suspense - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Terri Parlato (Watch Your Back)

January 17, 2025

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Watch Your Back by Terri Parlato intertwines suspense, romance, retribution, and redemption in a compelling measure. It realistically shows how young couples handle stress and trying to make ends meet, which can affect their relationship. The main characters’ professions and personal lives play a significant role in the unfolding of the plot. The two main characters, Nathan Liddle and Eve Thayer, have settled into domestic life after a whirlwind romance. Shortly thereafter they become …

Interview with Candace Irving (Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 series)

January 11, 2025

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Hidden Valor Military Veteran/K-9 series by Candace Irving is one of the best series to come along in quite a while. Each book combines a mystery, thriller, and police procedural. While the suspense is off the charts, there is also a very heart wrenching and heartwarming backstory of the characters that remind readers of the sacrifices made by those who serve to keep Americans safe. The main character is Kate Holland, a former …

Interview with Amanda Flower (Gingerbread Danger)

December 14, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Gingerbread Danger by Amanda Flower does not disappoint with the loveable and quirky characters that are colorful and fun to read. Bailey King is on top of the world. She has recently opened Swissmen Candyworks Factory as a counterpart to Swissmen Sweets, the candy store she helps her Amish grandmother run. She’s happily engaged to county sheriff Aiden Brody. And she’s the go-to sitter for her future mother-in-law’s pet pig, Jethro. This Christmas season, …

Interview with Rhys Bowen (We Three Queens)

December 6, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen is a delightful blend of historical fiction with a cozy mystery. There are three different subplots in this story. The story takes place in 1936 where King Edward wants to marry the divorced Mrs. Wallis Simpson. He asks Georgie’s husband, Darcy, to hide Wallis in their home until Parliament decides if they will allow the marriage. Also coming as guests are Georgie’s brother Binky, his wife Fig, and …

Interview with Pamela Fagan Hutchins (Detective Delaney Pace series)

November 22, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Detective Delaney Pace series is a modern-day western thriller. She can be described as a vigilante with a badge. People should read all the books starting with Her Silent Bones, then Her Hidden Grave, Her Last Cry, with the latest, Her Forgotten Shadow. The character Delaney Pace is street tough, tenacious, intelligent, and steps up to the plate to become a mother to her two adopted daughters, Kateena and Carrie. As with all …

Interview with Anna J. Stewart (Hunting Colton’s Witness)

October 11, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Hunting Colton’s Witness by Anna J. Stewart is part of a series where each book has different stories written by different authors. In this book, the heroine, Vivian Maylor, becomes Detective Nate Colton’s key witness. He is attracted to her from the get-go. His determination to keep their relationship purely professional falls apart after an attempt on her life almost succeeds. With help from his newfound Colton family, Nate is hoping to keep Vivian …

Review Roundup Autumn 2024 – Part 2

October 17, 2024October 8, 2024

Another quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Autumn 2024. Beware of spoilers! Title: If I Stopped Haunting You Author: Colby Wilkens Series: n/a Thank you to Colby Wilkens, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was okay. Not well balanced, and the characters had to work to be likeable, especially Pen. I don’t care what race, gender, ancestry, etc, you are, if …

Interview with Daryl Wood Gerber (The Son’s Secret)

October 4, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Son’s Secret by Daryl Wood Gerber is not the type of story her readers are used to. Instead of gardens, tea shops, and fairies flying around, she has ventured into suspense and mystery. This story explores the complex mother-adult son dynamic. Parents will relate to the main character understanding the fine line between being hovering to being supportive and caring. Plus, the anxiety that every parent goes through when their children do not …

Interview with Yasmin Angoe (Not What She Seems)

September 28, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe is a very suspenseful domestic thriller that will keep readers on their toes. The plot has the heroine, Jac Brodie, leaving home when she was twenty-two years old. She comes back after a family tragedy, where she must confront her tortured past―and a new danger in town that no one seems to understand but her. After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, …

Interview with Fiona Barton (Talking to Strangers)

September 20, 2024

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton is the second book in the series. This one involves three women out for the truth, all will be narrators in the story. Police detective Elise King is assigned to investigate the murder of local hairdresser Karen Simmons. Before her death, Simmons ran a singles group called the Free Spirits, and King immediately sets her sights on the men Simmons was dating. The author humanizes the detective by …