One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"To celebrate their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, Grace has planned the surprise of a lifetime for her husband—a romantic getaway to Paris. But she never expected he’d have a surprise of his own: he wants a divorce. Reeling from the shock but refusing to be broken, a devastated Grace makes the bold decision to go to Paris alone.

Audrey, a young woman from London, has left behind a heartache of her own when she arrives in Paris. A job in a bookshop is her ticket to freedom, but with no money and no knowledge of the French language, suddenly a summer spent wandering the cobbled streets alone seems much more likely…until she meets Grace, and everything changes.

Grace can’t believe how daring Audrey is. Audrey can’t believe how cautious newly single Grace is. Living in neighboring apartments above the bookshop, this unlikely pair offer each other just what they’ve both been missing. They came to Paris to find themselves, but finding this unbreakable friendship might be the best thing that’s ever happened to them…"

My Thoughts:

Let me just start off by saying that I adored this book!  I feel like whenever I have this strong of feelings on a book that I have a tendency to ramble and gush so heads up that's probably what you are getting here.  The thing I loved most about this book though is how easily I connected to it and the way it made me feel.  Let's start at the beginning here though.  This book is told from two different points of view - Grace, who is a middle-aged woman whose husband has recently told her he wants a divorce, and from Audrey, a young girl with a really crappy home life.  Now for the record I'm happily married so that's not actually why I connected to Grace so easily (although it was sadly easy to imagine/understand what she was going through).  I connected to Grace's character because she had so many similarities to me in other ways.  Before her life completely changed, she was comfortable with her life.  I say comfortable in a way that isn't necessarily a good thing.  It's easy as a woman and mother when you've been with someone for so long to maybe not try like you used to.  I fully admit to throwing my hair back into a ponytail almost every single day just because I'm tired of it being in my face.  I work from home so there are days where I don't even put on makeup or think about it.  And maybe none of these things are exactly like Grace but they add up to the same thing.  You forget sometimes to take care of yourself.  To do things just for you and not your children or even your husband.  Sometimes you lose a piece of yourself without even realizing it....and this all just hit home for me so much.  I'm very grateful that I don't have Grace's experiences but this book was a reminder to take care of me too.  So much emphasis at times is to take care of your children's needs, your husband's, and everything else in life but who is there to remind you to take care of you?  I'm rambling now but ugh - this book just was so spot on with real life!  I absolutely could not care more about these two women and the problems that they were facing.  I just immersed myself within their lives and within the pages of this book.  I loved everything about this book and even the things that I didn't expect to.  The author took chances where in other books I might not usually have liked the decisions the characters were making but it worked in this book.  And worked perfectly if I do say so myself!  

Overall, I enjoyed this book so much that I actually wasn't ready for it to end.  I'm so curious to see other reader's thoughts and reactions to this one.  I understand why I enjoyed this one so much but am eager to see if others feel the same!  This is only my second book by Sarah Morgan but it certainly won't be my last.  I kind of want to read everything and anything that she has written now after loving this one so much!  Gah!  It was just so perfect for me and gave me all of the emotions.  This is a book that I think I would easily reread a few years down the road.  If I connected to this one now, I can only imagine how I would feel in a few years when my kids are getting closer to the age of going to college and moving out.  I obviously cannot say enough good things but I highly recommend this book. This isn't just a romance book but I'm sure romance readers would enjoy it.  I think that readers who enjoy women's fiction or just fiction in general should give this one a shot.  Also, someday I simply must go to Paris to experience it all for myself!  This was SO good!

Bottom Line:  A reading experience that I won't be forgetting any time soon!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a Goodread's giveaway.  Thoughts are my own.

Final Girls by Riley Sager (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls. Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them, and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.

Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.

That is, until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit, and Sam, the second, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished."

