s elite team of assassins that’s led by none other than her former flame, Raven. Everything about him calls to her—he’s brave, loyal, and lethal. But is Raven worth breaking the rules and risking everything she’s worked so hard to achieve?

Before she can decide, the Alpha Flight team is sent on a dangerous mission that tests Aella’s resolve in every way. Her role is crucial and she must assume her former title of Princess of the Sorrows, the identity she once had to forsake, to compete in the bridal trials held by the Prince of Eretria. As old sparks reignite and the harsh realities of the realm reveal themselves, the mission begins to unravel, and Aella must decide if she is brave enough to disobey her superiors in order to do what she believes is right.

Songbird of the Sorrows is the first book in Myths of the Empyrieos, an epic romantic fantasy series that follows a feisty heroine through trials, a perilous heist, court intrigue, kingdom politics, and a journey of self-discovery, true love, and redemption.

  • Genre: Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Greek Mythology, Romance,
  • 387 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published June 18, 2024 by The Dial Press
  • Series: Myths Of The Empyrieos #1

ABOUT BRAIDEE OTTO

A self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, Braidee Otto combines her academic background in Literary Studies with a deep passion for storytelling to create heartfelt, immersive narratives. Songbird of the Sorrows is the first installment in her debut adult romantic fantasy series, Myths of the Empyrieos. She lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her partner, two beloved dogs, and a cat that appeared in her backyard on the winter solstice.

Website

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Review – Impostor by L J Ross @LJRoss_author #netgalley #impostor

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There's a killer inside all of us.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Well, the whole elite criminal profiling unit shut down because of scandal caught my eye, so I grabbed a copy from NetGalley. I have never read any of L J R Ross’s work, so I didn’t know what to expect, but I am always open to reading new author’s work, especially when they write about murder and mayhem.

Small town mysteries are fun to read. Everyone knows everyone else, so you may think it would be easy to figure out who the murderer is, but I think it would be harder. Just like your neighbor, your friend, or you significant other…you think you know everything about them, but…do you? Everyone has secrets.

L J Ross does a good job of hiding who the villain is. Could it be the police that Dr Alex Gregory is working with? Could it be one of the neighbors? And…Dr Alex Gregory has his own secrets. I love watching him work through his own haunted past.

The humor is dark.

I never saw the end coming. I love when an author can surprise me.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

There’s a killer inside all of us…

After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.

In the beautiful hills of County Mayo, Ireland, a killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?

Murder and mystery are peppered with dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Irish landscape.

  • Genre: Crime, Fiction, Murder, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
  • 311 pages, Kindle Edition
  • First published October 31, 2019
  • Series: Dr Alex Gregory #1

ABOUT L J ROSS

LJ Ross is an internationally bestselling author, whose books have sold over 7 million copies worldwide.

Her debut, Holy Island, was released in 2015 and became an instant, international bestseller. Since then, a further eighteen of her novels have gone on to take the coveted #1 spot, some even before general release and whilst only available to ‘pre-order’. The Bookseller magazine has reported on Louise having topped the ‘Most Read’ and ‘Most Sold’ fiction charts, and she has garnered an army of loyal fans who love her atmospheric and addictive storytelling.

Her eleventh novel, The Infirmary, is a prequel story to the DCI Ryan series and is available as a major Audible Originals audio-drama starring Tom Bateman, Kevin Whately, Bertie Carvel, Hermione Norris and Alun Armstrong.

The first novel in her Alexander Gregory Thrillers series, Impostor, was shortlisted in the British Book Awards 2020: Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. The audiobook of Impostor, narrated by Hugh Dancy, was also selected as a finalist in the New York Festivals Radio Awards, Best Fiction Audiobook of the Year Category.

In May 2021, Louise was shortlisted for the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association ‘Dagger in the Library’ award, which recognises an author’s entire body of work having been consistently enjoyed by library borrowers around the United Kingdom, and an author’s longstanding support of libraries.

Louise was born in Northumberland, England. She studied undergraduate and postgraduate Law at King’s College, University of London and then abroad in Paris and Florence. She spent much of her working life in London, where she was a lawyer for a number of years until taking the decision to change career and pursue her dream to write. Now, she writes full time and lives with her husband and son in Northumberland and Edinburgh. She enjoys reading all manner of books, painting, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

To find out more about the many philanthropic ventures Louise has founded and sponsored through her publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, please visit ‘Philanthropy’.

If you would like to connect with LJ Ross, she would be very happy to hear from you:

https://www.facebook.com/LJRossAuthor
https://twitter.com/ljross_author
www.lovesuspense.com
lj_ross@outlook.com

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Review – Stolen In Death by J D Robb #jdrobb #stolenindeath #netgalley #stmartinspress

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MY REVIEW

I have been reading J D Robb’s and Nora Robert’s work for many years now, and she has never let me down. That makes it easy to snatch a copy of one of her books whenever I see it. I want to thank NetGalley for my copy.

“You’re here. No dead bodies.” “Night’s young,” Eve said.

I love the Eve Dallas and Roarke stories. Eve is a homicide police lieutenant and Roarke is a retired billionaire thief. When murder and a hidden safe holding many valuable objects is discovered, Eve is on the case. Roarke’s expertise will come in handy. Roarke’s past can sometimes make Eve’s life more complicated, but she couldn’t be sorry about it. I’m glad, because they make an intriguing couple.

I was waiting for something to happen, and now, we’re off and running.

The year is 2061, and while most things are the same, there are some things that bode well for the future. Such as, the AutoChef. Hungry? How about a burger from the AutoChef? Thirsty? How about a tube of Pepsi? I love it, seeing I am not a very good cook and a little on the lazy side when it comes to preparing food. And prison? How about an off planet cage for criminals?

J D Robb doesn’t waste any time setting the hook for her futuristic suspense, In Death, thriller series. The pacing makes the story flow smoothly, and the mystery growing. Stolen In Death may be J D Robb’s 62nd book in the series, but it still has a lot of bite.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

A violent death and a vault of stolen treasures has Eve Dallas struggling to solve crimes old and new in the latest thriller in the #1 New York Times-bestselling series.

A blow to the head with a block of amethyst has left multibillionaire Nathan Barrister dead―while nearby, a vault, its door ajar, sits filled with priceless paintings, jewelry, and other treasures. Lieutenant Eve Dallas’s husband, Roarke―who misspent his youth in Ireland as a scrappy thief―recognizes at least two stolen pieces among the hoard. The crime scene suggests a burglar caught in the act. But only one item seems to be missing.

Then it’s revealed that the vault had actually belonged to the victim’s late father―and no one in the household knew it was there until a recent remodeling project exposed it. To protect the family name and business, they explain to Eve, they’d been looking for a way to return the ill-gotten gains anonymously and avoid the police. But now the police are all over their elegant house, and have a bigger, bloodier mystery to solve.

By all accounts, Nathan Barrister was a good man, a generous employer, a devoted husband and father. As for his father―he clearly had secrets. Now it’s up to Eve and her team to find out if those secrets got Nathan killed―and if it was a crime of passion or revenge.

  • Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • 368 pages, Hardcover
  • Publication February 3, 2026 by St. Martin’s Press
  • Series: In Death #62

ABOUT J D ROBB

J.D. Robb is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling In Death series and the pseudonym for #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. The futuristic suspense series stars Eve Dallas, a New York City police lieutenant with a dark past. Initially conceived as a trilogy, readers clamored for more of Eve and the mysterious Roarke. Stolen in Death (St. Martin’s Press, February 2026) will be the 62nd entry in the series.

MY NORA ROBERTS REVIEWS

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