Category Archives: Crooked Lane Books

December 23, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Hidden by Melanie Golding

Title: The Hidden by Melanie Golding
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 334 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Following her acclaimed debut Little Darlings, Melanie Golding’s newest folkloric suspense is a spine-tingling twist on Celtic mythology.

One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, authorities release the pair, believing it to be an innocent case of a toddler running off.

Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and left for dead in his apartment, but the discovery of children’s toys raises more questions than answers.

Every night, Ruby gazes into Gregor’s apartment, leading to the discovery of his secret family: his unusually silent daughter and his mentally unstable wife, Constance, who insists that she is descended from the mythological Selkies. She begs Ruby to aid in finding the sealskin that Gregor has hidden from her, making it impossible to return to her people.

DS Joanna Harper’s investigation into Gregor’s assault leads her to CCTV footage of the mother-daughter pair from town. Harper realizes she knows the woman almost as well as she knows herself: it’s her estranged daughter, Ruby. No matter the depth of Ruby’s involvement, she knows she will choose her daughter over her career.

Steeped in local legend and exploring the depths of what it means to be a mother, Melanie Golding’s newest novel is “a lyrical and atmospheric folktale for the modern age.” (Bustle, on Little Darlings)

Review:

The Hidden by Melanie Golding is a riveting mystery.

Detective Sergeant Joanna Harper and Police Constable Steve Atkinson are working on the attempted murder of Gregor Franks. The case is perplexing due to signs that a young child lived with him. Which is somewhat odd since as far as anyone knows, he does not have children. Joanna’s questioning of the neighbor below him turns into a possible lead. When she follows up on this detail, Joanna is shocked to discover a personal connection to the case.

Joanna keeps this information from Atkinson as she follows up by herself. She is also still investigating who tried to murder Gregor but she is very distracted as she tries to locate her estranged daughter, Ruby. They have not been in much contact for the past year and she cannot fathom how Ruby’s path crossed with the victim. Joanna is also trying to figure out how the young girl with her daughter is connected to Gregor.

The Hidden is an exceptionally well-written mystery that is fast-paced. Joanna knows she has a conflict of interest, but she is well aware she will be removed from the case if she tells her boss.  While she tries to find the connection, a series of flashbacks prove to quite illuminating as they reveal exactly how Ruby becomes entangled the victim. As her regrets begin to pile up, Ruby is increasing danger. With absolutely stunning plot twists, Melanie Golding brings this thrilling, suspense-laden mystery to an edge of the seat conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Melanie Golding, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Hidden

December 13, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: 48 Hours to Kill by Andrew Bourelle

Title: 48 Hours to Kill by Andrew Bourelle
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Crime Thriller
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A prison inmate on furlough learns a terrible secret about his sister’s mysterious death—and descends back into the criminal underworld to uncover the truth, in this action-packed thrill ride James Patterson calls “the best thriller I’ve read all year.”

Serving a ten-year sentence in a Nevada prison for armed robbery, Ethan Lockhart hopes that he can one day become a productive, law-abiding member of society. But society has other plans for Ethan. When he’s given a forty-eight-hour furlough to attend his sister Abby’s funeral, he learns that her body was never found—just enough blood to declare her dead instead of missing—and he begins to suspect that there’s more to her death than was reported. Ethan decides to use his forty-eight-hour window to find out what happened. But to get to the bottom of the mystery, he’ll have to return to his unsavory past.

Ethan teams up with his sister’s best friend Whitney in a search for the truth. United in their shared grief, their chemistry—both emotional and physical—also begins to heat up. But romance goes on hold as the suspects mount. Ethan’s old boss, Shark, a mid-level loan shark now heads a criminal empire. As Ethan and Whitney uncover more clues, they become convinced that Shark is responsible for the murder, but they have no proof.

If Ethan is going to solve his sister’s murder in forty-eight hours, he will have to become the criminal he swore he’d never be again.

Review:

48 Hours to Kill by Andrew Bourelle is a high-octane crime thriller.

Convict Ethan Lockhart is surprised he has been granted 48 hours of unsupervised furlough to attend his younger sister Abby’s funeral. He has a list of conditions that he blithely assures his caseworker Daryl Maxwell that he won’t break. But once Ethan decides to try to find out who murdered Abby, he will do whatever it takes to find her and her killer.

Ethan is serving time for crime he committed while working for Stanley “Shark” D’Antonio. He refused to turn on Shark and in return, his former boss agreed to take care of Abby financially. To his dismay, Abby and her best friend, Whitney Potter, give up college to work in Shark’s strip club. Ethan is convinced Shark is responsible for his sister’s death, but Shark denies any involvement. Ethan gets in touch with Calvin Taylor, the detective who worked Abby’s murder before her case was turned over to the FBI. But Special Agent Brian Hughes is nowhere close to making an arrest.