My Thoughts:

Final Girls was on my radar to read before it was even released which makes it so crazy that I waited until now to read this book!  I read that premise and just KNEW that this was a book that I had to read.  Let me tell you though that this book deserves all of the hype and praise that it has gotten!  This was one whirlwind of a ride and a book that I won't be forgetting about any time soon!  I'm not going to lie - I picked this book up with pretty high expectations after seeing so many other readers love this one.  Happily enough this book was able to live up to those high expectations and so much more.  I picked this book up and was basically hooked from page one.  I found myself unable to set it down and really didn't want to.  For me, this was one of those books where I just had to see what was going to happen next.  And even when Quincy was making stupid choices, I didn't want to stop reading. 

One of the things that I loved most about this book was the horror vibe that it had going on.  I'm not a huge horror movie fan but I've watched enough of those types of movies to recognize that same feel in this book.  It really added this layer of suspense and tension to the story!  I also really enjoyed the fact that as the reader I didn't know whether or not to trust Sam and her intentions.  I'm pretty sure that isn't a spoiler as it is alluded to in the above summary.  Books where you aren't sure who to trust are basically my reader catnip.  I just cannot resist books like this!  I found myself just so completely caught up within the pages of this book.  I can't say it any better than that!  And that ending was just absolutely not what I was expecting in the least!  I am being very careful here as I don't want to overshare and spoil anything but wow, wow, wow!  I loved the way that this book ended and I won't say any more than that.

This book was easily a five star read for me and made my top reads list for 2017!  It was such an intense reading experience!  I will be reading anything/everything that this author writes after loving this book so much.  What makes it even better is that he has a new book releasing in 2018 for me to look forward to!  I read this one in a matter of a few days because I just couldn't stop reading and had to see how it would all end.  It was a wild ride and one that I won't be forgetting about any time soon.  I would highly, highly recommend this book!  Such a great read!

Bottom Line:  One of the best thrillers that I read it 2017!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publishers and NetGalley.

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price."

My Thoughts:

Yes!  This book was just as good as I had hoped that it would be - actually I would say it was even better.  I'm going to start off by stating for the record that I love, love, love Grant's Newsflesh trilogy (of which I've read each book multiple times minus Feedback which I haven't read yet).  Because I love those three books so much, I've been very hesitant to pick up anything else by her.  Not because I don't expect to love everything that she writes.  At this point I actually do expect to love all of her books.  But more because I remember clearly the first time that I read Feed and how it managed to rip my heart out after I had come to care about the characters so much.  That might sound slightly like a spoiler so I won't say more than that.  I just knew that there was a good chance that anything else I read by her would either not live up to my very high expectations or would also rip my heart out.  I told myself though that I wasn't waiting to read this one and I'm so glad that I didn't.  It was absolutely fantastic!  Yet again I found myself completely immersed in this world that Grant has created.  This time though there was a creepy horror movie vibe to the book that I just couldn't get enough of.  Killer mermaids folks.....that should tell you everything that you need to know.  

One of the things that I really loved about this book was the characters.  Grant has a knack for creating characters that I really come to care about.  These characters were no different and I grew to care for them at my own peril.  As soon as you start reading this book, you basically know that things may not turn out well for everyone.  In fact, just from reading the summary you can see that they are heading straight into the danger zone in the attempt to determine what actually happened to the Atargatis so long ago.  Cue the creepy horror music from here on out.  The author starts dropping hints from the very beginning that things may not go as planned.  It adds this layer of tension to the story that made for quite the reading experience.  I won't say too much more but the comparisons to horror movies should tell you all you need to know.  And yet again I say, killer mermaids folks.  This book was everything I wanted to read and didn't even know it!  I basically couldn't stop reading this book.  I ended up finishing it late in the night because I just needed to know how it was all going to end.  I was thrilled when after finishing I realized that it looked like this is going to be part of a series.  I can't wait to read more!  Also, there is a prequel that I need to check out as soon as possible because I just can't get enough of this world that Grant has created!

