thriller - No Apology Book Reviews

Interview with Melinda Leigh (You Can Tell Me)

May 29, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper You Can Tell Me by Melinda Leigh features Olivia Cruz. Fans might remember her from the Morgan Dane series. This story plays off what happens to Olivia in Save Your Breath. On the three-year anniversary of true crime writer Olivia Cruz’s horrific kidnapping, she’s scheduled to walk her podcaster friend Zoe March through the crime scene, but Zoe fails to show. Olivia knows Zoe would never stand her up, especially not on the day …

Interview with Pamela Fagan Hutchins (Red Grade)

May 15, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Red Grade by Pamela Fagan Hutchins is a legal thriller with a great story and compelling characters. The main female lead, Jennifer Herrington, a former prosecutor, now a defense attorney, has been asked to quietly advise on a murder case. She agreed because she’s experienced, trustworthy, and not technically a suspect. That last part doesn’t last long. The plot begins with polo star Victor Carvalho collapsing mid-match and is trampled to death at the …

Interview with Ava Roberts (The Summer House Murder)

May 8, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The Summer House Murder by Ava Roberts is about the relationship between three sisters and their cousin. The story is narrated from the perspectives of Esme, Regina, Piper, and Alexis, weaving together two timelines: one from the past and one in the present. It is a domestic murder mystery. The cousin, Alexis, is the character that the mystery revolves around. She is an enigma because some readers will root for her, while other will …

Interview with Dana Mentink (Raging Waters)

April 10, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper The plot for Raging Waters by Dana Mentink comes right out of the headlines. A major role in the book is the Air Force SERE tactics. In the news recently the Air Force Colonel who had to eject from his F-15 fighter jet over Iran had to avoid the Iranians who had put a bounty on his head. To avoid the enemy, he used the SERE training. This book’s plot has the hero and …

Interview with Terri Parlato (She Thought She Was Safe)

March 20, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper She Thought She Was Safe by Terri Parlato has the author venturing away from her series with Detective Rita. This is a stand-alone thriller shows how people are not whom they seem and monsters lurk behind facades. The plot has Emma realizing she needs a new start. After the unexpected death of her mother and the collapse of her marriage, Emma is looking for a place to escape to. She discovers the identity of …

Interview with Sandra Brown (Bloodlust)

March 13, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Bloodlust by Sandra Brown is a great romantic suspense story. Besides a mystery and a budding romance between the main characters, Brown delves into grief, loss, and the father as a single parent. The story opens with Mitch Haskell as a grieving detective who realizes his wife was murdered and did not commit suicide as others think. Roland Malone and the unidentified mastermind of the crime known only as Oz are behind the crime …

Bloodlust by Sandra Brown

February 26, 2026February 23, 2026

Title: Bloodlust Author: Sandra Brown Series: stand alone but shares characters with Blood Moon Much thanks to Sandra Brown, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I won’t lie, I was sucked in. Read this in about 24 hours. Brown knows how to keep the pace fast and the tension high. But if you’ve read Brown’s work before, you’ll find this is pretty much cut and paste. • …

Interview with Jenna Blum (Murder Your Darlings)

February 6, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum has the author venturing into the thriller genre. Formerly known for her historical novels, she still maintains some semblance by making her female lead, Simone “Sam” Vetiver, a historical novelist. This suspenseful novel had love, grief, and revenge. Readers meet Sam who is finishing up a book tour while searching for some ideas for her next plot. She then receives a fan letter from best-selling author William Corwyn …

Review Roundup Winter 2025-2026 – Part 1

January 12, 2026

A roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Winter 2025-2026. Beware of spoilers! Title: 100 Days of Sunlight Author: Abbie Emmons Series: Tessa and Weston #1 This author has a “writing how-to” YouTube channel that I’ve watched a few times, and when I learned she’s published a book with an interesting premise and it was available at my library, I wanted to check it out and see if Emmons can walk the walk or just talk the talk. DNF 19%. …

Interview with Katie Bernet (Beth Is Dead)

January 9, 2026

Article and Interview by Elise Cooper Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet takes the Little Women story by Louisa May Alcott and turns it on its head. Readers who loved this timely classic will be intrigued how Bernet takes Beth’s death and turns it into a murder mystery, puts the characters in the modern day, and has many twists with many people of interest. Although it is listed as a YA book, adult readers will also find it enjoyable, gripping, …