Review: Before She Knew Him

Before She Knew Him by Peter Swanson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is starting out to be an amazing year for books! I won an ARC of this book. It is the first book I have read by Peter Swanson. I want to go read every book he has written now.

Before She Knew Him was one of the best games of cat and mouse I have read. If you have read the synopsis then you know what the book is about. I’m not going to rewrite it here. Nor am I going to tell you much other than do not miss out on reading this book! I want you, my book loving friend, to enjoy every twist and turn just as I did. I want you to feel your heart pound and your mouth go dry. I want you to enjoy every moment of discovery. Go find the giveaways and enter for the ARC’s. Go talk to your librarian and request a copy. Put your name on the list early. Preorder the book if you can. Circle March 2019 and write a note on it to remind yourself to buy it, if you can’t preorder. Then buy your favorite drink and snacks. Prepare yourself for an entire day of reading, (how I wish I had known to do this). Once you start reading you won’t be able to stop. It will transport you and hold you captive until the final page. You really don’t want to miss this one.
You might not want to read this alone, especially at night. You might find yourself thinking over your neighbors and exactly how well you know them. You might find yourself staring a bit into your friends faces for awhile. Book hazards. *shrug*



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Review: Hightail It to Kinsey Falls

I listened to this book on Audible. The narrator was fantastic. I really enjoyed this recording. The story was interesting and fun! I learned some things I didn’t know. I love the characters. I even enjoyed the author notes and acknowledgments. I do recommend this book! Read it. Especially if you love wildlife. Possum. I had a good time with this and I think you will to. I can’t wait to read more of this story.

   

Goodreads Hightail It To Kinsey Falls

Review: Dead and Butter

Dead and Butter by A. Gardner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. It took longer than I expected only because I fell ill while reading it and wasn’t able to read as much. I did want to get back to it so I knew I was hooked. I like the characters though it was a kind of slow warm up to them and the town for me. I think, for me, that was because there was tension among the sisters, Ember and Stevie. I needed to see who, if either, I was going to trust. In the end I liked both and was happy to see the relationship repairing. I do plan on continuing with this series. The mystery was written welll. I didn’t guess the killer until the big reveal. This is the first book in the series and the way the threads were woven, my recommendation is to read the series in the order in which it was written. There is a fairly easy wheat bread recipe included. If your a baker, it will be a tasty recipe for you.

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Review: If You Find Me

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! There is so much I want to say. So much I can’t. This story had me mesmerized. It was emotional for me. I do want to give a warning that there is a rape scene so if that is difficult for you you might want to skip that part. This book will be with me for a long time. I think it will be one of the best of this year for me.
I listened to this on Audible and the narrator, Tai Sammons, was amazing as Carey. I would definitely listen to more by her.
Go read/listen (to) this book.

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Review: Retribution: Avenge the Innocents

Retribution: Avenge the Innocents by R.W.K. Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book of this author that I have read. I was held captive by the first and was looking forward to reading more books by him.
Once more I was immediately drawn into the story. Mr Clark definitely knows how to get your attention. I don’t want to give away the story with my review. The subject matter is one I first became aware of after I had my oldest child. I was horrified by the real life actions of a mother. Reading this story brought that back to me. The author wrote from inside the mind of victim and perpetrator. It was interesting to me. The story was all the more terrifying by the fact that the author kept things fairly real. Then came the twist. Wow! I did not see that coming. The ending was left a bit open and I am hoping for a part two to this book. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

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Review: A Charming Crime

A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love this author. She never fails to entertain me. That is why I chose to listen to a book I have read twice. That and the fact that I’m ill so reading is difficult.
I enjoyed meeting June Heal and spending time in Whispering Falls. I have read several books in this series and will say the story gets better with each book. There are lots of interesting characters to get to know. I love the paranormal flavoring the story.
I am less than thrilled with the narrator for this. She read fast and pretty much sounded bored. I have listened to a lot of audiobooks. I really do enjoy them. I would have preferred someone who modulated their voice a bit more. My guy listened to a bit of it while we ate and the first comment he made was, “the book needs a better narrator.”
It gets four stars because I enjoy the series in ebook. I took a star for the narrator.