Overall, I can tell you that this book will easily be on my best reads of 2017 list!  It was such a great reading experience and just writing up my thoughts has me so excited to read everything else that Grant has written.  I've always wished that they would have made a movie (or movies) based off of the Newsflesh trilogy.  I have to say that this book would make an amazing horror movie as well!  I will always sing Grant's praises because her books are just that good!  The worlds that she creates are just so unique and complex - I just can't say enough good things about her or her books.  This book was dark, tense, and so flipping good that I can't even talk coherently about it.  I'm going to need a copy of this one for my own shelves for sure!  Highly, highly recommended!  Readers of horror, science fiction, everyone really....check this one out!

Bottom Line:  One of the best books that I have read in 2017!  I don't need to say more than that!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.       

A Twist of the Knife by Becky Masterman (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ex-FBI agent Brigid Quinn, now happily settled in Tucson, doesn’t go back to visit her family in Florida much. But her former partner Laura Coleman, whose life she has saved and who saved her life, is living there now. When Laura calls about a case that is not going well, Brigid doesn’t hesitate to get on a plane.

On leave from the Bureau, Laura has been volunteering for a legal group that is trying to prove the innocence of a man who is on death row for killing his family. Laura is firmly convinced that he didn’t do it, while Brigid isn’t so sure—but the date for his execution is coming up so quickly that she shares Laura’s fear that any evidence absolving him from the crime may come too late."

My Thoughts:

 I'm basically obsessed with this series at this point.  A few years back I received the second book for review - Fear the Darkness - and it was AMAZING!  I then read and also adored the first book in this series last year which is Rage Against the Dying.  Here we are with the third book and we have yet another winner.  This author can't write fast enough for me at this point!  The thing is it really doesn't feel like enough readers how found this author and these books.  They are so flipping good though so what a shame!  Or maybe I'm crazy and I'm just not following the bloggers who have read and loved this series as much as I have - that's entirely possible.  I'm getting completely off track though.  This book was yet another great addition to this series.  I said this before (maybe on Litsy?) but this wasn't even my favorite of the series and it is still WAY better than so many other books like it.  This author can write a tense and thrilling mystery like few others.  I loved this book (as I knew that I would) and flew through the pages.  My one and only complaint was that we didn't get to see as much of Carlos (Brigid's husband) as we have in previous books.  I really like this character so I missed him in this one.  

I love how in each of these books Masterman has created such a compelling mystery.  I always feel like I need to know what is going to happen next.  And I do mean need.  I can't ever seem to put these books down and this was no exception.  I have yet to figure out the mystery portion of the book on my own with these.  Am I babbling at this point?  I liked that we got to learn more about Brigid's family in this one.  The thing about this book that really stood out for me was that you never fully knew if you could trust Laura.  I love the unreliable narrator trope and although that wasn't the case here - it gave me the same feel which made this book an easy winner.  I also really liked the focus on the death penalty in this book.  This is definitely one of those issues that people have strong feelings on and it still made me think.  You've got to appreciate when a book does that for you while reading. 

Overall, this was another great addition to one of my very favorite mystery/thriller series.  I love, love, love these books.  It is hard to wait for each new book to release but completely worth the wait.  I can't say enough good things about it obviously.  I think that readers who enjoy Sharon Bolton should give this series a shot.  They are two of my favorites and authors that I can't recommend enough.  I flew through the pages of this book and already want more.  Before I forget- you don't have to read this series in order.  I didn't and it has still become a personal favorite.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A favorite of 2017.  Enough said!

Disclosure:  I checked this book out from my local library.

Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world."

My Thoughts:

 I absolutely loved everything about this book from the first page to the last.  Burn For Me was such a refreshingly great beginning to a new paranormal romance series and really left me excited about this series in general!  The characters, world that this author has created, and even all of the secondary characters are so original compared to other books out there in this genre.  Nevada's grandma works on armored vehicles for instance....how great is that??  I just couldn't get enough and didn't want to see this book end.  Nevada and Rogan are both such great main characters.  Rogan is dark, dangerous, and filled with all of this powerful magic inside of him.  Nevada is young, much lighter personality wise, and filled with all of this untapped potential.  They are just such a perfect match in my opinion!  The world that Andrews has created is filled with magic users with different abilities and levels of magic.  It is a dark, gritty world where powerful magical families rule, and I loved everything about it!

