Such A Clever Girl by Darby Kane

 

My thoughts

This was a confusing book. The problem being to many characters. I can usually keep up with them with no problem but not this time. They didn't connect like I hoped they would. They didn't even seem to like one another. They needed each other at times but didn't seem like friends. 

Talk about family drama. This story is filled with it. Murder, intrigue, affairs, hookups, suspicion on an epic level. The book has all of that. But to me it lacked emotion. I read it and never felt the usual emotions that I get from a good thriller. I figured out part of it and knew part of it. I mean get real I knew she was guilty. Not a big surprise to me. Though it was a good ending. It had that. A good ending is always useful and can make or break a book. It definitely helped.

I don't need to give a synopsis since there is one already but you will get to know these characters and how they were involved in the disappearance of a family. A whole family. All four of them. Then the father of the man who disappeared dies and it's a full on investigation of everything and everyone. Well almost. The reading of the will unveils a lot. A whole lot of secrets. 

I didn't like any of these characters. Not one. I didn't find any of them believable except maybe Aubrey and no one even liked her. She was one of those you don't like but like to hate. I didn't really hate her though. She was abused by an older man. An older married man. Good grief he should be horsewhipped. Or maybe he can run for president and win...

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for this arc.

3 stars 

About

Darby Kane, author of the #1 international bestseller Pretty Little Wife, returns with a gripping domestic thriller in which a family goes missing and a long-buried family mystery resurfaces.

Fifteen years ago, the Tanner family vanished without a trace, leaving behind a chilling half-eaten meals, a bloodstain by the door, and a smoldering fire consuming their business across town.

The once-vibrant home stands untouched, a haunting relic of the past. As rumors fade into local folklore, the mystery of their disappearance seems destined to remain unsolved—until Aubrey Tanner returns.

Now a hardened thirty-year-old, Aubrey arrives in town with secrets etched in her silence. Why did she come back? Was she a victim of the night that changed everything, or does she hold the truth of what happened to her family? The town is rife with theories, but three women share a dangerous they know more than they’ve ever confessed.

As the past resurfaces, old alliances fray. A teacher, a café owner, and a psychologist are drawn together by memories they’d rather forget. Each holds a piece of the puzzle—and a dark secret of their own. When a new disappearance sends shock waves through the town, blackmail begins, and the stakes climb higher.

In a race against time, these women must confront the truth or risk becoming the next victims of a past they cannot escape. With tension rising and danger lurking, one thing is someone is destined to kill again.

What Tomorrow Will Be by Julianne MaClean

 

My thoughts

This is a very touching story. A story of love and loss. Of new beginnings and possible endings. Of marriage with all it's ups and downs. Children. The hardships of being a single mother while married to the man you thought loved you above all else. A story of so much hope. 

When Sienna was nineteen years old she thought she had it all. The love of her life. A wonderful life. Parents who loved her. A best friend. Then she fell....

Sienna survived that fall in many ways. But in one way she lost everything. You get to follow her life after the fall. Meet her husband and children. See what her life was all about. How it turned out. All the ups and downs of Sienna's life. Then she falls again...

This book was very good. A very emotional one. This author obviously has strong religious feelings. It's obvious as you follow what happened to Sienna and Jacob. You'll meet Jacob's sister Becky who is also Sienna's best friend. And then there is Nate, Amanda, and Connor. Each of these characters play such a huge role in this book. All are very likable. I adored Jacob but fell hard for Nate until Nate let Sienna down. Then I got angry at him and I got angry at her too. She literally tells him to go. Go to the restaurant.  That place was part of the reason they got where they were. And she said go. 

Amanda was Sienna's oldest child. She was actually very smart. At times beyond her years smart. I thought she handled herself so well in the hospital. And in life. I'm not so sure many sixteen years olds are that reseilant these days. 

And don't forget the dogs. They play a fairly big part in this book. And each sounds adorable. Just as a pup should...

This book was well written and very heartbreaking while at the same time heartwarming. There was one scene that I found to be quite silly but that is me. I don't believe any surgeon would talk to children with the medical terms the one in this story did. It would just blow their young minds...

I listened to the audio and it was pretty good. Kept great pace and did keep my interest.

