Category Archives: Book Talk

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

I might be getting my reading mojo back!

Books I read last week:

Love of a Good Amish Woman by Rosalind Lauer: 4.5 stars. Really loved this one! You can read my thoughts HERE.

Pretty Little Pieces by Carmen Schober: 4.5 stars A wonderful novel of new beginnings and love. When Georgina Havoc’s life falls apart, she reluctantly seizes the reins to take back control. In the process, Georgina rediscovers her faith, salvages her relationship with her sister and gives love a chance. This delightful story features strong character development, a serene setting and a gentle undercurrent of faith that hopefully other readers will love as much as I did!

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier: 4.5 stars. A twist-filled mystery that is quite compelling. A suspect in her husband’s death, Paris Peralta hopes her secrets remain firmly in the past. The engaging storyline is multi-layered with vibrantly developed characters. Weaving back and forth in time, this incredible thriller comes to a jaw-dropping conclusion. HIGHLY recommend!

Survive the Night by Riley Sager: 4.5 stars. Charlie Jordan is an unreliable narrator who has reason to distrust her ride-share driver, Josh Baxter. Set in the 1990s, this engrossing mystery is one crazy ride. I loved all the unexpected plot-twists, unanticipated action and the stunning denouement.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager: 3 stars. I love the movie Rear Window so I was so excited to read this mystery. Unfortunately, lead character Casey Fletcher drinks away her days and has no plans to sober up any time soon. Her overactive mind leaps to incredible conclusions when she believes her across the lake neighbor Tom Royce has murdered his wife, Katherine. The chapters alternate between the recent past and the present which helps build suspense. The first two-thirds of the story are very slow-paced and reptitive. The last third moves at breakneck speed but readers will have to suspend their disbelief at the shocking twists and turns.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

My thoughts on the books I read last week:

Red Dirt Road by S.R. White: The third (but hopefully not the last) installment in the Detective Dana Russo is another outstanding mystery. Dana Russo is definitely a fish out of water when she goes to a remote outback town to investigate two murders. Unamurra has a small population so it should be easy to narrow down the suspect list. However, no one is willing to help her and local police officer Able Barillo. Luckily her regular team provides long distance assistance as Dana works against a tight deadline to to idenitify the killer. With unusual clues and little evidence, will Dana and Able unmask the murderer before Dana runs out of time? I love this brilliant series and I am eager to see how S.R. White resolves the unfinished storyline taking place within the station.

It’s One of Us by J.T. Ellison: This latest mystery deftly weaves the difficult subject of infertility and murder into an unputdownable thriller. When evidence from a murder leads to Park Bender, Olivia discovers her husband has been keeping HUGE secrets from her. The present day storyline is interspersed with events from the couple’s past and provides details of their teenage romance and tumultuous break-up. This fast-paced and compelling mystery comes to a very shocking conclusion. HIGHLY recommend!

It Ends at Midnight by Harriet Tyce: Sylvie Monroe is finally in a happy relationship and her professional goals are within reach. That is until her oldest friend Tess exacts a promise that threatens to derail Sylvie’s life. Despite her intentions to not follow through with what Tess asks of her, Sylvie is unable to disappoint her friend. Unfortunately, her latest court case has unsettling parallels to her own past that make it difficult for her concentrate. The chapters of this engaging mystery alternate with the aftermath of a deadly New Year’s Eve party. With an absolutely jaw-dropping plot-twist, Harriet Tyce brings this suspenseful mystery to a stunning conclusion.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Last week, I read:

Hermit by S.R. White: Detective Dana Russo is about to work her 1st murder case since transferring from fraud. The accused killer is found right over the body and he is covered in the victim’s blood. During the course of the investigation, Dana relies on her partner Mike Francis to chase down evidence as she attempts to interview the suspect. At the same time, she struggles to keep her memories the day brings to the surface at bay. Mostly taking place in the interview room, this first novel by S.R. White is a very compelling mystery with a great cast of characters.

Prisoner by S.R. White: This second installment in the Detective Dana Russo series features another puzzling mystery for Dana and her team to solve. Within 24 hours of his release from prison, Curtis Monroe is found dead close to the scene of his crime. Sisters Suzanne and Marika Doyle’s surprising relationship with Monroe is under the microscope as Dana tries to crack this shocking case. A sudden shake-up in the office puts added pressure on her to solve this case. As in the first book of the series, Dana’s past aids in her investigation as she works to uncover the truth about Monroe’s murder.

