The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ragnar Jonasson burst onto the American scene with Snowblind and Nightblind, the first two novels in the Dark Iceland series, and the praise was overwhelming. Now he launches a new series featuring a completely new sleuth, Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir of the Reykjavik Police department.

When a young woman, an asylum seeker from Russia, is found murdered on the seaweed covered rocks of Iceland, Hulda starts to ask questions. But it isn't long before she realizes that no one wants her to investigate this murder. She eventually must decide whether solving this case is worth losing her life."

My Thoughts:

The Darkness was an atmospheric, quiet thriller that has started off a series that I cannot wait to read more of!  Hulda is dealing with a lot of change in her life.  She is basically being forced into retirement but is allowed to investigate one last case of her choosing.  Hulda chooses to investigate the case of a young woman who came to Iceland seeking asylum but instead lost her life.  As the pages go on, the author also starts to share pieces of Hulda's past with us.  I was so intrigued as these little tidbits definitely hinted at a dark and troubled past.  I took my time with this book and just really immersed myself within it.  It was the perfect winter read and the author did an amazing job of conveying Iceland's beauty.  I would love to visit there someday!  This book made me a bit sad though as Hulda's struggle with retirement and what to do with the rest of her life just was a bit heartbreaking to read about.  That being said - I enjoyed my time with this book immensely.  And I'm going to get just slightly spoiler-ey here but that ending!  I honestly can say that I did not see it coming whatsoever.  It was such a bold move and one I would love to discuss with other readers!  Who else has read this book?  

Overall, I am so glad that I decided to read this book because it was the perfect read for this time of year!  This book isn't a book to rush through in my opinion but instead is one to just savor and enjoy.  I enjoyed Hulda's character so much and am curious to see where the author goes next with this series.  I will definitely be there for book two!!  I think that fans of mystery and suspense will enjoy this book.  I don't read a ton of translated fiction but books like this really make me want to read more.  I need to catch up and read more authors and books just like this, that's for sure!  This is an easy book to recommend!

Bottom Line:  An atmospheric mystery that left me pining for the next book!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.  Thoughts are my own!

It's A Charmed Life (The Grimm Chronicles) by Selene Charles (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Welcome to a world of fantasy, fairy tales, and murder most foul... 

My name's Elle. Princess Arielle, for those who know about my past. Cursed by my own father, now I'm banished to Grimm. I'm a siren, killer, and one of the best damned cold-case detectives in all of the bloody realms. I don't stop until I discover the truth, no matter where that truth leads.

My next case sends me to Wonderland, a harrowing place of madness and dark secrets. I'd rather be landlocked than step foot on that tainted soil, but I don't have a choice after discovering Alice's bloodstained ribbon and a bandicoot's claw covered in blood beside two stiff's at the Charming's sprawling castle. My insatiable thirst for truth leads to a conspiracy that will not only rock the Grimm world but also my own.

No one ever walks away from Wonderland unscathed... No one."

My Thoughts:

I am so, so excited to have found this series and to have read this book!  I picked this one up thanks to reading another blogger that I trust's thoughts on the second book (I believe), and was just so intrigued by the sound of it.  I instantly downloaded a copy to my kindle and didn't look back.  This was such a fun read but it's going to be kind of hard for me to describe.  Take all of the fairy tale characters (and even worlds) that you know and love, then twist them into something different, darker, and edgier.  That's basically the best way that I can describe this book.  Let me just tell you that I loved every minute of it!  Our main character is Elle - or Arielle from the Little Mermaid (kinda sorta) if you are keeping track - but in this book she is basically a badass detective who has been banished from her kingdom for unknown reasons.  She has to go Wonderland during her current investigation which is a dark and dangerous place.  There's even the Mad Hatter and the Hare except the Hatter is a handsome investigator for Wonderland who has visions of the future and past.  I could keep going but I'm sure you get the point by now.  Nothing is as you expect it might be, and one of the best things about this book was just seeing what this author did with all of the fairy tale characters.  She created her own world with some of these well known but albeit very different characters.  And I just could not get enough of it!!  I plowed through the pages of this book and enjoyed every minute of it!  I just had to see how everything was going to turn out!  There is quite the chemistry between Elle and Hatter which I'm looking forward to seeing continued on in future books (I hope!).  I don't know what else to say besides read this one!  It's SO good!

Overall, I obviously enjoyed myself immensely while reading this book.  I've actually already started reading the second book in the series because I just needed more time with these characters and this world.  The only downside is that I'm going to have to wait for book three (please say there is going to be a book three).  Luckily, it does look like this author has other series that I can check out to tide me over.  Fair warning that the author ties up the ending of this book perfectly....but....she gives you a hook that makes you instantly want to jump into the next book.  Which I obviously did!  I would recommend this book to fans of the paranormal, urban fantasy, and fairy tales in general.  Half of the fun is just seeing the different characters and aspects that she incorporates into the story!  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  This was honestly such a great beginning to this new series that I couldn't get enough!

Disclosure:  I read my copy of this book thanks to my Kindle Unlimited membership.  Thoughts are my own!

False Accusations by Cora Harrison (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"The Summer of 1991 

Nothing unusual ever happens in the sleepy village of Willowgrove. 

Which is why everyone is shocked to their core when a local woman – Mrs Trevor – is murdered. 

Her daughter, Rosie confesses to the crime. 

But Rosie has learning difficulties, and Flora Morgan – a former headteacher trained to help those who can’t represent themselves – is called in to assist. 

Flora has known Rosie for years. And Rosie wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

So what made her confess? Why would she lie?And if she didn’t kill Mrs Trevor, who did…? 