Thank you Lake Union Publishers and Brillance Audio for the ARC. 

4 stars 

About

Some loves never die. But only one will shape her future…

At nineteen, Sienna MacKay believed she had it all—a promising career ahead of her and a young love destined to last forever. But a tragic accident shatters that idyllic existence, leaving her with a heartbreaking loss.

Years later, Sienna has rebuilt her life. She’s a successful designer, a devoted mother, and a woman who has dared to love again—with Nate, a passionate, rising-star chef. But as Nate drifts further into ambition, cracks surface in their once-bright marriage. A stormy confrontation ends in disaster, and Sienna becomes caught between two worlds—her near-perfect past and her more complicated present—where she must ask What is the price of true love…and is she willing to pay?

Set on the majestic, rugged coastline of Nova Scotia, What Tomorrow Will Be is a magical, emotional novel about first love, second chances, and finding the courage to stay…or the will to go.

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon

 

My thoughts

I absolutely loved this book. I listened to the audio and the cast did such a great job. Reese Witherspoon was the voice of Maggie. Maggie was the main character.

The authors really brought to life how humanity should work. The hearts of doctors working in countries where so many are hurt. During wartime and after. Three friends , Maggie, her husband Marc and friend Trace. One betrayed the other two in a horrible way.

This book took me from my living room to New York. To Russia then Dubai. To France. It kept me on edge through a lot of it. Hoping for something through other parts. And finally back to the US where it all started.

A lot of good characters and enough bad ones to keep me wanting to see justice.

I think my favorite character had to be Porkchop. Yep that was what he was called. Porkchop was Marc’s dad and Maggie’s father in law. He was quite the person.

I liked how they used AI in this story to help Maggie. I liked almost everything about this book. It was my first Harlan Coben book. It won’t be my last.

About

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher

 

My thoughts

WOW!! This book knocked my socks off. I didn't read the synopsis but thought it had to be good. It's T. Kingfisher... I was right of course. 

This review is very hard to write . What can you say about a story that has you cringing about bugs. About an artist who paints these bugs. A man who studies them so intently.... This book will give you so many feelings, including laughter. Yes laughter. It's a horror, thriller, mysterious story that will have you gasping. But it does contain laughter. 

Does it contain a monster. Yes. But not where you think. Does it have a hero. Yes. A couple actually. This book was a fun and very quick read. It has everything you need for a good thriller, horror, story. 

When Sonia Wilson arrives in response to a job she accepted, she has no idea what lays in store for her. Dr Halder studies bugs. He knows everything about bugs. Or he thinks he does anyway. He's the most unpleasant person Sonia as met. His housekeeper/cook are friendly and make her feel welcome. Sonia is to draw and paint the bugs that Dr Halder is writing a book about. She's an illustrator and he expects the pictures to be perfection. He is not a nice man. He doesn't smile. He doesn't seem to like anyone. He just is...

When things take a turn for to the dark side Sonia finds herself a great odds. Does she continue with this job or run. Sonia stayed. 

This was a book about bugs, painting, cruelty, possibly murder. A story about things you truly only read about in books. This author wrote this in such a way that once you start you won't be able to stop. You'll keep turning the pages until the very end. 

It's different from any I've read but still right along with how you would except this author to write. A story that could end all stories. It's good. It's so good. Evil though. Good and evil? Possibly.

The narrator did a wonderful job with this. She brought the cringes to life. The gasps. The howls. The feelings of bugs crawling on your skin. She did a fantastic job. Mary Robinette Kowal, narrator.

Thank you Tor Publishing Group and Macmillan Audio for the ARCs. 

Five stars 

About

Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher

“I saw the devil in these woods.”

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator—but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use.

Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost—one that Halder is paying with human flesh.

If Sonia can’t find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife.

Save Her Family (Nikki Hunt #11) by Stacy Green

 

My thoughts

This is the eleventh book in the Nikki Hunt series. Each one is tense and emotional. 

In this book you find out who murdered not only Nikki's neighbor but also a few other people in the town. What was the motive. What did each have in common. Someone who refused to be undone. Someone who thought they were above the law and would never be caught. A person who had to have things their way no matter what!!

