Category Archives: Edwin Hill

Review: The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill

Title: The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Length: 323 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A mesmerizing, twisty suspense novel perfect for fans of Mary Kubica and Riley Sager from an acclaimed author! Explore the deep bonds—and deadly secrets—between two very different sisters haunted by the crimes of their father murdered nearly twenty years earlier…

At first glance, Natalie Cavanaugh and Glenn Abbott hardly look like sisters. Even off-duty, Natalie dresses like a Boston cop, preferring practical clothes and unfussy, pinned-up hair. Her younger sister, Glenn, seems tailor-made for the spotlight, from her signature red mane to her camera-ready smile. Glenn has spent years cultivating her brand through her baking blog, and with the publication of her new book, that hard work seems about to pay off. But her fans have no idea about the nightmare in Glenn and Natalie’s past.

Twenty years ago, their father’s body was discovered in the woods behind their house. A trauma like that doesn’t fit with Glenn’s public image. Yet, maybe someone reading her blog does know something. There have been anonymous online messages, vague yet ominous, hinting that she’s being watched. And with unsettling coincidences hitting ever closer to home, both Glenn and Natalie soon have more pressing matters to worry about, especially when a dead body is found in an abandoned building . . .

Natalie is starting to wonder how much Glenn really knows about the people closest to her. But are there also secrets Natalie has yet to uncover about those she herself trusts? For two decades, she’s believed their father was murdered by their neighbor, with whom he was having an affair. But if those events are connected to what’s happening now, maybe there’s much more that Natalie doesn’t know. About their father. About their neighbors. About her friends. Maybe even about herself.

But there are no secrets between sisters . . . are there?

Review:

The Secrets We Share by Edwin Hill is a complex, suspense-laden thriller.

Forty-four-year-old Boston Detective Natalie Cavanaugh and her sister, Glenn Abbott, have never quite left behind the ghosts of their past. Their father was murdered when they were teenagers and the case still remains unsolved. Suspicion first fell on their mother but after rumors began spreading that he was having an affair with their neighbor, Diane Sykes, police changed their focus to her instead. As adults, Glenn and Natalie both deal with their childhood in very different ways.

Natalie drinks too much in an effort to tamp down her memories. She also keeps a tight rein on her emotions and eschews personal relationships. Natalie keeps a low profile at work and shies away from cases that would put her in the spotlight. Glenn, on the other hand, is a popular food blogger with a book that is on the verge of release. Her once happy marriage has hit a rough spot that she and her husband may or may not recover from. Her daughter Mavis is more observant than either or her parents believe. She is also very smart and thinks on her feet.

Natalie has many conflicts of interest in the case she is working with her partner Detective Zane Perez. A beloved member of her family discovered the body of a murdered man in an abandoned building. And the investigation leads straight to someone else she knows, Bennet Jones. He is the business partner of her brother-in-law, Jake. Her boss, Lieutenant Angela White, orders her off the case but she and Zane know that Natalie is most likely going to poke around on her own. Of course, they are right but will they be grateful for her help when the investigation takes many unexpected detours?

The Secrets We Share is an edge of the seat thriller with a multi-layered storyline. Natalie is a highly intelligent and very clever detective. She is not without flaws but she is a sympathetic, likable woman. The secondary characters are realistically developed with relatable human foibles. Lt. White is an outstanding boss who is fair with those who work for her. The investigation is intriguing and moves at an even pace.  With stunning twists and diabolical turns, Edwin Hill brings this cunning thriller to a jaw-dropping conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Edwin Hill, Kensington Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Secrets We Share, Thriller

Review: Watch Her by Edwin Hill

Title: Watch Her by Edwin Hill
Hester Thursby Mystery Series Book Three
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Fans of Ruth Ware and B.A. Paris won’t want to miss this complex psychological thriller from an acclaimed author about a powerful Boston family desperate to keep their darkest secrets from coming to light.

While attending a gala at Prescott University’s lavish new campus, Hester Thursby and fellow guest, Detective Angela White, are called to the home of the college’s owners, Tucker and Jennifer Matson. Jennifer claims that someone broke into Pinebank, their secluded mansion on the banks of Jamaica Pond. The more Hester and Angela investigate, the less they believe Jennifer’s story, leaving Hester to wonder why she would lie.

When Hester is asked by the college’s general manager to locate some missing alumni, she employs her research skills on the family and their for-profit university. Between financial transgressions, a long-ago tragedy, and rumors of infidelity, it’s clear that the Matsons aren’t immune to scandal or mishap. But when one of the missing students turns up dead, the mystery takes on new urgency.

Hester is edging closer to the truth, but as a decades-old secret collides with new lies, a killer grows more determined to keep the past buried with the dead. . . .

Review:

Watch Her by Edwin Hill is a multi-layered mystery that is quite riveting.  Although this newest release is the third installment in the Hester Thursby Mystery series, it can be as a standalone.

