Synopsis

 

Small-time criminal, Taylor Callahan, dreams of starting her life over. When she inadvertently causes the death of a teenage girl who looks just like her, she does the only thing she can do: she takes over the dead girl’s life.

Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.

Dead Ringer is a dark coming-of-age story perfect for fans of FX’s Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.

 

Come for the brilliant premise; stay for the chilling reveals. DEAD RINGER is a dark, page-turning thriller that proves that even the happiest families have secrets worth burying. –Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

 

 

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Review

 

This was an intriguing story that flipped back and forth in time surrounding Taylor’s life and how she ended up a part of the MacKenzie family. I found her life to be interesting and how she was able to adapt to the situation whether good or bad. Especially when she assumed the life of Jamie MacKenzie. I’m not sure I would want to go back to high school even if I was only a few years past that age, but for Taylor, it was a chance to make her life better.

While Taylor thinks that she has it made in the MacKenzie family, all is not as it seems. They have a dark secret that was quite surprising and the impact it had on Taylor and the younger MacKenzie daughter was night and day. In the end, it might have been her downfall but the epilogue leaves us wondering if things might have been turned around on this family. I know that is rather vague, but it would give away a main plot twist!

We also see chapters from Joan MacKenzie’s point of view. She is a mother and feels that something is wrong with her daughter Jamie and if she only knew the truth. Taylor has to keep on her toes to be able to imitate Jamie so that no one gets suspicious. Joan is a mother wanting to protect her family and that might be one reason that she goes into law enforcement. We also learn the truth about her sister’s death which I think tipped her over the edge and changed how she saw life.

We also see how Taylor’s life was after being kicked out of her home by her mother and how bad that life must have been especially when she visits the home again to see her brother. Her mother is one for the books and I could do nothing but shake my head and wonder why she was this way towards Taylor. I think there are a lot of reasons, including dealing with her own insecurities and failures.

Perhaps the unsung character is Ivan. He is the son of someone that Taylor gets involved with before the fateful incident. She catches Ivan trying to put skimmers in place and not very successfully. Her brash attitude allows her into this circle of crime but protecting Ivan against his father draws them closer. In the end, Ivan may be her salvation.

This is a psychological thriller and I really wonder where the rest of the story could have gone since there were so many possibilities.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

V.P. Morris is an award-winning horror and thriller writer. She is also the creator of the fictional podcast, The Dead Letters Podcast. Her interest in true crime and criminal psychology inspired her debut novel, ShadowCast. When she is not reading or writing, she is sending time with her husband, son, and a rescue dog in their Connecticut home.

 

Twitter * Instagram * GoodReads

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

In this thrilling new series from Edgar®-nominated author Ron Corbett, the most dangerous predator in the Maine wilderness walks on two feet—and it is Danny Barrett’s job to bring him down.

Something is not right in the North Maine Woods.

A small family-run lumber company should not have more than two hundred million unaccountable dollars on their books. Money like that comes from moving something other than wood across the border.

The first agent the FBI sent undercover was their best man—sure to get the answers that were needed. He was dead within a month.

Now, Danny Barrett is taking his place. Before he was a cop, Danny grew up in the woods of Northern Michigan. He is the only chance the feds have of getting answers, but how many more will have to die first?

 

 

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About the Author

 

Ron Corbett is a writer, journalist, broadcaster, and co-founder of Ottawa Press and Publishing.  A lifelong resident of Ottawa, Ron’s writing has won numerous awards, including two National Newspaper Awards. He has been a full-time columnist with both the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Sun. He is the author of seven nonfiction books, including Canadian bestseller The Last Guide and the critically acclaimed First Soldiers Down, about Canada’s military deployment to Afghanistan. The first book in his Frank Yakabuski Mystery series was nominated for the Best Paperback Original Edgar® Award.

 

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Synopsis

 

He stalks her wherever she goes, but can she afford not to continue the search?

On the final leg of her journey to deliver justice to the home invader to killed her parents and put her in a coma, Kayla arrives in Australia under duress. She knows who killed her parents and why, and now she fears he’ll get to her, her grandmother, and Martin before she’s able to find the priceless gem he claims her parents stole. But she knows better.