Flora must get to the heart of the mystery before innocence is proven guilty … 

FALSE ACCUSATIONS is the first in a new cozy mystery series by acclaimed author Cora Harrison - a private investigation featuring a woman sleuth set in a traditional British rural village. "

My Thoughts:

False Accusations was an enjoyable beginning to a cozy mystery series that I'm looking forward to reading more of.  I've had this author and her books on my radar for awhile now so I basically jumped at the chance to read this one.  What made this book unique was the set up where Flora is a former schoolteacher but has now taken on the role of assisting and helping those individuals who cannot represent themselves with the law.  This actually gave her a valid role in investigating this mystery as she was looking out for her charge Rosie's best interests.  The entire time that Flora was investigating and trying to prove Rosie's innocence, I had these questions in the back of my mind to if Rosie really had done it.  There were these certain moments where she acted so guilty that I didn't know how Flora would ever be able to prove that she didn't kill her own mother.  It really turned into a suspenseful read for me.  My favorite parts of the book though featured Flora's dog (whose name now escapes me).  He was an energetic German Shepard that she was trying to teach obedience too unsuccessfully.  We actually have a female German Shepard who isn't quite two yet but has very similar characteristics.  I just found those parts relatable and endearing to read about.  The mystery portion was done well and I found myself surprised by the ending.  What more can you really ask for?  

Overall, this was a good beginning to this new cozy mystery series.  I definitely plan on reading more!  It was suspenseful and had me guessing for the majority of the book.  I did find it a bit on the slower side at times but for the most part that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.  I would think that fans of cozy mysteries and mysteries in general will enjoy this book.  I kind of want to compare if to M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series (which reminds me of yet another series that I need to get back to and read more of).  Recommended!

Bottom Line: A solid start to a new cozy mystery series that I will be following!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Thoughts are my own.

Splinter in the Blood by Ashley Dyer (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"After months of hunting a cold-blooded murderer that the press has dubbed the Thorn Killer, Detective Greg Carver is shot in his own home. His trusted partner, Ruth Lake, is alone with him. Yet instead of calling for help, she’s rearranged the crime scene and wiped the room clean of prints.

But Carver isn’t dead.

Awakening in the hospital, Carver has no memory of being shot, but is certain that his assailant is the Thorn Killer. Though there’s no evidence to support his claim, Carver insists the attack is retaliation, an attempt to scare the detective off the psychopath’s scent, because he’s getting too close. Trapped in a hospital bed and still very weak, Carver’s obsession grows. He’s desperate to get back to work and finally nail the bastard, before more innocent blood is spilled.

One person knows the truth and she’s not telling. She’s also now leading the Thorn Killer investigation while Carver recuperates. It doesn’t matter that Carver and the rest of the force are counting on her, and that more victims’ lives at stake. Ruth is keeping a deadly secret, and she’ll cross every line—sacrificing her colleagues, her career, and maybe even her own life—to keep it from surfacing."

My Thoughts:

How could I not want to read this book after that synopsis?  I mean seriously - I felt like this book summary was written with my tastes in mind.  Dark, secretive main character where you don't know their true intentions?  Check.  Possibly unreliable main character with memory issues?  Check.  Page turning mystery where you don't fully know who to trust or what is going on?  Check, check, check.  I was sold on reading this one as soon as I read the above and it was just as good as I had hoped it would be!  This is just the type of thrilling mystery that I can't get enough of!  I was immediately intrigued from the very first page.  What actually happened to Greg Carver that night?  Why did Ruth compromise the crime scene and what is she hiding?  Those questions alone kept me reading and turning the pages as fast as I could.  It was just such a tangled mystery and I couldn't get enough!  Ruth was such a great main character to read about as I'm a sucker for a main character with a secretive nature.  It just always seems to add to the suspense and tension in the book when you don't fully know the motivations behind the main character and their actions.  The mystery portion of this book was very well done and kept me guessing until the very end.  I found the last 100 or so pages made the book unputdownable for me (no that's not a real word but it feels like it should be).  I could not stop reading and really didn't want to!  I'm super excited that this looks to be the beginning a series!  Bring on the next book please!

Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this book and am left really excited about this being the beginning to a new series!  There was just something so completely immersive about this book and my reading experience with it.  I couldn't stop reading and really didn't want to!  I found myself trying to figure out what was going on and why the entire time that I was reading.  I wasn't successful which made for a very page turning read!  I'm really excited to see what these authors come up with next!  I think that readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers should give this book a try!  I can easily recommend it and really want more book just like this one!  It felt like it was written for me and my reading tastes so what else could I possibly want?  

Bottom Line:  A page turner that left me pining to read more!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher.  Thoughts are my own.

Unsub by Meg Gardiner (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB—what the FBI calls an unknown subject—the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case.

The Prophet’s cryptic messages and mind games drove Detective Mack Hendrix to the brink of madness, and Mack’s failure to solve the series of ritualized murders—eleven seemingly unconnected victims left with the ancient sign for Mercury etched into their flesh—was the final nail in the coffin for a once promising career.

Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet. Caitlin Hendrix has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession.

Determined to decipher his twisted messages and stop the carnage, Caitlin ignores her father’s warnings as she draws closer to the killer with each new gruesome murder. Is it a copycat, or can this really be the same Prophet who haunted her childhood? Will Caitlin avoid repeating her father’s mistakes and redeem her family name, or will chasing the Prophet drag her and everyone she loves into the depths of the abyss?"

My Thoughts:

I requested this one from the library after hearing so many good things about this author and this series.  It had been on my radar but it was the comparison to Criminal Minds (a television show I enjoy) that bumped this one to the top of my TBR list.  I can honestly say that this book was just as enjoyable as I had hoped it would be!  From the very beginning, Caitlin is pulled into the hunt for a serial killer - the same one that her  father was hunting when she was a young girl.  This book starts off fast paced and that pace doesn't stop until the very last page.  Like I was seriously reading so fast that there were times that I had to go back and reread.  There was this constant layer of fear and tension that the author created in this book.  It had me unable to put this book down as I just needed to see how it would all end.  It was intense, dark, and twisted - just everything that I enjoy from a good thriller.  I really enjoyed how while reading this book I never knew what going to happen next.  I was just along for the ride and I enjoyed every minute of it!  It's funny because this author has been on my radar for awhile now but I'm just now finally giving her books a try.  This was a great book to start with and has me really excited for the next book in this series!  I really don't want to give you too many details as this is a book to experience for yourself.  I'll leave you with a READ THIS BOOK recommendation!   