Hester Thursby and her not husband Morgan Maguire attend a for profit college’s  opening with their friend Detective Angela White. During the evening, the college owner’s wife, Jennifer Matson, reports a burglary at their home to her friend and college administrator, Maxine Pawlikowki. Maxine requests Angela’s assistance and they, along with Hester, try to figure out what occurred at Jennifer’s house. Both Hester and Angela are skeptical of her story after their search turns up no evidence anything is missing. Within a few days, Maxine asks Hester to uncover what happened to some of the university alumni who seem to have vanished.

Due to some very close calls in previous cases, Hester is making more of an effort to remain safe while she tries to unearth the truth about what is going on at Prescott University. She is also making progress with opening up to Morgan about her past. Despite their long standing relationship, Hester has been very tight-lipped about herself. In the process of revealing important details about herself, she is also discovering new information about Morgan. Coming to terms with her past is imperative to some important decisions Hester is contemplating.

With Hester on the sidelines, Angela becomes interested in events from the Matson family’s past. Her boss is Maxine’s brother, Stan, and she is shocked to learn he worked a case involving the Matsons in the late nineties. Treading very lightly, Angela has a lot of questions about that investigation and she requests Hester’s assistance to find answers.

Watch Her is a captivating mystery that takes many twists and turns. Hester, Morgan and Angela continue to grow and evolve which adds much more depth to their respective characters. Hester and Angela’s cases eventually entwine after a tragic murder. With long-held secrets in danger of being exposed, Edwin Hill brings this intriguing mystery to a dramatic conclusion.  I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this latest addition to the Hester Thursby Mystery series fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Edwin Hill, Hester Thursby Mystery Series, Kensington Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Suspense, Watch Her

Review: The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill

Title: The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill
Hester Thursby Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Hester Thursby has given up using her research skills to trace people who don’t want to be found. A traumatic case a few months ago unearthed a string of violent crimes, and left Hester riddled with self-doubt and guilt. Caring for a four-year-old is responsibility enough in a world filled with terrors Hester never could have imagined before.

Finisterre Island, off the coast of Maine, is ruggedly beautiful and remote—the kind of place tourists love to visit, though rarely for long. But not everyone who comes to the island is welcome. A dilapidated Victorian house has become home to a group of squatters and junkies, and strangers have a habit of bringing trouble with them. A young boy disappeared during the summer, and though he was found safely, the incident stirred suspicion among locals. Now another child is missing. Summoned to the island by a cryptic text, Hester discovers a community cleaning up from a devastating storm—and uncovers a murder.

Soon Hester begins to connect the crime and the missing children. And as she untangles the secrets at the center of the small community, she finds grudges and loyalties that run deep, poised to converge with a force that will once again shake her convictions about the very nature of right and wrong . . .

Review:

The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill is a suspenseful, character driven mystery.  Although this latest release is the second installment in the Hester Thursby Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend reading book one, Little Comfort, as well.

Librarian Hester Thursby is still struggling in the aftermath of the events from her previous missing persons case. She is in charge of caring for her four year old niece Kate but her irrational fears about Kate’s safety make it impossible for her to leave her in anyone else’s care. Hester  is impulsive and in the past,  her  ill-advised decisions have endangered herself and Kate.  She is unable to confide her fears to her partner Morgan Maguire, whose twin sister Daphne is Kate’s mother. Daphne has a long history of flighty behavior and no one has heard from her since she abruptly abandoned her daughter to Hester’s and Morgan’s care a year earlier. Hester also has a supportive circle of friends, but she cannot bring herself to ask for help.   Will her relationship with Morgan survive her inability to trust him with the issues she is dealing with?

Meanwhile  off the coast of Maine, residents of Finisterre Island are dealing with inexplicable disappearances of young children, squatters in a ramshackle Victorian home and an increase in drug traffic. Islander Rory Dunbar is a local cop whose hopes for becoming a state police officer have yet to be realized. He is also in love with his childhood friend, Lydia Pelletier, whose husband Trey despises Rory.  With a storm approaching,  Frankie Sullivan, one of the squatters, reports her young son Ethan is missing. Annie, who has been living for several months in the same home as Frankie, becomes involved in the search for the missing boy. In the aftermath of the storm, Annie vanishes and the local police are very interested in asking her questions about the goings on in the Victorian house she has been squatting in.

These two very divergent story arcs eventually intersect in a very intriguing manner. Hester again makes a knee-jerk decision that could have long term implications for her relationship with Morgan.  She also finds herself smack dab in the  middle of a murder investigation. Will the information she uncovers help the authorities solve the strange occurrences on Finisterre Island?   Will Hester’s unexpected, dangerous adventure help heal her emotional wounds?