What she finds in Australia cringes her, but will it gives her the evidence she needs to take down her stalker? It provides yet another clue that takes her back to the U.S.

But will she get there in time to save herself, her grandmother, and the man she loves?

To find out, buy this bone-chilling final installment, book 3 in the Kayla Walsh Mystery Suspense trilogy.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Kayla figured this was her last chance to change her mind about going on this dangerous trip. Was this really her only option for getting her life back? If she jumped out, she could get back to the U.S. and follow up other clues. Yves knew her family’s route and could follow these leads. But he didn’t know where they’d buried the souvenirs. Vincent would never leave them alone, not without getting the diamond.

She let her hand fall from the handle, vowing to emerge from the Australian Outback whole. She owed it to her parents, to Nana and Martin, but most of all to herself, to complete the mission.

After a few miles, Yves turned right onto an unpaved road with an endless stretch of red dirt ahead. Heat shimmered from the hot desert floor.

They’d spent five hours on that bumpy road, and Kayla’s insides felt as if they’d been shaken out when Yves slid a photo from the manila envelope toward her. “We’re here.” He stopped at an empty parking area near the face of a cliff. “We’ll need to walk the rest of the way.”

Within minutes, Kayla emerged from a narrow gap in the cliff and smiled at the red walls rimming a lush oasis. “We took pictures on that rock.” She pointed to a viewing area overlooking the two waterfalls. “We swam in that pool.” She gestured in the opposite direction of the rock.

While Yves read a sign about freshwater crocs being less aggressive than salties, emptiness and guilt again filled Kayla. If only she’d known that was to be her last vacation with her parents.

She shaded the sun from her eyes and stared at one of the two waterfalls. She could have sworn the rocks behind one morphed into Grandmother Kingfisher’s face. The same thing happened when she’d been there before.

“This gorge has absorbed the spirituality of my people,” Willa had explained when Kayla described the experience. “Your Cherokee grandmother must want to tell you something.”

And now, Kayla silently asked her grandmother what she wanted Kayla to know. As always, she got no response; the vision disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

She ran down the rocky hillside, then stood beside a crystalline pool at the base of the farthest waterfall. “We buried the bird figurine here, but everything has changed.”

She removed her shoes and socks and rolled up her pant legs. Knee deep in the pool, she dipped water onto her arms and face while gazing at the waterfall to wait for Grandmother to guide her. Nothing happened, so Kayla waded into the cascade.

Cold water bathed her head and shoulders, but she felt warm all over as she remembered doing that with her family. Mom and Dad had splashed each other and finally convinced Kayla to join in the fun. When this nightmare was over, she hoped to find the carefree Kayla again.

Behind the waterfall, she knelt to pick up the rock she had placed over the figurine. When it wasn’t there, pangs of desperation welled inside her. Did she remember wrong? She backed out. Looked around. “Let me see that photo.”

She and Yves compared the markers.

“Either someone took it, or it sank into the mud over the years,” Yves said.

“It can’t be gone.” An urgent need to find the figurine drove her back under the waterfall. She would never find her happy, fun-loving self if she didn’t unearth that statue.

She dug with her fingers. Six inches. Eight inches. Her fingers hit the figurine, cold and hard. “There it is!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Karen Randau authors fast-paced stories with intricate plots, lots of action, and a dash of romance told from the point of view of a female amateur sleuth. She lives in the mountains of Arizona with her multi-generational family.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Amazon * BookBub * Instagram * Pinterest

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Small-time criminal, Taylor Callahan, dreams of starting her life over. When she inadvertently causes the death of a teenage girl who looks just like her, she does the only thing she can do: she takes over the dead girl’s life.

Now, twenty-one-year-old Taylor must navigate the ins and outs of living with the MacKenzies, the safe and loving suburban family of the dead teen girl. By using her street-smarts, fast-thinking, and the help of her best friend and partner in crime, Ivan, she works to keep her true identity a secret while fighting the demons of her past. Just as Taylor thinks she has made a new life for herself with the MacKenzies, she learns that this wholesome family hides a twisted and deadly secret.

Dead Ringer is a dark coming of age story perfect for fans of FX’s Cruel Summer or lovers of psychological thrillers with surprising twists and turns.