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book and am super excited about this series.  I almost brought the second book home from the library with me the other day but I wasn't ready to be completely caught up with this series yet.  I'm so weird like that.  I don't think that I'll be able to hold out for very long though since I enjoyed this first book so much!  I can't say enough good things about this book though which should tell you how much I enjoyed it.  I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers and mysteries.  Be warned that it is dark and if that isn't your type of read, you might want to pass on this one.  This is exactly the type of book I enjoy though so I couldn't get enough of it!  I love when I find a book that I can't put down and has me unable to stop reading.  I also adore when that same book gives me creepy vibes as well.  I would highly recommend this one for just those reasons alone!

Bottom Line:  A tense and thrilling read that I couldn't get enough of!

Disclosure:  I read this book courtesy of my local public library!

The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn’t for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die.

In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig “Vig” Rundstöm has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life—but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. With wings. So not the Marines.

But Vig can’t give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera’s discipline, Vig’s loyalty… and the Crows’ sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble."

My Thoughts:

I've been meaning to read this book for awhile now but it was hearing about it on the Smart Podcast, Trashy Books podcast that helped me to make it my next read.  I was in the mood for a fun romance and this book definitely fit the bill.  It is probably one of the most unique beginnings to a paranormal romance series that I've ever read.  Kera wakes up to find herself to have become a crow - basically she is now part of this group of strong females that have special strengths and abilities.  They are almost like warriors for a god - at least that's the best way that I can describe them.  How wonderful to find a book that focuses on female relationships like this one does!  That being said - my one and only complaint with this book was that at times it was hard to keep track of all of the characters.  There are just so many of them!  I'm sure that as the series goes on I will become more and more familiar with all of the characters but I did find it a bit overwhelming at times.  Enough on that though!  I absolutely breezed through the pages of this book!  It was such a fun read and it had me giggling at times.  Especially at the beginning where Kera explains more of how she first met/what she first thought of Vig.  It's pretty great but I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say any more than that.  I found that I especially enjoyed the relationship between Kera and Vig.  He helped her in so many different ways to adjust to her new life and I adored him for that alone.  Plus there are some nice steamy scenes between the two of them and I couldn't help but root for their happy ever after!  This book was very fast paced and I raced through the ending because I couldn't stop reading.  We don't get full closure since this is just the beginning of this series but it was wrapped up enough to feel satisfying.  I'll still be reading the second book sooner rather than later though!

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with this book and am excited to have finally given this author a try.  I was bummed at first to see that there are currently only three books in this series but Laurenston has other series and books that I can read as well.  I just enjoyed this book so much so I want tons more just like it!  I also really appreciated that the crows are all women of mixed heritages and races!  Yet another thing that I just loved about this book.  I'm so eager to read more in this series because of all of this.  There are just so many great things about this book that have me so excited to read more in this series.  I would highly recommend this book to other readers of romance, paranormal romance, and even urban fantasy.  I will be picking up that second book as soon as possible!  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  I thought that this was a really great beginning to this unique paranormal romance series!

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

A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.

Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel."

My Thoughts:

A Whisper of Bones is one of those books that I was intrigued by from the very beginning.  With a great cover and a unique summary, I just couldn't help wanting to read this one.  The idea of a woman remembering a little boy from her childhood only to be told that he doesn't exist was too much for me to resist.  I just knew that I had to read it despite the fact that this is book #25 in this long standing mystery series.  Happily enough, it didn't matter in the slightest that I hadn't read the previous books as I found myself sucked into this book with ease.  The thing that I really liked about this book was the mystery portion and how unexpected that it all was.  Jane is hired basically to determine if Timmy is real or not.  That alone had me reading without stopping because I just couldn't figure out how she was going to be able to do that.  Then the bones were found in the garage and I was seriously hooked.  This book also featured some interesting secondary characters that I enjoyed reading about.  I'm sure that without having read the previous books I'm missing some back stories there but it didn't detract from my reading experience in the slightest.  Instead it just made me go and the first book to my TBR list to read soon.  I really enjoyed my time with this book and found that I didn't want to stop reading.  I loved the way this book wrapped up but I won't tell you much more than that so I don't spoil anything.  I just found it to be perfectly tied up and it left me excited to read more from this series!

Overall, I found this book to be a really great mystery and a series that I want to read more of.  I find it so surprising that I hadn't heard of this author until now but I'm glad that I found her books.  I'm looking forward to picking up book one in the very near future.  I do love that I have so many books to look forward to!  Readers that are looking for diverse characters - this book features a main character who is LGTBQ.  I thought it was worth mentioning because so many readers are really trying to expand their reading in ways like this - I know that I am!  If you are looking for a unique mystery, I would definitely recommend this book!  I think that this series is considered to be a cozy mystery series but I'm really not for sure on that.  All I can say is that I really enjoyed it and can't wait to read more!  Mystery, suspense, and cozy mystery fans alike should give this book and series a shot!

Bottom Line:  An enjoyable mystery that left me excited to read more from this series!

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

 A Whisper of Bones releases today February 27th if you are interested!

Escape to You (Montana Heat) by Jennifer Ryan (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"He discovered her during a Montana blizzard, freezing cold, impossibly vulnerable, a little boy by her side. Undercover DEA Agent Beck “Trigger” Cooke is astonished to recognize Ashley Swan—award-winning actress, famous beauty—and missing for over a year. To keep her and the child hidden from a sadistic madman, he secrets the pair away to his isolated home.

