authentic reviews and insightful interviews for inquisitive readers
Title: Dark Ride Author: Angela Smith Series: n/a A solid effort but needs work The author asked me to read and review her work, and I was happy to oblige. She provided me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. When Adrienne Fuller witnesses a horrific incident of vehicular homicide, she prays the perpetrators didn’t notice she’d witnessed the crime—but they did, and weren’t about to leave a loose end. Luckily for Adrienne, one of the perps …
Find an interview with the author HERE Elise Cooper: Geo Shaw from Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts has consented to this interview. We will discuss with Geo Shaw how she endured abuse, her best friends’ murder, going to prison, and the scorn of the community. EC: Do you think people can reinvent their life—did you? Geo Shaw: I’m working on it. I have a lot of baggage that follows me wherever I go. But I believe we can do anything …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier blends a murder, cover-up, and twisted relationships. Through manipulated lives, prison hardships, abuse, friendship, and wrecked futures readers understand how someone’s life can go so wrong. The story centers on Georgina (Geo) Shaw, someone who had to deal with the grief of losing her mother and two best friends. But it appeared she overcame it, becoming a successful, thirty-year-old self-made executive at a Seattle pharmaceutical company. That is …
Title: Lost Innocence Author: Jannine Gallant Series: Siren Cove #2 Well constructed but I didn’t care for the characters Thank you to Jannine Gallant for reaching out and asking for a review, and thank you to Lyrical Press/Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to give this work three or four stars. Structurally and mechanically, it’s excellent. There were some minor typos which I trust will be corrected for the final …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Shattered Mirror by Iris Johansen is a paranormal thriller with a tease of romance. What makes this book stand out is that the good guys/gals are actually good and the bad guys are pure evil, without any grey area. Eve Duncan, a forensic sculptor, has the job of reconstructing skulls for recognition. At her Georgia home, left in Joe, her husband’s car, is a package with a skull burnt beyond recognition. Also, inside are …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Necessary Ends by Tina Whittle highlights Tai Randolph and Trey Seaver, detective partners and partners in life. Whittle’s writing style pulls readers into the story from page one. This novel combines an action-packed plot with great banter dialogue and a psychological aspect. Trey Seaver is haunted by the one that got away, a murder of a Hollywood producer’s wife in Atlanta during a filming. Now, about four years later it appears someone wants the …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Wild Inside by Jamey Bradbury is part paranormal, part thriller, and part horror. This debut novel is very character driven, specifically with the protagonist Tracy Petrikoff, where readers wonder if everything that happens to her is driven by her imagination, some delusions, or was indeed reality. People meet Tracy, a natural born hunter and trapper who loves the Alaskan wilderness, where she spends her days in the remote forest by her house. She …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Bone Music’s story by Christopher Rice is not a classical melody, but more like hard rock. The scenes are riveting and realistic enough that there is an element of believability, alternating between a thriller and the fringes of science fiction. This consuming read has the heroine trying to overcome her tragic past by rebuilding her life and overcoming her trust issues. The intensity begins from page one when a husband and wife team of …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin brings psychological suspense stories to a whole new level. The focus of the plot emphasizes the relationship between parents and children and how social media plays a role. The I-GEN generation characters that keep secrets and isolate themselves, allows readers to realize it is sometimes impossible for parents to really know their children. The plot begins with Wade, a teenager’s, suicide note, then flashes back five days …
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The English Wife by Lauren Willig is full of intrigue and suspense. It is a refreshing change from all the recent Gone Girl look alikes, and instead is part mystery, part love story, and part family drama. This historical crime fiction novel involves murder, scandals, and secrets. The Gilded Age is highlighted between the years 1894 in England to 1899 in New York. Bayard, the son of a Knickerbocker prominent family returns after a …