 

Come for the brilliant premise; stay for the chilling reveals. DEAD RINGER is a dark, page-turning thriller that proves that even the happiest families have secrets worth burying. –Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot

 

 

Black Rose Writing * Amazon

 

Read for Free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

About the Author

 

V.P. Morris is an award-winning horror and thriller writer. She is also the creator of the fictional podcast, The Dead Letters Podcast. Her interest in true crime and criminal psychology inspired her debut novel, ShadowCast. When she is not reading or writing, she is sending time with her husband, son, and rescue dog in their Connecticut home.

 

Twitter * Instagram * GoodReads

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

Scarlet’s life is pretty average. Overly protective mom. Great friends. Cute boy she’s interested in. And a father she’s never known – until she does.

When the FBI shows up at Scarlet’s door, she is shocked to learn her father is infamous serial killer Jeffrey Robert Lake. And now, he’s dying and will only give the names and locations of his remaining victims to the one person, the daughter he hasn’t seen since she was a baby.

Scarlet’s mother has tried to protect her from Lake’s horrifying legacy, but there’s no way they can escape the media firestorm that erupts when they come out of hiding. Or the people who blame Scarlet for her father’s choices. When trying to do the right thing puts her life in danger, Scarlet is faced with a choice – go back into hiding or make the world see her as more than a monster’s daughter.

Kate McLaughlin’s Daughter is a novel about trying right deadly choices that were never yours to begin with.

 

 

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Review

 

What would you do if you found out you were the daughter of a serial killer? And how far would you go to help find the rest of his victims? That is what Scarlet is faced with when the truth is revealed.

This new YA book is told from the perspective of Scarlet, Jeffrey Lake’s daughter. Growing up she had no idea who she was and it isn’t until he is dying of cancer that the truth comes out. Her mother did a great job of protecting her, but maybe too good of a job since she is blindsided by the truth and it turns her life as she knew it upside down. To make things worse, he has told the FBI that if they bring his daughter to visit him, he will reveal more of the women that they didn’t find that he murdered. What a quandary for Scarlet, does she help bring peace to the families that don’t know what happened to their daughters, or does she continue her life such as it is?

This book reminded me of a series by another author that deals with how the families of serial killers are perceived by others. If you look at what we see in the media today, people are presumed guilty just by association and that isn’t fair to the innocent. However, the media likes to stir up controversy so this really isn’t anything new.

I was very surprised at how many times Scarlet and her friends would smoke pot and get high. I realize she has an anxiety disorder, but she does have medication for that. But by the end of the book, I wondered if the anxiety was caused by her mother and the lengths she went to in protecting Scarlet. And the fact that her mother could smell it on her and just let it slide was surprising considering she ran background checks on everyone that came into their lives.

This book made me think about how I would handle myself if placed in the same situation. Would I meet my father to quell the curiosity I have about him? Would I do this for the victim’s families to give them closure? It would not be an easy situation because you have to be on guard when dealing with a psychopath.

There is some information about the killings and what Jeffrey Lake did with these women that is a little hard to read, but sadly, is not uncommon when it comes to serial killers. There are some sick people in this world.

I felt that this was a somewhat realistic view of teen life and how people treat those that they have presumed to be guilty even if you were only 2 at the time. I admired Scarlet for wanting to bring the victims out and have people remember them for who they were, not just that they were a victim of her father’s.

We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kate began her career as Kathryn Smith, writing best-selling, award-winning historical and paranormal romances. Then, needing a bit of a break from straight historicals, she became Kady Cross, author of The Steampunk Chronicles from Harlequin Teen. This award-winning series led to The Clockwork Agents — steampunk romances for Signet Eclipse under the name Kate Cross. Finally, a new career in Dark Fantasy led to The Immortal Empire series for Orbit, written as Kate Locke.

Regardless of what name she goes by, Kate loves stories that put character first and enjoys exploring every side of the people she creates — even if it makes them less likable.

An up-rooted Canadian, Kate lives in Connecticut with her husband, Steve, and their pride of cats. When not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, makeup, and poking around abandoned asylums.

 

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Synopsis

 

She thought she could trust him. Until she became his prey.

Devastated when she learns why and how a brutal home invader murdered her parents, Kayla and her best friend Martin follow clues through Paris and into the French countryside — only to end up in the killer’s lair.