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Review: One Feta in the Grave

One Feta in the Grave by Tina Kashian
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the series but my first. I was able to keep up with the mystery. I did wish that I had read the others books, though, for the relationships.
I was drawn to the book by the fun cover. Reading a book set on the boardwalk was as fun as I imagined. It was cold and a bit snowy where I lived so the summertime reminder was especially sweet. I live in a tourist town so relating was easy. I liked Lucy and Katie, as well as the other characters. Madame Vega was a super interesting character to me. Who doesn’t enjoy getting their fortune told? I enjoyed the way the author weaved the characters together. I knew I was behind on some relationships and characters but I was able to quickly catch on. I liked that part. I thought the author did well writing characters that were clear as well as some who were questionable. There is a romance in the works with the current possible interest not in law enforcement.
I don’t want to go into the mystery because I hate spoilers and even innocent things have the potential to ruin the fun for some. I was kept guessing until the reveal. There were plenty of suspects; some I liked and some I was hoping it was them instead of one I liked.
There are recipes at the end of the story. I usually try to make a couple before writing up a review but I was sick while reading this. For a few days it was up to the guy who thinks a meal is complete if it has meat and bread. He knows, though, that I want soups when I’m sick so he attempted to make Azad’s Lentil Soup. It was a success so you know that one of the recipes is easy peasey and delicious.
My illness did include an eye infection which forced me to put aside the book about halfway through. This almost killed me. I was enjoying it so much that I kept trying to push it.
I really enjoyed reading One Feta In The Grave. I won an advanced reader copy so it is possible there may be minor changes when the book is released. I would definitely suggest, if you like cozies, put this one on your TBR. I believe it is scheduled for a February release. Perfect time to enjoy some book sunshine.

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Review: An Anonymous Girl

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s hard to write a review for this book that doesn’t give things away. I started the book early in the morning intending to listen for a few hours while doing things around the house. It is now almost 10:00 pm and the things I planned to do are on tomorrow’s agenda. This was a rare time when I was so caught up in the story that nothing was really done. It was like I was sitting with coffee listening to a friend recount a horrifying time in her life. You listen transfixed. You think about what you are being told. You wonder how you would have answered the questions. You wonder about choices. You wonder about trust. You wonder about confidentiality. You go back to wondering about trust. This was the most mesmerizing book I have listened to in a while. I would say be careful reading reviews. This is a book best going into knowing as little as possible, in my opinion.

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Review: The Witches of New York: A Novel

The Witches of New York: A Novel by Ami McKay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an absolute delight to listen to! The story was so interesting. One of my favorite tales of the craft. A testament of women as much as a tale of witches. A work of fiction that holds much truth. Set in 1880 it is a reminder of how far women have come, how much it cost some, how much we still have to go. Witchcraft was handled wonderfully. Be certain to read the author’s note after the story. The narrator, Julia Whelan, was amazing to listen to. She brought the story to life with her performance. I don’t often buy a book I have in multiple forms, especially after I have read it. This one I did. Yes, I do recommend it.

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Review: The Second Captive

The Second Captive by Maggie James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was glued to this book. It had an interesting subject, a good twist and it educated me. It was a bit difficult for me at times. I have my own experience with domestic violence and being held against my will. It was different from Beth’s experience but certain scenes did bring that punched in the stomach feeling to me. I did not know very much of Stockholm Syndrome. That was very interesting to read about. I learned quite a bit.
I don’t know that I liked Beth that much. Maybe it was that I didn’t always understand her. Maybe I was comparing us too much. Maybe it was that I wasn’t as brave as she was. I shattered like glass..something I still feel guilty about. At times her bravery terrified me because I knew what could happen. I thought a lot about family dynamics and how things connected.
The book is told from Beth, Dominic and Ursula’s points of view. I’m not overly fond of multiple points of view but, in this case, it worked very well. Being able to follow each person’s thoughts brought the story to life. It added a necessary understanding.
The story was gripping, sad at times, intense and terrifying. I thought the ending was done right for the story. I don’t want to go into it for fear of spoiling it. It worked for me. I’m happy I selected this book.


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Review: The Mistake

The Mistake by K.L. Slater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to this all evening. It deals with a creepy subject matter. It has a lot of turns to it, especially in the last part of the book. I didn’t really like the characters though.

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