Sometimes I find that the books I love the most are the hardest to share my thoughts on.  All I want to say are things like "READ IT NOW!!!" and "No seriously, I really loved it!!!!" which works but only to a certain extent.  Why did I love it so much?  Because it was so different from many of the other paranormal books that I have read.  Because it has two amazingly great main characters who have this great romantic tension thing going on between them.  Because it was fast paced, hard to put down, and left me wanting the second book instantly upon finishing.  These are just a few of the reasons why I loved this book so much!

Obviously I loved this one and can't say enough good things about it.  I'm anxiously awaiting the second book (heck even the cover will be exciting at this point) and will be picking it as soon as it is available.  As this if officially one of my favorite authors I cannot recommend this book enough.  Don't be put off by the paranormal romance label if that isn't quite your thing.  Really to me this one reads much more like an urban fantasy and I think fans of both genres will enjoy.  Highly, highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A top ten read for 2014.  Enough said :)

Disclosure:  I checked out a copy of this book from my local library.  Thoughts are my own.

Fear The Darkness by Becky Masterman (thoughts)

Books like this are why I read and adore books as much as I do! This book had the best beginning that I've read in a long time....one that instantly had me hooked.  Happily enough the book didn't let up from there, and I was in for an intense ride from beginning to end.  It's pretty early to say but there is a very good chance that this book will end up on my best of list for this year.  It was just that good!

In this book, retired FBI agent Brigid Quinn is thrown a curveball when she takes in her niece to live with her before she goes off to college.  Almost from the very beginning things start going awry as Brigid is pulled into investigating the death of a young man whom was part of the youth group that her niece joins.  It was believed to be a suicide at the time but the mother of the boy just can't let his death go.  Brigid agrees to investigate in hopes of getting some closure for the family but soon finds herself in danger and unsure of who to trust.  Will she be able to figure out what is going on before it becomes too late??

I tried to keep the summary for this book as vague as possible because there is just so much that I didn't want to give away.  This is a book that keeps the pages turning without you even realizing it.  It is a book that pulled me as the reader:  I couldn't figure out what was going on and that meant that I just couldn't set this book down.  It was a completely intense reading experience!  I wish I could explain more but I really don't want to give anything away.  This book is filled with all of these questions and intense moments.  Brigid becomes an unreliable narrator at times but without meaning to be (which is one of my favorite things).   As the reader, I could never fully trust what was going on which knocked the suspense level up even higher!  I'm being deliberately vague here just because I think that this book will be enjoyed even more if you know little to nothing about it when you read it for yourselves.  I can tell you that it made my reading experience that much more enjoyable! 

How refreshing it was to read about a main character that was older and more established!  So many books have main characters that are younger so it was a great change of pace to have a character that wasn't just beginning her life/career.  Brigid is one of those characters that left me intrigued.  I feel like there is so much more to her that we will learn about in future books.  I can't wait!  She has secrets and a past that I'm hoping we will hear about.  There is just something very mysterious about her at times that reminded me of one of my other favorite mystery characters Lacey Flint.  There are times that I didn't fully understand Brigid's motivations...yet another thing that added to the thick layer of suspense in this book.  I could keep gushing but really I just have nothing but good things to say about this book.  And the ending was phenomenal!  When I finally realized what was going on and the way the author ties the beginning of the book to the end was just perfection!  I cannot wait to read this author's other book!!!

Overall, I loved this book to pieces and can't think of one criticism.  I want more books just like this in my life!!!  I really cannot say enough good things about this book.  Filled with layers, questions, and suspense....this is exactly how a thriller should be!  Also, in case you were wondering it didn't effect my reading experience at all that I was starting with the second book in the series.  I am super excited to see that I have another book by this author to look forward to which I've already put on hold at the library.  I will be recommending this one to just about everybody.  Mystery lovers and thriller fans though, this is one that shouldn't be missed!  Highly recommended!!!