After tracking a clue to a mysteriously familiar French rural town, Kayla and Martin fight an attacker who launches Martin from a speeding train. Kayla refuses to believe he’s dead and in her grieving realizes that he’s become much more than a friend to her. But she knows she’ll be the next to die if she gets caught at the train station, so she runs. And she keeps running, at last finding refuge in a homeless community.

Her new friends help her escape, but when she follows yet another clue, she runs straight into the grips of men who have chased her down since she left her home in Arizona.

Can Kayla and Martin survive their misplaced trust, or will they become the next victims? And will their love survive with them?

No One to Trust is the bone-chilling Book 2 in the Kayla Walsh Mystery Suspense series. Buy it now to learn Kayla and Martin’s fate.

 

 

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Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

 

Excerpt

 

Kayla Walsh had never expected to leave the safety of witness protection to end up in an abandoned Virginia missile silo. But here she was, following her grandmother’s silver-haired boyfriend, Vincent, through a cold and musty underground parking lot. Dimly lit wall sconces gave the place an eerie aura that added to the goosebumps dotting her olive complexion.

Her best friend and former physical therapist, Martin, touched her arm; his hand felt warm and comforting. As he walked behind Vincent, his size dwarfed their host’s lean, six-foot-two frame. He leaned down to whisper in Kayla’s ear. “Are you sure about this? I’m getting bad vibes.”

A mere five-foot-two-inches tall, Kayla raked a hand through her sleek black hair and whispered back. “You could go back home to Arizona.” Looking up into the dark eyes above Martin’s wide nose, she hoped he wouldn’t abandon her to finish their mission alone.

He swallowed hard and shook his head. “We’re in this together.”

She stepped closer in hopes his body heat would quell her shivers.

Vincent stopped at an elevator and turned toward his guests with a smile that deepened the dimples in his cheeks. His blue eyes sparkled with pride as he pressed the call button.

Martin stopped beside Vincent under a light that reflected off his shaved head and put a green tone on his latte-colored skin.
She stared at a logo on the doors that identified Vincent’s operation as a security business.

“I thought my grandmother said you were a rancher.”

“I have several businesses, dear.” Vincent entered the elevator. “My grandson runs the ranch. At my age, this business is easier on my tired muscles and bones.” He stepped into the elevator and waited for them to join him.

She tried to smile while clinging to a handrail during a high-speed descent farther underground. The sleep-deprived fog in her brain took her thoughts in a morbid direction. The tremble in her knees threatened to reveal her discomfort. Hoping to tamp down her growing unease, she bit the side of her mouth and supported herself against the wall.

“I’m looking forward to sleeping on the plane.” She hoped the words would coax her thoughts away from what brought her to this refurbished missile silo. After being chased down a dirt road by two guys who kept yelling things she couldn’t hear, a magnet attached to a helicopter had whisked her car to a metal platform. Her stomach stayed behind when the platform swished down to a parking lot where Vincent met them.
Beyond Bizarre. And nerve wracking. Rubbing her arms, she wished for a sweater despite the summer heat outside this frigid silo.

“I could use a nap, too.” A wobble in Martin’s unusually quiet voice amped up her anxiety.

The elevator door opened to another hallway with concrete walls lit by more sconces. A young man in tight jeans and black-framed glasses waited for them outside the elevator. Vincent introduced him as his assistant, Alex, who extended a hand that felt even more chilled than Kayla. She figured she’d get there if their stay in that creepy building extended beyond the few minutes she expected.

Alex’s bored expression made her wonder if his administrative duties were as mind-numbing as hers were when she worked for her grandmother at the Arizona home for abused women and children.

Vincent put a hand on Martin’s shoulder. “Kayla told me last night that your attacker at the Lincoln Memorial tried to slice your throat. Our nurse practitioner is waiting to treat the wound. Alex will take you.”

Alex led Martin down another hallway, leaving her feeling small and vulnerable. She stretched to make herself seem bigger as Vincent turned to speak to her.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Karen Randau authors fast-paced stories with intricate plots, lots of action, and a dash of romance told from the point of view of a female amateur sleuth. She lives in the mountains of Arizona with her multi-generational family.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Amazon * BookBub * Instagram * Pinterest

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A young woman embarks on a dangerous journey to bring a killer to justice.

