suspense - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Linda Castillo (Down a Dark Road)

October 10, 2018September 3, 2017

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo is an electrifying thriller. It seems with each book, this being the ninth, she gets better and better. Within a riveting mystery she is able to seamlessly blend the Amish culture, giving glimpses and insights to their way of life. Once again small town Painters Mill police chief Kate Burkholder is forced to re-visit her childhood past. She is notified about the escape of Joseph King, convicted …

Interview with Cynthia Eden (Before the Dawn)

October 10, 2018September 3, 2017

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Before the Dawn by Cynthia Eden is the second book of the “Killer Instinct” series; a psychological thriller intermingled with some romance. The premise of these novels is very unique in that they involve someone in law enforcement knowing a serial killer. An experimental FBI unit recruits Agents who have a personal connection to serial killers, knowing the murderers because they were friends, lovers, family, and their tormenters. The intensity begins from page one, …

Elise’s Review – Wired by Julie Garwood

October 10, 2018September 3, 2017

Book Review by Elise Cooper Wired by Julie Garwood has the relationship dominant to the story. This novel has much more romance than suspense along with humorous scenes, a welcome relief from the tension of thrillers. The book features a computer nerd, Allison Trent who gives geeks a good name. She is beautiful, painfully shy, models on the side, and is not a phony; yet, relaxes by writing computer codes and working out puzzles. Determined to make a name for …

Interview with Karen Rose (Monster in the Closet)

October 10, 2018September 3, 2017

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Monster in the Closet begins with eleven-year-old Jazzie Jarvis witnessing her mother’s horrific murder at the hands of her father, Gage Jarvis. Unfortunately, her five-year-old sister, Janie, is also traumatized when she sees her mother lying in her own blood. Jazzie has not spoken since the incident and Janie has nightmares. Trying to help the girls cope and heal emotionally they are taken to Healing Hearts with Horses that provide therapy to traumatized children. …

Interview with Sandra Brown (Seeing Red)

October 10, 2018September 3, 2017

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Seeing Red by Sandra Brown is an intriguing story about redemption and second chances intertwined within a “who done it” mystery. The complexity of the plot originates with the lies and deceit. Twenty-five years ago a bombing at the Dallas Hotel, the Pegasus, leaves 98 dead and 197 wounded. An iconic photo was taken of Major Franklin Trapper rescuing a little five-year-old girl from the building’s ruins. Although he was never the reluctant hero …

Monster in the Closet by Karen Rose

November 8, 2019September 1, 2017

Title: Monster in the Closet Author: Karen Rose Series: Baltimore #5 Happy Valentine’s Day, Rose fans I’ll warn you now, I’m fangirling all over this. If you’re new to Karen Rose and want to start with this one, please, PLEASE, read Watch Your Back first, at the very least. To truly appreciate this one to its fullest extent, read Nothing to Fear, then skip to You Belong to Me and read that as well as every successive novel, even the …

The Woman Who Couldn’t Scream by Christina Dodd

December 8, 2019August 16, 2017

Title: The Woman Who Couldn’t Scream Author: Christina Dodd Series: Virtue Falls #4 Two well-written stories that don’t belong together I would like to thank Christina Dodd, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. From the very start of The Woman Who Couldn’t Scream, I was hooked, and I could not bear to stop reading for any reason, because I had to know what happened next. I had to …

Seeing Red by Sandra Brown

November 7, 2019July 18, 2017

Title: Seeing Red Author: Sandra Brown Series: n/a Not super exciting but still brilliant I would like to thank Sandra Brown, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Twenty-five years ago, the nation was rocked by the tragic bombing of a prominent Dallas hotel. The culprit confessed and the case was quickly closed, but for John Trapper, the repercussions had only begun. As one of the few survivors of …

Wired by Julie Garwood

October 10, 2018July 6, 2017

Title: Wired Author: Julie Garwood Series: Buchanan/FBI #13 Not the best Garwood I’ve read, but not a terrible book This book doesn’t seem to have been received very well. While the majority of its ratings are four- and five-stars—the percentages on Amazon and Goodreads are almost identical right now—the reviews are mixed. My personal opinion is that this is a good book, not a great one—but I have certainly read far, FAR worse. It’s been a few years since Garwood …

Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich

November 10, 2019June 21, 2017

Title: Dangerous Minds Author: Janet Evanovich Series: Knight and Moon #2 A fun, humorous romp When Emerson Knight’s friend Wayan Bagus, a buddhist monk, discovers the island where he had been living as a hermit has gone missing, Knight and his impromptu, unofficial team of investigators go on an adventure to find out what could possibly have happened to make an entire island disappear. Their questions lead to a larger mystery that has been guarded by the National Park Service …