Bottom Line:  One of the best thrillers that I have read in a long time!  Wow!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and as part of a Shelf Awareness giveaway!  My thanks for the chance to read it!

A Share in Death and All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie (thoughts)

Starting a new mystery series, A Share in Death begins when Duncan Kincaid goes on vacation but finds himself caught up in a murder investigation.  Superintendent for the Scotland Yard, Kincaid is a trained investigator that just cannot let this unexplained death go unanswered when a body is found at the house where he is vacationing.  As the only suspects are the other guests staying at the timeshare house, he soon finds many more questions than answers.  It will be up to his persistence and investigative skills to find out who the killer is in their midst.

I absolutely adored this book for so many reasons which means that I have found yet another new mystery series to follow this year.  Very reminiscent of some of my favorite Agatha Christie novels, I loved how the author led me to suspect everyone and anyone.  This was a true whodunnit in the best sense!  I will admit that I pretty much suspected all of the guests at one point or another (except the children of course) and didn't figure out the real killer until the very end.  It was one of those mysteries that just sucks you in and pulls you along for the ride.  I loved it!  I loved the questioning atmosphere the author created, the way that I was constantly looking for clues, and all of the different layers that turned this book from a good one into a great read!  I knew instantly after finishing this book, that I was in for a real treat with this series, and that I would be reading more soon. 

Overall, it is books like this that are why I read (and am such a mystery fan!).  I really loved this one and thought that it was a great beginning to this series.  I'm just wondering why it took me so long to try it!  I have many more books to look forward to which makes it all better.  Highly recommended but especially to those other mystery lovers!

All Shall Be Well is the second book and begins with the death of Duncan Kincaid's neighbor Jasmine Dent.  Jasmine was terminally ill so her passing isn't unexpected but it does raise a few questions for Kincaid's inquisitive mind.  Especially when a close acquaintance of Jasmine reveals that the dead woman had considered self termination.  Duncan finds that he can't let the questions he has rest and begins to investigate.  He soon finds that the woman he thought he knew so well had many more secrets than he could have ever expected.

This book was completely different than the previous one but it worked really well for me.  In this novel the question for the majority of the book is if Jasmine's death was actually a murder or suicide.  The author yet again does an amazing job of casting suspicion on all of the characters (besides Kincaid of course).  I basically fell for it all as I never really suspected the actual killer until the end of the book.  Again!  That hardly ever happens but made for such a pleasant change of pace.  This author is two for two when it comes to me not figuring out the killer's identity.  What I really liked about this book though was the interactions between Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James who is Kincaid's assistant.  They work really well together and it is enjoyable to "watch" them as the investigation progresses.  There is a chemistry there that makes me wonder if in the future we might see them delve into a different kind of relationship.  I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next book. 

Overall, this was just as good of a read as the first book and has cemented my love for this mystery series.  It is almost difficult for me to share my thoughts on these books as all I want to say are things like" READ THEM NOW!" Ha!  But seriously, this author has moved on to my must read list and I've only read two of her books so that should tell you something.  Yet again, highly recommended to mystery fans!

Final thoughts for these two book basically adds up to more gushing and praise so I will leave it at that.  For those of you that have already found this author's books, are there other similar authors that I should be reading?  I am acutely aware that I have been missing out until now by not giving this author a try sooner.  What other mystery authors can't be missed?  Do share!

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (thoughts)

The Cuckoo's Calling is one of those mysteries that slowly draws you into its' pages.  I found myself caught up within the mystery quite easily which meant that I had a hard time setting this chunkster down.  My wrists were sore from holding the book by the end but it was definitely worth it.  I think that the question that is present throughout most of the book of whether a murder has really taken place or not made this book that much better for me.  Because it really always isn't as cut and dry as some books make it, and this questioning atmosphere really added to the suspense in my opinion.  Let me explain with a give you a quick summary before I go any further.