Kayla is newly-engaged and excited to break the news to her parents during a visit for winter break before her final semester at Princeton. As she enters her family’s living room, a home invader shatters her life forever, ruthlessly killing her parents and putting her in a coma.

Two years later, she still remembers nothing of the attack, just that she kissed her fiancé goodbye before opening her family’s front door. Her fiancé thinks she’s dead and has moved on.

A suspicious house fire convinces Kayla it’s time to dump her witness protection program to embark on a dangerous quest to bring the murderer to justice. She and her best friend Martin follow clues that take them from the mountains of Arizona to Washington, D.C., straight into the killer’s lair. Will Kayla succeed in her quest, or will she and Martin fall victim to the ruthless assassin who stole everything Kayla loved?

Nowhere to Hide is the explosive first book in the Kayla Walsh Mystery Suspense trilogy. This fast-paced read is one you won’t want to put down from beginning to end. If you like the suspense of Willow Rose and the plot twists of Kendra Elliot, you will love Karen Randau’s clever, nail-biting Kayla Walsh series.

Get Nowhere to Hide now to meet Kayla and her gang of quirky characters.

 

 

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Free to read via Kindle Unlimited

 

Excerpt

 

Kendra McGee wouldn’t have entered her family’s home if she’d paid attention to the sound of a gate closing nearby, or if she hadn’t discounted the shadow that briefly appeared then ducked back into the darkness. She was too focused on her fiancé as he kissed her goodbye in the dim glow of the living room light shining out the window.

“See you tomorrow,” he whispered.

Her heart was so full of love she thought it might burst. Sounds, shadows, and the possibility of danger were the furthest things from her mind. All she saw was Brandon and the romantic glow the inside lights threw onto the dusting of snow coating Dad’s prized flower beds.
She ignored her father’s muffled voice inside the two-story home where she’d grown up.

When the living room light went out, Brandon pulled her into his arms and whispered, “Aww, wasn’t it nice of your parents to give us privacy before we separate for a whole day?” He gave her a passionate kiss that made her tingle all over.

“I’ll miss you.” She skimmed her hand across his cheek.

He cupped her face with his cold hands, gazing into her eyes with his that went from hazel to green to brown, depending upon his mood. They darkened as he leaned down to kiss her again. When he pulled away, he let her shiny black hair cascade through his fingers. “I love you.”
He backed down the steps to the sidewalk and blew her a kiss with both hands. He was so dramatic, part of what she loved about him. She hoped he’d keep that characteristic after they married and opened their medical practice together.

As she watched his taillights disappear around the corner, she touched her lips and closed her eyes to savor the memory of his tingle-producing kiss. With a sigh, she gazed at the Christmas lights up and down the street. They made coming home from Princeton for winter break feel magical.

This was going to be a good visit. Mom and Dad would be so excited when she showed them the ring Brandon had given her.
Dad groaned inside the house. She wondered if he’d cut himself while serving the apple pie, a tasty ritual her parents had devised for the monthly return of their only child. With a smile and a carefree hum on her lips, she turned to the door.

Despite being twenty-two and about to become a med student, she loved everything about coming home. The violet walls of her childhood bedroom. Cooking fancy meals or shopping with Mom. Gardening or some other project with Dad. It was even better when Nana, Dad’s fun-loving Irish mother, joined them for church, camping, or a night on the town. She wished with a twinge of grief that Mom’s Cherokee mother wasn’t too sick to visit anymore.

She dug through her purse for the house key, grumbling to herself when she couldn’t find it. They must have known she was home since they turned out the light. She tried the knob.

Given the paranoia that had plagued her parents through the last few years, it should have alarmed her that the handle turned easily. Instead, a spark of anticipation put another smile on her lips and made her mouth water at the thought of the dessert awaiting her.
When she pushed the door open, the kitchen light threw two strange silhouettes against the wall in the dining…

It took a moment to realize the heap under the table was her father. She dropped her purse, suitcase, and coat and took three steps forward. He reached toward her. “Kendra, no.” His arm flopped down. His voice was so weak it scared her.

