mystery - No Apology Book Reviews

Elise’s Review – Smokescreen by Iris Johansen

August 10, 2019

Book Review by Elise Cooper Smokescreen by Iris Johansen brings to life a realistic page-turner. Readers will be reminded of the genocide in Rwanda through some of the descriptions in this plot. Women empowerment are always a part of the stories that Johansen writes. “I like writing strong women. In this one I had a bunch of them. They showed the world what they could do. One quality they all had in common was independence. They are talented and bad …

Gothic Ghost Stories, Historical Mysteries, Scottish and Vampire Romance – Review Roundup Spring and Summer 2019

November 4, 2019July 29, 2019

There may be tiny spoilers for some of the books I mention, so here’s your warning. This spring I was craving Simone St. James. She put out one book a year from 2012 to 2016, but then it was two years between Lost Among the Living and The Broken Girls and will now be two years between The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel. I don’t know why there has been longer waits between books, if St. James has …

Interview with Laura Griffin (Her Deadly Secrets)

July 27, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Her Deadly Secrets by Laura Griffin has plenty of action and suspense with a touch of romance. Readers are easily drawn into the investigation of this murder mystery that involves the mob and a surprise villain. The plot starts out with a bang, literally. The heroine, Kira Vance, a private investigator, arrives to a meeting with her boss/mentor, Ollie Kovack, and the lead defense attorney Brock Logan. Unfortunately, she finds herself in the wrong …

Interview with Alison Gaylin (Never Look Back)

July 14, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin is a suspenseful psychological thriller. Her readers will not be disappointed with this latest novel based on a true murder crime spree. The plot delves into how, in 1976, teenage murderers April Cooper and Gabriel LeRoy terrorized Southern California’s Inland Empire, killing a dozen victims before perishing in a fire. More than forty years later, a True Crime podcast gets an unexpected tip that April did not die …

Interview with Laurien Berenson (Bite Club)

July 5, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Bite Club by Laurien Berenson takes the bite out of crime with this fun cozy mystery. With a thrilling crime to solve, a likable amateur sleuth, poodles, a bulldog puppy, and interesting insider information about the world of dog shows, readers will enjoy her latest novel. The main character, Melanie Travis, is a dog-lover who welcomes a few friends to participate in a book club she names the “Bite Club.” But her opinionated, bossy …

Interview with Amanda Flower (Toxic Toffee)

June 28, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower is a delightful cozy mystery that will put a smile on readers’ faces while they try to solve the who done it mystery. As with all the books in the series, murder seems to find Bailey and she enjoys her role as an amateur sleuth along with her “hot” boyfriend Deputy Sherriff Aiden Brody. She divides her time between New York, where she films a cable TV show, and …

Interview with Hilary Davidson (One Small Sacrifice)

June 22, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper One Small Sacrifice by Hilary Davidson is a procedural mystery that will keep readers guessing until the very last chapter. Each thread of the detailed plot unveils one surprising revelation after another. With the compelling characters this story contrasts how good people can go astray with horrible people that have no conscience. The early chapters set the pace for the rest of the book with war photographer Alex Traynor apparently getting away with murdering …

Interview with Wendy Walker (The Night Before)

June 10, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Night Before by Wendy Walker is a first-class psychological thriller with a lot of twists. Interestingly the premise begins with on-line dating that creates a tension-filled, suspenseful mystery. The plot delves into childhood memories, family relationships, secrets, lies, and betrayals. The story alternates between three time periods. The day of Laura Lochner’s blind-date, the day after, which has her sister, Rosie Ferro, searching for her, and a few months earlier with Laura in …

Interview with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (Double Exposure)

June 2, 2019

Double Exposure by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the TV series, “Smallville,” brings to life a unique storyline. Set in the 1960s to make the story believable, they explore the question, what if Hitler did not die in the bunker, and is still alive? The plot begins with a KGB Russian agent, turned CIA asset, smuggling a film canister over the Berlin Wall. Because the East Germans shot the agent as well as the canister the CIA …

Interview with Amanda Quick (Tightrope)

May 24, 2019

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Tightrope is a fabulous mystery, typical of what readers have come to expect from Amanda Quick also known as Jayne Krentz. This action based plot has secrets, betrayals, Hollywood actors, circus characters, spies, gangsters, and a sweet romance, although the focus is more on the suspense than the romance. The plot has Amalie Vaughn putting the past behind her, especially the recent attack from the Death Catcher, a serial killer who targeted trapeze artists. …