No longer a prisoner, and protected at Hope Ranch, Ashley recovers and learns the tall, tempting federal agent may have a dark past, but it hasn’t destroyed his sense of honor.

As they shed past roles and find common ground, Ashley and Trigger can’t help but fall slowly, carefully, in love. But danger still lurks outside the boundaries of Hope Ranch, for until her crazed captor is brought to justice, and Trigger’s undercover past is laid to rest, none of them will ever be truly safe…"

My Thoughts:

My feelings for this book were kinda all over the place so my apologies ahead of time if my review is all over the place as well.  I wanted to love this book, I really did.  The summary sounded right up my alley, and as I love a good romantic suspense I was really looking forward to this one.  The suspense portions of this book were super good and were what made this such a fast read.  This author has created such a creepy "bad guy" and the idea of him finding Ashley again gave me chills.  I honestly feel like if this just had been a suspense/mystery read I probably would have given the book four stars.  That's how much I liked those portions of this book.  What I just couldn't get behind though was the insta-love between Ashley and Trigger.  I never connected to them as a couple even when I really wanted to.  It wasn't that I didn't like them together because I actually did.  I just didn't find their relationship believable in how instantly they came together and fell in love.  After everything that Ashley went through, you would think it would take time for her to trust another man let alone fall in love.  And from reading that above summary, I totally thought that was how it was going to happen.  Honestly, this could be a "it's not you, it's me" type of thing.  I don't usually care for insta-love romances in general.  I much prefer the slow burns where the couple have to really get to know each and build a relationship instead.  For me, Ashley and Trigger's relationship didn't add to my enjoyment of this book which is why this book is only a three star read for me.

All of that being said, I really do want to read more by this author.  I've heard from other readers that this wasn't their favorite book as well so maybe I just picked the wrong one to begin with.  I could definitely get behind the suspense and tense atmosphere that the author created with this book though!  It had me thoroughly creeped out at times - especially at the beginning before Ashley makes her escape.  I also really loved the snowstorm setting in this book!  I felt like this was the perfect time of year to pick this book up even if I didn't love it as much as I had hoped to.  I'm going to recommend this one but with hesitations.  If you don't mind relationships between characters that develop almost instantly, this is a book that you will probably enjoy more than I did.  For me, I will check out some of this author's other books instead.

Bottom Line:  A romantic suspense read that was better for me on the suspense portion, less so on the actual romance.

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

Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below stairs when her young Irish assistant is murdered.

Intent on discovering who killed the helpless kitchen maid, Kat turns to the ever-capable Daniel McAdam, who is certainly much more than the charming delivery man he pretends to be. Along with the assistance of Lord Rankin’s unconventional sister-in-law and a mathematical genius, Kat and Daniel discover that the household murder was the barest tip of a plot rife with danger and treason—one that’s a threat to Queen Victoria herself."

 My Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading this book so much and am now so excited about this new series!  I basically read the above description and just knew that I had to get my hands on this book.  It was one of those reads that sounded totally up my alley and after finishing I can tell you that it really was.  One of my absolute favorite things about this book was reading about Kat's cooking and everything that she put into it.  I love a good mystery that features food as you probably already know by now.  But this book stood out for me because it was set in a day and age where everything is prepared differently along with different types of foods than what we eat nowadays.  I adored reading about Kat making these different meals and honestly I loved those parts of the books most.  What I also enjoyed though was the relationship that Daniel and Kat had.  It was unique to say the least and the banter between the two of them was something that I just couldn't get enough of.  I'm really excited to read future books in this series and see where their relationship goes from here!  The mystery portion of this book was also well done and left me guessing.  I really don't have a single negative thing to say about this book as I enjoyed it so much!  

Overall after finishing this book, I was absolutely thrilled to find that book two in this series will be releasing later this year!  I just cannot wait to see what kind of trouble Kat finds herself in next!  There is nothing better than not having to wait ages for the next book in a favorite series.  And if the next book is as good as this one was, this series will definitely be added to my must read favorites list!  I think that fans of mysteries and cozies alike will enjoy this book.  If you've read and enjoyed Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (which now saying that makes me want to get back to that series - or maybe reread book 1) then I really think that you will enjoy this book as well.  They aren't the same by any means but have enough similarities that I think if you enjoyed one, you would definitely enjoy the other.  I can easily recommend this book and now begins the wait for book two!

Bottom Line:  A great beginning to this new mystery series!  I can't get enough of these characters!

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

The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She's an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he's washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them...with a killer who can't let go."

My Thoughts:
  
The Vanishing Season was a thrilling read that left me really excited to read more by this author.  It was also a much darker mystery than I expected which I enjoyed.  I don't know why that I thought it was going to be closer to a cozy mystery but that definitely wasn't the case!  Instead, this book was filled with suspense and had me reading late into the night.  In this book, Ellery is investigating the disappearances of three different individuals who she believes are now dead and possibly the victims of a serial killer.  She has no proof though and no one will listen which is why she then turns to Reed Markham, the agent that saved her when she was younger from a serial killer.  That's enough right there to get things started, and to get me as the reader turning the pages.  I loved that I was instantly caught up within the pages of this mystery.  What happened to Ellery when she was a young girl was horrifying but she has basically hidden her past from everyone that is in her life now.  Those secrets though are about to brought into the open as someone else is about to go missing.  I felt like this added such a different layer of tension to the book because as the reader you are just waiting to see when her past will be revealed.  