“Dad?” She looked around. “Mom?” She started to run to her father, but he rasped, “Kendra, no.”

The curtain on the kitchen door swayed, bringing her attention to a handprint near the knob. Blood? A stranger pushed the door open, and a beam from the kitchen cast an eerie glow on his dark goatee but not the rest of him.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Karen Randau authors fast-paced stories with intricate plots, lots of action, and a dash of romance told from the point of view of a female amateur sleuth. She lives in the mountains of Arizona with her multi-generational family.

 

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads

Amazon * BookBub * Instagram * Pinterest

 

 

 

Synopsis

 

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

 

 

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Murder By the Book | Poisoned Pen | Chapters | Audible

 

 

Review

 

I am not a true crime junkie like some of my friends, but this story pulled me in from the start. A true crime blogger believes there is more to this cold case than meets the eye and starts digging around and even contacts the lone survivor from the family that was impacted. She is shocked that she is able to get an interview with Beth, but at the same time, I think Beth’s motivation to talk about this case stems from deeper issues and carrying around these details for all those years.

This book has so many twists and turns and just when I thought I had a handle on what was happening, something new would happen or new information would be shared. I figured out a small part of the story but was surprised when it went even deeper than I could have imagined. There is a paranormal twist with a ghost haunting the mansion and this is where it really gets interesting as we slowly learn the details behind the family, the murders/deaths, and so much more. And even though we find out the “who” about 1/2 of the way in, we still don’t know the why until much later as the details are slowly shared with us.

Shea really digs into the mystery surrounding Greer House and even has a private investigator helping her out with some of the details. Shea has her own issues, including not driving or even getting into a car, which stems from an incident she was involved with as a child. While it appears that this is a small town, it does have a really good bus system since it gets her where she needs to go including Greer House which seems to be off the beaten path.

This book is also about family – Shea’s family, Beth’s family, and those of the town. Both Shea and Beth have to come to terms with their own issues and their past and move forward into a new life. Just as I thought I had a handle on the dynamics of the family, another layer was peeled back that provided more depth and information.

The story flips back and forth in time and is told from Shea and Beth’s POV. There is so much insight and I wanted to tell the other character, “hey, this happened to her and it impacts what you are doing.” But alas, I could not.

This book has so much going for it and if you are a fan of true crime you will probably enjoy this new release. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, The Broken Girls, and The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives outside Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.

 

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Synopsis

 

Get their attention before it’s too late… The Quiet War has begun…

Acclaimed journalist and media celebrity Diana Willis can snag the inside scoop and truth on any story. But when her helicopter mysteriously malfunctions and plummets to the ground, everything changes, sending Diana down a maze of murderous intrigue and confusion. Waking up from a coma eight weeks after the crash, she struggles with the recurring dreams that reveal an extraordinary past life. Now, Diana’s hellbent on uncovering the secrets about those past memories.

Delving into a world of mind control and past lives, the truth is more terrifying than she ever imagined as she travels back in time to face the perpetrators of America’s most confidential and sinister projects. Teaming up with an unlikely ally, an elusive interdimensional mentor from her other life, Diana is able to restore her psychic and telepathic powers. Suddenly, they’re in more danger than ever before as their enemies seek world domination through mind control and media manipulation.

Can Diana use her powers to expose the truth, bring a message from another world, hundreds of earth years in the future, and save the world before it’s too late?

“I returned from your future and there is no fear. I am courageous and free…”

 

 

Amazon

 

Read for free via Kindle Unlimited

 

Excerpt

 

Chapter One

 

You might think you know what I am doing, but it goes beyond anything you imagine. You don’t know I am borrowed from another galaxy, from another time. I arrived shortly after you detonated the two atomic bombs in the middle of your last century. My work of infiltration, subversion, and transformation began immediately.

The woman stumbled over the uneven ground, dazed, confused.

Thoughts trickled into her head.

Where am I? What is going on?

She realized there were cold, wet stones beneath her bare feet.

What happened to my shoes?

Through a veil of pain, she tried to discern what appeared around her, but her eyes couldn’t focus in the dawn light because a fog blurred the details.

A chill poured over her skin, and when she hugged herself for warmth, she discovered that her clothes were ragged and torn. When she brought up one hand, she noticed blood smeared across her fingers.