The Missing Ones is a riveting mystery which features a topical storyline and deeply flawed characters. Hester is a sympathetic and likable, albeit sometimes frustrating, lead protagonist. The situation on Finisterre Island is quite intriguing and the identity of the murder victim is quite shocking.  With several stunning revelations, Edwin Hill brings this twist-filled mystery to a shocking, yet mostly satisfying, conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to love this clever addition to the Hester Thursby Mystery series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Edwin Hill, Hester Thursby Mystery Series, Kensington Books, Mystery, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, The Missing Ones

Review: Little Comfort by Edwin Hill

Title: Little Comfort by Edwin Hill
Hester Thursby Mystery Series Book One
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating:

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In a brilliantly twisted debut set among Boston’s elite, Edwin Hill introduces unforgettable sleuth Hester Thursby—and a missing persons case that uncovers a trail of vicious murder . . .

Harvard librarian Hester Thursby knows that even in the digital age, people still need help finding things. Using her research skills, Hester runs a side business tracking down the lost. Usually, she’s hired to find long-ago prom dates or to reunite adopted children and birth parents. Her new case is finding the handsome and charismatic Sam Blaine.

Sam has no desire to be found. As a teenager, he fled his small New Hampshire town with his friend, Gabe, after a haunting incident. For a dozen years, Sam and Gabe have traveled the country, reinventing themselves as they move from one mark to another. Sam has learned how trusting wealthy people can be—especially the lonely ones—as he expertly manipulates his way into their lives and homes.  In Wendy Richards, the beautiful, fabulously rich daughter of one of Boston’s most influential families, he’s found the perfect way to infiltrate the milieu in which he knows he belongs—a world of Brooks Brothers suits, Nantucket summers, and effortless glamour.

As Hester’s investigation closes in on their brutal truth, the bond between Sam and Gabe is tested and Hester unknowingly jeopardizes her own safety. While Gabe has pinned all his desperate hopes of a normal life on Hester, Sam wants her out of the way for good. And Gabe has always done what Sam asks . . .

Review:

Little Comfort by Edwin Hill is a twisty-turny, suspense-laden missing persons case that soon becomes a murder investigation. This first installment in the Hester Thursby Mystery series is an outstanding debut that I HIGHLY recommend to readers who enjoy mysteries featuring amateur sleuths.

Harvard librarian Hester Thursby is currently taking time off from her regular job to care for Kate, the three year old daughter of her best friend Daphne.  She lives with her boyfriend, Morgan, a veterinarian who is also Daphne’s twin brother. In addition to her regular career, Hester also takes on the occasional missing persons case. Her latest client, Lily Blaine, requests her help finding her long missing brother, Sam, who along with his best friend, Gabe DiPursio, vanished twelve years ago. Armed with nothing more than a series of postcards Lily has received over the years, Hester quickly finds Sam, who is currently romancing socialite Wendy Richards.  She also locates Gabe, who lives a rather solitary life with his lifelong friend.  Just as she begins to uncover the truth about Sam and Gabe, Sam’s past crashes headlong into his present which puts Hester and her family in grave danger.

Hester is a smart and feisty woman who is quite resourceful due to her dysfunctional childhood. Despite all of her successes, her past still affects her since she remains afraid of commitment. Hester has no intention of becoming a parent and she does not want to admit how much she loves Kate. She makes some very questionable decisions throughout her investigation into Sam, Gabe and their past. Hester’s compassion and empathy are admirable traits that leave her in a very precarious situation when she offers friendship to the wrong person.

Sam is ruthless in his quest to move up the social ladder and he leaves a swath of misery in his wake. He easily sheds his old identity when he starts over in a new city and he adapts easily to his new surroundings. Sam is quite charming and charismatic which makes it incredibly easy for him to insinuate himself in his target’s life. He is also very manipulative with sociopathic tendencies that make Sam a very dangerous man to cross.

Gabe is incredibly loyal to Sam and he will do anything for the one person who has always been there for him. He does not seem to care that he lives in Sam’s shadow but he does yearn for a normal life with a  family.  Gabe is quite captivated by Hester and he builds an elaborate fantasy about a future with her. But as Sam’s current situation changes and he wants to tie up loose ends, will Gabe continue to blindly follow his orders?

While not a traditional mystery, Little Comfort is a tautly-plotted, tension-filled novel that is fast-paced and compelling.  Hester is an immensely appealing yet flawed lead protagonist who is impossible not to like. Gabe and Sam are well-drawn, eerily sinister characters who are absolutely ruthless when their appalling schemes are inevitably unmasked. Edwin Hill brings this spine-tingling novel to an action-packed, chilling conclusion. A marvelous first installment in the Hester Thursby Mystery series that is sure to be a hit with readers of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Edwin Hill, Hester Thursby Mystery Series, Kensington, Little Comfort, Rated B+, Review, Suspense