Ethan crosses paths with Whitney who helps him as he tries to figure out who murdered Abby. He uncovers troubling information at his sister’s apartment but he is uncertain if what he learns has anything to do with her murder. But, overcome with guilt for putting his sister into harm’s way, Ethan continues to believe Shark knows more than he is saying. Neither his former boss nor his muscle is no match for Ethan as he tries to find Abby’s killer.

48 Hours to Kill is a crime thriller that moves at a blistering pace. Ethan has plenty of regrets but he accepts responsibility for his choices. His determination to find out what happened to Abby is a little foolhardy yet admirable. The storyline is well-executed and the short chapters keep the tension at a fever pitch as Ethan’s 48 hours steadily counts down. With a truly shocking plot twist, Andrew Bourelle brings this pulse-pounding crime thriller to an violent, unpredictable conclusion.

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Filed under 48 Hours to Kill, Andrew Bourelle, Contemporary, Crime Thriller, Crooked Lane Books, Rated B+, Review

December 9, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: They Can’t Take Your Name by Robert Justice

Title: They Can’t Take Your Name by Robert Justice
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Laced with atmospheric poetry and literature and set in the heart of Denver’s black community, this gripping crime novel pits three characters in a race against time to thwart a gross miscarriage of justice—and a crooked detective who wreaks havoc…with deadly consequences.

What happens to a deferred dream—especially when an innocent man’s life hangs in the balance? Langston Brown is running out of time and options for clearing his name and escaping death row. Wrongfully convicted of the gruesome Mother’s Day Massacre, he prepares to face his death. His final hope for salvation lies with his daughter, Liza, an artist who dreamed of a life of music and song but left the prestigious Juilliard School to pursue a law degree with the intention of clearing her father’s name. Just as she nears success, it’s announced that Langston will be put to death in thirty days.

In a desperate bid to find freedom for her father, Liza enlists the help of Eli Stone, a jazz club owner she met at the classic Five Points venue, The Roz. Devastated by the tragic loss of his wife, Eli is trying to find solace by reviving the club…while also wrestling with the longing to join her in death.

Everyone has a dream that might come true—but as the dark shadows of the past converge, could Langston, Eli, and Liza be facing a danger that could shatter those dreams forever?

Review:

They Can’t Take Your Name by Robert Justice is an absolutely riveting novel with a socially relevant storyline.

Langston Brown is wrongfully convicted of murder and he is currently on death row. His daughter Liza is a single mother who is almost finished with law school. Having convinced her professor to begin an innocence project, there is one last hope to overturn his conviction. Liza’s attempts to prove his innocence take on a new urgency as the governor suddenly sets several execution dates that will occur very soon. Liza refuses to give up believing she can save her father, but will their court case receive a favorable ruling from the judge?

Eli Stone is re-opening an iconic bar in Denver’s Five Points community. He is realizing the dream he and his late wife Antoinette shared but Eli grief overshadows his success. Eli hires Liza to work for him and they strike up an unexpectedly close friendship. After she tells him about her father, Eli realizes he knows the detective who arrested Langston. He has first-hand information about Detective Sean Slager’s longtime corruption, but will this knowledge prove beneficial to proving Langston’s innocence?

They Can’t Take Your Name is a powerful novel about institutional racism and police corruption that happens under the guise of justice. The storyline is complex and multi-layered. The characters are mostly well-drawn with all too human flaws and weaknesses. Liza is tenacious in her efforts to save her father, but Langston knows the odds are stacked against him. Eli tries to do the right thing to help Liza but will he find what he needs to help Langston before it is too late? Robert Justice brings this incredibly suspenseful to an edge of the seat conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Rated B+, Review, Robert Justice, Suspense, They Can't Take Your Name

· 12:01 am

Review: The Bone Cay by Eliza Nellums

Title: The Bone Cay by Eliza Nellums
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 288 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the critically acclaimed author of All That’s Bright and Gone comes an atmospheric thriller that unearths a cache of age-old secrets–and a hidden danger–in the Florida Keys.

Magda Trudell is the present-day caretaker of Whimbrel Estate, the Key West home of the famous poet Isobel Reyes. Isobel’s suicide at the residence in 1918 has nearly overshadowed her creative legacy–but Magda, a botanist and avid historian, is determined to protect it. Over the past decade, Magda has lovingly restored the house to the exact condition Isobel would have known. And even though a fierce October hurricane is headed straight for the Keys, she isn’t about to abandon her life’s work to evacuate.