And I am halfway through Red Dirt Road by S.R. White and I am loving it! The Detective Dana Russo series is absolutely fantastic!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

I read two books and started another last week.

The Drift by C.J. Tudor: WOW!ZA! What a read. Three different story arcs written from three main characters’ perspecitves, The Drift is chilling and incredibly engrossing. I don’t want to give anything away but I will say everything  makes sense in the end. A very unique, fast-paced novel by C.J. Tudor that I absolutely loved and HIGHLY recommend.

Behind Her Eyes by sarah Pinborough: This mystery has been in my TBR for quite a few years so I decided it was finally time to dust it off and read it. Overall, I loved the storyline but I found main character Louise to be extremely irritating. Some of what I found frustrating is necessary for her to make her out of character choices and that helped keep my annoyance to a minimum. I really liked the flashbacks that explain Adele and David’s past and what led up to their current situation. The hype surrounding the novel’s conclusion is definitely warranted and I plan to watch the Netflix series.

I started reading Hermit by S.R. White last night. I am really liking it so far and I’ll let y’all know my thoughts next week!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Books I read last week:

The Final Hunt by Audrey J. Cole: This Kindle Unlimited mystery is fast-paced and compelling. The lead character, recently widowed Cameron, discovers shocking information about her late husband, John, and it changes her entire perspective about his death. No shrinking violet, she takes matters into her own hands to learn the truth. This part of the storyline requires suspension of disbelief as Cameron travels to Alaska to find if she is correct. The Alaskan setting is vibrantly life-like and adds suspense to the novel. All in all, an enjoyable, quick read.

Don’t Open the Door by Allison Brennan: The second installment in the Regan Merritt wraps up the mystery surrounding Regan’s son’s murder. Her former co-worker and friend, Tommy, continued his off-books investigation following her move to Flagstaff. Regan travels to D.C. after his murder to see if she can find out who killed Tommy and why. She knows his death has to be linked to what he uncovered about her son’s tragic murder but will she find out the truth before it is too late? Fingers crossed this is not Regan’s final appearance!

Exiles by Jane Harper: This final installment in the Aaron Falk series is another outstanding mystery. The storyline is quite different than previous outings as it concentrates more on Aaron’s personal life as he interacts with his friends during a week’s long gathering. However, there are two unsolved mysteries that have yet to be solved. One is the disappearance that occurred the year prior at the annual festival. The other is a hit and run from several years ago that has yet to solved. So far, the only link between the two cases is the location but do not appear to related. The pacing is leisurely as Aaron enjoys time with his friends and the close-knit community. As always, the setting springs vividly to life as do the small town’s residents. I’m sorry to say good-bye to Aaron Falk but I am delighted with the conclusion of this brilliant series.

Winter’s Mourn by Mary Stone: A fantastic Kindle Unlimited mystery! I am loving FBI Special Agent Winter Black’s special ability that adds in her investigation in her former hometown. She and her charming partner are on the trail of serial killer but Winter’s past is never far from her mind. The storyling is well-developed and the book is fast-paced. I’ll definitely continue with the next books in this marvelous series.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

Books I read last week:

You Should Have Told Me by Leah Konen: Since this book was my Janury Reading Challenge, I’ll just say I gave it 3.5 stars. You can read my thoughs about it on Thursday when the Reading Challenge Discussion goes live.

The House of Then and Now by Jo Dixon: I really enjoyed this debut set in Tasmania. The novel moves back and forth in time between two intriguing storylines. The characters are likable and the plot has an interesting mystery element. I am very much looking forward to future novels by Jo Dixon.

City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita: This debut is set in Alaska and it is very atmospheric. The discovery of body parts washed ashore in Point Mettier, AK brings Anchorage Detective Cara Kennedy to town to investigate. She teams up with local police officer Joe Barkowski to see if they can identify the victim. The characters are a bit eccentric but mostly likable. The story takes some unexpected twists and the conclusion is gobsmaking. I cannot wait to read Ms. Yamashita’s follow up to this outstanding mystery!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!