I also really enjoyed the fact that because Ellery kept her past hidden from others that there is a layer of mistrust of her intentions present.  I'm trying not to say too much but you are led to wonder on if she is right that there is a serial killer at work or if there are other reasons behind her pushing for these investigations.  I won't say more than that though!  I really enjoyed both Ellery and Reed as main characters - I would love if this was just the beginning of a new mystery series focusing on them!  They are both so damaged but in different ways.  I just couldn't get enough of either of them.  The ending was intense and unexpected - I didn't figure out who the killer was until I was supposed to.  At that point I found myself unable to stop reading as I just needed to see how it would all end.  I was left wanting more from these characters, more from this story.....but all in a good way as I just wasn't ready to see the book end.  I can easily say that this is an author that I will be watching and reading more of!

Overall I really, really enjoyed my reading experience with this book!  It was dark, creepy, and thrilling - everything that I enjoy in a great mystery read!  I really couldn't get enough of it which should be apparent in my review.  Ha!  I would say that I flew through the pages but I read it on my e-reader so should I say I swiped through the pages as past as I could?  LOL!  Honestly it was a really great mystery and I'm so glad that I had the chance to read it.  I will be reading whatever this author writes next since I enjoyed this one so much!  I would recommend this one to fans of mysteries and thrillers alike.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A really great mystery that I couldn't put down!

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

The Vanishing Season just released on December 5th if you want to check it out now!

  

Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Five years ago, a shocking and bloody crime left Detective Inspector Marnie Rome’s parents dead. Not even her partner, Detective Sergeant Noah Jake, knows much about Marnie’s past. Though as one of the few gay officers on the force, Noah’s not one to over-share about his private life either.

By chance, Marnie and Noah are at the domestic violence shelter when Hope Proctor stabs her husband, Leo. It should be an open and shut case of self-defense, but none of the eight witnesses tells quite the same story. And the question remains: How did Leo get into the secure building? As the violence spirals, Marnie finds herself drawn into a place where the past casts long shadows and she must tread carefully to survive."

My Thoughts:

It's funny because I've been wanting to read this book for quite some time but it kept getting put aside for other things.  I've even checked it out from the library multiple times but it kept going back unread.  Somewhere in there I thought that I knew what this book was going to be like or about (probably from reading the above summary so many times).  This book was so much better than I ever could have guessed though!  And the moral of that story folks is that you shouldn't wait so long to read the books you really want to because they are probably even better than you expected.  Case in point.  I'm getting off track though so let's get back to the book and what it is actually about.  Marnie and Noah literally walk into a shelter seconds after a woman stabs her husband.  This is the only truth that you know.  After that is when the questions start and really they don't end until the end of the book.  Honestly, I couldn't figure out how the author was going to pull off the witnesses all giving different versions of what happened (see above summary - not a spoiler).  She really did a great job with it and it rang true which didn't feel possible at first.  I also thought that it added a layer of tension to the story very similar to when you have an unreliable narrator.  Who do you believe?  Where any of them actually telling the truth on what happened?

I'm going into slightly spoiler-ey territory here so be warned.  One of the things that I liked most about this book was how the author took what I thought was happening and completely flipped it on its' head.  I totally didn't see the truth behind it all so to speak.  I really don't want to give it away for other readers so I'm going to leave it at that.  This wasn't an easy read at times - domestic violence is one of those subjects that isn't always comfortable to read about to say the least.  It was a page turner though - and one of those books that I won't be forgetting about any time soon.  I would be remiss not to mention how completely intrigued I am by the storyline that relates to Marnie's past.  I need to know more so I'm really hoping that future books in this series will give us some answers.

Overall, this was quite the beginning to a new series, and will in all honesty end up being a five star read for me!  I am really lucky because I have three more books in this series to look forward to.  I don't think that I will wait that long to get my hands on the next book.  I find that I'm really excited about both this author and this series!  I can't wait to see what else she comes up with in future books.  It is a bit early yet to say this (as I've only read one book) but this series reminded me a bit of Sharon Bolton's Lacey Flint series which I absolutely adore.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A five star read - that should tell you enough!

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

Beneath the Surface by Sibel Hodge (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Dean Hudson didn’t look evil…so what could drive an ordinary boy to kill?

When the teenage son of Holly Gold’s school friend brutally murders his parents before killing himself, her sleepy home town is rocked by the sudden tragedy.

Appalled, Holly investigates. What could have caused the happy-go-lucky boy she remembers to commit such a heinous crime? When another teen commits suicide, she uncovers a horrifying link between the recent deaths and a dark conspiracy to hide the truth.

But someone doesn’t want Holly asking questions and, as she hunts for evidence to prove her theory, she’s dragged into a nightmare that threatens her life and her sanity. Then tragedy strikes again—and this time it’s closer to home…"

My Thoughts:

I requested this book from NetGalley because this author has been on my radar for some time now and I wanted to give her a try.  I had high hopes for this book because that premise had me intrigued instantly.  Ultimately though I was left with some mixed feelings on this book.  I think that I would classify it as a good read but I had a few issues with it.  I'm telling you this right off the bat so I don't spoil anything for anyone further on.  I will try to not to go into specifics but you know how that all goes.  This book is going to be hard to discuss without giving a few things away so reader be warned - don't read any further if you don't want to possibly read a spoiler.

One of the things that I liked about this book was the look at prescription drugs.  It isn't often that you read a thriller that is based on such a serious and real issue.  I felt like I was learning while I was reading which doesn't usually happen unless I'm reading a nonfiction book.  Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that a lot of what was included in here is pretty accurate which makes it even worse to think about.  Prescription drug use is a very hot topic and one that is just so scarily real.  I also like how fast paced and intense this book was.  It kept me reading even when I didn't necessarily want to.  The thing was I really didn't care much for Holly.  Holly made me crazy and reminded me slightly of Rachel from The Girl on the Train.  She wasn't as bad thankfully - but she made me all of these stupid decisions and a lot of it was based off of her drinking.  I just couldn't relate to her which always seems to hurt my reading experience.  I just didn't ever warm up to her - even by the end of the book I was pretty meh in regards to her character.  The other thing that really took away from my reading experience was the death of a certain character.  I won't give away who or anything but I almost stopped reading this book because of it.  I kind of felt betrayed as this was one of the few characters that I actually related to - it just really took me out of the book when that happened.  I decided to keep reading though because by that point I was invested and needed to see how the story would end.  I liked the way that everything was wrapped up and really this is why I found this book to be a good read overall.  Not my favorite by any means but I found it to be good enough for at least three stars.  And really, my feelings on this book were completely personal - I could see other readers enjoying this one much more than I did.  