In this book, Cormoran Strike has basically hit rock bottom.  He is in a great deal of debt, doesn't have any clients but one, and is now living out of his office thanks to breaking up with his long time girlfriend/fiancee.  Enter John Bristow who comes to Strike looking for him to investigate the death of his sister, a famous model that is believed to have jumped to her death.  John refuses to admit to the possibility that this troubled woman might have committed suicide but instead insists that it must have been murder.  Against Strike's better intentions, he agrees to look into Lula Landry's death for Bristow.  Strike begins to find more questions than answers even though almost everyone that he meets believes that she killed herself.  Will Strike be able to figure out the truth behind this tragedy?

This book was on my radar even before I heard that J.K. Rowling had written it.  Then I heard that Rowling was using a pseudonym and Galbraith was really her...and you get the picture here, right?  Instantly this book skyrocketed to my TBR list just because.  Where it just sat because sometimes when you love an author's books so much you begin to wait for that one book that is going to break the spell.  Or at least I do that which is a really bad habit.  Although this book was completely different from the Harry Potter series in every way possible, it was such a good book that manages to stand on its' own merit quite well.  I found myself immersed in this book in the best possible way.  It made me realize (yet again) that I just do not read enough chunky books.  As an avid reader sometimes I find that I stay away from these longer reads just because I don't want to commit to them.  It is definitely my loss because books like this are why I should be reading longer books!  Galbraith's attention to details builds the atmosphere and storyline in a way that just draws the reader in.  I loved that I was constantly trying to figure out if a murder had really happened or not.  Comoran doesn't give a lot away in regards to his emotions and it helped to really keep me guessing.  Did he think that John Bristow was just in denial or did he really think that somebody had committed cold blooded murder?  I spent half of the book just trying to figure out the answer to that exact question. 

While the book slowly swept me into it, it was the characters that really made this book a great read.  I loved Comoran's character from almost the very beginning of this book.  He is just such a great character- unapologetic, imperfect, and yet someone that you are almost instantly drawn to.  I felt like he was a real person by the end of the book.  The storyline took its' time building up but really managed to blow me away at the end.  I mean, what?!?!  I totally didn't figure out any part of the ending whatsoever.  And that is all I'm going to tell you so that I don't spoil anything.  This was a great beginning to a new mystery series that I cannot wait to read more of!  Bring on more Comoran Strike!

Overall, this is very likely going on my top reads list for the year!  I just really enjoyed my entire reading experience and was sad to see the book end.  The only bright spot is knowing that the second book has already released so that I don't have a long wait for book two.  I'm eager to see what other kinds of trouble that Comoran can get himself into.  This mystery series is a long ways away from my Harry Potter addiction but the best part is that I can love them both for their differences.  Besides, it makes me wonder what else J.K. Rowling can possibly have in store for us readers....the possibilities are endless and super exciting!  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A mystery series that became an instant favorite!

Disclosure:  I checked this book out from the library...I want it for my own shelves though!

The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"When she’s not digging up bones or other ancient objects, quirky, tart-tongued archaeologist Ruth Galloway lives happily alone in a remote area called Saltmarsh near Norfolk, land that was sacred to its Iron Age inhabitants - not quite earth, not quite sea.

When a child’s bones are found on a desolate beach nearby, Detective Chief Inspector Harry Nelson calls Galloway for help. Nelson thinks he has found the remains of Lucy Downey, a little girl who went missing ten years ago. Since her disappearance he has been receiving bizarre letters about her, letters with references to ritual and sacrifice."

My Thoughts:

I waited entirely too long to finally give this series a try!  This book is one of the reasons that I have been reading so many mysteries this year.  (This and finding the Amelia Peabody series again of course!)  I really enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons but the main one was Ruth.  I'm finding that I am drawn to mysteries with strong female lead characters.  Ruth just comes across as such an independent woman but she is written in a way that makes her easy to identify with.  I really liked that about her!  In fact, there was just something about her character that I really liked. 