As the mighty storm makes landfall, the dangers mount. First, a fire and flood threaten to destroy the house. Then the storm claims most of Magda’s supplies. When part of the house collapses, she unearths an old steamer trunk in the rubble that contains a woman’s remains. Is there more to Isobel’s story than Magda knows?

The unexpected appearance of a teenage girl and her father seeking shelter from the storm poses unnerving new questions. Are they really who they seem? And could they have a connection to the house’s shadowy past? As the storm rages, Magda desperately tries to solve the real mystery of Isobel’s death–and keep the living in one piece.

Review:

The Bone Cay by Eliza Nellums is a fast-paced mystery with a unique storyline.

Historian Magda Trudell is obsessed with poet Isobel Reyes. She works at Isobel’s family home, Whimbrel Estate, in Key West. Isobel died in 1918 and Magda is dedicated to bringing Whimbrel back to its former glory. But funding is tight, so she has only managed to complete the first floor. With a possibly deadly hurricane bearing down on Florida, Magda refuses to evacuate so she can protect Isobel’s treasures. With the hurricane raging around her, Magda is shocked when handyman Hank McGrath returns by boat with his teenage daughter Emily. Although her attention mainly focused on a shocking discovery, she cannot help but worry about Emily. Can Magda protect the historical home and keep everyone’ safe ?

After an unsettled childhood with her musician father, Magda has set down roots in Key West. She discovered Isobel’s poems while on the road with her father and she immediately connected to the poet’s words. Magda is fiercely protective of Isobel’s history and she is determined to keep the Whimbrel Estates’ treasures, house and property as safe as she can during the hurricane.

Trouble ensues almost immediately as Magda makes costly mistakes. She is less than thrilled when Hank and Emily arrive but she has no choice but to ask them to join her. Magda is distracted by what she just unearthed but she realizes something is just a little off with father and daughter. Her uneasiness grows as the hurricane worsens and dangerous flooding threatens to overtake the house. However, Magda soon learns that she might be in more danger than just the hurricane.

The Bone Cay is an intense mystery with a clever storyline. Magda’s obsession with Isobel is a distraction as she rides out the hurricane with people she finds difficult to trust. The setting vividly springs to life and it is impossible not to feel the extreme threat posed by the hurricane. The storyline is well-developed with stunning twists. Magda is a little irritating as she continually puts herself in peril because she makes unsound decisions. Emily is a sympathetic character but is she telling Magda the truth? Hank becomes more menacing as Eliza Nellums brings this suspenseful mystery to a pulse-pounding conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Eliza Nellums, Rated B, Suspense, The Bone Cay

November 9, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Double Take by Elizabeth Breck

Title: Double Take by Elizabeth Breck
Madison Kelly Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Length: 328 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

When a young journalist goes missing in sunny San Diego , P.I. Madison Kelly learns the true price of knowing too much.

It’s a perfect San Diego fall–cool and crisp with bright blue skies. But not everything is right in the sunny idyll dubbed “America’s Finest City.” Young journalist Barrett Brown has been missing for a week, and her boyfriend hires private investigator Madison Kelly to find her. Right away, Barrett reminds Madison of a younger version of herself: smart, ambitious, and a loner.

As she launches her investigation, Madison realizes that Barrett’s disappearance is connected to a big story she was chasing–and she sets out to walk in Barrett’s footsteps to trace her whereabouts. As the trail grows colder, things begin to heat up between Madison and Barrett’s boyfriend. But he doesn’t seem to be telling everything he knows, and Madison gets the feeling that her every move is being watched. What dirty secrets lie at the heart of Barrett’s big lead?

If Madison can’t get to the bottom of the case in time, she could be in line to become the next victim.

Review:

The second installment in the Madison Kelly Mystery series, Double Take by Elizabeth Breck is a suspenseful mystery.

Madison Kelly is a highly sought-after private investigator who specializes in missing persons cases. Her current client Travis Moore is anxious to find his missing girlfriend, young journalist Barrett Brown. She inexplicably vanished five days earlier without a trace and Madison is eager to find her. Retracing Barrett’s steps, Madison’s discoveries are vaguely ominous and her anxiety over finding the young woman kicks up a few notches. She soon uncovers the most likely motive for Barrett’s disappearance but will she find her before it is too late?

Madison has just returned home from an out of state case and she is exhausted. But her concern for the missing journalist is more important than rest so she agrees to take Travis’ case. Although determined to find Barrett, Madison is distracted by personal issues throughout her investigation. Equally curious and mostly annoying is her realization that she is being followed. But Madison is more concerned about finding Barrett than figuring out who is following her and why.