Even now after writing up my thoughts, this book managed to really stir up some strong feelings on it which is always a sign of a decent read.  I would definitely be open to reading more by this author.  I'm actually really curious now to go read other reader's thoughts on this book to see what they thought.  I try not to read reviews until after I've written up my own thoughts but I will probably go check Goodread's soon.  This book was definitely not what I was expecting and overall I think that it is a solid three star read.  Recommended but with a few hesitations.

Bottom Line:  A good read but one that I didn't love.

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

Arsenic with Austen by Katherine Bolger Hyde (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"When Emily Cavanaugh inherits a fortune from her great aunt, she expects her life to change. She doesn't expect to embark on a murder investigation, confront the man who broke her heart 35 years before, and nearly lose her own life.

Emily travels to the sleepy coastal village of Stony Beach, Oregon, to claim her inheritance, centered in a beautiful Victorian estate called Windy Corner but also including a substantial portion of the real estate of the whole town. As she gets to know the town's eccentric inhabitants--including her own once-and-possibly-future love, Sheriff Luke Richards--she learns of a covert plan to develop Stony Beach into a major resort. She also hears hints that her aunt may have been murdered. Soon another suspicious death confirms this, and before long Emily herself experiences a near-fatal accident.

Meanwhile, Emily reads Persuasion, hoping to find belated happiness with her first love as Anne Elliot did with Captain Wentworth. She notices a similarity between her not-quite-cousin Brock Runcible, heir to a smaller portion of her aunt's property, and Mr. Elliot in Persuasion, and her suspicions of Brock crystallize. But as she and Luke continue to investigate and events speed toward a climax, Emily realizes that underneath the innocent-looking rocks of Stony Beach lurk festering jealousies that would have shocked even the worst of Jane Austen's charming reprobates."

My Thoughts:

I'm really glad that I found this series and gave this new to me cozy mystery series a try.  I picked this book up from the library because I received a copy of the upcoming 2nd book for review.  With only two books in the series so far, I thought I would read the first book beforehand - this isn't always something that I do as I'm not a stickler for reading books in order.  I'm glad that I did this time because I really enjoyed this book.  Emily gets a letter in the mail that she has inherited something from her great aunt.  She goes to town and finds that she has inherited this huge, rambling house along with a ton of money and properties.  Basically overnight she becomes a very rich woman unexpectedly.  The idea of inheriting this amazing house and library just hit me straight in my bookish heart.  How could you not want to imagine this happening to yourself??  I was basically sold on this book right from the start after all of that.  Reading about the house she inherited along with all of the mysteries/problems that came with it was just gravy by that point.  I was hooked from the very beginning thanks to all of this.

I also really, really enjoyed the fact that Emily is an older woman.  You really don't see a lot of books where the main character is over forty and established in her life.  Emily was starting completely over thanks to all of this but she had life experience that I couldn't help but appreciate.  It just is a change from your normal main character and I really liked it.  The mystery portion of the book definitely came in second for me.  I just didn't care so much about who had killed her great aunt as I did reading about Emily's new life and how she was going to handle it all.  I guessed who the killer was behind it all easily but really it didn't matter.  I was reading this one for the characters and that often happens for me with cozy mystery series.  My one complaint was the book seemed to drag in the middle for a little bit.  The ending more than made up for it but I wanted to mention it.  

Overall, I found this to be a really solid beginning to this mystery series.  I'm really excited to start the second book - Bloodstains With Bronte.  Also I find these titles to be amazingly good.  How can you not want to read a book with a title like that?  I appreciated how bookish this book was.  I almost forgot to mention how I adored the little tributes to Harry Potter that were included throughout the book.  Such fun!  I shouldn't mention this but I've never even read Austen, and it didn't seem to matter so don't let it stop you from reading this book if you haven't as well.  I would recommend this series to cozy fans.  Definitely recommended!

Bottom Line:  A delightful read - I'm excited to have the next book ready to begin after this one!

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

Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"For thirty-something blogger Cora Chevalier, small-town Indigo Gap, North Carolina, seems like the perfect place to reinvent her life. Shedding a stressful past as a counselor for a women’s shelter, Cora is pouring all her talents—and most of her savings—into a craft retreat business, with help from close pal and resident potter Jane Starr. Between transforming her Victorian estate into a crafter’s paradise and babysitting Jane’s daughter, the new entrepreneur has no time for distractions. Especially rumors about the murder of a local school librarian . . .

But when Jane’s fingerprints match those found at the grisly crime scene, Cora not only worries about her friend, but her own reputation. With angry townsfolk eager for justice and both Jane’s innocence and the retreat at risk, she must rely on her creative chops to unlace the truth behind the beloved librarian’s disturbing demise. Because if the killer’s patterns aren’t pinned, Cora’s handiwork could end up in stitches . . ."