She heard waves lapping against rocks. A humid mineral smell filled her nostrils.

The ocean?

She turned to the sound of the surf and saw, on the water’s edge, a large, unusual formation of rocks, shaped like a pyramid. In the distance, past the rocks, she noticed a light shining through the mist. This light was also unusual in the way its reflection cast a strange trail of sparkles across the water.

What is that?

For a moment, she stared, transfixed, then realized she’d been holding something in her hand. As she brought the object closer to her eyes, she saw her bloody fingers gripping a small red book with a silver pinecone embossed on its cover.

She realized someone was behind her. The abrupt presence startled her, and she dropped the book. Just as she was about to turn around, the stranger said, “Get their attention before it’s too late.”

 

 

About the Author

 

At 19 years old, Steven Paul Terry felt a stirring in his soul that he recognized as the archetypal call to adventure. It was then that he began a great odyssey to discover his life’s purpose and mission. Born in London, England, and educated there and in Australia, Steven believes it took him over 3 decades and many trips around the world to prepare him to manifest his creative force for the benefit of the planet.

Currently dividing his time between Colorado, Mexico, Tasmania, and Southeast Asia, Steven travels the world as a professional speaker and corporate training facilitator.

At the moment, Steven is concentrating his efforts on writing a trilogy of supernatural thrillers, the first of which, Star Revelations, will be published by Hero Acts.

 

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Synopsis

 

From the USA Today bestselling and Edgar-nominated author of Darling Rose Gold comes a dark, thrilling novel about two sisters–one trapped in the clutches of a cult, the other in a web of her own lies.

Welcome to Wisewood. We’ll keep your secrets if you keep ours.

Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year.

The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there.

And then she found Wisewood.

On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world–no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid.

Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.

 

 

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Review

 

This story is told from three points of view – Natalie, Kit, and an unknown third person until later in the book. I have to admit, for some reason, I was confusing the third person with Natalie or Kit and am not sure why, but maybe because they weren’t named?

I will forewarn you that there could be some triggers for parental emotional abuse for the unknown third person. While I don’t have any trigger issues normally, the descriptions of the scene with the third person and her father were hard to read. He basically treated his wife and two daughters as if they weren’t good enough and forced the girls to earn points to be able to sleep. It got harder as they got older and what would “count”. It is no wonder that they both wanted to get away from him, yet his wife wouldn’t leave despite knowing it would have been for the best for everyone. Over time, this unknown person finds her way but many would wonder about her chosen field and the lengths she goes to for “art”. Perhaps it is the extreme that draws people into her and the fear of allowing themselves to be in her shoes. Perhaps that is why she calls herself Madam Fearless.

Natalie and Kit have a strained relationship despite being all that they have left when it comes to family. Their mother has passed away and while they lead separate lives, they try to stay in touch, at least for a time. That is until Kit decided that she needs a change and ends up at a remote retreat location in Maine. I can see the good and the bad about this place, no technology and getting in touch with your inner demons. However, there are some fishy things happening with the owner and the staff that are revealed to us over time. Kit has learned to resolve some of her issues and thinks she knows what she wants from life but Natalie can’t seem to accept this. Natalie may be right, but she may be wrong, and what she learns (or the reader learns) is that everything may not be as it seems.

Despite the synopsis describing what is going on with Natalie and Kit, that doesn’t seem to be the main focus of the book, at least not until about 1/2 way through. There is a lot of back and forth in the chapters with Natalie and the unknown person, which might explain why I thought it was tied together, until much later. We know that Natalie is heading to Wisewood to tell her sister what she did based on an email she received and that if she didn’t, an unknown person will tell her. When the secret is revealed it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal but I can see Kit’s viewpoint on that secret.

The last 25% has some crazy twists that I didn’t expect and the ending does leave you wondering what might happen next.

There is a lot to unpack with this book and while I enjoyed the book, it did feel a little scattered and didn’t really start coming together until about 2/3 – 3/4 of the way through the book.

We give this book 3 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Stephanie Wrobel is the author of Darling Rose Gold, a USA Today and international bestseller that has sold in twenty-one countries and was shortlisted for the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Wrobel grew up in Chicago and now lives in London. This Might Hurt is her second novel.

 

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