In this book, Ruth finds herself caught up in the mystery of a missing girl.  The little girl has been missing for years but some bones found near where Ruth lives are thought to possibly be the young girl's.  From there, Ruth becomes drawn into the mystery of what happened all those years ago.  The mystery in this book is quite intriguing.  I found myself wrapped up in trying to figure out what happened to little Lucy.  The questions were all there.  Could Lucy possibly still be alive?  Were the bones found hers?  I was completely caught up in the mystery which meant that I flew through the pages of this book.  This was one of those reads where you just had to see how it was all going to end.  I'll admit that I guessed part of the mystery but happily enough I was never sure until the very end that I was right.

The setting of the story was one of my favorite things about this book.  The author managed to make me feel like I was there on the salt marshes with Ruth.  I loved the desolate feeling that she created...it permeated the pages of this book and gave it a darker touch.  I also really enjoyed learning more about archeology thanks to Ruth's profession.  The author included little details throughout the book that just gave the reader a taste of history.  It really made this book so much more enjoyable in my opinion.  The ending of this book was very intense!  There was a certain point where I just could not put this book down.  And then the author did the unexpected but I won't give that away.  Just know that I set this book down VERY excited to read the second one.

Overall, I loved this one and am so glad that I finally gave this series a try!  The mystery was great but the best parts of the book for me were the main character and setting.  I'm eager to continue on with this series but especially after the author left off with such a surprising ending.  I need more books like this (and series) in my reading life!  I would highly, highly recommend this book to my mystery loving friends!  As for me, I'm off to get my hands on book two :)

Bottom Line:  A thrilling beginning to this mystery series and a book that I couldn't get enough of!

Disclosure:  Checked out from my local library. 

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (thoughts)

I adored this book!  In fact, I found myself so completely enthralled in the pages of this novel that I couldn't get anything accomplished while reading it.  The author did such an amazing job with the atmosphere in this book!  It was super creepy and was perfect for a cold winter night.  This book literally gave me the chills at certain points!  I had this book on my most anticipated reads list for 2014 and it certainly didn't disappoint!

This book tells two stories in one:  the story of Sara Harrison Shea who died under mysterious circumstances in 1908 and the story of Ruthie and her family who now live in Sara's old farmhouse.  When Ruthie's mom goes missing it will be up to Ruthie to figure out both the mystery of her mother's disappearance and the mystery of what happened to Sara all those years ago. 

McMahon does a marvelous job of intertwining those two storylines in a way that makes the reader not want to stop reading.  I just had to keep reading because I needed to see what was going to happen next!  And the atmosphere!  This book had this dark creepy tension feel to it that just wouldn't let up.  But my favorite part of the book was the isolated feel that the author created.  She used the snowstorms, the farmhouse, and the two storylines to create this layer of isolation for the characters from the outside world.  It felt like a living, breathing part of the story itself.  I loved it!  When you have two different stories being told, chances are that the reader will prefer one over the other.  Myself, I preferred Ruthie's story as I wanted her to find her mother.  Sara's story was really interesting though because it had hints of the supernatural.  In fact, the author also did a really nice job of taking those hints and managing them in a way that made them almost believable.  Which was quite horrifying when you think about it!  (Those that have already read the book will understand what I mean).  The ending was done quite nicely and while I didn't get all of the resolution that I wanted, I was left feeling satisfied.  Because sometimes it is best to be left guessing, and there were some threads to this book that definitely left me in the dark. 

Books like this are why I adore reading so much.  I am hard pressed to come up with a single complaint for this book so I just won't.  Instead, I will continue to gush because it was that good and this author is fast becoming one of my favorites.  It is early in the year to say this but I'm guessing it will be one of my favorites for the year.  And considering that I'm still thinking about it after finishing it a few weeks ago tells you how good this book really is!  Highly, highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A book brimming over with atmosphere and creepy tension that kept me caught up within its' pages!

Disclosure:  I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book for review from the publisher courtesy of NetGalley.  Thoughts are my own!