My Thoughts:

I've been meaning to give this series a try for some time now so I'm glad that I finally did just that.  This book was an enjoyable cozy mystery although I did have a few issues with it.  Let's start off with the positives first though!  This author has created some really great characters with Cora and Jane.  I adore cozy series where I also adore the main characters.  In this book, Cora has started a new business by opening a "craft retreat" where fellow crafters can go and spend the weekend crafting all types of things together.  I don't know that I would consider myself a crafty person necessarily but I do enjoy trying different things (when I have the time).  I've been wanting to learn to knit for years but haven't yet taught myself - my plan is to learn by watching YouTube videos.  I'm getting off track here but I loved the idea of a mystery series featuring crafting so on to the never-ending TBR list this went.  I really felt like this was a unique set-up to this cozy mystery series which made it stand out to me.  I loved reading about the different arts and crafts - my favorite was actually the candle and soap making which sounds like something I would definitely enjoy doing!  I need to learn how to do this as well now!

One of the things though that I didn't care about with this series though is kinda difficult to put into words.  In this book one of the characters falls into bed with another (no this wouldn't be considered a spoiler at all I wouldn't think), and I didn't care for the way that this was portrayed.  There was a kind of judge-y feel to it and I can't really describe it any better than that.  All I know is that it took me out of the story while I was reading which is why it bothered me.  I was able to get sucked back in though so ultimately I enjoyed this book.  Just a few minor quibbles which maybe lowered my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 stars.  I found the mystery portion of this book to be very well done.  I didn't guess any of the ending which is always a good thing!  I also found myself unable to stop reading at the end.  I just had to know how everything was going to turn out!

All in all, I ultimately did enjoy this beginning to a new to me mystery series.  I'm planning on reading the second book soon and have already added it to my TBR list.  I'm always looking for new cozy mystery authors to follow and I do think that Mollie Cox Bryan will be one of those authors that I continue to read.  I really enjoyed reading about the crafts and am inspired to try to teach myself knitting yet again.  I feel like this would be the perfect winter hobby for me!  I would recommend this book to cozy mystery and mystery fans as well with only a slight hesitation.  Recommended!

Bottom Line:  A good beginning to this cozy mystery series and I will be reading more!

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

 

Asylum by Jeannette De Beauvoir (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Martine LeDuc is the director of PR for the mayor's office in Montreal. When four women are found brutally murdered and shockingly posed on park benches throughout the city over several months, Martine's boss fears a PR disaster for the still busy tourist season, and Martine is now also tasked with acting as liaison between the mayor and the police department. The women were of varying ages, backgrounds and bodytypes and seemed to have nothing in common. Yet the macabre presentation of their bodies hints at a connection. Martine is paired with a young detective, Julian Fletcher, and together they dig deep into the city's and the country's past, only to uncover a dark secret dating back to the 1950s, when orphanages in Montreal and elsewhere were converted to asylums in order to gain more funding. The children were subjected to horrific experiments such as lobotomies, electroshock therapy, and psychotropic medication, and many of them died in the process. The survivors were supposedly compensated for their trauma by the government and the cases seem to have been settled. So who is bearing a grudge now, and why did these four women have to die?

Not until Martine finds herself imprisoned in the terrifying steam tunnels underneath the old asylum does she put the pieces together. And it is almost too late for her..."

My Thoughts:

This book originally went on my radar went it was first released but then it sat on my shelves unread.  I'm so regretting this as I found this book to be absolutely fantastic!  There is a very good chance that this one will make my top reads list for 2017!  I loved the summary above which is why I originally wanted to read it.  What I didn't realize is that this author based some of the events of this book on a true and terrible event in Canada's history.  I don't want to say too much as it plays an important role in this mystery but I will say that it completely adds to this book even if it is horrifying to think about.  I found myself absolutely sucked into the story from almost the very beginning.  The book is set up in two parts.  One is focused on Martine LeDuc and her hunt to figure out who is behind the killings of these women in Montreal.  The other storyline focused on the story of one of the orphans and what happened to that individual so long ago.  These two storylines tied together so perfectly and I just won't say any more than that.  I was absolutely just blown away by how good this book was!

I also really enjoyed this book because it was set in Canada and the author managed to bring Montreal to life for me in this book.  This is the second book I've read set in Canada this year and I have just adored the chance to read about this country that I've never had the chance to visit for myself.  I loved the descriptions of Montreal that the author included and especially adored all of the French phrases that were included throughout.  It really made me feel like I was there with the characters.  I liked that Martine wasn't your usual detective - in fact she wasn't a detective at all but got involved with the hunt for this killer in a very realistic way.  I found myself unable to stop reading this book for long.  And the ending was so intense that I just gave up watching my son at football practice and lost myself completely in finishing this book.  The ending was so flipping good and I won't say any more than that.  I've tried to keep the spoilers to a minimum here but this is a book that I can't recommend enough!

Overall, I found myself so completely blown away by this book and I cannot even put into words how much I enjoyed it!  I feel like it's kinda awful to say when you think about the actual historical events that this book was based around but I still really, really enjoyed it!  I'm so excited that I have another book in this series to look forward to but I'm hoping the 3rd is on it's way.  This is an author to watch for as this is only her very first book!  Crazy!  I'm really excited that I finally pulled this one off of my shelves (thanks to my husband) because I was missing out.  I would recommend this one to both mystery and thriller fans alike!  Just be warned that there are some definite triggers here so sensitive readers be warned.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A mystery that will stick with me for a long time thanks to the events it was based around.  So good!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to a Goodread's giveaway and the publisher.

The Lady Travelers Guide to Scoundrels & Other Gentlemen by Victoria Alexander (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Embark on the breathtaking romantic adventures of The Lady Travelers Society in the brand-new series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Alexander

Really, it's too much to expect any normal man to behave like a staid accountant in order to inherit the fortune he deserves to support the lifestyle of an earl. So when Derek Saunders's favorite elderly aunt and her ill-conceived—and possibly fraudulent—Lady Travelers Society loses one of their members, what's a man to do but step up to the challenge? Now he's escorting the world's most maddening woman to the world's most romantic city to find her missing relative.