Nikki Hunt's daughter Lacey witnesses a murder. She sees when the woman is shot and killed. But she does not see who did it. She has no idea why someone would do this. She only wants to help the small girl that is left, along with her infant sister. Lacey is terrified but determined. She takes the child inside and locks the door. Then she hears the footsteps on the porch.

This book takes you on a wild ride. Through a few murders. A fire that caused the death of two and through Nikki's determination to solve the case. 

I did figure out who the killer was. It was just obvious to me. It didn't take away from the story though. It just kept me reading to see if I was right. To find out why. To see if this person would try to harm Nikki's child. Of course Nikki solves this one as she did every other one. 

This was a good read that kept me turning the pages. Kept me guessing until it just finally hit me who was who and why they did this heinous crime. What drives a person to kill. What makes a person a cold stone murder???

Thank you Bookouture for this ARC.

4.75 stars 

About

The girl’s heart races as she edges towards the bright yellow farmhouse where children’s toys lie carelessly in the overgrown grass. The air is too still. On the front porch, a woman takes her last breath and crumples to the ground…

Special Agent Nikki Hunt feels her chest tighten as she looks down at the body sprawled beside the lilac bushes. This morning, her ten-year-old daughter Lacey witnessed the murder of local mother Elle Harper. Out riding her bike, Lacey saw the killer escape from the house and rushed inside to protect Elle’s daughters Maisy and Maya.

Nikki promises Lacey she’ll do whatever it takes to help the poor innocent girls who now sit in her house clutching their teddies. But before she has a chance to return them to the safety of their stepfather Tim, he’s reported missing. Local gossip suggests that fights between Elle and Tim had been spilling out of the farmhouse, and Nikki soon wonders if Maisy and Maya were ever safe in their own home.

But just as Nikki zones in on her suspect, she realizes she’s too late. A body is pulled from the river, and Nikki’s heart shatters as Tim is pronounced dead. Nikki’s gut tells her that someone is targeting the whole family. But with this killer stalking her in the shadows, what sacrifices will she have to make to save them, and keep her promise to her daughter?

A mind-blowingly brilliant thriller from USA Today bestseller Stacy Green. Fans of Lisa Regan, Mary Burton and Kendra Elliot will be up all night flipping the pages until the final, unputdownable twist.

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica

 

My thoughts

I've read a couple of Mary Kubica's books and enjoyed them very much. This one is on a whole other level of thrills. It actually had me feeling tense and scared in places. I was thinking everyone was guilty at some point. I never, ever, never, thought of what was revealed. That was brilliant. It was masterful. The best kind of twist. Actually both twists were great but the first one left me speechless...

My favorite line and the saddest line in this story: But who's to say what a grieving parent sees when they want so badly to believe??? That line would haunt anyone.

Two families on vacation at a cabin resort. Four adults who are related and four children between them.... Cousins will be cousins and siblings will be siblings. At times you truly want to strangle them, but at a time when only horror has happened you want to be there. To do what you can. But how. If you are so afraid then how. 

Courtney and Elliott have a ten year old daughter Cass. They are the best parents they can possibly be. Courtney's brother, Nolan and sister in law, Emily, have three children. A daughter, Mae, who is Cass's age. The two are very close. They are trouble from the word go but only as most all ten year olds can be. They love teasing Reese, Mae's seventeen year old sister. Mae also has a brother, Wyatt, who is fourteen. He's that brother who loves to blackmail you if he gets anything on you. He does this to Reese repeatedly. 

The two couples are very close. They get together almost nightly while in the cabins to play games, eat, drink. Just be free to be free. Nolan and Emily are having big problems. Seems they are not getting along well at all. 

Then the unthinkable happens. Nolan and Emily are brutally murdered and their daughter Reese is missing. Their son Wyatt slept through it all. Thus the story begins...

This book is great. It has all the feels and all the tension you want from a thriller. It has plenty of twists and turns. Lots of people to blame. A whole lot of guesses. And that ending. That unexpected, dramatic, earth shattering, ending. Ok maybe not earth shattering but it's till fantastic.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row Books, HTP the Hive and Harlequin Audio for the arcs. 

The narrators, Jennifer Jill Araya; Brittany Pressley; Gary Tiedemann, did a great job with this story. Kept it moving at a great pace and portrayed the characters perfectly. 

I received a physical copy from Harlequin also. 

FIVE big stars 

About

Two families vacationing at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime and mysterious disappearance in this twisty, unputdownable thriller

A stunning discovery…
Courtney Gray's tranquil family vacation is shattered when she hears a blood-curdling scream from the lakeside cottage next door. There she finds the lifeless bodies of her brother and sister-in-law. Her teenage niece Reese is nowhere to be found, while her nephew Wyatt lies asleep upstairs, unharmed.

A shocking investigation…
As the police descend on the quiet resort town, disturbing secrets about Courtney’s family start to emerge. When she learns that the town has secrets of its own, it makes her wonder if Reese is another victim in a brutal crime or if she’s the killer.

A truth no one could have imagined …
As Courtney begins to unravel the terrible mystery, she realizes that everyone around her has something to hide. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see…

Red City (The New Alchemists, #1) by Marie Lu

 

My thoughts

Narrated by André Santana; Eunice Wong; Natalie Naudus; Sid Sagar  How wonderful they did bringing this story to life. Magnificent....

My first book by Marie Lu and I loved it. Adored it. Ravaged it. This book is so well written and so engrossing. I am mad at myself for starting it a few months ago and then laying it aside. I know there was a reason but for the life of me I can't remember now. This book was excellent. Just what I needed. Now if I could only get the sequel....

This is a modern day, fantasy, other worldly but set mainly in the US. It's not your typical modern day though. It is so much more. A friendship to somewhat enemies. A forever love. A story that will reck havoc on your heart but also keep you hopeful and turning the pages. 

It's kind of like a town with big gangs. Each trying to outsmart or outkill the other. You kill one of ours and we come after one of yours. 

Two key players are coaxed into these groups. Sam, a female whose mother came to find a better life. What she went through to provide for her only daughter. How she is involved in the Alchemists groups. What happens to her. Then to her daughter Sam. Sam who only wanted to be seen. Be loved. Be accepted. To provide the best she can for her mother.

Ari was taken from his family and his homeland. Put in the school to learn how to be the best of the best in Alchemy. How to use his inner self to do whatever it takes to survive. He is doing it for his family. He misses them so much. He and Sam become the best of friends. 

Sam/Samantha and Ari are friends. They are separated by the city elites. Each has to do what their superiors thrust upon them. Eventually they have to face each other. Will they fight. Will one kill the other. Or will their friendship prevail. Will their love?

There are a few characters in this story. A few I didn't like at all. But they are very relevant to the story. How they treat these two young people. What they make them do. And that ending. WOW.. Though it does end with a cliffhanger so be warned. 

I can't wait for the sequel....

I was given an ALC via NetGalley, MacmillanAudio. I also bought the book from BOTM. This is one good story. 

Five stars 

About

The Godfather meets The Magicians in the sweeping adult debut from #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu. Perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab, Red City is a dark and deadly contemporary fantasy of magical warfare, star-crossed ambition, and the pursuit of perfection at any cost, set in a glittering alternate Los Angeles.

Alchemy is the hidden art of transformation. An exclusive power wielded by crime syndicates that market it to the world’s elites in the form of sand, a drug that enhances those who take it into a more perfect version of themselves: more beautiful, more charismatic, simply more.

Among the gleaming skyscrapers and rolling foothills of Angel City, alchemy is controlled by two rival syndicates. For years, Grand Central and Lumines have been balanced on a razor’s edge between polite negotiation and outright violence. But when two childhood friends step into that delicate equation, the city―and the paths of their lives―will be irrevocably transformed.

The daughter of a poor single mother, Sam would do anything to claw her way into the ranks of Grand Central in search of a better life. Plucked away from his family as a boy to become a Lumines apprentice, Ari is one of the syndicates' brightest rising stars. Once, they might have loved each other. But as the two alchemists face off across opposite sides of an ever-escalating conflict, ambition becomes power, loyalty becomes lies, and no transformation may be perfect enough for them both to survive the coming war.