Madison knows where Barrett mostly likely was before she disappeared but the trail quickly goes cold. Her interview with Barrett’s boss Cornell Jones provides one of her most tangible and ultimately productive threads to follow. Madison continues follow each piece of evidence she unearths and the scope of her discovery is absolutely explosive. Unfortunately, her preoccupation over her relationship with her maybe boyfriend surfer Dave Rich and possible health issues leads to careless mistakes that could prove to be deadly.

Double Take is an engrossing mystery with a flawed but appealing protagonist. The storyline is well-developed and moves at a brisk pace. The La Jolla and San Diego settings are brilliant detailed and spring vividly to life. Madison’s quest for answers about Barrett’s disappearance takes a shocking turn and Elizabeth Breck brings this tension-filled mystery to a pulse-pounding conclusion. Although this latest release is the second installment in the Madison Kelly Mystery series, it can easily be read as a standalone.

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Filed under Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Double Take, Elizabeth Breck, Madison Kelly Mystery Series, Mystery, Rated B, Review

November 4, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock

Title: The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock
Kaldan and Schäfer Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 336 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo meets Sharp Objects in this internationally bestselling psychological thriller, for fans of Jo Nesbø and Henning Mankell, now for the first time in English.

Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her sources has been caught lying, and she could lose her job over it. Then she receives the first in a series of cryptic and unsettling letters from a woman named Anna Kiel.

Wanted in connection with the fatal stabbing of a young lawyer three years earlier, Anna hasn’t been seen by anyone since she left the crime scene covered in blood. The police think she’s fled the country until homicide detective Erik Scháfer comes up with a lead after the reporter who originally wrote about the case is found murdered in his apartment. Has Anna Kiel struck again, or is there more than one killer at large? And why does every clue point directly to Heloise Kaldan?

Meanwhile, the letters keep coming, and they hint at a connection between Anna and Heloise. As Heloise starts digging deeper, she realizes that to tell Anna’s story she will have to revisit the darkest parts of her own past–confronting someone she swore she’d never see again.

The Corpse Flower is the first in the #1 bestselling Danish crime series, the Kaldan and Scháfer mysteries.

Review:

The Corpse Flower by Anne Mette Hancock is a riveting Scandinavian mystery.

Newspaper journalist Heloise Kaldan is in serious trouble at the newspaper where she works because of her recent article. Her exposé contained information from a source that proves to be false and she is now part of a scandalous news cycle.  Heloise manages to save her job but she is on somewhat thin ice. Going through the mail that is waiting for her at the newspaper, she discovers a shocking letter from fugitive Anna Kiel. Anna is wanted for the murder of Christoffer Mossing, a lawyer that she brutally killed a few years earlier. Heloise has no idea why Anna would contact her and she does not know why Anna knows personal information about her. When more letters arrive, Heloise contacts Detective Sergeant Erik Schäfer, the officer assigned to the case. She also gets in touch with Ulrich Andersson, the reporter who covered the murder. Ulrich is out on medical leave and he warns her to stay away from the case. Another murder adds urgency to finding Anna and uncovering the reason why she murdered Mossing.

Heloise is a well-established journalist and she fully understands her mistake with trusting her source. She is quickly distracted by the letters from Anna and she begins a deep dive into the Christoffer’s murder. Heloise tries to understand why Anna is reaching out to her. She also wants to know why the accused killer knows so much about her. After another murder and then an attempted murder, Heloise finally knows what Anna wants from her. But what will Heloise decide to do?

Erik and his partner Sergeant Lisa Augustin are also very curious about why Anna is writing to Heloise. Erik believes Heloise knows more than she is telling him, but she remains insistent she does not know Anna. He and Lisa re-examine their old case files to see if there is anything they might have overlooked during the initial investigation. Erik still has reason to suspect Christoffer’s family might know more about his murder than they are saying. But will his renewed effort to discuss their son’s death with them continue to be met with the same resistance as three years earlier?

The Corpse Flower is a tightly-plotted mystery that is very suspenseful. Heloise, Erik and the secondary characters are well-drawn with realistic strengths and weakness. The storyline is fast-paced with plenty of twists and turns. The story takes places mostly in Copenhagen and the surrounding area and the various setting are vividly brought to life. With jaw-dropping plot twists, Anne Mette Hancock brings this tension-filled mystery to a immensely satisfying conclusion.

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Filed under Anne Mette Hancock, Contemporary, Crooked Lane Books, Kaldan and Schäfer Mystery Series, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Corpse Flower