While India Prendergast only suspects his organization defrauds gullible travelers, she's certain a man with as scandalous a reputation as Derek Saunders cannot be trusted any farther than the distance around his very broad shoulders. As she struggles not to be distracted by his wicked smile and the allure of Paris, instead of finding a lost lady traveler, India just may lose her head, her luggage and her heart."

My Thoughts:

I feel like this is going to be a hard review for me to write because I was very in the middle when it came to my feelings on this book.  I never really was able to put my finger on why but I didn't connect with this book like I had hoped to.  I didn't dislike it to be clear but I also didn't love it.  I just found myself kinda underwhelmed by it all.  I'll try to explain why but it is hard when for me when I'm just kinda meh about it.  I'm almost wondering if my reading experience suffered because I was in the middle of a reading slump.  I kept trying to push through on it because I was supposed to read it for a blog tour and I don't think that helped.  I loved the premise of this book because it sounds like a romance and adventure combined.  It was those things but it was also a bit meandering if I'm being completely honest.  I think that part of the problem was that I didn't connect to the main character India Prendergast.  I don't think that the reader is meant to like her in the beginning really but that also made it hard for me to connect to her and the story as a reader.  Usually when I read romances I'm really rooting for both of the main characters to fall in love and find their happy ever after.  Instead I was only rooting for Derek Saunders (the hero) as his character was one that I could get behind.  He was a romantic at heart and someone that I enjoyed reading about.  I just wish that I could have cared about them both because that would have made this book that much more enjoyable.

One thing that I did really enjoy with this book was the mystery of what had happened to India's missing aunt.  I found myself reading this book more to find out where she was then for the actual romance portion.  I was really surprised (and I won't say more than that) when we did actually find out the answers to the mystery portion.  It made the last part of this book much more fast paced for me compared to the rest of the story.  I also have to add that I really, really liked some of the secondary characters in this book.  I have high hopes that Derek's brother will be featured in the next book as I believe this is the beginning of a series.  I would definitely want to read that one!  I also found Derek's aunt and her friends to be a delight to read about.  I would really, really like to see more of them as well.  It sure sounds like I'm going to have read the next book, doesn't it?  LOL!  Now you can probably understand why I had such a hard time deciding on how I felt about this book.  Mixed feelings anyone?

Overall, I found this to be a good read but not great.  I can't honestly tell you if the book was to blame or if it was just my reading mood at the time.  I enjoyed it enough to plan on reading the next book in the future.  On the other hand, there are other romance reads that I would recommend before this one.  I'm glad that I stuck with it though as I found the ending to be much more in line with what I had hoped the entire book would be like.  This may have been my first book by this author but I don't think that it will be my last.  Recommended but with a few hesitations.

Bottom Line:  A book that left me wanting in ways and satisfied in others.  I can't say it better than that.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley as part of a TLC book tour (I also completely missed my tour date and am just now posting my thoughts.  My apologies.  

The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal

Summary from Goodreads:

"It begins with a phone call that Nora Watts has dreaded for fifteen years—since the day she gave her newborn daughter up for adoption. Bonnie has vanished. The police consider her a chronic runaway and aren’t looking, leaving her desperate adoptive parents to reach out to her birth mother as a last hope.

A biracial product of the foster system, transient, homeless, scarred by a past filled with pain and violence, Nora knows intimately what happens to vulnerable girls on the streets. Caring despite herself, she sets out to find Bonnie with her only companion, her mutt Whisper, knowing she risks reopening wounds that have never really healed—and plunging into the darkness with little to protect her but her instincts and a freakish ability to detect truth from lies.

The search uncovers a puzzling conspiracy that leads Nora on a harrowing journey of deception and violence, from the gloomy rain-soaked streets of Vancouver, to the icy white mountains of the Canadian interior, to the beautiful and dangerous island where she will face her most terrifying demon. All to save a girl she wishes had never been born."

My Thoughts:

I've got to say that I'm a streak with reading some really great books lately.  This book was a brilliant beginning to a new mystery series - I need more books just like this!  I was intrigued by this book just from reading the above summary which meant that I couldn't resist the chance of reading it.  The idea of the birth mother being drawn into the search of the missing daughter that she's never met (or wanted to even)....how can you resist a premise like that?  I just knew that this was going to be a good read but what I didn't expect was how dark of a read that this was going to be.  Nora is not your typical leading female detective in a mystery novel.  She isn't even really a detective but instead works for a lawyer and businessman as an almost human lie detector.  She has all of these issues relating to her past, doesn't have any normal relationships, and is a recovering alcoholic.  She is basically kind of a mess but I loved her!  Even when she was making crappy decisions I was rooting for her.  I wanted to know more about what had happened to her even though there were enough clues that I could guess.  She just was one of those main characters that really stood out for me, and I'm looking forwarding to reading more books featuring her.  I also really enjoyed the mystery portion of this book.  I found myself reading this one for long periods of time which hasn't happened all too often lately.  It was a page turner and one of the things that kept me reading way too late into the night was just trying to see what trouble Nora was going to get herself into next.  And then I kept reading to see if she would get out of it of course.  Ha!  I loved that this book was set in Canada which is a place I've never had the chance to visit but would like to.  I felt like I was really there while reading, and reading about the colder weather made this feel like the perfect fall read (although I read it a bit too early for that).  The ending was super intense and left me wanting more.  

Overall I have to say that I'm left very excited about this author and this series.  This book really stood out for me as it is different from a lot of the mystery series that I've read.  I've come to the conclusion that mystery series featuring lone female main characters is kind of my reading catnip.  I just can't seem to get enough.  This book wasn't any different and Nora is one of those characters that I won't be forgetting about any time soon.  I feel like I'm rambling at this point but this book was just that good.  I cannot wait to see what other readers think!  I would recommend this book mystery fans as well as those readers who enjoy a good thriller.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A dark mystery that I just couldn't put down.  I need more!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher as part of a TLC book tour.

Purchase Links: HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble