THE FAMILY CABIN by James Caine

 

MY THOUGHTS 

This was a very quick read for me. It held my interest all the way through. I did find a lot of it unbelievable but that also made the story more interesting. Made me keep turning the pages to find out what would happen and why things were going the way they were.

You start out meeting Amber. Amber is a college student studying to be a lawyer. She spends lots of time in the library studying for exams. She is taken one evening when she leaves and doesn't take a call from her mother. She awakens in a basement chained with her hands handcuffed behind her back. A man with a wolf's head comes in and leaves a bowl of water and dog food. Also a bucket. He demands that she eats and drinks like a dog. He demands that she call him "master." He tells her he will put her down if she does not obey him. He has no regards at all to how he is making her feel. For what he is doing. He's a cold and calculating person. But who is he really?

Then you meet Dawn. Dawn is on her way to the family cabin. She's planning a surprise party for her husband, Mike, who will be turning forty next week. She wants to do something special for this this weekend and also invites her best friend Sarah and her husband Vic. Dawn and Mike have a young six year old son, Junior. Junior will be staying with Dawn's parents for the weekend. She wants everything to be perfect for this weekend. 

Once Dawn reaches the cabin though she finds something that will change her life forever. There is a woman in the basement. She's handcuffed and chained. What on earth is going on. Who did this. Before she can help the woman she hears her husband arrive and tells the woman to keep quiet and she will be back to help her. Now this is where I found fault with this story. I would think that any person upon finding a woman bound in their family cabin would immediately call the police. Get help. Find out what is going on. But Dawn does none of this. She thinks it's her husband that did this. After being married for thirteen years she doesn't know him? I found that a bit out there also. But still it held my attention. 

You meet Rick who is Mike's brother. You meet Vic and Sarah. Rick is Mike's younger brother and is unmarried. You also meet a neighbor. An older man who lives in a cabin year round. As this story unfolds you get to know all of these characters. It's told back and forth between Amber and Dawn. You get to know them and you may or may not like them. I liked Amber but thought Dawn was way to weak. Why she didn't call for help is beyond me. But like I said this story would have ended then I suppose. You will find out who did this. Who is behind this kidnapping and much more. 

I enjoyed reading this story. It held my interest even though I had so many questions "why." Why not call the police. Why not shout out for help when in the grocery store if you couldn't use a phone. Why not ask Mike what was going on if you suspected it was him. I know you would possibly be afraid of a husband if you thought he was that evil but after thirteen years you would have to ask...

Thank you #NetGalley, #JamesCaine, #VictoryEditingNetGalleyCo-Op for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

3.5 stars. It could have been a big five stars but I had to many questions. Read it and judge for yourself.

SYNOPSIS

There’s a young woman tied up in the basement of our cabin.

It was supposed to be a fun weekend at our family cabin. I was going to surprise my husband, Mike, with a small get together for his 40th birthday.

Something is wrong though. Mike isn’t himself lately. He goes out often, and by himself, leaving me and our young son. Our happy marriage is fading away and I don’t know why.

This weekend is just what's needed to cheer him up. It’s what we need for us.

When I get to the cabin and set up, I hear sounds coming from the basement. That’s when I see her. A young woman tied up and scared.

She cries out for me to help her. Before I can, Mike comes to the cabin early.

Who is she? Why is she here?

What has my husband done?

The new psychological thriller from the author of The In-Laws and The Patient’s List. If you’re a fan of page turning thrillers by the likes of Daniel Hurst or Freida McFadden, The Family Cabin will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The House of Eve Sadeqa Johnson

 

MY THOUGHTS

This is my first book by this author. I do own a copy of THE YELLOW WIFE and intend to read it when I get a break. 

This book is like none I have ever read. It's about two young women, one in high school and one in college, who are both black and both fighting for what they want out of life. To rise above their stations in life. To make something out of their lives. To be proud black women. 

Ruby is a high school girl who is working hard to get into college. She's in an advanced program trying to earn a scholarship that will pay her way. She's from a poor family and a mother who was very young when she had Ruby. Her mother is not very kind and seems to love her men more than her own flesh and blood. Ruby wants to be a doctor. One that can maybe help heal her grandmother who has glaucoma and is now blind. Ruby lived with her the first few years of her life. Nene was very good to Ruby. I felt for Ruby. She is a very likable young lady even when you see her making some fairly big mistakes. Like falling in love with a white Jewish boy. 

Eleanor is a college woman who is working hard to be an archivist. Her parents worked hard to make sure she could go to college. Especially her mother. They only want the best for her. She studies hard and works two jobs to pay for her education. She works in the library for one job and meets the soon to be Dr, William. William's parents are very rich and his mother does not believe that Eleanor is good enough. She's not of the right class for her son or his family. But William loves her and she loves him. 

As this story progresses you get to know each of these young ladies and more characters. Some you'll love and some you will despise. How their lives end up intersecting is sad but beautiful. This book is very well written and told in a beautiful prose. In the language of mainly poor black young ladies. The way they interact with others is enduring. I loved them both. I felt so bad for them both at times also and rooted for them to both do what they had set out to do. To have a better life and make their families proud. I think this was done. 

This author is one to look out for. I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

Thank you #NetGalley, #SadeqaJohnson, #Simon&Schuster for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5 stars and a high recommendation. Have Kleenex handy though, you will need them.

SYNOPSIS

“Amazing…These two women’s lives intersect in the most wonderful and unlikely of ways. I was completely surprised by the ending of this beautifully told and written book.” —Reese Witherspoon

“A triumph of historical fiction” (The Washington Post) set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal.

1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright.

Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his par­ents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done.

With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.

CHRIS CROSS MURDERS by Lauren Carr

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Chris Crossed Murder (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery #4) by Lauren Carr
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +) 
Genre:  Mystery
Publisher:  Acorn Book Services
Release date:   Feb 22, 2023
Content Rating:  PG-13 (Lauren Carr's books are murder mysteries, so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!

---

"Carr is a master at creating unique, complex plots and colorful characters, both evident in her latest cold case mystery featuring  Chris Matheson and the geezer squad. The plot is twisted, the mystery unique and the ending a surprise. A must-read!" - Review of CHRIS CROSSED MURDER (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, Book Four) by Marilyn R. Wilson, Author, Speaker, Book Reviewer

"Lauren Carr is among my favorite mystery writers. She knows how to write a fun tale while keeping readers engaged. ...I would give Chris Crossed Murder one hundred stars if I could. I believe readers who enjoy reading well-written and clean cozy mysteries will most definitely want to read it. I have no doubt they will enjoy it as much as I did. The fifth installment from A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery series is on my radar for when it releases." - Review of CHRIS CROSSED MURDER (A Chris Matheson Cold Case Mystery, Book Four) by Amy Campbell, Locks Hooks and Books

---

Book Description:
​It proves to be a Christmas to remember when the Matheson family receives the horrendous news that Chris Matheson’s body has been found in the woods near an international airport.

Everyone is stunned—especially Chris Matheson.

The mystery deepens when they discover the victim has Chris’s federal agent badge and appears to have been investigating one of his old cases.

The Geezer Squad’s latest case is not only a whodunit but who-got-dun. Is this a case of mistaken identity? Was Chris the intended victim? If not, then they must identify the murder victim to find his killer.
​
With Christmas days away, join the Chris Matheson and the Geezer Squad as they race to piece together the clues to their most puzzling case yet.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com 
B&N ~ BAM
BookBub
add to goodreads

COLD LIGHT OF DAY by Elizabeth Goddard

Cold Light of Day

by Elizabeth Goddard

February 20 - March 17, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him.

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.

Praise for Cold Light of Day:

"Thrilling!"

DiAnn Mills, author of Concrete Evidence

"An exhilarating, page-turning race to the finish!"

Carrie Stuart Parks, bestselling author of Relative Silence

"Gripping and hard-hitting."

James R. Hannibal, award-winning author of Elysium Tide

"Elizabeth Goddard has created a novel that immerses the reader in small-town Alaska. From the first page, it's a race to stay alive and solve a number of ever-spiraling mysteries. I highly recommend this novel."

Cara Putman, award-winning author of Flight Risk and Lethal Intent

"A simmering romantic suspense with an explosive ending. Once more Goddard proves she is a master storyteller and deserving of her place as one of the best Christian romantic suspense authors of our time."

Mary Alford, author of Among the Innocent

Book Details:

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: February 2023
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 9780800742041 (ISBN10: 0800742044)
Series: Missing in Alaska, 1
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | Baker Book House

 

Author Bio:

Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 50 novels, including Cold Light of Day and the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award and Reader's Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at www.ElizabethGoddard.com.

Catch Up With Elizabeth Goddard:
ElizabethGoddard.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @ElizabethGoddard
Instagram - @elizabethgoddardauthor
Twitter - @bethgoddard
Facebook - @ElizabethGoddardAuthor

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaway entries!

 

 

JOIN IN FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elizabeth Goddard. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

 

THE PERSONAL ASSISTANT by Kimberly Belle

 

MY THOUGHTS

I'm a big fan of Kimberly Belle's books. They always leave me on the edge and wanting more. This is her latest and I think each gets better. 

An Instagram Influencer can be a dangerous thing. At least to this family. Alex and her husband Patrick a financial genius, along with her twelve year old twinsPenelope and Gigi from a previous relationship. There is also Alex's personal assistant AC.. The night Alex's audience reaches a million followers her world is turned upside down. Not in a good way. It's the beginning of the biggest nightmare of her life. 

Alex met Patrick outside of a restaurant waiting in line for the valet. It was raining and cold. He let her ahead of him and they just seemed to hit it off. They started dating and eventually married. He is her twins stepdad and loves them as if they are his own. They love him also. Ales and Patrick seem to be the perfect couple. But both do have secrets. Secrets that could cause big trouble. At least from one's previous life. 

You meet AC along the way also. She is hired to be Alex's personal assistant and has big secrets of her own. Reasons for being where she is. AC is hiding something and so is Patrick. On the night that Alex reaches one million followers they have a big celebration. Drinking. Alex awakens the next morning with a huge problem and no AC to be found anywhere. 

You get to know these three people as each tells their backstory. Or the way it was before they met and in some cases after meeting but after the big blow up. And it's big. Someone posted a horrible thing on Alex's Instagram and it's blowing up with responses, comments, threats and more. Alex does not believe she posted it and since AC is missing thinks maybe she did it. Patrick has a big secret and Alex wants to know what it is. You got from the now to the before. Before Patrick meets Alex. To before AC meets Alex. AC's story is mainly about her life before. When she's working as a maid in a low class sleepy hotel. Her life after falling in love with a rich man. 

These three do have many secrets. Many things going on in their lives that cause each other great heartache and pain. Almost costs them their lives many times. Possibly will cost a life or two along the way. 

This book is truly edge of your seat thrills. Ups and downs and through Georgia and Florida. From the lives that they choose and the lives left behind. You'll read a bit about a gruesome murder and think you have that figured out. You won't. This story is about normal people and what could be mob people. Angry influence followers. Some pretty gritty things posted on the internet that cause Alex's daughters lots of stress. 

They little girls are innocent. They don't deserve any of what happened. But do any of them really? I had mixed feelings about Patrick and AC. I also did a bit for Alex. Patrick maybe should have done a few things different but then he would not have been the caring man that they loved. AC on the other hand... I really felt so bad for her. For the real AC and what she went through. It was not good. I do not think she or anyone deserves that. But without it this book would not be the great read it is.

Thank you #NetGalley, #KimberelyBelle, #HarlequinTrade, #ParkRow for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

Five huge stars and I highly recommend it. 

SYNOPSIS

USA TODAY bestselling author Kimberly Belle returns with a deeply addictive thriller exploring the dark side of the digital world when a mommy-blogger’s assistant goes missing.  

When Alex first began posting unscripted family moments and motivational messages online, she had no intention of becoming an influencer. Overnight it seemed she’d amassed a huge following, and her hobby became a full-time job—one that was impossible to manage without her sharp-as-a-tack personal assistant, AC.

But all the good-will of her followers turns toxic when one controversial post goes viral in the worst possible way. Alex reaches out to AC for damage control, but her assistant has gone silent. This young woman Alex trusted with all her secrets, who had access to her personal information and front row seats to the pressure points in her marriage and family life, is now missing and the police are looking to Alex and her husband for answers. As Alex digs into AC’s identity – and a woman is found murdered – she’ll find the greatest threat isn’t online, but in her own living room.

Written in alternating perspectives between Alex, her husband, and the mysterious AC, this juicy cat and mouse story will keep you guessing till the very end.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists!!

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday.

 ************

Here’s a shout out to the administrators:
Emma @ Words And peace

Serena @ Savvy Verse And Wit
Martha @ Reviews By Martha's Bookshelf 

************

                THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

1: THE HOOK by Victoria Helen Stone

     Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley

2: THE BEAUTY OF RAIN by Jamie Beck

     Courtesy of Publisher via NetGalley

Spotlight & Excerpt for: CHASE ME. DON'T CHASE ME by Maggie Lamar

 

SYNOPSIS

Love is difficult. It can be confusing, overwhelming, soul-crushing. If you’ve ever found yourself lost in the world of love, a little off course in the land of dating, you are not alone.

In Chase Me. Don’t Chase Me., Maggie Lamar offers up her nutty, sometimes off-kilter relationship history with heart and dry wit – all in an attempt to help you find your way, to help you feel a little less alone, and to help you discover a bit more of yourself on your own journey to love everlasting (and to hopefully help you kiss a few less frogs).

With honesty, forthright humility and a large dollop of humor, she combs through her own dating life to glean hard-won lessons about life, love and men – because when you can learn from an experience, you can grow from it. When an experience serves you, it strengthens you.

And hey, if it doesn’t serve or strengthen at least you can have a good laugh.

EXCERPT

“It’s My Therapist’s Fault” Boy

THE SCENE

I’m sitting in a snug little office. It is late summer and a hot breeze is floating in through the window, bringing with it the promise of sunshine, BBQ and laughter. The office is peaceful, tranquil almost, with taupe dominating the color palette and a water fixture gurgling happily in the corner. 

My mind is in direct conflict with the environment due to the task my therapist has just assigned me. She sits before me relaxed and confident, sure that the thing she just asked of me won’t kill me. I’m not convinced. 

Over the past few weeks, we had wandered through subject after subject in my life. I hadn’t been prepared to cry, but on numerous occasions I had made use of the box of Kleenex that always sat by my side. He was a stalwart little fellow, always there when I needed him and never yet running out of tissues. 

I knew of course that we would eventually get around to the subject of dating. When a girl of nineteen is feeling depressed after her first two years of college, it’s inevitable that some well-meaning adult assumes it’s because of a breakup, an infatuation or a love affair gone wrong. I knew this wasn’t true in my case but I was still curious about what advice my therapist could give on the matter—mostly because I was thoroughly convinced that boys just didn’t like me.

This tinderbox of a topic is finally our focus today and as we tiptoe around in the tulips, I decide it will be much easier to just cut to the chase. When I voice my deep-seated belief that boys just don’t like me, my therapist looks at me as if I have just sprouted horns. She pauses to collect herself and then begins to point out all that I have to offer in a relationship. When it is clear that I’m not buying any of it, she asks me the question that no one has ever asked me, the question that throws my mind into chaos, the question that changes everything.

“Do you flirt with boys?”

It is my turn to stare at her as if the devil has just taken over her body. I search her face for several seconds and this reconnaissance tells me two things. First, she is completely in earnest. Second, she doesn’t think the question she has posed is outlandish, crazy or irrational. I can read in her expression clarity of mind and I am dumbfounded.

“Of course not. Why would I do that?”

She attempts to cover her expression of “AHA!” but she is not quick enough and I feel my defensive guard rising up. I despise it when I’m on the receiving end of an “AHA!” look as it is always accompanied by a dash of pity with a smidge of “I Know Better Than You” thrown in there. I despise this look because it makes me feel like I’ve been doing something wrong when I thought, when I had been so sure, I was doing things right.

My therapist, as any good therapist does, follows up her seeming light-bulb moment with a question.

“Why wouldn’t you do that?”

As I pause to prepare an answer, it suddenly feels as if an entire stereotype is crashing down around me. In the span of about fifteen seconds, I realize that nestled next to the “Boys Don’t Like Me” lie in my brain is another equally ridiculous falsehood—I have sincerely believed that girls who flirt are all blonde cheerleaders whose main concerns are their hair, nails and wardrobes. I have believed that girls who flirt are shallow, vapid and low on intelligence. I have believed that girls who flirt are everything that I am fighting not to be, and therefore I have ruled out any sort of behavior in my life that in any way mimics or mirrors theirs. In essence, I have believed that flirting is evil and, after bringing all that hidden prejudice into the harsh light of day, I now realize that I am totally wrong. 

My therapist watches me as I silently sort through all of this. When I bring my eyes back up to hers, she encourages (more like chides) me to not lump all the behaviors I have seen in girls I do not respect into the same category. After all, how are these girls getting guys? Flirting, of course. Flirting is a necessary part of the dating process.

As I listen, my long-entrenched stereotype fights courageously against every word she says, but my brain cannot defy her logic. I realize I have been missing a pivotal piece in the puzzle of relationships (not to mention been incredibly hard on my own sex). If I never flirt, if I never show interest in a guy, what motivation does he have to pursue me? What teenage boy, indeed what boy ever, would chase after a girl who is giving him every indication that she would reject him? I know the answer to that question. Zero. My dating life was currently a woefully accurate portrait of this fact.

With the shreds of my long-held stereotype swirling around me, I am hopeful that my therapist will end things here and give me time to digest the messy and disparate thoughts that are jockeying for position in my brain. Instead, she calmly looks at me and takes things an additional step further.

“We are running out of time today, but I want you to do something for me this week.”

I sit up a bit straighter. The people pleaser in me is standing at full attention, ready to do whatever she asks as quickly and perfectly as I can.

“I want you to flirt with someone. Anyone. As shamelessly and brazenly as possible.”

My shoulders slump as my mouth falls open in shock. Immediately, a cold, clammy fear starts warring with my innate desire to do as I am told. I stare at her for several seconds.

Flirt? Me? What the hell?

Copyright © 2023 Maggie Lamar

All rights reserved.

Author bio:

Maggie Lamar is the author of the newly released Chase Me. Don't Chase Me. - The Relational Musings of an Emotional, Conflicted, Contrary Woman. When she is not lost in the pages of a new book or overanalyzing the results of a personality quiz, she attempts to contribute to the overall health and happiness of the world in sunny Los Angeles.

I'm currently only on Instagram - @maggielamar15

https://www.instagram.com/maggielamar15/

I'm currently doing an Amazon exclusive so it's only available there at the moment. Here is the link -

https://tinyurl.com/2s43ehew