suspense - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Catherine McKenzie (You Can’t Catch Me)

June 12, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper You Can’t Catch Me by Catherine McKenzie is a psychological thriller where deception is the name of the game. The central theme of the story is identity theft with a side story involving cults. Although readers might think these two do not connect, McKenzie does a wonderful job tying them together. The story opens with Jessica Williams in an airport bar waiting for her flight. She meets a stranger with the same name and …

Interview with Melinda Leigh (Cross Her Heart)

May 29, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh is action-packed. This first in a series has great characters working together to solve a murder mystery. It is a tale of lies, deceit, abuse, jealousy, guilt, blackmail, and murder along with heartbreak scenes about family. The main character is Bree Taggert. She has left the town of her birth and rarely goes to visit, even though her sister Erin, her niece and nephew, and brother Adam live …

Interview with Amanda Quick (Close Up)

May 15, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Close Up by Amanda Quick blends together the historical, suspense, and a tinge of the romance genres. Through a gripping mystery, readers also get a glimpse of the 1930s Hollywood-type glamour of California. The books opens with Vivian Brazier rushing to a crime scene to take photographs of a murder. Cut off from her family’s funds for pursuing her dream, a career in art, to make ends meet she takes crime scene photos and …

Interview with Carla Cassidy (48 Hour Lockdown)

April 25, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper 48 Hour Lockdown by Carla Cassidy is the first in a series of four books. The books are an anthology of sorts, but instead of having short stories in one book each plot has its own novel. Basically, the four different authors were provided by the publisher an over-reaching arc that included a unit of the FBI, The Tactical Crime Division, TCD, and the four heroes and heroines. In this story, the hero is …

Interview with Elizabeth Heiter (Secret Investigation)

April 26, 2020April 25, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Secret Investigation by Elizabeth Heiter is the second book in the “Tactical Crime Division Series.” This series is an anthology of books where each author writes about a different character in the TCD. The opening prologue sets the tone for the rest of the book. It is very powerful and gripping as it shows how those serving in the military sacrifice their lives to protect Americans. The plot is a reminder of the early …

Interview with Nicole Helm (South Dakota Showdown, Covert Complication, Backcountry Escape)

April 17, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Badlands Cops Series by Nicole Helm is a must read for anyone who wants a great suspense story intertwined with a romance and very likable protagonists. These novels explore if children can escape the sins of their father, who is the ruthless head of a murderous gang. The first book in the series, South Dakota Showdown has the oldest of the six Wyatt brothers, Jamison, helping his former beau, Liza rescue her four-year-old-kid …

Interview with Luanne Rice (Last Day)

February 22, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Last Day by Luanne Rice is a gripping psychological suspense story. It starts out with an intensity from page one that never lets up. The story delves into survivors of trauma, sisterhood, best friends, and small communities shaken by violence or death. The plot begins with the brutal murder of Beth Lathrop who was six months pregnant. She is found by her sister Kate, strangled in her bed with her skull bashed. Kate also …

Before He Vanished by Debra Webb

February 12, 2020

Title: Before He Vanished Author: Debra Webb Series: Winchester, Tennessee #6 Great mystery, irritating characters Thank you to Lisa Wray for inviting me to participate in Harlequin blog tours, and thank you to Debra Webb, Harlequin, and Netgalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I see Debra Webb’s name often, but I think this is the first time I’ve read one of her books. As with Allison Brennan, I just never got …

Interview with Lisa Gardner (When You See Me)

February 6, 2020February 6, 2020

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper When You See Me by Lisa Gardner is a home run. This book has four female heroines stepping up to the plate, working together to solve a town’s murders. What makes it extra-special is that it brings together three characters: Boston Homicide Detective D.D. Warren, FBI special agent Kimberly Quincy and recovering torture victim turned vigilante Flora Dane. FBI Special Agent Kimberly Quincy and Sergeant Detective D. D. Warren have built a task force …

Elise’s Review – Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks

February 6, 2020

Book Review by Elise Cooper Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks is a cozy mystery with a different perspective. Some would think that a story with quilts could not make a good mystery, but Marks is able to stitch everything together. She is one of a few mystery authors who has a Jewish protagonist. The author explained why she used the quilt angle. “I have made quilts for twelve years. I decided to write about them, which turned into …